Chapter 127: The Guardian Turned

I stood there, heart pounding in my chest, the reality of what we faced crashing over me like a tidal wave.

A guardian—twisted, corrupted into something beyond monstrous by the Apocalypse Key. The ground seemed to tremble beneath us as the creature’s presence grew stronger, closer. I knew we didn’t have much time.

“Is there any way to stop it?” I asked, my voice strained with urgency.

The guardian beside me, now in its true form, shook its head slowly. “Not by force,” it said, its voice filled with a mix of sorrow and resolve. “It’s bound by the dark magic of the key.

If we attack it, we could trigger a catastrophic backlash. The only way to defeat it is to purify it—to break the key’s hold over it and restore its original purpose.”

“But how?” I pressed. “How do we purify something that powerful?”

The guardian’s eyes met mine, filled with a profound sadness. “You must use the artifact,” it said quietly. “But the purification process is… dangerous.

It will require you to connect wit