The piercing alarm continued to blare throughout the Dark Spire, now interspersed with the sounds of shattering and the screams of mutated "experiments" breaking free from the lower levels. Rune was a tempestuous shadow, surging through corridors and up stairwells, his body glittering with blue and violet electricity, his dark crystal armor hard and lethal. He had fully assimilated Zephyr's power, becoming a true ability weaver with perfect control over flesh, kinetics, quartz, and electromagnetism.
As Rune ascended to the Spire's upper levels, the air grew heavier, thick with the stench of corrupt energy and an invisible pressure that weighed on everything. The purplish light from the Spire's peak seemed stronger here, indicating proximity to the main energy source.
The first line of defense Rune encountered was an army of bio-mechanical automatons. These weren't mindless mutants, but combat machines forged by Vorn. They had humanoid forms but were covered in metal plates and electro-fleshy tissue, their eyes glowing crimson. They moved with terrifying synchronicity, armed with integrated weapons ranging from plasma cannons to energy blades.
"Intruder! Eliminate!" A metallic voice rang out from one of the automatons.
Rune didn't hesitate. He now possessed the speed of lightning. He plunged into the automaton formation like a whirlwind. Chaotic electrical arcs shot from his body, instantly short-circuiting automatons upon contact, their circuits exploding and their bodies convulsing violently before collapsing. For the survivors, Rune used his Quartz Manipulation, transforming his arms into sharp, dark crystal blades that cut through metal and electro-flesh like butter. He also created localized electromagnetic fields, disrupting the automatons' targeting systems, causing them to fire upon each other.
In mere seconds, the automaton army was reduced to a pile of molten metal and charred flesh. Rune didn't slow down.
Next came a complex labyrinth of energy barriers and massive physical obstacles. Glowing electromagnetic walls blocked passages, and colossal stone blocks, made of unknown materials, obstructed the corridors. These were traps designed to slow or crush any intruder.
Rune let out a savage grin. To him, these were mere toys. With his Quartz Manipulation, he easily disintegrated the structure of the stone blocks, turning them to dust or shifting them aside. For the energy walls, Rune employed his Electromagnetic Manipulation. He didn't destroy them, but absorbed and redirected their energy, creating a safe passage for himself, even using some of that energy to further boost his own speed.
The higher he went, the greater the energy pressure, and the more horrifying what Rune saw became. He began to see objects hovering in mid-air, emitting purple light, sometimes twisting as if space itself was being warped. These were the first manifestations of the Eternal Gate – rifts in reality that Vorn was attempting to harness.
He also sensed a terrifying power waiting ahead. A colossal energy fluctuation, stable and full of immense authority. He knew, that was Vorn. The one who had ruined his life, the one who had turned him into a monster, and the one who was attempting to turn the entire world into his personal playground.
There were no more significant obstacles. Rune had breached all of the Dark Spire's final defenses. He now stood before the final door, where Vorn awaited, and where the world's fate would be decided.
The heavy, black, colossal metal door loomed before Rune, enveloped by thick electrical cables and glowing purple symbols. Chaotic energy pulsed from within, so strong it made the surrounding air vibrate.