Return #119 began with a chill that cut through Evan Thorn's cloak like knives. The mountain fortress loomed above him, black stone etched with glowing veins of corruption that pulsed in a rhythm like a heartbeat. Every step forward echoed unnervingly against the jagged walls, the distant roar of wind carrying whispers of pain, anger, and something older… something alive.
Evan adjusted his grip on his sword and inhaled sharply. The air here was thick, saturated with shadow energy. Even his newly acquired skills—Shadow Perception, Tactical Analysis, Knightbreaker—strained to map the disturbances.
This was no ordinary battlefield. This was the lair of the corruption itself.
THE CORRIDORS OF SHADOWThe fortress gates, though massive and imposing, had been designed to slow intruders, not stop someone of Evan's skill. He slipped inside, feet silent on cracked stone floors. The walls were lined with jagged spikes of black crystal that pulsed faintly, like veins carrying shadow energy through the building.
Evan paused in a long corridor. The shadows here moved differently, almost alive, twisting and curling along the walls and ceiling.
Not just guardians… this fortress itself is corrupted, he thought.
He activated Shadow Perception, the skill flaring to life. Patterns emerged: faint pulses, micro-delays, currents of shadow flowing through the stone, guiding attacks and defenses. Every corridor could be a trap, every step a test.
Step by step, Evan advanced, analyzing each movement, every reflection of the black veins, anticipating ambushes.
FIRST ENCOUNTER — CORRUPTED SENTRIESAs he entered the main hall, three figures detached themselves from the shadows. Armored sentries, corrupted like the knights and guardians he had faced before, glinted with the same black energy. Their eyes glowed red. Weapons hummed with dark magic.
"Another intruder," one growled, voice distorted and metallic. "You will not survive."
Evan didn't answer. He shifted his stance, letting Tactical Analysis map the battlefield in real time. Shadows stretched and twisted as the sentries moved, their attacks coordinated and precise.
Step, pivot, strike—Evan dodged the first swing, rolled under a second, countered with Knightbreaker precision, chipping at the corrupted armor. Sparks and black energy collided, but Evan remained fluid, reacting faster than the sentries could adjust.
Shadow Perception flared, guiding him through the sequence. He anticipated patterns, predicting the timing of attacks before they happened.
Within moments, the sentries faltered. Evan pressed the advantage, striking at weak points, and one by one, the corrupted figures collapsed into shadowless husks.
First trial inside the fortress complete, Evan thought, chest heaving. But the worst is yet to come.
DISCOVERING THE FORTRESS COREEvan moved deeper into the fortress, corridors twisting and narrowing, black veins thickening along walls and floors. He began to feel the fortress itself resisting him, subtle shifts in pressure under his feet, currents of shadow energy guiding him, but also testing him.
He reached a massive chamber. The ceiling arched impossibly high, and at its center, a pool of black liquid shimmered, radiating corruption in waves. Around it, faintly hovering in the air, were fragments of corrupted knights—specters tethered to the fortress core.
Evan's chest tightened. The heart of corruption… this must be what animates the knights, the sentries, and perhaps even the system's more twisted fragments.
He approached cautiously. Shadows pulsed violently as he neared. Predictive Reaction and Shadow Perception combined, warning him of micro-attacks hidden within the black currents.
THE FORTRESS CORE SPEAKSThe pool of corruption pulsed, and a voice echoed—not through air, but through the bones of the building.
You think yourself capable, mortal… yet every step you take feeds me.
Evan froze, gripping his sword tighter. The corruption itself can speak… and it's intelligent.
I am older than the returns. I am older than the knights, older than your victories. Every life I touch strengthens me, every battle you fight prolongs my existence. And yet… you are persistent. Curious… dangerous.
Evan's mind raced. He had faced powerful entities before, but none had spoken directly, none had demonstrated awareness of the system's returns as this entity did.
I will not be stopped, Evan said aloud. I have survived. I have adapted. I have defeated your knights and your guardians. I will endure this… as I have endured everything.
We shall see, mortal, the voice replied. Your returns are my playground. Your skills… my amusement. But the fortress demands more than skill. You will need strategy, sacrifice, and understanding beyond what you possess.
THE FIRST TRIAL OF THE COREAs the voice faded, the pool of black liquid surged. Shadows shot upward, solidifying into six corrupted knights, larger and more grotesque than any Evan had faced before. Their armor pulsed with the fortress's heartbeat, and their eyes glowed with intelligence and malice.
Evan exhaled, centering himself. This was the ultimate test so far: multiple opponents, intelligent coordination, and a battlefield shaped by the fortress itself.
He activated Will of the Survivor, bracing his mind and body. Tactical Analysis mapped their movements. Shadow Perception detected micro-patterns in their energy flow.
Step by step, he engaged, striking one knight at a time, exploiting weak points revealed through careful observation. Yet the knights moved as one, shadow tendrils linking them, making direct assault deadly.
Evan realized he could not defeat them conventionally. He needed strategy.
Divide and conquer, he thought. Use their link against them.
USING THE ENVIRONMENTThe fortress pulsed with shadow energy. Evan noticed it responded to the knights' movements—spikes jutted from the floor, walls shifted, black veins extending like arms.
He struck a corrupted knight near the pool, drawing it toward a weakened section of the floor. Sparks flew, shadows extended, and the floor collapsed, sending two knights into the abyss below.
Evan's heart pounded. He could not fight all at once—he had to use the fortress against its own guardians.
One by one, he lured the knights into traps, dodging shadow strikes, predicting movements, and exploiting openings. By the time the sixth knight approached him, Evan was exhausted but alive.
Step by step, blow by blow, he weakened it, finding the exact moment to strike with Knightbreaker. The corrupted knight fell, and for the first time, silence filled the chamber.
The fortress pulsed, shivering, almost alive… as if angered but also impressed.
A NEW SYSTEM MESSAGEBlue shimmer appeared before Evan, text flickering in the air:
[SYSTEM ALERT]Return #119 — Fortress Core Cleared (Stage One)
Corruption fragments neutralized
Next Objective: Investigate Core Source and Determine Link to Larger Returns Network
Warning: Core aware. Approach with caution.
Evan exhaled, muscles trembling, sweat dripping down his face. He had survived knights, guardians, and the fortress's own defenses. But now he faced something more abstract, more dangerous—the source of the corruption itself.
The fortress is alive. The system is aware. And the corruption is intelligent…
Evan tightened his grip on his sword. He had survived impossible trials before. He had adapted, learned, and grown stronger.
And he would endure this too.
Step by step, he moved toward the heart of the fortress, ready to confront the source of darkness that had orchestrated all the returns.