The swirling light engulfed the three of them, pulling them into a disorienting rush of heat and energy. As the glow receded, they stumbled onto solid ground, finding themselves in a dimly lit corridor. Air was eerily still-the opposite of the raging heat from the Infernal Forge.
Ryu readjusted his grip on his sword. "This doesn't feel right.
Draven rested against the cold stone wall, still out of breath. "What, no lava, no frost storm? Maybe the final chamber decides to let us off so easy."
"Don't count on it," Aris warned, her sharp eyes piercing the space as she took notice of the intricate carvings along the walls and the patterns of stars and constellations and swirling cosmical designs. "This place feels different. Like it's alive.
Ryu dropped to his knee to examine the floor, faintly glowing lines etched into it that formed some massive, intricate pattern up and down the corridor. The light pulsed faintly like a heartbeat.
[You have entered the Cosmic Sanctum.]
[Guardian Detected: Aetherion, Sovereign of the Void.]
[Difficulty: Mythic.]
"Mythic?" Draven's voice cracked as he read the notification. "Legendary wasn't enough?!"
Aris furrowed her brow. "The Sovereign of the Void… This has to be the last Guardian.
"Good," Ryu said, his voice steady. "Let's finish this."
They moved cautiously through the corridor, the glowing lines beneath their feet growing brighter with each step. The end of the passage opened into a vast, circular arena. The ceiling stretched high above, a shimmering dome that mirrored the night sky, complete with moving constellations. At the center of the arena floated a massive, ethereal being.
Aetherion was nothing they had ever confronted before. Its shape was transparent, changing from what could be considered the outline of a humanoid figure to swirling shadowy mass and starry light. Its eyes were piercing white, and it's voice sounded deep within their minds rather than coming out of its mouth.
"Mortal creatures, you dare to intrude upon my space?"
The ground shuddered as Aetherion stretched out an arm, pulling energy from the stars in the sky. The team's HUD lit up with a warning:
[Battle Commencing: Aetherion, Sovereign of the Void.]
Aetherion suddenly sent out a wave of glowing orbs that detonated upon impact, causing shockwaves to roll through the arena.
"Spread out!" Ryu yelled, rolling to the side to avoid the blasts.
Aris bolted toward the edge of the arena, her daggers drawn. She hurled one at Aetherion, but it passed right through the Guardian's translucent body. "Physical attacks don't work!"
Draven flipped his spear around his head in a sickening arc. "Awesome. How do we engage a ghost of stars?
He did lots of thinking while he focused on their environment. A ray of the constellations glittering in front of him caught his eyes. "The constellations! They're connected with its power. We should manage to disrupt them somehow," Ryu said.
Aris nodded. "I'm checking the borders for things that we could use. Draven, keep it occupied," Aris said.
"Distracted?!" Draven protested as Aetherion's shadowy tendrils whipped at him. "Yeah, sure, I will stand here and wave my hands at it!
Ryu followed Aris's lead, sprinting around the perimeter of the arena. His eyes locked onto a faint glow within the walls—the small orbs embedded in the patterns of the constellations. A notification appeared as he approached one:
[Activate Celestial Anchor?]
[Yes/No.]
He smashed his hand onto the prompt. The orb lit up, shooting a beam of light into the sky. One of the constellations above flickered and dimmed.
Aetherion let out a shriek piercing enough to shatter sound, its form destabilizing for just a moment. The stars within its body flickered wildly.
"Ryu, that's it!" Aris called out from the opposite side of the arena as he activated another anchor.
Aetherion's attacks got wilder with each anchored one, its form coming undone, but it fought hard, creating a whirlpool of shadows and light that drew them toward the middle.
"Draven, anchor yourself!" Ryu shouted, digging his sword into the ground to resist the pull.
Draven planted his spear firmly, gritting his teeth as the vortex threatened to drag him in. "Hurry up, you two!"
Ryu activated the final anchor, and the constellations above shattered like glass. Aetherion let out a deafening roar as its body solidified, the stars within condensing into a glowing core at its chest.
"It's vulnerable now!" Ryu shouted.
Aris sprang through the air, using the broken piece of the arena to launch herself. She flung a series of daggers at the core, every single one hitting the Guardian, and it was getting weaker by the second.
Ryu sprinted forward with his sword glowing.
[Sword Skill Activated: Nova Strike.]
His blade struck the heart, causing shockwaves to resonate through the room. Aetherion's body broke apart into a wave of light, the stars inside dissipating into the air.
[Guardian Defeated: Aetherion, Void King.]
[Experience Points Acquired: 15,000.]
[Item Acquired: Void Shard (Mythic).
The arena fell silent as the shimmering dome above faded, revealing a dark sky filled with countless stars. A portal appeared at the center of the arena, its light soft and inviting.
Ryu picked up the Void Shard, its surface cold and smooth. He turned to his companions, a faint smile on his face. "We did it."
Draven collapsed onto the ground, laughing breathlessly. "I can't believe we survived that."
Aris sheathed her daggers, a rare smile crossing her lips. "We make a good team."
Ryu nodded, holding the shard tightly. "Let's go. If this portal leads where I think it does, we're finally getting out of here."
Giving one last look at the starry sky above them, the trio stepped into the portal, ready for whatever came next.