I Can Extract Game Items

As the battle continued, August took more hits but kept his palms on the fruit. Even though his HP had reduced significantly, he couldn't stop now. He had to grit his teeth and bear the pain.

The others were in a heated battle against the Swordking that they couldn't win... If they failed here, everything would go to waste.

The progress bar on August's screen ticked upward again, reaching 80%.

One of the guardians roared and leaped toward him with claws extended.

Aria shouted, "Not on my watch!" and unleashed an explosion directly at its head. The precise attack shattered its skull, dropping it instantly.

---

[ System Notification: Dark Guardian A has been defeated. ]

---

The remaining guardian howled in rage before charging at August, but Aria intercepted it with a well-timed Frost Bolt, freezing it momentarily.

---

System Notification:

[ Frost Bolt Activated ]

- [ Dark Guardian B is frozen for 5 seconds. ]

---

"Five seconds!" Aria yelled. "You better finish that progress bar, Aleman!"

"It's almost done!" August shouted while watching the bar tick upwards one last time.

---

[ System Notification: Removal Complete ]

---

The Fruit of Sin stopped pulsating as the beacon's glow faded. A wave of light swept through the room, dispelling the remaining darkness.

The final guardian let out a pained shriek before collapsing into a pile of ash.

---

[ System Notification:Dark Guardian B has been defeated. ]

---

August stumbled back with the fruit in his grasp. Aria ran to him drenched in sweat.

"Did we do it?" she asked breathlessly.

August held up the now-dormant Fruit of Sin. "Yeah. We did."

After removing the Fruit of Sin, August and Aria collectively let out a breath of relief, expecting the darkness to dissipate entirely. However, the oppressive atmosphere lingered. The swirling corruption clung to the walls and floor, refusing to retreat fully.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Suddenly, the room shimmered as the air around them warped.

---

System Notification:

[ A Memory Projection Has Been Activated. ]

[ Witness the Truth of the Swordking's Downfall. ]

---

"What's happening now?" Torin muttered, stepping back as the surroundings morphed.

The throne room transformed into a vivid scene of a grand kingdom in its prime. Soldiers in gleaming armor patrolled the halls, banners bearing the Swordking's crest fluttered proudly, and the laughter of children echoed faintly.

At the center of the throne room, the Swordking knelt before a small bier, cradling the lifeless body of his daughter—the same girl they had followed through the earlier floors as a spirit.

"Her... again," Aria whispered with a sympathetic tone.

The Swordking's face was filled with desperation and sorrow. "There has to be a way," his voice echoed around them. "This fruit... they say it can bring the dead back to life."

From the projection, he held the Fruit of Sin in his trembling hands. The group could see its ominous glow, radiating an aura of immense power and danger. But when he tried to press it to the lips of his daughter, it was as if an invisible barrier stopped him.

---

System Notification:

[ The Fruit of Sin cannot be consumed by the dead. ]

---

The Swordking recoiled as his face twisted in despair. "No... I refuse to accept this!" He stood abruptly, summoning a group of advisors. "Find a way to harness its power! If she cannot eat it, then we shall make it obey us!"

The projection shifted, showing scenes of hurried construction within the kingdom. A massive beacon, powered by intricate magical runes, was erected in the throne room. The beacon pulsated as it drew energy from the Fruit of Sin, attempting to bend its power to the Swordking's will.

"It's the beacon," August murmured, recognizing the device he had just destroyed.

The next scene turned grim. The kingdom was besieged. Enemies flooded the gates, their eyes glinting with greed and desperation for the Fruit.

The Swordking didn't join the battle because of the ongoing ritual to harness the power of the fruit without consuming it. His commanders were all fighting in different areas of the Kingdom.

Then came the fateful moment.

Amidst the chaos, the beacon flared uncontrollably. The runes glowed with an intensity that cracked the surrounding floor, and a surge of dark energy erupted, spreading across the entire kingdom in a cataclysmic wave.

Soldiers, civilians, even the enemies—all were engulfed in the darkness.

When the haze cleared, the kingdom lay in ruin. The once-proud halls were littered with decayed corpses, their bodies grotesquely animated by the very corruption they sought to avoid.

The projection ended with the darkness reanimating the dead corpses... bringing them to life to be a shell of their former selves. However, his daughter's body remained lifeless.

The projection faded, leaving the group in stunned silence.

The darkness still lingered like the fruit's power was still being harnessed.

"That's why the blind mage begged us to save him," August muttered softly, recalling the spirit's plea on the earlier floor. "He's trapped in this nightmare. All of them are."

---

System Notification:

[ The Fruit of Sin must be sealed to purge the remaining corruption. ]

---

Aria glanced at August. "Seal it? How?"

August's eyes lit up as he realized. "The inventory. If the fruit is kept away, sealed from here, its influence might fade."

Without hesitation, August accessed his inventory, ensuring the Fruit of Sin was safely stored.

As soon as he did, the swirling corruption around them began to retract, dissipating into nothingness.

As the corruption dissipated from the throne room, the Ancient Swordking's towering figure became a shadow of its former self. His armor dulled, and his once-imposing sword now dragged limply behind him.

The immense power that had dominated the space moments ago was reduced to flickers of fading strength.

The eight who had chosen to pursue his legacy—Gareth, Drask, Torin, Viora, Lilo, Boris, Ezran, and the mysterious solo player—stood ready to face him.

---

System Notification:

[ The Ancient Swordking Has Been Severely Weakened. ]

- Level: Reduced to 40.

- HP: 100,000 → 25,000.

- Defense: Significantly Reduced.

Objective: Defeat the Ancient Swordking to obtain his legacy.

---

The Swordking raised his head slowly with his hollow gaze fixed on the eight before him. "You seek my legacy, yet you bring no honor to this room," he rasped. "You are vultures circling the bones of a kingdom long dead."

Without another word, he swung his massive sword in an arc, sending a shockwave rippling through the room.

---

System Notification:

[ Swordking Has Activated: Wailing Arc ]

- [ Gareth has taken 1,500 damage. ] HP: 9,500/11,000

- [ Drask has taken 1,800 damage. ] HP: 10,500/12,300

- [ Ezran has taken 2,000 damage. ] HP: 6,500/8,500

- [ Torin has taken 1,200 damage. ] HP: 7,800/9,000

---

"Spread out! His damage isn't as high as before!" Gareth shouted while charging forward to draw the Swordking's attention.

His greatsword clashed with the Swordking's massive blade and the impact sent sparks flying. "Drask, on me! Lilo, keep those arrows coming!"

Drask roared in agreement, rushing in with his twin axes. His strikes found purchase in the Swordking's weakened armor, chipping away at his HP.

---

System Notification:

[ Drask Has Activated: Berserker's Fury ]

- [ Swordking has taken 1,800 damage. ] HP: 23,200/25,000

---

Lilo stayed at the rear, firing glowing arrows nonstop. "Stay still, you overgrown tin can!" she muttered with a bubbly tone that contrasted with the chaos of the battle.

---

System Notification:

[ Lilo Has Activated: Piercing Shot ]

- [ Swordking has taken 1,500 damage. ] HP: 21,700/25,000

---

Ezran and Viora worked together to keep the group alive. Ezran cast Lightning Chain, while Viora activated Healing Light to restore HP to the frontliners.

---

System Notification:

[ Ezran Has Activated: Lightning Chain ]

- [ Swordking has taken 2,000 damage. ] HP: 19,700/25,000

[ Viora Has Activated: Healing Light ]

- [ Gareth HP Restored: +1,500. ] HP: 11,000/11,000

- [ Drask HP Restored: +1,200. ] HP: 11,700/12,300

---

The solo player moved like a phantom, leaving a blur behind as his crimson sword glowed ominously. His strikes were devastating, carving through the Swordking's weakened defenses with ease.

---

System Notification:

[ ??? Has Activated: Crimson Slash ]

- [ Swordking has taken 6,000 damage. ] HP: 15,700/25,000

---

Despite their efforts, the Swordking retaliated with a sweeping strike, forcing everyone to scatter.

---

System Notification:

[ Swordking Has Activated: Vengeful Sweep ]

- [ Gareth has taken 2,000 damage. ] HP: 9,000/11,000

- [ Drask has taken 1,800 damage. ] HP: 9,900/12,300

---

In the midst of the chaos, Torin found an opening. "Cover me!" he shouted before firing a volley of arrows at the Swordking's exposed back.

---

System Notification:

[ Torin Has Activated: Multi-Shot ]

- [ Swordking has taken 2,500 damage. ] HP: 13,200/25,000

---

As the battle raged on, the Swordking's HP steadily decreased. However, his attacks grew more desperate, and his movements became erratic.

"He's faltering!" Gareth yelled. "Press the attack!"

The group synchronized their efforts, each unleashing their most powerful abilities. The solo player's Crimson Doomblade delivered the final blow, a powerful vertical slash that cleaved through the Swordking's armor.

---

System Notification:

[ ??? Has Activated: Crimson Execution ]

- [ Swordking has taken 7,000 damage. ] HP: 0/25,000

---

The Swordking let out a final, mournful roar as he crumbled to his knees. His sword clattered to the ground, and his form dissolved into ash.

---

System Notification:

[ The Ancient Swordking Has Been Defeated. ]

- Rewarded EXP Distributed Based on Contribution...