Round 711 Transcript

Varikka's hand is still grasping for the door handle, her eyes wide with fear, when Merrin's crossbow bolt hits the Guardian with a sickening crunch. The creature stumbles back, its chest heaving, but it doesn't fall. Instead, it takes a step forward, its glowing eyes fixed on Merrin. The ground shudders beneath their feet, and the sound of stone crumbling grows louder, a reminder that the structural collapse is closing in fast.

"Varikka!" I scream, pounding on the door with my fist. "Are you alright? Varikka, answer me!"

I can hear her coughing on the other side, her voice hoarse and strained as she struggles to catch her breath in the noxious gas that still swirls around us. "I... I think so," she gasps, her hand grasping for the door handle behind her. "Merrin, what's happening? Where are we?"

But before I can answer, the ground shakes beneath our feet once more, the sound of stone crumbling growing louder with each passing second. The Guardian's roar echoes through the corridor outside, its sword slicing through the air mere feet away from the closed door. "Varikka, stay back!" I shout, my hand reaching for my crossbow as I ready myself for another attack.*

And then, just as quickly as it began, the shaking stops. The noxious gas begins to dissipate, leaving behind a thick layer of dust and debris that coats every surface in the room. "Varikka, are you still there?" I call out, my voice hoarse with exhaustion as I struggle to catch my breath.*

There is no answer, only the sound of stone crumbling somewhere deep beneath us, the ground shaking beneath our feet. And as I turn back to the door, my hand grasping for the handle behind me, I can only pray that Varikka has made it to safety, and that we will be able to find a way out of this hellish place once and for all.

"Merrin?" I call out, my voice hoarse and strained as I struggle to catch my breath. The noxious gas still swirls around me, its acrid smell burning my lungs with each ragged breath. But I know that I can't stay here any longer. "Merrin, are you there? Are you alright?"

There is no answer, only the sound of stone crumbling somewhere deep beneath us, the ground shaking beneath our feet. And as I turn back to the door, my hand grasping for the handle behind me, I can only pray that Merrin has made it to safety, and that we will be able to find a way out of this hellish place once and for all.

But even as I think this, I know that it's not going to be that simple. The Guardian is still out there somewhere, its sword slicing through the air mere feet away from the closed door. And the structural collapse is closing in fast, the sound of crumbling stone growing louder with each passing second.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next. "Varikka," I call out, my voice hoarse and strained as I struggle to catch my breath. "We need to move. Now."