*Ding*

You learned the Class Skill - Phoenix Step Phoenix Step (Class Skill, Movement Skill, Phoenix Healer) Channel the essence of the Twin Phoenix to move with supernatural grace and speed, leaving traces of flame in your wake. Each step can be enhanced with either the Golden or Obsidian Flame.

#1 Base Effect: Instantly move up at 500% your top speed up to 10 yards in any direction, leaving a trail of your chosen flame. The speed increases by 10% for each Level. The distance increases by 1 yard for each Level.

Current Range: 11 yards

Current Max Speed: 510%

#2 Base Effect: Can be used up to 3 times in quick succession before requiring a brief pause. Maximum uses increase by 1 every 5 Levels.

Current Uses: 3

#1 Special Conditional Effect - Golden Trail: Use the Golden Flame to change direction up to one time while using the Skill.

#2 Special Conditional Effect - Obsidian Trail: When using the Obsidian Flame, increase the damage of your next blow by 200%. The damage increases by 10% for each Level.

Limitations: You can only apply one flame per usage.

Cooldown: After using maximum successive steps, you must wait 100 seconds before using Phoenix Step again.

Monica read the description a few times over before nodding, impressed. She looked ahead and activated Phoenix Step. Her body shimmered with both flames as she sprinted at incredible speed toward one end of the room, being able to supernaturally stop dead in her tracks without losing balance.

This is great, she thought, jumping up and down to see if the increase in speed had put any strain on her legs, but it didn’t look like it. The Skill clearly operated beyond the physical realm.

She activated it once again, this time using the Golden Flame, and managed to execute a sharp turn as if she had not even twisted her body. The best way she could describe it was that it felt like the world had turned—not her—when she applied the Golden Flame effect.

Dotty, Heidi, and Ted looked at her in surprise.

“The new Skill?” Heidi asked, rubbing the buzzy hair on her head.

“Yeah,” Monica nodded. “It’s a movement Skill.”

“That was fast,” Ted commented, taken aback.

“Now, Ted, explain to me again how this works,” Monica changed topic, pointing her thumb toward the Boss’s double doors.

“Dungeons are regulated by the System. This one, despite being Corrupted, works pretty much the same. Bosses cannot exit their room. However, once you enter, you either defeat the Boss or die.”

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“Well, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Monica said.

Monica stared at the massive double doors, their black stone surface threaded with crystal veins similar to those covering the Crystal Wolves. She flexed her fingers, feeling both the Golden and Obsidian Flames ready to spring forth at her command.

"I'm going in alone," she said.

"We can help—" Dotty started.

"No." Monica's tone left no room for argument. "A Boss is different from these wolves. And I can't die."

Ted shifted uncomfortably beside them. The young Bard might not have unlocked any Skills yet, but he had knowledge none of them possessed. "Dude, she's right. Boss rooms are no joke. It's not just that they're stronger—they have different rules. Once someone enters, they either win or die. There's no running away."

Heidi tightened her finsts. The Phoenix Pyromancer had grown tremendously over the past few days, but even she recognized the tension in the air.

"The crystals in the walls," she said, using her Mana Sense. "They're pulsing stronger here."

Monica noticed it too.

The blue gems that had lit their way through the Dungeon were different near the Boss room. Their light seemed to beat like a heart, creating shifting shadows that danced across the walls.

She placed her hands on the doors and pushed. They swung open with surprising ease, as if they weighed nothing at all. Beyond the threshold lay only darkness—not the dim light of the Dungeon, but complete and utter blackness that seemed to swallow even the glow of the crystal veins.

"That's normal," Ted said quickly, seeing Monica's hesitation. "The Boss doesn't wake up until someone enters. The room's basically sleeping until then."

"Something feels wrong," Heidi muttered. The bald woman's knuckles were white.

Monica took a step closer to the threshold, studying the darkness. Even her Mana Sense couldn't penetrate it. The void seemed absolute, almost alive in how it consumed all light and sensation.

"Stay back," she ordered the others. "If anything happens—"

"We know," Dotty said, gripping the hilt of Twilight's Edge. "We'll guard the exit."

Monica smiled despite herself. The girl had grown so much in just a few days. From a scared teenager to someone who could face down Crystal Wolves without flinching. She'd make a fine protector for the village.

"Good," Monica said. "Then let's see what kind of Boss—"

She was about to step forward when metallic tendrils shot out of the darkness, gleaming like liquid mercury. They moved faster than even Monica could react, bypassing her completely and wrapping around Dotty's waist and arms.

"Help!" Dotty screamed, managing to draw Twilight's Edge. The sword's antimagic properties, however, did nothing against the tendrils. The blade bounced away, incapable of slicing the metal wrapping around her legs and torso.

Monica's body moved without thinking. She coated her hands in Obsidian Flame and grabbed the nearest tendril. The metal screamed—an actual shriek of pain that made everyone cover their ears—as the black flames ate into it. The tendril's surface bubbled and warped, heavy corruption boiling out of it like black steam.

But there were too many. For each tendril Monica burned away, two more replaced it. They yanked Dotty off her feet, dragging her toward the darkness.

"Monica!" the girl cried out, still fighting.

Monica, enraged, summoned a large quantity of Obsidian Flame, but Heidi shoved her aside.

"No! You'll hit Dotty!"

Dotty’s nails scraped on the pavement, but even as Monica lunged for her, the tendrils of metal sucked her into the room.

Then, a voice echoed from the chamber, deep and metallic, like grinding gears given speech. Each word sent vibrations through the crystal veins in the walls.

"Avatar, we meet again."

The voice triggered something in Monica. Though she had no memory of hearing it before, a name blazed through her mind: Machina.

"If you want the girl, come," the voice continued.