Gardener of Eden

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Floor 8 The Four-Fold Crucible

While the rest of the academy slept, Rowan spent his late-night hours slipping into [Domain: The Virgin Soil]. Tending to the accelerated growth cycles of the Tree of Dual Genesis and harvesting pristine crops from the primordial earth, the steady influx of experience points finally pushed him over the threshold.

A brilliant, golden system notification flared across his vision as he officially achieved Level 20, unlocking his Tier 2 class ascension pathways. Alongside his level jump, his spatial inventory overflowed with a massive stockpile of fresh, high-purity produce—ranging from commercial B-grade spirit greens to divine A-grade fruits—perfectly suited to sustain Squad 07 through the harsh elemental conditions of Floor 8.

His teammates were making equally staggering strides across campus. In the academy’s grand foundry, the heavy, rhythmic strikes of Barney’s hammer echoed well past midnight. Word had quickly spread among upper-year cadets about the young boy’s incredible gear enhancements.

Barney took on dozens of lucrative commissions, repairing damaged dungeon armor and forging custom weapons imbued with flawless mana-conductive channels. His tireless efforts earned him a handsome fortune in coin while restoring immense prestige to the Ironforge family name. By the end of the week, the sheer volume of high-tier smithing pushed Barney to Level 17, his forging mastery reaching a new peak.

Meanwhile, in the central alchemy laboratories, Seraphina was leaving veteran professors completely speechless. Utilizing small, pristine samples of uncorrupted botanicals from Rowan’s harvest, her brews achieved mind-boggling purity ratings of 95% and higher—a threshold thought impossible for a student and typically reserved for grandmasters in the Imperial Capital. Her high-purity health elixirs, mana-restoration brews, and elemental resistance tonics burned with a crystal-clear radiance, surging her rank straight to Level 18.

As their six-day preparation period came to a close, Squad 07 reassembled at the grand courtyard. Armed with custom-built Ironforge gear, master-grade elixirs, a domain-backed food supply, and a newly leveled front line, the team stood unified and deeply confident. They were no longer just promising academy cadets—they were a synchronized, high-purity force ready to march into the dangerous depths of Floor 8.

***

Squad 07 stood before the massive, humming archway of the Tower entrance, the portal’s spatial mana reflecting off their freshly forged gear. Before stepping through the threshold, they paused for one final, methodical checklist:

Equipment & Armor: Barney completed a final check on everyone’s fitted plate and weaponry, ensuring his recent Ironforge structural repairs and custom runic engravings were locked in tight.

Alchemical Supplies: Seraphina patted her potion harness, stocked to capacity with her record-setting 95%+ purity resistance elixirs, stamina restoration brews, and high-tier mana tonics.

Provisions & Buffs: Rowan confirmed his spatial inventory was loaded with fresh domain produce—A-grade apples and peaches alongside commercial spirit greens to counteract environmental exhaustion.

Ranged & Tactical Readiness: Mirei and Caelen calibrated their quivers and side-blades, while Princess Lyra reviewed the spatial sector runes on her scout slate.

”Alright, let me refresh us on the layout,” Lyra said, projecting a glowing quadrant diagram into the air between them. ”Floor 8 isn’t a single continuous dungeon. It is divided into four massive, hostile zones: Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water.”

”And the floor clear condition is non-negotiable,” Caelen added, drawing his twin daggers with a sharp metallic slide. ”The exit warp remains sealed until we defeat the primal guardian of each realm and collect all four Elemental Boss Cores.”

”Four distinct boss fights across four extreme environments,” Barney said, adjusting his warhammer onto his back with a confident grin. ”Good thing Seraphina’s tonics can handle thermal shocks, and Rowan brought enough high-purity food to feed an imperial battalion.”

Rowan adjusted his Enchanted Straw Hat, looking at his team. Though their levels sat beneath the traditional Tier 2 recommendation for Floor 8, their gear, high-purity alchemy, domain-backed stats, and tactical preparation put them on equal footing with the trial ahead.

”We take them down one quadrant at a time,” Rowan said smoothly, stepping up to the portal’s edge. ”First quadrant on the map?”

”Fire,” Lyra replied, falling into formation beside him.

With a unified nod, Squad 07 stepped together into the swirling light of the gateway, ready to conquer the elemental gauntlet of Floor 8.

Stepping through the surface threshold, Squad 07 materialized on the bustling stone plazas of Layer 1: The Gateway Basin. Unlike the dangerous, untamed wilderness of the higher levels, the First Floor was completely conquered and reclaimed by humanity.

The area hummed with vibrant commercial life—rows of fortified merchant stalls, adventurer guilds, and alchemy shops lined the paved avenues, bustling with veteran crawlers trading rare monster spoils and high-tier materials brought down from the upper floors.

With their gear prepped and supplies locked in, Rowan led the squad straight through the crowded thoroughfares, bypassing the trading counters and noisy guild halls. He adjusted the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat as they arrived at the central transit archways—the massive spatial portal network connecting the First Floor directly to conquered waystones across the realm.

Rowan stepped up to the control pedestal, inputting their clearance credentials for the 8th Floor. The ancient runes around the archway flared to life, shifting into a swirling vortex of multi-elemental light.

”Everyone ready?” Rowan asked, turning to his team.

Princess Lyra drew her runic blade, Barney adjusted his human-forged vanguard plate, and Caelen, Mirei, and Seraphina fell into tight formation beside them. With a unified nod, Squad 07 stepped into the spatial light, leaving the bustling First Floor behind as they warped straight to the entrance of Floor 8.

***

The squad stood upon a massive, neutral stone platform suspended at the exact center of Floor 8. Four distinct pathways stretched out in cardinal directions, each leading toward a radically different elemental horizon.

To the North, gale-force winds howled through floating basalt monoliths.

To the South, colossal subterranean roots and crushing earth ridges hummed with heavy gravity.

To the East, roaring cascades and flooded ruins stretched into a misty blue horizon.

And to the West, a wall of shimmering thermal haze and lava veins painted the sky, marking the domain of the Fire Region.

”Alright guys, double-check your gear, make sure to put on your heat-proof equipment,” Rowan instructed smoothly, accessing his system inventory with a flick of his wrist. ”Let’s enter the fire zone in 10 minutes.”

From his inventory, Rowan retrieved the high-tier thermal undersuits and Barney’s customized carapace armor plates originally forged back during their early floor expeditions. The team immediately set to work during their brief prep window, slipping into the enchanted thermal layers designed to seal out infernal atmospheric heat while maintaining internal moisture and cooling balance.

Barney—his sharp human eyes scanning every seam—went down the line, tightening shoulder guards, checking boot seals, and verifying that the heat-dispersing grooves would hold under extreme temperatures. Seraphina unbuckled her potion harness, distributing glowing ruby-red vials of her newly synthesized 95%+ purity Fire Resistance Elixirs.

”One potion will stack with our thermal gear, completely shutting out passive burn damage and atmospheric exhaustion for six hours,” Seraphina noted, securing a vial into each member’s belt rig.

Caelen rolled his shoulders, shifting his grip along the leather-wrapped hilt of Edge of the First Warden. Resting the heavy greatsword smoothly over his shoulder armor, he flexed his wrists to ensure the thermal suit’s insulation wouldn’t restrict his broad, sweeping cleaves when the fighting started.

With the final adjustments made, Squad 07 crossed the threshold from the central nexus directly into the West Quadrant.

The moment their boots struck the scorched volcanic rock, a crushing wave of intense heat slammed against them. The sky turned a deep, bruised crimson, choked with floating embers and thick ash. Rivers of liquid magma carved through jagged obsidian crags, radiating heat waves so severe they warped the horizon.

Thanks to Seraphina’s 95%+ purity Fire Resistance Elixirs and Barney’s reinforced thermal insulation, the infernal heat washed over the squad harmlessly. Cool, blue-tinted protective barriers flared around their armor, sealing out atmospheric burn damage.

”Thermal resistance is holding,” Barney reported, checking his wrist-gauge. ”No temperature bleed through the plate seals.”

”Visibility is down to fifty paces due to the thermal distortion,” Mirei cautioned, nocking a specialized frost-alloy arrow while her sharp eyes scanned the lava ridges ahead.

”Keep in tight formation,” Princess Lyra commanded, raising her gold-infused longsword as a low rumble vibrated through the molten rock beneath their feet. ”Our arrival didn’t go unnoticed.”

From the bubbling magma pools flanking the basalt path, the glowing liquid erupted into towering spouts as molten, rock-skinned beasts began pulling themselves onto the path directly ahead of Squad 07.