Chapter 36 - A New Team Objective

The morning light streamed through the windows of the Westport adventurer's lodge, casting a soft glow over the room where Ethan, Lila, Sylas, and the rest of the team gathered. The battle against the corrupted creatures in the ruins still lingered in their minds, and although they had won, the weight of the greater threat remained heavy on their shoulders.

Ethan stood by the table, his hands resting on the worn wooden surface as he surveyed the group. Lila sat beside him, her expression thoughtful, while Gavin and Mira leaned back in their chairs, quietly discussing tactics. Darin and Leora stood nearby, preparing their gear for the next mission. And then there was Sylas—calm, composed, her silver hair catching the light as she studied the map spread out before them.

"We stopped the corruption at the ruins," Ethan began, breaking the silence. "But Sylas was right—there are more focal points like that altar. The World-Core's corruption is spreading, and if we don't do something about it, it's going to consume everything."

Sylas nodded, her piercing green eyes fixed on the map. "The altar we destroyed was one of many. These focal points are like conduits for the World-Core's dark energy, and as long as they remain active, the corruption will keep growing."

Mira crossed her arms, her voice skeptical. "So, we're supposed to go around destroying these altars? How many are there?"

"Too many," Sylas said quietly. "But we can't stop them all at once. We need to focus on the ones with the strongest influence. The ones that are already feeding the corruption into the world."

Lila leaned forward, studying the map. "And you think the next one is in the west?"

Sylas nodded. "Yes. The system has been guiding us toward these points, and I've been tracking the energy patterns for years. There's another focal point in the west, near the old Undead Cavern. The corruption there has been steadily increasing, and if we don't deal with it soon, the entire region could fall."

Gavin let out a low whistle. "Undead Cavern, huh? Sounds like a fun place."

"It's not," Sylas replied, her tone deadly serious. "The corruption is attracting all kinds of dark forces—undead, rogue mages, and worse. It's dangerous, and we need to be prepared."

Ethan clenched his fists, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. "Then we'll go. We don't have a choice. If the World-Core corruption is spreading, we can't just sit here and wait for it to reach the cities."

The rest of the team exchanged glances, each of them nodding in agreement. They had all seen the destruction caused by the corruption, and they knew that waiting wasn't an option.

Sylas traced a path on the map, her finger hovering over a darkened area in the west. "The Undead Cavern is several days' journey from here. It's an old site, mostly abandoned for centuries, but recently, the corruption has reawakened something inside. We need to find the source, destroy it, and cleanse the area before it's too late."

Lila looked up at Ethan, her eyes filled with determination. "We'll need to plan carefully. This isn't just another mission. The corruption we're facing is different—it's stronger, more concentrated."

Ethan nodded. "Agreed. This won't be like anything we've faced before, but we've come this far. We'll stick together, and we'll stop this."

As the team made their preparations to leave Westport, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that the journey to the Undead Cavern would change everything. The corruption they had encountered in the ruins was only the beginning, and now, with the system guiding him deeper into the mysteries of the World-Core, he knew that the stakes were higher than ever.

Later that evening, as they gathered their supplies, Ethan noticed Sylas standing alone by the edge of the camp, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. He approached her quietly, sensing the weight she carried.

"Are you alright?" Ethan asked, his voice low.

Sylas didn't look at him immediately, her eyes still focused on the distance. "I've been fighting this corruption for years," she said softly. "Tracking it, studying it, trying to stop it. But every time I think I'm getting closer, it slips through my fingers. This fight—it's bigger than any of us."

Ethan stood beside her, watching as the last rays of sunlight dipped below the horizon. "We'll stop it. Together."

Sylas finally turned to him, her green eyes filled with a quiet intensity. "I hope you're right, Ethan. But the World-Core—it's ancient, and its power is far greater than anything we've seen. The system may be helping us, but there's so much we don't understand."

Ethan nodded, feeling the weight of her words. He had sensed it too—the system, while powerful, was keeping secrets. It had given him strength, guided him to victory, but at the same time, it had withheld the full truth about the World-Core and the corruption.

"I don't fully trust the system," Ethan admitted. "It's helped us, but there's something it's not telling us. And until we know what that is, we're fighting blind."

Sylas gave a small nod of agreement. "We'll learn the truth. But for now, we have to focus on the task at hand."

Ethan smiled faintly. "Right. First the Undead Cavern, then the truth."

The following morning, the team set out from Westport, the weight of their new mission pressing down on them. The road ahead was long, and the dangers were many, but they were ready. They had faced the corruption before, and they had survived. Now, with Sylas's guidance and the system's abilities, they were determined to stop the corruption at its source.

As they traveled westward, the landscape began to change. The once fertile fields gave way to barren wastelands, the ground dry and cracked, as if the very life had been drained from the earth. The sky above them grew darker, thick with storm clouds that rumbled ominously in the distance.

"This is it," Sylas said quietly, her voice barely audible over the wind. "We're entering the corrupted zone."

Ethan felt a chill run down his spine as they continued forward. The system hummed in the back of his mind, a constant presence that seemed to grow more insistent the closer they got to their destination.

As the team reached the outskirts of the Undead Cavern, they stopped, surveying the landscape before them. The cavern loomed ahead, its entrance dark and foreboding, the air around it thick with the stench of decay.

"This is where it begins," Ethan said, his voice steady. "And where we end it."

The team nodded in unison, their weapons ready, their minds focused. The battle against the World-Core corruption was far from over, but they were ready to face whatever horrors lay ahead.

With a final glance at his team, Ethan took a deep breath and led the way into the darkness.