After finishing their preparations, the group set off for the second floor of the labyrinth, with Aric and Lysandra at the front, the support mages in the middle, and Lucien and Serpensq’i closing the circle. They had a powerful and balanced formation.

  As soon as they entered the second floor, monsters began attacking them, but their strong formation allowed them to keep advancing. The secondary groups took care of stabilizing the entrance to the first floor, enabling them to move forward. They occasionally encountered weak monsters, but as they approached the third floor, they started facing boss-level creatures. One, in particular, forced them to stop—the one supposedly in charge of the third floor.

  —What is this monster doing here? —Lucien asked—. Isn't this the third-floor boss?

  —And that's not all, Lucien —Serpensq’i pointed out—. It has company.

  Behind the monster, two more of the same level stood menacingly.

  —What's going on here? —Lysandra asked, confused and afraid—. Why are there more than one?

  —First, let's make these weaklings eat dirt. We can ask questions later —Aric said, drawing his sword from its sheath and activating the magical circuit on his left hand.

  —Omnem detrus athev darpas creatus sig leavres —he began to chant while walking straight toward the monsters.

  —Kaenia, support magic on Lysandra. Dannal, illusion magic—create copies of Aric —Serpensq’i commanded—. Lysandra, cover Aric's back. Lucien, high-level destruction magic—ideally, a fire sword if you know it.

  —Hey! That spell takes a long time! —Lucien complained—. Besides, I’m a water mage, not fire! We've barely been a team for a day, and you're already overworking me—damn it! I'm taking all the loot from these monsters!

  —You're wasting valuable time complaining —Serpensq’i replied—. Do it before we're at the noose's end.

  As Lysandra struggled to keep up with Aric, he faced all three monsters simultaneously. Thanks to Dannal’s illusion magic and the confidence of having Lysandra guarding his back, he fought at his best.

  —Lysandra! Give me some time! —he suddenly shouted. Without hesitation, she took the lead in the offensive.

  While she covered him, Aric stepped back, breathing heavily. Once he managed to steady his breath, he began summoning his creatures.

  —Spiritus elementalis, accipe vocem meam, surge ex tenebris, manifesta potentiam tuam —he chanted with deep concentration. A trickle of blood dripped from his nose.

  Serpensq’i, watching everything unfold, immediately cast a body blessing to strengthen Aric’s soul. He knew it was unusual for a High Human to possess affinity with both magic and swordplay, as well as summoning abilities. This boy had completely caught his attention.

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  Aric felt the blessing and looked at the shaman with gratitude. After regaining his breath, he lunged forward alongside his summoned creatures, fiercely attacking one of the bosses. Lysandra held her ground, buying Aric time, but she was injured during the battle.

  Aric managed to take down one of the monsters by overwhelming them with his elemental summons, but he was also struck down and thrown far away by one of the remaining enemies.

  Meanwhile, Lucien had been focusing, continuously chanting an incantation:

  —Ignis potentissimus, elementum purum et igneum, creator et destructor, Per vim et potentiam flammae primordialis, quae exardescit in corde universi, Te invoco, spiritus ignis, qui es princeps in regno flammae, Accende flammam tuam ardentem, et fiat incendium magnificum, Ut consumat hostem meum et purget malum a nostris viis. Ignis, ex tua potentia surgat flamma haec, Quae urat et calet, quae purgat et renovat, Flamma ardescat inimicis meis, et dissipetur obscuritas, Ut luce et calore tuo, omnia mala dissolvantur. Spiritus ignis, audi vocem meam et esto mihi auxilio, In hoc momento magnae necessitatis, qua gladius ignis est mihi fidus amicus, Te invoco, te laudo, te honoro, spiritus ignis, qui dominaris elementorum, Per flammam tuam, fiat iustitia et victoria mea. ?Gladius Ignis Elfi Solis!

  A powerful sphere of light materialized above the monsters, causing them to leap backward, but it was not enough, as within a fraction of a second, dozens of flaming swords shot out from the sphere of light, gravely wounding all the monsters.

  Aric and Lysandra got up from the ground and, in a final effort, finished off the weakened monsters. They disintegrated, each dropping a ring. These looked similar but emitted a unique aura. Aric approached the spot where he had defeated the first boss, and unlike the other two, it had dropped a two-handed axe.

  —Pick up the items —he said suspiciously—. We'll evaluate them once everything is over.

  Lysandra collected the rings, while Kaenia and Dannal tended to Lucien, who had overexerted himself by casting a spell of an element he had no affinity with. Serpensq’i approached Aric and shared his impressions.

  —This has never happened before in all my time raiding dungeons. This anomaly has never occurred —he said, looking at Aric, who was crouching, observing the axe.

  —It's clear that something else is happening —he responded without turning—. Once the girls are ready, we'll move towards the entrance to the third floor.

  After a while, making sure everyone was in good condition, they continued advancing. Aric kept the two-handed axe and they stored the rings to investigate them later. As they approached the entrance to the third floor, they began to see adventurer corpses more frequently. The air strongly smelled of blood and death. From a distance, they could hear the sounds of a battle. They quickened their pace, and upon reaching the battlefield, they encountered the reconnaissance team. Sulfias, the Ash mage, who was in the last line, noticed them and quickly gave instructions to support the offensive.

  Aric couldn't help but notice she was injured and looked back at Serpensq’i for a blessing. Then he moved forward with Lysandra to offer support to the front line.

  What they saw left them in shock: more than ten bosses similar to the ones they had trouble defeating. The reconnaissance mages no longer had enough Aether to cast high-level spells, and the empty potions nearby showed they were running out of options.

  —They're the only ones who have made it this far —said one of the warriors, Valerian, an A++ grade adventurer. Blood was dripping down his ribs as he knelt, holding his sword. After coughing a little, he stood up again—. We still have a chance. We must hold them here until the Order of the High Dark Elves arrives.

  Aric gripped his axe and activated the circuit in his left hand. Lysandra took a deep breath, and they looked at the monsters from below.

  —We'll stop them then —Aric said—. Lysandra, cover the other flank.

  Suddenly, they heard a loud crash that left them frozen. A great roar resonated through the place, paralyzing both groups. What they saw left them frozen: a huge monster with a single eye and many cavities in its face. A strange sound came from its mouth:

  A diabolical laugh that they would never forget.