The air deeper inside the mountain grew heavy, thick with a sickening scent of wet earth mixed with the sharp, metallic sting of sulfur. It was the smell of things that had been rotting in the dark for a long time. As they moved forward, the geography of the cavern changed; the massive, open hall they had been walking through was now filled with jagged rocks and unstable pillars, forcing them into a small, narrow tunnel that hugged the side of the cavern wall. It was a tight squeeze, barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.
Amala stayed as close to Jim as she could, the golden glow of her hair reflecting off the damp stone. She reached out, her fingers lightly brushing against the back of Jim's leather armor as if she were just trying to keep her balance on the slick floor. "It's very narrow here, Jim," she whispered, her voice a bit softer than usual. "Don't go too far ahead. I wouldn't want the light to leave you."
Alistair, who was walking just behind them, nudged Izêm and let out a quiet snicker. "Look at that, Izêm. I think Amala is more worried about Jim's safety than her own. Maybe she thinks he'll get lost if she isn't touching him every five seconds."
"Or maybe she's just making sure his hair doesn't catch fire," Izêm joked, though his voice was rough. He adjusted the heavy weight of the massive great sword strapped to his back. Unlike Jim, who was born with the rare gift of both a Skill and an Ultimate, Izêm had no magical power at all. He had no cooldowns to manage and no mana to burn; he relied entirely on the strength of his arms and the sharpness of his steel.
Amala's face turned a deep, embarrassed pink, her petals shivering. "I am just being a good teammate! You two should focus on the path instead of talking nonsense."
To change the subject, Alistair sighed, his eyes wandering to the dark ceiling. "I wonder if Kael is having a better time than we are. I saw on the mana-boards that he signed a contract for the Pro-Leagues. He's probably in a bright stadium right now, using his speed-skills to score goals in front of thousands of people while we're down here smelling sulfur."
"He's wasting his talent," Izêm grunted, his hand tightening on his sword hilt. "He has an Ultimate that can move mountains. He could be here, helping us stop the Stampede and saving real lives. Instead, he chose to be a performer. He could have been a great adventurer, but he wanted the easy gold of the games."
Amala looked back, her expression thoughtful. "I don't think it's a waste, Izêm. People are terrified of what's coming. If his games make them forget their fear for a little while, isn't that a way of helping? Making people happy is important too."
Jim nodded, his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. "Amala's right. Not everyone is meant for the dirt. But it's a heavy choice to make."
Alistair kicked a loose stone. "I just wish I had the choice. I'd take his Ultimate in a second. I'd rather be down here fighting with a real power than just being a guy with a shield who hopes he doesn't get stepped on."
The conversation was cut short by a skittering sound that echoed through the small tunnel. Suddenly, the first wave hit. Dozens of small, pale spiders dropped from the cracks in the ceiling. They were fast, their many legs clicking against the stone.
"Combat positions!" Jim yelled.
Izêm stepped forward, swinging his massive great sword in a wide arc to clear the path, but Alistair panicked. Wanting to prove himself, Alistair lunged forward with his shield, accidentally stepping right into Izêm's path. "I'll hold them!" Alistair shouted.
"Alistair, get out of the way!" Izêm roared, forced to pull back his swing so he didn't cleave his friend in half. Because they weren't working together, the spiders swarmed over them, biting at their ankles and climbing the walls.
The pressure grew as more spiders emerged, larger and more aggressive than the first. Jim saw his team struggling and felt the panic rising. His mana was full, the golden meter in his mind glowing bright. "Get back!" he shouted. "ULTIMATE: SOLAR BRAND!"
Jim's sword erupted in a violent, roaring pillar of white flames. He swung the blade in a massive fire slash that incinerated the wave of spiders instantly, turning the narrow tunnel into an oven. The heat was intense, and for a moment, the path was clear. But as the flames died down, Jim felt a sudden, hollow ache in his chest. His Ultimate was gone, and his mana was empty. He was exhausted.
That was when the ground began to shake.
A massive Broodmother, three times the size of a man, squeezed out from a hidden crevice in the larger space outside their tunnel. Her eyes glowed with a hateful red light, and her heavy legs slammed into the stone with the force of hammers. She hissed, a sound that felt like needles in their ears, and lunged toward the tired rookies.
Jim tried to raise his sword, but he had nothing left. "I... I can't use it again yet!" he gasped.
A blur of green silk moved past them. Galya stepped into the gap, her movements fluid and calm. She didn't look back as she drew a single arrow. "Watch," she said coldly.
She activated her skill, and suddenly, two shimmering green copies of herself appeared on either side of her, perfectly mimicking her stance. All three Galyas pulled their bowstrings to their ears at the exact same moment. Three arrows of pure wind energy whistled through the air, striking the Broodmother in the eyes and throat simultaneously. The monster didn't even have time to scream before its head exploded in a shower of sparks and ichor.
Galya lowered her bow, the copies fading into mist. She turned to the group, her eyes narrow and filled with disappointment. "You are alive only because I allowed it," she said, her voice cutting through the silence. "Jim, you used your power too soon. You wasted your greatest weapon on pebbles and left yourself defenseless against the mountain. Alistair, you are a wall that blocks your own allies instead of the enemy. And Izêm, you cannot fight alone if your teammates are in your way."
She stepped closer, the smell of burnt silk still hanging in the air. "The Labyrinth is a single machine. If you do not work together, you are just pieces of meat waiting to be eaten. If you make these mistakes again—"
Galya stopped mid-sentence. Her ears twitched. From the dark tunnels further ahead, a chorus of high-pitched, terrified screams broke the silence. It wasn't the sound of monsters. It was the sound of children crying out in pure terror.
Galya didn't say another word. She turned and vanished into the darkness, sprinting toward the screams. Jim and the others, still shaking from the lecture and the fight, didn't hesitate. They gripped their weapons and ran after her, disappearing into the black maw of the mountain.