Broken Guardian and Dungeon Collapse

After coming out of the dark transformation, DK noticed a pale blue dot on the bottom corner of his eye. "Is this dot something new? DK paid a little closer attention to the dot and suddenly a screen popped up right in front of eye." DK blinked, the sudden appearance of the screen in his vision momentarily distracting him. The faint blue dot flickered at the edge of his sight, like an uninvited guest lingering in his peripheral. The words on the screen—half-formed and glitching—seemed oddly familiar, though he couldn't place why.

—

SYSTEM

Welcome to the syst… Integrating user… Initializing core functions…

—

"DK!" Lucy's voice cut through the haze, sharp and commanding. She grabbed his arm, her grip firm as the dungeon's walls trembled violently around them. "Can you hear me? Snap out of it! We don't have time for this!"

DK shook his head, forcing the screen to dissipate with a mental push. "I'm… I'm fine," he muttered, though his legs still felt like jelly. "Let's move."

Garin wasted no time, grabbing DK's other arm and practically dragging him forward. "Fine or not, rookie, you're walking out of here even if I have to haul your sorry self over my shoulder."

The trio moved through the crumbling dungeon, the air thick with debris and the groans of a structure on the brink of collapse. The light from Lucy's staff illuminated their path, but it was dim, flickering like a candle in a storm.

DK stumbled but caught himself, the residual energy from his transformation still thrumming faintly in his veins. He glanced at his hands, the black veins pulsing faintly as if alive. Whatever had happened to him, it wasn't over. The screen—the system—was proof of that.

—

SYSTEM:

INTEGRATION COMPLETE. FIRST NEXUS CORE ACTIVE.

WELCOME TO THE CELESTIA REALM AND BEING AMONG THE CHOSEN FEW TO ACCESS THE SYSTEM

WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE?

YES/ NO?

—

DK faltered again, his steps slowing. "SYSTEM ACCESS? Is this like a MMORPG video game? That is definitely more up to my style" 

Lucy shot him a worried glance. "DK, focus. What's wrong now?"

He forced a shaky grin, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Just… adjusting. Let's keep going."

As they pressed on, the tremors grew more violent, the dungeon's very essence unraveling around them. The walls seemed to bleed light, fragments of mana breaking apart and dissolving into the air. Garin cursed under his breath. "We're not going to make it at this rate."

Lucy's eyes darted around the collapsing chamber, calculating their path. "The exit is close. We just need—"

A deafening roar cut her off as the remnants of the dungeon guardian surged from the shadows. Though its form was incomplete, a grotesque mass of glowing roots and shattered limbs, its malevolent energy was undeniable.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Garin bellowed, raising his warhammer. "This is definitely no longer a Level 1 dungeon. How is guardian back up again when DK just got rid of it in his demon form? Lets get out of here. I thought that this would be an easy dungeon but now I am not sure I would get out of here alive"

"Demon form!?" DK was confused and was trying to recollect any memories during his transformation, but he could not. 

"I think it is a different enemy. It is not the same guardian." Lucy replied pointing towards the dark mana leaking out the limbs of the grotesque creature. 

DK, however, stepped forward, the corrupted Darkmoon Blade in his hand flaring with dark energy. The screen reappeared before his eyes, lines of text scrolling rapidly.

—

SYSTEM

NEXUS CORE FUNCTION TEST REQUIRED. ENGAGE WITH AN ADVERSARY FOR SYNCHRONIZATION TEST.

WARNING: EXCESSIVE CORRUPT ENERGY CAN CAUSE DESTABILIZATION OF CORE

—

"I've got this," DK said, his voice low but steady. His eyes, flickering with crimson, locked onto the guardian. "You two… get to the exit."

Lucy hesitated. "DK, you're in no state—"

"Go!" DK shouted, his tone sharper than he intended. "I'll catch up."

Garin grunted. "You'd better. Don't make me come back for you."

Lucy nodded reluctantly, pulling Garin toward the exit. "Don't you dare die on us, DK."

As they disappeared into the shadows, DK turned back to the fractured guardian. The blade in his hand seemed to pulse in anticipation, resonating with the remnants of the dungeon's energy. It was no longer the Darkmoon Blade that he first got from Lucy. The screen in his vision flared again, the words demanding his attention.

—

SYSTEM:

SYNCHRONIZATION INITIATED. OVERCOME THE GUARDIAN TO STABILIZE THE NEXUS CORE 1.

FAILURE WILL LEAD TO … IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES

—

DK smirked darkly, raising the blade. "Guess it's just you and me now."

The guardian roared, charging at him with reckless abandon. DK met its attack head-on, the corrupted energy within him surging to life.

DK then decided to repeat the move that he did with Lucy during their spar. To finish the guardian in one blow with the blade he decided to go for single slash. When the guardian approached a certain distance, DK let his upper body fall towards to the ground. As soon as he reached a certain speed he accelerated forwards with using whatever strength remained in his hips and legs. His sword pointed forward to the guardian. He jetted forward like missile. 

Seeing DK in the downward position, the guardian also bent to attack him head on. But DK then swung the sword upwards with his full strength and speed. The blade picking up on DK's move glowed with dark energy cleaving through the guardian's body like butter not giving any chance for it to react.

The guardian let out an otherworldly scream as the corrupted blade tore through it, splitting its massive form in two. The dark energy from the blade pulsed outward in a violent shockwave, scattering fragments of glowing roots and limbs across the collapsing chamber. The creature's remnants disintegrated into wisps of black mist, sucked back into the dungeon walls as if the dungeon itself was reclaiming its essence.

DK stumbled forward, his breath ragged. The force of his attack, combined with the strain of his transformation and the system's synchronization process, left him barely standing. His body ached with an intensity that made it hard to focus, but the faint hum of the blade in his hand reminded him he was still alive.

—

SYSTEM:

SYNCHRONIZATION SUCCESSFUL. NEXUS CORE 1 STABILIZED.

WARNING: CORRUPTED ENERGY STILL PRESENT. USER ADVISED TO RESTORE BALANCE SOON TO AVOID LONG-TERM DESTABILIZATION.

—

The words flashed in DK's vision, but they were more of a blur than a warning. He clutched his head, fighting to stay conscious. The dark veins along his arms pulsated harder after the quick fight, like the echo of something sinister waiting beneath the surface.

DK then noticed a faint glowing orb left at where the corpse of the guardian lay before it dissolved. He picked it without a second thought and immediately raced to the guardian exit. He made sure to stay conscious and was finally able to see the exit. Lucy and Garin rejoiced seeing his silhouette appear. 

"I'm alive," DK managed to croak, his voice hoarse. He forced himself to straighten, though every movement sent jolts of pain through his body. "It's… over."