As they made their way deeper down the cave, the temperature gradually dropped, and a damp chill quietly emerged.
The once-scorching air had turned faintly cool, with wisps of moisture condensing into droplets on the walls.
"Ang, could there be an underground river below?" Natiya asked softly, her voice echoing through the sealed cavern.
"Possibly." Ang nodded, his gaze still sweeping over the narrowing passage ahead. "The dampness is getting heavier. The water source should be nearby."
The group moved on in silence. The oppressive heat had completely vanished, replaced by a steadily rising chill.
"That Flame Lizard Dragon... it shouldn't be able to chase us in here, right?" Dana asked quietly, glancing back at the dark cave entrance.
"Don't be too optimistic." Ang's tone was grave. "The Scouting Magic I set up has been destroyed. Either it stopped, or... it's figuring out how to get in."
Just as Ang had expected, aboveground, Petersong was coiled beside the charred crater, irritation flashing in its eyes.
The passage it had bored through with dragonfire had not gone deep enough. It let out an impatient growl, as if venting its fury upon the land.
Then it raised its head, and a deep dragon roar shook forth from its throat—it was not an ordinary roar, but an ancient Dragon Language Incantation.
Scorching magic power churned through the air, while a mass of fire rapidly gathered in the depths of the sky.
Within a few dozen breaths, a blazing Molten Meteorite fell from the heavens and crashed heavily into the crater it had created!
"Rumble—!"
Explosive flames devoured the mountains and forests, while the tremendous impact hurled countless chunks of lava and scorched stone into the air.
The entire area's surface was utterly transformed. Flames rolled like a raging sea, quickly converging into an