The currents of the ruins shifted subtly as the Regalons moved upward through the fractured layers, passing once more through the jagged corridors of broken platforms and collapsing stone ridges.
The oppressive density of Tier-100 presence gradually thinned, though the tension never fully left. Even while withdrawing, their formation remained tight, disciplined, and ready to respond.
Almond walked near the center this time, his expression slightly drawn as he continued attempting to sever the curse. Thin, almost invisible threads of dark energy still clung to him, occasionally flickering as if resisting removal. Every few moments, a faint ripple passed across his Grimblades as he tried to dissect the curse's structure.
"It's not just binding," he muttered. "It's layered. Something in it keeps re-attaching the effect. Either it will go on its own, or we need a tier of purifying power beyond this curse's tier that can directly counter it."
