(Heartfelt thanks to 'Genkaku no Ningyōshi,' 'Q Yongjiang Yiku Q,' 'Long Lian Qingxue,' and 'Youyouzi's Lament' for their tips!)
"Boom—!"
The flames that blasted open the ground surged up like an erupting volcano, raising a scorching pillar of fire.
Blazing fire shot into the sky, sending wave after wave of heat rolling out as it reached the ceiling of the 52nd floor, scorching it black and nearly punching through to affect the 51st floor.
Crimson lotus-like flames illuminated Noah's group's faces, dyeing the dimly lit 52nd floor in fiery red.
At that moment, Ais, Tiona, Tione, Finn, Riveria, Gareth, Bert, and the others all wore grim expressions. Lefiya's pretty face had gone pale, utterly bloodless.
Even Noah was greatly startled by this abnormal situation.
The scene, as though an incendiary bomb had detonated, made everyone feel as if a hand representing death had seized their hearts, nearly crushing them apart.
"Quick!" Finn shouted without regard for his composure.
"Full speed ahead!"
No one objected to Finn's order.
Everyone pushed themselves to their utmost speed, charging forward like a gale with the force of people determined to shatter the ground beneath their feet.
"Damn it!" Bert's furious curse rang out.
"So we really are being sniped at?!"
—Sniping.
It truly was sniping.
The scorching presence drawing nearer from afar told Noah without question that something was sniping at them.
From the floor below.
Noah finally understood why Finn had said that all common sense above the 50th floor was useless here.
Above the 50th floor, monsters stayed on their respective floors. Cases of them crossing between floors were rare.
If an adventurer normally encountered a monster from another floor, the odds would be no better than winning a million Valis at a casino with a hundred Valis.
Yet what Noah's group