God Simulator: The Goddesses In The Simulation Are All Real

Chapter 232 Core Of Corruption In Atlantis Continent

The further they descended, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.

Aurielle glanced at the faint outline of a once-grand underwater city in the distance. Its spires were coated in blackened flux, and its vibrant domes, which once shimmered with prismatic light, were dull and fractured.

"It's like a ghost town," Aurielle murmured, her tone unusually subdued. "The infection doesn't just destroy. It takes everything beautiful and twists it."

Lucy's voice was steady, though her golden light dimmed slightly under the weight of the corruption. "The Outer Gods thrive on despair. This is their signature—a world drained of life and hope."

As they approached the city, the protective bubble shuddered under a sudden surge of energy. Linsley's white flux flared, reinforcing the barrier. "We're close," he said, his voice firm. "The source is here."

The team entered the center of the city, where the infection was at its most concentrated.

At the heart of the ruined metropolis stood an enormous structure—a spiraling temple made of obsidian-like stone, pulsating with dark crimson light.

The water around it churned with corrupted energy, creating violent whirlpools that threatened to drag anything nearby into its depths.

Ted's eyes narrowed as his brown flux rippled with anticipation. "That's it. Whatever's powering this infection is inside."

Aurielle squinted at the structure, her grin returning. "Creepy, ominous, and probably full of nasty surprises. My kind of place."

As they drew closer, corrupted aquatic beasts swarmed from the temple's entrance.

Massive creatures, their forms twisted into grotesque shapes, charged toward the team.

A serpent-like beast with multiple heads writhed through the water, its jaws snapping with crimson-tipped fangs. Schools of infected fish glowed like living bombs, rushing toward them to explode on impact.

"Here we go!" Aurielle called out, her violet flux sparking as she conjured glowing constructs shaped like manta rays. "Gift Creation: Aqua Surge!

The constructs darted forward, intercepting the fish and detonating them harmlessly away from the group.

Lucy raised her spear, unleashing waves of golden light that burned through the corruption clinging to the serpent's scales. "Focus your attacks! These things are getting stronger the closer we get."

Linsley's Real Fantasy gift shimmered brightly, bending the battlefield to his will. The currents shifted, redirecting the remaining enemies' chaotic assaults back upon themselves, clearing the path to the pulsating crimson orb that hung ominously above the altar.

Linsley commanded, his white flux surging like a beacon. "We end this now."

The trio turned their combined focus toward the orb, its pulsations growing faster and more erratic.

Crimson light flared wildly, casting grotesque shadows across the walls of the temple. The oppressive energy it radiated felt alive, almost defiant, as if aware of their intent.

Aurielle stepped forward, her violet flux swirling into an enormous sphere that sparkled with dazzling energy. "Alright, big guy. Time to pop this zit," she quipped, hurling the construct with all her might.

The energy collided with the orb, unleashing a deafening explosion. Cracks raced across its surface, and tendrils of flux began retracting violently.

The orb appeared to implode, pulling its energy inward as it began to shrink.

"Is it over?" Ted asked, his brown flux coiling protectively around him.

Before anyone could answer, the orb vanished in an instant, leaving the chamber in eerie silence. The oppressive aura lingered, stronger than ever.

"What—" Lucy began, her golden eyes widening.

A grotesque gurgling sound cut through the air.

The team turned to see one of the fallen lackeys, its body contorting unnaturally. Its cloak had been cast aside, revealing a twisted figure whose body pulsed with dark crimson flux.

The orb had reappeared—shrunken and glowing—entering the lackey's open mouth as it consumed the artifact whole.

"No!" Linsley shouted, his white flux flaring as he attempted to contain the surge of energy, but it was too late.

The lackey's form exploded outward in a grotesque transformation, its aura swelling to unimaginable levels.

The newly ascended lackey roared, its corrupted energy radiating throughout the chamber. While its aura was formidable, it lacked the refined control of a true Level 9.9 Overlord.