The moment the runes flashed, the entire room shifted.

Valecran's mask shattered into floating pieces.

Its fog-like body expanded, growing twice as large.

The four ghost-arms behind it fused into two massive arms, each one long enough to reach across the chamber.

The chamber went pitch-black.

Not dim.

Not hazy.

Completely black.

Even Rhys couldn't see his own hand.

Sophia gasped. "It took the light—!"

Aria swore. "I can't see anything!"

Caria's voice came steady through the dark. "Stay calm. Don't move until you hear it."

But they couldn't hear anything either.

The Warden made no noise.

Then—

A sudden pressure in the air, like something huge swinging toward them.

Rhys reacted on instinct, raising Runius just in time.

WHAM.

The blow hit him like a hammer.

It sent him flying back several feet—slamming into stone.

He hissed, "Damn—its strength doubled."

Aria yelled from somewhere nearby, "If I can't see it, I can't hit it!"

Sophia tried to fire a kinetic blast—

But the darkness swallowed even the flash of it.

"Nothing! It's eating the light itself!"

Caria thought fast. "Find it by pressure! When something big moves, the air shifts!"

Rhys closed his eyes.

No point keeping them open.

He focused on the faint changes in the air—

A push.

A tiny swirl.

A sudden pull.

"There!" he shouted.

Valecran charged in that direction—

A giant arm swinging.

Rhys dodged under it, sliding across the floor.

Aria followed the shout, swinging blind. Her blade scraped fog-armor—

Sparking.

"Hit!" she yelled.

Sophia slammed her staff down, sending a shockwave across the floor.

The ripple outlined Valecran's body for just a moment—like a silhouette made of glowing dust.

"There it is!" Sophia called out.

Caria dashed in low, daggers ready. She stabbed quickly at the glowing core shape.

Valecran roared, shaking the floor.

Rhys didn't wait.

He rushed at the revealed outline—

Jumped—

And brought Runius down in a heavy arc.

The blade cut through the fog body—

Hitting something solid inside.

Valecran stumbled back.

The darkness flickered.

A thin line of dim blue light returned.

Aria shouted, hopeful, "We're breaking the phase!"

But Valecran wasn't done.

The whole chamber trembled as the Warden drew in the mist—

Pulling it into itself like a vacuum.

Caria's eyes widened. "It's absorbing everything!"

Sophia warned, "Brace yourselves!"

Valecran's core began glowing violently—

Then exploded outward in a blast of force.

The darkness shattered.

Light flooded the room again.

And in the center stood a new form.

Valecran now looked almost completely solid.

Its body was made of hardened mist armor that shone like glass.

Two massive arms carried sharp, blade-like edges.

Its core burned like a white flame inside its chest.

Rhys whispered, "It's smaller… but stronger."

Aria grinned. "Perfect. Easier to hit."

Valecran vanished.

Not disappeared—

Moved too fast to track.

It reappeared behind Aria.

Rhys yelled, "Left!"

Aria spun—

Valecran's blade-arm clashed against her sword, sparks flying.

She skidded backward. "Holy—! It's fast!"

Sophia launched a kinetic blast—

Valecran dodged it like water slipping past a stone.

Caria struck at its leg—

It jumped back effortlessly.

Rhys exhaled sharply. "Its movements… are clean. Perfect. No wasted motion."

Valecran rushed him.

Rhys raised Runius just in time—

A heavy blow cracked the floor beneath them.

But Rhys held his ground.

"Hit it while I've got it!" he shouted.

Aria dashed in from the side and hacked at its arm.

Caria leapt up and stabbed at its shoulder joint.

Sophia struck its back with a burst of force.

The armor cracked.

Valecran roared, swiping a wide arc.

Everyone scattered.

"Keep pressure!" Caria said.

Aria charged again—

Valecran blocked.

Sophia fired—

Valecran side-stepped.

Caria struck low—

Valecran jumped.

Rhys watched its movement.

He waited.

He read the rhythm.

Valecran lunged at Sophia—

Rhys dashed in, faster than before.

He swung Runius upward with all the strength he had.

The blade pierced Valecran's chest—

Right through the glowing core.

The core flickered.

Cracked.

And shattered.

A huge wave of mist exploded outward, washing over the room like a cold wind.

Valecran's body froze—

Then fell apart into drifting fog.

The battle was over.

Aria collapsed onto the ground. "Finally!"

Sophia sat down, exhausted. "Three phases was too much…"

Caria sheathed her daggers. "At least it's done."

Rhys lowered Runius, breathing heavily but steady.

He looked toward the glowing staircase forming behind the cleared mist.

"The exit," he said.

Aria groaned but stood up. "Good. I need sunlight."

Sophia nodded. "And I want real air."

Caria smiled faintly. "Lyra will be happy we made it."

Rhys stepped forward.

"Let's go. She's waiting outside."

Rhys took one step toward the glowing staircase—

But Caria raised a hand.

"Wait."

Aria blinked. "Huh? Why? I'm two seconds from passing out."

Caria walked toward the spot where Valecran's core had shattered.

The drifting fog parted as she scanned the floor.

"Bosses in old dungeons always leave something behind," she said. "Even if it doesn't show at first."

Sophia stood up slowly. "A drop?"

Rhys nodded. "Makes sense. The Warden wasn't some mindless monster. It guarded something."

Caria crouched.

She reached through a thin layer of mist—

And her hand brushed something solid.

"Found it."

She lifted two items from the floor, still glowing faintly with lingering energy.

A small, leather-bound skill book with silver markings.

And—

A long, curved sword made of mist-like metal, its blade shifting between transparent and solid.

Aria's eyes widened. "Ohhh that looks dangerous. I want it."

Sophia tapped the book lightly. "What skill is this…?"

Caria held up the book first.

"The script is old," she murmured. "But the title is readable."

She turned it so they could see:

"Skill: Mist Step"

Allows the user to shift into a semi-transparent state for one instant, dodging an attack at close range.

Rhys raised an eyebrow. "A short-range teleport?"

"Not exactly," Caria corrected. "You don't move faster. You let the attack pass through you. Pure evasion."

Aria whistled. "That's broken."

Sophia looked impressed. "But timing it must be extremely hard."

Caria glanced at Rhys. "It matches your combat style."

Rhys blinked. "Me?"

"You rely on instinct," she said. "Not predictions. This skill needs that."

Aria jabbed him lightly with an elbow. "Congrats, hero. You get the cool dodge ability."

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