The ninth floor stretched before them like a labyrinth of underwater corridors. Though smaller than the vast expanse of the eighth floor, Nova still found plenty of room to maneuver—the passages measured eight meters wide at their narrowest points, with matching height throughout.

But the water distorted distances, making everything feel more confined. Pale blue light filtered through the murky depths, casting wavering shadows across the coral-encrusted walls.

(Should I use a light spell?) Nova asked through their ring connection, squinting as he tried to peer through the hazy water ahead.

Anny swam beside him, cutting through the water with natural grace. Her webbed fingers flexed as she considered his question. (...Maybe? I can't sense any monsters in front of us, so either that or use that life detection spell.)

(Right.)

Nova closed his eyes, focusing his essence into the life detection spell. The magic spread through his eyes, letting him sweep through the waters ahead. He pushed it to its limits, reaching hundreds of meters in every direction, but nothing registered in his awareness. The waters remained eerily empty of life.

(They're behind walls, most likely. Just watch out for any changes in the environment, they could be hiding.)

Anny drifted closer to him with an uncertain frown on her face. (I'll watch out. But how are we going to fight? I feel like we're unprepared.)

Nova nodded, feeling the same doubt. The water resistance would change everything about combat. He had used spells underwater before, but there was a lot to keep in mind.

(I can use my new fragment to overpower them with spells, but I can only use that one for a bit over two hours. And even then, my mental aspects will only be slightly higher than theirs. Close combat might be the way to go.) Nova flexed his fingers, feeling the water's resistance against his movements.

Anny gripped her shield, testing its weight underwater. The troll-skull metal seemed almost fragile compared to what they might face here. (If they cast spells in a group, I'm in trouble. I can't block with this flimsy shield anymore, and dodging is much harder in water.)

(With the blood bonus, you have a physical resistance of over five hundred thousand. Tank it. You'll regenerate.) Nova smiled at her, letting out a final bubble of air that had been hidden in his mouth.

Anny frowned in response, folding her arms while keeping a watch on the surroundings. (I'm not very fond of that idea, but... As long as you're willing to refill me.)

(Yeah, yeah... Go wild.) Nova smirked, already imagining the battles ahead.

The corridors around them kept changing as they moved, revealing forks in the road and small crevices that would be perfect for ambushes. But still, nothing had appeared. It had never taken this long on earlier floors.

(What will you be fighting with?) Anny asked, eyeing his empty hands.

Nova spread his fingers, letting essence gather around them in small, swirling patterns. (I'm thinking of a form of pugilist ice magic. Ice should be effective here, and that way, I can use my strength and magic to fight at the same time.)

(Oh? Punches with freezing powers?) A sudden interest sparked in Anny's eyes.

(Yeah, basically. I can teach you a simple version if you'd like.) Nova demonstrated with a quick jab through the water, sending a small jet of blue energy crashing into the wall and leaving a faint trail of crystallizing bubbles in its wake.

She watched the small ice crystals drift and dissolve. (...Let's see how it works first.)

(I also have this propulsion spell,) he said, showing her two rings floating around his feet. (They shoot out when I kick, sending water back and me forward.)

Anny stared at his legs with an impressed look. (That would be useful… The first fight should be—)

Nova tensed suddenly. (Something's coming!)

The life detection spell flared in his awareness. Four distinct signatures appeared about a hundred meters ahead, moving toward them with alarming speed. They cut through the water like a pack of hunters, bobbing up and down as they swam.

[Fragment of Nova Regis equipped.]

(Four of them! Coming fast!) Nova backed up slightly, positioning himself beside Anny as his body grew to that of a young adult. He was ready to fight.

Her hands formed fists, ready to strike at whatever might approach. (I'm ready!)

Nova squinted through the murky water, trying to make out what was coming. The shapes got clearer as they approached—white figures with long limbs, and antennas flowing from their heads down their backs. They looked kind of like smooth, scaled mantises, but with big claws on their front legs instead of scythes.

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'What are those things?' Nova wondered, readying his ice-covered fists.

The creatures swam closer, standing out against the blue water. They moved in a pattern, two up top, two below, like they'd hunted together before. Their beady eyes fixed on the intruders.

(They're spreading out. Watch the ones on the bottom,) Nova warned through their connection.

Anny nodded, turning to follow the creatures. She positioned herself near Nova, ready to intercept the lower attackers.

The first creature charged directly at Nova with its claws extended. It sliced surprisingly fast through the water, leaving little time to react. Nova threw his fist forward in a counter, channeling ice magic through his arm. The punch connected with the creature's face, and frost spread instantly across its features. The water around them dropped in temperature, with tiny ice crystals swirling in the current.

But the hit wasn't enough to stop it. The creature thrashed, breaking free of the forming ice, and slashed at Nova with its front claws. Nova twisted sideways, but underwater, his movements were slower than usual. The claws caught his shoulder, tearing through his outfit and grazing his skin. Blood leaked into the water, spreading in thin clouds around him.

Meanwhile, Anny faced the two creatures attacking from below. She met the first one head-on, driving her fist into its belly. The impact sent shockwaves through the water, but the creature quickly recovered. It wrapped its limbs around her arm, trying to drag her down.

(Damn! I can't get enough force behind my punches like this! I'll need to grapple!) Anny projected, struggling to free her arm from the first creature's grip.

The second one circled around, looking for an opening. Its jaws snapped at Anny's legs, but she kicked it away, using the water resistance to add power to her strike.

Nova grappled with his attacker, trying to get both hands on it to channel more ice magic. It was slippery like an eel, but parts of its body were narrower than others, letting him get a good grip. The fourth creature started jabbing at his side with its claws, drawing more blood into the water.

(Hold on, I'm trying something bigger!) Nova pushed away from his opponent, giving himself space. He drew his hands together, forming a sphere of concentrated cold between his palms. The water around him began to freeze, expanding outward in jagged crystals.

'Fuck, this is hard to control without freezing myself!'

With a forward thrust, he sent the ice-sphere hurtling toward the two creatures nearest him. The ball expanded as it moved, freezing everything in its path. It struck the first creature dead-center, encasing half its body in solid ice. The other creature tried to dodge but got caught in the spreading freeze. Its tail and back legs locked up, leaving it thrashing helplessly.

Anny finally broke free from her attacker's grip, ripping away with enough force to tear off one of its limbs. Dark blood clouded the water around them. She grabbed the creature by its snout, digging into its flesh.

(Take this!) She twisted violently, snapping its neck with a crack that carried clearly through the water.

The fourth creature, seeing its companions fall, tried to retreat. Nova wasn't having it. He shot forward through the water, propelling himself forward with the spells on his feet, and caught the fleeing creature by its hind legs.

Ice spread from his hands, creeping up the creature's body. It thrashed wildly, clawing at his shoulders and trying to break free, but the cold worked too quickly. Within seconds, it was completely encased—a perfect ice sculpture suspended in the water. And with a forceful squeeze, it shattered in half, ensuring it would never wake from the ice.

Nova turned back to see Anny finishing off the partially frozen creature, delivering a brutal punch that shattered both ice and bone. The last opponent, still struggling with its frozen lower half, tried to slash at her with its claws. Anny caught its arm mid-swing, then drove her fist into its face with enough force to cave in its skull.

The water around them was murky with blood and floating ice chunks. All four creatures floated lifelessly, drifting in the gentle current.

(That wasn't so bad,) Anny projected, shaking bits of flesh from her webbed fingers.

Nova examined his shoulder where the creature's claws had caught him. The wound was shallow, already beginning to heal. (No, but I'm guessing these are just the weakest monsters on this floor. We should expect much worse ahead.)

(Your ice magic worked pretty well, though.) Anny admitted, swimming closer to inspect his technique. (Maybe you could show me that fist move sometime.)

(Sure, I can teach you a version right now if you'd like. You know the runes already.) Nova drew a simple formation in the water with his finger, leaving a trail of blue energy that lingered for a moment before dissolving.

Anny studied the pattern, furrowing her brow in concentration. (But how could they not handle ice? They were strong enough to crush steel with their fingers.)

(The ice didn't do anything; it was the frozen flesh and muscle that stopped them.) Nova demonstrated by freezing a small patch of water near his hand. The ice spread quickly, forming sharp crystals. (When essence-enhanced ice touches living tissue, it freezes it from the inside out. Their strength doesn't matter if their muscles can't move.)

(Oh… That sounds really strong.) Anny's eyes widened as she watched the ice crystals slowly melt away.

(I used a ton of essence, so it's not like a cheat.) Nova flexed his fingers, feeling the slight drain on his reserves. (The bigger sphere I used took almost thirty percent of my total. More efficient than most combat spells, but still costly.)

He traced another pattern in the water, showing her how the runes connected. (This is the basic formation. The trick is layering cooling runes with expansion ones, so the ice grows as it freezes. Start small until you get the hang of it.)

Anny tried replicating the pattern as her webbed fingers moved awkwardly through the formation. A small patch of ice formed at her fingertips, but it dissolved almost immediately. (Hmm, harder than it looks.)

(You need to keep feeding it essence until it's stable. The layered cooling runes are the most important part, since they're what overpowers the natural strength of flesh and freezes their insides.) Nova guided her hand through the motion again, showing her where to reinforce the pattern.

Anny nodded, determined to master the technique. (I'll practice when we get a breather.)

Nova checked their surroundings with his life detection spell again. Nothing nearby, but the fight had likely attracted attention. Some creatures could smell blood through water miles away. (We should keep moving. Which way?)

Anny glanced down the corridors branching from their position, considering each option. The blue light from the ceiling crystals cast long shadows down each path, making it difficult to see far ahead. She pointed toward the widest passage. (That one. Easier to maneuver if we get ambushed again.)

Nova nodded in agreement, already swimming in that direction. The water felt colder now, whether from his ice magic or some natural property of the dungeon, he couldn't tell.

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