4 Into the Shattered Archives

The entrance to the Shattered Archives stood like a monument to forgotten knowledge—a massive obsidian gate covered in glowing runes that pulsed with a strange, rhythmic hum. The gate didn't seem entirely solid; its surface shimmered as if it existed on the edge of reality, half in the game and half somewhere else.

"This place always creeped me out," Liam muttered, gripping his staff tighter.

Elliot ignored him, his eyes scanning the surroundings. The corrupted creature with six eyes had disappeared from view, but its presence lingered like a stain on the air. Every step closer to the Archives felt like wading through quicksand, the game world fighting to keep them out.

"I've only been here once," Liam continued nervously. "And I didn't get far. The traps alone…"

"Let me guess," Elliot interrupted, studying the gate. "The key is solving the puzzles inside."

Liam nodded. "And the puzzles get harder the deeper you go. The rewards are supposed to be insane, but no one's cleared the place since launch."

Elliot smirked faintly. "Sounds like fun."

He placed a hand on the gate, activating his Codebreaker ability. The glowing runes flickered as Elliot bypassed the entry mechanism, rewriting the security protocol. A deep rumble echoed through the canyon as the gate slowly swung open.

"Cheater," Liam muttered, but he followed without hesitation.

---

The First Layer

Inside the Archives, the air was heavy with dust and magic. Towering bookshelves stretched into the darkness, their contents glowing faintly with arcane energy. The ground beneath them was made of fragmented glass, each step sending ripples of light across the surface.

Elliot pulled up his Combat Analyzer, scanning for threats. The room appeared empty, but the faint flicker of red dots on his minimap told a different story.

"Stay close," he said, drawing the Eclipse Dagger.

As they moved deeper into the chamber, the first trap activated. A series of glowing symbols appeared on the floor, rearranging themselves into a grid. A voice boomed through the chamber, deep and resonant:

"Only those who walk the true path shall pass unscathed."

"What does that mean?" Liam asked, staring at the grid.

Elliot crouched, studying the symbols. They seemed to represent different elements—fire, water, earth, air—but the pattern was inconsistent. He activated Hacking Proficiency, overlaying a faint map of potential solutions.

"We need to step on the tiles in the correct order," Elliot said. "It's a logic puzzle."

"Great," Liam muttered. "Your favorite."

Elliot started forward, testing the tiles carefully. The first one glowed green, indicating success. He gestured for Liam to follow as he navigated the grid, each step requiring quick calculations based on the changing patterns.

Halfway through, the puzzle shifted. The tiles began to move, forcing Elliot to think faster. He leapt to a safe spot just as the tile behind him exploded, sending shards of light into the air.

"Move!" Elliot shouted, pulling Liam forward.

The final tile lit up, and the grid disappeared. A doorway at the far end of the chamber opened, revealing a winding staircase.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Liam said, panting.

Elliot shot him a look. "That was the easy part."

---

Corrupted Guardians

The second chamber was far less welcoming. The air crackled with static, and the walls seemed to pulse like a living organism. Floating above the center of the room was a Corrupted Guardian, its form a twisted amalgamation of armor and glitching code.

The Combat Analyzer displayed its stats:

Corrupted Guardian

Level: 100

Health: 45,000

Abilities:

Null Zone: Cancels all magic within a radius.

Fragmented Slash: Deals massive AoE damage with a chance to corrupt player stats.

"Level 100?" Liam whispered. "We can't take that thing!"

"We don't have to," Elliot said. "Not directly."

He scanned the room, noticing several glowing orbs embedded in the walls. They pulsed in sync with the Guardian, their light feeding into its form.

"It's tethered to those orbs," Elliot said. "Destroy them, and it'll weaken."

Liam hesitated. "You distract it, and I'll take out the orbs?"

Elliot grinned. "See? You do have good ideas sometimes."

Before Liam could argue, Elliot activated Shadowmeld, vanishing into the shadows. The Guardian roared, its glitching form surging forward, but Elliot moved with precision, drawing its attention with quick strikes.

Meanwhile, Liam focused on the orbs, casting high-powered spells to shatter them one by one. Each destroyed orb caused the Guardian to falter, its movements growing slower and more erratic.

"Last one!" Liam shouted, hurling a Runic Burst at the final orb.

The Guardian let out a deafening shriek as its form collapsed, dissolving into shards of broken code.

Elliot reappeared beside Liam, slightly out of breath. "Nice work."

Liam grinned. "You're not so bad yourself."

---

The Glitch in the Archives

As the dust settled, a hidden panel opened in the floor, revealing a staircase that spiraled downward. The faint hum of corrupted energy grew louder.

"This is it," Liam said, his voice tense. "The core of the Archives."

Elliot nodded, stepping forward. The descent was slow and tense, each step bringing them closer to the source of the corruption.

When they finally reached the bottom, they found themselves in a cavernous chamber. At its center was a massive console, its surface covered in glowing glyphs. A figure stood before it, their face hidden beneath a hood.

"You're too late," the figure said, their voice distorted. "The Forge has already begun rewriting the game."

Elliot's heart pounded. "Who are you?"

The figure turned, revealing a face Elliot hadn't seen in years.

"Hello, Cipher_Kane," they said. "Long time no see."

It was Draven, one of the original developers of Arcane Junction—and the one person who knew the Forge as well as Elliot did.