The Chaos System – Chapter 17: Whispers of the Undying
Dawn's pale light filtered through the moss‑draped columns of the riverbank ruins as the six champions reunited. Sylvan Crimson, Alex Silva, Selene Fireheart, Kael Shadowsong, Eric Duran, and Koba Ironsoul stood before a half‑sunken archway leading to the catacombs below. The air was thick with moisture and an unmistakable chill.
"Ready?" Alex asked, frost glinting in his gaze.
Sylvan nodded. "Let's descend. Mortala waits."
They stepped through the ancient portal, descending a spiraling staircase slick with dripping water. Each step echoed like a heartbeat. Torches materialized along the walls as if ignited by unseen hands, flickering to reveal murals of skeletal guardians dancing around blood‑soaked altars.
At the base, a vast hall opened. The floor was black marble, inlaid with silver runes that pulsed faintly. A pool of dark ichor sat at its center, feeding sinewy tendrils of mist that coiled around bone‑piled pillars.
A haunting melody drifted through the hall, notes twisting like vines. From the shadows emerged Mortala, the Abyssal Necromancer, her ivory robes splattered with ancient blood. Her eyes glowed deep violet, and ghostly figures drifted behind her—souls bound to her will.
"Welcome..." Mortala's voice was a song of sorrow and malice, "to the realm of the undying."
The skeletal guardians stirred, bones clicking as they advanced.
Selene leapt forward, flames igniting beneath her feet. "We're here to end you."
Mortala raised a hand. "First... dispel your own ghosts."
Glowing apparitions rose from the floor: reflections of their deepest fears. Sylvan saw his blade shatter; Alex watched himself frozen in time; Selene felt her flames dying; Kael's shadow form fractured.
As the phantoms lunged, Sylvan's katana blazed with Chaos flame. He spun, carving through the illusions. Alex unleashed a chilling gale that shattered frost‑crested phantoms.
Kael's shadows wove between Selene's fire, guiding each burn to dispel the specters. The hall trembled as illusions shattered into motes of mist.
Mortala laughed, the echo haunting. "Impressive. But can you face death itself?"
She struck the ichor pool, and ghostly sirens rose, their wails sapping strength. The Bone Reapers behind Mortala advanced, scythe‑blades gleaming.
Eric and Koba charged together—Eric's plasma hammer smashing skeletal ranks, Koba's seismic fists cleaving bone. Selene's Inferno Lotus Strike scattered wraiths; Kael's Nightfall Crescent silenced dying screams.
Mortala hovered, dark water swirling at her feet. "Soulbind!" she sang.
Selene cried out as cords of ichor wrapped around her limbs, draining her warmth.
Sylvan stepped between them. "Free." He whispered one word of World Force. The bindings shattered like glass.
Alex led a Storm Arc Halo that trapped Mortala's guards in ice. Sylvan lunged, entering Chaos State's second layer. His katana erupted in a spiral of crimson and shadow.
They moved as one. Sylvan's Chaos‑flame Spiral cleaved through spectral forms; Alex's Glacial Coffin froze their remnants. Mortala shrieked, the ichor pool collapsing under the combined onslaught.
As Mortala staggered, Sylvan approached her throne. He knelt, plunging a hand into the dying pool, drawing icy blood into his palm. Chaos energy flared, absorbing her ancient power.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: ABYSSAL NECROMANCY ACQUIRED]
[Dragon Bloodline Mastery – Mars-3: 5% → 6%]
[20 ATTRIBUTE POINTS GAINED]
Mortala's throne shattered. She collapsed, leaving only a whisper: "The final eclipse... approaches."
Sylvan retrieved a fractured tablet from beneath the throne—a map etched with a spiraling spire rising from the ocean's depths.
Selene held it aloft. "Sunken Spire... our final test."
The six emerged into twilight, bound by new powers and the promise of one last battle.
[TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 18]