Pandora Unchained - a Cultivation Progression Fantasy

Only shadowy patches of distorted energy now separated Sorin's spiritual self from his physical body, which was rapidly deteriorating under the influence of Violence and an overactive Divine Bone Rot that was quickly chipping away at the bronze runes on his bones.

He now realized how deep of a schemer Melinoë was. She'd clearly been targeting him from the beginning and had lured him into this boss battle to eliminate any contingencies he had against mental attacks like the Ring of Mind Ward.

Normally, her attack would have resulted in Sorin being fully incapacitated for tens of seconds, resulting in his quick demise. It was ironically, thanks to Violence taking over his body, that he was able to survive.

Sorin was fully capable of returning to his body, but since the situation was momentarily stable, he took a step through the shadowy dreamscape and made his way towards Melinoë.

Visions of the past floated before him, including those from long-lost nightmares. This included painful memories from the time he'd lost his cultivation, when the council stripped his position of elders while he was still processing what was happening, and finally, the sight of his parents' dead bodies, found days after they'd perished.

This is taking too long, thought Sorin as he waded through the sea of memories. At this rate, my body will suffer grave injuries. Though the creature's brain was mostly destroyed, it instinctively retaliated against Sorin. His body, even aided by his armor's life-siphoning ability, was barely able to keep up.

Fortunately, his trusty helper finally realized something was amiss. The rat adopted his armored form and began fighting alongside the Violence-infused Sorin, buying his body enough time to heal. He also reached out to Sorin and inadvertently lit up a path through the dreamscape. Most of the lesser illusions in his body were dispelled.

But the force infiltrating his mind was persistent. It finally managed to drag out a few useful memories. Included were scenes of Sorin opening his companions' meridians, scenes of him arguing with two physicians over Haley's treatment, and Marcus's dead body immediately after his death. The body was rapidly melting due to the potent poisons Sorin had administered, leaving no doubt that he was the one responsible.

"What exactly are you hoping to gain from all this?" asked Sorin, stomping his foot. The images shattered, revealing the white robed God Seed once again.

"Your preparations were excessive compared to my estimates. The information I collected at great expense was far from accurate," said Melinoë. "But perhaps it's better that way. What would be the fun in crushing you so brutally in our first exchange?"

"Should I know you?" asked Sorin, unsure of what to make of the sudden attack. "I don't recall us having any enmity."

"Thank you for confirming that your status in the Kepler Clan is far below what was estimated," said Melinoë. "If you were truly a core member, the Lucian Branch would have immediately informed you of our long history."

"While I failed to slay you this time around, this probing attack on my part has served its purpose. For one, it exposed the potency of your familiar. For another, it revealed your simultaneous strength against Madness and weakness against it. There are many forces at work currently keeping your body alive while your spirit lies trapped within this dreamscape. Is it a heroic ability, or are you a hidden God Seed of Asclepius? That fox head medallion makes it difficult to confirm either conjecture.

"If that's all there is, I'll be returning to my body," said Sorin, taking a step through the nothingness. He felt his connection with his body deepens."

"What? No questions?" said Melinoë. "No banter?"

"I'm sure I'll find out all I need to know once I report what happened to my clan's elders," said Sorin. "They might hate me and want me dead, but they won't be able to refuse such a direct inquiry about a potent enemy, God Seed."

"You're hiding something," said Melinoë. "You are resistant to madness, something that most God Seeds cannot escape."

"And you can control Madness," said Sorin. "I'm sure that isn't something just any God Seed can do. More interesting is the fact that Charles Hargrave is under your control and discreetly trying to poison me."

"Yet another miscalculation," said Melinoë. "I would have expected his divine poisons to have at least some effect against you. Instead, they seem to have fueled your recovery."

"Is there anything else?" asked Sorin. "Because if you're done, I'm going to return to my body and kill this creature. You've lost your chance to kill me, and now, I'm aware of the threat you pose. I still don't understand why you'd want to kill me, but at least here, your aggression isn't distorted like in the outside world."

Melinoë chuckled. "If my goal were simply to kill you, you'd already be dead. Your survival is much more convenient for my long-term goal, which is the only reason I'm letting you leave this Dreamscape in one piece."

Sorin snorted. "You're bluffing. I can see the anger in your eyes."

"Would you believe it if I said I've been toying with that thing this entire time? My God Seed governs nightmares and madness, Sorin. Everything in this dungeon is in the palm of my hand."

Sorin shook his head. "If that were the case, there would be no need for all this deception. Now, are you going to leave and end this discussion in a civilized tone, or do I need to force you out?"

"Are you even capable of forcing me out?" asked Melinoë.

"Are you even capable of staying here any longer?" asked Sorin.

Melinoë sighed. "I guess we'll never know. I look forward to many wonderful exchanges in the future, Sorin Abberjay Kepler."

The white-robed God Seed faded, and the dreamscape, which held Sorin prisoner, finally shattered. Sorin felt a jarring sensation, followed by extreme pain as his spirit returned to his wounded body. "Let's go, Lorimer," Sorin said to his companion. "You did good."

Sorin picked up the rat and activated his Wraith Hare Boots to teleport them both away from the creature's bloody center. Massive gashes had torn open its flesh, and only craters remained of some of its key organs.

Though killing it was possible, Sorin had no desire to engage it further. If Melinoë could end it so easily, he invited her to try.

Moreover, rampaging Violence was invading his bones, and Divine Bone Rot Was quickly eroding them. He needed to bring both under control and fast.

"Are you alright?" Gareth asked, appearing beside him. You're not looking too good."

"I'm… fine…" said Sorin, gritting his teeth and pounding the cracked stone floor. Blood gushed from his fist, and he struggled against the corruption and attempted to seal it in place.

"You're not fine," Gareth finally said. "You need help. I've seen cases like this before. Let me help you, Sorin."

Worry flashed in Sorin's eyes. He knew how adamantly the archer pursued cases of corruption. But ultimately, he knew his situation was dire and that despite the strong front he'd put on to frighten Melinoë, he was on the verge of losing control.

"Help me if you can," said Sorin through gritted teeth. "And if you can't…"

"Relax," said Gareth, forming a series of complex hand seals and summoning what appeared to be a silver prison, which he flicked toward Sorin's heart. "Nighthawks deal with corruption all the time, and you're far from reaching your limit. All you need is a little know-how and a watchman to keep you on track."

"Now repeat after me: The demon is within. Corruption is a cage. Humanity is lonely. The heart is ever steady. Violence is sometimes the answer. Madness is only temporary."

Sorin repeated these words several times, and with each iteration, the madness invading his bones, his spirit, and his blood gradually entered the silver prison. His own divine mana poured into the prison as well, reinforcing it.

Further, the sealing of his corruption reduced the agitation in his Divine Bone Rot. The rate at which it eroded his bones greatly slowed, at least for the time being. The damage was done, and his life expectancy had been shaved in half, but for the time being, he was safe.

"Let's talk later," said Gareth, drawing an arrow and letting it lose at what remained of the horror. Only a few scattered pieces of it were left, and their party was mostly focused on clearing up its remnants. As for the three God Seeds, they had moved to the exposed core of the creature and had summoned a mass of white flame, and were gradually drawing the corruption in the catacombs back into the rune-covered core.

The catacombs trembled as what remained of the shield separating the core from the rest of the catacombs shattered, and the remaining horrors in the ruined city burst into motes of white flame.

Then, silence. A quiet night descended upon the catacombs, bringing peace and tranquility to the tortured souls remaining in the abandoned city.

There were no cries of anguish. There were no outraged howls.

Finally, the three God Seeds slammed their palms against the complete Core of Corruption. Cracks appeared upon the person-sized object, which proceeded to separate into five equally sized pieces. One piece flew to each of the God Seeds, another flew toward Bast from the White Tower Group, and finally, one piece flew toward Sorin and his team.

"As agreed, each of us will take one-fifth of the boss monster's core," said Melinoë, stowing away her fragment. "As for the remaining cores, harvest as you will. As far as I'm concerned, everyone who survived this battle has earned them and is worthy of proceeding to the next stage.

The casualties they suffered were indeed quite high. Of the heroes that had ventured into the center, only half had survived, a sharp departure from the typically 'safe' Shrine Descent.

"Lawrence and Stephan, you two go out to gather as many cores as you can," instructed Gareth. "Daphne, how's Astley doing?"

"She's suffered minor spiritual damage but nothing major," said Daphne. "She should be waking up any minute now. What about Sorin?"

"He's fine," said Gareth. "Don't worry, with me looking after him, nothing can happen to him." Also, Sorin? "They don't know. And I won't tell them unless you want me to."

"When did you find out?" asked Sorin.

"I guessed it in Jigolath Ridge and have been keeping an eye on you ever since," said Gareth. "But I didn't confirm it until we visited the Hero Association.

"For the record, you're the only one I can share my mission with. I thought it best to observe you covertly to determine the depth of your corruption first, but time was no longer a luxury I could afford, and I had to make a decision."

"A decision?" asked Sorin.

"A decision," repeated Gareth. My mission is divided into two parts. The first is to help you keep your corruption under control and monitor your condition. As for the second… I'm sure you've guessed it." His gaze hardened. If you can no longer control yourself as your Watchman, it falls to me to put you out of your misery."