Chapter 314: The Cavern and the Hot Spring
Li ng dove deeper into the lake, heading toward its depths. He finally stopped after descending a hundred ters.
"So that’s what it is—Fire Crystals and Ice Crystals!"
The underwater scene wasn’t dark, thanks to the vibrant red and blue hues emanating from the lakebed.
On one side, Fire Crystals were piled high like a mountain, while the other side was a similar mound of Ice Crystals.
The interplay of fire and ice explained the lake’s strange duality.
Li ng scanned the lakebed but found no signs of labyrinth monsters.
---
Splash!
Water sprayed as Li ng broke through the surface, landing back on the ice.
The sudden appearance of his figure startled the three young girls—Amayee, Amay, and A—who were lying near the edge of the ice.
"No danger. Go have fun!"
Hearing this, the three girls’ eyes lit up. Standing on the ice, they began stripping off their gear until they were down to their underwear.
The trio leaped into the water with loud splashes, excitent written all over their faces.
"Boss, it’s a hot spring!"
The warm water enveloped them, sending a rush of comfort and delight through their bodies.
"Don’t stray too far from the ice!"
About thirty ters from the edge, the water was just the right temperature. Any farther, the water grew dangerously hot.
Their antics caught the attention of the Brotherhood mbers in the camp. Many were tempted. A hot bath after so long in the labyrinth? It was irresistible.
"This place is safe, but if you can’t swim, don’t go in!"
Li ng’s assurance made the rest of the camp perk up with excitent. Soon, mbers were enthusiastically heading toward the ice boundary.
Despite the casual atmosphere, the adventurers instinctively split into two groups—n and won—maintaining a hundred-ter gap between them as they undressed.
"Wow, the squad leader has an amazing figure!"
"Hey, don’t get caught ogling her, or she’ll clobber you."
"Ogling? I’m admiring openly!"
For seasoned adventurers, a hundred ters was like nothing, and many n sneaked glances at the won.
The won, however, didn’t seem to care. Laughing and chatting, they stripped down to light undergarnts before entering the water.
The cavern soon filled with the sounds of playful splashing and laughter.
---
On the ice...
Li ng sat at the edge, enjoying the view of the lake.
Glimpses of white, bare bodies filled the water. Among them were humans, elves, and beastfolk.
The beastfolk displayed subtle animal traits—such as wolf ears, cat tails, or raccoon-like features. A few petite Aelves were also among them.
"That one’s got great hips, but her chest is a bit lacking."
"And that one… wow, what a figure! But too skinny for my taste."
"Hmm, this one’s got it all—curves in the right places—but her face could use so work."
"Ah, now that is talent. Perfect curves, full chest, and a round ass."
There were about thirty won in the water and a dozen more on the shore. Li ng’s gaze scanned each of them, ntally scoring their appearances and analyzing their talents.
The cheerful splashing continued for hours, until the group finally began to quiet down after three hours of enjoynt.
---
Back at the camp...
The adventurers returned to rest, their spirits high.
Inside one of the tents, however, there was still so movent.
Li ng was on top of Bella, her long legs wrapped lightly around his waist. A faint purple mark adorned her ankle, a reminder of their vigorous activity.
Bella’s face was flushed as she clung tightly to him, her body trembling like a small boat tossed in a storm.
After an indeterminate amount of ti, the tent finally fell silent.
Bella lay lazily on Li ng’s chest, her breath soft and steady.
"Boss, why do you want to go to the 40th floor?"
To Bella, soone as strong as the Boss shouldn’t care much about the labyrinth.
The deeper layers of the labyrinth held unknown dangers. Below the 40th floor, the space was so vast that even Saint-level adventurers weren’t willing to spend decades searching for the next entrance.
Between the 40th and 41st floors, 112 years had passed before anyone had made the leap.
Realizing her question was inappropriate, Bella quickly apologized.
"I’m sorry, Boss. I shouldn’t have asked that."
Bella had infiltrated the Brotherhood like a spy and worried that her curiosity might be misunderstood.
Li ng said nothing, simply patting her waist and hips.
"Go to sleep."
"Okay."
Nestling closer, Bella found a comfortable position and closed her eyes.
---
The next morning...
The group left the cavern and pressed onward.
"Boss, this space is where the floor boss, the Giant Rock Serpent, resides. Looks like it’s already been defeated."
Three days later, they arrived in a vast, empty cavern.
Hunting floor bosses was challenging since such spaces were frequented by many adventurers. Only those willing to wait for a boss’s respawn had a chance to encounter one.
The group of a hundred bypassed the boss chamber and descended to the next level.
---
The thirteenth floor...
The monsters here were labyrinth creatures called "Rock Spiders."
They were nurous and capable of firing stone projectiles. Each spider was the size of a small car, but they posed little threat to the elite group of high-ranking adventurers.
The Brotherhood aid for the 40th floor and wouldn’t be delayed by sothing as trivial as Rock Spiders.
Over the following days, the group plowed through the thirteenth floor, encountering other adventurers along the way.
So were small squads; others were full teams. But both sides kept their distance, avoiding unnecessary contact.
In the labyrinth, other adventurers could sotis be more dangerous than the monsters themselves.
---
Fourteenth day on the thirteenth floor...
"Boss, are you really planning to go in there?"
"You can’t be serious—that place is impossible to reach."
"Don’t worry. The Boss is strong."
"Strength isn’t the issue. It’s just... too troubleso."
The group stood before the entrance to a cavern. The black void of the entrance seed ominous.
On the cavern wall, several large characters revealed the significance of this place.
"Boss, are you sure about this?" Bella asked nervously.
"Yes. We need to go. I don’t have ti to descend floor by floor."
Descending one level at a ti would take at least two months.
Even if they were lucky enough to find a teleportation array, using it would involve its own complications.
Many veteran teams had their own secret teleportation arrays for rapid travel to deeper floors.
But as a newly ford Brotherhood, they lacked such resources.
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