The Divine Spark was not a flame.
It was a scream.
Golden light seared through Lian's veins as the First God's bones fused with his arm, etching runes into his flesh like molten chains. The Eclipse Core's interface flickered wildly:
**[Divine Spark Acquired!]**
**[Soul Compatibility: 12%]**
**[Soul Corruption: 25%]**
"Lian!" Mei lunged for him, but the stranger's staff barred her path.
"**Let the Core feast,**" he said, his voice tinged with grim fascination. "**This is the price of godhood.**"
Lian collapsed, writhing as the Divine Spark warred with the Eclipse Core's corruption. His shadowflame erupted uncontrollably, scorching the cavern walls. Visions assailed him—a god's fall, a tower piercing the heavens, a voice whispering, *"Thief, you are mine now."*
The Inquisitor's roar shattered the chaos.
"**DEFILERS!**"
Holy fire engulfed the cavern entrance. The Inquisitor strode through the flames, his armor reforged, a crimson sigil glowing on his visor—the Sun Temple's seal of annihilation. In his grip was a jagged relic, its surface devouring the shadowflame's light.
"**The Voidshard will purge your heresy,**" he thundered, raising the relic.
The Eclipse Core screeched a warning:
**[Voidshard Detected: Nullifies all shadow-class abilities.]**
**[Host's combat efficiency reduced by 70%!]**
Mei scrambled to Lian's side, her hands pressing against his burning arm. "Get up! Please!"
But Lian couldn't move. The Divine Spark had paralyzed him, its power too vast for his crumbling soul. The Inquisitor advanced, Voidshard humming with malevolent light.
The stranger sighed. "**Sentimentality will get you both killed.**" He turned to Mei, his hood shifting to reveal a single ember-like eye. "**Make a pact with me, girl. I'll save your brother.**"
Mei froze. "What kind of pact?"
"**The kind that leaves scars.**" He extended a gloved hand. "**I lend you power. You owe me a favor. Refuse, and the Sun Temple burns his soul to ash.**"
The Voidshard pulsed. The Inquisitor's flail swung.
"**Decide.**"
Mei grabbed the stranger's hand. "Do it."
The stranger's laugh was a blade dragged across stone. "**Brace yourself.**"
Black veins spiderwebbed up Mei's arm as the pact sealed. Her eyes flooded with inky darkness, and she *moved*—a blur of shadow intercepting the Inquisitor's strike. Her fist met holy steel, and the Voidshard *cracked*.
**[New Entity Detected: Shadowbound Vassal (Mei Kael)]**
**[Abilities: ???]**
The Inquisitor staggered. "**What blasphemy is this?!**"
Mei didn't answer. She struck again, her movements inhumanly precise, each blow fracturing the relic further. The stranger watched, murmuring, "**Ah, the Kael bloodline… always so delightfully volatile.**"
Lian forced himself onto his elbows. "Mei… stop!"
But she couldn't hear him. The pact's power consumed her, eroding her humanity with every strike. The Inquisitor roared, unleashing a torrent of holy fire, but Mei tore through it—a shadow with teeth.
The Voidshard shattered.
The backlash of divine energy hurled the Inquisitor against the cavern wall. Mei stood over him, her hand poised to strike, her eyes voids of endless night.
"Mei, DON'T!" Lian screamed.
She froze. Trembled.
"**Kill him!**" the stranger commanded.
"No…" Mei's voice was a fractured echo. "I… won't…"
The Eclipse Core surged in Lian's chest, its cold power overriding the Divine Spark's grip. He Shadowstepped, grabbing Mei and yanking her back as the Inquisitor fled into the tunnels.
"Traitor…" Mei gasped, the darkness receding from her eyes. "The pact… he lied…"
The stranger clapped mockingly. "**How touching. But the pact remains. Your sister owes me a favor, little thief—and I always collect.**"
Lian's shadowflame reignited, now tinged with gold. "What did you do to her?"
"**Saved you. For now.**" The stranger gestured to the Corpse's remains. "**The Divine Spark is a crumb. The First God's true power lies in the Eclipse Tower. Climb it, or watch your sister's soul unravel.**"
**[Quest Updated: Reach the Eclipse Tower's First Gate]**
**[Reward: Soul Stabilization (Halts Corruption at 25%)]**
**[Failure: Mei's pact accelerates Host's Corruption by 1% hourly]**
Mei clung to Lian, her fingers icy. "I'm sorry… I didn't know…"
The cavern trembled. Distant bells tolled—a deep, resonant sound that made the Eclipse Core shudder.
**[Alert: Eclipse Tower's First Gate has activated.]**
**[Location: Skygrave Peaks, 42 miles northeast.]**
The stranger vanished, his parting whisper curling like smoke: "**Run, little thieves. The Tower awaits.**"
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