The chamber trembled under the weight of the Queen Wasp’s wrath. Her massive wings buzzed with a furious intensity, filling the air with a deafening hum as she reared back, towering over Caelum and Aurelia. The venomous energy that had radiated from her before now surged to its full, terrifying power, suffocating the chamber in a thick, poisonous fog. The walls pulsed with dark energy, responding to the Queen’s fury, and the air itself seemed to burn with venom.

Caelum staggered backward, his legs barely holding him up as the venomous fog closed in. His breath came in shallow gasps, his vision blurring as the toxic air seeped into his lungs. The Queen’s Venomous Aura had intensified to a level he hadn’t thought possible. Every breath, every movement, felt like poison coursing through his veins. He could see Aurelia struggling beside him, her Guardian’s Aura flickering weakly as it fought to protect her from the overwhelming venom.

But it wasn’t enough. They were being suffocated, both by the Queen’s presence and her poison.

I won’t let her die here.

Caelum’s mind raced, his body screaming in pain as he tried to think of a way to fight back. The Queen was too powerful—her aura filled every inch of the chamber, her venom poisoning the very air they breathed. If they didn’t do something fast, they would both collapse under the weight of her fury.

Desperation fueled him. He raised his trembling hands, summoning his Water Magic with the last of his strength. The moisture in the air responded to his call, gathering into a swirling vortex of water around him. Caelum gritted his teeth, forcing the water to expand, creating a dome of swirling liquid around both him and Aurelia. The water surged forward, crashing against the walls of the chamber and washing over the venomous fog that filled the air.

I have to neutralize it… I have to protect her.

The water pushed back the venom, thinning it out and creating a brief moment of respite. Caelum poured everything he had into maintaining the spell, using the water to cleanse the air around them, to wash away the poison that threatened to consume them both. But the Queen wasn’t stopping. Her wings buzzed louder, the venom thickening once again as she unleashed even more of her power.

The venom seeped back into the chamber, stronger than before, and Caelum felt his magic falter. The water he had summoned was thinning, his strength fading fast. His vision blurred as the venom gnawed at his lungs, his magic barely keeping the poison at bay. He couldn’t hold this much longer.

I need… something… His thoughts were scattered, his mind clouded with pain. He couldn’t defeat the Queen like this. She was too powerful, too relentless. He had to find another way—some way to stop her before they were both overwhelmed.

And then, something clicked.

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Caelum’s Arcane Insight flared to life, his mind sharpening as a flood of information surged through him. His magic, his experiences, the battle—everything came into focus in an instant. The Queen’s power was overwhelming, but there was something more. Something he hadn’t noticed before.

A vulnerability.

Caelum’s eyes widened as he realized what he was seeing. The Queen’s Resonance Skill was powerful, amplifying her strength and controlling the entire chamber. But it was also the source of her weakness. The resonance was concentrated, focused entirely on maintaining control over the nest and her venomous aura. If he could disrupt that resonance—if he could sever her connection to the environment—he might be able to weaken her.

It’s all tied to her control over the nest…

Caelum gritted his teeth, summoning the last reserves of his strength as he refocused his magic. His Water Magic wasn’t enough on its own. He needed to combine it with something else. Something stronger.

Earth Magic.

With a surge of determination, Caelum placed his hand against the ground, channeling his magic into the earth beneath the chamber. The floor rumbled in response, cracks spreading through the resinous walls as the ground shifted under his will. He could feel the resonance of the nest itself, the way the Queen’s power flowed through it, controlling every part of the hive. If he could disrupt that resonance, it might weaken her grip.

The Queen sensed what he was doing.

Her multifaceted eyes narrowed, her wings buzzing furiously as she unleashed another wave of venomous energy, her Venomous Aura flaring to its peak. The air around them turned thick with poison, burning Caelum’s lungs as he struggled to maintain his focus. The venom surged toward him, but before it could reach him, Aurelia moved.

With a burst of willpower, Aurelia’s Guardian’s Aura flared bright, forming a protective shield around both her and Caelum. Her body trembled from the effort, her strength nearly spent, but she wasn’t done fighting. The aura pushed back against the venom, shielding them from the worst of the Queen’s attack.

I’ve got you, Caelum… Aurelia sent through their telepathic link, her voice faint but filled with resolve. Do it…

Caelum nodded, focusing all his energy on the spell. The ground beneath them rumbled louder, cracks spreading further as he pulled the earth upward, disrupting the resonance that the Queen relied on to control the nest. He could feel it—the flow of her power weakening, faltering as he severed her connection to the hive.

The Queen screeched, her wings buzzing louder as she tried to maintain control. Her resonance flickered, her venomous aura growing unstable as the environment around them began to shift.

It’s working… Caelum thought, his heart racing. We’re weakening her…

But the battle wasn’t over yet.

The Queen, though staggered by the disruption, wasn’t defeated. Her venomous aura flared once again, her wings buzzing with renewed fury. She reared back, her massive stinger poised to strike, venom dripping from its tip as she prepared to launch her final, devastating attack.

Caelum’s body screamed in pain, his magic nearly spent, but he wasn’t giving up. With a final burst of strength, he surged forward, ready to meet the Queen’s assault head-on.

This is it.