Arad nodded, looking at Mc, "Go. You can talk to either Loci or Zephyr," [Barrier] Extending his hand, Arad covered Mc with a barrier to protect him from any attacks on the way.
"You sure?" rlin looked at him, "We might need that. You can only cast one."
"We need him to deliver the ssage," Arad replied, "If they can amass a clearing party to help us, that would be far better,"
"I know," She looked at him, "It seems we just have to do without it for a layer,"
"That would be hard," Arad stood after Amber woke up for them to head up the stairs.
"Go, this should keep you safe,"
Ahohhhhhhhhhhh! Mc roared, rushing out the door, and trampled his way toward the stairs to the second layer.
"We have to go," Amber sighed, cracking her neck, "Don't we?"
The three of them slowly made their way up the stairs, looking at the old cracking walls. "This place doesn't look like it was just built,"
"It's just how the place looks," rlin replied.
"It might be mimicking rlin's magic, old and wrinkly," Amber looked at her smiling.
"What wrinkles are you talking about?" rlin lifted an eyebrow, "Even without makeup, I still look young,"
"Mana, I know about that," Amber sighed, poking her eyebrow. "Look at , I'm starting to look my age,"
"My mana is denser than yours," rlin looked at her, "My body has more support than you have,"
"What are you talking about," Arad looked at them.
"Mana lines beneath the skin, through muscles and bones to help maintain them. That is what causes people who grow stronger to stay young for longer." rlin replied.
"To be more precise," Amber looked at Arad, "For humans, it helps maintain the body around the age of 25 to 28."
"For most people, that's the peak of their natural physical build." rlin explained, "You as well look at around 25. Don't you?"
"Now that you ntioned it," Arad looked at his hands, "It's strange that I look like this,"
"Ideal body, ideal ti," rlin looked at him, "Your mana is far denser than mine, more than anyone can imagine,"
"For real?" Amber looked at Arad's face, "Well, considering how fast he's growing, I should have guessed,"
"My body shouldn't even work like you two," Arad looked at them, "That might also play a role,"
"Look," Amber glanced at him, "You might be taller and more muscular than us, but most humans work the sa from the inside. Mana just makes your body tougher, aning less degradation over ti."
Arad scratched his head, "I'm pretty sure I'm not like you two,"
rlin looked at Amber. ^She didn't know Arad was a dragon. His body is designed to live for centuries. six thousand years them is like sixty years to us humans,^
She looked forward, ^Even with my magic density, I might barely survive as long as elves for a thousand years before falling to old age. I would have seen generations over generations, the rise and fall of countries before seeing my white hair.^ She stared at Arad's back.
^What about him? In just forty years, Jack and Lydia might be old enough to have grandchildren. What after then? After eighty years they would be dead, and their children would fall to old age. After two thousand years, our grand grand grand grand children would wander the world, all while Arad still stands unchanged, walking alone.^
"What are you thinking about?" Arad looked at her as he noticed her stare burning his back.
"Nothing," rlin waved her hand with a smile.
^Two thousand years, to a dragon that is like twenty years of age.^ She looked at Amber, ^And on top of everything, he was a vampire. In the end, it might be only Eris standing at his side.^
"We're almost there," Arad pointed up as he could see the stairs end.
"It's getting hotter," Amber growled, "I don't like it,"
"You're a fire mage," Arad looked at her, confused.
"I'm not immune to fire, I don't want a lava layer,"
"I thought fire elentals are immune to fire,"
"I'm not an elental. I might have their blood, but don't compare to the real thing," She sighed, "Even if you have dragon blood, that doesn't an you're immune to fire, are you?"
"It's true that I'm not immune to fire," Arad replied. ^But I'm immune to void and ti magic that affects .^
"This isn't hot enough for lava," rlin said, staring at them, "Let's get up there and see what we're dealing with first."
With each step, the air got hotter and drier. rlin and Amber instinctively started fanning their faces with their hands. Arad on the other hand could feel sweat dripping across his back, "It was winter outside, wasn't it?"
Arad stood in front of the fourth layer's door, staring back at the two. "We'll take a glance first,"
He reached for the doorknob, but he imdiately pulled his hand upon touching it. "Hot," He gasped, looking at his palm. It wasn't burned, but that was extrely hot.
"It doesn't look good," rlin growled as Arad slowly opened the door.
"Oh!" Amber sighed, "Damnned hells, why?!" She growled. Waves over waves of golden sand spread as far as the eye could see with unimaginable heads and blinding sunlight burning across them.
"Sand?" Arad mumbled he had never seen such a thing before in his life.
"An endless desert," rlin looked around, "Arad, shoot a fireball at that mound there," She pointed.
"For what?" He asked.
"Just do it," rlin looked at him, "It's so we know if we can step on the sand or not,"
Arad pointed at his staff, taking a short breath of the scorching air. [Firebolt]
PEW! BOOM! The firebolt exploded on the sand, arousing a massive small dust cloud.
"Nothing happened." Arad looked back at rlin. Her face twisted, "AH! We're fucked,"
CRACK! BOOM! The sand exploded, and a massive worm bigger than Arad's draconic form erged growling with a painful roar.
"It's the brown worms of the desert,"
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