Since Rocky had helped capture Floor 21 in an official floor raid, the Tower Of Ascension likened it to him clearing the floor, allowing him and his team to proceed to Floor 22, as all of them had contributed fairly to the previous war.
As per Principal Liam's teachings, Rocky arrived on floor 22 with full pre-preparations to ensure that he and his team had maximum chances of survival.
Stocked up on weapons, potions, utilities and rations, Rocky ensured that the team had everything necessary to clear the Floor-Raid, before setting foot on floor 22.
[ "Do you wish to take this floor test as a team or as individuals?" ]
The floor administrator asked the group when they arrived on the floor, as Rocky replied "Team" to convey their decision.
[ "Do you wish to take part in a dungeon clearing mission or in a administrator assigned mission?" ]
The floor administrator asked, as he gave the same two options to Rocky and crew as he gave to any other group attempting a floor test.
[ "We will take on the dungeon clearing mission" ] Rocky replied as per his discussion with Erin and Buhara before they started this raid.
There were 3 dungeons on floor 22 and the trio had studied about all three of those dungeons in depth within the academy. Find more to read at мѵʟ
They knew all the monsters found within these dungeons, their weaknesses and had purchased the dungeon maps in advance which would help them navigate its treacherous paths easily.
Hence, having prepared everything in advance, Rocky replied confidently, as the Floor Administrator tasked his group on clearing the dungeon 'Labyrinth of Whispers'.
The Labyrinth of Whispers was renowned for its intricate mazes and the eerie creatures that inhabited it, known as 'Whisperlings'.
These creatures were neither undead nor powerful beasts but were entities formed from the collective fears and secrets of climbers who had failed in the labyrinth.
They thrived on psychological manipulation, using illusions and mental attacks to disorient their prey and had no major weaknesses except a physical core which was hard to reach.
The labyrinth itself was divided into three main sections, each guarded by a powerful boss.
To reach the final chamber and complete the dungeon, the team had to defeat each boss and navigate the treacherous paths connecting them.
The room was dark, the only light coming from the eerie, glowing runes on the walls as in the center stood The Whispering Shade, its form shifting and indistinct, with whispers emanating from it like a dark chant.
"Now!" Rocky shouted as Erin immediately cast a powerful light spell, bathing the room in a bright glow.
The Whispering Shade let out a screech as its form wavered, revealing a core of swirling darkness.
"Attack the core!" Rocky commanded, charging forward with his dual swords as Kronos charged ahead of him.
*SCREECH*
The massive shade broke away from its massive form under the threat, disintegrating into hundreds of thousands of small ghost-like shades which swirled towards Erin whose staff was the source of light.
"Come!" Buhara said as he unleashed a barrage of explosive spells, each blast lighting up the room and causing the smaller shades to disintegrate.
The Whispering Shade recoiled from the light, its form constantly shifting to avoid the attacks, yet Erin kept the light spells going, forcing the creature to remain in its vulnerable state.
Kronos took several hits from the smaller shades, but his regenerative abilities quickly healed the wounds, allowing him to keep fighting without pause, as he carved open a path for Rocky, leading him closer and closer to the creature's main core.
"Keep it up!" Rocky encouraged from behind him, as he could see victory being within his grasp.
[ Fire Slash ]
Using one of his sword abilities, Rocky unleashed a powerful Fire-Slash on the creature's core, as he ended the battle with one decisive strike.
As the echoes of the battle faded, the room was left in an eerie silence, allowing Rocky to take a deep breath and sheathe his swords.
"Well done, everyone. One down, two to go. Let's keep moving," he said, as he seemed to be in a hurry to end this dungeon raid, continuing the momentum while it lasted.
"You guys are pretty efficient together. I've never seen a strategy that worked before–" Kronos commented, as although he had been a part of many wars before, he had never seen a plan that went down exactly how the leader planned it to be.
"Haha, welcome to our team—" Erin said, grinning from ear to ear as he too was happy that their strategy worked out well.
However, unfortunately for them, While the dungeon run so far had been smooth, starting from the corridors coming next, 'Vorithra Sylithen' was about to kick in, plunging them into uncharted territory.