The air across the dungeon chambers had changed. The tension was heavier, the aura darker, and the fight, far more intense.
Each group was locked in a struggle that pushed them to their limits. Sweat rolled down faces, breaths grew sharper, and even the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble under the pressure.
The Commanders were no longer simply toying with them. They were adapting, adjusting, and becoming more dangerous.
But so were the challengers.
---
The Nullmirror Vault
It started with a sudden shift in the air.
Adrian flinched. "She's moving," he warned.
Velthra had finally stepped into view. Her form was cloaked in shadow, her eyes glowing like faint silver. She looked nothing like a human anymore, more like something born from shadow itself. Her figure flickered, disappearing and reappearing around the room like a ghost.
"Left!" Adrian shouted.
Darek turned quickly, blocking with a shield of earth, the impact making his knees shake.
Vaela fired again, this time, the arrow scratched Velthra's side before she vanished again.
"She's faster now," Vaela muttered, lowering her bow.
"But not invisible," Adrian replied, scanning the space.
Then Velthra appeared behind Adrian, a blade of pure shadow in her hand, but Darek reacted just in time, slamming his sword against hers. She vanished again into thin air, but now they knew, she had stopped hiding.
The fight was now face-to-face… but it was no easier.
---
The Ironhall Core
Zerik flipped backward, rolling to his feet as Thirak slammed both fists into the floor where he had just been. The impact cracked the ground and sent dust flying.
Sera stood in the back, frozen. Her eyes were wide. "I… I don't know what to do…"
Zerik landed beside her. "Listen," he said without looking at her. "The only people who are weak are the ones who never try to be better."
Sera stared at him.
"And you," he said, turning his head toward her with a tired smile, "you're not weak. I've seen weak. You're just scared. That's different."
Sera's lips trembled. Her hands curled into fists. And slowly, she stepped forward.
Ruvan noticed her movement. He gave no words, just a small nod , the kind that said, It's your choice now.
Sera breathed in deeply. Her hands lit up with soft green magic. Her heart still raced, but she stepped forward again ,no longer hiding behind them.
At the same time, Thirak, the massive golem, suddenly stopped. His arms dropped. He tilted his head and stared at them , as if watching, thinking.
Zerik narrowed his eyes. "He's… learning."
That thought alone made the fight even harder. Now Thirak wasn't just swinging wildly. He was planning.
---
The Thundergate
Borrum's hammer crashed into the ground again, sending a shockwave of thunder outward. Sylra quickly raised a shield to protect herself and Fizzle. Lila and Cyrus leapt away, barely avoiding the force.
"Still nothing," Lila grunted, panting.
Cyrus stood still for a second, letting the elements swirl around him again. He closed his eyes.
"Try this," he whispered.
In a single move, he slammed his hand onto the floor. A wave of water rose around him, spinning like a cyclone. It shot forward, surrounding Borrum like a cage. Borrum growled and tried to step through it, but it slowed him, just enough.
Lila followed, charging forward with her blade glowing red. She slashed upward, fire bursting from her strike. Borrum blocked it with his arm but stumbled slightly.
Sylra, watching from the back, nodded. "Good. He's reacting now. Keep pressing."
The pressure was high, but they were holding their ground better than before.
---
The Echoing Hollow
Ristella was a blur in the wind, her form spinning gently in the air. She moved like a leaf caught in a storm, graceful and deadly.
Junith led the charge. Her spear strikes were clean and fast. She didn't speak much, only focusing on when and where to strike.
Doran came in from the side, his hammer glowing bright orange again. He brought it down with a heavy swing, hoping to disrupt the wind.
And Nira, laughing as she moved, twirled past the gusts with vines wrapping around her arms, her dagger glowing green.
They hadn't landed a strong hit yet. But Ristella wasn't untouched either.
They were not just surviving, they were adapting.
---
The Skyvault Sanctum
Drakar roared, fire blazing across his body as he launched forward again. His Overheat Form burned so bright, the air around him shimmered. He swung his axe with all his might.
But Kalix simply leaned back, avoiding the strike.
"Good flame," Kalix said with a smile. "But still too slow."
Kael gritted his teeth and came in from the other side, his katana glowing with blackfire. Nymera gave a quick command, guiding him toward what she believed was a weak point.
Kalix ducked under it.
"Oh!" he said. "That one almost made me blink."
Orin leapt next, spear spinning. His body glowed faintly as he enhanced it further.
Kalix jumped high into the air, flipped once, and landed softly behind them. "You're getting better," he said with a smirk. "But I'm still bored."
Drakar's fists burned as he looked at Kalix. "You're mocking us."
Kalix shrugged. "I'm just being honest."
The three of them attacked again , harder, faster. Kalix dodged, flipped, spun, each move like a dance.
It wasn't a battle anymore. It was a test of will.
---
The Ironhall Core
Sera stood with her arms glowing.
"I'm… ready," she whispered.
Zerik chuckled. "Then let's put on a sold out show, shall we."
Sera moved to the side, spreading her magic across the field. She didn't attack directly, but she began to lay down small magical traps, slowing the golem, blocking some paths.
Thirak, curious, tested the traps and found himself caught in one, even if just for a second. That second was all Ruvan needed to slam his fist into Thirak's chest. Zerik followed, launching a sharp disk into the glowing crack again.
Sera watched her spell work , and smiled, just a little.
---
Across the chambers, the fights continued, harder, fiercer, but more balanced than before. The corrupted aura still loomed. The Commanders were still deadly. But now, the challengers stood tall, not because they were winning…but because they refused to lose.
And for the time being…They were growing.