The air shimmered as Sadi, Avil, Nikita, and the Leviathan emerged from the Sky Temple’s sanctum. The gates of the temple had sealed behind them, but the hum of residual magic lingered. Surtr’s flames cast a soft, golden glow over the trio, the Leviathan’s massive form moving with surprising grace beside them.Sadi scanned the horizon. The path to the Realm of Tides stretched far beyond the mountains, where the oceans met the sky in a seamless expanse of water and mist. The wind carried the faint scent of salt, and the waves below roared like a thousand guardians warning of the challenges ahead.“This is it,” Sadi said, his voice calm but resolute. “The first mark is hidden somewhere in this realm. And if Damon knows about it… he’ll be watching.”Avil tightened her grip on her wind blade. “I can feel disturbances in the currents already. Beasts… corrupted creatures are lingering near the coastlines. They’ve sensed our arrival.”Nikita’s eyes narrowed, scanning the horizon. “We won’t k

The storm had faded, but the Realm of Tides still shimmered with the aftermath of the battle. Waves glowed faintly gold, echoing the energy of the Heartstone below. Sadi stood on the cliffs, Surtr held tightly in his hand, water dripping from the Leviathan’s scales beside him. He could feel the Heartstone’s hum vibrating through his body, a steady pulse that resonated with Surtr’s flames.“Do you feel that?” Nikita asked, her voice quiet but tense. Her eyes scanned the horizon, wary of any remaining corrupted creatures.Sadi nodded. “It’s not just the stone. It’s… alive.” He lowered his gaze, focusing on the water below. The Heartstone pulsed, revealing faint, ancient runes glowing along its surface. Each rune flickered with an unfamiliar pattern, shifting as if trying to communicate.Avil stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Ancient magic… I’ve seen runes like this before, in the Grand Library. They’re older than the realms themselves. But these… they’re active.

The colossal beast from the corrupted zone towered over them, each movement shaking the earth beneath their feet. Its scales glimmered with molten metal, black veins coursing with dark energy. Even the Leviathan, immense and mighty, flinched slightly at the sheer aura of corruption radiating from the creature.Sadi tightened his grip on Surtr, flames licking higher along the blade. “This… is not normal,” he murmured. The sword vibrated in his hands, humming like a living thing. “Its strength… far beyond its kind. Damon is here.”Avil’s eyes narrowed as she examined the battlefield. “It’s like the zone itself is alive. Everything here is feeding off its corruption. If we don’t contain it, the entire coastal region will collapse.”Nikita steadied herself, swords ready. “Then let’s not waste time.”The corrupted general lunged, claws smashing into the ground with the force of a battering ram. Surtr’s flames met the strike, sparks and molten shards scattering across the battleground. The

The air around them was thick with tension, an oppressive weight pressing against their chests as they approached the Shadow Nexus. The forest had turned darker than usual; even the leaves seemed to have absorbed the light of the sun. Every step Sadi took was accompanied by a faint whisper, as though the shadows themselves were murmuring secrets he was not meant to hear. His hands gripped the hilt of the Sword of Surtr tighter, the blade’s warmth seeping into his palms and grounding him against the suffocating darkness.Beside him, Avil’s posture was taut, ready to strike at the first sign of danger. Her blades reflected the faint glimmers of corrupted energy that twisted around the obsidian pillars marking the path to the Nexus. Nikita’s eyes darted from shadow to shadow, searching for traps or hidden predators. The group had traveled far, through realms untouched by ordinary beings, and the corruption here had an intensity unlike anything they had faced before.Sadi stopped for a mo

The journey to the next Shadow Nexus was grueling. The forest thickened as Sadi, Avil, and Nikita pressed forward, the trees bending unnaturally, their branches twisting like clawed hands. Shadows moved independently of any light source, dancing along the mossy ground, whispering in unintelligible tongues. Sadi’s grip tightened on Surtr, the fire sword pulsing faintly, as if sensing the corruption ahead.“I hate this silence,” Nikita muttered, glancing nervously at the shadows flickering around them. “Everywhere we go, it feels like we’re being watched.”“It’s not just watching,” Avil added, her voice calm but firm. “It’s testing. The Nexus nodes are alive in a sense. They learn, adapt. That’s why they’re so dangerous.”Sadi kept walking, steps measured, eyes sharp. “The sword spoke,” he said quietly, recalling the hum of Surtr. The others are more dangerous. He had felt it in his bones—the next node wouldn’t be like the last. He could feel a pull in the air, a vibration of energy tha