Aria smirked, twirling her spear lightly. "Then don't blink, Caria."

"Easy for you to say," Caria muttered. "You wear armor made of mana threads. I get fried if that thing sneezes too close."

Sophia crouched near the edge of the bog, pressing a hand against the wet ground. Faint sparks danced between her fingertips. "Conductivity's high. It's awake."

Rhys drew his blade slowly, its edge gleaming pale-blue under Moonbounce's light. "Weakness?"

"None," Sophia said flatly. "It's resistant to everything but overcharge bursts. You have to outpace its buildup before it discharges. Otherwise—"

A ripple of static interrupted her. The air crackled—sharp, ozone-sweet.

Moonbounce pawed at the ground, silver light spreading outward in thin ripples, pushing the mist back. Beneath the clearing's dark water, a long, gleaming shadow slid through the depths.

"Contact," Sophia warned.

A split second later, the bog exploded.

The Stormscale Serpent burst from below, scales flashing with violent arcs of electricity. Lightning laced through the swamp, branching between roots and stones like living veins. Caria dove aside, landing in a roll as her crossbow hummed with charged bolts.

Aria leapt forward, spear spinning into a defensive sweep that redirected an incoming arc. "Formation Delta! Keep distance until it stabilizes!"

Rhys's eyes glowed faintly blue—[Eye of the Ancients] tracing the serpent's mana flow beneath its scales. "Core line—left flank, two meters under the third ridge!"

"Got it!" Caria called, firing a bolt that struck just shy of the mark. Sparks showered across the bog, scattering into hissing vapor.

The serpent lunged, lightning snapping toward Rhys. He raised his sword, channeling [Mana Shield]—the impact flared blindingly, pushing him back several steps but leaving no mark.

"Now!" Aria shouted.

Rhys swung upward, channeling [Water Blade]. The strike cut through the mist in a sweeping crescent, water meeting lightning in a crack of thunder. The serpent screamed, scales along its neck flickering as steam erupted from the wound.

Sophia's tone was steady but quick. "It's destabilizing—build-up spike incoming! Get clear!"

Caria cursed, sprinting for higher ground. Aria vaulted onto a root, spear aimed skyward. "Rhys—can you disrupt the surge?"

He exhaled. "I can try."

Mana gathered around him like a current drawn to gravity. Puddle's shadow rippled behind him—its watery form rising partially from his back, merging with the aura around his sword. The air trembled as [Ancient Water Magic: Aqua Veil] cascaded outward, absorbing the charged ions crackling through the bog.

The serpent thrashed violently, its light dimming as the water around it lost its charge. For a brief heartbeat, the storm faltered.

Aria didn't hesitate. She leapt, spear first, and drove the glowing tip into the serpent's exposed core. The impact shattered through the air with a sound like thunder breaking.

Lightning erupted once more—then died.

The serpent's body convulsed, curling upon itself before dissolving into luminous threads that drifted upward, fading into the mist. The swamp went quiet again, save for the soft crackle of residual static fading into the water.

Caria whistled. "Every time I see that thing go down, I feel ten years younger."

"Or older," Sophia said dryly, jotting the data on her stone. "Number eleven cleared."

Rhys sheathed his sword, his breathing calm despite the faint static still dancing across his armor. "Efficient," he said simply.

Aria smiled at him, faint but approving. "You adapted fast. Most people don't even see where that thing's core is before they're floating face-down."

"I pay attention," Rhys replied, glancing toward the settling water. "Patterns always repeat."

Caria stretched with a groan. "Let's hope the next one's less flashy. I swear, my hair's still standing."

Sophia's sensor stone pulsed again, this time with a heavy, amber glow. Her expression shifted slightly. "No such luck. The twelfth guardian's the opposite of flashy—it burrows."

Aria frowned. "Burrows?"

"Groundsplit Devourer," Sophia confirmed. "If the serpent was lightning, this one's all earth and acid. Stay light on your feet."

Rhys's eyes narrowed slightly, curiosity and focus sharpening. "Then it'll try to drag us under?"

"Exactly," Caria said grimly. "And if you go under, it's over."

Aria rolled her shoulders, the faintest smirk tugging at her lips. "Then let's not give it the chance."

Sophia adjusted her sensor stone, watching its glow pulse rhythmically like a heartbeat. "The Groundsplit Devourer's not fast, but it's clever. It waits until you're distracted before it strikes. Think of it as a living trap."

"Wonderful," Caria muttered, checking her crossbow. "A giant worm with a PhD in ambush tactics."

Aria gave a small, calm smile. "Focus on its rhythm, Rhys. It moves with the tremors. When the ground pulses twice, that's your cue—it surfaces right after the second."

Rhys nodded, quietly memorizing the pattern. "And its weakness?"

Sophia replied without looking up. "Exposed underbelly. But it only reveals that when it lunges. You get one clean shot before it burrows again."

"Good to know," Rhys said, tone even. "I'll draw it out."

Aria's brow arched slightly, but there was approval in her eyes. "Confident again, I see."

Caria smirked. "He learns quick. Let's hope he doesn't end up as worm food while he's at it."

Sophia chuckled softly, a rare hint of amusement breaking through her calm. "He won't. Not if he keeps that Eye of his active."

As they walked, the ground beneath them shifted subtly—from damp earth to brittle stone, fissures glowing faintly with sickly green light. The air grew thicker, humid and heavy with the faint scent of acid. Every few steps, a low rumble pulsed through the terrain, deep and resonant.

Sophia paused, glancing at her stone. "Activity spike. It's close."

"Formation Alpha," Aria ordered, voice calm as ever. "Caria, stay at range. Rhys, you're with me at the front."

Caria rolled her shoulders. "Fine by me. Just tell me when it pops up."

The tremors came again—one… two—then the ground split apart like paper.

A massive creature erupted from below, covered in stone-like scales slick with acid. Its maw opened wide, lined with jagged, grinding plates that gleamed wetly in the faint light.

Caria didn't even flinch. "Still disgusting."

"Eyes up," Sophia warned, her tone still level despite the quake beneath them. "It'll burrow again in ten seconds."

Rhys took a step forward, sword drawn, his stance low. [Eye of the Ancients] flared—he could see it, the way mana coiled like muscles beneath the earth, waiting for the next strike.

He drove his sword down, channeling mana through the ground. "Now."

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