Proceed farther in.

The room within is a familiar sight. Not that you had much time to take in the view on the way out before, but you remember fleeing from this direction, though it's clear the area has been both fixed and tidied up. The elevator shaft you travelled up previously is still present, though there's a platform of what appears like stone blocking what would be a hole straight down into the hidden laboratory. You approach and inspect it for a moment before turning to your allies.

"This is it. When I came back, the cylinder here wooshed me right up from below to this level, and then I made my escape. I'm afraid I don't exactly know how to activate the device, but if we put our heads together, there's no way we won't figure it out."

Lady Sulta's stunning figure draped in shadow moves forth. Her dress brushes past your arm as she sashays by, and then lays her hand upon the magical tube. "If this device was built to raise and lower people from this level to someplace below, then it's using some sort of transmutation magic. Allow me to inspect it."

"I'll aid you," says Okawa. "Transmutation may be your specialty, but I've seen many strange creations in my travels."

"... It's getting crowded in here," Catherine murmurs from the darkness of the corner. She maneuvers out from the room, and peers off into the dilapidated lair from just outside the doorway previously torn open by Bulrak.

She's not wrong. This isn't a large chamber by any means, and with her outside, it's fitting fourteen people. To make matters worse, one of the people amongst the group is the ice demon Shivra. Anyone nearby is **** to feel her chill, and it would be even worse if one were to touch her directly.

"I'll be waiting back out there as well," says Shivra.

"Hey," you speak up as you make your way over to walk beside her. "I'll come out too."

"I think I have better reason to avoid crowds than you do."

"But there's no reason for you to Cat to wait alone. Anyway, even though I have a few spells, magic isn't my expertise. I'll let the Circle and any others who wish to help deal with the arcane machinery. Best not get in their way."

"Mmm. I won't stop you," she says, subtly brushing a droplet of melting ice from her forehead.

Vivi helps Lady Sulta and Okawa work as well. Mela keeps her eyes on them, though her skill lies in biology. Bek keeps his eyes peeled near the exit, while Sen-nu, Alice, Stax, Taiga, and Delphi bide their time.

You turn your eyes to nearly jump at the sight of a beautiful dryad directly beside you. She coils herself around your arm and snuggles in close as the two of you proceed back out of the chamber with Shivra. It's probably amazing from her perspective to even be in a place like this. It's likely she's never seen anything even like the inside of a cave let alone an ancient ruin.

"Are you doing all right?" you ask as you walk.

Peony nods. "I've never been better, m'lord. To be here with you is a dream come true. I never thought I'd be able to travel to places like this."

"Just say close. I don't want you feeling afraid, just because the closest thing to a tree here is my armour. If you feel uncomfortable at all--"

"Really. It's fine," she says with a warm smile. "And if things get dicey, I'll just climb inside you."

"Don't phrase is like that."

You join with Cat who looms over an old stone railing that overlooks a chasm leading into darkness.

Shivra leans on the railing beside her. "I wonder what thoughts transpire behind that cold, icy stare," she teases. The irony isn't lost on her.

The vampire turns her attention only briefly to the demon before staring back into the pit. Two powerful women--dangerous yet sexy--though there's a definitive winner between them when it comes to experience. Catherine has lived for many decades, and while she doesn't often speak, it's obvious there are definitely thoughts transpiring. She doesn't respond to the woman adjacent, though her glare does gradually increase in intensity. She squints her eyes and leans forward, and as the true creature of the night amongst others in the party, she's the first to see what's coming. "There's something--" she whispers.

Stax comes around the corner with her hands in the pockets of her shorts. "Anything fun happening on this side?"

The old, crumbling stone of the railing shatters within Cat's crushing grasp. "Things are coming up from below!" she shouts. Then with supernatural strength and agility, she vaults herself up and spreads her legs to perch her feet down on the remaining edges of the railing. "I can see something. Many things. And I can start hearing them too."

Right on cue, a rumbling rises from the chasm below. A flash of metal first appears, followed by a stream of rolling copper spheres, each with a single glowing cyan lens which always stays positionally upright despite the body rotating to move. They're able to cling to the sides of the pit and easily climb using tiny protruding studs, like cleats, and it isn't long before they're already nearly at your feet. The hive has been shaken, and now it's time to face the bees.

Speaking of which, the first metallic ball that makes its way through the railing is immediately shattered by the piercing sting of Taiga's spear. It shatters into scrap, and most of what's remaining burns and fizzles away into ash.

That's only one, however. Dozens of others are on their way up.