The Iron Resolve party stood before the algae-slicked archway leading into the Sunken Reliquary, a shared sense of nervous anticipation in the air. Their Normal mode clear, largely trivialized by Drake's presence, had been a good warm-up, allowing Drake to memorize the layout and basic boss patterns. Now, they faced the true test. Valerius, their tank, had reset the instance and selected 'Hard Difficulty'.
"Alright team," Valerius said, his voice tight with focus, his shield already raised. "Hard Mode. Expect everything to hit harder, have more health, and probably a few new surprises. Stick to basics, call out targets, healer watch my mana as well as health. Drake, we'll be relying on your damage, but also your calls if you spot anything unusual. Let's do this. For Iron Resolve!"
With a collective nod, they stepped through the archway. The transition was the same, but the moment they materialized in the first damp, stone corridor, the atmosphere felt different. The ambient whispers seemed louder, more menacing. The dripping water echoed with a more ominous tone. And the first mob pack – three Drowned Husks (now Level 22 Hard Mode) and two Murkfiends (Level 23 Hard Mode) – looked visibly more robust, their tattered forms pulsing with a darker energy.
Valerius charged, [Shield Slam] connecting with a Husk. "Mage, on the Fiends! Rogue, control one Husk! Drake, burn the one I'm on!"
The difference was immediate. The Drowned Husk Valerius engaged didn't just stagger; it retaliated with a surprisingly fast, heavy swing of its corroded cutlass that took a noticeable chunk out of Valerius's health bar, despite his active blocking. << Valerius - HP: 85%/100% >>
Drake moved in, his [Initiate's Twin Blades] flashing. [Basic Attack Combo R/L] initiated. Right Hand (100%): << Perfect Execution! +Flawless Strike! Relentless Assault: +21 Stacks! Damage Dealt: ~350! (Critical!) >> Left Hand (84%): << Damage Dealt: ~180! >> (Relentless Assault: +24 Stacks!)
His damage was still excellent, but the Level 22 Hard Mode Husk, with significantly more HP, didn't vaporize. It took several full seconds of his focused assault, with [Relentless Assault] stacks climbing high, to bring it down. Meanwhile, Elara the Mage was kiting one Murkfiend, its acid spit now leaving sizzling patches on the ground that inflicted a DoT if touched. Finn the Rogue was locked in a tough duel with his Husk, using evasive maneuvers to avoid its heavy blows.
"Okay, definitely tougher. Mobs have at least double the HP, hit maybe 50% harder. My damage is still top-tier, but it's essential now, not just overkill. Need to manage Relentless Assault stacks effectively between pulls."
They cleared the first few trash packs with significantly more effort than on Normal. Potions were used. Lyra, the healer, was actively managing her mana, her heals more frequent and crucial. Drake's ability to quickly burst down priority targets or switch to assist a struggling teammate proved invaluable.
After navigating the initial corridors, they reached a section that had been almost trivial on Normal mode: a long, wide hall with a slightly raised central walkway over a channel of murky, bubbling water. On Normal, a few slow-moving pressure plates had triggered harmless jets of steam. On Hard Mode, the entire hall was a deathtrap.
As Valerius stepped onto the walkway, sections of the floor immediately glowed an intense red, and moments later, superheated steam erupted with explosive force, dealing massive damage. << Valerius - HP: 40%/100%! Status Effect: Scalded! (Armor Reduced) >> "Damn it!" Valerius yelled, retreating hastily. Simultaneously, from alcoves along the walls, Alvari energy turrets, previously inert on Normal, now activated, firing rapid bolts of arcane energy across the walkway. And the murky water below now occasionally erupted with grasping spectral tendrils.
"Okay, this is new. Steam jets on a pattern, turrets providing crossfire, tendrils from below. Can't just walk through this."
The party wiped on their first attempt to cross, Valerius getting caught by a steam jet while trying to block turret fire, and Finn getting snared by a tendril and pulled into the damaging water. They respawned at the corridor entrance, frustrated.
"How are we supposed to get through that on a regular basis and not just by luck?" Elara asked, frowning. "The steam pattern is too fast, and those turrets cover everything."
Drake activated [Relic Hunter], his [Cartographer's Compass] enhancing its sensitivity. He stepped to the edge of the hall, carefully scanning the entire area. The skill highlighted the steam vents and turret emplacements, but also something else: faint, almost invisible energy conduits running along the upper walls, and small, recessed Alvari panels near each turret, glowing faintly to his augmented senses. He also noticed subtle variations in the floor tiles of the central walkway that weren't part of the steam jet pattern.
"Conduits... control panels near the turrets... and those floor tiles look like they might be pressure plates for something else." He then accessed [Perfect Recall], replaying his Normal mode run of this exact hall. On Normal, he'd barely paid attention to the floor, but now, recalling the image, he focused on those specific tiles he'd just noticed. They had been there, just inactive. He also recalled seeing similar recessed panels near other Alvari mechanisms in his explorations.
"Valerius," Drake said, "those floor tiles on the walkway, the ones not glowing for the steam jets. I think they're a sequence. Step on them in the right order, it might disable the steam or open something. Elara, Finn, see those small panels near the base of each turret? They look like manual overrides. If you can reach them while Valerius draws turret fire, you might be able to deactivate them one by one."
He pointed out the conduits. "And those conduits running along the top of the walls... if one of us can hit a junction box or a weak point, it might temporarily overload the whole system." This last part was a guess, but based on his experience in the Alvari Watchtower,, it was a plausible Alvari design flaw.
The party looked where he indicated. "I didn't even see those panels," Finn admitted. "A floor sequence? Worth a shot," Valerius agreed. "Okay, new plan. I'll try to draw turret fire and test those plates. Elara, Finn, try to reach those turret overrides when you get an opening. Drake, if you see a shot at those conduits, take it."
They attempted the hall again. Valerius moved onto the walkway, carefully stepping only on the non-steam-jet tiles Drake had pointed out, while using his shield to block turret fire. It was slow going. Elara and Finn used cover, darting out to try and reach the turret panels. Drake, meanwhile, scanned the upper conduits with [Relic Hunter], looking for a vulnerable junction. He spotted one – a slightly cracked, sparking relay box high on the wall. It was a difficult shot, with turrets still firing.
Valerius shouted, "Got a sequence! Blue tile, then green, then yellow... it's lowering a barrier further down!" He was successfully navigating the hidden pressure plate path. Finn managed to reach a turret panel and interact. << Turret Alpha Deactivated! >> But another turret swiveled, catching Elara mid-cast. << Elara - HP: 30%/100%! >> "I'm hit!" "Tendrils!" Lyra warned, as spectral arms erupted near Finn.
It was chaotic. Drake saw his opening. While the remaining turrets focused on Valerius and Finn, he took aim at the sparking conduit relay box. He didn't have a ranged attack.
"No direct way to hit it... unless..." He looked at his [Initiate's Twin Blades]. He couldn't throw them effectively. But maybe... He activated [Twin Fang Strike], but instead of targeting an enemy, he aimed the dual strike's energy convergence point towards the relay box, hoping the skill's minor area of effect at the point of impact, or just the sheer force, might be enough. It was a long shot.
<< Skill Success! [Twin Fang Strike] Average SCR 84%! >> The twin blades slashed empty air, but a focused burst of kinetic energy, the skill's impact force, shot out and struck the relay box. CRZZT-BOOM! The box exploded in a shower of sparks. All remaining active turrets in the hall sputtered and died. The steam jets hissed one last time, then deactivated. The spectral tendrils in the water below receded. << Environmental Hazard System Temporarily Overloaded! >>
The party stared in stunned silence for a moment. "What... what did you just do?" Valerius asked, lowering his shield. Drake just shrugged. "Saw a weak point. Guessed an overload might work."
Finn grinned. "Guess right, apparently! Path's clear!" The value Drake brought to the team was suddenly, dramatically apparent. It wasn't just his high damage; it was his perception, his ability to see and connect details others missed, turning a lethal deathtrap into a manageable obstacle. They proceeded through the now-safe hall, a new level of respect for their quiet Bladesworn companion settling over the group. The Sunken Reliquary on Hard Mode was still a long way from being cleared, but they had overcome their first major roadblock, thanks to more than just brute force.