[Chapter 92. Fighting Two Battles at Once]
Heat washed over Searanox in heavy, suffocating waves even from his position at the tunnel entrance. The primary chamber radiated a blistering, artificial intensity far beyond anything he had experienced in his previous, uncorrupted runs of the Burrowing Depths. Through the shimmering haze of distorted air, he spotted the massive, grub-like creature writhing near the center of the glowing pools. As the Golden Order team advanced, splitting into their practiced, highly efficient formation, Searanox's tactical instincts began to scream that something in the dungeon’s fundamental logic was about to go terribly wrong.
The Flame Spewer, now visibly infused with the jagged purple energy of the Void, rotated its massive, segmented body toward the intruders, arching its bloated front segments upward with a wet, heavy sound. Its multi-layered maw gaped open, spewing not just the expected torrent of high-temperature flames, but a thick, viscous, neon-green slime. The burning torrent seemed to fill Searanox's entire field of vision, the sheer scale of the attack making him instinctively take a half-step back into the shadows of the corridor.
When the initial flames finally subsided, leaving behind smoldering, hissing patches of burning slime on the blackened stone floor, Searanox nodded grimly to himself. The basic mechanics were still there; just as Iris had described the creature's original pattern, the beast would unleash its primary breath attack and then immediately dive into the safety of the pools to cool its internal organs. From his elevated vantage point, Searanox scanned the dozens of bubbling pools inside the chamber, his eyes tracking the ripples until he spotted the creature's head emerging on the far side of the room.
Streams of concentrated fire from Valdor’s staff and enchanted arrows from Narina’s bow crisscrossed the chamber toward the Flame Spewer, only to be consumed or deflected by another violent torrent of green flames and acidic goo. Aruru moved with deadly, predatory speed across the rocks, his blade a blur of silver, yet each time he neared striking distance, the creature was already halfway submerged back into the viscous, green liquid of a different pool.
`This is a fucking game of high-stakes whack-a-mole.` Searanox thought, his eyes narrowing as he watched the struggle from his relatively safe distance.
Several rapid dives and lunges later, the Flame Spewer surfaced dangerously close to Searanox's position at the tunnel mouth. Seizing the sudden opportunity, he shouldered his Magitech Rifle with practiced ease as all four of his active drones pivoted to fire in perfect unison with him. The cavern air filled with the pungent, sickening sound of burning alien flesh and a piercing, multi-tonal shriek as the creature recoiled from the concentrated violet beams. It pushed off the ground with a sudden, violent motion, jets of pressurized green flame shooting from smaller, circular holes along its sides like biological thrusters.
The Flame Spewer launched its massive bulk through the air, crossing several meters in mere seconds, its trajectory aimed directly away from the main party but into a position that allowed for a wide-angle retaliation.
The creature's bulbous head swiveled toward Searanox with predatory intent, and all he saw for a split second was a blinding, emerald-green light. Intense flames filled his vision, the radiant heat searing his skin even from across the gap. In that frantic heartbeat, he acted on pure reflex, summoned three additional Defensive Drone. Their hexagonal barriers slammed together in mid-air, interlocking to form a solid wall that sealed the tunnel entrance completely.
Sickly green slime hissed and oozed down the translucent hexagonal plates, the corrosive liquid eating into the energy field. The air inside the tunnel grew dangerously hot, the oxygen thickening with the smell sulfur. The barriers held, though they began to crack under the immense kinetic and thermal strain, sustained only by the massive overcharge of energy he had pumped into them. As the green flames finally died down, he dismissed two of the drones to conserve power. The remaining slime clinging to the vanished barriers plopped heavily to the floor, forming small, persistently flaming puddles of chemical fire.
"Go in. Provide fire support," Searanox commanded, and his remaining Offensive and Assault Drones shot forward into the main chamber like streaks of silver light.
The four drones hovered in a tight diamond formation in the center of the room, firing consistent pulses of crimson and violet energy whenever the larva emerged from a pool. Under the relentless, automated pressure, the beast began to take damage faster than it had in the first minutes of the fight combined. Searanox watched the Golden Order team from the safety of his barrier, his eyes tracking their movements with a cold, analytical precision.
They were undeniably efficient, but their high-impact attacks were missing more often than they were connecting due to the creature's erratic movements. Occasionally, an arrow from Narina or a high-tier spell from Valdor would connect solidly, leaving a gaping, smoking wound in the beast’s side. If he had to guess based on its remaining health estimates, the fight would drag on for quite some time. At their current rate of success, it might last as long as his grueling, near-death encounter with the Elemental Dire Wolf.
His drones didn't hit nearly as hard as the specialized abilities of Astera's team, but they hit with mechanical consistency. In a fight against a mobile or teleporting target, that consistency made all the tactical difference.
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Minutes began to bleed into each other as the attrition continued. The ambient heat in the chamber intensified until the air itself seemed to shimmer. Garu's four massive tower shields were now running with thick, burning slime, their enchanted metal glowing from a bright, dangerous orange to a dull, angry red. Narina's quiver appeared to be bottomless, another feathered shaft appearing on her bowstring the very instant the previous one was loosed. The only two members showing visible signs of physical strain were Aruru and Valdor. Aruru's movements remained precise, but the rhythm of his breathing had become ragged and heavy. Valdor was leaning more heavily on his staff with each passing minute, the fires erupting from its tip now coming in shorter, noticeably weaker bursts.
Astera, however, stood serene and untouched in the geometric center of the chaotic chamber, a perfect, shimmering sphere of golden light enveloping her. Waves of that same golden light pulsed outward at regular intervals, washing over her allies each time the Flame Spewer unleashed another devastating torrent of green fire. Searanox couldn't quite identify the specific spell effect—it could have been rapid regeneration, a boost to maximum stamina, or perhaps a purification ward against the slime's lingering corruption. The possibilities within the System were endless, and her mastery over them was absolute.
He remained at the tunnel entrance, a detached, cynical observer to their divine struggle. His drones had clearly made the difference, their relentless, chip-damage fire wearing the beast down faster than the Order's team could have managed through burst damage alone. But one specific detail began to nag at him—a small, tactical detail that didn't fit the natural rhythm of the battle. He had noticed it several minutes ago, and now, as the boss neared its end, it was undeniable.
Narina wasn't just watching the grub. She was positioning herself with extreme care, her movements keeping Searanox squarely in her peripheral vision at all times. He watched her nock a frost-enchanted arrow, her head tilted just so, her gaze flicking from the thrashing creature to him and then back again in a rhythmic cycle. It was subtle—the habit of a high-level professional scout—but he saw it for what it was. To fight a boss of that caliber while maintaining such a focused, lethal awareness on a potential ally.... threat, it was as impressive as it was deeply unnerving.
The Flame Spewer suddenly let out a final, agonizing shriek—a sound like tearing metal and boiling fluid. It convulsed one last time, its thick, chitinous plates cracking wide open as the internal pressure reached its limit. Then it stilled, its massive, deflating corpse slumping into the glowing green pools. It was a death by a thousand cuts, delivered by hands of gold and relentless beams of violent light.
As the combat ended, burns and scorch marks were visible on every available inch of the Order’s bodies, their high-quality clothing scorched in jagged patches that still smoldered with green embers. From his distance, Searanox watched their wounds begin to knit together at a staggering, unnatural rate. His own specialized healing drones would have needed two or three full cycles per person just to match what Astera accomplished with a single, casual wave of her hand. She was a high-level healer, and the sheer scale of her power was undeniable.
Searanox dismissed both of his Assault Drones and one of the Defensive Drones, replacing them with a single Cargo Drone. His tech-point counter showed he was hovering in the lower five hundreds; the System window floating beside it displayed three active drones and a natural regeneration rate of four points per minute.
The cargo drone moved through the cooling chamber like a mechanical Roomba, methodically absorbing the lingering, burning goop from the floor and dumping it safely into the nearest glowing pool. Even as her team began to tend to their equipment and wounds, Narina's yellow eyes remained fixed on him, her gaze unwavering for at least eighty percent of the time she spent conversing with Valdor and Garu.
Searanox stepped fully into the chamber, following the clean path cleared by his drone. From the side, Aruru's dry, raspy voice cut through the cavern air. "Victor, you are significantly stronger than your current level might suggest to the uninitiated."
Searanox turned his head slightly toward the warrior before giving a short, professional nod. "Singular, predictable beasts are my specialty. My drones thrive on them."
Searanox approached Astera, who still stood in the center of the chamber, faint waves of golden light still pulsing rhythmically from her form. The light washed over her companions, their severe burns knitting together at a staggering rate, but when the edge of the golden aura touched Searanox, nothing happened. His body remained unchanged, his minor scrapes and the lingering heat on his skin ignored by her magic.
"Astera," Searanox said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Your healing is impressive. To sustain this many high-tier injuries at once must take a lot of focus. Do we take some time to rest and recover here, or do we push through to the core?"
Behind him, Narina snorted loudly. "Rest? There is no such thing as rest inside a dungeon, Dhampir. You either move or you become part of the floor."
"Narina is right," Astera said, her gaze drifting toward Valdor, who was currently drinking a glowing blue liquid from a small glass bottle. Several empty bottles already lay shattered at his feet. "We have spent only as many resources as we were willing to give. Some of us, perhaps, more than others."
`Can't shake the feeling they're watching every single micro-movement I make.` Searanox thought, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the ground.
He quickly calculated his base Tech Points; the number was dangerously low for a deeper push. He accessed his System Shop interface with a mental flick, purchasing a standard Mana Potion for fifteen silver pieces. Right now, to him, it was worth a hundred times that price. He uncorked the bottle and drank the tasteless, shimmering liquid in one go, watching his Tech Point gauge jump up by a solid hundred points.
"I see you are also parched of Ether," Valdor said, dropping another empty bottle to the stone floor with a clinking sound. "Maintaining those autonomous constructs must drain your internal reserves quite heavily. Nevertheless, you're still young in the ways of the System, so let me give you some free advice. You should always have a few physical bottles at hand. There are certain zones and status effects that will prevent you from accessing the shop interface entirely."
"Yes, there are," Searanox replied, tossing his own empty bottle into a nearby pool of green liquid. "But summoning them in the first place drains me nearly as much as maintaining them."