As they entered the boss chamber, the air grew heavy with moisture, the thick, clammy heat pressing down on their skin as they descended further into the room. The walls, once ancient stonework covered in the faint etchings of long-forgotten runes, had become slick with the water that now filled the lower corridors.

At the front of the group, Avince kept his eyes peeled for any further threats, his heart pounding in anticipation. He had been through a few difficult fights already, but nothing like this. The last battle, against the giant eels and the water elementals, had been brutal. He had struggled to maintain control of his abilities in this environment. The fact that they’re in contact with water interfered with his ability to use lightning. His main strength was being suppressed, and it left him feeling vulnerable. Ice and water were the two elements that seemed to cooperate with him in this setting, water maybe not that much either.

“I don’t like this,” Josh said, his deep voice echoing slightly as he glanced around. The terrain was difficult to navigate, with wet stones, slick puddles, and rising water that crept up their legs.

“Keep your focus,” Avince replied, though some uncertainty reflected in his gaze. His fire and lightning abilities haven't been useful in this dungeon at all, with ice and water carrying this floor, but even that had its limits. He had to be strategic with every move.

Greene, walking just behind him, raised her hand, pushing back a strand of wet hair that clung to her face. Her usual calm demeanor seemed shaken, though she hid it well. “I have a bad feeling. We’re not alone.”

Avince’s senses flared. The temperature dropped suddenly. The air was heavy with moisture, and he felt an ominous shift in the water beneath their feet. A ripple spread across the surface of the murky water, followed by a sudden surge, as something massive shifted below.

Then, it emerged.

A towering form, its body composed entirely of swirling water, rose from the depths. The creature was an elemental—a water elemental, but far more powerful than the ones they had faced earlier. This one was massive, standing at least 15 feet tall, with its body constantly shifting like a living tidal wave, its limbs rippling with liquid power. Its glowing blue eyes burned with an insatiable hunger as it slowly began to move toward them, dragging the water with it.

“This is bad,” Avince muttered, a cold chill creeping down his spine. “It’s a High Water Elemental...”

His gaze narrowed as he assessed it. The High Water Elemental was middle C-rank—a challenge that would have been difficult for even a fully prepared team. Alone, he might have stood a chance if he wasn’t in this oppressive environment. But with his lightning rendered useless, he was limited to his ice and water skills, which, though powerful, were not the perfect counter for this kind of battle.

The water elemental raised one hand, and a torrent of water shot out like a massive tendril. The force of it crashed against their formation, pushing them back and forcing them to scramble to keep their footing in the slick, unstable water.

“I’ll hold it back!” Josh shouted, his voice strained as he slammed his warhammer onto the water filled ground. A wall of earth rose in front of them, solidifying into stone, just as the water tendril slammed against it. The impact sent a shudder through the ground, but Josh’s wall held firm.

“Nice one, Josh,” Avince called out. “Greene, can you bind it?”

“On it!” Greene responded, stretching her arms out. Vines shot from her hands, spiraling toward the elemental, wrapping around its massive form. The vines constricted, but the water elemental simply twisted, its body reforming around the plants, sloughing off the entanglement.

“It’s too slippery!” Greene grunted, pulling her vines back as they were discarded by the elemental’s shifting body.

Camille, her magic at the ready, conjured a translucent shield around the group, just as another wave of water surged toward them. The shield shimmered, absorbing the impact, but the force of the hit knocked them off balance.

“Focus!” Avince shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos. He was already moving. The elemental wasn’t just a physical threat—it was a summoner. He knew it because It’s learned by previous delvers that High elementals could summon other lower elementals. The creature’s water-formed hands glowed with a faint, ominous light, and before they knew it, smaller water elementals began to emerge from the depths, summoned by the high elemental.

“This is bad,” Josh muttered under his breath as he surveyed the situation. The smaller elementals were multiplying faster than they could deal with. “We need to get solid ground.”

Avince’s mind raced. Ice... Ice could help them. He had to limit the number of smaller elementals they were dealing with. If they could control the battlefield, maybe they could wear down the High Water Elemental.

“Everyone, stay close!” he ordered. “Greene, support Josh with your vines. Camille, keep your shield up. I’ll make solid ground for us to stand on.”

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Josh nodded, gritting his teeth as he raised his hand. The earth groaned beneath them, and more soil began to rise. Slowly but steadily, Josh began to form a platform, the soil building up to create a foundation they could stand on. It was slow going, and the water elementals constantly tried to erode the structure, but Josh’s earth manipulation kept them at bay, while Greene’s vines defended the edges.

As they fought to create their standing ground, Avince used his ice abilities, directing freezing tendrils of magic to slow and immobilize the smaller water elementals, trapping them in solid blocks of ice. It wasn’t much, but it gave them breathing room as they built their platform.

Amid the chaos, Rick darted in and out of the fray, his shadow abilities turning him into a flickering blur. With each step, he seemed to vanish into thin air, reappearing at unpredictable angles. His quick strikes drew the attention of the high water elemental and its summons.

“Over here, big guy!” Rick taunted, his voice echoing through the air as he materialized from the shadow of a nearby boulder. The elemental surged toward him, a tendril of water whipping in his direction. But before it could land a blow, Rick disappeared again, slipping into a patch of darkness created by Josh’s rising platform. He reappeared behind the elemental, his dagger slashing through its liquid form, scattering water that quickly reassembled.

“Keep them busy, Rick!” Avince called out, his ice magic crackling in the air as he froze another wave of smaller water elementals. Tendrils of frost snaked out from his hands, turning the elementals into shimmering statues before they could close the distance.

“Busy is my middle name!” Rick replied, ducking under another watery appendage. With a flourish, he vanished into a shadow cast by one of Greene’s larger vines and reappeared at the elemental’s side, slashing at its core. His swift, unpredictable movements kept the high elemental disoriented, its attacks growing increasingly erratic.

Meanwhile, Josh’s platform finally began to take shape, a solid base of earth rising above the waterlogged battlefield. Greene reinforced it further, her vines digging into the soil to anchor it in place.

“We’re almost there,” Avince muttered, wiping sweat from his brow despite the cool air. “Josh, keep pushing. Camille, summon your strongest barrier to shield us!”

Camille’s face tightened with strain as she quickly raised her hand. “I can’t hold a barrier that strong for long!” she warned, her voice laced with urgency. “You need to move fast!”

The air around her shimmered as the barrier expanded, crackling with power. The oncoming forces slammed into it, the barrier holding firm for now, but Camille’s energy was visibly depleting. “Go, now!” she urged, gritting her teeth as the pressure mounted.

“Hang on!” Josh shouted, his body trembling with effort. The platform was finally taking shape, solid soil rising above the murky waters as the team began to gain the high ground.

With a final heave, the platform reached a height that would allow them to stand above the water, a sturdy, rocky surface that Josh had shaped from the earth. Avince felt a wave of relief, but it was short-lived.

The High Water Elemental, sensing the shift in momentum, roared in fury. Its body swelled with liquid power as it hurled another torrent of water toward them, this time with enough force to shatter the platform. But they were ready now.

“Avince!” Josh called, his voice urgent.

Avince nodded, already gathering his mana. The time had come. With their solid ground beneath them and their bodies mostly dried from the continuous battle, he could finally use his lightning. It was the moment he had been waiting for.

With a deep breath, Avince focused on the storm within him. Mana surged through his body, crackling as he formed a massive ball of electricity above his head. His fingers trembled with the immense power he was wielding. The air around them hummed with the energy, the crackling tension building.

“This is it!” Avince shouted, releasing the ball with all his might. The electric sphere shot through the air, arcing toward the High Water Elemental. The moment it made contact, the explosion of energy was deafening.

The elemental let out a final, monstrous scream as the electricity coursed through its watery form, evaporating the creature into nothingness. The water around them hissed and sizzled as steam poured into the air, and within moments, the massive elemental had been reduced to vapor. The dungeon floor was eerily quiet.

Avince collapsed to his knees, his mana reserves nearly depleted. Josh, Greene, Camille, and Rick were equally exhausted, their bodies worn from the fight.

“Is it... done?” Greene asked breathlessly, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath.

Avince wiped his brow and nodded. “It’s done.”

His team looked around, their gazes flickering between the aftermath and Avince. They were surprised by how powerful that attack had been

As the steam cleared, something glinted in the center of the now-empty space where the High Water Elemental had once stood. A smooth, blue stone lay on the ground, its surface polished and almost glowing in the dim light of the dungeon.

Josh crouched down, picking it up with a careful hand. “What is this?”

“A Water Stone,” Avince said, recognition flashing in his eyes. “Very rare, and extremely valuable. It’s used by water mages to amplify their power—boosts their output significantly. Though,” he added with a slight frown, “it’s only useful for water magic.”

“Still... worth a lot,” Rick commented, his eyes gleaming. “Probably worth half a million credits.”

The tension in the air lifted slightly as the group took in the magnitude of what they had just accomplished. The fight had been brutal, but they had emerged victorious.

At that moment, Kai then got over and stored the water stone, same as all their previous drops in this dungeon that will be evenly distributed after the run.

“Well done, you’ve defeated the High Water Elemental. How do you feel?” Kai said after storing the water stone in his storage ring.

“Exhausted,” Avince replied, breathing heavily. “But we’re ready to keep going.”

Kai’s voice grew more serious. “I’ll allow you to continue, but I’ll step in if necessary. Rest up first.”

“We’ll take a breather,” Avince agreed, his voice tired but determined. “Then we’ll see what the next floor has in store for us.”

The team gathered together, catching their breath and resting as they prepared to enter the next part of the dungeon.