Harem System In A fantasy World - Chapter 153: Floor fifteen
Chapter 153: Floor fifteen
They had not struggled on the previous floors. That much was clear to all of them.
Floors Eleven through Fourteen had pushed them to move faster and think sharper, but none of them had come close to running out of mana or losing control of the battlefield.
They had been challenged, yes, but never pressured. Even Tessa, who had taken the brunt of the physical clashes, still looked energized rather than looking drained.
Floor Fifteen felt different the moment they stepped onto it.
The cavern was much wider than the others, with uneven terrain and shallow water covering large portions of the stone floor.
Thick pillars rose irregularly toward a high, shadowed ceiling, and faint red veins pulsed softly along the walls as if the dungeon itself was breathing. The air felt heavier here, not to be suffocating, but it was very dense with mana.
Tessa cracked her neck slowly and rolled her shoulders as she stepped forward into the chamber.
“This feels better,” she said with a grin that carried anticipation rather than caution. “The lower floors were warming up. This should be interesting.”
Aria walked slightly closer to Elion, her staff resting lightly against her shoulder as she observed the terrain ahead.
“The mana density is higher,” she said calmly, scanning the ground and the pillars for any signs of movement. “That means the beasts will be stronger and possibly smarter.”
Isolde closed her eyes briefly and extended her mana outward in a quiet wave.
“There are multiple presences,” she said after a few seconds, her voice steady. “Four smaller ones and one very large presence behind them.”
What a useful spell, Elion thought. He had seen her use this exact spell multiple times now, thought he could achieve the same result by activating discerning eye, versatility never hurt anyone.
He wondered if he could buy the skill from the store, but then he remembered he could just get Isolde into his bed and acquire her class and skills.
Meanwhile, Mira let a small flame flicker across her fingertips as she exhaled.
“Perfect,” she said softly, though there was excitement in her eyes. “Let’s finish strong.”
The ground trembled before anyone else spoke again.
A low, deep roar rolled across the cavern and echoed between the stone pillars, vibrating faintly through the water at their feet.
From the far side of the chamber, a massive shape stepped forward into view, its silhouette growing clearer with every heavy step.
It was an A Grade Crimson Warbeast.
The creature stood nearly five meters tall, its thick red-black hide layered like natural armor across its torso and limbs.
Two long horns curved backward from its skull, and its forearms were oversized, ending in claws thick and heavy enough to tear through stone.
Behind it, four B+Grade Dread Stalkers spread out in a loose formation.
They were lean and long-limbed, built for speed rather than brute force, their glowing eyes fixed on the group with sharp focus.
Unlike the beasts on the lower floors, these ones did not charge blindly. They moved with coordination.
Tessa’s grin widened slowly.
“Now we’re talking.”
The Warbeast stomped once, sending ripples across the water.
The Dread Stalkers attacked first.
Two of them split wide to flank, their bodies blurring as they dashed across the cavern floor. The third leapt forward in a straight line toward Mira, while the fourth circled behind a pillar to search for an opening.
Aria reacted immediately, slamming the base of her staff into the ground.
Stone rose sharply beneath one of the flanking Stalkers, tilting its footing and forcing it to stumble sideways. The second flanker adjusted mid-dash and continued its approach, claws slicing toward Mira’s midsection.
Wind exploded outward in a tight arc.
Isolde’s compressed gust struck the airborne Stalker and twisted its body off its intended line, throwing it slightly off balance. Mira did not hesitate for even a moment as she stepped forward and released a focused stream of flame that struck the beast across its torso.
The fire caught and spread quickly, forcing it backward with a hiss.
Tessa was already engaged with another Stalker near the center of the cavern.
She moved straight into its attack instead of retreating, ducking beneath its claws and driving her gauntlet upward into its ribs with enough force to crack bone.
The beast retaliated immediately, slashing across her shoulder, but she twisted her body and grabbed its arm mid-swing before slamming her knee into its abdomen.
Elion watched for a second before moving.
He did not rush into the center, nor did he overcommit, but when one of the Stalkers broke from Aria’s stone trap and darted toward Isolde’s blind side, he lifted his hand calmly.
A sharp jet of high-pressure water shot across the cavern and clipped the beast’s ankle, staggering it long enough for Isolde to drive a narrow blade of wind cleanly through its throat.
Two Stalkers fell within seconds.
The remaining two retreated briefly toward the Warbeast, regrouping instinctively as the larger creature stepped forward.
The Warbeast did not charge immediately.
It observed them.
Its heavy breath fogged slightly in the cool air as it studied their movements, its massive frame radiating quiet power. Then, without warning, it exploded forward with shocking speed for something so large.
It went straight for Tessa.
She did not back down.
She leapt forward to meet it mid-charge and drove her gauntleted fist into its chest with full force. The impact echoed across the cavern, and this time the Warbeast actually shifted slightly under the blow.
Not much.
But enough to show that it felt it.
The Warbeast swung its claw in retaliation, and Tessa raised both arms to block.
The impact sent her sliding backward several meters across the wet stone, carving shallow grooves into the ground beneath her boots. She stopped herself with a sharp pivot and laughed, shaking her arms once.
“Finally,” she said breathlessly. “Something that hits back.”
Mira joined the exchange from the side, sending a spiral of flame around the Warbeast’s leg.
The fire wrapped tightly around its limb, but while the heat darkened its hide slightly, it did not burn through. The beast roared and stomped, dispersing some of the flames with brute force.
“It resists fire,” Mira called calmly, though her expression remained focused rather than worried.
Aria responded by shifting the battlefield itself.
The water beneath the Warbeast’s feet hardened into rough stone spikes that disrupted its footing, forcing it to adjust its balance. At the same time, pillars rose at its sides to restrict its movement slightly and give Tessa a better angle.
Isolde launched compressed water blades toward its head, forcing it to close its eyes momentarily.
The Warbeast slammed both fists into the ground in response.
