“Three days,” Vince murmured, staring at the still-boiling waters of the underground lake. There was a quiet weight in his voice, his expression shadowed by regret.

He stood slowly. “That’s it, then. Time to face that damn snake.”

He turned, scanning Rosaline and Kaia with quiet resolve.

“Wait—Captain!” Kaia interrupted. “The water… it’s not as hot anymore.”

She’d been lingering near the edge of the pool these past few days, often dipping her toes in to test the heat. This time, she turned back in surprise.

Rosaline frowned. “She’s right. It’s definitely cooling.”

Her sensitivity to temperature—especially after using ice energy to regulate the heat in their shelter—made her an expert on such changes.

“I’m going to check.” Rosaline didn’t hesitate. She stripped off her coat, revealing a thin gauze dress over her underwear, and dove straight into the water.

Vince reached down and touched the surface. A flicker of hope crossed his face.

........

After what felt like hours of swimming through twisting tunnels and glowing caverns, Rosaline finally reached the heart of the deep lake.

And there he was.

Axel.

His body floated motionless, naked, skin flushed a raw red like overcooked shrimp.

She rushed over, pressing a hand to his chest. A heartbeat. Weak, but steady.

Relief rushed through her like a wave.

A quick inspection told her the worst was over. Axel wasn’t dying… But the fire poison from absorbing the spirit still lingered. It curled deep in his veins and heart. If left unchecked, it would cripple his potential.

Rosaline stared at him. His face had matured. No longer the boy she once scolded, but a man—hard-edged, handsome, pulsing with power.

“You reckless bastard… Really pulled it off,” she muttered.

She hesitated. There were no healing specialists here, no medicine, no tools. Just her.

Rosaline took a breath… and began undressing.

Her body pressed gently against his, warm and delicate. She released cold energy slowly, wrapping both of them in a soothing current to draw out the poison. The heat coming from Axel’s body was still intense—almost searing. It made her gasp, made her pulse spike.

Her cheeks flushed. She shut her eyes tightly, pushing away stray thoughts, focusing only on the task.

But the process was brutal.

Every time she forced more cold into him, another wave of fever surged back. She bit down—on his shoulder, hard—to ground herself in the moment.

That’s when Axel stirred.

His eyes opened slowly. Blurred shapes turned to clarity—and the first thing he saw was Rosaline.

Naked. Holding him. Biting him.

His brain short-circuited.

“Wh–what the hell!?”

Rosaline froze for half a second, then her face turned crimson.

With a sharp kick, she launched herself away, swimming quickly to gather her scattered clothes and pull them back on—though they clung wet and translucent to her body.

Axel just floated there, stunned. His heart was racing. Nose bleeding.

He was definitely going to remember this for the rest of his life.

Rosaline spun back, saw his dazed look, and smacked him across the face.

“Quit staring!”

“I—I wasn’t—!”

“Don’t let your filthy imagination run wild! I was healing you!”

Her glare could’ve frozen magma, but she turned away quickly and swam on like nothing had happened.

Axel, stunned, could only follow—with blood still trailing from his nose.

They swam in silence for another two kilometers, moving through the labyrinthine currents until they reached a narrow fissure. Through the sliver of light ahead, they could make out a canyon.

“Come on,” Rosaline said, her voice back to its usual cool edge. “Let’s go find the others.”

Axel took a moment to slip into his inner world.

As soon as he arrived, he noticed it—the ancient tree had grown again. The part that had revived was now over four meters tall, its dark green trunk thick and powerful, still shrouded in swirling mist.

To the left of the trunk, the fire spirit had settled into place like a gemstone embedded in living wood. It pulsed faintly, not resisting, as if it had accepted its fate.

Talent: Fire Spirit Body

Greatly enhances physical resilience and mental strength.

All attacks now deal burning damage, inflicting ongoing searing pain.

Burn stacks multiple times; effects can be triggered immediately or detonated after multiple stacks for massive damage.

Burn effect lasts six hours; during this period, the target’s location can be tracked.

Physique: 1987 / 2210

Force: 1885 / 1967

Spirit: 2013 / 2133

Axel stared at the numbers in disbelief.

“Holy shit… this fire spirit’s no joke.”

His strength had jumped nearly a third in one leap. The gamble had paid off—if he hadn’t made it to the ancient tree in time, he would’ve been reduced to ash.

A laugh escaped his throat—relieved, elated, raw. It echoed in the cave.

“What are you laughing at, you pervert?” Rosaline snapped, spinning around to glare at him. “Forget what happened in the lake, got it? Or I swear I’ll kill you.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and swam ahead.

......

“Axel… you really swallowed the fire spirit?” Vince asked when Axel rejoined the group. There was disbelief in his voice. Quietly, he crumpled a piece of paper and ground it into pulp before anyone noticed.

“Doesn’t matter now,” Axel said, brushing it off. “Let’s move.”

“Wait—before we go, let me seal Millers in a crystal coffin,” Vince said.

“I’ll handle it,” Axel offered, stepping forward. “Let me try something first.”

“Axel, it’s not his body,” Kaia said. “His injuries are mental. I’ve been trying to heal him for days, but it’s barely helped.”

Axel didn’t respond. He placed a hand on Millers’ forehead and focused.

“Abundant.”

Energy surged from his palm, radiant and steady. With nearly 2,000 Force to fuel it, the healing skill took on a new level of power.

“Wait, what?” Kaia blinked. She could feel it—Axel’s Force was far beyond her own.

“Maybe… maybe we really can get out of here.”

“Aghh, what the hell... is this hell?” Millers groaned, blinking awake. He squinted at Axel. “Axel? Weren’t you in Shiverstone? Wait… are you dead too?”

“Come on,” he mumbled. “Let’s go find that succubus I saw...”

Thwack.

A sharp kick landed square in his ribs.

“OW—! What the hell?!”

Kaia stood over him, arms crossed. “You’re not dead, dumbass. Axel’s here. He saved us.”

Millers froze. His eyes darted around in confusion, then locked onto Axel again.

After a quick, dazed explanation—about the evolved healing skill, and the fire spirit—Axel helped Vince as well, gently resting a palm on his arm.

A moment later, Vince flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulder. “Mobility’s back… impressive.”

Axel smiled. “Let’s talk more when we’re topside.”

One by one, the team dove into the water, heading toward the narrow canyon entrance.

Millers stared after them, then sighed. “What the hell did I miss?”

And with a splash, he followed them in.

......

After swimming for over twenty minutes, the group finally emerged through a narrow fissure.

They found themselves surrounded by dense, lush greenery. Towering trees arched overhead, thick grass swayed beneath their feet, and in the distance, they could still spot the jagged mountain ridge they had once sheltered beneath.

They were about ten kilometers from the cave where the Black-Scale Python waited—and Axel had been carefully studying the surrounding terrain the entire way.

Suddenly—Boom!

Boom!

HSSSSHHHH!

The ground shook faintly under their feet. The unmistakable rumble of something massive echoed from the direction of the underground river, accompanied by the furious hiss of the python.

"...It's angry," someone muttered.

Though they were ten kilometers away, that distance meant little to a beast like the Black-Scale Python. If it discovered their location, it could be on them in minutes.

“Let’s move—get ready for combat,” Vince ordered, his voice steady. They’d all replenished their Force thanks to the blood refining stones Axel had provided, but their minds were still exhausted. None of them had properly rested in days.