Sophia glanced at her sensor stone, its glow steady and unhurried. "One down," she said. "Five more before the basin’s core."
Caria yawned, slinging her crossbow lazily over one shoulder. "Five more. Again. You’d think after clearing this floor thirteen tis, the basin would finally give us sothing different."
Aria chuckled, twirling her spear with practiced ease. "It probably tried. We just never gave it the chance."
Rhys raised an eyebrow. "You’ve done this that many tis?"
"Thirteen clears," Sophia confird, her tone matter-of-fact. "The pattern never changes. Sa enemies, sa spawn points, sa drops."
"Except the mood swings," Caria added. "Sotis the mist’s thicker. Sotis the Hydra spits faster. That’s about as exciting as it gets."
Rhys gave a faint smile. "Efficient, then."
"That’s one word for it," Aria said, smirking. "But hey, since it’s your first run here—try not to blink. You might miss the Hydra."
Rhys activated his [Eye of the Ancients], scanning ahead. His gaze caught a denser pulse of mana to the west. "You an that one?"
Sophia glanced at her stone. "That’s the one. Ninth mini-boss—Mireback Hydra. Regenerates like a bad habit."
Caria loaded her bolts with a sigh. "You cut off one head, three co back. Classic."
"Then we cut faster," Rhys said evenly, drawing his blade.
Moonbounce stepped forward, hooves silent on the damp ground, his silver aura sweeping the mist aside. The path opened ahead like it always did for the girls—familiar, worn, predictable—but to Rhys, it carried a quiet anticipation.
The bog pool rippled, bubbles forming in a perfect circle before the surface erupted. Three heads rose at once, eyes burning in red and green, hissing acid that splashed harmlessly against Moonbounce’s glow.
Caria didn’t even flinch. "Right on cue."
"Formation Gamma," Aria said smoothly, her stance already perfect. "We’ve got this."
Rhys moved beside her, blade humming with mana. Puddle’s shadow shimred faintly behind him, ready to assist.
"Let’s end it quickly," he said.
Aria smirked. "Confident already? I like it."
The fight lasted only monts—blades and spells cutting through the Hydra’s thrashing form with practiced rhythm. The girls moved like they’d done it a hundred tis before, and Rhys fell into step effortlessly, matching their precision without a word.
When it was over, the Hydra’s body dissolved into pale motes of mana. The swamp grew still again.
"Done," Rhys said, lowering his sword.
Sophia marked the reading. "That’s number nine. Four left."
Caria stretched her arms over her head, letting out a satisfied groan. "Four more. At this rate, we’ll finish before lunch."
Aria laughed lightly. "Assuming the basin doesn’t decide to throw a tantrum halfway through again."
"Does it do that often?" Rhys asked, wiping a few stray drops of acid from his blade before sheathing it.
"Every third or fourth run," Sophia replied, checking her sensor stone again. "The mana density spikes randomly, causes the floor layout to shift. It’s like the dungeon gets bored and rearranges the furniture."
Caria smirked. "Which is fine, as long as it doesn’t rearrange the loot."
Rhys’s lips curved slightly. "So this place adapts?"
"Not enough to matter," Aria said, spinning her spear once before resting it on her shoulder. "We’ve morized every spawn pattern, weak point, and trigger this floor has. It’s more routine than battle at this point."
"Then I’ll follow your lead," Rhys said. "Wouldn’t want to disrupt the routine."
"Good answer," Caria said with a grin. "Stick close, rookie. The next one’s called the Ironbound Leech. Ugly, tanky, and it eats mana like candy."
Sophia’s tone was calm, but there was a faint amusent under it. "It drains energy from the ground around it. Most parties panic the first ti it shuts down their mana flow."
Rhys tilted his head slightly. "And you don’t?"
"Not after the fifth ti," Aria said with a shrug. "Now we just step around it."
Moonbounce’s glow brightened faintly as the mist shifted again, parting ahead to reveal the next clearing. The air felt heavier here—each breath thick with humidity and the faint scent of tal. Ripples spread across the dark water, slow and deliberate, like sothing massive stirred beneath it.
Sophia’s sensor stone pulsed once. "It’s active."
The water bulged, then split apart with a wet crack as the Ironbound Leech erged—a monstrous, armor-plated worm with jagged hooks running down its sides. Its body shimred with runic scales, veins of rust-red energy pulsing through it like molten veins.
Caria sighed. "Still as ugly as ever."
"Formation Beta," Aria commanded. "Rhys, cut its core line when it anchors."
"Understood."
The Leech screeched, its massive mouth splitting open as it slamd into the ground. Mana rippled violently—only to falter when Rhys’s blade flashed through the air, cutting clean across the glowing segnt of its body.
The runes sputtered once—then died.
Caria’s bolt pierced through the exposed core. Aria’s spear followed, and the Leech convulsed once before collapsing into itself, lting into murky vapor.
Silence returned, broken only by the faint drip of water.
Sophia’s sensor stone dimd again. "Number ten. Three to go."
Aria looked over her shoulder at Rhys, smiling faintly. "Still holding up?"
Rhys nodded once, expression calm. "So far, this place lives up to its reputation. Predictable, but efficient."
Caria laughed. "That’s how it lures you in. Wait till the last mini-boss. That one pretends to be predictable."
Rhys’s gaze flickered toward the deeper fog ahead, where the mana pulsed heavier. "Then that’s the one I’m looking forward to."
The others shared a small, knowing smile—and pressed on.
The group’s steps sank slightly into the swamp’s softened ground as they advanced. The air grew warr, heavier with the scent of damp moss and faint ozone—signs that the next guardian was near. Overhead, faint veins of bioluminescent vines pulsed in rhythm with the mana current below, as if the entire basin was breathing around them.
Sophia checked her sensor stone again, the light flickering to a deep violet hue. "The next one’s not far. Strong electrical readings—definitely the Stormscale Serpent."
Caria groaned. "Oh, I hate that one. Always hiding under the water, waiting to zap you the mont you blink."
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