The three ran carefully over the icy ground, their steps cautious as they navigated the slippery surface. Once out of the frozen, treacherous patch, they quickened their pace.
Within a minute, they reached the previously wide space where the rest of the group was gathered. The sight that greeted them left them gasping.
Every inch of the space was covered in Small Cave Spiders—crawling on the floor, scaling the walls, and even hanging from the ceiling.
"Party 5! Don't spread out! Keep the defensive line tight! Mages, cast your biggest spells! No need to save them!" Kali, the only leader material left in Party 2, shouted commands with urgency.
Thanks to Kali's efforts, the party held on precariously. The battle was clearly taking its toll, with the party being slowly pushed back.
The spiders emerged from every direction, making it increasingly difficult to keep everyone protected. The absence of tanks meant there was no one to draw the enemies' attention, causing the fight to devolve into chaos.
Aster assessed the situation and quickly formulated a plan.
"Let everyone retreat to this passage! I'll handle the rest!" he instructed Lizandrea. After a short pause, he then turned to Celestinya. "And Tina, you help Liz clear the path!"
Without delay, Liz and Tina sprang into action.
"Everyone! Keep your positions tight and slowly retreat to this passage!" Lizandrea commanded. "Knight's Challenge!"
She activated her taunt skill, creating a 10-meter sphere of influence around her that drew all nearby spiders toward her. The spiders, unable to resist, surged towards Lizandrea.
"Shield of Valor!" Lizandrea called out.
As the spiders swarmed her from all sides, she enveloped herself in a thin, golden shield that repelled their attacks.
With half the field cleared of spiders thanks to her skill, Celestinya moved to the other end. She began casting her own skills, her voice echoing through the room. "TAUNT! METAL BODY!"
With the two tanks working in unison, a clear path in the middle began to form. The entire Raid Party started to retreat into the passage Aster and the others had come from.
"Perfect! Cast it as soon as you can and create a barricade at least a meter thick!" Aster instructed.
Without delay, Aster focused his attention solely on his Legacy Level Magic Carved Seal. He blocked out thoughts of the boss and prepared his spell. After five seconds of intense concentration, he opened his eyes and commanded, "Burn!"
A wave of searing heat radiated from Aster, causing the temperature in the chamber to soar. The room began to blaze, and the mage's Wall of Earth sealed the entrance just in time. The brief heatwave was intense enough to make everyone sweat.
Beyond the wall, the chamber became a furnace. The ice melted instantly, and the trapped spiders turned to ashes before they could even touch the ground. The temperature skyrocketed to 3,000 degrees, causing the air to expand and moisture to evaporate.
A steam explosion followed, with oxygen reacting with the carbonized remains of spiders and filling the space beyond the barrier with pure carbon dioxide.
"...!"
The wall began to glow red from the extreme heat. The temperature was so high that it reached them even through the thick barricade.
"Everyone, fall back! Miss Mage, another Wall of Earth, please!" Aster ordered.
"Y-Yes! Secundi Tiroe Skild! Wall of Earth!" the mage responded, summoning a second layer of protection.
With the additional barrier, the searing heat could no longer be felt. The group waited anxiously, the vibrations from the explosion causing them to remain on edge.
Five minutes later, the chamber fell silent. Aster knew the passage would be filled with carbon dioxide, so he needed to disperse it before checking.
He cast his freezing spell again, lowering the temperature to draw in fresh air from outside. After replacing the carbon dioxide with breathable air, he heated it and then froze it, repeating the process over ten times to ensure the air was clear.
"Take down the barrier," Aster instructed.
The mage carefully dispelled the Wall of Earth as requested. When the barrier fell, the scene inside the chamber was revealed. The once-feared boss monster lay in the center, greatly weakened!
Aster smiled, relieved. 'Even though it's immune to spells, it seems it was still affected by the byproducts,' he thought. 'Carbon dioxide poisoning did the trick.'