The team pushed deeper into the center passage with the tension from Derek's outburst lingering like smoke. Students who had been chatting freely earlier now moved in near-silence, broken only by necessary tactical communication and the sound of boots on stone.
Kai maintained his position beside Lin, though she seemed subdued now, her earlier enthusiasm dampened by embarrassment. She kept her water essence ready but avoided looking at him directly.
The passage widened gradually, opening into a series of interconnected chambers separated by natural stone archways.
Essence crystals grew in dense clusters here with their light creating pools of illumination separated by deep shadows.
"Contact," Thomas called from his scout position. "There are slimes ahead, at least eight and are way larger than the ones we encountered earlier."
