The ground trembled as the Forgotten Guard—a colossal, ancient beast forged of stone, shadow, and lost time—landed with a deafening crash.
Its eyes, glowing molten gold, locked onto Adexander like twin suns burning through the void.
Kaien's grip tightened on his blade.
"Nothing like a giant to spice things up, huh?"
Raik chuckled, flexing his fingers, eyes sharp and alive.
"This is what we live for."
Velessia's voice was calm but steady, her aura radiating power.
"Focus. This is no ordinary foe. The Guardian is tied to the very memories we've lost."
Adexander, standing tall beneath the swirling sigils of the Crownbreaker, held the Fangblade steady—its pulse syncing with his heartbeat.
His voice was low but commanding.
"Remember. Every scar. Every betrayal. Every victory. Use them."
The Forgotten Guard roared—its voice a tidal wave of crushing despair.
It slammed its massive fist into the ground, fracturing the floor into jagged shards. Rocks levitated as a shockwave tore through the air.
Adexander shifted his stance, muscles coiled like a predator's.
The first strike came fast—an explosion of stone and shadow, a swipe that could cleave mountains.
Adexander dodged with inhuman speed, a crimson trail blazing behind him. His cloak flickered, alive with the runes' fire.
Kaien and Raik moved in sync, cutting through the Guardian's smaller stone minions—the echoes of forgotten warriors summoned to protect their master.
Kaien's blade sang death with every precise strike.
"Velessia, cover our left! I'll keep these things off Adexander."
Velessia nodded, her hands weaving arcane sigils in the air.
"Blood and shadow, obey."
A veil of dark magic burst forth, ensnaring the stone minions, dissolving them into dust.
Adexander's eyes locked onto the Guardian's glowing core—the heart of the beast, pulsing with ancient power.
With a guttural roar, Adexander charged.
The Fangblade glowed red-hot, leaving a streak of burning light in its wake.
He leapt onto the Guardian's arm, sliding down its jagged surface like a wildfire.
The beast swung wildly, trying to crush him, but Adexander twisted through the strike, slashing deep into the Guardian's core.
Cracks spider-webbed across the stone giant.
But the Guardian was no mindless brute.
It pulled from the abyss, summoning chains of pure memory—chains forged from lost names, broken promises, and shattered oaths.
The chains lashed out, wrapping around Adexander's legs and arms, trying to bind the Crownbreaker.
Adexander snarled, eyes blazing like twin stars.
"I am no one's forgotten!"
With a burst of fiery energy, the crimson sigils flared, burning the chains to ash.
Kaien, Raik, and Velessia fought fiercely beside him, their combined strength chipping away at the Guardian's form.
Sweat and blood mixed with the dust of the collapsing throne nexus.
The battlefield was a storm of violence and memory.
Suddenly, the Guardian slammed both fists into the ground—sending a pulse of raw, crushing force outward.
Kaien was thrown back, skidding across the shattered floor.
Raik caught a heavy blow but remained standing, grit in his eyes.
Velessia's shield shimmered, barely holding.
Adexander wiped blood from his lips, steadying himself.
The Guardian's voice rumbled through the nexus.
"You have remembered… but are you ready to face what lies beneath?"
Adexander's reply was cold steel.
"I am the Crownbreaker. I don't just face my past. I shatter it."
With that, the Fangblade erupted in a brilliant explosion of crimson and black light—tearing through the Guardian's core, fracturing its ancient form.
But as the beast fell, the abyss itself began to stir.
A whisper, like a thousand voices echoing in forgotten chambers.
The true trial had only begun.
[Dungeon Objective Updated: Beyond Judgment — Unveil the Forgotten Truth.]
Kaien grinned, panting but alive.
"Thought that was it? Nope. This place is full of surprises."
Raik laughed, wiping blood from a gash.
"Good. Wouldn't want it any other way."
Velessia looked to Adexander, hope burning in her eyes.
He sheathed the Fangblade, voice low and resolute.
"We move forward. Together."
The Abyssal Crown's shadows lengthened, and somewhere deep within the Nexus… something ancient, hungry, and forgotten… awakened.
To be continued...