The chamber shook violently. The corrupted code that had weakened the team twisted and warped. Frostbinder staggered, trying to keep her footing, while RobbRox's barriers flickered and dissolved.
"Brush… what's happening?" Equinox asked, her ears twitching nervously.
Before he could respond, the walls of the Cartenone Temple breathed — expanding, stretching, folding into impossible angles. The ceiling vaulted higher, staircases multiplied endlessly, and the floor became a labyrinth of floating platforms.
The team froze. The familiar glyphs of the temple vanished, replaced with surreal landscapes of infinite towers, endless staircases, and glowing portals. A cold, echoing voice reverberated through the domain:
"Welcome… to the Infinite Castle. Your trial evolves."
Brush clenched Miss Krita. "It's not just a temple anymore… it's transformed! The domain itself is alive!"
Equinox leapt onto a floating platform, violet light radiating from her hooves. "This… this is worse. Infinite space means infinite threats. And with the level-down curse, we're extremely vulnerable."
Frostbinder's icy shards hovered around her, small and fragile. "We can't rely on brute force. Everything will need precision… and creativity."
From the endless corridors of floating platforms, the first general's remnants flickered — shadows of Solo Crusher, adapting to the new domain. And new threats began to appear, emerging from the twisting stairways: shadow minions that multiplied endlessly, traps triggered by mere movement, and portals that looped back unpredictably.
The Infinity Castle wasn't just a domain — it was a maze of infinite combat zones, where enemies, hazards, and space itself worked against them.
Brush tightened his grip on Miss Krita. "Equinox, plan the paths. Frostbinder, RobbRox, FooTube — stick close. Melody Guard, amplify our synchronization. We survive by thinking, not by strength."
Equinox nodded. Her hooves struck the platform, sending ripples of violet energy through the infinite towers. "We adapt. Even cursed, we'll turn the Infinity Castle's tricks against it."
A shadow from above lunged. Solo Crusher's essence, twisted by the Infinity Castle's code, reformed into a new, unstable version of itself. Its jagged cubes twisted in impossible angles, threatening to crush anything that moved.
Brush's heart pounded. "It's like the temple… mutated. Every attack multiplies!"
Equinox's lance spun, violet trails slicing through the incoming shadows. "Then we fight smarter. Each move counts… one wrong step, and the Infinity Castle will claim us."
The team readied themselves. The Cartenon Temple was gone. The Infinite Castle had begun — and with their stats suppressed, survival demanded absolute focus, unity, and creativity.