Kael stood at the edge of the cavern, his breath caught in his throat as his eyes roamed the ancient chamber. Towering limestone formations rose like jagged teeth from both the ceiling and the floor, their dull surfaces glinting under the soft illumination of an otherworldly glow. It was a place of silence, yet the air buzzed with an undeniable power, a weight that pressed against his skin, as though the very stones held an ancient wisdom.
In the center of the chamber, a large crater-like basin was filled with shimmering liquid gold—Aeloria's Light Essence. The pool rippled gently, glowing as though lit from within by the purest sunlight.
"This must be the Cradle of Light," Kael muttered to himself, the words thick in the heavy air. "And that pool... it must be Aeloria's Light Essence."
He moved closer to the edge of the pool, his steps slow and deliberate, his gaze never leaving the golden surface.
The power emanating from it was palpable—something primal and ancient. His heart raced with anticipation. This was it. The place where they would finally purify their Rebirth Cores, washing away the Abyss corruption inside.
A flicker of movement behind him caught his attention. A portal tore through the air, and from it emerged Varin, his mentor and guide, his silhouette sharp against the soft golden light. Relief washed over Kael as he saw Varin's familiar figure, and the tension in his shoulders eased.
"You made it," Varin said, his voice hoarse with fatigue but laced with genuine relief. He stepped toward Kael, a rare smile tugging at his lips. "I wasn't sure if... well, I'm just glad you did."
Kael nodded, not trusting his voice just yet. He could see the weight of their journey etched into Varin's features—the battles, the near-deaths, the looming abyss. Yet here they were, at the threshold of something monumental.
He gestured to the pool. "Let's not waste time," Kael said. "We need to cleanse our Rebirth Cores of the Abyss impurities."
Varin agreed with a curt nod, and they both shed their armor and clothes, stripping down to their undergarments. The cold air bit at Kael's skin, but the moment he stepped into the pool, the sensation was drowned out by something far more powerful.
The liquid wasn't just cold—it was invigorating. It seeped into his pores, sending a rush of energy through his veins.
His Rebirth Core, always a subtle hum beneath the surface, flared to life, thrumming like a second heartbeat. Kael could feel something within him stir—a deep, primal energy—reaching for the light around him.
A notification chimed in his mind, and Kael's vision blurred slightly as the system interface appeared.
Detecting Light Essence. Beginning purification...
The sensation was unlike anything Kael had ever experienced. His entire body seemed to vibrate with power, and slowly, the Abyss corruption that had clung to his soul for so long began to ooze out of him, black tendrils of dark energy dissipating into the pool. It was as if the darkness was being pulled from him, unwillingly dragged into the light.
Another notification flashed before him.
Altar of Ardorr detecting Abyss Essence. Beginning absorption sequence...
Kael blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected the altar to react, yet it floated before him, materializing from his virtual space, its size expanding until it hovered over the pool. The eight runic pillars of the altar glowed in sync with the light essence, casting intricate shadows across the cavern walls.
The runes on the altar pulsed with a deep blue glow, and Kael realized with awe that it wasn't just his leaked Abyss corruption being absorbed—the altar was also pulling the dark essence from Varin. His mentor, with his eyes closed and head tilted back, appeared unaware of the altar's activity. His face was peaceful, the years of worry and pain seemingly melting away.
Kael smiled slightly. The altar was more than just a tool; it was a force in its own right. Whatever powers it held, it was helping them now, absorbing the leaked corruption that threatened to tear them apart.
Time passed in a blur. The golden light of the pool washed over them, and Kael could feel the essence purifying him. But then, just as suddenly, the feeling halted. Another notification pinged before his eyes.
Rebirth Core Purification at 85%. Purification process halted.
Kael frowned. Eighty-five percent? Why couldn't it fully purify?
Was it something to do with the level of his Rebirth Core? He clenched his fists under the water, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
He had hoped—no, he had expected—this to be the moment of complete cleansing. The moment where he would be freed from the corruption that had plagued him since his awakening.
But the system had other plans.
Varin, oblivious to Kael's inner turmoil, slowly opened his eyes after another thirty minutes of soaking in the pool's essence.
His skin seemed to glow in the aftermath of the purification, and he exhaled a long, satisfied breath. Then his gaze fell on the altar, still hovering above them, absorbing the last of the Abyss energy from their bodies.
"Your altar is quite the resourceful tool," Varin remarked, chuckling softly. "Didn't waste any time, did it?"
Kael, already dried and clothed by the time Varin spoke, gave a half-smile. "I didn't expect it to have that function," he admitted. "It's mysterious... but it's saved us more than once."
Varin nodded, his eyes thoughtful. "I've never seen anything like it," he said. "There's a depth to that altar. I think we've only scratched the surface of what it can do."
The last remnants of the Abyss energy were finally absorbed, and the altar shrank back to its mini size, retreating into Kael's virtual space.
Silence fell over the cavern once again, the air heavy with the aftermath of the purification. The pool's light shimmered softly, as though reflecting the new purity that flowed within their veins.
"It's time we head back," Kael said quietly, his voice breaking through the quiet.
Varin agreed, drying himself off and slipping back into his clothes. The sense of peace that had settled over them felt fragile, fleeting, as though the world outside this chamber would shatter it the moment they stepped through the portal.
Kael activated the orb, the shimmering light enveloping them both in an instant. When the world solidified once more, they stood at the outskirts of Aeloria city. The orb vanished, dissipating into the ether, likely returning to Aeloria herself.
Kael looked at the city in the distance, the tall spires glowing faintly against the night sky. But something felt... off. His senses tingled with the same foreboding tension that always heralded danger. He glanced at Varin, who stood beside him, eyes narrowing as he, too, seemed to sense it.
A flicker of movement caught Kael's eye. In the distance, hunched figures shuffled weakly, their gaunt faces barely recognizable beneath layers of grime and exhaustion.
Men, women, and children alike were scattered along the sides of the narrow street, their hollow eyes staring into nothingness. Their bodies sagged against crumbling walls, barely able to hold themselves upright, as though the very essence of life had been leeched from them.
The air was thick with an oppressive, suffocating aura—dark energy that seemed to ooze from every corner, twisting the atmosphere with a malevolent intent.
Shadows clung to their skin, pulsing with a sickly glow, as if feeding on whatever hope remained within them. Kael could feel the weight of it pressing down on him, a heaviness that settled deep into his chest.
This wasn't just sickness. Something far darker was at play, something that fed on more than flesh and bone. The darkness seemed alive, weaving through the streets like a predator, leaving these people on the brink of death.
Kael's stomach twisted as he watched, a sense of dread creeping into his mind. This was no ordinary suffering—this was corruption in its purest form.
Kael's heart stilled. His hand instinctively reached for his weapon. "Something's wrong."
Varin's jaw tightened. "The Abyss cultists," he said, voice grim. "It seems it has started."
Kael's Rebirth Core thrummed in warning, and he knew they had walked from one battle straight into another.