[Chapter 279. Against the Basilisk]

Not long after, they met up near the western edge of the basin, where the dust had settled into deeper drifts. Iris saw them approaching before they could see her and looked them over. The once pristine silver-white armor of Sarah and Lana was now caked with smudges of blood that had long since dried into dark, crusty patches, and the reddish-brown dust that drifted around the floor had worked its way into every joint and crevice. Carmen stood slightly apart from them, her golden staff held loosely at her side. Its surface was marred by the same reddish dust that coated everything in this forsaken place, her expression unreadable as she met Iris's gaze with a slight nod of acknowledgment.

Iris's silver eyes swept over the approaching women, taking in the state of their armor and the weariness in their postures. She noticed the way Sarah's shoulders drooped slightly, how Lana kept adjusting her grip on Wavebreaker, and how Carmen's gaze darted constantly toward the dark entrance beneath the tree.

"I see you were busy. It is good that his gifts did not go to waste on you," Iris said in a low tone that carried through the still air of the basin. She turned her head toward the entrance of the root system below the tree—a gaping maw of darkness. The entrance was framed by twisted roots that curled like skeletal fingers, their bark blackened and cracked with age. The air flowing up from below was cool and carried the scent of damp earth.

"Did you bring the Ancora Sinteralis with you?" Iris asked while taking out a sprig of the silver shrubs she had gathered earlier. The silver leaves shimmered in the light, their surface reflecting the eerie glow of the Labyrinth. She rolled the twig between her armored fingers, the small stems making a soft rustling sound as they brushed against each other.

"Sure did," Sarah chimed in as she pulled a handful of the silver leaves out of her storage ring with a flourish, the gesture somewhat spoiled by the dried blood that caked her gauntlets. The leaves tumbled in her palm, their surfaces catching the light as if they were freshly minted coins. "Don't want to get scolded again," she added in a soft mumble that was barely audible over the gentle hiss of dust swirling around their boots.

"Then let's go," Iris said as she headed toward the sloping path below the ground, her movements confident and purposeful. The entrance to the root system was a jagged opening in the earth lined with roots that twisted like the veins of some great beast.

Once the light from the surface faded, Carmen's staff began to glow brighter. However, the soft light it gave off was soon outshone by the brilliant radiance of a crystal lantern in Iris's hand. The lantern was a marvel of craftsmanship, its crystal facets cut with such precision that they seemed to absorb the very darkness around them, transforming it into a pure, white light that illuminated their path with unwavering clarity. Iris let go of it, and instead of dropping to the ground, it began to hover around her like a planet orbiting its sun, its gentle light casting long shadows that danced and twisted along the rough-hewn walls of the tunnel.

"Wow, that is so cool! Did Searanox give you that as well?" Sarah jumped forward, her nose almost touching the floating lantern, her excitement momentarily overriding the exhaustion that had been evident in her posture just moments before. Her eyes were wide with wonder, reflecting the light of the lantern like twin pools of liquid.

"Yes, he gave me many things..." Iris said proudly, before her chin dropped slightly and she added in a low tone that was barely audible over the soft echo of their footsteps. "He gave me everything. Without him, I would be nothing." The words were spoken with a conviction that went beyond mere loyalty—a depth of emotion that seemed out of place coming from someone who had so recently been created.

Sarah peeked up from behind the lantern, looking at Iris, her curiosity piqued by the sudden shift in demeanor. "Did you say something?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine confusion.

Lana punched Sarah in the shoulder, the metal of their armor ringing in the silence of the tunnel like the tolling of a distant bell. "Don't jump around with your skills. They are for fights and emergencies only." Her voice was sharp with concern, the words serving as both a reminder and a warning.

"You're just jealous that you can't jump straight from the bath into your bed," Sarah said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She poked her tongue out between glossy pink lips as she leaned slightly forward, her armor plates creaking softly with the movement. The gesture was childish—out of place amidst the roots and darkness surrounding them.

Lana looked at her in surprise. "What did you just say?" Her brow furrowed slightly beneath the helmet of her silver-white armor, the motion barely visible in the soft glow of Carmen's staff. The contrast between Lana's serious demeanor and Sarah's playful antics was stark.

"Nothing." With those words, Sarah vanished from her side and reappeared behind Carmen. The healer's small stature didn't hide her at all. Carmen barely flinched, though her fingers tightened momentarily around her golden staff; she was accustomed to Sarah's sudden appearances by now. Sarah's armor plates scraped softly against the rough bark of the tunnel walls as she settled in behind her, a grin playing on her lips.

"Stop behaving like children," Iris's voice cut through the banter with a low growl, the sound carrying absolute authority.

`Then again, her energetic nature might be the reason Searanox finds her so attractive.`

Iris's silver eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she watched them, the thought crossing her mind with the speed of a lightning strike. The possessive edge to her internal assessment was something she chose not to examine too closely.

Shortly after, the tunnel opened up into the underground chamber beneath the tree. Iris moved forward slowly, her armored boots making no sound on the soft earth. The space expanded dramatically here, the roots above branching out like the ribs of some colossal beast. Just as she stepped further into the chamber, a hand fell on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Iris, do you mind if we... if we took on the boss?" Vanessa spoke up from behind her, her voice steady despite the clear hesitation in her words. The weight of her gauntleted hand was firm on Iris's shoulder, the metal plates cool against her own. "We talked about it amongst ourselves and we would like to try. Last time, Searanox killed it for us." Vanessa's eyes met Iris's in the dim light, a mixture of determination and anxiety warring in their depths. The memory of their previous encounter with this floor's boss hung unspoken between them.

Iris turned back, her eyes glowing with a very soft silver light, the luminous intensity increasing as she faced Vanessa directly. "You may, but I will be watching."

With that, the floating lantern vanished in a flash of blue light before Iris dissolved into mist, reappearing on a nearby root above them. The sudden shift in lighting cast their features into sharp relief, emphasizing the tension in their postures and the determination in their eyes.

She watched them look around by the dim glow of Carmen's staff that was the only light source left in the darkness. The golden staff's radiance cast elongated shadows across the walls, making the space feel both confined and cavernous. Then, they began to move further into the chamber. Lana led the pack in slow, deliberate steps. Her silver-white armor made soft metallic sounds, the rhythmic creaking of plates and joints echoing in the subterranean silence. Each footfall sent up tiny puffs of dust that swirled in the light like miniature spirits before settling once more.

Iris shifted positions on the upper root, moving along the petrified wood with silent grace. Her enhanced agility allowed her to navigate the complex network overhead as if it were level ground. From her vantage point, she could see the four women spread out in a rough diamond formation, their movements still bearing traces of uncertainty despite their recent power boost.

Her ears swiveled as one of them gagged loudly, the sound cutting through the chamber's stillness like a knife. Below her, a soft whisper drifted up not long after. "It tastes like soap."

As Iris looked down toward them, she saw they were looking at each other and gesturing with subtle movements of their hands and heads. She figured that they were talking over telepathy now, rather than using verbal communication that would give their position away even more than the light already did.

Iris's ears pricked up in a fraction of a second; there was the faintest sound of cracking rock deeper within. Soft cracks of expanding stone came from above, as well as the sounds of fine sand raining down from the ceiling, but this particular sound came from below. It wasn't as deep as she might have expected, suggesting the creature was closer than they realized.

She popped the Ancora Sinteralis into her mouth slowly, chewing the viscous plant with deliberate care. The silver leaves dissolved on her tongue, their metallic taste giving way to a bitter aftertaste.

Just then, a blinding flash of bright white light flooded the chamber.

The Giant Basilisk had already found them, thanks to their earlier banter and the constant noise they made. As the light cleared, Lana had already pulled her shield up, bracing for the incoming impact. The deep-blue, coral-like metal of her shield seemed to absorb the ambient light. As a bright cyan glow from the Corpse Lantern replaced the all-consuming brightness of the Basilisk's gaze, the petrifying energy washing over them in waves that made the very air feel thick and heavy.

Vanessa, having brought out a previously prepared Starfall Matrix from her tome the moment the light cleared, spotted the beast hanging upside down from one of the massive roots. The arcane bolt flew toward it, slamming into its thick, armored hide with a deafening crack that echoed through the chamber—the sound of breaking bone plates mixed with the splintering of stone-infused flesh.

The Giant Basilisk let out a screeching roar that reverberated through the subterranean chamber, a sound so piercing that the roots above seemed to vibrate in sympathetic resonance. The creature's throat convulsed visibly as the sound erupted, forcing loose debris to rain down upon them like a miniature avalanche. With a violent twist of its powerful body, the beast released its grip on the massive root, its six-clawed limbs disengaging with audible pops. It fell toward the ground in a controlled descent, its body rotating with an unnatural agility that defied its considerable mass.

Mid-air, the Basilisk twisted to align itself properly, turning to face its prey before impact. When it landed on all six legs, the cavern shook with such violence that dust cascaded from the ceiling in thick clouds, obscuring their vision for a brief moment. The shockwave of its landing sent cracks spiderwebbing across the stone floor, the force traveling through the very bones of the earth beneath their feet.