Floor 9 began with a deceptively simple room—empty except for seven ornate pillars arranged in a circle.
Most teams walked straight through. Then the floor activated and people died.
"Stop," Rama said immediately. "Don't enter the circle."
The team halted at the threshold. Hendra pulled up his scanner. "I'm not detecting any traps."
"Because it's not a trap. It's a combat trigger. Step inside the circle, seven elemental guardians spawn—one per pillar. Level 50 each. They activate simultaneously and overwhelm unprepared teams." Rama studied the room through [Tactical Overseer]. "We can handle them, but we need specific positioning first."
"How do you know they spawn?" Hendra challenged, but without his earlier hostility. "This floor looks empty."
