Reborn as an Extra Chapter 609: S-rank Dungeon, A Forgotten Nation. Part-4.

"High temperatures combined with elevated mana density in these subterranean caves make them perfect habitats for creatures that thrive without sunlight..."

"You could encounter spider beasts reaching five meters in height within these vast caverns. Plus, enormous insect and scorpion-type monsters exist here, their venom potent enough to slay top A-rankers within seconds!"

"Make sure you avoid their strikes..."

As Lia advanced into the round cavern, she observed that its walls appeared smooth, almost as though they had been meticulously smoothed into this tunnel-shaped form.

"Could this be the doing of those lava wyrms I studied at the academy... I haven’t encountered one up close yet..."

James affirmed Lia’s query with a nod.

"Yes, they’re elongated, serpentine beings carrying faint bloodlines from fire and earth dragons, granting them tough scales and saliva capable of liquefying metals and ores in just seconds..."

"Their blood’s heat is sufficient to make ordinary artifacts and weapons ineffective, corroding and melting them upon contact..."

"No need to fret, though—you possess ’Ambient Silver.’ Our family’s heirloom; it’s durable enough to battle real dragons, far surpassing these minor pests... it won’t suffer damage, so wield it freely..."

Lia gave a nod and realized her cape not only maintained the surrounding temperature for her but also collected available oxygen from the air to aid her breathing.

The region’s thick smoke and lava created a dire lack of oxygen, saturating the atmosphere with mana-enhanced toxic fumes.

Essentially, the caves’ air consisted of pervasive magical toxins!

James remained unaffected as an S-ranker, requiring no breath at all.

He simply drew energy from his mana reserves.

Noticing the strain on her cape, Lia invoked her spirit magic.

A radiant silver mask formed from spirit magic enveloped Lia’s face, shielding her from the area’s poisonous gases and extracting oxygen for her use.

’This environment is truly unforgiving for those under S-rank... even reaching the dungeon proves so challenging; I can only imagine the dungeon’s trials...’

As Lia shielded her face with spirit magic, the tiny golem perched on her shoulder exclaimed in alarm.

"It’s incredibly hot here! I feel like I might melt!"

Since the small golem consisted of basic metals and fragile components, Lia had to channel her spirit magic to safeguard it personally.

"Impressive... your command over spirit magic has advanced; now you can share it with others... that’s a good development..."

James smiled while observing the spirit magic-clad little golem and nodded approvingly.

"The beasts in this place are merely A-rank, potentially too feeble for you, but this companion will offer a useful challenge... let’s locate a spot for your training and adaptation to this harsh setting..."

"Mastering combat against heavily armored foes is crucial for you... considering your fighting approach heavily emphasizes targeting enemies’ vulnerabilities..."

Lia’s confusion prompted her to question James in a hesitant tone,

"What makes you say my combat style centers on exploiting weak points... aren’t you doing the same?"

"You employ the identical sword art as I do, don’t you? The Silver Lion Swordsmanship, correct?"

From childhood, Lia had mastered the ’Silver Lion Swordsmanship’ under James’s guidance, leading her to presume he practiced it identically.

Hence, she deemed it odd that he described her technique as weakness-focused when his own ought to align.

"Well... put it this way... I’ve always leaned toward raw physical power, you know... plus, memorizing every odd monster’s flaws is too much effort for me..."

"So, I adapted the ’Silver Lion Swordsmanship’ to fit my style... mine emphasizes overwhelming force and might..."

James rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly while clarifying,

"Like that eel I smacked earlier... I mostly just overpower foes with my sword..."

Lia nearly exclaimed, ’What are you, some kind of brawler!?’.

"Wha... but that mindless, direct assault... that’s typically for martial artists..."

"Shouldn’t swordsmen prioritize accuracy over bulldozing through obstacles..."

[I warned you... this fellow is eccentric; I seriously doubt you’ll gain much from him...]

[Stick to his methods, and you could turn into a bulky, perspiring muscle machine just like him!]

Noting Lia’s skeptical expression, James understood she struggled to accept his explanation, yet he refrained from debating and guided them toward a wider space.

"Words alone won’t convince... allow me to show you directly..."

Upon leaving the tubular passage, they entered a vast subterranean expanse of compacted rock and ores, forged by intense mana pressure.

A enormous mana reservoir flooded the region beyond the plateau, and as the party set foot there, the lava pool quaked violently!

An immense worm featuring four stubby legs, a pair of diminutive bat wings, and a maw brimming with countless razor teeth erupted from the lava and hurtled toward Lia and her companions!

"There’s your training dummy! Watch as I reveal the authentic ’Lion Sword Art’ in action!"

James crouched low, gripping his broadsword like a baseball bat, and unleashed a mighty swing at the approaching worm!

The colossal worm’s form crumpled as if struck by a steamroller! It flattened in flight, innards exploding into mush from the raw force of that devastating physical blow!

The strike involved zero elemental power!

Much like a player smashing an oncoming ball with a bat in baseball, James simply clubbed the worm with his blade as if batting at a pitch!

The creature soared off into the distance, and James grinned contentedly, evidently pleased with the ’home run’ he’d delivered via his flawless swing.

"See? Isn’t it spectacular... My perfect technique alone reveals I was the top cricketer in my group back in the day!"

"I played a ton of cricket, you see! Without awakening, I’d have chased a pro cricket path... hehe..."