While Zaro and Ezra faced the horror in the right tunnel, Ramrod and Chad stood in the center chamber. Ramrods massive form illuminated by the golden flames of his weapon. Three corrupted miners had already fallen to his rage, their crystallized forms shattered across the chamber floor. But for each one he felled, two more seemed to emerge from the shadows.

The Foreman lounged on what had once been a mining supervisor's chair, now twisted into a grotesque throne by corruption. In his massive hand, he held what was unmistakably a human arm, stripped of its armor. He took another bite, black corruption mixed with blood dripping like gravy down his chin, his eyes never leaving the battle before him.

“Come now, little Orc”, the Foreman's distorted voice echoed through the chamber. “Show me how you die.” He gestured with the half eaten arm, and four more miners rushed forward.

Ramrod's response was a thunderous roar that shook loose crystals from the ceiling. His kinetic charging was at full power after Chad's lightning assault, and he unleashed it in a devastating arc. His axe carved through the air, trailing golden flames that seared corruption from everything they touched. Two miners fell instantly, their crystalline forms unable to withstand the raw power of his attack.

Ramrods weapon was unique, it had been forged as a war hammer and he had one end filed down and tempered into an axe head. So he could spin the weapon in his hands for different effects. The axe head had more power behind each cleave due to the weight of the hammer end behind it. If that wasn't enough it had a fire enchantment.

Chad yelled out, “resonance field coming up!” Ramrod blocked catching a corrupted pickaxe with his armored forearm. The impact sent sparks of dark energy cascading across his armor, but instead of damaging him, the energy was absorbed. His Kinetic Conversion ability transformed each hit into pure offensive power.

Chad's hands danced through the air as he maintained multiple spells. If you wanted closely you would see a blue potion levitate from his belt and pour into his mouth from time to time.

A barrier of purple energy surrounded them both, while his analytical magic probed the Foreman's corrupted gem for weaknesses.

“The gem's putting out some kind of control signal. If we can disrupt it…”

“Less analysis, more explosions!” Ramrod interrupted, grabbing a miner by its crystallized head and using it as a makeshift weapon against its companions. The corrupted body shattered on impact, sending corruption infused shrapnel through two more attackers.

The Foreman's laughter boomed through the chamber. He finished the arm with one final bite, tossing the bones aside where they dissolved into corrupt void essence.

“Vigorous! But ultimately futile. The corruption adapts. The corruption learns. The corruption hungers.” He raised his hand, and the fallen miners' remains began to coalesce, forming new, more heavily armored versions.

“I hate cheaters”, Ramrod muttered. His weapons flames intensified as he activated his Void Colossus Form, his already impressive frame growing another two feet. Corruption infused attacks bounced off his enhanced armor, each hit feeding his power. “But I love battles!"

Chad's next spell manifested as a web of purple lightning that connected the reformed miners, analyzing their structural weaknesses. " Their corrupted signatures are linked to the Foreman's gem. We need to…”

A corrupted mining drill burst from the ground between them, forcing both warriors to dodge. The Foreman's control extended through the very earth itself, turning the mine's equipment into weapons.

“Getting real tired of being interrupted”, Chad said, his hat levitating gently as he turned his head surveying the battlefield processing combat data. He launched a barrage of elemental attacks, each one specifically tuned to the weaknesses his analysis had revealed. He was so used to battle and drinking, that it took a practiced eye to see if he was having a swig of spirits or taking a mana potion with stunning grace and speed.

It's a possibility he mixes his own and it's a bit of both.

Ramrod used the chaos to his advantage. His impact shell ability, turning the force of the drill against itself.

This ability allowed him to receive double charges from damage and he used his kinetic anchor skill to change the battlefield into a gravity field that fed him new victims to slaughter.

The massive Orc grabbed the corrupted machinery and, with a roar that made reality shudder, hurled it into the largest cluster of miners. The explosion sent corruption and crystallized limbs flying in all directions.

“Fuel for the fire" Ramrod said through a smile.

The Foreman finally stood, his massive form casting long shadows in the corrupt light. " Perhaps I should take a more active role in your education.” He reached into his chest cavity, fingers wrapping around the pulsing void gem. Dark energy coursed through his form, and the remaining miners began to change, their bodies twisting into more monstrous shapes.

“Chad”, Ramrod called out, his voice deadly serious. “Remember that thing we talked about? The really stupid plan?”

Chad's hat tilted forward, casting his face in shadow. "The one that might blow up the entire mine, kill us all, and possibly tear a hole in reality itself?"

"That's the one.”

“Can't do it, tagging out with Ezra, next time."

That was when Ezra phased into existence beside Ramrod, her bow already drawn. She took in the scene in an instant, the massive Orc warrior wreathed in golden flames, the transformed miners with their crystalline weapons, and the Foreman with his pulsing void gem and blood stained chin.

“Started the party without me?” she asked, loosing three arrows in rapid succession. Each shot found its mark in a miner's corrupt core, the void enhanced arrow heads disrupting their unstable forms.

"Oh, you’ve not missed much”, Ramrod replied, cleaving through another attacker. "Just some light exercise, a bit of corruption, and our host's unique dining habits.”

The Foreman's grin widened, corruption leaking from between his teeth. “More guests! How wonderful.” His void gem pulsed with renewed energy. “I do hope your friends enjoyed my pet in the other tunnel. I've so enjoyed watching it evolve.”

The Foreman slapped his chest and the void gem lighted the cavern. Then he raised his arms and called another 15 creatures to battle. Ramrod was already in his best void armor and dove in head first with the enchantment on his weapon, it looked like Prometheus using fire to extinguish his enemies.

Ezra fired fire arrows and ice arrows while using her dash ability to keep the angle clean. She used her shadow direct to keep the Foreman on his toes. He didn't even try to dodge them. A few would land and he would swipe them into a pile of sticks, the corruption healing him quickly. It seemed that no matter how many they vanquished, more would come. It had been 3 waves of enemies when they felt the earth shake. The Foremans crystal pulsed.

That was when Zaro materialized on the chamber's opposite side, his armor still crackling with energy from the horror battle. The team was finally reunited, but the Foreman's smile suggested this was exactly what he'd been waiting for.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

[System Alert]

Combat zone expanded

Multiple void signatures detected

Warning: Corruption levels reaching critical threshold

Recommend immediate and excessive violence

Zaro and Chad appeared just in time to witness Ramrod in his element. The Orc warrior's Impact Shell was fully charged, his void infused flesh hardened to near invulnerability. Each strike from the corrupted miners' crystalline weapons only served to strengthen his defense, the impacts converting directly into power as dark golden energy rippled across his armored form.

“Five charges active,” Ramrod's deep voice rumbled as he activated his Kinetic Anchor. The gravity around him intensified, and three of the closest miners found themselves suddenly struggling against an invisible force. Their corrupted forms strained against the crushing gravitational pressure as Ramrod's feet anchored firmly to the ground, creating spider web cracks in the stone beneath him.

The Foreman leaned forward, genuinely intrigued. “Fascinating. Your affinity manipulation is. unique.” He gestured, sending another wave of miners forward.

Ramrod's laugh echoed through the chamber. “You haven't seen nuthin yet lad.” His axe blazed brighter as he accumulated charge after charge, each blocked attack and successful counter adding to his stored energy. The miners' strikes bounced harmlessly off his enhanced form, each hit generating double charges thanks to his Impact Shell's efficiency.

When his Force Release reached maximum charge, Ramrod's eyes blazed with golden light. “Twenty charges,” he announced, his voice carrying the weight of stored power. “Everyone down!”

The release came in two stages, first, a focused burst through his axe that cleaved through three miners directly in front of him, then an omnidirectional wave of pure kinetic force that sent the remaining corrupted enemies flying into the chamber walls with bone shattering force.

As the energy dissipated, Ramrod dropped to one knee, temporarily drained from the massive expenditure. But his Impact Shell was already beginning to recharge as new attacks landed on top of the other 10 charges he already had stored. Proving why his class was known as a Colossus.

Chad fired an ice attack at the Foreman to soften him up as Ramrod gathered himself and got ready to use his impact shell ability again.

Zaro's void whisper reached Ezra with crystal clarity. “Flank. You left, me right. Now.”

They stepped simultaneously, materializing on opposite sides of the Foreman. Ezra's blade sang through the air in her signature Phantom Flurry, each strike leaving afterimages of purple energy that seemed to attack independently. The void elf's movements were liquid grace, her sword weaving patterns that defied normal combat logic.

Zaro pressed from the other side, his void fang a blur of motion. Shadow Strikes peppered in with slashes. Zaro was using the daggers as first packs to stay fluid with attacks to the Foreman's defenses. The dagger configuration of his weapon allowing for rapid, precise attacks that probed for weaknesses. Dark energy crackled with each impact.

The Foreman moved with unexpected agility, his massive corrupted form somehow keeping pace with both attackers. He blocked most of Ezra's phantom strikes with one crystallized arm while deflecting Zaro's shadow assault with the other. But the constant pressure from both sides prevented him from mounting any counter offense or summoning reinforcements. He absorbed a few attacks and healed fast.

“Chad, now!” Zaro commanded, activating his Void Drain. His mana charged up stealing some of the Foreman's power while Chad's own Siphon ability kicked in, creating a devastating feedback loop of void energy extraction.

Time itself warped as Zaro's Temporal Dilation took effect, slowing the Foreman's movements to a crawl at minus 90%. The corrupt leader's eyes widened as he realized he could no longer track his opponents' movements at normal speed.

“Ramrod!” Chad called out, his hat almost lifting off his head as he channeled the siphoned energy. “Maximum Impact!”

The sequence that followed was devastating in its precision.

Ezra's Phantom Flurry reached its crescendo, her blade leaving dozens of void infused cuts that began pulling the Foreman's corrupted essence apart. Simultaneously, Zaro's Shadow Strikes found critical points in the crystalline armor, creating fissures of weakness throughout.

Chad redirected and sent lightning bolts at Ramrod, who had been building charges throughout the entire exchange. The Orc warrior's Impact Shell blazed with unprecedented power as twenty charges of kinetic energy were ready to be used up.

“This might sting a bit, lad”, Ramrod growled, he had put his weapon away and was moving in for the bear hug.

The final strike was a collaboration of all four fighters. Ezra had stepped back and fired 2 void arrows which embedded in its head. Zaro's shadow strike concentrated at the back of the Foreman forcing him to lose his footing and start to fall forward in slow motion.

Chad's siphoned energy weakened the crystal in the chest of his enemy.

Ramrod's bear hug caught his enemy. When he felt ribs cracking he activated Force Release on an enemy that was experiencing his life in slow motion.

Chad erected a barrier around Ramrod and his prey.

The impact created a vacuum of silence before the explosion hit, sending a shockwave of dark golden purple energy reverberating inside the barrier like a bell ringing. Almost vaporizing the Foreman.

The Foreman's consciousness stretched across time, each millisecond an eternity due to Zaro's temporal dilation. What should have been instant destruction became an agonizing study in systematic obliteration.

First came the pressure, methodical, inexorable. He felt each individual rib splinter and crack, the crystalline reinforcement of his corrupted form offering no protection against Ramrod's embrace. His enhanced perception forced him to experience every microscopic fracture as they spread like lightning through his skeletal structure.

His organs, compressed by the failing cage of his ribs, began to rupture one by one. The sensation of his liver splitting, his lungs collapsing, and his heart being squeezed to bursting played out in excruciating detail. Each nerve ending fired its last desperate signal, creating a cascade of pain that his slowed consciousness couldn't help but process in perfect clarity.

Then came the final surge of Force Release. What should have been merciful obliteration instead felt like being caught between colliding stars, every cell in his body simultaneously reaching its breaking point. His crystalline shell, his final defense, spiderwebbed with cracks that he could feel propagating through his form.

Only then, after what felt like minutes but was merely a fraction of a second, did his consciousness finally shatter along with his physical form. His void gem, his anchor to this corrupted existence, cracked down the middle, releasing a final pulse of corrupt energy as his essence dispersed.

The chamber filled with the musical tinkling of falling crystal shards, a gentle counterpoint to the violence of moments before. As the corrupted atmosphere began to clear, restoration crept into the space, erasing all evidence of the Foreman's second and final death.

[System Alert]

2,000 experience gained.

Level up. Welcome to level 15.

1,725 of 4,300 until level 16.

Blade Era data decryption complete. Prepare for data merge.

Class Change Required to integrate restored abilities.

Current Class: Void Walker.

Available Class Change. Void Warrior.

Confirm Class Change?

Zaro thought yes.

Class Change Complete. You are now a Void Warrior.

New stats unlocked.

Previous abilities enhanced. New abilities unlocked.

Level 15

Void Warrior

HP: 900

Mana: 500

Strength: 50

Agility: 40

Intelligence: 50

Vitality: 50

Stamina: 40

Available resources.

15 Stat Points Available.

23 Skill Points Available.

3 Skill Upgrade Points Available.

Zaro wanted to bank more points until he could level his last two stats.

He collapsed to his knees, his hands clutching his head as searing pain shot through his skull. It felt like molten metal was being poured directly into his brain, burning and rebuilding neural pathways. Purple void energy leaked from his eyes as memories and knowledge crashed through his mind.

Skills Restored.

Combat Core Skills.

Elite Swordplay Level 8.

Analyze Level 9.

Unarmed Combat Level 8.

Advanced Weapons Proficiency Level 6.

Combat Movement Level 6.

Battle Tactics Level 5.

Combat Teaching Level 4.

Survival Expertise Skills.

Weapon Maintenance Level 3.

Field Medicine Level 5.

Martial Arts Theory Level 8.

Fire Starting Level 2.

Camp Setup Level 3.

Hunting Level 4.

Field Cooking Level 2.

Tracking Level 6.

Swimming Level 4.

Combat Support Skills.

Equipment Maintenance Level 4.

Armor Proficiency Level 5.

Shield Combat Level 4.

Throwing Weapons Level 3.

Combat Experience Integration Complete.

Previous Motor Memory Restored.

Muscle Memory Recalibration Complete.

Void Energy Integration Successful.

Ezra steadied him as he slowly stood, his body feeling both familiar and new. All of his combat experience and hard earned skills flooding back into his mind and muscle memory. He flexed his hands, feeling the weight of past expertise settling into place alongside his void abilities.

This was a gift from the system. It didn't have to account for his gaming abilities. But he wasn't going to argue, and technically he did earn and learn all those skills. He probably had 100 hours in Blade Era for that run alone. He was deep in his thoughts as he realized the others had no idea what was going on.

The void warrior dropped into a perfect combat stance, muscle memory guiding his movements. His eyes still flickered with traces of purple energy as his system finished integrating.

“You good?” Ezra asked.

“Better than good", he said feeling the surge of power from his level up combining with his restored abilities. " Just got my second wind.”

As the corruption receded from the chamber,

System notifications chimed.

[System Alert]

Dungeon Clear, Corrupted Mines of Galahad

Primary Reward, Foreman's Void Gem, Corrupted and Damaged .

Secondary Rewards.

Mining Rights Deed to Galahad Northwest Sector.

Salvage Rights to Corrupted Mining Equipment.

Title Earned, Corruption Cleanser.

Legacy Scroll number 2.

12 Void Infused Crystal Shards.

8 Purifiable Mining Tools.

Guild Payment, 800 gold.

Title Acquired: Corruption Cleanser

Effects: +10% damage against corrupted entities.

Corruption Detection Range of 20 meters.

Minor resistance to corruption status effects.

Reputation boost with anti-corruption factions.

“Well”, Chad said, adjusting his hat as he examined the cracked void gem, "that's one way to clear a mine. Though I think we might have overdone it with the structural damage."

Ramrod was already gathering the salvageable equipment. “Overdoing it is my specialty, lad. Besides, better a damaged mine than a corrupted one. What do you think Zaro?” Zaro paused, noting the new title. “Interesting. I can sense traces of corruption still lingering in the deeper tunnels.” He also thought about the new void legacy scroll. And the system gift plus all the stat points he had. Life. Was. Good.

Ezra collected the crystal shards while keeping an eye on Zaro, who was still adjusting to his restored abilities. “We should get this paperwork to the Guild. They'll want to send in recovery teams before the corruption has a chance to resurface.”

"Agreed" , Zaro said, tucking the deed into his inventory. "Let's head back. I could use a drink after that battle.” He could imagine the new title's power integrating with his void abilities, strengthening his connection to anti corruption forces.

He would need to dive into some title use strategy soon. He thought.

The team made their way toward the exit, leaving behind a purified but battle scarred mine. Another threat eliminated, though they all knew this wouldn't be the last they'd see of the corruption's influence.