Chapter 200: Curse of the Throne

Corvus led them deeper into the old palace.

The halls were dark and heavy, the stone walls covered in faded paintings that once showed the glory of the old empire. Now the paint was cracked and peeling, and the faces of the ancient kings were completely worn away by time. Nathan walked with Moonlight ready in his hand, his [Hunter’s Insight] scanning the dark corners for any trouble. The Emissary was dead, but the Throne’s heavy, cold pressure still pressed against the back of his mind.

"The curse was not always here," Corvus said quietly as they walked through the dust. "Before the Shepherd came, the Throne was a source of actual power. The old kings used it to connect with the World itself—to feel its pain, its joy, its life. The Throne was a bridge between the ruler and his people. The king did not sit on the Throne just to give orders. He sat there to listen."

"What happened to change that?" Elise asked, her footsteps echoing softly.

"The Shepherd broke the bridge," Corvus said, stopping in front of a massive wooden door. The same broken crown symbol was carved into the wood. "When he shattered the World, he shattered the Throne too. But he didn’t just break the stone. He cut the connection. The Throne doesn’t listen anymore. It only takes. The kings who tried to sit on it after the fall—they weren’t connecting with the World. They were touching the Shepherd’s rot directly."

Nathan studied the heavy door. It was locked up with thick, old chains covered in orange rust. "And that’s what made them lose their minds."

"Madness. Death. Things worse than death." Corvus reached out and touched one of the cold iron links. "The Shepherd left a piece of himself right inside the Throne. A splinter of his actual will. Anyone who touches it without protection gets eaten alive from the inside out."

Nathan looked back at his team. The Throne was the final Clear Condition for this World. But to fix it, they had to deal with the splinter—a literal piece of the Shepherd’s mind.

"We need to get inside," Nathan said, keeping his voice steady. "Can you open that door?"

Corvus pulled a heavy, black iron key from his pocket. "The Crownless have guarded these keys for generations. We never open this door. But if you’re serious about breaking the curse, this is where we have to start."

He jammed the key into the lock and twisted. The heavy chains groaned loudly as they fell away, and the big door swung open with a slow, grinding shriek. A freezing wind blew out from the dark, carrying the sharp smell of dust and something very, very old.

"The vault," Corvus said, stepping back. "This is where the old kings were buried. The Throne room is right above us, but the magical bond was always strongest down here. The Shepherd’s splinter will be waiting for us."

Nathan looked at his team. They were tired, but their eyes were sharp. Mirko rested her hand on the hilt of Dragon’s Fang. Shiro’s golden eyes were calm and steady. Kuro was barely visible in the dim light. Garrett and Dillon stood with their weapons ready to go. Elise’s staff glowed with a soft blue light, and Smithy’s Void Eel hissed quietly at his feet.

"Let’s finish this," Nathan said.

They walked down into the dark.

The vault was huge, cold, and dead silent.

Stone tombs lined the long walls, carved to look like the kings and queens of the old empire. Their stone faces were worn down by the years, their hands folded neatly over their chests. The air was freezing. The only light came from the team’s own magic, throwing long, spooky shadows across the floor.

Right in the middle of the room stood a thick pillar of black stone. It stretched all the way from the floor to the high ceiling, and its surface was covered in deep cracks that pulsed with a sick, glowing green light. The Shepherd’s corruption.

"The pillar of the old kings," Corvus whispered, staying near the steps. "The Throne above is tied directly to this. The magic flows right through it. If the splinter is anywhere, it has to be here."

Nathan took a slow step toward the pillar. As he got closer, the green light started flashing faster, like it could smell them coming. He raised Moonlight, turning on [Hunter’s Insight] to check it out. The rot ran deep—it was baked right into the stone. Arrows and swords weren’t going to cut it.

"We need to draw it out," Elise said, stepping up beside him and looking closely at the cracks. "The splinter is just sleeping. Waiting. But if we can make it angry—force it to show itself—then we can destroy it."

"How do we make it angry?" Garrett asked, tightening his grip on Volcan.

Nathan looked at the black pillar, and then back at his summons. The Bunny Girl System. The Demi-Beasts. They were the Shepherd’s oldest enemies.

"We give it something it hates," Nathan said. "Mirko. Kuro. Shiro. Touch the pillar. Let it feel what you are."

The three summons looked at each other for a second. Then they walked right up to the stone. Mirko slammed her palm against it. Kuro touched the dark surface with her fingertips. Shiro pressed both hands flat against the cold rock.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then, the pillar screamed.

It wasn’t a sound you heard with your ears. It vibrated right in their teeth. The green light exploded outward, filling the vault with a blinding flash. The stone tombs rattled hard. The shadows in the corners twisted into ugly shapes, and a tall, thin figure began to pull itself out of the black stone.

It was made of sick green light and writhing black smoke. It had a rough human shape, but everything was wrong. Its arms were way too long. Its head was completely smooth. And its face had no eyes—just two empty holes burning with the Shepherd’s hateful energy.

"You dare," the figure hissed. Its voice sounded like the Shepherd they had heard in the vision. "You dare bring the Demi-Beasts here? To my throne?"

"They aren’t yours," Nathan said, pulling an arrow back to his cheek. "And this World isn’t either."

The figure shrieked, and the fight was on.

The Shepherd’s splinter fought like a cornered animal.

It threw long whips of green light across the room. The team scattered instantly. Mirko cast [Impenetrable Fortress], and the green whips slammed harmlessly against her energy shield. She slashed back with Dragon’s Fang, the fiery edge burning through the corruption. "Hmph! You aren’t the Shepherd! You’re just a piece of trash! A little broken piece of a coward!"

Shiro triggered [Dragonification], her body bursting with golden fire. Big, glowing wings snapped open behind her, and she launched herself through the air, driving a heavy [Tyrant Dragon Fist] straight into the creature’s chest. The figure stumbled back, its glowing body flickering like a dying lightbulb.

Kuro slipped out of the dark right behind it, her daggers flashing. The heavy poison from the Imoogi Scale sank into the creature, slowing its wild movements down to a crawl. ’Its core opens up when it attacks. Hit it then,’ she called out.

Nathan marked the monster with [Death’s Homing Compass]. A bright silver target appeared right on its chest. "Everyone, hit that mark!"

The team moved as one. Garrett swung Volcan, sending a wave of burning heat through the room. Dillon zapped the floor with [Thunder Edge], sending lightning racing across the stones. Elise fired a sharp [Glacial Lance] that punched right through the creature’s shoulder, while the Frost Golem slammed its heavy ice hands onto the floor, freezing the monster’s feet to the ground.

Nathan pulled his string back and held it. He started charging [Focus Shot]. Sixty seconds. The room around him faded away. All his mana rushed into the arrow until it shone like a little sun.

The figure thrashed against the ice, screaming out. "The Shepherd will eat you! He will eat everything!"

"Not today," Nathan said.

He let go.

FWOOSH.

The silver arrow flew straight down the target line and slammed dead center into the silver mark.

The creature let out one last, ear-splitting shriek. Its glowing body cracked like cheap glass and shattered into a million little green sparks that drifted down to the floor and vanished. The black pillar went totally dark. The pulsing green light was gone.

The vault fell fast asleep, dead silent.

The team stood around in the quiet, breathing hard. The pillar was still there, but the rot had been scrubbed clean. The ugly cracks had stopped glowing.

Corvus slowly walked up to the stone. He reached out with a trembling hand and touched the smooth black surface. Tears welled up in his old eyes. "The bond... I can feel it again. It’s back. The Throne is listening."

Nathan lowered Moonlight and let out a long, tired breath. "Is the curse actually broken?"

Corvus turned around, a wide, shaky smile breaking through his scarred face. "I don’t know for sure. But the splinter is gone. The stone is clean. The Throne up top might actually be safe to use now."

Nathan looked toward the stairs leading back up to the palace. "Then let’s go find out."