Chapter 44: The Second Pillar’s Guardian

The stone bridge stretched endlessly into the mist, each step echoing in the unnatural silence. The Veiled Expanse still pulsed with shifting energy, but the Shadowborn had retreated—at least for now. At the far end of the bridge, the Second Pillar of Truth loomed, shrouded in dark energy.

Kaelith adjusted her grip on her daggers, her gaze locked on the swirling mass of shadows surrounding the Pillar. "There's something waiting for us."

Aric activated Absolute Insight, his vision piercing through the layers of reality. He saw it—an entity bound to the Pillar, its presence warping space itself. A being of pure entropy, neither fully alive nor dead.

System Alert:

[Guardian of the Second Pillar: ???]

[Classification: Forbidden Entity]

[Warning: Unknown abilities detected.]

Aric's smirk didn't waver. "Of course, there's a guardian."

A guttural voice echoed from the shadows. "You do not belong here."

The air twisted, and a figure emerged. It stood twice the height of a man, its body a shifting mass of darkness wrapped in golden chains. Two burning voids served as its eyes, and in its hands, it wielded a jagged obsidian spear.

The Guardian Speaks

The Guardian's presence made reality itself buckle. The bridge cracked beneath its feet as it took a single step forward.

Kaelith grimaced. "I really hate when things break reality just by existing."

The Guardian raised its spear, and the very concept of motion around Aric and Kaelith warped—slowing, shifting, resisting.

System Alert:

[Reality Anchor Field Detected.]

[Movement and attack speed reduced by 50%.]

Aric clicked his tongue. "Annoying."

The Guardian's voice resonated again, deep and absolute. "Turn back, or be unmade."

Aric's smirk widened. "I've been unmade before. Didn't stick."

The Guardian did not wait for a reply. It moved.

The Battle Begins

In an instant, the spear was already in motion, faster than Aric expected—even with Temporal Awareness active. He barely managed to block as the spear's edge scraped against his sword, sending a shockwave through the air.

Kaelith vanished in a blur, reappearing at the Guardian's flank. She struck with her silvered daggers, but the Guardian twisted unnaturally, dodging in a way that should have been impossible.

Then it countered.

A single swipe of its spear distorted space, creating an aftershock that sent Kaelith flying. She barely managed to land on her feet, skidding to a stop. "Alright. That hurt."

Aric's mind raced. The Guardian's spear wasn't just a weapon—it was a manifestation of its power, capable of disrupting space and time.

"We need to break those chains," he said, eyes locking onto the golden restraints around its limbs.

Kaelith nodded. "Got it. You distract it, I'll go for the bindings."

Aric didn't hesitate.

Skill Activated: Phantom Mirage

Three duplicates of Aric materialized, each moving in unpredictable patterns. The Guardian didn't react to the fakes—it could see through illusions. But that was fine.

It wasn't an illusion that struck.

Skill Activated: Voidfire Blade

Aric's sword ignited with consuming black flames. He slashed downward, aiming not at the Guardian, but at the space around it—disrupting its field of influence. The air cracked, the slowing effect weakening.

Kaelith used that moment. She flickered forward, daggers glowing with Runic Silver, and slashed at the nearest golden chain.

A deafening CRACK filled the air as the first chain shattered.

The Guardian roared, its body convulsing as its form fluctuated. Its attacks became faster—more erratic.

But they were getting closer.

Breaking the Guardian's Chains

Aric focused. Absolute Insight revealed the structure of the chains—four bindings, each connected to a different anchor point in reality. Destroying all of them would weaken the Guardian's link to this place.

"Kaelith, left flank!" Aric shouted.

She didn't hesitate. Another slash, another chain broken.

The Guardian bellowed, thrusting its spear toward her, but Aric intercepted it, absorbing the impact with a barrier of Voidfire Shield. The force sent him sliding backward, but he endured.

Two chains remained.

The Guardian shifted. The mist of the Veiled Expanse collapsed inward, forming a vortex of shadowy energy.

System Alert:

[The Guardian is unleashing a Forbidden Art!]

[Absolute Erasure: 5 seconds until activation.]

Aric didn't wait.

Skill Activated: Temporal Step

Time warped around him as he accelerated. He appeared directly in front of the Guardian, sword descending.

SLASH!

The third chain broke.

Kaelith moved in tandem, her daggers a blur. The final chain snapped.

The Guardian Falters

The Guardian let out a distorted howl as the golden bindings shattered completely. Its form wavered, no longer anchored properly to the Veiled Expanse.

The spear dissolved. The Guardian's massive frame began to collapse inward.

It looked at Aric—no longer with hostility, but with something else.

"...Freedom..."

With that final whisper, the Guardian imploded, dispersing into nothingness.

System Notification:

[Guardian Defeated.]

[Second Pillar of Truth: Unsealed.]

The shadows around the Pillar dissipated, revealing its true form—a towering obelisk of crystalline energy, pulsating with radiant light. The air around it was calm, reality no longer warping.

Kaelith exhaled. "That was intense."

Aric stepped forward, placing a hand on the Pillar. The moment he did, a rush of energy coursed through him.

System Alert:

[Second Pillar Activated.]

[New System Access Granted: ???]

Aric's eyes widened as lines of text filled his vision, revealing something even he hadn't expected.

And far above, unseen forces took notice.

To Be Continued…