Chapter 67-Floor 49: The Unseen Shadows

The moment they entered, the atmosphere shifted. The air was heavy with a thick, oppressive darkness, the kind that seemed to seep into the very bones of those who stood within it. The ground beneath their feet was uneven, shifting and trembling like the world itself was unstable.

Elias' senses sharpened, his every instinct screaming that something was wrong. The silence around them felt suffocating, the kind of silence that hinted at unseen dangers lurking just beyond the edge of their perception.

[SYSTEM ALERT: FLOOR 49 THE UNSEEN SHADOWS. BEWARE OF INVISIBILITY AND AMBUSH ATTACKS.]

Elias narrowed his eyes, gripping his sword tightly. "Stay sharp. This place isn't what it seems."

Lyra raised her hand, casting a light spell that illuminated the surroundings, but the shadows seemed to devour it, as though the darkness itself was a living entity.

"I can barely see anything," Lyra muttered. "It's like the shadows are... alive."

Althea, her eyes glowing faintly with divine power, raised her staff. "It's not just the darkness. The floor is designed to disorient us. We have to stay together."

Suddenly, a soft sound echoed through the air-a rustle in the shadows. And then, like a whisper in the wind, they struck.

Dozens of shadowy figures emerged from the dark, their forms indistinct, shifting and writhing as if they were made of pure darkness. Elias barely had time to react before one of them lunged at him, claws bared.

"Watch out!" Althea shouted, her voice cutting through the tension.

Elias sidestepped just in time, his sword flashing through the air, but the shadow vanished as quickly as it appeared, only to be replaced by another.

"These things-" Elias hissed. "They're too fast. I can't even hit them!"

Lyra's eyes flashed with determination. "Leave it to me."

Her hands crackled with energy, a deep red light gathering in her palms. With a fierce cry, she unleashed her spell.

"Infernal Ruin!"

A wave of hellfire erupted from her hands, scorching the surrounding shadows. Several of the shadowy figures shrieked as they were consumed by the flames, but others continued to shift, avoiding the attack with uncanny precision.

"We need something stronger!" Elias shouted, frustration mounting. He could feel the drain on his energy, his abilities still in the process of regeneration. He couldn't rely on his usual brute force.

Althea stepped forward, her staff glowing with divine light. "Then I'll give us the advantage."

With a graceful flick of her wrist, Althea summoned a burst of radiant light, dispelling the

shadows in a radius around them. The darkness recoiled as if it was alive, and the once-hidden enemies became visible, their forms still shifting but now exposed.

Elias seized the moment, rushing forward. Phantom Step! He flickered through the air, his sword slicing through one of the shadow creatures, its form dissipating into nothingness.

But there were more-many more.

"Divine Judgment!" Althea cried out, summoning a massive burst of holy light that blasted through the shadows, forcing them to retreat.

Lyra took advantage of the opening, her hands. crackling with blue energy as she unleashed a devastating bolt of arcane energy.

"Arcane Devastation!" The blast of raw magical force tore through the remaining shadows, leaving nothing but wisps of smoke in its wake.

The battlefield quieted for a moment, the oppressive dark finally starting to recede.

"Good job, both of you," Elias said, breathing heavily but feeling a sense of relief. "I couldn't have handled that alone."

Althea offered a small smile, though it was tinged with exhaustion. "We're a team. We work together or not at all."

Lyra nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. "And we're just getting started. There's always more."

The trio gathered together, their eyes scanning the darkness as it began to shift once again.

[SYSTEM ALERT: ENEMY AMBUSH IMMINENT.]

Elias gripped his sword tighter. This floor would test more than just their physical strength-it would test their unity.

"Ready?" Elias asked.

"We were born ready," Lyra replied with a confident smirk.

"Let's finish this," Althea added, her staff glowing brightly.

And so, they pressed forward together, stronger for having fought as one.