The room pulsed with dark energy, its twisted, sickly green light casting long shadows against the stone walls. Ethan could feel the weight of the corruption growing heavier the closer they got to the altar. The air was thick, almost suffocating, with the palpable force of the World-Core corruption that had seeped into every corner of this forsaken place.
Sylas moved cautiously toward the center of the room, her eyes locked on the altar. The dark energy radiating from it was stronger than anything they had encountered before. Even she, with her deep knowledge of magic and the World-Core, seemed visibly disturbed by what they were about to face.
"This is it," Sylas said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The heart of the corruption. This altar is feeding directly from the World-Core."
Lila stood beside her, her staff glowing faintly with protective magic. "What exactly are we dealing with here? Is it another obelisk like before?"
Sylas shook her head slowly. "No, it's much worse. The obelisk we destroyed was a conduit—an extension of the World-Core's power. This... this is the source. The altar is a direct link to the Core itself. If we don't stop it here, the corruption will spread beyond anything we can contain."
Ethan tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes fixed on the pulsating altar. He could feel the system humming in the back of his mind, urging him forward, but with it came a sense of unease. The system had given him power, but every time he tapped into it, he felt the World-Core's energy growing stronger within him. There was a connection between the system and the corruption, one that he didn't fully understand.
"We need to destroy it," Ethan said firmly. "If this altar is what's feeding the corruption, then we end it here."
"Agreed," Gavin said, stepping up beside him, his sword already drawn. "But I have a feeling it's not going to let us just walk up and smash it."
Mira moved swiftly around the edges of the room, her daggers at the ready, scanning for any signs of a trap. "This place is ancient. There's bound to be some sort of magical defense in place. Nothing this powerful is left unguarded."
"Stay sharp," Ethan warned, his voice steady but filled with tension. "Once we make our move, things are going to get ugly fast."
As they approached the altar, the ground beneath their feet trembled, and the air grew even colder. The runes carved into the walls began to glow brighter, and a low, rumbling sound echoed through the chamber. The corruption was reacting to their presence.
Without warning, the altar surged with energy, and a dark figure materialized in front of them. It was humanoid, but its body was wrapped in shadows, its eyes glowing with the same eerie green light that they had seen in the corrupted creatures before. The energy radiating from it was overwhelming, and its presence sent a chill down Ethan's spine.
"This is the guardian of the altar," Sylas said, her voice tense. "It's a manifestation of the corruption's will. We'll need to defeat it before we can destroy the source."
The figure let out a low growl, and the room seemed to darken as it raised its hands, summoning tendrils of dark energy that whipped through the air. The temperature dropped even further, and the weight of the corruption pressed down on them with crushing force.
"Get ready!" Ethan shouted, charging forward, his sword glowing as he activated Resonant Strike.
The battle began in an instant. The dark figure moved with unnatural speed, its tendrils of energy lashing out at the team from every direction. Ethan dodged the first strike, his sword flashing as he slashed through one of the tendrils. The energy dissipated with a hiss, but the figure was relentless, summoning more with every passing second.
Gavin and Darin flanked the creature, their swords cutting through the darkness as they tried to force it back. But the figure seemed to regenerate its energy almost as quickly as they could damage it.
"We can't hurt it like this!" Gavin shouted as he parried another strike. "It's too strong!"
Ethan gritted his teeth, feeling the strain of the battle already taking its toll. The system pulsed within him, offering guidance.
"Target the source of the corruption—disrupt the energy field surrounding the altar."
Ethan's eyes snapped to the altar, where dark energy was flowing from the runes and into the figure. It was feeding off the corruption, drawing power directly from the World-Core link.
"Sylas! Lila!" Ethan called out, dodging another attack. "The altar is fueling it! We need to disrupt the flow of energy!"
Lila nodded, already moving into position. "I'll try to weaken the barrier around the altar. Sylas, I'll need your help!"
Sylas quickly joined her, their combined magic flaring as they focused on the altar. The runes pulsed violently, resisting their efforts, but slowly, the dark energy around the altar began to waver.
The dark figure seemed to sense the disruption. It let out a furious roar and lunged toward them, its tendrils of energy twisting through the air with deadly precision.
"Keep it off them!" Ethan shouted, moving to intercept the figure. He called on the power of Resonant Strike once more, his sword glowing with the energy of the World-Core as he slashed through the tendrils, sending sparks of light flying through the air.
Gavin and Darin joined him, their swords flashing as they fought to keep the creature away from Lila and Sylas. But the figure was relentless, its attacks growing more frenzied as the altar's power began to weaken.
Finally, with a deafening crack, the barrier around the altar shattered, the dark energy dissipating into the air. The figure let out a final, ear-piercing scream before it collapsed, its form dissolving into nothingness.
The room fell silent.
Ethan stood at the center of the chamber, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The battle had been brutal, but they had succeeded—the guardian was gone, and the altar's power had been weakened.
Sylas stepped forward, her face pale but determined. "The corruption's hold on this place is broken, but the World-Core's influence is still strong. We've only disrupted one part of it."
Ethan nodded, his mind still racing from the battle. "We'll have to keep moving. There are more of these altars out there, and we need to destroy them before the corruption spreads any further."
Lila looked at the altar, her expression troubled. "This corruption... it's not just feeding off the World-Core. It's adapting, growing stronger. We've weakened it here, but we need to figure out how to stop it for good."
Sylas glanced at Ethan, her eyes filled with concern. "The system has been helping us, but we don't know everything about it yet. The deeper we go, the more it seems like the World-Core and the system are connected in ways we don't fully understand."
Ethan felt the weight of her words but pushed the thoughts aside for now. They had a mission to complete, and the answers would come in time.
"For now," Ethan said, his voice resolute, "we destroy every source of corruption we find. We'll deal with the rest when the time comes."
The team nodded, their resolve renewed. They had uncovered a dark secret about the World-Core's corruption, but their fight was far from over. The battle against the corruption had only just begun.