The sounds of blows and clashing attacks echoed through the area.
After a few exchanges, Liam moved his right hand with precision, slicing off one of the arms of a golem he was fighting.
Seizing the opening, Liam drove his left hand—enveloped in cutting magic—through that same golem's body, shattering its vital core.
Bang!
Another golem struck him with a punch charged with explosive water.
Liam blocked with his forearms, yet the blow still sent him skidding back dozens of meters.
Refusing to be swept away by the momentum of the Crab Prince's attack, Liam planted his feet to halt his movement using friction and a touch of magic.
The moment he stopped, he dodged white projectiles and blasts of pressurized water, then sliced to pieces the lower-ranked golems that lunged at him.
The two remaining Crab Princes were already closing in on him through the air.
He knew he had to be fast and precise before the other Crab Prince could regenerate.
...
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!...
Several explosive fireballs destroyed some lower-ranked golems that were gathering to attack Sirem, who was currently fighting two C+-rank humanoid golems.
Sirem had blood on her face and red bruises on her arms; she had defeated other C+-rank golems just minutes earlier, but her stamina was reaching its limit, and she hadn't even had time to drink her potions.
"Make the most of the time!" Margaret created dozens of purple magical energy daggers, slicing several golems—including the C+-rank ones—to pieces; but at that very moment, "arachnid golems" leaped from the tunnels, ready to join the fray.
"Damn it, this is hell." Despite that thought, and with hands trembling from fatigue and muscle pain, Sirem quickly drank two potions: one for mana and the other for stamina.
She knew she had to absorb the potions' properties in the heat of battle, as the dungeon wouldn't be merciful enough to let her meditate.
Sirem returned to the fight but immediately had to dodge long, razor-sharp legs emerging from the mist.
She glanced at her right thigh; it was bleeding. The wound was somewhat deep, but not severe enough to stop her.
"If Vivian hadn't marked those golems, they'd be lethal." Sirem sprinted across the battlefield, putting distance between herself and the arachnid golems until she could absorb some of the effects of the potions she had consumed.
...
The danger of the red-eyed "Arachnid Golems" lay in the fact that, upon emerging from the tunnels, their rank rose from C to C+; furthermore, they moved with great speed, and their legs were as sharp as swords.
Vivian had also consumed a mana potion; she now had six controlled golems protecting her and destroying the hostile ones.
Vivian's beautiful face was pale, and blood trickled from her nose due to the strain she was placing on her body by constantly channeling mana.
She felt the mental fatigue bringing on a headache and dizziness, yet she refused to give up.
...
Nearly ten streaks of glowing mana cut through the mist, and the Crab Princes fell, sliced into pieces.
A trickle of blood ran down Liam's mouth; he had taken a hit but used defensive magic to withstand the impact, seizing the opening to finish off those two golems.
Liam knew that behind him, the other Crab Prince was already finishing its regeneration, and the remaining hundred or so lower-ranked golems were closing in; yet, he simply sprinted toward the blue-black crab.
Dozens upon dozens of magical slashes tore apart the vital cores of the golems blocking his path.
Boom!
The lake's surface erupted as one of the blue-black crab's heavy pincers slammed into the water.
A wave rose up like a natural barrier, yet Liam showed no hesitation.
With his hands wreathed in mana and slicing spells, he cut through the wave and closed the distance to the blue-black crab golem.
Liam raised his right hand high, preparing for a precise vertical slash.
Bang!
Bang!
Two jets of pressurized water shot from the blue-black crab golem's maw—one aimed at Liam's right arm, the other at his left.
The impact fractured his right arm, but Liam didn't stop; he dodged the second attack and unleashed an upward slash with his left hand, slicing the crab golem in two. However, immediately after defeating that golem, he sensed the crab prince, which had already appeared right beside his right flank.
Bang!
...
The fog began to fluctuate; this was an indication that the floor boss had already died, so the fog would gradually disappear.
Sirem sighed but did not let her guard down; she was still battling numerous dangerous golems.
She smashed two Rank-C golems with her fists, dodged the razor-sharp legs of two Arachnid Golems, and then kicked apart a Crab Golem that had been firing water bullets at her.
Sirem was sweating, her body covered in blood and bruises.
Margaret destroyed the Arachnid Golems with two magic spears.
Seizing the moment, Sirem drank more potions.
...
Cough! Cough!
Vivian wiped her mouth, tasting blood; the dungeon was truly relentless, and she was only staying on her feet thanks to the potions.
But this time she managed to manipulate a Arachnid Golem that sliced through enemies like butter. However, since Vivian didn't fully understand how the golem worked, she couldn't make it fire the white bullets.
But with the golems she was manipulating at the time, her defense was solid enough; she simply had to hold out until the fog cleared.
...
Liam had one knee on the ground, wiping away the blood that ran from his eyebrow to his right eye. Despite the defensive spells he used, this time the enemy's attack did cause him some injuries.
"He managed to regenerate just before the Golem Boss was destroyed. Lucky bastard." With that thought in mind, Liam began dodging other golems rushing to attack him—including several Arachnid Golems.
Liam exhaled; wasting no more time, he hacked apart the golems serving as mere cannon fodder and immediately moved to attack the Crab Prince.
Liam made three cuts: the first severed one of the Golem Prince's arms, the second cut off the other, and the final blow sliced its vital core in two.
"You're no match for me anymore."
Liam looked up and spotted the three Arachnid Golems firing white projectiles as they leapt toward him.