The entrance to Corrupted Tower loomed before them—a twisted spire of dark stone that seemed to bend reality around it. Twenty floors of progressively harder monsters. A Level 55 Flame Drake at the top.
Standard clear time: six to eight hours. Two to three casualties expected.
Rama planned to change both statistics.
"Final formation check," Hendra commanded, his voice carrying authority. "DPS front, tanks flanking, support middle, Rama in the rear. Standard advancement protocol. We clear floor by floor, no rushing, no improvising."
The team formed up. Thirty hunters in perfect positions, veterans who'd run dozens of raids together.
And in the very back, alone—Rama. The outsider. The one who had to prove everything.
"Enter on my mark," Hendra said. "Three. Two. One. Move!"
The raid team crossed the threshold.
Reality shifted. The entrance sealed behind them with a sound like breaking glass. They were committed now.
