The Glimmering Caves weren't just dark; they were a canvas of shifting, bioluminescent light. The air inside hummed with a low, vibrant energy, carrying the faint, sweet scent of mineral deposits and something else – something ancient and sharp, like static electricity. Strange, crystalline formations pulsed with soft light, casting long, dancing shadows that played tricks on the eyes. The ground was slick, uneven, covered in a fine, almost iridescent dust.
Caden gripped Glacial Fang, its ice shimmering faintly in response to the cave's inherent energy. His senses were on high alert. This wasn't the Aetheria he'd practiced in; this felt predatory, a living trap. Lily and Thomas, the two disoriented newcomers, shuffled behind Elara, their faces pale in the shifting light.
"Keep a tight formation," Caden ordered, his voice echoing unnervingly in the vastness. "Gronk, you're lead. Elias, you're with him. Lyra, Vex, eyes on the flanks. Elara, keep the new guys safe in the middle, and be ready."
Gronk grunted, his massive axe held ready, his wide stance surprisingly agile on the slick ground. He looked like he was born for this. Elias, ever the loyal and powerful ally, took position beside him. Lyra, a shadow-dancer in the dim light, moved almost silently to their left, while Vex, ever pragmatic, kept her gaze fixed on the glowing readouts of her wrist device, occasionally tapping at it.
They hadn't gone far when the first wave hit. Not from the front, but from the walls themselves. Crystalline shards, sharp as knives, detached from the formations and coalesced into slender, multi-limbed Glimmer-Crawlers. They scuttled with unsettling speed, their translucent bodies refracting the cave's light, making them almost impossible to target.
"Watch the reflections!" Lyra hissed, her daggers already out. One of the Crawlers lunged at her, and she spun, a blur of motion, her blades deflecting its attack with practiced ease.
"Threat detected! Multiple targets!" Vex's voice was clipped, her device spitting out warning signals. She didn't have traditional weapons, but as a Crawler darted towards her, a pulse of static energy erupted from her wrist, temporarily disorienting the creature, making it hesitate just long enough for Gronk to smash it with a thunderous swing of his axe.
Caden roared, bringing Glacial Fang to bear. The Crawlers were fast, their attacks precise. He conjured an Ice Wall, a shimmering barrier that erupted from the ground, blocking two incoming threats. Then, he lunged, his blade singing. Glacial Fang was perfect here; its ice magic exploited the Crawlers' crystalline nature, shattering them with powerful, freezing strikes. He moved with a practiced fluidity, an intricate dance of parries and counter-attacks, protecting Elara and the vulnerable newcomers behind him. His years of training in this very dreamscape paid off, every instinct honed.
More Crawlers streamed from the walls, overwhelming them. Elias brought his hammer down in wide, devastating arcs, his chrome avatar absorbing hits that would have shredded lesser players. "They're relentless!" he bellowed.
"Focus fire! Pick targets!" Caden yelled, pushing back another Crawler with a powerful Frost Nova. He felt the familiar drain on his Mana bar, but he couldn't afford to hold back. This wasn't a practice raid. This was real. Every hit, every decision, was a matter of life and death.