Chapter 34: Corrupted

Hundreds of thousands of golden figures filled the city.

Some stood behind merchant stalls or pushed carts through the streets, while armoured guards remained beside intersections and building entrances.

Most, however, were kneeling with their heads lowered toward an enormous tower rising from the centre of the city.

None of them moved as Karl’s group entered.

Leon looked from a golden merchant to the endless rows of kneeling figures before making a strange face.

"This really is El Dorado down to the core."

He pointed toward one of the nearby figures.

"Even the humans are fucking golden."

"They don’t seem human anymore," Mira muttered.

The others had noticed it as well.

Every figure possessed a different face, clothing and occupation, yet the same golden material covered all of them from head to toe.

Even their eyes looked like polished metal whenever one happened to face Karl’s group.

They continued deeper into the city and the golden figures seemed to completely ignored them.

A merchant remained frozen behind his stall while several guards stood beside a crossing without even turning their heads.

Farther ahead, thousands continued kneeling toward the central tower while their lips moved in silent prayer.

Then a notification appeared before everyone.

[Corruption Level increased.]

[Current Corruption: 1%.]

Karl stopped.

"What now?"

A new section had appeared beneath his status panel.

[Corruption Level: 1%]

Leon opened his own panel before looking around.

"What does that even—"

He suddenly froze.

"Karl."

Karl looked toward him.

"What?"

Leon pointed at his head.

"What the fuck is happening to your hair?"

Karl immediately moved toward the polished golden wall beside them and looked at his reflection.

The tips of his hair had turned gold even though only a small portion had changed, but there was no mistaking it.

Karl quickly looked toward the others and found the same golden colour spreading through the ends of Leon’s and Mira’s hair.

Even Atherion and the remaining Fitzalan members were affected.

For several moments nobody spoke the Leon grabbed a strand of his own hair and stared at it.

"Don’t tell me we’re going to become those things."

His eyes moved toward the endless golden figures surrounding them.

"Because I’m telling you right now, gold does not suit me."

The golden figures still ignored them, but the newly added Corruption Level made the entire city look considerably less harmless.

Then a familiar voice finally returned inside Karl’s mind.

[Tch. Host really has gotten himself into a difficult situation.]

Karl almost jumped.

You bastard!

The system went quiet.

Don’t you fucking disappear again. You’ve already given me enough mini heart attacks today.

[Host should blame the circumstances rather than this System.]

Karl clenched his teeth.

Then explain the circumstances, what does this corruption mean?

The system remained silent for a moment.

[Does Host know where he currently stands?]

Karl nearly cursed aloud.

That’s what I’ve been asking you for the last thirty minutes.

A faint laugh entered his mind.

[Well, well, Host.]

[You are currently inside a Divine Furnace.]

Karl’s irritation vanished.

What?

His eyes moved across the golden city again while the system continued.

[The Forgotten Cave itself is the furnace.]

[The Sea of Eisodos surrounding the inner structure provides the required heat, while the central trial region forms the primary refinement chamber.]

[This golden city is the final remaining stronghold of the divine being who created this legacy, as well as the place where its remaining Divine Faith Essence has accumulated.]

Karl glanced toward the kneeling figures again.

Thousands upon thousands remained facing the same tower, so that’s what they’re doing.

[Correct.]

Another notification appeared before his eyes.

[Corruption Level: 1.14%]

Karl’s expression tightened.

And if that reaches one hundred?

[Host will not enjoy finding out.]

[The Host should better stop the furnace before that happens.]

Karl looked toward the enormous tower in the centre of the city.

How?

The system answered immediately.

[Someone has already reached the core.]

Karl stopped walking.

Someone?

Leon noticed and turned toward him.

"You good?"

Karl raised one hand without answering while the system continued inside his mind.

[The highest structure within this city contains the final Divine Essence left behind by this existence.]

[The Divine Flame.]

Karl’s gaze settled upon the tower.

The kneeling golden figures suddenly made far more sense.

Every street around them seemed to lead toward that structure, while the silent prayers of hundreds of thousands of figures were all directed at the same place.

[The Divine Flame is sustaining this furnace.]

[Reach it and destroy it.]

[Once the flame is extinguished, the Divine Furnace will lose its source of power and the Forgotten Cave will begin collapsing.]

Karl frowned.

That’s it?

[That is it.]

Doesn’t sound that hard.

There was another short silence.

Then the system laughed.

[Good luck, Host.]

Karl’s face changed immediately.

Wait.

[This System must conceal itself again before its presence is detected.]

[Try not to be refined.]

You fucking—

But the system had already vanished, Karl called it again but now answer appeared

He sighed and rubbed his forehead before looking toward the massive golden tower in the distance.

Mira had been watching him.

"You found something out?"

Karl nodded.

"We need to reach that tower."

Atherion immediately looked toward him.

"And you know this how?"

Karl glanced at him.

"Does it matter?"

Atherion’s eyes narrowed, but Karl pointed toward the tower before he could continue.

"This entire place is some kind of furnace. That tower contains the power source keeping it active and this corruption is part of the refinement process."

Leon looked at the golden tips of his hair.

"So we destroy the power source before I become a golden statue."

"Pretty much."

"Good enough for me."

Atherion remained silent for several seconds before looking toward the tower himself.

The information fit what they were already seeing too well to dismiss, and none of them had another direction to follow anyway.

"Fine."

Karl started moving again and his eyes remained fixed upon the distant tower while the others followed.

The system had finally explained what this place was and what they needed to destroy.

But one part bothered him far more than everything else.

Someone has already reached the core.

Karl’s gaze sharpened slightly.

Who the hell got there before us?