The chamber is electric with tension, a tangible stillness hanging in the air as both sides engage in a standoff. Suspicion blankets the scene like a heavy fog, for before them stands John Calsion, his wide, creepy smile casting an unsettling shadow. The party holds their weapons higher, adopting a defensive stance.

Kanji "Here's the plan. We observe. We report. And we adapt."

Dave "Sick plan, bro. We gonna need Adbro's help for that."

Adrian "On it! Activate Connected Minds-

Suddenly, a strange rustling sound emanates from the ceiling, drawing everyone's attention upwards.

The group is met with a bewildering sight— the ceiling is adorned with strange oval-shaped objects, bristling with menacing barbed protrusions. John Calsion raises his hand high as an eminent signal...

John "Now. FALL!"

The bizarre entities suspended above them shudder, unleashing a furious storm of barbs upon the group.

The attack rains down relentlessly for minutes, forcing them to dodge and gradually disperse. Gwen, being more observant than ever, takes a quick analysis of the projectiles. She notes their uncanny resemblance to the bristles of certain tarantula species, though these are oversized and coated in a slick, silver metallic sheen.

Gwen "I see. One of their weapons or "arsenal" is firing off these enlarged hairs. Although, I must say that the accuracy is rather disappointing."

Kanji "Shit! Everybody! Regroup now! Those bastards are-

At that precise moment, the group of strange creatures unfurls like an eyelid, and John Calsion's right hand finally descends. His eerie puppets descend as well, encircling each wielder except for Adrian. Platoons of ten Majors form disruptive rings around each wielder, effectively blocking their reunion. Upon closer inspection, the adversaries reveal a hollow absence of any eyes and noses, and their mouths seem devoid of any contents. Their crimson robes shift in dreadful synchrony as five Majors from each group come together, their arms intertwining and entering each other's mouths.

In a jarring, humming crescendo, these sets of five cultists begin to sprout scab-like protrusions all over their faces and robes, as if they were flesh. Gwen observes the transformation with morbid curiosity, noting that these cast-iron-colored scabs bear a similar pattern and texture to diabolical iron-clad armor.

Their bodies expand and meld into one another, forming an armored perimeter around each wielder.

Kanji "That is pretty smart. He even had these walls barely reaching the ceiling so it wouldn't count as a room."

Dave "Ah what?! Seriously, dude! That is so not cool!"

Kanji "The enemy has too much info on us. Let's even the battlefield. Stick to the plan."

His gaze remains fixed on the five Majors, who strangely seem more focused on defending the wall than attacking. It's as if they have a different agenda altogether. Kanji is about to relay this observation when the sounds of clashing weapons beyond these walls provide an answer. Seizing the opportunity presented by his abnormal situation, Kanji examines the features of each opponent. One resembles a hulking gorilla on steroids, muscles bulging through its robe, while another boasts a pair of curved, jet-black stingers in place of arms. His attention shifts to the oddball of the group, a Major with compound eyes and dragonfly-like wings. To his left stands a Major unchanged, its robe bristling with shaking sharp hairs. Finally, he gazes upon a Major that resembles a pill bug, covered in the same carapace as the wall.

Kanji "Everyone gather in. What's your status right now?"

Gwen "These specimens are truly intriguing, although their priority seems to be guarding the walls. Each one possesses unique characteristics. An exoskeleton akin to Phloeodes diabolicus, sturdy enough to withstand the crushing force of a car. A pair of jet-black ant stingers, known to be the sharpest among all insects. The flight capabilities of a dragonfly, coupled with near-foresight perception. A veritable pin cushion of bristles similar to those wielded by specific tarantulas, but at this size, they could prove quite lethal. And as for the burly ones, I can only guess that, following the trend, they possess the strength of the mightiest insect, Copris Lunaris, also known as the horned dung beetle."

Dave "Yo, lay off the word soup a bit, Gwa'bro. We get it. There are Dragon, Dung, Iron, Hairy, and Stinger cultist dudes. By the way, I see none of them except for the buff dudes, aka The Dung dudes. In this shit hole, two of these fuckers are trying to break my skull or something, while the other three are trying to grab like in one of those gay porn vids if you catch my ref. If you have them, stick close to the walls, dude. Friendly fire always works."

Claire "I think I have it worse! They all just keep firing those stupid hair-looking things! They can also bounce off walls so be careful!"

Mina "Oh shit! You have five of those shooting guys too! Don't bother trying to reflect them! It's pointless! Currently, trying my best to dodge- AH! D-Dodge them!"

Claire "Wait! You're actually trying to dodge them?!"

Diana "FUUUUUUUUUUCK! I can't land a punch on any of these flying fuckers. Good news though, their attacks are really weak. Very tinglish."

Azan "Easy for you to say! These guys actually aim for the eyes and neck or maybe even the entire head in general while the huge muscleheads attempt to grapple you just like what Dave said."

Amelia "I have a combo of three dragonflies and a bloody twin of those punters. It was a bit tricky to concentrate but I can manage to block them. I also noticed a tiny window between each attack."

Sarah "Oh, thank god! I'm not the only one! It is like a split-second pause before these shield bastards move to protect those shooty bois. Same with them as well like they are lagging."

Noah "No more like they are taking orders like chess pieces. Anyway, I have five of these armored guys which is a weird choice. By the way, they can roll and bounce off the wall like crazy."

Adrian "Ummm... G-Guys. I might be doomed right now. Not only did I forget to fix my shield. Er... all of the Minors are out here as well and there is this scary-looking metal fellow."

Diana "What?! Hang on, Adrian! I'll deal with these annoying flies and come to you!"

Sarah "Damn it! Where is Kroma during this time?!"

Kroma "Sorry for the late entry!"

An army of purple-robed cultists emerges from the ventilation systems and lands beside Adrian. Each of them brandishes a metal ring in one hand and a rapier in the other. Their weapons clash with the modified insectoid limbs of the Minors, surprising everyone with their skill.

Tom "Go forth my proud soldiers. Just do it like how I taught you! Push forward!!!"

Adrian "Oh thank god! I'm safe!"

Zeta "How frustrating... a couple of prosimions dare to disturb our procedure. I shall cleave you all into feed!"

The sound of fierce battle cries from beyond the wall fuels the wielders' determination to give it their all.

Kanji "We have enough info! Now is the time to strike back!"

And so begins a series of ten simultaneous battles...

___________________________________________________________________________

In a sudden surge of electricity, Kanji's body flickers with electrical energy, only to fade as swiftly as it appeared. Amidst the confusion, a powerful punch connects with the side of his head, momentarily knocking him off balance. His legs are then assailed by a pair of stingers and bristles, followed by a double-charged attack that sends him crashing into the wall. Slowly bleeding from his wounded feet, the Aspect of Energy wastes no time in applying a bandage to one of his injuries. The group of Majors hesitates, uncertain of his next move.

Kanji "What the hell was that? My electricity was drained instantly as if I were standing on a giant battery... so that was your plan. Very clever. However..."

Leaning against the wall, he sprouts his wings and takes flight, creating a large distance.

The Majors attempt to jump after him, but they can't reach him except for The Dragon cultist. Once again, it tries to land a blow to the side of his head, but Kanji tilts to the side, causing the punch to collide with the wall and send the cultist reeling out of control from the rebound. Kanji swings his chain and cleaves the cultist in two.

The corpse transforms into a fleshy blob, and the wall stretches to create an opening for it to pass through.

Kanji "Stop! Not so fast!"

The wall swiftly closes, and the sound of bouncing emanates from below. The Dung and Iron cultists are bouncing off the walls, carrying the other two cultists on their shoulders. As they draw closer to his altitude, Kanji lets out a proud laugh.

Kanji "In the end, they are nothing but puppets controlled but an idiot."

Kanji descends past them and releases a massive wave of electricity, obliterating their movements. They attempt to strike him in unison, but the shock disrupts their accuracy. Kanji activates Energy Travel, darting left, right, up, and down. With powerful swings, he methodically dismantles his opponents. In the end, all that remains are clumps of flesh scattered across the floor. He forms a blade of heat and slices one of the clumps in half, but it stubbornly persists in moving.

The fleshy mass seeps through the gaps in the floor.

Kanji "It seems they are somewhat invincible. Anyway, let's get out of here first."

Creating an electric blade at the end of his chain, Kanji starts swinging it like a nun-chuck, effortlessly cutting through the walls like butter.

Kanji "Guys, I'm out- What the hell?!"

___________________________________________________________________________

A relentless barrage of bristle projectiles hurtles toward Gwen, and she quickly ducks the first and second volleys. On the third attack, Izzy springs into the conflict, wrapping a large wall of roots around Gwen, just barely managing to halt the dangerous shots inches from her face.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Gwen "That was a close call. Wait. What's that-

The barrier shatters with astonishing force, sending Gwen and Izzy tumbling backward.

Izzy extends a long branch whip, attempting to clear the debris from the shattered wall, but some of it manages to slip through and strike Gwen's right shoulder. In the corner of her vision, she catches sight of a silhouette darting past, and then a sudden impact strikes the back of her shoulder, violently dislocating her entire right arm. The Dung cultist delivers an uppercut, but Gwen leans back, narrowly evading the attack. She rolls to the side, avoiding a charge from The Iron cultist.

[Master. These Guys Are A Handful. Nya.]

Gwen "I know. As much as I want to experiment. It seems I don't have the luxury in this situation. This will be quick. Izzy, give a conodont spear."

With the extremely sharp spear in hand, Gwen charges toward The Dung cultist. She deftly dodges the incoming bristles, weaving left and right. With an assisted thrust from Izzy, she pierces the brute's skin and lays her hand on its wound. A purple haze envelops her left hand as a destructive power vaporizes all of the enemy's blood, leaving nothing but shriveled skin. The remains quickly morph into a discolored blob of flesh and slowly exit through the walls.

The Iron cultist charges once more, but it misses Gwen and strikes the wall, ricocheting back toward her. In a quick maneuver, Izzy forms a ramp with her branches, sending the rolling creature into the air. Gravity then forces it onto Gwen's spear, piercing its hard shell. She erases its blood, subjecting it to the same fate. Gwen then turns her attention to the two cultists at the opposite end of the space.

Gwen "Hold on. Weren't there five of you?"

Her instincts kick in, and she barely evades a punch aimed at the side of her head.

Izzy's branches extend, catching The Dragon cultist, which Gwen promptly destroys. She looks around and spots the Spider cultist riding on the back of the Stinger cultist. Using its incredible speed, it moves about the room while its companion continues to fire bristles. Izzy easily blocks the projectiles, recognizing a pattern in their attacks. Gwen dashes in, stabbing the Stinger cultist, and Izzy whips the cultist on its back, causing both to bleed.

With formidable grips, Gwen drains the blood from the two cultists, leaving them as discolored blobs.

She turns to the wall and begins stabbing it repeatedly. Blow after blow lands, and after a total of twelve hits, it finally begins to pour blood. Gwen, cradling her broken arm, reaches the wall and delves into her inventory. The Aspect of Destruction takes a syringe and injects it into her dislocated shoulder. With her restored limb, she touches the blood—

The walls shrivel under her destructive power, and Gwen steps out.

Gwen "Well now, this is interesting..."

___________________________________________________________________________

Dave "Alright, Gachi dudes. I have no time for this shit. I'm about to go sicko mode on ya. Here we go. Expand! Whip! Net! Spike! Wav-

A pair of hands collide forcefully with the back of his head, fracturing a part of his skull.

Dizziness begins to take hold as Dave barely manages to evade the incoming punches from his foes. After a few agonizing seconds, the dizziness subsides, replaced by drops of blood trickling down the back of his head. Anger courses through his veins as his bat begins a swift but impressive transformation. It grows larger, then tapers into a whip-like structure. At the tip, it takes on a net shape adorned with an array of pointy spikes. Dave's concentration intensifies, and initially, the net moves through space like a wave pattern. But then, Dave changes its axis—

The net begins to spin rapidly, resembling a light flail as Dave hurls it toward his foes.

Alas, they are too slow and bulky to dodge. He watches in delight as his weapons dice through through them with ease. In the end, chunks of their bodies remain for a brief moment before turning into gelatinous blobs of flesh. He attempts to stop them it only makes the strange substance escape faster. Dave slaps a bandage on the head and approaches. With a powerful lash, the wall gives in...

Unfortunately for the cultists, they prove too sluggish and unwieldy to dodge the approaching attack. Dave watches with grim satisfaction as his weapon slices through them with astonishing ease. In the end, chunks of their bodies remain for a fleeting moment before transforming into gelatinous blobs of flesh. He attempts to stop the transformation, but his efforts only seem to accelerate the strange substance's escape. Dave quickly applies a bandage to his head and approaches the next obstacle.

With a powerful lash of his new weapon, the wall begins to give way.

Dave "Oh, I fucking knew it! Here comes the boss battle, dudes!"

___________________________________________________________________________

... Diana's frustration boils over as she repeatedly slams her fists against the unyielding floor. Her opponent is too quick, but on the optimistic side, their feeble punches pose more of an annoyance than a genuine threat. As the relentless onslaught continues, she decides to take a brief break on the floor, contemplating her next move. With a swift motion, her mighty arm swipes through the air, revealing her skill window. Her eyes scan the options, and a wide grin spreads across her face.

Diana "Oh yeah! You, fuckers are dead now!"

Four pairs of angelic wings materialize, lifting her into the air as a large yellow talisman spins around her body.

With blinding speed, Diana's palms clap together, creating a shockwave that stuns The Dragon cultists in their tracks. Seizing the chance, she flies from one target to another, delivering clean uppercuts with enough force to sever their heads from their bodies. Their corpses transform into fleshy blobs and slip through the wall. Diana is about to give chase when a sudden numbness engulfs her neck, causing her to pause. She inspects the area to find a large purple bruise at the very spot they were targeting. With a sigh, she covers it with a bandage, and the numbness gradually subsides.

Diana then punches the wall open.

Diana "Get back here you little... What the hell is that?!"

___________________________________________________________________________

For a few stressful minutes, Claire has been enduring an endless barrage of bristle attacks, taking refuge behind a tungsten shield that she conjured through the sacrifice of her bandage. Cracks begin to mar the shield's surface, but Claire remains determined. She realizes that the reason the onslaught of bristles hasn't ceased is because the cultists take turns firing. Claire analyses this pattern by peering through a small slit in the shield. She knows that the time between each swap is approximately half a second. A bead of sweat trickles down the side of her face, but she takes a deep breath, loading one of the five bolts in her other hand...

With precise aim, she fires, piercing through one of the cultists's forehead.

In a panic, the remaining cultists unleash a barrage of projectiles at once, nearly breaking through the shield. Claire dashes to the side and manages to eliminate two more cultists. The survivors, in desperation, opt to fire in all directions. The projectiles ricochet off the walls, some even hitting their fellow cultists. Claire struggles to block the relentless assault until the shield finally shatters. She begins to dodge as the shots gradually die down. Taking her chances, she fires two bolts but misses the pair of cultists. Undeterred, the two remaining cultists focus their aim on her once more and begin firing. However, their earlier injuries reduced their reaction and accuracy, allowing Claire to duck in time. The bristles bounce off the wall, ricocheting back at to sender.

Claire "Phew! That was lucky- Hey! Get back here!"

Unfortunately, the cultists manage to escape in the form of fleshy blobs.

Claire surveys the walls and her options. With no other recourse, she retrieves a blowtorch and sears through the fleshy structure. As she emerges from the gruesome task...

Claire "G-Guys! Is that the raid boss?!"

___________________________________________________________________________

Amelia welcomes her adversaries with a confident smile, relishing the chance to step into a role other than support for the first time. With graceful flicks of her pan, The Dragon cultists struggle to land their punches. Their supposed foresight proves ineffective as Amelia's movements are too swift and unpredictable. The two Spider cultists fare no better, as their projectiles are effortlessly cleaved into pieces by her knife.

However, the cultists quickly change their target, aiming at the walls and allowing their projectiles to ricochet. Amelia winces as the projectiles slice through the right sleeve of her dress.

Amelia "Darn bastards! That shite was quite expensive, you know!"

A few more shots find their mark, leaving a couple of scars along her right arm. Thankfully, the projectiles manage to accidentally clip The Dragon cultist's wings. Seeing their reduced speed, she swiftly slices them in half before hurling her knife into one of The Spider cultists. In a blink, she appears behind the last remaining cultist and delivers a powerful blow to its head with her frying pan. Feeling a numbness crawling up her arm, she quickly injects a syringe, fully restoring her limb.

The lifeless bodies and the damaged wall morph into fleshy pools, shifting toward something...

Amelia "Bloody hell! That was just round one!"

___________________________________________________________________________

Azan maintains a safe distance from the cultists, his shield covering only a small area around him. This tactic prevents The Dragon cultists from inflicting any more damage to his left eye, which now bears a deep purple bruise and there's a rush of blood building up from within. With a quick slap of a bandage, the sensation disappears, and Azan recalls the information shared by his peers.

A plan then comes to mind...

Azan "It's risky but that's the way of an entrepreneur. Let's do this!"

The three brutes once again attempt to grapple his torso, but Azan's speed wins as he slips beneath them. Simultaneously, The Dragon cultists swoop down to strike the shield. At that very moment, Azan expands the shield, sending each enemy tumbling backward. With his adversaries temporarily stunned, he swiftly transforms his watch into a saber and beheads them.

Azan "So there was a cooldown between attacks. It's very subtle."

The lifeless bodies and the damaged walls transform into flesh, hurrying toward the center of the chamber.

Azan "I knew that was too easy. Hey, Mina! You've made it out!"

Mina "Yeah, of course! They didn't think that I could just age the walls down. Luckily, everyone took care of them ezpz."

Azan "Are Noah and Sarah the only ones left?"

Mina "Yes. But we have a bigger problem."

Azan "What... What is that thing?"

Mina "I don't know but it feels dangerous. Not even Kanji or others would try to approach it right now."

___________________________________________________________________________

Noah's agility keeps him one step ahead as he dodges one rolling assault after another from The Iron cultists. They are surprisingly fast while charging, making it challenging for Noah to land a hit. Then— one of them manages to strike his back, cracking bits of his spine, though he can still move. He takes a chance and swings his fiery axe twofold, cleaving through the cultist's form into quarters. Noah then pretends to fall flat in pain, baiting the other Iron cultist, who begins rolling forward, flanking him from multiple directions.

Noah's body starts glowing with a yellow speedy aura, and he unfurls his wings, ascending rapidly toward the ceiling.

The wings vanish in an instant, sending his speeding body plummeting toward the ground. The yellow aura transforms into a crimson hue as he grips an anger stone in his left hand, causing his entire being to take on the appearance of a burning meteor.

With a mighty collision, he swings his axe down, obliterating everything around him, including the walls. However, their remains survive and convert into fleshy blobs and begin to move one more...

Noah "Hold on a minute! Oh. My back. I forgot."

He swiftly stabs a syringe into his spine and ejects its contents. Feeling his bones rapidly recover, Noah rejoins the group.

Noah "Oh no."

___________________________________________________________________________

Adrian tells Sarah that everyone else has finished their battles except for her. She blushes with a sense of shame and decides to put away her normal weapons. She cast a final glance at her adversaries, who now bear numerous cuts, particularly the armored ones with their shells resembling a tattered ball of yarn.

Sarah takes out her ring and points it toward them.

Sarah "Rest easy now, my training dummies."

With a brief swing of her ring, she slices through her opponents, cutting them into two. Their lifeless bodies transform into additional blobs of flesh, which begin to move urgently. Sarah hurls her ring at them in an attempt to halt their escape, but it makes them smaller and faster. She tries again, but this time her ring strikes the wall, enabling the blobs to slip out at a faster pace. Determined to pursue them, Sarah gives chase, only to pause upon a horrific scene...

The floors are drenched in a mixture of velvet and dark crimson blood, adorned with a sea of metal rings, swords, and lifeless bodies— both human and insectoid. Sarah's gaze falls upon Tom and Kroma, whose clothes are in tatters. They bear substantial lacerations but appear to be in better shape than Adrian, who struggles to maintain stance as the cuts inflicted by Zeta grow faster and more severe.

Zeta "JUST FALL ALREADY! YOU STUBORN FOOL! YOUR ARMS ARE NOTHING BUT BONES NOW!!"

Sarah's eyes fill with tears and she begins to run but... an animous feeling pauses everyone's action and their attention.

Tears well up in Sarah's eyes as she starts to run toward Adrian. However, an ominous sensation grips everyone, freezing them in place. Their collective attention turns toward the mound where the remaining flesh blobs have merged. The strange object then takes the form of a small cocoon, its veiny surface revealing the silhouette of a humanoid figure underneath. The wielders take a step back, a strange feeling like...

There is something there... something invisible, unexplainable and dangerous.

Zeta "KEKEKE! HEHEHEHE! M-M-MY LOORD! MY MAJESTIC LORD!! YOU HAVE DONE IT! YOU HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT!!!"

John "So... this is unification. Frightening. Very frightening Indeed. I feel sorry for you heretics. My existence shall be your bane. So, struggle as you may. The end is nigh."

(to be continued)