Chapter 43: The Abyssal Vault

The stone door creaked open, revealing a narrow corridor that descended steeply into the earth. Faint, pulsating light emanated from glowing veins in the walls, casting eerie shadows that seemed to writhe with a life of their own. A chilling wind swept past Victor, carrying with it whispers too faint to understand.

Victor hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to turn back. But the system's notification reminded him of the task ahead.

*"Objective: Recover the second fragment of the Abyssal Key from within the vault. Warning: High corruption levels detected. Proceed with caution."*

Victor tightened his grip on his blade, his eyes scanning the corridor for traps or signs of movement. "Caution? Yeah, that's the plan, System. Because I just *love* creeping through ancient, cursed tombs."

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### **The Descent**