The claw that tore through the floor was almost as long as Mina was tall.
Black chitin covered it from tip to joint, but the surface wasn't smooth. Jagged mineral growths protruded from the limb like pieces of obsidian, and thin violet lines pulsed between the plates with every movement.
The ancient chamber shook as the creature below dragged its claw sideways, ripping through stone that had survived centuries underground. Water vanished through widening cracks while Iris immediately retreated from the collapsing center.
Sage felt the mana signature beneath them surge again, powerful enough that there was no question about its Rank. Another 4th Order Elite Beast, but unlike the displaced creatures they had encountered above, this one had been living beneath the ruins.
"Move!" Rowan shouted, already sprinting toward the western wall as another section of floor exploded upward.
Everyone scattered. An enormous head burst through the stone.
