The corrupted horizon still trembled from that distant roar as Yuto descended deeper into the wasteland.
The air felt thicker here, like breathing through drowned cloth.
Ancient trees twisted into agonized spirals; black crystals jutted from the earth as if the planet itself bled obsidian.
He walked cautiously. Every step sinking into gray soil that pulsed faintly under his boots.
[ Advisor: "Warning, massive spirit pressure underground. Something significant lies beneath this region."]
"Define significant."
[Potentially world-influencing.]
Yuto blinked.
"Oh cool. Just my luck."
------
Crack!
A crack opened beneath him as corrupted mana shifted, an entire slab of ground sliding aside like a massive stone door.
A dark tunnel descended beneath the wasteland.
Yuto stared down the abyss.
"…You think this is a trap?"
[Advisor: "Absolutely."]
"Great. Going in."...
He stepped inside. Torches flickered to life automatically, but the flames glowed sickly purple, powered by corruption rather than fire.
Stone walls displayed ancient carvings. Dragons. Spirits. Beasts. Humans.
Each etched with glowing runes, corrupted text twisting and shifting as if alive.
Yuto approached one.
The carving depicted a massive dragon breathing corruption over a battlefield of fallen Overlords, twelve different figures crumbling into dust.
The runes beneath it rearranged themselves into readable language...
THE FIRST CORRUPTION THE GOD-DRAGON FALL
"What does that mean…?"
[Advisor: "Translating runes… these aren't standard ancient language. They appear altered, merged with corrupted spirit code."]
"So corruption has a language?"
"It has many. Depending on what species it consumes."
Yuto stared at the wall again. The runes shifted, revealing another name..
VEN'RAEL THE UNBOUND
Yuto felt ice crawl across his spine.
Ven'rael…
He'd heard that name before, in a whisper from the messenger creature.
Advisor's tone dropped.
["Yuto… Ven'rael was once the first Dragon Overlord of legend from the former 12 overlords."]
Yuto froze.
"What? But the dragon overlord exists now.."
"No… the current dragon overlord is descended from Ven'rael just like the other overlords. But Ven'rael himself was corrupted long ago."
Yuto stared in shock.
"So the corrupted monster…"
He didn't finish. He didn't need to.
It was Ven'rael.
Or what was left of it....
The carvings continued down the corridor depicting a great battle between primordial Overlords against a titanic dragon wreathed in black mist.
Overlords falling one by one. Cities turning to ash. Mountains collapsing.
Only one carving showed victory, a massive seal locking Ven'rael beneath earth.
The runes beneath it flickered..
SEALED BUT NOT SLAIN SLEEPING NOT DEAD AWAITING AWAKENING
Yuto swallowed,
"You're kidding…"
Advisor's voice thinned.
[ "Yuto… that roar wasn't a corrupted dragon from today. It was the original."]
---
As Yuto moved deeper, he felt his evolution stir, lightning shivering through his spirit veins.
The walls opened into a circular chamber..vast, ancient, and suffocating with pressure.
At the center stood a massive crystalline sphere, black and gold veins swirling inside like trapped storms.
He stepped closer.
The sphere pulsed..
FLASH!!
A beam of corrupted light slammed into Yuto's chest.
He staggered, gasping.
Pain shot through him, Not physical. Spiritual.
The crystal projected images..
A silver spirit boy. Growing. Evolving. Becoming something radiant, Something divine.
A god-spirit.
Then corrupted tendrils latched onto that image...Chasing it.
Hunting it.
The vision shattered.
Yuto fell to his knees breathing hard.
"What was that…?"
[Advisor: "It was a prophecy sequence. Corruption predicting evolution paths."]
"So… they're watching me evolve?"
"They expected someone like you long ago. Many candidates existed. All failed."
"Failed…?"
"Yes. Dead. Consumed. Or worse."
Yuto clenched his fists.
"So corruption WANTS me to evolve?"
"No. Corruption needs your evolution, it's trying to destroy the overlords once again."
Yuto went silent....
Advisor continued quietly.
[Yuto, something in your spirit core is uniquely compatible with ascension energy. Corruption is trying to push you toward godhood.]
"Why?"
"To fight Ven'rael."
Yuto blinked.
"What?"
"Think. Only an Overlord can fight an original Overlord. But corruption itself cannot evolve a new one. It needs a living spirit."
"And I'm the closest thing alive."
"Yes."
Yuto stared at the crystal again. Something inside him felt cold and burning at the same time.
"So corruption wants me to ascend… so I can fight its own god-dragon?"
Advisor hesitated...
["…Not exactly. Corruption doesn't want you to ascend by using the dragon to defeat you]
....
Before Yuto could respond, A crack echoed through the chamber..
The crystal began glowing violently, pulsing gold then black..
The ground trembled. Dust rained from the ceiling.
A massive voice echoed, deep, resonant, ancient beyond understanding..
"You… are early."
Yuto stepped back instantly...
"And you are not ready…"
The chamber shook violently walls cracking open...
A titanic shadow formed within the crystal, black wings curled around a colossal body.
Even sealed, even asleep its presence shattered his bones just by existing.
Advisor screamed into Yuto's mind,
[YUTOOOO RUN NOW!!!]
---