Chapter 60 – The Fork of Shadows.

The march through the Amethyst Labyrinth's first floor reached a critical point early on the second morning of the expedition.

The squad halted before a vast purple stone crossroads illuminated by torches of elemental fire. Ahead of them, the first floor split into two colossal galleries stretching for miles in opposite directions:

To the left opened the Emerald Crypts Wing, a complex dominated by arcane specters, poisonous mists, and spellcasting monsters of Level 31 to 33.

To the right stretched the Dark Iron Galleries Wing, a network of subterranean halls inhabited by heavy automatons, armored stone bears, and brutes of Level 31 to 33.

Diana unrolled the labyrinth map over a flat stone, analyzing both routes with her 60 Perception points and Intelligence 115.

“If we keep pushing forward as a single block of four members,” Diana explained, her voice calm and calculating, “we're going to take at least four full days just to clear the remainder of the first floor.”

She looked at the three members of her squad.

“We are going to split the team into two pairs.” Diana announced.

Kael blinked, surprised. “Split the team inside a Level 30+ mega-dungeon, Commander?”

“Yes.” Diana stated without hesitation. “Our squad's composition allows this with complete safety. We possess enough power and Level 25+ Dragon gear to operate as independent pairs.”

Diana pointed to the paths:

- Pair A (Magic and Suppression): Diana and Aurelia-Elysia take the Emerald Crypts Wing. Diana's Intelligence 115 combined with Aurelia's 550 MP of support creates an unshakeable magic artillery against specters.

- Pair B (Vanguard and Execution): Rhea and Kael take the Dark Iron Galleries Wing. Kael's 630 HP with his Volcanic Shield absorbs the brutes' impacts, while Rhea's Agility 82 slices monster joints from the shadows.

Diana looked into Kael's and Rhea's eyes.

“The meeting point is the Amethyst Depths Gate, granting access to the second floor.” Diana instructed in a stern tone. “We rendezvous there in exactly forty-eight hours. Kael, you are the wall; keep Taunt active. Rhea, you are the blade; do not stray more than eight meters from his shield. I trust you both.”

Rhea looked at Diana, her silver ears drooping slightly at the thought of being away from her friend for two days, but her amber eyes sparked with fierce determination.

“We will clear the Iron Wing in forty-eight hours, Diana.” Rhea promised, gripping her dragon daggers tightly. “Not a single monster will lay a finger on Kael.”

“You can count on us, Commander!” Kael struck his gauntlet against his heavy armor chestplate.

The two pairs adjusted their supplies and marched into their respective wings.

***

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Emerald Crypts Wing - Diana and Aurelia-Elysia

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The galleries of the Emerald Wing were overtaken by a cold, greenish mist.

As they crossed the third chamber, Diana and Aurelia-Elysia were surrounded by eight Emerald Flame Specters (Level 32) and two Crystal Archmages (Level 33) hovering over stone sarcophagi.

The archmages raised bone staffs, firing volleys of green energy spears at the duo.

Aurelia-Elysia didn't waver.

With her Dragon Silk Robe reducing her cast time by -40%, the priestess raised her Mana Crystal Staff and projected a monumental [Protection Barrier] of Intelligence 63 that covered Diana and herself like a diamond dome.

The enemy spears exploded against the barrier without causing a single scratch.

Diana stepped forward out of the dome's protection, her dark eyes glowing in black gold and silver-blue.

Mana Prison + Greed's Flame!

Diana extended her right hand, sealing the mana channels of the two Level 33 archmages for four full seconds. Without losing the advantage window, she unleashed a devastating blast of black flames that devoured the specters' spirit shields.

“Aurelia, Blinding Light Orb in the right corridor!” Diana commanded with precision.

Aurelia-Elysia fired the light spell instantly, stunning the remaining specters for three seconds.

Diana finished the combat with an [Arcane Storm Orb] combined with two double-charged Arcane Arrows powered by her Intelligence 115.

BOOM!

In under four minutes of pure magic combat, the Level 33 chamber was cleared.

Over two full days of advance, Diana trained Aurelia-Elysia in calculating mana flow under time pressure. The priestess learned to anticipate enemy incantations before the monsters even raised their staffs, turning into an infallible rear guard partner for the Commander.

***

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Dark Iron Galleries Wing - Rhea and Kael

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On the other side of the labyrinth, the Dark Iron Wing shook under the impact of heavy metal and solid rock.

In the tenth chamber of the wing, Kael and Rhea engaged four Black Iron Bears (Level 32) and two titanic Cutter Golems (Level 33) brandishing spinning stone blades.

Two gigantic four-meter bears charged wildly toward Kael.

Kael drove his Volcanic Steel Shield into the rock and activated [Unshakeable Stance] and [Iron Taunt].

BOOM!

The bears' solid iron paws collided against the volcanic shield. Kael's mountain of 630 HP POINTS absorbed the monstrous impact without flinching a millimeter, and the heavy dragon armor's passive reflected 35% of direct physical damage back into the beasts' snouts in red flames.

The bears staggered backward, stunned by their own impact.

Rhea turned into an invisible comet.

PHANTOM STEP!

Staying strictly within the eight-meter radius of Kael's arc, Rhea shadow-blinked through the gloom and appeared midair above the shoulders of the first Level 33 Cutter Golem.

With Agility 82 and stacked +50% stealth critical damage, her Dragon Silk and Shadow Daggers severed the monster's stone neck in a single cross slash.

CRUNCH! CRITICAL DAMAGE: 450!

The golem collapsed into pieces of ore.

Kael spun his shield, blocking the second bear's strike and opening a flawless opening for Rhea to streak down like lightning and drive her daggers into the creature's heart.

Mutual trust between the unshakeable tank and the invisible assassin operated in flawless harmony throughout the two days of siege. Kael knew Rhea would cover his blind spots; Rhea knew Kael would never let a monster break through the frontline.

***

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Reunion at the Depths Gate

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Exactly forty-eight hours after splitting up, the two pairs emerged from their respective corridors, arriving simultaneously at the massive central chamber sealing the end of the first floor.

In the center of the hall rose the Amethyst Depths Gate, the monumental arch leading to the labyrinth's second floor.

Rhea saw Diana approaching from the left corridor and couldn't contain her feline excitement: the wolf girl ran the final ten meters and hugged Diana's left arm tightly, her silver ears twitching with pure joy.

“Diana!” Rhea grinned ear to ear. “We cleared thirty-two rooms in the Iron Wing! Kael tanked everything with his shield without retreating once!”

Kael and Aurelia-Elysia high-fived in the air, smiling proudly at their gleaming, intact armor.

Diana gave two affectionate pats to Rhea's head, looking at the three members of her squad.

Everyone was whole, free of serious injuries, their health bars full and eyes glowing with the maturity of those who had learned to master an elite dungeon.

At the same second, the shared experience from the parallel slaughter of both wings exploded across the entire party's interfaces:

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[PARALLEL EVOLUTION MILESTONE ACHIEVED!]

- DIANA REACHED LEVEL 31!

- RHEA REACHED LEVEL 29!

- KAEL REACHED LEVEL 28!

- AURELIA-ELYSIA REACHED LEVEL 28!

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***

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[UPDATED STATUS PANELS - LEVEL 31]

- Diana (Level 31): Strength: 18 | Agility: 23 | Vitality: 41 | Intelligence: 121 | Wisdom: 26 | Perception: 60 | Willpower: 8 | Luck: 3. (HP: 410 / MP: 680)

- Rhea (Level 29): Strength: 37 | Agility: 77 (85 AGI) | Vitality: 25 | Intelligence: 7 | Perception: 13 | Willpower: 6 | Wisdom: 4 | Luck: 1. (HP: 250 / MP: 70)

- Kael (Level 28): Strength: 40 | Agility: 8 | Vitality: 61 | Intelligence: 6 | Wisdom: 4 | Perception: 5 | Willpower: 17 | Luck: 1. (HP: 660 / MP: 30)

- Aurelia-Elysia (Level 28): Strength: 5 | Agility: 7 | Vitality: 6 | Intelligence: 60 (66 INT) | Wisdom: 39 | Perception: 17 | Willpower: 5 | Luck: 1. (HP: 60 / MP: 580)

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***

Diana took the amethyst crystal key she had collected from the last archmage and inserted it into the Depths Gate lock.

The purple stone gears groaned, and the second floor portal popped open, revealing the dark depths where Level 34 to 36 monsters awaited.

The first floor was conquered in forty-eight hours. And the Arcane Greed Faction marched united into the depths of the Amethyst Labyrinth.

Final Notes:

Party split for a very short time, but well, this is the formation they'll use when a split becomes necessary!