Round 39 Transcript

The undead horror shambles closer, its greatsword slicing through the water with deadly precision. The runes along the wall continue to pulse with energy, casting an eerie glow over the chamber. Jeane's staff glows brighter as she channels more power into the sigil, but the creature's sheer size and strength make it a formidable foe. As the undead horror swings its greatsword, Merrin ducks to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade. She takes advantage of the creature's momentary distraction to press her hands against the wall, trying to sense any hidden mechanisms or pressure points that might open the secret passage. The stone panel shudders beneath her touch, and for a moment, it seems as though the wall might yield. However, the undead horror recovers quickly, its eyes fixed on Jeane and Merrin with an unnerving intensity. The water continues to rise, threatening to engulf them at any moment. The sound of crashing stone and groaning wood grows louder, a stark reminder that the structural collapse is closing in on them from all sides.

I press my palms against the shifting wall panel, feeling the arcane energy thrumming through it like a living heartbeat. The runes pulse brighter in response to our touch, almost eager somehow. "It's alive," I mutter, more to myself than Merrin. "Or at least, the magic is—this entire section of the tower is breathing with power!*"

Another massive splash from below makes me flinch—I can hear Seraphine screaming something indistinct over the water and monster roars. The rising flood is already up to my chest now, heavy and freezing cold. We're running out of time down here, I think desperately as I trace a sigil in the air with my free hand, trying to decipher the rune patterns before us.

The undead horror lurches closer again through the waist-deep water, greatsword raised high overhead. "JEANE!" Merrin yells a warning, but I'm already moving—whipping my staff up just in time to deflect the blade with a shower of sparks. "Get back!" I snarl, wings beating hard for balance as I wade backward through the flood. "This needs finesse, not brute force!"

My eyes narrow as I study the shifting wall more closely—the runes form a pattern that almost looks like... a puzzle? "Merrin," I call out without looking away from the stone surface. "The symbols—can you see them? There has to be an order or sequence we need to trigger!"

Another wave of water surges up, nearly knocking me off balance. Stay focused, I tell myself through gritted teeth. One mistake here and that flood will drag us all the way down to whatever's waiting at the bottom.

The runes pulse again—this time with what almost looks like impatience? "Damn it," I mutter, shifting my grip on the staff as I prepare another arcane surge. "If brute force is our only option, so be it!"

Merrin: