Chapter : 615

Princess Iris walked at the front of the formation. Her violet eyes scanned the dark area. Her silver rapier was ready in her hand. She looked left and right. She wanted to protect her team from any sudden danger. She walked with a calm, confident stride.

Naomi walked next to Ken. Her bright red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. She wore simple dark pants and a gray shirt. Her green eyes looked around the dark hall. She smiled a very warm, friendly smile at Ken.

"Just stay behind me, Ken," Naomi promised softly. "I will keep you totally safe. Do not worry about the dark. Nothing will hurt you."

"I am not worried about monsters," Ken replied lazily. He took another potato chip. "I just do not like damp places. Damp air ruins my hair completely. My spikes will go flat. It is a massive fashion disaster. I need a dry climate for my hairstyle."

Luna rubbed her sleepy eyes. The lightning user let out a massive yawn. A knitted blanket covered her shoulders. She shuffled her feet. "I agree with Ken. The air is too cold here. I want a warm bed. This place is terrible for a nap. The rocks are too hard."

"We cannot take a nap right now," Zinia chuckled deeply. The strong earth mage cracked her knuckles. Her voice boomed slightly in the large space. "We have a job to do. We need to find the prize. We can sleep later."

Risa hugged her stuffed teddy bear tightly. The sweet pink-haired healer looked at the glowing green plants outside the bubble. "The plants are very pretty. But the shadows look very scary. I hope the fishes leave us alone."

Ira stood perfectly still. The water mage controlled the giant bubble flawlessly. Her pale face showed zero emotion. "Statistically speaking, ancient ruins contain automated defense mechanisms. We should anticipate a hostile encounter very soon. The probability is very high."

Ira was absolutely correct.

The water outside the magical bubble suddenly shifted. Massive shapes moved in the dark lake. The water churned violently. Large figures stepped out of the gloomy depths. They marched toward the 13th Unit.

Ancient aquatic golems appeared. They surrounded the magical bubble entirely.

They were not normal rock monsters. They were made of dark blue stone. Wet seaweed draped over their broad shoulders. Colorful coral grew on their massive chests. They had glowing red eyes. They carried large, rusted metal tridents. They looked incredibly intimidating. They guarded the labyrinth relentlessly.

"Enemies approaching," Ira stated in a flat, robotic voice. "They are automated guardians. They protect the ruins from intruders."

Laxmi grinned widely. The fire user punched her open palm. Bright orange flames popped around her fingers. Her golden eyes lit up with pure excitement. "Finally! I want to fight! I am so bored! Let me roast them!"

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Laxmi ran to the very edge of the transparent bubble. The golems stepped closer. They pressed against the magical shield. They were totally soaked in lake water. Cold liquid dripped from their rocky bodies. They stared at the girls.

Laxmi pulled her arm back. She gathered a massive amount of heat in her hand. "Take this, you ugly fish rocks!" Laxmi shouted loudly.

She threw a massive fireball. The fire zoomed toward the first aquatic golem. The fireball passed through the edge of the magical bubble. It entered the deep water outside.

The fireball hit the wet monster. It did not explode. It did not create a massive blast. It just made a very quiet sizzling sound. The bright orange flames died instantly.

The cold lake water completely extinguished the fire. The immense moisture killed the flames in a fraction of a second. Only a tiny puff of steam remained. The golem did not even flinch. It just stared at Laxmi with its glowing red eyes. It raised its rusted trident.

Laxmi gasped in pure shock. She stared at her empty hands. "My fire! It did not work! What happened?"

"The ambient moisture is entirely too high," Sayma explained quickly. She opened her neat notebook. "The golems are completely saturated with deep lake water. The water pressure outside the bubble is immense. Your thermal energy is completely neutralized. Fire magic is totally useless in this specific environment."

Laxmi crossed her arms over her chest. She looked incredibly annoyed. She pouted. "This is completely unfair. I cannot do anything. My best attacks are ruined. I hate water levels."

Princess Iris frowned deeply. She analyzed the tactical situation. "Fall back, Laxmi. We must try a different approach. Your magic will not work here."

Naomi spun her twin silver daggers. The metal blades clicked sharply. She prepared to dash forward. She wanted to use her green wind magic. She wanted to slice the golems into pieces.

"I will slice them apart," Naomi declared confidently. She took a step toward the edge of the bubble.

"Stop, Naomi," Sayma warned politely. She held her hand out to block the vanguard leader. "You cannot use your wind magic either. Your high-speed dashes create massive air turbulence. We are inside a localized breathing field. If you create too much turbulence, you will destabilize the bubble entirely. The shield will pop. The lake water will crush us instantly."

Naomi stopped walking. Her green eyes widened. She slowly slid her daggers back into their sheaths. "You are right. I cannot risk breaking the bubble. I am completely benched. We cannot use our usual strategies."

The aquatic golems raised their rusty tridents. They marched forward. They moved slowly. But they possessed incredible, raw physical strength. They wanted to destroy the intruders. They banged their tridents against the magical bubble. The transparent shield vibrated slightly.

Ken Eliot saw the giant stone monsters. He stopped chewing his potato chip. He dropped his bag of snacks onto the dry floor. He gasped loudly. He threw his hands high into the air. He put on a highly exaggerated, comical expression of pure terror.

"Ahhhh! Giant wet rock zombies!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs. His voice cracked with fake panic.

He turned around instantly. He ran away from the front line. He found a large, broken stone pillar near the back of the bubble. He dived directly behind the pillar. He curled into a tight, comfortable ball. He covered his head with his arms.

"I am staying right here!" Ken shouted from his hiding spot. "I do not have gills! I am not a fish! If that bubble pops, I will drown! I absolutely refuse to become fish food! Please deal with the zombies quickly!"

Naomi looked back at the stone pillar. She smiled a very soft, fond smile. She was glad he found a safe spot. She wanted him to stay entirely out of danger. She liked knowing he was protected.

"Just stay behind the pillar, Ken!" Naomi called out gently. "We will handle these monsters! Do not move!"2026-09-12 08:00