· Divine Judgment and the Future of the Stainless Steel Basin (Seeking Monthly Votes, Investment, Recommendation Tickets)

"Retreat, everyone!"

The moment Riveria finished her incantation, Finn shouted, turned, and leaped to her side, with the others arriving almost simultaneously.

As they reached Riveria, crimson veins spread from the magic circle beneath her and Lefiya's feet, intersecting directly under all the monsters.

"Laevatein!"

Riveria and Lefiya pointed their staves at the monster horde, and flames erupted instantly from the spreading crimson veins.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Endless explosions echoed throughout the 58th Floor, and every monster was pulverized and scorched into ash within the inferno.

Except for the spot where Lu Qiming and the others stood, endless flames filled the entire field of vision.

"So cool!"

Lu Qiming stared blankly at the flames before him. Compared to the mundane slashes of warriors, mages truly maxed out both visual effects and damage, and most importantly, they were the ultimate tools for crowd control.

Finn and the others nearby looked unfazed; they were long accustomed to Riveria and Lefiya's magic, as it had been a vital part of their most critical expeditions in the past.

Before long, the flames dissipated, and the once-barren land had transformed into a magnificent sight. Large amounts of earth and stone had been melted into liquid by the high heat, and now that the fire had faded, they condensed into colorful crystals, each embedded with an eerie Magic Stone.

"Raul, how much food is left?"

Finn glanced at the landscape that had been completely altered, then turned to look at Raul behind him. He needed to confirm their remaining supplies to see if they could rest here for the night and continue their expedition to the 59th Floor tomorrow.

Given the sudden appearance of the two Oliverus and that red-haired woman, he was increasingly certain that something was happening deep within the Dungeon. Ever since they were attacked by a new species of monster on the 50th Floor, Finn had been dwelling on this.

Now, everyone had to be fully rested before they could advance again.

"Captain, there is enough food for three days, but the potions won't last through many more battles."

Hearing Finn, Raul hurriedly set down his backpack and checked their supplies.

"Understood. We'll rest here for the night and enter the 59th Floor tomorrow morning."

"Yes!"

"Understood, Captain!"

Everyone agreed with Finn's decision; after all, they had been in constant combat since entering the 51st Floor and had barely had any time to rest.

At that moment, Ais suddenly sensed something, as if something were calling to her, and she turned to look at the entrance to the 59th Floor not far away.

"Ais, stop looking. You'll find out when we enter the 59th Floor tomorrow."

Seeing Ais staring blankly toward the 59th Floor, Lu Qiming patted her shoulder, stepped aside, took out two more potions from his waist, and downed them in one go.

"Ais, catch."

Ais walked over and sat down beside Lu Qiming. Seeing her strange gait, Lu Qiming handed her a Top-tier Healing Potion.

"Thank you, Qiming."

Ais glanced at the potion Lu Qiming handed her, thanked him, and took it. Her abdomen was still throbbing with pain from the kick she had received from the red-haired woman earlier.

"It's nothing."

Lu Qiming waved his hand dismissively and looked at the pouch at his waist. He now had two Top-tier Mana Recovery Potions left. His last Stamina Potion was gone, and as for the two healing potions, he had used one himself and given one to Ais.

"Whew~"

After checking his remaining potions, Lu Qiming let out a long breath. A warm sensation spread through his body, courtesy of the Stamina Potion and the healing potion.

Although he wasn't injured, drinking a potion to heal wounds was fine, and if there were no wounds, it was even better.

Moreover, the sensation within his body told him that while he had no serious injuries, the high-intensity combat had still left him with some hidden trauma.

Decision made! I'll buy more Top-tier Healing Potions in the future. I'll drink one whether I'm hurt or not—to heal if I am, and to prevent if I'm not.

Lu Qiming knew that even though his current physical fitness far exceeded that of an ordinary person, he was still human at his core. If too many hidden injuries accumulated, he might just drop dead one day.

"Qiming, Ais, time to eat!"

Just then, Lefiya called out to them from nearby, where she had used magic to heat up their food.

"Coming!"

Lu Qiming grabbed the stainless steel basin from his head, called Ais over, and walked toward her. Although he had already consumed a Top-tier Stamina Potion, who would choose to just drink potions when they could eat their fill to recover energy?

"Lefiya, one basin, please!"

Lu Qiming handed his stainless steel basin to Lefiya to fill.

However, looking at the stainless steel basin that had evolved from a mere Magic Stone container into his personal rice bowl, Lu Qiming couldn't help but wonder if there were powers or professions in other worlds that could strengthen such items.

He didn't want this companion that had traveled across worlds with him to end up as nothing more than a rice bowl.

It wasn't just the basin; even Divine Judgment needed it. His identity destined him to spend a long time alone, traversing world after world. Even if he formed bonds in a new world, once he left, he wouldn't see familiar people or things again unless he fully mastered the system or got lucky enough to be transported back to this world.

Therefore, strengthening Divine Judgment and the stainless steel basin, granting them sentience, or even transforming them into beings with physical forms was essential.

He didn't want his future self to become cold and heartless after walking through countless worlds, turning into a mere tool that only knew how to complete system tasks.

"Qiming, here you go."

Lefiya handed the filled stainless steel basin to Lu Qiming, interrupting his thoughts.

"Thank you."

Lu Qiming offered his thanks and walked to the side to start devouring his meal.

An hour later, everyone had finished eating and set up the temporary tents. After Raul volunteered to take the first watch, and the group confirmed that the monsters on the 58th floor had been cleared out—meaning no new ones would spawn in the short term, and even if they did, there would be enough time to react—they retreated into their tents to rest.

The next day, the night passed peacefully without incident.

"Morning, Riveria."

Lu Qiming stepped out of his tent and ran into Riveria, who had just emerged from hers across the way.

"Morning, Qiming."

Riveria greeted him with a smile. She looked at Lu Qiming closely, noting from his expression that he had made a full recovery.

A minute after Lu Qiming and Riveria appeared, the rest of the group stepped out of their tents as well.

Afterward, the party packed up the tents and headed toward the entrance to the 59th Floor not far away.

At the entrance to the 59th Floor, Finn walked up to inspect the opening, which was completely devoid of any cold air, and then glanced at his thumb, which remained still.

"There is no need to equip the Fire Spirit Cloak. Everyone, move out in three minutes!"