Just as Oliver was teleported somewhere else. Similar thing happened to others too.

The world stopped spinning, and gravity returned with a brutal slam.

Isolde didn't stumble. She adjusted her stance mid-air, landing gracefully on the cold stone tiles, her heels clicking sharply in the silence. She straightened her posture, brushing a speck of imaginary dust from her midnight-blue combat dress, and scanned her surroundings.

She was in a vast, cylindrical library tower. But there were no stairs. Instead, massive stone bookshelves floated in the air, drifting aimlessly like clouds. The ceiling was lost in darkness, and below… an abyss of swirling blue mist.

"Where… where are we?"

A voice echoed from behind her—shaken, trying too hard to sound authoritative.

Isolde turned slowly.

Standing there, sword drawn and glowing with faint holy light, was Daniel. Flanking him were three royal knights and two minor nobles who looked like they were about to wet themselves.

Isolde let out a long, unimpressed sigh.

"Of all the people to be stuck with," she muttered, "it had to be the 'Hero'."

Daniel's jaw tightened. He stepped forward, regaining his composure. "Lady Isolde. It seems the trap separated the expedition. We need to regroup immediately."

He looked around, lifting his chin. "I'll take command. My [Divine Aura] can light the way and boost morale. You stay behind the knights and provide magical support. If enemies appear, do not cast large-scale spells without my permission—we don't know the structural integrity of this place."

Isolde stared at him. She didn't blink. She didn't speak. She just looked at him with the same expression one might give a dog that had just tried to explain calculus.

"...Are you finished?" she asked dryly.

Daniel frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You want me to stay behind?" A cold smirk curled her lips. "Boy, I was conquering dungeons before your great-grandmother learned to walk. If you want to survive, I suggest you stay out of my way."

"My name is Daniel," he snapped, his patience fraying. "I am the SSS-Rank Hero summoned by the Goddess. I have led us through Eravilis. I know how to lead."

"You know how to swing a glowing stick," Isolde corrected, turning her back on him to inspect a floating bookshelf. "There's a difference."

"You—"

SCREEEEEECH.

The argument died instantly.

From the abyss below, shadows detached themselves from the floating shelves. They weren't physical creatures—they were comprised of ink and torn parchment, swirling together into vaguely humanoid shapes with hollow, jagged maws.

[Entity Identified: Lexicon Wraiths] [Danger Level: High]

"Monsters!" one of the knights shouted.

"Defensive formation!" Daniel roared, his sword flaring with blinding light. "Holy Slash!"

He swung. A wave of golden light crashed into the nearest wraith—

And did absolutely nothing.

The light passed through the ink-form harmlessly. The wraith screeched, lunging forward and slamming into a knight. The man screamed as the ink seeped into his armor, burning like acid.

"Physical and holy attacks don't work on conceptual constructs, genius," Isolde drawled.

She didn't even raise her staff. She simply snapped her fingers.

[Runic Art: Nullify]

A ripple of grey energy burst from her hand. It washed over the wraiths, and instantly, their forms destabilized. The ink lost its cohesion, splashing harmlessly onto the stone floor as dead liquid.

Daniel stood frozen, his sword still raised mid-strike. The knights looked from the puddles of ink to Isolde in shock.

Isolde smoothed her hair back, looking bored.

"Like I said," she murmured, walking past the stunned Hero. "Stay out of my way."

Location: Velanthris – The Gearwork Chasm Perspective: Seraphine

The air here smelled of rust and oil.

Massive bronze gears, some as large as houses, turned slowly in the walls, grinding with a sound that vibrated deep in the chest. Steam hissed from vents in the floor. It was a mechanical hellscape.

Seraphine stood perfectly still, her silver eyes scanning the environment.

[Environment Scan: Complete.] [Location: Sub-Level 4, Industrial Sector.] [Master Status: Not Detected.]

"Damn it! My armor is getting rusted just standing here!"

Seraphine turned her head mechanically toward the source of the noise.

Jason was kicking a metal pipe, looking furious. Beside him stood William, wiping soot off his face, and Lisa, who looked like she was regretting every life choice that led her to this moment. Along with them were four other adventurers—C-ranks, looking terrified.

"Hey! You!"

William marched up to Seraphine, pointing a finger at her chest.

"You're Oliver's… whatever, right? Where did he go? Did he run away?"

Seraphine blinked. "Master Oliver has been displaced by a spatial distortion trap. Probability of flight: 0%."

"Tch. Useless," Jason spat, cracking his knuckles. "Well, doesn't matter. We're stuck here with you. Since you're just a follower, you take point. Go trigger any traps ahead."

Lisa stepped forward, frowning. "Jason, stop it. She's a teammate, not a trap disposal tool."

"She's the mysterious guy's servant," William sneered. "If she's useful, she should prove it. Go on, silver-girl. Walk."

Seraphine looked at William. Her HUD overlay analyzed his threat level.

[Target: William Hayes.] [Class: Warrior.] [Threat Level: Low.] [Intelligence: Minimal.]

"Refusal," Seraphine stated calmly. "My priority is reunification with Master. I am not obligated to follow your commands."

William's face turned red. "You listen to me, you damn—I am a Hero! You do what I say or—"

CLANK. CLANK. CLANK.

The sound of heavy metal footsteps cut him off.

From the shadows of the gears, five figures emerged. They were automata—knights made of bronze and clockwork, steam venting from their joints. Their eyes glowed with menacing red light, and their arms ended in spinning saw-blades.

[Hostiles Detected: Clockwork Sentinels.]

"Scrap metal?" Jason laughed, drawing his greatsword. "Finally, something to break!"

He charged, swinging his blade with [Power Strike].

CLANG!

The sword bounced off the sentinel's armor. The construct didn't even flinch. It backhanded Jason with a metal fist, sending him flying back into a pile of gears.

"Jason!" William shouted. He lunged with his spear, aiming for a joint. The spear tip snapped on impact.

"What?!" William gasped.

The sentinel raised its saw-blade arm.

Lisa rushed in, her twin daggers flashing. "[Wind Step]!" She danced around the constructs, striking rapidly, but her blades only left shallow scratches on the bronze plating. "They're too hard! Physical attacks aren't working!"

The sentinels advanced, saw-blades whirring. The adventurers backed away in panic.

"Do something!" William screamed at Seraphine. "Help us!"

Seraphine watched the automata. She tilted her head.

[Analysis Complete.] [Weakness: Gyroscopic Core located in central chassis.]

She stepped forward. She didn't draw a weapon. She didn't cast a spell.

"Combat Mode: Initiate."

She vanished.

To William's eyes, she simply disappeared.

CRUNCH.

A sound of tearing metal echoed.

Seraphine reappeared behind the lead sentinel. Her bare hand had punched clean through its bronze chest plate. She ripped her hand back, holding a glowing blue core.

The sentinel powered down and collapsed.

She dropped the core and blurred again.

CRASH. BAM. CRUNCH.

It took four seconds.

One sentinel was kicked so hard its head caved into its torso. Another was torn in half at the waist. The last two were slammed together by their heads, crumpling into a ball of scrap.

Seraphine stood amidst the wreckage, dusting off her white dress. Not a drop of oil stained her.

"Threat neutralized," she stated in her monotone voice.

She turned to look at William and Jason, who were gaping at her, pale and trembling.

"Observation," Seraphine said, her silver eyes glowing faintly. "Your combat efficiency is… disappointing."

Lisa stared at the destroyed metal giants, then at the delicate-looking girl.

"What… are you?" Lisa whispered.

Seraphine didn't answer. She simply looked down the dark corridor.

"Calculating path to Master. Probability of success: 100%."

She began to walk, leaving the stunned heroes behind.

Location: Velanthris – The Mirror Corridor Perspective: Ariana

Ariana was hyperventilating.

"It's okay. It's okay. Breathe, Ariana. You're B-rank now. You're strong."

She gripped her staff until her knuckles turned white.

She was in a long, narrow hallway lined with mirrors. But her reflection… wasn't moving with her. The reflection was smiling—a creepy, distorted smile.

With her were three merchant guards and a low-ranking mage from a noble house. They were all huddled together, terrified.

"What do we do?" the noble mage whimpered. "The exit is gone!"

Ariana swallowed hard. She thought of Oliver—how he charged into a goblin den alone. She thought of Isolde—how she faced down a dragon without flinching.

I can't be the weak one anymore.

She slammed the butt of her staff onto the floor. The sound rang out, sharp and clear.

"Everyone, get behind me!" she ordered, surprising herself with the steadiness of her voice.

The mirrors began to crack. Shards of glass floated into the air, turning toward them like daggers.

"Defensive formation!" Ariana shouted.

She raised her staff, mana flooding through her veins.

"[Barrier of Light: Aegis Dome]!"

A brilliant semi-translucent shield erupted around them just as the glass storm struck. The shards pinged and shattered against her barrier, relentless as rain.

"Hold it," she gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her forehead. "I'll hold it!"

I won't die here. I have to catch up to them.

Back to Oliver Location: The Spiraling Staircase

Oliver sneezed.

"Someone talking about me?" he muttered, rubbing his nose.

Beside him, Amy and Sophia were staring down into the blue mist of the spiral staircase.

"It goes down forever…" Sophia whispered.

"We keep moving," Oliver said, adjusting his mask. His hand brushed the hilt of his rune-sword. The Rune of Vigor hummed in his back, keeping his fatigue at bay.

"This dungeon split us up for a reason," Oliver said, his eyes narrowing behind the mask. "It wants to test us individually. Which means…"

He looked down into the dark.

"...The real monsters are just waking up."

"Let's go."

He took the first step down.

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