The silence in the room was a backdrop against which the soft crackling of the energy cables feeding the floating sphere and the subtle hum of the structure itself stood out.
The four Reverse Guardians, motionless as solidified statues, their icy white ocular slits fixed on an invisible point, or perhaps on the sphere they protected.
"So, these are them, the famous Reverse Guardians," Scott whispered, his voice barely more than a hoarse breath, betraying a tension Alden hadn't yet perceived in him with such intensity.
"The legends don't do them justice. And if they're really invulnerable to physical attacks… we're in deep trouble, kid. Real deep trouble."
Alden didn't answer immediately, his mind racing, analyzing the information provided by the System and the environment before him.
Four Specters.
Semi-corporeal energy nature.
Vulnerable to energy disturbances, pure Mana, or disruption of their link with the central sphere. It was this last option that held his attention.
The metal sphere, suspended above the beacon platform by four main energy cables that seemed to feed and anchor it, was the key.
"Their power comes from this sphere," Alden finally said, his voice low and focused.
"If we can disrupt its power supply, or damage the cables connecting it to the guardians, we might be able to weaken them."
Scott looked at him, one eyebrow raised.
"Disrupt an energy sphere? And how do you plan to do that? We don't have anything that can cut those cables from a distance, and getting close means throwing ourselves to the wolves."
Alden glanced at the metal beam he had used earlier, but had to abandon during his run across the light bridges.
He only had his fists and his multi-tool knife, derisory against energy cables or ethereal entities.
"We need a more… direct approach," Alden thought. He carefully observed the cables.
They were thick, sheathed in an insulating material that seemed cracked or worn in places by time. Perhaps brute force, applied эмоции the right spot, could be enough to damage one.
"I'm going to try to get close to one of the cables, the one furthest from the main group of guardians," Alden announced.
"You, Scott, try to create a diversion if things go wrong, or if one of them focuses too much on me. But don't expose yourself unnecessarily."
"Create a diversion against ghosts armed with icy stares? You've got a sense of humor, kid," Scott grumbled, but he nodded, his expression hardening.
"Do what you have to do."
With infinite slowness, Alden began to slide along the curved wall of the room, using every shadow, every darkened control panel as cover. His heart pounded against his ribs, but his mind was focused.
He chose his target: the leftmost cable, the one slightly set back from the beacon platform. The Reverse Guardians didn't react.
Their slender silhouettes remained frozen, their attention apparently still fixed on the sphere. Alden reached a position about five meters from the cable. He could feel the energy pulsing through it, a dull vibration эмоции the floor.
He had no ranged weapon.
He had to use what he had. His multi-tool knife had a small blade, perhaps strong enough to cut the insulating sheath if it was sufficiently weakened. Holding his breath, he prepared himself.
He waited for the moment when the cable's luminous pulsation seemed to reach its lowest intensity, hoping for less resistance or a less violent reaction. Then, with a swift and calculated movement, he lunged forward, throwing himself at the cable, his blade aimed at a section where the insulation seemed particularly worn.
The contact produced a shower of blinding blue and white sparks, accompanied by a sharp hiss and a strong smell of ozone.
The knife blade barely bit into the surface before being violently repelled, and an electric shock ran up his arm, making him wince in pain despite his resilience. The knife was torn from his grasp, sent flying across the room.
The cable was only scratched, but the disturbance had been enough.
Immediately, the four Reverse Guardians reacted.
Their silhouettes vibrated, and their icy white ocular slits all turned simultaneously towards Alden.
A collective murmur, like the shattering of thousands of glass shards, filled the room.
They had spotted him.
One of the guardians, the one closest to the cable Alden had tried to damage, partially disintegrated, its form becoming more translucent, less defined, before slowly reforming, though visibly weakened.
The disturbance had had an effect, however minimal.
But the other three began to glide towards Alden, moving silently, like shadows floating above the ground.
They weren't particularly fast, but the aura of intense cold emanating from them grew more palpable, more threatening.
"Khan! They're coming!" Scott yelled, having pulled out his flashlight and trying in vain to dazzle one of the specters, to no apparent effect.
Alden didn't have time to retrieve his knife.
He had to act.
His gaze fell on the debris of an old control panel эмоции on the floor near him – twisted metal plates, torn-out circuits.
He grabbed a long, relatively sharp section, a piece of jagged metal conduit.
It wasn't a sword, but it was better than nothing. The three specters were closing in, their shadow hands beginning to form, crackling with icy energy.
Instead of fleeing or trying to fight these entities head-on with his improvised weapon, he used the momentary confusion and the possible instability he had caused.
He rushed towards another power cable, the one diametrically opposed to the first, hoping a second disturbance would have a more devastating effect.
The specters accelerated their glide, their forms becoming more menacing, their whispers turning into an irritated hiss.
Alden reached the second cable and struck with all his might with his piece of metal conduit, aiming for an apparent junction.
Another, more violent, explosion of sparks.
The metal conduit he held twisted under the impact, conducting part of the discharge into his own body.
The pain was excruciating, leaving him breathless, but the cable was more seriously damaged.
It now hung by a few internal conductors, spitting wild electrical arcs. The ambient light in the room flickered dangerously, and the central sphere emitted a deep, dissonant hum, like a mechanical cry of pain.
This time, the effect on the Reverse Guardians was more pronounced.
The three advancing towards him froze, their silhouettes writhing as if in invisible agony.
Two of them began to disintegrate more rapidly, their forms becoming almost transparent, before vanishing completely into a fine luminous dust.
The guardian initially weakened by the first attack also collapsed, dissipating. Only one remained.
The one that had been furthest from the two damaged cables. It was visibly very weakened, its spectral form flickering, but it was still active.
And it was directly between Alden and the platform where the beacon rested.
Alden gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain coursing through his body and the smell of his own singed hair.
It was now or never.
He dropped his makeshift weapon, now useless, and sprinted towards the platform.
The last Guardian tried to intercept him, its movement slow, almost desperate. It extended a trembling shadow hand, trying to grab Alden.
The latter dodged with a roll, feeling the icy cold brush his skin. He got up and continued his run.
He finally reached the platform.
The beacon was there, its small green light blinking faintly, almost lost amidst the room's energy chaos. He reached out to activate it.
Just as his fingers were about to touch the beacon's control panel, the Reverse Guardian, in a final surge of power, materialized almost in front of him, its form suddenly denser, more menacing.
A hand of pure shadow, streaked with white lightning, struck out towards Alden, aiming for his chest.
There was no way to dodge.
He was trapped.
But at the last moment, just as the blow was about to land, a new wave of energy, different, warmer, more… alive, seemed to emanate from him.
It wasn't his Mana; it was something else.
A familiar sensation.
The Reverse Guardian's attack was deflected, as if it had hit an invisible barrier, and the spectral creature recoiled, surprised, its form flickering.
Alden didn't waste a second.
Taking advantage of this miraculous opening, he slammed the beacon's activation button.
The green light turned solid, then a series of sharp beeps sounded, signaling that the beacon was operational.
[Mission: "The Heart of the Labyrinth" accomplished!]
[Rewards: Substantial EXP (500 points).
Increased affinity with Lys FallenDawn.
Passive skill "Sixth Sense (Rudimentary)" acquired.
Information on low-level Manas (viewable).
Minor memory fragment recovery (pending processing).]
[Level 1 (EXP 515/100) -> Level 2 (EXP 15/250)!]
[Attribute points available: 5]
He had succeeded.
But the room was still unstable, the central sphere crackled dangerously, and the last Reverse Guardian, though momentarily repelled, was already reforming, its white eyes glowing with an icy fury.
Scott, on the other side of the room, was yelling something Alden couldn't make out over the din. He had to get out of here.
And fast.