The air in the corridor grew colder with every step they took, the weight of the corruption pressing down on the team like a physical force. The walls, once covered with faintly glowing runes, now pulsed with an eerie, sickly light. Ethan could feel the tension in the air, every muscle in his body alert as they ventured deeper into the heart of the cavern.
"This is it," Sylas whispered, her green eyes scanning the darkness ahead. "The corruption is concentrated here. Whatever's ahead is the source."
Gavin gripped his sword tighter, his usual humor replaced by a grim determination. "And I'm guessing it's not going to be friendly."
The corridor opened into a massive, vaulted chamber, the ceiling so high it was lost in shadow. At the center of the room stood a towering figure—clad in dark, jagged armor, with glowing green eyes burning from beneath a rusted helmet. A massive sword rested in its hand, and dark energy crackled around it like a living thing.
The Corrupted Death Knight.
"It's drawing power directly from the World-Core," Sylas said, her voice low. "This creature is bound to the corruption. It's not just an undead—it's a vessel for the dark energy we've been fighting."
Ethan's heart pounded as he took in the sight before them. The Death Knight was unlike anything they had faced before—its very presence exuded malice, and the air around it seemed to shimmer with corrupted magic.
"We take it down," Ethan said, his voice steady despite the growing dread in his chest. "Together."
As if sensing their presence, the Death Knight turned its head slowly toward them, the glowing green eyes locking onto the team. It raised its massive sword, and with a deafening roar, it charged.
The impact of the Death Knight's first strike shook the ground, sending shockwaves through the chamber. Ethan barely managed to block the blow, his arms vibrating from the sheer force of the attack. The creature's strength was immense, and it moved with terrifying speed for something so large.
"Spread out!" Ethan shouted, dodging to the side as the Death Knight's sword came crashing down again, narrowly missing him.
Gavin and Darin moved in quickly, their swords flashing as they attacked the creature's flanks, but the Death Knight's dark armor seemed impervious to their strikes. Sparks flew as their blades clanged against the metal, but the creature barely reacted, its focus still locked on Ethan.
"This thing is tough!" Gavin shouted, frustration clear in his voice as he dodged a swing from the Death Knight's massive sword.
"It's feeding on the corruption," Sylas called out from the back, her hands glowing as she prepared a spell. "We need to disrupt its connection to the World-Core!"
Ethan's mind raced as he tried to think of a way to weaken the Death Knight. It was clear that brute force wasn't going to work—not while the creature was still drawing power from the corruption.
"Lila, Sylas!" Ethan shouted, blocking another strike. "We need you two to break the connection! We'll keep it busy!"
Lila nodded, raising her staff as she began to cast a series of defensive spells to protect the team. Sylas joined her, her eyes focused on the dark energy pulsing around the Death Knight.
"Keep it distracted!" Sylas called out as her hands glowed with power.
The battle that followed was chaotic and brutal. Ethan, Gavin, and Darin worked together to keep the Death Knight's attention on them, dodging its powerful attacks and striking whenever they saw an opening. But the creature's strength was overwhelming, and every blow felt like it was testing their limits.
Mira darted around the edges of the battle, her daggers flashing as she struck at the Death Knight's exposed joints, but even her precision strikes seemed to have little effect against the creature's armor.
"This thing doesn't have any weak spots!" Mira shouted, frustration lacing her words as she dodged another swing.
"We just need to hold out!" Ethan shouted back, his breath ragged as he blocked another strike. "Lila and Sylas are working on it!"
Lila's magic flared as she cast a barrier around the team, shielding them from the worst of the Death Knight's attacks. Meanwhile, Sylas's hands glowed with a dark light as she chanted, her voice low and focused.
"The corruption is tied to its armor," Sylas said, her voice strained from the effort of the spell. "If we can sever that connection, we can weaken it."
Ethan glanced at Sylas, then back at the Death Knight. "How do we break the connection?"
Sylas gritted her teeth. "We need to hit it with pure energy. I'll weaken the armor's defenses, but you'll need to use your system abilities to deal the final blow."
Ethan felt the system hum within him, the familiar sensation of energy building inside. Core Surge—the ability designed to combat the World-Core's corruption. This was it. This was the moment to use it.
"Get ready!" Ethan shouted, stepping back from the battle as Sylas's magic flared brighter.
The Death Knight let out a furious roar as Sylas's magic took hold, the dark energy surrounding its armor flickering as the connection to the corruption was disrupted. The creature staggered, its movements slowing as the power that had fueled it began to wane.
"Now, Ethan!" Sylas shouted, her voice filled with urgency.
Ethan focused, calling on the power of the system as the energy surged through him. His sword glowed with a bright, shimmering light, the power of the World-Core concentrated in the blade. With a shout, he charged forward, his sword cutting through the air with deadly precision.
The blade struck the Death Knight's armor, and for a moment, there was silence. Then, with a deafening crack, the dark energy that had bound the creature shattered, and the Death Knight let out one final, earth-shaking roar before collapsing to the ground, its body disintegrating into ash.
The chamber fell silent.
Ethan stood amidst the remains of the Death Knight, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The battle was over, but the weight of the corruption still lingered in the air.
"We did it," Lila said softly, her voice filled with both relief and exhaustion.
Sylas approached the remains of the Death Knight, her expression grim. "The corruption is still here," she said quietly. "Destroying the knight weakened it, but we haven't stopped it. There's still more to this place."
Ethan nodded, his grip on his sword tightening. "Then we keep going. We can't stop now."
The battle against the corruption was far from over, but they had taken a crucial step forward. Whatever lay deeper within the cavern, Ethan and his team were ready to face it.