Moby was able to spot a second hidden snake for them before it could spring its ambush, which they were all thankful for. Alan knew what to watch for now, but Moby had a much better angle for spotting the hidden snakes.

  Between the two of them, they managed to work their way through the rest of the floor, picking up only minor burns and cuts for their troubles.

  Heat exhaustion was their greatest threat, and even with the extra water they’d brought, Jake was concerned they’d run out.

  The fifth and final chamber of the floor had held double the Lesser Drakes and an extra two lizards, which was the source of the few injuries they’d taken.

  Two Enhanced monsters could be taken down rapidly by a well prepared group, but four was beyond them. For now, anyway. Jake dreamed of a day when he could infuse his wand with enough raw power to obliterate any Enhanced creatures that stood in his way.

  “We’ve not missed the Challenge, have we?” Alan asked as they gathered at the end of the floor.

  “No, we definitely would have seen it,” Nepthys said with a firm shake of her head. “It will be on the next floor.”

  Jake nodded, secure in the knowledge that it would appear. He needed to complete it to be able to bind the Dungeon, after all. “Well then, let’s get going.”

  Checking his pack was secure, Jake eyed the partially healed burns on his leg before taking a steadying breath and opening the door to the ninth floor.

  “Well, damn,” Jake said, stepping out into what felt like the hottest area yet.

  The ninth floor was a single huge cavern, but running through it was a wide stream of dull glowing lava that had developed a thick crust in places. The stream wound from side to side, with arching stone bridges providing access between the curves.

  Jake wasn’t sure he could see to the end from where they were, but it looked like there was maybe five or six of the bridges.

  Large chunks of obsidian and spires of rock jutted out of the ground between those bridges. Alongside the familiar terrain came the usual lizards and Lesser Drakes, but there were less than Jake would have expected.

  “So, there’s going to be a load of those snakes, isn’t there,” Aspen said with a sigh as he looked at the winding lava stream.

  “Yeah, I’m getting that impression,” Jake said, eyeing the bridges thoughtfully. “I think those bridges are too high for them to reach us, so going on and coming off will be the dangerous points.”

  “I’ll be ready with my shields to block anything too dangerous,” Nepthys said, readying her swords. “We’ve come this far, this is just another step to success.”

  Jake nodded, keeping his wand and sword at the ready as he started toward the first bridge. “Moby, go see what you can spot.”

  The duck quacked and took off from its perch on Nepthys to survey the floor.

  Thankfully, between the glowing rocks and the lava itself, there was enough light that they didn’t need their torches. As confident as Jake was, the snakes were ambush predators and having everyone armed and ready for a fight was going to be essential.

  Focusing on his bond with Moby, Jake could get a rough sense of what the duck was telling him, which was enough to confirm their suspicions. “Moby’s telling me there are snakes moving in the lava flow. I’m guessing the parts where that crust has developed have seen less movement.”

  “The ones that are nowhere near the bridges?” Aspen asked, laughing mirthlessly. “That feels about right.”

  “Alright, everyone get ready,” Jake said as they neared the first bridge. Slowing their pace, he edged forward and watched the lava carefully.

  The expected attack came just as Jake took his first step onto the bridge. Three snakes burst out from the lava, two lunging for Jake’s companions while the third went for him.

  Aspen caught his attacker on the point of his spear, while Alan was able to dodge his, but Jake had more of an issue.

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  The snakes they’d been dealing with so far were around six to eight feet long and were as thick as his arm. They were dense, muscular creatures with a wind, angular head.

  The thing that came out of the lava for Jake, though, lunged up at him with a mouth that was twice the size and held fangs as long as his fingers that were glowing white hot.

  Grey Wyrd formed as a shield in front of Jake, blocking the strike. The shield fractured under the impact, but the serpent withdrew swiftly. Unlike the other attackers, though, its body was still partially submerged, with only the top ten feet looming over them.

  Lava dripped down to sizzle against the rock as the serpent’s head moved side to side, watching them carefully.

  “That’s a Fire Serpent. It’s the Enhanced version, they’re meant to be fast and deadly. Its fangs are heated and its blood will be even hotter than the juveniles,” Alan said, giving them the information even as he nocked and fired at the creature.

  The arrow skittered across the smooth scales of the serpent’s head, and a set of dark red frills spread out from its neck before it lunged forward once more.

  Jake was ready for it this time and dodged aside, slashing at its neck as he infused his blade with cold and ice formed along the edge.

  His Wyrd-enhanced blade cut deep into the serpent’s neck, releasing a gout of superheated blood that Jake did his best to avoid. The ice on his sword cracked and shattered from the heat, but it had done what he’d needed.

  The serpent writhed from side to side, bleeding heavily from both Jake’s attack and the efforts of his companions. More of its body emerged from the lave as it pulled back, coiling itself protectively to shield the wound on its neck.

  Not willing to give it the time to recover, Jake lifted his wand and infused it further before firing a single thick icicle that pierced the monster’s right eye.

  More of the serpent’s boiling blood gushed out onto the stone, and it writhed violently for a few moments before eventually falling still.

  “Damn, now that’s a snake,” Aspen said, letting out a low whistle as he carefully poked the monster with his spear, just to be sure.

  “It must be twenty feet long,” Jake said, shaking his head as he saw that the body of the creature was easily as thick as his thigh. An imposing creature, and fast as well.

  If they’d been earlier on in the second tier, it would likely have been too fast to deal with safely.

  “Well, at least we know what we’re dealing with now,” Alan said, putting on a cheerful voice as they drew out the Wyrdgeld of the fallen monsters.

  “True, and while it moves quickly, its scales aren’t as tough as the Lesser Drakes,” Jake said, testing his sword on the dead serpent. “I’d prefer to fight one of the drakes, but I think the serpents will be manageable once we’re used to them.”

  The others nodded, their surprise and adrenaline wearing off as they began to look at the situation with the same analytical view that Jake was holding.

  “What does the guide say about this are?” Alan asked, looking at the path ahead thoughtfully.

  “That the stream is dangerous and there are hidden enemies,” Jake said, pulling out the copy he’d brought and flicking through. “Nothing detailed or especially useful. In fact, some of this seems wrong.”

  “We know that Dungeons can change,” Aspen said with a shrug. “Perhaps this one changed its layout?”

  “But only for this floor?” Jake frowned before reading over the guide again to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. “Hmm, the detail for this floor is lacking. The impression I get is that the writer didn’t see it as a challenge.”

  “Maybe that’s why it changed,” Aspen said, leaning on his spear. “Sort of the reverse of what we went through.”

  “Maybe,” Jake said, stowing the guide away once more. “For now, though, we should figure out how to proceed.”

  “Perhaps one person should approach the bridge,” Gargan said, rubbing his jaw. “They could bait out whatever is waiting, rather than have a situation like this.”

  “I’ll do it,” Nepthys said, volunteering without hesitation. “Between my shields and my blades, I’m best suited to surviving an ambush like that.”

  Jake nodded, though reluctantly, and they shifted formation before carrying on over the bridge. Nepthys was the first to leave it, and only after a few seconds of nothing happening did the rest of them follow suit.

  The wide section of rocky ground that lay between them and the next bridge was scattered with small puddles of lava, chunks of obsidian and a few lizards with a single Lesser Drake.

  A nod from Jake had the drake dead with an arrow in its neck, and the rest of the lizards soon followed suit.

  With practiced efficiency they gathered the Wyrdgeld and moved on the second bridge.

  Nepthys moved forward by herself to draw out the enemy, which turned out be a good idea as a much larger group of serpents attacked from hiding.

  A pair of the Fire Serpents led the way, along with a half-dozen of the Juveniles. All eight of the snakes seemed eager to close with Nepthys, and she was forced to conjure two shields in quick succession to protect herself.

  At the same time, Jake and the others unleashed a slew of icicles, thorns and arrows to kill the closer of the two Enhanced monsters.

  With that threat dealt with, Nepthys was able to draw back to join them, killing half of the smaller snakes in the process.

  Realising what was happening, the second serpent tried to withdraw, but it had lunged too far out initially to do so quickly. With time and space to focus, Alan was able to land a killing shot before it could fully retreat, finishing the beast.

  “Damn, they’re fast,” Aspen said, shaking his head before giving Nepthys a nod of respect. “I’m not sure I could have done that, and definitely not as cleanly.”

  “I’m glad to see that my talents are being appreciated,” Nepthys said, smirking as she twirled her two blades and slid them into their sheaths in a practiced move. “Now, let’s grab the Wyrdgeld and push on.”