The fourth floor greeted us like a secret world shrouded in perpetual twilight. The walls glimmered faintly with veins of phosphorescent minerals, casting an eerie, ghostly glow over everything. The air felt thick with tension, like the moments before a storm. Every sound, from the scuff of boots to the soft clink of armor, seemed amplified. I tightened my grip on my sword, a comforting weight despite the apprehension curling in my stomach.

Sarah took the lead, her sword gleaming faintly in the dim light. She moved confidently, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. Dominique crouched low, her sharp eyes scanning the ground for traps. I fell into step just behind them, my senses on high alert. The cavern’s strange illumination played tricks on my vision, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching us.

We didn’t have to wait long for confirmation. Shadow creatures emerged from the darkness like ink spilling across a canvas. Their forms shifted and writhed, defying definition. My heart raced as Sarah barked a command.

“Stay close! Don’t let them surround you!”

Nicholas charged forward, his great sword cleaving through one of the creatures. The strike seemed to scatter its form, but it reassembled almost immediately.

“They’re not solid!” he shouted, frustration lacing his voice. “What are we supposed to hit?”

Andrew, standing at the rear, quickly assessed the situation. His voice was calm but urgent.

“Use light! They’re vulnerable to light magic!”

Without hesitation, he raised his staff, unleashing a burst of radiant light that illuminated the chamber. The shadows shrieked, their forms dissolving under the brilliance. Taking advantage of the moment, Dominique and I moved in tandem. Andrew’s spells weakened the creatures, and our strikes landed true. My sword shimmered faintly, elongating into a spear as I thrust it through a cluster of shadows. The transformation was fleeting, and I quickly reverted it to its original form before anyone could notice.

When the last shadow creature dissolved into nothingness, my muscles burned, and my breaths came shallow and fast. Dominique wiped her blade on her cloak, her expression grim.

“That was different,” she said. “Hard to hit what you can’t see.”

Nicholas’s gaze flicked to me, his eyes narrowing.

“Or what you can’t trust,” he muttered. “That weapon of yours… looks like it’s got some tricks.”

I met his gaze evenly, “It’s a sword, Nicholas. Just like yours.” Of course, I could tell them that it was a unique item that had once been wealed by one of the System’s creators. Nor could it tell them that because of my broken class, I had access to all of the weapon features, like its ability to change into any weapon I wanted. At least not yet.

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Sarah stepped between us, her tone sharp.

“Enough. We’ve got bigger problems than arguing over weapons. Let’s move.”

The tension lingered as we pressed deeper into the floor. It wasn’t just the shadows we had to contend with. The cavern tested us with a series of puzzles, each more intricate than the last. Doorways required us to match glowing symbols in the correct sequence. Levers threatened to trigger traps unless we pulled them in precise patterns. Enchanted riddles demanded quick thinking and a sharp mind. It was a little surprising that they still worked after all this time and neglect.

I thrived here. While the others debated, I focused, piecing together the logic behind each challenge. After all, what is programming if not the application of logic? And Gems has been teaching me that since I was a little kid. One particularly complex rune sequence clicked into place under my careful scrutiny. Sarah offered me a rare smile when the door slid open with a soft hiss.

“Good work. We wouldn’t have made it through without you.”

Nicholas said nothing, his expression unreadable. Andrew, ever the peacemaker, clapped me on the shoulder.

“Let’s just be grateful we’re still in one piece.”

The floor’s final chamber loomed before us, dominated by a glowing pedestal holding the third crystal. The air felt charged, humming with latent energy. Dominique reached for the crystal, but before her fingers could touch it, the shadows coalesced into a towering creature. This one was different—solid, menacing, and far more dangerous.

“Prepare for battle!” Sarah shouted, drawing her sword.

The creature moved with unnatural speed, its massive form absorbing Andrew’s light magic with ease. Frustration bubbled up as our usual tactics failed. We had to adapt. Sarah and Dominique worked together, their strikes precise and coordinated, while Nicholas kept the creature’s attention with powerful, sweeping blows. Meanwhile, Jacob cast protective wards, shielding us from the creature’s devastating attacks.

I joined the fray, my weapon shifting subtly in my hands. A whip to entangle its limbs, a hammer to smash through its defenses, and finally, a blade to deliver a decisive strike. Each transformation was brief, masked by the chaos of the battle, but I felt Nicholas’s eyes on me. His sharp gaze missed nothing.

The creature roared, a sound that reverberated through my very bones. We pressed on, each of us playing our part. Dominique’s agility allowed her to land hits in vulnerable spots, while Sarah’s leadership unified us. Andrew’s spells provided moments of reprieve, and Nicholas’s strength kept the creature from overwhelming us. Finally, with a coordinated effort, we brought the monster down. Its form dissolved into mist, and the chamber fell silent.

Dominique retrieved the crystal, holding it aloft with a triumphant grin.

“Three down. Let’s hope the rest are this much fun.”

Jacob handed out healing potions, his expression tired but resolute.

“Fun’s not the word I’d use.”

I cleaned my blade, avoiding Nicholas’s pointed stare. I could feel the questions were coming, but I wasn’t ready to answer. Not yet.

Sarah’s voice cut through the lingering silence, steady despite the exhaustion etched on her face.

“Let’s keep moving. The deeper we go, the closer we are to whatever’s waiting at the bottom.”

We gathered our strength and pressed on, the faint glow of the next staircase guiding us deeper into the unknown.