Chapter 77: The Furnace Grind

The heavy iron gates of the elevator slowly cranked open, revealing a hellish landscape of glowing red iron and blinding steam.

The noise hit us like a physical, suffocating wall.

It was entirely deafening. The relentless, rhythmic slamming of massive hydraulic crushers and the high pitched whine of grinding gears made verbal communication completely impossible.

’I cannot even hear my own heartbeat over this mechanical roar,’ I thought, my eyes narrowing at the dense smoke.

I immediately reached out with my mind, tapping into the deep, magical bonds I shared with my two oldest companions.

[Grik: Can you both hear me clearly?] I projected my thoughts directly across our connection.

[Kaelith: Loud and clear. The physical noise out here is absolutely unbearable,] her voice echoed smoothly and calmly in my mind.

[Nyssa: Telepathic link established. The map shows heavy movement dead ahead,] Nyssa replied, her mental voice perfectly crisp.

I looked over at Rolf and Lysandra. They did not share our direct telepathic link, but they did not need to. They knew the hand signals perfectly.

I held up a closed fist. Halt.

Rolf instantly planted his heavy boots into the metal grating. Lysandra dropped low, her iron dagger gripped tightly in her trembling but determined hands.

[Nyssa: Five thermal signatures approaching incredibly fast. They are Strata 2 Brass Hounds. Heavy armor, extreme heat variants.]

"Here they come," I mouthed, pointing two fingers sharply forward.

Bursting violently through the thick wall of white steam were five massive mechanical wolves. They were terrifyingly sleek, built from polished, preindustrial brass and thick iron plating.

Scalding, pressurized steam violently vented from their jagged, metallic jaws with every single mechanical breath.

Their glowing yellow optical sensors locked directly onto Rolf.

The Brass Hounds leaped forward with terrifying, hydraulic powered speed.

I stood perfectly still in the backline, my arms crossed.

[Grik: Kaelith, take the high ground. Wait for Rolf to absorb the initial impact. Lysandra, aim for the severed joints once he halts their momentum.]

[Kaelith: Executing.]

Rolf let out a deafening, completely silent roar in the roaring factory. He did not draw a weapon. He simply activated his dense aura.

The leading two Brass Hounds slammed directly into his chest plate with the force of a speeding carriage.

CLANG!

Rolf did not move a single inch. His new Alpha General physique was an absolute, immovable mountain. He grabbed the mechanical wolves by their thick brass necks and violently slammed them down into the heavy floor grating.

Lysandra saw her opening.

She darted flawlessly around Rolf’s massive frame. Her footwork was incredibly light, utilizing the Phantom Silk Sword Style to completely evade the snapping, superheated jaws of the third Hound.

She drove her dagger perfectly into the exposed gap behind the wolf’s front leg, severing the thick wire bundle powering its movement. The machine shrieked, its front leg collapsing instantly.

[Grik: Now, Kaelith!]

Kaelith dropped from the rusted pipes directly above the pack.

Her twin daggers flashed with dark, consuming mana. She landed perfectly on the backs of the remaining Brass Hounds and drove both blades directly through their glowing yellow optical sensors, entirely destroying their central processors.

The fight was over in less than ten seconds.

The mechanical beasts sparked violently and completely powered down, their heavy brass bodies crashing lifelessly to the floor.

I smiled as a massive wave of golden text flooded my hidden vision.

[System Alert: Defeated 5x Strata 2 Brass Hounds.]

[Base EXP: 10,000.]

[Labyrinth EXP Multiplier Buff (x3) Applied.]

[Total EXP Awarded: 30,000 EXP.]

’Thirty thousand experience points for five basic mobs,’ I thought, my heart racing with pure, unadulterated greed. ’This dungeon is a literal goldmine.’

I pulled up the pack’s current status windows to check our rapid progression.

[Target Status: Grik]

[Level: 24]

[Target Status: Rolf]

[Level: 25]

[Target Status: Kaelith the Silent]

[Level: 26]

[Target Status: Nyssa]

[Level: 24]

[Target Status: Lysandra Vane]

[Level: 19]

’Lysandra is right on the edge,’ I noted internally. ’Just one more push.’

"Lysandra," I called her and got close to her and spoke directly in her left ear, "I can feel your magical power and strength increasing. A little more push will bring you to Level 20. After that you will be ready for the Evolution."

She was flustered as the distance between us was really close. Her cheeks flushed.

"Yes! I can feel the increase in my power too, Grik! You told me about my bloodline previously. Do you think I will be able to awaken it?"

"I am hundred percent sure that you will be able to awaken it." I replied.

"B-but, I am quite scared. I saw Rolf evolve and he was in so much pain. Will I be able to handle it? I have gotten strong but I just cannot get the courage for the Evolution. I-"

I interrupted her, grabbed her shoulders and stared right into her eyes, "Lysandra! Listen to me! Have you forgotten the torture you have been through? Have you forgotten how you were blamed for the death of your mother? Have you forgotten how your own father discarded you like a used toy? Do all those memories not anger you? Tell me! Tell me!"

"Of course, it does! Every single moment of my suffering is the testament for my Revenge! Every single breath I think about the moment when I can kill that Bastard of a father with my own hands! I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ANYTHING GRIK!!"

"Then go on kill these beast and use them to get stronger! ONLY THE STRONG HAS THE RIGHT TO DECIDE THEIR OWN FATE! GO ON!!"

We pressed forward into the deafening heat. For the next two hours, we methodically cleared every single safe zone and maintenance corridor near the elevator. We operated like a flawless, silent execution squad.

We slaughtered dozens of Brass Hounds and heavy Furnace Crawlers. The golden EXP notifications rained down relentlessly in my vision.

[System Alert: Defeated 12x Furnace Crawlers.]

[Total EXP Awarded: 72,000 EXP.]

[System Alert: Defeated 8x Brass Hounds.]

[Total EXP Awarded: 48,000 EXP.]

Then, it finally happened.

Lysandra had just severed the hydraulic lines of a massive rogue lifter bot. She pulled her dagger free, completely covered in black machine oil, and turned toward the group.

She suddenly froze.

The iron dagger slipped from her trembling fingers and clattered loudly against the metal grating.

Lysandra gasped, clutching her chest as her knees completely buckled. She collapsed heavily onto the hot metal floor.

A blinding, intoxicating wave of pink mana violently erupted from her body. It swept through the corridor in a massive pulse, making the heavy industrial steam smell intensely sweet and floral.

My vision flashed an aggressive, brilliant gold.

[System Alert: Pack Member ’Lysandra Vane’ has reached Level 20.]

[Biological Threshold Breached.]

[CRITICAL WARNING: Stage 2 Species Evolution (Succubus Queen) is imminent. Host must secure a safe containment zone immediately to prevent catastrophic core detonation.]

I rushed forward, catching her before her head could strike the floor again. Her skin was burning hot. Her dormant B Grade core was aggressively awakening, completely overloading her frail biology.

She arched her back in my arms, a painful, melodic whimper escaping her lips.

[Grik: Nyssa, Kaelith! Fall back! The hunt is over for today!]

Rolf looked back, his amber eyes wide with panic as he saw Lysandra convulsing in my arms.

"She is evolving!" I yelled, entirely abandoning the hand signals. My baritone voice barely carried over the grinding gears of the factory. "We cannot do this down here in the open! We need to retreat!"

I scooped her up tightly into my arms, holding her burning body against my chest.

"Rolf, secure the rear! We are going back up to Strata 1!"

We bolted back down the metal corridor, sprinting toward the industrial elevator we had just cleared.

’The Overseer’s control room,’ I calculated rapidly in my mind. ’It is perfectly preserved, heavily shielded, and soaked in pure Origin Mana. It is the exact same room where Rolf evolved. It is the only place safe enough to anchor an evolution of this magnitude.’

We reached the massive platform. I slammed my brass fist heavily onto the activation lever.

CLUNK. VRRRRRRRR.

"Do you think she can safely evolve?" asked Rolf with concern.

"Of Course! The people around me are not some Average Joe. Each and every one of you are unique blokes in your own way." I said, my voice filled with confidence.

"Well, if you say so." He closed the gap between us and asked, "I know this is a serious situation but are you aiming for her as well?"

"You know me."

"I sure do."

The massive support chains groaned loudly as the elevator yanked us violently upward, pulling us away from the deafening heat and danger of the Piston Grid.

Lysandra clutched my coat tightly, her glowing pink eyes completely glazed over with pain and ascending power.

Her evolution was beginning, and the true Queen was finally about to awaken.