PICK ME UP, ANOTHER LOBBY!

Two days later.

After clearing the seventh floor, master did not call for us the next day.

We had learned it meant that master would make us climb to the next floor when master called for us again.

And it was already expected since the fairy told me the seventh floor was also inaccessible after we cleared it.

Having been summoned by the fairy, our party walked through the rift of space time and entered the mirrored chamber.

All of us stared at the mirror on the furthest left, knowing why we were called here.

[Climb the tower and save the world!]

[Main Dungeon]

[Floor conquered - 7 -]

"You think it'll be another exploration?"

Trudy asked.

"Hopefully not. It'll be hard for the other parties if the eighth floor is closed after we clear it."

I replied.

The mirror then shined even brighter and we were soon engulfed in the familiar light.

A huge breeze began swirling past my skin.

I sensed the hard floor beneath my feet gradually transformed into grassed land.

As soon as the light diminished, we found ourselves standing in the middle of a vast plain surrounded by tall mountain ranges.

A valley.

The grand valley we were witnessing in the sixth and seventh floor.

Judging by the shifting sun above us, I could tell our bearing.

"Are those walls over there?"

Shanny said, pointing to our west at one end of the valley.

Just as she said, tall brick walls that even towered the garrison we encountered on the fifth floor stood far beyond us.

Even from afar I could tell how just as ruined the walls were as the fifth floor garrison.

But before I could examine the structures even further, a rumbling sound distracted me.

I turned my gaze to the east and saw a huge ash cloud creeping toward us on the plain.

The rumbling sound turned clearer.

A stampede.

"Enemies! Ready for battle!"

I warned my comrades.

The mission window immediately appeared before us.

[Floor 8]

[Mission Type – Subjugation]

[Objective – Annihilate the enemies!]

Just as I confirmed it was a subjugation mission, the ash cloud crept closer, revealing our opponents.

Wolves. Each twice the size of those we faced on the fifth floor.

Riding on top of the fanged creatures like deadly cavalries were goblins. As heavily armored as the ones on the sixth and seventh floor. Each of them was carrying either a crossbow, a machete, or a pike.

One goblin on top each wolf, forming a pair.

I counted thirty pairs in total. All were charging toward us.

[Goblin Rider Lv.10 x30]

From where they were at the plain, it would be twelve seconds till they reached us.

Enough time to try my new spell I had been practicing mentally.

I had not the chance to cast it in training, except exercising its formulation in my head.

I raised my hands forward and started casting.

My comrades were ready by my side to guard my surroundings.

Swoosh!

Wind and flames began to swirl around me.

Their trails coiled up from beneath my feet to the front of my palms, fusing into a fiery spinning ball of air.

['Serafina (★★★★)'s Intermediate Fire Magic has levelled up to level 9!]

['Serafina (★★★★)'s Basic Wind Magic has levelled up six times to level 10!]

['Serafina (★★★★)'s Basic Wind Magic has evolved into Intermediate Wind Magic!]

The spell was set.

Five seconds till the enemies' arrival.

['Combined Grand Magic, 'Blazing Breeze (★★★★)'s has been activated!]

[Caster - 'Serafina (★★★★)']

Only a fusion spell would be an appropriate welcome.

[Maha Topan Api]

I activated the incantation.

[Roar]

The ball of air shot out from my palms into a raging fiery gale.

Boom!

The torrent of air blasted through the charging wolves and claimed eight pairs at once, slicing and burning the monsters into charred torn flesh.

The riders immediately spread out to avoid my assault.

That was when I activated the final stage of the spell.

[Expand]

The burning wind curled up to one spot, returning into its spinning ball form.

It spun faster and faster and then it grew into a huge rotating dome that could swallow a hill.

The goblin riders were torn apart by the raging wind. Those that rode fast enough to dodge the deadly current were already seared in flames during their escape.

Among those that were on fire, only lucky eight pairs could survive the intense burn.

The surviving monsters all continued their charge to us with their steaming flesh replacing their skins and furs.

I turned to my comrades.

"I'll leave the rest to you!"

"Yes!"

They replied in unison.

Darius drew three arrows from his quiver and rapidly sent each one flying toward the three foremost riders.

Shuck!

Shuck!

Shuck!

Two goblins fell by the arrows while a wolf crashed to the ground after it was struck on the leg.

['Darius (★★★)'s Rapid Fire has levelled up to level 2!]

Jonah retrieved his red-streaked throwing spear and launched it toward the assaulted enemies.

Boom!

The explosion decimated the surviving ones of the three pairs.

Five pairs remaining. Two riders with crossbows, two with pikes, and one with a machete.

The remaining ones used a small tactic through the little number they had left.

The five riders spread out and encircled our party.

The pikes and machete wielders immediately charged at us once they finished forming a blockade.

The two crossbow riders stayed on the circle and began firing bolts at us from afar.

[Shield]

Standing in the center, I intercepted their arrows with my barrier spell.

Meanwhile, Darius crippled another wolf that was carrying the machete wielder.

The rider crashed to the ground and Trudy quickly rushed in and slashed her sword across the rider's torso.

The goblin managed to step back just in time before the blade reached the monster.

But Trudy turned her blade again and followed up with a left-ward cross.

Clang!

Their weapons clashed against one another.

At the confrontation, Trudy raised her shield on her left hand and smashed it to the goblin's head.

The monster staggered backward.

Trudy did not waste the opportunity.

She thrusted her sword and plunged the blade deep into the goblin's throat.

['Trudy (★)'s Basic Sword-Shield Technique has levelled up to level 4!]

The crippled wolf suddenly growled.

It used its remaining functioning legs and leaped toward Trudy with its fangs bared.

The woman saw the attack coming though and she shifted to her side and struck her blade into the canine's neck.

On the other side of the field…

['Shanny (★★)' has gone berserk!]

Intense aura shot out from the recently-promoted hero.

Sense of reasoning left her eyes.

Wilder than the wolves she was facing, Shanny charged toward the pike wielders like a hungry beast.

The riders tried to impale her with their long spears, but the woman jumped to the air so high she blocked the sun above the goblins and spun her body.

Slash!

In one smooth motion, Shanny's blade rotated alongside her and decapitated the two goblins.

With their riders dead, the two wolves now took charge of themselves. They turned around and leaped onto Shanny, both trying to maul her to her death.

But the woman jumped to her side like an agile cat, causing the two wolves to crash onto each other.

Like a starving lion, Shanny pounced on the two wolves and pierced her blade through their heads all in one go, skewering them together.

A crossbow wielder tried to use the little opening it had as Shanny's sword was stuck on the wolves' heads.

It rode its wolf fast through the circle and aimed at the swordswoman.

Shuck!

Before the goblin could pull the trigger, a spear was lanced through its head. Its body fell hard to the ground and bounced like lifeless doll.

The other crossbow wielder took notice of Jonah whom just killed its comrade.

It quickly fired a series of bolt toward him.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

I did not let those bolts flew unnoticed.

[Shield]

Like hitting an impenetrable wall, the bolts bounced off midway and fell to the ground.

The goblin rider was shocked and hurried to reload as it rode fast through the plain.

Shuck!

Time was not on the goblin's side nor its wolf's speed was helpful either for Jonah had took notice of the creature and sent his counter-attack with dead precision.

['Jonah (★★)'s Spear-throwing has levelled up to level 4!]

With the goblins gone, there were only two wolves left. The ones carrying the crossbow wielders.

Without a care of where they were on the field, they immediately ran to the center where our party was positioned.

Their horrifying jaws and intimidating size were no threat in the face of Darius's bow.

Whoosh!

Whimper!

Accurately aimed, Darius sent arrows landing on the wolves' eyes which pierced all the way through their brains.

Instantly then the mission window appeared before us.

[Stage Clear!]

['Trudy (★)', 'Darius (★★★)' levelled up!]

[MVP – 'Serafina (★★★★)']

[Reward – 8,000G, Iron Ore (C) x2, Leather (C) x3]