After finishing their rest and recovering their strength, Andrey led the team forward into the final floor. The air grew thicker with each step, carrying a faint, acrid smell that clung to the back of their throats. The walls were slick with moisture, and patches of pale, phosphorescent moss glowed faintly in the darkness.

Hope walked near the front, her greatsword resting on her shoulder, her eyes scanning the shadows ahead. "The mana density is increasing," she said quietly. "We’re getting close to the boss chamber, but I can sense multiple smaller signatures ahead. This floor is heavily guarded."

Sein’s lips curled into a cold smile. "I hope they put up a better fight than the others."

Sarah’s eyes darted across the walls and ceiling. "Just don’t let them surround us. These narrow corridors are perfect for ambushes."

Lisa stayed close to the center of the formation, her barrier humming softly around them. "I’ll keep the barrier ready. If anything tries to jump us, we’ll have a moment to react."

Andrey walked at the front, his hand resting on the hilt of the longsword at his hip. "Stay alert. We move as a unit."

They rounded a corner and found themselves facing a wide, open chamber. The ceiling was high, lost in shadow, and the floor was covered in a thick layer of pale, chalky dust. Stalactites hung from above like jagged teeth, and in the center of the chamber, a cluster of creatures stirred.

They were humanoid in shape, but their bodies were covered in hard, chitinous armor. Their limbs were long and spindly, ending in sharp, curved claws. Their faces were featureless except for a single, glowing eye that pulsed with a faint, sickly green light.

[Corrosive Stalkers]

There were at least a dozen of them, scattered across the chamber. Some were hunched over, others stood upright, their heads tilted as if listening. The moment the team stepped into the chamber, all of them turned in unison.

Sein let out a short laugh, flames roaring to life around her body. "Now we’re talking."

Andrey raised his hand, signaling the team to halt. "They’re not attacking yet. They’re waiting for something."

Hope’s eyes narrowed. "They’re guarding something. That passage behind them—it likely leads to the boss chamber."

Sarah raised her wand, pink energy crackling. "Then we clear them out."

The Stalkers let out a collective hiss and lunged.

The first wave of Stalkers closed the distance with unsettling speed, their clawed limbs scraping against the stone floor. Sein met them head-on, flames roaring as she drove her fist into the chest of the nearest Stalker. The creature staggered but didn’t fall.

"Tch! They’re tougher than they look!" Sein shouted, dodging a claw swipe.

Hope’s greatsword swung in a wide arc, cleaving through two Stalkers that had tried to flank her. "They’re using formation tactics! Don’t get caught off guard!"

Andrey moved through the chaos, his staff extended. He struck a Stalker across the jaw, sending it stumbling back, then pivoted to block a claw aimed at Sarah’s side. "Lisa, reinforce the barrier! Their claws are leaving traces of poison!"

Lisa’s hands glowed brighter as she expanded the barrier. "I’ll keep the poison out!"

Sarah fired Pink Rain into the cluster, pink projectiles tearing through the Stalkers’ chitinous armor. "They’re tough, but they’re not immortal!"

The Stalkers pressed their attack, but the team held their ground. Andrey’s staff connected with another Stalker’s skull, and this time, the creature crumpled. Sein’s flames finally found their mark, burning through a Stalker’s armor and reducing it to ash.

Hope’s greatsword carved a path through the remaining Stalkers, her golden blade cleaving through chitin and bone.

Within minutes, the chamber was clear. The Stalkers lay scattered across the floor, their bodies dissolving into pale dust.

Sarah let out a breath, lowering her wand. "That was a warm-up."

Sein rolled her shoulders, ignoring the slight strain in her muscles. "Numbers don’t mean anything if they can’t land a hit."

Andrey didn’t put away his staff. He was already walking toward the far end of the chamber, where a narrow passage led deeper into the floor. "There will be more. Let’s keep moving."

The team followed, their footsteps echoing in the damp corridor. As they advanced, they encountered more patrols—clusters of Corrosive Stalkers guarding narrow passages, and a group of smaller, spider-like creatures that skittered across the walls and ceiling.

Sarah groaned, firing another Pink Rain volley. "How many monsters does this floor have?!"

Lisa’s barrier pulsed as a spider-creature leaped at her, deflecting it with a flash of mint-green light. "They’re all guarding the boss chamber! They don’t want us to reach it!"

Sein burned through a cluster of Stalkers with a sweep of her flames. "Then we’ll just have to push through!"

They pressed forward into the smoldering gap, but Hope’s attention had shifted. A sharp hiss echoed from the shadows above, and she looked up just in time to see a massive, bloated spider descend from the ceiling, its body covered in pulsing green sacks.

"Everyone, clear the area!" Hope shouted, her greatsword already swinging upward.

The blade connected with the spider’s underside, and the creature burst open into a cloud of thick, green gas. The gas spread rapidly, filling the chamber with a choking, acidic haze. The smaller Stalkers that had been caught in the blast convulsed violently, their bodies dissolving from the inside as the poison seeped into their wounds.

"Poison burst!" Lisa coughed, her barrier flickering as the gas pressed against it. "It’s releasing poison when it’s killed!"

Andrey’s eyes widened as the gas began to spread toward them. "Fall back! Don’t breathe it in!"

The team retreated, but the poison was already spreading through the chamber. Sein coughed, her flames flickering as the gas stung her lungs. "This stuff is potent! It’s burning my throat!"

Hope used her greatsword to push the gas back with a wave of golden energy, but the poison kept regenerating, seeping from the remains of the spider. "It’s coming from the body! If we don’t destroy the source, the gas won’t stop!"

Andrey scanned the area, his eyes landing on the spider’s shattered remains. The green sacs were still pulsing, releasing more gas with each pulse. "The sacs are the source! We need to destroy them before they release more poison!"

Sarah raised her wand, pink energy gathering. "I can blow them up from here! Just give me a clear shot!"

Sein stepped forward, flames roaring. "I’ll burn them! Fire will neutralize the poison!"

Lisa reinforced her barrier, pushing the gas back just enough to give Sein a path. "Go! I’ll hold the gas back!"

Sein launched forward, flames blazing. "Crimson Cataclysm!" The wave of fire engulfed the spider’s remains, the green sacs bursting in rapid succession. The flames burned hot enough to neutralize the poison, and the gas began to dissipate as the fire consumed it.

But as the last sac burst, a final wave of concentrated poison erupted from the remains, slamming into Sein and sending her staggering back. She coughed violently, clutching her chest as the poison burned her lungs.

"Sein!" Lisa’s hands glowed as she cast Refreshing Breeze, the healing energy washing over Sein and purging the poison from her body. "Are you okay?!"

Sein took a ragged breath, wiping her mouth. "Tch... that was close. Didn’t expect it to have a final burst."

Andrey moved to her side, checking her condition. "The poison is gone, but you need to rest for a moment. We’ll secure the area."

Hope approached, her greatsword lowered. "That was a clever trap. The spider wasn’t just a monster—it was a delivery system for the poison."

Lisa nodded, her barrier still shimmering. "We’ll need to be more careful from here. If the boss has similar abilities, we’ll need to adapt quickly."