The passage opened into a vast, cathedral-like space. An ancient machine like construct stood at its center, a towering structure of black stone and flowing energy.
It looked like something straight out of an alien sci-fi flick. Conduits of violet and gold light pulsed along its surface, converging at a floating core that hovered above the platform. The core beat faintly, like the heart of the mountain itself. It had to be the biggest Prismata Core Jaeden had seen.
Jaeden stopped short, his breath catching at the sheer scale of it. The chamber felt on fire, its energy thrumming in time with his own pulse. The Orichalcum Sword responded immediately, vibrating with a low hum that resonated through his bones.
“Have you ever seen anything like this?” Jaeden asked, his voice hushed.
Liandra’s gaze was fixed on the alien construct, her expression guarded. “No,” she said quietly. “But I’ve heard stories. The elders of the Council spoke of places like this. Crucibles where power is forged, but always at a cost.”
“Great,” Jaeden muttered, stepping closer. “Love me a good price. I wonder if there are coupons.”
As they approached the platform, a deep hum filled the chamber. The floating core pulsed brightly. “Of course. What’s a magic machine without its own alarm system. I bet it has top rate private security, too.”
The platform hummed with energy as the Spectral Guardians materialized, their forms shifting between light and shadow. The first stepped forward, wielding a blade that shimmered like liquid light. Its movements were slow at first, calculated, as though testing its prey. Two more Guardians flanked it, their spectral weapons vibrating with an ominous hum.
“Told you,” he muttered.
Jaeden unsheathed the Orichalcum Sword of Asterius, black-and-gold veins of energy pulsing rhythmically as they danced across its surface. The blade felt heavier now, hungrier, as though it recognized the challenge before it. He flexed his free hand, testing the tension in his muscles, his eyes locked on the first Guardian.
“Any tips, Liandra?” Jaeden asked, his tone light but edged with tension.
“Stay sharp,” she said. “These aren’t ordinary constructs.” Her shadow-threads flickered to life, weaving around the Titanoboa Tooth Daggers, transforming them into shadowy chain-whip weapons with jagged ends. The daggers glinted like fangs as she spun the threads in a fluid arc. “And don’t get hit.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Jaeden quipped as he looked at her weapons. He shifted into a low stance, the Orichalcum Sword held loosely in one hand while his other hovered near his centerline, ready to block or strike.
The first Guardian lunged.
The Guardian’s blade slashed downward in a diagonal arc, fast and precise. Jaeden sidestepped with a smooth pivot, the edge missing him by inches. Serpent’s Agility was at full affect, as Jaeden -in one fluid motion- stepped inside the Guardian’s reach, driving the hilt of his sword into its torso with a sharp upward strike. The impact sent a ripple through the Guardian’s form, forcing it back a step.
Before it could recover, Jaeden followed up with a spinning kick aimed at its head. His heel connected, and the Guardian’s spectral form flickered as it staggered. He followed up with a venom infused strike, backed by his Opportunist ability and Labyrinthine Might. The Guardian popped like a balloon as its core was pierced.
“That’s one for me,” Jaeden muttered, turning just in time to intercept the second Guardian. This one came low, its weapon slashing horizontally toward his legs. He leapt into the air, twisting mid-flight to avoid the strike, and brought the Orichalcum Sword down in a two-handed grip. The blade connected with the Guardian’s weapon, the impact sending sparks of gold and violet energy flying.
The two opponents clashed, locked in a battle of strength. Jaeden’s feet hit the ground, and he used the momentum to push the Guardian’s blade aside. Sliding into a low stance, he delivered a rapid sequence of alternating punches and sword strikes to its core, each strike resonating with a faint pulse of energy from the sword. Then he finished it with a brief use of his Charge of Asterius.
While Jaeden handled the first two Guardians, Liandra moved with the precision of a dancer. Her chain-whips snapped through the air, the Titanoboa Tooth Daggers at their ends tearing through the spectral forms of the remaining Guardians. She ducked under a swipe from one construct, spinning her whip to ensnare its arm.
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With a sharp tug, she yanked the Guardian off balance and drove the dagger into its torso, the venom-coated blade disrupting its energy. The construct shuddered violently before disintegrating into motes of light.
Another Guardian lunged at her, its blade aimed for her midsection. Liandra dropped to the ground in a sweeping motion, her legs extending into a low, graceful kick that knocked the construct’s legs out from under it. As it fell, her whip snapped upward, the dagger at its end piercing through its head. The Guardian dissolved before it hit the ground.
“Two for me,” she called out, her voice steady despite the chaos.
“Not a competition!” Jaeden shouted back, blocking another attack with a quick upward parry.
The next Guardian came at Jaeden with new tactics, its movements faster and more aggressive. It swung in a series of calculated strikes, each aimed to force him off balance. Jaeden countered with precision, weaving his body through the attacks like water flowing around stone.
He deflected a downward slash with the flat of his blade, spinning into a reverse elbow strike that smashed into the Guardian’s head. The impact caused its form to flicker, and Jaeden followed up with a front kick that sent it flying backward.
“Time to mix it up,” he muttered, flipping the sword into a reverse grip. He dashed forward, sliding low under another Guardian’s blade as it passed overhead, and delivered a sweeping kick that knocked its legs from under it. Before it could recover, he spun upward, bringing the Orichalcum Sword in a wide arc that severed its spectral arm.
As the Guardian staggered, Jaeden moved in close, his attacks a blur of motion. A quick one-two strike to its chest destabilized its core, and he finished with a roundhouse kick that sent it crashing into the platform. The Guardian dissolved into light, leaving only the hum of energy in its wake.
“That’s three for me,” he announced as he raced in search of another training dummy to practice against.
“It’s not a contest,” Liandra called out with a grim smile.
Jaeden smiled in return as he clashed with another Guardian. He was glad that they were starting to become more comfortable with each other. It was almost like back home, when he’d group with some of his friends. Or with a random PUG (pick up group).
The remaining Guardians began to adapt, their movements more synchronized. Three of them advanced on Jaeden in tandem, their weapons flashing in perfect unison. He blocked one strike with his sword, twisting to avoid the second blade. And almost got gutted by a third that he barely dodged in time. The Guardians pressed him hard, forcing him to retreat toward the edge of the platform.
“Could use a hand here!” Jaeden called out. Symbiosis was pulsing steadily against his skin, enhancing his movements as he continued to duck and weave, dodging and parrying as swiftly as he could.
Liandra was already moving. She flicked her shadow chain-whips toward the Guardians harrying Jaeden, the daggers embedding into one’s back. With a sharp pull, she dragged the construct off balance, giving Jaeden the opening he needed.
“Thanks!” he said, pivoting into a spinning slash that cleaved through the second Guardian. He transitioned seamlessly into a flying knee strike, slamming into the third Guardian and knocking it to the ground. The Orichalcum Sword descended in a glowing arc, splitting the construct in two.
“You owe me,” she said with a grin.
He merely smiled in return.
Only one Guardian remained. It stood still for a moment, as if assessing them, before shifting its form. Its body grew denser, its edges sharper, and its blade extended into a massive greatsword wreathed in crackling energy.
“Oh, come on,” Jaeden groaned. “A boss version? Now that’s a cheap gimmick.”
The Guardian charged, its movements faster than the others, despite its greater size. Its greatsword cleaved through the air, forcing Jaeden and Liandra to scatter. The blade slammed into the platform, sending out a shockwave of energy that cracked the surface.
Jaeden rolled to his feet, his Meta-Sight flaring. He saw faint glyphs glowing along the Guardian’s body, weak points tied to its energy core. “Liandra, hit the marks on its arms!” he shouted.
Liandra nodded, her chain-whips snapping toward the glyphs. The daggers struck true, the venom strikes disrupting the Guardian’s balance. Jaeden dashed in, sliding under its swing and delivering a powerful upward slash that struck its chest. The glyphs flared brightly before shattering, and the Guardian staggered.
Jaeden didn’t hesitate. He activated Aetheric Strike, channeling the Orichalcum Sword’s energy into a final, devastating blow. Might and Charge of Asterius combined into an overpowering strike. The blade cleaved through the Guardian’s core, splitting it in half. The construct let out a hollow, echoless scream before dissolving into motes of light.
“Dada dada, da da, da dadaaaa,” Jaeden sang as he bounced side to side, the thrill of the fight going to his head slightly. He turned to look at Liandra, and saw her just staring at him, unsure what to think.
“You’re a strange one, Jaeden, you know that?” She finally said.
“Strange is my vibe,” he remarked with a mischievous smirk.
She smiled in return and shook her head.
As the platform stilled, the hum of energy subsiding. Jaeden and Liandra stood side by side, their breathing heavy but steady.
Jaeden glanced at Liandra, his smirk still there. “So… five for me, four for you. Guess I win.”
Liandra raised an eyebrow, flicking the blood from her daggers. “I don’t recall agreeing to keep score.”
Jaeden chuckled, sheathing the Orichalcum Sword. “Details, details.”
“Seriously though, what’s with the lack of loot? What a scam,” he muttered.