The dungeon's eerie glow faded, leaving behind a still, heavy silence. The dungeon had finally been cleared.
The corestone gleamed where it had fallen, pulsing with a dark, almost sinister energy.
Without hesitation, Selene reached down and picked it up with her bare hands.
The moment she did, a chill spread through her fingers, a whisper of something unnatural and ancient curling through her veins.
Madam Verta was the first to react.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
She snapped, rushing toward Selene.
Selene turned to her calmly.
"Picking up a corestone."
Madam Verta's eyes darkened.
"That's not just any corestone. It's filled with negative energy. If you hold it for too long, you'll start turning into a monster."
Selene didn't flinch. Instead, she pulled out a small vial of water, poured it over the corestone to cleanse it, and—
Swallowed it whole.
The moment the corestone entered her system, a violent pulse of energy spread through her body.