The stairwell descended into darkness, carved from obsidian stone and slick with time-worn dust. Runes glowed faintly on the walls, illuminating Kael's path as he led the group deeper into the bowels of the Buried Temple.
His skeletal warbeast would not fit down the narrow corridor, so it was dismissed with a flick of his hand, crumbling into black smoke. In its place, Kael summoned a Shadow Wight, a hunched, long-armed creature with claws that could carve through iron and eyes that gleamed like void-crystals.
Behind him, Nira followed closely, eyes glowing with curiosity and caution. Serri, the Dune Revenant, slithered beneath the sand even within the temple walls, trailing them through the stone like an obedient predator.
Syra took up the rear, silent and sharp-eyed. Lina flicked a flame across her palm, illuminating carvings of skeletal serpents and crowned pharaohs. Yavira and Velle flanked Nira, defensive and alert.
Each step down pulsed with an ancient aura.
Kael's grip on his obsidian staff tightened.
After nearly ten minutes of descent, the party reached a massive underground chamber. Sand spilled in from holes in the ceiling, creating dunes amidst broken pillars and shattered sarcophagi. In the center, a circular dais glowed faintly with arcane light.
A presence washed over them — ancient, judging, and bitterly cold.
Nira froze. "There's… something here. Watching."
Kael felt it too. A pressure in the air like coiled serpents sliding just beneath his skin.
Suddenly—
[System Alert: Dungeon Event – Temple Echo Detected]Location: Hall of Judgement, Buried TempleStatus: Guardian Not Yet AwakenedWarning: Cursed Spirits ActiveOptional Objective Unlocked:
Purify or Destroy Cursed Spirits (0/20)
Bonus: Hidden Relic if completed before Guardian awakens
Whispers curled through the shadows. From the edges of the room, Cursed Spirits emerged — translucent figures of priests, slaves, and soldiers, their faces twisted in agony.
Kael gave the signal. "No mercy. Cleanse them."
The first cursed figure lunged with a shriek, its clawed hands seeking Kael's throat. His staff moved before thought — [Bone Lance] erupted from the ground, impaling the spirit through the chest. It didn't die, merely screeched in frustration.
Lina launched a [Solar Flare], momentarily blinding them. Syra struck like lightning, her blades humming with anti-spirit enchantments.
Velle's harp sang, and her [Harmonic Barrier] shimmered to life around Nira, just as a wraith's claws struck. The attack shattered harmlessly on impact.
"Kael!" Nira shouted, forming a sigil with her fingers. "Let me try!"
She raised a skeletal hand — one of the broken cursed spirits' remains — and merged it with a piece of crackling lightning mana, stored in a crystal Lina had gifted her.
Her Fusion Core pulsed. Energy spiraled violently.
[System Alert: Fusion Skill Activated!]User: Nira [Orphan – Adopted Kin of Lord Kael]Skill: [Elemental Fusion: Undeath + Lightning]Resulting Entity:Voltshade Revenant – Tier 2 Fusion ConstructStatus: Stable | Loyalty: 100% | Growth Potential: EnhancedPassive Trait Gained: [Lightning Reflex] – Boosts evasion and counterattack speedSpecial Ability Unlocked: [Arc Surge] – Discharges chain lightning across enemies within 15 meters
The creature that emerged crackled with energy. Draped in blackened rags and crowned with lightning horns, it crackled like a living thunderstorm.
It screeched and immediately unleashed a blast of lightning, chain-reacting through half a dozen cursed spirits.
Kael's jaw tightened in awe. "Another Tier 2… just like that…"
System Notification: Shared Experience Triggered[Shared Pulse I] Activated
Kael gained 650 EXP
Nira gained 1300 EXP
Bonus: +1 to Kael's [Command of the Dead] due to Fusion Synergy
The rest of the battle was a blur of shadows and light. Spirits were sliced, burned, bound, and obliterated. The fusion entities, Serri and Voltshade, worked in brutal synchrony — one ambushing from beneath, the other frying enemies above.
Within minutes, all was silent.
System Alert: Sub-Objective Complete – Cursed Spirits Eliminated (20/20)Bonus Reward: [Relic – Phylactery Core Shard] AcquiredNew Item:
Phylactery Core Shard – Can be used to enhance necromancy skills or evolve undead summons.
Kael felt the shard pulse in his hand. Its power resonated with his class.
"This… could take my summons to a new tier," he muttered.
But before he could inspect further, the center dais began to rise. A golden sarcophagus emerged from below, glowing with cursed magic.
The Guardian was awakening.
As the lid of the sarcophagus slid open, a deep voice echoed through the chamber.
"Another False Lord dares to step upon my sanctum..."
Everyone turned. The air grew colder.
From the far wall, a massive rune flared. A spectral projection appeared — tall, robed in ancient regalia, eyes twin vortexes of gold.
Kael's system flared.
[System Alert: Supreme Lord Echo Detected – Rank ???]Designation: Supreme Lord Tharemon, King of Sand and BoneStatus: Residual Will Only – Cannot Actively AttackEffect: Passive Influence – Nearby Undead gain +20% strength until Echo is DispelledWarning: Supreme Lords are fragments of the original System. Proceed with Caution.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
So it was true. The Supreme Lords… were part of the System itself.
This fragment — an Echo — was merely watching.
Testing him.
The Guardian rose from the sarcophagus: a massive, four-armed undead wearing gold-plated armor and wielding twin khopeshes.
[System Alert: Boss Battle Initiated]Temple Guardian – Sentinel of TharemonTier: Elite Dungeon BossAbilities:
[Solar Cleave]
[Reflective Shell]
[Spirit Drain]Weakness: Lightning and Necrotic SynergyObjective: Defeat the Guardian (0/1)
Kael looked at Nira, who was already drawing more sigils.He looked at his allies, his constructs, and the whispering Echo of a god-like being watching from the walls.
"Let's prove we're worthy of this world."