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

"These underground caves, with their elevated temperatures and intensified mana concentration, offer ideal habitats for beings that thrive without sunlight..."

"You could encounter massive spider beasts reaching five meters in height within these vast caverns. Plus, enormous bugs and scorpion creatures exist here, their venom potent enough to slay top A-rank adventurers in mere 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 shaped into this tunnel form.

"Could this be the doing of those lava wyrms mentioned in the academy texts? I’ve yet to spot one up close..."

James affirmed with a nod at Lia’s inquiry.

"Indeed, these elongated, serpentine beings carry faint bloodlines from fire and earth dragons, granting them tough scales and saliva capable of dissolving metals and ores almost instantly..."

"Their blood burns hot enough to ruin standard artifacts and blades, corroding and melting any weapons that strike them..."

"No need to fret, though—you possess ’Ambient Silver.’ Our family’s treasured relic can stand against real dragons, so these minor pests won’t harm it... wield it freely without concern..."

Lia acknowledged with a nod, realizing her cape not only balanced the surrounding heat but also collected scant oxygen from the atmosphere for her respiration.

The region’s thick fumes and molten lava created an acute oxygen shortage, saturated with hazardous vapors amplified by potent mana.

Essentially, the cave air consisted of enchanted toxins drifting throughout!

James remained unaffected as an S-ranker, requiring no inhalation since mana sufficed as his vitality source.

Noticing the cape’s strain, Lia invoked her spirit magic.

A radiant silver mask formed from spirit energy enveloped her face, neutralizing the area’s deadly gases and extracting breathable oxygen for her.

’This environment proves extremely unforgiving for ranks below S... even reaching the dungeon proves so arduous; I can only imagine the challenges inside...’

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

"This heat is unbearable! I might dissolve right here!"

Composed of basic metals and fragile components, the small golem prompted Lia to envelop it in her spirit magic for safeguard.

"Impressive... your command over spirit magic has advanced; now you can share it with allies... that’s progress..."

With a grin, James nodded toward the spirit magic-clad golem.

"The beasts in this place max out at A-rank, potentially underwhelming for you, yet this companion provides a useful edge... let’s locate a spot for your training and adaptation to these harsh conditions..."

"Mastering combat against heavily protected foes holds great value for you... considering your fighting approach emphasizes targeting enemy vulnerabilities..."

Puzzled by James’s statement, Lia queried hesitantly,

"What makes you say my style centers on exploiting weak points... don’t you operate similarly?"

"You practice the identical sword technique as I do, correct? The Silver Lion Swordsmanship?"

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

Hence, she deemed it odd that he claimed her technique targeted flaws, given his own adherence to the same principles.

"Well... put it this way... I’ve always leaned toward raw physical might, and memorizing every monster’s vulnerabilities feels too tedious, so..."

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

Rubbing his neck sheepishly, James clarified,

"Like that eel I smacked aside before... mostly, I just smash foes with my blade..."

Lia nearly exclaimed, ’Are you some kind of brawler!?’, upon hearing that.

"But... that sort of mindless, direct assault... that’s typically the realm of martial fighters..."

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

[See, I warned you... he’s an oddball; doubt you’ll gain much from his methods...]

[Stick to his routine, and you could bulk up into a massive, perspiring muscle machine just like him!]

Detecting Lia’s skepticism, James refrained from debate and guided them toward a wider expanse.

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

Emerging from the tubular passage, they reached a vast subterranean ledge formed from compacted rock and minerals under immense mana pressure.

An enormous mana reservoir saturated the space beyond the ledge, and as the party trod upon it, the lava basin quaked violently!

A colossal worm featuring four stubby limbs, diminutive bat wings, and a maw brimming with myriad fangs erupted from the lava and charged at Lia and her companions!

"There’s your training dummy! Witness the authentic ’Lion Sword Art’ in action!"

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

The behemoth’s form crumpled as if struck by a steamroller! It pancaked in flight, innards exploding into mush from the raw force of that brutal strike!

No magical elements infused that blow at all!

Similar to a player smacking a fastball with a bat, James simply clubbed the worm as though swatting a pitch!

The creature soared distant, and James beamed, evidently pleased with his flawless ’home run’ swing.

"Impressive, right? My perfect stance reveals I dominated cricket among friends in my youth!"

"I was quite the cricketer! Without awakening, I’d have chased a pro career in it... hehe..."