The descent was suffocatingly silent, the only sound the echo of our footsteps on the metal stairs. The glow from the forge above faded until we were enveloped in near darkness, broken only by faintly flickering lights embedded in the walls. The temperature dropped as we went deeper, the oppressive heat repced by an eerie chill. The air was cold and heavy, carrying a metallic tang that made it feel like the chamber itself was alive, watching, waiting.

  The floor beneath our feet was a network of floating ptforms, each connected by narrow bridges that seemed to ripple with instability. Lines of energy pulsed through the walkways, their faint hum vibrating through the soles of my boots. Below, there was no discernible ground—only an infinite abyss of writhing light and darkness. It was disorienting, as though one wrong step could send you spiraling into an endless void.

  At the bottom of the stairway, the space opened into a massive chamber. The walls were covered in glowing lines of code, constantly shifting and rearranging. Ptforms floated in midair, connected by narrow walkways, and at the center of the room stood a massive, coiled figure.

  The dragon’s body shimmered with an iridescent sheen, its scales shifting between metal and energy. Its runes along its wings pulsed in time with the room’s distorted hum.

  Then, it moved.

  At first, I thought it was part of the environment—a jagged formation of shimmering metal nestled in the chamber's center. But then the structure shifted, scales rippling like liquid steel, and a massive head rose from the ptform. Its scales shimmered in an ever-changing iridescence, glitching and flickering at the edges like a corrupted file. The wings, folded tightly against its back, bore glowing runes that pulsed in time with the chamber’s hum.

  Its eyes opened, twin orbs of bzing light that locked onto us with an ancient and utterly foreign intelligence. The room seemed to darken as its gaze swept over us, the glow of its runes intensifying. With a low, rumbling growl, the dragon unfurled itself, its massive wings spreading to their full length. The air around it distorted, bending and twisting as waves of heat and static rolled outward.

  [Guardian Mod Identified: Zephyron, the Corrupted Warden]

  HP: 100,000Abilities:Code Disruption: Disables pyer abilities temporarily.Corrupted Fme: AoE fire attack with glitch effects.Data Bind: Traps targets in energy binds, isoting them from the fight.The terrain reacted immediately. The floating ptforms shifted and buckled, some tilting dangerously while others began to glitch, their edges dissolving into pixels before snapping back into pce. The bridges rippled like water, their stability questioned with each pulse of the dragon’s presence.

  The dragon’s body coiled as it rose to its full height, its sheer size dwarfing everything else in the chamber. A faint shimmer surrounded it, like an aura of static, and as it exhaled, the air grew colder, the metallic tang sharp enough to sting my throat. It didn’t roar, not yet. Instead, it simply watched us, its head tilting slightly as though appraising us, deciding if we were worth its time.

  “Is that…” Fi’s voice wavered, uncharacteristically quiet. “Is that a Guardian?”

  “No,” Selene replied, her voice as sharp and steady as ever, though even she couldn’t hide the edge of unease. “It’s worse.”

  The dragon moved with an unnerving fluid grace for something so massive. Its cws scraped against the ptform, leaving glowing gouges that sparked with energy. The runes along its wings fred brighter, casting the chamber in an eerie, pulsating light. Every movement it made sent ripples through the terrain as if the entire room were reacting to its presence.

  Its eyes locked onto us, glowing with an unnatural light. When it spoke, its voice was a distorted blend of growls and fragmented words, echoing like a corrupted audio file.

  “INTRUDERS. YOU DARE TREAD IN MY SANCTUM?”

  I gripped Hydra Fang tightly, my heart pounding as I tried to steady my breathing. The sheer scale of it, the overwhelming presence, was enough to make every instinct scream at me to run. But there was no running from this.

  The dragon lowered its head slightly, its glowing eyes narrowing as a deep, guttural growl reverberated through the chamber. Then, in a single, fluid motion, it opened its maw. A surge of energy gathered at the back of its throat, the light intensifying as the air around us seemed to freeze.

  “Move!” Devon’s shout snapped me out of my paralysis, and I leaped to the side just as the dragon unleashed a torrent of corrupted fme. The fire wasn’t natural—it twisted and glitched as it surged forward, warping the air and leaving static trails in its wake. The ptform where I’d been standing exploded in a burst of energy, chunks of glowing debris scattering into the void.

  The terrain reacted violently. Ptforms began to dissolve and reappear in new configurations, forcing us to adjust our footing constantly. Some bridges flickered out of existence entirely, while others shifted positions as though trying to lead us astray.

  “It’s maniputing the room,” Ethan said, his voice tight as he notched an arrow and took aim. “This thing isn’t just guarding the server. It’s the server.”

  The dragon’s head snapped toward him, its eyes narrowing as if it had heard his words. It let out a low, distorted growl, like static tearing through a radio signal. The runes along its wings pulsed brighter, and the chamber shuddered in response.

  “We can’t stand here gawking,” Selene said, already moving. “Either we fight, or we die.”

  I nodded, swallowing hard as I stepped forward. My dagger felt impossibly small in the face of this creature, but there was no room for doubt. Not now.

  “Let’s take this thing down,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

  The dragon roared, a sound that seemed to shake the very core of the world around us. The fight had begun.

  The dragon’s roar wasn’t just sound—it was a physical force that rattled my bones and sent shockwaves rippling through the unstable ptforms. The energy pulsing through the chamber seemed to intensify, the runes on the walls bzing like molten veins. Zephyron’s massive wings beat once, and a surge of wind sent debris flying across the room.

  Devon didn’t hesitate. With a roar of his own, he charged forward, his greatsword trailing sparks as he swung it in a wide arc toward the dragon’s exposed fnk—the bde connected with a crackling explosion, sending glowing shards of corrupted energy scattering.

  [Damage Dealt: -2,150 HP]

  Zephyron snarled, its glowing eyes narrowing as it swung its massive tail in retaliation. The force of the blow sent Devon skidding backward across the ptform, though he managed to keep his footing.

  “Devon! Keep it distracted!” I shouted, darting to the side as I scanned for openings.

  “Not a problem!” he called back, his greatsword already raised for another strike.

  Fi followed closely behind, her twin swords fshing as she darted in and out of the dragon’s range. Her strikes were quick and precise, each one leaving glowing trails across Zephyron’s shimmering scales.

  “It’s like hitting a tank!” Fi shouted, leaping back as the dragon’s cws raked across the ptform where she’d been standing.

  Selene disappeared into the shadows, her movements fluid and silent. Moments ter, she reappeared behind Zephyron, her dagger plunging into a glowing weak point near its spine.

  [Damage Dealt: -3,500 HP]

  The dragon roared, its massive body twisting as it reared up on its hind legs. A pulse of energy surged through the room, and the runes along its wings fred violently. Before anyone could react, glowing tendrils shot out from the walls, tching onto Devon and Ethan.

  [Ability Activated: Data Bind] Pyers immobilized and removed from combat.

  “What the—?!” Devon’s shout was cut off as the tendrils lifted him into the air, encasing him in a shimmering barrier. Ethan struggled against his own binds, his bow cttering to the ptform below.

  “Are you kidding me?!” Ethan shouted, thrashing against the tendrils. “This is some serious admin-level bull—”

  “Devon! Ethan!” I called, panic rising in my chest as I rushed toward them. But the shimmering barriers repelled me, sending a jolt of energy through my arm as I tried to breach them.

  The dragon turned its attention to the rest of us, its glowing eyes narrowing. With a guttural snarl, it opened its maw, and another surge of corrupted fme erupted from its mouth.

  “Move!” Selene shouted, grabbing my arm and pulling me to the side as the fmes engulfed the ptform. Fi and Mason managed to dodge, but the heat still licked at their health bars, dipping them into the yellow.

  “It’s targeting us!” Mason growled, smming his hammer into the ground to steady himself. “We need to get those two free before this thing tears us apart!”

  “We can’t even get close to them!” I snapped, frustration building as I activated Glitch Patch, blue energy crackling around my hand. I focused on the barriers, willing them to destabilize.

  [Skill Activated: Glitch Patch]

  Detects and weakens corrupted systems. Partial success.[Barrier Integrity: 80%]

  The barriers flickered, but they held strong. Zephyron let out another roar, and the runes along its body fred brightly. The room trembled, and the ptforms shifted, some breaking apart while others reconfigured themselves.

  The dragon’s wings spread wide, and with a powerful beat, it sent a swarm of smaller, corrupted creatures flying into the chamber. They were twisted amalgamations of code and metal, their forms glitching as they swarmed toward us.

  [Enemy Summoned: Corrupted Constructs]

  HP: 5,000 eachAbilities: Swarm tactics self-destruct on death.“Oh, come on!” Fi groaned, already spinning her swords as the first wave descended upon us. She sshed through two of the constructs with quick, precise strikes, their bodies exploding into static as they fell.

  [Damage Dealt: -3,000 HP x 3]

  Mason swung his hammer in a wide arc, the force of the blow sending several constructs flying off the ptform. “We can’t keep this up forever!” he shouted.

  “We don’t have a choice!” Selene replied, her dagger fshing as she darted between the constructs, striking at their weak points.

  [Damage Dealt: -1,200 HP x 2]

  I gritted my teeth, my focus torn between the constructs and the barriers holding Devon and Ethan. The dragon’s roar echoed through the chamber again, its massive body coiling as it prepared another devastating attack.

  We were running out of time. And options.

  ????°???°?????

  The faint hum of energy surrounding the glowing binds was oppressive, muffling the sounds of battle raging below. Devon and Ethan clearly saw the chaos unfolding from their elevated position. Kiera, Selene, Mason, and Fi were fighting with everything they had, their movements sharp and desperate as they held back the onsught of corrupted constructs and the relentless fury of Zephyron. But even from this distance, it was painfully obvious—they were struggling.

  Devon’s muscles strained as he fought against the glowing tendrils that pinned him in midair. The binds shimmered and pulsed, their energy crackling faintly every time he moved. His greatsword was out of reach, lying useless on the ptform below. He growled in frustration, his teeth grinding as he threw his weight against the binds again. “Damn it! This thing won’t budge!”

  Ethan, suspended several feet away, was noticeably calmer. His body remained still, but his eyes were sharp, scanning the binds and the energy surrounding them. His bow was gone, but his mind was clearly working, and his expression was focused on calcution.

  Devon gred at him. “How are you so calm right now? Our team’s down there getting shredded, and you’re just... thinking?”

  Ethan tilted his head, his lips twitching into a faint smile. “What do you want me to do? Thrash around like a pissed-off bear? You’re already handling that part.”

  Devon huffed, but there was no malice in his voice. “Doesn’t mean you have to look like you’re on a coffee break.”

  “I’m not calm,” Ethan admitted, his tone softening. “I’m freaking out, just like you. But losing my head won’t help. If we’re going to make it out of this, we need to work together.”

  Devon blinked, momentarily thrown off by the unexpected sincerity. “Work together? Since when are you team spirit?”

  Ethan chuckled dryly, his gaze drifting back to the battle below. “Look, I get it. You don’t trust me. You’ve got every reason not to. I barged into this... thing you, Kiera, and Selene have going on, and I didn’t handle it well. Hell, I should’ve talked to you first. Or Selene. I could’ve been less... disruptive.”

  Devon was quiet for a moment, his jaw tightening. “You’re not wrong. But it’s not just about how you came into this. It’s about Kiera. She trusts you, but you know why I’m cautious. If you hurt her—”

  “I won’t,” Ethan interrupted, his voice firmer now. He turned to meet Devon’s gaze, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “She sees me in a way no one else ever has. Not just as the ‘waste of space’ everyone else wrote off but as someone worth something. Do you know what that’s like? To have someone believe in you when you’ve never believed in yourself?”

  Devon’s throat tightened. He could hear the raw emotion in Ethan’s voice, and despite his own reservations, he couldn’t deny the truth in his words.

  “I love her, Devon,” Ethan continued. “Not in some fleeting, shallow way. I love her because she’s the first person who’s made me feel like I belong. And yeah, I’m jealous of you. You’ve had all this time with her, all these moments I’ll never have. But that doesn’t mean I’ll ever betray her trust. I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.”

  Devon exhaled slowly, his anger softening into something more introspective. “Maybe I’ve been too protective,” he admitted. “I keep thinking I have to shield her from everything, but... maybe protecting someone you love doesn’t mean doing it alone. Maybe it means having a team to help you.”

  Ethan smirked faintly. “Like a party.”

  “Or a harem,” Devon muttered with a reluctant chuckle.

  Ethan barked a ugh. “Careful, man. That’s dangerous territory.”

  Devon rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips. “Selene’s right. Communication matters. We love her, Ethan. That’s not going to change.”

  Ethan nodded, his voice quiet. “Yeah. And I can work with that.”

  Devon shifted slightly, his gaze returning to the glowing binds. “So, genius. Got any ideas on how we get out of here?”

  Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he examined the energy tendrils holding them. “These binds are reactive. They’re linked to the dragon, which means they’re part of the system. If we overload the energy flow, it might cause a temporary disruption.”

  Devon raised an eyebrow. “And how do we do that?”

  Ethan grinned. “We overload it. You thrash around like a bear, and I’ll hack energy from my binds into yours. The combined feedback might be enough to destabilize them.”

  Devon tilted his head, skeptical. “Might?”

  “It’s a calcuted risk,” Ethan said, shrugging slightly. “But hey, we’re not exactly spoiled for options.”

  Devon smirked. “Alright, then. Let’s leave here and show that overgrown lizard what happens when it messes with us.”

  “Now you’re talking,” Ethan said, his grin widening. “On three?”

  Devon nodded. “Three.”

  They moved in unison, Devon thrashing against the binds with all his strength while Ethan focused on channeling energy from his own restraints. The tendrils began to flicker, their glow intensifying as static cracks surged through them. The dragon’s roar echoed through the chamber, a distorted growl of irritation as the energy faltered.

  The binds shattered with a burst of light, and both men dropped to the ptform below, rolling to their feet. Devon retrieved his greatsword, its weight reassuring in his hands. Ethan scooped up his bow, notching an arrow with practiced ease.

  “Welcome back,” Selene called, her voice tight as she fended off another wave of constructs. “Took you long enough.”

  Devon grinned, his sword already swinging. “Wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  Ethan fired an arrow that struck true, embedding itself in one of the dragon’s glowing veins. “Let’s finish this.”

  The battle had just begun again, but the party was whole this time. And for the first time, they fought as individuals and as a unified team.

  ????°???°?????

  The battle raged around me, every strike a symphony of desperation and chaos. The air crackled with static, the ptforms shuddering under the weight of Zephyron’s attacks. The dragon moved like a storm, each swipe of its cws and beat of its wings reshaping the battlefield. Constructs continued pouring from the shifting walls, forcing Selene, Fi, and Mason to fight defensively to hold the line.

  Devon and Ethan’s voices went silent the moment the binds captured them. My heart felt heavy, guilt and panic warring within me. I could see them suspended in the shimmering tendrils, their forms flickering faintly as if the binds themselves were eating away at their very presence.

  “We’re running out of time!” Selene shouted, her dagger fshing as she sliced through a construct that exploded into static shards.

  “Keep it together!” Mason bellowed, his hammer smming into another enemy and sending it flying off the ptform. “Kiera, what’s the pn?”

  The pn? I didn’t have one. My head spun, my instincts torn between fighting the constructs, freeing Devon and Ethan, and surviving the dragon’s relentless onsught. Zephyron’s glowing eyes locked onto me, its maw opening as another wave of corrupted fmes surged toward us.

  [Ability Activated: Corrupted Fme]

  I barely dodged the heat, singeing my health bar as I rolled to the side. My body screamed in protest, exhaustion settling into my bones, but I couldn’t stop. Not now.

  “Kiera!” Selene’s voice snapped me back to focus. “We can’t do this without them!”

  I gritted my teeth, blue energy crackling around my hands as I activated Glitch Patch again, focusing all my energy on destabilizing the binds. The room dimmed slightly as my ability took hold, but Zephyron roared, and the energy surged back, holding fast.

  [Skill Activated: Glitch Patch]

  Partial success. Barrier integrity: 60%.“They’re too strong,” I muttered, frustration and fear in my chest. “It’s not enough!”

  Suddenly, a burst of light erupted from the tendrils. Devon and Ethan dropped to the ptform below, nding with practiced ease. Relief flooded me, but it was short-lived.

  The dragon uttered an enraged roar, its wings spreading wide as the runes along its body fred brighter than ever. The entire chamber trembled, ptforms shifting wildly as the constructs swarmed forward. Zephyron coiled its massive body, its glowing veins pulsating with an ominous rhythm.

  “We’re here!” Devon shouted, his greatsword gleaming as he charged into the fray. “Kiera, focus on the dragon. We’ll handle the rest!”

  Ethan notched an arrow, firing it straight into one of the dragon’s glowing veins. The impact made Zephyron flinch, its health bar dipping slightly.

  “You heard the man,” Ethan called, his voice tight but determined. “Let’s give this thing hell.”

  [Battle Resumed: Party Reunited]

  Devon and Mason pushed forward, their weapons carving a path through the constructs as Fi darted in and out of the chaos, her twin swords slicing with deadly precision. Selene fnked Zephyron, her dagger striking at the exposed weak points Ethan’s arrows revealed.

  I took a deep breath, focusing all my energy on the dragon. My hands trembled as I raised Hydra Fang, its venomous glow pulsing in time with the dragon’s erratic movements.

  “Kiera, now!” Selene shouted.

  I charged forward, the world narrowing to the space between me and the dragon. Zephyron’s head snapped toward me, its glowing eyes narrowing as it opened its maw for another devastating attack. But something inside me shifted a deep, primal surge that eclipsed the fear and exhaustion.

  The air around me darkened, tendrils of shadow erupting from my body as my Demon Lord abilities awakened. The weight of my own corrupted code pressed against me, but I didn’t care. I let it consume me, the power coursing through my veins like wildfire.

  [ABSOLUTE CARNAGE]

  A vortex of shadow energy erupted from the ground, engulfing Zephyron’s lower body. The dragon roared in agony as its health bar plummeted, the swirling void tearing at its corrupted form.

  “Keep hitting it!” I screamed, my voice distorted by the power surging through me.

  Devon and Mason struck in tandem, their combined attacks shattering one of Zephyron’s wings. Fi’s bdes fshed as she targeted its exposed veins, and Ethan’s arrows struck true, each shot embedding itself in the dragon’s glowing core.

  [Critical Hit!] [Damage Dealt: -108,000 HP]

  Zephyron’s movements grew erratic, its health bar dipping dangerously low. But the strain of maintaining my abilities was taking its toll. My vision blurred, and I felt my own health bar plummet as the energy drained me.

  “Kiera, stop!” Selene’s voice cut through the haze. “You’re going to drop your health to zero!”

  “I don’t care!” I shouted back, tears streaming down my face. “We have to finish this! Just…Just have Ethan track down UNKNOWN again before they pn their attack.”

  With one final, desperate surge of power, I released everything I had. The shadows converged on Zephyron, crushing its massive form into the ptform. The dragon let out one st distorted roar before its body shattered into shards of light.

  The room fell silent, the shifting code stabilizing as the constructs became static. The chamber dimmed, the oppressive energy fading into nothingness.

  [Boss Defeated: Zephyron, the Corrupted Warden]

  XP Gained: 1,000Loot Acquired: Fragment Binary Core (Special Item).[LEVEL UP!]

  My legs gave out, and I colpsed onto the ptform, my vision darkening as my health bar ticked down to zero.

  Or so I thought.

  [-1 HP]

  In the silence, a voice echoed through the chamber, disembodied and calm. “Well done, Kiera. But we need to talk.”

  A doorway appeared at the far end of the room, glowing faintly. My friends rushed to my side, their voices filled with worry, but I couldn’t focus on their words. My body was weak, but something compelled me to move, to answer the call.

  “Kiera, don’t,” Devon said, gripping my arm. “We don’t know what’s in there.”

  I looked at him, my heart heavy. “I’ll be okay. I promise.”

  With trembling legs, I stepped toward the glowing doorway, the light swallowing me whole.