The creature that emerged was towering, its hulking form composed of jagged metal and corrupted crystal. Its body flickered with dark energy, and its glowing red eyes locked onto them with cold precision.
“Another guardian,” Elira said, her voice tight as she nocked an arrow. “And it’s not here to chat.”
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[Hostile Entity Detected: Corrupted Sentinel]
Threat Level: Severe
Abilities: Overdrive Slam, Energy Barrage, Corruption Shield
Weakness: Mobility Vulnerabilities in Lower Joints
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The Sentinel roared, the sound vibrating through the room. It lunged forward, its massive arm swinging down in a crushing arc. Torran stepped in front of the group, activating a defensive skill.
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[Skill Activated: Iron Wall]
Effect: Reduces damage to all nearby allies by 50% for 10 seconds.
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The creature’s arm slammed into Torran’s shield, sparks flying as the impact forced him to slide back a few paces. “I can’t hold it off alone!” he grunted.
Kael darted to the side, activating Shadow Stitch to tether the Sentinel’s legs. The black threads coiled tightly, but the corrupted energy pushed back, snapping them with a violent surge.
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[Skill Resistance Detected: Corruption Aura Reduces Shadow Effects by 30%.]
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Elira fired an arrow that struck the Sentinel’s shoulder, but the impact barely scratched its armor. “We need to hit its weak spots!” she called, her voice rising above the chaos.
Kael’s gaze locked onto the Sentinel’s lower joints, where its movements flickered unevenly. “The legs!” he shouted. “They’re vulnerable!”
Torran nodded, shifting his stance. “On it!”
As Torran drew the Sentinel’s attention with a calculated strike, Kael summoned Shadow Dagger, the dark energy coalescing in his hand. He hurled the blade at the creature’s knee joint, the impact sparking as it pierced through the corrupted armor.
The Sentinel let out a distorted roar, its movements faltering as its leg buckled slightly. Elira seized the moment, loosing a shot directly into the weakened joint. The Sentinel staggered, its corrupted energy flickering dangerously.
“It’s falling apart!” Torran yelled, raising his sword for a final strike.
With a combined effort, the trio brought the Sentinel crashing to the ground, its body shattering into shards of corrupted crystal and flickering energy. The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of residual energy.
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Kael collapsed to one knee, panting heavily. “That was... too close.”
Elira approached the remains of the Sentinel, her eyes narrowing as she examined the shards it left behind. “This isn’t over. That thing was protecting something.”
Kael glanced at her, his chest still heaving. “And whatever it was, we’re not going to like it, are we?”
Elira didn’t answer, her gaze fixed on the flickering remains of the Sentinel.
Kael’s knees ached as he knelt beside the shattered remains of the Sentinel. The corrupted fragments lay scattered, flickering faintly with unstable energy. Torran stood guard near the entrance, his sword resting on his shoulder, while Elira sifted through the wreckage, her hands deftly examining the broken components.
“Found something,” Elira said, her voice taut.
Kael looked up as she pulled aside a chunk of debris, revealing a hidden compartment embedded in the floor. Its metallic edges shimmered faintly, untouched by the corruption that marred the rest of the room. Inside, a single shard floated, suspended in a thin column of light.
The shard pulsed softly, its glow steadier than the fractured ones they had encountered before. It radiated an almost calming energy, though Kael could feel the faint pull in his chest intensify as he approached.
“What is it?” Torran asked, moving closer.
Elira glanced at him, then at Kael. “Another Node shard. But this one feels... different.”
Kael reached out instinctively, his hand trembling as his fingers brushed the shard. The moment he touched it, a flood of images and sensations crashed into his mind.
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[System Event: Memory Fragment Detected.]
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Kael saw a cloaked figure standing before a massive Node, its light stable and pure. The figure’s hands moved with precision, altering the Node’s runes. A pulse of energy surged outward, and cracks formed across the Node’s surface, corruption seeping into the once-pristine energy.
The vision shifted. Kael stood in a vast, digital expanse, surrounded by golden lines that stretched infinitely in every direction. The air shimmered with power, but darkness loomed at the edges, consuming the light bit by bit.
Finally, he saw the shadowy entity from the Node chamber, its glowing red eyes boring into him.
“You are the key,” it said, its voice a chilling echo. “And you will either break the System... or save it.”
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Kael gasped as the vision faded, his grip on the shard slipping. He stumbled back, clutching his head as the room came back into focus.
“What happened?” Elira asked, steadying him.
Kael’s voice was shaky. “I... I saw something. A Node being corrupted, someone tampering with it. And that shadow—it was there again. It said I’m the key.”
Torran frowned. “The key to what? To stopping this, or making it worse?”
Kael shook his head. “I don’t know. But there’s something else—a monolith. I think it’s deep in the dungeon. Whatever it is, it’s tied to all of this.”
Elira’s expression darkened. “A monolith? That’s not good.”
“What’s not good?” Torran pressed.
Elira hesitated, then shook her head. “We can’t stay here. That shard was left for a reason, and I doubt we’re alone in this part of the dungeon.”
Kael nodded, the weight of the vision still pressing heavily on him. Whatever he had seen, it was clear they were running out of time to find answers.
The shard’s glow faded as Kael slipped it into a secure pouch on his belt. The oppressive silence of the archive returned, but it felt heavier now, as if the room itself were holding its breath.
“We need to move,” Torran said, scanning the shattered remains of the chamber. “I don’t like how quiet it’s gotten.”
Elira nocked an arrow, her gaze darting toward the tunnel leading out. “Agreed. Let’s not wait for whatever’s coming.”
Kael took a step toward the exit, but a sharp voice stopped him.
“Going somewhere?”