The trail to the tower was darker and more hazardous with each step. The gold tones of the valley gave way to ominous shadows as jagged cliffs and dense forests began to surround the trio. A place that had initially seemed like some sort of sanctuary now pulsed with ominous energy.
The glow from the Nexus Tower intensified, lighting up the landscape in bursts of flickering light. The shard in Ryu's inventory pulsed in rhythm with the tower's glow, its warmth spreading through his armor.
Aris looked at him, her expression tense. "That thing's reacting more strongly the closer we get. Are you sure carrying it isn't a bad idea?
"Probably," Ryu admitted, his eyes locked on the tower. "But it's guiding us. We don't have a choice."
Draven walked ahead, his spear balanced casually on his shoulder. "I say we worry about cursed artifacts later. For now, we deal with whatever's waiting for us up there."
The forest around them was becoming denser, so the canopy was blotting out most of the light from the tower. Heavier air, filled with damp earth and decaying leaves, pervaded their senses. Every sound made by the wind was like a footprint, every shadow moved only to hide just out of view.
"We are being followed," Aris whispered, holding out her daggers ready to use.
Ryu gripped his sword tightly, scanning the trees. "Stay sharp. Whatever it is, it's waiting for just the right moment."
As if on cue, a low growl echoed through the forest. The shadows began to coalesce, taking form. Dozens of glowing red eyes appeared, surrounding them.
Out of the darkness came humanoid monsters with twisted, grotesque features. Their skin was ashen gray, their limbs were unnaturally long, and their mouths were full of jagged teeth. A name appeared above their heads:
[Shadow Stalkers – Level 22]
"Great," Aris muttered, backing up toward Ryu. "Creepy forest monsters. Just what we needed."
Draven smirked. "This day keeps getting better."
They all moved together, their steps like some sort of hypnotic movement. They formed a circle around the three of them, their claws catching light in the dim setting.
"They're coordinated," Ryu said, shifting to the defensive. "Don't let them separate us."
The first Stalker dived at him, claws flailing through the air in his direction. Ryu dodged the strike, striking back with a rapid lash that sent it crashing against the wall. However, two more jumped from the back.
Aris was there in a blink of an eye, casting Shadow Step to teleport between the Stalkers. Her daggers flashed as she sliced through their limbs with precision.
"Don't get overwhelmed!" she shouted, spinning to block another attack.
Draven charged into the fray, his spear glowing with the energy of Impact Thrust. He skewered two Stalkers at once, sending their bodies crashing into the trees.
"Too slow!" he taunted, sidestepping another attack.
Despite their efforts, the Stalkers kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. For every one they cut down, two more emerged from the shadows.
"They're not stopping!" Aris shouted, her breathing labored. "We'll be overrun at this rate!"
Ryu gritted his teeth, scanning the battlefield. The creatures weren't attacking blindly—they were trying to separate the trio, their movements deliberate and calculated.
"There's a leader," he realized aloud. "Somewhere in the shadows. We have to find it!"
Draven grinned, hurling his spear into a nearby cluster of Stalkers. "Leave it to me! Keep them off my back!"
He activated Skyward Thrust, shooting himself above the battlefield. From his position, he scanned the forest, his eyes locking onto a larger figure hidden among the trees. Unlike the other Stalkers, this one was cloaked in dense, swirling shadows, its form barely discernible.
"There you are," Draven growled. With pinpoint accuracy, he hurled his spear, and the thing pierced through defenses. The leader shrieked in pain, the body convulsing as shadows about it dispersed.
The Stalkers stopped in the middle of their attack, their eyes glowing. Losing their master, they lost coordination. Ryu seized that moment and activated Blade Surge, cutting through the remaining forces. Aris followed suit with her daggers moving in a blur.
Instantly, the battlefield fell silent. The forest floor was littered with disintegrating ashen remains of the Shadow Stalkers, bodies dissolving into the earth.
Draven landed with a triumphant grin, retrieving his spear. "And that's how you clean house."
Aris rolled her eyes. "Next time, try not to enjoy yourself so much."
Ryu sheathed his sword, his focus returning to the tower. The shard in his inventory glowed even brighter now, its pulsing warmth almost overwhelming.
"This was just a warning," he said quietly. "Whatever's inside that tower is going to be worse."
The three of them continued on, the trees growing sparser as they approached the tower's base. The building itself was even more intimidating close up, its surface etched with intricate runes that seemed to glow dimly in the fading light.
A huge series of doors stood before them, the surface of which carried the same shifting patterns they saw in the Nexus Core chamber. Ryu's shard vibrated in his inventory, glowing in synchrony with the runes on the door.
"This must be our in," Ryu said, and stepped forward.
The shard drifted out of his inventory, its light blazing into an intensification as it melded with the door. Runes shifted and flowed around each other, forming a spiral pattern that blazed with bright light. The doors groaned open slowly as if they had been rooted into the earth, then pulled themselves free with a low rumble, their wide, dark expanse rising like a stairwell.
Draven smirked, stepping forward. "You know you'd miss it if it were easy."
Ryu glanced at his teammates, a determined look in his eyes. "Let's go. We're not turning back now."
Together, they stepped into the tower, the doors closing behind them with a resounding thud. The air inside was cold and heavy, the faint glow of runes their only source of light.
As they began their ascent, the whispers returned, louder and more insistent than ever.
For the trio, the true challenge was about to begin.