Chapter 243: The Phalanx and the Sand
The heat hit us the moment the barrier dropped.
It wasn't just hot; it was a suffocating, heavy pressure that smelled of sulfur and ozone. The floor beneath us wasn't solid ground. It was a massive industrial grate, a grid of thick iron bars. Through the gaps, twenty feet down, a river of molten slag flowed sluggishly, bubbling and popping, sending geysers of superheated steam up through the floor.
[Arena Field: The Iron Grid]
[Environmental Effect: Heat Exhaustion (Stamina drains 2x faster)]
[Environmental Effect: Obscured Vision (Steam)]
"Form up," Arthur ordered.
We fell into the wedge formation. Arthur at the point, Leon and Varkas flanking, Elara and Eric in the center for magical support, and me, Gareth, and Jax covering the rear and flanks.
Across the shimmering haze of heat, the Steel Wall Bastion team was already moving.
They didn't charge. They didn't spread out.
They slammed their tower shields together.
CLANG!
