They rested for two hours in the Storm Guardian's chamber, letting natural HP and MP regeneration work. Their supply of potions was down to emergency levels just three health potions remaining between the seven of them.
"We need to be smart about this," Yuki said, studying the branching paths ahead. "Two guardians means we'll need to split the party."
"Bad idea," Takeshi countered. "Our strength is coordination. Divide us, and we're vulnerable."
"We might not have a choice," Sanji said. His Game Master's Eye was analyzing the split paths, and what he saw troubled him. "The paths lead to separate chambers, but they're connected somehow. My skill is showing... synchronized mechanics. I think the guardians will fight us simultaneously whether we split up or not."
He continued studying the magical patterns. "Look here there are energy flows between the chambers. The guardians are linked. When one takes damage, the other gets a defensive buff. When one uses an ability, the other mirrors it."
"So we have to fight both at the same time, but in different rooms?" Akane asked. "That's insane."
"It's the final test before floor twenty," Koji said grimly. "Of course it's insane."
Sanji's mind raced through strategies. Their Party Link worked across distances they could coordinate between rooms. But with only seven people, any split would leave both groups dangerously undermanned.
"We go three and four," Sanji decided. "The four-person team takes the left path me, Yuki, Akane, and Mei. The three-person team takes the right Takeshi, Koji, and Kenji. We'll need to balance damage output between both guardians to prevent one from getting too many defensive buffs."
"How do we coordinate that?" Kenji asked.
"Through me," Sanji said. "The Party Link lets me sense all your positions and conditions. I'll call out when to attack and when to defend. Trust the Link. Trust each other."
They finalized their strategy, distributed the remaining potions, and approached the split paths. At the junction, they paused.
"Whatever happens," Takeshi said, "we see this through. We've come too far to fail now."
"For freedom," Yuki added.
"For answers," Sanji finished.
They separated. Sanji's group took the left corridor, which curved upward in a spiral. Through the Party Link, he felt Takeshi's group taking the right path their presence growing distant but still connected.
The left corridor opened into a chamber of ice and crystal. Frost covered every surface, and the air was so cold their breath formed visible clouds. In the center stood their opponent.
Frost Guardian - Level 18 Elite - HP: 2400/2400
Type: Elemental Construct - Twin (linked to Shadow Guardian)
Weakness: Fire magic, attacks when frozen solid (paradoxically vulnerable)
Resistance: Ice immunity, physical damage reduced by 50%
Special Abilities: Frozen Domain, Ice Prison, Twin Link (shares defensive buffs with Shadow Guardian)
Level eighteen. Even higher than the previous guardians.
Through the Party Link, Sanji sensed Takeshi's group encountering their opponent the Shadow Guardian, also level eighteen, in a chamber of complete darkness.
"Both guardians are active," Sanji announced through the Link. "Coordinate on my mark. Three... two... one... engage!"
Both battles began simultaneously.
The Frost Guardian moved like a glacier slow but inexorable. Its body was composed of solid ice in vaguely humanoid form, and cold radiated from it in waves. Just being in the chamber was applying a debuff: Extreme Cold - HP regeneration disabled, movement speed reduced by 20%.
Yuki tested her ice magic immediately. "Ice Bolt!"
The spell struck the guardian and was absorbed completely. 0 damage. The guardian actually healed slightly, +50 HP.
"Ice magic heals it!" Yuki called. "I'm useless in this fight!"
"No you're not," Sanji said. "You control the battlefield. Create obstacles, platforms, cover. Tactical support."
Meanwhile, Akane fired arrows. They struck solidly, dealing reduced but meaningful damage. -67 HP per hit.
Through the Party Link, Sanji felt the other battle. Takeshi's group was struggling the Shadow Guardian moved too fast in the darkness, striking from impossible angles. Koji had already taken serious damage.
"Takeshi, the guardians share defensive buffs," Sanji sent through the Link. "Every time we damage ours, yours gets tougher. We need to alternate damage windows. I'll coordinate."
He activated his enhanced perception fully, monitoring both battles simultaneously. It was mentally exhausting, like trying to watch two chess games at once, but the Party Link made it possible.
"Team Two, attack now!"
Takeshi's group unleashed their offense. Through the Link, Sanji felt their strikes connecting with the Shadow Guardian. Its health dropped by approximately 200 HP.
But the Twin Link activated. The Frost Guardian's body glowed with shadow energy, gaining a defensive buff. Shadow Shield - Physical damage reduced by additional 30% for 10 seconds.
"Team One, defend!" Sanji called.
They retreated, letting the buff expire. The Frost Guardian pursued, slow but relentless. It cast Ice Prison, and suddenly pillars of ice erupted from the floor, trying to trap them in frozen cages.
Sanji cut through the ice with Reality Slash. Akane dodged nimbly. Mei erected holy barriers that deflected some of the ice. Yuki used her own ice magic to manipulate the pillars, turning the guardian's attack into cover for the party.
"Team Two, defend!" Sanji sensed the Shadow Guardian preparing a powerful attack.
Through the Link, he felt Takeshi raise his shield, Koji brace himself, and Kenji retreat behind them. The Shadow Guardian's attack a wave of pure darkness crashed into their defenses. They held, but barely.
"Team One, attack now!"
While the Frost Guardian's twin was on cooldown, Sanji's group struck. Akane fired a rapid succession of arrows into weak points Sanji's enhanced perception identified joints where the ice was thinner. -71 HP, -69 HP, -73 HP.
Sanji activated Truth-Seeking Slash, his legendary sword cutting through the guardian's frozen armor to strike its core. Critical Hit! -234 HP.
The Frost Guardian retaliated, swiping with an arm that had transformed into a blade of solid ice. Sanji blocked with his sword, but the force sent him sliding backward across the frozen floor. -89 HP.
Mei healed him. +70 HP. Her MP was at 67/200 now. Running low.
The battle continued in synchronized rhythm Team Two attacking while Team One defended, then switching. It was exhausting, mentally demanding, requiring perfect timing.
But it was working.
Fifteen minutes into the fight, both guardians were at 1200/2400 HP exactly half health.
Then the phase transition activated.
Both guardians began glowing the Frost Guardian with icy blue light, the Shadow Guardian (according to Takeshi's sensory input through the Link) with purple-black shadows. The Twin Link intensified.
Phase 2 Activated: Perfect Synchronization
Guardians now mirror each other's attacks across chambers
"What does that mean?" Yuki asked.
Sanji found out immediately. The Frost Guardian cast Frozen Domain, filling their chamber with freezing wind and ice shards. But simultaneously, through the Link, he felt Team Two being hit by the exact same attack except manifested as shadow energy instead of ice.
"They're casting the same abilities at the same time!" Sanji reported. "Different elements but identical timing!"
This changed everything. Now they couldn't trade attack windows both guardians would be using abilities simultaneously.
"We need to burn them down together," Sanji decided. "Synchronized damage. Both teams attack at the same time, overwhelm the Twin Link defensive buffs through sheer volume."
"My MP is too low for sustained offense," Yuki said.
"Mine too," Mei added.
Through the Link, Sanji felt similar resource problems from Team Two. They were all running on fumes.
"Then we make one final coordinated push," Sanji said. "Everything we have left, all at once. Either we win or we die trying."
He felt agreement through the Link determination, fear, but absolute trust.
"On my mark," Sanji said. "Team One and Team Two, prepare your strongest attacks."
Yuki began charging Absolute Zero her ultimate ability, the last time she could cast it with her remaining MP.
Through the Link, Sanji felt Takeshi activating Warrior's Last Stand a skill that dramatically increased damage output but left him vulnerable.
Koji prepared Devastating Strike a greatsword technique that cost all stamina but dealt massive damage.
Akane nocked three arrows simultaneously a ranger trick that reduced accuracy but tripled potential damage.
Kenji, despite being lowest level, readied his spear with determination burning through the Link.
Mei channeled all her remaining MP into one massive Holy Smite.
And Sanji prepared Truth-Seeking Blade a ultimate technique he'd developed by combining all his abilities, one that would drain him completely but could potentially one-shot a boss if it hit the core perfectly.
"Three..." Sanji counted.
Both guardians sensed the threat. They began casting their own ultimate abilities Frozen Apocalypse and Shadow Annihilation.
"Two..."
If the guardians' ultimates completed first, everyone would die. This was a race.
"One..."
Through the Party Link, seven hearts beat as one. Seven wills united in purpose.
"NOW!"
Everything happened at once.
Yuki's Absolute Zero flash-froze the Frost Guardian solid.
Akane's three arrows struck the frozen core. -189 HP, -201 HP, -195 HP.
Mei's Holy Smite burned through the ice armor. -267 HP.
Sanji's Truth-Seeking Blade pierced straight through to the heart of the guardian. Critical Hit! -834 HP!
Simultaneously, in the other chamber:
Takeshi's enhanced attacks battered the Shadow Guardian. -178 HP, -189 HP.
Koji's Devastating Strike carved through shadow flesh. -456 HP.
Kenji's spear, empowered by determination that transcended his lower level, found a weak point. Critical Hit! -234 HP.
The combined damage from both teams, landing simultaneously, overwhelmed the Twin Link's defensive sharing.
Both guardians' health hit zero at the exact same moment.
They exploded one in a burst of ice and frost, the other in a wave of shadow but the explosions were in their respective chambers, harmless to the other team.
Elite Bosses Defeated: Frost Guardian & Shadow Guardian
+2000 EXP (1000 per guardian)
Level Up! Level 17 achieved
The golden light of leveling swept through both chambers. Wounds healed, MP restored, exhaustion lifted at least temporarily.
Through the Party Link, Sanji felt Team Two's jubilation matching his own team's relief. They'd done it. Five guardians defeated. The hidden path conquered.
The walls between the chambers dissolved, revealing they'd been adjacent all along separated only by magical barriers. The two teams reunited in a newly revealed central chamber.
"I can't believe we survived that," Kenji said, his legs giving out as he sat down hard.
"We're not just survivors anymore," Koji said, looking at his stats. "We're level seventeen. That's higher than most of the coalition's members."
A doorway opened at the far end of the chamber large, ornate, pulsing with golden light. Beyond it, they could see the inside of the World Tree proper.
The Forgotten Path Complete
Welcome to World Tree - Floor 20
Warning: You have bypassed floors 1-19. Retreat to lower floors is possible but not recommended.
Floor twenty. They'd skipped nineteen floors of content, but at tremendous cost. They were wounded, exhausted, and nearly out of resources.
But they'd made it. They'd reached a floor that would take the coalition days to get to, even with their army.
Through the doorway, they could see a vast chamber with multiple paths leading upward and outward. Other players were visible in the distance parties who'd climbed the traditional way from floor one.
They'd just announced their presence in the World Tree to everyone.
Somewhere in the distance, Sanji's enhanced perception detected something else. A presence. Not a monster, but something… watching. The Administrators knew they were here.
To be continued...