Saeldir maintained his seals, but it became painfully clear that his efforts alone were not enough.

The chameleon slipped through his restraints again and again. Its body phasing between presence and absence, ignoring the limits of space. This Boss monster clearly had a terrifying ability.

His sigils strained, silver lines flickering as they fought to grasp something that refused to stay fully real. The chameleon monster wasn't just camouflage, but it was phasing realms.

However, that changed the moment Sylmira and Adrius joined him.

Two Archmages stepped into the spellwork, their Magic flowing with absolute precision and overwhelming depth.

Sylmira's control layered itself over Saeldir's framework, reinforcing the structure rather than replacing it, while Adrius expanded the seals outward, redefining the very rules of movement within the arena.

Runes multiplied, interlocking into complex arrays that anchored space, weight, direction, and momentum all at once.

The air thickened. The floor beneath the seals hardened as if reality braced under the strain.

Together, the three Archmages from Elf and human kind forged the strongest restraining formation ever cast in that arena, or the whole world.

This time, the chameleon faltered.

King Gulben sensed the change immediately. He raised his blade and advanced without hesitation.

Aerchon moved in from the opposite side, silver aura flaring brighter as he struck with deliberate force, not to kill, but to drive the monster deeper into the restrain seal.

Aurdis followed their rhythm perfectly, her Magic guiding their positions, closing off escape angles and forcing the monster to react exactly as they intended.

Their attack herded the chameleon closer. Each attempt to vanish from the chameleon grew shorter and weaker, as the seals tugged at its body and dragged it back into place.

Its scales flickered erratically, colors stuttering as its control over invisibility fractured.

With a final coordinated push, they forced the monster directly into the heart of the restraining array.

The seals snapped shut.

The chameleon slammed against invisible walls, its limbs jerking as space itself refused to release it.

The ground trembled as it struggled, but for the first time since the battle began, it was truly held.

Sylmira glanced back once and nodded.

Arty received the signal and moved instantly.

She slammed her foot into the ground, channeling earth first. Stone surged upward beneath the chameleon. Jagged pillars erupt to pin its limbs and lock its body in place.

Before the creature could recover, fire followed. Flames coiled around the stone like snakes then detonated in controlled bursts that scorched its scales and drove heat deep into its restrained body.

Then the wind came.

Arty twisted her hand sharply, and compressed air howled into existence.

Blades of wind tore forward, striking again and again, accelerating the flames and hammering the monster with relentless force.

The assault never paused. They didn't intend to ever give it room to breathe.

Earth anchored it, fire burned it, and wind shredded it.

The attack was pure offense, executed without hesitation from Arty.

For the first time, the chameleon screamed. They didn't even know that a chameleon could scream but in this place, something like that didn't surprise them anymore.

They never saw a chameleon monster that had abilities like this before. Yet here, everything seems possible.

Erend watched from above with arms crossed and felt a brief flicker of approval.

He was impressed, but not surprised when looking at Arty. He had seen that kind of power before and felt it within himself.

Arty's control, her raw output, and the way she chained elements without hesitation, all of it came from the same source.

She had learned fast, grown fast, and now she was proving it.

Even King Gulben cast a brief glance in her direction. There was a trace of surprise in his eyes, as if he had not expected someone so young from human kind to unleash such a focused and devastating assault.

But he did not question it. He only adjusted his stance and kept moving forward, trusting her judgment. After all, she was Erend's sister.

Arty did not stop. She pressed the attack relentlessly, pouring power into every strike to strip away the monster's remaining resistance.

Cracks spread across the chameleon's scales, its movements growing sluggish as the combined restraints continued to suppress its abilities.

It became clear to everyone watching that the chameleon itself was not impossible to defeat. Its true threat had always been its ability to vanish and phase between realms. Once that was taken away, once space itself refused to let it escape, the monster was reduced to something that could be overwhelmed.

The three Archmages understood that truth better than anyone. As they sustained the seals, a grim thought passed between them. If this creature had appeared in the real world, without preparation, without the coordination of three Archmages with high skill, it would have become a disaster of the highest order.

The opening came at last.

King Gulben surged forward, golden aura blazing, and drove his blade straight into the chameleon's chest. The sword pierced deep, striking its heart in a single thrust.

The monster convulsed, then went still.

The moment the chameleon fell, its body began to dissolve, breaking apart into fragments of shimmering essence.

This time, the light that burst free was different. It was brighter, denser, and formed into larger particles that drifted through the air before surging toward them.

One by one, the essence entered their bodies.

When it did, a powerful surge erupted from within their bodies, spreading through their muscles, veins, and Magic circuits alike.

It was not subtle at all like before. Their cores pulsed, their senses sharpened, and their Magic responded as if awakened anew.

The strength they gained was so clear and unmistakable, far greater than what they had received from any previous level.

They exchanged looks instinctively. No words were needed because satisfaction showed clearly on every face.

They felt it in their balance, the way their Magic felt deeper and heavier, and in the ease with which they stood after such an intense battle. Their stamina felt like it wasn't drained much.

They were undeniably stronger than when they had first entered this Dungeon World.

Erend descended from above and landed among them, his wings folding back as his gaze moved across the group.

"Do you want to move on to the next level now or stop here first?" he asked calmly.

Billy exhaled slowly and shook his head. "We should rest. Our Magic energy needs time to recover."

Adrien nodded immediately. "I agree."

Sylmira, Adrius, and Saeldir felt the same. Even King Gulben gave a small nod of approval.

No one argued after that.

They had won decisively but they understood better than anyone that pushing forward without recovery would only invite disaster. After all, they knew that the situation wasn't going to be easier after this.

—

Inside their world, within the lush forest they had erected, Thar'Zul-Vekar sat cross-legged on the living earth with their eyes closed.

The canopy above them breathed softly, leaves glowing faintly with residual divine power as roots and vines pulsed in slow, steady rhythms beneath the soil. This place was calm, vibrant, and whole, yet his focus remained far from peace.

He extended his senses again and again, reaching outward through every layer of existence he could touch, searching for even the faintest trace of Zerathul's energy. He listened to the flow of Magic, to the echoes of corruption that should have lingered after such a clash of powers. But there was nothing. No leakage. No disturbance. No residue at all.

They had been doing this for some time now.

And that absence unsettled them more than any warning sign ever could.

Despite finding nothing, unease settled deeper into their core. Anxiety coiled tightly around their thoughts, because they could not understand why Zerathul had withdrawn so completely. A being like that did not retreat without reason.

If Zerathul had truly absorbed Krono, then Thar'Zul-Vekar could only reach one conclusion. The silence meant preparation. It meant absorption. It meant that somewhere beyond perception, Zerathul was taking his time to fully claim the Time Dragon's power.

And that thought left them feeling far less safe than before.

Then, suddenly, they felt it.

After so long with nothing but silence, a foreign pulse brushed against their senses.

It was faint, almost imperceptible because it was just lasting no more than a blink, but Thar'Zul-Vekar recognized it instantly.

It was Zerathul's energy.

That single flicker was enough.

Their eyes snapped open as power surged through the forest. The ground responded at once, roots tightening and leaves shivering around them as if a storm had passed through the world in a single breath.

Thar'Zul-Vekar rose without hesitation, their body lifting smoothly above the canopy as emerald light gathered around them.

They tore open a rift in the air, space folding apart like living bark split by lightning. Without pausing, they entered it, vanishing from their forest in a flash of verdant radiance.

Their destination was already clear.

Thar'Zul-Vekar knew this disturbance came from the world where the ancient Storm God was sealed.

—