Andrey's katana flashed in the dim light, cutting down another hound that had lunged at them from the shadows. The blade moved with mechanical precision—Weapon Mastery guiding his strikes even as exhaustion pulled at his limbs. Behind him, Sein's gauntlets blazed, each punch sending shockwaves through the clustered monsters.
"Crimson Nova!" she shouted, and a wave of crimson flame erupted from her body, sweeping across the chamber. The monsters caught in the blast screeched, their bodies dissolving into ash. But more were already emerging from the darkness—hounds, imps, twisted creatures with too many limbs.
Sein's chest heaved. "This is cheating! We should have finished this gate already!"
Andrey parried a claw swipe, drove his katana into the creature's chest, and spun to face the next threat. "Maybe it's the mana chaos I caused earlier. Or the artifact's lingering power. Whatever it is, we just need to hold on!"
