As they approached the exit to the Deep-Gill Grottos, Edge’s crew made rapid progress, following the magicytes upstream as they climbed through a steep series of tunnels and caverns.

  Gauge Depth informed him they were drawing near the surface, and when the mushrooms disappeared even though the hunters hadn’t entered a new sub-biome, he knew they had arrived at the borderlands ringing the periphery of the region.

  Since they hadn’t received an update from the System, his team still had some climbing to do before they passed through and reached the far side. Edge had a hunch they weren’t going to escape the grottos and complete the quest without running into something nasty—a climactic event deadly enough to entertain the planetary AI.

  Not long after, the walls opened to reveal a spacious enclosure. Everyone came to a stop at the mouth of the tunnel, using their sensory skills to obtain more information before stepping into the cavern beyond.

  The last chamber of the Deep-Gill Grottos wasn’t what Edge was expecting. Instead of being another fungus-filled cavern populated by warring beasts, the cave was home to an expansive subterranean lake. The moisture was pleasantly cool against his skin compared to the grottos’ muggy depths.

  Before the crew proceeded any further, they needed to see what they were dealing with. Fortunately, he had a towering pile of glowing crystals in his vault. He flung them around the enclosure and into the water until they had enough light to make out their surroundings.

  There was a waterfall pouring into the far end, where an underground river fed the pool before flowing into the biome below. The lake filled about 80% of the cave. The water was clear and so deep that he couldn’t see the bottom, which meant anything could be lurking below the surface.

  He ran his gaze across a narrow stone walkway ringing the perimeter of the enclosure. Near the base of the falls, he could see the entrance to another tunnel. That must be the exit that leads to where Trapper’s team is holed up.

  Several small islands dotted the lake’s surface—covered in a dense carpet of mold. While no one had spotted anything dangerous yet, Edge could tell from the women’s expressions they expected to encounter some manner of ambush or trap too. Everyone remained in place, scanning their surroundings before deciding how they wanted to proceed.

  “How much do you want to bet there’s something awful living in there?” Sasha pointed to the water.

  “By this point, I’d say it’s pretty much a given,” Mel replied while Lilly unlimbered her boltcaster and primed the first bolt.

  “If we fall in there, it will probably end badly for us,” Edge said.

  “What do you think those markings are?” Lillian pointed to a section of the wall above the perimeter path. Everyone stopped talking while they took a good look. He had noticed them already, but when the veteran shadowkiller voiced the question, Edge paid close attention to the unusual patterns.

  “They’re grooves from where the rock has been torn away,” Mel added after activating Enhance Vision. “Given their depth and width, it wasn’t a hunter’s weapon or a beast’s claws. They must have been made by some kind of offensive skill. Something strong enough to drill into solid stone.”

  “I’ve seen something like them before.” Sasha rubbed her chin. “My brother uses a water saw sometimes while making stone artwork. These remind me of the lines it left behind, only way bigger. Oh fuck, what is that?” She pointed to a section of the wall above the markings, where half a skeleton was clinging to the rock. Everything below the waist was missing, and one of the lines was perfectly aligned with the shorn bones.

  “Aquatic or amphibious enemy.” Edge put the pieces of the puzzle together. “High-rank, water-based attack skill with enough range to reach anywhere in the enclosure. Whatever is down there has a kill zone that encompasses the entire cavern. Even if its skill doesn’t kill its prey outright, the water will wash them into the lake, where it’s easy to finish them off.”

  “I’m guessing it’s a stage-three beast, judging by the lack of monstrous scent and the depth of those gouges.” Lilly sighed. “It probably eats everything that gets carried here by the river or tries to cross through the cavern. I think we have a good idea of what we’re dealing with, but what are we going to do about it? My boltcaster should be effective unless it submerges, but Sasha and Mel won’t be able to attack anything that’s not right up against the rim, and Edge’s skills only reach a bit further.”

  “This is a bad fight for us,” Mel agreed. “Do you think we can sneak or run past?”

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  “I doubt it,” Sasha said. “My gut is telling me that’s exactly what this predator is counting on. You can bet your last Credit that a stage-three beast has tons of Perception and some sensory-enhancing skills. I’m sure it already knows we’re here. Besides, the System wouldn’t offer a quest reward for an ordeal that’s easy to avoid. We might be able to split up and make it across, but I doubt everyone will make it if we try.”

  “I should be able to land my attacks even if the beast is in the middle of the lake.” Edge explained that he could Repel Waterski across the surface. “It should work if I’m submerged too, now that I think about it. I’m more worried about the skill that cut that skeleton in half.”

  The crew pulled back into the tunnel, hammering out a plan of engagement before committing to a course of action. They decided that while they would kill the beast if they could, their goal was to exit the biome. If an opportunity to escape the cavern presented itself, they would take it, although the odds were high that they would have to defeat the predator lurking in the lake.

  They worked out a few strategies for dealing with multiple opponents or if the creature emerged from the water to engage them on dry land. Sasha was still stage one, so she would focus on distraction and support, while Mel guarded her position. Edge and Lilly would focus on taking the beast down, prioritizing defense until they knew what they were dealing with and then hitting it hard.

  “This would be a lot easier if we had more room to work with,” Melenia said. “Those little islands and the narrow perimeter walkway will be too confining once the battle begins.”

  “I think I can help with that,” Edge said, “and force our opponent to reveal itself instead of letting it start the fight on its own terms.” He went on to explain what he was thinking. By the time he was done, all three women were nodding along.

  “I think that’s our best move.” Lilly took one last look behind her to make sure the passageway was clear, then everyone got ready to enter the cave. “Let’s bring the big bad down, earn our reward, and hope we reach Trapper’s team in time.” With that, all that was left was to ante up and see how the cards came down.

  The women stood at the tunnel mouth while Edge went to work, securing a line of retreat while scanning the cavern for danger. First, he switched on Fear the Seasons to boost his Speed. Then he conjured a Warlord’s Mantle for everyone—further amplifying his attributes.

  He manifested an iceblade in his right hand and Foebinder from his left wrist, then started walking toward the lake while poised to dodge at the drop of a hat. He had Overdrive ready to go if he needed it but was saving his ultimate as a last resort, since he wanted to use it during the impending battle with the Crimson Claws.

  If whatever is living down there didn’t know we were here already, it does now. There’s no way it didn’t notice all the mana flowing out of my core. Since the crew was watching his back, Edge didn’t worry about the rest of the cave. He stared into the water’s depths, then slipped his subzero sword below the surface.

  With all the Amplification he’d gained since reaching stage two—combined with the power of his Frostfury Medallion and the upgrade to Elemental Blade’s rarity—the crystalline weapon was colder than ever. The silvery runes covering the glacial blue blade shimmered as they plunged into the water, infusing the lake with arctic mana.

  Ice started forming immediately, spreading across the surface as his breath began to fog. Even with the skill’s enhanced potency, Edge couldn’t come anywhere close to freezing all the liquid in the lake, but that wasn’t what he was trying to do. He just wanted to build a buffer along this side of the cavern to give the crew more space to work with and lower the temperature of the water at the same time.

  Rather than waiting for the lake dweller to ambush them at its leisure, he intended to force it to reveal its presence. He watched as the ice thickened—ready to Leap out of the way at a moment’s notice as Foebinder hovered beside his head. There’s no way the beast will ignore me for long. The more ice I make, the further the scales will tip in our favor.

  Sure enough, by the time the ice had spread fifteen feet past the rocky rim of the lake, he spotted a massive shadow rising from the depths, heading his way fast. He dispelled his iceblade and pulled the scapula shield out of his vault and handed it to the black chain, waiting to see what he was dealing with before making his next move.

  A few seconds later, a massive body broke the surface—slimy white scales frosting as they encountered the frigid air above. For the next handful of heartbeats, everyone remained in place while staring each other down.

  “Wow.” Lilly let out a low whistle. “That’s a catfish. Given its size, it must be ancient and incredibly dangerous.”

  Edge ran his gaze across the colossal creature blocking his way out of the biome. It was even bigger than the hydra he’d fought in the Savage Garden—at least thirty feet from nose to tail and almost half as wide. Its pale body hadn’t felt the sun’s touch in decades, if it ever had at all.

  The catfish had long whiskers jutting out from the corners of a mouth that was big enough to swallow Trapper’s wagon. Its flat head featured sightless eyes that were clouded by extensive cataracts. It had a powerful tail that looked agile enough to be used as a weapon, and its scales were thick enough to turn aside all but the most powerful of attacks.

  He knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was looking at a stage-three beast. If its sheer size and placement within the biome weren’t big enough clues, it had as much mana emanating from its core as his entire crew combined. That beast is way too imposing not to have a name. I think I’ll call it the gatekeeper. I don’t think its ancestors migrated from Earth, since our catfish don’t have scales, but that isn’t important right now.

  He would have preferred not to fight the lord of the lake, but Edge doubted the crew had a choice. The apex predator wasn’t about to let such a hearty meal slip away. On that note, he sensed the beast’s core ignite as it started casting a spell. Thick bands of mana gathered along the water in front of the gatekeeper—an energetic signature he recognized, since he had the same power living inside his core.

  “Watch out!” he yelled. “High-pressure water blast incoming!”