the second floor(7)

The yawning entrance of the cave loomed before them, shrouded in an eerie silence. Dakota and Henry stood side by side, the faint glow of their torches casting dancing shadows on the rocky walls.

Henry: "Alright, here we go again. Another cave, another round of monsters. You sure you're ready for this, Dakota?"

Dakota: "Ready? Always. Let's clear this and move on."

They stepped inside, their boots crunching against the gravelly floor. The air was heavy, damp, and carried a faint metallic tang that made Henry wrinkle his nose.

Henry: "Smells like something's already rotting in here. Great start."

Dakota: "Stop complaining and focus. You'll thank me later."

As they ventured deeper, faint skittering noises echoed through the cavern. Suddenly, the walls around them burst open, and dozens of massive shadow spiders poured out, their glistening fangs dripping venom that hissed as it hit the ground.

Henry: "Oh, come on! Spiders? Really?"

One spider lunged straight at Henry, its fangs aiming for his throat. With a quick step back, he swung his flaming sword, slicing it clean in half.

Henry: "Ugh, I hate these things! Too many legs."

Dakota: "Focus on their legs. You cripple them, they're easy to kill."

Another spider lunged at Dakota, but he sidestepped effortlessly, sending a concentrated burst of flame into its body. The creature screeched as it was reduced to ash.

Henry: "They just keep coming! Any idea how many there are?"

Dakota: "Does it matter? Keep killing."

Henry gritted his teeth as two spiders leapt at him simultaneously. Swinging his sword in a wide arc, he cleaved through both, their bodies falling limp to the ground.

Dakota, meanwhile, unleashed a torrent of flames, incinerating a group of spiders that had surrounded him. Within minutes, the swarm was reduced to smoldering remains.

Henry: "Okay, that was disgusting. Think we're done with the creepy crawlies?"

Dakota: "Doubt it. Let's keep moving."

As they ventured further, the cave grew hotter. The walls glowed faintly with an orange hue, and the ground beneath their feet radiated heat. Suddenly, the ground shook, and two massive lava golems erupted from the floor. Their molten bodies dripped fiery rock, and their glowing eyes locked onto the intruders.

Henry: "Lava golems? Fantastic. Just when I thought this place couldn't get worse."

One golem hurled a boulder of molten rock at Henry. He dodged just in time, the projectile smashing into the wall behind him and sending sparks flying.

Henry: "Okay, this one's mine!"

Charging forward, he swung his flaming sword at the golem, but his blade barely left a mark on its molten surface. The creature retaliated with a heavy swing of its arm, forcing Henry to roll out of the way.

Dakota: "Its core. Aim for the core in its chest."

Henry: "Yeah, yeah, I got it."

Dakota raised his hands, summoning a concentrated beam of fire. The attack struck the golem's chest, cracking the molten armor and exposing its glowing core. Henry seized the opportunity, plunging his sword into the weak spot. The golem let out a guttural roar before collapsing into a heap of smoldering rubble.

The second golem roared in fury, spewing a wave of molten rock toward Dakota. He dodged nimbly, countering with a precise blast of fire to its chest.

Dakota: "Finish it, Henry."

With a powerful leap, Henry drove his sword into the golem's core, shattering it. The creature crumbled, leaving the two of them standing amidst the ruins.

Henry: "Alright, I'm officially tired of caves."

Dakota: "And we're officially stronger. Let's move."

After navigating a maze of twisting tunnels, they arrived at the familiar stone door of the reward room. Dakota pushed it open, revealing the two glowing pedestals within.

Henry: "Here we go. What do we have this time?"

On the left pedestal sat a fiery orb that pulsed with heat, while the right pedestal held a silvery orb that seemed to distort the air around it.

Henry approached the fiery orb, his eyes lighting up. Henry: "This one's calling to me. Looks like it's mine."

As he touched the orb, a surge of energy coursed through him. Flames erupted around his body, but they felt controlled, precise.

Henry: "This... this is amazing. My fire magic—it's on a whole new level now."

Dakota approached the silvery orb. The air around it grew still as he placed his hand on it. For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze. When the sensation passed, he looked at his hands, silver energy flickering faintly around them.

Henry: "Wait, what'd you get?"

Dakota: "Time manipulation. I can stop time for a few seconds."

Henry: "You're kidding. You got time powers, and you didn't go for fire mastery? Why?"

Dakota: "what do you mean why? You know how extremely rare Time power's are? Obviously they are better."

Inwardly, Dakota's thoughts were racing. This is exactly what I need. If things go wrong later, this skill could change everything.

As they left the reward room, the air grew hotter once more. Suddenly, fiery apparitions materialized, their ghostly forms flickering with malevolent flames.

Henry: "Great. Floating fire monsters. My favorite."

One of the wraiths charged at Dakota, its flaming claws slashing through the air. He countered with a wave of fire, but the wraith absorbed it, growing larger.

Henry: "Uh, fire doesn't work on these things. Got any other ideas?"

Dakota: "We need to disrupt their core. Aim for the center."

Henry switched tactics, infusing his blade with mana and striking at the nearest wraith. The creature let out an unearthly screech before dissipating into embers.

Henry: "Got it. Hit the core."

The two of them fought in tandem, coordinating their attacks to strike at the wraiths' weak spots. The battle was intense but brief, and soon the cavern was silent once more.

Henry: "Okay, I'm officially done with fire monsters. Can we go now?"

Dakota: "Not yet. There's always another cave."

As they emerged from the cave into the cool night air, Dakota pulled out his phone.

Henry: "What are you doing? Checking your messages now?"

Dakota's eyes scanned the screen, his expression widening.

Dakota: "...ah."