[Chapter 222. Hunting Ducks with a Cannon]

Ten minutes in, Searanox sat on the rocks. Suddenly he caught a glimmer in the distance down the walkway from where he had come. On the wider section, near the point where it opened toward the tunnel entrance, familiar shapes began to materialize. One after another, the Salamanders appeared in a flicker of system energy.

Their red scales glinted under the hellish glow of the magma pools, their forms coalescing from nothingness like flames given substance. Seven of them materialized fully, their obsidian weapons in hand and their ember eyes scanning the walkway with predatory intelligence.

He jumped up and resummoned his drones. The movement sent his half-finished soft drink skittering across the rock formation; its contents sloshed over the edge and sizzled into the magma below. Five drones materialized in flashes of blue light around him, while the scaled humanoids unaware of his position.

`This is bad; my TP isn't close to being recovered. I have to get off this path before the other squad appears right where I stand.`

Searanox thought of the heat pressing against his ring-protected skin like a physical weight. The sulfur-laden air burned in his lungs as he moved, his boots barely making a sound against the volcanic rock. He directed his drones to advance down the walkway, their metallic forms gliding silently through the shimmering air toward the two squads guarding the chamber exit.

Meanwhile, he turned his back on the newly respawned enemies and jogged deeper into the chamber, hugging the jagged obsidian cluster of stones to stay out of sight. The uneven terrain threatened to twist his ankle with each hurried step, but fear kept him moving.

`If my drones don't take out the two squads, I will be trapped in this chamber.`

The thought sent a chill down his spine despite the blistering heat, a cold dread tied entirely to his dwindling resources rather than the temperature.

His mind raced with possibilities, each more dire than the last. The Salamanders coordinated tactics and their ability to respawn meant he no longer possessed the luxury of taking breaks inside a dungeon. A miscalculation could cost him everything.

His attention snapped back to the battle playing out in his mind, a vivid simulation of what might come.

The drones moved with precision, their crimson and violet beams cutting the air with deadly intent. The shield-bearers of the defending squads raised their obsidian shields, forming a shimmering thermal barrier that absorbed the initial assault; the impact points glowed orange-white before cooling. The rest of the Salamanders took cover behind this defense, their ember eyes scanning for an opening like predators watching prey.

His defensive drones barrier fell overwhelmed within seconds, its barrier flickering and failing under the coordinated assault of two squats at once. His attack drones followed, taken out by focused fire from the magic casters and archers positioned in the rear ranks. The archers obsidian-tipped arrows pierced his drone armor with uncanny accuracy, while the casters rained fire spells down upon them.

He shook his head to clear the disastrous imaginary battle from his mind, sweat beading on his forehead despite his ring's protection.

`How the hell am I supposed to get out of this chamber?`

The question echoed in his thoughts as he scanned his surroundings from his precarious vantage point. From this position, he saw the entire chamber laid out like a deadly chessboard. Two squads blocked the path forward, their weapons glinting in the hellish light as they maintained their disciplined formation. At the other side of the chamber, one squad sat near the entrance in what appeared to be a rest period. The squad that hadn't yet respawned could appear right behind him at any moment.

`I could try to rush them, but with the TP I have left, that will be a one-way ticket.`

After a few moments weighing his options against the imminent threat, Searanox accessed the system shop with a mental command. The blue interface materialized in his vision. His fingers twitched as he navigated the menus with practiced speed, selecting Mana Potions without hesitation.

Four Simple Mana Potions cost a total of 45 silver—a steep price, but desperation overrode his frugal nature.

The materialized bottles clinked together as he pulled them from the system interface, their glowing blue contents swirling like captured lightning. He uncorked them one after another, bypassing any ritual of measured consumption. He tilted his head back and poured the contents into his mouth, the magical liquid tasting of artificial sweetness as he chugged it down.

His throat worked, swallowing each dose in succession before moving to the next, his body beginning to absorb the infused energy. The system notifications flashed across his vision as his Tech Points surged, the numbers climbing: 465 TP... 665 TP... 865 TP.

The restoration was immediate, yet provided only a fraction of what he needed to buy a fighting chance. The moment the last drop slid down his throat, something stirred within his body. A seeping pain rose from deep inside him, burning like hot coals in his chest.

He was familiar with pain; pain itself was nothing new to him. It hadn't been since the System came down to Earth, nor was he a stranger to it prior to the System. As the pain festered into something most people would describe as unbearable, his muscles tensed involuntarily, his breath catching in his throat.

Yet he took a step forward, his boots crunching on the volcanic rock, his gaze fixed on the two squads in the distance. Their scaled forms stood like statues of crimson, unaware of the storm gathering against them. With that step, another seven drones appeared beside him, materializing in successive flashes of blue light that illuminated his determined features. The air crackled with energy as they took form; two assault, four offensive, and one defensive drone filled out his ranks once again.

All his assault drones surged forward, their metallic forms cutting through the blistering air as they flew toward the two squads under the cover of the two defensive drones. The six offensive drones beside him formed a circular formation around the raised barrel of his rifle, their positioning precise and calculated. Their barrels angled inward, creating a focused funnel that would maximize damage against the enemy formation. The air around them shimmered with heat distortion as their energy cores warmed up.

They began to glow as he used his overcharge skill on each drone and his own rifle. A deep violet light pulsed through their beam emitters, growing brighter with each passing second. The energy buildup created a low hum that resonated through the chamber, a sound barely audible beneath the constant hiss of magma, but unmistakable. The air grew heavy with gathering energy, charged with the promise of violence.

He leveled his rifle at the darker, larger Salamander of the first squad. Its obsidian shield was far bigger than the ones he had fought minutes prior. The shield stood nearly as tall and wide as the creature itself, its surface polished to a mirror sheen that reflected the glow of the magma pools. The creature's scales showed a deeper shade of red, almost black in the cavern's light, and its ember eyes burned with an intelligence that spoke of countless battles survived. This was no mere warrior; this was a veteran commander.

With his assault drones high in the air and in range, they opened fire. The Greater Salamander took the first two beams before erecting a shimmering wall of dull red energy that covered half the walkway. The impacts created a blinding flash of light as the energy beams struck the creature's scales, carving shallow grooves into its armored flesh before the barrier materialized. The Salamander's roar of pain was cut short as it slammed its shield into the ground. The obsidian surface glowed with a fierce intensity as the thermal barrier expanded outward, rippling like disturbed water. The shield appeared to grow larger in the creature's grip, its edges extending to create a nearly impenetrable wall between its squad and Searanox's forces.

Its barrier proved far denser than those of its lesser kin. The concentrated energy field possessed a faint orange aura. The air around the barrier warped with heat distortion, creating a mirage effect that made it difficult to gauge the dimensions of the defense. Where the lesser Salamanders barriers had been barely visible, this stood as a fortress wall of pure energy thick enough to stop most attacks.

Searanox exhaled as the seconds ticked down. The second squad took position behind the first, its two shield-bearers holding their shields to cover their heads directly behind the Greater shield-bearer. They formed a thick protective wall in front and a double layer protecting against attacks from above. The coordination between the squads was flawless; their movements synchronized with a precision that spoke of extensive training or a hive-mind connection. The remaining squad members—sword wielders, spearmen, archers and at least two casters—took positions behind the shield wall, their obsidian weapons glowing with prepared attacks. The healer of the first squad began to chant, weaving patterns in the air to draw heat from the magma pools to mend the wounds inflicted upon their commander.

A blinding flash of violet light washed out the orange glow of the walkway, followed by a crack of thunder that echoed in the space. The combined assault of his overcharged offensive drones and his own rifle created a beam of such intensity that it seemed to tear through the fabric of reality. The light proved so bright that it seared through his eyelids even when he squeezed them shut, and the sound was deafening, a physical force that threatened to rupture his eardrums.

Rocks and dust of crystallized stone rained down from the ceiling before a hailstorm of volcanic glass flew against the barrier of his defensive drones. The chamber shook, the foundations of the mountain groaning under the strain of the unleashed energy. The magma pools erupted in geysers of molten rock, their contents splashing onto the walkway, cooling into jagged formations of black glass.

Their barriers flickered under the onslaught of debris. The hexagonal patterns forming their protective fields danced and distorted, segments blinking in and out of existence as they struggled to maintain integrity.

As the light faded, a swath of molten rock stretched from his position to the tunnel at the other end of the chamber.