Chapter 64 – The Fire of the Anvil and the Herbal Tea.

The black obsidian doors slid into the amethyst walls with a heavy creak, revealing the second floor's vaulted chamber.

The boss hall was circular, forty meters in radius, lit by floating mana orbs emitting a hypnotic purple light. In the center of an elevated platform hovered the Archmage of a Thousand Crypts (Level 36 - Floor Boss).

The creature wore tattered purple silk robes that floated in the windless air. Its face was a skull carved from translucent amethyst with blue flames burning in its eye sockets, and resting in its skeletal hands were three crystal elemental orbs spinning in flawless orbits.

The System interface displayed the boss's sheet:

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[SECOND FLOOR BOSS DETECTED!]

[Archmage of a Thousand Crypts - Level 36]

- HP: 2,200 / 2,200 | MP: 1,500 / 1,500

- Main Stats: Intelligence: 55 | Wisdom: 48 | Perception: 35 | Vitality: 32

- Special Skill: [Mirrors of Illusion] (Summons two identical clones capable of replicating reduced-damage spells).

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“Scatter formation!” Diana commanded, drawing her black steel dagger with her right hand and activating [Aura of Arcane Domain] and [Commander's Loot]. “Seraphina, hold the clones with heavy summons! Kael, lock the original boss's aggro!”

Seraphina opened her silver grimoire with both hands, mana flowing steady through her channels.

Summon: Runic Quartz Titan + Two Amethyst Wolves!

Three purple magic circles lit up on the floor. The three-meter stone Titan and the two spectral wolves materialized roaring, charging in a straight line to intercept the two illusion clones the Archmage had just materialized on the sides of the room.

Seraphina's Level 34 summons collided against the copies, locking the clones in melee combat and preventing enemy magic bursts from hitting the party's rear guard.

Kael pressed through the center, driving his Volcanic Steel Shield into the stone.

IRON TAUNT + UNSHAKEABLE STANCE!

The Archmage raised its three crystal orbs, firing a concentrated volley of arcane lightning directly at Kael.

BOOM!

Kael's wall of 660 HP POINTS absorbed the lightning storm without flinching. The volcanic chestplate's passive reflected the impact in fire sparks, while Aurelia-Elysia projected a [Protection Barrier] with -40% cast time to neutralize stray shrapnel.

Rhea turned into an invisible shadow.

PHANTOM STEP!

With Agility 85, Rhea shadow-blinked behind the illusions and drove her Dragon Silk and Shadow Daggers into the bases of the mirrors sustaining the clones, dissipating the copies into mana dust in under three seconds.

***

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The Commander's Execution

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With the clones destroyed and aggro locked onto Kael's shield, the Archmage began channeling a crushing gravity spell over the hall.

Diana took two steps forward. Her dark eyes sparked in brilliant silver-blue through [Command Eye].

With Intelligence 127, she saw the central mana conduit connecting the three orbs to the boss's skull.

MANA PRISON!

Diana extended her open left hand. Transparent chains wrapped around the Archmage's torso, sealing the gravity spell channel for four full seconds!

The boss's amethyst skull shuddered with its mana locked.

Diana used [Arcane Teleportation], blinking eight meters into the air directly above the pedestal.

She activated [Greed's Flame] in her left hand and an [Arcane Ice Lance] in her right hand.

BOOM!

The thermal shock of ice empowered by 127 Intelligence cracked the Archmage's skull, while black flames devoured whatever remained of its MP.

Diana finished the fight driving her black steel dagger straight into the monster's forehead core with a [Predatory Strike].

The Level 36 Archmage released a final groan of shattered mana and collapsed onto the pedestal, breaking down into a shower of ash and gleaming amethyst fragments.

***

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[SECOND FLOOR BOSS DEFEATED!]

- DIANA REACHED LEVEL 33! (1 Level Gained!)

- RHEA REACHED LEVEL 30! (1 Level Gained!)

- KAEL REACHED LEVEL 29! (1 Level Gained!)

- AURELIA-ELYSIA REACHED LEVEL 29! (1 Level Gained!)

(Seraphina rose to Level 35).

[COMMANDER'S LOOT ACTIVATED (+30% BONUS)]

- Total Chamber Coins: 25 Pure Silver Coins.

- Legendary Item: 1x Amethyst Archmage Core (Level 36).

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Diana made the promised split right there in the cleared chamber:

She handed the 30% share to Seraphina, 7 Silver Coins and 50 Bronze, while the Arcane Greed Faction collected its 70% share (17 Silver Coins and 50 Bronze).

Seraphina held the silver coins with both hands, her eyes wide behind her round glasses. She had never made so much money in a single battle in her entire life as a solo hunter.

***

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[COMPLETE ATTRIBUTE DISTRIBUTION]

- Kael (Level 29): 5 Free Points -> +3 Vitality (61 -> 64 VIT -> HP reaches a colossal 690 HP POINTS!), +2 Strength (40 -> 42 STR).

- Aurelia-Elysia (Level 29): 5 Free Points -> +3 Intelligence (60 -> 63 INT +6 Robe = 69 INT!), +2 Wisdom (39 -> 41 WIS). (MP reaches 610 MP POINTS!)

- Rhea (Level 30): 5 Free Points -> +3 Agility (77 -> 80 AGI +8 Gear = 88 AGI!), +2 Strength (37 -> 39 STR).

- Diana (Level 33 - Commander of Greed): 5 Free Points + Class Passives (+3 INT, +2 PER, +1 WIS) -> +3 Free Intelligence (127 + 3 + 3 = 133 INT!), +2 Vitality (43 -> 45 VIT -> HP reaches 450 POINTS!), +2 Perception (62 + 2 = 64 PER!), +1 Wisdom (27 + 1 = 28 WIS!). (MP reaches a monumental 730 MP POINTS!)

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***

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Second Floor Camp - Night of Learning

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The party pitched the magical isolation tents in the safe sanctuary right behind the boss chamber.

After a dinner of concentrated rations and hot tea, Diana didn't go to sleep immediately. She took advantage of the main tent's quiet to pull out her crafting tools and start a practical tutoring session with the team.

Diana sat with Aurelia-Elysia near the mana stove, setting three vials of crystal sap and medicinal powders onto a clean towel.

“Alchemy isn't just mixing ingredients in hot water, Aurelia.” Diana explained in a patient voice, guiding the priestess's hands over the mortar. “You need to feel the mana temperature in the solvent before adding the catalyst. If your mana fluctuates, potion purity drops from ninety to sixty percent.”

Aurelia-Elysia listened with absolute attention, her lilac eyes fixed on the movement of Diana's fingers. Under the Commander's Level 20 Alchemy guidance, the priestess distilled her first batch of high-purity restorative tea without scorching the medicinal leaves, letting out a cheerful laugh of pride.

In the other corner of the tent, Diana called Rhea over.

She pulled out the small portable steel anvil and runic whetstones she had bought with Volkan.

“Rhea, bring your daggers.” Diana instructed.

Diana showed the hybrid girl how to check the weight balance of dragon steel after heavy combat against stone armor.

“Corrosive elemental poison wears down the blade's edge over time.” Diana demonstrated the stone's proper angle over the dark crystal edge. “You need to run the stone at a fifteen-degree angle while channeling a spark of heat from the firestone. That restores the temper without eroding the metal.”

Rhea watched with her ears perked, feeling the weight and balance of the weapon under Diana's careful touch, a sweet smile on her face.

Seraphina watched everything from the corner of the tent, holding her tea mug with both hands, fascinated by the way Diana commanded with surgical precision in battles, yet dedicated her nights to teaching and attending to every detail of her team.

Diana put away the whetstones and looked at the third floor labyrinth map spread over the table.

Kael was one step away from 700 HP. Rhea had reached Level 30. Aurelia had over 600 MP.

The objective of Level 35 was close to completion. And the Arcane Greed Faction remained unshakeable in the depths of Hell.

FInal Notes:

I REALLY love the dynamic between these three ahhhh, so good.