"You're certain about this?" a voice asked from behind, calm but persistent. Kael turned to face the Veil's envoy, his face hidden behind a hood, his eyes glinting with otherworldly knowledge.
"I've made my decision," Kael replied firmly, his voice steady despite the weight of the offer hanging between them. "I'm not joining the Veil, not yet. I still have to remove this sigil," he glanced at his marked hand, the dark energy faintly pulsing beneath the skin, "and Varin needs to fix his Rebirth Core. I can't be tied down in the Rift. Erendath needs me—needs us—outside."
The envoy studied him for a long moment, as if weighing Kael's very soul. Finally, he nodded, almost in approval. "When the time comes, we will be here. But don't wait too long, Kael. The Abyss does not pause for anyone."
Kael's gaze shifted to Varin, who stood silently by his side, as if absorbing every word. There was a flash of something in his mentor's eyes—pride, perhaps, or regret. It was hard to tell.
"You don't need to consider my feelings, Kael," Varin said quietly, his voice carrying the weariness of a man who had seen far too much. "I know your path is bigger than mine. Erendath's future is tied to you, not me. Don't hold back on my account."
Kael's jaw tightened at Varin's words. He didn't like the sound of it—how final it seemed. "We're in this together," he said, but there was no denying the truth in Varin's statement.
"Let's just get going," Kael muttered, shaking off the heaviness that threatened to cling to him. He turned away from the Veil envoy, his mind already focused on the next task. They had to find the next Abyssal Anchor.
As they left the gates of Aethlar behind, Kael's thoughts drifted to his conversation with Arthur, the enigmatic guardian of the Rebirth Core. The words echoed in his mind, each syllable carrying an unsettling truth.
"Can the players—Ascendants—enter the Eternal Cities?" Kael had asked during one of their encounters.
Arthur's reply was firm. "Not yet. The Ascendants cannot withstand the Abyss corruption, nor do they possess the strength to explore the Rift Realm. One day, when the right threshold is met or when their powers are desperately needed, I will open the portals. But until then, this remains their safeguard, their last line of defense."
The memory of Arthur's words weighed heavily on Kael's chest. A part of him felt relieved—Ascendants weren't ready for the kind of darkness lurking in the Abyss Rift. But another part of him feared the day when they would be needed, the day when their arrival would mean all other hope had faded.
"Limo!" Kael called out, snapping back to the present. His furry, chirpy system guide appeared in a puff of light, hovering beside him as they walked.
"Yes, Kael?" Limo's voice was its usual high-pitched enthusiasm, though there was a hint of wariness in its tone.
"Can you pull up a map of the Abyss Rift?" Kael asked, glancing at the guide.
"You're lucky," Limo chirped. "Because of your connection to the Rebirth Core, Arthur gave me permission to access the Abyss Rift's map."
Kael's eyes flickered over the shifting hologram, searching for any hint of their target. "If only I could locate the Darkspawns on this thing…"
Then he remembered. He could.
"Limo, pull up the Darkspawn Locator status," Kael said, his mind already racing ahead.
Limo complied, bringing up the familiar status window in front of him:
Darkspawn Locator: Locate different levels of Darkspawns based on mastery. Can also detect Abyssal Anchors within range.
Conditions to unlock Darkspawn Locator:
Defeat Elite Darkspawn: 5/5 - Completed
Reach Rebirth Core Mastery Level 2 - Completed
Reach Level 10 - Completed
Destroy Abyssal Anchors: 1/2 - In progress
To upgrade to the next mastery level, the conditions will be doubled.
Kael frowned as he reviewed the progress. "I've destroyed one Abyssal Anchor already, but I've got no clue where to find the second one."
Limo's tiny voice piped up. "The Abyssal Anchors are hidden artifacts. They channel dark energy to the Abyssal Lord and weaken the Eternal Cities' protective runes. They're key to summoning Darkspawn outside the Rift. They're also heavily guarded—usually by Darkspawn of considerable strength."
"So, another Anchor and another Darkspawn to defeat," Kael muttered under his breath. "Got it."
Varin, who had been silent for some time, suddenly spoke up. "We need to head toward Natharak, the next Eternal City. According to the Veil, their scouts have reported suspicious activity there—likely Abyss Cultists trying to breach the Rift. If we're lucky, we'll find your second Abyssal Anchor before it weakens Natharak's defenses."
Kael nodded, his focus sharpening. "Natharak it is."
The journey toward Natharak was long and treacherous. Shadows clung to the edges of the path, and the very air felt tainted by the presence of the Abyss. But Kael moved with purpose, his steps never wavering. He could feel the weight of the world pressing down on him, but it only fueled the fire in his heart.
As they neared the outskirts of Natharak, a wave of dark energy rippled through the air, making Kael's skin crawl. He glanced at Varin, who had also tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon.
"There's something wrong here," Kael said, his voice low. He could feel the dark energy pulsating beneath his skin, the same energy that had become disturbingly familiar since entering the Rift.
Varin nodded grimly. "The Abyss Cult must be close. We need to move quickly before the barrier fails completely."
Just as Varin finished speaking, the ground beneath them trembled violently. A jagged tear opened in the earth, spewing forth dark tendrils of energy. From within the rift, a hulking figure emerged—an Advanced Darkspawn, its body covered in obsidian armor, its glowing red eyes locked onto Kael.
The creature's growl echoed through the landscape, and without hesitation, it lunged toward them.
Varin drew his sword, its blade humming with energy. "Looks like we've got company."
Kael's hands tightened around his weapon, his Rebirth Core pulsing with energy as he readied himself for the battle ahead.
The tremors beneath Kael's feet were a prelude to the chaos that followed. Two Advanced Darkspawns, their obsidian armor gleaming in the sickly light of the Rift, lunged at him with a ferocity that sent shockwaves through the battlefield. Kael's instincts kicked in immediately, his body moving in a blur as he activated Void Step, shifting into the void.
For a heartbeat, Kael vanished from the material plane, becoming a streak of shadow that darted around the Darkspawns' massive claws. He reappeared behind the creatures, his Void Daggers materializing in his hands, charged with dark energy.
With a sharp intake of breath, Kael unleashed Echoing Strike, his daggers plunging deep into one of the creature's exposed flank. The initial hit landed with devastating force, enhanced by the lingering shadow energy that seeped into the wound. Dark tendrils of void energy coiled around the creature, dealing shadow damage over time.
The Darkspawn roared in agony, swinging its massive arm to crush him. But Kael was already gone, disappearing into the void once more with Shadow Dash, reappearing just out of the creature's reach. His Spectral Presence left a shadowy decoy behind, causing the Darkspawn to strike at it in confusion.
With a burst of speed, Kael closed the gap between himself and the crippled Darkspawn, delivering a flurry of rapid strikes, each one leaving trails of void energy that tore at the beast's insides. The Darkspawn faltered, letting out one final, blood-curdling scream before collapsing to the ground, its body dissolving into a pool of abyssal blackness.
Beside him, Varin moved with deadly precision. The battlefield seemed to warp around him as he activated Void Step, phasing in and out of existence with terrifying ease. One moment, he was beside Kael, and the next, he was behind the other Darkspawn, his Distortion Blade flashing through the air. The attack tore through the creature's armor, releasing a pulse of void energy that distorted time around the beast, slowing its movements.
"Hit it now!" Varin barked, his voice cutting through the cacophony of battle.
Kael didn't hesitate. He activated Dark Infusion, his daggers glowing with intense void energy as his attack speed and damage surged. With a swift motion, he dashed forward, his daggers slashing through the slowed Darkspawn's defenses, each strike landing with brutal efficiency.
The other Darkspawn let out a final, guttural roar as it collapsed, its massive form dissolving into a pool of dark energy.
Breathing heavily, Kael stood still for a moment, taking in the silence that followed the fight. But before he could fully relax, a familiar sound echoed in his mind—a notification from his system.
System Alert: Objective Progress
Dark Essence Collected: 18,734/10,000
Kael blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. That was more than enough Dark Essence. His mind raced as the notifications continued.
System Notification: Progress Toward Status Multiplier Unlock
Reach Rebirth Core Mastery Level 2 — CompleteKill 5 Advanced Darkspawns (Level 11-15) — 6/5 CompleteReach Level 15 — CompleteCollect 18,734/10,000 units of Dark Essence — Complete
A cold shiver ran down his spine as he realized what was happening. All the conditions to unlock his Status Multiplier had been met. The power that had seemed so far out of reach was now within his grasp.
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