The Regalons did not linger after consolidating their decision.

They moved immediately, but not recklessly. The shift in their approach was evident in the way the formation tightened and redistributed. This was no longer a group advancing through unknown territory with curiosity. This was a hunting unit navigating a hostile battlefield where every encounter could decide survival.

Rudra led them across a different branch of the ruins, one that descended gradually into a wide basin carved by ancient collapse. The terrain was layered in broken stone platforms that overlapped at uneven angles, with narrow connections that forced controlled movement rather than free flow. Jagged pillars rose unpredictably, some leaning across pathways and others fractured into sharp fragments that created natural choke points. The water itself carried a faint distortion, thin streams of unstable energy drifting between structures and interfering subtly with perception.

This environment demanded precision.

Hiroshi slowed slightly, his awareness extending outward in a controlled sweep.

"There’s movement ahead," he said quietly. "Different group. Not clustered. Spread across multiple elevations."

Natalia’s Fortune Ballistics responded instantly, the orbiting spheres adjusting their spacing and alignment as she tracked potential trajectories.

"They’re not braced for combat," she said. "Looks like they’re managing resources or dividing loot. Their formation is loose."

Kayla’s threads extended outward in fine strands, brushing against the terrain and returning faint feedback.

"They have a defensive layer, but it’s shallow. Their attention is divided."

Rudra took a step forward and stopped. His gaze moved once across the terrain, mapping the engagement before it even began.

"We break their center before they react," he said calmly.

The formation split immediately.

Silvester and Maya moved upward, slipping into the vertical structure of the ruins, using the broken pillars as cover while gaining height advantage. Hiroshi descended along the lower layers, vanishing beneath the enemy’s line of sight. Lily moved forward alongside the strike group, her presence shifting as layers of debuff effects settled across her weapons.

Marcus stepped into the front position, his shield assembling in layered plates that locked together with a steady pulse. His sword followed, its glow stable and controlled. He lowered his stance, grounding himself as the forward anchor.

Almond positioned just off his flank, Abyssbreaker in hand, Grim Severam spreading across the battlefield like an invisible fracture that weakened the enemy before they even realized it.

The Suryax generals aligned behind them, their Geneline constructs forming in layered configurations, ready to surge through any opening.

Rudra stepped forward slightly.

"Go."

The attack began.

Silvester struck first from above, his blade cutting downward in a straight motion that split into multiple streaks mid-flight. Each streak curved slightly, adjusting its trajectory to target different enemies below. The strikes landed with precision, carving glowing seams into armor, into energy shields, into active constructs.

At the same time, Hiroshi rose from below. His katana swept upward in a controlled arc, releasing a rising crescent of compressed energy that cut through the lower tier of the enemy formation. Several were lifted off balance, their footing disrupted and their bodies pushed directly into Silvester’s marked lines.

Maya entered through the flank, her blade forming in a shimmer of pale blue energy. She moved through gaps created by the initial strike, her weapon flashing in short, precise motions. Each hit embedded fine shards of ice that spread along joints and limbs, slowing reactions and destabilizing movement. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Marcus drove forward.

His shield slammed into the front line, releasing a concussive pulse that compressed the surrounding water and detonated outward. The enemy formation collapsed inward under the impact, several individuals thrown off balance as their positioning broke apart.

His sword followed immediately, cutting in a wide arc that released a crescent-shaped wave of force. The wave sliced through two enemies cleanly and forced the rest to scatter.

Almond stepped through the opening.

Abyssbreaker swept in a diagonal arc, releasing a compressed wave of dark-blue and crimson energy that tore through weakened defenses already marked by Silvester and Hiroshi. His follow-up strike landed before the first fully dissipated, layering effects that disrupted the enemies’ internal flow.

Rudra entered the battlefield last, and when he did, the center collapsed.

He stepped forward and struck.

His fist connected with an enemy elite, and the force compressed the space around the impact before rupturing forward. The shockwave did not spread randomly. It tunneled through multiple enemies behind the first, breaking their structure and sending them crashing across the layered terrain.

He followed immediately with a downward strike, his palm hitting the ground and releasing a circular wave that cracked the platform and disrupted several enemies at once.

For a brief moment, the ambush worked.

Several enemies fell before they could react properly.

Then the battlefield shifted.

One of their leaders reacted instantly, slamming a staff-like construct into the ground. A circular field of dark symbols spread outward, distorting incoming trajectories and stabilizing their formation.

At the same time, golden threads appeared behind them.

Their fallen began to rise.

"They have a resurrector," Kayla said sharply.

The advantage vanished instantly.

The ambush transitioned into full conflict.

Enemy attacks surged forward in layered waves. Rotating discs of energy spun through the water, each releasing expanding shock rings that overlapped into a dense field of pressure. Behind them, clusters of crystalline shards formed and split mid-flight into dozens of smaller fragments, spreading across the battlefield.

Natalia reacted immediately.

Her Fortune Ballistics expanded fully, dozens of glowing spheres shifting in unpredictable patterns. Each sphere fired controlled bursts of energy that intercepted incoming attacks mid-path. Projectiles curved away, collided with terrain, or destabilized and dissipated before reaching their targets.

Kayla reinforced every interaction, her threads weaving through Natalia’s system and stabilizing the flow of redirected energy.

Marcus held the front, his shield absorbing repeated impacts. Each collision sent ripples across its surface, but his stance did not break. His sword moved constantly, cutting down threats that slipped through the defensive line.

Silvester and Hiroshi increased their tempo, striking from multiple angles and eliminating enemies before they could coordinate properly.

Maya targeted key individuals, removing those attempting to stabilize the formation.

Lily entered fully into combat.

She moved rapidly through the battlefield, her blade striking in quick, precise motions. Each strike carried a different effect. One cut slowed movement. Another disrupted energy flow. A third weakened defensive output. Within seconds, several enemies were layered with multiple debuffs.

She stepped back slightly and triggered them.

The sigils ignited simultaneously, causing a chain reaction that collapsed their defenses from within. Several enemies dropped instantly as their internal systems destabilized.

The Dreadlings surged immediately after, overwhelming the weakened targets.

The Spirit Lords unleashed heavy, wide-scale attacks that forced the enemy to reposition again.

The Suryax generals fought alongside them, their Geneline constructs firing controlled blasts and reinforcing allies.

Almond moved fluidly across the battlefield, his Grimblades striking continuously, weakening enemies and amplifying the team’s damage output.

Then the battlefield shifted again.

One of the enemy elites raised a twisted ring-shaped artifact.

It pulsed once.

A thin black thread shot forward.

It ignored everything.

It struck Almond.

The curse took hold instantly.

"If I revive anyone, I die," Almond said calmly.

The impact of that statement spread through the formation immediately.

The enemy surged forward.

Their attacks intensified, sharper and more focused.

A spiraling beam cut through the battlefield and struck a Suryax general. His body collapsed instantly.

He did not return.

The pressure increased sharply.

Marcus adjusted his position, expanding his shield coverage. His sword moved faster, intercepting threats that slipped through.

Rudra stepped forward again, drawing the focus of incoming attacks.

They converged on him.

He struck them directly.

His fists moved in rapid succession, each impact breaking incoming attacks apart before they could fully form. Discs shattered mid-spin. Beams fractured into scattered fragments. Distortion waves collapsed instantly.

But even with that, the numbers were too high.

The enemy kept returning.

The Regalons could not.

Rudra made the decision without hesitation.

"We retreat."

The formation shifted immediately.

Marcus pivoted, his shield turning outward to cover the withdrawal. His sword continued moving, cutting down those who pushed too close.

Rudra stepped forward and expanded his domain.

Absolute Breaker spread outward, distorting space itself.

Incoming attacks entered the domain and shattered instantly. Projectiles broke apart before reaching their targets. Waves of energy collapsed mid-formation.

Natalia maintained constant control, her Fortune Ballistics redirecting attacks and creating safe paths for movement.

Kayla reinforced every layer of defense, stabilizing the retreat.

The Regalons fought while withdrawing, maintaining formation and eliminating threats.

Silvester and Hiroshi struck from the edges, cutting down pursuers before they could close distance.

Maya targeted key enemies, disrupting coordination.

Lily continued stacking debuffs even while retreating, weakening those who pushed too aggressively before triggering collapses that dropped them mid-advance.

The Suryax generals fought alongside them, their attacks sharper and more controlled.

Then the Spirit Lords surged forward, unleashing wide-scale suicide attacks that crashed into the enemy formation and forced disruption.

The Dreadling Monarchs followed, charging directly into the enemy ranks and tearing through multiple enemies before being destroyed.

It was a calculated sacrifice.

They would be revived later.

The disruption created space.

Rudra maintained Absolute Breaker as they pulled back, shattering every incoming attack before it could reach them.

Gradually, the pressure decreased.

The enemy slowed.

Then stopped pursuing.

Silence returned.

The Regalons regrouped.

No one spoke immediately, but the conclusion was clear to all of them.

They were no longer operating with advantage.

In this environment, with resurrection neutralized and threats escalating, even a single mistake would be enough to end everything.

"The curse will last for a few hours at most, I think." Almond frowned. "I’m trying to sever it, but it’s not working."

"It must be from a high Tier artifact that can ignore all interferece below a certain tier." Silvester rubbed his chin. "Well, should we head back and do something else now? The enemy also won’t be able to advance further given the increasing difficulty in deeper areas."

"Let’s head back." Rudra nodded. "We have yet to power-up fully. One more deck to create and complete. Once we do that, we can explore further, so let’s focus on becoming the best of ourseleves first."