The team advanced cautiously through the corrupted castle-like interior of the gate. The air was thick with dark mana, and faint purple mist clung to the broken stone floors and walls. Massive pillars wrapped in black vines lood overhead, and the distant sound of dripping water echoed through the halls.
Sein walked at the front with Andrey, her flas flickering around her fists as she scanned the surroundings.
"This place really reeks of demons," she muttered, her expression sharp.
Hope, walking slightly behind with her greatsword ready, smiled brightly despite the tense atmosphere.
"Everyone, please stay behind if anything happens. I’ll protect—"
Sein imdiately shot her a glare. "Don’t give orders, Hope. I don’t need your protection."
Hope blinked, still smiling but clearly a bit taken aback. "I’m just trying to help—"
"I said I don’t need it," Sein cut her off again, her tone arrogant. "Just focus on not slowing us down."
Sarah sighed loudly from the middle of the formation. "Here we go again..."
Lisa smiled awkwardly, trying to keep the peace. "Let’s all work together, okay? We’re stronger as a team."
Andrey raised his hand slightly, his voice calm but firm.
"Enough. Stay focused. Standard formation—Sein and I take point. Sarah and Lisa in the center. Hope, cover the rear."
The team continued advancing through the dark, twisted corridors of the castle-like gate. The walls seed to pulse faintly, as if they were alive.
Sarah looked around with an uneasy expression.
"This castle... it feels like it’s alive," she said, her voice low.
Lisa glanced at her, surprised. "Eh? Really?"
Sarah nodded, pointing at the walls. "Look... doesn’t it look like it’s moving and breathing? The way the vines and stone shift slightly..."
Sein rolled her eyes. "You’re just being paranoid. It’s just a creepy gate. Don’t let it get to your head."
Before Sarah could argue back, a blue System window appeared in front of Andrey.
System: Warning! This gate is a Multi-Floor Type (3 Floors).
Each floor will spawn a different boss. If the team fails to clear a floor, they will be trapped inside indefinitely. Rescue is only possible if another team successfully clears the entire gate.
Sein, who also saw the notification, clicked her tongue.
"So that’s why so many teams are trapped here..."
Andrey’s expression turned serious. He looked at the group.
"That ans we have to fully clear this gate. Not just survive, we need to finish it completely to save the other trapped teams."
Hope gripped her greatsword tighter. "Then we have no choice but to push forward."
Sarah sighed. "Great... no pressure or anything."
Lisa smiled nervously but stayed determined. "We’ll do our best."
Andrey nodded. "Stay sharp. We move carefully. First floor—let’s go."
The team advanced cautiously through the first floor of the anomalous gate. The castle-like interior was filled with dim blue light and a strange, humid atmosphere. The walls and floors seed to pulse faintly, as if alive.
Suddenly, from the corners and ceiling, several large, translucent blue slis erged. Their bodies jiggled as they moved, each one containing a glowing core in the center.
Sarah imdiately fired several pink energy projectiles. However, the attacks simply passed through the slis’ gelatinous bodies with minimal damage.
"Tch! Projectile attacks aren’t working properly!" Sarah clicked her tongue.
Andrey quickly analyzed the situation. "Their cores are the weak point. We need to destroy them directly. Sein, Hope — with . Lisa, support from the back. Sarah, provide covering fire to distract them."
Sein grinned, flas roaring around her fists. "Finally, sothing I can smash!"
Hope raised her greatsword with a bright smile. "I’ll cover you!"
Andrey summoned his new weapon from the Inventory Ring — the Ruyi Jingu Bang Replica. The staff extended to a suitable length in his hand, glowing with faint golden energy.
He charged forward first. With a powerful swing, he smashed the staff into the nearest blue sli. The impact was devastating, the sli’s body exploded from the force, its core shattering instantly.
Sein followed right behind, unleashing a fiery Crimson Impact that burned through another sli’s core in one strike.
Hope moved with graceful strength, swinging her greatsword in wide arcs, slicing through multiple slis and crushing their cores with raw power.
The three of them worked in perfect coordination, Andrey’s staff strikes creating openings, Sein’s flas burning the remains, and Hope’s powerful slashes finishing off any that tried to regroup.
Lisa continuously cast Aegis of Dawn and Gentle Radiance, keeping the team healed and protected while Sarah used Pink Rain to slow down and distract the slis from a distance.
Within minutes, the group of blue slis was completely destroyed, their gelatinous remains lting into the floor.
Andrey lowered his staff, breathing steadily. "Good work. The new weapon is very effective."
Sein wiped sweat from her forehead, grinning. "That staff is pretty strong. Not bad."
Hope smiled brightly. "We make a good team!"
The path ahead opened up, leading deeper into the castle’s first floor.
The team continued advancing through the dimly lit corridors of the first floor. The air grew thicker, and the walls seed to pulse more noticeably.
Sein walked with a confident stride, flas flickering lazily around her fists.
"Hah, this is way too easy," she scoffed. "How could teams from Lumina Guild lose to re slis like these? Are they that weak?"
Hope, walking behind her, smiled gently but shook her head.
"It’s not that simple, Sein. The teams that entered before us are all skilled. They might have faced greater difficulties on the higher floors. I know their strength well, this gate is definitely abnormal."
Sarah, who was floating slightly behind, imdiately shot Sein a glare.
"Hey, watch your mouth. Don’t be so rude. Just because we’re doing fine doesn’t an you can look down on other heroes."
Sein shrugged arrogantly. "I’m just stating facts."
Before Sarah could retort, a new threat appeared ahead.
From the shadows, several **red slis** erged. They were smaller than the blue ones but glowed with a dangerous, unstable red light. Their cores pulsed violently, as if ready to burst.
Andrey’s eyes narrowed. "New type. Be careful—"
Before he could finish, one of the red slis suddenly swelled and exploded with a loud BOOM! A wave of corrosive red liquid and fiery shards sprayed outward.
The team quickly reacted. Lisa expanded her Aegis of Dawn barrier just in ti to block most of the explosion. Sein burned away the incoming shards with her flas, while Sarah and Hope destroyed two more red slis before they could detonate.
But the remaining red slis began swelling again, clearly preparing to explode.
Andrey gripped his staff tightly. "They’re suicide bombers. Don’t let them get close! Aim for the cores before they detonate!"
The battle intensified as the red slis rolled and bounced toward them aggressively, threatening to explode at any mont.
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