Beast Evolution Forge-Chapter 198: I am dropping this book 8

They laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls. It felt good after all the fighting. But Vell stayed quiet, his mind already on Floor 11. The tower wasn't just about strength—it was a test. Every floor had a trick, a secret. He had to figure out the next one.

"Sleep," he said, standing. "We climb soon."

They nodded, curling up with their cloaks. Regina kept the fire going, its blue light soft. Vell took watch, pacing the room. The tower was too quiet—no monsters, no sounds. That made him nervous.

An hour later, they were up, packed, and at the stairs. The steps looked darker now, colder. The air buzzed, like something was waiting.

"Ready?" Vell asked.

"Always," Jolly said, stepping up.

They climbed. The air got heavy, the walls dimmer. The symbols turned into sharp, messy lines—like claw marks. Ruby shivered, sticking close to Vell.

"These scratches," Regina said, frowning. "They're not normal. Something's angry up there."

"Keep going," Vell said, his dagger ready. "We'll face it."

The stairs stopped at a door—black iron, dented and scratched. Red light glowed through the cracks, pulsing fast. Chains hung loose, clinking softly.

"Creepy again," Ruby whispered, grabbing Vell's arm.

"Open it," he said.

Jolly yanked the chains off, and Vell pushed the door. It screeched open, and a blast of wind hit them—hot and dry, smelling like smoke. Floor 11 was wild.

The ground was black rock, cracked and steaming. Red lightning flashed in a stormy sky, lighting up cliffs and rivers of fire. Weird plants grew—spiky, glowing red, snapping at the air. In the distance, a huge volcano smoked, its top glowing like a red eye.

"Whoa!" Ruby said, her tail puffing up. "This place is crazy!"

"Crazy's our thing," Vell said, scanning the land. "Stay tight. This floor's alive."

They stepped out, the rock crunching under their boots. The heat was sharp, the air thick with ash. Thunder rumbled, and the ground shook. Something big was close.

"Master, over there!" Ruby pointed.

Shapes moved in the smoke—tall, skinny things with wings. They swooped down—lizard-like, with scales of fire and claws that sparked. Their eyes glowed red, and they screeched like metal scraping.

"Fire drakes!" Regina shouted, her grimoire open. "Flying and fast!"

"Scatter!" Vell yelled as one dove.

It spat fire, and the team dodged. Ruby shot a water blast, but it fizzled in the heat. Wren jumped, slashing its wing with her claws. The drake screeched and crashed, smoking.

"Physical works!" Wren called, grinning.

"Regina, back us up!" Vell said, ducking a claw.

She fired an ice bolt, hitting another drake. It froze mid-air and fell, shattering. Jolly punched a third, her fists glowing, sending it spinning. Jia's daggers sliced a fourth, fast and clean. Vell shadow-stepped to the last, stabbing its neck. It dropped, twitching.

[Fire Drakes defeated. 1200 points earned.]

"Nice start," Vell said, breathing hard. "Path's that way—to the volcano."

They moved fast, dodging fire plants that snapped at their legs. More drakes attacked, but the team was ready—ice, claws, fists, daggers. The volcano grew bigger, its red glow pulsing like a heartbeat. The air burned, but they pushed on.

At the volcano's base, a tunnel opened—dark, with steam hissing out. Inside, the walls glowed red, dripping fire. A rocky path climbed up to a big ledge. There, a monster waited—huge, with wings of flame and a body of black stone. Its tail lashed, tipped with a glowing spike. A red key shone in its chest, stuck in a crack.

"Fire wyrm," Regina said, her voice low. "Boss of Floor 11."

"Big and mean," Wren grinned. "Let's break it!"

"Careful," Vell said. "We need that key."

The wyrm roared, shaking the tunnel. Fire blasted from its mouth, and the team dove aside. Regina cast ice, hitting its wing. Steam exploded, and the fire dimmed. Jolly rushed in, punching its leg, cracking stone. Wren and Jia hit its sides, claws and daggers sparking.

Ruby fired mana blasts at its head, making it snap. Vell shadow-stepped behind, aiming for the key. His dagger hit the crack, chipping it wider.

"Chest!" he shouted. "Hit the chest!"

Regina's ice storm slammed its front, freezing the key's spot. Jolly leaped, smashing it with both fists. The crack split, and the key wobbled. The wyrm screeched, swinging its tail. Vell dodged, and Ruby's blasts kept it dizzy.

Wren and Jia clawed the chest, stone flying. Regina froze its wings, pinning it. Jolly punched again, and the key popped free, clanging to the ground.

"Grab it!" Vell yelled, diving for it.

The wyrm roared, fire exploding everywhere. Vell snatched the key as the team hit hard—ice, claws, fists, mana. The wyrm froze, cracked, and burst into ash.

[Fire Wyrm defeated. 3500 points earned.]

[Floor 11 Key earned. 4500 points awarded.]

A portal glowed on the ledge, red and hot. The team panted, sweaty and covered in ash, but grinning.

"Eleven floors!" Jolly cheered. "We're unstoppable!"

"Not yet," Vell said, holding the key. "Tower's still got more."

Regina wiped her face. "Bosses are getting wilder. Floor 12's gonna test us."

Ruby hugged Vell, tail wagging. "We'll win, Master! Together!"

He smiled, just a little. "Yeah. Together."

They stepped through the portal, back to the base. The heat faded, but the thrill stayed. The stairs waited, leading to Floor 12—more fights, more wins. Vell's team was tired but tough. The tower could try anything. They'd climb higher—always higher.

The portal's heat fizzled out, dropping Vell and his team back into the tower's base. The air was cool again, a sharp change from Floor 11's fiery chaos. The black stone walls hummed softly, their glow dimmer now, like the tower was tired too. Eleven floors beaten—sand, ice, lava, shadows, fire—they'd crushed it all. Vell gripped the red key from the fire wyrm, its edges still warm.

"Eleven down!" Ruby chirped, shaking ash off her fluffy hat. Her tail swished fast. "We're the best, Master!"

Wren smirked, stretching her claws. "Yeah, but Floor 12's waiting. Bet it's nasty."

Jia twirled her daggers, calm as always. "Bring it on. I'm done with ash in my boots."

Jolly grinned, flexing her big hands. "More floors, more smashing. I'm good."

Regina frowned, hugging her grimoire. "The tower's shifting. Floor 12 might be a whole new game."

Vell nodded, his eyes on the stairs. "Rest up. We climb soon."

They plopped down near Regina's blue fire. Ruby munched on a dried apple, her ears twitching. Wren leaned back, scraping her claws on the stone floor. Jia wiped her daggers clean, quiet but ready. Jolly cracked her knuckles, grinning at nothing. Regina flipped her grimoire open, tracing the weird scratches on the walls with her finger.

"Master," Ruby said, her voice small, "how high does this tower go?"

Vell stared at the flames, thinking. "No one knows. But we'll find the top."

Wren laughed. "Us against everything. I'd read that book."

"Our book," Jia said, smirking. "And we're the heroes."

The team chuckled, the sound light in the big room. It felt good after the fire wyrm's roars. But Vell stayed silent, his mind racing. The tower wasn't just fights—it was a trap, a riddle. Floor 12 would have its own twist. He had to be ready.

"Sleep," he said, standing. "We move in an hour."

They nodded, curling up with their cloaks. Regina's fire flickered, keeping the chill away. Vell paced, watching the shadows. The tower was too quiet again—no growls, no steps. That meant trouble was brewing.

An hour later, they were up, bags packed, standing at the stairs. The steps looked rougher now, edges chipped. The air buzzed louder, prickling their skin.

"Ready?" Vell asked.

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"Born ready," Jolly said, stepping forward.

They climbed. The air turned wet, heavy, like breathing soup. The walls dripped—little streams of water trickling down. The glowing symbols were gone, replaced by mossy patches that glowed green.

"Wet now?" Regina said, touching the wall. "This is new. Floor 12's different."

"Keep moving," Vell said, dagger in hand. "We'll see."

The stairs stopped at a door—wooden, swollen with damp, covered in green slime. A faint blue light glowed through the cracks, pulsing slow. Water dripped from the frame, splashing on the steps.

"Gross," Ruby whined, wrinkling her nose. "It smells like mud!"

"Open it," Vell said.

Jolly shoved the door, and it popped open with a wet squish. A blast of humid air hit them—warm, sticky, full of plant smells. Floor 12 stretched out—a swampy mess.

The ground was mushy, black mud sucking at their boots. Twisted trees grew everywhere, their roots curling like claws. Vines hung low, dripping water. The sky was gray, thick with fog, and a low croak echoed in the distance. Bright flowers glowed—red, blue, yellow—dotting the muck like little lanterns.

"Whoa!" Ruby said, her tail drooping. "This place is slimy!"

"Slimy's fine," Vell said, stepping in. "Watch your step."

They slogged forward, mud squelching. The air hummed with bugs—big ones, buzzing past their ears. The croaking got louder, and the ground shook a little.

"Master, something's here!" Ruby squeaked, pointing.

Shapes slid through the mud—long, scaly, with glowing green eyes. They rose up—snakes, but huge, with fangs dripping green goo. Their tails rattled, loud and sharp.

"Swamp vipers!" Regina yelled, her grimoire glowing. "Poison and speed!"

"Dodge!" Vell shouted as one struck.

It snapped at Wren, who rolled away and slashed its side. Green blood oozed, and the viper hissed. Ruby fired a water blast, pushing another back. Jolly punched a third, her fist sinking into its scales. Jia's daggers flashed, cutting a fourth's neck. Vell shadow-stepped to the last, stabbing its eye. It flopped down, dead.

[Swamp Vipers defeated. 1300 points earned.]

"Gross but easy," Wren said, wiping goo off her claws.

"Path's that way," Vell said, nodding toward a line of glowing flowers. "Let's go."

They trudged on, dodging vines that snapped like whips. More vipers slithered up, but the team was quick—water, claws, fists, daggers. The swamp thickened, water up to their knees. In the distance, a big tree loomed—huge, twisted, with roots like a cage. Blue light pulsed at its top.

"That's it," Vell said, squinting. "The key's there."

They pushed closer, mud slowing them. The croaking turned into a deep growl. The tree shook, and something big dropped down—a frog, but massive, with slimy skin and red eyes. Its tongue lashed out, long and sticky, holding a blue key in its grip.

"Swamp toad!" Regina said, voice tight. "Boss of Floor 12!"

"Big and ugly," Wren grinned. "Let's hop to it!"

"Careful," Vell warned. "We need that key."

The toad croaked, loud enough to shake the trees. Its tongue shot out, aiming for Ruby. Vell yanked her back, and the tongue hit mud instead. Regina cast ice, freezing its leg. The toad hissed, slipping.

Jolly charged, punching its side. Slime flew, but it barely moved. Wren and Jia attacked its back, claws and daggers slicing. Ruby fired mana blasts at its face, making it blink. Vell shadow-stepped to its head, stabbing at the tongue.

"Get the key!" he shouted.

The toad swung its tongue, knocking Wren back. Regina's ice hit again, freezing the tongue mid-air. Jolly grabbed it, yanking hard. The key popped free, splashing into the mud.

"Got it!" Ruby cheered, diving for it.

The toad roared, spitting green goo. Vell dodged, shouting, "Finish it!"

Regina's ice storm froze its legs. Wren and Jia clawed its belly, ripping slime. Jolly punched its head, cracking bone. Ruby's blasts hit its eyes, blinding it. Vell stabbed its throat, and it collapsed, sinking into the muck.

[Swamp Toad defeated. 4000 points earned.]

[Floor 12 Key earned. 5000 points awarded.]

A portal glowed near the tree, blue and shimmering. The team panted, covered in mud and goo, but smiling.

"Twelve floors!" Jolly whooped. "We're legends!"

"Not yet," Vell said, holding the blue key. "Tower's still got tricks."

Regina shook slime off her grimoire. "Each floor's crazier. Floor 13's next."

Ruby hugged Vell, tail wagging despite the mess. "We'll win, Master! Together!"

He nodded, a tiny smile showing. "Yeah. Together."

They stepped through the portal, back to the base. The swamp stink faded, but the buzz stayed. The stairs waited, leading to Floor 13—more fights, more mud, more wins. Vell's team was soaked but strong. The tower could throw anything. They'd climb higher—always higher.