Thalion stormed down the corridor where Kael, Sylas, and Kai had previously fought, their trail marked by signs of a fierce struggle. Their forces were still holding out at the end of the passage, now reinforced by Thalion’s own fighters, with Kargul leading the charge. Without their elite leaders, Kael’s group had been pushed back by the relentless wave of empowered undead beasts. They’d managed to hold their ground in a defensible chamber, where only a single corridor provided access. A natural choke point that made holding the line feasible, but barely.

Despite their earlier loyalty to Kael, his fighters now looked more relieved than defiant. Many were just glad for reinforcements. A few elves glanced nervously as Thalion and his entourage sprinted past, heading straight down the central tunnel, the one where the battle was thickest. Kael had ventured deep, though not nearly as deep as the grand aquarium Thalion had explored before. It couldn't be far now. The final pillar must be close.

They reached the chamber, chaos erupting around them as weapons clashed and spells lit up the air. Confused faces turned toward Thalion as he entered, but he didn’t waste time.

"Listen up!" Thalion’s voice echoed with authority, amplified by mana. "Kael, Sylas, and Kai have used their escape tokens. They’re gone. I’m taking over now. You’re free to leave and let us handle the last pillar or stay and fight alongside us."

The response was mixed. Some argued, some nodded in agreement, and others turned and left without a word. With the situation clarified, Thalion dashed to the frontlines where the real threat awaited, a massive undead T. rex barreling down the corridor. Its gaping maw spewed red mist, and crimson veins pulsed beneath its rotting flesh, glowing with the power granted by the witch’s ritual.

Once, facing such a creature would have been a serious challenge. But now, it barely registered as a threat. The beast was already wounded, arrows protruding from its hide. These undead were puppets, mindless, controlled by vampires or witches. Their mental defenses were feeble.

Thalion met the T. rex’s glowing eyes and activated Crimson Gaze, pouring raw power into the skill. At the same moment, he unleashed Crimson Garden, channeling everything he had into the summoning. The beast’s limbs locked for a second, then it collapsed like a felled tree. The garden responded immediately, thorned vines bursting through the chamber, entangling and impaling the creature as crimson flames began to devour its flesh.

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Blood seeped from the wounds, and the Crimson Virethorn drank greedily. Dozens of other fallen undead added to the feast, and with each drop of blood, the garden grew stronger, lethal and almost sentient. No ordinary undead could survive more than seconds within its reach. The poisonous mist that plagued other fighters was either absorbed by the garden or burned away by crimson flames.

Maintaining such a devastating field should have been impossible. The mana cost alone was astronomical. But Thalion’s passive abilities, his amulet, and his connection to the Outsider made it sustainable. His regeneration outpaced the cost. It was a terrifying demonstration of what he had become.

The witch’s blood ritual no longer had access to the underground veins, it couldn’t, not here. The stone floor was impervious to their grade, meaning the ritual’s power lines now ran exposed on the surface. The Crimson Virethorn tapped into them without hesitation. The moment it touched the glowing veins, the entire garden surged with explosive power. Even Thalion felt the rush. The garden surged forward, slow but unstoppable, like a crimson tidal wave devouring everything in its path.

"Holy shit… what was the point of all that fighting?" one of Kael’s warriors muttered in disbelief, watching the undead melt away like paper in fire. Thalion barely needed to intervene. Only the largest or most resilient beasts received his gaze, just to keep the Virethorn from wasting too much energy.

The balance of power had shifted entirely. Without the witch’s buff, the undead were helpless. And with no will of their own, they just charged forward—blind, suicidal, and utterly doomed. Thalion advanced calmly, absorbing the pollen emitted by the garden’s blossoms so none of his allies would be harmed. As he moved, he retracted the garden behind him, allowing the fighters to follow unimpeded.