The city of Aeloria was a hollow shell of its former glory. Once vibrant and bustling, the streets now echoed with the soft groans of the afflicted, sickly figures slumped against buildings, their eyes glazed with pain and despair.
Kael and Varin moved through the desolate roads, grim-faced, watching the decaying life all around them. The air was heavy, almost suffocating, with a dark mist that clung to the sick like a veil, a manifestation of the abyssal corruption poisoning the city.
Kael's gaze swept over the streets, filled with a mixture of disbelief and horror. "What... happened here?" His voice was barely above a whisper, as if speaking any louder would disturb the fragile stillness.
Varin's expression was equally grim. "We need answers, and fast. The Veil might know more." He gestured toward the shadowy alleyways that would lead them to the Veil's hidden base.
As they walked, Kael's mind raced. The dark mist surrounding the people—it was unmistakably infused with the Abyss' corruption.
He could feel it in the very air, the way it seemed to sap energy, bringing with it a sense of impending doom. "This can't be natural. Something—or someone—brought this here."
It didn't take long before they spotted several of the Veil members, their distinctive hoods marking them as healers of the covert organization.
They were hunched over the fallen citizens, desperately trying to ease their pain with healing spells, but the results were weak, almost futile. The Veil's faces were taut with frustration, their hands glowing faintly with magic, but the corruption resisted their efforts.
Kael and Varin approached one of them, a young woman with sharp eyes that darted up at their approach.
"What happened here?" Kael's voice was edged with urgency. "Why are the people suddenly sick?"
The woman sighed, wiping her forehead. "It's the Abyss cult. They've poisoned the city's water supply with corruption. Anyone who's consumed it has been infected, slowly dying from within."
Varin cursed under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the stricken people. "When? How?"
The woman shook her head. "It happened fast. We were following the leads from your map, trying to ambush the cult when we noticed people falling sick. By the time we realized what had been done, it was already too late." Her voice carried a note of bitterness. "The cult must have planned this for weeks, maybe months. They struck when our defenses were down."
Kael clenched his fists. The city's shields were supposed to protect against external threats, but this? This was something insidious, an attack from within.
"I thought the city shields were impenetrable. How did this happen?"
The Veil member glanced around, as if expecting someone—or something—hidden in the shadows. "The shields protect us from outside forces. But once corruption enters the city, the shields are useless. That's why we exist, to counter these internal threats. The Abyss cult knows this, and they've been exploiting it." She sighed, shaking her head. "Now, the city is on the verge of collapse."
Varin's voice cut through the growing tension. "Is there any way to reverse it? Healing? Potions?"
"We've tried," she replied, the frustration palpable in her tone. "But the abyssal corruption resists all traditional magic. It's too deeply embedded."
Kael's mind raced as he stared at the afflicted. He could feel the oppressive darkness swirling around them, the same type of energy he had experienced before. And then, an idea struck him—a bold, almost reckless idea. "I think I can help."
The Veil member raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of skepticism and hope. "How?"
"My altar. The Altar of Ardorr." Kael's eyes gleamed with determination. "It can absorb abyssal energy. When Varin and I were at the Cradle of Light, it absorbed the leaked abyss energy from our bodies. I think it can do the same here."
Varin turned toward him, understanding dawning in his eyes. "You think it can absorb the corruption from all these people?"
Kael nodded. "It's worth trying. We don't have any other options."
The Veil member looked between the two of them, and finally, she gave a nod. "If it works, it could save lives. Let's try."
Kael focused, summoning the altar from his virtual space. In an instant, a faint shimmer appeared before the altar manifested fully, hovering above them, its eight pillars glowing softly before it slowly descended to the ground. The ancient runes etched into its stone began to pulse with a soft light.
The Veil members immediately began ushering the sick toward the altar in small groups. Kael, his heart pounding, activated the system.
System Notification:
Activating Altar of Ardorr…
Detecting Dark Abyss Energy…
Beginning purification…
The pillars of the altar flared to life, each one lighting up in turn before a surge of energy shot outward, enveloping the afflicted.
For a moment, the air crackled with tension. Then, the dark mist began to lift from the people, pulled toward the altar.
The corruption twisted and writhed, but the altar continued its work, absorbing the darkness into its core. Kael could feel the energy shifting, the altar's absorption rate climbing.
System Notification:
Abyss Energy: 44%
The first group of people gasped as the dark energy left their bodies. Their eyes cleared, their breathing steadied, and for the first time in days, they looked alive. The Veil members stared, wide-eyed, as the impossible unfolded before them.
"You did it," one of them whispered, disbelief coloring their voice.
Kael nodded, though his body ached from the strain of using the altar. "We'll need to do this for everyone."
They moved quickly, guiding more sick toward the altar, repeating the process. Each time, the altar's pillars flared, absorbing the abyssal corruption. The people were being saved, one by one.
But just as they began to settle into the rhythm, a sudden whistle sliced through the air.
Kael's instincts kicked in, and he ducked just in time to avoid an arrow that embedded itself into the ground next to him. A second arrow followed, aimed directly at the altar. But as it struck, the altar's defense shield flared, dissolving the arrow into dust.
"They're here!" a Veil member shouted. "The cultists!"
Kael turned toward the rooftops, spotting a hooded figure with a bow, their eyes gleaming with malevolence. From the corner of his vision, his Abyssal Locator flickered, showing red blips rapidly closing in. "We've got company," he muttered.
Just as the words left his mouth, a portal ripped open in the air, and eight hulking Darkspawn Commanders stepped through, their eyes glowing with abyssal power.
Varin's face hardened with resolve. "Kael, keep healing the people. We'll hold them off."
Kael nodded, summoning his Shadow Avatar. A perfect, shadowy duplicate of him materialized at his side. "You," he ordered the Avatar, "help them fight."
The Avatar immediately leaped into action, drawing a blade from its back and charging toward the Darkspawns with an eerie, fluid grace. Meanwhile, the Veil members and Varin braced themselves, their weapons drawn, as the first wave of Darkspawns crashed into them.
Kael turned back to the altar, his mind focused on saving the people. But with every second, the battle around him grew fiercer. He could hear the clash of steel, the roars of the Darkspawns, and the grunts of the Veil members as they fought to protect the altar.
His heart pounded in his chest as he activated the system again.
System Notification:
Altar of Ardorr: Absorption Rate 48%
He was making progress. But could he finish in time before the Darkspawns overwhelmed them? As another explosion of dark energy rocked the area, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that this fight was far from over. Something bigger, darker, was coming.