THE ONE FOE that demanded our unwavering focus was the abhorrent nest. Yet, in close proximity, numerous other malevolent creatures lurked, ready to confront us. First among them was the dreadbeast, birthed from the very depths of the nest. Additionally, Bladeshrikes, fiends with limbs like scythes, and enigmatic abominations concealed themselves within the shadows.

Remained within the ethereal realm, we gathered, engaging in profound deliberation over our imminent strategy.

"Ten years past, the nest I witnessed was no larger than a single orb," Gunther declared, his countenance grave.

Petr's visage mirrored the gravity of the situation. "I suspect this nest remained concealed from our sight deliberately, concealed beneath the ground, until the fiends amassed a force invincible enough to challenge us."

"Are you suggesting the fiends orchestrated this scheme?" Eryn questioned.

"Fiends have been known to exhibit a degree of organization and employ tactics under the command of their leaders," Gunther affirmed.

As I absorbed the discourse of the adventurers and knights, I contemplated the optimal method to dismantle the nest. Within these circumstances, the only viable choice was the Meteor Storm. Although typically employed to summon celestial bodies from the heavens, it could be wielded to conjure meteors within an enclosed space. Considering the substantial size of the chamber, casting such a spell would pose no challenge.

However, employing this spell necessitated my departure from the spectral plane, returning to the realm of the tangible. While it would be ideal if the nest remained inert, the possibility of its retaliatory assault rendered the reckless casting of the spell perilous. Despite the danger, I ventured to propose the notion.

"Absolutely not," Eryn interjected.

"Should you perish, we shall be unable to depart the spectral plane, correct? Have you pondered this?" Petr voiced his concerns.

"Do not jest about such matters!" Gilbert exclaimed.

"If peril befalls you, I shall serve as your shield," Linden pledged.

"If we become burdensome, I shall not hold it against you should you abandon us. Do as you deem necessary," Gunther declared.

The consensus was unanimous, opposing my proposition of venturing out alone.

While I appreciated their sentiments, I ruminated, my intentions were not borne of arrogance. I merely feared that my mistakes might inflict harm upon them.

"I, for one, am weary of your underestimation," Eryn asserted.

"Eryn, I..."

"Do you perceive us as mere playthings? Gaze upon us once more. These are warriors who have braved countless battles, a skilled adventurer, and a weaver!" Eryn's pride radiated from her countenance, stronger than ever before. I acquiesced and surveyed the knights and adventurers accompanying me. I discerned fear and anxiety, yet within each of their eyes burned a resolute spirit that eclipsed all else.

These individuals have witnessed the horrors wrought by daemons, yet have not recoiled. They have witnessed the might of my magic, yet do not cling to it. They merit my utmost respect. Despite my considerable power, compared to them, I am but an apprentice.

"Very well."

Thus, I understood the necessity of allies such as them. Deliberating upon the spells at my disposal and the enchanted artifacts in my possession, I contemplated various scenarios. What if the nest were to charge at us? What if we were ambushed from behind?

"I implore all of you to lend me your aid."

Finally, I settled upon a fundamental strategy to present to my comrades.

"To cast Meteor Shower, we must penetrate the dome," I elucidated.

Though I should encounter no difficulty invoking Meteor Shower within this labyrinthine dungeon, any attempt to cast it from the hallway would inevitably result in its collision with the dome's walls, thwarting its intended trajectory toward the target.

"Therefore, once we reach the depths of the dome, we must return to... normal space," Eryn affirmed.

"That is the initial obstacle. Subsequently, let us circumvent the entrance and traverse the walls, emerging behind the nest, before descending into the chamber," I proposed.

"Why not descend the stairs?" Gilbert interjected. "While in the astral plane, they shall remain oblivious to our presence, correct?"

Gilbert's query held merit, yet I shook my head in response.

"I deem it prudent to exercise utmost caution. Though we have thus far encountered no complications, I am averse to taking any chances with regard to this nest."

"Hmm... Well, as long as I grasp the distance accurately and maintain unwavering concentration, leading us to our destination should prove feasible," Petr volunteered.

"Once we transition back to normal space, we must safeguard Xandros from both the fiends and the nest."

"With curselings, dreadbeasts, bladeshrikes, and various other fiendish entities lurking, I cannot guarantee your safety. Our numbers are somewhat lacking," Petr warned.

"Eryn, can you not employ your magical prowess to summon servitors?" Eryn inquired.

"Indeed, I possess such capability..."

Inspired by Eryn's suggestion, I resolved to summon ogres as decoys, diverting their attention and launching a frontal assault upon the nest.

"However, the dreadbeast and the nest itself may retaliate. Nevertheless, I implore you to ensure my protection for at least ten seconds, regardless of the cost."

Silence pervaded the chamber.

Personally, I had made peace with the notion that I might fall prey to a violent onslaught or be hurled away by an overwhelming force. Nevertheless, so long as I maintain the same level of concentration I exhibited when I petrified Karyon, I remain confident in my ability to complete the incantation.

"Lord Xandros, are you certain that a mere ten seconds will suffice?"

"Yes. Following that interval, I shall assume the mantle of the aggressor."

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"Are you truly convinced that you shall obliterate the nest?"

"Without a doubt."

Gilbert's persistence was evident. While it may have been difficult to classify such tenacity as admirable, the conviction resonating in his voice convinced me of his sincerity, prompting me to respond with unwavering resolve. In acknowledgment, he offered a smile.

"Understood! If that be the case, I shall neither charge forth nor abandon you. I shall remain steadfastly by your side, defending you!"

"Uh, thank you."

He intended to charge forth?! I pondered, bemused. Well, I mused, it is preferable to possess an excess of determination than to be bereft of it entirely. Moreover, if he is suppressing his instinctual yearning for combat in order to safeguard me... that, in itself, is worthy of admiration.

"Brother... I shall do likewise!" Linden proclaimed.

"I, too, shall emulate Sir Gilbert's exemplary valor," Gunther added.

Leoria and Gunther, individuals who possessed a far greater familiarity with Gilbert than I, understood the weight of his decision to entrust another with the offensive.

"Well... I suppose I must reassess my opinion of you, Gilbert," Eryn admitted.

"Agreed," Petr concurred, both displaying smiles.

"Well, it took you long enough to recognize my greatness! I am an Adamant! Never forget it!"

"Before we proceed, allow me to bestow spells, augmenting your physical prowess and imbuing your weapons with enchantments."

"You plan to employ enchantments? Without tools or a proper workshop? How preposterous are your powers, truly?" Eryn's exasperation was evident as she addressed me.

"Please, let's save that discussion for later," Petr interjected, attempting to diffuse the tension.

"Besides," Eryn continued, pointing her finger in my direction, "when you summon meteors into that room, won't we be swept away by the resulting blast?"

Her question held merit. Without the necessary precautions, Eryn's astute observation was entirely accurate. We would undoubtedly be at the mercy of the ensuing explosion.

"Fear not, I have devised a special spell to address that concern," I reassured them.

A few moments passed, and then...

"Guraahh!"

"Gaaah!!!"

A dozen towering brown ogres charged forth from the hallway, storming into the domed chamber. For this very occasion, I had meticulously prepared and cast the Summon Ogre Platoon spells, conjuring a team of decoys.

"Graah!"

The ogres thundered down the stone steps, dispersing throughout the room. Some engaged the nest, others confronted the newly hatched dreadbeast, while the remainder launched attacks against the fiends lurking nearby. Prior to their manifestation, I had also employed the Wall of Iron spell to seal off the passage behind us, preventing any additional fiends from joining the fray.

I held no delusion that the ogres possessed the means to obliterate the nest on our behalf. Their role was merely to serve as a diversionary force.

"Grroo?"

The dreadbeast reacted sluggishly to the unexpected ogre assault, suffering several blows. Yet, none proved fatal. Despite its delayed reactions, the dreadbeast managed to hurl a few ogres aside with its immense arm.

"Hyeee!"

A bird-like screech pierced the air, a sound unfamiliar to me emanating from the fiends. It originated from one of the bladeshrikes—a creature endowed with avian limbs resembling sharp scythes. Its strike narrowly missed its intended target, but the ogre nonetheless spewed blood from its wounds.

"Arroo!"

Fiends clustered around the nest unleashed a volley of flaming arrows, impaling the ogres.

"Gwah?!"

These fiery arrows far surpassed Karyon's ice arrows in potency. One ogre, struck directly in the chest, became engulfed in an inferno, burning like a torch.

"Those are mystils," Gunther elucidated. "They are a rarity. The last confirmed sighting was a decade ago, and even then, only one was encountered."

The Arcanists towered above curselings, each brandishing a staff. So, these are the weaver-type fiends, I surmised. It stands to reason that other variations exist to mirror warriors and priests. At the present rate, it is only a matter of time before the ogres are vanquished.

However, I possess more than just ogres.

"Ghraaaa!"

Reinforcements are in order.

Emerging from the tunnel beyond the chamber's entrance, a colossal creature with folded wings revealed itself. Summoned into existence through the spell Summon Monster, it took the form of a small red dragon. Despite being considered diminutive by draconic standards, measuring a mere six meters in length with a wingspan double that size, this CR 10 creature possessed strength nearly twice that of the ogres.

"Gyaoh!"

"Gii?!"

The red dragon soared directly toward the dreadbeast, sinking its razor-sharp claws into its flesh. The Arcanists redirected their attacks toward the dragon, but their flames seemed to have minimal effect against its resilient hide.

"Remarkable..." Gunther commented. "If this persists, the creature may vanquish the fiends on our behalf..."

"I highly doubt it," I cautioned. "Remember, these creatures serve only as a distraction."

As of yet, the nest remained motionless. However, as an experienced gamer, my intuition urged me to anticipate its imminent retaliation. Gamers of all formats understand this truth: The final boss never falls without putting up a fight. I desired to eliminate it before it could unleash its full potential. The fact that it remained unresponsive to the ogres and the dragon only intensified my suspicion.

"Thus far, our plan has unfolded flawlessly. I place my trust in all of you to see this through."

"To whom do you think you're speaking?" Eryn retorted sarcastically.

"Yeah! Leave it to me!" Gilbert proclaimed.

Though Eryn and Gilbert possessed distinct forms of energy, a subtle hint of nervousness betrayed their true emotions. I detected the same undertone of anxiety in the others, who nodded in silent agreement.

"W-we've made it."

"I assured you we would."

Having successfully maneuvered through the interior of the walls, we emerged on the opposite side of the domed chamber. It was thanks to the combined effects of Planeshift and Petr's exceptional sense of direction that we navigated the earth with unerring accuracy.

"Shaaa!"

"Grooo!"

The red dragon pounced upon the back of the dreadbeast. Its claws dug deep, forcing the fiend to the ground, where it was subjected to torrents of scorching breath. Amidst the chaotic struggle, the dragon employed its tail to strike the bladeshrikes and Arcanists, while its fiery exhalation engulfed them.

And still, the nest remained dormant.

"Very well," I shouted, my voice resolute. "Let us proceed."

The time has come, I pondered. Regardless of what unfolds next, I must concentrate solely on casting the spell.

We departed the spectral plane, returning to the realm of normalcy.

"Gu-gyaah!"

"Gruooh!"

Raising my Staff high, its magical Light dispelled the dungeon's inherent darkness. The cacophony of screeches, screams, and howls from the monsters assailed our ears unabated, while their repugnant odor made breathing arduous. Yet, I refused to let these factors impede my focus.

"It is time to witness the mettle of the Adamants."

"We place our trust in you, Lord Archmage."

Gilbert, Linden, and Gunther positioned themselves in front of me, shields raised, while Petr and Eryn stood at my side. I had already cast Physical Boost on their bodies and Enchant on their weapons. Though the spells had limited durations, their offensive and defensive capabilities should have experienced a significant enhancement.

The countdown had begun. Six seconds remained to unleash the spell. Six seconds to vanquish the fiends.

"Hii!"

"Arrooo!"

Several arcanists and bladeshrikes had already detected our presence. Impressive, I mused. The arcanists leveled their staves at us, while the bladeshrikes lunged forward, their blade-like arms glinting menacingly.

"Do you truly believe you can best me?"

"You'll need to put in more effort than that!"

The knights deftly deflected the arcanists' fiery arrows with their shields and parried the bladeshrikes' strikes with their swords.

Five seconds remained.

A bowstring twanged, and two bladeshrikes hurtling toward us met their demise, felled by well-placed arrows piercing their foreheads.

Four seconds.

In that moment, I found myself frozen in place.

The nest, constructed from several stacked spheres, opened its eye and fixated its gaze upon me. It was not an organic, living eye, but rather an eye-shaped symbol etched upon the surface of the highest sphere. Yet, when those white lines materialized on the sphere's black surface, an instinctual certainty surged within me—I was being observed.

A grisly tear ripped through the air, and the red dragon's torso split open as it crashed to the ground. A single tentacle had cleaved through the air with astonishing speed, obliterating anything in its path. Thick as a human torso, the dark appendage extended from one of the spheres' surfaces, and now it swiveled, its velocity slightly diminished after felling the dragon, but still swift, sweeping toward us.

Clara chanted her incantation, conjuring a barrier of gale-force winds that roared between us and the nest. The ground erupted, enveloping us in a swirling screen of sand.

The wind barrier momentarily halted the tentacle's advance, only to falter and dissipate entirely. The Adamant siblings raised their shields in unison.

"Do not underestimate us!"

"Yeah!"

The tentacle collided with the siblings' shields.

Three seconds.

"Haah!" Gilbert and Linden cried out simultaneously, flawlessly coordinating their movements. With a synchronized motion, they redirected the force of the tentacle upward, using their shields as leverage.

Bolstered by the augmented strength of Physical Boost and the magical defense imbued within their shields by Enchant, they withstood the blow, deflecting it just high enough to pass harmlessly over our heads. However, were it not for Eryn's incantation dampening a significant portion of the strike, the siblings' valiant effort might have met with failure.

As the tentacle arced above us, the sudden change in air pressure weighed heavily on our shoulders, accompanied by a resounding rush.

Gilbert and Linden's knees buckled, and they collapsed to the ground, rolling from the residual force of the blow they had endured. Gunther swiftly moved forward, ensuring they remained within the safe zone I had specified upon our departure from the spectral plane.

Two seconds.

The nest's colossal eye blinked, and its tentacle surged forward, accelerating in its spin.

One second.

"Time Stop!" I exclaimed, and everything came to a halt.

"Phew..." I released a relieved breath.

The ninth-level spell, Time Stop, froze the passage of time for everyone but myself. The cacophony of shouts, screams, and yells ceased, and all others remained motionless: the knights, the adventurers, the fiends, and even their nest.

The rules were unequivocal: twenty seconds before everything resumed its course. Within those twenty seconds, I cast two spells.

Time resumed—and the two spells I had cast during the Time Stop took effect simultaneously.

The first spell I employed was Wall of Force, conjuring an impenetrable, transparent sphere of force that enveloped the six members of our team.

The second spell was Meteor Shower, but I opted for a variant in which a single colossal meteor descended upon a single target, instead of a multitude of smaller meteors striking an area.

The ensuing sound resembled more of a brief whistle than a scream. The massive meteor I had summoned collided with the nest on the dome's ceiling with such astonishing speed and force that its trajectory was nearly imperceptible.

What followed, however, was impossible to miss. The nest, in its original shape and form, was instantaneously obliterated. Its remnants scattered in all directions, akin to bursting a mud-filled balloon. The expulsion of the nest's remains was swiftly accompanied by a blinding white flash of flames, their scorching roar accompanied by an intense shockwave.

It felt as though someone were screaming, but I could neither hear nor see a thing. Perhaps it was my own voice lost in the chaos.

Wall of Force was the most resilient barrier that could be forged in T&T. According to the rulebook, it was impervious to physical destruction. Consequently, it shielded us entirely from the meteor's impact.

However, the barrier allowed light and sound to pass through, and the strain these effects exerted on us caused everyone to collapse onto their knees.

I felt something soft against my back and neck, realizing that Eryn had clasped onto me from behind. In a daze, I surveyed the scene—everyone had survived. Gilbert's left arm contorted unnaturally. It must have fractured when he redirected the tentacle's attack.

"Damn, this hurts."

"Brother!" Linden rushed to Gilbert's side.

"We did it, didn't we, mage?" Petr settled on the ground beside me, a wearied smile adorning his face.

I could not provide an answer.