Dawn on the thirty-fourth floor broke with a soft golden brightness that passed through the dense foliage of the tropical forest, dispelling the morning mist and revealing a landscape of vibrant natural life that contrasted sharply with the freezing harshness of the previous sectors. As the artificial sun reached the zenith of the vaulted ceiling, I organized the squad into our usual tactical formation — with Scarlet at the vanguard, followed by Liriel's assistant, Rai'kanna, Elara, Vespera, Lyannis, Liriel, and me closing the rear with my sword firmly sheathed —, ready to cross the remainder of the sector and reach the portal that would lead the group toward the dreaded thirty-fifth floor. The walk along the moss- and fern-covered trails proceeded in surprisingly peaceful fashion, allowing us to absorb the invigorating energy of that lush environment before taking the next step in our deep incursion into the dungeon.
After a few hours of continuous marching among ancient trees and streams of crystalline water, we reached the imposing runic structure that marked the boundary between the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth floors. Using the special key collected at the end of the previous sector, I unlocked the mechanism with a precise movement, causing the great stone doors to slowly open and allow passage toward the new instance. As soon as we crossed the threshold in formation, the atmosphere around us underwent an instantaneous, drastic, and deeply suffocating mutation: the pleasant humidity and tropical heat disappeared completely, replaced by an oppressive gloom, a sepulchral silence, and heavy air that seemed to actively drain the vitality and mana from every cell of our bodies from the exact moment we set foot in the new territory.
The thirty-fifth floor revealed itself as a vast expanse combining the ruins of abandoned ancient temples and basalt stone columns covered with corrupted inscriptions, all enveloped by a stagnant gray mist that limited visibility to short distances. Almost immediately, I felt my spiritual core emit a slight pulse of resistance, signaling that the very air of that sector acted as an arcane drainage field, slowly sucking away the magical energy reserves of every member of the group without us being able to prevent it. Liriel's assistant was the first to demonstrate the side effects of this invisible pressure, bringing a hand to her forehead with an expression of slight dizziness and breathing with some difficulty as she adjusted the support of her garments. I allowed a serene and analytical thought to occupy my mind as I carefully assessed the situation: the true strength of a group of experienced adventurers lies not only in the abundance of their powers when conditions are favorable, but in the mental resilience and strategic discipline to reason clearly and conserve resources when the very environment around them attempts to silently disarm them, turning fatigue and mana scarcity into invisible weapons against their survival.
"This atmosphere is draining our mana at an alarming rate," Scarlet commented, frowning as she pulled at the grips of her daggers and tested the fluidity of her bodily reflexes. "I feel as if my internal spells were twice as heavy as normal, as though an invisible anchor were pulling my energy toward the bottom of the ground with every step we take through these ruins."
"Scarlet is right about the energy anomaly of this place," Liriel confirmed with an expression of intense concentration, raising her runic staff to try to stabilize the flows around us, although its crystalline top emitted only a faint and trembling light. "This floor was designed with a large-scale network of drainage runes. It not only consumes the mana accumulated in our cores, but also directly interferes with the effectiveness of the support and healing spells we normally use to keep ourselves protected."
"We need to strictly ration the use of large-scale spells and advance exclusively through coordinated physical combat and basic alchemical support," Elara intervened, quickly opening her reagent bag to separate stamina and spiritual resistance potions, which she promptly distributed among her companions. "If we continue spending energy on unnecessary spells, we will be completely exhausted and vulnerable before we even reach halfway."
We advanced with extreme caution through the winding corridors of the ancient ruins, stepping over dark stone slabs that echoed hollowly and distantly beneath our boots. Every ten meters, the sensation of weight in the air seemed to intensify, testing the limits of the physical and spiritual endurance of each member of the squad. To mitigate the impact of the arcane drainage on the girls, I maintained a low-intensity protective aura around the group, using my own internal energy to shield the immediate perimeter and ensure that extreme fatigue would not compromise my companions' combat reflexes during the crossing.
On the second day of continuous exploration through the labyrinthine paths of that underground temple, the oppressive silence was broken by a metallic and shrill roar that echoed through the basalt walls. Moments later, dozens of humanoid creatures with rusted iron armor and eyes glowing with a red, spectral light emerged from the shadows of the fallen columns, surrounding our squad in a perfect semicircle of relentless hostility. They were the corrupted guardians, combat automatons created by the energies of the Demon King, specialized in ambushing adventurers weakened by mana drain.
"Closed combat formation! Keep your attacks focused on the armor's joints to conserve mana!" I ordered in a firm and cutting voice, drawing my sword and advancing to the vanguard beside Scarlet. "Vespera and Lyannis, use only basic kinetic pulses to destabilize their advance. No complex spells!"
The tactical response was executed with surgical precision and exemplary discipline. Vespera and Lyannis fired focused kinetic waves that knocked down the first line of automatons, while Scarlet and Rai'kanna advanced with rapid strikes from blades and spears, shattering the enemies' support mechanisms. Infusing my sword with a controlled charge of internal energy, I delivered a devastating horizontal slash that pulverized half a dozen guardians at once, opening space for us to eliminate the remainder of the horde within a few minutes of direct confrontation.
Despite the quick victory, the effort required by the battle in an environment of intense drainage took its toll, leaving the group visibly fatigued. We located a protected alcove among the ruins of an ancient chapel and decided to set up a temporary camp, lighting a controlled campfire with firewood from the magic bag to share a nutritious meal and recover our strength through hours of deep sleep, preparing our spirits for the even greater challenges that awaited in the depths of the thirty-fifth floor.