The twelfth floor of the Abyssal Tower felt different—ominous in a way even the Apex Core hadn't been. The residual energy from the previous floor's chaos lingered, but now an unfamiliar darkness seeped through the cracks in the Tower. Shadows moved independently of light, and the air vibrated with whispers—soft, twisted voices that seemed to come from the walls themselves.
Kael stood at the entrance, surveying the floor. His undead legion flanked him. Malina's beasts sniffed the air warily, their instincts screaming danger. Pallas' wings twitched as she scanned the area with Ultra Sense.
"This… doesn't feel like just another floor," Kael muttered. "The Tower is… corrupted. I can feel a trace of Outer God energy."
SYSTEM ALERT
Dungeon Floor Detected – Level 12
Environmental Hazards: Corruption-Infused Terrain, Reality Distortion
Threat Level: Omega+ – Outer God Influence Detected
Recommended Action: Extreme Caution, Adaptive Hazard Countermeasures, Multi-System Coordination, Anti-Corruption Measures
Amara's hands glowed with arcane energy. "Kael, you're right. The mana here isn't just reactive; it's invasive. It's corrupting the environment and any living energy nearby. We need to neutralize it carefully—one false step and it could overwhelm us."
Kael nodded. "Malina, send your beasts ahead to probe for mana distortions. Pallas, scout and map the terrain in real-time. Everyone else, stay on guard. This isn't just a physical threat; it's spiritual and mental too."
The floor itself pulsed, shifting in strange, alien patterns. Platforms bent unnaturally, acid pools boiled with black mana, and shadows flickered with semi-sentient intelligence. The Apex Core's influence was gone, but the lingering corruption now moved independently, adapting to any attack.
Kael activated Domain Domination and Integrated Hazard Mastery. He sensed the corruption as an intrusive layer over the natural mana network, twisting spells, weakening barriers, and even interfering with undead control.
"Everyone," Kael called, "prepare for direct engagement. This corruption will attempt to assimilate us into the Tower itself. We fight, but we also neutralize."
Malina's Phantom Beast Summons stepped forward, intercepting waves of corrupted shadows that attempted to latch onto the ground and form new hazard structures. Her beasts growled as black tendrils of mana lashed out, but Wild Domain amplified their ability to resist corruption.
Brown's undead legion advanced, holding the frontline. Kael noted something unusual: the corruption adapted rapidly, ignoring repetitive attacks and altering environmental hazards dynamically.
SYSTEM ALERT
Corruption Detected – Semi-Sentient
Weakness: Outer God Mana Disruption
EXP Reward Potential: +25,000
Skill Acquisition: Potential for Corruption Resistance Techniques
Amara began Void Channel, pulling raw void energy to counteract the Outer God corruption. Arcane threads intertwined with corrupted mana, neutralizing smaller nodes and creating openings. She cast Temporal Echo Casting to maintain continuous suppression, her clones striking corrupted points simultaneously.
Ember and Thorne maintained the frontline, intercepting corrupted constructs. Radiant Cleave met blackened mana waves with holy force, while Shockwave Fist smashed through distorted terrain nodes. Luminor stabilized platforms and projected barriers to prevent sudden collapse or mana bursts.
Kael's pulse surged. "Everyone, focus your energy. This corruption can't adapt to coordinated multi-system attacks. Use every skill at your disposal. Copy, analyze, adapt!"
Kael unleashed Dual Mana Burst with Arcane Sword Dance and Void Edge, striking multiple corruption nodes at once. Sparks, shadows, and mana arcs collided violently, leaving temporary clearing zones.
Vex hurled Explosive Catalyst Potions, destabilizing corrupted nodes. Pallas flitted overhead, using Mapping Vision to redirect teammates away from unstable platforms and mana distortions.
The corruption writhed violently, forming humanoid shapes that pulsed with Outer God energy. Shadows coalesced into monstrous forms, each one unique, adaptive, and dangerous. Kael's system identified three primary corruption entities emerging from the floor:
1. Umbra Wraith – Shadowy, intangible, capable of bypassing barriers.
2. Mana Leech Construct – Absorbs mana and energy from nearby allies and summons.
3. Void Tether Entity – Corrupts terrain and manipulates gravity in localized zones.
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Phase 1 of corruption entities confirmed. Amara, take the Umbra Wraith. Ember and Thorne, Mana Leech. Malina, Void Tether. Everyone else, support and adapt on the fly. Brown, undead maintain perimeter and counter leech attempts."
The team advanced in perfect synchronization. Kael's undead blocked shadow tendrils while Malina's beasts neutralized terrain hazards. Ember's and Thorne's combined attacks weakened the Mana Leech Construct, while Amara's arcane void energy neutralized Umbra Wraith temporarily.
Kael activated Copy, integrating Corruption Adaptation Analysis, allowing him to anticipate entity behavior faster than raw reaction time. He struck the Void Tether Entity directly, phasing through its corrupt gravitational manipulation with Void Edge, destabilizing it for the first time.
The floor pulsed violently. "The Outer God's influence…" Kael whispered. "It's feeding the corruption from somewhere below. This isn't just a floor—it's a node for Outer God infiltration."
Malina roared, summoning Titan Bond, combining the strength of all her beasts into a single powerful assault on Void Tether. Sparks and shadows collided violently, but the Entity faltered.
SYSTEM ALERT
Corruption Nodes Suppressed: 35%
EXP Reward: +30,000
Skill Copy: Acquired Corruption Resistance – Phase 1
Kael raised his sword, surveying the floor. "Phase 1 suppression successful—but the corruption adapts too fast. We have to press forward carefully, neutralizing the node fully before advancing. Focus on coordination and hazard exploitation. This is the first taste of Outer God influence, and it's already deadly."
Pallas hovered above, eyes glowing. "Multiple new nodes detected further down. They're connected—if we destroy the node completely, it may weaken the entire floor. Otherwise… the corruption will keep regenerating."
Kael's hand tightened around his sword. "Then that's our objective. Full suppression. Every skill, every summon, every ounce of teamwork counts. The Abyssal Tower's twelfth floor is alive, corrupted, and feeding on Outer God energy. But we'll neutralize it. Together."
The floor pulsed once more, shadows writhed, and mana twisted violently. Kael's undead legion advanced, Malina's beasts followed, and the team moved as one. The battle for the Tower's first Outer God-corrupted floor had begun—and failure was not an option.