The dim light of the shrine flickered as Sam prepared himself for the inevitable confrontation. The visions from the glowing orb had provided valuable insight into the nature of the Shrouded Realm and its guardian, the Warden. He knew now that brute force alone would not suffice. The Warden was an extension of the realm, a being that could manipulate the very fabric of the environment to its advantage. Sam's task was to turn that power against it, but to do so required cunning and precision.
He knelt before the altar, his mind racing through the possibilities. The Sealing Gu was close, likely guarded by the Warden itself, and obtaining it would require Sam to not only defeat the Warden but to outthink it. He had to remember what he had learned during his previous encounters with the Linkage Gu and Assimilation Gu—each creature had required a combination of intellect, intuition, and raw power. This time would be no different.
