[Chapter 148. Under constant pressure]

Her blade carved through the ethereal form again, each swing scattering more of the floating skeletal remnants within the churning water. Dark fragments of bone fell away with each pass of her Zweihänder, the creature's watery body shivering and distorting as she struck, the turquoise energy from her blade rippling through its translucent form. The sound of her weapon cutting through water was unnervingly soft compared to the usual metallic impacts she was accustomed to, making each strike feel almost ineffective despite the visible damage.

The Revenant's form grew increasingly unstable with each bone she destroyed. When the skull within its shifting depths finally cracked and clattered to the stone, its eye sockets hollow and empty even in spectral form, the construct collapsed. The brackish water fell to the ground in a splash that barely registered against the cavern's constant ambient sounds, revealing the decayed body that had animated it—skeletal remains covered in tattered, waterlogged flesh. The murky liquid quickly mixed with the pristine water of the nearby pool, creating a swirling cloud of darkness that slowly dispersed.

The fight was over, but the cold still lingered deep in her bones—an internal frost that refused to abate, crawling through her veins like ice. There was nothing she could do to combat this chill; she could not even build a fire. This dungeon offered no wood to burn, only endless water, wet stone, and coral formations that refused to catch flame, their surfaces perpetually damp.

Iris moved beneath the overhanging terrace, descending further down. The light grew dimmer with each step she took, the bioluminescent fungi becoming sparser as she ventured deeper. Fifty meters down, the ceiling lowered until it hovered just above her head, creating a confined space that felt safer somehow despite reducing her visibility. She decided to rest there briefly, needing to recover her mana. Fighting on this second level of the Tidal Terrace had proven no easy feat. The creatures here were significantly stronger than those on the first level, their resilience and tactics more sophisticated.

As she rested, her thoughts turned to the dungeon and everything she had learned so far. The Scuttlers' supposed weaknesses that seemed theoretical at best given their relentless assault tactics. Her encounter with the Revenant had been easier in some ways but far more dangerous than the hulking brutes that dealt only physical blows. The Revenant inflicted damage with a mere touch, an insidious cold that penetrated even her enchanted armor.

That damage persisted even now as she sat beneath the terrace, the cold still present in her body, making her movements slightly stiff despite her enhanced physique. The golden bracer on her arm flared with a dull white light as she poured mana into it, the drain significant but necessary. When sufficiently charged, a pale green glow enveloped her, the light warm against her fur despite the surrounding dampness.

The chill in her bones subsided as the healing light washed over her, the sensation similar to thawing after prolonged exposure to winter's bite. The Tidal Healing Bracer was costly to use but undeniably effective against this strange form of damage. With her body healed and her rest continuing, she retrieved a plate of freshly grilled meat from her storage ring. It was still piping hot, the aroma rich and savory—a stark contrast to the salty dampness of the cavern. The Minor Storage Ring preserved whatever it contained in perfect condition.

If it were not for Searanox, she would have none of these items. Her thoughts lingered on him for a moment as she chewed her meal, wondering whether he had encountered similar challenges in his own dungeon delves or if his power rendered such struggles trivial.

She remained beneath the overhang until her mana reserves reached capacity, the passage of time marked only by the rhythmic thundering of waterfalls vibrating through the stone beneath her. The constant sound had become a strange companion, its steady pulse counting the minutes as she focused inward. While resting, several Lesser Murky Gill-folk ambushed her from nearby pools, their wet skin glistening in the dim light as they emerged. Their crude weapons—sticks with sharpened stones tied to their ends—splashed uselessly against her armor as she dispatched them with casual strikes, the turquoise glow of her Zweihänder briefly illuminating the cavern before their bodies sank into the crystalline depths. Their attacks interrupted her thoughts but posed no real threat, their desperate flailing barely registering through her enhanced senses.

With her mana fully restored, Iris resumed her descent toward the terrace's edge. The walkways grew increasingly treacherous, the stone slicker and more uneven, forcing her to adjust her stride with each step. Along the way, she fought through both Lesser and Greater Shoreclaw Scuttlers—the former falling in single strikes, while the latter required multiple Arcane Strikes and careful positioning to overcome. Each battle demanded a calculated expenditure of mana and stamina, her movements becoming more efficient with every encounter.

As she approached the terrace's rim, more Gill-folk emerged from the crystalline waters ahead. They appeared identical at first glance, rising from the pools with the same glistening skin and unblinking yellow eyes. As Iris drew closer, distinctive features became apparent.

There were five of them, unarmored like their predecessors. Two carried shields resembling massive turtle shells that covered most of their bodies, while the remaining three wielded tridents crafted from vibrant red and purple coral that seemed to pulse with inner light. The tridents appeared more refined than the crude weapons of their lesser kin, their sharpened points gleaming in the cavern's shifting light.

Iris closed the distance with Blade Step, vanishing and reappearing beside one of them in a swirl of turquoise energy. Her Zweihänder swept through the air in a deadly arc, but instead of finding flesh, it crashed against the shell-like shield with a dull thud that sent vibrations up her arm. She had not aimed for the shield—it would have been inefficient—but it had deflected her strike. The shield bore no damage, nor did its wielder, who barely flinched from the impact.

Confusion flickered through her mind as another anomaly registered—she had not targeted the shield-bearer, yet one now stood before her. Something was wrong.

She pulled her blade back, swinging it in a wide arc to deflect a coral trident thrusting toward her chest. The attacks came rapidly, forcing her into a defensive stance she had worked hard to avoid. One block followed another, her movements precise but reactive rather than proactive, the sound of metal against coral creating a staccato rhythm beneath the waterfall's constant roar.

After deflecting a particularly aggressive series of thrusts, a brief opening presented itself. Her blade swept wide, turquoise energy erupting along its length as she unleashed an Arcane Strike.

The glowing blade impacted another shield with explosive force. The wielder lurched forward unnaturally, as if drawn toward her weapon by the shield itself. As the turquoise light washed across its surface, a dull defensive shimmer enveloped it—a magical ward she recognized from Lana's abilities.

The skill activated just as her blade met the shell: a magical reinforcement that absorbed and redirected her strike, the surface shimmering with an ethereal barrier glowing pale blue. Before she could process the implications of this unexpected defense, a coral trident glowing with purple energy thrust toward her chest. Iris twisted away with desperate speed, her body bending at an impossible angle as the weapon passed inches from her armor, the purple energy leaving trails of heat in its wake.

The trident displaced the air with explosive force, creating a gale that whipped her fur against her body and tore at the exposed skin of her face. As the weapon reached its apex, a thunderous crack echoed across the terrace, followed by a physical blast that struck her with the force of a battering ram. The impact sent her tumbling backward, her balance lost in an instant. She rolled with the momentum, converting the fall into a smooth evasive maneuver that carried her several meters away from the five Gill-folk, her claws scraping against the wet stone as she fought to regain control of her trajectory.