ã€ŠLevel-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation Systemã€‹


 Chapter 1: Plunged Into Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 1: Plunged Into Chaos</h4>

    In the midst of a dozen otherbatants, only one ran at the colossal, man-dragon without hesitation. The young man leapt in with his weapons of choice: twin daggers of a cold, jet-ck material.

    "Finish it off, Echo!"

    "It''s all yours!"

    The ck-hooded dagger wielder swept by with a flick of one of his obsidian des, leaving an ethereal, killing trace: ["de of Hades"]

    The execution finished off the nearly dead boss, leaving it to dust. It was a performance that left the others stunned, as though they were merely spectators of the bout between the yer and the boss.

    "Phew," the young man of shaggy, silver hair exhaled as hended, wiping his fists off. "Status."

    ["Echo"]

    [ss: Shadow Thief]

    [Level: 150] [EXP: MAX]

    <Mag. Atk: 35,000>

    The allies he was surrounded by in the raid celebrated the victory, though the one whonded the finishing blow could only let out a small sigh as he adjusted the sleeves of his ck uniform.

    <i>''This is getting boring. The game has gotten too easy. I almost miss the old times...being level one, fighting my way up without any knowledge¨Cjust doing my best,'' </i>he reminisced.

    "Good shit, Echo!" A rowdy man in heavy, cerulean armorplimented him with augh and a p on the back.

    "It was nothing, Barricade," Echo responded, opening his personal menu as he scrolled through his inventory to check the spoils of his victory. "I''m going to log off for the night."

    "Aw, so early?" Barricade asked with a disappointed sigh.

    "Sorry, man. I''ve got work in the morning," Echo said, swiping through his personal interface as he located the button he sought.

    [LOG OUT]

    As he tapped the prompt, everything went ck; the natural process as the one-to-one virtual reality technology carefully transitioned his consciousness from the digital realm back to reality.

    <i>''Maybe it''s time I quit. It''s just not fun anymore. After all, I have to make money. That''s what a respectable adult does, right? Nine-to-five, six days a week...I''m twenty right now, so about thirty more years of this? Man,'' </i>he thought with little joy left in his mind.

    The process came to an end as he found his eyelids opening, blinking a few times with the familiar sensation of a bed under him. Above his head was the same roof he always woke up after a virtual dive; beige with a rickety fan above, monotonously spinning.

    "Ah, how long was that dive?" He asked himself in a mumble, sliding out of bed as his body felt as though it''d been motionless for more than a few hours.

    On the nightstand beside his bed, he grabbed his phone, tapping the screen to get the time:

    [GOOD EVENING, FINN | 10:05 P.M.]

    Something else stood out to him¨Cthe current day. It was supposed to be Sunday night, yet what it said near the time was something else entirely: Thursday.

    "What?" Finn said in disbelief, unlocking his phone as he went to open the search engine.

    As the inte app opened, only a nk page was met with a single line: "NO INTERNET CONNECTION."

    Checking a social media app instead, the same line was presented to him; attempting to send a message to any of his contacts brought him a simr prompt¨Cno signal.

    <i>''What the hell''s going on? Some kind of inte outage?'' </i>He questioned, fixing his messy, dark hair.

    As he stood up from his bed, he passed by the window, rubbing his eyes as he tiredly failed to focus on the screamsing from the street, along with the sounds of ring car rms.

    <i>''Sure is loud tonight...Weird,'' </i>he thought.

    He went to the kitchen, which was only a few steps away in hispact apartment, finding his throat awfully dry as he grabbed a ss, bringing it under the sink to fill it with cold water. As it filled, he looked towards the window, noticing peculiar shesing from outside, along with vtile noises that he could hardly describe.

    <i>''What''s going on? Fireworks?'' </i>The thought urred to his groggy mind, still adjusting from his time in the game.

    He brought the cup of water to his lips, gulping it down as it felt as though he drank a potion of vitality straight out of a fantasy RPG. As he downed the thirst-quenching substance, he curiously walked over to his bedside window, parting the blinds as he peeked through. He held a high vantage point, able to see multiple blocks.

    "What the fuck...?" He quietly remarked in disbelief.

    The street was inplete chaos; cars were crashed and totaled, some through buildings. Lifeless bodiesid bloodied on the pavement, some still wounded and struggling, attempting to flee what hunted them down.

    He recognized immediately what the creatures were: long-eared, green-skinned fiends that moved in packs, acting withplete brutality.

    <i>''Goblins?'' </i>He realized.

    "Aaaah!"

    "What the fuck is that?!"

    "Get out of here!"

    The screams of those outside echoed as some tried to record the creatures with their phones while others fled.

    It wasn''t just the short-statured fiends, but taller, muscle-bound variants, that moved faster than olympic athletes, with strength beyond human¨Corcs.

    Cops stood by their cars, aiming their pistols at the muscr barbarians, clearly shaken by the inexplicable chaos that consumed the city.

    "Don''t move!"

    "Fuck! Just shoot!"

    As the officers opened fire, the orc presented supernatural physical abilities, dashing over before any bullets could make contact. It was a brutal disy; the green-skinned brute tore one of the cop''s heads off with a single swipe of its hands.

    "Shit!--" The other officer yelled.

    Before the unfortunate defendant of the city could adjust his aim, his skull was crushed by a single thrust of the orc''s fist.

    Finn watched all of it unfold, backing away from the window as he questioned if he was dreaming, though it all seemed too real.

    <i>''Did the VR fry my brain or something? There''s just...no way, right? What I saw...it''s hell out there,'' </i>he thought, feeling ill recalling what he saw just a moment prior.

    <i>BANG </i>

    Before he could gather his thoughts, the front door was hit harshly. It was loud enough to cause him to jump, turning around to face the entrance into his apartment.

    He was left in nothing more than a in, ck tee and baggy, gray sweats¨Cnot optimally ready for whatever was trying to get in.

    <i>''What the fuck is going on¨C? This is too much¨Cwake up already if I''m dreaming! Those monsters...they were from Avalon, no doubt about it¨Cbut how?'' </i>He thought before any impact struck the door.

    This time, the blunt strike broke through, causing pieces of wood to fling inward. He saw what stood behind it; a burly orcyered in scars, wielding a massive club of stone.

    [<i>Status Initiated</i>]

    "What?"

    Before his eyes as his door was being assaulted, a prompt of blue letters met his view with a monotone voice; a familiar interface from that of Avalon Online, only shown to him in real life.

    [<i>...Assessing life experience...</i>]

    [<i>Assessment Complete</i>]

    [<i>Name</i>: <i>Finn Thorne</i>]

    [<i>Age: 20</i>]

    [<i>Designated ss: Assassin</i>]

    [<i>Starting Level: 5</i>]

    [<i>A [Legacy System] has been bestowed to you for your aplishments within Avalon</i>.]

    [<i>Assimtion System Awakened</i>.]

    All at once, the status overwhelmed him with a flurry of information, culminating in the object that materialized in his right hand. Born of particles that coalesced, he found a in, silver dagger in his grip.

    "This is...?" He mumbled to himself, finding it all sinking in.

    Just as he put it together, the door crashed through with one more blow, sending pieces of wood flying out.

    As though it were made merely of paper mache, the orcish brute simply walked through the remnants of the door; a terrifying disy of brawn.

    <i>''Shit...There it is, in the flesh. I''ve killed thousands of orcs...I was never scared of them in Avalon. But now? This is different,'' </i>he thought, holding his simple dagger up as he hesitantly faced the intruder.

    It waspletely new, staring it down in person; the orc''s height made it hardly able to stand up straight in hispact apartment. Each step it took caused the floorboards to rattle as it dragged the dense club across the wooden floor with a screeching sound.

    More than its physical intimidation was the pitch-ck, beady eyes it stared him down with;plete and utter bloodlust was iid into them.

    <i>''Alright...Think, if this is really happening, if this is all really based on Avalon, then at level five...I should have a few skills to work with,'' </i>he thought, squeezing the handle of the dagger he wielded.

    The orc slowly approached him, knowing there was nowhere that the young man could flee to as he was cornered.

    As it stomped closer, the tusk-fanged barbarian hoisted its club over its head before mming it down upon the man.

    There was no time to think, only move as he ced his trust in his own hypothesis¡ª

    ["Silent Roll"]

    He rolled to the left with a shroud of darkness, avoiding the club swiftly. As the orc''s weapon crashed down, the impact shattered the floorboards.

    Finn quickly jumped back to his feet, having rolled onto his bed.

    <i>''That worked¡ªjust like the game,'' </i>he thought, surprised he was still alive.

    The orc was quick to attack again, swinging its weapon with the clear intent to pulverize the young man''s ribs. He instinctively ducked down, flicking his dagger up as he initiated another starter skill¨C

    ["Tendon Slice"] [1:59]

    A cooldown was natural to the skill, briefly appearing in his vision as two minutes.

    The strike naturally gravitated his strike to the tendon of the orc''s wrist in a quick counterattack. It was an action he performed more times than he could count within Avalon, though the sensation was vastly different in the flesh.

    He felt the de cut into the muscle of the barbarian, meeting his ears with a grotesque squelch before scarlet liquid spilled down.

    <i>''--I did it,'' </i>he thought, looking up in surprise.

    As he brought himself back up after the duck-and-counter, the tendon-focusing sh left the orc unable to lift its club anymore. The brute was clearly confused by the failure of its own wrist, stumbling back as it grumbled before turning into a perplexed rage.

    <i>''Whenever I disabled an orc''s weapon-wielding hand in Avalon, the first thing they''d try to do was grab me by my shoulders¨Cwill it do the same?'' </i>He remembered.

    In the face of the brute that towered over him, snarling its tusks as it stomped across the wooden floorboards, he found himself having to convince himself to see it as a simple skirmish like that of Avalon Online.

    He ignored that his life was on the line, going through the motions he had gone through countless times as he flipped his dagger into a reverse grip. Just as the orc got within reach of him, he met it halfway with a quick step.

    ["Assassin''s Strike"] [2:29]

    The foundation skill of all assassins, one used even past beginner levels; he swept his de cleanly across the green-skinned brute''s throat.

    "I did it¡ª" He began to say, looking up as he breathed out.

    The feeling of triumph was washed away as he found himself suddenly grabbed. Even with its throat slit, the bleeding orc forcibly rammed him against the wall.

    "Nngh!¡ª" Finn struggled, finding the brute''s strength gripping hard enough that he felt it against his bones.

    Usually, such a pivotal strike on a weak point was enough to defeat an orc.

    He had the wind knocked out of him by having his back mmed, cracking the wall.

    <i>''That''s right...This isn''t some NPC in a game¡ªthis is a real, flesh-and-blood creature. It operatespletely differently!'' </i>He realized.

    The orc yelled in his face, far too close as its breath that reeked of foul meat invaded his sense of smell. It seemed that the brute was simply acting out of desperate rage, gripping onto his neck as it squeezed¡ª

    "¡ªHhn!"

    He raised his bloodied dagger before plunging it into the skull of the one who choked him. The asphyxiation was brought to a halt.

    [<i>"Verdant Orc defeated."</i>] [<i>"Anarch Token x10 obtained."</i>]

    [<i>Experience Points: +450</i>] [450/1000]

    [Assimted<i> Ability from [Verdant Orc]: "Orcish Boost"</i> | 1/5]

    "...Hah..."

    He caught his breath as he slid his dagger out, watching the now lifeless brute slump over.

    "Shit, I survived..." He mumbled to himself, nudging his foot against the in orc a few times to make sure it was down for the count.

    A moment was taken to get his bearings as he processed what had just happened.

    <i>''This is real...It''s not a nightmare. It''s like Avalon Online has merged with reality¡ªbut, this "Assimtion System"¡ªit''s something new. I obtained some ability from it after killing that thing,'' </i>he considered, looking at his hand.

 Chapter 2: The Game Is Now Reality

    <h4>Chapter 2: The Game Is Now Reality</h4>

    There was an instinctual knowledge ingrained in his body that already knew how to activate the obtained ability, though he saw no reason to use it yet.

    Once again, he tried using his phone, though the connection waspletely out.

    <i>''No inte...I''m not surprised with the chaos that''s going on outside, but damn,'' </i>he thought.

    Instead, he grabbed the remote to his television, tapping it on¡ª<i>BEEEEP. </i>

    A noise red from it, disying a red screen that presented a national emergency. It gave the basic steps of staying inside your home and locking the doors, though that hardly seemed beneficial.

    He quickly turned it off, though it felt as if such a loud noise may have attracted unwanted guests. From the corridor of the apartmentplex, he could hear the rapid footsteps of not just one, but a number of light-footed fiends.

    The gargledughs were unmistakable; a haunting orchestra of unpleasant noises.

    <i>''Goblins,'' </i>he thought, knowing that sound well.

    Slowly, he approached his doorway, or what was left of it after the orc''s intrusion. It was naturally easier for him to move with quiet steps, attributing it to the ss bestowed to him. Without stepping out into the hall, he pressed himself by the doorway so as not to show himself, not knowing exactly where the enemy may be.

    He ced his hand against the ground, letting his fingers press against the door''s threshold as he steadied his breathing.

    ["<i>Lesser Shadow Recon</i>"] [4:59]

    A subtle pulse emitted from the palm of his hand, extending both directions through the narrow corridor. The beginner spell for the assassin was used to quietly scout around corners.

    <i>''Roughly ten meters is the reach...I feel it¨Cthere''s arge group of goblins down the left corridor, ransacking one of the rooms. I think somebody is in there, but they''re long dead,'' </i>he felt through the recon skill.

    He knew he couldn''t just sit around in his apartment, only making him a sitting duck if he chose to do so. Slowly, he walked outside of his home, entering the corridor as he saw the state of it with his own eyes.

    "Ah¨C"

    He quickly covered his mouth and nose, feeling immediate nausea at the sight before him; the mutted corpses of those that lived in the apartments were strewn throughout the hallway.

    Right by his own door was his neighbor, an older man, drenched in blood with stab wounds covering his body.

    It felt as though the world he knew was crashing down, remembering the minuscule, but impactful memories; that kind neighbor that always offered him pastries, left disemboweled; the young woman who told him all about her dream of finishing school and bing awyer, now left facedown in a puddle of blood.

    <i>''This is terrible...What the hell is going on?'' </i>He questioned yet again, having to steady his breathing at the gruesome sight.

    The best he could do was keep moving, carefully stepping over the bodies with silent steps as he kept his mouth and nose covered. With his methodical steps, he felt the warmth of the puddles of blood beneath his shoes; a repugnant sensation.

    Though much confusion stirred within his mind, wanting answers, he knew that what was more important was surviving. He moved through the bloodied hall, carefully checking the next corner for any wandering fiends.

    <i>''Is there nobody else alive? Just how long has this been going on?'' </i>He questioned, peering down the left corridor where another row of apartments stretched.

    To the right was the stairway leading down into the parking lot, bringing him to look over the railings at the city block that was engulfed in utter chaos. As he peered over, he brought his gaze up towards the night sky as the loud roar of wind met his ears.

    An assembly of helicopters flew overhead, passing by the skyscrapers. It was a brief sense of hope he felt, seeing the defense forces of his natione into action before another terrible sound met his ears.

    A bestial roar; one that was familiar to him, only its terrible impact sent a tremor through him when heard in the flesh.

    <i>''That sound...it''s...</i>'' He realized.

    Intercepting the path of the militaristic helicopters was a colossal creature that pped its wings with a tempest; the beast of grand scale, coated in obsidian scales unleashed another roar.

    It soared like a natural disaster itself, with a wingspanrge enough to cast a shadow over the city block.

    <i>''An Abyss Dragon¡ª?'' </i>He recognized.

    The choppers opened fire, though the hail of bullets seemed only to bounce off the disastrous creature''s scales like drops of rain.

    In a matter of moments, the dragon that did not belong in the modern world, swept in, using its massive jaws to catch one chopper in its fangs.

    It made little sense seeing a chopper¡ªa representation of human ingenuity andbat power¡ªbe nothing more than prey to such a creature.

    The massive tail of the beast swept around, crashing through the remaining airborne vehicles.

    "Shit!¡ª" Finn let out, raising his arm to shield himself from the blinding view.

    Explosions ignited from the crashing helicopters, only blending into the chaos in the city. Fortunately for him, the cmitous beast continued on its path, soaring away with a p of its wings directly over the apartmentplex.

    He could only look up in astonishment as it passed, seeing the obsidian cloud pass overhead as his hair was brushed by the wind.

    Whether it was his own shout or themotion happening in the city, he picked up on the footsteps in the corridor behind him.

    <i>''¡ªThe goblins. Dammit!'' </i>He realized.

    The short-statured fiends turned around the corner, drenched in blood. One of the sharp-eared goblins pointed at the human, yelling something to its kin.

    Finn knew what wasing as he found the goblins rushing down the hall, forcing him to run. He practically slid down the staircase, reaching the parking lot as he looked around quickly.

    <i>''There!</i>'' He decided.

    What he found was a small gap between the apartment building, letting him slip into the shadow-filled alleyway.

    ["<i>Lurk"</i>]

    As he stood still within the darkness of the isted gap, the passive ability activated; it made him blend into the darkness as a shadow himself, nearly imperceptible.

    "Gra!"

    "Ka! Ka!"

    He watched silently as the goblins arrived in the parking lot, spewing out their putridnguage as they looked around.

    Though the orc he overcame was undoubtedly more fearsome than a goblin, a pack of the fiendish creatures was a different issue entirely. Even more than that, he was more wary of their nature itself.

    <i>''...I''ve seen what those things do. They''re demons; they enjoy inflicting pain, tormenting others. If they overwhelmed me¡ªI don''t want to think about that,'' </i>he thought.

    The group of the green-skinned deviants seemed to decide to split up, going off in different directions. From the dark gap, he watched as one of the goblins walked towards where he hid.

    <i>Tap. Tap. Tap. </i>

    The aloof goblin walked straight into the shadow-crept alleyway, loosely holding its axe. It clearly didn''t see him as it dragged its feet without any worry in its beady, ck eyes.

    Just as it came within reach¡ª

    Finn ced his hand over its mouth, using his other to sink his de into its throat. It struggled only for a moment before going limp.

    ["<i>Verdant Goblin defeated.</i>"] ["<i>Anarch Token x5 obtained."</i>]

    [<i>Experience Points: +150</i>] [600/1000]

    [Assimted<i> ability from [Verdant Goblin]</i>: "<i>Superior Sense: Smell</i>" 1 / 5]

    He slid the dagger out as the goblin''s body quietly slumped over against the wall. It was a disgusting feeling, one that he felt he may never get used to.

    <i>''Took care of it. I got another skill for that...I''m starting to get how this works,'' </i>he thought as he looked down at the in fiend.

    As the goblins looked to be out of sight, he snuck out of the gap, quietly walking along the boundaries of the apartmentplex.

    Amidst the chaos, there was only one ce he felt he had to go right away, no matter what.

    <i>''My mom...If she''s caught up in this, I doubt she''ll know what to do. I have to get to her,'' </i>he resolved, silently walking between bushes.

    Her home was across town, which never felt like a long walk normally. However, the thought of traversing the distance now felt like diving into hell.

    He crouched down, checking the street ahead of it was clear to cross.

    <i>''Looks good¡ª'' </i>He thought.

    <i>BOOM</i>

    That confirmation was immediately shattered before he moved on ahead across the asphalt.

    An explosion? No, it was different; like a meteor crashing down to his right. A massive weight making impact with the street, bringing him to look over at the source.

    ¡ªAnother gargantuan impact struck the asphalt.

    What he mistook as an explosion were footsteps, belonging to a colossal figure¡ªa cyclops.

    The giant of cracked, pink skin turned around the corner of the block, exhaling a mighty breath that moved the branches of the nearby trees.

    <i>''A cyclops...Holy shit,'' </i>Finn thought, staying in the bushes.

    The massive humanoid blinked with its singr, amber eye, slowly lifting one foot in front of the other as it traversed the dested city. It was built like a strongman; muscle beneathyers of fat, though its legs were another story entirely, thicker than tree trunks.

    Each step it took, the young man felt the vibrations even from down the block.

    "...Rrrruuuu..." The colossal being exhaled while sluggishly walking.

    There was no part of Finn that felt like earning the attention of the seaweed-haired cyclops. He waited for it to pass as it walked right in front of him, using the road itself as a simple trail.

    <i>''...Easy does it. A cyclops like that in Avalon would take a level twenty to solo it,'' </i>he thought, looking at its massive back as it passed.

    As it moved down the block, he quickly and quietly passed across the street. Rather than move along the side of the buildings, opted to go into the shattered store at the other end of the asphalt.

    He walked in, finding the establishment that once served frozen yogurt to bepletely torn apart.

    <i>''Shit...It''s gone,'' </i>he thought, finding the counter smashed and broken, along with just about everything in the store.

    It was a ce mostly insignificant to him on a day to day basis, but seeing the small yogurt shop he visited a few times with friends in such a state sank in the situation.

    The world he knew was gone; only the hell that now swept across it was there.

    ''<i>I have to keep moving...Just stay indoors, Mom,'' </i>he pleaded in his mind as he continued on.

 Chapter 3: A World On Fire

    <h4>Chapter 3: A World On Fire</h4>

    Stepping out through the shattered window of the shop, he carefully walked down the block.

    Known as "The Ave", the famous street of Seattle that was once lively now seemed ripped straight from a nightmare.

    It was shocking just how many bodiesy in the streets. Thus far, he hadn''t encountered a single other person still surviving, having to question if he was the only one left in the town.

    "Help me¡ª! Help! Somebody, please!"

    The sudden arrival of a desperate, masculine voice caused him to immediately duck into an alleyway. He peeked from behind it, hearing the agonized yells continue to plead.

    "Please! Somebody!"

    What he found was a man, bloodied and battered, being dragged by a bipedal creature. It had his wrists bound in a chain, pulling him along as the man''s back scraped against the asphalt.

    Finn recognized the cruel fiend that was pulling the beaten man along: it was covered in spots of crimson fur, built with a humanoid body and a hunchback.

    It had the face of a rat, with a man of unruly fur, carrying in its other hand a scepter of some kind.

    <i>''A Blood Kobold? Can I handle one?'' </i>He questioned himself.

    From his own experience, he knew the creature was a step above his current level. Still, the screams of the man that were so intertwined with pain and fear made him indecisive.

    He nced around the corner again, watching the cruel kobold continue to drag the man along towards an unknown destination.

    There likely wasn''t a real direction the kobold went; Finn understood well that the kobold was a creature that relished in cruelty. It likely just sought to torment its captive until killing him.

    <i>''Shit¡ªIf I can save him, I can gain an ally. He probably doesn''t understand how this all works¡ªI can show him,'' </i>Finn nned, convincing himself to take action.

    At the very least, he still held the element of surprise. He stayed crouched, using his silent steps to trail behind the kobold and the screaming man.

    He used the abandoned cars left in the street as a cover, pressing behind one as the kobold turned to look behind it.

    <i>''As long as I can get up close without it noticing me, I can take it out in one strike,'' </i>he nned, waiting for the creature to look forward again before he continued along.

    A passive ability of assassins¡ª["<i>Silent Strike"</i>]¡ªmade any attack made without being noticed doubly effective.

    The screams of the man at the very least muffled any noise Finn made in his pursuit.

    <i>''Just wait a bit more...I''ming,'' </i>he thought.

    Patience was key, making sure not to let the kobold take notice of him as he got within only a few meters away.

    It was nearing an alleyway, seeming to finally have enough of tormenting the man¡ªit stopped.

    <i>''Why didn''t stop¡ª?'' </i>He wondered, withholding from making a move just yet.

    An answer to his question made itself known as another voice yelled at from the left¡ª

    "Aaahhh!"

    Finn watched as a tall, young man around his own age charged at the kobold with a battle axe in his hands.

    <i>''What the hell?! What is that idiot doing?!'' </i>Finn questioned, finding his careful approach wasted.

    He watched as the kobold scrunched its nose with a hiss-like exim before pointing its scepter at the one that charged at it.

    <i>''Shit¡ªit''ll kill him,'' </i>Finn thought, finally slipping out from behind the totaled car as he rushed in as well.

    He maintained his quiet steps while running in, still having yet to gain the kobold''s attention as he approached from behind.

    The axe-wielding, reckless man seemed to notice him for a split second, "Hey!¡ª"

    At that same moment, a burst of red light extended from the kobold''s scepter. The bloody projectile shot with a hiss of speed, striking the reckless man dead center.

    <i>''Dammit!'' </i>Finn thought, watching the man get sted back against a totaled car.

    It was an attack that no normal person could survive, though he could only be grateful in the moment that an opening was created. For those few seconds, the kobold remained distracted, allowing Finn to close in behind it¡ª

    He leapt up, plunging his dagger against the top of the rat-faced fiend''s skull.

    [<i>"Silent Strike"</i>]

    A sharp yell left the tall fiend''s mouth as it froze up, dropping both the chain and scepter it held.

    Finn gritted his teeth, driving the de in all the way before pulling it out, "Ghh!¡ª"

    A fountain of blood sprayed from the kobold''s skull, bringing it drop down from the pivotal wound.

    [<i>"Blood Kobold defeated.</i>"] ["<i>Anarch Token x20 obtained</i>."]

    [<i>Experience points: </i>+1000]

    [Assimted<i> ability from [Blood Kobold]</i>: "<i>Crimson Shot</i>" 1 / 5]

    [<i>Level Six reached</i>] [600/1500]

    [<i>New Skill(s) Obtained: "Phantom Flow"</i>]

    "...Got it," Finn let out with a sigh of relief, backing away as the monster dropped down.

    As he stood there for a moment, regaining his breath as he found himself fortunate that the surprise strike was enough to bring it down, he wasn''t focused on the new level he obtained.

    The first thing he did was check on the man that was dragged by the kobold, walking over as he knelt down.

    "Hey, man, are you alright¨C" He asked calmly, tapping the person on the shoulder.

    It was only then that he realized the agonized screams had long since ended, and for a reason. As he got a closer look at the unfortunate person, he found that the life in their eyes was already gone.

    Seeing the wounds inflicted onto the poor man''s body, it was hardly surprising, as he was covered in gashes andcerations, with his whole back turned raw from being dragged along the asphalt.

    <i>''He''s already dead...'' </i>Finn realized, feeling a tightness in his chest at the dreadful confirmation.

    Witnessing it up close and personal, it truly did feel like he was plunged into hell. A nightmare that he wanted to wake up from, though that was only a childish plea.

    "...Hff...Hkk!"

    A hoarse cough alerted him amidst his dread-ridden thoughts, looking back towards where the axe-wielding man had been flung by the kobold''s magic.

    "Hey...Hold on!" Finn stood up, rushing over to the coughing person.

    It was a shock to him that the man was still alive, finding him slumped over against the small SUV that had its side crushed in from the impact. There was a hole blown through the blue-and-gray sweater the man wore with some light bruising and bleeding on his chest, though nothing that seemed lethal.

    "Man, that hurt..." The stranger groaned, coughing up.

    Finn approached, kneeling down to check on the man of spiky, dark-brown hair. Going by the muscr frame he had and the axe he wielded, along with the fact he survived a direct hit from the kobold''s magic¨C

    "You''re a <i>Warrior</i>, aren''t you? That was the ss you got?" Finn asked, lending a hand to help the stranger up.

    "Yeah, that''s me," the man epted the helping hand, standing up as he stood a head taller than Finn. "Name''s Damian. You took that big thing out? Nice work."

    "I just managed to get the jump on it," Finn said.

    "How''s the other guy?" Damian asked.

    Finn slowly shook his head, "He didn''t make it."

    "Shit...How many people have had to die tonight? This just doesn''t make any sense," Damian sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

    Before talking further, standing out in the open seemed like a bad idea to the cautious, assassin-ss man as he pointed over to a dested shop just some steps away.

    "Let''s talk there. Don''t want to attract any monsters," Finn suggested.

    "Yeah, good idea," Damian agreed.

 Chapter 4: Ghost Town

    <h4>Chapter 4: Ghost Town</h4>

    The building they entered was a bar, or at least it used to be, as most of the bottles were destroyed along with the furniture inside. Still, it was more intact than most establishments, as Finn found a seat to rest on, cing his arms on the marble countertop where bartenders used to serve drinks.

    "Look at this. Still a ton of booze left unharmed," Damian remarked, perusing the disy of drinks on the wall behind the counter.

    Finn was less than focused on the idea of alcohol, still deep in thought about everything going on as he stared at the surface of the table, "What the hell is even going on? I woke up and everything was just¨Cwell, like how it is."

    "I''d like to know too, trust me. Started a couple hours ago, right before nightfall, I think," Damian recalled. "I was out on a jog by the highway and there was this huge sh of light in the sky¨CI mean, I thought the damn sun exploded or something, ya know?"

    "Yeah, shocking, I bet," Finn said, listening closely.

    "Next thing I knew, people were screaming, cars were crashing¨Cthese monsters just came out of nowhere, wrecking havoc," Damian told him. "I heard that voice in my head start talking and found an axe in my hand, so I fought."

    Hearing the story from the man bestowed with the ["<i>Warrior</i>"] ss, Finn decided to test out if another skill was present in reality now.

    He squinted, focusing on the idea of present information about the man he looked at:

    ["<i>Sleuth Status</i>"]

    [<i>...Assessing information about [Damian]...</i>]

    [<i>Name</i>: <i>Damian Hawkwell</i>]

    [<i>Age: 22</i>]

    [<i>Designated ss: Warrior</i>]

    [<i>Level: 4</i>]

    "Hey, why''re you staring at me so hard?" Damian asked as though his clothes were see through.

    "What level did you start at?" Finn asked, finding it peculiar that the man was a level lower than what he himself began with.

    Damian scratched his chin in thought, recalling it, "Ah...I think one? Isn''t that normal, like a game?"

    That confirmed it for him, that there were factors that yed into the starting parameters given to people. It seemed unfair, though it was all quite that way.

    "This is all built like a game, isn''t it? Just like <i>Avalon Online</i>. Ever y it?" Finn asked, ncing behind him at the windows of the deste bar, making sure there were no monsters prowling.

    "Nope. yed some when I was younger, but don''t get that much time with work and all¨Cwell, I doubt I''ll be working a nine-to-five anytime soon," Damian said, fiddling with the bottles left behind the counter. "Silver lining, right?"

    "I guess," Finn responded.

    He quietly observed the boisterous man who poured himself a shot from a bottle of whisky, not seeming to even feel the pain from the earlier attack. What was more surprising was that the bruising already seemed to lighten up somewhat, merely looking as if a blunt blow had been received by Damian.

    <i>''That''s the toughness of the Warrior ss, definitely...Still, I''d say this guy started with an especially tough body,'' </i>Finn thought.

    It seemed as though the man he met hardly had any more information than him on the apocalyptic event, perhaps even less.

    "So, what''re you nning on doing? Going anywhere in particr?" Damian asked. "I haven''t seen anything about shelters...doesn''t seem like the military has any grasp on this."

    "I''m going to find my mom¨Cshe lives alone on Renton avenue," Finn answered.

    "Ah, man...Renton? That''s not too far, ''bout a half hour walk, give or take," Damian said, putting his hand to his chin in thought.

    "If there weren''t monsters around every corner," Finn corrected him.

    "True," Damian conceded.

    Finn looked at the whisky-pouring man, "What about you? Any ns?"

    "Not really. You seem pretty skilled though, so I think my best chances are with you. Besides, I want to help out," Damian offered.

    The idea of having apanion amidst the dreadful situation didn''t sound like a bad idea to Finn. Still, operating alone was part of his favor as an assassin.

    <i>''...A Warrior is a great thing to have on your side. It outweighs the negatives,'' </i>he decided.

    Finn responded, "Do you know how to use your skills? Did you receive a special "system" of some sort?"

    "Skills? Like RPG abilities?" Damian asked curiously.

    "I''ll take that as a no then. Let''s see...The skills at level four with a Warrior should be: <i>Bolster, Commanding Shout, </i>and <i>Earthen m</i>," Finn recalled.

    Seeing as he would be having the man alongside him, he taught him how to use his skills. The process was the same as it was in <i>Avalon Online</i>:

    "So, I have to think of the skill in my mind and visualize it? That''s all?" Damian asked.

    "Yeah, for now try "Bolster"¡ªit toughens up your body briefly," Finn advised him.

    Damian flexed his body, causing his muscles to swell and harden as if made of steel, "Like this¡ª?"

    "Yup. Nice," Finn said. "We''ll definitely get some practice on the way, I''m sure."

    Leaving the bounds of the bar, the two young men ventured back into the chaotic downtown of Seattle.

    To best increase their odds, he led the way as his senses were more honed and his movements were quiet. Besides that, having a Warrior to watch his back put him at ease.

    "Man, look at all this...Just a shame, isn''t it? Grew up here, and it''s all burning down," Damian remarked sadly, looking at the ruined shops and the sights of death.

    "Yeah," Finn responded, staying focused on not getting ambushed by monsters as he carefully stepped over a crack in the street.

    He decided to put to use one of the abilities he plundered from the fiends he killed so far, specifically from the in goblin:

    ["Superior Sense: Smell"]

    As soon as he activated it, there was immediate regret; the foul stench of corpses infiltrated his nose, causing his stomach to turn as he gagged,ing to a stop.

    "Hey¨Cyou alright, man?!" Damian ced his hand on the assassin''s back in concern.

    Finn took a moment topose himself, deactivating the skill as he covered his nose, nodding his head slowly, "Yeah...I''m good."

    At least for the time being, the skill was more detrimental than beneficial. Through cutting into alleyways and avoiding the prowling fiends, he found himself in the Chinatown-International district of downtown.

    It was a more art-prominent, tourist area of Seattle, with sculptures on disy in the streets among more novel sights. He led the way onto a courtyard near an intersection, built of red tiles that were home to teal squares.

    Damian followed close behind, keeping his axe rested against his shoulder, "It''s quiet around here, isn''t it?"

    "Yeah, I don''t know if that''s a good thing or not," Finn responded, keeping his guard raised.

    The Chinatown district was a ce he''d been too frequently, always finding it an area that was lively even at night.

    "Hey, it''s not just quiet..." Damian remarked.

    Finn kept his eyes forward, nodding, "Yeah. There''s not even a single body out here¡ªit''s like nobody was ever here."

    Compared to the areas before, the presence of bodies and bloodstained asphalt was gone. It was as if nobody was ever there harboring an unsettling silence in the once bustling sector of the city.

    "Think they evacuated? Maybe they had more time to react and prepare," Damian asked.

    "I doubt it. That''s assuming this is just happening in Seattle...I''m thinking all of this is on a global scale," Finn replied, carefully looking around.

    "That''s a scary thought, but I can''t deny it," Damian said.

    Though there weren''t any signs of corpses on the streets, Finn discovered that the buildings were certainly damaged. He looked into the shattered windows of a tea shop¨C"Emerald Tea Spring"--finding that the interior waspletely ransacked.

    Damian reached down, picking up a stic bottle that contained tea in it, shaking it a bit, "Still cold. This is weirding me out."

    "Just stay alert," Finn advised, keeping watch as he looked towards the top of the buildings along the Chinatown section of the city.

    Still, none of anything in the area made sense; theplete absence of anybody¨Chuman and monster alike¨Cyet there was damage done as if destruction had swept through nheless.

    <i>''Did all the monsters just move on? That doesn''t fit...Were the bodies taken away¨Cwait,'' </i>he stumbled upon a realization.

    A vague thought appeared into his mind of one such entity that fit the criteria for the situation he found himself in, one that was not fondly remembered in the world of Avalon.

    "Get in the store¨Cfind somewhere to hide," Finn suddenly warned the man who was inspecting the stic cup. "--Now!"

    "Huh? What''s going on? Is somethinging?" Damian asked, standing up as he readied his axe.

    There was no chance for further conversation as both men felt it; the wind itself breathed as if a groan trembled from the clouds. What was mistaken as the sight of a sea of pale clouds above was something else entirely; it moved, stepping down from the sky.

    "What the hell is¨C?!" Damian began to ask in horror.

    Finn only had enough time to cover hispanion''s mouth before pulling him along into the shop, ducking behind the fallen countertop.

    A colossus of sleek, white skin descended upon the chinatown; it stood on two legs with a rectangr hood as if wearing a hood, possessing a single, scarlet eye and a massive maw storing a valley of sharp teeth.

    The entity of terrifying stature had a basket-like appendage on its stomach. Each breath the eerie giant let out moved like a mist throughout the block, further exemplified as it leaned down.

    Its unnaturally long, slender limbs used the nearby buildings as grips as it lowered, inspecting the shops with its glowing, crimson eye.

    "...What is that thing...?" Damian asked in a whisper, pressing himself against the counter topletely conceal himself.

    Finn had to control his breathing, only daring to peek no more than an inch, not responding as any noise was a dangerous gamble.

    As the enigmatic colossus scoped out the buildings as if merely checking cupboards for a snack, the interior of the sack it carried was seen: it was filled with a red paste with bits and pieces of clothing mixed in.

    It was only for a moment that he caught a nce, though it was enough to sicken Finn as he could see the lifeless face of a boy in the sack.

    <i>''Shit...Shit!'' </i>He thought, making sure to stay still right beside the warrior.

    Every noise made by the predatory giant rumbled the ground as peculiar vibrations emitted from its maw in the form of echoing clicks.

    ["<i>Cloud-Fallen Collector</i>": <i>a creature that existed as more of a force of nature rather than a normal monster to be challenged. The skyscraper-esque being drifts through the sky, camouging itself as a cloud, waiting to pass over a city before descending</i>.]

 Chapter 5: Cloud-Fallen Collector

    <h4>Chapter 5: Cloud-Fallen Collector</h4>

    Finn knew better than to attempt to flee, let alone fight it. He kept himselfpletely still, even so much as opting not to breathe as he listened to his own heartbeat trickle to a slow pace.

    <i>''...Just pass,'' </i>he hoped, listening to the colossus searching the area.

    While he had confidence in his ability to remain undetected, the same couldn''t be said for the man beside him.

    Damian clutched his axe close to his body, trembling with heavy breaths. It wasn''t a disy of cowardice, rather an inability to calm his adrenaline; Finn understood that.

    <i>''Just stay calm¡ªendure it a bit longer,'' </i>Finn thought, unable to say it out loud.

    Though neither looked at it, they both felt as its attention turned to the building they were in. The presence of the colossus closed in as its mouth was just in front of the shop.

    He could feel its breath expelling into the store like a hot wind, carrying with it a stench of foul meat. Even its breathing was enough to cause the structure to tremble in its colossal might.

    There wasn''t a thought in either of the men''s minds as they remained still, almost too still as they forgot to breathe.

    Just as Finn felt his chest throbbing, aching for oxygen, he felt a weight lift from the ground as the tremendous sound of the giant rising up reverberated through the ground.

    "Are we...good?" Damian hesitantly asked in a whisper.

    Finn sat up, ncing over the top of the flipped-over countertop as he saw the translucent-skinned entity climbing back into the sky as if stepping on the air itself. It was an unnerving sight, though relieving to see it leave.

    "It left," Finn told him.

    "Phew..." Damian exhaled, regaining his breath.

    As they both stood up, there was still an air of unease that weighed down on them. It was an encounter that made one feel small and insignificant, like a mouse cornered by a predator; an eye-opening experience.

    "What was that thing? It was huge," Damian asked, still fixing his breathing.

    "A Cloud-Fallen Collector," Finn answered. "It was in Avalon Online¨Cthe fact it''s real now is probably the scariest thing I''ve seen. That''s why this area is a ghost town¨Cit collected everyone. We can''t fight it, not at our current strength."

    The truth of what they encountered settled in with an unnerving look at reality. Beyond mere goblins and cyclops, it stood as an existence far too cruel to reasonably understand.

    Damian looked around at the dested, green-walled tea shop, "So, what now? If that thing is waiting above, then what the hell are we supposed to do?"

    Finn carefully peeked just beyond the front entrance of the shop, seeing the terrifying colossus curling up into a fetal position in the sky as it once more camouged itself as a cloud, "The best we can do is just wait until it drifts away. The problem with that is..."

    "What is it?" Damian asked, seeming tired of the growing dangers already.

    "It''s probably drifting in the direction we''re headed," Finn said, looking up as he watched the dormant giant in the sky.

    "So, we''re screwed then?" Damian expelled a heavy breath, rubbing his forehead as if trying to rack his mind for a solution. "Maybe we can go another way?"

    "Yeah, we can. But, we can''t use the streets¨Cit''s too risky with that thing overhead," Finn agreed, walking towards the back of the small shop. "We''ll have to cut through the buildings and the alleyways between."

    He found a door that led into the back of the shop, where the product was kept stored on metal racks. There were an assortment of utensils and beverage-making wares, along with bags of tea.

    "That door back there should lead into the alleyway," Finn pointed out across the storage room of the shop.

    "Yeah," Damian said, walking in.

    Finn kept his wits about him while moving along, inspecting the room as it looked to have gone through some mess of its own, with a rack toppled over and liquid staining the concrete flooring.

    "Hold on," Finn said, peeking into what appeared to be the freezer for the shop.

    It was hard to make out what was in it, seeing as the window was frosted over. As he pressed closer to see, what he found only made him look away.

    "What is it?" Damian asked.

    "I guess one of the people who worked here¡ªthey locked themself in and well..." Finn exined.

    Damian sighed, "I understand. Damn it. It''s just death around every corner, isn''t it?"

    That seemed to be the one truth in the confusing, hellish situation. Finn moved towards the end of the storage area, opening the door slowly as he slipped into the alleyway with hispanion following.

    Under the guide of shadows, they moved along with the looming presence of the colossus collector in the sky above. Even from such a disparity in altitude, quietness was needed.

    "Even from all the way up there, it can hear us?" Damian asked in a whisper, keeping up as he looked up at the pale, white lurker in the vast blue.

    Finn nodded, turning to the side as he slipped past a garbage can and a few, ck bags, "As long as we stay diligent, it should be fine. Just nothing loud¨Cthat means we have to avoid any monsters on the streets, too."

    "Speaking of that...I haven''t seen any monsters around here," Damian said, peering back down the alleyway as there was nothing to be seen. "Does it target them, too?"

    "Yeah. In <i>Avalon Online</i>, I remember reading an entry that mentioned the collector as like a ntlife; it moves on instinct, eats on instinct," Finn said. "So it doesn''t discriminate."

    "Man, I don''t think that made it any less scary," Damian remarked with a shake of his head.

    As Finn led the way through the narrow alleyway, they came to its end, facing an open street with the next alley just across the way. There was no way around it, they''d have to cross.

    "Shit¨Ccan we make it?" Damian asked.

    Finn stood right by the edge of the alleyway, watching as the far-spanning shadow of the colossus in the sky slowly passed over the street, "Yeah, just need to be quick."

    As he nced back at his warrior-ssedpanion, he took notice of the fact that Damian was still carrying his axe, even though the prospect of a fight was not something to look out for at the moment. At first, he thought the man simply kept it out to remain ready at all times, but now he thought differently.

    "Hey, Damian. You know how to recall your weapon, right?" Finn quietly asked.

    "What? What''s that?" The salt-and-pepper haired man asked.

    Finn held a furrowed expression before holding his hand out, "Like this."

    The concept of the "weapon" he bound to himself was thought of as the dagger manifested in his grip without a word. In the same amount of ease, it was recalled back to nothing.

    "Woah¨Chow''d you do that?" Damian asked.

    "Just think of storing your weapon, like into a conceptual pocket. Then when you want it, just think of holding it," Finn instructed him, "That''s how it was in Avalon."

    Damian nodded his head and focused with a grunt, sping his hands before¨C<i>poof</i>. Therge axe vanished without a trace.

    "Ah, that''s handy," Damian remarked.

    "Yeah. It''ll be easier for you to move now," Finn said. "Won''t have to lug around that giant weapon."

    He led the way, making the first dash across the street as he swiftly sprinted from the alleyway over to the next sidewalk. Just as he reached the other side, he ducked into the alleyway, turning back to gesture for his friend to follow.

    With a lot less grace, Damian followed behind with a dash of his own, running beneath the drifting shadow in the sky. Just as he reached the other side, the warrior slid into the alley before releasing a breath of relief.

    "Safe," Damian said.

    "Nice one. Let''s keep moving," Finn said.

    By some miracle, the shadow of the colossus in the sky above was avoided as they traversed outside of the Chinatown sector.

 Chapter 6: Return Home

    <h4>Chapter 6: Return Home</h4>

    It was through Finn''s careful way of traversing the downtown area that they made their way into the residential parts of the city.

    "Ah¡ªI didn''t miss this sight," Damian remarked.

    On the street they walked along that was upied by suburbs, the scenery of totaled vehicles and bodiesid on the asphalt.

    "It''s not too far now...We''re almost there," Finn said, looking towards one of the street corners, one that he recognized better than any other.

    There was a feeling of anxiety now that he was almost there, not knowing what to expect, not knowing if he could handle what he may discover.

    As he remained still, looking down the neighborhood that he grew up in, aforting pat to his shoulder came.

    Damian looked at him, speaking softly, "C''mon, man. I''m sure your mom is fine."

    He didn''t know if it was aforting lie or if Damian was truly a gentle enough soul to be so optimistic in such a situation, but he nodded his head nheless.

    "Right...gotta keep moving," Finn said, reminding himself as he continued walking.

    Along the sidewalk of the once peaceful suburban street, he felt his heart throbbing at the state it was now left in. As he entered the housing area, the sight of something up ahead made him immediately crouch down next to a bush by one home''s front yard.

    Damian looked confused before ducking down as well, "What is it?" He asked quietly.

    "Up ahead," Finn answered in a whisper. "Monsters."

    A small peek by both of the men found that the ransacked suburbs were upied by a group of cruel goblins. It wasn''t just the green-skinned fiends, but orcs and kobolds, prowling the streets as they collected bodies into a single pile.

    "...Jesus Christ. Everywhere we go..." Damian said, cing his hand over his face in disgust at such a sight.

    "I know¡ªwe just have to keep going," Finn said, having to look away from the horrific sight.

    As the streets of the suburbs themselves were littered with fiends, he looked for an alternate route. He nced over at a wooden fence at the side of the nearest house.

    "We''ll cut through the backyards," Finn said, pointing to the fence between two houses. "I know my way around here."

    "Alright, lead the way," Damian said with a nod.

    A quick nce was taken to make sure none of the monsters were looking their way before Finn quickly dashed from behind the bushes.

    He kept low while moving, hearing Damian right behind him as he moved up the side of the gray house. As he approached the wooden gate, he nimbly jumped over it,nding in the backyard.

    "Hyup¡ª" Damian followed right behind, hopping over as well.

    Leading the way, Finn carefully moved along the side of the house, taking silent steps as he took a peek into the backyard. There were some scattered pieces of the usual items¨Ca barbeque grill, an intable pool, yet one thing stood out:

    A goblin was there, fiddling with the human possessions as it poked at the pool curiously, murmuring to itself.

    Finn pulled away, whispering to hispanion, "There''s only one goblin back here. I''ll take care of it¨Cwatch my back."

    "Sure," Damian agreed.

    With a silent approach, he moved as the sharp-eared fiend had its back turned to him, now touching at the metal grill. As he got closer, he noticed the bloodstains on its hand, even more so on the club it wielded.

    It infuriated him; the thought of the cowardly, weak monster toying with the creations of mankind, especially those of which belonged to ones it had killed. He kept himselfposed, though couldn''t help but release a sharp exhale as he drew closer, raising his hand as his dagger was called.

    "Grah!" The goblin yelped as it suddenly spun around, yelling out again. "Graaaah!"

    <i>''Shit¨C!'' </i>Finn thought.

    He didn''t waste any time quickly plunging his dagger straight into the short fiends throat, not hesitating. As soon as he plucked his de from its neck, ckened blood oozed out as the goblin dropped dead.

    ["<i>Verdant Goblin defeated."</i>] [<i>"Anarch Token x5 obtained</i>."]

    [<i>Experience Points: +150</i>] [750/1000]

    [Assimted<i> Ability from [Verdant Goblin]: "Goblin Language"</i> | 2/5]

    As Finn caught his breath, looking down at his hands as they were drenched in the in fiend''s blood, he turned around as he heard hispanion running up behind him.

    "Hey¨Cwe gotta move," Damian said in a hurry, looking around. "I think that yell called its friends over."

    The sounds of frantic footsteps along with fiendish calls could be heard through the neighborhood, just beyond the picket fences.

    "Right. Let''s go," Finn said.

    Before the fiends that prowled the streets could find them, both men hopped over the next fence into another backyard.

    There was finally a stroke of fortune as they cut through the houses, finding that the monsters weren''t lurking there.

    "Almost there¡ªjust a few houses down," Finn pointed out with an exhale as he hopped over another fence.

    After crossing over another backyard, another fence led back into the mainstreet with a little, yellow house sticking out to him on the other side.

    "There it is," Finn pointed out.

    Damiannded on his feet after flipping over thest fence, "--Yeah? Let''s go, then¨C"

    "Wait," Finn said, raising his arm to stop the man from stepping any further.

    The heightened hearing of the assassin-ss man picked up on the sound of footsteps nearby, bringing him to duck behind a bush by the sidewalk. Damian did the same, trusting Finn''s senses over his own.

    Down the left side of the street, a group of goblins passed by, dragging along with them the "spoils" of their raid on the suburbs; jewelry ransacked from the homes, among other essories.

    "Even more? God dammit, they''re endless, I swear," Damian quietly remarked, keeping his axe ready.

    Finn focused for a moment, utilizing his newly-acquired skill as he heard the goblins talking in their foulnguage within earshot.

    ["<i>Goblin Language"</i>]

    As he listened in, what was once gibberish was automatically tranted into his mind;

    "<i>Look at this! Look at this! Shiny jewel, from the stupid human''s neck!" </i>A goblin boasted, holding up the diamond ne it seized.

    "<i>All dead. All dead. Humannd is ours!</i>" Another goblin said.

    Hearing the obscene ramblings of the fiends, Finn stopped listening as he slowly exhaled, finding what was said between the goblins to mean little more than trouble.

    Damian noticed the pale look on the young man, "What''s up? Are you alright, man?"

    "Yeah, let''s just get across the street...her house is right there," Finn said, looking at the home belonging to his mother as it was but a mere dozen meters away.

    Without gaining the attention of the prowling fiends, he led the way across the street with haste. As he stepped onto the driveway of the home he was raised in, he took note of the fact that the car was still there.

    Damian seemed to notice the pause from him as he noticed the car, giving the young man a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "C''mon. She probably found a ce to hide. We''re here¡ªnothing else to do now but to check, right?"

    "Yeah, you''re right," Finn agreed.

    He went up the walkway that led to the front door, noticing the pots of flowers along it were still healthy. For some reason, that filled him with a bit of hope.

    As he found himself at the door, he looked at it for a moment before drawing a breath into his lungs.

    <i>''It''s fine. She''s fine. Don''t overthink it,'' </i>he convinced himself, grasping the handle.

    As he turned it, he found that it was unlocked, but pushing the door in didn''t move it in the slightest.

    <i>''It''s locked¡ªno, something is blocking it. It''s heavy¡ªfurniture?'' </i>He guessed, attempting to push a bit more.

    Damian was waiting behind him, watching as the door remained unopened, "Locked?"

    "It''s barricaded. That''s good¡ªthat''s a good sign," Finn remarked, feeling a bit of hope swelling up for once.

    "Looks like that resourcefulness runs in the family. Anyway, we''ll have to find another way in," Damian said.

    "Yeah, let''s go around the side,'' Finn instructed, leading the way around the right.

 Chapter 7: Home Sweet Home

    <h4>Chapter 7: Home Sweet Home</h4>

    It was through the wooden gate leading into the backyard that he carefully walked through, still staying wary of what may be lurking around. As he made his way to the back, he was relieved to find it free of any signs of monsters; the garden of vibrant flowers and crops were still intact.

    He knelt down, finding the ripe berries that grew in the backyard still healthy; a discovery that yet again filled him with hope. As he touched the strawberry, he recalled all the times he''d been back here in his days as a child, helping to tend to the garden.

    "Finn," Damian called his name with a tone intertwined with nothing akin to hope.

    "What is it¨C"

    As he returned to his feet and looked back, all of that optimism that had risen was cast away like a candlelight to a breath of wind.

    The back door to the house waspletely knocked off its hinges as if blown away by an inhuman force. Along the threshold was a perfect stain of blood forming a ring around the entrance.

    "That''s..." Finn began to say, feeling his chest tighten as he didn''t know what to think.

    "Come on. I''ll stay in front¨Cjust watch my back, alright?" Damian assured him, looking at him to make sure he was capable of doing that.

    Finn slowly nodded as a feverish sensation made his head hot, "Right...Yeah, right behind you."

    Walking behind the axe-wielding man into the back of his old home, he could sense that Damian was staying ahead to shoulder the burden for him. The man he miraculously met seemed good hearted; almost too much so for as cruel as the world was bing.

    "Don''t see nothin'' yet," Damian whispered, stepping into a hallway right beyond the back door.

    Finn didn''t say anything, instead keeping a close eye on the state of the interior. To his right immediately upon walking in, he looked into the kitchen.

    What he found from a quick look as it was mostly organized, except for the rack of knives was toppled over, notably missing one. It wasn''t something he liked to see, but he chose not to think too hard about it.

    Each step was taken slowly as both men moved through the hallway; Finn''s steps remained silent, while Damian''s heavier footsteps caused the floorboards to creak ever so slightly.

    There was an unspoken feeling both men shared; something was amiss, prompting them both to be ready for a fight.

    "Where would she be hiding?" Damian asked in a whisper.

    "I don''t know¨Cmaybe the basement?" Finn quietly replied, nervously fixing his grip on his dagger.

    As he answered, he found the man in front of him stopping just at the end of the hallway that led into the living room.

    He was confused by the sudden pause, looking at Damian''s back for a moment before speaking up, "Hey, what''s up?"

    "Don''t look," Damian suddenly told him. "Don''t look, Finn."

    Being told such a thing immediately picked at the curiosity in his brain, though as he tried to push by the taller, brawnier figure, he was stopped.

    "Hey¨Cwhat the hell is it?" Finn asked, being bothered by theck of information.

    Damian grabbed onto both of his arms to keep him in the hallway, using hisrge frame to block Finn''s view as he spoke to him, "--Just trust me, man. Don''t."

    As the heartfelt words of warning were given to him, he caught a glimpse of what was in the living room. It instantly etched itself into his mind¨Ca sickening sight that made his stomach drop to the deepest pits.

    There was only a stter against the couch, left imprinted in the silhouette of a woman, yet a body no longer existed; a foul remnant left by nothing less than a monster.

    "That''s¨Cit can''t be, no," Finn shook his head as tears welled in his eyes, rejecting the only possible exnation that came to mind.

    Damian looked at him, cing words in his face as he forced Finn to look only at him, "Don''t think about it! Listen, don''t think about what happened¨C"

    In the midst of the man''s words of advice, the warrior suddenly stopped speaking as he tensed up, stumbling forward.

    Finn was momentarily taken out of his trance of grief, looking at hispanion, "Hey, are you alright?"

    As he checked on Damian, he found that the man had a gash across his back, leaking out blood. Seeing such a fresh wound naturally brought him to look up at what was responsible for the surprise assault.

    "Nrgh!" Damian winced, nearly falling over.

    Finn propped hispanion up, standing beside him as they both faced the entity responsible for the sneak attack. What showed itself was anky humanoid with skin as ck as night and sharp, elf-like ears.

    "What the hell is that?!" Damian asked, keeping his axe raised as he clearly felt the wound on his back.

    "A <i>Nachtalb</i>," Finn recognized, attempting to steady his breathing. "This is bad."

    The humanoid entity stayed at the end of the hall as blood dripped from its long, w-like fingers, seeming frighteningly capable of caution itself. Its eyes had a white glow like the moon during dusk; a phantom stare that belonged to something far from human.

    Seeing the creature before him and the horrific sight in the room ahead, he ced it together easily as to what happened.

    "Careful..." Finn warned quietly, breathing out as he felt his heart thumping, having to swallow his own grief for the moment. "A <i>Nachtalb </i>is tough. If you let it touch you, it''llpress that part of your body¨Cit''s a one-shot kill, at least at our current strength."

    "Shit...Shit, that''s scary! Alright, let''s do this!" Damian said, more so seeming to be talking to himself to ovee the dreadful situation.

    As both men readied themselves to confront the white-eyed monster, it raised a single hand with its calm, unmoving expression.

    Finn recognized the gesture, yelling out as he ducked towards the room to his right, "Move!"

    Just as both men moved, a force burrowed through the narrow hallway. It was imperceivable, only its destructive output was able to be seen.

    From Finn''s view, watching from the kitchen, it was like a condensed wind tore through the hall, ripping up the wooden floorboards and scraping against the walls.

    He could see across from him, in the bathroom, that Damian looked like he''d just seen a ghost after witnessing the violent torrent shred the corridor.

    "The hell was that?!" Damian asked hurriedly.

    "Itpresses whatever it touches!" Finn informed him, wiping the sweat from his chin. "Right then, it touched the wind and shot it at us!"

    As the exnation was given, he immediately dropped down, chest to the ground, as his instincts told him to do so. The wall that closed off the kitchen from the living room was suddenly burst through by the violentpression of wind, tossing chunks of drywall and kitchen utensils in every direction.

    <i>''Shit!--This is bad! A Nachtalb is too strong for our current level...I have to stop thinking this is Avalon¨Cit''s not. This is reality; it''s much more cruel and unforgiving¨CI just have to make it work,'' </i>he thought, covering his head as debris rained down.

 Chapter 8: The Second Impact

    <h4>Chapter 8: The Second Impact</h4>

    As he jumped up to his feet, he watched as the room that his partner was ducking into suffered the same fate¡ª<i>CRASH</i>.

    "Ghh!¡ª" Damian winced, staying low as the wall of the bathroom was sted through.

    It was like an unseen bomb triggering from the other side of the house. Both the men stayed low as the drills of wind burrowed through the now busted walls.

    Each time a st came from the monstrous entity, the whirring sound brought a ringing to Finn''s ears. He could feel each and every one of thepressions of air vibrate his body, even if he remained untouched.

    "Damian¡ªit''s taking away our cover! We have to attack now!" Finn shouted from the decimated kitchen.

    "I know! But how?! This thing won''t let us get close, will it?!" Damian asked, using his axe as a shield against the flying rubble.

    "Use <i>Earthen m! </i>Then I''ll close the gap!" Finn shouted, having to speak over another roar of wind that came down the corridor.

    Damian''s eyes seemed to be opened at the instruction, standing himself up as he flexed his arms, "¡ªRight!"

    ["<i>Earthen m</i>"] [3:59]

    With a lift of his axe, it was brought down with a tremendous force, mming down against the ground with a thunderous impact.

    The force sent a ripple through the floor, tunneling through the tiles. Such a monstrous m was enough to send a veil of debris towards the entity, blocking its view.

    At the same time, Finn slipped out from the kitchen, using the hole formed through the wall to get through.

    <i>''Quickly now!'' </i>Finn thought.

    The st of debris from the warrior''s attack had taken the Nachtalb''s attention towards the bathroom, letting Finn get close.

    Coming out from the kitchen brought him to the right side of the living room, bringing him just a few meters to the white-eyed entity''s left.

    He had the jump, finding the sharp-eared, malicious being not yet noticing him. A quick dash brought him within striking distance.

    His sights were set on its exposed jugr, bringing his dagger towards it with vicious precision.

    <i>''¡ªThere!'' </i>He thought as a feeling of vengeance swelled in his body, knowing full well that the entity before him was the one responsible for his loss.

    It made contact with the humanoid''s ursed flesh, yet¡ª

    "What?¡ª"

    Instead of finding the dagger plunged into the being''s neck, it was stabbed through the palm of its hand, stopped short of a killing blow.

    Now he found it staring right at him with its luminescent gaze, holding an unmoving expression as if pain wasn''t a concept to it.

    <i>''It caught it?! It wasn''t even looking my way before¡ªthe hell are these reflexes?!'' </i>He questioned, attempting to pull his de out.

    It was a struggle to retrieve his weapon from its hand, not that it even gripped the dagger. He felt the muscles in its palm squeezing around the de, not allowing it to move. The Nachtalb slowly brought its fingers around the young man''s hand, grabbing hold of it.

    <i>SNAP</i>

    With a jarring motion, the sharp-eared entity twisted its own wrist, forcing the same open upon Finn''s own wrist as it snapped out of ce.

    "Nngh!" Finn let out, wincing as sweat left his body.

    The other hand of the unblinking predator slowly reached out to him, inching towards his abdomen.

    A chill ran down his spine as he naturally imagined what horrific fate would await if that hand touched him before¡ª

    "Hraaah!"

    With a cross between bravery and recklessness, the encouraging yell came from the warrior. Damian ran in from behind, taking the distracted Nachtalb''s back.

    It removed its hand from the dagger, spinning itself around as it moved its other arm to intercept the warrior.

    A bad move; Damian already swung his axe, cleaving straight through the entity''s thin arm.

    "Now, Finn!" Damian yelled.

    Just then, the Nachtalb reached out with its other arm, not touching the warrior but the air itself as a st struck the sturdy man.

    "Gaah!" Damian yelled as he was thrown across the room by the force.

    In that moment, being released from the monster''s hold only because of hispanion''s bravery, he forgot his own pain. He dropped his dagger from his damaged wrist, catching it in his other hand as he stepped forward.

    Against an enemy undeniably stronger than him, he called upon any source of strength he could, flexing his body¨C

    ["<i>Orcish Boost</i>"] [4:59]

    He felt his muscles coil with newfound, but fleeting power, existing only for a sparse few moments. Still, it allowed him to move quicker and swing harder, granting him enough strength to surely rend the flesh of the monster before him.

    Finn didn''t hesitate, not having the luxury to do so as he brought his de to the emotionless being''s neck:

    ["<i>Assassin''s Strike"</i>] [2:29]

    A clean, perfect cut made its way across its throat. Even if for a moment, the distraction caused the attack to be recognized as an assassination, leading to such an effective assault.

    ["<i>Nachtalb defeated."</i>] ["<i>Anarc Coin x25 obtained</i>]

    [<i>Experience points gained: +1200</i>]

    [<i>Level Seven reached] </i>[450/2000]

    [Assimted<i> ability from </i>[<i>Nachtalb</i>]: "<i>Touch Burst</i>" 1 / 5]

    [<i>New Skill(s) Obtained: </i>"<i>Blink sh"</i>]

    As all of his rewards for ying the creature were disyed to him, he caught his breath as he watched it slump over.

    He looked up, realizing his partner was still hit by it, "Damian! Are you¡ª"

    Just as he showed concern, he realized it was misced as he found the brawny-built man picking himself up. Though the wall had been cracked and dust fell, Damian only brushed himself off.

    "Damn, that hurt...You got it?" Damian asked.

    "Yeah, it''s dead," Finn said, holding his wrist as he found it to be returned to its unbroken form. "Did you level up from that?"

    "Yeah, I think so," Damian confirmed.

    That confirmed it for Finn; that reaching a new level freed one of all of their current wounds, mystically healing all injuries. A relieving discovery, though merely a small respite in the depraved condition of the world.

    As the adrenaline settled from the encounter, Finn caught his breath, looking at the deste state of his childhood home; the walls fallen, blood painted on the couch. It was a sight enough to draw tears from his eyes, bringing forth the emotion he tried to restrain.

    "Shit...I was toote," Finn said, seeing that bloodstain. "I was toote." He repeated.

    Damian ced his hand on the grieving one''s shoulder, shaking his head, "Don''t do that. With the way the world is right now, if you me yourself for not being able to save someone, you''ll just end up doing that forever."

    "But, I should''ve¨CI should''ve been here," Finn said, finding the tears leaving abundantly as he tried not to imagine what his parent felt in such terrifyingst moments. "What kind of son am I?"

    "One that came here to look for his mother, even if it meant walking through hell," Damian told him. "Listen, Finn. Before I ran into you, there''s a lot of people I tried helping. I failed¨Ceach and every single time. Of course, I med myself, but I realized...if I kept doing that, I''d just stop trying."

    It was difficult to let the man''s words of reason determine how he felt, as the pain that welled up in his chest was not one so easily cast away. Perhaps it would never fade, though maybe that wasn''t such a bad thing.

    "Just hold onto that," Damian told him lightly. "I''m sure there''s people out there, still trying. The world only ends when we stop fighting. We just have to endure."

    Finn wiped his own tears, forcing an exhale as he straightened himself out, "Yeah."

    Onest look was taken at the house before they began to take their leave through the back entrance. As they walked through the decimated corridor, approaching the exit, Damian looked confused by something.

    "That fight was pretty loud, wasn''t it? Now that I think about it, I''m surprised we aren''t getting swarmed by goblins," Damian wondered.

    "Yeah, it is odd," Finn said, looking towards the back door as something caught his eye.

    Just outside, there was an odd shine; like sunlight, only of an emerald glow. The curious light brought both men to step back out of the house, looking up at the sky.

    ["<i>...At that moment, that''s when the second impact hit..."</i>]

    It was a sight that left both silent, entranced and bewildered by it; the ocean of the air waspletely consumed by a verdant radiance as if a star itself was colliding with the world.

    "What the hell is that?" Finn finally spoke, feeling all too small at what he saw as he stepped forward.

    Damian stood still as the des of grass danced at the stirring winds, "It''s just like when all of this started¨Cthat red glow. A second one?"

    The emerald impact shook the great expanse, founding winds that chanted across the surface. It was hard to tell if that all-epassing glow was bringing the end of the world, or something else.

    All they could do was stare, as was the same for those across the world that had survived thus far; the "Second Impact" was witnessed as the world''s crust rumbled in its wake.

    The air flexed, inducing a hum that pulsed through the world like a siren beckoning what arrived.

    As they watched it, the radiance amplified,pletely blinding them with its shine as all they could was close their eyes in that moment. It settled, though something else increased; the rumbling intensified.

    "Finn! Look!" Damian shouted.

    Opening his eyes, the young man witnessed what the shine brought. From the great blue yonder, they descended; colossal towers of marble came down, imnting into the world''s surface.

    In addition to the structures, vast chunks ofnd hung in the sky, of colorful, fantastical biomes, visible even from so far below.

    "What the hell are those?!" Damian asked,pletely perplexed by the sight.

    "Towers, floating inds¨Cthe world is changing," Finn realized, feeling his heart pumping with an increased rapidity.

    ["<i>The First Impact brought the monsters of fantasy to our world, bringing ruin and chaos to its streets. It was the Second Impact that changed the world on a more fundamental level¨Cthendscape was forever altered; towers descended, inds hung in the skies, dungeons permeated through the crust. </i>

    <i>The world we knew was gone, and on the first day, seventy percent of humanity with it</i>."]

 Chapter 9: The Way of The World

    <h4>Chapter 9: The Way of The World</h4>

    [Three Days Later]

    After the Second Impact, the two men continued moving through the city, taking rest in a now abandoned movie theater.

    Finn sat in the lobby, which was properly barricaded, only allowing a single entrance to be uncovered. Across therge room of red-and-yellow, retro carpets and walls of posters for movies that would''ve been currently showing, Damian was at the concession stand, snacking on popcorn that was stale by now.

    "Status," Finn said, checking on his current abilities as he ran his fingers through his messy, dark hair.

    [<i>Level: 10</i>] [750/5000]

    <Vitals: Healthy>

    <Magic: Healthy>

    Though it had been a few days since the start of the world-changing event, not much progress had been made in finding any other survivors. It almost felt like they werepletely alone in the city, though that seemed unlikely.

    "What''s the n for today?" Damian asked, munching on a bag of popcorn as he walked over.

    Finn exhaled as he sat up, looking around at the lobby of the lonely theater before staring at his friend, "I don''t want to sit around here any longer. We''re close to one now so...I think we need to check what those <i>towers </i>are about."

    "I was thinking the same. Those things have been bugging me¨Cthey came down with the <i>Second Impact</i>," Damian remarked.

    There were still too many questions about the nature of what was happening. Even fundamental aspects about the systems bestowed to them, like the "Anarch Coins" that dropped from monsters; Finn was still perplexed as to their purpose.

    After finishing up their morning snack, the two men made their way out, going through a side exit of the theater that led into an alleyway. As he led the way into the main street, Finn couldn''t get over the sight of the cityscape even after the first few days:

    The streets were cracked, blooming from tall grass; moss and vines clung to the deteriorating buildings as even some trees began to grow between the cracks in the asphalt.

    "Nature is reiming it, eh?" Damian said, leaning his axe against his shoulder.

    "I wouldn''t say that. I think whatever is responsible for everything is iming it," Finn said.

    It was simply unnatural the rate that the cityscape was overrun with the growth of nature. He could only pin it to the <i>Second Impact. </i>

    The quiet ruins of the city housed too many monsters to keep track of. While it was almost peaceful, both men knew it was otherwise. The only reason it ran quiet was the fact that there was nothing left for the monsters to ughter.

    At least, the smart ones that remained hid themselves from such a fate.

    "Think we''ll find someone today?" Damian asked, scratching his chin as a light beard had begun to grow in.

    "Dunno. I hope so," Finn answered.

    "Me too," Damian said quietly.

    Though he only knew the person for a few days, he felt he understood what kind of person Damian was well. It wasn''t a difficult thing, seeing as Damian was an open book who wore his emotions on his sleeve.

    <i>''I can tell, he wants to help people. He''s talked about how many he failed to save so often, that at this point he''s probably praying just to save one. I get it. I''m not some kind of hero, but it''d be nice to find another person in this hell,'' </i>Finn thought to himself.

    In the near distance, the sight of one of the enigmatic towers loomed; it reached past the clouds, seeming to be endlessly tall.

    Finn watched it as he marched towards it, not knowing what to expect from it.

    "Not many monsters on the streettely, huh? It''s weird we can just walk around in the open like this," Damian remarked, looking around at the deste area.

    "The first day was like a raid on us. After that, I imagine they''ve all taken homes of their own," Finn answered. "I''ll hear if anything approaches, though."

    "The senses of an assassin sure are convenient, aren''t they?" Damian yfully remarked.

    While crossing an intersection, a ravine was found left in the street, separating the roadways. It looked as though a de far toorge left a gash in the world.

    "What do you think caused this?" Damian asked, staring at the ravine as he kicked a pebble into its depths.

    "I don''t really wanna think about whatever is capable of that," Finn answered, ncing down as the small rock seemed to fall for ten seconds before itsnding echoed.

    There were a few more blocks until reaching the structure, though something brought him to a stop in the middle of the ruinous street.

    "What''s up?" Damian asked.

    For Finn, he picked up on a subtle, rhythmic sounding around the left turn of the uing block. The steps were heavy, and singr; that ruled out it being a goblin.

    "Something ising¨Clikely big," Finn said, manifesting his dagger into his grip.

    Damian already had his axe ready, pping the base against his hand with a bated breath, "I''m surprised it took this long to bump into something¨Calright, let''s do this."

    What arrived from around the corner, stomping into view, stood as tall as the out-of-order traffic lights. The gray-skinned giant used its hand to casually bend the pole that blocked its way, tearing it from the concrete as it stomped closer to the humans.

    "...Gruuu..." It exhaled, watching the two men with its singr eye as its seaweed-like hair hung over its face.

    Finn recognized it, though it didn''t need an introduction¨Ca cyclops¨Cthe fundamental, mostmon member of the giants.

    "That''s a big one," Damian remarked, readying himself as he rolled his shoulders to warm up.

    "Scared?" Finn asked.

    "Kind of," Damian answered truthfully. "You?"

    "A bit, yeah," Finn replied with the truth as well.

    They stared down the colossus that stood between them and the street ahead. It at the very least seemed to recognize that they were fighters, seeing as it didn''t attack without a second thought.

    Instead, the cyclops stood there, lifting its tree-sized club up as it released bellowing roars as some kind of intimidating tactic.

    One look at a being of such scale would be enough to disperse any idea of fighting it, though Finn wielded a different perspective now; he was stronger and ready.

    "I''ll bring it down for you, so finish it off," Finn instructed, flipping his weapon between his fingers as he kept his emerald irises locked on the giant.

    "Gotcha. Make ''em fall," Damian said.

    Taking the initiative, Finn sprinted straight towards the cyclops, running across the cracked asphalt as he watched the oversized oaf begin to move in response. In ordance with its overwhelming size, the cyclops was just as overwhelmingly slow; the agility of the assassin allowed him to move with superhuman speed, easily avoiding its swing.

    The club collided with the asphalt, striking the street with enough force to further crack it, though doing little more than put a hole in the road.

    Finn felt the vibrations of the mighty m, even though he steered well clear of being hit directly. He sprinted straight for the cyclops'' legs,ing upon its right foot¨C

    <i>''There,'' </i>he watched, looking behind its ankle.

    ["<i>Tendon Slice</i>"] [1:59]

    A quick sh of his dagger against its achilles provided a devastating effect,pletely severing its pivotal point.

    "Grruuu¨C!?" The cyclops let out, beginning to lose its bnce.

    As it began to stumble, causing the street to rumble beneath its weight, Damian backed up, finding its shadow cast over him.

    "Woah, woah¨Cdon''t fall on me!" Damian called out.

    From behind the falling cyclops, Finn yelled to hispanion, "Use your skill!"

    "--Oh, right!" Damian remembered, sucking in arge breath.

    ["<i>Aura of The Strong</i>"] [9:59]

    The skill wasmanded through a massive exhale and a m of the warrior''s foot upon the street, producing a shock wave that rippled forward. It was powerful enough to move the nearest, wrecked cars, even off-setting the stumbling cyclops as it instead began to fall backward.

    Finn, from across the street, felt the winds brought upon by his partner''s skill as his hair was brushed, finding the cyclops now in his range to finish off instead.

    <i>''Alright¨CI can''t miss,'' </i>he thought, focusing his vision on its neck.

    As he made sure his sight was lined up on that specific vital spot, he sprung forth, vanishing from the spot he stood¨C

    [<i>"Blink sh</i>"] [2:59]

    In an instant, he reappeared multiple meters in the air, at level with the giant''s throat as he swept his dagger forth in the very same instant. It was a near instantaneous attack, leaving the cyclops utterly confused as its neck was slit before it copsed onto the street.

    Finnnded on his feet with an exhale, brushing his hair up, "Got it."

    ["<i>Cyclops defeated</i>."] [<i>"Anarch Coin x20 obtained</i>."]

    [<i>Experience points: </i>+750] [1500/5000]

    [Assimted<i> ability from [Cyclops]: </i>"<i>Commanding Stomp</i>" 1 / 5]

    <i>''A new power to use¨Cthat could be useful,'' </i>he took note of before looking at hispanion.

    Damian wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead with a smile before putting his fist forward in a gesture, "Nice one!"

    Finn bumped his fist against hispanion''s own with a small smile, "Yeah, you too. It''s good to know we can handle a cyclops fairly easily now."

    "Isn''t it? Man, I feel strong!" Damian boasted with a yful attitude.

    "Let''s hope you feel that way when we get into that tower," Finn said.

 Chapter 10: The Tower

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Tower</h4>

    It was only a few blocks down that they arrived before the mysterious structure.

    Finn stood at the edge of a perfect crater that led down to the base of the cloud-reaching tower. It seemed to havepletely eliminated whatid there before; any cars or asphalt, even previous buildings.

    "Woah, do you feel that?" Damian asked.

    "Yeah," Finn responded.

    Around the crater, there was a subtle fluctuation to the wind, like a heatwave distant in the summertime.

    He carefully descended into the bowl imposed in the middle of the city, looking towards the base of the enigmatic structure.

    The tower of pearlescent marble presented an entrance that was hardly weing. Just staring at that ominous entrance sent a shiver down his spine.

    "Are we doing this?" Damian asked, seeming somewhat hesitant about entering the structure.

    "We should at least scout it out, right? If it seems too dangerous, we''ll just leave," Finn suggested.

    "Right, right...Yeah, we can do that," Damian obliged.

    The closer they came to the entrance, the more intense the fluctuations became; a once subtle hum was now intense right before the entrance.

    Finn looked into the opening of the tower, only seeing darkness at its forefront.

    "It''s dark in there, isn''t it?" Damian observed.

    "I think it''s a veil¡ªsomething like that," Finn said, stepping closer as he reached his hand towards the entrance.

    As he outstretched his hand, his fingers sank into the darkness as it rippled like a pool of water. It felt like a cold liquid, cool to the touch before¡ªit faded away.

    "Woah, look at that," Damian observed, leaning closer.

    As the darkyer vanished from the tall entrance, what presented itself was a pristine interior of exuberant, marble tiles. Finn led the way in with cautious steps, stepping through the threshold as upon entering, there was an immediate sensation noticed.

    The wind felt slightly colder inside, and the humming from around the crater waspletely gone, reced by silence within the mysterious structure. Along thevish walls were paintings of colorful sceneries and vibrant figures; heroes among monsters, gods among beasts.

    In the center of it all, there was a single, spiraling staircase that led up to another level of the tower.

    "This ce...it''s out of this world," Damian remarked, looking around.

    As he stood there, Finn felt that observation from hispanion firsthand; there was something different about the air within the tower. There was a light scent of candle wax, though no such objects in sight.

    "Should we go up?" Damian asked.

    "Yeah," Finn said, taking the initial first step on the staircase. "Let''s just see what this ce is about."

    He could tell that the warrior was somewhat hesitant about delving further into the odd structure, not that he could me him. There was something unnerving about it, yet he found himself curious about what it held.

    <i>''Above all else right now, the most important thing is bing stronger. If you can''t level up, you''ll just be killed¨Cthat''s how the world is now,'' </i>he thought.

    At the summit of the staircase, he stepped onto a new floor with Damian right behind him, discovering what awaited. It was a chamber that housed a countertop on the other end of the room, and a door beside it that led deeper into the structure.

    "What''s this about?" Damian asked.

    "Dunno," Finn responded, stepping over towards the mysterious counter.

    Atop the velvet-draped table that was closed off like that of a vendor, he found a golden bell. He pressed his index finger against it lightly¨C<i>DING. </i>

    As soon as the chime of the bell echoed, a small plume of fragrant smoke appeared behind the counter. It gave way to a figure, though non-human.

    What manifested was a bipedal figure dressed in loose, white-and-purple robes. Of sleek, red skin covered with ck polka dots, it had a bulbous head resembling that of a squid, yet the physique of a human man.

    "Woah¡ª" Damian reacted, backing up.

    Finn remained in the spot he stood, knowing that what stood behind the counter was not an enemy.

    "Wee to the <i>Bazaar</i>, travelers," the inhuman shopkeeper spoke with a sophisticated, but gravelly voice. "Interested in any wares?"

    "A shop?" Damian realized.

    An assortment of valuables appeared within the vendor: colorful sks containing concoctions of unknown purpose, weapons of mystical enchantments, and magical trinkets beyond this world.

    "This must be where we use those <i>Anarch Coins </i>that we''ve gotten from monsters," Finn presumed, putting his hand to his chin in thought.

    As he mentioned that, a prompt appeared in his view, disying his current amount of the currency:

    [<i>Anarch Coins: 140</i>]

    <i>''I see. So, this is where we use these coins...That''s great to know,'' </i>he thought, browsing the wares on disy.

    The inhuman shopkeeper stood there, watching, "Is there anything that catches your eye? Perhaps a particr weapon?"

    "Are there any healing potions?" Finn asked.

    It was the most fundamental aspect ofbat, primarily with the existence of magic and monsters: the ability to heal.

    The shopkeeper paused for a moment before answering, reaching behind the counter before a vial containing vibrant, golden liquid was retrieved, "There is the <i>Divine Ambrosia</i>, capable of healing all wounds upon consumption."

    "Something like that really exists? Gotta be some kind of snake oil, right?" Damian remarked.

    Finn asked another question to the inhuman merchant, "Is there a limit? Can it heal any wound? Like a disease, or even a lost limb?"

    "Oh, yes, <i>anything </i>considered a wound can be recovered with this potion," the shopkeeper assured him.

    "And the price?" Finn finally asked.

    "Three thousand <i>Anarch coins</i>," the red-skinned figure calmly answered.

    The steep price brought upon a reaction from both men, not expecting it to be quite that high.

    "Three thousand?!" Damian reacted.

    "...Together, we probably have just shy of three hundred. I guess it makes sense," Finn said. "They wouldn''t make it that easy."

    "Shit, yeah, you''re right. A world this damn messed up wouldn''t be nice enough to give us a discount," Damian exhaled sharply, ruffling his own hair.

    It seemed that most wares were out of their price range, even simple trinkets.

    The shopkeeperughed heartily at the young men''s indecision at the prices, "I take it you both are strapped for coins, yes?"

    "Yeah, can''t lie there," Finn confirmed."

    The squid-faced being pointed to the side towards the corridor that led deeper into the tower.

    "Venture into the <i>Tower</i>, if you''re confident enough in your abilities. You can find trinkets and jewels there, even weapons of magnificent power. I''ll buy whatever you don''t need, of course," the shopkeeper exined.

    "So, it''s a dungeon then? I guessed that much," Finn said, looking towards the corridor.

    The shopkeeper raised a finger as if remembering onest piece of information, "On the first floor, just above this one, there is a being named <i>Dysdaimon</i>¨Cquite the nefarious one. It is said he possesses a treasure box containing a <i>divine ambrosia</i>."

    "That''s the "boss", I''m guessing," Finn said, looking over at hispanion.

    Damian understood what was being asked by that one nce, letting out a sigh, "I mean, gotta try, right?"

    "Exactly," Finn responded.

    The decision led them down the corridor by the <i>Bazaar</i>. It was narrow, only sparsely lit by a pair of blue-med torches, guiding the curious men towards a single, small room.

    It housed only a simple staircase, leading upward to an unknown, higher level of the mysterious <i>Tower</i>.

    "Up we go, I suppose," Damian said.

    "Up we go, indeed," Finn confirmed, leading the way.

    Traversing the staircase led into what felt like a different realm entirely; a world apart from thevish interior of marble presented a peculiar dungeon of ivory walls and abnormal statues.

    "What the hell is this ce? This doesn''t make any sense," Damian remarked, looking around.

    Only seemingly connected by the shared stairwell, the jarring interior held apletely different atmosphere; a stench akin to that of bleach as well as rotted tissue.

    "It''s a dungeon. I imagine the <i>Tower </i>connects a lot of different sorts of these," Finn said, using some knowledge from Avalon.

    There were statues of humans in odd poses, looking frightened or outright screaming, as if frozen in the middle of fleeing. Each seemed made of different material; some of gold, others of a crimson mineral, and even those of steel.

    The floor itself was of tan tiles with a lightyer of ivory dust, though the true material was unknown to Finn even as he knelt over to touch it with his hands.

 Chapter 11: What Lurks In The Dungeon

    <h4>Chapter 11: What Lurks In The Dungeon</h4>

    "This ce is giving me the creeps," Damian remarked, stepping closer to a golden statue to inspect it, unnerved by the expression of the depicted woman who seemed to scream in silent anguish.

    It seemed to be a museum of sorts for the particr disys; an inhuman sort, as Finn had his own guess as to the origin of the statuesque figures.

    "These are probably real people," Finn presumed, staring at one of the statues. "If I had to guess."

    "Wait, seriously?" Damian said, backing up.

    "Yeah. Though I imagine it''s far toote to help them now," Finn admitted.

    "Shit...So, there were still survivors in the city when the <i>Second Impact </i>came, then..." Damian reluctantly realized, shaking his head.

    Finn ced a hand on the warrior''s shoulder, "There might still be someone in here, man. We need to at least check, right?"

    "Right," Damian agreed, clenching his fist as he looked at the statues of the unfortunate souls.

    The question remained on how those that entered the <i>Tower </i>had wound up in such a state, or rather, what had been capable ofmitting such an act. Of course, caution was the most important part of it all; Finn led the way with silent steps, traversing the long corridor of encased people.

    "--Stop," Finn instructed, putting his arm out.

    At the end of the room, he heard footsteps that were without any pattern, without rhythm,ing from where multiple passageways connected.

    Damian listened, not taking another step as he readied his axe, only listening in as well. Both men remained still, watching as whatever it was that made such sounds approached from the corridor.

    It sounded like metal dragging against the tiles, scraping with a sluggish pace.

    "That''s a..." Damian began to say, squinting as if having trouble deciphering it with his own eyes.

    The creature was a goblin, or at least, partially remained so; the green-skinned fiend''s skin had been mostly ovee with scales and crystalline growth like that of a fungus. Its scales that coated the majority of its body were partly gold and silver, with one of its arms leftrger than the other, ending in a gilded sword for a hand.

    "What is that? It''s a goblin, isn''t it? But, it''s..." Damian said.

    "It''s been transfigured," Finn answered, having trouble understanding it fully himself.

    The goblin slobbered, seeming only partially lucid as it groaned in pain, dragging its oversized sword hand across the ground with a limp. It seemed to be in an agonized existence, with its beady eyes not looking towards the men, but its body moving towards them.

    <i>''Its like it''s a drone...like its body is a host for something else, making it attack anything that enters this domain,'' </i>Finn observed in thought.

    As it approached, the initial move was taken by the assassin as he set his sights on the transfigured goblin¨C

    ["<i>Blink sh</i>"] [2:59]

    In an instant, he closed the distance while going for a quick finish by striking its throat, however¨C<i>CLANG</i>. He found his dagger bouncing right off of its neck, rejected by its jeweled scales.

    <i>''What?--It''s too hard,'' </i>Finn realized.

    As he now stood right in front of it, he found the groaning goblin hoisting up its massive sword arm, bringing it down towards him.

    [<i>"Phantom Retreat</i>"] [0:09]

    The quickly-released skill brought Finn a couple meters back, bing an ethereal shade for a split-second as he moved away from the range of the fiend''s counterattack. As the sword limb crashed into the tiles, it created a surprisingly powerful impact, cracking the ground despite the usual frailness of a goblin.

    "Damian!" Finn shouted to his partner.

    "Yup! On it!" The salt-and-pepper haired man yelled in response, already charging towards the creature with his axe ready.

    As Damian came within range to swing his weapon at the goblin, the fiend responded at the same time as the man''s axe shed with its sword-hand.

    "Woah¨Cthis thing is strong!" Damian struggled, finding himself instead pushed back as his boots slid against the tiles.

    A growl came from the transfigured goblin as the intense sh seem to trigger its physiology to alter; its muscles swelled and bulged unnaturally, bing more visibly agitated and rabid.

    Finn kept his distance, running to the right so he could iste his sight on the goblin, making sure hispanion was out of the way as he pointed his palm towards the now enraged goblin¨C

    <i>''Let''s try this,'' </i>he nned.

    ["<i>Crimson Shot</i>"] [Mana: -150] [300/450]

    The power plundered from the <i>Blood Kobold </i>manifested through a blood-red energy forming in front of his hand, condensing into a projectile that shot straight at the singr fiend. It crashed against the right shoulder of the goblin, causing its scales to crack and bleed as the fiend winced.

    <i>''That worked¨Cshit, I can''t use that one much though,'' </i>he thought, feeling his mana drain from the one use of the ability.

    It was enough to stagger the sturdy goblin, however, as the warrior closed in.

    Damian swung his axe from the side, infusing it with a monstrous burst of speed and power:

    ["Cleaving Arc"] [1:59]

    Through both the crystalline arm and midsection of the groaning fiend, Damian cut through in a single swing.

    "Got it! Hah...!" Damian imed with a sharp exhale, catching his breath.

    [<i>"Jeweled Goblin defeated</i>."] [<i>"Anarch Coin x20 obtained."</i>]

    [<i>Experience points: </i>+500] [1250/12500]

    There was nothing obtained from his <i>Assimtion System</i>, though he wasn''t surprised. It seemed to only im abilities from what he yed directly.

    "Good job. Didn''t think a goblin would ever be that big of a pain in the ass," Finn remarked, looking at what was left of the bisected fiend.

    "Amen to that," Damian agreed.

    After an encounter like that, both moved with a higher degree of care and caution deeper into the dungeon. The corridors within the ivory dungeon possessed an odd structure, as though carved by a giant drill with a spiral carve through the walls.

    "Man, should''ve brought some water," Damian breathed out.

    "You''re fine. I doubt an early dungeon like this will take that long," Finn assured him.

    It led into an expanded chamber; transparent cubes were suspended from the ceiling with encased creatures on disy.

    The dungeon felt like a twisted museum; beasts were kept dormant in the cubes, turned to inorganic material.

    "Creepy," Damian remarked, looking up at the abnormal sight.

    "Try not to focus on it too much. Stuff like this will only make you overthink things," Finn advised his partner.

    "Hard not to. I mean, look at that," Damian pointed out to one such disy just above them.

    The cube appeared to be a crystallized skeleton of a dragon, coated in sapphire growth.

    "It is creepy, I''ll give you that," Finn agreed at the sight of the encased beast.

    Just as the young man opted to move forward, the way deeper into the twisted museum was blocked by another entity.

    "Damian, something is¨C"

    As Finn called out to hispanion, he was immediately interrupted as something bolted towards him. It was only due to his own passive ability that he managed to react to it in time, moving his head every so slightly to the right just in time¨C

    ["<i>Enhanced Reflexes</i>"]

    Even still, the iing projectile slid against his cheek; a de of some sort, leaving a cut as it passed by.

    <i>''Shit¨Ca throwing knife?'' </i>He thought, touching his cheek as blood trickled down.

    Damian ran over, "Hey! What was that?! Are you good?!"

    "I''m fine," Finn assured him, looking towards the shadow-crept hall ahead.

    While he expected another attack perhaps toe, he instead heard footsteps move away from the room they were in, moving deeper into the dungeon.

    "It ran off. Think that was another one of those goblins?" Damian asked, readying his axe.

    "I don''t know. I have a feeling it''s not a monster at all, though," Finn answered.

    Before attempting to chase whatever lurked in the area, he turned back, finding the projectile that was originally aimed for his head. What he found stuck in the ivory wall was a pitch-ck, sleek de; a throwing knife.

    "That was what was thrown at you?" Damian asked.

    Finn nodded his head, "That''s not something used by a goblin. I don''t think there''s any monster that does. Only other people."

    "You''re saying...?" Damian lingered his question.

    "Yeah," Finn confirmed. "Somebody tried to kill me. Another survivor."

    The very idea of that seemed to conflict with the soft-hearted warrior, who rubbed his own face as if trying to help himself think. Of course, more than anything else, Damian hoped to find and help other survivors, but the concept of one out to kill others put a wedge in that.

    "Shit," Damian mumbled.

    "It could''ve been an ident," Finn said, looking at other possibilities. "Maybe they thought I was a monster, and after realizing I wasn''t, they ran off. I''d be shocked to see someone else at this point, too."

    "Yeah. That could be it. Let''s go after them¨Ctry and ask them, at least," Damian suggested.

    "We were going that way anyway, so sure," Finn agreed, though looking at the man. "Just keep in mind what the higher possibility is. If this person is malicious, then¨C"

    "I know," Damian said, not wanting to hear what would''vee next. "I know."

 Chapter 12: The Slayer

    <h4>Chapter 12: The yer</h4>

    With careful strides, both men delved into the light-deprived corridor. All that was heard were the echoes of Damian''s boorish footsteps, while Finn tried to focus on anything else, even the most subtle breathing, if he could.

    But, it was eerily quiet, even more ominously dark in the corridor as there was aplete absence of torches on the walls now. It went on for some time, through twists and turns of the dungeon, yet there were no signs of monsters, let alone another person.

    <i>''It''s too quiet,'' </i>Finn thought.

    Just as it crossed his mind, he noticed something while leading the way: a doorway at the end of the dark corridor, left slightly cracked, though with some light peeking out of it.

    "That''s..." Damian said hesitantly, following with an audible, nervous gulp.

    "Let''s go," Finn whispered, quietly approaching the doorway.

    As he stepped in front of the door, he kept his de readied, tightly gripping the handle. He slowly pushed against the doorway while quietly entering. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the low, blue light that was in the dim room.

    It was a chamber simr to that that disyed creatures encased in translucent cubes, though appearing much grand in scale with pirs of marble that ran perpendicr towards the end of the room.

    In Finn''s mind, this would unmistakably be their of the boss overseeing the dungeon, though something inside of him told him that wasn''t the case any longer.

    "See anything?" Damian asked quietly, walking in behind him with his axe ready to go.

    Finn focused on what he saw trailing up the silver carpet that ran along the ivory tiles; a path of blood led to quartz steps. At the end of it, he saw something that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand¨C

    "That''s him," Finn said.

    "What? Who¨C" Damian began to ask before assuredly noticing it himself.

    Slumped on the steps across thevish, dim chamber was another person, wearing a dark-ck uniform and a hood, wielding a pair of knives in their bloodied hands. It only took one look for Finn to recognize the man by his attire and weaponry; an assassin¨Cjust like him.

    "Wait, is that..." Damian realized.

    "That''s the one who threw that knife at me," Finn answered in a whisper, now even more wary as he leaned down somewhat, keeping his dagger ready. "Something got to him before we did."

    It was the state of the body that left Finn unnerved; a massive gash was left through their left shoulder down through their stomach, leaving them nearly split in two.

    "The Boss? You said there''s supposed to be a boss in a ce like this before, right?" Damian asked, looking around nervously with bated breath.

    "No, I don''t think so," Finn answered truthfully.

    As both men stood there, cautiously waiting for whatever was responsible for the death of the other, footsteps echoed against the marble interior.

    Finn watched as a shadow peeked from behind the pir nearest to the bloodstained steps before a figure revealed itself.

    "Was this your prey? Sorry, but he walked right in here¨Clike a fly into a spider''s webbing," a masculine voice spoke with an unnerving calm.

    An initial look left Finn wondering if the one he looked at was human or otherwise, though he realized a secondter that it was indeed a person. The confusion came from the man''s unnaturally pale skin, paired with ack of eyebrows, entuating his dted, pearly ck eyes.

    In addition, the stranger was tall and slender, wearing a long, white trench coat while carrying a foreign de far toorge to be normal.

    <i>''An ¨­dachi. That means this guy''s ss must be a "yer"--shit,'' </i>Finn recognized.

    The lengthy sword held in the strange man''s hand dripped with fresh blood, not taking much of an assumption as to who it came from.

    "What should we do here? This guy...he''s trouble," Damian whispered to the assassin, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

    Finn didn''t answer right away, instead trying to discover whatever information he could as he squinted at the creepy man across the chamber.

    ["<i>Sleuth Status</i>"]

    [<i>...Assessing information about [???]...</i>]

    [<i>Name</i>: <i>Raven</i>]

    [<i>Age: ???</i>]

    [<i>Designated ss: yer</i>]

    [<i>Level: ???</i>]

    As Finn feared, he failed to gain any meaningful information through using ["<i>Sleuth Status</i>"], only discovering the name of the eerie figure.

    The slender man of long, straight hair of a ck shade grinned, staring straight at Finn as if sensing his sleuthing, "You just did something rather rude, didn''t you?" Raven used.

    There seemed to be apleteck of fear from the man wielding the de that dripped with blood, facing both of them with a calm smile perched on his lips. Yet, even as calm as he seemed, both Finn and Damian felt that there was nothing but malice oozing off of the stranger.

    "Did you hide your status on purpose?" Finn asked, wiping the sweat from his chin as he could hear his heart beating in his ears.

    Raven seemed amused by the question, scratching behind his ear without a trace of concern as he answered, "I learned that cautious people tend to read my status when confronted. Once they see my level, they tend to flee¨Cthat''s no fun. So, I decided to hide it. Tell me, knowing that, will you try to run?"

    The yful words from the abnormally lengthy individual confirmed it for Finn; the intent was nothing less than homicidal.

    Damian seemed particrly upset by what was said, stepping closer as a fume of anger was wielded by the warrior, "--The way you''re talking, it sounds like you''ve killed more than just one. In a situation like this, where people are dying left and right to these monsters, you''re doing something like that? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

    "It''s precisely because of a situation like this," Raven answered with a grin, lifting his eastern de as he pointed it towards the two. "Neither of you have realized, have you? The fastest way to level up, to be stronger¨Cit''s to kill others!"

    It was just an excuse; both Finn and Damian saw straight through those words. Perhaps there was some truth to it, but there was no mistaking that twisted expression contorted on the killer''s face¨C

    <i>''He enjoys it¨Cas simple as that; this guy is aplete lunatic,'' </i>Finn thought.

    <i>''A real piece of shit,'' </i>Damian thought.

 Chapter 13: A Taste of Malice

    <h4>Chapter 13: A Taste of Malice</h4>

    Feeling that indiscriminate bloodlusting from the warped smile on the man''s face, Finn took a step back, carefully moving away.

    "Damian," Finn whispered. "Our best move is to retreat. This guy¨Che''s way above our level."

    "Fuck that!" Damian shouted, rejecting the perhaps more cowardly, but tactical choice, gritting his teeth in sheer anger. "This son of a bitch needs to¨C!"

    Amidst their sh of approaches to the situation, both were interrupted by the sudden presence of the slender figure. The length of the chamber was likely around sixty meters, yet crossed in an instant by the long-haired, twisted grinner.

    In that moment, all Damian was capable of doing was raising his axe as ast ditch shield¨C<i>SQUELCH. </i>A sh came down with ruthless speed and force, slicing right into the warrior''s chest.

    Only a small part was blocked by the axe itself, leaving a massive gash on Damian''s torso as the once sturdy man stumbled back.

    Raven relished the sight of the warrior bleeding so abundantly onto the floor, so much as to drag his finger along his blood-coated de, "You''re tough for your level, but meat is meat."

    "Damian!--Shit!" Finn shouted, quickly moving in.

    The assassin was left with no choice but to get between hispanion and the malicious stranger. Stepping up to the yer-ss figure, that daunting physique felt much different up close.

    Raven stood more than a head taller than him, possessing ankiness of a seven footer while grinning down at the assassin.

    As Finn closed in with a swing of his dagger aimed to disembowel for the bloodthirsty one, the swift sh missed as Raven nimbly slid back. He didn''t let up, continued to desperately sh at the man, though was easily evaded.

    Raven taunted him while moving backward, "Are you trying to hit me? You seem to be really mad at the wind!"

    Amidst his reckless assault, Finn stepped even closer, having to bend his knees before springing up as he shed towards the man''s throat¨C

    ["<i>Assassin''s Strike</i>"] [2:29]

    "Oh?" Raven reacted, leaning back as the de missed by a mere hair.

    Though the killing skill missed, at the very least, Finn found that the eerie man seemed more hesitant to so casually let him within range, giving him some distance.

    "You''ve realized your predicament by now, haven''t you?" Raven asked with a sly smile.

    Finn didn''t answer, instead thinking to himself as he rubbed the sweat off of his chin, catching his breath.

    <i>''I can''t use my skills recklessly. The cooldowns, my mana, that''s all vital, but even more...I can''t reveal my hand without a second thought. The only advantage I have is catching him off-guard with my abilities the first time,'' </i>Finn nned.

    Raven continued to talk without an answer, "Your friend there is mortally wounded. He won''t die, right away, but he certainly is in no shope to run away now. That leaves his life in your hands, Mr. Assassin."

    "--" Finn remained silent, staying ready as he kept his dagger raised, keeping his eyes on the yer.

    "I''m sure you could flee if you tried to, but that''d be the very same as plunging your dagger into your friend''s neck, wouldn''t it? You''re not that heartless, are you, Finn?" Raven asked in a yful tone.

    At that moment, the assassin realized what the long-limbed man knew, ''<i>Shit, he used Sleuth on me¨Che knows my level now,'' </i>Finn thought.

    The tables had been turned; now the killer was on the offensive as he felt a chill run down his spin at the sight of that sinister smile closing the gap.

    ["<i>Phantom Flow</i>"]

    A shroud of darkness manifested beneath his feet like a stream of water following his boots, allowing him to slide back swiftly. Just as he moved back, Raven had shed at the spot he once stood.

    A ringing filled Finn''s ears; the wind split before he perceived what happened.

    The monstrous attack rained down on the ivory tile with a thunderous impact, slicing through the floor and ceiling in one swing. It was a skill meant for eviscerating beasts that dwarfed those of Earth, yet the twisted yer used it for hunting others:

    ["<i>Grandiose Splitter</i>"]

    A gash was left in the tiles and through the ceiling, stretching multiple meters as a light rain of debris trickled down.

    <i>''--If that hit, I''d be dead,'' </i>Finn realized, sweating just at the sight of the damage dealt to the dungeon.

    There was no time to feel astonished as he was once again approached by thenky yer. Seeing that the smiling figure was already beginning to swing his de, Finn ducked down just as it swept through the air.

    He watched as it passed overhead, feeling the sharp winde off of it, brushing his hair before he jumped back to his feet. With a quick first step, he aimed to close the distance between them, however¨C

    <i>''Shit,'' </i>Finn thought, finding himself immediately having to lean back while moving away as the oversized de narrowly missed his abdomen.

    Any attempt to close the gap was met with that sword keeping him at bay; it was moved swiftly, intercepting his movements entirely as he was kept on the backfoot.

    A quick pivot to the right; he ran behind one of the pirs, using it as a cover as he then dashed in towards Raven''s blindspot.

    "That''s not happening," the long-haired man spoke yfully.

    A swing of the odachi once more created an impassable edge of death that prevented Finn from getting closer, having to roll back as the de took a few hairs off his head.

    <i>''It''s not just the length of that de...It''s this guy''s ridiculous wingspan. With a dagger, the difference in reach is too much. He knows that--he''s keeping me away,'' </i>Finn analyzed.

    The odachi itself was as long as his body, and the reach of the pale-skinned yer possessing the same extraordinary length; it was as if he faced a gic mutant.

    As he nced back, the sight of his friend slumped against the wall, coated in blood with eyes that looked like they were struggling to stay open filled him with urgency.

    <i>''I have to win¨CI have to kill the person in front of me. Can I do that?'' </i>Finn questioned.

    It was beginning to feel like an impossible ask of himself, though there was no other choice, even as hard as he racked his brain for some other way.

    Raven still held his calm smile, pointing his de towards the assassin as if challenging him, "Come on. I''m waiting."

 Chapter 14: The Spider and The Fly

    <h4>Chapter 14: The Spider and The Fly</h4>

    Rather than epting a contest of certain death directly, Finn stepped back, allowing himself to vanish from sight silently as if sinking into a veil of shadows:

    ["<i>Hollow Disengage</i>"] [4:59]

    He became unseen and unheard, giving him space from the overwhelming opponent before him.

    Raven stood in the same spot, looking to the side, "The abilities of an <i>assassin </i>are quite interesting. Do you believe hiding in the darkness will give you a chance?"

    Staying behind the pirs, the silent assassin stayed hidden, waiting for an opening, pondering what his move was as he watched the yer. Finn kept his dagger ready, setting his sights on the throat of his enemy.

    What brought pause to him wasn''t just finding an opening, but if he couldmit to taking another life; it was different from ying monsters, even if he tried to rationalize the man before him as one himself.

    Raven pointed his sword towards the slumped over, bloodied man across the room, addressing the skulking assassin outloud, "I''ll make this easier for you! If you don''t show yourself on the count of five, I''m going to turn him into mincemeat."

    The threat seemed like a promise with that twisted grin painted on Raven''s lips, seeming to want the assassin to remain hidden so he couldmit such an act.

    Damian coughed up, struggling even to speak as he responded, picking himself off the ground, "Just try it...! Don''t listen to this psycho, Finn! Take your time!"

    "Still have some fight left?" Raven said with a delighted look at the bloodied warrior. "That''s good! Let''s have some fun the¨C"

    Just as the yer shifted his focus to the idea of shing with the wounded man, that distraction was recognized by the lurking assassin. From the shadows, Finn emerged with his sights set on a killing strike¨C

    ["<i>Blink sh</i>"] [2:59]

    In that singr instant, in a flicker between milliseconds, Finn appeared, passing in front of the yer as he brought his de to his neck.

    For the first time, true urgency shone in the beady, ck eyes of Raven as that dagger bore its sharpness to his throat. The de connected, dragging along the skin, however, the superb reflexes of the yer allowed him to lean back just enough in time.

    In that fleeting moment, Finn felt theck of resistance against his de before hended, rolling across the ground before flipping onto his feet.

    [0.5 second(s)]

    ¨CThat was the time that psed from ["<i>Blink sh</i>"] being triggered and the assassin now looking towards his enemy.

    <i>''Shit! All I did was graze him¨Cfuck,'' </i>Finn thought, wiping the sweat off his cheek with sheer focus in his eyes.

    Raven stood there, exhaling with a sense of relief as he touched his neck with his own fingers as a lightyer of blood dripped down onto his chest, "That was close. Even at the level you''re at, you almost sliced my throat right open."

    Between his index finger and thumb, thenky man rubbed his own blood with a smallugh as if enjoying the situation.

    <i>''This guy is insane. Somebody like this...I can''t hesitate,'' </i>Finn convinced himself.

    Raven looked towards him, "My turn."

    A chill once more trickled down the spine of the assassin as he raised his dagger by mere instinct. He didn''t lift it to attack, rather as a small shield in front of himself as a blur confronted him¨C<i>CLANG</i>.

    ["<i>Orcish Boost</i>"] [4:59]

    It was by the reflex of his own body, summoning whatever strength it could that the ability plundered from orcs was activated. He pressed his boots down and flexed his body as he found the massive sword of the yer pressed against his dagger.

    "You defended against it," Raven observed, hiding a smile behind his ckened de. "Good. Make it fun."

    It took a moment for Finn to even realize what had happened, finding himself still being pushed back even with the momentary influx of strength. His boots slid back, giving up ground as the overwhelming superiority in level was pushed against him.

    <i>''Shit¨Cit''s like a truck is pushing against me,'' </i>he thought.

    All he could do was stumble back as the des bounced off one another, causing sparks to flutter in the air of the ivory chamber.

    Before another assault coulde, Finn acted quickly, raising his boot before mming it down:

    ["<i>Commanding Stomp</i>"] [4:59]

    The plundered skill from a cyclops made the action emit a powerful shock wave through the ground, pushing directly against the yer.

    "Oh?" Raven remarked, seeming more interested than worried as he was pushed back.

    ["<i>Scamper</i>"] [0:59]

    With a low posture, the assassin closed the gap with only a few, quick steps; an ability stolen from the agility of goblins. He used the momentary stun of the yer to get in close, attacking from the right as the odachi wielded by Raven was held in his left hand, lowered.

    <i>''From here, he won''t be able to attack if I''m already close¨Cthere''s no room to,'' </i>Finn thought.

    Yet, even then, a smile stretched on the lips of the man who hunted others.

    "<i>Replication</i>."

    The singr word spoken in a chant by Raven was followed by a feeling of dread that washed over the assassin, who by all means perceived himself as wielding the advantage in that moment.

    As Finn came close, already aiming his sights on striking the man''s heart, his instincts screamed at him to do otherwise.

    ["<i>Phantom Flow</i>"]

    In order to reverse his own momentum seamlessly, he conjured the riptide of shadows beneath his feet, sliding back just as the wind hissed¨C

    "Ah, you''re good," Ravenplimented with a haunting exhale.

    It was by merely an inch that Finn found his innards still kept within his body as he nced down, finding his shirt sliced and a light cut etched across his stomach. As he looked at the yer, he discovered what happened¨Canother de had appeared in his right hand.

    <i>''Two swords? Where the hell did that onee from?'' </i>Finn questioned.

    Going off of the knowledge he had of <i>Avalon</i>, he knew that summoning two weapons at the same time was impossible except for specific sses; yer was not one of those sses.

    The delighted smirk perched on Raven''s lips read that confusion present on the assassin''s face as the twin odachis were held up, "You possess something like this too, don''t you? A <i>system</i>."

    It was a possibility that hadn''t crossed the mind of Finn until that moment; the concept he believed to be unique to him¨Cof course, that wasn''t the case.

    <i>''A system? Like my Assimtion system? It''s not the same one, I think¨Cit''s something else,'' </i>Finn thought.

    Remembering what he heard the man chant, that singr word¨C"<i>Replication</i>"--and the twin odachi now in Raven''s right hand, that dripped with the exact same spige of blood.

    "You can replicate things," Finn guessed.

    "Such an agile mind," Raven replied. "You''d have survived this new world. If only you didn''t wander into my web, little fly."

    Even knowing the true nature of the feat performed by the killer hardly felt like it made any difference in Finn''s mind. When staring at those twin swords, it felt like the very idea of stepping within the yer''s range was a task of suicide.

    Raven took an unorthodox stance, crossing his arms as his des pointed behind him like a pair of visceral wings, crouching with his slender legs, "--The spider ising to im the meal its ensnared, little fly."

    It felt like there was no way to evade or defend himself against what was about toe, not underestimating the sheer difference in physical capabilities between himself and the yer.

    Before Finn could think of a solution, the dual-wielder sprung towards him with malicious ferocity.

    <i>''Shit¨C'' </i>Finn thought.

    "Bolster! Bolster! Bolster!"

    The assassin was surprised to find the vicious charge of his enemy intercepted by a familiar presence.

    Damian got between them, shouting out words that teetered the line between purposeful and sheer motivation, "Be like steel...! Unbreakable!"

    ["<i>Bolster</i>"]

    ["<i>Ironlike</i>"]

    "Oh?--" Raven let out in surprise.

    Somehow, the warrior managed to defend against the double strike of the yer, using his axe as a defense. Still, it wasn''t aplete mitigation¨Ca pair of lightcerations cut onto Damian''s already bloodied torso, though not enough to make the man of iron grit falter.

    "Damian?!" Finn called out.

    "I''m good! I just...needed some time to stop the bleeding!" Damian assured the man.

    Though it just sounded like words of bravado at first, Finn confirmed with his own eyes that the initial sh that his friend suffered was no longer bleeding. It wasn''t through some kind of magical regeneration, but something even more bizarre¨C

    <i>''This guy¨Che clenched the muscles in his chest to stop the bleeding?! Even for a warrior, that''s just in insane,'' </i>Finn realized.

    "A real freak of nature, aren''t you?" Raven remarked with a smile, pulling away.

    Damian coughed up, catching his breath, "I don''t want to hear that from you! You damn spider!"

    Augh reeled in from the yer, who raised his right hand as the replicated odachi was relinquished to ck dust, "I did not expect this to turn into two-versus-one. It''s nothing I can''t make up for,though."

    Those remarks from Raven unnerved Finn, who stood side-to-side with hispanion, taking note of what was just said.

    "He''s probably about to do something pretty bad. Got my back?" Finn asked.

    "''Course. You don''t have to ask me that," Damian said, locked in and focused as he slicked his own hair back with his bloodied hand.

 Chapter 15: Birds Of A Feather, Part One

    <h4>Chapter 15: Birds Of A Feather, Part One</h4>

    Both men watched as thenky individual stood between two, marble pirs, cing his free hand against his own chest, uttering that ursed word again¨C

    "<i>Replication</i>."

    Emerging from the pale man was a mass of darkness, molding itself into the very same shape of himself; the mystical substance didn''t just mimic his shape, but morphed into his very appearance.

    "That looks concerning," Damian said.

    "Putting it lightly there," Finn replied.

    de and all, with the very same stance, Raven stood side-by-side with a picture-perfect copy of himself.

    "D<i>oppelg?nger</i>," the original spoke with a sly smile, caressing the copy''s cheek with his hand, showing all too much closeness.

    The duplicated yer spoke, holding the very same, eerie smirk, "I am no mere fake; as perfect as the original."

    It was far too creepy for Finn, not liking the way both versions of Raven interacted with one another, though his ownfort was hardly a pressing issue. What was more urgent was that both renditions of the yer raised their des, with the original pointing at Damian and the copy setting its sights on Finn.

    "Can you handle this?" Finn whispered to the warrior.

    Damian nodded, "Can you?"

    "We''ll see," Finn replied with a quick exhale.

    In unison with the very same form, Raven and his replicated self dashed towards the two men. At the same time, the wind shifted around both versions of the yer, bringing a realization to Finn.

    <i>''Wait, even the replica can do that¡ª?'' </i>He thought.

    ["<i>Aero Bore"</i>]

    Both Raven and his copy suddenly burst forth with a shroud of wind swirling around them. The yer-ss skill was one Finn recognized; a propulsion of elemental air to create a boost of speed.

    [<i>"Phantom Flow"</i>]

    Finn found himself having to lean back while sliding away, not relying on his reflexes but his foresight. As predicted, the de of the replica passed right over his view.

    It was only a passing nce, though he saw hispanion wasn''t so nimble, having to guard against the sh that came his way with his axe.

    He couldn''t afford to spare any attention to his friend, however, as he had to spin to the side using the slide of shadows beneath his boots as the false yer''s de aimed for his flesh.

    ["<i>Bestial Evisceration</i>"]

    The D<i>oppelg?nger</i>''s de produced a three-fold sh, replicating the ws of an ethereal beast as crimson marks rent the wind. Finn used his slippery shadows to quickly bring his feet together, making himself as small as possible as he dodged between the tri-fold attack.

    "<i>Replicate</i>," the D<i>oppelg?nger </i>coldly said.

    The blood in his veins ran cold as only for a split-second, Finn''s mind predicted what wasing from that invocation¨C<i>SQUELCH</i>.

    "Ngh!--"

    Before he could so much as take another step, the shes that had missed doubled; Finn felt one carve across his chest while another ripped into his shoulder. He stumbled back as blood spilled from his chest, leaving his shirt falling off his torso as it was left in tatters.

    "Finn¨C!" Damian shouted from across the room, trying to run over before being intercepted by the version of the yer he fought.

    As he stood there with gashes left on his body, Finn could feel his own strength being sapped as blood oozed from his wounds. He stumbled a bit while just standing on his feet, finding the D<i>oppelg?nger </i>smiling, seeming to enjoy the state he was left in.

    <i>''Shit...got me good. He can even replicate his own skills? That''s unfair,'' </i>Finn thought.

    Feeling pieces of his own skin hanging by a mere thread as he bled so abundantly like a skewered pomegranate, he looked down at his hands as his scarlet essence ran down his arms.

    It was hard to move his left shoulder as it had been sliced into it, feeling the joints grind against each other; even breathing hurt as the gash on his chest slightly expanded each time he exhaled.

    Another sh came before he could steady himself. The de swept across his face, from his eyebrow and across his nose, nearly reaching his lip.

    <i>''I can''t¨C'' </i>He thought.

    By sheer instinct, he tried to close the distance, dashing into range, however¨C

    He was too slow. The duplicated yer sidestepped his dagger, responding by striking him in the side of the head with the bottom of his de.

    "Gah¨C"

    An audible "crack" resounded through his ears after suffering the blunt blow from one much stronger than himself. It must''ve split his head open, seeing as he found his legs wobbling and his consciousness flickering right after.

    It didn''t seem that the D<i>oppelg?nger </i>aimed to finish him with that one, instead toying with him as he copsed to his knees.

    ["<i>I don''t want to die</i>."]

    That simple desire swirled in him, bringing to the surface a different side of himself; a primal instinct, like that of a cornered animal backed into a corner. In that moment, everything seemed to be clear; prior thoughts or beliefs didn''t cloud his mind¨Cwhat he needed to do became obvious.

    That bestial instinct merged with a cold, calcting self; a unison of two sides of his mind to bring forth his will to live.

    Blood trickled down his face as the warmth enveloped him; bleeding into his own eye, he saw red, he tasted it as it slid onto his lips.

    "Three minutes have passed," Finn quietly remarked while knelt down.

    "Excuse me?" The D<i>oppelg?nger </i>asked with a raised eyebrow, not relinquishing his unmoving smile.

    Through his vision obscured by blood, the young man looked at the pale copy as he twitched a single finger¨C

    ["<i>Blink sh</i>"] [2:59]

    A spray of ck liquid released from the split throat of the D<i>oppelg?nger</i>, only just then reacting to the instantaneous move. Finn was already on his feet, standing behind the duplicate figure.

    "Ah...That''s how it is," the D<i>oppelg?nger </i>said calmly as the dark substance abundantly sprayed from its neck before dissolving into a tar-like substance.

    Finn wiped the blood from his eyes, though it hardly seemed to clear his vision up but for a moment as he continued leaking from the gash on his face. He found that the original had left his friend on the ground in a pool of blood.

    The yer lifted his stained odachi with a grateful smile, "Good. I was hoping my D<i>oppelg?nger</i> wouldn''t finish you. I like to leave that pleasure for myself." Raven said.

    An inexplicable calmness persisted within Finn, even in the egregious situation as his body was on the verge of shutting down and his friendid on the ground with a mortal wound through his stomach.

    Perhaps it was how much blood he had lost, inching closer to death itself as he experienced a warmth tofort the inevitability, or something else flipped a switch in his mind.

    Nheless, he knew what he had to do as the blood-drenched assassin raised his dagger¨C

    <i>''I need to kill him. That''s just how it is¨Cthere''s nothing wrong with that,'' </i>Finn resolved.

    Raven held his sword-wielding hand up, "<i>Replicate</i>."

    Once more, a duplication of the sable odachi was called upon as the yer disyed his twin weapons with a gleeful expression.

    "You''re starting to understand it, aren''t you?" Raven asked with his arms spread. "If you want to survive in this world, you can''t just be unafraid to kill. Even if you''re prepared to do so as a "final option", making it secondary, that''s not enough."

    The spiel of the man who took such joy in the act of hunting others did not sound deceitful; it came as the most truthful, heartfelt words out of his throat¨Cthe true conviction of the killer.

    Raven locked his eyes on the bloodstained one with a smile, speaking to him soul-to-soul,

    "Everyone is a liar. Everyone is out to get you. Nobody is to be trusted. So, strike first. Kill. That''s your only option."

    Though the words of the yer hardly were taken with more than a grain of salt by the barely lucid assassin, they were followed urately as Finn took the initiative, running straight towards the killer.

    Raven weed the charge, readying his twin des, "You get it!"

    Unlistening as his ears rang, Finn took a note out of the fallen one he encountered earlier, swiping his hand forward in an unnatural act: the dagger he held was suddenly thrown straight towards the yer.

    It wasn''t a skill that Finn possessed, only being put to use by improvisation. Though he aimed for the man''s head, the unmastered technique still managed to catch Raven off-guard as the dagger struck him in the shoulder.

    "What?--" Raven reacted, seeming more surprised than hurt. "You threw away your weapon. Perhaps your brain was rattled too hard earlier."

    As the man paused for a moment, moving his hand towards the dagger that was stuck in his shoulder, Raven decided not to pull it out as the bloodied assassin was still charging straight at him.

    <i>''Has he lost it? What is he hoping to aplish without his weapon?'' </i>The thought crossed Raven''s mind.

 Chapter 16: Birds Of A Feather, Part Two

    <h4>Chapter 16: Birds Of A Feather, Part Two</h4>

    Finn sprinted without hesitation, reaching his hand out as he came within a few meters of the yer. There was no change in the look in Finn''s eyes, staying focused on the one in front of him.

    That was when Raven realized what the n was, blind to it just as the moment came¨C

    A familiar axe flew through the air before being caught in Finn''s hand, retrieved without so much as a word needing to be exchanged.

    "Get that crazy bastard¨Cgkk!" Damian shouted, coughing up blood as he sat himself up.

    Raven nced over in shock at the unorthodox disy of unison, "That''s¨Cwhat?!"

    As he approached the yer, Finn wielded the axe without any sort of experience with the heavy, two-handed weapon. The first thought in his head was how heavy it was, weighing on his shoulders just from keeping it raised.

    For the first time, the expression on Raven''s face changed to one more constricted with focus as he crossed his de before spinning himself around, "--You''ll still be turned to mincemeat all the same."

    ["<i>Scale-Rending destorm</i>"]

    The monster-hunting skill allowed thenky man to spin like a top, stirring up an eviscerating wind around himself.

    Yet¨C

    "Grk?!"

    Finn did not back away, instead pushing forward as hemitted to swinging the heavy axe. It managed to sh into the abdomen of the much taller figure, lodging itself in.

    Though it managed to intercept the human cyclone, it came at a price as the axe-wielding arm of the bloodied youth was sliced off. A storm of shallow slices scattered across Finn''s body as well, though no wound more pivotal than his left hand being taken away.

    Despite losing a precious limb, Finn''s expression remained irond with the resolve to win, not allowing the pain to slow him down as he controlled his own reaction.

    "I see! You get it, too, don''t you!?" Raven asked with a bloodied shout, holding a smile as heughed. "As long as you "level up", you''ll recover! So long as you don''t drop dead, you cane back! That goes for only one of us, though!"

    There was ack of care for having his own stomach sliced into by the axe as Ravenughed it off, relinquishing his copied sword. Even faced with such an overwhelming situation, left on the brink of meeting with the reaper,plete focus was present in those emerald eyes of the assassin.

    "That look in your eyes. You aren''t a "little fly", are you? No, you''re a spider just like me," Raven remarked. "Which one of us will sink our fangs in the other first?"

    Finn reached with his right, grabbing onto the handle of the weapon lodged in the yer''s abdomen. Just as he grabbed it, so did Raven touch his single arm.

    "I can do this with my <i>System</i>, too," the long-haired man spoke eerily. "<i>Replicate</i>."

    Before the axe could be retrieved, Finn watched as his right arm vanished from the elbow down. It was a sudden weight disappearing from his body, at the exact same cut-off as where his other was amputated from.

    [<i>"Phantom Flow</i>"]

    Still, Finn kept himself steady as he slid back, steadying his breath through a sharp exhale as he let the pain keep him lucid.

    "I''ve disarmed you, quite literally! What will you do now, you feral beast?!" Raven taunted him while charging right at him with a vicious fit ofughter, not slowed by the axe lodged in his gut.

    While sliding back on the wave of shadows, Finn lifted both of his arms, or rather, what was left of them as he pointed the bleeding ends at the one who chased him.

    So abundantly losing blood, that very oue was something that Finn burdened upon himself for a singr purpose; a gamble that had ced his life upon.

    ["<i>Crimson Shot</i>"] [Mana: -150] [150/450]

    The arterial fluid that painted his body peeled off, coalescing along with the blood that spewed from his arms. It condensed into one point as though his limbs were used as cannons, releasing all at once¨C

    In the view of the yer, what burrowed through the chamber was a pir of scarlet force, ripping forth with destructive intent.

    "Bang."

    An explosion of red expanded with a violent roar as the projectile collided with its target. The foundation of the dungeon trembled in the impact, leaving a cloud of crimson in its aftermath.

    ["<i>Raven Vand defeated</i>."] [<i>"Anarch Token x5000 obtained</i>."]

    [<i>Experience Points: +55,000</i>]

    [<i>Level fifteen reached!</i>] [500/12500]

    [Assimted<i> ability from [Raven Vand</i>]: "Replicate"]

    [Assimted<i> weapon from [Raven Vand]</i>: "Bloodstained Odachi"]

    [<i>New Skill(s) Obtained: </i>"Deadly irvoyance" | "Spider Bite" | "Gale Blessing" | "Impostor"]

    Just as his consciousness flickered with the abundance of abilities bestowed upon him, strength returned to him as a warmth radiated throughout his body. He looked down at the bleeding nubs as an array of lights rebuilt his arms back to their original form seamlessly.

    "I''m safe," Finn remarked quietly, finding the wounds across his body closing.

    He made his way over to his slumped-overpanion, who was fortunately still breathing¨Ca good sign.

    "Are you good, Damian?" Finn asked, reaching a hand down.

    Coughing up a bit, the man of salt-and-pepper hair exhaled before wearing a smile, epting the helping hand as he was brought to his feet, "--Better than ever."

    The experience was shared between them as there was no doubt that Damian had leveled up quite a bit himself, going by the fact his wounds were all healed up.

    "You pulled it off," Damian said, looking over at the red-painted area of impact at the other end of the chamber. "Seriously, you must be some kind of savant."

    "It was luck, mostly," Finn brushed off thepliment.

    "Forget that! You''re awesome," Damian said while slinging his arm around Finn''s shoulder.

    "Whatever, man," Finnughed a bit before softly pushing away.

    Though they managed to joke a little, it didn''t change the atmosphere around them; the haunting encounter they had barely managed to scrape through.

    As they ventured further into the chamber finally, the corpse of the one who fell before them still invoked a feeling of dread.

    Damian looked on the verge of tears, thoughposed himself, "Was that guy right about what he said? Is this really the kind of world we live in now?"

    The question brought Finn to a pause for a moment. Though his initial instinct was to reassure hispanion, a part of him did believe in the world''s change. It was too far gone already, perhaps impossible to return to what it once was.

    But, he did not say that.

    "We just have to keep enduring," Finn told his friend.

    For Finn himself, however, getting a taste of the dance of life and death served conflicting feelings to him; fear, yes, but perhaps some excitement as well. Nheless, he decided to bury such troublesome thoughts, focusing on what mattered now.

    Damian looked around, "Isn''t there supposed to be some kind of "boss" in a ce like this?"

    "I think <i>Raven </i>already killed it," Finn answered.

    "Oh, I see. You''re probably right," Damian responded.

    The steps at the end of the room led up to a small tform, which was now painted and burned with theplexion of blood and smoke. It was only whening across what looked to be the remnants of Raven, a charred and obliterated corpse, did both mene to a realization.

    "My axe..." Damian said.

    "My dagger," Finn added. "Damn, I didn''t think they''d get destroyed in that st, but I wasn''t really considering that."

    "Well, it was worth it. That guy was going to kill us otherwise," Damian remarked. "Right?"

    "Yeah. It had to be done. Still, we have a lot of <i>Anarch Coins </i>now, so we can buy new gear finally," Finn said, looking down at the unrecognizable body left on the ground.

    An oddugh came from Damian, sounding like a mix between a chuckle and a sob. As Finn looked over, he found the man with an expression between a smile and tears, holding his own face in his hand.

    "This is just too messed up. Talking so casually after killing somebody¨Clooking at their body like this. Just a few minutes ago, we were damn near in pieces...You had no arms!" Damian remarked, trying topose himself. "What is wrong with this world, Finn?"

    "I don''t know," Finn calmly responded, questioning that himself. "Just the way it is now."

    "I just can''t understand how you''re so calm about this," Damian said, steadying himself as he breathed out. "Maybe I''m just slow on the uptake."

    "No, you''re the normal one here. I''m just...Anyway,e on. There should be something back there," Finn pointed out behind the tform, leading to an isted room.

 Chapter 17: Anarch Shop

    <h4>Chapter 17: Anarch Shop</h4>

    It was behind the chamber of pirs and bloodied steps that a small section was found; a round-built room housing a single, wooden chest within it.

    A "treasure room"¡ªa ce at the end of dungeons where the main rewards were to be found. It was a concept Finn was familiar with from the games he yed.

    Walls of blue, chalk-like material made up the section, with essories that resembled stars and mechanical, celestial bodies hanging from the ceiling.

    "Look at this ce. It''s...interesting," Damian said, looking up as he tapped his finger against a dangling ornament.

    "Doesn''t look like Raven came back here before we arrived," Finn pointed out, noticing the chest was still kept shut.

    The container made of wood was covered with carvings, painted over with a cerulean substance. On the front was an ornament in the shape of a ruby moon.

    Finn knelt in front of it, running his hands over the smooth surface, "Alright, ready?"

    "C''mon! Stop with all the suspense, I can''t take it!" Damian impatiently said,

    It took a bit of elbow grease to lift the lid of the chest open. Just as it was brought up, a wave of blue dust breathed out from the inside.

    "Hff¡ª" Finn coughed out, waving the invasive particles away.

    "Oh, man, that''s been closed awhile, hasn''t it?" Damian remarked, moving his hand as well.

    "That''s how it goes in dungeons like this," Finn said, reaching into the chest.

    There were some random jewels and such, which went straight into the pockets of the two. What was more important was what was discovered at the bottom of the chest¡ª

    "Jackpot," Finn imed, lifting what he grabbed from within it.

    A ss vial containing a bright, golden liquid inside of it. There was no doubt it contained mystical properties going by the glowing state of the substance.

    [<i>Divine Ambrosia</i>]

    "Careful¨CI mean, if that stuff can really heal any type of injury...It''s worth a million bucks, I''d say," Damian cautioned him, warily holding his hands up.

    Finnughed, tossing it to his friend, "You hold it, then."

    "Ah¨Cdammit, don''t do that!" Damian said, catching the priceless potion with a sigh.

    It was in another room further ahead of the one they were in that another staircase was found, leading further up. The chamber was simr to the one they initially discovered within the Tower; walls of rich marble with peculiar sculptures on disy.

    "Think it''s safe?" Damian asked, looking up, hugging the ambrosia as though it were a fragile infant.

    Finn led the way, stepping onto the ominous staircase, "Only way is to see for ourselves."

    Their footsteps echoed as the steps were traversed, leading up into a room that was vaguely familiar, though different. A counter was positioned across the chamber of gilded walls, iid with stained ss.

    As the counter was approached, as expected, a bell was discovered:

    "Wait a minute..." Damian realized.

    "It''s another <i>Bazaar</i>," Finn said.

    With a tap of the brass bell, a puff of colorful smoke provoked the arrival of, once more, a familiar, but different presence.

    This time, it was a humanoid with a head like that of a catfish, coated in light-blue skin while wearing an exuberant, white suit with a fluffy, gold scarf.

    "Wee to the <i>Bazaar</i>, and congrattions on reaching the <i>second floor</i>, travelers," the fish-headed shopkeeper greeted them. "What may I interest you in?"

    As Finn and Damian looked at one another with their clothes left in tatters and weapons broken, it was clear what they needed.

    Recing the torn clothes he wore, and apleteck of a shirt, Finn found an all-ck outfit, fit with metal straps and a sleek coat.

    [<i>Umbral Uniform</i>] [-2750 <i>Anarch Coin</i>s]

    [<i>Erebus Dagger</i>] [-2200 <i>Anarch Coins</i>]

    He slid on a pair of ck gloves, tightening the steel toe, matching boots with it as the outfit wasplete. Between his fingers, he flipped around the pitch-ck dagger, getting a feel for it.

    It had a scarlet streak running down the middle, with a notch at the top.

    "Looking snazzy, Finn!" Damian remarked.

    "Hope it''s as effective as it is expensive," Finn replied, adjusting the silver scarf it came with.

    The fish-faced shopkeeper rubbed his hands together in delight, "I assure you it is most effective for one who favors stealth such as yourself! The umbral threads will make you blend into darkness, even where it does not dwell! Further, that dagger is able to dispel magic!"

    For Damian, a more bulky set of equipment was chosen with a white-leather uniform, covered with tes of cobalt armor around his body.

    [<i>Highwinder Armor</i>] [-2500 <i>Anarch Coins</i>]

    [<i>Giant-yer Greataxe</i>] [-2000 <i>Anarch Coins</i>]

    The axe he chose to buy was twice asrge as his starter one, made of ck steel with wing-like engravings along its handle.

    "Hell yeah! I feel like a badass straight out of an RPG now! How do I look, Finn?" Damian excitedly asked, tying a bandana on his forehead as he posed with his new weapon.

    "Like you should be taking the hits for me," Finn yfully answered while adjusting his gloves.

    It wasn''t just the world that had be engulfed in fantastical changes, but now they found themselves embracing that change in their outfits that seemed straight out of a world of magic.

    "Do you two intend to head to the next floor? You must be itching to test out your new gear, no?" The shopkeeper asked.

    "Don''t know about that," Finn responded, feeling like the shopkeeper was more so trying to send them to their deaths.

    Damian exhaled, rubbing the back of his head, "I''m beat. Maybe we should take a break?"

    "Yeah, I agree," Finn said before turning his attention back to the fish-faced keeper of the <i>Bazaar</i>. "Is it allowed for us to stay here? It''s a lot safer on this floor of this ce than outside."

    "You''re free to stay in the <i>Tower</i>, but I do suggest staying within the inn, provided you have a hundred coins each to spend," the shopkeeper advised.

    "An Inn?" Finn repeated.

    "Don''t see anything like that here¨C" Damian remarked.

    It was with a single point of his finger that the non-human keeper of the bazaar guided their vision over to the right hand side of the chamber, showcasing a set of pale, red doors.

    "A hundred per guest? I''m guessing there are more benefits than just a soft bed, then?" Finn asked.

    The bazaar runner nodded his head, "There are quite a few benefits¨Csuch as fresh, gourmet meals prepared in ordance to whatever you request. A warm bath, a nice bed, but most of all¨Ca ce where no harm cane to you¨Cguaranteed."

    "That does sound tempting," Damian said with a sigh, rolling his shoulders tiredly.

    "It would be nice to not have to sleep with one eye open," Finn remarked, finding the idea of a warm meal and a hot bath all too alluring.

    The tempting offer was considered, though the thought being sidetracked as something else stole the attention of the young man.

    "Hey, look!¡ª" Damian pointed out.

    Coming from the corridor that likely led to the third floor of the mystical structure was a stumbling figure. It took a moment for Finn to realize what he was looking at before realizing what it was¡ª

    A young woman; wearing a tattered, white uniform with blood staining her body. For a moment, both were left stunned to see another person¨Cit was the first time in days they had seen somebody else still alive, even if hardly so.

    "Shit!" Finn let out once realizing, running over alongside hispanion.

    Just as the bloodied girl stumbled into the room, she coughed out before falling over. While Damian struggled to move quickly with his bulky armor, Finn was able to rush over fast enough to catch her in his arms.

    "Hey! Are you alright?!" Finn asked, knowing the answer already though the words rushed out of his mouth.

    "I..." The unknown, young woman softly said, attempting to convey something before her eyes closed.

    It was hard to make out what was her own blood and what wasn''t, with there being so much that it was difficult to make out the wounds.

    "She''s unconscious¨Cshit!" Finn said, tapping her cheek in an attempt to wake her up. "Give me the ambrosia!"

    "Oh¨Cright!" Damian remembered, removing the bottle from his belt.

    The cork was flicked off in a single motion before he brought it to her lips, slowly guiding the mystical substance to her mouth.

    Damian was in a panic, kneeling down as well as he moved her torn uniform, revealing a nasty gash on her abdomen, "This isn''t good...! Is she still breathing?!"

    "I don''t know¡ªthis stuff had better work!" Finn hurriedly replied while holding the unconscious girl''s head up.

    Both men fell silent as the ambrosia was distributed to the stranger, making sure it was properly swallowed. It was difficult to believe in the validity of an "all-healing potion", though they watched with bated breaths.

    "Did it work? How long is it supposed to take¡ª?" The worried, brawny man asked, watching with a gulp.

    Finn remained silent, keeping his eyes on the girl as well. As a few moments passed, the validity of the ambrosia seemed to be a hoax¡ª

    "Look!" Damian shouted.

    From the girl''s skin, a radiance began to emit like the twinkle of a star. The blood that stained her skin and clothes evaporated, peeling away as her wounds were reversed by divine grace.

    "It''s working¡ªit works!" Damian yelled out in glee, grabbing his friend''s arm and shaking it in excitement.

    Finn didn''t care about being tugged around as he felt the same way that hispanion did, watching as the recovered girl coughed out.

    "We finally did it," Finn said, almost in disbelief. "We saved someone¡ªwe found somebody else."

    "Yeah, we did," Damian nodded his head with a smile.

 Chapter 18: A Moment of Peace

    <h4>Chapter 18: A Moment of Peace</h4>

    With her woundspletely recovered, the girl of long, light-blue hair slowly opened her eyes. She had fluffy eyshes, entuating her amethyst eyes that glistened like jewels.

    "I''m...alive?" She questioned slowly, sitting herself up as she brushed her hair away from her face.

    As she came to, the nameless girl suddenly jumped to her feet in a panic upon noticing the two men that were staring at her.

    It only took a split-second for her to be on her feet, manifesting a broadsword into her hand and bringing it to Finn''s neck.

    "Woah, woah! We''re not enemies!" Damian pleaded with his hands raised.

    Finn leaned back, watching the sharp edge that was closely kept to his throat, adding in, "Yeah, what he said. We helped you out¡ªgave you some ambrosia. You were practically dead."

    It took a moment for the nameless person to take in their words before withdrawing her swordpletely.

    She ced a finger to her lips as if remembering the taste of the divine ambrosia, "You used that on me...for a stranger? Why would you do that?"

    "Isn''t that the normal thing to do?" Finn asked.

    "Yeah, you would''ve bled out for sure if we didn''t help," Damian added.

    There was a confused look from the young woman before she breathed out, sitting on her knees as she lowered her head.

    "I''m sorry for how I reacted. You two saved my life. I''m in your debt," she apologized before bringing her gaze up to the assassin. "I''m <i>Charlotte</i>."

    "No need to apologize. I get it. I''m Finn, this is Damian," he introduced.

    "Nice to meetcha!" Damian enthusiastically said.

    Getting a good look at her now, without the blood and such, Finn found that the girl was objectively attractive. From what he could tell, they were the same age, which naturally piqued part of his brain, though he steered his thoughts away from that.

    "Wanna tag along with us? It''s just been the two of us since this all started," Finn offered.

    "Yeah, have you been alone this whole time?" Damian added in.

    Charlotte shook her head at the question, "...I didn''t start alone. But, I''ll take you up on that offer."

    "Great," Finn said with a smile.

    It was a great feeling to have found another person. Finn could tell it was even more appreciated by Damian, who had grieved his previous failures.

    "We were going to try staying in the inn for this ce. Is that fine with you?" Finn asked, looking at the girl as he approached the bazaar once more.

    "Yeah, that''s a good idea," Charlotte answered.

    From the going off of what the young woman wore¡ªa snow-white skirt and ck leggings along with a militaristic, silver jacket and small cape, it seemed she was more experienced than them.

    <i>''That''s definitely premium equipment¡ªjust anything from this world,'' </i>Finn thought.

    ["<i>Sleuth Status</i>"]

    [<i>...Assessing information about [Charlotte]...</i>]

    [<i>Name</i>: <i>Charlotte Everhart</i>]

    [<i>Age: 21</i>]

    [<i>Designated ss: Spellde</i>]

    [<i>Level: 16</i>]

    <i>''She''s one level higher than me. Damn,'' </i>he thought.

    They each put forward their share for the price of staying at the inn. As their currency was put forth, the red doors swung open.

    "Go through the doorway and down the corridor. The open doors will be your rooms. Enjoy your stay," the fish-headed shopkeeper said.

    Though it was a peculiar situation, the prospect of a warm bed and no monsters was alluring.

    Finn led the way, looking over at the silken-haired, young woman curiously.

    As she seemed to notice his staring, he spoke up, "So, you came down from the next floor to this ce, right?"

    "I did...It didn''t go well, as you can imagine," Charlotte answered with a distraught expression as those fresh memories were stirred.

    "It''s good you managed to get back, at least. Count your blessings there¡ªas long as you live another day, that''s a win," Damian reassured her.

    Seeing how badly it had left her, both men could tell the next floor was something awful. There was something on Finn''s mind however, pertaining to the nature of the mystical towers that now popted the world.

    "You went through the first floor, right? That''s obvious. My question is¡ªwhat was the dungeon like for you?" Finn asked.

    As the question was proposed, the three crossed through the red doors, entering a luxurious hallway of quartz flooring and pale walls decorated with scenic paintings.

    Charlotte thought about the question for a moment, slightly tilting her head, "The first dungeon...It was a cavern-like area, filled with kobolds. A big, fat one waited at the end¡ªit hoarded some treasure."

    "Huh?" Damian let out.

    "Completely different from what we went through," Finn said.

    "You didn''t know?" Charlotte asked.

    "Wait, what?" Finn responded.

    Charlotte brushed her hair behind her ear while answering, "The <i>Towers </i>are connected. I don''t know how many there are, but the part where they connect seems to be the bazaar floors."

    "I see. These structures really are out of this world," Finn said, cing his hand to his chin. "Wait, in that case¡ªare you from <i>Seattle? </i>That''s where we came in from."

    "Seattle? Ah...No, I entered from <i>Find</i>, actually," Charlotte answered.

    "Find?!" Damian reacted.

    "That''s...far. You don''t sound Finnish," Finn said, realizing how close it was to his own name.

    Charlotte nodded, "I''m from America too, but I ended up in <i>Find¡ª</i>wait, you don''t know this part, do you?"

    The girl came to a stop as the other two did as well, seeming to being up on an extremely important detail of the world that they were unaware of.

    In the middle of the mystical inn, Finn pressed for an answer, "Know what?"

    "Whenever you leave a <i>Tower</i>, it spits you out of a random entrance from another one. That''s how I ended up in <i>Find</i>," Charlotte informed them.

    "Ah...So, when we leave again..." Finn said.

    "Will we be separated?!" Damian asked worriedly.

    Charlotte shook her head, "We should all exit at the same ce¡ªwherever that may be though, I''m not sure."

    With that revtion to settle into their minds, the three found their rooms down the ever-stretching corridor.

    An agreement was made to meet back after some rest.

    <i>''Finally, some rxation,'' </i>Finn thought, closing the door to his room behind him.

    As he had hoped, it was a rather luxurious ce; the queen-sized bed looked like a cushion out of heaven. He plopped himself down into the mattress without hesitation, letting it take him in as he exhaled.

    <i>''This is all so weird. It''s even more weird that it''s starting to feel...normal. I mean, an inn like this¡ªit all defies logic, doesn''t it? Towers interconnected throughout the world...I just wondered where we''ll end up,'' </i>he considered while gazing up at the ceiling.

 Chapter 19: Across The World

    <h4>Chapter 19: Across The World</h4>

    Laying there for a moment, the peaceful silence settled in as he realized he truly was safe from the threat of monsters there. Though it had been not even a week since the event that turned civilization to its end, he had forgotten just how nice it was to be able to rx without having to look over his shoulder.

    Before long, he ended up passing out without even knowing it, sinking into thefort of the bed. Thoughfort was found in the otherworldly inn, the dreams that his mind wandered off to were not so reassuring.

    Burning streets, filled with the agonized screams of humanity; monsters no different from demonspawn ran rampant, defiling the world and those that inhabited it. He fought, endlessly swinging his dagger as he killed the fiends by the dozens, while being cut into himself along the way.

    ¨CA nightmare, though one he experienced as reality before.

    "Hah¨C"

    His eyes shot open as he found himself sweating, sitting up as he caught his breath. The unpleasant dream left his heart wildly thumping in his chest.

    As heposed himself, he looked around at the neatly-kept,vish room. It almost felt wrong for him to be in such a ce, finding himself stinking of blood and worn of battle.

    <i>''...Guess I should use this opportunity for a bath,'' </i>he decided.

    He did just that, visiting the marble bathroom as he sank himself into the hot bath. All of the dirt and exhaustion washed away as heid there, almost falling asleep again.

    It was a luxury he didn''t know how much he missed until it was gone.

    <i>''An inn like this existing during the world''s end...It really does feel like this is all some game from some messed up god,'' </i>he thought.

    After sitting in there long enough, he got out and dried off, slipping his uniform back on. He didn''t want to remain out of his equipment for any longer than needed, always ready if something popped up.

    "Let''s see...What''s this?" He wondered, finding a menu on the wooden drawer across from the bed.

    It appeared to be a listing of different entrees, all served by the otherworldly inn. There was just about everything he could think of, from all varieties of cultures of food.

    He had a toothbrush in one hand, brushing while reading the menu.

    <i>''...They''ve got everything here, huh? It really is like an escape from all the bullshit out there, all for a hundred coins per day. Funny,'' </i>he thought.

    After surviving off of stale popcorn and candy bars¡ªless than fulfilling food¡ªhe chose to treat himself to something.

    What he decided to go with was a reliable meal that he never tired of through his youth: ck-pepper salmon with a side of garlic mashed potatoes.

    All it took was him tapping the listing on the menu for it to glow with a cobalt shine.

    [<i>"Order confirmed.</i>"]

    "That''s it?" He wondered, setting the menu down as he looked around.

    It didn''t take more than a few seconds before the sound of a bell chimed in front of him¡ª<i>DING. </i>The noise beckoned the arrival of the meal he ordered, fresh and steaming, as if conjured by a snap of magic.

    He didn''t question it before scarfing it down in one sitting, finding the taste of a cooked dish to be more needed than he thought.

    "That hit the spot," he sighed after finishing it up.

    As he was left alone in his room, he decided that it was the perfect time to test something out that had been on his mind. While there was no threat of monsters for the time being, it was a great opportunity as he picked himself up to his feet, choosing the spot in the room with the most space.

    He called upon his ebon dagger, holding it in his right hand, "Alright, let''s see if this works¨C<i>Replication</i>."

    Using the word of invocation that he remembered from the man he fought, a sensation akin to static twitched at his fingertips. He found in his other hand was a duplicate of his weapon; a perfect replication of it.

    He flipped the twin daggers around, getting a feel for having one in each hand. It felt as if his whole world had been opened up, finding an entirely new lens to look through in terms ofbat.

    <i>''This can work¨CI can adjust with this,'' </i>he thought.

    Rather than spending the rest of the time allotted in the room to rest, he used it to train with his new skills. If a fight came, he needed to be acutely aware of the capabilities of each one.

    [...<i>Eight Hours Later...</i>]

    In the lobby of the <i>Bazaar</i>, he found the girl of silken, blue hair like a waterfall waiting, leaning against the wall.

    "Have you been waiting here awhile?" Finn asked, greeting her as he adjusted his gloves.

    Charlotte softly shook her head, "Just a bit. It''s not like there was much else to do."

    He decided to wait beside her, leaning his back against the marble-made wall as he folded his arms, "I bet that big oaf is still asleep. Even when the world is how it is, I still struggle to wake that guy up sometimes¡ªhe sleeps through everything."

    "Isn''t that nice, though?" Charlotte asked with a smile.

    "Is it? It''s a pain to me," Finn responded.

    "I wish I could sleep that soundly still," she said.

    Finn was silent for a moment before agreeing, "Yeah, I guess I do too."

    It wasn''t until a few minutes had passed that footsteps came from the corridor leading out of the inn.

    "Guess he''s finally awake¡ª" Finn remarked, looking over.

    Expecting the sight of the brawny friend of his, he was surprised to find a different person entirely walking into the <i>Bazaar</i>.

    A thin man of messy, gray hair stepped out with a yawn, wearing a baggy uniform strapped with belts. The unknown man had eyes like a cat, carrying a pair of des on his back as he strolled right past the two.

    <i>''Another person? I guess she did say Towers can connect with one another, so the inn here must''ve had others, too,'' </i>he recalled.

    Still, it felt odd to so casually see another person, without so much as a word exchanged before the man descended the steps to the floor below.

    "Do <i>Towers </i>all connect into one? If that''s the case¡ª" Finn asked.

    "I don''t think so. I believe only a few intersect at once. Otherwise there''d be hordes of people sharing one bazaar," Charlotte answered.

    "Right. I hope that''s the right answer," Finn said.

    It wasn''t long after that another pair of footsteps came from the corridor, this time bringing the sight of the yawning warrior into view.

    "Ahhh...Mornin''," the tired greeting came from the man of ck-and-white hair.

    "Did you really just wake up?" Finn asked as the warrior walked up to them.

    Damianughed a bit, "C''mon¡ªthat bed was immacte, can you me me? You think it was too, right?"

    "I guess so," Finn said, not wanting to admit just how divine the bed had felt. "How do we leave this ce, anyway? Do we have to go back through the first dungeon?"

    "No, that staircase just leads back to the initial entrance," Charlotte answered, pointing to the steps used by the man seen earlier.

    Using Charlotte''s guidance, Finn decided to see for himself as he led the way down. Though the steps were the ones taken when ascending from the dungeon he went through before, he found them instead leading down into the base floor of the tower.

    "Ah...it really is here," Finn remarked, finding it a bit perplexing as he could see the light from the entrance at the bottom.

    Damian groaned, rubbing his head, "This ce is so confusing¡ª! It''s like a damn shiftingbyrinth!"

    As they reached the bottom of the steps, entering the lobby of carvings along the walls that seemed to depict many different eras of civilization, the door of light was approached.

    "When we step through here, we''ll be in a random ce, wherever in the world?" Finn asked, staring at the doorway.

    "Yes," Charlotte answered.

    There were equal parts of Finn that were curious of whatid beyond and anxious of what it could be. Nheless, he took the first step out¡ª

    "¡ª"

    The light from the tower''s entrance blinded him for a moment as he passed through.

    "Where the hell?" Finn let out as he blinked, finding himself in a new environment.

    It was right smack in the middle of another cityscape, thoughpletely different from the one he knew.

    As he heard hispanions walk out behind him, he climbed up the shallow crater, stepping into the street of the unknown city.

    Damian followed behind him, looking around, "Wherever we are, it was hit just as hard..."

    The skyscrapers were gripped by overgrowth, with one with a busted, digital screen pierced by a crashed airne.

    It was easy to tell they were in an entirely different continent by thenguage disyed on the signs, though it took a minute for Finn to decipher just where they were.

    "Any idea where this is?" Charlotte asked, brushing a bit of dirt from her leggings after climbing out of the tower''s crater.

    Finn pointed out to therge, once neon sign that presented a shattered cafe next to them, "This is <i>South Korea</i>."

    "Korea?! Are you kidding me?!" Damian asked in shock, spinning around.

    Theplete change in scenery was jarring to say the least. Even so, it didn''t change the fundamental rule of reality now¡ªthe city was now ruled by monsters.

 Chapter 20: Faraway Land, Same Reality

    <h4>Chapter 20: Faraway Land, Same Reality</h4>

    As the three stood there in the middle of the foreign cityscape, echoes of those that lurked in the shadows were heard.

    "Hear that?" Damian asked.

    "Yeah," Finn answered.

    "Monsters areing¡ªlet''s find somewhere to hide," Charlotte rmended, pointing towards the closest building.

    While the cries and yells of fiends throughout the city echoed, he quickly ran across the street with the others right behind him. The entrance into a mall was already left open, through a busted in window.

    Finn leapt straight in, turning back to watch as Charlotte nimbly did the same, and Damian more clumsily did.

    "Safe¡ª!" Damian imed while stumbling into the building.

    "Shut up and duck down, idiot!" Finn said in a harsh whisper.

    Charlotte pointed out a hole-in-the-wall food ce in the mall¡ªwhat looked to be a fried chicken restaurant. Finn hopped behind the counter alongside Charlotte, while Damian more so rolled over the top as the sounds of fiendish footsteps outside the mall echoed.

    "They''reing in fast, aren''t they?¡ª" Damian called out.

    "Quiet," Finn said calmly, pressing his back up against the lower cab.

    He remained still while listening to the rapid footsteps just outside of the shattered window of the mall.

    As they all hid quietly amidst the sound of fiendish chasing, a peculiar sound hummed through the wind¡ª<i>vrrrrr</i>.

    "What''s that¡ª?" Damian asked.

    Just as the question was audibly posed, all of the windows shattered in unison at the behest of a passing gale.

    Finn sat up as the others naturally did the same, witnessing the ss fly in every direction.

    "Behind me!" Charlotte shouted.

    Without knowing what was nned, both men listened as the girl of hair as blue as the sky raised his mystical sword.

    ["Aero Blockade"]

    The raised de of Charlotte shined with an emerald glow, producing a wall of spinning wind. As the shards of ss scattered, the shield of air kept the chaotic sharpness away.

    "Woah!" Damian remarked.

    "Convenient," Finn said.

    The [Spellde] ss was one known for being bnced with offensive and defensive abilities; physical and magic¡ªa bnced ss.

    Finn watched as the ss was repelled and the barrier dispelled as the girl brought her sword down.

    "Nice one," Finnplimented.

    "Mm," Charlotte nodded her head.

    What they all were more focused on is what produced such a force capable of simultaneously shattering the windows. The sound of the rushing fiends was no longer heard, bringing Finn to slowly approach where there used to be windows in ce.

    Right behind him, Damian carefully walked as well as ss crunched beneath his boots, seeing the city street they were just on, "Hey...did it always look like that?"

    Charlotte was silent at the sight, though that reaction was the same for all of them upon seeing it.

    "No," Finn finally answered.

    Through the street of the unfamiliar city, it looked as though the asphalt had been hit by an explosion, with chunks blown out and a massive tear stretching down the direction of the street.

    There was a smell in the air; a nose-burning scent like that of citrusy bleach. It was a somewhat familiar scent; the traces of mana in the air after a potent spell.

    "What the hell did this?" Damian asked.

    Finn walked through the shattered window, looking around the desecrated street, "I''m not sure if I want to know."

    "Whatever it was, it targeted the monsters," Charlotte pointed out.

    As Finn looked over to the left where it was pointed out, the mangled, minced corpses of what appeared to be orcs were left on the street.

    It was the opposite direction of where the <i>tower </i>in the foreign city had nted itself.

    <i>DOOOOOM</i>

    <i>¡ª</i>The whole street seemed to rumble beneath a deafening sound. They each stood there as the wind rattled beneath what sounded like explosions moving in rhythm.

    "What is that¡ª? It sounds like it''sing closer¡ª" Damian asked, readying his axe.

    Charlotte looked towards the source of the noise,ing from down the left street, "Footsteps¡ªFinn, do you hear that? It''s footsteps!"

    "Yeah¡ªfrom something massive," Finn said with a nervous nod.

    It was then that it became visible, turning from around a corner a few blocks down: a humanoid colossus covered in bulky armor as dark as night.

    The size of it put a cyclops to shame, yet it moved with even more nimbleness. Each downfall of its foot,rger than a semi truck, crushed the pavement.

    "It''s freakin'' huge and¨Cit''sing right for us, ain''t it?!" Damian said in a panic.

    As it marched through the street with a purpose, carrying with it a set of massive, silver swords that were each the size of buildings, it dragged its weapons through the neighboring structures.

    The colossus of a faceless, horned helmet was something that only needed one look from Finn to realize it was above their capabilities, even without testing his new skills or equipment.

    "We need to get out of here¨C" Finn began to instruct, raising his arm.

    Just as he advised hispanions, a flicker ahead caused him toe to a realization¨Cit wasn''t the steel-d colossus that had shattered the windows, nor was it them the giant sought.

    "That''s..." He quietly let out.

    It almost didn''t make any sense in his eyes, making him blink to make sure his vision didn''t deceive him, no¨Cit was real.

    There really was somebody on the street, meaning to challenge the seemingly impervious colossus on an open battlefield. A person, norger than the giant''s toe as the block rumbled so intensely, yet they seemed calm as if this was a normal outing.

    "Who the hell is that? Do they have a death wish?!" Damian asked.

    "No," Charlotte said, seeming toe to the same conclusion as Finn. "That person is powerful. The strongest I''ve seen."

    Of messy, gold hair, the stranger looked to be in his mid-twenties, covered in scars with an open, snow-white coat with the sleeves rolled up. The lonesome man ran with a superhuman grace, bursting forth withrge, golden gauntlets that reflected the sunlight.

    With a single step, the unknown figure caused the wind to break as the sound barrier was so violently shattered, along with the neighboring windows.

    "That sound¨C!" Damian said, covering his ears.

    "It was him," Finn remarked, doing the same as the wind shrieked.

    The gauntlet-wearing stranger met the dual-wielding colossus halfway within a half a moment. Ready for the sh, the armored giant raised its massive swords, swinging them as multiple buildings were cleaved in the process¨C

    It was the single man who acted first, leaping in the air to make up the difference in height. A single thrust of the massive gauntlet on the stranger''s fist caused the wind to swirl and rampage forth; an emission of the blow was constructed in the shape of the fist.

    The strike expanded with knuckles evenrger than that of the colossus, shattering its sturdy armor and blowing away the flesh underneath in one blow. A sheer force off of the blow tore through the street, ripping up the asphalt.

    It was only for a moment that it was seen; like a gilded cloud in the shape of a fist,rge enough to blow through the giant.

    "...Holy shit..." Damian remarked in disbelief.

    Finn nor Charlotte had any such words to say, instead in an absence of anything to say at the one-sided ying of the monstrous figure.

    As the gauntlet-equipped man of wild, gold hairnded back on his feet, a shower of blood and guts rained down from the decimated colossus. Only its lower half was left, slowly copsing backward as the stranger was left victorious.

    ["<i>Sleuth Status</i>"]

    [<i>...Assessing information about [???]...</i>]

    [<i>Name</i>: <i>Seung</i>]

    [<i>Age: 22</i>]

    [<i>Designated ss: Crusher</i>]

    [<i>Level: 34</i>]

    Obtaining the information confirmed Finn''s suspicions as he looked at the back of the stranger that was multiple blocks down.

    <i>''Thirty-four? That''s incredibly high¨Che must''ve been fighting non-stop since this all began. Just what kind of person even is this guy?'' </i>Finn questioned, keeping behind a concrete pir in front of the mall not to expose himself.

    Damian stepped out, seeming to want to approach the mysterious survivor, "We should talk to him. Somebody that powerful¨C"

    "Hold on," Finn sharply said, grabbing onto the shoulder of the warrior.

    "What? Are you saying we shouldn''t?" Damian asked hurriedly.

    Charlotte shook her head, seeming to share the same reluctance as the assassin, "Somebody with a level like that...from what I''ve seen, a level that high at this point likely means they''ve been obtaining experience from not just monsters."

    "You mean by killing other people? We don''t know that, though," Damian argued.

    "That''s right, we don''t¨Cthat''s why it''s safer not to get that guy''s attention. If he ends up seeing us as "experience"--do you think we''d be able to stop somebody like him, Damian? Do you think we''d stand a chance?" Finn sincerely asked, looking into his friend''s eyes.

    There was a clear goodness in Damian''s heart¨Cthat much couldn''t be denied. However, that same kindness was often a detriment at times; something Finn took note of.

    "Damian, not everyone is somebody that we can work together with," Finn told him.

    "I know, but...What about you, Charlotte? We reached out to you, didn''t we? And that worked out," Damian asked.

    "I get what you mean, but the reality of it is...from what I''ve experienced, most people out here, most that are left...They aren''t friendly," Charlotte said.

    "I guess you both are right. I just wanted to believe maybe it didn''te to that," Damian sighed. "Doesn''t seem like that guy needs any help, does he?"

    "Gotta agree there¨Che seems more than fine on his own," Finn remarked, looking around the pir again.

    To his confusion, the figure in question was already gone, only leaving the sight of the torn-up street along with the legs of the in giant.

    <i>''He''s already gone¨C?'' </i>Finn questioned.

    Brushing it off, he looked around, figuring out what the next move was as he noticed how quiet the area now was. Looking at the buildings clung by vines, with the colossal, digital screens that stretched the heights of skyscrapers left shattered, it was surprisingly silent.

    "What''s the n?" Damian asked.

    "Right now, I think it''s our best chance to navigate this city¨CI don''t think any monsters wille out for the time being," Finn remarked.

    "Why not?" Damian further asked curiously.

    Charlotte seemed to get at what he had in mind, tilting her head as she put her hand to her chin in thought, "I see. I believe you''re right, Finn."

    "Man, why am I always the slow one on the uptake?" Damian breathed out.

    "It''s just a guess, but after the disy of strength from that guy, I think the creatures around here are gonna stay put. At least until they think he''s gone. They''re smart enough to recognize that," Finn presumed.

    "Right, that makes sense. Oughta get moving, then, right? I''m pretty hungry," Damian said, patting his stomach as the sound of his metallic glove striking his armor nged.

    "Yeah," Finn agreed.

 Chapter 21: Man of Science

    <h4>Chapter 21: Man of Science</h4>

    It felt surreal walking through the remnants of the city that was across the world from his own home, looking at the signs that were unrecognizable from his firstnguage.

    Though blood still stained the streets, along with other unfavorable substances, there weren''t any bodies to be seen. It was due to scavenger-type creatures that avoided conflict; though they were revolting fiends, Finn couldn''t help but appreciate that they moved the dreadful sight away from his sight.

    "I always wanted to visit <i>Korea</i> at some point, y''know? Didn''t imagine it''d be under circumstances like this though," Finn remarked with an exhale, looking up at a yellow sign for a bookstore that was stained with blood.

    "I don''t think anything about these circumstances are favorable. Still, I don''t dislike the quiet cities as they are now," Charlotte admitted. "I was never a fan of big crowds."

    "That''s kind of..." Finn said, ncing over at the young woman.

    Charlotte quickly waved her hands, realizing how it sounded, "I didn''t mean it like that¨C! I just mean...Well, I''ve never done well around lots of people."

    "No, I get you. I''m kind of that way myself. Still...I kind of miss those busy crowds now," Finn remarked, looking at the empty street.

    Damian added in with a disgruntled breath, "Same here, man. The thing that gets me the most is the silence...Living in the city so long, you get used to the noise n'' chatter. You always think its annoying, then once it''s gone¨Cit just feels wrong."

    "Yeah," Finn agreed.

    Though it was a city he had never been to, or even a country for that matter, he could still feel just how lonely it waspared to what it once was.

    In the faraway city, they stumbled upon what looked to be a museum of science. The interior was still neat, with disys of dinosaur skeletons still left perfectly untouched by the chaos.

    The floor of gray, sleek material was left stainless, as if the tourist attraction itself was preserved as a disy of human civilization.

    "Look at this ce¡ªwow," Damian remarked, gawking at the dinosaur bones like a delighted child.

    Finn checked around, walking up to a disy of what appeared to be the skeleton of a mammoth. The scale of it wasrge, but it hardly seemed impressive after the monsters he''d personally encountered.

    "Seems clear of monsters," Charlotte imed, standing by the railing that separated the disy of bestial bones.

    "It''s odd¡ªwhy is this ce untouched?" Damian asked.

    "Not sure, but I''m just going to be thankful for it," Finn remarked, finding itforting to find some part of the world unmarked.

    Through the halls of humanity''s proud discoveries and aplishments; a biosphere exhibiting hundreds of unique, colorful nts; a corridor that went through the many stages of mankind, from primal to current.

    Damian gawked at everything like a curious child, while Charlotte held a more quiet appreciation. For Finn, it invoked a certain sadness within him, one not exclusive to him.

    Though he couldn''t read Korean writing, he could gather what it meant. The national museum of science seemed to be in <i>Daejeon</i>, though figuring out the city they were currently in felt like trivial information.

    "All of these years of perseverance and evolution. It all came to this point¨Ctorn apart by monsters," Finn remarked, looking at a wall that showcased the different stages of which humans changed from.

    "This isn''t the end of humanity, Finn. It''s not¨Cwe''re still here, and a lot of others, too," Damian assured him.

    "I hope you''re right, for all of our sakes," Finn added before moving on.

    The many disys and presentations of humanity''s history led to one,st area of the perfectly neat museum¨Cthe <iarium</i>.

    Something stood out to him as he stopped just in front of thebeled, ck door, not yet opening it.

    Behind him, the man in heavy armor looked confused, questioning why he stopped, "What''s up, Finn?"

    "Is there something wrong?" Charlotte asked cautiously.

    He remained there for a moment, thinking of the details that stood out to him¨Cthe cleanliness of the museum, how not even a speck of dustid on a wall, nor any traces of monsters within.

    <i>''It''s not just coincidence or luck...That''s not it,'' </i>he thought.

    "I think somebody is here¨Cand I believe they''re right past this door," Finn admitted.

    "Wait, really?" Damian responded.

    "I was suspicious of the same, but why do you believe they''re in the <iarium</i>?" Charlotte asked.

    Finn crouched down in front of the ck door, pressing the palm of his floor against the ground of light-brown marble, "--We checked out every other part of this ce. So, it''s just a hunch."

    ["<i>Lesser Shadow Recon</i>"] [4:59]

    In order to confirm his theory, he emitted the particles of surveying shadows beneath the threshold of the door, bypassing into thearium.

    "What skill is that?" Charlotte asked, leaning over to watch.

    "I can extend a wave of darkness that acts as an extension of my senses. Think of it as a bit of recon," Finn exined, focusing on the particles that infiltrated the chamber past the door.

    As it expanded within the following area, he could sense the many walls, along with the many chairs that ascended in the observatory, along with one, prominent sensation¨Ca person.

    "Someone is in there," Finn confirmed, returning to his feet as he brushed away the particle shade.

    The confirmation brought them all to a careful still, now much more aware of the noise they made and the caution required. With a gentle push, the door was opened as Finn led the way with his silent steps.

    There was a ck corridor leading into the observatory, up a slight incline. He kept his dagger ready, hearing a hum just ahead as he moved. He could hear the footsteps of hispanions behind them as they tried to be silent as best they could.

    As he moved up the slight incline, it led into the unique chamber¨Ca dome observatory, though what Finn saw immediately brought pause to him.

    It was as if he stepped into another world¨Cno, it was more like stepping out of the one he was in. The cosmos stretched throughout the room, stars glistening all around, with celestial bodies orbiting the air, passing right by him. It was a breathtaking sight, enough to make him forget the cruel scenery outside.

    "Humanity has not lost," a silvery, wizened voice spoke. "Not quite yet."

    "What?--" Finn reacted, looking over.

    Sat down in one of the seats of thearium was a man of hair grayed by age, though bright-blue eyes so full of life, unburdened by age as if belonging to a young seeker.

    Damian and Charlotte entered theary observatory just then as the stranger addressed the guests¨C

    "Wee to perhaps thest stronghold of humanity''s history. I am Oliver, the one who has seen that it''s remained so," the man of lengthened age introduced himself, standing from his seat.

    He wore an abnormal, ck suit with a cape that resembled the star-riddled cosmos on its underside, standing with the aid of a cane that had a replica of Earth on its top.

    "And who might you young lot be, if I may inquire?" Oliver asked, looking at the group of visitors.

    "I''m Finn," he introduced himself.

    "Damian," the armored man said.

    "Charlotte," the girl gave her name.

    The man of elder age, yet a wellspring of vigor caressed his chin in thought, nodding his head at the names given as he strolled around the length of the celestial observatory, "Judging by your ents, I''d say you all hail from the <i>United States</i>. Am I correct?"

    "Yeah, going by yours¨Cyou''re from <i>Britain</i>, right?" Finn responded.

    "That''s correct," Oliver answered. "We are all a long way from home. Perhaps a ce we will never see again. s, the world itself is our home, is it not?"

    It was with a snap of his fingers that the man who oversaw the observatory seemed to spur a change in what it presented. A bountiful, luscious forest expanded around them, with grass beneath their feet and the chirping of avians in the trees around them.

    A three-dimensional disy of technology¨Cperhaps, though it felt all too real; akin to magic itself.

    "Woah¨Cwhat is this?" Damian audibly wondered, sticking his hand out to touch a low-hanging branch, brushing aside a leaf. "It''s¨CI can touch it!"

    Charlotte brushed her hand against the bark of a tree, feeling its coarseness for herself. Checking for himself, Finn knelt down, running his hand through the grass as he could feel the moistness of the morning dew.

    "This isn''t a hologram...What is this?" Finn asked in wonder.

    Oliver stuck his hand out as a blue jaynded on his white, silken glove, speaking calmly, "A gift given to me by whatever power is overseeing all of this¨Ca <i>System</i>, I believe it''s called."

    <i>''This is from his system? Just what kind is it?'' </i>Finn wondered.

    Even in a world recently invaded by the concept of magic, it was hard to take in such a drastic shift in scenery by a mere snap of one''s fingers.

    "I am a man of science, but even I must concede that the world has truly been woven into something beyond humanprehension. I do believe "<i>Magic</i>" would be the right way to describe it," Oliver remarked, lowering his hand as he caressed the feathers of the bird that teetered on real and illusionary.

 Chapter 22: Bastion of Human Memories

    <h4>Chapter 22: Bastion of Human Memories</h4>

    "Do you know anything about what''s going on? Have you found out anything?" Finn asked.

    "There are a few theories I''ve contemted, yes, but true, verified answers? None such luck," Oliver answered. "My most likely guess is that some higher power in the cosmos has decided to use humanity as its ything, with <i>Earth </i>as its sandbox."

    With a tap of his cane against the ground, the caretaker of the observatory issued a change in scenery once more. It resumed again to the sight of the bare cosmos, yet with something malevolent in its depths; a grandiose abstraction of power, a being of unbelievable abilities.

    "If that''s the case, aren''t we doomed? If this is all the will of some godlike entity out there¨Cno matter what we do in the end, it''ll just end us?" Damian asked, waving his hand.

    "Perhaps. However, the truth remains we were given power of our own and the ability to grow," the wizened man spoke, raising his cane as he looked towards a second source of light.

    A bright-blue, peeking through the vast darkness in the reaches of space as a ray of hope, like a radiant star lending its light. It was the sh of two abstract figures of universal force, with the perhaps puny, but important rock in the middle of it all¨C<i>Earth</i>.

    "I believe there are two entities involved. One against humanity, and one that favors it," Oliver imed.

    "Two?" Finn said, finding it to be a new thought.

    Oliver walked around thearium, brushing his hand against the disy of sparkling stars as they were moved away by his gesture, "Haven''t you noticed it? The world is unbearably cruel one moment, then grants an uncharacteristic kindness the next. Cruel monsters¨Ca magical system; towers housing horrific beasts¨Can inn that caters your every need."

    "I thought the same before...It did seem odd to me, but I never gave it much thought," Charlotte admitted.

    "<i>Avalon Online</i>," Finn said.

    "What?" Oliver responded, looking over at the young man.

    Finn stood there in front of the scaled-down view of Earth, looking at it, "The monsters in this world, the abilities given to us¨Cit''s all reminiscent of <i>Avalon online</i>¨Ca game."

    It seemed to be a new piece of information for the man of gray hair, whose age likely kept him away from such activities in the past.

    "I see," Oliver took in, cing his hand to his chin. "That fits quite well with a theory."

    "What theory?" Damian asked.

    A quiet breath left the elder man''s lips, "That this is all a game, between the two aforementioned entities. One wagering the monsters, the other humanity. We''re all pieces in a game to them¨Clikely this <i>"Avalon Online</i>" was chosen as a mold by them from humanity''s current scope. The question then is, what is the win condition?"

    As the man paced around while piecing together his hypothesis, the others watched. Though Oliver was clearly of extended age, he appeared youthful in many ways; the way he walked with a perfect stride, his beardless face and clear, unwrinkled skin.

    "Tell me," Oliver stopped in his tracks, looking at the others. "Does this thought frighten you? Of our lives being yed with by such childish gods?"

    "Kind of makes me pissed," Finn answered.

    "Yeah, the thought of all of this being because of something like that¨Cman, I can''t stand it," Damian said.

    Charlotte added in, "...I''d want to personally punch those beings responsible."

    The answers given were met by silence for a moment as the man of silver hair stood there for a moment before pointing his cane in their direction.

    "Perfect answers, all of you. I agree wholeheartedly," Oliver admitted. "I love this world. Though humanity has its ws, many of them, in fact, that doesn''t change that I love it all the same. None of those blemishes takes away from its beauty."

    As he spoke of his adoration for mankind and its history, the strange, yet wise man looked up at the observatory of stars with a glistening of tears in his eyes, ever so subtle.

    "All of the achievements of man, from venturing into the cosmos to sparking a simple me. The friendships and hardships; the love of those bound by oaths and those by parenthood; the precious memories and experiences," Oliver spoke. "What gives anybody the right to wipe it all away?"

    For some reason, when the wizened man spoke, Finn felt himself recalling his years of youth; running through fields without a care, ying in the park with his friends. Even as far back as being a babbling baby, innocent as can be, remembering the kind smile his mother gave him.

    Perhaps insignificant, but treasures memories nheless.

    It seemed both Damian and Charlotte experienced such remembrances as well, judging by their expressions wrought with a mixture of longing and sadness, yet a hint of joy at once was.

    "That''s why we can''t fall. We who are left must fight and persevere, in whatever fashion," Oliver advised. "Who will remember what has been lost once we''re all gone? Once not a single human remains, not even a memory shall remain intact."

    "How many of us are gone already?" Finn asked.

    Oliver paused for a moment before answering, "By my estimations, I''d say eighty-percent. Perhaps a generous estimation, though."

    That number weighed down on the ears of those that listened. It was nothing they hadn''t expected, but to hear it verified by the man of such wisdom set it into reality.

    Damian shook his head, scrunching his nose in disgust at the sheer loss, "--It just feels like we aren''t even meant to survive. It''s not fair."

    "You''re right. It isn''t fair in the least. Even so, our purpose now is to resist that shattering unfairness," Oliver instructed them. "I believe the answer lies in the <i>Towers</i>. Through reaching the top, may it be solved¨Cthe reason behind mankind''s game."

    "The Towers..." Finn repeated.

    Wisdom shared by the grayed man was followed up by a show of hospitality as Oliver showed them to a meal. It was an honest surprise to see that somebody had sustained a "base" in the chaotic state of the world.

    In the cafeteria of the science museum, Finn sat there while Damian shoveled gran and dried berries into his mouth. Charlotte ate with what could be mistaken for elegance, though it just seemed she was more reserved, picking at fruit with the stic fork.

    Finn decided to partake as well, seeing as it was never guaranteed that a non-stale meal would be found, tossing some crunchy gran into his mouth.

    "I have more than enough food stockpiled here for years. Don''t be shy to eat what you''d like," Oliver said, sitting across as he watched the guests.

    "So, you''ve really been protecting this ce this whole time? You must be pretty capable," Finn asked while still chewing.

    The remark stirred a smallugh from the elder man, who leaned back in his seat while propping one leg over the other, "It''s not as you imagine. I have not been tirelessly ying monsters as they attempt to invade this ce. When ites to fighting, I''m quite weak and ipetent, really. It''s never been my strong suit."

    "Then how? These creatures¨Cthey''ve ransacked everywhere they can reach. Surely this ce isn''t an exception," Charlotte asked.

    "It''s simple, really," Oliver answered. "It never crosses their mind."

    Finn could tell that the older gentleman was avoiding giving any direct answers, brushing off any topic that rted to his own abilities.

    "You are wee to stay here for the night, however¨CI would ask that you stay no longer than that," Oliver offered to the group.

    "That''s fine, but is there any reason why?" Finn asked curiously.

    "I can maintain the safety of this ce when it''s just me. But, when ites to multiple guests¡ªitplicates things," Oliver exined.

    The gracious offer was epted as the group decided to hunker down for the day. After all, it wasn''t often that such a protected, neat ce was left in the aftermath of the world''s end.

 Chapter 23: B.A.M

    <h4>Chapter 23: B.A.M</h4>

    Oliver showed them to a suitable room¡ªa lounge in the science museum that was once meant for its staff.

    There were already sleeping bags ced on the floor, with a fresh container of water and othermodities stored in the room.

    "A ce to sleep, food, a secure roof...Ain''t this the life?" Damian said while sitting himself down happily with a protein bar in hand.

    While Finn felt the same way, it was funny to him that staking it out in a grayed-out, in lounge was now the definition of "luxury."

    "Make sure to clean up after yourself. Oliver was nice enough to let us stay here, so don''t leave a mess," Finn said, specifically looking at the warrior.

    Damian waved his hand, "Obviously! I''m not some kind of barbarian, y''know."

    "It is a miracle that a ce like this is still standing in perfect condition," Charlotte remarked, looking up at the ceiling.

    "I guess everyone is just trying their hardest to survive, so something like this kind ofes as a surprise," Finn added in.

    While the three decided to rest as much as they could, there wasn''t so much as the chance to even close one''s eyes before a force rumbled through the building.

    "Did you feel that?" Charlotte asked.

    Finn stood to his feet, looking at the tiles on the ceiling as they trembled, "Yeah¨Cit''s close."

    It wasn''t more than a few seconds after the tremors that the door to the lounge was opened, with the sight of the gray-haired man standing there.

    "I apologize, but¨C" Oliver said. "You all must go¨Cnow."

    "We just got here," Damian protested, picking himself up.

    "I do not wish to do this, but something is approaching the museum. With you three here, I cannot protect this ce. I am truly sorry, but you must leave now," Oliver advised, gesturing for them to follow. "I will escort you to a safe exit. That''s the least I can do."

    It seemed that no ill will existed from the elder gentleman, only that the situation itself was unfortunate.

    Finn followed behind Oliver while the others did the same, having to run through the corridors of the facility as the walls around them shook. By the weight of it, like that of an earthquake shaking the structure, its size must be extraordinary.

    "What''s out there?!" Damian asked, having to speak over the rumbling.

    "I believe it is a <i>dragon</i>, of some kind," Oliver answered, managing to keep up a quick pace.

    "A dragon?!" Damian reacted, doing his best to keep up with his heavy set of armor weighing him down.

    Oliver stopped, pointing towards the other side of the wide lobby of the building, "--At the other end. Go through there and keep moving. There should be a building across from the street, it''s been unupied by fiends¨Cso you can take cover there."

    "Alright, thanks!" Finn said, not wasting a moment moving forward.

    As he nced back with hispanions following, he watched as the elder gentleman faced towards the direction of the rumbling. It seemed as though Oliver had some sort of n, yet he couldn''t imagine such a concept working out against a dragon.

    Either way, he kept up the pace, rushing through the museum before reaching the other end. He didn''t stop his momentum as he kicked open the doors, stepping outside as the others were right behind.

    As soon as he stepped one foot back into the street, the rumbling made itself known to a greater intensity¨C

    "Shit! Look out!" Finn called out, looking up.

    Above, a scarlet appendage whipped above the tops of multiple buildings before mming into a skyscraper. It was hard to tell just what the colossal object was at first as windows shattered, with the impact causing the wind to crack.

    "A tail¡ª?" Charlotte recognized.

    Though the colossal appendage certainly resembled a tail, it was difficult to believe one could be sorge. From there, it slowly became clear in view; the beast in which the skyscraper-rivaling tail belonged to.

    The creature brought one hand down at the intersection ahead, producing a massive impact from such a simple movement that caved the street in, causing the abandoned cars to momentarily jump up.

    It walked on all fours, crushing the tops of smaller buildings beneath its ws, extending its wings that produced a massive shadow over the area as though a school of clouds passed.

    Like a scarlet mountain, dropped into the city, the obscenelyrge creature exhaled through its nostrils with a breath that expelled a wave of smoke.

    A magnificently daunting beast of even more daunting size; a dragon.

    "That''s not a normal dragon, is it?" Damian hesitantly asked in shock and awe at the sight of the enormous creature. "It''s gotta be some kind of <i>Raid Boss</i> kind of thing, right?!"

    Finn shook his head, looking up at the scaled behemoth, "--It''s not. That''s a <i>World-Shaping Dragon¡ª</i>it''s really just the definition of a B.A.M, but not something we can kill."

    "B.A.M?" Charlotte asked.

    "<i>Big Ass Monster</i>," Finn answered.

    "Fitting," Damian responded.

    Fortunately, the overwhelming size of the grand beast also made it so it didn''t seem to notice the humans that were no more than ants to it.

    "In any case, our best move is just to put distance between ourselves and the big guy. It won''t target anybody unless you attack it, but I doubt anybody would be crazy enough to¨C" Finn began to suggest.

    A sh of light interrupted him midway through his own words, calling the attention of those on the ground as the radiance dropped down like aet upon the snout of the oversized dragon. The meteoric impact caused the mountainous beast to recoil as a shock wave tore through the asphalt, shattering the ss of neighboring windows.

    "No way...It''s that guy again¨Cjust what the hell even is he?!" Finn remarked, squinting to see it.

    "What? I can''t make out a damn thing from here!" Damian responded, cupping his hands around his eyes.

    It was hard to make out, though Finn could tell it was the case; the strike came from the fist of a familiar figure.

    ¨C

    ["<i>Seung</i>"]

    The giant-ying man of gauntlets was there, responsible for directing the colossal blow straight onto the behemoth''s scales. Despite the overwhelming difference in size, the strike had caused a clear crack across the scales around the dragon''s snout.

    "Ha-ha! A big ass target, but a slow one!" The scaryered, young man of golden hairughed while standing on the massive snout of the titanic beast.

    Theughter poured from the man''s smile, carrying through the wind as it was heard even by those that watched from afar on the street below.

    To those who witnessed the baffling degree of recklessness, certain attributes were applied to the man who challenged the colossal dragon head-on: "<i>Nutjob.</i>" "<i>Psychopath</i>." "<i>Idiot</i>."

    But most of all¨C

    "<i>Scarily Strong."</i>

    Before the beast of majestic scales could properly respond to the ant that stood upon its snout, the man of gilded gauntlets already sprung forth, swinging his fist again. The action expelled a missile of light, exploding into a vast radiance that directly struck the face of the dragon.

    "Boom!" Seung called out as the golden smoke billowed.

 Chapter 24: Dragon Slayer

    <h4>Chapter 24: Dragon yer</h4>

    Neglecting to put distance between themselves and the destructive sh, Finn watched inplete disbelief at the power that someone had managed to achieve in such a short span.

    "...He''s doing it¨Cis he really beating that thing?" Damian stammered out.

    The same thought was shared by the others as they witnessed the creature of mountainous proportions shake its head, forcing the man off who was left falling at the height of a skyscraper.

    Seung smiled, slowing his descent as he grabbed onto the building behind him, sliding along it as the colossal jaws of the beast parted.

    It was like staring into a star being birthed; a funnel of mes awakened,ing up the dragon''s throat as the burning light emitted from its open maw. The shine of it was like staring up at the sun, producing a blinding glow.

    "What is that¨C" Damian observed.

    "Get back¨Cnow!" Finn said, beginning to back up as he gestured for his friends to follow.

    ¨CIt was toote.

    From the gargantuan mouth of the beast, a tidal wave of heat emerged. It swept outward with a thunderous boom, causing the wind to howl. The shock wave alone was enough to push them back, nearly knocking Finn and Charlotte off their feet entirely¨C

    "Gotcha!"

    Finn found himself still kept upright, ncing behind him to see the armor-d friend of his supporting both his body and the girl''s.

    "Thanks¨Cwe have to get behind something!" Finn said, quickly moving.

    The closest object to use as a shield from the source of heat and light was a broken down truck. Finn jumped over the bed of it, slipping behind it while Charlotte spun around the back of it. In a more aloof movement, Damian slid over, taking cover.

    Using the body of the turquoise truck, the majority of the overwhelming burst of heat was shielded.

    Finn caught his breath, looking down at his reddened hands as he felt as though he just stepped out of an oven.

    Even from the distance they were, the mes that poured from the grandiose beast''s mouth was that intense; itid waste to multiple skyscrapers in the path of its exhale.

    "Fuck! How is something like that even allowed to exist?! It''s unfair!" Damian shouted, keeping his back pressed against the truck as it rumbled.

    The temperature continued to soar as Finn felt himself exuding sweat like he never had before. They all panted like dogs, having to expel each breath as it felt as though fire was inhaled and exhaled from the burning wind.

    Finn nced over the top of the truck bed, though having to immediately close his eyes from the sheer brightness beyond.

    After what felt like an eternity, though only spanned a few seconds, the destructive sh of fire fizzled out.

    Finn stood up, with the other two hesitantly doing the same. The sight was something straight out of a nightmare; the entirety of the top half of the cloud-reaching skyscraper was reduced to cinder, along with multiple blocks directly behind it.

    It looked as though an entire portion of the city had been painted ck, reduced to a lifeless crisp as embers fluttered in the air like a red hot snowfall.

    "I don''t care what "level" that guy was," Damian said as sweat dripped from his chin. "Nobody is surviving that. Nothing is."

    "Hey, Damian," Finn said.

    "What?"

    "Are you sure about that?" Finn pointed out.

    Beyond all reason, defying logic entirely, a radiant star flickered through the sky, sailing straight towards the colossal beast of such destruction. There was no doubt what it was, or who it was, yet it still made no sense.

    Like a meteor descending from space, the figure was engulfed in mes as he flung straight at the dragon. The skin of the reckless man was left as ash to the wind, leaving only the bare flesh, yet he still moved with endless persistence.

    "--That''s the stuff...feelin'' alive now!" The burning man imed with vigor unbing of the deathly state of his body, mming his gauntlets together.

    The great beast had its mouth still open, exuding a cloud of smoke as it seemed woefully unprepared for the tenacity of the ming human. Before it could close its maw, the man who burned with such a smile that the mes almost seemed to please him, flew straight into its mouth.

    "Ha-ha-ha!" Theugh of the scorched figure echoed through the tunnel of flesh as he jetted down the beast''s throat.

    From the deste street, Finn looked up at the perplexing sight as the dragon closed its mouth, only able to assume the man had been swallowed whole.

    "The hell was that about?" Damian asked. "Did he just fly into its¨C"

    Before the remark of the warrior could be finished, the city-crushing beast suddenly winced, recoiling in pain as its chest hit the ground.

    Finn noticed its tail recklessly swinging in their direction, scalping the top of multiple buildings in the process, "--Look out!"

    They all dropped down just as the scaled appendage swung overhead with a tremendous weight. It was a feeling of sheer powerlessness as in that moment, Finn could only pray on the tail not crushing him, having no other choice but to leave it to fate.

    As he looked ahead where the colossal dragon nowid itself, groaning out in pain with emissions that rumbled the asphalt, it happened¨C

    <i>SQUELCH</i>

    Through the beast''s back, a force pierced, rupturing its scaled body as a fountain of blood shot up like a crimson geyser.

    "Holy shit..." Damian remarked.

    Charlotte watched, stunned by the impossible sight, "He did it."

    The gruesome sight was followed by a downpour of the creature''s own arterial fluid as escaping its body was the one who willingly dove into it.

    The man whose skin had entirely burned away, revealing only his bare flesh, smiled as the mes were put out by the rainfall of blood.

    With the fall of the beast, a "level-up" was obtained by the gauntlet-wearing figure.

    Seung spread his arms and expelled his triumph throughughter as the blood trickled down the skin that stretched over his regenerated self.

    ["<i>At that moment, I realized just what it was that the old man meant¨Cthat humanity wasn''t done yet. The entire time, I had been fighting tooth-and-nail just to survive, hiding and choosing my battles, frightened of the fiends that lurked.</i>

    <i>However, seeing that manugh while hunting down a beast born of nightmares, standing atop its lifeless body, was the first time I saw a human take it back¨Cwatching someone show the monsters that trampled on humanity that this is our world</i>."]

    There was one thing that Finn wondered above all when looking upon the bloodstained figure who had in the dragon. Only peeking carefully from behind the truck, the question remained on his mind¨C

    Was the man a friend or foe of humanity?

    That question seemed like it''d be answered swiftly as Finn found himself making idental eye contact with the dragon-ying stranger.

    <i>''Shit¨C'' </i>Finn thought.

    Before he could attempt to duck back down, the air flexed as the figure was gone. The truck was knocked into the air, revealing the three as standing right there was the gauntlet-wearing man.

    It took a moment for Finn to realize what had happened, as the truck was flipped through the air so casually and the inposojf man now stood there.

    <i>''He...kicked it? The truck?'' </i>Finn realized just as the vehicle crashed back down onto the street behind him.

    They were all frozen, not so much as moving a muscle in front of the man who was just on fire moments prior.

    "You three are petrified. That means you recognize I''m way above your level¡ªnot bad," Seung remarked, scratching his chin as his eyes specificallyid on the assassin.

    Finn had already readied his dagger, squeezing the handle as he kept his eyes on the man.

    The golden-haired man of many scars stood a head taller than the assassin, still holding a rxed smile, "Even knowing that, you''re still ready to kill me."

    Seung''s words addressed Finn, though the cautious assassin remained silent, honing his focus to the highest degree.

    With such a disparity in physical ability, he knew that he''d need totch onto even the slightest inclination of hostility and act first.

    Finn found the man staring right into his eyes; it was like looking at an apex predator as Seung''s irises were sharp diamonds of a scarlet hue.

    "Ha-ha!" Seung suddenlyughed as the tension was dispelled. "I''m not going to attack you. Rx, rx!"

    "You aren''t?" Charlotte asked hesitantly.

    The blonde-haired man waved his hand, "I''m not interested in people of your level. As it stands, none of you are a threat to me¡ªso, no issue."

    It was a bit underhanded of a reason, though Finn was relieved by the forward im of the man.

    "Anyway, got ces to be. Try not to die, or don''t¡ªI don''t care," Seung casually said with a wave of his hand beforeunching into the air.

    Like a star flickering across the horizon, the strange man took his leave.

    "I''m jealous...What ss lets you fly around like that?" Damian said, putting his hand against his brow as he watched the figure disappear into the distance.

    "None. That flight is from his gauntlets," Finn informed him.

    "Seriously? That seems overpowered," Damian remarked.

    "Flight would be convenient," Charlotte added.

    "Yeah, I''m not sure how he got his hands on them," Finn remarked before beginning to move along.

    As they walked down the street with the charred remains of the block behind them, the entire experience remained fresh on everyone''s minds.

 Chapter 25: Amidst The Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 25: Amidst The Shadows</h4>

    "Why''re we in such a rush? It''s probably fine to go back to the museum now, right?" Damian asked, ncing back at the structure.

    "Oliver made it clear with us there it was harder for him to maintain it. I don''t know what his ability is exactly, but it likely has to do with illusions," Finn exined. "Either way, we should get away from that dragon''s corpse."

    Charlotte kept up, always seeming to keep her hand resting on her scabbard at her hip, "A carcass like that will attract scavenger-type monsters. It''ll be a mess soon."

    "Exactly. It''ll be a feast for fiends," Finn said.

    Damian expelled a grossed-out breath, "Yeah, I''m good on that. Don''t wanna see it."

    As the sun began to dip behind the clouds with the day shifting to a warm orange, refuge was taken in an abandoned cafe. Finn sat at a table, ncing at the windows that they had barricaded while fiddling with a shattered mug.

    Damian was preupied with finding whatever food he could, while Charlotte cleaned her de with a handkerchief.

    Somehow, the aroma of coffee grounds was still present within the weathered establishment even after everything it had gone through.

    "Jackpot," Damian said, retrieving something from behind the counter.

    What the now giddy warrior presented was a tray of scones, though Finn could only imagine they were quite stale by now.

    A moment of peace wasforting, yet at the same time, Finn couldn''t help but feel like every second was one away from an attack. This anxiousness unsettled him as he tapped his foot, keeping his eyes on the blocked-off doorway.

    "What''s the n now? Just stake out wherever we can?" Damian asked with a mouthful of scone.

    "I don''t think that''s the right call," Finn responded, looking over at the warrior. "I''ve been thinking of what that old man told us. I think he''s onto something¨Cthe <i>Towers </i>likely hold something in them. What it is, I don''t know, but...I think climbing up the floors is our best option."

    There was silence that followed the reasoning issued by the assassin; an expected hesitation as the <i>Towers </i>had already demonstrated their danger.

    "I don''t entirely disagree, but it could just as easily lead to an even quicker death," Damian responded.

    Finn nodded his head, "I know." He looked over at the silent girl who cleaned her de. "Charlotte, you went to the second floor, right? How was it,pared to the first? I know it''s different between towers, but I''m assuming the danger increases with each floor."

    Charlotte nodded her head as she looked up, "It was much different from the first floor dungeon I went through. I...I barely made it out¡ªwell, you both know that."

    "Yeah, I assumed it was pretty awful considering how it left you," Damian said.

    "So, the first is just a false sense of security, then? Besides that lunatic we encountered, it wasn''t too bad," Finn recalled.

    It seemed like a sour topic to the girl, as she fidgeted slightly, fiddling with her fingers. In his short time knowing her, Charlotte seemed quiet and reserved, though calm andposed.

    For Finn, it was an unnerving sight to see her clearly ruffled by recent memories.

    "Be honest," Finn asked. "As we are right now, do you think we could survive the second floor?"

    Charlotte pondered it for a moment, looking between the warrior and assassin, "I haven''t exactly seen either of you in realbat yet, so I can''t say for sure."

    "Alright¡ªthen let''s conduct a test," Finn said, standing up from his seat.

    Damian swallowed the scone he was chewing with a perplexed look, "Test? Don''t tell me you have in mind what I think you do¡ª"

    "Yup," Finn confirmed. "Let''s go find a monster to y."

    "Oh, great," Damian expelled a sarcastic sigh.

    At the level he''d brought himself to, Finn felt confident in simply walking onto the street. Simple fiends such as goblins or kobolds were well within his strength to manage, though he remained cautious.

    Leaving the cafe they bunkered in, the three marched down the street carefully, not taking long to discover a perfect environment for what Finn sought¡ª

    "Jackpot," the assassin pointed out, looking towards the entrance into a parking garage.

    It was as close to a modern cave within a city, undoubtedly the home of prowling fiends as Finn led the way into the lot of abandoned vehicles.

    "Is this really a good idea? Picking a fight, I mean," Damian asked, looking around at the shadow-filled lot.

    "It''s not just for Charlotte. Sitting around is only going to end badly¡ªif we can, we need to keep leveling up," Finn advised. "I''m sure you''ve noticed, but it feels like it''s only going to get more dangerous."

    "Can''t disagree there...That big ass dragon really shook me up," Damian said.

    In all honesty, Finn was more interested in obtaining new skills with his Assimtion System than simply leveling up.

    The concrete pirs only harbored darkness as the vast parking garage was left eerily silent.

    "...Feel that? Got kinda chilly out of nowhere, didn''t it?" Damian asked with a shudder.

    "A bit, yeah," Finn agreed while walking further.

    As he took another step, he came to a sudden stop while looking ahead. It was pitch ck just a few strides forward, unnaturally so.

    A parking garage was a naturally eerie environment; a vast, open, yet enclosed space with dim spaces, always seeming to house the unseen.

    "Right ahead," Finn quietly called out as he called on his dagger.

    "Right," Damian nodded his head, lifting his hand as his axe manifested itself.

    As he readied himself, Finn whispered as he held his other hand out, "¡ª<i>Replication.</i>"

    The dagger duplicated into his left hand as he remained cautious, only inching forward slightly. His boot slid across the concrete floor with a slight scrape as he watched the darkness¡ª

    "¡ª"

    In the mass of darkness that consumed the other end of the parking garage, it showed itself; an inhuman face peeking out.

    Its eyes bulged from its head, with chattering teeth and pale, white skin. The unnerving creature seemed to wear a cloak of pure darkness, as if dressed in shadows as only its face and limbsid bare.

    It could hardly be considered humanoid, only in the fact it walked on two legs, hunched over as its zed over eyes stared past the humans. There was something about its presence; like a pressure that pulsed with sheer malevolence.

    "What the fuck is that?" Damian asked in a hesitant whisper, keeping his weapon up.

    "A <i>Duke of Shadows. </i>Don''t be scared," Finn advised.

    "How the hell can I not be?! Look at that thing!" Damian said in a panic as sweat left his body.

    Finn looked over at the warrior, having topose himself as well, "--It wants to make you scared. If you exhibit fear, it''s going to amplify it¨Ccalm yourself down."

    It left Damian clutching at his own chest withbored breathing, seeming to exude more sweat in a panic, "Yeah...! I''ve got it¨Cnice and easy, all calm!" The warrior convinced himself.

    While the men calmed themselves down, the shadow-cloaked entity smiled at them, tucking itself behind a pir as it wiggled its fingers in a taunting fashion. Even though Damian took clear measures topose himself, it was clear that the panic had done its damage as the man was still left breathing unevenly.

    Finn noticed the state of the warrior, thinking to himself, <i>''--Shit, it''s going to target him. If he lets the fear amplify too much, his heart will explode, but I can''t tell him that. It''ll only increase his panic.'' </i>

    From its spot behind the concrete pir, the shadow-dwelling fiend lunged out with its mouth agape.

    Finn intercepted it, meeting it halfway as he duck down¡ª

    ["<i>Deadly irvoyance"</i>] [0:29]

    As the skill activated, the quick-footed man felt a shock course through his body like a six sense. He felt the creature attacking with its left arm, aiming to eviscerate his neck.

    The precognition caused his body to move on its own, predicting the iing attack as he used one dagger to sh through the nightmare''s wrist.

    "Kreeugh¡ª?" The fiend releases a noise.

    As Finn pressed further, striking his dagger towards its head, the creature suddenly pulled away. It was as if the shadows puppeteered its body, flinging it back.

    Though Finn opened his mouth to call out to the spellde, he found it unnecessary as the young woman was already rushing in.

    Charlotte ran her hand over her sword as bright, blue mes gathered along it.

    ["<i>Burning Sapphire Infusion</i>"]

    The zing sword was swept forth by the girl, unleashing the mes into the dwelling of shadows ahead. It pushed away the mass of darkness, like a smog being disrupted.

    Within the shadows, the bug-eyed, double-jointed fiend screeched a horrific sound.

    "¡ªAh!"

    "Shit!"

    "Nah!¡ª"

    They all blocked their ears, though it wasn''t before the piercing scream had done its damage.

    Finn struggled to stand straight as it felt like an ice pick had been plunged into his ears. The immediate migraine blurred his vision, leaving a ringing in his ears.

    <i>''Shit...It got us with that¡ªthis thing is tough, but it''s manageable,'' </i>he thought, focusing past the pain with quick breaths.

 Chapter 26: Third Impact

    <h4>Chapter 26: Third Impact</h4>

    As quickly as the mes had provided light, shadows stretched out and around, enclosing the group as only a small section was left untouched.

    "Shit, it''s got us circled in," Damian remarked.

    It was only by virtue of the ming sword wielded by Charlotte were the shadows kept at bay.

    "The infusion will onlyst thirty more seconds, max," Charlotte called out.

    Damian spoke, turning rapidly as skin-crawling sounds echoed from the shadows, "¡ªRemember when I said this was a bad idea? Anybody else? I don''t want to say I''m right, but...I was probably right."

    "Just calm down and focus¡ªwe''re perfectly fine, as long as we remainposed," Finn said.

    He tried to recall what information he could on the skulking, yet aggressive creature as it pranced in the surrounding darkness.

    "Damian, you can bring it out of the darkness," Finn said, looking over at the warrior. "You have <i>that </i>skill, right?"

    "That one? Oh, yeah...haven''t used it yet, but I guess now is the right situation. Okay!" Damian said, hyping himself up as he pped his own chest.

    Charlotte looked lost on what the unspoken n was between the men as the mes began to flicker, "¡ªAlmost out."

    Arge breath was drawn into the lungs of the heavy-hearted warrior, puffing his cheeks out before expelling it all into a mighty shout¡ª

    ["<i>Provocation of Might"</i>]

    "Ruuuuaaaaahhhhh¡ª!" Damian''s challenging yell pushed outward into the shadows of the parking garage.

    From the gulf of darkness, a sound came¡ª

    Finntched onto the noise, readying himself as he lowered his stance:

    ["<i>Gale Blessing"</i>] [2:59]

    The air around the assassin shifted, swirling around his body and guiding him with the swiftness of the wind.

    Just as the spellde''s me sputtered out, letting the darkness inch closer, the fiend lunged out.

    At that moment, Finn watched as the bug-eyed horror leapt straight for the warrior that had provoked it. He moved to intercept it, moving one foot in front of the other as the wind carried him.

    The speed carried the momentum of his strike, allowing for his daggers to carve straight into the nightmarish fiend.

    [<i>"Spider Bite</i>"] [9:59]

    As his des left an "X" shaped wound on the creature''s chest, a ck substance was left in its torso.

    <i>''¡ªThere,'' </i>Finn thought.

    He flipped back as the bug-eyed duke lunged at him with its jaws snapping. As it swept its elongated fingers around wildly, Finn watched as it was intercepted through the flickering darkness.

    "--Gotcha!" Damian said, using his shoulder to knock it back.

    The hard hit briefly stunned the creature before it shook its head, opting to lunge once more towards them, however¨Cit suddenly froze.

    Though the wounds weren''t deep enough to be fatal on their own, it was the essence of [Spider Bite] that brought the monster to a halt. On its feet, the pale-skinned, hunchbacked figure began to convulse and drool as the shadows it brought dispersed.

    "A poison?" Charlotte watched.

    The skill injected a unique venom from his strikes, causing the monster''s skill to blister and peele as the ooze left its pores. It didn''t take much longer for the creature to crumble to its knees before falling to a deathly silence.

    "Damn, that''s more effective than I thought," Finn mumbled to himself.

    ["<i>Duke of Shadows defeated</i>."] [<i>"Anarch Coins x100 obtained</i>."]

    [<i>Experience Points: +600</i>] [1850/12500]

    [Assimted<i> ability from [Duke of Shadows]</i>: "<i>Cloud of Darkness</i>" 1 / 5]

    A breath of relief was released from Damian''s lips as the parking garage was returned to its normal, still eerie state without the supernatural shade engulfing it, "Man, I really could''ve gone without encountering that thing. I think I''m going to have nightmares tonight. Well, I''ve had them every night anyway."

    "It wasn''t that bad. We handled it without any injuries," Finn remarked, patting his own body as he looked between hisrades. "If we were lower leveled like before, it''d have been much more problematic. Get what I''m saying?"

    "Yeah, Yah, I understand now¨Cit''s important to keep getting stronger. Doesn''t mean I''m a fan of confronting these scary bastards, though," Damian sighed.

    "So, what do you think? Are we up to par?" Finn asked, looking at the spellde.

    Charlotte was quiet for a moment, seeming hesitant to give an answer before nodding slightly, "I can''t say for sure...It''s not like I was able to stand much of a chance on the second floor. But our odds will be better."

    "Well, that''s somewhat of a positive, I guess," Finn said.

    Before they took their leave from the concrete parking structure, Damian stopped them as he pointed to where the in fiend was, "What''s going on with its body?"

    As Finn turned around to look at what his friend was pointing at, he saw that the <i>Duke of Shadow''s </i>corpse was "gone", or rather it had dissolved into a ck imprint onto the floor.

    "I haven''t seen anything like that. Is it really dead?" Charlotte asked.

    Finn was quiet for a moment as he looked down at the shape of the body left on the ground like a chalk drawing, "...Yeah, it''s dead. Let''s get out of here¨Cwe probably made a bit too much noise. Don''t want any other monsters flooding in here."

    "Agreed," Damian added, not wanting any more trouble as he began walking.

    As the others moved along, Finn stood there for a moment, looking at the imprint left on the concrete ground. It didn''t sit entirely right with him, focusing on a small ounce of doubt within his mind on what he looked at.

    <i>''It couldn''t be that, could it? There''s no way,'' </i>he thought when looking at the stain of the fiend''s body.

    The voice of Damian called out from near the entrance of the parking garage, "Finn! C''mon already!"

    "Yeah,ing," Finn responded, turning around as he nced back once more at the ck stain.

    As he walked between the concrete pirs and past the abandoned vehicles, each step he took echoed through the lonely structure.

    He couldn''t ce it exactly, but something felt off. Ahead he could see the two silhouettes of hispanions waiting at the exit of the parking structure, watching as the hand of the warrior waved for him to hurry.

    "Coming¡ª" Finn called out again.

    He lightly jogged to pick up the pace before slowing again as his boot scraped against the ground. The silhouette he recognized as his friends were nothing more than shadows, gone with a blink as he reached the entrance.

    "¡ªHuh?" Finn quietly let out as he stopped.

    A sinking feeling was felt as he stood there, staring outside of the concrete building back into the deste streets of Daejeon.

    It waspletely ck; to call it nightfall wouldn''t be urate. There wasn''t a single star visible in the darkness, only an empty nothingness above.

    "Damian? Charlotte?" He called out the names of hisrades, looking in both directions as neither way down the street did he see them.

    Unlike the night, the unnatural darkness that veiled the cityscape left him still, unnerved as it felt like eyes watched him from within the unseen.

    <i>''...It''s what I feared¨CI thought there was no way it''d show up, but I was wrong¨Cthe "Sovereign of Shadows" is here,'' </i>Finn thought, looking up.

    In the void of darkness that engulfed the sky, a sole object hung over the cityscape: an ominous moon that glistened like a radiant beacon. However, it turned as it revealed itself as no celestial body, but the face of something harrowingly vast in scale.

    The grinning moon revealed itself to be the one that harkoned the encapsting darkness, wearing the shade itself as a cloak that stretched taller than any of the skyscrapers before it.

    ["<i>Sovereign of Shadows</i>"]

    It leaned unnaturally over the towering buildings with its head in the void above the man.

    As he looked up, his eyes met with the entity''s own; craters that did not harbor life, yet flickered with unbound malice.

    A primal fear gripped Finn''s body, not allowing him to budge even a finger as he stared at it, feeling a sheer sense of powerlessness overtake him in the presence of the one that brought the unmatched night.

    <i>BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. </i>

    The pace of his heartbeat increased like the crescendo of a drum, feeling the fear swell within his chest before he forced his gaze away.

    <i>''Where did Damian and Charlotte end up? It happened too quickly¨Cor did it? Was I caught in its web already? Since when? For how long?'' </i>He questioned rapidly.

    He knew it wasn''t mere darkness that epassed the city, but a veil like that of a hex; the absence of light amplified fear and anxiety, warping one''s mind.

    <i>''...The Sovereign of Shadows isn''t something meant to be fought, at least not at this level. It''s a force of nature; a "world event" in Avalon that rarely urred. I remember the "Malevolent Night" being imposed produces illusions, but in real life? I can feel my brain fogging up already,'' </i>Finn thought.

    As he stood there, he looked forward as he found something else standing across the street. It stood just in front of the alleyway, with pale skin that glistened like the moonlight, devoid of any features, nor eyes or ears.

    Only a smile perched across its empty face, pointed right at the perplexed man.

    Before he could so much as raise his dagger in a defense, it was already gone, like a passing breeze.

    <i>''An illusion...? Shit, this is bad. Even knowing about the Sovereign of Shadows, I''m still at risk. I can''t say the same for the others¡ªthey don''t know what''s going on,'' </i>he thought.

    <i>BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. </i>

    Again, he felt his heart rate rising as he ced his hand over his chest, feeling the palpitations. He moved himself to the alleyway, out of the open street before focusing on his breathing.

    <i>''It''s just the darkness...It''s ying tricks on my mind. Focus¡ªdon''t let it get to you,'' </i>he reminded himself while slowly inhaling and exhaling.

    ["<i>At that time, I didn''t realize that it had begun¨Cthe "Third Impact</i>."]

 Chapter 27: City of Madness

    <h4>Chapter 27: City of Madness</h4>

    As he slowly walked down the lightless alleyway, he found himself conflicted on what he should do. Though he wanted to find hispanions, the logical part of his mind told him they were already dead¨Cit would be a fruitless effort, not worth the risk.

    Still, that way of thinking brought him to a standstill as he questioned his own reasoning. He found himself naturally wanting to find a ce to hide for safety, waiting out the dark-bringing entity.

    <i>''When did I be so cold? No, that''s not it¨Cam I that much of a coward?'' </i>He questioned himself.

    As he looked at the door on the side of the brick-built building, he touched the handle, finding it unlocked. It was likely empty and safe; a perfect ce to perhaps wait out the chaotic night, yet Finn stopped himself.

    Ahead, the pitch-ck street left an eerie sensation trickling across his skin, though he decided to push on against his better judgment. Perhaps it was the less logical choice, though Finn felt he owed it to them¨Cin his time of grief, it was Damian that was there for him.

    <i>''Just where did you both end up?'' </i>Finn questioned.

    ["<i>Shadow Tracking"</i>] [9:59]

    Footprints manifested, leading forward with a subtle, blue glow from the activation of the skill. It gave him the trail to that which he sought to find, recognizing thergeness of the footprints to belong to the warrior.

    <i>''Ahead, then,'' </i>Finn thought.

    The presence of the supernatural night alone made his heart ache, only imagining what it was like for those oblivious to the situation as he pressed on. As he wound up at the other end of the narrow alley, he found himself at a pavilion encircled by a shopping center.

    Before he could take one step out, he immediately pressed himself against the wall as a sound met his ears¨C<i>squelch</i>.

    <i>''What is...'' </i>He began to wonder internally as he stared at what caught his eye in the center of the pavilion.

    It was hard to make out through the darkness at first, seeing what looked like two creatures, with one not moving and the other performing an act upon it. The sound of flesh squelching made it more clear for his sight; it was a goblin, painted in red, feasting upon the corpse of one of its very own kin.

    "Eurgh¨C" Finn let out in disgust, quickly covering his mouth as he ducked behind the wall again.

    Though goblins were savage creatures, the cannibalistic one he witnessed acted like a wild animal. It stuck its entire face into the opened torso of its kin, feasting as though it were a delectable dish of pasta.

    <i>''...The Sovereign''s darkness, its effects apply to monsters as well¡ªI remember that. I don''t recall anything like this though¡ªit''s vile,'' </i>he thought.

    It was difficult to imagine his perception of goblins bing even lower, but he stood corrected. The footsteps led directly past the feasting goblin, though Finn was hesitant to move near it.

    <i>''Careful now¡ªthere could be more lurking nearby. If I rm it, it''ll bring them too,'' </i>he thought, beginning to move as he crouched down, circling around the fiend.

    While he moved quietly, one of the most difficult creatures to sneak past were goblins; their sense of hearing was evolved. As he carefully stepped around the center of the pavilion where the fiend indulged like a wild beast, he could see the creature twitching, hearing it mumbling to itself erratically.

    It was obvious it hadpletely lost its mind, if one considered goblins to be sane in the first ce. He kept his eyes on it while walking with caution, passing by an abandoned toy shop before suddenly stopping.

    "Heek¨C"

    The blood-painted goblin spun its head around while hissing out, seeming to take notice of someone lurking around. Finn didn''t know how it must''ve sensed him, though he didn''t test it as he remained as still as a statue.

    <i>''...Thest thing I need right now is goblins on my ass. Especially ones that have lost their minds,'' </i>he thought.

    It wasn''t until the fiendish goblin resumed its feast that the young man continued moving, retracing the steps of the warrior that led into the warehouse store just ahead.

    One more step forward¨C

    <i>Crunch</i>.

    "--Huh?" He quietly let out by reflex, ncing down.

    By some stroke of misfortune that he couldn''t ce in the moment, he found a stray bone left on the concrete, now shattered beneath his boot.

    <i>''Shit,'' </i>he thought.

    While his gaze was still pointed down, he found the sound of flesh being gnawed on now absent; a dead silence came.

    Just as he raised his gaze towards where the manic fiend was¡ª

    "Kree!" A vicious screech came from the fiend.

    He jumped up to his feet, moving back as he found the blood-soaked goblin rushing straight at him. It charged at him on all fours, leaving prints of blood in its tracks.

    Right away, he noticed its build was somewhat different from the usual goblin;nkier, but also swifter.

    <i>''¡ªIt''s rabid! Like a damn wild animal!'' </i>Finn thought.

    There was no part of him that wanted to get into close quartersbat with such an unpredictable creature. He backed up while focusing on its neck, suddenly lunging forward¡ª

    ["<i>Blink sh"</i>] [2:59]

    He instantly warped in, shing at its neck. Despite the instantaneous strike, the wild creature suddenly spun itself to the side. The jarring movement allowed it to escape being decapitated as he watched its tongue hang loosely from its mouth.

    <i>''It dodged that¡ª? No, not intentionally,'' </i>Finn realized, flipping back to ce some distance between himself and the creature again.

    Before he could even properly set his footing, the cannibal goblin lunged at him without any self-preservation.

    "¡ªHah."

    Finn bobbed and weaved through its rapid strikes, pacing back while moving his head as he watched its blood-soaked ws swipe at him.

    He countered with a kick straight to its chest, knocking the fiend back a couple meters, yet¡ª

    "Kraa...!" The goblinnded with a slide, spitting out the mess of blood on its mouth.

    <i>''Shit, that didn''t even faze it?'' </i>Finn thought.

    He could see a clear bruise forming on its chest, though its sheerck of sanity ced any injuries behind it.

    Finn decided to put his replicated dagger to use, maintaining the distance between himself and the goblin as it rushed him again.

    In a swift flick of his wrist, he tossed the dagger, letting it soar straight for the fiend''s forehead¡ª<i>SQUELCH. </i>Itnded dead center in the goblin''s skull, immediately bringing it down to the ground.

    "Phew," Finn breathed out, waiting a moment as he watched its body fall limp.

    Though as he stood there for a moment, he realized there wasn''t any notification from his system; not a single droplet of experience was given to him, it seemed.

    <i>''Wait, what?'' </i>Finn thought, looking down at the body.

    At least, he stared down at where the corpse of the goblin should''ve been, but there was nothing there. It made him blink a few times as he looked towards the center of the shopping center, checking on the eaten body of the other goblin¨Cnothing.

    "What?" Finn muttered under his breath in confusion.

    Blinking a few times made it feel as though he''d just woken from a dream, though the nightmare still persisted. He stood there for a moment, questioning what he just encountered, still finding his heart thumping inside of his chest.

    <i>''...An illusion? Something like that?'' </i>Finn realized.

 Chapter 28: Real; Illusion

    <h4>Chapter 28: Real; Illusion</h4>

    As he turned around to continue following the trail he was set on tracking, he stopped dead in his tracks once again. He froze at what his eyes found, feeling the rapidity of his heart beat increasing¨C

    The windows of the abandoned storefronts in front of him werepletely filled; dozens of pairs of eyes stared at him from behind the ss. Glistening with viciousness, the beady, red eyes belonged to a horde of goblins, all standing as still as statues, watching him as though he were some sort of prey.

    <i>''What the...? They weren''t here a moment ago¨Cwait, it''s another trick. It''s not real¨Cdon''t let it get to you,'' </i>he thought, convincing himself the best he could.

    As he approached the entrance to the warehouse store, reaching for the door where countless goblins stoodpletely still, it was hard to convince himself they were merely illusions. He could hear their heavy breaths, as if waiting to nibble on his flesh; it unnerved him.

    <i>''It''s fake. A swarm of goblins don''t just appear out of thin air¨Cthey don''t behave like this, either,'' </i>he convinced himself further.

    Drawing in a careful breath, he opened the door, choosing not to fear the standstill horde of fiends¨C

    As the door was pulled open, he blinked once before finding his blood running to a chill in his veins. His sight waspletely consumed by the goblins, greeting him at the entrance as they crawled, leapt, and lunged at him.

    There was nothing he could do,pletely outnumbered, only praying that his theory was correct that they were indeed merely tricks of the darkness.

    However¨C

    "--Ngh!" Finn let out, wincing as one of the fiends sank its teeth into his shoulder.

    Before he knew it, he waspletely engulfed in the horde of barbaric goblins, feeling their teeth sink into his flesh at every angle.

    He attempted to stay on his feet, though the vile creatures leapt on him, clinging to his body as he found himself copsing.

    "Aeugh¨C!"

    Though he yelled out, it did nothing to help as the sensation of teeth digging into and tearing off his flesh was the only sensation he could focus on.

    <i>''--The illusion was...that they weren''t there in the first ce¨CI couldn''t see them,'' </i>he realized.

    The strength faded from his body as did his blood; the warmth beneath his back was a deathly feeling for him, knowing heid in his own essence.

    <i>''Am I...dying?'' </i>He questioned.

    It was difficult to muster a thought as he felt his scalp being gnawed on, along with his legs being torn by the vicious teeth. Even his arms werepromised as he felt teeth sink into his forearm.

    Yet¨C

    He moved to retaliate, though it was a struggle with the weight of many goblins pinning him down. Even so, he had his ways¨C

    ["<i>Orcish Boost</i>"] [4:59]

    The momentary skill filled his body with fleeting strength, allowing him to slide one arm free, already soaked in his own blood. He didn''t blink as crimson liquid leaked from his forehead into his own eye, reaching his hand up as he gripped the head of the goblin that bit into his own.

    Without remorse, he squeezed, popping the fiend''s skull like a walnut as its brain matter sttered.

    ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] [<i>"Anarch Coins x10 obtained</i>."]

    [<i>Experience points</i>: +100] [1950/12500]

    [Assimted<i> ability from ["Lost Goblin</i>"]: "<i>Blood Tracking</i>" 1 / 5]

    At the same time, he ced his other hand on the fiend''s head that bit into his side, whispering out, "<i>Replication</i>."

    Another "crunch'' and stter emitted as the touched goblin''s head exploded as if crushed by an unseen force.

    ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] [<i>"Anarch Coins x10 obtained</i>."]

    [<i>Experience points</i>: +100] [2050/12500]

    [Assimted<i> ability from ["Lost Goblin</i>"]: "<i>Wild Instinct</i>" 2 / 5]

    Getting two off of him, he jumped up to his feet, pushing off the other goblins as he readied his dagger without hesitation.

    Normal thoughts were absent from his mind; instead, the young man''s entanglement with death brought him to an ice-cold focus. A veil of blood obscured his vision, having run over his eyes, though he could still see that he was far too outnumbered by the ravenous goblins.

    Compared to the normal goblin they were faster, stronger, more aggressive, and worst: unpredictable.

    He decided to change his approach as he allowed his daggers to vanish, instead holding both hands together as a different weapon was called upon:

    ["<i>Bloodstained Odachi</i>"]

    Into his grip, the de as tall as his own body manifested through a slick darkness; the heavy sword was still painted in old blood, tied to its very existence.

    As he leaked his own arterial fluid from the wounds across his body, Finn steadied his footing, having to be careful in maneuvering the unorthodox weight of the lengthy de.

    The aim was simple; use the overwhelming length of the sword to ovee the disparity in number.

    "Come on," Finn mumbled, speaking merely on partial consciousness.

    As he stood there with the odachi readied, the goblin''s kept their distance, growling and snapping their jaws at him. Even in their madness, they seemed to respect the lethality of the unorthodox weapon.

    [<i>"Gale Blessing</i>"] [2:59]

    Wind shrouded his body, enveloping him in a serene coat of swiftness as he faced down the fiends that had already gotten a taste of his flesh.

    It wasn''t just for survival; he felt an anger boiling inside of him at having been treated like a meal by the creatures.

    As he inched his foot just a bit closer, it set off the ravenous, lunatic goblins as they each lunged at him in unison.

    His bloodsoaked vision was engulfed by the sight of the man-eating fiends each parting their jaws in hopes of seconds.

    However¡ª

    He swung the lengthy de, feeling the wind guide it with a graceful push. An unwieldy weapon; without the support of the enchanting wind, a proper swing would be impossible.

    The reach of the visceral edge swept forth, cleanly slicing through the bodies of those that sought his flesh. He could feel the de traversing through many in a split-second before the sh waspleted.

    A spray of blood sttered onto the warehouse exterior as he watched the horde of vicious goblins fall down, left bisected by the unwieldy de.

    "...Hah..." Finn breathed out, letting the sword rest against the concrete.

    ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."] ["<i>Lost Goblin defeated</i>."]

    ["<i>Anarch Coin x120 obtained</i>."]

    [<i>Experience points: +1200</i>] [3250/12500]

    [Assimted<i> ability from [</i>"<i>Lost Goblin</i>"]: "<i>w Extension</i>" | "<i>Summon: Lost Goblin</i>" | "<i>Summon: Rusty Weapon</i>"]

    The flood of information to his system came upon ying the horde of goblins, leaving him standing there as he caught his breath.

    Even an overwhelming victory wasn''t enough for ascending a level, leaving his body riddled with wounds as he bled. He breathed, wiping his face as blood still stained his vision.

    <i>''...I don''t know what''s real and what''s not right now. The best course of action is to treat everything as a threat rather than not,'' </i>he thought, looking down at his trembling forearm as it oozed blood.

    On his left hand, the pinky and index finger were lost, though the pain of it didn''t register to his pain as he simply stared at it.

    It was hard to make out how bad the wounds were, seeing as the abundance of red fluid obscured his injuries. At the very least, they didn''t seem too deep; a hardly reassuring factor.

    Either way, the only way he could trust were the tracks revealed to him by his skill. The illuminated footprints led into the warehouse, into the unseen darkness of its unlit interior.

 Chapter 29: Memory Lane, Part One

    <h4>Chapter 29: Memory Lane, Part One</h4>

    As he entered the bounds of the abandoned store, its vast facilities became clear; shelves that stood ten meters tall, housing housing products fromwnmowers to entire shacks.

    <i>''...Did Damian take shelter here? It''s not a bad spot to hide, but it seems easy to get lost,'' </i>Finn thought, carefully walking through an aisle as he looked at the surrounding sheds on disy.

    He opted for his dagger in ce of the odachi; a clear choice. It was kept ready as he moved with silent steps, watching the ground as the footprints led to a left turn.

    Simply calling out to his friend was not an option; he was unsure of what else may be lurking.

    <i>''Can''t trust anything now. The Sovereign of Shadows has turned this city into its sandbox to toy with us,'' </i>Finn thought.

    He followed the footprints, turning around the corner between two, metal shelves beforeing to a stop. Just ahead, he found a peculiar sight¡ª

    Like a miniature neighborhood, colorful shacks like that of scaled down houses were lined up as abyrinth. He wasn''t sure if it was how the warehouse was normally set up, cautiously moving closer to the first of the sheds.

    As he got closer, the smell of fresh paint met his nose; an invasive scent that made his mind slightly fuzzy. It became clear that the yellow coloring on the shed he moved closer to was fresh, still wet, though it didn''t make sense why.

    <i>''Don''t think too hard about it. Everything is here to mess with my head,'' </i>he reminded himself, opting to walk around the shed.

    As he walked past the freshly-painted, yellow shelter, he found himself between multiple. ncing back, the way he just came from was now blocked by the shed that still ran slick with ayer.

    He stood there a moment, ncing side to side as it seemed he was nted right in the middle of a peculiar maze now; the miniature homes surrounded him, now with their doors open as if inviting him in. In the dreary warehouse, sorge, lonely, yet eerie, he felt it was alive in a sense; watching him.

    <i>''...It''s just trying to mess with my head. Just keeping moving¨Cjust follow those footprints,'' </i> he reminded himself, looking down.

    The blue-glowing tracks led him into a baby-blue shed, entering its entrance as he had to duck his head down somewhat. As soon as he entered, he felt a change, bringing his gaze up.

    It was not the ustrophobic interior he first saw before walking in, but the inside of a full-scale home.

    "...What is this?" He mumbled.

    Of course, as he turned around, he found the doors he walked through were not just closed, but gonepletely. The only way was the path forward, leading into the depths of the illogical interior.

    The wooden walls resembled that of a cabin, with each step he took resonating against his ears as he moved carefully. Besides the creaking wood, his own breathing paired with the thumping of his heart was loud, obscuring his own focus as he dragged himself along.

    He could feel his strength slowly fading as blood left his body, sliding down his skin as the warmth provided an ufortable reality.

    Down the hall of the shed, he found a red door; vaguely familiar, though he couldn''t pinpoint why. All there was to do was open it, bringing his fingers to wrap around the brass handle before turning it.

    "--Ah."

    As it was opened, he found himself at a loss for breath momentarily at the familiar interior that awaited. It was like peering into a past memory; a pristine recollection, like a safe haven away from the current hell.

    A gray-walled hallway with pictures hung; photos of him, as a child and up through his teenage years, with the man and woman who raised him.

    <i>''Home,'' </i>he thought.

    Stumbling into the ce he didn''t realize how much his heart ached for, he saw the living room just ahead, stricken by such nostalgia he could feel tears welling in his eyes. The walls were spotless, with the wooden floorboards newly refurbished.

    Such a clean home, making him acutely aware of just how dirty and grimy he was, not wanting to spill his own arterial fluid.

    "...I can''t make a mess for mom," he said through broken breaths, stumbling a bit as he checked himself.

    To his surprise, the wounds on his body were gone; his hands had all ten fingers. In fact, the all-ck uniform he wore was gone, and in its ce a casual attire; a yellow t-shirt and jeans.

    He didn''t question it, feeling returned right to him as a warmth resonated within him.

    "Finn? Oh, wee home¨CI''m just finishing up dishes," the familiar, feminine voice called out from down the hall, in the kitchen.

    The young man paused as his eyes widened and his heart skipped a bit, carefully stepping forward as he brushed his hand against the wall, "...Mom?"

    Everything in his head began to crumble away; all of the stress, the horrors, those terrible memories imprinted on his mind¨Cit was all overpowered by what was just up ahead. It was overwhelmed by the longing for the one he lost; for the life and world that once was.

    <i>''That''s right. A world like this couldn''t exist...I mean, monsters from Avalon Online? These Systems? It was just a nightmare...A long, terrible nightmare,'' </i>the thought of relief came to him.

    A single step into the living room made the air in his lungs shift; a cooler, more refreshing breath was taken in.

    Looking towards the kitchen, he could hear the water from the sink running along with aforting, familiar humming. He took a step towards the kitchen, though was stopped as a voice came from it¨C

    "I''ve got things covered here, Finn! Just rx! I know you''ve had a hard semester at university, so just sit down and make yourself at home¨Cbeen long enough since you''ve been around anyway!" The voice of his mother said from the kitchen.

    Finn wanted to go in there to see her, though nodded his head as those words sounded just right; he was tired.

    <i>''I am exhausted...I wonder why...Right, university,'' </i>he thought as he sat himself down on the sofa.

    The couch of vani-tinted material allowed him to sink right into it as he exhaled.

    Monsters? A concept that seemed so ridiculous now that he was there, rxing on the sofa. It all seemed so silly as he sat there.

    As his eyelids flickered with the coattails of exhaustion, for a split-second, he saw his body covered in wounds and the home eroded.

    Only for a moment, bringing him to rub his eyes as he med it on his sleepiness.

    The television in front of him was ying a news channel, with the anchorughing while discussing the uing weather.

    "<i>We''re looking at a week of hot temperatures, so make sure to dress lightly! Otherwise, you''ll melt into a puddle!</i>" The middle-aged anchor announced with a chuckle.

    As he watched the news channel, zoning out somewhat, he found the anchor behind the television screen staring right at him. It wasn''t just the camera¡ªno, the man was staring straight into his soul.

    "<i>Summer is a time of joy, isn''t it, young man? I''m sure you have wonderful memories of the summertime heat, Finn</i>," the man behind the screen spoke.

    Words pointed straight to him brought him out of his perplexed self, opening his eyes as he found himself misced into another scenery once again.

    <i>''--Summer memories?'' </i>He repeated in his head.

    All at once, a spur of moments happened in an instant; a recollection relived as he found himself as a youth once again. That which he recalled were times with a man older than himself; an oftenid-back, but reliable figure that always seemed to make himugh.

    "<i>Trevor</i>," Finn recalled, "--<i>My brother</i>."

 Chapter 30: Memory Lane, Part Two

    <h4>Chapter 30: Memory Lane, Part Two</h4>

    "<i>Trevor</i>," Finn recalled, "--<i>My brother</i>."

    The one he looked up to as a child; the person who taught him to catch and throw a ball, who introduced him to the world of video games, yet also instilled responsibility in him.

    Yet, such a happy, reliable figure was the source of a tragic summer¨C

    Finn found himself in that horrific moment, standing just outside of the snow-white room where his mother wept, where police tapeid, though did not blockade that gut-wrenching site.

    Flies buzzed as the scalding temperature of the midyear season left him in a sweat, though it wasn''t just the summer to me.

    In that room thatid as a curse upon his mind, all he could see were feet dangling, hanging from one suspended from the ceiling. A lifeless, grueling sight that left the young man sick to his stomach.

    <i>''Why? I always questioned that. Oliver was alwaysughing and making othersugh. So why did he take his own life? I couldn''t figure it out,'' </i>Finn thought, ''<i>At some point though, I did.</i>''

    Once more, he found the scenery around him reforming as being taken on a tour through his own memories. It felt normal, not something he questioned as he found himself once more in a familiar moment.

    It was years after the death of his brother, left alone in the quiet, suffocating dorm room. He sat at his desk, alone in the dark with only the moonlight to shine through the window. On theptop monitor, the webpage was open to disy the grades for his semester¨Cfailures.

    The young man sat there, staring down at the paper as he had only gotten one word down¨C"<i>Sorry</i>."

    ["<i>I didn''t know what to do. As a kid, I grew up being praised as "talented." I was so used to that sess, that validation. When I got to university, I fell behind. All of a sudden, I wasn''t even "average"--I was a failure. I had no motivation to continue. Life no longer had any joy; there was no point to it. I was heading for a life of nine-to-fives, thinking I was special</i>."]

    All of it culminated into a breaking point as the young man decided that he had enough of it. In his mind, he still idolized his lost brother, epting that the choice he made was an eptable one.

    Perhaps he wanted to follow in his footsteps, or perhaps it was that he no longer valued living.

    Either way, a knife was brought to his own wrist; he brought the edge against his skin, though didn''t slice it quite yet. He trembled, even though he epted that the only way to stifle the misery was by ending it.

    ["<i>I couldn''t do it. I wasn''t scared of death. But, when I tried to do it, all I could picture was my brother during that summer, and how my mom cried. I never wanted to see her like that again, so I endured.</i>"]

    Sitting in that creaking chair in the dorm he despised, he finally felt some degree of lucidity upon recalling his own reason. Yet, it brought a question to his mind.

    ["<i>...But, if I chose to live for that reason, what''s keeping me here now? I''ve been fighting so hard just to survive, but what''s the point? Everybody I cared about is already dead. What is it, then?"</i>]

    As the question lingered, he found himself once more in a different environment; this time, he was thrown into a room with a pping audience before him, cheering out.

    It was a bright, warm day, one he remembered greatly; he wore ck robes, holding a document in his hand that signified the years he spent in education¨Chis high school graduation.

    He smiled, feeling a sense of aplishment; the greatest in his life thus far. Of course, greeting him as he walked off the stage with his diploma was his mother, holding her arms open with a smile.

    "I''m so proud of you, Finn."

    Weed into the embrace, he sank into it with a happiness that reassured him of better times.

    ¨C<i>Better times</i>.

    For some reason, he began to remember; he remembered where he really was as he opened his eyes again, still holding his mother in his arms.

    As he blinked a few times, he found himself back in the ustrophobic, gray interior of a shed. He was on his knees, hugging only the air as he looked down at his body, riddled with wounds he had forgotten.

    It felt as though he relived his entire life, though it was merely a few moments.

    "I...Ahh...Aeugh!" Finn let out, whimpering before letting out a cry, letting his forehead hit the wooden floorboards.

    Experiencing the memories in his mind left the losses he had felt fresh again. It made the fact that the world he knew was dead even more haunting.

    Finn sat there with his head down, finally calming himself as his breathing slowed.

    <i>''...It''s just trying to get in my head. I can''t let it win,'' </i>he reminded himself.

    Staring at the hardwood beneath him as he ran his gloves over it, gripping the smooth surface to no avail, he ced the emerging thoughts in his mind at the back of his head. It was all bottled up, ced aside as he picked himself up wearily.

    <i>''I have to keep moving. I have to find the others,'' </i>once more, he reminded himself of his task.

    He walked without grace, somewhat stumbling forward in his path as blood dripped from his arms and legs, still running slick down his forehead. Through the back of the ursed shed, he left, back into the in-warehouse maze as he simply followed the illuminate footprints.

    There was silence besides his own uneven breaths and the sliding of his feet as he dragged himself. Thatck of sound and much else left him with his thoughts, which he fought to ignore.

    <i>''Just keep moving. That''s all you can do,'' </i>he urged himself.

    Somehow, he found an opening between two of the sheds, allowing him to simply walk through as he arrived at the other end of the warehouse. Looking down, he found the brightened footstepsing to an end, but tangible ones continuing on; tracks of blood.

    A sinking feeling came as he saw those distinct footprints, only being able to guess in the moment how they urred. With careful steps, he followed the bloody tracks, leading him to an isted part of the warehouse.

    Shelves were toppled over, nks and metal sheets tossed around. The bodies of both people and monsters were strewn about. However, Finn found one still standing in the lonely darkness.

    "Damian?" He softly called out, almost in disbelief.

    The heavily-armored man stood there, his ting soaking in blood that seemed to be both his and others, holding his axe that dripped with the same fluid. There was something off about the warrior who stood amidst such a terrible sight.

    "Damian, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Finn asked, not in much better shape himself to be asking as he could tell already that his friend was wounded.

    He watched as the man in blood-soaked armor raised one arm, speaking out through busted lips, "...Stay behind me. I''ll protect you."

    "What?" Finn responded.

    It didn''t seem like his friend spoke to him, but someone behind the warrior, though nobody was there. The situation had him at a loss as he took a step closer, extending his hand out to his friend¨C

    <i>WHAM. </i>

    Finn retreated his hand, stepping back as he watched the massive axe befall the floor just before him. Even untouched, he felt the visceral wind of such an attack; it was a strike meant to kill¨Cthat much was sure of.

    "What the hell are you doing, Damian? It''s me, you idiot," Finn said, calling out again as he kept his distance now.

    The brutish man sloppily plucked the de from the ground, hoisting the axe back up as he looked up towards the young man. Blood dripped down Damian''s face, though not enough to stop Finn from seeing that look in his eyes; a pure ze of focused animosity.

    "Just stay behind me," Damian said again, not addressing the man in front of him as he stood as if protecting an unseen somebody behind him. "I''ll take care of this monster."

    "Monster?" Finn repeated.

    It didn''t make sense, though thatck of logic brought him to realize what was happening with his friend; the deception of the shade that befell the city.

    <i>''It''s the Sovereign again...It''s messing with his head¨Che''s seeing me as a monster, and trying to defend somebody from it¨Cfrom me,'' </i>Finn realized.

 Chapter 31: When It Comes Down To It

    <h4>Chapter 31: When It Comes Down To It</h4>

    He understood well what kind of deeplyyered spiderweb it was to be caught in, though didn''t know how to help one see through such deception. Finn looked around, finding that all around them were now rows of shelves forming a circle¨Ca wall.

    <i>''--Every path is blocked off. When did that¨C?'' </i>Finn questioned.

    The option of retreating was taken away as he turned his attention back to his friend, finding himself confronted by that burly build. Above his head, the skull-splitting axe was brought down with killing might.

    He flipped back just as the weight of it was felt, watching as the weapon crashed into the concrete floor with a thunderous impact.

    "Wake up, Damian! You can hear me, can''t you?! Stop this!" Finn shouted desperately.

    The only answer he got was the bloodied warrior lifting his axe from the mess of concrete once again, raising it with crystal clear contempt. As he witnessed the brawny figure rush towards him once again, it became obvious to him that there may be no reasoning with his friend now.

    "It''s me! See that already!" Finn urged.

    He sidestepped as the axe came down with a crescent arc that shined red, recognizing the use of a skill that would''ve split him in two right there. Instead of just words, he decided to attempt a more forceful method¨C

    Finn countered with a spin,unching his foot straight against the chin of the bulky figure. It was a direct hit, striking true as it caused the man to wobble somewhat. However, Damian remained standing on both feet, shaking off the blow.

    <i>''Shit...The resilience of a warrior isn''t something I can handle unarmed. It''s impossible to knock him out like this,'' </i>Finn realized.

    The failed strike led him open, hindered by his own thoughts as he found the warrior suddenly charging forward as a momentary blur of pure force. It was the shoulder of Damian that mmed straight into his sternum, forcing the air from his lungs as Finn found himself knocked back.

    Finn gasped as his back struck the edge of the shelf behind him, causing a garden hoe and a watering pot to fall down.

    It was a skill¨C["Bull Bash"]--Finn recognized it, though wasn''t prepared for the feeling as he could tell his chest was already bruised.

    He picked himself up tiredly, watching his knees tremble as blood continued to leak from his countless wounds. As he looked towards the friend that had lost his senses, he watched as blood dripped all the same from him.

    He breathed heavily and unevenly, as did Damian; both seemed to fight just to properly stand.

    They were both likely approaching death on their own, though perhaps expedited by the unfortunate encounter. Finn could feel it in the pits of his sinking stomach what the only choice was, the only option:

    <i>''...It wants us to kill each other. That''s the only way out of this,'' </i>he thought.

    Coming to that realization, knowing that only one life could survive this encounter, the young man felt his breathsing a bit easier. As he looked down towards his own blooded hands as a mix of sweat and crimson fluid trickled from the tip of his nose, he felt a sense of relief.

    <i>''Right. The choice is simple, isn''t it? I don''t have any purpose. I don''t care about surviving. But you, Damian, you have a purpose. You want to help people¨Ceven in this hell, you''re still trying to find the good in it,'' </i>Finn thought.

    As the decision came, he let his arms hang by his sides, breathing out as he looked towards the friend of his, who approached while dragging that oversized axe.

    [<i>"I could never live with myself if I became that kind of guy."</i>]

    For some reason, at that moment, his mind wandered to another time, another moment¡ª

    ¡ª

    Only two days after the beginning of the world-changing event, Finn sat on top of a building that overlooked the cityscape of Seattle.

    He let his legs dangle over the side as the wind passed by. Beside him, the warrior sat not so close to the edge.

    "The world''s really gone to shit, hasn''t it?" Finn remarked, looking at buildings in the distance that were worn by mes.

    "Yeah, I can''t disagree there," Damian said, shrugging his shoulders. "Hey, Finn. Do you think...if it came to it, you could kill someone?"

    "Where did thate from?" Finn asked, ncing back.

    "It''s just, with how the world is now, there''s a good chance there might be some people who are hostile. Right?" Damian exined. "I still want to believe there''s good out there, but I have to be realistic."

    The question brought to him caused Finn to think about it for a moment, seeing the dreary sights of what the world was left to from such a high view.

    "If it''s between my life or one I care about and a stranger, I''m going to choose the ones I care about," Finn answered honestly. "Even if it means taking a life."

    "I''m not surprised by that. I assumed that''s the kind of guy you were," Damian said with a small smile.

    Finn looked over with a furrow of his eyebrows, "What''s that supposed to mean?" He asked.

    "Ah, nothing¨CI mean, I think you have the right idea. For me personally though, it''s just..." Damian said, seeming to consider his words as he scratched his cheek. "I''d never be able to kill somebody. I wouldn''t be able to forgive myself. Probably wouldn''t even recognize who I am anymore."

    It wasn''t a surprise to Finn to hear that the man would refuse to do such, though he was more shocked about how adamant he was about it. For Finn, it wasn''t something hepletely understood, though he felt that taking another life was something he did not like the idea of either.

    "Even if it means I have to die," Damian said. "I don''t want to take a life. Call it stupid or selfish, but that''s just how it is."

    "It''s not stupid. I think it''s nice to have a conviction," Finn remarked before looking up at his friend, speaking from his heart. "If ites to it, I''ll do it for you. I''ll kill so you don''t have to."

    The answer brought pause to the warrior briefly before Damian nodded his head, "Thanks. I could never live with myself if I became that kind of guy."

 Chapter 32: The Embers In A Lightless World

    <h4>Chapter 32: The Embers In A Lightless World</h4>

    <i>''Why am I remembering that right now?'' </i>Finn thought, shaking his head as he came to.

    The tragic sight of his bloodied friend approached slowly, carrying that slickened axe with lethal intentions. When Finn looked at him, and that distant, yet harrowing look embedded into those glossened eyes, the moment he reminisced chimed through his head.

    [<i>"I could never live with myself if I became that kind of guy."</i>]

    Recalling the words said by his one and only friend in the fallen world, he moved just as the figure arrived and so did the axe.

    He ducked down as the de passed just over his head before sliding back, "---Hff! Come on, Damian! Just snap out of it already!" The pleads became more desperate.

    There was no mercy behind the axe swung as the warrior believed himself to be fighting a cruel fiend, chopping it towards the young man''s midsection, "--Get back!"

    "Shit!--" Finn pushed the word out through his teeth as he stumbled back to avoid the edge.

    It was bing difficult to avoid the relentless assault by the deceived warrior; the enclosed area left little room to move around in and the wear on his body led him to be sluggish.

    Finn called out again even if it was fruitless, "You don''t want to be the kind of guy that kills, right? I don''t want to be the kind of person that has to kill his own friend, either...Don''t make me do this. Please."

    The pointlessness of his own words was known to him even as they left his lips. He knew that the situation was only able to be resolved one way, bringing his eyes to well with tears and his lip to tremble.

    It was that sinking, swirling feeling in his gut; the feeling that led to loss.

    "Why did you tell me that?" Finn asked while shaking his head, pressing his face into the palms of his hands. "And why the hell did I promise you that?"

    As the axe-bearing figure stumbled to him once again, this time, the young man did not back away nor simply allow himself to be attacked. Into his hand, he called upon his dagger, meeting eye-to-eye with the one who didn''t even perceive his presence.

    ["<i>It''s not about wanting to live, or being scared of dying. All it came down to was, which of us would regret living the most? I had to answer that for both of us. In the end, I knew I could bottle it up, I could take the burden, but I knew that if it meant killing, he wouldn''t want to live</i>."]

    As a heavy swing of the axe befell the assassin, Finn spun around, evading its visceral edge as he responded with his own. Through the stale, dark air, his dagger pierced before sinking dead center into the chest of his friend.

    "Guh¨C" Damian stopped, spitting out both air and blood.

    As he stood there with his nose just about pressing up to the steel-ted torso, his eyes glistened with tears as he felt the de deep within the man''s sternum. Hearing the gargles and desperate breaths from the one person he had in the apocalypse, he found his heart shattering.

    "Finn...?" Damian spoke out as he dropped his axe.

    As he heard his name called with a confused tone, finding his friend once again of sound mind, Finn let go of his de, catching the warrior before he could fall back.

    "Shit...So, that''s what was going on...The monster I was fighting..." Damian strung together his words as blood seeped from his mouth, lightly clutching his chest. "You had to do it, then."

    Finn scrambled as he knelt by the warrior''s side, patting himself as he looked desperately for something, "The <i>ambrosia</i>...! If we can just find it, then¨C!"

    "It''s gone," Damian said.

    "What? How?!" Finn eximed as his hope evaporated.

    The lethally wounded man weakly pointed to the bodies, "I...I tried saving them. I thought they could still be saved. It was just...a lie."

    "--" Finn could feel the guilt of the man, even in his moments of finality.

    "Sorry, man," Damian said with a heartfelt sincerity.

    "Why are you apologizing? I''m the one that¨C" Finn began to say as his expression scrunched with sorrow.

    The wounded man had a peaceful look that seemed to ept his fate, shaking his head lightly, "You promised me you wouldn''t let me take a life. You kept true to that...I made you do something awful, something nobody should have to do. Still, you''re better suited for this world than me."

    "You''re wrong. It''s because the world has gone to shit that it needs people like you to bring good to it," Finn responded.

    That brought a smallugh from Damian, which resulted in hacking up more blood as he struggled to even breathe properly, "--Shit...It''s getting real cold, man. Are you there?"

    Even though he was still right beside the bleeding man, leaning right over him, Finn saw that his friend stared right past him, "I''m right here."

    "Okay...good. It''s so damn dark..." Damian said, clutching onto Finn''s sleeve for stability.

    Seeing the life fade from his friend left Finn unable to speak as his bottom lip quivered, feeling a tightness in his chest that he did not want to feel again. He clutched his friend''s hand, feeling the grip returned from therger hand of Damian growing weaker by the moment.

    "You there, Finn?" Damian''s voice came almost as a breath-filled whisper now.

    Even though he clutched his hand, Finn witnessed the senses of his friend wither away almostpletely now, "Yeah."

    "You there? I can''t see you. Where are you?" Damian asked, looking towards an unseen distance as heid there in his own blood.

    "I¨C" Finn began to say, though realized his voice would go unheard now.

    Before he could try to speak again, he watched the quivering of the reliable friend of his end as did the grip on his handpletely loosen.

    "Damian?" Finn softly called out with a tremble to his voice.

    There was no response; no movement in those eyes that simply stared up. Realizing what this meant, the young man quietly wept, lowering his head as he sat there alone in the unforgiving darkness.

    <i>''Why did I have to choose? Why did I get to? I''m tired of this,'' </i>the thoughts filled his mind as sorrow engulfed him.

    ["<i>Damian Hawkwell defeated</i>."] [<i>"Anarch Token x1000 obtained</i>."]

    [<i>Experience Points: +50,000</i>]

    [<i>Level twenty-one reached!</i>] [800/18550]

    [Assimted<i> ability from [Damian Hawkwell</i>]: "<i>Impervious</i>"]

    [Assimted<i> weapon from [Damian Hawkwell]</i>: "<i>Giant-yer Greataxe</i>"]

    [<i>New Skill(s) Obtained: </i>"Turn Shadow" | "Rune Trap" | "Dark Threads" | "Throwing Knife"]

 Chapter 33: The Silence

    <h4>Chapter 33: The Silence</h4>

    As his system presented its bounties, the young man simply sat there, uncaring for it as he looked at the now lifeless body of the one friend he had. More than ack of attention to it was a sickening feeling; seeing the gifts bestowed to him for ending the life of the one he cared for made him want to throw it all up.

    Sitting there for an amount of time he didn''t care to consider, he looked down at his hands, finding his wounds gone and his body returned to peak condition. Again¨Cit felt wrong.

    Alone; he was alone. That truth engulfed him in a veil of sorrow; an emptiness that ate away at his heart. As he sat there with a distant look, he found himselfpletely swallowed up in the darkness.

    The wind felt different; thicker and harder to breathe, with a certain chill that ran through it. He was no longer simply in the ursed warehouse; he was dragged into the heart of something different¨Csomething evil.

    "Are you in pain, young man?"

    The question echoed through the shadows, bringing the sorrowful assassin to raise his gaze, not having to look around to find where the voice came from.

    "Who..." Finn weakly said.

    Before him stood a figure that resembled a man, though bore such a wicked expression that there was no doubt the malevolence pouring from him was too refined to be human.

    The man of dark skin and coiled skin that looked like a twisted rag, wore bracelets around his arms that jingled as he bowed, "I am <i>Apophis</i>, though you may know me as the <i>Sovereign of Shadows</i>."

    There was no reaction from the young man as he sat there on his knees in the pool of darkness, disconnected from his own sense of self as sorrow still billowed.

    A certain smile was present on the being that wore the skin of a man as he stepped closer, using his unnaturallynky body to lean over as if enjoying the misery of the man.

    "Right now, you''re at rock bottom. You''ve lost everything, even your self worth. If I killed you right now, I doubt you''d even protest," Apophis remarked. "That''s no fun, though. That''s boring. A waste."

    It was only as he listened to the monotonous words of the strange figure did Finn begin to pick himself up with an uncoordinated stumble. He gripped the dagger in his hand, finding the outlet which to point his grief¨C

    <i>''He''s the one that did this. It''s his fault,'' </i>Finn med.

    Though the young man pointed such hostility his way, Apophis held his smile, seeming to wee it, "That''s why I think it''s better if I let you live. I''m sure if I keep watching, you''ll show me even greater entertainment. You''ll keep pushing yourself and suffering, losing everything around you¨Cit sounds like a whole lot of fun, doesn''t it?"

    Hearing the sickening words that taunted him entirely, Finn pushed through, shing his dagger at the malevolent one''s throat.

    "--Hff!"

    The de only sliced through darkness as the figure vanished, leaving Finn stumbling aimlessly in the shadow-filled realm.

    "<i>That''s right. il around and try your best," </i>the unnerving voice echoed through the dark.

    Finn spun around to try and find the entity, though only found the darkness around him gone in a blink, once more standing in the dreary warehouse. He stood there amongst the corpses, with his lifeless friend right by his foot, looking around as his heart thumped.

    <i>''Am I losing my mind? Is the darkness still ying tricks on me? What the fuck is going on?'' </i>He questioned as anxiety fluttered in his body.

    As he turned around again¨Cdarkness.

    He was back in that boundless void, though it felt different this time; the air itself tightened as the animosity of the one who resided in that darkness felt like the rain on a stormy day. The presence of the one who introduced himself as "Apophis" was felt in front of him, behind, on both sides¨Ceverywhere.

    It was a suffocating feeling, leaving Finn to drop to his knees as a sense of hopelessness filled his body. The vengeance in him, the reckless rage, theck of self-preservation; all of it was swept away by that inhuman presence.

    He was small, a fly caught in the web of something ungodly; a divinity that showed no grace or mercy.

    <i>''This is...'' </i>The thoughts struggled to be strung together as Finn felt the hairs on his skin stand and goosebumps forming.

    It felt as though he already resided in the belly of the beast, that fighting back wasn''t a possibility; he was subject only to the whim of that entity.

    Yet¨C

    "Haah...?"

    Finn found the darkness gone as quickly as it came, once again, back in the warehouse, this time left with a stark reminder of just what it is that let him live. As he stood there, he realized his arm had moved on its own, bringing the edge of his dagger up against his own neck.

    He quickly moved it away, lost at how his own body''s movements deceived him, not knowing how close he was to death.

    After the encounter with the true form of what resided in the darkness, he couldn''t stop shaking, even as he grabbed his own hand.

    His teeth chattered, and his blood ran cold in his veins; the slightest noises in the distance caused his gaze to shoot around anxiously.

    <i>''...It''s everywhere. If he really wanted, he could kill me whenever he wants. I need to get out of this city...Charlotte¨Cshit, Charlotte is still out there,'' </i>Finn remembered through his own renewed sense of fear.

    As he looked down at the corpse of his friend, a part of him didn''t want to leave him behind. Nheless, he had to, as much as it pained him.

    He ced his hand against the cold, smooth concrete of the warehouse interior.

    <i>''I have to find her...If she''s still out there,'' </i>he thought.

    ["<i>Shadow Tracking"</i>] [9:59]

    Once more, the sapphire illumination outlined the steps of the person he sought to track down. After what he just went through, he found himself hesitant to follow the footprints. Part of him was afraid of what he may find, but arger portion was simply scared of the malevolent darkness; it felt like eyes constantly watched him.

    <i>''Damian would keep going. He''d go to her, no matter what...I have to do the same, don''t I?'' </i>Finn thought to himself, forcing one foot in front of the other.

 Chapter 34: What Exists At The Furthest

    Through the back exit of the warehouse, he stepped back onto the street, though it was distinctly different from what it should''ve been. On both sides of the road itself, there wasplete darkness; the buildings were veiled in shadows so dense it seemed that only the asphalt existed ahead.

    As he walked onto the isted street, he heard something peculiar, all around him in the near distance; waves crashing, as if amidst an unruly storm at sea. Yet, there was no such body of water around.

    ''Just keep moving. Don''t focus on anything too much¨Cit''s just trying to y tricks on me,'' he convinced himself while moving.

    With each step forward, he could feel his own body resistant to moving further. The further he tracked the footprints through the lonely road, the louder the sounds of waves colliding became.

    Each step he took became less stable, imbuing a slight wobble into his stride as he found his own body withholding the will to keep moving.

    Any sense of time waspletely lost as he felt as though he walked along the road for hours already, finding it never ending nor did the footprints fade.

    "...Charlotte..." He quietly called out, finding his own voice instinctively muffled by his own fear.

    Enough of the monotonous walking brought him to a pause for a moment as he stood there, questioning if he was truly on the right path. He looked around, though only seeing the faintest outlines of the surrounding buildings in the darkest of ck.

    There was something in the shadows above; it moved through the void as though it were a sea of water. As he looked up at the ck sky, he saw it; a massive creature that belonged to the seas, drifting in the darkness with its call emitting¨Ca colossal, ebon whale.

    Listening to that great, harrowing sound that emitted from the ethereal creature, the crashing of waves that should not exist became more intense.

    It was that sight that brought him to a realization atst. He believed previously that perhaps the world was being invaded, that some anomaly brought aspects of the game he yed to reality.

    However, he felt that it was something else; something even more hopeless.

    ["This world isn''t ours anymore. We''re in the palms of something greater¨Ca higher power beyond whatever "God" we once theorized. Cosmic, divine¡­It''s above all of that."]

    The existential dread that took hold of his mind brought out a cold sweat. For some reason, even if he could convince himself he did not fear death, the thought of what watched from afar shook that.

    As he watched the flying whale pass through the darkest of nights, the expulsion of a breath made him realize the sharp sensation pressed up against his Adam''s apple.

    "Huh?--"

    He looked down to find he was holding the tip of his dagger up against his neck, again not realizing his body had moved on its own as he pulled it away.

    "I didn''t¨CI''m not¨C" He spoke to himself while shaking his head, looking at his own hand as if not being able to trust his own body.

    The only way to keep his mind upied was by walking forward. Even then, he didn''t know if focusing on his own thoughts was beneficial or detrimental. He allowed his feet to move, almost disconnecting entirely from himself to shield his mind from the horrors that tried to eat away at his sanity.

    ''Did she really go down this road? It feels like I''ve been walking for hours now,'' he thought.

    In fact, he began to question if the tracks he followed were even real. All along, he used them as the sole concept he could trust as a sense of direction¨Cthough what made it any different from anything else?

    What he started to question is if there was truly anybody even left. Perhaps he was thest survivor in the city, perhaps the world. The solitude within the deceitful darkness made him question such facts; theplete loneliness made everything else feel numb.

    He came to a stop once questioning this possibility, though found the scenery around him seamlessly shifting as his footsteps paused.

    The lonely road was now a beach of sand as white as snow; a shore with a pitch-ck sea stretching endlessly ahead.

    "What¡­?" Finn weakly uttered.

    Gentle waves washed up, slowly encroaching further and further upon the shore. Finn stepped back as the ck substance inched closer as a sinking feeling swirled in his gut. He stood there as the waves halted, instead witnessing the liquid whirl around one spot in the center of the abyssal sea.

    The calls of whales echoed through the sinister wind like a siren beckoning the darkness.

    A feeling ofplete dread washed over the young man of sanity lost, inducing a feeling that brought one thought to his mind¨C

    ''Something terrible ising,'' he thought.

    The once moving waves came to a still; a chilling silence befell the young man''s ears.

    In the center of the ck mass, the water vibrated as something rose from its depths; a faceless human, devoid of any features with the physique of a man, yet flesh made of the ck tar.

    ["The Furthest From God¡­A host of those that died amidst the dreadful night. An entity born purely of malevolence; an unnatural birth of sin."]

    Its body twisted itself, configuring the many joints in its limbs as if notpletely sure of what the proper form it should take was. Seeing that unholy figure rise from the void, Finn didn''t know what to make of it.

    ''Is this another trick? Is it real?'' He questioned.

    What couldn''t be mistaken was the dread that instilled itself within him at the sight of what rose from the dark depths. He stepped back, hoping that he could end up back on that lonely road, as long as it was away from whatever it was that had risen from the abyss.

    Though it looked made of tar and grime, the faceless humanoid moved its arms as its shoulders popped in-and-out of its sockets, making a "click" of bones with its abnormal adjustments.

    Even though he had backed away, the sensation of the cold water washing over his feet made his skin crawl. He found himself standing amidst that wave that crept on the shore, ensnared in the abyss with the enigmatic entity looking right towards him.

    It was enough to make him want to simply drop to the ground in a fetal position and give up, having more than enough on his tormented mind.

    ''I don''t know what''s real or not anymore. At this point¡­I don''t care. I just want it to end,'' he thought, looking down as the abyssal water rushed by his boots.

 Chapter 35: Alone In The Dark

    Before he could even properly give in as ack of will brought him to a still, he found the ground rippling beneath his feet. At least, he believed it was solid ground; the sand he stood on was gone, finding himself standing on the surface of the abyssal sea.

    He nced up, seeing that the strange, ck-fleshed entity had changed its pose. It stood with its left fist raised, as if having thrown an uppercut.

    "What?--" Finn questioned.

    Erupting from the unseen depths below, something rose as the innate reflexes of the assassin brought him to raise his arms. In that split-second, he witnessed what had risen; a fist matching that of the entity, only dozens of timesrger.

    Out of instinct, the ability plundered from his lost friend activated itself¨C

    ["Impervious"] [4:59]

    As the mass of shaped darkness struck him into the air, he flipped himself around to gain control of his own momentum. Hended on his feet, sliding back a bit as he watched the colossal fist disperse back into the sea.

    ''--I activated that skill on reflex? I was struck directly, but I didn''t even feel it. A momentary invincibility?'' Finn discerned, finding his arms still shaking even if they hadn''t been harmed.

    A single nce up found the mysterious being of malice stomping its foot into the ground multiple times.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    The stream of darkness beneath his feet allowed him to surf atop the abyssal sea, sliding back as colossal extensions of the entity''s foot erupted from the surface. He spun around, having to slip back as a pair of hands erupted, attempting to catch him like a fly between two, mming palms.

    It felt as if he had been shaken awake as his mind fired off on all cylinders.

    Even if he believed himself uncaring of his life, the presence of the nefarious entity sparked his body to move. More than living, he feared dying by the hands of that horror; a fate perhaps worse than death.

    The continuous eruption of limbs from the abyss halted as the nimble man was able toe to a stop.

    "I''m afraid?" Finn muttered to himself, wiping the water that had sshed onto his face.

    Whether he valued his own life or not, the aching of his heart provided him some meager amount of resolve. The guilt that weighed heavy on him; the death of those he cared for.

    At the very least, that burden made him feel that at the very least, he should try his best to survive, for those that couldn''t.

    ["Gale Blessing"] [2:59]

    ''¡­I''ve been thinking of this all wrong. Real, fake¡­It doesn''t matter. It''s all a gray line, changing by the moment. What I see before me is real¡ªI''ll trust that,'' Finn convinced himself.

    Stretching in every direction as far as the eye could see, the boundless sea of ck was not an ideal environment to fight upon. Just standing atop the rippling water made his stomach spin, though he had to push past that feeling.

    The shroud of wind aided him as he slid across the abyssal waters with a graceful speed.

    He set his sights on the faceless manifestation of the dead, flicking his wrist towards it.

    ["Throwing Knife"] [Mana: -50] [1250/1300]

    ["Replication"]

    The unison of both skills created two projectiles that soared towards the unholy entity. Both of the thin des were on target, yet the faceless one suddenly contorted its body.

    It shifted its torso to the side, dislocating its own hips to seamlessly move its tar-like flesh out of the path of the projectiles.

    ''It dodged that¡ª?'' Finn tiredly thought.

    Before he couldpletely register the wless evasion, he felt a ripple just in front of his right foot. He attempted to move back, though not quite agile enough.

    An object prated the abyssal surface, piercing upward as it sliced against his left forearm.

    "Nnh!¡ª"

    As he looked at what had cut him, it appeared to be some sort of sharpened pir of spines. Nheless, blood leaked from theceration on his arm, forcing him to act quickly.

    ["Dark Thread"] [Mana: -100] [1150/1300]

    A thin, but sturdy line manifested at his fingertips to extend and use as he pleased. He quickly wrapped it around his arm, tightening it enough to where it squeezed down before cutting the thread off.

    It helped to close his wound shut, halting the bleeding, though it was only a temporary fixture.

    ''Going off of what I''ve experienced so far, this isn''t just some illusion. At this point, it feels like reality itself is a fever dream within this city. This thing¡­It''s the "Final Boss" of this nightmare, isn''t it?'' He thought, flexing his arm as he confirmed the bleeding to have stopped.

    Maintaining the stream of shadows at his feet, he surfed continuously along the surface, not risking standing still as he could feel the depths rippling all around him. He kept his eyes locked on the faceless entity, watching its every move.

    As he opted to move in closer, he was intercepted by what rose from the unseen depths: tentacles like that of a raging kraken ruptured through the surface, whipping around wildly. Though they resembled limbs of such a creature, he recognized them as the very same spines that had cut him before.

    As he slid back, one of the rampaging spines struck by, grazing his chest. It was minimal contact, though enough to cleave right through his uniform, leaving aceration across his chest.

    He gritted his teeth, at least thankful for the burning pain of the wound as it kept him conscious and ready to fight for his survival.

    "Replication," he invoked.

    Themand caused an emission of a shadow from himself, molding itself from his shape. It wasn''t a weapon he opted to copy, but himself; a one-to-one doppelganger was sprouted. As he nced over at the copy of himself, meeting eye-to-eye as if staring into a mirror, he could feel a slight fatigue in his body.

    It had been awhile since he had looked into a mirror, finding the spitting image of himself a saddening sight; his tired eyes with dark eyes beneath them, the stains of dirt and blood left on his skin, and the grim expression.

    ''It''s a lot more demanding to replicate myself, it seems. From what I''ve gathered, I can only replicate one physical target at a time¨Cbetween a weapon or myself. I might still be able to duplicate skills, though,'' he considered, quickly running through the information he had.

    Together with his dutiful doppelganger, he surfed atop the abyssal surface, opting to split up as the copy took a left path towards the entity, going right himself.

    Through the chaotic mess of the bone-made tentacles, he skated across the surface, spinning around one that mmed towards him. The doppelganger did the same, closing the distance while evading in much the same fashion.

    A single nce to what his copy did brought him to a far too close encounter with one of the abyssal spines, having to lean back while sliding forth as it whipped just above his gaze.

    "Hah¨C" Finn expelled a breath at the closeness to being bisected.

    As he straightened himself back out, he had a clear path towards the faceless embodiment of the dead¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    Finn found himself jumping ahead a dozen meters in an instant, dragging his dagger across the neck of the entity. Up close to it in that sparse moment, he found that it was inhumanly tall; nearly three meters in height.

    The sensation as his de dragged across its unusual flesh left a sickening feeling in his stomach, like digging his weapon into a pit of wriggling worms.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    At the exact moment, not a millisecond apart, the doppelganger performed the same skill, shing across the back of the entity. The strikes from both ends didn''t halt the faceless humanoid from retaliating, as it raised its arms with the abyss rippling.

    There was an unspoken connection between himself and his replication, not having to say anything as they acted in unison.

    From his lips and out of the doppelganger''s as well: "Replication."

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    The duplicated instance of the skill brought himself passing by the malevolent figure again, shing across its torso as his copy did the same against its back. Even with the multitude of quick shes, he nced back to see there was no harm left on the abnormal body of the tar-fleshed one.

    ''What? That didn''t do anything?'' He thought.

    Maintaining the doppelganger was bing tiring, bringing him to relinquish it as he ced distance between himself and the entity. It seemed to be the right call, as the figure raised its arms with sinister intentions.

    "Can''t catch a break, can I?" Finn uttered.

 Chapter 36: Self Assimilation

    Like a blossoming flower, he witnessed a parade of limbs rupture through the surface, coiling around one another while expanding outward from the entity''s position. The ebon arms varied in size, from that of a normal human to sizesparable to a redwood tree trunk, all of which began to unfold and stretch towards him.

    In the matter of a second, his vision was engulfed by the countless palms. He leaned back, sliding back across the unruly waters as the abyss formed into chaotic waves with the rush of limbs.

    The hands reached, grasping at him, wing, and even mming towards him. Finn ducked his head as a hand tried to grab at his head, before jumping up briefly as he felt one swiping at his legs. All the while as he evaded the grotesque limbs, he adjusted his bnce on the unsteady surface of the abyss.

    ''--What do I do? These attacks won''t stoping, and I can''t hurt that thing. Can I not do anything? Am I meant to just die? No¨Cthat can''t be it,'' he thought.

    Before his eyes, the limbs of abyssal fluid shifted; the ck substance was dispersed as decayed bone was revealed beneath. Threads of flesh extended, weaving together into muscle for the limbs.

    The grotesque shift waspleted as Finn witnessed the many arms now apanied by multiple faces of what looked to be skinless hounds straight from hell. Each of the arms, nowyered in bare flesh, grew ws, belonging to the howling skulls that lunged at him.

    It was like a nightmarish wall ced between him and the faceless entity, keeping him on the backfoot.

    Once more, the young man questioned if his sanity was simply far too gone, though that was no longer a question; he knew the urrences straight out of a fever dream were all too real.

    ''I can''t¨C'' He thought, finding himself unable to avoid the swarm of hands and snapping jaws.

    He was forced to hold his ground, cing his hands in front of his body as he pushed back against the disembodied, bestial skulls and ws. Even if it was a futile effort, he managed to halt the wall of ws and snapping jaws; he felt his muscles coil with strength, burning red-hot from the strain.

    It was unquestionable that his jump in levels had astronomically improved his physical capabilities, though it made no difference as the horrific skulls of the eyeless hounds broke through.

    "Gah!--" He let out.

    The jaws bite into his shoulder, while another pair sank its teeth into his side, pressing down on his ribs. It was difficult to ignore the part of his brain that urged him to grab the monstrous skulls as they bit into his flesh, knowing if he moved his hands away, the swarm of hands would eviscerate him.

    Even so, the ws still ripped into his arms,cerating his forearms while the bodiless hounds sank their teeth deeper into his flesh.

    "Nnngh¡­!" Finn strained, struggling as he found himself faced with an inescapable look into death.

    All he could see were those snapping jaws and the hungering ws, seeking his flesh without any out. Blood squirted from his newly-formed wounds, though that was an oue he had hoped for as a gasp left his mouth¨C

    ["Crimson Shot"] [Mana: -150] [1000/13000]

    All of the blood that left the bites on his body and the carvings on his arms were ignited like fire to gunpowder. He released the st of the scarlet essence from his wounds, blowing away the skulls into fragments of bone along with the ravenous hands into a red mist.

    "...Hah¡­" Finn breathed out, once more left with the sight of the faceless entity amidst the boundless abyss.

    There wasn''t even so much as a moment spared for him to catch his breath before he found his ankles suddenly gripped from below.

    "What?--"

    As quickly as he shot his gaze down, finding abyssal hands wrapped around his legs, emerging from the depths below, they pulled him down. He tried to reach up out of instinct, though it did nothing to help him as he was plunged into the dreadful abyss.

    Utter darkness engulfed his vision while the repulsive liquid filled his lungs. It tasted sour and bitter, ushering a sickening feeling through his body as his body panicked to breathe. He waved his arms around to no avail; the abyss was much more dense than water, feeling as though he moved through liquid cement.

    It was hopeless; he found himself unable to draw a breath as he struggled, only being dragged deeper and deeper into the harrowing unknown. In the clutches of death, as dread filled his lungs and hope left, there was only one option that came to mind:

    The dagger he held in his right hand was brought up to his neck. It wasn''t as simple as choosing the easier way out rather than being drowned, but rather, it felt like the natural action to take.

    Rather than let himself be dragged any further as he iled helplessly, he took his fate into his own hands, plunging the dagger into his neck.

    A cold chill ran through his body as the tip slid right past his skin, skewering his throat as he could feel his life essence flooding out into the unforgiving depths.

    ["Finn Thorne defeated."]

    A chilling frost engulfed him. He perceived true darkness; different from the abyss he was dragged into the depths of. It was empty; deste, without any true meaning to it. A void in which he floated with nothing, not even a thought in his mind.

    [Assimted ability from ["Finn Thorne"]: "The Art of Dying" | 1 / 5]

    Yet, if it was truly death that he had sank into, then he questioned why he felt that strange resonance inside of his chest¨C

    Thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp.

    That rhythm of life echoed through his ears like a light in the darkness; it was the percussion of his own heart, thumping loudly as if iming to still be alive. No, it wasn''t quite that; he did die¨Che felt that truly within his soul.

    Building a crescendo from a quiet thump to a sound that filled his ears, the rhythm of his heart was a reawakening; a return from the other side.

    "Pyuuh¨C!"

    As his eyes shot open, he found himself staring at that pitch-ck sky again, spitting out the ck fluid from his lungs. He was floating on the surface of the abyssal sea,ying in it as its lifeless coolness epassed his body.

    ''I''m¡­alive?'' He questioned, feeling his own neck where he knew he plunged his dagger.

 Chapter 37: Inherited Weapon

    There was not a wound, but a tougher portion of skin on his neck, like that of scar tissue from a healed injury. He calmly picked himself up on the solid, yet liquid surface, finding his footing before looking ahead.

    The faceless entity remained ahead, simply standing there watching him without any sense of urgency. On the flipside, Finn didn''t feel any sense of dread as he looked at it now, looking upon the boundless abyss without a fluctuation in his heart rate.

    ["Death."]

    Experiencing the finality of life and escaping it, there was a certain calmness instilled in him. As he clenched and unclenched his hands, feeling his own fingers, they were left cold as though having sat in ice for hours on end.

    He steadily exhaled a breath, adjusting himself from the side-effects of returning from the other side, staring at the one that could easily send him back.

    The faceless entity slowly walked towards him as its body morphed; its malleable flesh contorted as if shaped by unseen hands. Handprints appeared across its ursed body, pushing and moving its tar tissue.

    Its bare body became one of sable armor; a familiar appearance, as the entity formed from its own flesh a massive axe, dragging it along the surface of the abyss.

    Seeing the equipment that was being formed of its own flesh and the weapon it chose to bear, Finn felt a rage bubbling in his gut; it taunted him with the appearance of his fallen friend.

    "That''s right. You''d be here, wouldn''t you, Damian?" Finn quietly said, recognizing the malevolent entity for what it was: a gathering of the fallen.

    As the being that took the form of hispanion approached, the abyss rumbled; the surface broke. Finn watched as colossal, ck limbs shrouded in gauntlets rose from the depths, each carrying axes of their own.

    The arsenal of weapons stood in great length akin to trees, some even rivaling skyscrapers as the young man found the starless sky filled with the sight of those axes. All at once, the army of armored arms swung, bringing down the cataclysmic array of des as he was left with little space to move freely.

    His vision was utterly consumed by the sight of the falling axes, like a row of skyscrapers copsing upon him. He stared past them, at the single open point in the air above¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    Into the open, ck sky, he appeared, spinning around with his back facing the abyss below as he found another set of arms swinging upon him before he could even begin plummeting.

    "--Replication."

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    Just before the colossal des could catch him, he warped out of the way. He appeared a dozen meters away, still in the air as he watched the axes sh at the spot he vanished from; the collision caused an array of sparks to fly outward.

    The sound of the massive formations of steel striking against one another made him wince slightly, though unable to pause for even a moment as he fell.

    Amidst his fall, more arms sprouted from below, already shing up at him as though he were an apple falling from a tree. In the air itself, there was no foothold, leaving him immobile as the hungering des hunted him.

    "Replication!" He shouted.

    The invocation summoned a duplication of himself, having the perfect replica grab onto his arm. He was tugged fiercely, being tossed out of the path of the abyss-rising axes. As he nced back, the doppelganger took his ce in being cut apart, reduced to nothing but a puddle of darkness within a moment.

    "Hah," he breathed out, finally able to drop down as his bootsnded on the unbreaking surface of the abyss.

    The goal was to reach the faceless embodiment of the dead, though he once more found obstacles in the way of that. In ce of the axe-wielding arms, he witnessed great ripples expanding across the abyss'' surface¨C

    "Shit," Finn let out, hearing that unsettling sound

    It was the call of whales, echoing through the hollow night. All at once, a number of the behemoths of the sea rose from the depths. The pod of whales, of ck skin like that of orcas, yet with a great, silver horn protruding from their heads¨Cnarwhals.

    From the dark sea, the majestic, yet horrifying creature rose, soaring into the sky as their calls continued to emit. They circled around the young man, bringing Finn having to hold his ground at the sight of many of the colossal narwhals.

    "I''m so damn tired," Finn muttered, looking up at the flying whales.

    There was no doubt an uphill battle is what he found himself in; the thought of it was tiring to his exhausted mind. While arge part of himself felt more inclined to simply fall over and sleep forever, he chose to fight, if only because of the guilt that weighed heavy.

    All he could think of were those that had fallen, those that never got the chance to fight. He remembered the dreadful sight at his mother''s home, along with the fresh memories of the friend he stuck his de into.

    ''Why am I the one that''s still alive? I''d trade my life for any of theirs in a heartbeat. But, that''s not reality. The only truth right now is I''m here, and they aren''t. All I can do now is fight, as they''d want me to,'' the thoughts filled his mind, granting him the resolve to clench his weapon.

    It was akin to forcing oneself to get up from bed at the crack of dawn; leaving thefort of pillows and nkets as his own body hardly wanted to listen to him.

    The calls of the whales continued to resonate like a siren, ushering him to his death. Against creatures of such mass, a dagger would be like trying to skewer a bull with a toothpick.

    He relinquished the small de, calling upon a muchrger weapon in its ce¨Cthe ebon greataxe with a wing-engraved handle. As it manifested into his grip, the exhausted man''s shoulders slumped slightly at the weight he wasn''t used to.

    "You always carried this around like it was nothing," Finn remarked in a quiet voice, reminiscing of the one he inherited the weapon from as he looked at its stainless edge.

 Chapter 38: Surge of Adrenaline

    A change in the wind brought him to look up as the first of the flying whales made its descent towards him.

    He stood his ground, steadying his foot on the unsteady surface as he brought the greataxe back. The horned beast drew closer, unleashing its abyss-rippling call as it charged straight for him.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    Imbuing the momentary strength into his body, his muscles swelled as he brought the axe down at the very moment the ebon narwhal came within reach. The horn of the marine creature waspletely overpowered by the de, being cut away.

    It was perhaps more strength than he imagined himself having, as the downfall of his axe came down, splitting through the blubberous.

    The whale was split in half as it passed by, leaving Finn being soaked in a downpour of its repugnant blood. There were no guts, as though the creature was only made of blood and blubber.

    "--Hah," he quickly exhaled, ncing to the side.

    From the left, right, and directly above, the remaining three of the mythical whales flew at him from the suffocating angles.

    "Replication!" He shouted while swinging the greataxe nearly asrge as his own body.

    Pointing the swing at the whale that came from his front, the duplication was brought from the momentum of the action. It spurred the fleeting copy of the greataxe to be used as a projectile, sticking straight into the ck-fleshed whale''s head.

    The direct hit brought the narwhal to release a cry as it crashed into the abyss, leaving the young man with two left to face¨C

    "Nrgh!"

    Before Finn could turn around, he was suddenly shoved in the back by what felt like a train. He found his feet lifting from the surface of the ck sea, carried into the air by the unstoppable force.

    By the horn that miraculously did not pierce through his torso, but instead passed just underneath his arm, he realized he had been struck by the narwhal from behind. Such a hit from behind should''ve shattered his spine into a fine powder; only by the virtue of his strengthened body did he find himself unbroken.

    Still, he had another issue to worry about, finding himself forcibly riding upon the whale''s snout as the momentum kept him still.

    Just ahead of where the beast flew, he saw the remaining of its kin soaring straight towards him to meet him halfway with its horn. Before he could find himself skewered, he flipped himself back,nding on the head of the flying narwhal.

    It began to swerve before he jumped off, plummeting down as the other of the flying whales flew straight towards him. He looked down, discovering he was on a quick path into the open mouth of the behemoth.

    "Not happening," he muttered.

    Fixing the position he descended in, hended both feet on the upper and lower of the whale''s parted maw, staring into its chasm-like mouth of slippery tar. He pointed his hand down, invoking a spell that seemed appropriate:

    ["Summon: Lost Goblin"] [Mana: -300] [700/1350] [2:59]

    From a sacrifice of his own magical reserves, he manifested a ravenous goblin, sending it straight into the whale''s mouth. The feral fiend wed its way deeper into the behemoth, willingly descending into the pits of its stomach.

    A pained call echoed from the narwhal as it began to writhe and swerve in the air as the squelches of its own insides being shredded by the goblin were loud and clear.

    Finn leapt off of the anguished whale, only finding one left as he watched it flying in from his right, just below him.

    ["Dark Threads"] [Mana: -100] [600/1350]

    The durable wire was extended, used as a rope as he tossed it out, aiming for the standout horn of the beast. It wrapped around the spear-like bone, allowing him to swing over to the soaring creature.

    As he used the momentum to close in, hended upon the flying beast''s head, sinking his dagger into its head with a killing strike. So quickly felled, the narwhal crashed down into the abyss, leaving the young mannding on his feet.

    Thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp.

    Louder and louder, his heart screamed. The more he fought and kicked to survive, pushing himself to new limits as his body ached and his mind tired, the more he truly felt alive.

    [New state temporarily acquired: "Adrenaline"]

    [All skill cooldowns reduced by 100%.]

    With all obstacles cleared, the man of a wildly-thumping heart looked towards the faceless entity, who had been so close, yet so far. In his hand, he flipped the greataxe; its weight became natural as he fought with it.

    Thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp.

    Once more, the faceless embodiment of the dead raised its arms. The abyss rippled, giving way to countless titans that rose from the boundless depths of darkness. Each resembled the original entity itself, standing at heights rivaling that of skyscrapers, surely their heads would touch clouds if they were present.

    Against the wall of abyssal giants that reached towards him with their dreadful hands, the young man did not bat an eye as his heart sang in his chest as though a drum being beat.

    The adrenaline that ignited the blood in his veins, dting his eyes, led him to leap into the air as he brought the weighty greataxe back, facing the colossals without fear in his heart.

    ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"]

    ¡­And so on, and so forth; the only thought in the man''s mind was that skill. With the temporary elimination of cooldowns, that inherent limitation brought him to imbue mystical strength into his body endlessly.

    Each time he invoked it, he felt his muscles constrict, coiling with further power, swelling up and tightening. He pushed the limits of his superhuman physiology; his skin reddened from the strain as his veins expanded and his heart roared¨C

    Thoomp-thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp-thoomp.

    Such strength left in his strained body left him feeling asrge as the titans. The handle of his weapon was gripped tightly enough that it risked shattering into a powder. As it was swung, the air itself was cleaved as the winds cut away at the abyss below in the process of the motion.

    In that split-second, he calcted the amount of targets before him¨C

    One. Two¡­Four¡­Twelve¡­Twelve giants surrounded him with their all-epassing mass.

    ["Blink sh"]

    ["Blink sh"]

    ["Blink sh"]

    ¨CAplete dibobting string of movement, instantaneously moving across space while simultaneously swinging his weapon.

    ["Blink sh"]

    ["Blink sh"]

    ["Blink sh"]

    From one split-second to the next, he found himself before another target, swinging his axe with such unnatural strength that the wind alone carved through the abyss as if he was Moses.

    ["Blink sh"]

    ["Blink sh"]

    ["Blink sh"]

    A flicker between multiple targets; he brought himself face-to-face with the colossus thatcked one, swinging his axe as he turned it to nothingness. In less than a millisecond, he was already before another target, upside down in midair as he swung his axe at its pitch-ck midsection.

    Across another infinitesimal moment, he simply sliced right through the body of another giant without first seeing it.

    ["Blink sh"]

    ["Blink sh"]

    ["Blink sh"]

    A fickle blur through the abyss brought his axe through the remaining three of the giants, finding himself going from upright, upside down again, then tilted to his right side in an unorthodox motion.

    [0.001 second(s)]

    In that time that could not be registered by the human mind, he had strung together the twelve shes, felling the giants as hended back on the surface.

    "Heuh¡­!" He winced.

    Coming to a stop, the gross abuse of the strengthening skill was released, causing blood to squirt from his nostrils as all of the pressure on his muscles evaporated. From the way his brain felt, as though it was cooking within his skull, he knew the strain he ced on it was risky.

    Once more, he cleared the obstacles between the one Furthest From God.

    However, this time, it was different; the faceless entity didn''t seem to fall back on summoning forth even more creatures to impede him. Now, it seemed willing to wee his approach.

 Chapter 39: Through The Boundless Nightmare

    The faceless being lifted one arm, pointing a single finger right at the young man. Finn nced down at his right hand where it was ushering him to look.

    "Ah¨C"

    At the tip of his index finger, the skin unraveled itself like string cheese. It was an acute, burning sensation that crescendoed as the peeling urred through each finger, ying his entire arm.

    The pain was real, he felt it, though he steadied himself, shutting his eyes tightly as he repeated one thought¨C

    ''It''s not real.''

    Opening his eyes again,the pain vanished just like that, and the skin on his hand was returned to normal, as if never harmed.

    ["I began to realize it. That in this twisted night, the horrors before me were only real if I believed them so. It wasn''t as easy as simply just convincing myself it to be fake¨Cit was real, in a sense. I had to fight with reckless abandon, without any thought for my body; like that of Raven."]

    It was at that moment that he came to the realization of just what it was that he stood at the center of. The darkness that puppeteered the senses; the many entities of differing faces, yet aligned malevolence.

    ["Schrodinger''s Box. That''s what this is¡­Everything is both real and fake, until I believe it to be real. If I do, then it will be cemented¨CI have to ignore what my body feels, I have to push through it."]

    All of it grouped itself into one concept: "Schrodinger''s Reality." An unstable region under the curtains of darkness, where the nonsensical became sensical, and the abstractions of the mind manifested.

    As long as one believed it to be real, even if only for a moment, then it was so.

    ''I have to trust that everything I see, all of it that I experience¡­It''s fake. If I don''t, then it''ll be real. That''s the power it has¨Cit''s a god-like power used only to toy with us,'' Finn thought.

    Even with that resolve in mind, he was taken aback as he found the faceless one standing right before him. He hadn''t blinked at all, yet the being was right there.

    Without any eyes to speak of, only a canvas that housed a void, it felt as though he was being stared at still. It was only his second instinct to raise his weapon, as his first was to freeze in fear for a split-second.

    That partial moment was enough time for the enigmatic figure to raise its hand. Finn witnessed the pitch-ck palm grab onto his face as darkness filled his vision.

    The sense of bnce he had was swept from beneath his feet as he found himself falling. As he blinked, theck of sight had been recalled as he found himself plummeting in a new scenery.

    "Ah¨C?" He let out, looking side-to-side.

    It was an attack on his senses; walls that shed from green to yellow, all of which were formed of faces thatughed and groaned. There was no way to catch himself as he continued falling through the maddening pit of faces.

    ''Shit¨C'' He thought.

    Amidst his fall, he witnessed the colossal faces emerge from every side like flesh being pushed through a thinyer of stic. The mouths opened, screaming at him with short bursts of yells like that of a human bark.

    From all angles, the yelps caused the air to vibrate, pushing against his body with a bludgeoning force that knocked him side-to-side.

    ''Don''t let it¡­get to you!'' He urged himself.

    As he convinced himself of its falsity, even as the repeated screams pierced his eardrums like a de, the falling suddenly stopped¡ª

    "Uff¡ª" He let out uponnding.

    What he felt beneath him wasn''t solid, unmoving ground, but something that wriggled against his fingertips. Lifting himself up before opening his eyes, he felt a stringy, warm object in his mouth¨Cit moved.

    As his eyelids parted, rubbing the dirt from his face, he realized what he hadnded upon: a bed of soil,pletely carpeted in slimy worms.

    "Pyuh¨C!" He spat out, finding the grotesque creatures between his lips.

    Standing himself up, he brushed the bugs from his arms, patting them off in a hurry before¨Cthe scenery changed again.

    "Huh?" He audibly let out.

    Around him was a nostalgic sight; the lights of a city at night, with billboards disying ads and countless cars driving through the street. Such a sight that felt like an eternity ago brought him to a still; the sounds of people walking and talking, the horns of cars as they passed through the busy streets¨Cthat ambience reminded him of a better time.

    Click.

    "--What?" Finn muttered, ncing to the side.

    He saw a figure in all ck, wearing a trenchcoat, pointing an object directly against the side of his head;. By that sound that was made, he understood what it was¨Ca gun.

    Bang.

    He could feel the bullet piercing through his skull and tossing his brain matter aside as though it were lumps of soil in the path of a spade. It failed to make logical sense why he could feel such a thing, down to the torque of the projectile as it pushed out the other side.

    ["Over and over again."]

    A single blink of his eyes brought him to a wastnd of ice; winds that carried such frost in their path that his teeth began chattering enough that they cracked. The moisture on his eyeballs froze as he could feel the crystallization stabbing into his head.

    Across his body, the frost gripped him as he shivered before¨Che was left motionless.

    ["Over and over again, it killed me."]

    In the depths of a great ocean, he found himself, sinking deeper and deeper. Attempting to swim up was fruitless, as the surface only seemed to grow more distant with each wave of his arms. He desperately moved his arms and legs as his lungs ached for air.

    The breath in his body was filled instead by water, leaving a tightness in his chest. He stopped himself from resisting any further, simply going limp as he floated in the ocean depths.

    Deprived of oxygen as his consciousness flickered, he assured himself it wasn''t real. Even though his heart thumped and his mind panicked¡ªhe remained calm.

    "Hueeh¡­!"

    He suddenly found himself inhaling as oxygen was returned to him. It was on a tile ground that he found himselfying on, with a distinct smell of coffee grounds in the air.

    "Ah¨C?" Finn quietly let out.

    Before picking himself up, he found a hand reaching down in front of him, lending him help in the matter. Through his worn, exhausted mind, he naturally grasped the hand before being brought back to his feet.

    As he was helped to his feet, the tired, young man found who had helped him up, looking right at the armord friend of his.

    "Damian?" Finn said with a hint of confusion.

    "You alright, man? Never seen you just fall over like that," Damian asked with augh.

    "Yeah, I''m fine¡­Just feeling out of it," Finn responded with a nod, sitting down at the chair beside him.

 Chapter 40: The Art of Dying

    He epted it, finding himself in that rundown cafe with his friend sitting right across from him at the only table left standing. Even as he sat there, his foot constantly tapped the floor with his heart thumping inside of his chest with a burst of anxiety.

    It felt as though a million scars were etched across his body; torment left fresh with remnants of phantom pain. Finn was left trembling even in that quiet cafe, not knowing why he felt so scattered.

    "You don''t have to hide it," Damian said.

    "Hide what?" Finn asked, rubbing his own leg in an attempt to stop his constant fidgeting.

    The man of salt-and-pepper hair looked right at him, "You''re hurting really bad, aren''t you? I''m not the brightest guy, but even I can tell."

    "Hurting? No¡­I''m fine," Finn said, lying right through his teeth. "I think I''m just tired, that''s all."

    That''s right; he was simply exhausted. Sitting there, he felt that weariness through-and-through.

    "That''s right. I''m tired. It''s fine if I go to sleep now, right?" Finn asked, resting his face against his hand. "I''ve fought long enough, haven''t I?"

    Just the thought of continuing to draw another breath sounded too tiring. The young man simply wished to crumble away, no longer having to think¨Cno longer having to remember.

    It sounded pleasant, in an unpleasant world.

    "You can do that, if you want. I won''t stop you," Damian told him with a warm smile, leaning his arm on the table. "You don''t owe it to anybody to keep it up any longer. It''s your choice¨Cthat''s the beauty of it."

    "My choice?" Finn repeated.

    "Whether you want toy down and die, or keep on fighting and maybe, just maybe, find something worth living for," Damian rified. "It''s your decision. I can''t make it for you, but I can ask you this: why did you struggle all this time if you were just going to ept death?"

    The question was drowsily heard by the exhausted man, who rubbed his own face tiredly as he posed it to himself, "Why? I don''t know. Why did I?"

    "I can''t say for sure. I can tell you why I kept going, though, Finn," Damian told him. "I held out hope. Hope that there is still a chance for humanity. Believe me, I understood how messed up the world had be. But, I still believed that there was a path¨Cthat somehow, someway, humanity would persevere."

    "Humanity¡­You''re sounding like that old guy," Finn replied tiredly, leaning over with an exhale.

    "Oliver had the right idea, too. It might sound far fetched, like the sort of pipedream only a kid would believe in. Still, we all have to believe in something, don''t we? Otherwise, what was any of this even for?" Damian told him. "What about you? Can you believe in something like that?"

    For a moment, the young man sat there with his head down, struggling to even find a reason to so much as keep his eyes open.

    Finally, Finn answered, lifting his head to look at the friend of his, "Something like that¡­I don''t think I can. But, I can believe in you. If that''s what you chose to trust, I''ll follow it, too."

    "That''s good enough," Damian said with a smile.

    The reliable man in armor stood up from his seat as Finn watched his hand befall his shoulder with a reassuring pat.

    "Thanks, Damian. I think I can do it now," Finn said, rubbing his tired eyes of their expired tears as the expression devoid of hope was gone, instead holding a fragile smile.

    A yful nudge of the broad man''s fist hit Finn in the shoulder, apanied by a proud smirk from Damian, "Seriously, what would you do without me?" The warrior jokingly said with a shake of his head.

    "Just keep quiet and watch me. I''ve got this," Finn assured his friend as he stood up from the chair.

    The moment he rose, theforting scenery was torn away as he found himself resuming the torment he was engulfed in. As bullets pierced his body, knives skewered him, beasts consumed him¨Che cast away all of those fates, looking past the illusions.

    "Come out and fight me already. I''m sick of ying your games," Finn spoke out, standing his ground amidst the flickering wounds that appeared and disappeared on his body.

    All of the concurrent glimpses into death faded as Finn was left returned to his normal state, though standing in a peculiar setting; a stretch of ckened soil, with mountains that resembled wailing faces surrounding the clearing.

    It was right across from him that he found the being, though unrecognizable from its previous forms, was the very wall that stood before him.

    Resembling a human skeleton with far too many joints, yet encased in ayer of clear flesh like that of a jellyfish with tendrils cascading down its head like dreadlocks, it stood¨C"The Furthest From God."

    "An error has been made in my approach," it said with a surprisingly soft voice, hardly leaning on masculine or feminine. "Attempting to break your mind has only led you to strengthening it more in response. Perhaps that isn''t quite it. Fascinating¨Cyou are truly disconnected from your sense of self."

    It spoke as though this were all some sort of game, studying the young human''s behavior with an inhuman curiosity.

    Finn had nothing to say to the entity that held no respect for humanity. The being that used the souls of the fallen as its own catalyst; he only saw it as a monster needing to be killed.

    ''The conundrum is how to kill what has no concept of death. From the brief description my system gave me, this thing is some sort of being made of the dead. It inhabits the realm between reality and illusion, so death is only a proposition to it. Though¡­I have something of my own to help with that,'' the young man analyzed.

    In one hand, he wielded the greataxe, while keeping a dagger ready in the other, facing down the creature that bordered on insanity.

    ["Gale Blessing"] ["Deadly irvoyance"] ["Orcish Strength"]

    Once more, heyered the skills atop one another as his adrenaline continued to let his heart roar. This time, he opted for a bnce of speed, power, and precision while keeping his sights set on the one who transcended death.

    ''Let''s get this done, Damian,'' Finn resolved as he raised the heavy axe.

    ["Blink sh"]

    In that instant, he arrived in front of the skeletal entity of translucent flesh, shing at its midsection. The massive axe cleaved straight into it, but not with the expected oue¡ª

    "¡ªNnh!"

    ["Shadow Flow"]

    He slid back on the slippery darkness as crystalline spikes suddenly burst out from the opened flesh of the entity.

    Though he avoided being skewered, the irvoyance showed him that the spikes quickly changed their form.

    ["Dark Threads"] [Mana: 100] [500/1350]

    It was merely a second ahead that he was able to react, witnessing the protrusions from the entity morph into razor-sharp tendrils.

    The right arm he hoisted the axe with was quickly sliced up by the quick, eviscerating limbs. He watched in that split-second as his appendage was severed, sliced into three different parts in a single flick.

    "Ngh!¡ª" Finn winced.

    It was the preemptive use of the threads that kept his arm connected. Sewn internally like veins that flowed with blood, the wires brought the severed sections of his limb back into one.

    He exhaled, clenching his fist to confirm his functions to still be intact. It would probably be an agonizing experience, though the torment he endured was still fresh as was the adrenaline pumping his heart.

    ''It''s only a temporary fix. I''ll have to level up¡ªI have to kill this freak,'' Finn reminded himself, tearing away the torn sleeve of his coat.

    ["Wild Instinct"]

    He rushed forward, carrying his weapons with him as his tired body ached, yet burst with energy at the same time. As the shifting entity swept its sharp tendrils towards him again, the young man leapt up and spun his body,nding back down as he continued running without breaking pace.

    In the form of eviscerating tentacles, piercing spears, and even roots that rose from the lifeless soil, the extensions of the being attempted to ensnare Finn.

    It was the skill that helped him to evade, granting him the animalistic reflexes that allowed his mind to freely counter the iing attacks.

    ''--I''ll only have one shot at this. If it misses, I''m dead. Everything hinges on that¨Cwhy the hell is it kind of exciting?'' Finn questioned the feeling swelling in him.

    Drawing closer brought him to the core of the mayhem; the skeletal entity of ectosm fleshshed out with a flurry of attacks. It warped the soil, creating whips of roots and chains of bone that sought him.

    He ducked down, slipping to the side and leaning back in an effort to dodge the chaotic density of attacks from the force. Even as he moved nimbly, the sheer quantity broke through as an impact imprinted itself across his body.

    "--Uegh!"

    From his right cheek down to the left of his torso, a sharp force had left him reddened and bleeding; the result of an elongated spine being used as a whip. He could taste the iron of blood in his mouth, not letting it stop him as he forced himself to close the distance.

    Raising his foot, he brought it down with unrelenting might¨C

    ["Commanding Stomp"]

    The shock wave that emitted rippled through the soil, tearing through it before it crashed against the entity. Its see-through flesh jigged like jello, yet it remained upright, not being thrown back.

    Even then, the time given to him was enough, even if only a fleeting moment. He stepped in, swinging the axe with all of his strength in an overhead strike¨C

    ''C''mon!'' He urged his body,manding all of his strength.

    As he brought it down, the heavy de struck the translucent horror through its shoulder, digging right into its torso. Still, such a blow that would bring a man to the threshold of death¨C

    "Ngh!..." Finn winced through clenched teeth.

    The morphing entity unleashed the see-through spikes from its body once again, this time catching the young man. Finn was stuck there as his body was gored, feeling an immeasurable pressure piercing his chest, along with one of his legs.

    It seemed to have skewered one of his lungs, as the act of drawing in a breath incurred an excruciating pain.

    This was death; a concept he was all too familiar with by now. That chilling emptiness was so close now he could kiss it, tasting that bitterness on his lips as blood leaked from his mouth.

    He was forced to stare into the hollow eyes of the nightmare; those sockets that bore no life, nor any mercy¨Conly an existence born to spread torment.

    The hold on the axe was relinquished as the pierced man instead gripped the weapon he still held in his left, raising the ebon dagger. Even as he brought it up, the morphing horror didn''t move its head away from staring right at him.

    "You believe you''re invincible because death can''t reach you," Finn weakly gasped with the little air he could suffice with. "But, it''s right here¨Cin this de."

    He brought the de down, guiding it dead center into the skull of the manifestation of the fallen. Dipping through the gtinous, translucent flesh that shrouded its skeleton, the dagger struck true with its aim.

    However, that wouldn''t be enough for the entity that eluded death. That was, if the young man hadn''t garnered a sense of death for himself.

    ["The Art of Dying"] [59:59]

    A glimmer of darkness; the veins in his body ckened for that singr strike. Onto that which was unfamiliar withplete cessation, he forced that concept upon it through the dagger he stuck into its head.

    "Huaaaaaah¨C!" A shrill noise escaped the jaws of the horror, as though the very souls that ignited its dark existence were escaping its form.

    In that moment, there was a feeling of excitement that he had forgotten of; a sublime joy upon vanquishing the enemy before him. He dug the dagger as deep as it could go, so much that he cracked the ursed skull through the sheer pressure applied.

    It was remembering the torment it put him through, the tiring night he had endured of pain and loss; aeuppance that was much deserved.

    ["!MAJOR THREAT SLAIN!"]

    ["F!%$s G0%# defeated."] ["Anarch Coins x10,000 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +100,000]

    [Level twenty-six reached!] [1100/32500]

    [Assimted ability from [//!&*# $!#%]: "Dreamwalking"]

    [New Skill(s) Obtained: "de Warp" | "Intoxicating Fumes" | "Greater Gale Blessing" | "Greater Agility" | "Greater Stamina"]

    As the rewards of his victory were disyed to him, the foul scenery around him crumbled away with a single blink of his eyes. There he was, standing on the rundown streets of the south korean city.

    He struggled to keep his eyes open as the great light met his vision, bringing him to shield his face from it. As the sun rose with its soft rays casting away all manners of darkness from the cityscape, a sense of utter relief filled him.

    Against his skin, its warmth felt as though he was caressed in a nket, enough so to make his exhausted self tempted to simply fall over and sleep on the asphalt.

    "I did it, Damian," Finn quietly said, looking upon the majestic dawn.

    With the deed finished, the adrenaline that had kept him going was gone like the wind. In its absence, he felt the sheer exhaustion that gued his body; his muscles were sore, his joints stiff, and his consciousness flickering.

    Still, he hobbled down the road, moving one foot in front of the other without much of a goal in sight.

    ''Charlotte¡­I still need to find Charlotte,'' he tiredly reminded himself.

    Though that resolve stuck in his mind with his steps that were slow and dragged like that of a mindless zombie, the limitations of fatigue caught up to him atst¨C

    "Ah¨C" Finn quietly let out as the asphalt suddenly approached him.

    He face-nted into the street as his consciousness finally gave into the exhaustion, not even feeling the fall as he passed out without a moment needing to pass. It was a much needed rest, perhaps not in the most optimal of locations, though he weed it.

 Chapter 41: Return From The Nightmare

    Without even knowing he had fallen asleep in the first ce, his eyes slowly opened, heavy with the coattails of much needed rest. Blinking a few times, he found himself not seeing the asphalt nor the clear sky, but a tan ceiling above.

    "Ah¡­?" Finn quietly let out.

    As he sat up, or more so tried to as he immediatelyid back down, the soreness of his muscles was made clear to him by even that small amount of movement sharply pushing him back. There was a smell of smoke, though after walking through burning towns for long enough now, it was a natural odor.

    "G''morning, sleeping beauty."

    An unfamiliar, masculine voice called out to him from the right, bringing him to turn his head. By the makeshift bed he was resting on, he saw a man with shaggy hair of a dirty-blonde shade looking at him.

    The man looked to be in histe twenties, with a scruffy beard on his chin and a tired look in his hazel eyes, fiddling with a burning cigarette between his lips.

    "Where am I? How''d I get here?" Finn tiredly asked, forcing himself to sit up.

    At the very least, he could presume that the stranger was not an enemy of his, going by the very fact he wasn''t killed in his sleep, nor was there any sense of hostility.

    "Ah, this ce? Just some old library¨Cno monsters in here, so it''s not a bad safe house for now," the man answered, flickering the embers from his cigarette. "I helped carry you here. I''m Magnus, I''m from Ystad¨Cah, well, Sweden."

    There was a slight ent from the man of blonde-and-ck hair, though his English was perfect, which was a relief to the young man who didn''t know any swedish.

    "Finn," the sore man introduced himself as he slowly sat him, sliding his feet off of the propped-up mattress. "Thanks for bringing me in. You said you had help bringing me here?"

    "Ah, yeah. She''s out scouting right now, but she''ll be back soon," Magnus answered, dropping his cigarette before stamping it out.

    "That person, is she¨C" Finn began to ask.

    Magnus answered promptly, "It is your friend, Charlotte, yes."

    "Ah¡­That''s a relief," Finn slowly breathed out upon getting confirmation, clutching his own shirt as he looked down, feeling a genuine smile appearing.

    It was enough to draw tears to his eyes, hiding such a reaction in front of the stranger. He was d hispanion made it out of that hellish night, though a bigger part of him was d somebody was saved from that dread.

    ''We made it, Damian. Maybe there is hope, like you believed in,'' Finn thought.

    The scruffy-bearded man looked experienced withbat himself, wearing an all-white uniform with straps all along it, bearing the design of a cobalt insignia in the shape of a diamond on its front. From the silver bracer on his arm to the snow-white gloves that bore a sapphire gemstone in the middle, it was clear to Finn that the man was equipped with mystical apparel.

    ''I doubt there''s anybody still alive that hasn''t adapted to their system,'' Finn thought.

    As he picked himself up, stretching his sore arms, he looked around to find that he was sleeping in a tucked-away section of the modern library, within a makeshift room seemingly walled off by ck bookshelves.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [Magnus]...]

    [Name: Magnus Hellstr?m]

    [Age: 27]

    [Designated ss: Cannoneer]

    [Level: 25]

    "What do you think? Am I capable enough?" Magnus asked suddenly, calling out the assassin''s sleuthing.

    Finn nodded his head with an honest answer, "Yeah. You''re a Cannoneer? That''s rare."

    "Dunno why I was stuck with this ss, but I guess there''s no point in questioning that now, is there?" Magnus said, retrieving another cigarette from his pocket before cing it between his lips.

    As the messy-haired man raised his right arm, a small sh of light constructed the weapon; a massive, handheld cannon forged of spotless, snow-white steel with a ring of gemstones along its barrel.

    Magnus used the barrel to emit a small me, lighting his cigarette as he puffed out a breath of smoke before continuing to speak, "I used Sleuth on you, too, so no harm done. An assassin at your level? Honestly, I was kind of scared to bring you along."

    "Yeah, I get it," Finn responded, understanding the reservations one would have when approaching such a level.

    "So, did you do it?" Magnus asked directly. "To obtain that level, I mean. Did you kill anybody?"

    There was a serious look behind the swede''s eyes, as the question was one that held weight behind it.

    Finn stayed quiet for a moment as he carefully thought of how to answer before speaking what he had to say, "Only the ones I had to."

    "I see," Magnus epted the answer, taking a puff again. "That''s the way the world is now, anyway."

    There was no doubt that the cannoneer was tired himself from the continuous hardships of the new world, none more clear than the bags beneath his eyes. Finn watched as the man walked over to a stuffed bag propped on one of the shelves that had been cleared of its books.

    Magnus sifted through the supplies before bringing his hand out, holding a can of what looked to be pineapples as he nced over at the young man, "Hungry?"

    "Yeah," Finn answered truthfully.

    The tall, neatly-uniformed swede sat down right across from him, tossing the can over. Finn caught it, holding the aluminum between his fingers as he looked over, seeing that Magnus had his own share.

    Finn raised his hand as his ebon dagger manifested, using its sharp edge to peel the can open. Without any sort of utensil to eat it with, he treated it like a drink, leaning his head back as he allowed the canned pineapples to slip into his mouth.

    It wasn''t anybody''s idea of gourmet, though they made do.

    "So, you lived through that night, too? I wonder how the hell I even survived, honestly," Magnus asked, fiddling with the opened can of peaches.

    "Yeah, somehow," Finn responded, not caring much to reminisce on fresh memories.

    "I get it. I don''t really want to talk about what I sawst night, either," Magnus brushed off, stuffing a slice of peach into his mouth, swallowing it before continuing. "The girl mentioned another person in your group¨Ca warrior. Haven''t seen him."

    The topic in question brought Finn speechless as he sat there, remembering all too well those vivid experiences; the gut-wrenching sensation of sinking his dagger into one he cared for. Before the conversation could continue, a noise echoed from across the library, like that of a door opening.

    "It seems she''s back from her scouting," Magnus pointed out, ncing in the direction of the sound.

    "--" Finn remained silent.

    As the footsteps drew to that side of the building, he simply sat there while hearing theme up from behind him. It seemed that the library had been formed into some kind of maze, with how the shelves were aligned, bringing the footsteps to have to slide between a pair of the bookshelves.

    "Wee back," Magnus greeted while pointing over at the young man. "This one has finally decided to wake up."

    Finn hesitantly lifted his head, seeing the young woman of unmistakable hair like that of a clear sky, who looked right back at him with eyes that looked on the brink of crying.

    "You''re alright!" Charlotte said, quickly sitting herself down in front of him. "I''m relieved¨Cit looked bad when we found you."

    "Yeah, I''m alright," Finn responded. "Good to see you''re alright, too."

    "Did you see Damian out there? I looked everywhere, but¡­" Charlotte asked, looking down as if already expecting the worst.

    The question made the topic no longer able to simply be ignored with silence as Finn sat there, leaning his arm atop his knee. Just looking at the face of hispanion who longed for the same person he did made it impossible to push aside.

    Finn opened his mouth to answer, though no words came out at first, only a quiver of his lips. It felt as though speaking it would ce it into reality, even if it was assuredly cemented already.

    That sparse amount of delusion within him was cast away as he gulped down his reservations, feeling the eyes of the other two on him that wanted closure.

    "I¡­" Finn struggled to speak as his voice trembled. "I¡­I had to do it."

    "Do what? What is it, Finn?" Charlotte softly asked.

    Drawing out that cruel truth brought the young man to shake his head as the guiltyered itself upon him. Having to ept that reality made him rethink it all, questioning if there had been any other way.

    "Damian is¡­I¡­I killed him," he finally forced it from his throat.

    Charlotte was at a loss for words for a moment as her eyes widened and herplexion lost color, "What?"

    "There was no other choice. I tried¨CI did, I tried¡­but, I couldn''t do anything, Charlotte. I pushed my dagger through him," Finn admitted, looking at the hand that wielded the de in that dreadful moment.

 Chapter 42: Stranger In A Strange Place

    As he admitted to the grave sin he knew he hadmitted, even if he could justify it, he hesitantly looked at the young woman. He expected to find himself scorned, with hateful words and disdainful eyes, no¨Che hoped for it.

    Instead, he found a look in Charlotte''s saddened eyes that were not angered at him, but engraved with a sorrow at the one she looked at.

    "I''m sorry, Finn," Charlotte apologized. "I should''ve been there."

    ''Why? Why are you saying that? Don''t say that¨Cdon''t apologize, not to me. Please¨CI can''t handle that,'' Finn thought in his mind.

    The silken-haired girl sat beside him, cing her hand atop his own tofort the young man, "I don''t know what happened exactly, but I''m sure you did everything you could, right?"

    Asked such a thing, he couldn''t respond, not knowing if that was the truth in his own heart as the regret within him swelled.

    From across the room, Magnus distanced himself, averting his gaze as if to show that this was not a conversation he had any part in speaking his mind of.

    "Sorry," Finn quietly said, cing his face in his hand. "My mind is just¡­a mess right now. I just need some time alone, to think."

    "Right, okay," Charlotte said, epting with a nod of her head.

    As the assassin picked himself up and began to make his way towards the exit of the library for some fresh air, the swede called out to him from behind.

    "Listen, I''ll be heading to the Tower byter today. If you''re up for it, then you''re free toe along, if not, then don''t," Magnus rified. "Don''t force yourself."

    "Yeah," Finn quickly responded with a simple word, not so much as looking back.

    He navigated through the reformatted library by following along the narrow rows of shelves. It was a good idea for a shelter; the many walls of wood didn''t let any monsters see inside nor hear anything from within.

    Finn stepped over a pile of tossed books, finding a corridor that led directly to a door with arge "EXIT" sign over it. He used his forearm to push it open, immediately finding his eyes greeted by the sunlight outside.

    It felt as though his eyes adjusted to the overwhelming darkness before, having to use his hand to block out the beaming rays of light as he stepped out of the doorway.

    "--Hah," he exhaled quietly, looking upon the desecrated streets of buildings left imed by overgrowth, decrepit already.

    ''I don''t know what''s wrong with me. Even after everything, all of this, I can''t find any reason to survive besides trusting in what you left me. Is there truly hope left in this world, Damian? Everybody I loved is dead, the world I knew is gone. I just wonder¡­what''s the point of pushing on? But, I have to keep pushing to figure that out, don''t I?

    It''s a funny, little conundrum,'' Finn thought to himself as he strolled down the sidewalk.

    He sat himself down on a street-side bench, simply letting his mind wander as he watched the deteriorating cityscape. It still remained eerie just how quiet cities had be; the abandoned cars and their slumbering engines, the streets devoid of people, and thepleteck of electricity.

    Sitting there in his own thoughts hardly helped, as the silence only allowed him to remember memories far too fond for his weeping heart, and some too painful. The smiles of his family on days of sess, receiving their praise and affection; the casual, nothing conversations he had with his friend amidst the world''s end, finding sce in those useless moments.

    In the middle of such thoughts that brought his head down¨Cng. A sound echoed,ing from the building right across the street.

    He rose from the bench, quietly stepping towards the worn, gray building as he kept his dagger ready between his fingers. With quiet steps, he crossed the street; it was unnecessary to investigate the sound, though a part of him sought an outlet for the emotions he was feeling.

    Finn found that the door was already left halfway open, with some of the roots on the ground pressed down if having been stepped over.

    ''Something was here recently¡­not long before I came this way?'' Finn considered.

    As soon as he slid past the doorway without fully opening it, a chill ran down his body; the air was noticeably colder in the dark, lifeless interior. It was a rundown office of some kind, with the walls peeling and moss growing in already.

    ''What''s this feeling? It''s¡­dreadful,'' he thought, finding his breathing unsteady as he slowly moved further into the lightless inside.

    There were papers scattered across the floor, most of which were nk, likely meant for the out-of-order printer by the reception desk. Moving past the lobby, he approached an open door that led into a room filled with cubicles.

    Just standing on the threshold as he looked in, he could see another door open on the other side of the office space. It was from that entry way that he heard something¨Ca perplexing, yet disturbing sound.

    It was a mixture of crunching along with the squishy, wet sound of meat being ripped apart. The sound was so aggressive and jarring that it brought him to a still as he tried to discern just what it could be.

    ''Something is¡­eating?'' He guessed.

    With silent steps, he began to move across the lightless room of gray, dull cubicles. He began to question if it was better to take his leave, yet he found himself drawn towards curiosity just a few strides away.

    The revolting sounds continued as he drew closer, moving with himself slightly tilted as to keep his dagger-wielding hand in front.

    He learned in such a way while inching closer that he could get a glimpse into the doorway before having to show himselfpletely. That foul noise of flesh squelching and teeth grinding meat filled his ears as he drew closer, bringing his foot one stride away from the threshold before¨C

    It stopped.

    Complete silence befell the interior as Finn found himself tensing up to not even allow the breath he was about to expel leave his mouth.

    He was certain he hadn''t made even the faintest of noise, yet it felt as though something had felt his presence.

    More than ever, he hesitated upon ncing into that doorway, unsure of what he''d find, now without the element of surprise. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest as his blood ran hot, squeezing the handle of his dagger as he finally peeked into the room¨C

    It was a storage area, housing boxes full of documents that had been toppled over. Though that wasn''t what he focused on in his quick nce in:

    He met eye-to-eye with somebody that was in the room already, looking right at those pale, blue irises that had a bestial sense to them.

    Immediately upon making eye contact, he stepped in rather than retreating, not showing any weakness, "Are you¡­alright?" He asked.

    For some reason, that was the question that left his lips as he tried to find something to say, not yet discerning if the person was a friend or foe.

    The blue-eyed man was standing over a mauled corpse, seeming to be an orc with its chestpletely split open and its face eviscerated, though it was barely recognizable. Its arms and legs were amputated, cut into neat, perfect circles as if put on disy.

    It wasn''t hard to see that the stranger was responsible for the gruesome kill, seeing as fresh blood dripped from the weapon in his hand: a drenched cleaver. Only, it wasn''t just the de, but the unknown person''s hands that werepletely drenched in crimson.

    ''This guy¡­What''s up with him?'' Finn questioned, unnerved by the sight he walked in on.

    For a moment, there was no answer from the young man who looked to be simr in age to him, even quite simr in build, if not only an inch or two taller. The person had shaggy, snow-white hair with tired eyes and an expression that lookedpletely enveloped in apathy, yet¨C

    "I''m doing just fine. Sorry, did I scare you?" The strange answered, now with a smile as they did away with their weapon while wiping his hands off on his baggy, ck pants.

    The outfit worn by the youthful man hardly looked to resemble any practical gear, only wearing a in, ck tee that squeezed around his biceps with matching suspenders strapped from his belt to his shoulders.

    "No," Finn responded, ncing at the maimed orc at the man''s feet. "Are you out here alone? I didn''t think this city had anybody else left in it."

    The man with messy, colorless hair finished wiping his hands off, revealing ink etched onto his hands: wings of birds on the back of his hands, along with crosses down his knuckles, "This city? I don''t even know which city this is, to be honest with you. Just arrived here after leaving a Tower." The stranger exined.

    "I see. You''re alone?" Finn asked again, seeking answers.

    There was a certain unnerving aspect to the way that the man held a small, unassuming smile, though happily answered, "Yup, just by my lonesome. I prefer it that way, y''know?"

    "Right," Finn responded.

    While one of the goals he kept in mind was finding other survivors and gaining newpanions to better increase their overall chances of survival, Finn was hesitant to lend such an offer to the peculiar person.

    "What''s your name?" The stranger asked.

    "I''m surprised you didn''t use Sleuth to find that out already," Finn answered.

    A small chuckle came from the shirtless man as he nudged his boot against the lifeless corpse of the orc, tilting his head slightly as he looked back at the assassin, "You could''ve done the same. Just showing you the same courtesy here."

    "Right¡­Well, I''m Finn," he gave his name.

    "Finn? That''s a unique name. I like it," the stranger said, ncing up at the ceiling as if pondering the name given to him before giving his own. "Just call me Crow."

 Chapter 43: Predator and Prey

    "Is that your real name?" Finn asked.

    "Of course," Crow answered with a smile. "If you don''t believe me, you can use Sleuth."

    Finn ignored the remark, still keeping roughly three meters of distance between himself and the odd man, "Well, it was good meeting you. Good luck, if you''re really set on surviving out here alone."

    "What about you? All alone?" Crow asked, continuing the conversation.

    Finn had begun to turn the other way to leave before being asked that question, stopping as it seemed the stranger wanted to keep speaking.

    There was only one answer he feltfortable giving to the stranger, "Yeah. It''s easier for me to stay alone."

    "The type that thinks other people will only slow them down? Oh, I''m not judging you¡ªI feel the same way," Crow remarked. "Sometimes conflicting views make things difficult."

    "Sure. Whatever you say," Finn said, not up for much conversation.

    "You''re not much of a talker, are you? It''s a big, lonely world now¡ªcasual chit-chat is a premium," Crow pointed out with a yful shrug of his shoulders.

    It certainly didn''t feel like the time for idle conversation, as Finn felt something off about the white-haired, mid-twenties man. A lot of it, however, was what he reasonably expected; the entire world being flipped on its head, now driven by violence and madness was more than enough to change people fundamentally.

    "Is there really that much value to talking?" Finn tiredly asked.

    "Isn''t there?" Crow reversed the question with a shrug of his shoulders. "What''s the point of all this fighting-and-surviving if we''re just going to be boring, wordless shits. Least you can do with your life is socialize a bit, with what little time we have left here, anyway."

    A rise of hostility came from the annoyed toneing from the strange figure, though Finn only brushed it off as he wanted nothing less than to keep standing there in that room with the amputated orc corpse.

    "Sorry, just ranting. Anyway, I''m done here anyway, so I''ll head out," Crow said, raising his hands as if to show he was harmless as he walked right past the tense assassin.

    Finn didn''t let the strange figure leave his sight, turning to watch as the white-haired person left the room. It felt as though he couldn''t let his back be turned to the stranger for even a moment, no matter how unassuming they tried to appear.

    He watched as the white-haired man left through the lobby of the building, only stopping right before the entrance to wave towards him with a smile that hardly seemed kind. Finn didn''t bother waving back, only watching the figure until they left through the door before rxing his tensed shoulders.

    There was a sense of relief that manifested directly through an exhale, feeling as though he somehow avoided conflict that didn''t seem to be there on the surface.

    He turned back, looking at the grotesque disy of the in orc in the storage room, still not sure of what would call for such overkill.

    ''What was that guy doing in here? Those noises I heard before I came here¡­'' Finn questioned, stepping over to the mutted body of the monster.

    He knelt down to look at what had been done to the corpse. There was a small part of him that found it odd how unmoved he was by such a horrific sight now, not so much as covering his nose as the repugnant smell of blood and guts.

    A closer look brought him to realize something concerning the state of the dismantled orc. It wasn''t just cuts thatyered its body, but marks left by that of teeth; rough, deep imprints on its flesh.

    "What¡­?" Finn mumbled.

    There wasn''t much thinking that had to be done to ce it together; the noises he heard, those marks¨Cit led him to one conclusion.

    ''He was¡­eating it?'' Finn realized.

    It was something that made his stomach spin, thinking he had seen it all by now. Though it was a time where perhaps supplies had be more scarce, there was certainly still enough that such a thing wasn''t necessary.

    Remembering those sounds and what they meant, the sight of that cleaver and the hand that wielded it drenched in blood¨Cit made him feel sick. It was finding the vile tendencies of the stranger that he recalled those tattoos on his hands; the feathers, but most of all, the name given to him¨C

    "...Crow¡­" Finn repeated that name in a quiet breath.

    It felt like a reach, likening it to the cruel person he had to put down with his own two hands before. Yet, he couldn''t get that coincidence out of his mind. For some reason as he found himself discerning the evidence in his mind, a chill trickled down his spine, causing the hairs on his arm to rise.

    He began to stand himself back up while turning, raising his dagger-wielding arm as if expecting something right behind him¨C

    A pressure embedded itself into his wrist, apanied by a harrowing warmth as he found himself turning to find his instincts confirmed. He found himself staring at arge, t de stuck in his wrist, arriving with a squelch as his blood sshed onto his own face.

    It stopped halfway, notpletely amputating his hand as he was left speechless at the sudden act of violence against him, having to use that split-second to adjust.

    Only after noticing the state of his hand, he saw the one who held the cleaver; the snowy-haired, peculiar stranger whose pale-blue eyes held an apathy within them.

    "I was going for your skull, but you have good reflexes. Usually, my cleaver would just chop right through you, but I guess your muscle and bone density are beyond human standards now. You''re a higher level than me, after all, it''s only understandable that I couldn''t cleanly cut it off."

    The casual observations were spoken by the cold-blooded stranger, who yanked the bloodied cleaver away from the perplexed assassin''s wrist.

    "You¨Cyou know Raven, don''t you¨C?" Finn asked with broken breaths, holding his wrist as it gushed out with an abundance of his life essence.

    "You want to talk now that your hand is hanging on by a thread? Sure," Crow coldly remarked before brushing his hair back as his cleaver dripped with the man''s blood.

    "Answer while you can draw breath," Finn threatened even as he was hunched over, holding his gashed wrist as it spewed crimson fluid.

    "Scary," Crow yfully said with a shrug. "Raven was special to me. I''m d you didn''t forget him."

    "Special?" Finn repeated, feeling himself bing light-headed from the blood loss.

    ["Dark Threads"] [Mana: -100] [2000/2100]

    He quickly used the sturdy string to wrap tightly around his forearm, cutting off the bleeding while also keeping his hand connected.

    Crow didn''t seem in a rush to stop him from stabilizing, continuing to speak as he flipped his cleaver between his fingers, "Special, yes. A kindred spirit; one of the few people in this world I cared about. I can see now how he died, though; you''re a killer, like us¡ªbirds of a feather."

    "I''m nothing like you," Finn tiredly retorted, not caring much for conversing with the one he saw as a freak. "You get some sort of kick out of this kind of thing. I only do it when I have to. That''s all there is to it."

    "Do you pride yourself on that small, pointless difference? The truth is, killing is killing. Doing it with a meek heart isn''t any better," Crow said.

    "I just can''t understand nutcases like you. If we''re going to do this, then just shut your mouth and hurry on with it," Finn tiredly responded.

    Crow released a perturbed sigh, "If that''s how you want it to be. No trouble; I''ll make you talk soon enough."

    There was no avoiding a fight at this point, even if Finn felt himself at a severe disadvantage; his right hand waspletely disabled, leaving him one-handed in a small, enclosed room. To make it worse, it was his dominant hand that was left unable to be used, yet¨Che had no other choice than to ready himself, switching his dagger to his left.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [Name: Crow]

    [Age: 26]

    [Designated ss: Hunter]

    [Level: 24]

    Confirming the ss of the one before him, there was a greater sense of annoyance from the injured man.

    ''Shit. Just my luck¨Cthe worst matchup for an assassin,'' Finn thought.

    As if sensing his unease now, it was the white-haired, cleaver-wielder that made the first move after patiently waiting. It was an action thatpletely caught Finn off-guard: he found himself looking at the cleaver rapidly approaching his face, spinning in mid-air without anybody handling it.

    The weapon had been thrown; apletely off maneuver.

    Finn slid his feet to the right, side-stepping it just as the cleaver collided with the wall behind him, lodging itself into the concrete. As he looked towards where the hunter was once standing, he already found that the man had moved across the room, grabbing hold of the cleaver and plucking it from the wall in a mere moment.

    ''He''s so aggressive¨CI need to gain some space to make my move,'' Finn thought.

 Chapter 44: Twisted System

    ["Turn Shadow"] [2:59]

    Just as he witnessed the cleaver-wielding man swipe towards him, he sank down into the darkness at his feet. Into the obscure form of the shadows themselves, he moved right past the hostile figure while remaining unseen.

    "Ah¨C?" Crow let out, looking around for the one who suddenly vanished.

    Across the walls, the shadow moved as Finn watched from what looked like a veil of darkness, keeping an eye on the confused psychopath as he moved out of the storage room. He used his ethereal form to slip into the vast office space, swerving between the cubicles as he found his lungs throbbing¨C

    "Pyu¨C" He spat out, suddenly feeling his mass be regained as he was forced out of the shadows.

    It was too difficult of a form to maintain for any more than a few seconds, reappearing within the confines of a ustrophobic cubicle. He was knelt down at eye level with a in, gray desk, ncing at the monitor that was left unpowered and caked in dusk.

    What he listened for were the sounds of the murderous figure; any footsteps, breaths, or giveaways of any kind.

    ''What''s my best option here? Using my off hand to fight is like ying a game with inverted controls.If I could get to Charlotte and Magnus, we could handle this guy easily three-on-one. No¡­That would risk this guy catching them by surprise,'' Finn considered while staying within the cubicle.

    The situation was one he hardly wanted to find himself in after a night of hell already being lived through. Even so, he didn''t feel entirely like a fish caught out of water; he felt ready for something like this¨Cas though it was a natural urrence now.

    As he peeked outside of the thin, square walls of the cubicle, he didn''t see anything moving in thebyrinth of the office; the papers scattered along the floor alongside keyboards and pamphlets were unmoved.

    That was, except one piece of parchment on the ground just a few meters ahead that he took notice of, with a clear dirt imprint of a shoe on it. Of course, he didn''t leave such tracks, leaving him to begin to nce back as his instincts told him so.

    "Found you."

    The calm, eerie voice of the hunter filled his ears as he witnessed the in, short wall behind him be split apart by the swing of that harrowing cleaver.

    ["Hollow Disengage"] [4:59]

    Flickering into a momentary shadow, the assassin jumped back as he watched the cubicle be dismantled by the single strike. From behind it, the snowy-haired man with bloodied hands rushed through, not wasting a moment to close the distance.

    ''Shit¨Che''ll just find me wherever I go,'' Finn thought.

    He watched as the aggressive hunter closed in with a swing of the cleaver, leaning back as the de narrowly missed his chest.

    "You can''t run. You can''t hide. All you can do now is die," the cold-blooded hunter said calmly while swinging the meat-splitting de.

    The swings were wild and hardly reminiscent of technique, leaving Finn able to begin deciphering the movements of the hunter.

    He watched while stepping back and dodging; left-right, always aiming to eviscerate his torso. That repetitive action led Finn to see an opening as another swipe came in¨C

    ["Riposte"]

    He used his wounded arm to press against the forearm that held the cleaver, rejecting the iing motion with precision. The force of the direct counter knocked the hunter off his bnce during that moment.

    It was a skill that required perfect timing, though allowed one to parry an attack and momentarily break their opponent''s momentum. Finn used the opening as the man stumbled back, going for a sh across his neck.

    As his de swept forth, he watched as Crow tilted his head back, causing the tip of the dagger to scrape across the hunter''s throat.

    Finn didn''t let him escape with just that, stepping back before immediately setting forward again¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    The immediate sh aimed to finish the job on the hunter''s neck was narrowly avoided; Finn watched as his target leaned to the side, causing his de to instead carve across his shoulder. It wasn''t as if he was seen through nor predicted; he could tell by the look in those azure eyes.

    ''This guy is moving off of pure instinct¨Cthis is a "hunter" all right. What a pain in the ass,'' Finn thought, flipping back before he could be retaliated against.

    Crow didn''t pursue him quiet yet, stopping as he ran his fingertips along the bloodied edge of his weapon. In a grotesque fashion as if partaking in a savory sauce, the abnormal man brought his fingers to his lips, licking up the blood of the assassin.

    Finn watched with disgust, not surprised in the least after what he experienced against Raven.

    "It''s bitter, but there''s some sweetness there. There''s a lot that I learn when tasting someone''s blood," Crow calmly imed. "The state of your mind. The tendencies and biases you''ll take. Just what makes you tick."

    ''A hunter skill? Never heard of one like that. It''s more likely this guy is just bullshitting,'' Finn carefully thought, taking in the environment along with his enemy as he looked for his next move.

    Crow held a look of utter apathy in his eyes, devoid of much human emotion as he parted his lips again, "Like that teleport-strike move of yours. I know that whenever you are about to use it, you step back and tense up, leaning forward right as you spring into it."

    As if having his own doubts read, Finn felt his blood run cold; perhaps it was a stroke of luck that the hunter urately pinned such a thing down, or merely a bluff¨Cbut deep down, he knew otherwise.

    "Though even knowing you''re about to use it doesn''t mean I can entirely avoid it," Crowmented, touching the gash on his shoulder.

    If it was possible that the hunter simply possessed knowledge of assassin abilities, Finn knew he had a workaround for that as he slowly breathed out¡ª

    "Replication."

    The invocation sprouted the unspeaking doppelg?nger of himself from his body. It felt like a weight being peeled from his right side, taking a bit of stamina with it.

    A twitch of the hunter''s eyebrow came as Crow watched with an expression that finally resembled emotion: disdain, curled into a red-hot passion.

    "So, you really are capable of such a thing," Crow remarked, witnessing the duplication of the assassin. "You desecrated him and took what was his¡ªbut I was worthy of it."

    "What?" Finn questioned, not quite getting the spiel.

    Crow raised his cleaver with the same apathetic expression worn on his deadpan face, emitting the word that held malicious weight:

    "Replication."

    As that word that should now only belong to Finn curled from the tongue of the hunter, a chill ran down the assassin''s spine.

    He witnessed a ck mass manifested from the shadow of the snowy-haired figure. It raised itself to a height taller than himself, with a much morenky, abnormal build¡ªfar from a clone of Crow himself.

    No; Finn recognized what it was as that silhouette was morphed into.

    "Wait, that''s¡­" Finn uttered in horror.

    It was unmistakable; what he saw was a picture-perfect replication of the pale,nky man that wielded that frighteninglyrge odachi.

    "Raven''s will does not belong to you. Only I can carry that on," Crow imed, cing his hand upon the shoulder of the replicated murderer.

    What he witnessed was something straight out of a nightmare, making him question if he truly had been stuck in a terrible dream.

    It was the worst oue; one that made his blood run cold and his heart to elerate.

    "You''re wondering how this is possible, aren''t you? How do I possess the same ability of the one you killed? The one you plundered," Crow presumed.

    At this point, if it meant gaining any bit of information he could to help him survive this encounter, Finn weed his enemy to speak.

    "I am curious, yeah," Finn responded, keeping his eyes locked on the hunter and the doppelg?nger of the yer.

    Crow ran his hand down the arm of the replicant as if caressing a loved one, speaking fondly as if reminiscing on a fond memory, "I found Raven after you left him there to rot. So, I took his essence into my own."

    As the twisted figure exined the existence of the ability, he moved his hands to his lips. That gesture brought a sickening revtion to Finn as he stood in that dreary office space.

    It was enough to break his focus as the replication he invoked crumbled away, losing its form.

    "You¡­Did you eat him? Is that what you''re saying?" Finn asked, staring at the ominous hunter as the background of gray cubicles became a blur.

    "That look in your eyes is one of disgust. What I did was not some animalistic feeding. I offered him the greatest respect, the dearest resting ce¡ªright here," Crow exined with a quiet passion as he ced his hand over his stomach.

    It was a disgusting realization for Finn, not caring for the glorified speech of the hunter as he knew just what he meant.

    ''As disgusting as it is¡­This is his unique system, isn''t it? He can gain abilities from what he eats. I''m guessing it doesn''t just apply to people¡ªmonsters, too. Like that orc,'' Finn analyzed.

 Chapter 45: What Drifts In The Sky

    Amidst his own thoughts, while readying himself to be rushed at by the doppelganger of Raven, he was blindsided as the hunter came for him instead.

    It was a burst of speed that was unrecognizable for before, as it was more as though Crow sprang forward with a push of his foot.

    ["Impervious"] [4:59]

    With not enough time to evade, he endured the attack as the hunter''s cleaver bounced right off of his chest.

    "Oh?¡ª" Crow reacted as it sounded as if his weapon struck metal.

    It was only for that split-second that Finn was invulnerable, having to duck down as he found the hunter immediately following up with a strike towards his head.

    In that moment, there was a change that overcame Crow''splexion; from pale skin to a vile green and bulging veins.

    Like that of an orc; the snowy-haired figure disyed barbaric strength with a m of his cleaver meant to split the assassin in half.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    Finn could hear the air hiss as that weapon came down, sliding back just as it missed. The impact of the cleaver against the dark-blue carpet split it apart, piercing right through the concrete below.

    "How do you like it?" Crow asked as the green, swollen parts of his body returned to their normal, pale state. "This is my Predator System."

    Finn focused on that strike, only losing focus for a moment as the shade of the yer he killed suddenly rushed him from the side.

    Finn reacted with what little time he had, leaning to the side just as the colossal de sliced through the air. What could''ve split through his head instead cleaved a portion of his ear off cleanly before he rolled to the side.

    ''¡­.Shit¡­!'' Finn thought.

    While left on the ground facing two opponents that outmatched him in his wounded state, he reached up with a hopeful trust in an unused skill:

    ["Cloud of Darkness"] [4:59]

    From his position, a massive wave of shadows poured out like a veiling smoke. It quickly filled the clustered office; the intrusive fog left the sense of sightpletely hindered.

    ''Good, it''s not just vision alone¡­This darknesspletely overwhelms smell as well; like charcoal,'' Finn discovered, picking himself up while quietly sliding back.

    It wasn''t a guarantee, but it was the best he could hope for in throwing off the tracking abilities of the hunter.

    He knelt down while hearing the separate footsteps moving in different directions.

    ["Rune Trap"] [Mana: -250] [1750/2100]

    ["Rune Trap"] [Mana: -250] [1500/2100]

    ["Rune Trap"] [Mana: -250] [1250/2100]

    A few meters in front of him, to the right and left between cubicles, he ced the dormant traps. Each was marked by circr seals that glowed purple only for his vision.

    He kept his back against the wall behind him, leaving no openings as the traps acted as security around him.

    ''I have to approach this smartly. I''mpletely outmatched right now¡ªI can''t fight with one hand against both of them,'' he thought.

    Preparing himself for whatever may press through the dark fog¡ªthe air shifted. As if the wind flexed for a moment, it made his ears pop before¡ªBoom.

    All at once, the dormant traps set off, igniting a chain reaction that exploded with a colorful plume of smoke.

    The force of it was enough to st through the cubicles, along with the walls of the room as Finn found himself thrown back.

    "Nrg!¡ª"

    Right through the wall behind him, he found himself blown outside as the bright-blue sky greeted him. Hended on his back as the rubble rained down along with a fall of dust.

    "Hkk¡­!" He coughed out as his lungs filled with the abrasive substances in the air.

    As heid there, he leaned on his right hand to pick himself up, only forgetting it was only being held together by string.

    He slipped as his wound opened more, catching himself as he clumsily stood up. There wasn''t much more rity found when standing in the street as rubbleid from the sted open wall of the building.

    Finn waited, looking at that gathering of smoke as he questioned if the triggered runes were enough to have dealt with the enemy. It was wishful thinking, however.

    As he watched the swaying dust, something pierced through the unseen smog, sailing straight towards him with a fearsome rotation.

    "--!"

    Finn stepped to the right, leaning as he witnessed the unmistakable cleaver narrowly miss being lodged into his face. Even without looking, he felt it; that presence, staring him down from the side.

    In that split-second, he nced over at the cleaver as it passed right by his head, finding the hunter appearing right there as the handle was grasped in his hand. It wasn''t an act of speed nor trickery; Finn knew exactly what had happened.

    An act that transcended mere swiftness¨Cteleportation.

    ''That skill¨Cit can''t,'' he thought.

    All he could do in the moment was lean back as much as he could as the follow-up strike passed right over his view. In response to being on the receiving end of the skill, he used it himself as he flicked his dagger straight behind the hunter¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1150/2100]

    He reappeared a dozen meters away, catching the de used as his anchorpoint, finding himself between a desecrated taxi and a bisected van on the street. That moment was used to draw a breath as he found his mind and heart racing; it felt as if he woke up from one nightmarish fight for survival right into another.

    The adrenaline wasn''t enough anymore to subside the sharp pain in his nearly amputated hand, feeling the blood running down from his cut ear as it trickled down his neck.

    There wasn''t any time toment his condition as a change in the wind behind him brought him to spin around while jumping back.

    He found the replicated yer right behind him, shing that lengthy de in such a way as meaning to bisect him from the waist.

    Finn narrowly avoided being split in half, though ncing over his shoulder to find the hunter already rushing him down.

    ''Shit¡ªI can''t keep up with both,'' he thought.

    Flicking his dagger up, he didn''t toss it towards either of his targets, instead letting it fly into the air just as both the yer and hunter closed in from ahead and behind.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1050/2100]

    He instantly moved himself dozens of meters into the air, looking down as he saw both foes on the ground.

    In the sky, there was peace found for those few moments as he felt the wind against him, granted space to think.

    For that brief time, he looked up at the clouds, freeing his mind of the stress of what awaited on the ground.

    ''Right now, what should I do? Right¡­If nothing else is working, if this guy knows my tendencies¡­I''ll just have to improvise,'' Finn decided.

    As he turned back around, facing the street below as he rapidly descended, he could see the fake yer waiting below with the hunter not far beside.

    He threw his dagger down with a flick of his wrist, sending it right between the hunter and his replicated yer.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [950/2100]

    He arrived with his feet against the asphalt, right between Crow and the fake Raven. There was only a split-second to choose his target, looking to the left at the snowy-haired man whose eyes only began to track him then.

    Crow was already beginning to move his cleaver in response, along with the false yer stepped closer with the odachi raised.

    It was an all-or-nothing gamble; Finn banked on being able to snuff out the hunter''s life before his own was lost.

    However¡ª

    RUMBLE

    It felt as if the sky itself shook, as did the street itself as allbatants were brought to a pause. A deep grumble from above brought both of their gazes up.

    A cloud sat right above the block; a vast, white expanse¡ªit began to move.

    It wasn''t any such formation in the sky; it was a harrowing colossus, descending upon them.

    [Cloud-Fallen Collector]

    What stared back down at them were hollow eyes like craters, filled only with the abyss.

    At that moment, the battle of life-and-death was put on hold as Finn sprinted towards the nearest building, ncing back to see the hunter doing the same.

    A single hand of the colossal being reached down like a snow-white skyscrapernded upon the street just as the young man ducked into the closest shop.

    ''A Collector¡­I don''t know if this is good or bad,'' Finn thought, sitting in the abandoned convenience store as he watched through the window.

    All the walls shook at the tremendous scale that descended on the street. The air vibrated against his ears as he quietly crawled to the back of the shop, looking back as he saw the white mass of the entity lowering itself outside.

    With his palms against the pale tiles, the vibrations of the immeasurable weight touching down outside were felt like the purr of a beast. He moved himself silently towards the back of the store, in front of the refrigerated section and in front of a shelf of spilled snacks.

    As soon as he crawled into the aisle, he pressed his back against the white rack, keeping his breathing steady as he listened to the movements of the colossus.

    ''...Come on¡­'' He thought, hoping it didn''t see him as it descended.

 Chapter 46: Nest of Webs

    All he could do was sit there, tense and with breaths locked into his lungs as he stared at the freezer ahead, only getting a small reflection of the street from it. It was something far toorge to be fought; like an ant attempting to resist a whale. The scope of it simply made it impossible to fight.

    The breathing of the sky-floating entity emitted through the street with a soft, ethereal pattern, like that of a match against a striker. As his lungs ached from holding his breath for a prolonged time, a sense of relief was bestowed to him as he watched the snow-white colossus retreat back into the sky from the freezer''s reflection.

    An exhale allowed him to finally sit there and regain himself, looking up at the tan, stained ceiling of the convenience store.

    "...Hah¡­" He let out, getting the chance to finally breathe.

    As the immediate threat of death was gone, at least for the time being, the adrenaline dulling the pain he felt subsided as well. He grabbed his wrist as it still leaked blood despite his best efforts to tie it tightly, feeling that acute sharpness resonating from his wound.

    "Shit¡­" He muttered while picking himself up to his feet.

    Touching his right ear, just a simple graze brought him to recoil as it stung. Only feeling the blood that leaked from the wound was enough to tell him it wasn''t in a good state. Rather than leaving through the front, he headed towards the door at the back of the store, finding it to lead outside into a parking lot.

    He was still alert as he stepped outside, looking around as the lurking threat of the hunter was lingering. What was on his mind was getting back to Charlotte and Magnus, as soon as possible.

    Though he knew the way back, he opted to go a longer route, taking a different block as he began to slowly walk down the sidewalk.

    ''Crow was there because he was looking for me¨Cno, he was hunting me down. It''s not a stretch that he would know about the library. Shit¡­I have to get back to them before he does,'' he thought while somewhat dragging his feet from exhaustion.

    He kept an eye out for the colossus that drifted in the sky, having to carefully examine the clouds if any of them moved in an abnormal way. Rather than moving through the street, he looked towards a path between two buildings, opting to cut through as he felt morefortable in the shadows.

    The feeling of being pursued brought him to check over his shoulder¨Cnothing. A few stepster, a few seconds passed, he checked again¨Cnothing.

    ''That skill he used earlier¡­It was definitely de Warp. He must''ve eaten an assassin like me¨Cif that''s the case, he could have ess to any number of assassin abilities. On top of being able to track me, he can do itpletely silent and unseen,'' Finn thought, staying aware.

    The threat of such a figure pushed him to move with quicker steps, leaving the alleyway as he found himself stepping into a garden-esque shopping center.

    Somehow the trees and bushes that were artificially nted were still alive, healthier than ever as roots had run over the cement walkways.

    He kept moving forward towards where he knew the library-turned base was, ncing around. There were an abundance of cobwebs spanning between branches. Noticing that, a more intentful nce showed him that the surrounding buildings of the small parking lot wereyered in webs as well.

    To his left was a coffee shop, and the right was a restaurant with a squirrel mascot¡ª"Super Hot Chicken!" He couldn''t tell if it was the name of the abandoned establishment, or just English words used to entice tourists.

    Even more perplexing was why he focused on such a thing, perhaps trying to distract his mind from the paranoia he faced.

    ''¡­Just a few more blocks, I think,'' he recalled.

    cing his boot down against the root-infested concrete once more, he froze at the distinct rustle in the tree overlooking him.

    Reflexes prompted him to jump back just as something dropped from above. What blocked his path was a creature with eight legs coated in stone-like skin, looking at him with many, glistening eyes and mandibles that oozed with acidic saliva.

    Finn exhaled through his lips, reading himself even as he was left exhausted and wounded, squeezing the handle of his dagger as his dominant hand stayed limp at his side.

    The giant arachnid hissed at him before lunging straight for him with its fangs primed for his neck.

    He let ite for him, ducking down as he held his de up, letting it pass right over the sharp edge as its body was carved like butter against a hot knife.

    ["Giant Widow defeated."] ["Anarch Coins x150 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +500] [1600/32500]

    [Assimted ability from ["Grand Widow"]: "Hydrostatic Pressure" 1 / 5]

    It was hardly enough experience to warrant having to have bug gutsnd on him, brushing the repulsive spige off of his shoulder as he didn''t so much as nce back at the eight-legged corpse.

    With only the intent to return to hispanions, he remained in the same spot as he heard the bushes rustle and the branches above sway.

    "...Shit¡­" He mumbled tiredly, not having the opportunity to take a single step forward.

    Those many legs, skittering across wood and concrete alike in the shopping center that had been reimed by nature and fiend. He tilted his head back, witnessing many more of the arachnid''s kin surrounding him, harbored in the trees above and in the bushes beside him.

    While one was easy enough to deal with, he counted half a dozen. In his encumbered state, it didn''t seem feasible to escape without being bitten.

    It was only when noticing the abundance of colossal spiders in the shopping center did he take notice of the human-shaped gatherings of webs that hung from the surrounding establishments. There was no doubt that many had died to the nest of arachnids already, perhaps he would add to that number.

    ''I''mpletely closed off. They''ve walled me in with their numbers¨Cnot even a de warp can get through. I guess the low amount of people left in this city might mean they''ve been starving¨Cah, well. I''m not just going to stand here and be prey,'' Finn nned.

 Chapter 47: Knight In Shining Armor

    "Replication."

    Pushing the word from his lips, he called upon his doppelganger for aid as the wordless extensions of himself was manifested from shadow. He stood back-to-back with his copy, standing his ground as the eight-legged creatures began their approach.

    Three of the stone-skinned spiders were in front of him, carefully moving closer. While he was confident he could fell one in a single strike, the agility of the arachnids made it difficult to do so without facing retaliation from the remaining two.

    ''Alright¨CI need a meatshield,'' Finn thought, raising his hand as it momentarily was enveloped in a shroud of faint, yellow aura.

    ["Summon: Lost Goblin"] [Mana: -300] [650/2100]

    Between himself and the approaching creatures, the expended mana gave way to a grim seal on the ground in which the greens-kinned fiend crawled its way out of. The ravenous goblin didn''t waste a momentunching itself directly at the spiders while thrashing its ws and gnasing its teeth.

    He watched as the summoned goblin leapt onto the foremost arachnid, stabbing its sharpened nails into the creature''s head while biting into it. All the while, the berserk goblin was bitten into by the other arachnids, trading life for a life.

    Finn didn''t waste the opening, dashing in as he set his sights on the eight-legged creature to the left that had sunk its mandibles into the decoy''s side. He brought his dagger up before plunging it into the arachnid''s brain, pulling it out in the same motion.

    The venom of the poisons made quick work of the goblin-turned-distraction as the helpless fiend was left with its flesh decaying rapidly, seizing up entirely as it screeched.

    ["Grand Widow x2 defeated."] ["Anarch Coins x300 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +1000] [2600/32500]

    [Assimted ability(s) from ["Grand Widow"]: "Web Sphere" | "Produce: Widow Venom" 3 / 5]

    ''It managed to deal with one¨Cthat''s good,'' Finn acknowledged, finding that the goblin''s ravenous efforts imed one of the arachnids.

    As the goblin was left as a fallen husk, the remaining of the foremost three turned its attention to the assassin as it lunged straight for him. It leapt in such a fashion that it spread all eight of its legs with its underside exposed, as if nning topletely envelop him.

    He flexed his body as to invoke the skill he sought, sucking in a quick breath¨C

    ["Greater Gale Blessing"] [4:59]

    With the powerful essence of wind enveloping him, he moved forward with enhanced swiftness, meeting the creature halfway amidst its lunge. He stopped just in front of it, facing it with his right shoulder forward before shing his dagger in an upward fashion.

    The bolstered wind acted as an extension of his de''s reach, carving straight up the middle of the spider.

    ["Grand Widow defeated."] ["Anarch Coins x150 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +500] [2100/32500]

    [Assimted ability from ["Grand Widow"]: "Adhesive Grip" 4 / 5]

    A single breath was emitted before he turned around, finding himself stepping on the putrid, purple blood and guts of the in spiders. Just as he turned, he found the doppelganger of himself having finished its own number pair of the spiders.

    ["Grand Widow x2 defeated."] ["Anarch Coins x300 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +1000] [3600/32500]

    [Assimted ability(s) from ["Grand Widow"]: "Summon: Giant Window" 5 / 5]

    Still, the doppelganger was covered in bites, though still standing¨CTHWOOM.

    Finn watched as the replication of himself was snatched up by a spider that dwarfed the others, seeming to have leapt down from one of the roofs. It was at least five timesrger than the rest, with ck-and-red skin and legs long enough to skewer humanspletely.

    "Of course," he mumbled with a tired exhale.

    It hadpletely torn apart the doppelganger, leaving Finn raising his singr dagger as the one saving grace between himself and those twitching mandibles.

    He prepared for it to approach, though instead found a resounding "squelch" filling his ears. The sound met his ears before the effect of it met his vision: the colossal monster of a spider was split in half before his eyes.

    "--Huh?" He audibly let out.

    As the creature was bisected thoroughly with its purple guts being sshed in every direction, he saw what was responsible, or rather who¨C

    "Like I said," that familiar, apathetic voice spoke. "Can''t run, can''t hide. All you can do is die."

    Standing amidst the split corpse of the spider was the cleaver-wielding hunter, who didn''t care as the vile blood rained down atop his head of snow-white hair.

    "You look surprised," Crow said, stepping forward as the remnants of the spider were squashed beneath his boots.

    All Finn could do was take slow steps back, maintaining the distance as heced his fingers around his dagger. It was thest thing he wanted to see, but he wasn''t surprised to find himself pursued by the hunter.

    "Did you think I''d give up on you that easily? Oh, Finn, don''t underestimate my urge to kill you," Crow said, raising the t de close to his face as it dripped with the gunk of the arachnid.

    There wasn''t anywhere to take cover within the scope of the parking lot, only cobweb-infested trees that were rooted into the concrete.

    ''Shit¡­Guess there''s nothing to do but fight,'' Finn readied himself.

    SHEEEEN

    A light pierced through the sky; a radiant, sapphire glow that passed right by Finn, watching as it shed across the lot, straight for the hunter.

    Crow was caught off guard as well, only able to use his cleaver to block it, "Oh?--I didn''t invite anybody else!--"

    The force of the inexplicable arc of light caused Crow to be pushed back while defending against it, before eventually being knocked off his feet while deflecting the energy.

    ''What the hell was that¡­?'' Finn questioned, looking back in the direction it came from.

    Only one possibility came to mind, likening the sh of sapphire force to be a spellde ability, expecting the sight of his femininepanion. However, who arrived was not any such skirted, young woman, but instead an oddly-dressed figure.

    A man not imposing in height, likely an entire head shorter than Finn. While they wore the silver helmet of a medieval knight with gauntlets to match, the stranger matched that armor attire with a baby-blue hoodie, jeans, and sports shoes.

    It was definitely a questionable outfit, though at that moment, all Finn questioned was if the mysterious figure was a friend or foe.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [Name: Jasper]

    [Age: 22]

    [Designated ss: Knight]

    [Level: 30]

    "You¡­Thanks for the help," Finn said, watching as the peculiarly-dressed knight arrived beside him in the web-infested parking lot.

    The stranger responded, "Not here for you. That one there is a problem. I''m after him." Jasper rified, speaking with an ent that stood out to the assassin.

 Chapter 48: Separate Ways

    It wasn''t a surprise to learn that somebody like Crow had enemies of his own, though Finn felt blessed for once that such a situation found its way to him.

    "Either way, thanks," Finn insisted, feeling gratitude to have any backup in the hopeless circumstances.

    Jasper didn''t acknowledge what was said, instead still looking forward with an expression hidden by his silver helmet, "He got away. Not surprising. Cowards like that flee the moment favor leaves their side."

    Sure enough, as the smoke settled from the sh of sapphire light from a moment prior, there was no sight in the hunter.

    The hoodie-wearing knight sheathed the longsword he wielded into the leather scabbard on his back with an exhale before turning to look at the wounded man, "You''re hurt, mate? Crow got you, didn''t he?"

    "Yeah, he got me by surprise. Do you know him?" Finn asked, wincing as holding his wrist that was barely held together.

    Jasper stepped closer, inspecting the assassin''s arm as he grabbed it by the sleeve while also getting a look at his cut ear, "Yeah, he got you good alright, that cunt. I know him, yeah. He killed my mate."

    "Did he¡­?" Finn began to ask, letting himself be checked out.

    "Yeah, he did. That''s why I''m after that cunt," Jasper rified with contemptcing what he said. "But, I''m not the vengeful type, really. If you can take him out, I''d appreciate it."

    After having the intensity of his wounds verified by the knight, Finn watched as the man reached into the pocket of his coat, pulling out a bottle filled with golden liquid.

    Jasper popped the cape right off, holding the ambrosia to the injured assassin, "Take a sip, mate."

    "Wait, hold on¡­Are you sure about that? You don''t even know me," Finn asked.

    "What''re you on about? You''re hurt, aren''t you? So, take a sip," Jasper insisted, practically shoving the bottle of ambrosia into his hands. "The world may be ending, but it doesn''t mean you can''t be a decent person."

    "Right. Thanks," Finn said, epting the aid as he brought the magical substance to his lips, letting it slip into his mouth.

    It was a mystical taste, like that of syrup but much lighter and smoother as it went down. A single sip was enough to fill his body with renewed vigor, as if having a full day of sleep. The pain in his bodypletely subsided, as did the soreness as his wounds repaired themselves.

    As he removed the bottle from his lips, he looked down at his right hand, finding his wristpletely unharmed. He clenched his fist a few times to check that it was functional before feeling his ear, finding it restored as well.

    "All good?" Jasper asked, taking the bottle back before stuffing it away.

    "Yeah, thanks again," Finn said.

    The Australian knight pointed across the street towards a clothing store, "That ambrosia wasn''tpletely free. I want to know what you know about that freak. Let''s talk over there, out of the way of monsters."

    "Alright. That''s fine by me," Finn epted.

    Out of the web-infested parking lot, the store that harbored mainly sports shoes was left mostly intact, with the shelves still standing with rows of pristine footwear.

    Jasper checked the corners to make sure nothing lingered around before leaning against one of the snow-white pirs inside the shop, "So, what happened? I''ve been on that cunt''s trail awhile now. He seems especially focused on you though."

    "Yeah," Finn responded, sitting down on the floor with his back against a rack of shoes.

    "Why''s that? Crow is a lunatic, don''t get me wrong, but he usually goes after those under his own level. You''re pretty capable, so I don''t see why he''d target you," Jasper asked.

    "I killed somebody "special" to him, as he put it," Finn exined.

    The knight-helmed man was quiet for a moment, taking in what was said before speaking up, "When you say you killed this person¡­"

    "Out of necessity. I''m not some cold-blooded psycho, alright?" Finn rified, looking at the Aussie knight.

    Jasper held his hands up as if iming no offense, "Just making sure, mate. I''m guessing somebody "special" to someone like Crow wasn''t a standup citizen, yeah?"

    "No, he was awful. "Raven"--he was the first realization I had that I wasn''t fighting just against monsters," Finn recalled.

    "I see. I''m d somebody like that is out of the picture, then. About Crow, what sort of abilities did you see from him?" Jesper asked.

    Recalling what he experienced, it wasn''t difficult to remember the daunting skills used by the hunter as Finn sat there.

    "He seems to be able to gain the abilities of whatever he eats. Including people," Finn exined.

    "Yeah, I thought as much. That''s a frightening power," Jesper remarked.

    "Yeah," Finn agreed.

    After exchanging what they knew about the elusive killer, there was nothing left but the next step.

    Finn picked himself up, looking at the armored man, "Listen, I''m with two other people, not far from here. You can join us, if you want." He offered.

    Jesper was quiet for a moment before responding, "I appreciate the offer, mate. I do. It''s best if I move alone, though. I prefer it that way."

    "Right. I see," Finn said.

    "I''ll be around though. If Crow attacks, kick his ass, will ya?" Jesper assured him, extending his fist. "Stay safe, mate."

    Finn met the fist bump halfway with a small smile, "I''ll try."

    Taking his leave from the shop, he found his way back on track to the library while traversing the foreign street. Navigating his way through an alleyway, he was spit out right in front of the library a few blocks down.

    "¡ªAh."

    He was greeted by the sight of the silken-haired, young man right when finding the building. It looked as though she had juste back from the opposing direction.

    "There you are! Where have you been, Finn?" Charlotte asked, walking over and checking his body for injuries.

    "Were you looking for me? Sorry, I''m fine¡ªactually, no. Where''s Magnus?" Finn shook his head, looking around.

    He kept his eye out for the prowling hunter, not losing the killer from his mind for even a moment.

    "Why? What''s up?" Charlotte asked, opening the door to the library.

    Finn led the way in, not wasting a moment, "This is something both of you need to hear."

 Chapter 49: Preparations For The Hunter

    As soon as they were both through the front door, he made sure to immediately close it behind them. He grabbed the handle before the young woman even had the chance, almost mming it shut in a hurry.

    Charlotte looked at him with a bit of confusion, "Are you alright?" She asked again.

    "Yeah," he simply answered.

    Before even having to cross thebyrinth of bookshelves, he found the swedeing to him instead, turning around the corner with a cigarette between his fingers.

    "Good. You''re back. Had me worried there for a bit," Magnus remarked, though noticed the impatient expressions upon both their faces. "Is something the matter?"

    Finn nced to his left at Charlotte and to Magnus before speaking, "It might not be safe here now."

    "What do you mean?" Charlotte asked.

    "Are there monsters nearby? Did you attract them here?" Magnus pressed for a response.

    A small shake of the assassin''s head was given as he rified, "Somebody is out there¨Csomebody that hunts other survivors. He nearly got me earlier, but he''sing for me. I don''t know when, but he is."

    The information given brought a weary silence between the three as it shook the sense of safety within the quiet library shelter.

    Magnus exhaled while rubbing his forehead in thought for a moment, "Does he know about this ce? Did he see youe here? Did you tell him?"

    Charlotte butted in, speaking in defense, "Of course he didn''t tell him. Why would he do that?"

    "I didn''t. It''s his skills as a hunter, he can track me down from across the world, I''m sure. So, I don''t doubt he knows I''ve been here," Finn exined.

    The Swedish man let out a hearty breath while massaging his head as if coaxing a headache to leave, "That''s certainly a problem, yeah. It''s just one person though, isn''t it? Did you see or hear of anybody else with him?"

    "He''s alone, I''m pretty sure. I¡­well, I knew who he used to travel with. It''s somebody I had to¡­" Finn exined, lingering his words as he nced between the others.

    "I get it," Magnus said calmly. "You don''t have to say anything more. If that''s the case, going out right now is too risky."

    Finn nodded, ncing back at the door before grabbing hold of the small shelf right beside it, beginning to slide it over as he pushed against one side, "--Right now, we need to at least seal the entrances."

    There were plenty of shelves of sturdy wood to spare, paired with the books that upied them, it made for a weighty barricade.

    "Finn, are you alright? You look exhausted," Charlotte asked with worry, helping him in moving the shelving.

    Magnus stood beside him as well, helping to push the shelf in ce, "She''s right, Finn. Listen, we''ll take care of barricading this ce for now. Just take a bit to rx, alright? Go eat something, get your head straight."

    "But, I¨C" Finn attempted to protest.

    Though he wanted to reject the offer, the exhaustion that gued his body, but even more so his mind, interrupted him before he could even decline.

    "Right¡­Yeah, thanks," Finn epted with a quiet nod.

    That''s what sounded just fine to him: a moment of rest. He moved himself through the maze of shelves before finding where the supplies were. While listening to the sound of the other two moving shelves to bolster the building''s defenses, he sat himself down tiredly.

    After what he endured, the emptiness in his stomach brought him to reach for a container of almonds and a bottle of water. He didn''t waste any time shoveling a handful of the nuts into his mouth before washing it down, gulping down the refreshing drink.

    Even if his wounds were recovered, it only seemed to make him hungrier and thirstier. As he finished up his impromptu snack, he sat there, attempting to close his eyes to rest.

    ''Rest is fine, right? Just a little bit. They can handle this for now, right? Crow won''t attack yet, will he?'' He thought while sitting there with his back against the shelf, having to findfort in the unorthodox sleeping position.

    Shutting his eyes only let him sit in the darkness; a lightless void that reyed the fresh memories in his head over and over again. The gruesome sights of the cities, those he lost, those he had to kill with his own hands.

    These nightmares reyed, only topped off by the pressing anxiety of the hunter as his eyes shot back open again.

    He was unable to get even a minute of proper sleep in the state he was in, finding his heart too riled up from the stress as he let out a quiet breath.

    ''I won''t get any rest like this. No point,'' he thought, picking himself up to his feet.

    The maze of shelves took him from left-right-left a few times before he found himself at the entrance of the library, which had been cleared up considerably already. He found the swede sweating as he toppled another shelf in front of the doors, while the young woman moved a desk amongst many in front of the windows.

    Magnus wiped the sweat from his forehead while pushing a breath from his lips after finishing moving one heavy barricade, "Phew¡­Oh, Finn. Restless?" The man took notice of the one who should be resting.

    "Yeah, guess so," Finn answered, walking over to as he nced around, seeing much of the hardwood floor left open now with many of the shelving being moved.

    "Can''t me you. If this guy is as determined as you say he is, I keep thinking he might just burst through before I can finish securing the entrance," Magnus remarked.

    Finn decided to hoist up a table, cing his hands on its underside to lift it, carrying it with him to the mess of wood at the door, "--Yeah. You''re not wrong there."

    As he ced the table down atop the stockpile of furniture being used to barricade the entrance, it began to resemble the sort of makeshift dam a beaver would make.

    "I know it''s a bitte to ask, but are you sure bunkering down is the right call?" Magnus asked. "We''re sitting ducks now."

    "He can track me down anywhere, so leaving wouldn''t be beneficial. At least this way, we''ve got the advantage if hees here," Finn exined, nudging his boot against the front barricade.

    "This won''t stop him froming in, will it?" Charlotte wondered, brushing her hands off.

    Finn shook his head, "It''ll really only slow him down a bit. But, it''ll give us the chance to react and prepare."

    "I hope you''re right. I don''t really like the idea of falling into the hands of a cannibal," Magnus remarked. "If things do get rough, I''m afraid this ce is getting destroyed. My weapon isn''t suited for indoors."

    "I''m sorry. I didn''t want to drag you two into this, but¡­I assumed he already knew about this ce and you both as well," Finn apologized with quiet words.

    Charlotte ced a hand on his arm with a look of reassurance, "We''re in this together, aren''t we? That means we have to survive¨Ctogether. That''s the only way we''ll make it."

    "I''ll trust that you made the right call, Finn. If I die tonight though, I''ll curse you," Magnus said with a deadpan expression.

    Finn nodded, "Fair enough."

 Chapter 50: A Crows Feast

    For the time being, awaiting the hunter, the three stayed in the main lobby of the library, having a vantage of all blocked entrances. If it was going toe down to a fight, he felt it was best to divulge everything they were capable of¨Cthe skills they each possessed, and what they were best at.

    Magnus sat atop a toppled shelf with his cannon manifested, leaning it against his body, "I won''t be able to userge-scale attacks inside of this ce. I can use condensed sts, but they require longer charges, so I''ll rely on you two to take his attention in that case. I''ll back you up."

    "I''m guessing you have ess to the Dragon''s Breath and Lost Sanctuary skills, right?" Finn asked the cannoneer.

    "That''s right," Magnus nodded while confirming. "I haven''t had much of a chance to fight in a group yet, though. So, my timing might be off."

    "That''ll be fine. Just use Lost Sanctuary when I call it out, alright?" Finn requested.

    "Mm," Magnus seemed disgruntled to be ordered around, though gave in. "Alright. If you have a n."

    Finn sat there in thought, nodding his head, "Charlotte, have you fought anybody else before?"

    "Yeah, but not at this level," Charlotte answered.

    "Alright. Well, Crow is likely going to summon a doppelganger of somebody else when hees here. That person wields a giant de and uses shing abilities. They''re lengthy and fast. Can you handle that?" Finn asked.

    "I can do it," Charlotte assured him.

    Dividing up the attention of the two-fronted hunter was an important part of sess, though Finn didn''t know howfortable he was leaving handling the fake of Raven to the spellde. Still, all he could do was trust that she''d be fine.

    "I''ll confront Crow head-on," Finn said.

    "You''ll have my supporting fire, but are you sure you can handle him? It looks like he really messed you up earlier by the sounds of it," Magnus asked sincerely. "This guy is no joke, right?"

    "Yeah, he''s tough and even more so tricky. I was caught off-guard before, though. I can do this¨Cwe can," Finn assured them.

    Slowly, dragging along, minutes passed as hours crawled on with nightfall bringing darkness over the city. Finn remained alert, constantly watching the front while having to smell the smoke puffed by the man sitting just a few feet away.

    Magnus pulled the cigarette from his lips with an exhale, "It doesn''t seem like your guy ising. What kind of idiot would attack three people alone, anyway? Perhaps he realized that."

    While the presence of the threat had yet to make itself known amidst the silence, Finn remained focused, not speaking up until¨C

    Knock.

    "Did you hear that?" Finn asked, perking up at the subtle, yet distinct sound.

    It was directly ahead, undoubtedlying from the front door. Such a specific noise could only be attributed to one thing. The room fell silent as he slowly stood himself up, with the other two following suit without exchanging a word.

    A rumble met the ears of the aware assassin as he looked around, as did the others.

    "What''s that?" Charlotte asked.

    "I don''t know¨C" Magnus responded.

    Finn felt the hairs on his arm stand just as he realized where the increasingly loud rumbling wasing from, looking towards the leftmost wall of the dim library.

    CRASH

    ¨CThe wall burst through as chunks of the reinforced concrete flew in every direction. Bulldozing in was a bipedal beast with the body of a man and the head of a bull, towering with an imposing height and physique as steam exuded from its nostrils.

    It was the embodiment of thoughtless, physical dominance; the ck-furred, half-man, half-bullyered in scars with its curved horns stomped in without any warning.

    ''A minotaur?!'' He recognized, though confused by its sudden appearance.

    Finn jumped out of the way while watching the horned creature rush forth with reckless abandon. While Charlotte managed to move back to distance herself from its destructive path, the cannoneer was not so fortunate.

    "Nrgh!--" Magnus winced, using his cannon as a shield as the beast''s horns mmed right against it, carrying him back with its rush.

    Before anybody could even register what was happening, the minotaur mmed the cannoneer straight through multiple shelves, bursting into another section of the library.

    "Magnus!" Finn called out.

    There wasn''t so much as a chance to help hispanion as he found something quickly closing in from the corner of his eye; a silver glint that primed itself for his head.

    He ducked down, witnessing a cleaver pass right above his head as it rotated. Before it could pass by, the one it belonged to appeared right there, catching the weapon in his hand.

    "Nice ce you got here," the snowy-haired, daunting figure remarked coldly before swinging the cleaver downward.

    "You--" Finn called out, forced to block the strike with his dagger.

    As their sh was broken up, he jumped back as the hunter did the same, granting them space for just a moment amidst the scattered pages from the decimated books around.

    "I tamed that musclehead just for situations like this. You know, people sure do like bunkering down when they''re scared," Crow remarked, adjusting his hair. "They''re always surprised when I send that muscle-for-brains beast in, crushing all their pretty, little walls."

    The sound of des shing from behind brought Finn to nce back for a moment, seeing that the doppelganger of Raven had already met the spellde, shing towards Charlotte, who was on the defensive.

    Though Finn wanted to help, he found his hands full already as he turned his focus forward again. The advantage that was once held felt nullified already before the overwhelmingly sinister figure.

    "You talked to that knight, didn''t you? I threw him off my trail, so don''t expect his help," Crow said, flipping the cleaver between his fingers.

    "I wasn''t counting on it. You''re way too cocky for somebody that got lucky with a surprise attack earlier," Finn said, replicating his dagger into his other hand. "You don''t have that now."

    "Maybe not, but I don''t need it," Crow said, dragging his tongue across his own bottom lip. "I''ll cut you and your friends up. It''ll be a feast."

 Chapter 51: Aspects of The Gluttonous

    Before a single step was taken by either man, an abnormal shift came in the body of the one wielding the carnivorous power. Crow''s muscture increased, as his skin reddened and his veins bulged.

    Even more abrupt was the skin that split and parted on his head, giving way to protrusions that sprouted outward in a curved finish: horns.

    ''Hold on, that''s¡­'' Finn analyzed, keeping his distance while remaining ready.

    The hunter took a lowered stance, with his knees bent and his shoulders hanging loose, keeping his head down with his newly-formed horns pointed forward.

    ["Minotaur Shift"]

    ''He ate something like that¨C?'' Finn realized.

    Just as he came to realize what he was looking at, he found the horned man rushing towards him with a freakish burst of speed. It was like a bullet piercing right towards him, causing the papers on the floor to scatter.

    Finn slid to the side, ncing over to find the peculiarbatant immediately pivoting, changing directions on short notice despite the remarkable agility at y. Rather than wasting the cooldown of an evasion skill, he chose to face the minotaur-empowered hunter head-on.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    He dug his boots into the ground as his muscles swelled with strength, putting his hands forward just as the shifted man pushed straight towards him in a burst of speed. It took quick reflexes to grab onto the horns, being pushed back, though grinding to a halt as he contested his strength against the hunter''s own.

    Finn exhaled while pushing down with all of his strength, attempting not just to slow down his opponent, but bring him to the ground with his burst of power.

    "Strength like an orc¨C? I can y that game, too," Crow said with his head still down.

    Finn was left standing tilted, watching as the man who already was empowered by the raw physicality of a minotaur had another change undergo his body. A greenplexion swelled within the hunter, producing a growth in his physique as his bones creaked to adjust to the new size.

    ["Minotaur-Orc Shift"]

    ''Seriously¨C? He canbine their strengths?--'' Finn questioned, finding himself beginning to be pushed back once again.

    The once thin, unassuming build of Crow was not turned to something monstrous in that moment, bing twice his previous size with muscle mass tenfold what it was before.

    Finn found himself quickly beginning to be overpowered, helplessly being pushed back as the wielder of the Predator System simply walked forward as if a gnat held onto his horns.

    "You have to try harder than that, Finn!" Crow yelled with a voice altered by the sheer monstrous growth within his body, flicking his head up.

    Just a tilt of the transformed man''s head brought Finn off his feet as though he were weightless, being flipped into the air.

    He released his hold of the grind, letting himself be flung up as he looked down at the one who embraced monstrous aspects.

    Finn didn''t care for the bullish grin of the horned hunter, instead aiming his vision right for his neck.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He passed right by the empowered figure, dragging his dagger along his neck. There was no feedback of his de having carved through his flesh, only feeling it scrape the hardened throat.

    Just as hended, he flipped back, avoiding a retaliatory sh of the cleaver.

    As he caught himself on his feet, his eyes confirmed the futility of his swift strike: there was only a superficial cut along the side of Crow''s neck.

    The muscles gifted to the apathetic hunter by the Minotaur and orc gics both granted his body a steel-like toughness. That was a painful truth that Finn learned.

    "Thanks for scratching that itch," Crow taunted with his monotone voice, rubbing the light cut.

    It felt like facing a cheater in a video game; somebody whose power didn''t match his stats.

    Still, a glimmer of hope shined itself as the hunter''s morphed physique began to dete. The horns that protruded from Crow''s head retreated, along with hisplexion returning to its pale state.

    ''He''s back to normal. That''s it, then¡ªhe can''t hold forms like that for very long. It''s probably exhausting,'' Finn analyzed.

    Crow tapped his cleaver against his own head, letting its dull side knock against his own skull, "Come on. Do your best. A meal is only at its best when I have to work for it."

    ¨C

    Behind the spellde, she nced back while turning around the corners of the rows of shelves. Right after her, the towering bookshelves were split apart by clean cuts, giving way for the pale-skinned,nky man that chased behind her.

    ''This is the one Finn warned me about. He was right¨Cthis speed paired with that enormous de is troublesome,'' Charlotte thought, continuing to move.

    She ran her hand along her de, causing it to be engulfed in a sublime light:

    ["Holy Infusion"] [2:59]

    Using a quick pivot, she finally met the rabid yer on her own terms, swiping her de towards him. She didn''t rely on the actual length of her sword, instead casting the light it was engulfed in at the figure.

    VROOOOM

    The arc of brilliant radiance carved through the floorboards, bringing the yer to an unorthodox response:

    In that moment, the doppelg?nger of Raven plunged his odachi into the ground, gripping the handle as it intercepted the sh of light.

    ["Reaper Guard"]

    The buried de severed the light, causing it to disperse into particles that resembled fireflies. It wasn''t a skill that the spellde was familiar with, though pushed on nheless.

    ''If I can just get in¨Che can''t draw his weapon from the ground in time¨C'' Charlotte nned, dashing in.

    Coming within striking distance, her light-engulfed de was moved towards the unprotected side of the yer. Even so, that gargantuan weapon was plucked from the ground in a single, swift motion¨C

    CLANG

    "Ngh¨C"

    Charlotte found her sword bouncing off of the steel of her opponent''s de.

    ¨C

    The pursuit of the hunter brought Finn to jump through the hole in the library''s wall, stepping onto the nightfallen street of the decayed city. Just as he touched upon the asphalt of the street, he spun around to find the cleaver-wielding figure right behind him.

    Crow was no more than a breath away, already swinging his meat-carving de right for his face as the glint of that silver filled Finn''s view.

    ["Impervious"] [4:59]

    CLANG

    The cleaver bounced right off of the momentarily invulnerable nose of the assassin, bringing Crow off bnce. Finn stepped in, pivoting as he first aimed his dagger for the man''s throat, but feigned, instead opting to stab it into the hunter''s unprotected hip.

    As quick as the attempt was, he found his action rejected as the tip of his dagger only cut into the man''s shirt, but failed to pierce his skin. The feedback pushed a vibration through Finn''s arm, feeling as though he struck a dense rock.

    In fact, that''s just what he had hit, seeing as stone-like scales had manifested across that portion of the hunter''s body.

    "Doesn''t feel nice having your de bounce off, does it?" Crow asked with a taunting tone, presenting the stone scales that encrusted the skin of his left side.

    ["Stone Golem Shift"]

 Chapter 52: Overwhelming Predator

    Finn flipped back, hopping atop the desecrated van that sat on the curb just as the hunter''s depletely cut through the engine.

    "The traits of a golem¨C? Are you eating rocks now?" Finn asked between breaths, not stopping his movements as he jumped from the van as another strike came.

    This time, the hunter used the aspect of the rock-skinned creature to smash his fist into the nose of the vehicle,pletely crushing it like an aluminum can of soda. The impacted van was knocked back, crashing into the dormant cars behind it on the street.

    "They don''t taste so bad, you know. There is a chewy center, in fact," Crow answered, recalling the stone-skinned aspect as his flesh returned to normal, as if sinking into his pores.

    Finn circled around with a rapid sprint, opting to get behind the hunter amidst his rambling. Seeing the back of Crow exposed for even a moment encouraged him to dash right in, kicking off with a burst of wind¨C

    ["Gale Blessing"] [2:59]

    The air practically carried his feet as he closed in, swiping his dagger for the back of his target''s neck. Right as his de neared its destination, the turned hunter crouched down with frightening agility.

    Finn witnessed it, finding himself open to being counterattacked by that brutal cleaver. As that split-second of life-and-death crossed, he watched theplexion of the apathetic killer shift into a dark green once more, as his muscles swelled and his veins expanded.

    ["Orc Shift"]

    "--Replication."

    Between himself and the crouched hunter, he ced a doppelganger of himself meant to be no more than a meatshield in that moment. The cleaver cut straight into the fake''s torso,pletely eviscerating it in that single strike.

    "How cruel," Crow yfully remarked as the replica was dispersed into ck gunk. "Is that any way to treat yourself, Finn?"

    Finn found himself immediately pursued by the hunter, who didn''t waste a single moment recklessly closing in again with endless persistence. There was a glint on that cleaver; a blood-red shine that he recognized.

    ["Critical Mark"]

    The hunter-ss ability imbued a singr critical strike into the next attack, allowing for devastating power behind the blow.

    Finn wanted nothing to do with challenging that strike, opting to ce as much distance between himself and it without wasting a moment.

    ["Hydrostatic Pressure"] [0:59]

    Like soda bubbling up at a rapid pace from carbonation, the blood in his legs seemed to ignite as he leapt up. The jump didn''t require his knees to be bent, allowing him to move vertically a dozen meters into the air, even more so than he nned.

    Crow''s critical strike only managed to hit the air, leaving a trail of scarlet light as the wind hissed.

    ''--Ah, that worked better than expected,'' Finn thought, looking down to find the nightfallen city block below in full view.

    He was thankful for the ability granted from the essence of the spiders, using that thought to bring his next move as he descended right into the reach of the hunter again. It was a risky maneuver, though one worth trying as he ced his palm down right below him amidst his fall:

    ["Summon: Grand Widow"] [Mana: -450] [200/2100]

    Emerging from a brief coalescence of light directly beneath him, the massive, eight-legged beast was manifested, allowing him to stand atop its back. It was able tond safely with its fantastical anatomy, granting him a harmlessnding as well.

    Crow was already sprinting right towards his position, licking his lips, "--Thanks for the meal."

    Without seeing it, Finn found the arachnid''s head struck by the cleaver, having been thrown. He knew what wasing next, already preparing himself as the hunter warped straight to the cleaver''s position, plucking it from the spider.

    Finn didn''t shy away, leaping off of the arachnid''s back as he blocked the cleaver with his own de. As he pressed against his foe de-to-de, the emotionless expression written upon the predator''s face was one that didn''t seem yet challenged.

    ["Turn Shadow"]

    Finn stumbled forward as the resistance against his dagger vanished, witnessing the man before him sink into the shadows. He quickly spun around, finding himself losing sight of the hunterpletely.

    Beneath the gaze of night, the city was all but shadow, leaving it a perfect yground for such a skill.

    "Pay attention, or you''ll get eaten up."

    The delicate words spoken brought Finn to spin around, though only finding himself striking at a shadow that retreated. It was just then that he felt the presence from behind, swerving to the side to evade purely on instinct¨C

    Perhaps a moment toote, or just a moment early enough, he found the sharpness of a de sliding across his chest as he moved himself. It could''ve been a lethal strike, though the ncing blow still left aceration on his torso, stretching from one pec to the other.

    Crow began to wield a smile at the sessful strike, "So sloppy. Really, I''m starting to wonder if your heart''s in it, Finn."

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    It was bing crystal clear to the young man just what kind of threat he faced as he skated back on the rolling darkness.

    ''I don''t know just what lengths this guy''s arsenal goes to. For all I know, he''s eaten a hundred different creatures¨CI have to be ready for anything, at any moment,'' he thought to himself.

    As he slid back, he found that the hunter wasn''t pursuing as normal, instead locking his eyes on him. That unmoving stance and gaze; Finn recognized what it may mean.

    ["Turn Shadow"] [2:59]

    Just as he sank down into the ethereal form devoid of light, he found the figure vanishing and reappearing right behind where he was once standing. He witnessed it from the shadows: a mere fraction of a second away from death.

    ''That was Blink sh¨Cshit, I could''ve died,'' Finn thought, using the darkness to quickly swim across the street, using his puddle-like form to slip beneath the entrance into a rundown coffee shop.

 Chapter 53: The Apex

    As soon as he emerged from the darkness, keeping the ck-and-white, checkered wall of the cafe behind him, he awaited his opponent to arrive. Of course, knowing the hunter, he would be tracked down within an instant.

    However, expecting a direct assault, he instead listened to a particr hiss in the wind, seeming to grow louder and closer.

    ''Hold on¨C'' He realized.

    As the noise became louder, he quickly flipped over the round table beside him, ducking behind it with his shoulder pressed against its underside. It was just in time as the walls were pierced through by a storm of projectiles.

    From his cover, he watched emerald arrows decimate the right-side wall, obliterating the counter and everything in their path. It sounded like cannonfire as the grand shots moved with such intense force that the windows of the shop were shattered as a side-effect.

    ''That''s right¡­He''s a hunter. He relies on that cleaver so much, I almost forgot¨Che should also be capable of using a bow,'' he recalled.

    As the burst of arrows came to an end, he waited there for a moment, only ncing up after he was sure the volley was over. He found massive holes in the building,rge enough that it looked as if cannons shot through the wall, with dust sprinkling down.

    From outside, the foul voice of the apathetic hunter called out to him¨C

    "How many times do I have to say it? You can''t run. You can''t hide. The only thing you can do now is die. So, just try tomake it hard for me. I want to enjoy this hunt."

    Hearing those words repeated by the despicable person bothered the young man as he quietly approached the front of the cafe while using the wall as cover still. Being lessened to no more than prey to be hunted was infuriating, yet he remained calm and focused.

    In his mind, he flipped it; he had to reverse the fear and hesitation he felt about the frightening hunter.

    ''I''m an assassin. You''re not the only one who can hunt,'' he resolved, squeezing the handle of his de.

    ["Superior Sense: Smell"]

    Though not quite the same as a hunter ability, the goblin-plundered skill allowed him totch onto the scent he was familiar with from Crow; a distinct smell that he was amplified.

    A blend of wood and blood; that was what Finntched onto, tracing that stench from behind the wall. Though he stood there, unable to see onto the street, he could track that smell right to the hunter, finding him no more than a few meters away.

    ''Even a cold-blooded killer like you has some humanity in there, don''t you? Let''s use that,'' Finn nned, pressing his shoulder against the wall, feeling himself in a standoff with the hunter on the street.

    ["Mimicry"]

    As he parted his lips, the voice he spoke with was not his own, but another, "Should you really be wasting your time like this, Crow?"

    What rolled off his tongue was the very same tone and cadence of wickedness, with a deepness unlike his own voice, but belonging to another.

    "Raven¨C?" Crow uttered out with, as if speaking with a lump in his throat.

    As soon as Finn heard that reaction, he moved out, jumping straight out of the shattered window as heid his eyes on the hunter, who was standing between a car and SUV in front of the building.

    ["Blink sh" ] [2:59]

    The instantaneous move brought him right beside the white-haired man, in a low posture as he stabbed he moved his dagger towards the exposed side. That small opening was forged by ying with the hunter''s emotions, plunging his de right into the armpit.

    "Nrgh¨C" Crow winced, wearing stress on his face for the first time. "You!--"

    Finn turned his de as the squelch of flesh being ripped was heard before plucking it out, witnessing the cleaver soaring down upon him in retaliation. He contorted his body into a flip, feeling the wind of the sharp swing brush breathe against his neck before he safelynded.

    A gush of blood spilled from the wound beneath the man''s arm, bringing Crow to stumble slightly, though his expression returned to one devoid of emotion.

    "So, that''s how it is. You used his voice to throw me off. I see¡­I see. Smart," Crow figured out, caressing his wound before moving his hand away as it was soaked in his own blood.

    Finn didn''t partake in any exchanges of words, dashing right back in as he aimed to finish the man off, sending his dagger right for his heart¨C

    "I''m thrilled," Crow remarked even as the de neared his body, unmoving as a glint shined in his eyes. "I''ve never been this hungry before. I just want to devour you right up."

    Something about the presence of the hunter stopped Finn as the hairs on his body stood up before he could follow through with his strike. Everything in his body told him to get back, prompting him to jump back.

    It seemed to be the right call as he witnessed the snowy-haired man''s body undergo rapid changes.

    As if his flesh boiled and bubbled up, Crow spread his arms while his muscles coiled, his bone structure altering, and his skin changing from differing shades.

    "Everything," Crow pushed the words through his lips. "I need it all."

    ["--Minotaur"]

    ["--Orc"]

    ["--Stone Golem"]

    ["--Goblin"]

    ["--Basilisk"]

    ["--Scarlet Moon Vampire"]

    ["--Cyclops"]

    ["--Skyfaring Hawk"]

    ["--Grand Widow"]

    ["--Raven"]

    ["--Yuno"]

    ["--Hassan"]

    ["--Gerald"]

    All of it, all at once; the many creatures weed into the bottomless stomach of the predacious man bore their aspects. From skin of stone, to scales like that of obsidian; faces pushing from his skin, the groaning victims; wings sprouting of ck feathers; horns growing; muscles swelling and expanding.

    All of it crumbled away; the man was left with his paleplexion, as if sharpened by the moonlight. The wings that sprouted from his back cast away their dark feathers, growing in their ce ones whiter than clouds.

    It was an utterly confusing sight to Finn, witnessing the rapid evolutions all condense into what looked almost far too simple of an endpoint.

    Yet, there was no doubt that Crow was different; glistening skin and eyes that had be infused with a scarlet essence. Across his torso, the faces of those that he consumed pressed against his skin, like that of the monuments of Mount Rushmore.

    "I''ve emptied my stomach," Crow remarked, caressing his abdomen as his heavenly wings parted, bringing his gaze to the assassin. "It''s time to fill it again."

    ["Apex Predator"]

    Finn realized what he was up against; the entirety of what the Predator System had consumed; a daunting sight. It was a sickening reality before him, seeing that one that falsely resembled an angel.

    The gluttonous man caressed one face in particr on his chest, one that did not cry, tilting his head down as he kept his eyes on the assassin, "The person you killed¡­I loved him. A kindred spirit; you took away half of me. But, he''s here with me. As you will be soon. I''ll reserve a special ce in my stomach for you, Finn." Crow spoke as a single tear trailed down his cheek.

    "No thanks," Finn declined without hesitation.

    ncing to the side, he noticed the gaps between buildings were bing crowded with inhuman gazes; goblins, orcs, kobolds, among other monsters. They did not rush out nor try to attack, but Finn could tell why.

    It wasn''t his own presence specifically, but the hunter who bordered the line between human and monster.

    ''It''s the same as with that guy from when I first came to this city¨Cmonsters may be stupid, but they''re not entirely devoid of reason. Even they can tell when it''s pointless to attack,'' he thought.

    Amidst those thoughts, he found himself plucked from his focus as the winged figure was already right in front of him, gliding right for him.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    He quickly slid back to avoid the hardened cleaver, though found the hunter spinning around with his wings curled up before expanding again. There wasn''t any opportunity to foresee what came¨C

    From the dazzling wings, countless feathersunched with stunning sharpness, bringing Finn to evade with little time to react. He bobbed his head and swerved his body, though it wasn''t enough topletely avoid the harsh feathers.

    Across his bicep, grazing his neck,cerating his thigh; the beastly projectiles sharply left their mark.

    There was no switch in pace from the man of coalesced lifeforms; Finn found himself being rapidly rushed down again. The first instinct he had was to sidestep to the right, though his body refused to listen as his muscles stiffened.

    ''Shit¨C'' Finn thought, gritting his teeth as he focused past the acute pain.

    He could feel his veins aching as they turned ck with a harrowing sensation resonating through his body. All of his muscles cramped up as if attempting to be wrung dry by an unseen force.

    It slowed him down enough to only be capable of raising his arm as the snowy-haired man thrust his hand towards him as if using his fingers as a spear. He winced as the nails pierced right into his skin, stabbing through flesh and hitting right into the bone of his forearm.

    "Agh¨C!" Finn let out.

    Not noticing it until that moment, he found the nails of the hunter to be elongated to an unnatural degree; as sharp as knives and as durable as nails.

    "It''s unpleasant, isn''t it? Those feathers wereced with the venom of a Grand Widow. Don''t worry, it''s not fatal in that dosage, but your body certainly won''t feel that way," Crow calmly remarked, pulling his nails away.

 Chapter 54: Hunt The Hunter

    Finn exhaled as he found his lungs burning as though he breathed mes, pushing past the aching of his muscles as he shed his dagger across the exposed chest¨CCLANG. Though he swore there were no scales there, his de simply bounced off.

    The stance held by the man of devoured DNA stood with a rxed guard, as if protecting himself was unnecessary, "My skin exhibits the same toughness as a basilisk''s scales and a golem''s stone skin. Are you starting to understand now? I am an Apex Predator, and you''re my prey. I''ll eat whatever I want, whoever I desire, whenever and however."

    "You talk way too damn much."

    "What?--" Crow asked.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    ["Hydrostatic Pressure"] [0:59]

    The pain was pushed through as Finn opted tounch his fist straight into the abdomen of the arrogant figure. He sank his knuckles into that hardened abdomen, not caring as he felt his own hand blister.

    Utilizing the burst of strength from [Orcish Boost] and the mechanical speed of [Hydrostatic Pressure], the force and velocity turned his arm into a piston for that punch.

    "Pyuh!--" A mixture of oxygen and saliva was spit out from Crow''s mouth.

    The hunter was knocked back, blown off his feet as the unexpected impact left him hunched over. It was only by the grace of his stolen wings did the foul man catch himself on his feet, though having to caress a bruised stomach.

    "Uuegh¡­Nice one," Crowplimented as drool hung from his bottom lip. "I tasted that one."

    On that nightfallen street with the silent monsters as the spectators, the exhausted, young man remained vignt even as his body shook and ached. A nce at his own knuckles that hadnded the blow found that they were busted, bruised and leaking blood, though he hardly felt it.

    From gasping for air and drooling, the hunter disyed his seamless inhumanity as he sucked in a deep breath, puffing his chest out.

    Finn didn''t know what he was looking at, watching the man''s chest expand to an unnatural degree. There was a faint, orange glow within the throat of Crow, beginning to ce in the assassin''s mind what wasing.

    ''Hold on¨Cthe aspect of a basilisk, then¨C'' Finn realized.

    A guess came to his mind just as he watched the man only a few meters away open his mouth with a sh of bright-orange light. All he could do was raise his right hand in front of himself in that fraction of a second¨C

    BOOM

    A great head collided with his dagger-carrying hand, expanding into a wall of mes in front of him. The force wasn''t great, but the temperature was enough to leave an impact.

    It faded away quickly into smoke, though the consequences were left clear in his gaze; his hand trembled in front of him, with the skin all the way up to his forearm burnt to a raw, peeled red.

    Blisters stretched up his limb, with the sleeve of his uniformpletely turned to ash to the same point his arm was left wounded.

    It hurt to even hold his weapon, even past the adrenaline that surged within his veins. There was only a sparse amount of blood that dripped, as the mes themselves seem to have cauterized the affliction.

    Crow wiped his lips of the embers, "If you want to give up, I can put you down without any further pain. I bet that really stings, just looking at it." The hunter remarked.

    The offer came, though it fell upon deaf ears as Finn''s concentrated gaze failed to look away from the one he resolved to kill. There was no hesitation; no mercy left¨CFinn knew what had to be done.

    He cast away his dagger, in its ce calling upon a more sinister, harrowing weapon that made the confident hunter swallow his words.

    Into his hand, Finn held the bloodstained odachi, carrying that uneven, far too lengthy de as his eyes remained on his foe.

    "That¡­Why do you have that? How do you have it?" Crow asked, unable to look away from the weapon of his fallen kindred spirit. "Do you think something like that will make a difference? You''re dead meat either way."

    Finn didn''t waste any breath responding, only gripping the handle with two hands, needing to wield it with that much attention.

    ["Greater Gale Blessing"] [4:59]

    ["Deadly irvoyance"] [0:29]

    With the wind swirling around his body, extending down the length of the weapon that once belonged to the thoughtless killer, Finn waited for the predator to approach.

    Crow wore a clearly bothered expression as he set forth, bursting across the street with inhuman speed. That agility that made one move like a blur, flickering as fast-forwarded in a movie; Finn recognized it was the swiftness natural to a vampire from Avalon Online.

    Even knowing that, what he witnessed was even faster, floating above the asphalt with a swirl that ignored the need for a foothold; the wings apanied that vampiric speed with frightening grace.

    Even so, Finn stood his ground, patiently waiting.

    The air hissed against his right ear, breathing down the back of his neck, trickling down the left side of his head; repeatedly, the swift hunter circled around him, faking him out, until¨C

    He felt the presence arrive at his left with a greater resistance to the wind that swirled around him.

    Spinning himself around, he met the hunter face-to-face while bringing the overwhelmingly long sword into an upward sh. The wind helped to carry its extraordinary size, extending its length in addition.

    "--Replication!" Finn yelled.

    The twin shes reached forth with a cutting wind that cleaved the asphalt and the hunter alike. Neither of the slices were aimed for the body of the man, instead targeting the wings that carried him.

    "Hrgh?!" Crow clenched his teeth with a shocked expulsion.

    In that single motion, the white-feathered wings were amputated by the empowered swing. The sudden removal of the avian aspect caused Crow to drop down, stumbling forth right into the assassin''s reach again.

    "I won''t! I won''t die!--" Crow spewed out saliva alongside his desperate promation.

 Chapter 55: Uncanny Sight

    ["Turn Shadow"]

    Finn swung once more, releasing thest bit of the blessing of wind, though the far-extending slice only carved through the yellowne of the street. He relinquished the lengthy weapon, staying focused as he tracked down the fleeing shadow.

    ["Superior Sense: Smell"]

    That egregious scent filled his nose; the stench of monsters, reeking of blood, brought him to look towards the red, crushed car to his right.

    He held his hand out, aiming right for where he tracked the scent¨C

    ["Web Sphere"] [1:59]

    A ball of the arachnid material was tossed right where the figure emerged from the shadows. It struck with pinpoint uracy, exploding into a mass of webs that ensnared the predator.

    Finn watched as the once overwhelming force was now bound like a fly in a cobweb. He lifted his foot with the intent of moving closer to finish the job, but stopped.

    From the shadows of the alley, the fiends that had been watching leapt out; goblins, kobolds, orcs alike all dive right for the bound man.

    "Hey!--" Crow yelled out, attempting to resist as the sturdy, adhesive substancetched itself to the curbside and the asphalt. "Don''t let them¡­! Hey!"

    A part of Finn wanted to take him out himself, though kept his distance, witnessing the gruesome fate as the countless fiends tore into the predacious figure. It was an abhorrent disy, one that he didn''t even know if he could say one as twisted as the hunter deserved.

    ¨C

    As the screams of the man stopped, within the library, the spellde found the doppelganger she faced dissolving into a puddle of ck gunk.

    "Ah¡­? Did he win?" Charlotte wondered, wiping the sweat from her chin.

    ¨C

    ["Crow ckworth defeated."] ["Anarch Token x5000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +30,000]

    [Level twenty-seven reached!] [600/35000]

    [Assimted ability from [Crow ckworth]: "Predator"]

    [Assimted weapon from [Crow ckworth]: "Bone-Forged Cleaver"]

    [New Skill(s) Obtained: "Unseen"]

    It seemed to register that the man was already defeated by his hands even as the fiends feasted on his flesh, though the thought of inheriting the grotesque system of the man made Finn''s stomach spin.

    The flesh on his arm mended itself as the pain was cast away, allowing the ck uniform to weave itself together as if time itself was reversed on its fibers.

    It was over, the deed was done and the night finished.

    Or, at least, that''s what should''ve been the case.

    Finn stepped away, though a distinct sound within the mass of fiends that feasted on what should be the shredded corpse of the emitted¨C

    "...Haaa¡­"

    As he looked back, that breathy noise turned into a "squelch" that surpassed the others, decimating both flesh and bone. What he witnessed didn''t make any sense; amidst the pile of goblins, kobolds, and orcs that feasted on the men, something grabbed at the fiends and returned the favor.

    Arms scraped of flesh, revealing bone as blood gushed out; they grabbed onto the goblins, shoveling them down into an unseen mouth.

    ''What the fuck¡­is that? What''s happening?'' Finn questioned the sight that didn''t make any sense.

    Somehow, the arms that hung by a thread grabbed and squeezed the closest kobolds, popping their necks before being shoveled into what could barely be described as a mouth.

    What he saw emerge from the bloodied pile was a corpse, what should beying dead; a shredded body, soaked in blood and missing an entire arm, most of its face, along with nearly all of its flesh.

    "Crow¡­?" Finn said the name, though still couldn''t logically believe it.

    He knew what his system showed him, the experience he gained and the abilities he assimted; that was the unmistakable mark of death¨Cyet that mangled corpse walked.

    "...Haaah¡­"

    The still living remnants of the twisted man stood there with raspy breaths, copsing to his knees as he opened his barely hinged jaw. A grotesque act; the walking corpse brought his hands, or what was left of his arms, to his mouth, shoveling them down his throat.

    Finn didn''t know what he was looking at, only watching like a car ident that one couldn''t walk away from.

    It didn''t stop there; the devouring man continued to shove his arms down his throat, beginning to unnaturally curl the rest of his body into his mouth.

    ''He''s¡­eating himself?'' Finn watched in horror.

    Until there was nothing left but the jaw that consumed, the remnants of the feasted-upon body had entirely vanished. It was a sight that made Finn question if he had fallen into a fever dream, only beginning to back away as a sickening feeling resonated in his gut.

    The illogical sight reminded him of one concept, a memory he seldom wanted to remember.

    He hurried down the street with a sprint, not taking very long to find himself hopping through the busted wall of the library.

    As soon as he entered, he was weed by the reassuring sight of hispanion joining him in the lobby as well, with a few cuts and bruises of her own.

    "You''re alright?" Finn asked, checking up on the young woman as he grasped her arms, looking at the state of her body.

    Charlotte nodded, "I''m fine, did you do it? Did you get him?"

    "Ah¡­About that, where''s¨C" Finn began to ask.

    Just as he looked over where the minotaur-sized hole was made in the left side wall, he saw the swede dragging himself into the room with a cough. The library was left in aplete mess, with toppled shelves and books left all across the floor.

    Once embedded into the ceiling, the panels of lights hade down with spills of ss.

    "I survived, somehow. That beast didn''t make it easy," Magnus remarked, rubbing his lower back as if having strained it.

    It was a relief to see that they were all fine, with no major injuries shared between them, though there was no time to rx in the mind of the young man.

    "Did you do it?" Magnus asked, staring right at him.

    Finn felt the gazes of both, not knowing exactly how to answer or put into reason what he just saw down the street, "I¡­I did, I think."

    "You think? What happened?" Charlotte asked.

    "I''d like to think it''s quite obvious when you kill somebody," Magnus sarcastically remarked.

    There wasn''t much of a way to put into logical terms what he saw, finding himself digging into his own experiences that he seldom wanted to ry. As he stood there with hesitance, he found his arm soothingly held by the silken-haired girl''s lithe fingers.

    "Finn, what is it?" Charlotte asked.

    "I killed him. I got the confirmation from my system, but¨C" Finn exined, trailing his thoughts.

    Magnus folded his arms over her chest, pressing for more, "But?"

    "He was still alive, sort of¡­Barely. Like a walking corpse. Then¡­I watched him eat himself. Until there was nothing left," Finn ryed what he witnessed.

    "He¡­ate himself?" Magnus repeated.

    Charlotte looked disturbed just by the thought of it, lightly covering her lips, "That''s¡­"

    "Then he''s dead, right?" Magnus logically said.

    "When I faced that faceless entity during that pitch-ck night¡­When I was pushed to the brink, my body naturally guided me to plunge my dagger into my own throat. It wasn''t to take the easy way out¨CI knew, instinctually, it was the way to survive," Finn recalled.

    That recollection brought him to liken it to what he just witnessed; the self-consumption of the hunter, using that gluttonous system.

    "If his system works bypletely obtaining the properties of what he eats, then if he ate himself¡­There''s a chance he can rebuild himself anew, preying on himself?" Finn said.

    "If I''m being honest, I think you''re likely suffering from exhaustion at this point," Magnus remarked. "I can''t believe something like that, sorry."

    "Magnus¨C" Charlotte sharply said.

    Finn shook his head, rubbing it as he could feel his own fatigue, "It''s fine. You don''t have to believe me, but it doesn''t change what we have to do either way. This ce is trashed and monsters are gathering around this block like there''s a parade."

    "On that, we agree," Magnus said. "We should head out now¨Cfor the nearest Tower. Is that fine by you, Charlotte?"

    "Mm. It''ll be difficult during the night," Charlotte considered. "But, we don''t have a choice."

    "Yeah, that''s about it," Finn confirmed. "This ce will be crawling with monsters any time now. The sooner we can head out, the better¨CI''d rather not stick around to confirm my theory."

    Magnus was already moving to gather the bags of supplies left sitting on the ground, hoisting one bag over his shoulder before tossing the other right at the young man.

    "Oh¨C" Finn reacted as he caught the backpack.

    "You n on leading the way, right? After all, you''re the silent-and-cautious assassin, aren''t you?" Magnus asked.

    There almost always seemed to be a presence of cynicism when the swede spoke, though Finn ignored it as he slid the straps of the backpack over his shoulders.

    "That''s fine. Just watch my back," Finn said.

 Chapter 56: Freezer Fiend

    It was through the massive hole in the library that he led the way out, though sticking close to the side of the building as he moved down the street. He kept his eyes peeled, having to stay focused during the nightfall.

    The sounds of scampering feet and the murmurs of fiends all around the cityscape provided a disturbing ambience, though kept him on his toes.

    He nced back, finding Charlotte following closely behind him, while Magnus stayed not far behind, keeping a watch for their nk.

    "Is this really a good idea? Maybe we can just find another ce to stay for the night," Charlotte suggested while trying to stay quiet, speaking in a near whisper.

    Finn kept moving without looking back, "At this point, staying put in this area at all is a bad idea. That psycho really riled up the monsters around here."

    "I get that, it''s just¡­" Charlotte said, looking over to the right as the howls of unknown beasts resonated through the cityscape.

    "Yeah, I know. I don''t like being out here either," Finn said.

    At the end of the block where a hamburger shop resided, he came to a stop, holding his finger to his lips for silence before checking around the corner.

    RUMBLE.

    It wasn''t just one pair of thunderous stomps, but multiple,ing from around the left corner of the intersection.

    "¡ªAh, that sounds troublesome," Magnus remarked in a hushed tone, looking up.

    Finn inched himself around, taking a nce to the street the massive steps came from. It didn''t take much looking to find where they originated; multiple colossal beings roamed the street. Larger than normal cyclops, each dressed in curled, steel armor with massive weapons carried on their shoulders.

    "What did you see?" Charlotte asked, crouched right behind him.

    Finn thought about it for a moment, "Cyclopean Knights. We can''t afford to fight them, but we might be able to get past them."

    "Do you think the risk is worth it?" Magnus asked.

    "It''s that, or the nearest Tower aside from that is a few miles away that way," Finn said, pointing to the south street where the structure sat in the distance. "As long as we''re careful, we''ll be fine."

    "Alright, then. Lead the way," Magnus epted, gesturing for the young man to show the path.

    Charlotte gave her quiet support, "I''m right behind you."

    "Alright," Finn epted. "Let''s cut through here."

    He opened the door to the hamburger joint with caution as the brittle pieces of ss that stayed intact carefully crumbled. As he stepped inside with slow steps, he did his best to remain light on his feet as the ss crunched.

    Fortunately, the monstrous footsteps of the giants down the block was enough to drown out any noise they made.

    The restaurant was left in ruins, with the menu behind the counter hanging down, blocking the way into the kitchen.

    As he slowly approached where the copsed, lightless sign hung, the sound of nails against the tile floor brought him to a halt. He raised his hand for hispanions to stop moving, making sure his ears did not betray him.

    "Something else is in here," Finn remarked.

    "Maybe we should find a different way, then," Charlotte suggested in a whisper.

    Finn lightly shook his head, "I can handle it." He assured.

    Whatever it was that was rummaging around in the kitchen of the abandoned joint, it didn''t sound veryrge, and it seemed to be alone by the noise.

    ["Unseen"] [4:59]

    The skill didn''t change his visibility at all to himself nor hispanions that watched his back, only making him appear invisible to those that have yet to see him.

    ''I can only hold this for about a minute¡­Need to make this quick,'' he thought.

    He slipped past the hanging menu, immediately finding himself having to watch his step as the tiles were slick with something. From the smell and color of it, going off of the toppled fryers, it seemed to be spilled grease.

    The noises of rummaging didn''t stop, bringing him to look towards the opened storage room of the kitchen. There was a trail of grease and old, frozen patties leading into the freezer, bringing him to follow it along.

    As he stepped around the aisle of fryers and to the opened storage area, he saw it¨C

    A humanoid creature with the shell of a turtle and wrinkly, green skin like that of moss and dark hair like that of seaweed. It was sitting there in the storage room, shoveling frozen meat into its beak-like mouth.

    Though it was facing him, it didn''t acknowledge his presence at all as he stood in the doorway to the cold room with his dagger ready.

    ''It can''t see me, then¨Cgood,'' he thought.

    Even if he was invisible to the turtle-man''s beady eyes, it would be for naught if he made noise. As it sat there with a tub of frozen patties, scarfing away, he slowly stepped up to it.

    He watched it for a moment, raising his dagger before plunging it down¡ª

    ["Assassin''s Strike"] [2:59]

    Going right for the head, the de pierced into the t skull of the creature without any resistance. A critical strike, severing its consciousness in a single motion.

    ["Kappa defeated."] ["Anarch Coins x200 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +500] [1100/35000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Kappa"]: "Shell Barrier" 1 / 5]

    As he plucked his dagger from its head, the gluttonous, turtle-like fiend fell to the side, limp.

    "Done," Finn muttered, wiping his de off.

    He left the cold, now barren storage room, looking over to gesture towards the two that waited outside of the kitchen area.

    "It''s clear now," Finn said. "Let''s move."

    Charlotte ducked under the hanging sign that blocked the kitchen, walking over while the hesitant cannoneer followed behind.

    "Right, onward then¡ª" Magnus remarked.

    Cutting off his words, the blonde nearly slipped onto his posterior as his shoe slid across the grease. By some fortune, he managed to catch himself before falling.

    Finn and Charlotte watched what was almost aplete wipeout.

    "Good?" Finn asked, looking back at the man.

    The cynical air around Magnus was gone as he embarrassedly rubbed his own head, "Yeah¡­Perfectly fine."

 Chapter 57: Nightfallen Serenity

    Traversing abandoned shops was a skill he picked up on early, navigating his way to the back of the building quickly. As he pressed his forearm against the push-in door, he opened it only a smidge to first peek out.

    It led into an empty parking lot with trash cans left filled and the back way into another shop just a quick dash across.

    Finn opened the doorpletely, stepping into the back way that smelled of garbage; expired food and gunk.

    "We''re clear," he imed, gesturing for them to follow.

    The footsteps of the nearby giants continued to rumble. As he stood there, he could feel the vibrations emitting beneath his feet.

    "They''re close," Charlotte remarked worriedly, looking up.

    From the power lines above, the perched birds scattered from the thunderous stomps reaching closer.

    "Yeah," Finn said, moving without wasting any more time.

    The n was to move from building-to-building to reach the Tower, even if it meant passing by the frightening cyclops.

    He crossed the concrete lot, approaching the door with arge "EXIT" above it. Testing the door, a single tug brought him to realize it was locked as it didn''t budge.

    "Shit¡­" Finn mumbled.

    "It''s not opening?" Charlotte asked.

    "Nope. It''s locked," Finn said, backing away.

    A sigh left the lips of the Swede as he moved up instead, trying his hand at the door, "Maybe you didn''t pull it hard enough. You just have to¡ªdamn, this door is tight."

    Even tugging until his face turned red didn''t work in the face of the cannoneer as Magnus gave in with an exhale.

    "Yeah, I said that," Finn remarked with a raised eyebrow and a hint of annoyance at being doubted again by the Swede.

    "Well, I could always just blow it up," Magnus offered, manifesting his cannon into his grip.

    "And alert every monster in the area¡­" Charlotte snidely remarked.

    "Just putting our options out there," Magnus conceded, casting away his weapon with his hands raised.

    As they discussed their options, as the streets were upied by steel-d giants, the door suddenly began to open from the other side.

    It was caught them all off-guard as weapons were drawn, bringing Finn to believe a curious monster hiding out in the building had heard them.

    As he prepared to plunge his dagger into what stood on the other side of the door, he instead found a different result.

    The gleam of spotless silver of a knight''s helmet showed itself first.

    "¡ªJasper?" Finn said out of realization.

    Standing there was the hoodie-wearing man in knight equipment, waving for them toe in with a whisper, "Get in, mates. It''s not safe out there."

    The offer was taken up quickly by Finn who walked right in, though realizing the others had yet to meet the hospitable knight.

    Finn looked back at his hesitantpanions, "You can trust this guy. He saved my life."

    That was the only convincing Charlotte needed as she graciously walked in, giving a nod to the Australian, "Thanks."

    Of course, even in the predicament they were, Magnus stayed wary even with Finn''s approval, looking the knight up-and-down before stepping in.

    "Don''t mention it. Heard you mates out there, then heard one of you mention blowing the door up. Couldn''t really have that," Jasper exined, turning his head at the cannoneer.

    As the door was shut again, tightly locked behind them by the cautious, hoodie-wearing knight, the rumbling of the outside giants became louder.

    The interior looked to be some kind of bar-grill, though having been turned into an impromptu safe house by the knight.

    "Have you been staying here?" Charlotte asked, stepping behind the bar counter, finding many of the bottles of liquor still intact.

    Jasper sat at one of the stools, "Just tonight. I don''t stay anywhere more than one night. It''s best that way."

    "I see the benefits of choosing a ce like this. There''s definitely¡­strong points," Magnus remarked while examining the selection of alcohol.

    The Swedish man who looked like he dearly missed the embrace liquor ran his hand along the shelf.

    "You are free to stay here. I''m moving along after sunrise, anyway," Jasper offered, sitting at one of the booths by the bar.

    It didn''t seem that the helmed man was much for conversation as he unsheathed his sword, cleaning it with a rag.

    "What do you think? Should we just call it here for the night?" Charlotte asked, tapping her fingers lightly against one of the wooden tables.

    Despite the contrarian nature of the cannoneer, Magnus didn''t protest as he already had a bottle of vodka in his hands, "I think that''s fine¡­I can make do here, definitely."

    Finn sat himself down in the booth right across from the man whose face was hidden behind his helmet.

    "Crow showed up again," Finn said, looking over at the Australian knight while adjusting his gloves.

    The sound of the cloth being rubbed along the length of the de came to a stop as Jasper sat there for a moment in silence.

    "As you''re here talking to me right now, I assume you got him?" Jasper asked.

    "I did¡­I think so, anyway," Finn answered, running his fingers through his messy, dark tufts.

    "I see. If you''re not certain, then I''d wager that cockroach is still alive," Jasper remarked. "Scum like that always seem to find a way to survive."

    "I feel like you''re right. I hope not though," Finn said, leaning his chin on his hand.

    "I hope not as well," Jasper agreed, continuing to clean his de. "Even a world like this would be better without him."

    Without the presence of conversation, the only ambience amidst the night was the march of the steeld giants.

    While zoning out in his own thoughts, Finn found the young woman sitting herself right across from him.

    "What''s up?" He asked, looking over.

    Charlotte fiddled with her fingers as she kept her hands together on the table, looking down somewhat before back at him, "You know¡­I really want to thank you."

    "Thank me? For what?" Finn asked.

    "When you and Damian found me¡­I was at the end of the rope, you know? About ready to just give up and let this world swallow me up," Charlotte admitted, looking down.

    That sentiment was one that he found himself all too familiar with, drowned in it as he listened to her.

    Finn looked at the table, reminiscing of the one he began the maddening journey with, "I get it. I''ve felt that way, too. Still do, a bit."

    "That''s hard to believe," Charlotte said with a small smile.

    "Is it?" He asked.

    ncing over to the bar area, the Swede was still helping himself to the assortment of drinks on disy, already red in the cheeks.

    Charlotte rified, "Yeah, I mean¡­you always seem to be doing everything in your power to survive. I mean, aren''t you?"

    For a moment, he thought about it while resting his cheek against his palm, "I guess so. At this point, it''d be really stupid to throw the towel in, wouldn''t it? I at least need to see what the hell is at the top of the Tower."

    "I think that''s good enough of a reason," Charlotteughed quietly.

    He didn''t even know the quiet girl would show such joyful emotion, sitting up as he looked at her in surprise.

    "What is it? Did I say something wrong?" Charlotte asked with a slight tint to her cheeks.

    "No, it''s nothing," Finn said with a small smile of his own. "You''re right. Damian told me something like that. We all just need something to find that keeps us going."

    "I didn''t know him very long, but he seemed like a great person. I¡­I wish he was still here," Charlottemented.

    The same sentiment was shared by Finn as he looked towards the bar, finding his own memories swelling in his heart, "Yeah. This world was crumbling around us, but that oaf still saw the light. I didn''t know him much longer than you did, honestly."

    "Really? It seemed like you two were close," Charlotte asked in surprise.

    "Guess the end of the world does that to you," Finn answered, quietly exhaling. "That guy¨Che was hard-headed and clumsy, but I think that''s the kind of person I wanted to be."

    Reminiscing of his friend inspired both warmth within him mixed with a cold sadness, neither of which overwhelmed the other.

    For a moment, they both sat in silence while Finn looked over, watching the clearly tipsy Magnus stumble his way to the table of the quiet knight.

    Magnus sat right across from the quiet man in the same booth, pushing a ss cup towards with while shaking a bottle, "C''mooon, share a drink with me, man. World''s ending, and all that."

    The helmed gentleman politely declined, shaking his head, "Ah, ''preciate it, mate, but I really can''t. If I start drinking, I get real stupid."

    "That''s the point," Magnus insisted.

    It was a funny sight to see the usually cynical and stoic cannoneer have his facadepletely crumble with a bit of liquor.

    "I don''t envy Jasper right now. Poor guy is going to get pestered," Finn yfully remarked while watching the drunken Swede shove the bottle in the Aussie''s face.

 Chapter 58: Dark Omen

    "Before all of this started, what were you doing? If you don''t mind me asking," Charlotte curiously questioned.

    The question from the pale-haired woman caught him off guard as he adjusted how he saw in the seat.

    "What I was doing? Well¡­" Finn hesitantly recalled.

    "I''m not going to judge. I bet it was a whole lot better than what I was doing," Charlotte assured with a smile.

    Even told that, he grumbled a bit before answering, tracing his finger along the hardwood table, "I was mostly upied with being a college dropout. All that just to work a nine-to-five at "Burger Mart"¡ªnot my idea of sess."

    It was something he didn''t particrly like speaking about, though in the state the world was in now, it hardly mattered.

    "I''ve always wondered what college was like. Honestly, I even wondered what it was like to work," Charlotte imagined, leaning her elbows on the table as she swayed.

    "You do? Why didn''t you give it a shot?" He asked.

    Charlotte nodded her head, ying with her hair around her finger as she answered, "Well, I¡­before all of this started, I was kept in my room practically my entire life."

    "What? Are you serious?" He asked, staring at her.

    "Mm" Charlotte nodded. "I had an immunodeficiency disease. The outside air was practically poison to me. I couldn''t eat anything, couldn''t walk¡­"

    "Wait, then this¡­?" Finn realized.

    A small smile was on the girl''s lips as she confirmed it with a gentle expression, "Yeah. When this all started and these systems appeared, it fixed my body."

    "Guess that''s one silver lining in this mess, isn''t it?" Finn asked, leaning back in his seat.

    "Yeah, I guess so," Charlotte said with a smallugh. "I guess I feel like I''ve been given a second chance to live my life, even if it''s in this messed up world."

    It was nice to see the young woman express herself joyfully, even finding himself with a smile¨Cperhaps something seldom felt in the dark, unruly world.

    "You know, wasn''t the n to go to the Tower tonight? Looks like that guy sure isn''t going anywhere right now," Finn remarked, watching the drunken swede from across the bar.

    "This ce seems safe, though, so it''s fine to rest for a bit, I think," she said.

    Charlotte nced back, observing with him as somehow, Magnus managed to convince the helmed man to partake in a drink. They were each curiously watching as Jasper brought the ss of rum up to his mouth.

    "Hold on, is he about to¡­?" Charlotte asked.

    "Yeah, I think so¨CI''ve been wondering what that guy looks like," Finn nodded, whispering.

    As they watched with curious gazes, the mysterious knight''s hand went up to his helm, though neglected to remove it entirely, only sliding the visor of the steel up partially. It was only enough to put the rim of the cup to it before tilting his head back for a drink.

    "Damn," Finn sighed in disappointment.

    "You should get some sleep," Charlotte suggested, tapping the table as if telling him toy his head down. "I''ll keep an eye out, so you can just rest easy, okay?"

    "Are you sure?" Finn hesitantly epted the offer.

    "Of course. I feel bad, really¡­You had only just woken up from that awful night before, then all of this happened today. I can tell you''re exhausted, so please rest," Charlotte insisted.

    It was like being looked after by a maternal figure, though Finn epted it with a slight chuckle, "Alright, alright. Just make sure that guy doesn''t drown himself in booze."

    "I''ll try," Charlotteughed.

    Listening to the intoxicated Swede bicker with the knight amidst the ambience of monsters outside, he managed to findfort in resting his head on his arms. Allowing himself to rest, entrusting himself to hispanions, it didn''t take very long for him to drift away into the realm of slumber.

    He didn''t dream; that itself was a blessing.

    Patting his eyes, he found himself staring at the furnished wood he was resting against. The whole left side of his face was warm from havingid there in such a position, lifting his head as he yawned quietly.

    "¡­.Haaah¡­Huuu¡­"

    The snoring came from Magnus, who was sprawled out in one of the booths like a ragdoll.

    Across from him, quietly sleeping was the young woman, not making so much as a sound.

    Finn looked over, finding that the silver-helmed, short man was still awake, polishing his own gloves.

    "You''re still up?" Finn asked.

    Jasper stopped what he was doing, tilting his head up to look towards the awoken man, "It''s only been a couple hours. Somebody has to keep watch¡ª"

    As the knight in the cloud-designed hoodie exined himself, a "thump" resounded, seeming toe from the back of the building.

    Both didn''t need to exchange a word as they quietly stood up, standing together as they looked at the door leading to the back area.

    "Do you think something got in?" Finn asked in a whisper.

    "Maybe. I barricaded the back door, though," Jasper whispered.

    "Yeah, that won''t really stop any curious monsters," Finn admitted with a quiet exhale, stepping closer to the wooden door.

    He turned the handle slowly, not letting it let out so much as a squeak, opening it up. As he swung it open, he raised his dagger, hearing the man beside him bring his sword up as well.

    Both quickly stepped in, with Jasper taking the front with Finn watching his back.

    ¡ªNothing.

    Not a word was exchanged as they nced around at the dim corridor they found themselves in.

    Finn stepped past the knight, using his silent steps to check into the closest room on the left. A quick nce in only found an office with lockers and a rack of coats, with a schedule on the wall.

    ''Looks like this is just where employees clocked in¡­Nothing here,'' he confirmed.

    To his right, he watched as Jasper checked the room across, pulling back with a shake of his head to confirm nothing was there.

    Shoulder-to-shoulder, he stood beside the helmed man with only one room left: a cracked-open door at the end of the corridor.

    THUD

    That sound again; a jarring m that now couldn''t be mistaken as anything but something presently in that room.

    A nce between one another brought Finn to move ahead, not letting so much as a single floorboard creak.

    As he got close enough to bring his shoulder against the door, beginning to peek in, he heard breathing.

    It was heavy and rugged; like that of a beast.

    He nced back at Jasper, nodding his head as he got a nod in return, readying their weapons.

    Finn waited a moment before kicking the door open, rushing into the back room without giving any warning to what lurked.

    It was an old storage room with metal racks and dusty boxes, with only a small amount of moonlit dipping through the window.

    He had Jasper right behind him, looking side-to-side before finding something at the window. It was the subtle whisper of wind passing through the opening that alerted him.

    "Finn¡ª" Jasper called out, noticing it as well.

    What upied the window that was high on the wall at an unnatural height was anky figure in ck wraps.

    It resembled a human only loosely, with twisted joints and an unnaturally long body and limbs.

    "¡­The omen wakes¡­Chaos stirs¡­It''sing, It''sing¡­"

    A voice like that of a breathless whisper came from the unseen mouth of the crooked figure. A tattered hoodpletely hid its face in a chasm of darkness.

    "Omen¡­wakes¡­Chaos stirs¡­" Thenky being pointed its unnaturally lengthy finger right at the assassin.

    Finn quickly raised his hand, manifesting the necessary object in his hand for the moment:

    ["Throwing Knife"] [Mana: -100] [2100/2200]

    With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the de, though it hit the stranger with no impact. Instead, the hooded figure vanished into a billowing shadow, only leaving snowkes of darkness behind in the opened window.

    "What was that thing?" Jasper wondered out loud.

    "I''m not sure exactly, but it didn''t put up a fight. It didn''te here just to leave¡ªit had to have done something," Finn answered, moving towards the window as he held his hand out.

    He let the particles of shadow gently befall his palm before looking around.

    "Certain monsters might act as scouts. It could''ve left something here¡ªlike a beacon," Finn theorized.

    "You seem to have a lot of knowledge about the freaky stuff taking over the world," Jasper pointed out.

    "A lot of it is simr to a game I used to y. Not all of it, though¡­but this was something I remember," Finn exined, kneeling down as he inspected the floorboards.

    "Is this what you''re looking for?" Jasper asked.

    Finn turned around to look at what was being pointed at, finding Jasper knelt by the corner.

    Sure enough, there was a circr, red seal with a hexagonal pattern painted on the floorboards there.

    "Yeah, that''s it. It''s a marker," Finn said.

    "That sounds problematic just by the name," Jasper sighed.

    "It is. We have to go¡ªnow, actually. It draws monsters to the marker," Finn said, standing back up. "This ce will be swarmed soon."

    Jasper exuded a sigh from behind his helmet, "Isn''t that just snazzy? Well, let''s wake up the sleeping beauties then."

    "I know you said you don''t want to be part of a group, but¡­" Finn lingered.

    "I''ll apany you three to the Tower. I mean, we''re going to the same ce, anyway," Jasper confirmed.

    "Great," Finn said with a sense of relief.

 Chapter 59: The Metro

    There was no time to waste in waking up the other two; he gave Charlotte a light tap on her arm, somewhat startling the young woman.

    "Ah¨C?" Charlotte let out.

    "We have to go," Finn calmly ushered the young woman, gesturing for her to get up.

    At the same time, a more abrasive method was taken by Jasper in waking up the swede who had passed out with empty bottlesying around him. A kick was given by the shorter man right to the side of the sprawled-out, taller man.

    "Gah¨Cthe hell?!" Magnus sharply said, jumping and sobering up.

    "Time to move out, champ," Jasper coldly told the rudely-awoken man.

    The disgruntled cannoneer rubbed his side, scoffing, "You''re really something, aren''t you, j? fan?"

    "Curse at me in yournguage all you want, but do it while moving your feet. Monsters are going to be crawling wall-to-wall on this ce any minute," Jasper said, pointing at the boarded windows.

    "Like he said, it looks like we''re resuming our hike to the Tower," Finn said.

    Charlotte didn''t take long to fullye to, nodding her head, "Alright, I''m ready."

    Stilling off his drunken splendor, Magnus rubbed away the residual liquid from his bottom lip, tossing the pack of supplies over his shoulder, "...Phaw. Let''s go, then."

    Finn nced over at Jasper, thinking of reprimanding the knight for giving the cannoneer such an abrasive awakening, though part of him felt it was justified.

    The way out was led by Jasper, who unsheathed his sword, swiping it to cleave straight through the wooden nks barricading the exit.

    With the pathway opened, it was back into the chaotic streets of the city.

    RUMBLE. RUMBLE. RUMBLE.

    The moment Finn stepped out, those unmistakable footsteps were both heard and felt. They seemed closer than ever, bringing him to quickly nce back as the others did the same.

    "We have to keep moving¡ªthey''re closing in," Finn suggested, beginning to move with a light sprint.

    Following closely behind, Charlotte called out, "They see us!¡ª"

    It only became clear then that the iron-d giants had arrived on the very same street, turning in from multiple corners. The heads of the massive beings peeked over the building, locking their singr eyes on the fleeing group.

    It wasn''t just the terrifying giants; the calls, cries, and howls of monsters echoed through the streets.

    "Shit!" Magnus yelled, spinning around as the gargantuan cannon manifested into his grip.

    Finn was quick to reject the action taken by hispanion, yelling to the cannoneer, "No! Don''t try and fight! Just keep moving!"

    Adding in, it was Jasper that pointed out something ahead, "There! There''s a subway up ahead! Move your feet!"

    With the now fast-paced rumbling of the chasing cyclopian warriors not far behind, the sight of the entrance to the subway spurred them to move.

    While the others went down first into the descent lower into the city, Finn lingered close behind.

    He stood on the first step, grasping the railing as he looked back; the armored horde of cyclops smashed the buildings in their way.

    It was like a natural disaster, closing in as stone was blown in every direction.

    "C''mon!" Jasper yelled from the base of the steps.

    Finn decided to finally move, quickly descending into the subway area behind the others. Just as his feet touched down on the tile floor of the underground section, a loud crash turned his head.

    The entrance crumbled beneath the weight of the colossal steps, bringing a rain of concrete and steel down. There was a wave of dust that brought him to raise his arms, only lowering them again as it settled.

    "This has to be some sort of cruel joke, right?" Magnus asked with a tired breath.

    A massive wall of debrispletely filled where the entrance was, blocking it off entirely.

    "That''s just fantastic," Jasper remarked.

    "It''s fine¡­There should be multiple exits," Finn said.

    "But who knows how far? We might be spit outpletely opposite to the Tower," Magnus contested.

    "We''ll just have to see. Not like we have a choice now," Finn said, facing the path deeper into the underground area.

    By some stroke of fortune, the lights were still active, though the fluorescent fixtures flickered every few moments.

    "I''ve never been in a subway before," Charlotte remarked, looking around at the unfamiliar environment.

    There were advertisements still on the walls, mostly for movies that were supposed to being out, though they''d likely remain unreleased. Though blood painted the white walls of the metro, the sight of bodies was absent.

    "This ce doesn''t seem as run down as I expected," Magnus remarked, walking forward slowly while observing the area.

    "Thank the monsters for that," Finn remarked, looking down at a trail of dried blood on the ground. "They''ve cleaned up any bodies that were here."

    "That''s one thing I''ll give those creepy cunts," Jasper added, standing beside the poster to a sci-fi film by a dysfunctional esctor. "They don''t waste anything."

    "I can''t argue with that, as gross as it is," Magnus said.

    Charlotte was standing by arge map ced on the wall, pressing her finger against it. Curious as well, Finn stood beside her, gazing down at the guide.

    "Looks like there is an exit down the esctor and on the other side of the tform, down the left after crossing the tracks," Charlotte pointed out.

    "That''s not too far then," Finn said.

    "Assuming it''s not caved in as well," Magnus remarked.

    Jasper gave a p to the back of the pessimistic cannoneer while passing by, "Didn''t anybody teach you that if you believe in the worst, the worst will happen? Chin up, mate."

    "Ah¨Cdamn you," Magnus scoffed, raising his shoulders at the abrupt gesture.

    The way down the metro, as led by the knight, was descending the frozen esctor, now turned simply to steps. Finn followed right behind, quickly making his way down before arriving at the station.

    "--Ah," Jasper let out.

    "What is it?--" Finn began to ask.

    There was no need to question it as he saw the same upon arriving at the bottom of the steps. A train was left toppled over, fractured and painted in blood. A sea of bones filled the space in the tracks, scattered across the tform as well.

    "This is¡­" Charlotte quietly said.

    "It''s terrible, is what it is," Magnus added.

    Undoubtedly an act of monstrous malice; the amount of bones had to ount for hundreds, if not thousands of fallen.

    The stench of blood was overwhelming down there, even more than he had be used to.

    "Careful," Finn warned. "I''d wager this ce is definitely upied."

    "Yeah, no doubt," Jasper agreed, using his sword to move the bones on the ground around.

 Chapter 60: What Lurks Beneath, Part One

    Though the turned train blocked them from the other side of the metro, there was one part that remained upright.

    "We can cross through it. Just need to get these doors open," the option was pointed out to by Magnus, who lightly tapped his hand against the train doors.

    Standing there, not even able to see into the train as the windows werepletely painted over in red, Finn was hesitant about the idea.

    It felt as though they all were, seeing as they were all quiet for a moment in thought.

    "Do you think there''s something in there?" Charlotte asked.

    "Hard to say. I don''t hear anything, but¡­What we might find in there, you know¡­" Finn answered.

    "Right," Charlotte understood.

    Either way, they each knew what sort of hellish sight likely upied the interior of the crashed train. Still, the only way onward was through it.

    "I''ve got it," Jasper imed, stepping forward to the edge of the tform.

    The quiet, helmed man raised his longsword before sliding it between the small gap in the doors. It took a bit of elbow grease, but the doors began to part with the de being used to push them.

    "--Haah," Jasper exhaled upon forcing the entrance into the train open.

    With the doors parted, a rapid sound from within made itself known; those of quick-paced, aggressive footsteps that caused the crashed transportation to rumble.

    "Hey! Get back!--" Finn shouted.

    Rather than just warning the sword-wielding man in front of the doors, Finn grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him back and bringing himself in front instead.

    "Woah¨C" Jasper let out from being so suddenly moved.

    Finn ced his hand between himself and the doors just as the footsteps seemed to close in¨C

    ["Shell Barrier"] [1:59]

    From nothingness, a small wall resembling that of a tortoise''s protective shell manifested; translucent with a subtle, orange glow, it was used as a makeshift blockade to the opened doors.

    Just as it was created, something mmed right against it from within the train.

    "What is that?!--" Magnus questioned.

    An ear-piercing screech left from the creature that aggressively mmed itself against the shell barrier. It stood well over two meters in height even while hunched over; it walked on two legs like a humanoid, yet had the face of an insect with twopound eyes, and three more smaller ones.

    As it hissed, a set of mandibles switched, oozing a saliva that dripped down onto the floor, sizzling against the steel of the train''s floor. What it used to attack the barrier were arms in the shape of curved des, dripping with a mixture of blood and its acidic excretion.

    "--I can''t hold this skill for much longer! I''m going to have to release it in a few seconds, so get ready," Finn shouted to those behind him.

    "Right, got your back, mate!" Jasper assured.

    Each readied their weapons; longsword, broadsword, and cannon, waiting for the moment the protective shell vanished.

    "Skreeeee!"

    ¨CAs they were all focused on the monstrous, humanoid insect, that was quickly challenged as another inhuman shriek echoed through the metro.

    "Above! Another one!" Magnus shouted.

    It flew in with flickering wings, quickly crossing over from the other side of the train. The creature of ded arms dropped in, sweeping its visceral limb right for the assassin''s back.

    CLANG

    Finn nced back, finding the cannoneer having ced himself between the creature and his back, using his massive, metallic weapon as a shield.

    "Magnus¨C? Thanks!" Finn called out.

    "Thank meter¨C! Nrgh! Let''s just survive this!" Magnus grunted.

    Coming to the aid of the cannoneer was the hoodie-wearing knight, swiping his sword towards the insect from its right.

    ["Heavenly Bisector"]

    Jasper brought his de down in an overhead swing that carried a fleeting, azure light, striking down with a ground-shaking impact. The nimble insect jumped back with the agility of a bug norger than a grain of rice.

    "Shit¨C" Jasper clicked his tongue.

    At the same moment, Finn felt his hold of the shell barrier dissipating at the rabid strikes on the other side from the one he tried to hold back. Another assault finally pushed the skill to the limit¨C

    "Ghh!--" Finn winced as the ethereal shell vanished right in front of him.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    He slid back just as the barrier depleted, though found the predacious insect lunging at him without even a split-second of hesitation.

    ''Riposte? Blink sh? Just try and duck?'' The options crossed his mind swiftly.

    ¨CA different result came as he found the insect intercepted by a sh of eviscerating light.

    ["Shining Ring"]

    Beside him stepped in the spellde as her silken hair flowed behind her, moving her de along with an arch of radiance.

    It crashed right against the towering fiend, though it crossed its ded arms to shield itself. Though the sharp light failed to cut through the sturdy limbs of the insect, the weight of the arc mmed its back against the hulk of the train.

    "Nice one," Finnplimented, shoulder-to-shoulder with the spellde.

    "I hoped that''d do the trick, but this thing is tough," Charlotte remarked.

    ¨C

    Further down the walkway of the subway, the cannoneer and knight were quickly pressed by the rabid monster.

    Magnus held his weapon up with both hands, squeezing the trigger ced on the handle sticking from atop, spurring the barrel to ignite with an emerald spark. A shot released from the cannon, releasing as an explosive round that struck right where the insect stood.

    A burst of bright-green shattered the tiles of the tform, though the swift fiend presented itself near the ceiling, using its wings to avoid the explosive impact.

    "Tch!" Magnus clicked his tongue at the miss.

    Before the cannoneer could readjust his aim, the praying mantis-like monster dove right for him like a bullet piercing through the air.

    Coming from behind the cannoneer, quick steps like Jasper between the monstrosity and man, raising his left arm just before the creature crashed down. A kite shield manifested in Jasper''s free hand, using the silver blockade to defend against the insect''s dive.

    "--Hoh!" Jasper let out, having to nt his feet down, bending his knees and leaning his shoulder in as the weight of the impact drove against his shield.

    ["Repulsion"]

    As soon as he managed to halt his momentum, Jasper pushed his shoulder against the back of his shield. A chime echoed like a low luby; a force rippled through the shield, expelling through a shock wave that knocked the insect away.

    "¡ªMove."

    The stern instruction was given by the cannoneer behind Jasper, bringing the knight to step to the side.

    Just as he moved, the steel-armored man felt the wind shift right by him.

    ["Dragonfire Blitz"]

    A volley of ming projectiles shot from the cannon, flying like soaring eagles straight for the insect. The dashing mes spun around, seeming their target¡ªBOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

    Each crashed into the tiles with fiery collisions, though failed to hit their mark. The agile insect moved with stutter steps, leading on each projectile before evading them.

    ''Are you kidding? What on earth is this thing¡ª? It''s not just fast, but it''s moving smartly,'' Magnus observed.

    The trigger of the cannon was squeezed with adamant strength as its wielder bent his knees in preparation¡ª

    Jasper was moving in from the side, hoping to nk the insect as it was more focused on evading the projectiles.

    ["Breath of Dragons"] .

    A massive onught of mes poured from the cannon with such intensity that Magnus felt himself leaning back.

    The sh of the fire brought Jasper to halt his own assault, jumping out of the way of the heat. It crashed against the back wall of the metro into a vortex of mes, catching the rampaging insectoid in its path.

    "Hey, watch it!--" The knight called out sharply, having to swipe a few embers from his sleeve.

    "Don''t stand in the way, then!" Magnus retorted.

    A shriek left from behind the veil of mes, bringing both men to witness the persistent insect emerging from the ze. As it was touched by the melting heat of the cannon, the creature of the ck exoskeleton dashed right for the cannoneer¨C

    Jasper sprinted to intercept it, having to practicallyunch himself in its path, mming his shield right against its face, "--Not happening!"

    ["Stance: Bulwark"]

    A glimmer of golden light honed itself around the Aussie knight''s body, allowing him to nt his boots against the tiles as if set there like a statue. The insect attempted to push right through him, though was unable to budge him in the slightest.

    "Finish it off, damn bogan!" Jasper shouted.

    Magnus was already running around to get to the other side before the bird-brained insect changed its trajectory, "I''m on it, I''m on it! Just shut up!"

    Sliding across the tile, the handle of the cannon was yanked as he had a clear shot at the side of the insect, making sure not tomit friendly-fire:

    ["Draco Beam"]

    A hum emitted from the barrel of the bulky weapon as a bright-blue light gathered itself in its core before¨CFWOOOOM.

    Like a glimpse at a clear sky, a condensed beam of pure, magical energy released. The air around the cannon heated up quickly enough that heat waves distorted around the wielder of the weapon.

    It shot right through the insect,pletely engulfing it in its path of disintegration before piercing into the wall of the metro.

    "Holy hell¨Cthat''s hot!" Jasper breathed out, moving back as the beam brushed the front of his shield.

    As the hum of the cannon''sser came to an end, amidst the steam, all that remained of the creature were the foot it walked on, left standing disembodied.

    Magnus exhaled, lowering his cannon, "Nice assist."

    "That''s twice you almost burned me. One more time and I''m sticking my sword up your ass," Jasper threatened with a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 61: What Lurks Beneath, Part Two

    At the same time, both Finn and Charlotte confronted the insect that rushed them head-on. It possessed a slightly different build from the one that he saw attacking the knight and cannoneer; it was shorter and stockier, moving with quick, springy steps while rapidly shing at them.

    With little reach using his dagger, Finn left most of the parrying to the spellde, as her sword was adequate in matching the visceral limbs of the creature.

    "Finn!--" Charlotte let out as her de bounced back upon a failed parry.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    Closing the distance in an instance with a strike aimed to sever its head, he appeared right past it, finding that his dagger only bounced off of its ded arm. It had somehow already lifted its limb to protect its neck from that angle.

    ''It reacted to that? These things are insane,'' Finn thought.

    At least, he was able to deter it from following up on attacking hispanion after it overwhelmed her. The brief moment the stygian-shelled insect was stunned, Charlotte followed up on Finn''s opening.

    ["Flicker Strike"]

    From one spot to the next; from the front and back, left and right, even briefly above it, the spellde struck from multiple spots as though a set of frames were being skipped. Only one of the half-dozen shes bypassed the defenses of the hardened monster, shing into its exposed flesh between its arm and shoulder.

    Charlottended on her feet, though being forced to quickly step back as the endlessly aggressive insect retaliated even as it spewed green blood.

    As it lost focus on him, Finn silently approached from behind it, bringing his hands together before spreading them apart:

    ["Dark Threads"] [Mana: -100] [2000/2000]

    He dashed in right up past the insect before it could swipe its arm at the spellde. As he passed by it, stepping into its way partially, he wrapped the binding strings around its body.

    With a sharp tug, the threads caused its arms to be constricted to its sides like assoed beast. It hissed and squirmed, contesting the hold that the young man ced on it.

    Finn stepped back, facing away as he pulled on the bindings with all of his strength to hold the monster in ce, "Charlotte¨C!"

    Nothing else needed to be said to spur the spellde into action as he ran her fingers along her de.

    "Awaken. Strengthen. Roar," gently spoken incantations left the young woman''s lips, spoken right to her sword.

    ["Infusion of Cmitous Thunder"]

    An enchant manifested across the length of the silver; strands of electricity coiled around the sword along with ck clouds like an active storm brewing.

    Finn watched as the young woman dashed right towards the bound insect, moving with grace as if a master of the de. Only a single movement was taken as Charlotte came within reach, elegantly swiping the infused sword as she passed by the monstrous, humanoid insect.

    The sh was followed by the crackle of thunder, leaving a trail of raindrops behind the spellde.

    "Kreee¨C!?" The insect shrieked out.

    From its shoulder down to its side, the creature was subject to an evisceration permeated by a strike of lightning that hit it a moment after the initial strike.

    ["Ravager Mantis defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1000 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +5000] [6100/35000]

    [Assimtedability from ["Ravager Mantis"]: "Partial Exo-Shell" 1 / 5]

    The infusions of a spellde were no joke; he was already aware of that, but watching the lightning decimate the insect, Finn couldn''t help but be impressed.

    "Nice work," Finnplimented, raising his hand.

    Charlotte wiped the sweat from her chin as she sheathed her sword, turning to look at his hand before meeting it with a high-five, "You too." She said with a smile.

    As he looked over, Finn watched as the cannoneer and knight walked over, though with some clear bickering between them.

    "I''m just saying, it''s obvious that you should steer clear of a cannon''s path. It''s your fault if you get burned at that point," Magnus remarked before looking over at the young man and woman. "Right, Finn? Charlotte?"

    Jasper followed up, seeking their opinion as well, "It''s more obvious not to pull the damn trigger if your mate is in the same path, yeah?!"

    "Don''t ask me. I am not a part of that conversation," Finn declined to speak on the matter.

    "Me neither," Charlotte added with a smallugh.

    The lights flickered again, briefly engulfing them in darkness before turning back on. It was like a stark reminder not to getfortable, as Finn felt the cold, old air of the subway carry with it the heavy stench of blood.

    Back on track, Finn stepped into the opened doors of the train, immediately finding a horrific smell meeting his nose as he covered it.

    "Uegh¨Cwhat is that?" Magnus wondered, stepping in right behind the assassin.

    It wasn''t something noticed when first parting the doors, though the floors and walls of the train''s interior wereyered in ck gunk. The stench was that of sickeningly sweet sewage, presenting such a putrid air that it was hard not to gag.

    "It''s...a feeding ground, I think," Charlotte pointed out.

    "That''s what I was thinking. I was hoping I was wrong, though," Finn added, lifting his boot as the tar-like substance squelched beneath his step.

    Magnus stepped past Finn with a light shake of his head, "I''d rather not stand around in the excrements of these man-eating insects any longer than I have to."

    "I don''t think anybody else is thinking otherwise, mate," Jasper said, stepping through.

    Finn walked right behind the knight, with Charlotte right behind himself, going deeper into the train car towards where opened doors led to the other side of the metro. There was a rush in getting out, seeing as the grotesque interior had nothing for them to linger around for.

    As soon as he stepped out of the train, he exhaled, finding even the dry air of the metro refreshingparatively.

    "Ah, now what the hell is that?" Magnus asked in quiet distaste.

    What awaited on the opposing side of the subway was a perplexing sight; an esctor just ahead led to the exit of the metro, yet something stood at the top. They began to slowly descend the unmoving steps, dragging its feet and slumping its shoulders with a slight sway.

    "Something''s off¨C" Charlotte pointed out.

    It looked to be another person, though their skin grayed and ovee with ck veins. From their bloodied, pearlescent armor with an exuberant cape that flowed down their soldiers, it was the winged spear they carried they gave it away to Finn.

    "Is that a person? Hey! Are you alright?!" Magnus called out.

    "Hold on¨C" Finn raised his arm, stopping the cannoneer from going to check on them.

    Their head was engulfed in something; only its underbite was visible as the top of his face was ckened withpound eyes; a dragonfly. It had an unnatural appearance, as though his skull itself had been infiltrated by the bug.

    "Are they¡­alive?" Charlotte wondered quietly, keeping her sword ready.

    "I don''t know, but that''s definitely a person¨Cor at least it used to be. I don''t know," Finn anxiously said, not knowing entirely what he was looking at. "They''re a Dragoon¨Cthat''s one of the strongest sses. We need to be careful."

    Reaching the bottom of the esctor, the insect-headed man in bloodstained, once majestic armor came to a stop, swaying side-to-side while loosely holding his sapphire-handled spear.

    Magnus raised his cannon, calling out to the stumbling, wordless person, "Don''t take another step before telling us your name¨C"

    The warning from the cannoneer was met with a swift response, as the unspeaking figure crossed the distance between them in a single step. Magnus barely had enough time to begin stepping back as that spear''s reach was already piercing towards his head.

    CLANG

    The end of the spear was rejected by a well-timed shield by the knight, getting between the aggressive dragoon. At the same moment, Finn closed in, ducking beneath the shaft of the weapon and swiping his dagger at the exposed midsection of the dragoon. From the nk, the spellde circled around with swift steps, going for a strike at the peculiar figure''s back in unison with Finn.

    ["Holy Arc"]

    A stream of burning light cast itself around the spellde''s sword as she shed at the dragoon''s back.

    ["Spider Bite"] [9:59]

    Venomced his strike, though it only managed to scrape the exterior of the armor as the dragoon jumped to the side just before either attack couldnd. Though disying the walking skills of a toddler just a moment prior, the dragoon-ssed man flipped around like an acrobat.

    ''He looks clumsy, but he''s still agile¨Cjust what the hell is wrong with this person?'' Finn wondered.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "System Parasite"]

    [Level: 35]

    ''A BOSS¨C? Here? What the hell is this thing?'' Finn thought.

    The information obtained was enough reason for him to shout out to hispanions, "It''s a BOSS! Don''t let your guard down!"

 Chapter 62: System Parasite

    "A BOSS? Shit, you''re right," Magnus realized, using sleuth for himself.

    "Hold on, mate, do you think that person is¡­being used as a host by a critter?" Jasper asked, keeping his sword and shield ready. "I''ve seen this before¨Cthere''s parasites that can take over hosts. Well, not on this scale though."

    The thought of such a fate left Charlotte disturbed, "I''ve read about that in books¡­but something like this¡­Do you think he''s suffering like that?"

    "Don''t think about that. We don''t have the luxury to take pity on him right now, though," Finn stated, replicating his dagger into his other hand.

    Jasper ced his sword by his shield, standing beside the assassin, "That guy is already long dead. Don''t think about it as killing another person¨Call it is now is that damn critter in his head."

    "Right¡­Yeah, I know," Charlotte nodded her head, steadying her breathing.

    Even though the body of the dragoon was merely puppeteered by the parasite, there was still a semnce of intelligence on disy from it. Against the four that stood side-by-side, it remained wary, keeping its distance, but ready to strike at any moment.

    That was until Finn found Magnus raising his cannon towards the controlled corpse¨C

    In that split-second that aggression was shown, the parasite-controlled dragoon switched stances, bringing the winged spear back as its point became shrouded in a divine glimmer.

    "Move!" Finn shouted, ducking to the right.

    A thrust of the spear burned away the blood that stained its majestic steel. That intense light that swelled within the tip of the weapon set forth with a hum, like that of a crescendoing choir.

    ["Heaven Piercer"]

    A triangr force of sparkling light shot forth from the thrust, carving through the tiles of the metro tform. The release of the wing-carved weapon moved fast like a bolt of lightning, only allowing them to move out of the way with no time to spare.

    However¨C

    "Nnh!--"

    The cannoneer was grazed by the burrowing light as it scraped against his side. As Finn caught himself after rolling, looking back, he saw the Swedish man holding his bleeding wound.

    Charlotte took notice of it as well, "Magnus, you''re¨C"

    "I''m fine! Just stay focused!" The cannoneer assured.

    Those words rang true as with each of their focus returning to where the dragoon was, instead the figure was not seen standing at the other end of the subway, but a shadow loomed over them.

    Finn looked up, finding the controlled spear-wielder leaping towards them without so much as a sound. It was an unorthodox move; the dragoon''s spear was swiped forth like a halberd, intent on cleaving them all in half in one go.

    Only the heightened reflexes of his allowed him to react to it, as the others were still left processing that stomach-dropping sight.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    There was no time tomit to anything else as he warped himself right into the path of the sweeping spear, meeting it steel-to-steel. The wings protruding from the sides of the massive spear were des themselves, turning the weapon into a pseudo-halberd.

    CLANG

    The collision of his daggers against the muchrger point of the spear rang through his skeleton like the chime of a bell. He felt the force vibrate through his body, only barely managing to deflect the leaping strike.

    Just as his feet touched back on the ground, he breathed in, confronting the controlled dragoon face-to-face as its insectoid eyes locked onto him. The lifeless husk moved unnaturally, twisting its body around tomit to another sweeping strike just as its feet touched the ground as well.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    His muscles warmed up and swelled as he slid his boots across the tile, using his entire body weight to spin around with both daggers. He spun around to gather momentum, shing with that spear once more¨CCLANG.

    Sparks fluttered like snowkes in winter; by some miracle without a fraction of a second to spare, he deflected the spear again. Even parrying the attacks, he felt his bones ringing.

    ''This strength is ridiculous. I get that his body is a higher level, but it''s not just that¨Cthe parasite is drawing out the body''s full strength without any regard for tearing it apart,'' Finn realized.

    As the dragoon briefly stumbled back upon having its spear deflected, the dragonfly-headed figure lunged forward again¨C

    Finn prepared to meet it again, though it was intercepted by the hulking weapon of the cannoneer.

    BOOM

    A st of sparks ignited with a sh as the explosive force struck the dragoon directly in the chest. It blew the parasite-infested one back, leaving a trail of smoke.

    "Shit," Magnus scoffed quietly.

    Even with a direct hit, the dragoon remained on its feet, standing there as if not feeling pain from the wound burned onto its chest. The cannon fire had sted right into the armor, burning the chest of the host as the flesh was left burnt and bleeding, yet unfazed.

    While Finn considered his next move, he found the spellde and knight pursuing the dragoon directly. With mes enhancing the woman''s sword and Jasper''s de being shrouded in light, they each sought to sh the swaying target, yet¨C

    What caught the eye of the perceptive assassin was the faint, sky-blue glow that stretched down its spear.

    "Get back! Get away from it!" Finn shouted, swiping his hand as he realized what wasing.

    Charlotte stopped in her tracks, "What?--"

    As if manipted by a puppeteer''s strings, the limbs of the dragoon moved positions jarringly as the bones of the corpse''s arms cracked, raising the spear. From the weapon''s point, a fantastical shine emitted as a light coiled around the controlled figure.

    The glow of an ethereal dragon shrouded the dragoon like a cloak, reaching up to the glistening spear.

    ''That shine, raising the spear like that¨Cit''s about to unleash that skill,'' Finn recognized.

    There was hardly enough time for both the spellde and knight to move back, though even Finn didn''t feel secure at the distance he was at, calling out to the cannoneer beside him:

    "Use it now! Use Lost Sanctuary!" Finn shouted without any care for his throat.

    At that moment, Magnus had no choice but to nod his head before mming the bottom of his cannon against the ground, letting the barrel point towards the ceiling of the metro.

    ["Lost Sanctuary"]

    A golden light breathed out from the cannon, shooting out orbs thatnded on each of them. Finn let the mystical orb collide with his body, causing a protective bubble to form around himself. Each of the defensive projectiles arrived just as the dragoon finished winding up its devastating move.

    "...You''re going to¡­miss the bus¡­" From the lips of the puppeteered corpse, barely-strung together words left without any emotion.

    ["Era of Sky Rending"]

    A brilliant light extended from the tip of the weapon, cutting into the ceiling above. It dragged the extension downward,pletely cleaving through the roof and slicing through the ground in front of itself. The manipted corpse wildly swung its spear, using it more like a scythe.

    The far-reaching, cobalt light was easily carved through the subway; pirs were bisected, the dormant train to the right was cut into like a cake.

    An all-consuming, whirlwind of sky-blue light; a death sentence.

    "Ngh!--"

    "Ah!"

    The parasite maneuvered the far-eviscerating spear with such wild, reckless speed that the shes were far too numerous to evade. Try as they might to avoid them, Finn watched hispanions be struck, only saved by the protective bubbles that burst upon being hit.

    He jumped up as the swift light swept by his feet, flipping himself around as another swipe passed over his head. Just as his feetnded, he dropped down to his hands and feet as the slice of death passed right over.

    As he jumped to his feet, his vision was consumed by that sky-blue radiance; a sight that came to quickly that he was left defenseless¨C

    ''Shit!--'' He thought.

    The bubble shattered as his one-time defense expired, still finding his boots sliding back from the residual force of the nullified blow.

    Only a few seconds did the assault of the dragoonst, but it was enough to leave the metro looking as though it had endured a natural disaster; the train was split into a dozen pieces, the tform being carved up with chunks of the ceiling raining down.

    "I''m¡­alive?" Magnus audibly wondered, touching his own chest in surprise.

    That same experience was felt by them all, clear as day by the momentary suspense when experiencing the devastation of the dragoon''s spear.

    ["Greater Gale Blessing"] [4:59]

    Finn was the first on his feet again, closing the distance before the puppeteered corpse couldunch another such assault. He dove right for the dragoon, convincingly going for a frontal strike before instead sinking into the ground.

    ["Turn Shadow"] [2:59]

    Through an incorporeal form, he slipped right beneath the legs of the controlled body before emerging right out of the shadows a split-secondter. Finn leapt out of the ground as if rising from unseen depths, aiming to sever the being''s head from behind, however¨C

    A twitch of the dragoon brought him to reconsider in that moment, instead choosing to back off as he flipped away. Right as he moved away, the dragoon spun around with a jarring movement, swiping its spear in a full rotation.

    As Finn stood there, questioning how his faint failed, he found himself looking at those inhuman,pound eyes of the parasite.

    ''Right¡­It can see in three-hundred and sixty degrees around itself. With eyes like that, it has no blindspots,'' Finn discerned.

    Again, a lifeless voice escaped the lips of the man being used as a host, "...Turn the lights off¡­before you go to bed¡­Finish¡­your homework."

    It only perplexed Finn, listening to the odd, disconnected remarks of the dragoon, ''Is it trying tomunicate? No¡­Maybe it''s a bit of that person slipping out.''

 Chapter 63: System Parasite, Part Two

    Coming in from the dragoon''s right was the knight, sliding in as his hoodie flowed behind his swift movements. The dragoon snapped its neck around to face the iing knight, rearing its spear back again as its elbow creaked.

    Blood continued dripping from the remnants of the human head of the dragoon, slipping down to the stained, sleek armor of the figure.

    Jasper opted to close the distance before that spear was thrust his way, cing his shield in front of his body¨C

    ["sh Joust"]

    A golden afterglow trailed behind Jasper as he moved as if fast-forwarded, sliding a half-dozen meters forward in an instant to bash his shield against the dragoon. In the same motion, he used his sword like a spear, stabbing it right through the dead one''s abdomen.

    A fatal blow, perhaps, though only to one who lived and breathed; the dragoon didn''t so much as groan as the de pierced its flesh.

    ["Repulsion"]

    Jasper knocked his shoulder against the back of his shoulder, though found the top of it grasped by the dragoon''s hand. Despite the shock wave pressing directly against the controlled corpse, it didn''t budge while hanging on.

    "Seriously¨C?" Jasper questioned in surprise.

    "Did you¡­have a¡­good day?" The disconnected question left the lips of the puppeteered corpse, though didn''t seem meant to be answered.

    An explosive impact struck the dragoon from the side, bringing the walking deadman stumbling to the side, yet enduring the cannoneer''s st. Finn moved in quickly while the sparks of Magnus'' st still rained down, crossing the desecrated tform with quick, swift steps¨C

    ["Scamper"] [0:29]

    He relinquished his daggers, opting for a weapon better suited to confront one d in such sturdy armor. The greataxe manifested into the grip of both his hands as he closed in, pivoting off his right foot to fake out the dragoon, forcing the parasite-controlled body to preemptively thrust its spear in the wrong direction.

    Finn swung the massive weapon for his target''s back, letting it roar without mercy. The manipted corpse snapped its back forth with a crack, ying a game of limbo as the axe passed right over it.

    ''--Shit,'' Finn thought as the wide strike missed.

    While in the unnatural position, the lifeless man spoke, "...Sorry, hun¡­Daddy has to work overtime again¡­"

    From all sides, the dragoon became surrounded; knight, assassin, spellde, and cannoneer¨Cthey each enclosed on the one in bloodstained armor.

    As quickly as it had bent backwards, the parasitic fighter straightened back out, lifting a single leg before bringing it down. Before any could reach the dragoon, the stomp was bolstered by an eruption of force¨C

    ["Grandiose Presence"]

    An ear-filling sound crashed against the assassin''s ears; the roar of a dragon as he felt himself be thrown back by the shock wave that erupted from the dragoon''s position.

    Finn flipped himself to regain his momentum,nding his feet against the ground as he slid back, "--Ffuah!"

    As he caught himself, the same couldn''t be said for everybody else; Charlotte and Jaspernded just fine, though it was the cannoneer who was pushed by the dragoon.

    Magnus'' back mmed against the wall by the esctors, having the wind knocked out of him as he gasped out. With the daunting figure quickly approaching, the cannoneer raised his weapon to defend himself, though the dragoon was faster¨C

    ["Scale Peeler"]

    The dragoon performed a single step to cross the distance between itself and Magnus, thrusting its spear forward while in a side stance. With foul precision, the tip of the winged spear went straight through the cannon-wielding hand of the cannoneer.

    It was through the knuckles,ing back out having skewered past the elbow and out of the man''s tricep.

    "Grk!--" Magnus gritted his teeth.

    A merciless flick of the dragoon''s wrist ripped the spear out of the man''s arm, leaving a spige of scarlet onto the worn out tiles.

    ''Dammit!'' Finn thought, sprinting right back in.

    With the knight and spelldeing in as well, their presence brought the dragoon to turn his attention away from the wounded cannoneer.

    Charlotte ran in from right behind the puppeteered corpse; it spun around,unching a harsh kick right to the young woman''s stomach.

    "Pyyf!--" Charlotte spit out before being knocked away.

    A sharp elbow wasunched by the dragoon to the knight who approached from behind, smashing right against Jasper''s helmet to blow him back. Unrestricted vision, superb reflexes, frightening agility¨Cit had it all.

    It left Finn now alone in approaching the figure, finding the odds only decreasing as the battle went on. Before he could close the distance, it was already surpassed by the dragoon''s reach.

    "--!"

    Finn moved his head to the left as his reflexes were pushed to their limits, feeling the sharp wind press against his cheek. The spear narrowly missed skewering his brain matter, though attempted once again.

    Like a piston retracting and firing, the spear was thrust repeatedly against him. He was kept light on his toes, moving backwards with quick steps, having to lean his head side-to-side, spin around and duck as the aggressive dragoon chased him down.

    ¨CFaster. Faster. Faster.

    ["Radiant Skewer"]

    The speed of the thrusts became impossibly fast and numerous, even with tapping into the utmost of his focus. Leaning his head to the right to evade a strike at his left, another immediate thrust led the edge of the spear to slice across his cheek.

    Before he could even register the wound, another push of the weapon grazed his side, slicing right past his skin.

    ["Hollow Disengage"] [4:59]

    He activated the skill immediately upon finding himselfpletely overwhelmed, forcibly moving himself back as he merged into the unseen. It onlysted a moment before he reappeared, finding the bug-eyed dragoon''s attention right back onto him.

    ncing past his enemy, he could see the state the cannoneer was in; profusely bleeding from his shredded arm¨Ca wound that would result in death if left untouched. Charlotte was the closest to Magnus, still reeling from the sharp blow she received to the stomach.

    From what he could discern in that small time, Jasper still looked capable of fighting, leaving him one choice¨C

    Finn shouted out to the others, "Charlotte! Take Magnus and get him out of here!"

    The sudden instruction given perplexed those that heard it, as the threat of the System Parasite required all of their strength.

    "But¨C" Charlotte attempted to argue.

    "Jasper and I will handle this! We''ll be right behind you! But, Magnus will bleed out if we don''t do something!" Finn shouted while having to roll back as the dragoon mmed its spear down towards him.

    Though there was clear hesitation from the young woman, she nodded her head. Amidst his evasive maneuvers, Finn saw her lending her shoulder to ascend the esctor steps with the wounded man.

    ''Alright, good,'' he thought, finding that weight off his mind.

    It was left to just himself and the shield-bearing aussie; he rushed the dragoon from the front, while Jasper pushed towards the back. A pressing issue in engaging the spear-wielding corpse was the environment itself; the tform provided a narrow space to fight, with the dragoon''s reach covering the widthpletely.

    Before either could close in, the dragoon spun that spear around with a transcendent rotation:

    ["Gale of The Dragon''s Talons"]

    The high-raised spin of the weapon produced a whirlwind of eviscerating force, bringing Finn to slide himself back as the knight used his shield to defend himself. A perfect, circr line was formed around the dragoon from the aftermath, marking the boundaries of the ability.

    ''--It''s impossible to get close with this guy. Everything we do, he just forces us back¨Cshit,'' Finn thought.

    For the time being, he dashed right past the manipted corpse as the spear struck down right behind his heel as he rolled away. He made the effort to cross over to where Jasper was,nding beside him.

    "What''s the n?" Jasper asked, wiping blood that leaked from beneath his helmet.

    "Thinking," Finn simply answered before cing his hand against the front of the helmed man''s shield. "Borrowing this. Replication."

    Feeling the texture of the metallic shield, getting a feel for its density and size, theposition of it, he conjured a replica of it into his free hand. Right as he managed to create his own form of the knight''s shield, he was forced to lift his alongside Jasper''s own as the dragoon was already there.

    CLANG

    The spear crashed down against both of their shields, bringing them to stand their ground, shoulder-to-shoulder against the monstrous weight of the corpse''s strike. It was immediately followed up by a barrage of strikes, mming the tip of the weapon against the shields repeatedly.

    "--Startin'' to think it''s about time we tuck our tails and run along, too¡­!" Jasper rmended while keeping his shield raised.

    "That''s an option, but do you think this thing is just gonna sit back and let us?!--" Finn responded, stumbling back as the weight of the spear finally retreated from the shields.

    "Yeah, yeah! I was just putting it out there¨C!" Jasper yelled back. "Can you buy me about¡­a minute?!"

    "What?¡ªI can try!" Finn strained out, quickly stepping back from a thrust of the spear.

 Chapter 64: A Knights Flame

    If it was time that was needed for him to buy, he took the opportunity to draw the dragoon''s entire focus. He stepped right up into the parasite-controlled man''s face before quickly ducking down.

    As predicted, a swipe came for his head, only hitting air as he already moved himself out of the way.

    ''It''s somewhat smart, but it''s still a bug¨Cit''s mainly operating on instinct. It''ll hit whatever it sees, closest to it,'' Finn analyzed, ncing up briefly to see the bloodstained armor in front of him.

    The spear was brought down, bringing the swift assassin to slip between the dragoon''s legs. As he jumped back up to his feet, the wind whistled against his ears; a telling sign.

    Before even seeing it, he jumped back as the pressure from the spinning strike brushed against his body,nding on his hands before flipping back onto his feet.

    Without his feet having touched onto the cleaved tiles of the metro again, he found himself looking at the dragoon right in front of him. He flicked his dagger right past the manipted corpse¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1900/2200]

    He reappeared just a step behind the daunting figure''s back, not even going for a strike as he immediately dropped low¨CFWOOSH. The all-seeing eyes of the dragoon prompted it to spin around, striking where his head was a split-second prior.

    Behind him, at a safe distance, the knight performed a long-winded incantation, like that of a knighting ceremony.

    "I hereby pledge myself to the service of the Holy, to the righting of wrongs, to the repulsion of evil, harkening only prosperity to those around me¡­" Jasper spoke the chosen words.

    Jasper took to a single knee with his head lowered as if showing reverence to something unseen. The man who never left his helmet held his sword out; the steel was elegantly brought down, tapping one shoulder with it, then the next beforeying the de against his head.

    "...Grant me the strength to vanquish evil: Gtine."

    ["Knights of The Round Table: Gawain"] [Mana: EVAPORATED]

    From the request of Jasper, the prayer was heard as a cape of mes extended from his shoulders. The helmet he wore took to a bright-orange glow as if heated by mes; the sword in his hand became engulfed in a heroic ze.

    "Alright, I''m ready," Jasper imed, rising to his feet.

    A sublime heat radiated from where the Australian man was, felt distinctly by the assassin amidst his continuous dodging.

    "What?--Oh, time''s up," Finn said as he realized the warmth behind him.

    ["Turn Shadow"] [2:59]

    With his task being finished, he allowed himself to slip right into the ground as a shadow, slipping right past the controlled corpse.

    Like a sun rising at the break of dawn, darkness was cast aside. The entirety of the dim-and-grim subway was soon filled with light in the presence of the me-wielding knight.

    "Really didn''t want to resort to this. Ah, well," Jasper said tiredly with a sigh, hoisting the greatsword of fire up.

    Each footstep of the me-caped knight caused the tiles to melt where he stood, leaving burning footprints that sizzled and boiled like eggs on a pan.

    Finn ascended the esctor partially, looking back as he had to raise his arm from the intrusive heat that pressed against him from even that distance.

    ''Seriously, that guy was hiding something like this¨C?'' He thought.

    The presence of the sun-blessed knight brought the aggressive dragoon to a passive stance, not pursuing him as carelessly as before.

    Jasper raised his sword, squeezing the handle with both hands as the mes around it were spurred as if rudely awoken, stretching into the reach of a greatsword, "--Fine, if you''re not going toe to me, I''lle to you."

    The zing sword was brought down, unleashing a sh of pure fire that roared through the metro. A charred path was left behind it before reaching the parasitic warrior, forcing the dragoon to sidestep the eviscerating inferno.

    While the dragoon was focused on evading the initial strike, the me-caped knight was already on the move; Jasper used the wall itself as a path, leaving smoldering footprints on the tiles.

    Swift like a fleeting me, he leapt from the unorthodox foothold, sweeping in across the tform.

    Jasper moved like a wheel of fire, only narrowly passing by the dragoon, though grazing it with the mes.

    "¡­Where''s my¡­girl¡­?" The vacant words left the lifeless lips of the host while leaning back from the ming spin.

    "Don''t know, mate," Jasper spoke back while flipping around as the coattails of fire followed his quick movements.

    The boot of the ming knight was pressed down, producing a wave of heat as if a star had emerged. Even the pirs that held up the subway began to melt; like ice cream in the summer, the ceramic oozed.

    Too bright to look at, Finn struggled to perceive Jasper''s movements through his dazzling radiance.

    The heat that was produced kept the puppeteered one back, causing the parasitic head to shriek at the mes grazed if.

    "I''ll put you to good rest, mate," Jasper promised the controlled dragoon quietly.

    With zing destruction, yet a serene kindness, the sword was brought forth, carrying with it the concentration of the magnificent fire. A controlled storm; hyper-condensed mes turned to that of an all-burning force, sent forth with impunity.

    There was no chance for the dragoon to retaliate as the mes swept across its body.

    The tidal wave of heat crashed forth like an unruly tempest; steel was reduced to liquid, flesh to ruin.

    From the steps, Finn witnessed the stream of fire fill the subway tform like a me filling a grill.

    As the heat left and only embers trickled down, the dragoon copsed to his knees. The figure was turned to a crisp, fading away as their body began crumbling into ash.

    "¡­Maria¡­Daddy''s¡­home¡­"

    The words that came out through the charred lips of the dragoon came out with genuine hope. As though a gift of wind passed by, the burnt man copsed into ashes.

    Finn witnessed the finality of the figure while stepping back down to the train tform.

    ["Carter Warner defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x2500 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +25,000] [31100/35000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Carter Warner"]: "Heaven Piercer"]

    [Assimted weapon from ["Carter Warner"]: "Winged Spear"]

    An exhale left Jasper''s helmet as the decorative mes vanished from his body, "He can sleep now."

    "Yeah," Finn said, noticing how exhausted the knight seemed now from his heavy breathing.

    As they stood there for a moment, a sound like that of bones snapping caught their attention. From the pile of ashes, something erupted¨Ca ck mass with fluttering wings and bulbous eyes.

    ''Watch out¨C" Jasper called out.

    With the helmet protecting the knight''s head, the parasite seemed to turn its attention away from the steel-d man.

    Itunched itself right towards the head of Finn, who raised his dagger to prepare himself¨C

    A sh of light passed through the desperate parasite like a sun ray through the darkness, turning the creature to ash.

    It came from atop the esctor, bringing his gaze over to see that the timely shot came from the cannoneer, who was still breathing heavily with a pale face.

    "I don''t like to owe anybody debts, so¡­We''re even now," Magnus said through his breaths, relinquishing his cannon as his bloodied armid limp at his side.

    ["System Parasite defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +3000] [34100/35000]

    ''It had nothing to assimte? I guess by itself, it''s powerless,'' Finn thought, looking at the charred body of the parasite on the floor.

    Adrenaline still pumped through his body as his heartbeat rang in his ears, looking over at the clearly tired man in armor who got the job done.

    "Hey, mate¡­mind lending me a shoulder?" Jasper asked, walking over with an exhausted limp.

    "Ah¨CI''ve got you," Finn said, quickly rushing over.

    He gave his arm to hispanion, slinging Jasper''s arm around his shoulder to help him walk up the unmoving esctor.

    "Using that skill really tuckers me out¡­Not fond of using it, y''know," Jasper remarked. "Makes me a liability out here."

    "You have us around now, so don''t worry. A badass ability like that¨CI feel better just knowing it''s an option," Finn remarked with a reassuring smile.

    "Thanks, mate," Jasper showed his gratitude.

    Magnus and Charlotte waited at the top, with the cannoneer clearly looking pale from the blood he had lost. To the left, an unblocked exit to the metro was waiting with the glimmer of moonlight dipping in.

    "You managed to do it?" Charlotte asked with a look of worry.

    "Well, it was mostly this guy," Finn said, yfully tapping his fist against the helmet of the knight. "So, what happened to getting away?"

    Charlotte nced over, "Well¡­It''s not so easy to just leave you both to fight alone."

    "Yeah, I guess I can''t me you," Finn sighed.

    "You''re wee for that stubbornness, by the way," Magnus added before wincing as he grabbed his arm.

 Chapter 65: Reaching The Tower

    Before moving out of the metro that now smelled like charcoal, Finn watched as the one he lent his shoulder to reached into his hoodie. A bottle partially filled with golden liquid was retrieved, being handed over to the cannoneer.

    "Here, mate," Jasper offered.

    "I don''t need it¨C" Magnus opted to reject it, brushing off his injury.

    Even so, Jasper practically shoved the ambrosia right into the chest of the wounded cannon-wielder.

    "It''s better to just ept it, trust me," Finn advised, knowing the stubbornness of the aussie, wiping the blood from the cut on his cheek.

    "You''ll feel a whole lot better. And you won''t slow us down," Charlotte added in to convince the reluctant man.

    Though the young woman was kind to a fault, even she knew how to push the cannoneer to finally give in.

    Begrudgingly so, Magnus took the bottle and epted a sip of the divine liquid. Sure enough, the shredded arm fixed itself as though touched by the hand of an angel.

    Magnus moved his arm around, finding itpletely fine before returning the nearly empty bottle to the one who offered it, "Thanks. I guess I owe you now. As I said, I don''t like owing debts, so I''ll pay you back soon enough."

    "Whatever you say, mate. Just don''t burst my ear about it," Jasper said before stuffing the bottle back into his hoodie.

    Finn kept the exhausted knight''s arm around his shoulder, giving him a pat on the back as they moved towards the moonlit staircase back to the surface, "Let''s get to the Tower. I bet we can all use a bed and warm meal at this point."

    "Now you''re speaking mynguage," Jasper said.

    Ascending the steps of the metro led to the surface of the streets once more, thoughnone stepped out until verifying there were no monsters roaming the area. While the footsteps of giants could be heard in the distance, it looked to be clear.

    "Alright, let''s go," Finn gave the go-ahead, moving out with the knight around his shoulder.

    The street he found himself walking was noticeably more packed with cars; not more than a few steps could be taken without being blocked by a vehicle. It wasn''t far off, only a few blocks away now¨Cthe ever-present, fantastical sight of a Tower.

    "I''m going to eat whatever the hell I want when I get in that inn. I''m thinking of a chicken pot pie, and maybe an apple pie to go with it," Finn remarked while passing by a flipped-over taxi, keeping hold of hispanion''s arm. "What about you guys?"

    Jasper didn''t take long to give an answer, "I think I''ll go with fish n'' chips with a cold one to go with it."

    "Can''t go wrong with that," Finn said.

    "Surprised you aren''t going for a kangaroo burger," Magnus added in while passing between a split-in-half SUV.

    A lightugh came from the helmed man, "And what about you, mate? Meatballs, I''m guessing?"

    "If you must know, I think I''ll have kroppkakor," Magnus tiredly said while looking at the iridescent structure. "I can almost taste it, really."

    "No clue what that is," Jasper remarked.

    "Is that so? I might be willing to part with a portion," Magnus offered stoically. "In exchange for fish, that is."

    "A fair enough trade, mate. I might take you up on that," Jasper remarked with a quietugh.

    The whole time the Swede and Aussie bickered, Finn found that the young woman was silent in thought, as if still trying to decide what she wanted.

    "What about you?" Finn asked, ncing back at Charlotte.

    "Probably¡­" She lingered her answer, putting a finger to her chin. "Ice cream? What''s that one with all the colors?"

    "Rainbow sherbet?" Finn responded.

    "Yeah, that''s the one!" Charlotte pointed at him with a smile. "I''ve always seen it on T.V. but I''ve never had it myself. So, I think I''ll try that."

    "Not a bad choice," Magnus remarked.

    "I could go for some myself," Jasper added, keeping his arm around the assassin''s shoulder.

    "Just make sure we get to the Tower first," Finn reminded the others. "Then you can have any kind of ice cream you want."

    Through the moonlit street, the crater which was created from the arrival of the cloud-reaching structure led them to a downhill descent.

    With tired steps, the entrance into the Tower was approached, weing in the exhausted survivors. The exuberant interior like that of a heavenly cathedral was found again; the sound of colossal footsteps, howling fiends, and burning buildings was no longer present.

    Only a calm, safe environment; one that let Finn finally breathe.

    Ascending the singr set of spiraling stairs led to a familiar sight: a bazaar overseen by one figure.

    "Wee to the Bazaar, adventurers," the inhuman figure that resembled a man crossed with a boat greeted them.

    "We need four rooms," Finn said, walking up to the counter.

    "The cost is¡ª" The shopkeeper began to say.

    "I''ve got it," Finn interrupted, waving off the fee.

    While the others tried to protest him tackling all of their costs, he didn''t want to hear it.

    "I don''t like owing anybody," Magnus insisted.

    Finn brushed off the remark, "Then pay me back another day."

    "Well, cheers, mate," Jasper graciously epted, still somewhat wobbly on his own.

    With their permission given for the night to stay in the Tower''s inn, perhaps thest ce to truly rest in a small bit of paradise, they moved into the corridor.

    Of course, all of their rooms neighbored one another in the seemingly endless realm of utopian rooms.

    "Let''s meet in the morning. We''ll begin our ascent of the Tower then," Magnus nned.

    "Sounds good to me," Finn said.

    "Agreed," Charlotte added in.

    While everyone was on the same page, Finn noticed the Australian knight quietly opening the door to his own room.

    "Jasper? You''re in, too, right?" Finn asked, knowing that he was trying to avoid anything cemented.

    "Err, yeah, mate, I guess that works," Jasper hesitantly agreed.

    "Great," Finn gave a thumbs-up.

    With their ns settled, he entered his designated room, closing the door behind him. The sight of the neat, safe room was something that immediately made his tired body yearn to rx.

    "Finally," Finn let out a sigh, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

    The threat of lurking monsters or fellow survivors with malicious intent was absent now, at least for the night. Being able to take that off his mind felt like shedding a suit of stone from his body.

    ''What a long day¡­Way too long. I''m just thankful we all made it through¡ªcould''ve easily gone a different way,'' he tiredly thought while rubbing his face.

    The thought of eating slipped his mind as he sat there, finding himself distracted by howfortable he was.

    He removed the top of his ck, stealth-natured uniform, leaving his upper body bare as he stood up.

    "Hmm¡­" He looked at himself in the mirror, checking the state of his body.

    While he wasn''t necessarily out of shape before the world was flipped on its head, he found himself in top athletic condition.

    ''Guess I''ve pushed my body more than ever before. Or is this from the system? Maybe both¡­but I can tell I''ve been changed fundamentally, down to the atoms. It''s the only way all of this craziness is even possible,'' Finn thought as he felt his now callused hands, feeling a deep reservoir of strength in his muscles as he moved his arms.

    A sigh left his lips as he shook his head; the feeling of dirtiness on his body was clearly felt as he had been through the ringer the past couple days. This sensation naturally brought him to the shower attached to the main room, not wasting any time in turning the nozzle as the hot, almost scalding water came spraying out.

    "¡ª"

    Letting the purifying liquid run over his body, he felt everything be washed away. He kept his head down as the warmth ran through his hair, sliding down his face.

    Standing there as steam filled up the ss-walled shower, closing his eyes brought silent memories back to the surface.

    Amidst reminiscing of better days and what was lost, what he found himself unable to shake was what hest witnessed in his encounter with the sickening hunter.

    ''¡­If he''s still out there, then¡­I don''t want to think about that. Not right now¡ªI have to let myself ease up a bit, right?'' He reminded himself, cing his hand against the tile wall of the shower.

    Rinsing himself in the hot water for awhile, it was by getting himself dressed again did he feel his hunger setting in. He opted not to yet put his coat on, instead grabbing the menu ced on the wooden dresser adjacent to the bed.

    Knock. Knock.

    Before he could even open the menu to choose his desired dinner, the gentle sound at the door turned his head.

 Chapter 66: Chaos In The Bazaar

    An unexpected visitor brought him to quietly stand up, calling his dagger into his hand as he approached the door.

    Whatid on his mind was the person who stuck there the most; the man-eating hunter.

    Knock. Knock.

    Just as he reached for the handle to turn it, he raised his dagger in preparation before swinging it open¡ª

    "Sorry if I''m interrupting¡ªah?"

    Stopping his de just short of the visitor, Finn found himself greeted by the sight of light, blue hair that was quite unmistakable.

    "Charlotte?" Finn recognized, lowering his guard with a shake of his head. "Sorry about that."

    The young woman brushed it off with a smallugh, walking in as she was weed, tucking her hands behind her back, "It''s alright. I''m realizing now I probably should''ve just called out than just knocked."

    Finn sat on the end of the bed, shaking his head, "No, I''m just¡­on edge, y''know? There''s being cautious, then just being damn paranoid."

    Seating herself on the cushioned, mahogany chair at the desk across from the bed, Charlotte assured him, "That''s not true¡ªwell, I mean not for you. You''re not paranoid."

    "I don''t know. Anyway, did you need something?" Finn asked, straying away from the conversation.

    "Well, not really, I just didn''t really want to be alone tonight," Charlotte admitted with a bit of shyness, kicking her legs a bit.

    The truthful admission from the young woman brought Finn to think about it himself, recalling the nightmarish encounters so recently experienced.

    "Yeah, I get it. Lately, this has all just been a nightmare," Finn said, rubbing his head.

    "When we''re able to sit like this and actually think, let our thoughts settle, you know¡­It''s all just crazy when you think about it, isn''t it? I mean, what this world has turned into," Charlotte said.

    "Yeah," Finn tiredly agreed. "The only thing you can do now is ept it. This is what''s left of our world now¨Chumanity is barely tethered by a string at this point."

    "I guess you''re right. Thinking about it won''t change it, I suppose," Charlottemented.

    For a moment, they both sat there in silence amidst the less-than-gleeful conversation, only both beginning to open their mouths to speak up again¨C

    Knock. Knock.

    "Who''s?--" Finn began to ask.

    There wasn''t even a chance to walk towards the door before it was opened on its own without any care for the knock being answered.

    "Sorry for the intrusion, mate. Hope you don''t¨Coh."

    "We''vee to settle a debate on which of our homnds has the best cuisine¨Cah."

    It was the Australian knight, who was still opting to wear his helmet as he strolled right in without being weed in, along with the swede who barged in right behind him.

    Though both paused for a moment, looking between Finn and the feminine guest in the room as if shocked to find them together.

    "Alright, just let yourselves in, I guess¡­" Finn remarked, watching the two enter.

    Jasper was carrying a six pack of what looked to be cans of beer in his hand, seeming to have wasted no time using the magical menu to acquire such an item. In fact, the Australian already had the visor to his helmet partially lifted, holding an open can in his other hand.

    As the knight whose breath reeked of booze sat down against the bedside, it was Magnus who grabbed hold of the menu on the table, flipping through it.

    "So, why are you both here?" Finn questioned.

    Magnus answered while rummaging through the boundless catalog of cuisine, "That beer-breathed cobber ims Australian cuisine is the best."

    "All I said is that it''s better than meatballs and potatoes, mate," Jasper protested while raising his hand.

    "Either way, we couldn''t settle on what was better between us, so we decided you both should factor in as well," Magnus continued, turning to look at Finn and Charlotte.

    While everybody seemed to settle into his room, he was left questioning why it was his ce specifically they all seemed to converge to.

    "I''m fine with taste testing, but I''m not exactly a connoisseur or anything of food, you know," Charlotte epted with a smallugh.

    "One does not need extensive experience to understand the quality of Raggmunk, or even Kalops," Magnus spoke highly of his homnd cuisine.

    "Sounds like you''re casting spells to me," Jasper said jokingly while raising his can.

    What was going to be a quick turn to slumber instead had Finn finding himself with thepany of hispanions, using the menu extensively to order dishes.

    From savory Swedish dishes of potatoes and meat, to Australian cuisine that focused on summertimefort food, and American meals of savory chicken.

    Of course, there was also a remarkable amount of desserts ordered by Charlotte.

    "Who would''ve thought a limitless catalog of food would be abused¡­" Finn sarcastically remarked at the plethora of dishes sprawled out.

    An hour was spent simply taste testing the wide array of entrees, leaving them each entirely full. In fact, a bout of snoring brought him to find that both Magnus and Jasper had passed out, with the swede sprawled out on the floor right beside the Aussie.

    "Seriously?" Finn muttered, shaking his head.

    With a bowl of ice cream from strawberry, to pineapple, and even one with pieces of chocte candy in it, Charlotte was more than pleased with herself as she stuck the spoon in her mouth.

    It was the first time seeing such a delighted, innocent smile worn on her face as she plucked the spoon away, "Ice cream is amazing¡­Ah¨CI mean, we didn''t even get to tell them whose food was better."

    "I can''t even think about¡­I''m way too full," Finn remarked, letting out a sigh.

    "Well, what now?" Charlotte asked.

    Finn nced at the two who were snoring on the floor of his rented room before answering, "¡­I''d drag them back to their rooms, but honestly I''m too tired for that. I''m just going to call it a night."

    "Then if you don''t mind¡ª" Charlotte suddenly spoke up, tapping her finger against the bowl.

    "What is it?" Finn asked just as he was situating himself into his bed.

    "If you don''t mind, can I stay here, too?" She asked quietly.

    It took him by surprise, though seeing as he already had two guests, one more wouldn''t hurt, "Err, sure¡­Yeah, that''s fine."

    "I can use the sofa, I don''t mind," Charlotte said, standing up as she set the bowl down on the tabletop. "It''s a lot better than what I usually get to sleep on, anyway."

    As he watched the silken-haired girl move herself closer to the couch, he intervened before she could set herself down, "You can use the bed."

    "Huh?" Charlotte looked back at him.

    "If you want, I mean," Finn rified, scratching his cheek.

    The proposition brought them both to an awkward silence for a moment. Even amidst the world being turned on its head, the concept of sharing a bed with the opposite gender was still something that wasn''t so casually handled by Finn''s mind.

    "Alright," Charlotte epted, moving over to the bed.

    In order to avoid more intimacy his poor heart could handle, he grabbed a pillow, bringing it to the end of the bed toy down opposite of Charlotte.

    As sheid beside him, he somehow managed to fall asleep with the snoring as white noise.

    ¡ª

    The rise of the morning brought them to the Bazaar, after a bit of throwing up from the knight who drank a tad too much.

    Magnus fixed his hair with an exhale, "I don''t think I''ll be hungry until tomorrow, honestly."

    "Yeah, same here, mate," Jasper said while pping his own helmet as if trying to sober up still.

    Still, a full night of rest did wonders for Finn as he found himself full of energy while browsing the selection at the shopkeeper''s disy.

    "Does anything catch your interest, adventurer?" The boar-headed shopkeeper asked while cleaning his own tusk with a handkerchief.

    "Just looking," Finn answered while keeping his gaze on the variety of items.

    [Current Anarch Coins: 22500]

    The amount he had umted was practically burning a hole in his pocket. What caught his eye was a pair of ck-steel wrist guards on disy.

    "Ah, interested?" The shopkeeper noticed, lifting the item to showcase. "The Abyssal Keeper Guards are a splendid addition to anybody''s arsenal. When knocked together, you can temporarily gain a burst of killing prowess."

    Thinking about it for a moment, Finn made his decision, "I''ll take them."

    "Fantastic choice!" The Bazaar keeper rejoiced.

    [Anarch Coin: -5000] [17500]

    As the cost was deducted, he was granted ownership of the mystical wrist guards. He didn''t waste any time equipping them, siding them onto his wrists as the sleek, ck steel blended right into his uniform.

    [Abyssal Keeper Guards]

    He swiped his dagger around swiftly against the air, testing the difference in weight. Surprisingly, there was no hindrance at all; in fact, it seemed to add into the strength of his movements.

    "I take it you''re satisfied with your purchase?" The shopkeeper asked, tapping his fingers together.

    "Guess so. I''ll also take a Divine Ambrosia," Finn requested.

    "Of course! Here you are," the boar-man said, presenting the bottle of healing properties.

    [Anarch Coin: -5000] [12500]

    Getting the all-restorative substance, he stuffed it into his back pocket while the others still shopped around. Amidst their preparations, the safe level of the Tower suddenly trembled¡ª

    "What?¡ª" Finn questioned, looking around as the marble walls rumbled.

    "Is iting down?!" Charlotte asked.

    Jasper looked to be on the verge of puking, "Not the time for shaking, mate¡­!"

    It came to an end within seconds, brought to a conclusion by the wall beside the shop itself being pulled away into a glowing, red gateway.

    "What''s that?" Magnus wondered, stepping closer.

    A glistening field of enigmatic force swirled in the ominous doorway, releasing a subtle hum.

    The shopkeeper stepped out from behind the counter, standing by the newly-formed gateway, "An adventurer like yourselves has used a "Convergence Call."

 Chapter 67: The Tenth Floor

    "A Convergence Call?" Jasper asked, still shaking off the effects of the brief rumbling.

    The boar-man nodded, "It is a one-time emergency item. An adventurer has opened this temporary doorway to a higher floor of the Tower, as they are likely in danger."

    "A temporary path to one of the higher areas? That sounds risky," Magnus reasoned.

    "What floor are they calling from?" Finn asked the shopkeeper.

    "The Tenth. This gateway is being opened within every Bazaar currently, across every Tower in the world," the shopkeeper exined.

    Jasper breathed out, seeming to fully sober up at the statement, "The Tenth? I only barely scratched the surface of the fourth."

    "It is a risk, but¡­I think there''s value in it, right?" Charlotte reasoned with hesitance of her own. "It won''t be just us there¨Cothers will be there, won''t they?"

    "If other people decide to show up, that is," Magnus remarked.

    Finn considered it, looking at that ominous doorway, unable to peer into the other side as he weighed his options.

    "You are free to ept or decline the Convergence Call. However, it will close in thirty seconds," the Bazaar keeper further rified.

    It was a pressing matter, though one without a clear cut decision to be made. Finn looked between the others, who each seemed to look for him to be the deciding factor.

    Whether for better or worse, it seemed he had be a figure of responsibility; one who was looked to for such decisions on the fly.

    "We''re all stronger than we were before," Finn reasoned, looking between hispanions. "This is a good opportunity¨Cmaybe we can find others, too."

    "That''s right. The point of climbing the Tower was something like this already, wasn''t it?" Charlotte said, nodding her head.

    "It seems I am walking straight into an early grave. I''ve made it far enough, I suppose," Magnus pessimistically remarked with a sigh.

    Jasper lended a p to the cannoneer''s back, "Chin up, mate. Don''t die with your head down."

    "I wish I had yourck of brain cells to be unafraid," Magnus retorted, calling his weapon to his hold.

    With the choice made, Finn took the first step towards the threshold ofplete mystery. Even if it was the decision cemented, he couldn''t shake the feeling of anxiousness in his body as he stepped before the door of mercury.

    A sensation like needles prodding his arms and legs overcame him as he pushed his hand through the entrance.

    "Ah¡ª"

    Though he opted to feel it out first, he found himself being pulled through the gateway without any warning.

    [Convergence Call epted.]

    [Transporting: Floor Ten ¨C "The Colosseum of The Depraved"]

    A weightlessness swallowed him whole; a depravity of sensation brought him for a moment to question if he even had a body, only able to perceive the void of silver, sleek mercury before¨C

    "Pyuh!--" He spat out a breath.

    He was on his feet, only finding a single second to have passed, though greeted by a scenery far removed from the calm marble of the Bazaar. It was difficult to make out what color the tiles of the floor were, seeing as they were stained in dried blood.

    There was ack of walls ahead, only a single pathway of a bridge leading towards an ominous structure ahead: a pitch-ck colosseum.

    Behind him, the sound of footsteps dropping down and light gasps of hispanions arriving met his ears, though he remained entirely focused on the unknown territory.

    "This is the tenth?" Magnus remarked, still adjusting to the sudden transportation.

    "Looks like it spit us out deep into the area¡­This ce is a lot bigger than the other floors, from the looks of it," Jasper observed while looking around.

    Along the sides of the bridge were floating torches that held silver mes, presenting only a dim light. Finn peered over the edge of the narrow pathway, seeing what awaited below¨Cdarkness. It was difficult to tell, possessing a questionable depth that made his stomach turn.

    "It''s water, or something like that¡­It''s a sea," Charlotte observed beside him.

    "Yeah," Finn said, pulling back, feeling the scale of the foreign setting sinking in.

    It was an entirely grim environment, reeking of blood and grime with a sharp aroma of salt in the air. If his reservations based off the first look at the scenery wasn''t enough, the sounds in the distance ahead did not help:

    The sounds of steel shing from a collision of des, ruptures of magical force, all overwhelmed by the screams of men and women from within that ominous colosseum. That ambience of terror, from twisted shouts and cries, did not speak of a favorable oue.

    "Do you hear that?" Charlotte asked quietly.

    "I''m sure even if I was deaf, I''d feel that," Magnus answered with caution.

    A moment of silence stood between them all as the confidence they once had was shaken by the grim atmosphere.

    Jasper stepped onto the bridge, looking towards the colosseum with his hand readied by his sheathed sword, "We have to help, right? I mean, we all heard that, yeah?"

    As the one who was bestowed the knight ss posed the question, somethingunched from the colosseum, soaring over its walls¨C

    "What''s that?--" Magnus pointed out, looking up.

    Finn watched as the object came down from the abyssal sky before it came crashing down right on the bridge in front of them¨CSPLAT.

    "Shit!" Jasper yelled, taking a step back.

    Whatnded like a cannonball was a barely recognizable body of a bow-wielding man, covered incerations and bludgeoned so badly their body was entirely red and purple.

    "What the hell did we walk into?..." Magnus questioned with a look of disgust, covering his mouth.

    The gruesome sight slipped away as the sttered body slid off the edge of the bridge, dropping right into the abyss.

    Shock left the group motionless until the sound of more footsteps dropping in turned Finn''s attention. Where he came in from, his gaze found multiple people following through the mercury gateway.

    "Urgh, what''s up with this ce?" A man with messy, gray hair remarked, wearing an open, fur coat with his bare chest on disy. "It reeks."

    He stood with a towering height and a physique like that of having been pumping iron since he could walk with a face that looked both princely and grizzled, with scars on his lips and nose.

    [Name: Isaak Sokolov]

    [Age: 32]

    [Designated ss: Monk]

    [Level: 25]

    "Ah¡­This is giving me the creeps," a short woman with blonde fringes that covered her eyes nervously said, clutching her steel stave close to her chest.

    She wore a light-blue cloak atop a t-shirt of a musician¡ª"Igorrr." Paired with denim shorts and ck leggings beneath, her half-and-half attire was peculiar.

    [Name: Ember Morgan]

    [Age: 22]

    [Designated ss: Arch Mage]

    [Level: 26]

    Another arrived through the emergency gateway: a tall man of messy, white hair and golden-brown skin,yered in tattoos with a set of goggles sitting on his forehead. From the baggy, gray pants he wore and theck of upper attire, only having bands on his arms with a massive hammer held in his right hand, it wasn''t apparent at first what ss he possessed.

    [Name: Ramon Caballero]

    [Age: 29]

    [Designated ss: Maestro]

    [Level: 24]

    "Yo," the hammer-carrying, sweatden man raised his hand as the attention of everybody else by the colosseum-leading bridge looked at him. "Am Ite or something?"

    Magnus was the first to speak up with a quiet breath, "I think this is a case where "never" might be better thante."

    The mercury gateway began to fizzle out, shrinking, though not before one more figure stepped through. It was an arrival that brought hesitance, as if the air itself had changed with their presence; the aura of a fighter¨Csomebody unconditionally strong.

    "Hold on, that guy¨C" Charlotte recognized.

    Finn confirmed it with a nod, "Yeah, that''s him."

    It was hard to mistake those massive, gilded gauntlets, paired with the golden hair that stood out like a shining star in the gloomy environment.

    The man in the snow-white coat of rolled-up sleeves rolled his shoulders, looking ready to fight, "The hell are you all standing around looking at? Move aside if you''re just going to shiver and piss your pants."

    [Name: Seung]

    [Age: 22]

    [Designated ss: Crusher]

    [Level: 39]

    ''He''s an even higher than before, isn''t he? With somebody like him around, we might actually stand a chance, right?'' Finn considered, watching the hot-headed figure pass right by him.

    Right past everybody, Seung didn''t waste a moment beginning to move across the bridge. That sheer confidence brewed alongside recklessness finally pushed others to follow behind.

    The monk-ss man stomped right behind Seung, not wasting a moment himself, "Nobody is shivering! I''m ready!" Isaak imed.

    Between Jasper and Magnus, who seemed to have something to prove to one another, they didn''t hesitate any longer as well, though both still seemed to be reasonably cautious of the ce.

    Finn looked over to the woman beside him, "Ready, Charlotte?" He asked.

    "Yeah¡­We can do this," Charlotte answered, seeming to have to hype herself up with some inhales.

    Walking alongside the spellde, he could hear the Maestro still confused about what was going on, while the Arch Mage was gripped by nervousness.

    "I kind of jumped through the gateway because time was tickin'' down, but I didn''t even hear what was going on," Ramon admitted while scratching his head.

    "S-seriously?...This ce is really, really¨CI mean, super dangerous! It''s bad news¡­" Ember said, looking up at the goggle-wearing mechanic.

    "Hah! Well, the only thing we can do is move forward then!" Ramon smiled without any fear, giving the meek girl a gentle p on the shoulder to get her moving.

    Ember stumbled forward, "Eek!-- Hold on!"

 Chapter 68: The Forgotten Beast

    Finn ran right behind the group ahead, ncing back to see the Maestro and Arch Mage not far behind either. It was a unique situation he found himself in, not having been around such a group of people since before the First Impact.

    "What do you think is in that colosseum?" Charlotte asked while keeping up in a sprint.

    "I''m not sure," Finn answered truthfully, looking ahead at the grim structure as the sounds of screams had quieted down, though that somehow was even more unnerving.

    The entrance into the colosseum was entered through an opened, ck gate, leading through a pitch-ck tunnel. As he ran behind those ahead, the screams that were muffled became clear once more.

    At the end of the tunnel, he found himself stepping onto a vast battlefield of ck sand, overlooked by the empty seats of the ckened colosseum.

    "What the hell?!--" The shocked shout came from the fur-coated monk.

    Dozens of bodiesid lifeless across the arena; split and torn apart, squashed and impaled. Fates that were better left prayed not to experience for oneself.

    Finn stood there beside the others, brought to the same pause as them as he looked upon the one responsible for the abundance of death.

    "No! Please!-- Don''t!--Arrgh¡­!"

    A man in armor screamed out before the ck de befell his body, snuffing the life out of the helpless survivor. What stood there with a slight hunch, wearing a tattered, bloodstained cloak on its body of dark fur was not a man, nor not quite just a beast.

    The beastman stood with a colossal presence, enough to dwarf the tallest of the survivors three times over. It held in its right hand a curved, sable swordrge enough to bisect a redwood. As it plucked its de from the blood-puddled sand, it turned to face the newly-arrived survivors.

    Beneath the head that hardly hid its bestial appearance, it snarled, revealing its teeth that feasted on flesh and its eyes that spiraled with a scarlet bloodlust.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "The Forgotten Beast"]

    [Level: 43]

    Above the colosseum grounds were massive chains that hung from the pitch-ck sky, lightly swaying with a chime as if coaxing the start of a new battle.

    There were still a couple other survivors scattered throughout the arena, though the focus of the de-wielding beast seemed to be on the fresh meat that had just arrived.

    "Move!" Seung yelled, being the first to move as he dashed right for the imposing figure.

    It was just as quickly that the gauntlet-wearing man rushed in was he forced to slide across the ck sand. The beastman moved at the same time, though more swiftly.

    Ignored entirely, Seung was passed right by the Forgotten Beast, only an afterthought as the sword it dragged along almost swept through him. It leapt right towards the group, raising that eerie de as it crashed down¨C

    ["Stance: Bulwark"]

    Jasper ced himself at the forefront of them all, raising his shield before the frighteningly swift beastman.

    The de was swept forth, casting the sand in its path away before it swung right against the shield¡ªCLANG.

    "Nngh!¡ª" Jasper winced.

    Even blocking the beast''s sword wasn''t quite enough as the knight was flung back from the force.

    ["Turn Shadow"]

    At that moment, Finn emerged from the darkness, sprinting around as he brought himself to the ck-furred swordsman''s side. He wasn''t alone in his assault; from above, the gauntlet-wearing man leapt in while the white-haired monk came from in front of the beast.

    Finn flexed his body, seeking to instantly strike at its head, though found that intent quickly intercepted¡ª

    Before any de or fist could reach it, the cloaked beast spun itself around, using its far-reaching de to drive them all back.

    "Hah!"

    "Shit!"

    "Get back!¡ª"

    Through the sand, that ckened tool of evisceration swept, bringing the beastman to jump in the air to continue its unrelenting assault.

    Finn slid back, watching as the gauntlet-wearing crusher confronted the beast in the air.

    ["Burning Smash"]

    A glow engulfed Seung''s fist before punching downward, manifesting a ming replica of his fist, only to be countered by the ck de.

    "¡ªAh? Oh!¡ª" Seung reacted as the beast''s de cast away the me of his fist like a breath to a candlelight.

    Despite the size of the beastly swordsman, it moved like an acrobat, twisting its body around and wildly swinging the sword with a mixture of animalistic wildness and masterful grace. With a flick of its de, it sent the flying gauntlet-wielder flying across the colosseum.

    The cloaked beastmannded with glimmers of lighting down from the void above; descending cannonballs sparking with me and bright-blue fireballs.

    "Hff!--" Near the entrance of the colosseum, Magnus breathed out while squeezing the trigger of his cannon, keeping the shots going.

    Not far behind the cannoneer, the nervous mage stopped trembling, keeping her stave pointed high as a burst of azure light extended from the catalyst.

    Thebined volley of ming power rained down onto the ck sand, erupting into explosions of fire and smoke. It became a sight like that out of a nitty-gritty war as each cannonball crashed down with the air whistling,nding down¨CBOOM.

    Finn kept his distance, raising his arms as each vtile impact caused embers and grains of sand to fly outward.

    Though he hoped to find the beastman turned to ash, what he witnessed was a more dreadful result; the nimble swordsman flipped around, using its sword in conjunction with its evasion maneuvers to cut through the descending projectiles.

    ''It''s dodging and countering all of it? What the hell is this thing?--'' Finn thought.

    The disheartening sight was no more daunting to the cannoneer and mage, who witnessed the futility of their barrage.

    "Seriously?!" Magnus let out in a shocked gasp.

    "This is too much¡­!" Ember shouted.

    With a dense smog of smoke around the swift beastman, the only choice was to keep fighting as Finn forced his feet to keep moving.

    ["Greater Gale Blessing"] [4:59]

    The sand was tossed around his feet as he sprinted towards the smoke, casting away his dagger and calling into ce arger, far-reaching weapon: a winged spear lengthier than his own body.

    As he arrived within striking distance, seeing something within the smoke moved, he pulled his spear back, seeing out of the corner of his eye that he wasn''t alone; the glow of radiant light from Charlotte''s spell-infused de arrived from the right.

    With a thrust of the spear, the tip carried with it the blessing of the wind, casting away the blinding smoke. He watched as the smog faded and the weapon''s point narrowly missed the beast''s body as it leaned itself to the side.

    As it moved its body, the beastman used its leg tomand its reach, using the end of its w to scrape across the assassin''s chest. It cut right through the fabric of his uniform,cerating the skin beneath.

    "Hff!" Finn let out, flinching as he moved back.

    Charlotte swept her de, casting an arc of light towards the knees of the nimble swordsman, yet it performed a flip in the air, jumping right over the spellde with quiet grace.

    Finn watched the beastmannd right behind the woman, yelling out, "Charlotte!--"

    Right as he flexed his body with the intent to warp in front of the Forgotten Beast''s de, a buzz in the air intercepted the white-maned wolf''s strike¨C

    Bzz. Bzz.

    A pair of round objects flew through the colosseum, pointing their dual barrels down at the beast before opening fire. shes from the muzzles carried an array of electric shots that forced the creature to jump back while using its de to block the storm of bullets.

    Finn looked around, confused at the steel-forged, flying objects that swooped in, though found the one responsible for their creation¨C

    CLANG

    At one end of the grim colosseum, the shirtless man caked in sweat brought his hammer down as its steel was coiling with electricity, "Keep ''eming!" Ramon shouted with a burning smile.

    Bringing the hammer down then raising it again gave rise to bits and pieces of metal being connected by the strands of electric power, forming a miniature drone that immediately chased at the beast.

    ''Right, that guy is a Maester¡­That''ll be helpful,'' Finn thought as he ran over to the side of hispanion.

    There was visible distress on Charlotte''s face as she steadied her breathing, keeping her de raised as the infusion of light dissipated.

    "Are you alright? Can you keep fighting?" Finn asked.

    Charlotte took a moment to answer, gulping down, "Yeah. I can¡­Don''t worry about me. I''m fine. What about you? You''re bleeding!"

    "Nothing I haven''t dealt with plenty of times already," Finn assured her, feeling the cut spanning his chest as the adrenaline in his body dulled any pain.

    Amidst their brief discussion, the drones that kept the beastman upied onlysted for a sparse string of seconds. The spray of covering fire was quickly swept through as the cloaked creature leapt up, using its sword and ws to destroy the mechanical inventions.

    Only one of the rune-powered drones remained, only to be caught within the snapping jaws of the sword-wielding wolf.

    "Oh no! Dammit!" Ramon watched, tugging at his own hair.

 Chapter 69: Unwinnable Battle

    As the beastman spit out the bits-and-pieces of metal, it was confronted by the unending persistence of the crusher again.

    Seung dropped down from above, mming his gauntlet down like a meteor descending with golden light. Descending with such intensity, the star-like impact crashed right against the beastman''s sword.

    The Forgotten Beast didn''t seem to have the opportunity to dodge, using both of its hands to keep its ck de above its head to intercept the crusher''s descent.

    "Damn dirty mutt!" Seung shouted, continuing to drive down.

    A momentary stalemate; Finn among the others saw an opportunity to strike while the beastman was kept in a deadlock. He sprinted in, though immediately felt a change in the air whening within a few meters¨C

    "Get back, you idiots!" Seung yelled.

    ["Blistering Starpower"]

    From the brightly-shining knuckles of the gauntlet, a scattering of blows manifested,ing from the other swung fist of Seung. It brought down dozens of colossal impacts at once, causing waves of sand to rise and fall, rupturing the battlefield with bludgeoning light.

    "Shit!--" Jasper shouted, raising his shield.

    The monk used his own arms to protect himself, being blown back, "Nrgh!"

    Finn had ample time to react, slipping back as he watched the crusher''s self-centered assault cause the colosseum to rumble. It was frustrating to experience, though he couldn''t deny that among them all, Seung had the greatest strength.

    Amidst his barrage, the golden-haired crusher flipped around,nding his foot on the beast''s de before leaping back up, "--I''ll crush you! Right here!"

    ["Era End"]

    Finn witnessed a star rise into the void in the form of the crusher himself, rearing his fist back. The action called upon the construct of a gargantuan, gold-matter meteor that loomed above the colosseum.

    Like a convergence of sr winds like that of the Aurora Borealis, the gilded meteor born at the authority of Seung''s fist cast down a golden light on the arena.

    It was a disy of power daunting, presenting dismay to those who believed only the beast to be a danger to them.

    Ember clutched her stave close to her shirt while looking up, "That''s¡­That''s a meteor?!"

    "What the hell is that guy doing?! Is he trying to kill us all!?" Magnus shouted.

    Standing atop the dazzling sphere of great mass, Seung brought his hand back before striking the meteor from above. As if using it like a vastly oversized volleyball, the crusher sent the gold crashing down.

    Finn watched as the massive chunk of shining mass came down, feeling the weight of it as the ground rumbled and the air vibrated.

    "Get back! Get out of the colosseum!" Finn shouted, pointing at the entrance as he signaled everybody else.

    Nearest to the entrance were Magnus and Ember; the cannoneer mmed his weapon against a closed-off wall, finding it shut.

    "It''s gone! The entrance¡­!" Magnus shouted.

    "No!¡ª" Ember shook her head.

    Finn bit his lip while thinking amidst the intense situation, watching as the others thought the same.

    As the golden meteor fell, Jasper lended his shoulder to a wounded warrior; Charlotte clutched her de as though considering what could be done.

    All of that only to witness the cloaked beast leap in the air, rising to intercept the falling mass directly.

    The beast dragged its foul de through the wind; such ferocious strength caused the air to hiss as it struck the descending meteor head on.

    From the surface, Finn witnessed a perfect line carve across the golden object before it split apart into two, perfect parts.

    ''¡ªIt cut it?'' Finn witnessed.

    It a horrific disy of strength from the beastman only further cemented the feeling of dread in those that witnessed the fantastical act.

    The wind pressure that exuded from the sword''s edge traveled upward, cutting into the shoulder of the crusher.

    Seung gritted his teeth, not at the pain that he entirely ignored, but at the futility of his strength.

    "To hell with that!" Seung shouted, sharply descending while cocking back one fist.

    While the man of golden hair stared down the cloaked beast amidst their descent, he struck his gauntlet against the wind.

    ["Bellow of The Mighty"]

    The strike that hit the sky caused a rippling force to reach the two halves of the meteor. The split mass was burst into golden fragments, sharply raining down upon the beast.

    "Ahh!" Ember yelled, tucking her head into her arms amidst the downfall of meteoric shards.

    "Don''t just stand there, ya idiot!" Ramon shouted, raising his hammer.

    The Maestro forged arge, t mechanical familiar, resembling that of a manta ray, using its great reach to act as a cover for those around Ramon.

    While Magnus and the monk were close enough to take cover beneath the Maestro''s makeshift barrier, Finn found himself caught right in the middle of the battlefield, finding Charlotte in the same predicament.

    "Hey! Move!" Finn called out while running towards the spellde.

    Charlotte nodded her head, moving with him, though it seemed far toote as the glistening shards of golden meteor rained down. Each piece that struck the ck sand erupted with a daunting impact, causing a ripple of explosive force.

    As he ran right behind Charlotte, the air flexed for a moment before a sh of gold struck down right in front of them¨CFWOOM. It crashed down with such force that it knocked the young woman back, right against his chest.

    "Gotcha!" Finn called out.

    "Nrh¡­Sorry¨C" Charlotte quickly straightened herself out.

    Before another step could be taken, he found himself looking up in unison with her as a golden shard came down right above them. In that split second, Finn reached out to her, questioning if he could manage to move fast enough if he pulled her along with him.

    ''Can I do it? Can I make it?'' He questioned.

    CLANG

    "--Made it!"

    That relieving ent met Finn''s ears like a delight in the chaotic battlefield, finding the safety of a shield held above himself and Charlotte.

    The spellde found herself at a loss for words at the splendid timing of the knight, "Jasper?"

    Jasper held his ground, having to stand on his tippy toes, reaching up as high as he could to cover them with his shield, "Don''t just stand there, mates! Do that copy thingy, Finn!"

    "Right¨C! Thanks!" Finn focused again, bringing his hand against the back of the shield, "--Replication!"

    A copy of the shield was forged into his grip, holding it up alongside the knight to alleviate the pressure on him. As the meteoric shower was endured, a colossal weight crashed down only a few meters ahead of them¨C

    The ck-furred beastman was covered in wounds from the golden downpour, its cloak left in tatters as blood leaked from its injuries, though it did not fall.

    "Shit, it just looks angry now," Finn quietly said.

    That glint in those scarlet eyes of the beastman as it dripped its ckened blood onto the sand sent a chill down his spine.

    Before the beast could approach, a golden fist descended from above.

    "Hraaaah!¡ª" Seung shouted out.

    The aerial blitz from the crusher was swiftly intercepted by the beastman''s de, colliding with the gauntlets of Seung. Like a fly, the golden-haired man was flung down, crashing against the walls of the colosseum.

    Its attention returned to the knight, spellde, and assassin, taking a single step before¡ªBOOM.

    A barrage of explosive cannonballs and me spells crashed towards the beast, forcing it on the defensive.

    Finn looked over at the source of the assault, finding the cannoneer and mage responsible.

    "Keep it up!¡ª" Magnus shouted, firmly nting his feet down while firing off.

    The words of strict encouragement were given to the meek mage, who kept her spells firing from her staff, "I am¡­!"

    It was a perfect opportunity to prepare himself as Finn looked over at hispanions.

    "Charlotte, Jasper¡­Can I trust you two to keep its aggression on you? If you can, I''ll be able to get a killing blow, I think," Finn said, ncing down at his bleeding chest.

    "That''s a big ask, mate, but I''ve got your back," Jasper imed, having to move his arms around as if coaxing his confidence to stay.

    "I can do it¨Cjust take it down," Charlotte said, looking right at the assassin.

    Finn nodded, "It''ll work." He assured them.

    ["Turn Shadow"] [2:59]

    Sinking into the darkness, he hid from the sight of the bloodthirsty beastman, watching as he swam in the unseen element.

    It was amidst the suppressing fire of the cannoneer and mages efforts, alongside the drones of the maestro did the Forgotten Beast run across the walls of the colosseum with frightening agility. As the fire chased at its heels, the daunting sword-beast lunged the rest of the distance, aiming its malice right for the mage.

    "Eek!--" Ember flinched, shutting her eyes.

    CLANG

    "--Nrgh!"

    The trembling, young woman found herself unharmed as in front of her stood the cannoneer, using his massive weapon as a makeshift shield.

    Even so, it did not entirely stop the length of the beast''s de, causing aceration to carve across the man''s chest, reaching up to carve against his chin.

    "You''re hurt!" Ember shouted in dismay.

    "Focus¡­or we''re all dead!" Magnus said through gritted teeth as blood sprayed from his wounds.

 Chapter 70: Fire and Blood

    The unstoppable beast brought its mouth close to the wounded cannoneer''s face, parting its jaws as its foul breath exuded against him; reeking of spoiled meat and blood. All Magnus could do was stand there, trembling as he bled out, watching as the malicious one slid its de across his cannon, preparing for a second strike¨C

    "Hraaah!"

    A bash of a shoulder came from the fur-coated wearing man of pale, scarred skin. The swift, sharp blow knocked right against the beastman''s abdomen, causing it to slide back several meters.

    "You!" Magnus said, looking at the monk''s back.

    Isaak stood there with his fists ready, flexing his body as his muscles swelled with dignified, faithful strength, "Keep it up! We can do this!--"

    The words of encouragement amidst the bloodbathed colosseum were intervened as the monk found himself immediately lunged at by the beastman. There was no time to move, as the Forgotten Beast did not use its sword, instead snapping its jaws around the monk''s body.

    "Shit!--" Magnus shouted.

    The size of the jaws allowed the cloaked predator to envelop the entire torso of the scarred monk, only leaving his neck untouched.

    "I''m¡­fine! I can take it!" Isaak said through gritted teeth, assuring the others.

    ["Temple of Flesh"]

    The monk flexed his body to an extraordinary degree, allowing his muscles to harden like that of steel as the beast''s fangs were stopped from piercing too deep. As the fangs dug into his flesh like nails, the man breathed in while grabbing hold of the beastman''s jaws, attempting to pry them apart.

    "Nggraaah!" Isaak roared, summoning all of the strength he could.

    Perhaps a mere inch, he made them budge, but it only allowed the beast to bite down harder, digging in further.

    The closest that was able to still move quick enough was the maestro, mming his hammer right against the head of the beastman.

    "What''s this thing''s skull made out of?! Diamonds?!" Ramon called out, stumbling back as his hammer waspletely rejected, not so much as earning the beast''s attention.

    Another scream of pain left Isaak''s lips as the fangs now bit down freely, leaving no time for the others before the monk would be torn apart.

    Yet, the teeth were stopped from feasting upon Isaak''s body¨C

    A pair of gauntlets apanied the monk''s desperate grip, pulling at the top of the beast''s jaw.

    Seung stood there,nding atop the cloaked one''s snout as he yanked upward without any mercy, leaking blood from his own nose with a bruised eye and shoulder, "Damn mutt¡­!"

    It was a surprise to see the reckless crusher actuallymitting to lending his strength to the aid of another, even if the golden-haired man seemed more focused on inflicting harm to the beast. The maestro lended his hammer, using it as a lever stuck between the creature''s jaws to help further part them. It was thatbined force of the three men that finally freed Isaak from its bite.

    "Haah¡­!" The monk stumbled back as blood leaked from the holes in his body.

    Ramon stepped back as well, leaving the beastman to spin around and shake its head to try getting the one who still held onto it off.

    Like a cowboy trying to remain on the back of a raging bull, Seung remained on the beast''s head, digging his fingers into one of its nostrils as a hold, "I''ve got you now!"

    It was an unorthodox way to disrupting the beast''s rampage, though it allowed everybody to approach, preparing to strike until¨C

    The beast''s chest puffed up as if swelling with air; its fur stood up as electricity ran across its body. It cocked its head back with the gauntlet-wearing man still holding on, opening its mouth as a howl was released.

    The bestial call emitted with a mystifying force, bringing with it a current of debilitating electricity.

    "Ah¨C" Seung let out, going stiff as he fell from the beast''s body.

    It was the same for all that listened to the all-epassing howl; it brought all of the survivors unmoving like statues, left as unmoving as old stone. There wasplete silence as the beast''s call; those that were paralyzed by it couldn''t so much as move their lips or tongues.

    The bloodthirsty beastman set its malice towards the crusher who was left motionless on the ground. It raised its ursed de, looming it over Seung while looking down at the man as if relishing the position it left them in.

    Finn emerged from the shadows behind the beast, even if he felt it was an action that ced his life in far too much risk.

    ''Shit¡­I was the only one not caught? I couldn''t hear it when moving in the shadows¡­I''m the only one that can do anything right now, then,'' he reasoned.

    Rather than approaching the lethal beastman directly, he kept his distance while manifesting something to steer its attention from skewering the others.

    ["Throwing Knife"] [Mana: -100] [1800/2200]

    He watched as the tossed de only bounced right off of the beast''s cloaked back, though sessfully bringing it to turn around. The blood in his veins turned to ice as he found those glistening eyes locking onto him, listening to the grains of sand be pushed as its colossal greatsword was dragged.

    ''I have to hold my ground here¡ªall I have to do is buy some time. I can do that much, can''t I?'' Finn questioned.

    He backed away until witnessing the cloaked beast suddenlyunch into the air, leaping towards him. The way it moved so swiftly, going from simply standing in one spot to crossing half the colosseum in a leap looked to him as if it "skipped frames" as though a video being forwarded.

    Waiting just before itnded as the shadow of the beast cast itself over him, he lunged forward, rolling right beneath the cloaked predator as its de crashed down into the sand.

    "Huu¨C" Finn sharply breathed out between his lips as he jumped to his feet.

    A single nce back found him not even a second of freedom; the beast was already turned around, swinging that harrowing de at him. He bent his knees, ducking down as he watched the sable sword pass right over his head; a trail of death followed it in the air.

    Just as he ducked, he found himself having to jump up as another swipe came low for his legs. As his boots met the sound, his eyes locked onto the beast, he was ready once again; an overhead m brought him to flip to the side just as the colossal weapon crashed down.

    Finn watched as sand scattered like unruly waves amidst a storm at sea, gathering himself for but a fleeting moment.

    ''It''s unbelievably fast, and even more aggressive. Being thatrge with a sword that huge¨Cit can swing it around unnaturally; I can''t blink,'' he thought.

    The sand rumbled as the beast threw itself towards him again, sweeping its de in a violent arc. He flicked his dagger right past it, slipping the projectile through its legs.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1700/2200]

    As he crossed the distance of the battlefield, catching his thrown dagger, he spun around as his boots slid across the dark grains. A skip of his heartbeat came as he met eye-to-eye with the bloodlusted gaze of the beast, finding it no more than a meter away from him in that split-second.

    ["Impervious"] [4:59]

    Out of reflex as he felt his own life out of his hands, he d himself in the fleeting, golden light just as the beast swept by him, opting to use its ws rather than its de in that moment. Though he negated being wounded, the strength behind the cloaked one''s blow caused him to stumble back, having to turn as the beast drifted right behind him.

    There wasn''t a single opening for him to counterattack, as the relentless beastman pressured him every moment.

    ''How long are they paralyzed?! I can''t keep this up!--'' Finn thought, flipping himself backwards as the de chased him.

    He ran up the ckened, stone walls of the colosseum, jumping into the stands. Right behind him, the beast followed, needing only a single leap to crash down onto the seats.

    The far-reaching strides it took while sweeping its de caused the stands to be carved apart while the assassin moved back.

    "Shit," Finn quietly remarked, finding his back to a wall.

    As the beastman closed in, a glimmer of golden light shined from behind it. The speed at which the force arrived brought Finn to jump to the left just as the beastman moved to the right.

    mming right against the back wall of the stands with his fist shattering the stone seams was the reckless crusher.

    "Almost had it!" Seung called out angrily at himself as he removed his massive gauntlet from the wall.

    With the sword-wielding beast enacting its full wrath now, Finn set his sights back on the grounds of the arena, hopping back down.

    Everybody else seemed to being back from their paralyzation, just in time as the Forgotten Beast mmed down in the center.

    "I can move again¡­" Magnus remarked, picking himself up.

    "That was scary," Ramon added, rolling his shoulders.

    Finn stood beside Seung, whonded right beside him. There was something about the presence of the gauntlet-wearing man that was suffocating. It felt like standing beside a wild animal, that a single wrong move would turn that violence his way.

    "You''re pretty good. The only person here worth a damn in a fight," Seung remarked, smacking his gauntlets together as his eyes remained on the beast.

    "Thanks?" Finn said with a raised eyebrow, ncing over.

    They were both bruised and bloodied, though the beast was left in the same state.

    Its aggression had halted as it stood there with an eerie restraint.

    Charlotte stood beside Finn, keeping her sword enchanted with fire, "What''s it doing?"

    "Do you see that, mate?" Jasper asked as he kept his ground with them.

    Finn saw it clearly; the blood that leaked from the beastman''s wounds did not fall onto the sand. It left the forgotten one''s body in a scarlet vapor, clinging to the ck de it wielded so gracefully.

    "I think it''s getting serious now," Finn observed hesitantly.

    "It wasn''t before? Give me a break mate," Jasper tiredly sighed.

    The beast tore away its own cloak, unveiling its ckened fur that had shimmered with stripes of blood, glistening with scarlet malice.

    Seung seemed more than happy with this change, mming his gauntlets together as they sparked, "--This is getting good! My heart is singing!"

    "It wasn''t before, mate?" Jasper said once more.

 Chapter 71: Unavoidable

    Cannonfire, spells, and a storm of bullets came from those who preferred to battle from a range, bringing the beastman to begin moving with rapid lunges, flipping around the colosseum. All the while it dodged, it swiped its de, casting arcs of the blood vapor wildly through the arena.

    Finn flipped around, sliding between the array of crimson shes just as the beast crashed back down.

    It was immediately confronted by a rush from both the crusher and monk; a palm struck its abdomen while a fist mmed against its snout.

    ["Tranquil Push"]

    Isaak''s well-centered thrust of his palm knocked the wind out of even the mighty beast.

    ["Skull Rattle"]

    With glee behind the blow, Seung pushed his armored knuckles against the beastman''s bloodied nose, knocking it back with a concussive strike that knocked its brain around its skull. As the colossal, furred berserker was sent stumbling back with a crooked stance, an assault of cannonfire and ming magic befell it¨CBOOM.

    Between the buildup of fire, the smoke and embers were cast away as blood-born shes shrieked out in every direction. The beast thrashed, covered in burns and boils as it almost seemed to perform a chaotic dance.

    "Behind me!" Jasper shouted, holding his shield up.

    ["Stance: Bulwark"]

    Only Charlotte and Ember were able to get behind the knight''s protective shield, leaving the others to endure the storm of scarlet evisceration.

    The monk flexed his body, holding his arms out as he nted himself firmly down, not even attempting to protect his own flesh as he allowed the swarm of shes toe.

    "Haaah!--" Isaak shouted, bracing himself with his steel-like muscles.

    Finn moved forward while jumping from side-to-side, using evasive maneuvers while using the rampage to draw closer. He wasn''t alone in such a reckless strategy, as Seung moved forward with his gauntlets held up as a makeshift barrier.

    The yell of Magnus could be heard from behind, "Get back, you idiots! Do you have a death wish?!"

    Despite the warning, Finn ducked beneath a passing arc of scarlet, fixing his gaze right on the beast''s head. He knew well enough his strikes wouldn''t be sufficient in harming its incredibly tough body, aiming for a more susceptible spot:

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He brought himself right onto the beastman''s head, plunging his dagger into its left eye without an ounce of mercy. It brought a halt to the flurry of blood-infused shes as the beast let out an agonized howl.

    Finn plucked his dagger out of the skewered eyeball, jumping off right as the crusher pushed forward with a radiant blow.

    ["Heavenly Strike"]

    "Nice one!" Seung shouted his passingpliment while pushing his gauntlet right against the gut of the beast.

    The pure strength behind Seung''s impact threw the beast against the back of the colosseum. It tried immediately lunging forward in retaliation, losing all human grace as it ran on all fours like a mindless animal.

    As the beast''s gaze focused only on the crusher in the moment, it failed to notice the young woman who had invaded its space.

    Charlotte swung her sword, empowering it with the swiftness and ferocity of lightning as the beast passed right by. One of the beast''s hands was cleanly removed by the swipe, sending it recoiling before it jumped back.

    For the first time, it showed fear as it ced space between itself and the survivors, only that the sparse amount of safety it believed itself to have was quickly met with a volley of cannonfire.

    Magnus stepped closer, dripping with a mixture of sweat and blood, "Ember, right?! Release everything you have now! If we don''t finish it here, we might not get another chance¨C!"

    ["Draco Beam"]

    The condensedser of magical energy shot out from the cannon, chasing at the limping, half-dead beast.

    The nervous mage gulped down, speaking quiet gibberish for a moment before epting her role, "Alright, Magnus¡­!"

    A swirl of bright-blue mes encircled the young woman, bringing her bangs away from her resolved, amber eyes,

    ["Flight of The Everburning"]

    From the wave of the mage''s stave, the cobalt fire took the form of soaring birds, crashing into the beastman''s position. Each of the elemental avians exploded into a disy of red-hot fireworks, releasing a roar of mes that intertwined with the pained howls of the ck-furred sword-wielder.

    The rampant volley was aided by the maestro, who mmed his hammer to give artificial life to stationary railguns.

    ["Hellfire Atomizer"]

    "Fire away!" Ramon shouted.

    Each of the magic-born weapons of mechanical construction fired off pules of fiery energy, adding to the explosions.

    The continuous barrage settled, leaving the others to rush the smoke-enveloped beast as it was left teetering by but a thread of life.

    "Let''s finish it¨Cnow!" Finn shouted while running in.

    "Don''t boss me around!" Seung yelled back.

    As they all closed in, the billowing smoke was cast away as the bloodied, torn beast was revealed; its flesh was burnt and peeled, yet the ruthlessness embedded in its eyes did not fade.

    A sinking feeling made itself known as Finn came to a stop, with Jasper and Charlotte doing the same with trust in his intuition. The same couldn''t be said for Seung, though the reckless man was grabbed by the wrist.

    Isaak gripped the crusher''s hand, "Hold on! Something isn''t right!"

    The golden-haired, selfish fighter yanked his hand away, "The hell''re you talking about?! It''s just about de¨C"

    At that moment, all words were squelched by what was felt in the air; a palpable bloodlust made itself known, as if they were already within the jaws of such a merciless beast.

    Like erratic strands of electricity, the visceral bloodshed out at any that tried to draw closer, whipping through the sand.

    All of the blood that leaked from the beast turned to a vibrant vapor, extending the reach of its ursed weapon into a twisted, uncanny form. It brought its stubbed arm to its weapon, letting the abundance of blood fuel the malice of the sword.

    The primal creature that previously reverted to its beasthood now stood straight despite its many wounds, raising its sword in front of its body with a pose like that of a revered knight.

    A single stride forward, the beast of grace spun itself around, carrying with its movement a wave of scarlet force. It rotated into an unruly tempest of blood; a storm of evisceration that expanded and stretched out.

    What met the ears of those that remained in the colosseum was an ominous sound; a whistle in the wind that crescendoed, rising from a whisper to that of a raging cry.

    "Get back!"

    "Move!"

    Finn moved back with the others, though as he watched the expanse of sharpened scarlet, it became clear that it would soon fill the entirety of the arena; a pit of death.

    Against the wall, they each pressed their backs as all avenues of escape were sealed off within the ursed dome.

    "What do we do?!" Ember asked.

    The scarlet torrent inched closer and closer, leaving less than a third of the arena surface left.

    "Shit¡­Any ideas?!" Ramon yelled.

    "None!" Magnus shouted back.

    Panic set in as they each watched the encroaching force of utter destruction grow closer by the second, causing a spray of sand to shoot outward constantly.

    Finn stood there with bated breath, feeling the back against his wall as he nced at the young woman at his side. As their eyes met, he couldn''t find anything to say, finding his mind racing for any solution.

    ''Is this really how it ends? After all of this? That can''t be right, can it?'' He thought.

    The dreadful stance taken by them all was disrupted as something changed; somebody stepped forward, approaching the beast''s storm.

    Finn watched the man in the fur coat stand just a few steps ahead, not knowing if he merely epted death or sought to challenge the force that could not be fought.

    "Isaak?" Magnus called out.

    "The hell are you doing, idiot! You''re gonna get turned into mincemeat!" Seung shouted.

    Silence followed as the scaryered man did not respond, only grasping the ivory cross that hung from his neck.

    "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners," Isaak calmly prayed, unflinching as the veil of death inched closer. "In the face of the end, I am unafraid. It is your guiding warmth that grants me strength. Oh, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, watch over me."

    The prayer was finished as the stoic man crossed himself for onest blessing. It was an act that baffled those who watched.

    "That guy, is he¡­" Finn mumbled, taking notice of what the man was doing.

    "What is it? Finn?" Charlotte asked desperately, clinging to the wall.

    As the beast''s tempest approached, cutting through the entirety of the arena, bringing those helpless few to brace for it, the devout man remained firmly facing it.

    Isaak spread his arms as if weing it, closing his eyes as he drew in a breath before parting his eyelids once more, cementing the unbreakable resolve he held.

    The scarlet torrent arrived, reaching the farthest wall as Finn found his vision entirely consumed by the innumerable shes.

    Yet, he did not experience pain; not a single wound appeared on his body, even as he could feel the presence of the countless eviscerations. As he looked to his side, he found the same for the others, who were equally perplexed.

    There was only one person who experienced the beast''s wrath; the only one who did not look away.

    ["Solitude of The Martyr"]

 Chapter 72: Convergence: Complete

    ["Solitude of The Martyr"]

    Across the entirety of the man''s body, the endless cuts swept past his skin, past flesh, through bone.

    "A Monk¡­Isaak is a monk, isn''t he?" Finn asked.

    "Yeah¡­" Magnus confirmed, a few meters to his right.

    Finn realized what he was witnessing, watching as the man alone was subject to the lethal torrent, "He''s redirecting it¡­All of the damage¨Che''s redirecting everything to himself."

    "What?!" Magnus responded in shock.

    "He''s doing that?--" Charlotte realized in tandem.

    The act of selflessness left those that would''ve faced certain death at a loss for words. Even as his body was cut down, brought down to his knees amidst the all-cutting disaster, the man of faith did not let go of his ne.

    It onlysted a few moments once filling the entirety of the arena before the scarlet storm faded away.

    "--"

    There was a silence as the sight of the one who endured death for all the others was seen; the man was unrecognizable, left drenched in blood with his life snuffed out.

    "He''s¡­" Charlotte said.

    "Yeah," Finn confirmed.

    The first to move with a sudden burst forward was the crusher, whose intensity shook away the silence all at once, "C''mon! Don''t waste this damn opportunity!" Seung shouted.

    Sure enough, the beast was left barely hanging on itself, stumbling over from what was likely an exhausting technique.

    It lunged towards them, nearly falling over in the process as the ck de was swung. Finn began to move to evade, though found no need to.

    CLANG

    Jasper stepped in front, mming his foot down as his shield stopped the sword dead in its tracks, "Go!¡ª"

    All at once, Finn leapt up with his dagger reared back, knowing the spellde and crusher were right there with him. The beast,yered in such wounds of its own, breathed hard with little strength left itself.

    A fist to its chest; ming shes to its legs; the beast was bombarded by their unified assault, bringing Finn tond atop its head.

    There was nothing left to do but plunge his dagger down as if staking a g into unmarked territory, bringing it down with a vapor of death:

    ["The Art of Dying"] [59:59]

    Into the weakened beast''s skull, the de nted itself, imbuing into it the aspect of lifelessness. He ced his entire weight behind the blow, practically throwing his whole body down onto the top of its head as he made sure there was no effort spared in iming its left.

    "....Ruuuuu¡­" The beastman let out a whimper as it fell to its knees.

    ["Forgotten Beast defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x10,000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +100,000]

    [Level thirty reached!] [10000/55000]

    [Assimted ability from [Forgotten Beast]: "Blood de"]

    [New Skill(s) Obtained: "Death Flurry"]

    As he sat there for a moment with his knees pressed atop its skull, watching as the ckened blood oozed from where his dagger was stuck into its head, he breathed out. There was a sense of palpable relief from them all as he hopped down, looking over at the others who were just as wide-eyed and out of breath as he was.

    "Is it dead? Like, actually dead?" The nervous question came from Ember, who didn''t dare approach even the carcass of the beast.

    The maestro stepped closer, tapping his hammer against the unmoving head of the ck-furred creature, "Yup. Seems pretty dead to me."

    Finn stood there, looking at the in beast before finding his ownpanions regrouping with him, as Charlotte sheathed her sword and Jasper let out a sigh of relief.

    "I''m not sure how I''m still in one piece, mate," the knight remarked, patting down his own hoodie to confirm that he wasn''t mistaken.

    "I''d say it was entirely our effort to be thankful for that, but¡­" Magnus said, looking back at the price that was paid for their victory.

    The bloodied, knelt corpse of the monk remained on the sand; a sight that invoked a sense of gratitude, yet guilt at the same time.

    "If he didn''t step up there, none of us would be alive," Finn said.

    Only one person showed any resistance to that notion, incurring a scoff from Seung, who kicked the beast''s limp body, "I didn''t need anybody to save my ass. I would''ve been just fine."

    "Seriously? You know if it wasn''t for Finn earlier as well, you would''ve been toast," Charlotte spoke up, raising an eyebrow at the crusher.

    "I''ll admit that you helped out with that¨CI let my guard down there," Seung said, admitting some fault as he looked at the assassin. "But, I would''ve endured thatst attack. Something like that wouldn''t have brought me down."

    "Well, it would''ve taken me out. So, I''m thankful for what he did," Finn responded.

    [Convergence Callpleted.]

    [Proceed through the gateway to return to your original Tower.]

    The monotone, feminine voice yed through his head, though from the looks on the others'' faces, they seemed to hear it as well. Sure enough, where the entrance of the colosseum was, the doorway of mercury material appeared.

    "I guess that''s our ticket back," Ramon remarked, resting his hammer on his shoulder as he approached the gateway.

    "Yeah¡­I don''t want to stay in this ce any longer," Ember meekly shuffled towards it.

    Around the mercury portal, they stood in a bittersweet victory. It was hard to digest such a close win over death, though it was easy to be thankful for still breathing.

    "This is it then," Finn said. "You guys are across the world, I imagine."

    The presumption was pointed at those who weren''t in his party, looking at the maestro and mage specifically.

    Ramon nodded his head, tapping his hammer against his shoulder, "Separate ways and all that. I''m sure we''ll bump into each other again, if there''s another Convergence Call."

    "I don''t know if I''m going to be answering that call again, mate. One might be enough for a lifetime," Jasper remarked.

    The knight''s duress at the idea of another brought augh from the maestro, who spoke with a slick, hispanic ent, "I can''t me you for that."

    "I feel the same¡­That was enough," Ember breathed out.

    Magnus added in, looking at the meek mage, "You did well nheless. Without each of ourplete efforts, none of us would''ve made it."

    Thepliments shared among the friendly aftermath seemed to sour the mood of the crusher, who scoffed as he pushed past the group.

    "I can''t listen to this bullshit anymore. See ya," Seung waved off, stepping through the gateway without a further word.

    The abrasiveness of the golden-haired man was a work of art in a way, something managing topletely squelch the conversation even in his now absence.

    "...On that note, I guess we should get going," Finn said.

    "That''s probably for the best," Charlotte agreed.

    Before setting forth through the spatial doorway, a firm handshake and fistbump was shared with Ember and Ramon respectively, unknowing if they would ever see one another again.

    As he stepped through the gateway right behind Jasper, the brief sense of weightlessness passed before he found himself right back in the marble interior.

    "Phew," Finn breathed out.

    Jasper came through right behind him, letting out a sigh as well, "And we''re back. I sort of missed this ce, actually. That''s bad, isn''t it?"

    "We weren''t exactly in paradise prior," Magnus responded.

    It still took a moment for Finn to adjust to being in the Bazaar, not yet shaking the adrenaline from fighting for his life mere minutes prior.

    "I see you all made it back safely, adventurers. I am d to see so," theplimentary greeting came from the silver-furred, boar-headed shopkeeper, who waited by his wares.

    While the others took a seat for a moment to regain their bearings, Finn took another look at what the shopkeeper sold. A ck, diamond-shaped crystal sat on disy of two halves connected by a core that shined with a tinumplexion.

    "That''s a Convergence Call, sir. It''s used to¨C" The shopkeeper exined.

    Finn interrupted him, lifting the valuable item, "I know what it is, I''ll buy it."

    "Great to hear!" The inhuman shopkeeper said.

    [Convergence Call: -10000] [12500]

    He stuffed the emergency item into his back pocket, knowing just how valuable it might be. As he gazed at the other items on disy, there was something that caught his eye; an object that wasn''t there before¨Ca porcin key.

    "What''s that?" Finn asked.

    The tusked, upant of the Tower answered, "A key. It costs ten thousand anarch."

    "I can see that. Tell me about it," Finn pressed, suspicious of the uninformative answer from the shopkeeper who usually overspoke to peddle his wares.

    "It is a key that can only be sold to those that have conquered the tenth floor," the Bazaar keeper vaguely exined, lifting the white-and-blue object up before pointing to the left.

    Looking towards where the shopkeeper was guiding his attention, Finn saw a door he hadn''t noticed before: a tall, white door of quartz with the presence of lions and dragons carved in its frame.

    ''That wasn''t there before, was it?'' He questioned.

    Charlotte stepped beside him, looking where he looked, "What''s up with that door?"

    "Dunno¡­Where does it lead?" Finn asked, looking back at the shopkeeper.

    "I cannot divulge that information," the boar-headed man said with a gruff. "All I can tell you is that this key opens it."

    Overhearing the conversation, the swede was not buying it in the slightest as he interjected his opinion, "This is aplete scam. Who is going to buy a key that expensive without knowing where it leads? It''s a rugpull."Magnus waved off.

    "I don''t know, mate. It could lead anywhere," Jasper added in, leaning against the shop counter. "A hot spring? Maybe a Ma''s? Infinite possibilities and all that, mate."

    "I don''t know about that," Charlotte responded.

    While looking at the mysterious key, Finn considered both sides of hispanions'' arguments, rationally seeing that it was a risk, but also unable to shake the feeling of curiosity. What brought itself to his mind was imagining what decision his lost friend would make.

    He imagined the sort of dumb, but convincing argument that Damian would make, who would likely purchase it without hesitation.

    "I''ll buy it," Finn dered.

    "What?!" Charlotte reacted.

    "I''m sorry, was a single word of what I said not heard? Did it go in one ear and out the other?" Magnus asked.

    Jasper shrugged with a bit of support, "Not a bad choice, mate. I would''ve done it, too¨Cbut, I like my coins a bit too much."

    The shopkeeper was more than ted to sell the item, handing it over as his snout twitched with glee, "Here you go, great patron!"

    [Anarch Coin: -10000] [2500]

    Finn held the key in his hand, looking at it closely before throwing it up and catching it as he turned towards the mysterious door.

 Chapter 73: The First Order

    "I fear what sort of financial decisions you made before the world went to hell," Magnus remarked.

    "It''s because the world went to hell that I''m making choices like this," Finn said, approaching the door with a slight smile, fond of his own choice. "Besides, remember what that old guy told us, Charlotte?"

    "I haven''t forgotten about that¨COliver," Charlotte recalled. "He said the Tower is likely the answer to everything, didn''t he?"

    "Yup. So, this will bring us one step closer," Finn said, holding the expensive key up as he stood in front of the enigmatic door.

    "I don''t know the man, but I feel like you''re twisting what he told you," Magnus added.

    "We''ll see," Finn brushed off the remark, shoving the object into the appropriate keyhole.

    Without having to turn it, the key turned itself as the inner mechanisms of the lock seemed to take it from there. A "click'' released before the circr, mechanical seal of sapphire bs unwound in the door, bringing it to open itself.

    Not knowing what to expect behind the exclusive doorway, what was found was an all-white room bearing only a well made of glistening, silver stone.

    "Now, what exactly is this?" Magnus'' skeptical nature shone itself without missing a beat.

    "Well, not entirely sure¡­" Finn honestly admitted, stepping closer to the well.

    "I''m not going to lie, mate, you might''ve gotten scammed. Happens to the best of us, chin up," Jasper assured Finn with a pat on the back.

    While Charlotte leaned over to inspect the wall, she pointed at the roof looming over it, "Hey, look."

    Finn looked up, sure enough finding there to be writing on the wall: "Submerge into First Order."

    "What do you reckon that means?" Jasper asked.

    "Submerge¡­Well, that can only really mean one thing here," Magnus remarked, looking towards the well.

    "It wants us to go into the well, but why?" Charlotte posed the question.

    Finn gripped onto the edge of the enigmatic well, peering into the unseen depths of the unmoving water, "Guess we have to find out, don''t we?"

    "Seriously? How have you survived this long?" Magnus asked as if offended by the idea.

    "I think they call this "Sunk Cost Facy"--listen, don''t mind the coins you spent on the key, mate," Jasper remarked.

    The young man was already halfway over the well''s edge, dipping one leg into it, "Follow me if you want, or don''t if you''re scared. I''m going in¨Cthe only way to get any answers is to reach out and grab them."

    With that, Finn took the dive, plunging himself right into the narrow well, finding himself sinking right into the chilly water. For a moment, it waspletely dark, though he found a glimpse of light peeking through the aquatic surface.

    In fact, it went from brisk to delightfully warm somehow, across a single moment. Natural instincts brought him to kick his legs and push his arms, swimming back up.

    "Haah!" He breathed in.

    Reaching for the walls of the well only brought him to p the surface of water as there was nothing to hold.

    "Huh?"

    A few blinks revealed to him that the white room he was in was not where he found himself, but instead floating in a fog-filled pond. Droplets fell upon his skin, bringing him to look up as he watched a downpour of rain.

    ''Where the hell am I? Is this what the purpose of that key was?'' Finn questioned.

    The edge of the pond was found only a few meters in front of where he emerged, climbing out as he ced his boots down on the rain-slick, muddy grass. Spending so long traversing the cities that reeked of death, his nose was pleasantly greeted by the refreshing aroma of dew.

    It didn''t appear to be outside the Tower, or rather, he truly had no clue where he stood, finding himself in a forestden with a gentle mist, overlooked by trees aged by time.

    In the far distance, visible even through the obscuring fog, a grand structure loomed; a castle that glistened beneath the grace of the sunlight.

    Before he could form a guess for where the well had spit him out, his focus was moved towards the ssh of water behind him.

    "Gah!"

    He found the young woman spitting out for air right in the same spot he emerged from, bringing him to extend his hand to hispanion, "Hey, Charlotte¨Cover here."

    Charlotte epted the helping grasp, being pulled out of the pond before gazing around, "Where are we?"

    At the same moment, another popped out from the water¨Cthe knight rose up with his arms iling.

    "A little help, mate!--" Jasper called out.

    "Jasper? C''mon," Finn said, leaning over to give his hand to the knight.

    A hand was lent by Charlotte as well, helping take the man who was a bit over-encumbered by his armor in the water, though it looked more like he couldn''t swim at all. Just as Jasper crawled ontond, thest emerged from the mystical pond:

    "Eugh¨C"

    Magnus came out, spitting out the water with a disgusted expression, quickly swimming his way out with a look of clear frustration. Drenched, the swede''s blonde tufts drooped like that of a wet dog, though Finn chose not to point that out to the clearly annoyed man.

    "Am I wasting my breath even asking where we are?" Magnus remarked with a quiet exhale.

    "Pretty much," Finn said. "Still figuring that part out."

    "Figured," Magnus said, shaking his head.

    "I think it''s safe to say we''re not back outside the Tower,'' Jasper said.

    "What makes you so sure of that?" Magnus asked.

    All the helmed man had to do was point up directly with a single word in response, "That."

    Finn tilted his head back to look along with the others, allowing the moist droplets tond on his cheek and nose as he peered up.

    The sky itself was absent. In its ce was a continent of its own, upside down with trees and their canopies of leaves swaying like stagnant clouds.

    "I see your point now," Magnus quietly conceded, standing in awe of the impossible sight.

    Finn looked over, finding Charlotte with her hands in front of her, utterly mesmerized by something.

    "What is it?" He asked.

    She had a smile fueled by child-like wonder, "The rain¨Cit''s going both ways, look."

    Sure enough, upon closer inspection, the downpour was also apanied by rain that ascended, retreating from the moist soil.

    "You aren''t lying¡­It is raining both ways, isn''t it?" Jasper remarked upon witnessing it.

    It was a perplexing phenomena, though Finn''s tired mind had seen more than enough not to be distressed by such an urrence.

    "Do you suppose this is a floor of the Tower? That''s the only conclusion I''m finding here," Magnus asked, ncing back.

    "I think it''s the most likely answer, though this ce seems like a world of its own," Finn said.

    "It was like that with the tenth floor, wasn''t it? That ce seemed massivepared to the first few," Charlotte remarked, wringing her hair dry of the pond water.

    "That''s true, but this is another level entirely," Finn reasoned.

    While they stood around trying to discern the enigmatd, the rustling of the bushes that hid behind the fog was heard clear as day.

    "Something ising," Magnus quietly warned, calling his cannon to his hand.

    With weapons drawn and focus set on a fight, Finn watched through the mist as a silhouette approached. It was a peculiar shape; a circr form, with arge, thin object carried alongside it.

    The approaching figure took slow, careful steps, though not seeming to attempt to hide their presence as each stride squelched the mud beneath.

    Through the mist, the silhouette revealed itself, standing only a couple meters away from the wary survivors.

    It was a person, or at least somewhat resembled one; a small woman with cerulean skin and plentiful hair that covered one eye. The only eye left uncovered more than made up for the other, as that crystalline, silver gem held an opulence to it as the stranger looked right at Finn.

    The peculiar girl had a turtle shell on her back,pletely covered in colorful flowers, though it wasn''t apparent if it was equipment or something more natural.

    "Greetings, adventurers," the petite woman spoke with a gentle voice, holding apletely ambiguous age, unknown if youthul or ancient. "Wee to the First Order."

    "First Order?" Magnus repeated.

    "Who are you?" Finn asked, not yet putting his dagger away.

    The hooded woman gestured for them to follow, "I am only known as the Mist Courier. A name is unnecessary in this dying world."

    Nobody took a step to follow the mysterious person, not so quick to trust one that was clearly not of their own world.

    The woman of peculiarplexion nced back, noticing theirck of follow, "I am no enemy of yours, adventurers. I can promise you that. All I am tasked with is giving you guidance within this First Order."

 Chapter 74: Warped World

    After a moment of consideration as he looked between the others, it seemed they all at least agreed the petite figure wasn''t dangerous.

    "Alright," Finn epted, opting to follow the turtle-shelled woman through the mist.

    "If she does anything odd, I''ll st her," Magnus whispered to them.

    Despite speaking quietly enough for his words only to be meant to the ears closest to the cannoneer, the Mist Courier nced back.

    "That would be only fair, yes," she said as if hearing him clearly from up ahead.

    Magnus acted as though he didn''t speak, while Finn quickened his pace a little to move closer to the peculiar guide. Through the fog, there was an unseen trail, passing through the abundance of crooked trees, though the turtle-shelled woman seemed to know her way around.

    "You called this the "First Order"--what is that?" Finn asked from behind the guide.

    "This world you see here," the Mist Courier softly spoke, tilting her head to look up at the sky ofnd as rain trickled both ways. "It''s fading away; a transient ce, not meant for eternity."

    "What''s that have to do with us?" Jasper further pressed.

    The Mist Courier nced back with her crystalline eye at those behind her, "The First Order is the initial obstacle for humanity. If you are able to ovee the First Over, this fleeting, wet world, then humanity will be one step closer to salvation. One step safer from the end."

    "Wait, what does that mean?--" Charlotte asked.

    Before any further answers could be given, the Mist Courier came to a stop as the fog revealed a destination in itself. It seemed to sprout from thin air; a small, humble house of pale wood amidst the veiled forest.

    "Come in," the Mist Courier weed, turning the handle of the door. "Your answers are not fleeting; you will have the opportunity to get them over a warm meal."

    "¡­That doesn''t sound too bad, right?" Jasper asked, patting his own stomach.

    "I don''t know," Magnus said, still holding his suspicions.

    Finn didn''t know which side he sat on, not sure if he could trust the guide quiet yet as he passed through the doorway of the small, forest-settled home. Stepping into what was hardly much more than a shack, only lightly decorated with a room or two, it settled in that he may very well be in a different realm entirely.

    ''The Tower¡­Just what even is it, if it holds even things like this?'' Finn wondered.

    "Sit," the Mist Guide insisted, seating herself at the end of the wooden table.

    It was a bit cramped, though Finn sat himself down, with Charlotte beside him and Jasper to his right, bringing Magnus sitting across. A quick nce around brought him to find peculiar trinkets on disy on the old shelves; jars holding glowing butterflies, vibrant powders, and even crystalline growths.

    "I take it thisnd is much different from your own?" The Mist Guide asked.

    "Right on the nose there, mate," Jasper confirmed.

    There were already bowls set on the table and a cauldron of piping-hot stew that smelled of meat and vegetables; an alluring aroma that one''s stomach could not deny. While the softly-spoken woman sat there, it was Jasper that figured that they weren''t going to be served, so he did it himself.

    "Cheers, mate," Jasper said, dumping a serving of the hot stew into his bowl.

    It was a bit odd to see the knight so nonchntly ept the meal amidst the peculiar circumstances, though Finn watched the others give in to the temptation of the warm aroma. Charlotte filled her bowl up, then Magnus, leaving Finn the odd one out as he finally went along with it as well.

    "Do not be shy," the Mist Guide assured. "Eat to your heart''s content. While you''re in this home, you''re safe from the outside. But once you leave, it is a cruel world out there."

    It hardly sounded any different from what the normal everyday life had be; a cruel reality was simply just reality at this point. Small creaks of the wooden floorboards came from each movement they made on their chairs, apanied by the constant rain outside that ran against the small home''s exterior.

    Finn watched as Jasper quickly started eating, dipping his spoon past the small opening in his helmet, though turned his attention back to the guide.

    "Are you from this ce? This world¨Cit''s part of the Tower, isn''t it?" Finn asked, staring right at the woman of blueplexion.

    "Everything is part of the Tower," the Mist Guide answered with an unmoving expression. "Your world is no different."

    "What''re you saying? The Towers only recently arrived," Magnus asked, putting his spoon down.

    "Yeah, that can''t be right," Charlotte said.

    Despite their doubts, the small woman remained with an expression unmoved by their disbelief, "The Towers themselves are gateways, tethering so many worlds into its boundless form. Your world was always a part of it, only the door only just opened."

    "Gateways? So, do you mean each of the floors¨C?" Finn began to ask.

    "Yes," the Mist Guide confirmed with a nod. "Each is a world of its own, perhaps an isted part of it, curated for your exploration, but a world nheless."

    "How high does it go? How many floors are there?" Finn asked, finding himself at the brink of many questions answered.

    Yet, as desperate for information as they were, the Mist Guide only shook her head softly, "That is something I am not privy to. I only know what few things I know, that is all."

    "Right¡­One answer, two more questions arise. I wonder if we''ll ever reach the truth," Magnus remarked with a sigh.

    "I''m not surprised in the least, mate. If anything, I''m grateful we got any sort of answer," Jasper said, tapping his spoon lightly against the wooden bowl.

    The sprinkles of information given by the mist-residing woman brought Finn to silence as he sat in the seat, looking up at the ceiling as the sound of rainfall lightly tapped against the other side. It felt so utterly vast, thinking of the countless realms tethered to the Tower, yet it only made him feel small; it was a suffocating feeling, one that made him wary of the scale of it all.

    "Finn?" Charlotte quietly called to him.

    He snapped back into focus, looking over at her, "Yeah? Sorry, just thinking." He said.

    "Yeah, I am too¨CI mean, can''t really not think about it, right? If we really are stepping into all these other worlds, just like ours, but different," Charlotte remarked.

    "It doesn''t change what we have to do," Finn said. "We have to reach the top."

    Magnus added in, turning the remark towards the guide, "Speaking of that, how does this ce factor into that? You said this "First Order" ce is an obstacle for humanity. How does our involvement here further our goal?"

    The Mist Guide sat there for a moment before resting her chin atop her hands, "Once you vanquish the lord of this fleeting realm, your world will receive a "Boon."

    "A Boon?" Jasper asked.

    "I cannot tell you what it will be, however, it will be a monumental blessing in aiding humanity as a whole," The Mist Guide answered. "An opposing force to that of an "Impact."

    "Something that massive? I imagine it can''t be easy, then¡­You said there''s a "lord" of this ce we have to defeat," Finn pointed out. "What''s that about?"

    The small woman pointed towards the circr window near the ceiling, which brought a glimpse of the glistening castle sat beneath heavenly light, "The one that must be vanquished resides there¨C"The Keep of The Storm King."

    "Some sort of Super Boss, by the sounds of it¡­" Finn mumbled, putting it into game terms for himself as he put his hand to his chin.

    "I don''t like the sound of that one bit, if I''m to bepletely honest here," Magnus said, scooting his seat back. "It might be best to return now. Just through the pond, right?"

    While the cannoneer was in a hurry to dismiss the objective given to them, beginning to stand from his seat, that notion was quickly shut down by the mystical guide.

    "I''m afraid that is not possible," the shelled woman said.

    "What? What''s not possible?" Magnus asked, sitting back down.

    The Mist Guide rified, as all eyes were now on her with such a pivotal revtion emitting from her lips, "Until the First Order isplete, those that enter cannot leave."

    "Seriously? That''s got to be some kind of joke, right? What am I even saying¡­of course that''s how it is," Magnus answered himself with a shake of his head.

    Finn could feel some of the sharpness of the swede''s words pointed at him, being responsible for leading the others into such a ce.

    "There is no rush. Take it at your own pace," the Mist Guide reassured them.

    After a hearty helping of stew and some time to digest what the situation was, Finn left the small home, stepping back outside alongside the others. The warped scenery of the world felt more encapsting, with that sky of trees looking down at him; it might as well be his new home for the time being.

 Chapter 75: Unseen Fiend

    "Sorry, guys," Finn quietly apologized, turning to face them.

    Charlotte lightly shook her head, "It''s not your fault anyway. I wanted toe here, too¨CI think we all did, really. Besides, this is one step closer, isn''t it?"

    "We''re here now and that''s what matters, mate. No regretting it¨Cnot like we would''ve been doing fuck all outside of the Tower anyway," Jasper added in.

    There was some hesitance from the tall, blonde-haired swede who ran his hand through his rain-slick hair to move it back, looking down at the assassin with mixed feelings, "I''m not going to tell you that you made the wrong choice, Finn. All I''m going to ask is that you take a step back and think things through before diving right in¨Cwith us."

    "Fair enough," Finn said. "I guess I was a bit excited about seeing what this was."

    "Well, as Jasper said, there is no point in wallowing over what''s happened. The reality is we''re here now," Magnus epted.

    The fog had yet to clear, remaining as dense as ever as did the two-sided rain. It didn''t seem as though the guide had anything left to give them, staying tucked inside the house. All that was there for any sense of direction was that faraway castle, like a cloud in the sky.

    "Ought to get moving then, mates," Jasper said, beginning the march as his boots sank into moist soil with each step.

    "I''m d to see some of us still have energy," Magnus tiredly followed along.

    "If you''re tired, take a nap then, mate. I''m sure that lovely she wouldn''t mind," Jasper said while looking back.

    Magnus kept moving while looking at the trees that neighbored the barely-visible trail, "I''ll pass on that."

    With such dense fog and the sound of constant rain, Finn was extra perceptive as he walked along the path, keeping his eyes and ears open for even the smallest sense of anything.

    "Do you think there''s anything in this forest? Monsters, I mean," Charlotte asked, walking beside him as she kept her hand near her scabbard.

    "I haven''t heard anything yet, but I''d say it''s a safe bet that there are," Finn answered.

    "Do any of you believe even for a second that there wouldn''t be monsters¨C" Magnus spoke up amidst stepping over a decaying log.

    The remark of the swede was intercepted as a vibration rippled through the mud; a sensation felt by each that stood in the fogden trail.

    There was not a word that needed to be exchanged as they each brought their weapons to their hands, standing back-to-back with one another. It was a small clearing in the misty forest,rge enough to make it feel walled in by the trees, if not for the narrow trail.

    "Do you see anything?" Magnus asked in a whisper.

    "Nothing, mate," Jasper quietly answered.

    Finn remained silent, choosing not to try too hard to peer through the white haze, but instead listening closely. It was faint; between the constant droplets of rain, it blended right in with that continuous.

    Yet, it was distinctly different; a subtle weight pushed down on the mud; it was something that certainly emphasized stealth.

    "--Huaaa!"

    The scream brought him to turn around as he witnessed the silver-helmed knight being thrown back like a sack of potatoes, being mmed against the tree.

    "Jasper!--" Charlotte called out.

    Finn rushed over alongside the spellde, lending a hand to theirpromisedpanion. Fortunately, the shield absorbed most of the impact, leaving Jasper only with a slight stumble as he was brought to his feet.

    Magnus remained on guard with his cannon ready to blow, only ncing back briefly, "What got you? Did you see it?!"

    "I¡­I didn''t see anything, mate. I don''t know what hit me," Jasper admitted, rubbing the exterior of his helmet.

    More than ever, the fog felt thicker and more suffocating; what lingered within it was surely still there, Finn knew that. Even more unsettling was the fact it didn''t pursue right away.

    "This isn''t some normal monster," Finn remarked, keeping his daggers raised in a stance ready to defend himself.

    "I could''ve told you that¡­!" Magnus responded, moving side-to-side, waving his cannon around with no discernible direction to point it.

    "It''s not that. It''s smart¨Cit''s being careful," Finn rified.

    Charlotte stepped forward, running her fingers along the surface of her de as trickling light followed the motion, "I''ll deal with this fog!--"

    ["Radiant Infusion"]

    The spellde''s ability caused her sword to be a beacon, pushing the glow through the mist in an attempt to part its veiling presence.

    "Good thinking!" Finnplimented, looking around as the mist was pushed back.

    Even so, there was nothing to be found around them; only the quiet trees amidst the heavy rain. Yet, he heard those subtle footsteps clearer than ever, closer than before, bringing him to tense up right then as he felt "something" close.

    "It''s!--" Finn tried to say.

    As he parted his lips, he found the bottom of his jaw being knocked against as if a force had struck it, disrupting his words as he was knocked right into the air. It felt as though a hammer had struck his chin, bringing his vision to blur for a moment as his brain was given an unruly stir.

    He flipped himself around before falling,nding on his feet nimbly as he found his chin bruised, though nothing standing where he was unmistakably hit.

    "Finn, are you alright¨C?" Charlotte asked, cing a hand on his shoulder with a worried look.

    Rather than lingering on the throbbing sensation that made his jaw ache, he pushed forth the thought he tried to push out before, "--It''s invisible!"

    "Seriously? Oh, man¡­I don''t like that," Jasper remarked, keeping his shield up, tucking himself behind it even more so as he turned side-to-side.

    "What should we do, then? If we can''t see it¨C" Charlotte began to ask.

    Once more, the invisible fiend made itself known as the spellde raised her sword just as something mmed right against it. The force behind the unseen blow brought the young woman to slide back several meters, unprepared for it.

    "Charlotte¨Cwait!" Finn called out beforeing to a realization upon feeling a ripple right behind him.

    Knowing there was nobody at his back, that unmistakable sensation of an approaching step only meant one thing.

    He instinctively ducked down, sliding his right foot as he spun himself around while swiping his dagger in an efficient motion. Without seeing anything, he confirmed it with his de as it sliced across what felt like flesh.

    As he performed the swift counter, the empty mist in front of him revealed a tall,nky creature with stone-gray skin and a face of empty eye sockets and an unnaturallyrge mouth with buck teeth.

    "¡ª" Finn didn''t flinch as the ck blood hit his face.

    There wasn''t a scream or cry from thenky humanoid, only a ghastly exhale.

    Its stomach was sliced openpletely, leaving the once unseen figure to copse onto the mud.

    ["Mist Lurker defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x250 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +1500] [11500/50000]

    [Assimted ability from [Mist Lurker]: "Camouge" 1 / 1]

    "Woah, shit!" Jasper said in surprise, witnessing the quick execution.

    Finn looked back, yelling out without wasting a moment, "There''s more than one! Stay alert!"

    The warning was confirmed as Finn turned to watch a strip of mud be flung up as a force struck the cannoneer.

    "Argh¡­!" Magnus let out as his back knocked against a tree.

    The sound of the lurking steps became more rapid, uncaring to be heard now as the fiends were now in full aggression. It was only throughplete defensiveness that Charlotte and Jasper remained on their feet as unseen strikes sought to fling them back.

    Finn kept moving, walking backwards as he heard those stepsing, bringing him to look towards hispanions. The mud pushed in near the spellde, being molded into the shape of a footprint right before him.

    Amidst the unease and paranoia of the invisible fiends, Finn shouted out, "The mud! Look at the mud¨Ctheir footprints!"

    The words of advice came to Charlotte as she looked down, discovering the mud being pushed in right in front of her. Using a thrust of her sword was not as efficient, she decided, notpletely sure of the fiend''s physique.

    Instead, she opted for a radiant sh, bringing her sword down in an arc¨C

    "Haaaaa¡­"

    The gray-skinned, slender stalker appeared with its body cleaved into, letting out its raspy exhale before copsing.

    "I got it!--" Charlotte shouted.

    "Nice!" Finn responded.

    ["Mist Lurker defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x250 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +1500] [13000/50000]

    The copsed corpse of the lurkernded right at the cannoneer''s feet, bringing the man to step back in disgust. As Magnus moved away, his back collided with another, prompting him to spin around with his cannon already ring up.

    "It''s just me, mate!" The desperate words came from the one behind him.

    Magnus exhaled with a sigh of relief, "Jasper¡­Don''t stand behind me in a situation like this, or I really will blow you away."

    "Yeah, yeah, not an empty threat with a trigger happy bloke like you, mate," Jasper mumbled with a perturbed exhale.

 Chapter 76: Nebulous Gate

    With the knight on high alert, Jasper watched the mud right in front of him as the rain trickled down, finally watching as it pushed in. Just as it did, he raised his shield while lunging forward¨CCLANG.

    Jasper steadied himself, locking his knees and pressing his shoulder against the shield as the unseen force failed to throw him back.

    "--Yeah, I''m ready for that this time, mate!" Jasper called out.

    ["Moonlight sh"]

    A bright-blue light engulfed the helmed, hoodie-wearing knight''s de as he shed it in front of himself, casting the visceral glow forth. Through the fog and slicing into the tree ahead of him, the sh revealed what it had gone through: the lurker''s camouge dissipated, leaving it falling over into two halves.

    "Nice!" Finn called out, keeping his daggers raised, watching his own direction.

    ["Mist Lurker defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x250 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +1500] [14500/50000]

    "I think there''s one more¨Cright?" Charlotte asked.

    As they each moved within the same clearing, it was the cannoneer that watched a section of the mud quietly cave in from between both the assassin and knight, leading to a pull of the trigger¨CBOOM.

    The cannonfire hit the drenched ground with a small, vtile impact, bringing Finn to jump back at the suddenbustion.

    "Hey!" Finn called out.

    Jasper raised his shield as mud sprayed from the point of impact, "--Again?!"

    Yet, the cannoneer''s shot proved effective, revealing one of the lurkers to be thrown back, smacking into a tree with a tattered body.

    ["Mist Lurker defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x250 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +1500] [16000/50000]

    "You''re wee," Magnus said, hoisting his cannon up as steam exuded from the barrel.

    "Would it kill you to give a warning when you''re about to shoot one hair away from my body, mate?" Jasper asked.

    Magnus brushed the remark aside, "Have I once hit you? I think it''s time you ept that my aim is impable."

    "When hell freezes over, mate," Jasper responded.

    There were no longer any footprints appearing nor the subtle sounds that came with it, only the overbearing mist and the rainfall that seemed to continue on endlessly.

    "We should keep moving," Finn said, "I doubt those are the only of those things in this area."

    "They weren''t all that bad once you realize what''s going on," Jasper chipperly remarked, tapping the dull side of his sword against his shoulder.

    "Let''s see, the trail is¡­" Charlotte lingered her words, looking down at the ground as she moved, as the mist had brought them to lose their sense of direction, "...Here."

    The only way to dictate the proper path was the small, decayed log that the spellde pointed out, which confused the others for a moment.

    "It''s a good thing you were keeping track. I definitely wasn''t," Finn said.

    Charlotte smiled, "I just kept a small mental note of this bush, that''s all."

    Deeper into the forest, the trail opened up from the busy forest to a cliffside trail, bringing them to cross along a narrow, cliffside trail that overlooked a foggy river a hundred feet below.

    "I wonder how long we''ll be hiking," Jasper said between breaths.

    "You''re free to shed that armor if you''re tired," Magnus yfully remarked with a serious expression.

    "...Nobody said anything about "tired"--just a bit bored of all this walking, is all," Jasper responded, picking up his pace again.

    Seeing the view of the misty forest below felt surprising to Finn, not feeling before as though they were at such high elevation.

    Amidst his steps along the tree-upied cliffside trail, Finn found a shadow passing over, followed by an inhuman call.

    What soared past brought them to a pause at the sight of the sky-dwelling creature.

    "What''re those?" Charlotte pointed out.

    "Birds?" Jasper half answered.

    It was devoid of feathers or talons,rger than any avian Finn had seen. What the flying creature of sleek, sapphire skin more resembled was a manta ray, yet unbound from the sea.

    The majestic creature didn''t seem to pay the visitors to the transient region any mind as it flew just beneath the sky of trees.

    "Let''s just hope it doesn''t have a taste for humans," Magnus remarked.

    Even if it wasn''t an actively malicious creature, the sight of an otherworldly entity of such magnitude stirred up thoughts of thend they found themselves in.

    Finn led the way along the trail, finding Jasper walking right beside him, ncing over as if intending to say something.

    "What''s up?" Finn asked.

    "I''m just wondering, mate," Jasper sincerely approached. "Do you think we''re out of our depth here? I''m just saying, frankly I''m still surprised I''m even alive after facing that beast before."

    "I get what you''re saying. The "lord" of this ce is going to be a much harder task than that, for sure," Finn responded.

    "That''s what I mean, mate. We''ve got no chance," Jasper said.

    "I agree, but that''s what our systems are for¨Cwe don''t need to rush anything. If we level up and grow stronger, we will be fine," Finn assured the knight.

    "I know, mate. Just wanted to make sure we''re on the same page is all¨Cmaking sure you''re being realistic here," Jasper rified.

    The pathway brought them out of the thickness of the mist, stepping into an open valley, away from the forest with the sights of lush grass and mountains in the distance. What stuck out was a sightpletely foreign from the stretch of nature that had been marched through: tall walls of stone, chiseled with craftsmanship unmistakable from one thing: human ingenuity.

    "Is that¡­a town?" Charlotte observed.

    "I''d say so," Magnus answered.

    Just by the sights of those walls amidst the grass valley, with a dirt trail leading to the front gates, it was assuredly a piece of civilization faraway from one he recognized.

    Finn watched from a distance, remaining wary, "Let''s not be in a rush, alright? We don''t even know what''s behind those walls¨Cit might not be humans."

    "Who else is building massive walls like that?" Jasper asked.

    "I''m going to have to agree with Finn here. I wouldn''t try to apply normal logic to this ce," Magnus interjected. "Not when it''s shown us every reason not to."

    Charlotte noticed the nce from the knight as if expecting her to agree, though she lightly shook her head, "I agree with them. I mean¡­when has anything in the Tower ever been weing?"

    "I guess I can''t deny that. What do we do, then? Just avoid that ce just based on suspicion?" Jasper asked.

    "Nobody said that. We just need to be cautious, that''s all," Finn rified.

    "And what does that entail?" Magnus asked.

    There was a small hesitation from Finn as he stayed near the tree line of the forest, as there wasn''t much to provide cover in the valley itself, "...I''ll sneak in and scope it out."

    "Absolutely not," Charlotte tantly rejected.

    "What?--" Finn said, raising an eyebrow.

    It was the only logical choice in the young man''s mind, seeing as he had the skills and experience to perform such a task, though found himself going against the grain.

    "No offense, but are you crazy, mate? You''re talking about being cautious, then turning around and trying to go at it alone?" Jasper asked, cing his hands on his sides like a disappointed parent.

    "Obviously I''m not intending to get caught. If I really want to, I can remain undetected¨CI can get in and out safely, I promise you that," Finn reasoned with them.

    "We should consider it," Magnus said.

    "Magnus! Really?" Charlotte looked at the swede with a re.

    "I hate to agree with this, but what are our other options? We can try going around those walls and pass by, maybe it''s safe, maybe it''s not. If we don''t know for sure what''s there, we''re just moving blindly," Magnus exined.

    Finn was happy to receive some support, though surprised it came from the man who was usually a contrarian to him, "Listen, it''ll be a quick in-and-out. Just stay hidden behind these bushes, and I''ll be back before you know it." He assured, pointing his words at the spellde.

    The expression scrunched by confliction made Charlotte easy to read, though she finally forced out an answer, "Fine¨Cbut if you''re not back soon, we''reing in there for you."

    Though he preferred not to have anybody risk themselves for him, Finn knew he wouldn''t be able to convince his stubbornpanions against it.

    "Fair enough," Finn said, standing up from behind the bushes, adjusting his gloves. "I''ll be back soon, then."

    "Good luck, mate," Jasper said.

    The bushes along the outskirts of the valley were good enough for him to quietly approach the towering, gray walls from the side. Rain continued ascending and descending, running along the slick walls of the strange town.

    ''I would''ve seen somebody by now, right? That either means this isn''t a human city, or if it is, they don''t want toe out¨Cthey''re bunkering down, too scared of what''s out here,'' Finn reasoned.

 Chapter 77: The Evanescent

    By the appearance of the fleeting world, it resembled a medieval era, unmistakably so with the archaic walls that bordered the city and the valley of grass it sat in. He approached the stone bricks, walking along as he looked for an opening to get inside.

    As expected, there wasn''t exactly some backdoor into the walled-off city for lurking outsiders like himself, though he had wished for one.

    Looking up, the very top of the rampart while raindrops trickled down on his cheek, finding it to at least be a hundred feet high. He removed his gloves, rubbing his bare palms together while inhaling and exhaling slowly.

    ''Guess it''s time to put these spider abilities to use¡­As much as I really don''t want to,'' he thought, holding his hands out.

    He carefully ced one palm against the wall, feeling it firmly stick onto the surface. Bringing his other hand up, he stuck to a higher portion, bringing himself up as he carefully repeated the process.

    With the rain slicking the wall, he had to keep moving each hand after only a moment as the wetness loosened the adhesive grip.

    "Fuuu¡­." He quietly exhaled through his lips, moving another hand up.

    A nce up brought him to find himself halfway up, though it was only a guess as the angle was deceitful. One hand above the other, forcing his boots to have to rest against the tiniest seams in the wall; it was a tiring experience, activating muscles he didn''t usually rely on.

    Bringing one hand up again, his fingertips didn''t stick against a t surface, but instead touched a corner.

    The summit was reached; he looked up, surprised that he was already at the top, seeming to have gone into almost a trance amidst his climb.

    ''I made it,'' he thought.

    Before pulling himself up over the wall, he took a small peek over. It wasn''t a direct drop into the city, instead finding a parapet; a gap between two walls with a walkway. There was nobody there, at least in the immediate vicinity, bringing him to pull himself up and cover, dropping his feet down.

    A quiet breath was released as he could finally rx his arms, staying crouched down, looking both ways before approaching the next wall to finally see into the city itself. He carefully picked himself up, peering over the height of the walls¨C

    ''What¡­?'' Finn wondered.

    The sightpletely threw him off; the old, archaic walls led him to expect a small, medieval settlement, yet he found himself staring into a cityscape of skyscrapers covered in advertisements and busy streets with honking cars.

    Each of the skyscrapers surely surpassed the walls, something he would''ve seen from outside, yet it was as though a different realityid past the old stone.

    It made no sense; captivating him with an impossible look back into a world before the First Impact.

    ''That''s right¡­I can''t apply logic to this ce. I just have to keep my wits about me,'' he resolved.

    Pulling away, he looked to the right, finding a wooden trapdoor. He pulled thetch, discovering adder leading down directly within the walls, seeing a door at the bottom that led right into the abnormal city.

    He got down, cing his feet on the holds of thedder before beginning his careful descent. While lowering himself through the interior of the wall that seemed to separate two opposing sceneries, he listened to the sounds of car horns and the chatter of people just beyond.

    It made him equally nervous and excited, captivated by the idea of some semnce of human civilization still thriving, even if it was in a world not his own.

    The final step of thedder brought his right foot down to the t, concrete surface of the wall''s interior, finding himself in front of the single, red door.

    He stood in front of it, raising his hand to the doorknob as the sounds of cars driving, people talking in the busy streets¨Cstopped.

    It stopped; a dead silence reced it from one moment to the next. Thatplete drop of such abundant noise kept him from turning the handle just yet.

    ["Camouge"] [4:59]

    Beforemitting to stepping out into the mysterious cityscape, he used the newly-acquired skill to make himself semi-invisible. The handle was turned, pulling the door open as he carefully stepped past its threshold.

    It was like walking into a snapshot of the past; a thriving city, untouched by the apocalypse. From the grandiose scale of it all, he likened it to New York City, yet something was off as he slowly walked down the street.

    There wasn''t a car in sight, nor a single pedestrian like what he swore he saw when standing atop the wall. It was a ghost town.

    Everything was just slightly "wrong": the letters of billboards were gibberish that only resembled English at a passing nce; a vibrant advertisement stretching the surface of a skyscraper showcased a movie of what looked like a web-slinging hero, only different¨C"Spider-Guy."

    Pizza was called Gizza; coffee was presented in stic bags, not mugs; there were threenes on the street instead of just two.

    ''It''s all wrong¨Cwhat is this ce?'' He questioned.

    A slow walk through the silent, uncanny city left him in the middle of an intersection, looking up at the buildings, finding that there was no rain here, but the peculiar sky remained, though changed; skyscrapers hung upside down above him, their ssy forms reflecting the city below.

    "Is it nostalgic to you?"

    The voice brought him to turn around with his dagger raised, not recognizing the man who posed the question. He found somebody standing a few meters behind him, though not facing him, instead with their hands tucked in the pockets of their trench coat.

    The stranger had an unusualplexion; hisplexion, along with his attire was ck-and-white, as if taken out of a grayscale film.

    "What? Who are you?" Finn asked, keeping his fingers wrapped around his dagger.

    "You want a name? I don''t have one," the stranger answered with a brooklyn ent, finally turning his gaze towards him.

    The ck-and-white man didn''t appear to be much older than his thirties, with dark bags beneath his eyes and unkempt, white hair.

    "It''s like your world, isn''t it?" The man asked, looking at the tall buildings.

    "--" Finn remained silent.

    "It''s not your world though. This is where I''m from. Dozens, maybe hundreds of versions before your own," The ck-and-white man remarked.

    "What''re you talking about?" Finn asked.

    From what he could tell, the peculiar person wasn''t hostile, at least not outwardly. Still, he couldn''t understand what he was looking at; not the city nor the man that looked ced out of time.

    "You don''t have to pay me any mind. I''m just a wandering soul, drifting from world to world. Maybe you''re just dreaming right now. Peacefully asleep, stirring up weird dreams," the stranger said.

    "Stop with the bullshit. Just tell me what''s¨C" Finn demanded.

    Just as he attempted to take a single step towards the mysterious figure, everything cked out. It wasn''t as though he went unconscious, at least not entirely; in that darkness, devoid of physical sensation, thoughts still streamed through his mind.

    "--You can''t see ahead of yourself anymore, can you? Blindly following the path in front of yourself, thinking if you just keep going down it, everything will work out. Nothing will change if you stay that way. What I''m saying is, you better take the next train out of here, because there won''t be another one."

    Against his skin, the light taps of raindropsnding on him stirred his consciousness. From what felt like a deep slumber, his eyelids parted. He found himself looking up at the reversend in the sky as droplets of rain befell his body,ying down on the ground.

    Picking himself up, he found himself not in the distorted city, but a small, rundown town; old buildings left charred and decayed; it looked like a settlement from a medieval time. He could see the walls that surrounded the remnants of the charred town, though unsure of how he ended up there from what hest recalled.

    ''...Was I dreaming all that up? I mean, a city like that in these walls¡­of course it wouldn''t have been real,'' he thought.

    None of it exined to him how he ended up passed out in the middle of the ce he was supposed to carefully scout. It left him perplexed as he stood there, questioning if he was attacked and didn''t remember, or if it was something wrong with him.

    "What''s wrong with me?" He mumbled to himself while rubbing his head.

    The remnants of the old town was what he turned his attention to, finding nothing but the rain upying it. It didn''t seem as if anything remained but the shell of civilization¨Cburnt shops, crumbled homes.

    Not much different from the state of his own world, he found. He didn''t know how long he had been out, bringing him to recall hispanions waiting outside of the town walls.

    ''Right¡­don''t want to worry them,'' he thought.

 Chapter 78: The Molten Ogre

    The lever was found by the front gate, allowing him to simply pull it as the wooden entrance slowly opened itself up with a loud rumble. As it was opened up, he stood there, waving his hand towards the treeline of the forest.

    "It''s clear!" He shouted.

    Not a secondter did he find the sight of hisrades emerging from behind the bushes, making their way over with a quick jog.

    "You''re alright? Nothing happened?" Charlotte asked, stepping a bit into the assassin''s personal space to inspect him for any wounds.

    Finn let her check as he wore a smile, "Yeah, I''m fine. There''s nothing in here, I''m pretty sure."

    "A ghost town, then. Wonderful," Magnus remarked, stepping through the gate.

    The cannoneer and knight didn''t waste any time entering the walled-off area as they both inspected the charred homes.

    As Finn turned around to go back into the fallen settlement, he found his sleeve grabbed from behind.

    "Are you sure you''re fine? You look tired," Charlotte pressed the assassin again.

    "I told you, I''mpletely okay¡ª" He assured her again.

    As he imed so, he stopped as he felt a warm sliding down from his nose, trickling over his lip. He touched the wet spot on his face, finding ckened blood leaking from his nostril.

    "Finn? You''re bleeding¡­!" Charlotte said worriedly.

    "Ah¡ª? This is¡­" He tried to exin, not knowing an exnation himself as a dizziness set in.

    There was a buzzing in his ears, deafening the voice of his worried friend out as he stared at that blood on his hand.

    As he looked up, past the moving lips of Charlotte, he could see that figure standing at the edge of the forest.

    The greyscale man.

    He blinked only once and the transient figure was gone, as was the ringing in his ears and the dizziness that came with it.

    "¡ªFinn? Are you hearing me?" Charlotte asked.

    He nodded his head, wiping off the blood onto his coat, "Yeah, I''m fine. Just a bit lightheaded there for a moment."

    Charlotte didn''t seem topletely buy it, though begrudgingly epted, "¡­If you say so. You know, if you''re tired or hurting, you can let me know, right?"

    "I know. Thank you," Finn said with a small smile.

    While the hesitant girl entered the settlement with him following right behind, he held his head for a moment in thought.

    ''Am I losing it? I don''t know anymore,'' he wondered.

    The remnants of the old town left behind nothing, finding himself inspecting a house with only ash left for belongings.

    From the unending rainfall, the petrichor was all that could be smelled in the lost settlement. He entered a house without a roof, walking on the wooden floorboards that sank in beneath his step, being pushed apart like dough.

    "I wonder how long it''s been like this," Charlotte wondered, looking around the remnants of the home.

    "That guide said this world is "fading", right? I guess it''s in no better shape than ours," Finn remarked, poking his finger against a wall as it simply pierced right through the brittle nk.

    "It''s worse off, I think," Charlotte said.

    "Hard to say, it''s just¡­different. This world is going to be our home for a while, so we better get used to it," Finn reasoned, though found himself mostly agreeing.

    There was nothing to be found from exploring the homes, he discovered, leaving the charred remnants of the house as he found Magnus inspecting the ground.

    "What''s up?" Finn asked as he walked over to the knelt cannoneer.

    Magnus remained looking down at the weathered cobblestone before standing up, pointing down, "I don''t know if I''m going crazy, but¡­you see that, right? It''s everywhere, all across the streets."

    He looked down as Charlotte did the same, seeing just what it was that had the cannoneer troubled. It only looked like burnt pieces of the stone road before, though upon closer inspection, he found it to be too particr of shapes; it was outlines of bodies, burnt into the street.

    "This is terrible¡­" Charlotte quietly said.

    "Whatever it is, I doubt it happened recently," Magnus assured in his own way of trying to provide some relief.

    Finn looked around at the rain-decayed town, "Where''s Jasper?" He asked.

    "I believe he went further down¨C" Magnus said.

    An answer came in the form of a yelling from up ahead; an indistinct scream that didn''t sound in pain, though one made out of shock.

    "Jasper?!" Finn shouted, quickly sprinting over.

    "Shit," Magnus pushed an exhale out while following behind alongside the spellde.

    The yell of the aussie came from up ahead; a dpidated manor that looked to be a nobleman''s home of some kind by its sheer size, preceded by a court yard overtaken by nature. Just as Finn stepped foot onto the courtyard, he watched the front entrance to the mansion be ruptured¨C

    "Waaooooh!"

    Flung out from the stone exterior was the knight, flipping himself around as hended on his feet. It didn''t look as though he simply smashed his way out of the entrance, but was rather thrown out.

    "Jasper? What''s going on?--" Finn asked.

    The helmed man caught himself, stumbling a bit before straightening out, "Ah¡­There was something big and mean in there¨Cit''sing!

    From the hole made in the entrance of the town''s mansion, arger one was forged from what tore its way out of the building. It stomped out with a broad, stocky body of charred-ck skin with fire and smoke exuding from the cracks in its burnt flesh.

    Each downfall of the burnt monster''s feet caused the entire courtyard to rumble, standing as tall as the pirs that held up the front of the manor.

    "What the hell¡­is that?" Magnus asked.

    "It''s an ogre, at least I think?" Finn answered while calling upon his weapon, finding the odd, charred state of the creature to be perplexing.

    "Mean sucker, that one is! I was just peeking around and it bulldozed through the back of the house! Lucky I had my shield raised," Jasper said as an imprint of the burning knuckles of the ogre left steam exuded from the aegis.

    With the rain befalling the fiend''s heated body, a coat of vapor oozed off of it as it brought itself into the middle of the courtyard. Its eyes and mouth held only mes within it, bordering on more of an elemental existence rather than one of corporeal form.

    "Hey, do you think that this thing is responsible for the state of this ce?" Finn asked the cannoneer beside him.

    Magnus kept his cannon ready, quietly answering, "I''d say it''s like catching one with a bloody knife at a stabbing."

    "Look¨Cit''s doing something!" Charlotte called out.

    Sure enough, the fire-born ogre puffed out its chest as the cracks in its charred body ignited with mes that shone from an orange to a frightening shade of blue. As it leaned forward, opening its mouth with the glow of the azure ze seen in its maw, it became clear what wasing¨C

    "Iing!" Jasper shouted, raising his shield.

    ["Stance: Walls of The Iridescent Castle"]

    In front of the knight''s shield, an ethereal manifestation of thick, fortified walls were created, spanning multiple meters with enough reach to cover the others.

    The mes breathed from the ogre''s mouth crashed against the grandiose barrier, creating a bright-blue wave like that of a burning ocean.

    "This better hold!" Magnus shouted from beside the knight.

    "Just shut up and lemme focus!" Jasper retorted.

    As the imposing ogre expelled the bright-blue mes, it moved closer one stomp at a time.

    The ethereal walls began to crack and melt, bringing Jasper to shake as he tried to stay stable, "I can''t hold it¡­!"

    "Just a bit more!" Magnus shouted.

    It didn''t seem as though the ogre nned on stopping its relentless breath of fire anytime soon, marching closer as the pressure of the heatid on.

    Finn could see the knight struggling as his boots slid across the cobblestone desperately to maintain his ground.

    ''Shit¡­alright!'' He decided.

    He ran to the side, hopping up on a desecrated carriage by the manor gates, using it as a foothold to jump higher. Bringing himself high enough to see over the defensive walls of the knight, he threw his dagger towards the charred barbarian.

    "Finn?!" Charlotte watched.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2400/2500]

    He crossed through the wall and behind the left shoulder of the smoldering monster, catching his dagger in the instant movement.

    The warp brought him tond right on its shoulder, feeling as though he was standing on burning coals.

    Its head was asrge as his body, covered in tough, rocky skin. He decided not to try and use his de on such a durable target, instead opting in that moment to use blunt force.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    A sharp kick was delivered to the side of the fire-breathing ogre''s head. The impact barely moved its neck, though brought an end to its zing belch.

    He hopped off of its shoulder, though stumbling for a moment as he ced weight on the foot he used to knock its head.

    ''Shit¡ªthat hurt me more than it, from the looks of it¡­'' Finn thought.

 Chapter 79: A Crows Weapon

    Azure embers drifted like snowkes, apanying the rain in the courtyard as the ogre turned its attention to the assassin.

    It didn''t have the chance to approach with a single step before a cannonball struck the side of its body. An arc of electricity shed at the smoldering giant before it could bnce itself,ing from the spellde''s sword.

    ["Scamper"] [0:29]

    A quick, low dash allowed him to close in while the ogre was stumbling. He was able to slip right between its legs without having to duck, quickly bringing his daggers at the heels of the goliath.

    ["Tendon Slice"] [2:59]

    ¡ªOr, he had hoped to do so, at least. He found his de bouncing right off of the ogre''s Achilles heel as if striking a wall of stone.

    All he managed to do was scrape a pebble''s worth of the charred flesh from its heel, not even earning its attention.

    ''Not even a scratch?'' Finn wondered.

    The ogre mmed its fist down with its back to him, sending a tremor of fire towards the front of the courtyard, forcing the others to move.

    As Finn stood behind it, the ogre truly didn''t even seem to know he was there as it continued to spit out mes towards hispanions.

    "Iing!" Magnus shouted while running towards the east of the courtyard, dismissing his cannon only for his sprint.

    The ogre moved its head while spitting out vtile fire from its stomach as if spewing bile. It brought down a hail of ming mortars,nding in the courtyard with geysers of heat.

    "¡ªAh!" Charlotte let out as a salvo of fire sshed by her.

    With the sharpness of his dagger failing, he instead brought his hand behind the smoldering goliath''s knee¡ª

    ["Wind Bore"] [Mana: -200] [2200/2500]

    The air was forcibly spun and shot forth like a bullet, piercing into the charred leg of the barbaric fiend.

    Such an impact to the sensitive spot left the ogre releasing a bellow as it stumbled forward. Even as the goliath lost its footing, it was a danger as its massive weight was swung around. As if using its imbnce to swing its momentum, the ogre spun itself around, staring down the assassin.

    "Mate! Get back!" Jasper yelled from near the courtyard''s entrance.

    Finn witnessed the smoldering giant leap right into the air, gaining air as it lifted its legs as if intending to m its bottom down upon him. The shadow of its massive rear cast itself over him as he quickly moved himself back.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    Sliding himself away, he witnessed the stocky goliath plummet back down with a devastating impact. It was like a meteor crashing into thend, causing the cobblestone to split and ripple, flinging brick and grass in every direction as mes expelled from beneath its bottom.

    The wave of fire that came from the weighty m of its rear forced each of them back to their own corners of the abandoned courtyard.

    As it struggled to pick itself up with its rotund body, the ogre was subject to a hail of vtile cannonfire.

    Magnus pulled the trigger, raining in a burst of projectiles that exploded against the molten flesh of the giant, "--Nrgh!"

    ["Hellbound Volley'']

    Each of the erupting cannonballs produced a re of fire and sparks, quickly turned to steam amidst the rain. Despite the disy of deadly firepower, the ogre only waved its hand with a grumble as it picked itself up, as if merely being afflicted by a nuisance.

    "What?!" Magnus let out in frustration.

    In unison, both the knight and spellde passed by with their des engulfed in mystical empowerment; Jasper shed with a cunning azure, attacking the calves of the ogre; Charlotte leapt up, spinning to produce a winged slice across its chest.

    Even as both wielders of swords passed by with their enchanted strikes, it only scraped the unmoving flesh of the ogre.

    "--Seriously?" The knight expelled his annoyance while quickly dashing out of the way.

    Charlotte shared the same disappointment, having to flip around as the ogre retaliated with a stomp of its foot, "It''s unharmed?!"

    The monstrous downfall of the elemental goliath''s foot produced a ripple of fire through the cracks in the courtyard, once more forcing them all back as the opening for an attack was cut short.

    Emerging from the shadow-filled crevices in the split cobblestone, Finn leapt out at the ogre''s exposed back. With his boots ced against the piping-hot shoulderdes of the wrathful giant, he dismissed his dagger.

    He brought into his hand a weapon he seldom wanted to wield, though he required an edge capable of cutting into such sturdy flesh¨C

    ["Bone-Forged Cleaver"]

    Wrapping his fingers around the ivory handle made him feel sick, aware of what kind of horrors the de hadmitted. He pushed it to the back of his mind as he brought it back, seeking to bolster its cutting prowess:

    ["Blood de"] [Mana: -500] [1700/2200]

    Engulfed in a vapor of scarlet tailor-made for such a malicious de, he swept it down at the goliath''s back. It released a hiss like that of a beast as it was brought down, finding no resistance as it carved into the ogre''s neck as though it were butter.

    It was a surprise just how effective it was, tossing the molten head from the goliath''s shoulders. The goliath stopped its movements, falling to its knees in defeat.

    "Mate! I''d rmend getting away from it!" The warning was shouted from Jasper.

    "What?--"

    Finn looked towards the knight before ncing down as a glow met his gaze, witnessing the open wound from the goliath''s neck bubbling up with a burst of mes. From the heat he felt pressing against the bottom of his boots, all he needed to know was to jump back as he leapt away just as he witnessed the opened neck of the goliath erupt.

    Like a fire extinguisher popping off, a pir of mes spewed from the ogre''s headless stub, sputtering out into embers that danced with the droplets of rain. They each kept their distance on the ogre''s destructive way out before it finally fizzled out with the glow of its cracked body fading.

    ["Volcanic Ogre defeated."] ["Anarch coin x850 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +9500] [25500/50000]

    [Assimted ability from [Volcanic Ogre]: ["Fire Spit"] 1 / 5]

    With the goliath in, Finn dismissed the cleaver before the others could get a good look at it, regrouping with hispanions.

    "I thought that was a boss, mate. Are you really telling me this was a normal bloke here?" Jasper remarked while looking at the meless body of the ogre.

    "If it is, then we''re well and truly out of our depth here. Not that I wasn''t already aware of that," Magnus said, tapping his hand against his cannon before dismissing it.

    "Yeah, I couldn''t do fuck all to that thing. Good going there, mate," Jasper said, turning his attention over to the assassin.

    Finn rubbed the back of his neck with a small smile, nodding his head, "I couldn''t have done that if you didn''t turn its attention. Anyway¡­You said it came from inside the manor, right? Did you fully scope it out?"

    "Didn''t get the chance, mate. I meant to check the basement, but that big one burst through before I could," Jasper said.

    "Let''s check it out, then," Finn suggested.

    "Might as well, I suppose," Magnus added in.

    While the cannoneer and knight led the way to the broken entrance into the town''s mansion, Finn nced back, finding Charlotte silent and gazing at the charred remnants of the beheaded ogre.

    "Something on your mind?" Finn asked, watching the other two enter the manor as he nced back.

    "It''s just¡­I couldn''t do anything there. It was the same against that thing in the metro, and the beast," Charlotte remarked, rubbing her arm. "But you¡­It just feels like you''re so ahead. I can''t catch up¨Cit''s not a matter of levels."

    "--" Finn remained quiet, listening to what she had to say.

    "When you fight something like that, aren''t you scared? I am¨CI can barely move, I have to force my body to. I think it''s the same for the others, but you¡­It''s different. When I watch you fight, it''s like you''re not even scared of dying," Charlotte pointed out.

    The question brought him to stand there for a moment, considering it himself as he didn''t quite know what sort of answer she was looking for. There were truths he could give her¨Chis fearlessness of being wounded, uncaring for how hurt he got, all allowing it to happen if he could heal.

    But, he decided not to say anything that might sound almost inhuman.

    "I guess it''s because of my abilities as an assassin. I can get in-and-out safely, that''s all, really," Finn assured her, choosing something harmless to say.

    "But, you''re not scared when you fight like that?" Charlotte asked further.

    He paused again before shaking his head, "No. Not really. What scares me during times like that is losing everybody else."

    Answering truthfully then, he made his way across the courtyard to the interior of the manor. There was a short set of steps to ascend before stepping past the hole in the entrance, weing himself in with a careful stride.

 Chapter 80: Camping In Another World

    Compared to the rest of the town, the interior of the mansion was immacte; there were no aftermath of fire with paintings still hanging on the walls. Evenvish pottery and porcin still remained on disy atop wooden stands.

    "This ce is still in good condition. That''s odd," Charlotte said, following in right behind him as she looked up at a painting of a serene mountainside.

    "I was thinking that as well," Finn remarked.

    Just down the hall to the left of the staircase, he could see Magnus and Jasper near what looked like the entrance to the basement. There was a huge hole in the corridor, with burned edges, clearly fit for the size of a burning ogre.

    Finn and Charlotte caught up with the two down the hall, looking around at the rather spotless manor.

    "You know, I''m wondering something," Magnus remarked, looking up at the ceiling. "That brute obviously didn''te through a door. I''m not seeing where it would''vee into the manor from."

    "Mm. You''re right, mate. How the hell did that bloke get in here?" Jasper wondered.

    "Let''s not get too caught up on applying logic to this world. That being said¡­We still have to check down there," Finn pointed out, taking the first step that descended into the basement.

    Something felt off about the manor, along with the town itself, aside from the clear tragedy it had suffered. The bottom of the steps led to another door, this time of wood with a circr seal that glowed red on its surface.

    Magnus stepped past him on the steps, pressing his palm against the door as it didn''t budge even an inch, "¡ªLocked?"

    "Nope, it''s sealed," Finn pointed at the humming seal on the wood. "You won''t be able to open it with force."

    "Shit outta luck then, aren''t we?" Jasper asked.

    "Not entirely," Finn said, stepping closer to the door as he called upon his ck-ded dagger.

    "What''re you nning to do with that?" Magnus asked.

    "Testing this out," Finn answered.

    Bringing his de close to the seal, he swiftly swiped it down, shing across the magical mechanism.

    Just like that, the seal dissolved after being shed, leaving the door unguarded.

    "Oh, that was simple," Jasper remarked.

    "How''d you do that?" Charlotte asked, peeking around the assassin''s shoulder.

    He flipped his dagger around before dismissing it, "Never had the chance to test it before, but my weapon can cut through magic."

    As he exined the method, it only took a gentle push of his hand to open the door to the ominous basement. A dark, stone underground was revealed, devoid of light with only shadows waiting ahead.

    "¡­Why are we down here again?" Magnus asked in the face of the eerie basement.

    "If this ce is still a "floor" of the Tower, it''ll be worth exploring it. There''s probably loot stashed around," Finn presumed.

    "You had me at "loot." Jasper said, marching right into the lightless basement. "On second thought, mate¡­I can''t see a thing."

    Charlotte took it upon herself to caress her sword before it swirled with embers, "I can handle that."

    ["zing Infusjon"]

    Using it like a torch, the spellde used her weapon to guide light into the dark area.

    "Much better, cheers," Jasper said.

    It resembled more of a dungeon than a simple basement; chains hung from the ceiling, a mess of dusty books piled high, and a peculiar table sat at the back. There were shelves of jars, containing peculiar concoctions, some of which shined with an unusualplexion.

    "What is this ce?" Charlotte wondered.

    "It seems like some sort ofboratory, I''d guess," Jasper guessed, inspecting a shelf as he grabbed a jar containing a ming butterfly within it.

    "This world must be one where magic is natural to it," Magnus remarked. "Looking at all of this down here¨Cthis man must''ve been some sort of pioneer of magic, studying it like a science."

    Finn carefully stepped past the mess of books, finding his way to the work station at the very end of the dim basement. There was a clearing amidst the unorganized mess, where symbols were drawn into the stone, covered in charred marks.

    ''This ce¡­'' Finn thought.

    Stepping towards the table, he noticed something learned up against the back wall, barely seeing it amidst the ckened walls: a body, or at least, the burnt remnants of a corpse.

    "Shit," Jasper quietly said as he found the unknown person as well.

    Charlotte covered her mouth, "Is there anybody even left here¡­?"

    "I wouldn''t get your hopes up," Magnus realistically answered, turning around as the sight of the charred body didn''t inspire his gaze to stay any longer.

    The opened journal on the messy desk was brought up by Finn, finding it set to a page that looked messily written in:

    ["It''s almost done. I''ve almost perfected the spell now¨Cit will just take¡­some fine tuning. Such a particr incantation; a polymorph that can even turn a child into a cmity. My son, Avery, you want to be a hero, don''t you? Your father will grant you that wish¨Cyou will be the hero that brings salvation to this sadnd. With fire and mes, you will be that hero."]

    The excerpt inscribed with sloppy handwriting was read by them all, falling to silence at the sickening admission.

    "I''m reading this right, aren''t I? I''m not misunderstanding? This guy¡­He¡­" Jasper quietly said in adamant shock.

    Magnus turned himself away in disgust at what was written in the journal, "You''re not reading it wrong."

    "He turned his own child into that¡­" Charlotte realized.

    Jasper couldn''t hold back his own anger as he kicked his boot against the charred corpse by the table, causing it to crumble to ash, "What kind of sorry excuse for a father!--"

    "Hey, calm down¨C" Finn said, grabbing the Aussie''s arm.

    "Don''t you get it, mate? It''s because of that bastard¡­that wasn''t a monster we took down out there! It was a boy!" Jasper spoke with heartfelt regret.

    There was clear sorrow felt by the others; though the knight''s face was hidden as always, he could hear his voice breaking up with tears. Charlotte looked down with quiet sadness, while Magnus opted to turn away entirely, hiding his own emotions.

    "I get it," Finn spoke up. "I''m the one that did it. I killed him, none of you did."

    "Mate, don''t¨Cthat''s not how it is," Jasper said, assuring him with a hand on the shoulder.

    Magnus wiped his own face before turning back around to face the assassin, "Speaking logically, the boy mentioned in that journal was gone long before we ever came to this ce. There was no consciousness left there, no memories of the child that once was¨CI can guarantee that."

    "Can you?" Finn asked before dismissing his words, shaking his head softly, "Sorry. You''re right, Magnus. What we fought out there was a monster, through-and-through. If anything, we put it to rest."

    "Yeah. Poor bloke can sleep now," Jasper epted.

    "There was nothing else we could do," Charlotte added.

    It was when setting the repulsive journal back down did Finn notice something on the table; a ck cloth wrapped around an object, which only peeked out just a little after the book was moved.

    Finn grabbed the fabric, parting it as he retrieved what was kept wrapped up. A sable-chain ne with an amulet hanging from it; it was a crest of fire, crossed with an amber glow.

    "What''s that?" Jasper asked.

    ["Amulet of The Unburnt"]

    "It''s an enchanted ne," Finn said as his system disyed the object, recognizing it.

    "So, we really were meant toe down here and find this mess¡­What the hell?" Jasper remarked.

    "I get the feeling this world has been toyed with just as ours have¨Cturned into some sort of "dungeon" for us to ransack and exploit," Magnus theorized.

    Finn stuffed the amulet into his pocket, making his way out of the grim basement, "I''d get used to it if I were you. I don''t think whoever is up there is going to stop messing with us all anytime soon."

    There was little to find in the remnants of the town beyond ashes and charred memories, bringing them to take their leave, once more moving onward towards the ever-distant structure.

    Beyond the city walls awaited a road that led between twin mountains, looming with the grace of rain greeting the travelers. It was an hour straight of hiking through the same scenery until reaching the valley between the grand mountains, greeted by blooming flowers of golden petals.

    "How much walking are we doing today?" Jasper asked, wincing a bit as he took another step.

    Finn led the way,ing to a stop as he turned around, "I guess we can take a break."

    "On that note, what shall we do about food?" Magnus presented what was all on their minds.

    In the bounds of the First Order, the reliability of simply ransacking abandoned stores for canned goods was no longer an option. With and far off from the conveniences of modern innovation, it was back to the basics: foraging and hunting.

    "Alright, I guess right here is as good a ce as any to camp out," Finn decided, finding the walls of the mountain providing a sense of security, with the abundance of trees further hiding their presence.

    Charlotte drew her sword with an excited smile, "I can handle the campfire¨CI''ll get the wood and start it up. Leave it to me."

    "Sounds good," Finn said, giving her a quick thumbs-up.

    It didn''t take more than that affirmation to send the spellde skipping over to the trees, ready to use her de like that of a lumberjack.

    Finn looked at the other two with a shrug of his shoulders, "We oughta look for some food, then."

    "Sure thing¨Clet''s make it apetition, how ''bout it, mates?" Jasper offered.

    "I truly wonder how you have this much energy at times like these," Magnus quietly remarked.

    Jasperughed, "Gotta keep the mood light, right? Anyway, let''s just see who can bring back the most."

    "I''m down," Finn epted.

    All that was left was the swede''s agreement, who looked one moment from bursting a vessel before finally giving in, "Alright. Whatever¨Clet''s just focus on surviving, right?"

    "''Course, mate," Jasper assured.

    Before setting out, they made sure the spellde knew the n, not seeking to leave her aimless and alone.

    "The smoke from the fire should rise high enough to guide us back, though I don''t think we''ll be going that far out anyway," Finn said, watching Charlotte chop away at a tree with swift, but deep shes.

    "Yeah! I''ll get it made soon!" Charlotte assured, breaking a sweat amidst her lumberjacking.

    The forest amidst the vale undoubtedly was inhabited by a variety of creatures, letting the men each take their own direction without straying too far to be helpless in case of the worst. Finn set out to the west section of the stretch of nature.

    ''Alright, I''d like to find some meat,'' he decided.

 Chapter 81: Foraging and Hunting

    It quickly became lonely while walking through the quiet, rainy bundle of nature. If nothing else, it provided some time to be with his own thoughts, having far too much on his mind. Being alone with those contemtions was not strictly a beneficial process; the smile he wore faded and his sense of worth was questioned as he moved.

    Constantly, he lingered on his regrets; the mother he was toote to help, the friend he perhaps could''ve saved, and the killer he could''ve killed.

    It felt like static yed in his mind, disrupting his own thoughts as he struggled to focus,ing to a stop as a sharp migraine permeated itself through his head.

    "Nggaaah¡­!" He let out.

    What was merely static felt like now his brain was being prodded by needles that shocked it, bringing him to hunch over as blood seeped from his nostrils.

    "Do you feel like you belong to the world? To yourself?"

    That familiar voice with a toneced in nihilism brought him to raise his gaze again. There it was again¨Cthe sight of that ck-and-white figure, across the forest, halfway tucked behind a tree.

    "You¡­what the hell do you want with me? I don''t get it," Finn asked, his voice strained and muffled as a result of his pain, merely a gasp of air that couldn''t reach as far as the man was.

    The nameless stranger continued speaking without any regard for what was asked, "There''s a small me still sputtering deep inside of you. I wonder why you''re still holding on. Vanity? Do you think you owe it to somebody else to keep going?"

    It became too intense; the headache made each word feel like his skull was being rung, bringing him to cover his ears out of instinct to avoid being hurt further.

    Yet, it did not stop him from being subject to listening to those words deprived of hope, soaked in cynicism.

    "There''s no point to any of this. No matter how hard you fight, there''s no world that can be guaranteed peace. All you can hope to find is something straddling the line between total despair and being content; nothingness."

    As the words were spoken as if going right into his ear, he moved his hands away, looking up again as he found the figure to be gone. The migraine settled down as once more it was silent, leaving him to wipe his trail of blood that slid down from his nose.

    ''What''s going on with my head? That man¡­I only started seeing him after I came to this ce¨Cmaybe it''s something messing with my head. It has to be¨CI''m not losing it,'' he assured himself.

    Peering at the ckened blood on his fingertips, it was washed away by the unending rainfall, bringing him to lift his gaze. Seeing the sky that mirrored thend he stood on, with entire mountains hanging above, it instilled a sense of smallness in him; feeling homesick for his own world.

    ''I want to go back¨CI never thought I''d say that after what the world''s been reduced to, but it''s better than this ce,'' he thought.

    Shaking the buzz from his mind, he moved past a line of bushes between the trees, discovering an unusual sight. In the middle of the vale was a tucked-away hot spring.

    It was a tad unusual though, as the water seemed to glow with a soft, cerulean hue.

    There was a sweet scent that came from the oddly-glowing water, like that of blueberry cotton candy.

    "The hell?" Finn mumbled as he stepped closer.

    Peering into the otherworldly hot spring, the surface of the steamy pool suddenly bubbled up and rippled as something rose from it.

    "Huh?¡ª" Finn stepped back as he called his dagger.

    "BA-HA! That''s a new record!" A man with muscles on top of muscles imed proudly before noticing the assassin. "¡ªOh, greetings, stranger!"

    It couldn''t have been more perplexing for Finn, feeling as though he''d seen quite enough to not be surprised anymore.

    Yet the sudden presence of the muscle-bound, mustached man that was, for some reason, resting nude in the hot springs that was far removed from any civilization.

    ''Maybe I am losing my mind,'' he thought.

    "Have you, too,e for the splendor of the Spring of Lucarnia?" The entric, muscle bound man asked.

    "Erm¡­" Finn didn''t know how to answer.

    "Apologies! I should introduce myself!"

    With a far too oundish re, the strange figure leapt out of the hot springs. Finn watched the mustache-wielding man flip several meters into the air as pieces of illustrious, golden armor flew to his body as if guided by maism.

    Going from nude to fully d in exuberant equipment, the entric mannded with grace like that of an acrobat. The armor was nothing short of the exorbitant man, with a lion-faced helmet and a cape made of a golden-furred beast''s pelt.

    "I am Godfrey, Champion of the Golden Sky! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance¡ª?" The impossibly energetic man extended his hand while introducing himself, seeking a name in return.

    The peculiar stranger was imposing; Finn found himself having to look up as the man stood more than a head taller than him, with shoulders broad enough to be twice his width.

    Finn was too stunned to respond right away, taking a moment to ept the gesture, "I''m Finn."

    Just as he sped the muchrger hand, he felt the grip of the lively man squeeze his own like a vice.

    "Finn, eh? I am d to see there are still adventurers daring enough to test this region," Godfrey remarked, stroking his mustache. "It''s a tragedy what it''s be."

    It didn''t seem that the mustached man of impable muscle recognized that he wasn''t from thend, though Finn chose not to correct him. The man might as well be an alien to him, even if they were both "human", at least he presumed so; their worlds of origin remained different.

    "Mighty cities spanned the region, monsters were forced to hide in the shadows. Now look at it," Godfreymented, looking towards the forest deprived of civilization. "I''m not sure there''s much more than a handful of people in thisnd anymore. Perhaps the world truly is dying."

    "Yeah, maybe," Finn halfheartedly responded. "What happened to this ce, anyway?"

    "You don''t know? Hrm, I guess the truth does like to change the farther it travels," Godfrey said, rubbing his chin.

    At the very least, it was fortunate that the men he encountered didn''t seem wary of his origins all too much, instead seeming more than happy to answer his curiosity.

    Godfrey looked towards the distant, sublime castle that was showered in a tranquil radiance, "Many years ago, a cataclysm arrived to the world. The bnce of power shifted from humanity to the monsters. The Storm King sheltered thisnd, single handedly shielding it, yet even he could notst eternally like that.

    His mind broke before his body, and as a result, we dropped to the bottom of the food chain," Godfrey exined.

    Hearing what happened, it was a familiar fate in some ways to what his own world experienced, leaving Finn quiet for a moment while peering at that castle.

    "Well, I shall be taking my leave now, friend. Good luck in your journey," Godfrey said with a pat to his shoulder.

    Finn was still confused about the encounter, "Bye?" He returned the farewell.

    Not knowing quite how the extreme man would leave, he witnessed the golden-armored one leap into the air before a coalescence of exuberant dust manifested into a gilded chariot. Like Santa us through the night sky, the entric man took off as the ted horses ran on the air itself.

    ''What the hell is up with this ce?'' Finn questioned, watching the chariot swiftly be distant like a star.

    He looked at the vibrant, blue hot spring, feeling allured by it for a moment before pulling himself away from it. For a moment, he forgot about the entire reason he was even there until a bush rustled close by.

    Bringing himself down to a crouch, he kept his dagger ready as he set his eyes on the direction the noise came from. With silent steps, he moved closer while watching the bushes move as if something was busy foraging.

    Getting a bit closer, but staying a safe distance away, a squint of his eyes brought him to see white fur behind the bushes.

    ["Throwing Knife"] [Mana: -100] [1600/2500]

    With a quick toss, the projectile was thrown at the bundle of white fur that hid itself within the foliage. A direct hit, striking right into the hidden creature.

    ''Got it,'' he thought, standing up.

    Just as he rose to his feet, the bushes rattled more intensely ahead, parting as the bits of white fur he saw revealed itself to belong to a muchrger mass.

    It stood as tall as a bear on its hind legs, snapping its buck teeth as its beady, red eyes locked onto him; a monstrous rabbit. The throwing knife looked like nothing more than a toothpick in its leg, only serving to earn its aggression.

    "You have to be kidding me¡­this ce just keeps on giving, doesn''t it?" He muttered to himself, facing down the oversized creature.

 Chapter 82: Predation

    A roar left the mouth of the giant rabbit, causing the branches of the looming trees to sway as if guided by wind.

    As he raised his guard, he witnessed the mass of white fur suddenly engulf his entire vision; it closed the distance in an instant with a single kick. He ducked down, watching the spring-footed beast pass right above him.

    ''--What the hell? This thing is forreal,'' he thought.

    Just as he picked himself up while pivoting off his foot to turn towards the creature, he witnessed itnd its feet nimble against the trunk of a tree. It didn''t even stop for a moment before kicking off again, producing such force with its legs that bark scattered from the tree as it sprung forth again.

    Like a bullet, it came at him with rabid intensity, baring its buck teeth. He ducked down, swiping his de up to let his dagger meet its neck as it passed¨CCLANG. To his surprise, his weapon was rejected as he witnessed the red-eyed rabbit curl its neck to use its own teeth to shield against the edge.

    "Huh?--" Finn let out in surprise at the intelligence of the beast as it passed over again.

    He pivoted off his foot, ready for the white-furred menace to spring off of another tree, though found himself greeted by that snow-white coat face-to-face. It was right before him, flipping around as its foot struck down.

    The surprisingly human kick from the rabbit forced him to lean back as he watched the ws narrowly avoid slicing against his skin. He retaliated with a quick flurry of shes, aiming for the body of the white-furred beast, but once more finding it to be a difficult effort.

    Each strike was met by the rabbit''s teeth as it moved its head up-and-down, side-to-side, swiftly enough to intercept his dagger. It was as though he was fighting a demaster, if one could use their own teeth as a sword.

    Finding himself fighting a life-or-death battle with a rabbit, now more than ever it sunk in just how much of a fever dream the First Order was.

    He backed off for a moment, letting ite to him as the rabbit lunged with its teeth primed for his neck¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    The instantaneous strike brought him to bring his de through the beast''s neck. Even if it was quick-footed, it was still an animal; still subject to the unpredictability of the assassin. As he slid his boots across the dirt with the momentum of the blink, he turned back, ready for the beast to still retaliate.

    It turned itself around to lunge at him, though the hostile rabbit copsed, chattering its teeth weakly before falling limp.

    ["Behemoth Rabbit defeated."] ["Anarch coin x350 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +3000] [28500/50000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Behemoth Rabbit"]: "Spring Foot" 1 / 5]

    An exhale left his lips in relief, finding himself never wanting to fight such a creature again as he looked at its massive body. It only urred to him then that he was going to have to haul it back, as awkward as it would be to lug around the bear-sized rabbit.

    ["Dark Threads"] [Mana: -100] [1500/2500]

    He knelt by the results of his hunt, using the conjured wire to tie the beast''s legs together to make it morepact. The thread was kept over his shoulder as he kept the white-furred hunt at his back, drawing in a breath as he began walking.

    It was fortunate enough that the system fundamentally enhanced his strength, as the bear-sized creature wasn''t all too hard to carry with him. The sight of smoke in the distance acted as a beacon, guiding him back to where the camp was.

    Past a wall of trees, he found his way back to the camp after a short hike, being greeted by the glow of a campfire.

    Charlotte was sitting by the fire, tossing a bundle of sticks to stoke it before noticing the arrival of the assassin, "Woah¨Cwhat''s that?"

    A breath pushed past his lips as he finally let his catch fall to the ground, "A monster of a rabbit. This ce is really getting tiring¨CI seriously almost got my head chewed off by this thing."

    "Oh, wow, that''s¡­a whole lot of rabbit," Charlotte remarked.

    Magnus was already there, not having quite the same haul except for a gathering of wild vegetables, "Well, at least you got some meat. That''s more than I can say for myself."

    "Where''s Jasper? He''s not back yet?" Finn asked, ncing around.

    As if speaking his name into existence, the bushes rustled before the knight stepped onto the campsite, carrying something with him.

    "Phew¡­Let''s not talk about that," Jasper remarked tiredly as he sat by the fire, cing down what he had managed to catch.

    It wasn''t particrlyrge, about the size of a household dog, though it resembled a small bear with bristly, red fur and massive ws. The soft-blue hoodie worn by the helmed man was cut up, along with scratches on his helmet and gloves.

    "Looks like none of us had a fun time out there," Finn remarked, sitting across from the knight.

    With the absence of the rain, the air was still left chilly and the grass moist, leaving the warmth of the campfire to be a weing sensation as he let himself rx.

    Jasperughed it off, pulling a piece of loose fabric from his sweater before yanking it off and patting his sleeve, "You can say that, mate. This little bugger was faster than a cut snake. Though¡­It looks like you caught the motherload there. What''re we do with all of that meat?"

    The size of Finn''s hunt was undeniably a bit on the excessive side of size, seeing the mass of fur simplyying there.

    "Rabbit stew, I guess?" Finn shrugged his shoulders, not familiar with rabbit dishes.

    Fortunately they had a pot ready by the fire, with some water collected; even if at times it seemed unnecessary, the pack of supplies that Magnus insisted on carrying came in handy.

    Magnus let out a quiet sigh before standing up, holding his hand out, "Let me handle preparing these ones. I''ll just need a de."

    Being clearly requested from himself, Finn obliged as he called upon the unused, starter dagger, passing it over to the blonde-haired swede. There was no hesitation from Magnus as he used the de to efficiently drag it along the white-furred beast''s body, beginning the process of skinning it.

    "Oh, I don''t want to watch this¨C" Charlotte decided, turning herself away.

    "It''s a necessary process, if we want to give this creature the respect of properly using its body," Magnus exined.

    "Still¡­" Charlotte protested.

    Magnus spoke calmly while effortlessly removing the fur from the giant rabbit, "My father took me hunting often when I was younger. The first few trips, I couldn''t pull the trigger. But, my father taught me that this was just the course of nature, and we were giving them a kinder end."

    "Didn''t think a stuck-up guy like yourself got his hands dirty," Jasper remarked.

    "Funny," Magnus brushed the snidement off while cutting away. "You should acquaint yourself with handy skills. There''s no shortage of value in them in these times."

    "Teach me, then," Jasper took him at his word, squatting right down beside Magnus.

    There was a bit of impatience in the eyes of the cannoneer, though he epted with a small breath, "Alright. Pay attention because I''m not holding your hand."

    "Wouldn''t want you to anyway, mate. Seeing as your hands are covered in rabbit guts," Jasper remarked.

    While not taking the lesson in skinning a hunted animal directly, Finn half-observed while rxing by the campfire, more interested in the bickering between the knight and cannoneer.

    He scooted himself beside Charlotte, seeing that she was entranced by the upside downnd that made up the absence of a true sky.

    "I can''t get used to it," he said, looking up as well, finding the sight of the hanging mountains to instill a sense of unease in his stomach. "Every time I look up, I expect to see clouds, you know?"

    "Yeah, but it''s beautiful in a way, isn''t it?" Charlotte asked with a small smile.

    "In a way that makes me scared that a mountain is going to fall on top of me, sure," Finn answered jokingly.

    A lightugh was spurred from the young woman, "I don''t think that''ll happen. At least, I hope not."

    Once the giant rabbit was properly prepared and put into smaller pieces, it was added to the pot above the campfire.

    Magnus used a tree trump as a cutting board, dicing up what resembledrger carrots and potatoes. They couldn''t be more fresh, as the impromptu cook just plucked them from the soil.

    "That''s actually smelling pretty good," Finn said, watching the vegetables be tossed into the stew.

    "Yeah, it''s making my stomach start to speak," Jasper added in, waving his hand towards himself to coax the aroma.

    Magnus tried to keep a straight face, though a bashful smoke broke through from thepliments given to his culinary efforts, "--That''s really just the core of stew. Simple, easy-to-find ingredients, yet always delicious."

    "Don''t sell yourself short, mate!" Jasper gave a yful p on the back to the cannoneer.

    "Right," Magnus exhaled at the unwee gesture.

    The rabbit stew was prepared in a timely fashion, a much appreciated factor as they were all hungry from the long, drawn out day. Finn could hardly wait to shovel the steaming soup into his mouth as he received his portion served into his bowl.

    Bringing a spoonful to his lips, he took the first bite. It hit him with a bundle of savory goodness, finding that he wasn''t the only one happy with the results.

    "Delicious," Jasper imed. "Props to the chef."

    "Just eat, would you?" Magnus brushed thepliment aside, hardly hiding his bashfulness.

    "It is tasty, really," Charlotte happily added.

    As Finn brought a portion of the meat into his mouth and properly consumed the tender protein, he was suddenly greeted by a notification of his system¡ª

    [Predation sessful.]

    [Aspect of "Behemoth Rabbit" acquired.]

    It utterly took him by surprise, never intending to willfully activate the ability he assimted from the sick hunter.

    ''The rabbit? I didn''t even think about that¡­it never activated before, so why not? What''s different?'' He questioned while sitting there.

 Chapter 83: Moon Stalker

    "Finn? Is something wrong?" Charlotte asked, seeming to notice the perplexed expression on his face.

    "Did something identally get added to the stew?" Magnus questioned.

    Finn shook his head, brushing off what his system showed him, "I''m fine¡ªjust thinking."

    "I''m thinking, too mate. Thinking about how good this stuff is," Jasper yfully said while taking in another spoonful.

    While the knight ate his serving of stew, Finn squinted, trying again to see if he could catch a nce of the man''s face behind the helmet. Once more, he found himself disappointed as the small gap didn''t allow anything to be seen of Jasper''s features.

    The hearty meal brought all of their hunger to be satisfied, though also bringing Finn to release a yawn as the warm supper seemed to tell his body it was time to sleep.

    "You should get some rest," Magnus suggested to him while cleaning up around the campfire.

    "--Ah? Me?" Finn asked.

    "Yes, you. You''re looking like a vampire with those bags under your eyes," Magnus told him honestly.

    "Bags? Is it that bad?" Finn asked, feeling a bit embarrassed by the idea as he touched right beneath his eyes.

    Jasper spoke up, "Hate to say it, mate, but he''s not lying. Definitely got a vampire thing going on."

    "Just get some sleep, Finn. We''ll handle cleaning up and taking shifts to watch¨Cso don''t worry," Charlotte assured him.

    As he sat there, finding hispanions looking at him with genuine gazes of worry, he knew that they were looking out for his well being. He couldn''t even deny their words, finding his mind exhausted as if wrung dry of its energy.

    Nothing sounded better than getting rest, leaving him to ept their proposal as heid himself down against the soft grass, "Alright. Just wake me up if anything happens."

    "''Course, mate. Get some beauty sleep," Jasper assured.

    Finn closed his eyes, weing the allure of slumber as his tired mind yearned to just shut off the constant worries, even if just for a brief time.

    As Finn allowed himself to rest, the pot and bowls were cleaned properly by Magnus, while Jasper shined his de and Charlotte watched the mountainous sights above.

    "A full rest should do wonders for him. Mate deserves it," Jasper remarked, sitting beside the warm campfire, resting his de against his knee while wiping it down.

    "This is the least we can do for him. He''s pushed himself too far, too oftentely. If he keeps going that direction, he''s going to shatter. It''s made it awfully apparent that I need to improve," Magnus admitted regretfully, sitting with his back against a tree as he looked on at the sleeping assassin.

    Jasperughed quietly, "Never thought I''d hear you diminish yourself, mate. Always assumed you were the prideful type."

    "I''m not afraid to speak the truth, and that''s the truth of it," Magnus rified. "I''ve fallen shorttely, and he''s picked up the ck."

    "He''s a survivor, through-and-through. When I met the guy, I could tell just by that look in his eyes; it''s intense and focused, like a cat on the prowl," Jasper said. "That being said, we can''t let the guy take all that on by himself. I guess what I''m saying is, we''re in this together¨Cgotta have each others'' backs."

    Charlotte was quiet as she listened to the two men speak, finding herself watching Finn rest, having her heart warmed by the sight of the young man sleeping peacefully. After watching him push himself to the brink, it was a relief to see he was able to properly rest.

    As night hadpletely fallen over the transient world, the second to take their rest was Magnus, while Jasper and Charlotte remained on watch.

    Amidst the quiet vale with only the crackling of the campfire to provide an ambience, something else made itself known¨Ca rustle in the bushes not far.

    It alerted both of them, leaving Charlotte to stand up as she looked around, though unable to see very far into the dark bounds of the woods.

    Jasper quietly spoke up as not to awake those who slept, "Think something is lurking around? Maybe a critter?"

    "It sounded bigger than just some critter," Charlotte said, still watching the distant bushes.

    While she watched intently, a shadow passed by a bundle of trees, belonging to something undeniably far from a harmless denizen of the vale.

    Charlotte drew her de, stepping towards the treeline, "I saw it out there. I''ll check it out."

    "I cane with," Jasper offered.

    "Somebody needs to stay here and watch over the camp," Charlotte said, ncing back at the slumbering assassin.

    "Right, right¡ªwell, if it gets hairy, just yell," Jasper reminded her.

    "Alright," Charlotte epted with a nod.

    It only took a few strides past the trees that encircled the camp in order for the eerie air of the nighttime woods to take hold. The light of the fire didn''t stretch very far past the low-hanging leaves; it was quiet and lonely¨Cthough perhaps worst, she knew she wasn''t alone out there.

    She decided against using her de to cast away the surrounding darkness, finding that it would only make her a beacon for what was lurking.

    The rustling of bushes brought her to look down a slight downhill slope, catching a glimpse of arge shadow.

    ''--There,'' she noticed, letting herself slide down before hopping over a root that stuck out from the soil.

    Just as she reached the bottom of the grassy slope, a shadow lunged at her. She couldn''t see what it was with how little time she had to react, only by pure reflex swinging her de in front of herself.

    ''--A sword?'' She recognized as the sh of steel produced sparks of faint light.

    All she could see was the ymore that pressed against her weapon along with the one that wielded it, though only barely; the figure was dressed in all-ck armor, with a hood of shadow that obscured the face beneath.

    ["Wind Pulse"] [2:59]

    A squeeze of the sword''s handle produced a burst of air, knocking the nighttime assant back just enough to let her gain some space.

    As she moved back, cutting through the trees, she swiftly ran her fingers along the width of her sword, allowing fragments of golden light to trail behind her touch.

    ["Radiant Infusion"] [Mana: -100] [2800/3200]

    With a light produced from her de, she witnessed the ck-hooded swordsman take strides between nearby trees. The quiet figure moved with silent steps, leaving a trail of shadows with each step, almost seeming to flicker from one tree to the next.

    She could feel her heart beating in her chest, intensely aware of the threat posed against her, yet stood her ground.

    ''Ever since what happened in the Tower, before I met Finn¡­It feels like I can''t breathe whenever I have to fight. I get scared¨CI worry about what might not happen to me, but everybody as well. I have to ovee that, or else I''ll only hold you back,'' Charlotte resolved.

    Upon seeing the hooded swordsman emerge from behind a tree in front of her, she took the fight to him, springing off of her right foot. The light-infused de was thrust forward, though the dark figure leaned back to avoid being skewered.

    Charlotte could already sense what wasing without having to see it; the evasion from her enemy would be followed-up with a sh to her back. Before being met with the de''s edge, she pushed her foot into the soil before spinning around and facing the hooded figure upfront.

    The radiance of her infused sword revealed whatid beneath the cowl; a ckened skull, absence of flesh, nor eyes; only a scarlet glow in those empty sockets.

    ''It''s not human¨Cokay, I can do this,'' Charlotte assured herself.

    ["Dance of Rain"] [2:59]

    Pulling her sword back, she drew in a breath before the grace of swiftness empowered her body. She shed and pierced her sword forward many times across a single second, though finding her de deflected each time by the impable guard of the hooded undead.

    ''--It defended against all of that?'' She realized, finding her body ringing after having each strike so immutably pushed back against.

    Before she couldment the failed assault, she paced backwards as the dead-faced swordsman retaliated. With a single hand, it swung its ymore, dragging a foul vapor of scarlet death along with it.

    It cleaved through the pair of trees between them, cutting away the foliage as she slid back. She felt her hair move as the wind that came off of the powerful movement produced a chilly gust.

    ''This thing isn''t some everyday monster¡­It''s powerful. Why is something like this in the middle of nowhere? Was iting for us specifically? Hunting us down?'' She guessed while moving between the trees, watching her enemy while considering her next move.

    She flicked the de, dismissing the light that shined from its silver. Bringing her fingertips to the surface of the steel while moving, quickly beginning an infusion, however¨C

    "Awaken--!"

    Intercepting her path, the ck-armored desman slid out from between two trees, swiping its scarlet-coated de at her legs. A family of bushes were diced apart, scarring the hides of the slumbering trees of the nightfallen woods.

    She flipped back, bringing her hand to her de in midair as she resumed the incantation.

    "Awaken, Strengthen¨C"

    Before her feet could touch the ground, she found herself being pulled forward as if an unseen force tugged at her from the front.

    "Ngh!--"

    As she stumbled onto her feet, she found that an umbral aura radiated from the swordsman''s hand, being yanked back to further force her forward. It brought her right within its range, swiping the edge of its de towards her exposed neck.

    Beingpletely pulled off bnce, there was no way to control her footing in time to avoid being sliced¨C

    ["Arcane Grace"] [3:59]

    Ethereal wings of cerulean mana manifested at her back, spreading out as it allowed her to be pulled back, spinning herself around just as the de missed its mark. The magic-born wings onlysted a single moment, though it was enough space to let her reproduce the incantation.

    There was only a small gap to do so as she moved her hand across her de, summoning the words from her lips as the hooded man-hunter approached.

    "Awaken, Strengthen, Flow."

    ["Infusion of Rampaging Tides"] [Mana: -1000] [1800/3200]

    Like the tail of a serpent, a flow of water coiled around the length of the de, extending itself to a riptide that perpetually rippled at her feet.

    The hooded swordsman lunged forward with its de reared back, getting within striking distance right as its ck boot stepped into the circr zone of swirling water. Just as its foot arrived in the aquatic territory, a de of oceanic wrath rose from the torrent, shing at the desman''s torso.

    Charlotte didn''t need to so much as raise her sword, allowing the riptide to act in her stead. It was an imprable zone of offense-and-defense, though it wasn''t perfect by any means. After having its chest sliced, leaking a ck substance, the hooded de-wielder stayed a safe distance back.

    ''Being able to counter only when standing still isn''t ideal¡­It already knows to stay back. I can''t hold this infusion long, either. I''ll have to make this quick¨CI can do that,'' she assured herself, raising her aquatic-coiled de.

    As she took a single step, the territory of counterattacking water was dismissed, leaving her to confront the skilled undead head-on. A dead log was used as a stepping stone as she jumped up, shing her sword towards the grounded foe.

    With the de swung, the coiling water extended its range with a slice of high-pressure water. The nimbleness of the hooded undead allowed it to flip right over the sh of aqua, only allowing it to slice into old bark.

    Just as shended on her feet, she watched the fiend raise its free hand again with a pitch-ck force emitting. Once again, it felt like a hand tugged at her from the front, forcibly pulling her forward.

    ''This again¨Cfine,'' Charlotte epted, letting the distance be closed.

    She used the unwee pull as her own momentum, thrusting her de forward. The hooded being stepped back, releasing the unseen force to avoid being skewered.

    ''Perfect!¡ª'' Charlotte thought.

    While the undead desman was moving back, she squeezed the handle of her sword, awakening the swirling water.

    Like formless limbs, the aquatic flow spread out into liquid bindings, wrapping around the fiend''s body. There wasn''t any time for the malice-d fiend to attempt to break free as she yanked her de back, using the water bindings to pull it towards her.

    Right into the range of her sword, the desman was brought; a quick sh through its midsection sufficed as she passed by it.

    "--Hah," Charlotte quietly breathed out, flicking her de to dismiss the aquatic infusion.

    ["Moon Stalker defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x500 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +2500] [12500/48500]

    As she sheathed her sword carefully, a sense of relief came over her, followed by a renewed confidence in herself. Looking back at the bisected body of the enigmatic desman, she watched as it faded away into dust, carried off by a light breath of wind.

    ''I hope that was thest of that,'' she thought.

 Chapter 84: Interlude: The Sun

    ["If the First Impact brought the creatures of fantasy to this world, and the Second Impact weed the structures of a farawaynd here, then the Third Impact brought the greatest threats of all. Beings capable of mass destruction, entities of godlike strength and presence."]

    [Shandong Province, China]

    From atop the tallest skyscraper in the city of Rizhao, the man of an athletic build, dressed simply in a ck t-shirt tucked into white sweatpants, looked onwards at the neighboring city¨CQingdao.

    At least, he observed what was left of it; the entirety of the port city was left as a smoldering region, bathed in mes that filled the sky above it with smoke.

    Not a single structure remained standing within the boundaries of Qingdao, all having fallen to the wrathful inferno that endlessly burned thend.

    The youthful man of messy, dark hair kept into a ponytail cupped his hands around his eyes as if using them as binocrs, looking at the faraway hellscape, "Yup¡­It''s all gone. All because of you."

    In the center of the once prosperous city, now only a barren, charrednd where mes sang a symphony of chaos, a lonesome figure sat amongst the heat as though it were a paradise.

    As if carved in the image of a Greek god, flesh of golden light that shined like the sun itself with a great mane that flowed like a waving me.

    It was with his discerning eyes that the man atop the skyscraper unveiled the true name of the entity that was far too bright to look at¨C

    ["Major Arcana: The Sun"]

    While peering at the embodiment of the burning star, the man found himself being looked at in return.

    The Sun held a wide smile, caressing his beard of fire as if weing the one from afar toe to him.

    "Cocky bastard," the youthful man remarked with an excited smile of his own.

    With an agile flip without fearing for the lethality of heights, he jumped from the summit of the skyscraper down, letting himself plummet. The entric man stared down at the quickly¨Capproaching pavement without flinching, allowing himself tond on the street.

    Beneath his feet and the knuckle hended upon, the concrete was shattered into a small crater, though he remained unharmed by the fall that could kill anybody else.

    It was with a flicker of swift steps that the man brought himself to the border of fire; where the ashen wastnd cut off from the still-standing cityscape.

    "Status," he uttered.

    [Level: 57] [Path: 235000/320000]

    <Vitals: Healthy>

    <Qi: Healthy>

    Checking that he was indeed in peak condition, the fearless person found himself greeted at the border of fire by the all-too-bright presence of the Sun.

    The figure towered well over three meters in height, carrying with itself a heat that made the mes feel like nothing more than a light breath.

    "You can''t cross wherever your mes haven''t imed yet, can you, big guy?" The man asked, pointing at the wall of fire.

    "--Have youe to be turned to ash to be trampled on, mortal?--" The voice of the Sun quaked the wind like that of a tempest, bolstered by a deepness like that of a chasm.

    The youthful man of confidence and eyes like that of a cosmic kaleidoscope pressed his thumb against his own chest with a smile of confidence that didn''t burn away in the overwhelming presence, "I have a name, make sure to use it¨C"Pris." That''s the name of the guy who''s about to put the Sun out."

    "--Cross that border, and perhaps you''ll help me remember your pitiful name, mortal¨C," the Sun provoked, pointing down at the line of fire.

    Bringing his knuckles together, the challenge was weed by the man as tattoos manifested onto his skin, holding a bright-scarlet glow like that of an awakening me. The roots of his hair exhibited the same burning shine like that of pure mes.

    ["Dao of Eternal Fire"]

    Passing through the zing wall brought no harm to the mortal, as he stepped right up to the Sun without any fear in his body, matching fire with fire. It was thanks to the unique system bestowed only to him¨C

    [Xianxia System]

    "--You step into my domain¨Cthe domain of the Sun with fire as your strength?" The one of a light-forged body asked. "Is it arrogance or ignorance? Show me.--"

    "dly¨C" Pris responded, moving his fists to take a stance.

    Before he could even ready himself, the man found a force driving against his abdomen.

    ''Ah, he''s fast, isn''t he? I didn''t even see him,'' Pris thought as the burning impact curled, flinging him straight upward.

    In a mere moment, the velocity he traveled found himself entering the bounds of the sky with clouds at his reach. Hundreds of meters, maybe thousands? It was difficult to tell, as the fire-engulfednd below became a puny sight as clouds moved below him.

    There wasn''t even a chance to get his lungs to breathe in again before that unmatched radiance pierced the skies right below him.

    "--Arrogance and ignorance both, perhaps?--"

    Before he could react, the burning presence of the Sun arrived beside him in the sky before the mighty fists mmed down against his back. He was shot right back down to the ground, striking the charred soil.

    Pris lifted himself with a single push of his palms, hopping up to his feet as he shook the dirt off of himself. There wasn''t a single scratch or bruise on him, though the godly strength of the Sun rang through his body like a dull ache nheless.

    In front of him, the radiant figure touched down like aet, halting his pursuit for the moment.

    "--You are still standing, mortal? I''ll admit, you are an intriguing existence, one that is beginning to make my body boil with excitement. Can you endure my tion?--"

    ''Alright, it was fun trying that, but that''s not the right path¡­I''ll give this a real shot now,'' Pris thought as he brought his fists together.

    ["Dao of Roaring Thunder"]

    That ink on his body shifted from a crimson to an azure shine, turning the flow of fire into electricity that coiled around his limbs. As a bolt of lightning, the man flickered across the ashennd.

    In that instinct, he struck the Sun, returning the favor with a strike right to the golden being''s abdomen. Even for that brief moment of contact, Pris felt the heat pressing against his hand with such intensity it might burn away entirely.

    Though hended the swift strike, he found himself stepping back with a flicker of lightning once more.

    The Sun remained standing in the same spot, with only sparse trickles of electricity and steam at its stomach, "--Come now. If you are going to walk into my domain and challenge me, thenmit to it.--"

    "Alright, if that''s the case, then¨C" Pris obliged, raising his hand.

    In the view of the Sun, though the human man lifted his arm, holding nothing, it appeared as if he held a sword, onerger than any other.

    ["World-Cutting Sword Intent"]

    Brought down, Pris swiped his hand, bringing with it the manifestation of what did not exist in a physical sense, only brought to reality through sheer focus and will: a swordrge enough to split the burning wastnd.

    The colossal sh caused the clouds above to be parted before the burntnd met the same fate.

    "Well, I assumed it''d miss. Ah, well," Pris casually remarked, looking at the gaping ravine now left in the barrennd.

    Despite the overwhelming scale of the willed strike, the embodiment of the Sun remained in one piece.

    Yet, the fearsome entity looked clearly surprised by the devastation of the mortal''s strike, holding two clear cuts into his golden flesh on his forearms, "--Superb! Superb, mortal! Show me more! If you entertain me, I will treasure your ash for eternity!--"

    Each stomp forth the Sun took erupted with a re of sr energy, bursting with divine heat as the zing figure smiled with excitement. Without letting such a destructive figure approach freely, Pris moved like a flicker of lightning, bouncing from spot-to-spot across the ash-turned city.

    Just as he moved with such erratic pace, crossing miles in a blink, he found himself matched by the inexplicable agility of the Sun. From one spot to the next, into the sky and descending back to the ground all within a moment, he found that heat chasing right beside him.

    In the corner of his eye, he could see it as he touched down to the charred soil; the burning smile of the ungodly being.

    Just as he came to a stop, spinning around, the zing existence greeted him head-on. Pris shot his hand forth, generating a call of thunder that emitted an electric shock wave. The powerful force, intertwined with a flurry of thunderbolts tore across thend, though only brought the Sun to stumble back with an ever-burning smile.

    "--Do you believe such meager elements can peel my flesh?! Nonsense!--"

    In return, the grandiose figure lifted his foot to then bring it down with greater might. Ripples of sr radiance traversed through the cracks in the soil, boiling it up into an eruption of heat.

    Pris moved back as a bolt of fleeting lightning, avoiding the grasp of the all-melting heat. As he slid away on fickle electricity, he pushed his hand forward like that of a thrusting weapon as the ming one rushed right towards him¡ª

    ["Heaven-Piercing Spear Intent"]

    The air was turned, torqued by a supreme, prative force that thrust itself right at the Sun. It shook the skies, carving up a mile ofnd, yet falling short of bypassing the radiant flesh of the star-born one.

    ''What a pain in the ass. How is anybody supposed to deal with this thing?'' The man thought, breathing out as he wiped sweat from his cheek.

    The natural heat enclosed within the boundaries of thend imed by the Sun was overwhelming.

    Vanishing from his body was the glow of thunderous power, leaving the man standing there, baked in sweat before the sr being.

    "--Has it be all too clear that you are a grain of sand waging war against a mountain? I had hoped for a more entertaining sh, but I suppose it is too much to expect from a mortal.--" The Sun pridefully remarked with clear disappointment in his booming voice.

    Pris steadied his breathing, even as it felt as though he allowed embers into his lungs, bringing himself to a calm as the heat continuously sapped his strength. For the being that existed as the manifestation of the Sun, it witnessed a glimpse at the bejeweled eyes of the mortal man¨Ceyes not devoid of hope as once thought.

    ["Dao of The Boundless Cosmos"]

    ''If this fails, then it''s confirmed,'' Pris thought, bending his knees before leaping straight up.

    Like a rocket shooting towards the realm of the universe beyond the skies, heunched right into the clouds beforeing to a stop. He looked down at the ruined remnants of what could hardly be recognized as a once prosperous city.

    "From up this high, even the Sun starts to look small¡­" Pris remarked with a smile, bringing his hand up, squeezing his fist shut.

    A brightness red up from the surface, enough to cover the entirety of the region below in that unmatched radiance. Pris didn''t avert his gaze as the light reflected off his dazzling irises, keeping his hand clenched as a force swirled around it.

    Space itself bent and curved around his fist, being twisted into a force as easy to mold as dough. As he pulled his hand down, facing his palm towards the wastnd far below, he dragged the sky itself as though it were a feeble curtain.

    From below, the brightly-burning figure shouted,unching up, "--Enough wasting time. Let us turn thisnd to ash!--"

    The promation from the hot-headed entity was met with an appropriate response from the man in the sky, who kept a focused gaze on the radiant being from above. Amidst the Sun''s swift ascent, it was quickly intercepted as the distortion brought by Pris'' grasp was brought down:

    ["Heaven-Earth Connect: Copsing Star"] [24:59:59]

    A hum filled the great, blue expanse, increasing in intensity until it became a ring noise that rippled through the clouds.

    "--This is?--" The Sun wondered as the sky above its view was warped around as if stirred by adle.

    Like a train crashing through, the sky itself crashed down upon the one of golden flesh, mming down into the burning remnants of Qingdao. The force of splendid gravity spanned the boundaries of the city, crushing downward with impunity.

    A glimmer of universal power brought the ashen wastnd down, producing a perfect circle around its borders as the scope of the city imed by the Sun was pushed down into the Earth.

    "Hrrgh!--" Pris strained himself as his muscles coiled and his veins bulged against his skin, pushing his hand down tomand the grandiose scale of gravity.

    Enough pushing incurred a result that bordered on an impossible sight; the remnants of Qingdao that did exist were no longer in sight. In ce of the barren city was only a canyon bordered by mes.

    "Haaah¡­." Pris caught his breath, looking down at the aftermath.

    He watched for a moment, peering into that deep chasm of darkness, waiting for a sign before one met his eyes: a sh of fire that began from a sparking ember.

    "Shit," the dissatisfied remark left his lips.

    As that flicker of light came from the man-made canyon, he moved himself across the sky in an instant. Just as he brought himself a city away, perching atop a towering building, he looked back in the direction of where the city once existed¨C

    The nearby skyscrapers rumbled before the mere ember that persisted in that chasm was followed by a pir of sr energy that pierced into the heavens.

    ''That confirms it. That monster ispletely invincible during the daytime,'' Pris concluded, staring at the monument of fire in the distance.

 Chapter 85: Through The Mountain

    The smell of coffee grounds greeted his nose, bringing him to blink as he found himself sitting at a table. It was a cafe he was familiar with; while it wasn''t empty, it was just busy enough to provide afortable atmosphere.

    "You sure like this ce, don''t you? I''m not much of a coffee guy myself."

    The remark came from the man seated across from him, who sipped from his cup of fresh, warmly-brewed coffee before sticking out his tongue in yful disgust.

    "Damian," Finn quietly said, feeling as though he had just woken up, lightly rubbing his head. "Yeah, I like this ce just fine. I came here a lot during my time in university. It was never very busy, so I could focus here¨Cthe coffee isn''t bad either."

    Damianughed softly, "Here I would''ve thought the first thing you''d judge a cafe on would be its coffee. Guess I''m not really the expert here, though."

    "Yeah, you''re right," Finn said with a smallugh of his own.

    Though there were others in the cafe, he could hardly even make them out; they were just blurs, their conversations nothing more than white noise¨Cthough he didn''t mind it.

    "How''ve you been holding up, man? Don''t take it the wrong way, but you look like you''ve seen better days," Damian asked genuinely, setting his mug down on the table.

    "I''ve been¡­I''m not sure, really," Finn answered, looking at the table as if that''d somehow help him find a definitive answer.

    "Oh,e on. Would it kill you to give me a straight answer?" Damian pressed.

    "Lay off, man. I don''t want to think. It kind of hurts to think right now," Finn tiredly said, rubbing his face.

    Sitting there in silence for a moment, a feverish feeling overcame him, exuding sweat and breathing heavily.

    "Hey, you''re bleeding from your nose," Damian pointed out.

    Finn raised his hand, touching just above his lip as the warmth of the liquid was felt. As he checked his fingers, the ck blood met his sight.

    "--Ah."

    His eyes shot open as the ambience of the rxing cafe vanished, finding himself insteadying on the grass. Above him, those hanging mountains peered back down at him, reminding him of where he truly was.

    ''Right¡­a dream,'' he tiredly thought.

    He picked himself up with a quiet yawn, finding it to already be a new day as the inexplicable sunlight from an unseen sun provided a tranquil dawn. There was a light fog in the vale, with a sprinkleing down.

    "Morning."

    Finn looked across the campsite to find that he wasn''t the only one awake, seeing Magnus sitting boredly by a tree.

    "Morning," Finn responded. "Have you been up all night?"

    "Only a couple hours. We took turns keeping watch," Magnus answered.

    "Right," Finn said, tiredly rubbing his face before grabbing a canteen of water, taking a quick sip to alleviate his dry mouth.

    "I''m just thankful that nothing went wrong during the night. Being truthful, it didn''t seem like all that wise of an idea to sleep out here in the open. Though it''s not like we had much of a choice," Magnus admitted.

    "Yeah, you''re right about that," Finn agreed.

    It wasn''t often he got to talk to Magnus alone. Though he found the man to be veracious to a fault, usually questioning him, he didn''t hold it against him. Finn found that in a one-on-one conversation, it was much easier to speak to the usually contrarian figure.

    "You talk quite a bit in your sleep, you know," Magnus told him.

    "I do?" Finn responded, a bit surprised by the im, though not entirely surprised.

    "I wasn''t trying to listen, but it''s not like I had much of a choice," Magnus said.

    "Sorry about that, then," Finn apologized, fixing theces on his boots along with tightening his gloves to wake himself up properly.

    Magnus rified, "I wasn''t bothered by it. I just wanted you to know, since it sounded like you were talking to a friend in your sleep¨Cnever heard you quite that jovial before."

    "Really? I don''t remember what I was even dreaming about," Finn said, attempting to recall, but only pulling up a nk memory.

    The soft rainfall delicately fell on his face as he looked towards the mountainous scenery above, feeling a certain warmth still lingering inside of him.

    ''All I can recall is that it was a pretty nice dream,'' he thought.

    With the light of a new day, it wasn''t long before the others woke up as well, sharing in a breakfast made of the leftovers from the felled rabbit. It wasn''t an inspiring meal, though one that got the job done.

    Taking a bite out of the cooked rabbit leg while walking, Jasper swallowed before speaking up, "So, how far do you reckon we are from that castle?"

    "It''s looked the same distance since we first came here. Honestly, I wondered if we were even getting closer," Charlotte admitted looking at the faraway structure.

    Through the woods of the vale, there was a subtle trail, paved only periodically by stone, with lightless torches hung on trees. It was at least a sign; a guide in the stretch of wilnds. The further they traveled north through the vale, the more obscured the sky became; the peaks of the mountains along with the countless trees blocked it off.

    "If there''s any rhyme or reason to this ceand that''s assuming a lot, I''ll admit, then following this path should lead us there soon enough," Magnus pointed out with a tired exhale.

    Finn walked at the front, watching the light mist alongside the glistening morning dew that clung to the sides of the neighboring cliff sides. Beside him, Charlotte kept up with his pace, keeping her hands tucked behind her back.

    He found himself feeling her gaze on him for an ufortable amount of time before looking over, confirming that she was indeed staring at him.

    Charlotte spoke up right as he looked at her, "How''re you feeling? Yesterday you seemed sort of out of it."

    "Yeah, I''m better today though, so don''t worry. A full night of rest did wonders. Thanks for that," Finn assured her with a small smile.

    A light tap to the shoulder brought him to look to his right, seeing Jasper catching up to match his pace.

    "Rest is king, mate. In times like these, good sleep is golden," Jasper said chipperly as rain pattered against his silver helmet.

    "Don''t take it from him," Magnus added from behind, hiking over the jutting-out roots of the soil. "When it was time to switch turns watching, it took half an hour to finally wake up this snoring buffoon."

    "Hey, mate¨CI''m a heavy sleeper, what can I say?" Jasper yed off with augh.

    "That''s not something to be proud of. It''ll get you killed if you were alone," Magnus remarked.

    Jasper stepped through a muddy puddle, shrugging his shoulders, "If a monster came at me while I''m asleep, I''ll jump up and turn it into dinner in the blink of an eye. I''ve just got honed instincts like that, mate."

    "Are you some kind of ninja now?" Finn jokingly asked.

    "Ha-ha! It''s the truth, mate! I normally sleep like a log, but If there''s danger near me, I hop up like spring chicken," Jasper assured.

    The exnation that was hard to discern if it was purely a joke or mixed with some truth by the knight stirred augh from Charlotte, though Magnus was not so quick to entertain it.

    "Well, I''ll try smacking you with a stick next time you''re asleep then to confirm that," Magnus said.

    "Try it, mate, and I''ll stick my sword right up your arse," Jasper retorted.

    The bickering between the cannoneer and knight was cut short as the woodsy vale led to a peculiar way forward; an entire mountain blocked the path, only with a passage going straight through it weing them in.

    A pair ofnterns were stationed on the thresholds of the entrance into the mountain tunnel, with fireflies swaying in the leaf-shaded front.

    "Looks like this is the way forward," Finn said, staring into the lightless passage.

    "It looks¡­unweing," Charlotte observed with some hesitation.

    Admittedly, the cobwebs that clung to the wooden frame set around the rocky entrance didn''t help either. It didn''t help any more that the skulls of what looked to be deer and cattle were strung up by the webs.

    "Doesn''t look like this ce gets regr maintenance," Magnus sarcastically remarked.

    Entering the mountain tunnel led into a rather sprawling cave that expanded to a vast scope. It was filled with light, though not through the presence ofnterns or torches.

    Growths of cerulean crystals lined the walls, providing an ethereal glow to the cavern. Finn walked forward, finding that it led directly onto a natural bridge of slick stone, with either side leading to a drop into a cavernke.

    "Watch your step," Finn warned, peering over the edge.

    "No kidding. Not trying to take a bath down there," Jasper said, standing beside him while gazing down as well.

 Chapter 86: Crystalline Gill

    There was a constant drip of water from the ceiling of the cave, lightlying down like a calmed rain. It made traversing the eroded bridge a cautious endeavor as the bumpy stone wasid slick from the moisture.

    "I''ve never been in a mountain before¡­Well, this is my first time around one at all, really," Charlotte admitted, correcting herself.

    "I don''t think it was amon thing to do," Finn said while taking slow steps, looking around at the glistening cavern.

    It wasn''t as though it smelled repulsive, though the scent of salt was thick in the old air. Careful strides led him halfway across the eroded bridge, with each step taken by each of them echoing through the cavern.

    "Don''t look down. Don''t look down," Jasper repeated to himself in a singsong tune.

    "Repeating it won''t make it any easier¡ªit''s distracting me, even," Magnus remarked from the back.

    "You don''t have to listen, mate. Close those ears up," Jasper responded.

    While he led the way forward, Finn listened as the periodic drops of water descended from the top all the way down to the deep river. From the ceiling, it took a good few seconds until hearing the echo of "st."

    RUMBLE.

    "¡ªWoah there!" Jasper let out.

    The entirety of the cavern shook briefly, causing a brief rain of sediment toe down.

    They each came to a stop, frozen as if a single step might bring it all down. It onlysted a moment,ing and going faster than it endured, though a noise bellowed from the depths of the cavern.

    "Err¡­I think it''s fine?" Charlotte nervously guessed.

    "I wouldn''t be so quick to assume," Magnus advised, looking around.

    "I''m about one second from puking my guts out. I''ve got vertigo, mate¡ªthis type of crap does not sit well with me," Jasper said, holding his head.

    Suddenly, the bridge felt much more narrow with the stability of the cave now in question.

    "Let''s just keep moving¡­I don''t feel like testing this ce," Finn said, continuing onward.

    "Right there with you, mate," Jasper agreed with a quick exhale.

    It wasn''t many strides forth that he found himself stepping to the other end of the crystalline territory. There was an open passage leading into a deeper area of the mountains innards, though it wasn''t much better than the bridge.

    "¡­Great," Finn mumbled.

    The further section held ankle-high water, kept with a sapphire glow as crystals lined the walls and floor.

    "Are we sure this''ll spit us out the other end of the mountain?" Jasper asked.

    "Only way to find out is to keep moving forward," Finn answered. "¡ªThough I''m not sure either."

    While there was no longer a threat of plummeting into the deeper depths of the cave, treading through the mineral-filled water was hardly better.

    Finn nced down, taking notice that his movement was slowed down in the shallow stretch.

    "Do people really go through this ce?" Jasper asked.

    There wasn''t exactly a carved out path, only a gaping hole up ahead that led further.

    "With the state the First Order is in, I doubt it''s used anymore," Magnus answered. "This world is imed by monsters now, it seems."

    "Not much different from our own then," Finn said while moving ahead.

    "It''s a change of pace from the woods, at least, right?" Charlotte optimistically said, though to little effect.

    Through the crystalline-luminated pool, the steps through the water echoed against the hollow mountain.

    Splish-ssh. Splish-ssh. Splish-ssh.

    A monotonous journey, sweeping each leg through the low water. Finn marked in his mind that he was halfway across the flooded chamber, setting his sights on the path ahead.

    Tap. Tap. Tap.

    A sound repeating in session like knocking against the stone brought him to a stop.

    "What was that?¡ª" Finn questioned, calling his dagger.

    "Likely trouble," Magnus casually answered, ncing around.

    Hispanions didn''t spend a moment being anyter to ready themselves, each covering one another''s backs with their weapons drawn.

    Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

    The noise became louder and more frequent, clearlying from the crystalline ceiling. Just as he tilted his head to look up, he jumped back as something crashed down in front of him¡ªSPLASH.

    "What''s that?!" Charlotte asked as water sshed against her.

    Finn kept his arms up as the shallow waves leapt and fell, looking at what had suddenly dropped in.

    What arrived was covered in slick, blue-and-white skin that was moist and d in crystals. The head of a fish, bearing razor-sharp teeth and the body of a gargantuan man.

    It towered over the travelers, wielding a rusty, m-clung trident.

    "It''s a Troglodyte!" Finn called out.

    "The fuck is that?!" Jasper shouted in return.

    "A big-ass monster! Get the picture?!" Finn responded.

    The fish-headed colossus rose its trident, spinning it around before mming it back down. It sent a mighty ripple through the light waters as if iming it would not let them pass.

    Magnus stanced himself as the cannon was readied, "It''s never as easy as it seems, is it?"

    "I''m more surprised it took this long," Charlotte said, tracing her fingers along her de.

    The first to take action was the cannoneer, pulling the trigger of the massive weapon as it released a zing shot.

    Finn watched the ming projectileunch right for the gilled giant''s head, only for the troglodyte to duck down right beneath it.

    BOOM

    The cannonball struck the wall behind the monster, causing the chamber to rumble as sediment rained down.

    "Don''t bring this ce down on us!" Jasper shouted while running in.

    Magnus huffed, holding his ground, "Sure thing, and shut up!"

    The fish-headed warrior closed the distance while almost slithering on all fours briefly like a snake. It arrived as Finn leapt back just as it rose to its hind legs, thrusting its trident right at him.

    ''¡ªIt''s agile,'' Finn noted.

    "Hraaah!"

    The yell boomed from Jasper as he intercepted, using his shield to swiftly deflect the three-pronged thrust.

    ["Golden Parry"]

    A spray of golden light sprinkled where the trident met the face of the shield, producing a shock wave that rang through the fish-headed warrior.

    "Thank meter, mate!" Jasper called out from in front.

    Finn brushed off the remark, flipping his dagger in his hand as he dashed in, "¡ªIt wasn''t going to reach me, but thanks."

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He brought himself at the height of the fish-man''s neck, shing his de against itsteral muscle. Though he felt his dagger slice through, the size of the troglodyte''s body hardly made it a significant blow.

    ''¡ªUp close like this, it''s huge,'' he observed.

    He let his bootsnd on its shoulder in that fleeting second before flipping himself around in the air. It retaliated quickly, snapping its jaws towards its own shoulder, narrowly missing the assassin''s foot.

    BOOM

    As hended in the water beside the troglodyte, a sh of fire exploded against the side of its head. A direct hit served to leave half of the monstrosity''s face burnt and peeled, yet it remained upright, pointing its ire at the cannoneer with a rumbling cry.

    The troglodyte hoisted its trident up, holding it in such a way that it seemed intent on using it like a javelin, aiming it towards the swede stationed at the back of the chamber.

    "Iing!--" Magnus shouted.

    Finn dashed in while the fish-headed giant''s attention was turned away, setting his sights on its exposed, right ankle.

    ["Gale Blessing"] [2:59]

    The swirl of wind around his body parted the water at his feet, allowing for unhindered agility.

    He moved in alongside the spellde, who seemed to have the same intent as him.

    As he sprinted through the shallow water, he swapped his dagger for the excessively lengthy odachi just as he reached the fish-headed titan''s ankle. Just as it tried to toss its trident, he swept his de against its ankle, while Charlotte brought her shining de against its shin from the front.

    The two-front attack on its right foot allowed both of their cuts to be enough topletely cut through.

    "Nice one!" Jasper shouted.

    Magenta blood spewed into the water, making it cloudy with the creature''s life essence around its position.

    With its bncepromised, the troglodyte copsed to one knee as the shining water rippled into small waves.

    "Move!--" Finn shouted, noticing that the desperate creature wasn''t done.

    It released an angered cry, keeping its three-pronged weapon raised before torquing its body in a violent motion. Before the knight could approach, they were all forced back as the troglodyte spun around on one knee, using its trident to drag across the ground.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    Finn surfed on his darkness along the rippling water, finding the waves formed of the wrathful giant sshing against his pants. The sound of the trident scraping across the bottom of the floor was grating, acting as though the troglodyte sought only to force them away.

    Magnus shouted from the front end of the chamber, "I need a moment! Give me some time!"

    The request was heard loud-and-clear by Finn as he sprinted along the water, as the troglodyte continued dragging its trident in such a way to prevent anybody froming closer. He flicked his de into the air, throwing it right above the head of the fish-man.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2400/2500]

    From the shallow water to its mmy skin, hended his feet right atop its head. There was only enough time to jump off, though not before pointing his hand at its face:

    ["Cloud of Darkness"] [Mana: -200] [2200/2500]

    A st of pitch-ck smoke pushed right against the fish-headed fiend''s face,pletely engulfing it in the obscuring veil. While within it, the darkness wasn''t simply blocking one''s sight, but disabling it entirely, deafening any noise around it in tandem.

    Finnnded back down onto the water before flipping away as the troglodyte began to panic and swing its trident rapidly, "Do what you''re going to do!--"

    The cannoneer took the opportunity to bolster his stance while his weapon honed in on a coalescence of brightly-burning energy, "That''s a proper distraction¨Cgood job."

    The tantrum-like movements from the scaled warrior forced Charlotte to quickly move, finding that there was no way to predict its attacks.

    Jasper rolled away while keeping his shield up, cing distance between himself and the troglodyte as it blindly swung its trident, "Shit! Hurry it up over there!"

    "Just keep quiet," Magnus said with instilled focus as sweat dripped from his chin, pointing his cannon right at the smoke-hidden head of the creature.

    ["Draco Beam"]

    The condensed force shot out, causing the waves to part and turn to vapor just from the presence of the ultra-hot energy. Through the blinding smoke, the beam pierced with killing precision.

    It couldn''t be seen where the focusedser hit as the shadows hid the fish from the shoulders up, though as its body fell limp and it crashed down, the result was clear.

    ["Crystal Troglodyte defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x500 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +2000] [30500/50000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Crystal Troglodyte"]: "Minor Water Breathing"]

 Chapter 87: Be Afraid

    The water around the copsed creature became muddied with its colorful blood, seeping from the gaping hole left through its head.

    "It''s finished?" Charlotte asked as though surprised at how quickly it was put down.

    Jasper nudged his boot against the side of the fallen creature, "Yup. That''s pretty dead."

    While Finn brushed the droplets of its blood from his cheek, he nced over to find Magnus walking beside him while leaving a pat on his shoulder.

    "Nice assist, Finn," Magnusplimented.

    "No problem," the assassin said before pointing up at the rocky wall. "Though, I''d be careful about that."

    There was a perfect hole left in the cave, exuding steam from the aftermath of the cannon''s expelled beam.

    "Such things are unavoidable," Magnus simply said.

    "If this cees crashing down, my sword is going to be unavoidable up your arse, mate," Jasper responded to the cannoneer.

    Charlotte mediated with a small p of her hands, "What matters is, we dealt with it so we can keep moving forward. Right?"

    "Right," Finn agreed. "Let''s keep moving."

    Leaving the body of the fish-headed giant behind, the path onward was left unimpeded as Finn led the way. It led seemingly deeper into the cavern, with a downward slope of running water that opened up into a vast section of the hollow mountain.

    "This doesn''t look like an exit to me," Magnus observed.

    "No, but look up there¨Cthis ce isn''tpletely off," Finn pointed out.

    Up ahead where the slope leveled out, a few tables were left standing in the middle of the cavern, withnterns still lit amidst the crystalline walls.

    It took some treading through the shallow water to arrive at the dry area, upied by the abandoned tables. With a barely-litntern situated on a wooden pole, it looked to be a small outpost within the cavern, though not in much use anymore.

    "What''s all of this?" Charlotte asked, looking at the papers scattered on the out-of-ce furniture.

    Magnus took a look for himself, parting the rolled-up parchment, "Well, it''s¡­something. The ramblings of a mad man, perhaps?"

    "What?" Finn asked, looking at what the cannoneer was analyzing.

    The tattered, stained papers only held blotted ink that was messily inscribed with barely legible writing.

    It was the same phrase, written over and over again¨C"Fear what cackles in the darkness. Be afraid of theughter."

    "What the hell is that about?" Jasper wondered when reading it.

    Charlotte unrolled the other papers, checking them out as well, "It''s the same thing on all of these, too. What''s it mean?"

    "''Fear what cackles in the darkness''...Don''t know for sure, but I don''t like the sound of that all too much," Jasper remarked, ncing between Charlotte and Finn.

    "I wouldn''t try to look too deep into the writings of somebody clearly deprived of their sanity," Magnus remarked, putting the ink-scattered papers down.

    "Probably a fair assumption, but¡­I wouldn''t write it offpletely," Finn cautiously advised.

    "Hey, look here," Jasper said.

    The helmed man stood in front of a paper that led to another, then another, forming a trail that led into another tunnel. It was left dark and unseen into the path of ink-blotted notes, with a subtle wind whistling by.

    "It''s not toote to turn back the way we came," Magnus remarked while looking at the ominous passage.

    Finn took the first step along the eerie trail, "I get what you mean. I just think the way we were brought to this ce, the path we were set on¨Cthis is the intended way. Whatever constructed the Tower, I feel like this is what was set."

    "I wish I had your optimism," Magnus sighed, choosing to follow along with the others.

    "Even if you''re right, mate, do you really think whatever is responsible for the Tower is something you really want to follow?" Jasper asked.

    Finn thought about it briefly before answering, "It can be cruel and unfair, but I do think part of whatever all of this is wants to give us a chance¨Cat least to put us on the right path."

    "It''s what Oliver told us before," Charlotte said, looking at him.

    "Right, he did say something like that," Finn confirmed.

    "And what''s that? This Oliver fellow again¨CI would''ve liked to talk to him," Magnus said, putting his hand to his chin.

    Charlotte recalled, "It was that there is an entity that is against humanity, and one that favors it; like a wager between two gods, is how he put it. The Tower¡­I think it''s set up to benefit us."

    "To make us stronger¨Cto make us ready," Finn said.

    "Perhaps. Perhaps it''s all a death trap, but I suppose only time will tell," Magnus said.

    "I''m leaning more towards death trap currently, mate," Jasper said. "But, I''ll trust your gut, Finn."

    "I''m not entirely sure myself," Finn said.

    It was beginning to be questionable just how vast the caverns of the mountain were, though Finn couldn''t help but explore deeper. Part of it was his own inclination to RPGs, finding the aspect of secrets¡ªloot and such, alluring. Still, it was only a minor part of what led him to walk, only a guiding bit of courage.

    "You''re not this fearless because there might be treasure here, right?" Charlotte asked while hugging close behind.

    Finn brushed it off, though hardly hid it, "Ah¡ªno. I mean, if there is, that''s a bonus."

    "Really¡­" Charlotte said with a disappointed furrow to her eyebrows.

    "Just a bonus, that''s all I''m saying," Finn defended.

    The passage was noticeably more narrow than thest, going on for some ways with the papers leading the way. On and on the notes were left until they came to a stop.

    "This is thest one," Finn pointed out, crouching down as he looked at thest piece.

    Of course, it had the same, maddening phrase inscribed on it, only more washed out and hard to read. All that was left leading ahead into the dimly-lit chamber was blood that painted the uneven stone.

    "Meaning¡­" Jasper lingered.

    "Meaning we''re probably going to find something unsightly ahead," Magnus answered.

    Drip. Drip. Drip.

    The echo of droplets hitting the ground moved through the cavern. Finn slowly moved forward, finding what waited was a ce far different from the rest of the mountain cavity.

    Chains hung from the ceiling in abundance, with only a single torch presenting meager light into the chamber. There was a strong, copper stench that filled the dark area, enough to make one lightheaded from a prolonged inhale.

    "This ce¡­It stinks," Charlotte quietly said.

    "Luckily my sense of smell isn''t what it used to be," Jasper responded.

    Finn took deliberate steps, gently pushing the hanging chains out of the way as he moved. The only guidance was the weak me of thentern ahead. Though the sides of the chamber were shrouded in darkness, untouched by the faint light, he could tell it wasn''t as vast as the earlier sections.

    "¡ªStay alert. I have a bad feeling," Magnus whispered from the back.

    Charlotte agreed, staying crouched so as not to disturb the slumbering chains, "Me too. My stomach is in knots."

    Sight was kept on thentern that seemed to dangle from a single chain, hanging on its side as the me seemed to flicker every moment as if every second could be itsst. There was somethinging from the weakened fire; a suppressed cackle, like a raspy breath.

    Finn carefully approached it with the others behind him, unknowing of what to make of the peculiar chamber.

    Taking a step closer, he squinted, observing the hangingntern, locked onto that flickering me before¨Ccrack.

    The ss of the old, hanging light crinkled as the glowing fire was snuffed out by an unseen breath, as if expelled like a birthday candle. With the absence of the me, the room was immediately swallowed up in darkness.

    "What happened?--" Jasper asked hastily.

    It became lightless to the point of not being able to see the person standing just a few steps away, utterly engulfed in shadows.

    "Did you put the fire out?!" Magnus questioned.

    Finn answered, turning side-to-side, "No¨Cit went out on its own."

    "How?!" Magnus asked further.

    "I don''t know!" Finn responded, looking around as he struggled to even see where hispanions were.

    Just a moment prior, he was sure that Charlotte was right behind him, with the others not far behind, yet all he could see was darkness; suffocating, imprable shadow. The panicked shouts were gone, leaving only a deafening silence drumming against his ears.

    "Hey! Charlotte! Jasper! Magnus!" Finn shouted desperately. "Hey!"

    With anxiety, his heartbeat swelled in his chest, feeling that isting darkness around him likening itself to bitter memories carved into his brain. Breaths left his lips uneven and panicked, not perhaps for his own life, but out of fear of what may be happening to hisrades.

    As he turned side-to-side, calling out to the others, only one thing met his ears in response¨C

    Laughter; a twistedughing from the darkness.

    It was unnatural; inhuman, it felt¨Cthat sound made the hairs on his arm stand and his yells for hispanions to be squelched.

    Hearing that disembodiedughter, the words endlessly written on the notes surfaced in his mind: "Fear what cackles in the darkness. Be afraid of theughter."

 Chapter 88: Sinister Darkness

    It was impossible to decipher exactly where that wicked cackling came from, listening as it sounded in front of him, then to the left, or even above, always seeming to change.

    "Charlotte! Anyone¨C!?" Finn shouted again.

    As he forced the call from his throat, something responded; he sensed a force erupt from the shadows in front of him, only a split-second before it arrived. Theughter intensified as he witnessed a bony, pale hand reach out to an unnatural length.

    It grabbed his outstretched arm by the wrist, causing him to stiffen up, frozen as he was left utterly perplexed at just what had taken hold of him.

    Suddenly, with a single tug¨C

    Snap.

    "Nng¨C"

    Finn winced, withholding a scream as his left arm was snapped by such a simple motion, as if the hand from the darkness was breaking a mere toy. The first action in his mind was to ignore the pain, setting his sights on retaliating against the one thatughed in the shadows.

    As he took a single step forward, his blood ran cold again as his reflexes picked up "something."

    Theughter heightened against his ears as he felt a warmth at his neck that quickly bubbled into a painful, scorching sensation.

    Within a moment, he felt himself choking, though didn''t know what as his mind ran amok. He could feel that red-hot warmth seeping from his throat, dripping onto his coat before he grabbed his neck in a panic.

    ''My throat¨Cmy throat¨Cis it cut?'' He somehow managed to scramble a coherent thought together.

    The feeling of ceaseless choking confirmed it for him as he spit out blood, feeling his strength fading by the moment as he stumbled. Everything seemed to spin around as he clutched his throat, feeling the blood unable to stop gushing like an overflowing river.

    Tears swelled in his eyes as it felt as though he drowned in his own blood, panicking as he patted down his own body in a hurry as his life leaked out, losing it by the second.

    Thatughter intensified as if witnessing the greatest joke the world has known as the young man rummaged through his pockets in a bloodied panic.

    He felt beneath his coat, quickly reaching under as he hurriedly retrieved what was stored: the vastly valuable vial of golden liquid. As he scrambled to take the cork out, the blood that stained his hands made the bottle slip right out of his hands¨C

    "Rrrgh!--" Finn let out a gargle, moving his hands in a panic.

    As he watched it descend towards the ground, a miracle guided his fingers toce around it before it could shatter.

    Only one thought repeated in his mind¨C"Drink it."

    He fell to his knees, clutching the bottle as though it were his own child as he carefully brought the top to his lips, tilting his head back to wee the all-healing substance. As he brought it past his lips and swallowed, he encountered a problem¨C

    His body refused to swallow, as his own blood filled his throat, drowning in it. The act of swallowing, or the mere intent of it, only brought him to spit out both the ambrosia and blood.

    "Pyuh!--"

    The rejection of the healing liquid made his heart throb with further intensity and his mind to swirl in a nauseating panic. Something when staring at the rocky floor as his blood puddled up as his knees made him stop for a moment and think; through the quick loss of his life essence, he found himself able to focus.

    ''I''m fine¨CI''m fine,'' he assured himself.

    As he choked on his blood, he tilted his head back again and took another sip from the divine ambrosia. This time, he forced his body to swallow, bypassing his own reflex. He ended up with a mix of his own blood in the concoction as the warmth spread itself through his body.

    "Gaaah¡­!"

    He exhaled sharply as the wound on his throat mended itself, bringing him to spit out the blood that sat in his throat. Even as he felt his neck and the cut against it gone, it took a moment for him to calm down as his heart was still pounding against his chest.

    ''Light¡­We need light¨Cthat''s what the note meant, didn''t it?'' He thought as he picked himself back up.

    Theughter was still there and hispanions unseen in the darkness, though he was certain they were close. He drew in a breath to focus himself as his mind tried to find itself in a panic even as heposed himself, holding his hand out as grabbed his snapped elbow before giving it a quick, violent tug¨Cpop.

    Luckily, it was only put out of ce, allowing for him to put it right back, not even feeling it as his mind was throttled by adrenaline. He shook his hand, feeling out his arm before focusing intently on whatid ahead.

    ["Lesser Shadow Recon"] [4:59]

    A pulse emitted from his palm, pushing through the blinding darkness akin to echolocation. It immediately bounced back to him, discovering somebody just a few steps ahead.

    As he walked towards where he felt feedback, he looked back as multiple sets of arms reached out from the dark.

    "Nrgh!¡ª"

    Finn spun himself around, quickly shing his dagger at the hands that sank through the shadows. As he kept through them, lobbing fingers off and slicing through the palms, more limbs sprouted from the darkness.

    ''Shit¡ªit''s unending!'' He thought.

    Stumbling away, he found his back smacking right against something solid.

    As he spun himself around with his dagger ready, he found himself shing his de against steel. Sparks briefly hissed in the dark as he found himself staring at the one who swung the sword.

    "Charlotte?¡ª" Finn gasped out.

    "Finn?" The young woman realized, breathing out. "Sorry, I didn''t know¡ª"

    "It''s fine¡­I didn''t realize either," he brushed off the apology.

    It didn''t take much more than a nce to see the anxiety written on Charlotte''s face as she looked around, clutching her sword with both hands.

    He knew he was likely in the same shape, feeling paranoia swelling in his mind as theughter continued to echo from the unseen.

    "Thisughing¡­It''s like it''s grating against the inside of my head," Charlotte said with a groan, holding her head.

    Finn grabbed her arm to reassure her, "Hey, it''s fine¡ªlook at me. This thing, whatever it is, it''s trying to mess with us."

    "I know, but¡ª" Charlotte said, shaking her head.

    "Just stay focused. I''m right here¡ªI''m not going anywhere. Let''s find the others," Finn assured her. "I need you to use an infusion to create light, alright? If you do that, we should be fine."

    "Are you sure?" Charlotte asked hesitantly.

    Even while conversing with her, he constantly checked over his shoulder as theughter along with sounds of fingers tapping and chains chiming around the tucked-away cavern met his ears.

    "I think thatntern was what kept whatever it is in here at bay¨C" Finn whispered before spinning around.

    It was at the dangle of a chain right behind him that he found himself approached from behind; hands emerged from the shadows as if piercing a veil. He knocked his wrist guards together, creating a "ring" that produced a scarlet coating to his body.

    ["Reaper Time activated."] [4:59]

    There were countless hands that emerged from the suffocating dark, some wielding rusty knives and dull des, others simply grabbing at him from all directions. Everything seemed to move slightly slower as his pupils dted, while feeling his body move faster.

    It wasn''t just that; he felt flexible and free, feeling as though his des were extensions of himself as he cut through the maddening limbs.

    ["Death Flurry"] [2:59]

    He rapidly moved his des while spinning around, unleashing dozens of shes across a single moment to repel the ursed flesh. The dance of killing prowess cut through the numbers, though it wasn''t enough as from below, hands reached out of the ground.

    They grabbed onto him, digging their nails into his skin and wing at his legs and waist with that putridughter ying against his ears.

    "Finn!--" Charlotte called out from behind.

    "Use the infusion now! Hurry!" Finn shouted, gritting his teeth as he used his daggers to sever the fingers that dug into his skin.

    As he used two daggers to cut away at the fingers that cling to him, he saw something ahead in the grueling darkness.

    It was hard to decipher, as it was mostly kept within the ck, yet it appeared to be the outline of a face. Loosely resembling a person, distorted and uncanny; it brought his blood to a chill.

    He couldn''t avert his eyes, as if seeing that face of hollow eyes and an opened mouth froze his body. It felt as if his heart was gripped, squeezed before¡ª

    The shade was pushed back as a radiance swept through like the rise of dawn amidst the darkest night.

 Chapter 89: Beyond The Mountains

    "Haah¡­" Finn breathed out, watching as the arrival of the light brought the room back to a calm.

    As he looked back, he exchanged a nce with Charlotte, who kept her shining de raised, having the same look of relief in her eyes.

    "Pyuuuh!¡ª"

    "Shit! Magnus! C''mon, mate¡­!"

    The sound of a gargled yell and the panicked voice of the knight brought both Finn and the spellde looking around the newly-lit area.

    "Magnus? Jasper?!" Finn called out as he spun around, finding where the others were.

    Near the left wall of the chain-riddled caver, he found them both.

    The sight of the cannoneerid out on his back and Jasper right beside him in a panic brought him to sprint over. He came to an abrupt stop when finally seeing what state hispanion was in.

    Magnus couldn''t even speak, as his mouth oozed blood, seeming to have been deprived of his tongue amidst the chaos. Worse, the man''s body was riddled incerations, with his stomach gored as if pierced by a bull.

    "Shit¡­What happened?!" Finn asked, kneeling down.

    "I don''t know, mate! I was right beside him in the dark¡ªI couldn''t even see what did this¡­" Jasper answered.

    The knight''s armor was covered in scratches and stained with blood, though no clear wounds were seen.

    Charlotte covered her mouth in dismay at the state the cannoneer was left in, "Magnus!¡­"

    "It''s alright¡ªI still have some ambrosia," Finn said, attempting to calm the situation as he brought the bloodied bottle to the man''s lips.

    Despite Magnus'' condition, he remained calm, tilting his head back while being helped to drink the golden liquid.

    "C''mon, mate, swallow," Jasper pleaded, patting the man''s back.

    It took a prolonged effort for the wounded cannoneer to force the liquid down before coughing up.

    "Pyeuh!¡ª" Magnus expelled.

    The injuries that riddled the blonde-haired man''s body closed up, as the blood peeled away. Like threads being sewn together, the gaping hole in Magnus'' stomach was restored.

    "Ahh¡ª" Magnus kept his mouth open as his tongue was reborn from a stub, spitting out the remnants of blood in his mouth.

    "Are you all good, mate?" Jasper asked.

    While Finn popped the cork back into the bottle and tucked it under his coat, he watched the one recovered from death''s door adjust himself.

    Magnus took a moment toe to as he smacked his lips and felt his own tongue, "Ah¡­I''m back in one piece. The miracle of ambrosia is terrifying."

    "Be thankful for it. You were one foot in the grave¡­I was too," Finn said, touching his own neck, still freshly feeling the healed wound.

    "Thanks¡­I believed that might''ve been the end for a moment there," Magnus said, wiping the sparse blood from his bottom lip as he stood.

    Finn gave him a pat on the shoulder, "You didn''t seem too bothered. I''ve never seen somebody that calm with a hole in their gut."

    "Well, if you''re not expecting death everyday in this life of ours, you''re stupid," Magnus remarked.

    Between the two men, a nce was shared as both had experienced wounds that were certain death, yet stood there as good as new. It wasn''t a sense of utter relief that was held by them, but a feeling that questioned their own mortal value, being so easily fixed by a mere sip.

    "Kind of bleak¡­" Charlotte said, keeping her sword infused as she traced her fingers along its shining length.

    A moment needed to be taken to adjust and calm down from the brief, yet chaotic encounter. While there was light, the opportunity was taken to actually scope around the chamber.

    "It''s odd¡­There''s no sign of anybody else here. It''s like apletely different room when there''s no light," Charlotte remarked, looking at the naturally formed pirs of the cavern.

    "Just don''t let that light die out, please and thank you," Jasper said with a raised hand, touching a dangling chain.

    "I won''t," Charlotte assured.

    Finn found himself inspecting the back of the room, stepping behind a thick pir of eroded, natural stone. What he found was not a normal passage in the cavern whatsoever, but unmistakably man-made with paved steps leading upward.

    "Oh¡ªthere we go," he muttered with excitement before calling out to hisrades behind him. "Over here!"

    The steps were taken, leading them through a narrow passage upward. From the eroded innards of the cavern, what awaited was a much different chamber; lined with walls of chiseled stone,den in overgrowth and statues that barely stood¨Cyet, it was a wee sight.

    "What is this?" Charlotte wondered, stepping into the room while gazing at the statues.

    The monuments resembled faceless men, though long since weathered by time as they were cracked and stained. It seemed more archaic than even the era of the foreign world; a time washed away.

    "Some sort of old worshiping grounds?" Finn guessed while looking around.

    "Perhaps something to do with what we encountered back there," Magnus presumed.

    "Think so, mate?" Jasper asked.

    "I don''t think giving whatever it was back there the energy of our thoughts is a good idea," Magnus answered tiredly. "I''d rather let my mind forget about it entirely, if that''s even possible."

    At the feet of the tallest of the faceless statues was a dustyered chest built of stygian metal, stationed as if awaiting the first to im it.

    Finn knelt in front of the chest, brushing the dust off, "Looks like this was the intended path, after all."

    "That honestly makes me more unnerved," Jasper remarked. "So, what''s in it?"

    "Better be worth it," Charlotte said, waiting for it to be opened.

    It took some effort as Finn grasped the seams of the chest''s lid, finding it to be dense, thick metal that he was having to lift up. Worse, it seemed age had brought grime to glue it shut, forcing him to pry it open with sheer strength alone.

    A vein pressed against his neck as he bent his knees, lifting the lid as if deadlifting a steel beam. It finally opened up with an old croak, releasing the dormant dust thatid within it.

    "Haah¡­" Finn breathed out, letting go as he brushed his gloves off.

    All eyes were on the contents of the chest, though not just one treasure was found within it¨Cmultiple sat in its haul. A vial of bright, cerulean liquid; a broadsword of a sable hilt and a de engraved with magical seals, and a bundle of coins.

    "What do you reckon this stuff is?" Jasper asked, holding the bottle of glowing liquid up, shaking it a bit.

    Magnus grabbed the bottle right out of the knight''s hands as if taking a toy from a child, "No idea, so don''t y with it."

    In regards to the sword that somehow remained untouched by dust within the stygian chest, Finn handed it to the young woman who was intensely looking at it.

    "I think this is best in your hands," Finn said.

    Charlotte epted it into her hands, quiet for a moment before looking over at Jasper, "Are you sure?--I can''t just¨C"

    "All yours, mate," Jasper said, waving his hand as if declining any stake in the weapon. "Look at that thing, it''s practically oozing with magic."

    "If you say so, thanks," Charlotte said, graciously taking ownership of the fine de.

    With the treasures of the cavern imed, they were left silent with what the next move was, seeing as the room appeared to be a dead-end.

    Finn moved to the front of the chamber, looking towards the walls of chiseled stone as a clean gapid right in the middle. As he pressed his hands against each side, he peeked through the narrow opening¨C

    Light; he saw light. An unmistakable gimmer of radiance thatid beneath the tucked-away depths of the cave.

    "Finn?" Charlotte called out.

    "Did you find something?" Magnus asked.

    For a moment, the young man remained quiet as he pushed his hands against the walls, feeling a slight budge and a grating sound as if stone was grinding against itself.

    "Give me a hand over here," Finn requested, pressing his shoulder against the left side of the wall.

    It didn''t take much for the others to quick up to what was discovered, bringing Charlotte to lend her shoulder to the left side, and Jasper alongside Magnus to push on the right. Thebined effort, requiring all of their strength in unison, managed to push the walls forth.

    As the thick, carved walls parted into impractical doors, the light of day dipped into the chamber, bringing forth a relieving warmth.

    "We''re out¨Cwe made it out of the other side," Charlotte said in near disbelief.

    "I started to doubt we''d make it out at all," Magnus admitted.

    Finn walked out as the heavy entrance was opened all the way, finding himself leaving out of the mountain''s base and into a scenery that stole the breath from his lungs.

    What was mistaken as sunlight was the glow of golden leaves, acting as a sky above as colossal trees stretched high and loomed.

 Chapter 90: The Abode In The Forest

    "What is this ce? It''s straight out of a fairy tale¡ªI mean, everything in this ce has been, but this¡­" Jasper asked in awe.

    The skyscrapers of bark and radiant leaves were apanied by a calm river that flowed through the majestic woods.

    "It looks much better than the caves, so I''ll just be d to be out of there," Magnus said as he began to hike.

    There was a trail leading onward from the cavern and into the giant woods. It led them forth, past a bundle of foliage into a walk alongside the tranquil river. Somehow, Finn instinctively felt there was nothing nearby to worry about, able to rx as he walked.

    "Is this all feeling like a dream to anybody else?" Charlotte asked while walking.

    Finn watched as what appeared to be a squirrel of bright-red fur and a ming tail quickly ran up a tree ahead, beginning to question the same thing the spellde did.

    "I''d lean towards this feeling more like a nightmare than anything else," Magnus answered.

    "Yeah, I think I''m right there with you, mate. Didn''t think I''d say this, but I''m missing our world right about now," Jasper imed, adjusting the straps on his steel gauntlets while walking ahead of Magnus but behind Finn.

    "What about you?" Charlotte asked, looking to the side at the assassin.

    Finn answered while ncing over, "It doesn''t really matter where we go, it''s going to be a fight for survival. At least here, I feel like we''re doing something¨Cwe''re on the path to reaching answers."

    "I agree there, at least," Magnus admitted.

    Following the trail, it led directly to a tree, one thatmanded its own clearing amidst the radiant woods.

    It wasrger than all of the others, with a trunk thick enough to be the width of a small town. The branches that stretched from its impressive height carried the gilded leaves, acting as a sky in itself.

    What made it truly catch Finn''s gaze were the carvings on its bark, along with thenterns hanging from its branches and the door at its base.

    "It''s a house?" Charlotte wondered.

    "A treehouse, it looks like," Finn rified.

    "That''s the king of all treehouses, then. It''d put mansions to shame," Jasper said with an impressed whistle at the sheer scope of the colossal tree.

    Seeing as the path led directly to the front door, Finn approached it curiously, checking out the oval, orange material of the entrance. Standing close to the tree-turned-mansion, there was an aroma that gave off from it.

    Finn looked up, seeing that there was a window built into the oak, cracked slightly open to let out the delightful scent.

    "Do you smell that?" Finn asked.

    "Oh, do I, mate¨Cthat''s the stuff of paradise!" Jasper hungrily imed.

    It was a smell of freshly baked pastry alongside the savory aroma of meat and gravy; tailored to bring the tired, famished adventurers intrigued.

    "Do you think somebody is home?" Charlotte asked.

    "Who would be living out here anyway?" Magnus added.

    Jasper stepped closer to the door beside Finn, raising his hand with the intent to knock, "Well, it won''t hurt to try¨C"

    Before the knight''s knuckles could tap against the orange frame, the door opened before the curious visitors. Though the entrance weed them in, there was nobody behind it, as if a gust of wind somehow turned the handle.

    "Err, anybody home?" Finn called out, carefully stepping in.

    The wooden floorboards creaked quietly beneath his boots as he entered, finding a rather intricate interior waiting. Shelves lined the walls in a circr formation to the room''s shape, some stacked with books, others with prized ssware and terracotta.

    It was remarkably neat and put together, almost hard to tell it was inside of a tree, besides the shaved walls.

    "This ce is nice¨Cway too nice to be abandoned," Jasper observed, inspecting a y bowl that was disyed on a shelf.

    "Yeah, there''s not even a speck of dust," Finn agreed, carefully walking further into the room, finding a giant rug sprawling across the floorboards that seemed made from the pelt of a white-furred beast.

    There was a spiraling staircase leading to another floor, with hanging vines and flowers clinging to the mahogany railings. Only a single tilt of his head confirmed that the aroma of fresh pie came from atop the staircase, though he couldn''t quite see where it led.

    ncing over, he saw that Charlotte was gazing at the far-spanning painting that took up the entire back wall.

    A region hovered in a sky of ethereal light, with waterfalls cascading down to the world below; atop it all was a castle that glistened in the radiance, like a divine utopia. It was a scenic disy of art that would easily be epted as fantasy once upon a time, though looking upon it, Finn knew it showcased a true existence.

    "Doesn''t it feel weird to think about¡­you know, just what we knew was reality just some weeks ago," Charlotte asked while looking at the mystical painting.

    Finn observed it alongside her, "Yeah. I always wanted magic to exist in some way, you know. I would try and convince myself magicians I saw were real, or supernatural videos online weren''t fake. But, I''d do anything for it all to be "fake" again."

    Amidst being entranced by the painting, they both turned as the cannoneer called out from behind.

    Magnus was standing by the wooden table near the room''s center, picking up a note that was left on it, "Look here. It seems our arrival was expected."

    Finn walked over and inspected the paper for himself, finding only a brief message inscribed on it with pretty handwriting: "Wee yourselves to my abode, weary travelers from afar. All I ask is that if I am away or in slumber, please lock the door before dusk."

    "I don''t know if I like the fact whoever this is knew we wereing," Magnus remarked.

    "To be fair, we''re not the only ones meant toe to the First Order. I don''t know if we''re the first ones here, even," Finn reasoned. "So they were probably just expecting anybody sooner orter."

    "I''m not passing up on a good pie either way," Jasper imed with barely hidden excitement as he began to ascend the stairwell.

    "You have the nose of a dog to discern that so easily," Magnus remarked as he took the first step. "And the manners of one, as well."

    "Rather be a dog than a cat, mate," Jasper yfully said.

    Finn didn''t hold back either, both curious of what awaited atop the stairs and letting his stomach guide him.

    "If it''s pie, I might have to dig in," Finn remarked, taking the next step right behind his helmed friend.

    Behind him, Charlotte added while caressing a flower hanging from the stairwell, "It doesn''t smell sweet¡ªI thought pie was a dessert."

    "You haven''t had a meat pie? Really?" Jasper asked up ahead, ncing back.

    Charlotte shook her head, "Nope."

    "That''s a travesty! Well, today is the day," Jasper enthusiastically imed.

    Each step closer to the second floor of the grand tree made the enticing aroma even more intense. Upon entering the room above, Finn had to stop himself from salivating as the fresh smell greeted him.

    It was a quaint dining area, with a table decorated with an olive cloth with tes and utensils set up by each seat.

    Oozing steam as if fresh out of the oven, a massive pie sat on the table.

    "There it is, I knew it¡ªlet''s dig in!" Jasper excitedly proimed as he sat himself down.

    "Have you considered that maybe it''s poisoned?" Finn said, sitting down as well.

    Jasper shrugged his shoulders, "I seriously doubt that, mate. If it is, we have ambrosia either way."

    "That''s a seriously bad way to think of it," Charlotteughed, taking the seat across from Finn.

    The prospect of the massive pie brought them not to waste any time serving a portion to their own tes.

    "You know, maybe this world isn''t so bad," Jasper said while still chewing.

    Magnus stuck his fork into his slice of pie, more so ying with his food without eating it, "I''ll have to disagree."

    "C''mon, mate. A world with meat pie this good can''t be that terrible," Jasper lightheartedly imed.

    The simple, forward attitude of the knight was one that brought a smile upon Finn''s lips as he shared in the dish. Though there was no face he could put to Jasper, who steadfastly wore his helmet, a part of him likened the knight to an old friend.

    "What about you, mate? Do you agree?" Jasper asked, pointing his fork at the assassin to his right.

    Finn swallowed the savory bite he took before shrugging, looking at the half-opened window. The tranquil view of the golden-leaf trees was apanied by the singsong chirping of birds in the distance.

    "Good food doesn''t hurt, I guess. I can''t say this ce is any worse than our world," Finn admitted.

    "You get it, mate," Jasper celebrated, giving him a nudge on his arm.

    For the time being, Finn tried not to ce the burden of other thoughts on his mind, instead enjoying the meal alongside hispanions in a ce that almost felt like a real home.

    There were two jugs, one of ice-cold water and another of warm tea, which Finn chose the brewed option.

    "I wonder who owns this ce," he said after sipping his tea.

    "That would be me."

    The answer to his question came from an unfamiliar voice. It instantly brought them all to stop their pie eating and turn to face the unexpected presence.

    Coming down from the stairwell that led to an even higher floor was an older gentleman of rather short stature. The unknown person didn''t just possess an unusual height, but long, pointy ears with fluffy, silver hair.

    The small-and-old man wore brown breeches and a white-sleeves tunic with an olive cloak around his shoulders, though possessing a certain youth yet in his eyes.

    They were not human; decipherable from a single nce. Finn stood up from his seat, keeping his hand ready at his side with his dagger called to his grip.

    "Settle down," the pointy-eared man said tiredly with a yawn, scratching his head. "I am not your enemy. Quite the opposite, in fact. I am Gurmo, just an elf that lives alone."

 Chapter 91: A Whimsical Descent

    "Settle down," the pointy-eared man said tiredly with a yawn, scratching his head. "I am not your enemy. Quite the opposite, in fact. I am Gurmo, just an elf that lives alone."

    "An elf?" Finn repeated, dismissing his dagger.

    "Woah, he totally is," Jasper said in surprise.

    The awe of the visitors didn''t seem to be offensive to the old man, though he did seem a bit taken aback by their surprise.

    Gurmo grumbled, "Youe from a world without my kind, I take it?"

    "Yeah, elves are just fairy tales for us¨Cat least they were," Finn answered.

    The old elf sat himself down on a chair set by the steps, having to move as though his bones were brittle as he let out a sigh upon nting down, "Ah¡­seat yourselves, please."

    Finn obliged as a guest, curious to learn more about the elf, specifically why he decided to aid them, or how he even came to know of their arrival.

    "We appreciate the hospitality, but I must ask," Magnus directly confronted the elder. "Why are you helping us?"

    "Is it such an odd thing to want to help?" Gurmo asked sincerely.

    "No, but¡­how did you know we wereing?" Finn questioned further.

    The old elf sat there for a moment before scratching his head, "It''s been foretold for centuries now that when the world was on its final breath, warriors from and far away woulde to snuff out its me. To put it to rest."

    "I see¡­you''re fine with it? I mean, you''re fine with your worlding to an end?" Finn asked.

    A look of distant sorrow was present on the elf''s face, though the old man hid it well as he spoke, "Civilization has all but been vanquished. I''ve lived many, many years. Rather than be another to be in in this falling world, I wish to see it at its very end; to observe itsst breath."

    Hearing the wishes of the old man that showed them hospitality, it only brought a bleak understanding. The hopeless eptance of the old man brought them all to a moment of silence, looking between one another with assuredly the same thought in their minds.

    Seeing what a world on the brink of copse looked like, civilization tossed aside and imed by monsters and otherworldly depravities¨Cit was a fate met with resignation.

    ''This isn''t how it will end up for us¡­It won''t,'' Finn assured himself.

    After some time of silence, the elf stood himself up while holding his back, exuding a breath as if trying not to pull a muscle.

    "I will be downstairs for my reading time. Please finish your meal in peace, and rest as you''d like; there are beds upstairs for each of you," Gurmo insisted, taking the stairs down.

    "Thank you," Charlotte showed her gratitude.

    A small wave of the elder''s hand came in response before he disappeared into the stairwell with quiet, infrequent steps echoing. Meeting the peculiar owner of the tree abode, the meat pie was promptly finished off, at least, arge portion of it seeing as they all became full before getting even halfway through it.

    "I''m stuffed¡­" Jasper said with a sigh of satisfaction, getting up from his seat sluggishly while heading towards the stairs. "I''m going to make use of the old mate''s offer and get some snooze."

    "Yeah, get some rest," Finn said, watching the knight ascend the steps.

    It wasn''t long after such a hearty meal that Charlotte joined in iming a bed, though Finn remained steadfastly awake, unable to shake his curiosity of the world around him. A bundle of hours passed, bringing him down to the first floor again where he found the old elf quietly reading a book asrge as his own body.

    "I''m going to get some fresh air for a bit," Finn told the elf.

    The old man turned the page he was reading, "Just close the door behind you. I don''t want to let any unwee guests in."

    "Right," Finn said.

    He stepped towards the front of the tree-abode, opening the door as he stepped outside. It felt like apletely different scenery; the golden leaves that shone like sunlight had turned to a quiet, dark-blue glow, subdued like the night.

    ''They changed color? It feels like night now¡­I wonder if it changes throughout the day,'' he presumed, closing the door behind him as he gazed up.

    "It''s quite something, isn''t it?"

    Finn was greeted by the question, finding Magnus standing with his back against the front of the tree, gazing up at the cerulean leaves.

    "I didn''t take you for somebody to appreciate nature," Finn responded.

    "Well, I guess eventually I have to give in," Magnus lightly said. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

    "Shoot away," Finn allowed, standing beside the cannoneer while gazing at the tranquil scenery of the woods.

    Magnus lit a cigarette, still somehow having a supply on him as he puffed out smoke as if needing a moment to settle his mind before speaking up, "Does it¡­bother you? How we can be cut up, put on the brink of death then be just fine a momentter."

    Pondering the unexpected question, Finn felt his neck lightly, "It is weird when you think about it. I''ve lost my arms before¨Cno, I''ve entirely died even. Yet I''m here."

    "It doesn''t bother you?" Magnus asked.

    "I guess not. I''m just sort of used to it at this point," Finn answered truthfully.

    "I''m not¨CI try to be, but each time it happens, it makes me lose it just a bit more. Watching my body be shed and gutted, then perfectly normal¡­It feels fake," Magnus said. "Like this is all just a game¨Cas though my body is some copy."

    Finn could tell it bothered the man, never seeing the usually stoic cannoneer speak with such openness, though he understood it, "Thinking of it all as a game isn''t so bad. I just remind myself that as long as I can level, nothing that happens to my body matters."

    "That''s a twisted way of fighting," Magnus remarked, puffing from his cigarette.

    "Well, it''s just how I deal with it," Finn answered.

    There was some silence between them as the cannoneer finished his smoke before putting it out and passing by the young man to go back inside. He stayed out there alone with the lingering smell of smoke that overpowered the aroma of the neighboring flowers.

    Ambience of birds chirping up high in the towering trees; the howls of beasts afar; it didn''t disturb him as he took it in, taking a leisurely walk into the woods. He didn''t intend to venture far, only finding a tucked-away trail to the right of the oaken abode.

    ''I wonder what Damian would''ve thought about this ce,'' he wondered while pushing the tall bushes out of the way while following the simple pathway.

    Past the line of foliage, he discovered a small clearing inhabited by a tree evenrger than the one that housed the elf. It appeared ancient, with its roots that gripped onto the soil as thick as normal trunks,yered in moss with growths of amber along its bark.

    He approached it, finding an opening at its base like that of an alluring doorway. It was difficult to see into the cavity with abundant darkness at its threshold, though something caught his eye¨Ca glint like a diamond.

    ''What''s that?'' He wondered, slowly stepping closer.

    Normally, he wouldn''t pursue such a thing, like a curious child, though he found himself allured by that shimmering existence, almost to an unnatural degree.

    It was just short enough that he had to get on his hands and knees to crawl in, immediately greeted by a surprisingly pleasant aroma before seeing anything. Like cotton candy, the smell brought him to curiously crawl towards the glimmering object.

    In the dark, hollow base of the tree, he reached his hand out, stretching his arm as his fingers nearly grasped the opulent object.

    Just a bit further, a little more to reach it, inching himself deeper in as his fingertips grazed what it was for a single moment before¨C

    "Wuah?!--"

    There was nothing solid as he moved in, slipping into a hole of unseen depth. It took the breath from his lungs, not expecting to suddenly plummet as he tried to reach out and grab onto the passing roots that stuck out from the walls of dirt, though failed.

    ''What the hell¨C?!'' He thought in a panic.

    The rabbit hole was unnaturally deep, bringing him to descend on and on as he could see the glint of what sat in the cavity growing distant until being nothing more than a speck. It was narrow, but justrge enough that he couldn''t use his hands and feet in conjunction to halt his fall, only able to fruitlessly reach in an attempt to grab hold of anything he could.

    A whirl of wind filled his ears as he fell, feeling the unseen depths against his back before¡ªhended.

    It all went ck, perhaps for a minute or a mere moment.

    "Ah¡­?" He let out a breath as he opened his eyes.

    Rather than having his body turned to a red paste upon impact, he felt perfectly fine as if dropping onto a pillow. Heid there for a moment before picking himself up, finding himself on a bed of grass.

    "Where did I¡­fall?" He questioned while rubbing the back of his head.

 Chapter 92: Drink Me

    Though he recalled falling down a hole within the curious tree, where he found himself didn''t appear to be underground. The ce hended was the only spot of grass within a sprawling, eroded temple of cracked and faded limestone.

    Ruins of an unknown ce, though from the sheer scope of it all, finding himself looked down upon by statues that reached to the height of columns, it was undoubtedly once a revered keep.

    ''This is all under the woods¡­? No, where''s the hole?'' He questioned while looking up.

    The hole he fell through was nowhere to be seen above, only the ceiling of splintered limestone. There was a single corridor to his right, though he didn''t take any steps quite yet.

    As he stood there for a moment, hearing the echoes of noises within the ruins that could be attributed to either age or what may be lurking, he questioned if he perhaps was dreaming. A quick pinch to his forearm confirmed that to be false; he was certainly awake.

    Leaking from his nose was a warmth all too familiar, bringing his glove up to wipe it off. He looked at the blood on his hand before deciding to move, passing by the faceless statues.

    ''Shit¡­I feel lightheaded,'' he thought.

    He felt as if he was being watched by the statues, even if they were devoid of carved-in eyes, having to look up to make sure they didn''t somehow move. That uneasiness settled in as he moved carefully, entering the corridor.

    An unpleasant odor came off the walls, like that of rotten eggs. It didn''t stir his stomach as he had smelled much worse, though what bothered him was the peculiar sensation with each step he took.

    Bringing his boot down on a tile of the ruinous interior, it felt like small needles poked at the bottom of his foot; it wasn''t particrly painful, but ufortable. Careful strides brought him further down the deteriorating hall, finding withered flowers that hung from the cracks in the walls.

    ''This ce¡­none of it feels right. It just feels off,'' he wondered.

    It led into apact chamber of washed-out limestone, only lightly decorated with deteriorated, silken curtains. The door ahead looked as though it was built for a mouse, being far too small for a person.

    ''What''s up with this door? Is it for a rat?'' He thought, half-jokingly.

    He set aside the futile idea of the mouse-sized passage, looking at the only other object of interest. In the middle of the room sat a pedestal holding a note and a small, ss bottle of orange liquid.

    Inscribed on the quaint parchment was a simple instruction: "Drink me."

    It wasn''t in his prerogative to simply indulge in whatever unknown substance he was told to consume, though he didn''t see any other option. He removed the cork with a flick of his thumb, causing a vapor from the concoction to rise out, carrying with it a smell like that of ripe lemons.

    ''What is this stuff? I have to drink it, don''t I¡­?'' He reminded himself upon taking a whiff.

    As hesitant as he was, his senses as an assassin didn''t detect any poison in the substance, though that didn''t mean it was without risk. Gazing at that extraordinary tiny door, he sucked in a breath before bringing the bottle to his lips in a swift motion.

    There was no time to think twice anymore as he guzzled it down, finding the vor to be tart, but not unpleasant; it was remarkably cold going down, though the bottle had felt lukewarm. In fact, it was an enjoyable drink, bringing him to gulp it all down before pulling the bottle away from his lips.

    "Ahh¡­Ah?" He released a sigh, though was left perplexed as he looked around.

    The room had be incredibly vast, with the pedestal standing as tall as a tower beside him now. Ahead, the door looked to be a normal size now; no, that wasn''t quite it¨Cit took a moment for him to process it as he looked down at his body.

    ''Did I¡­shrink?'' He realized.

    Even the bottle he drank from seemed to have been sized down, fortunately meaning everything he was equipped with scaled with him. It was a rather perplexing situation, bringing him to approach the door tailor-made for his altered size.

    ''I hope this is temporary¨Cthis is way too weird,'' he thought.

    What would''ve been a single stride before now required over a dozen to reach the peculiar door. He grasped the copper handle, tugging it open. It seemed to not have been opened for awhile, as dormant dust rained down, bringing him to close his eyes briefly as he coughed.

    Parting his eyelids, he found what sceneryid beyond the puny doorway¨C

    It made little sense; from the eroding ruins, it led into a vast stretch of flourishingnds. There were colossal flowers of shiftingplexions, clouds that took the shapes of horses, dogs, even dragons while floating in the sky; it all seemed far too peculiar.

    ''What is this ce? Where the hell did I fall into?'' He questioned when stepping out into the unknown scenery.

    It felt as though once again, he had happened upon a different world, though the oddities of the First Order didn''t make the environment he found himself in seem all that impossible. Standing there amidst the grass that towered above him, he withdrew from moving yet as the turf rustled ahead.

    STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

    ¨CThe soil trembled with steps massive enough to send vibrations through the dirt he stood on. He brought out his dagger, not hesitating to replicate it as he awaited what stomped through the high grass.

    STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

    A mass of ck fur emerged from the grass, baring its buck teeth at him as it roared with malicious intent. A beast of magnificent proportion, like that of a mighty dragon before him, only it wasn''t quite that¨C

    A rat; perhapsrger than a normal one, but in his current state, it stood before him as a colossus.

    ''This has to be some sort of twisted joke, right? A rat, right now¨C?'' He thought, looking up at the beast that cast its shadow over him.

    From the maw of the mountainous vermin, saliva dropped down, trickling like massive raindrops that sshed onto the soil. The first thought in his mind was going back through the door, which the rat would not be able to fit through, but that would only be dying the inevitable.

    ''I guess this is happening then¨CI should be in bed right now¡­Instead I somehow ended up in this fever dream¨CI have to get back,'' he urged himself, tightening his grip on his daggers.

    As he faced down the vermin, it lunged right towards him, practically dragging its body across the soil while repeatedly chomping its teeth. He jumped to the side, letting it pass right past him in its relentless aggression.

    It behaved rabidly, watching as it spun itself around, using its wired tail as a whip. Forced to jump up to avoid having his legs taken out, he found it immediately rushing him down again. Dirt was flung around as it wed itself towards him, charging with its beady eyes locked onto him as though he were a pristine block of cheese.

    "Give it a rest!--" He called out as he found the rat already close enough to smell its putrid breath.

    As it snapped its buck teeth at him, he ced his hand on its nose before flipping himself up, letting it pass right beneath him beforending his boots on its ck fur. Even as he stood atop its head, the rabid rat thrashed around, tossing and turning in an attempt to throw him off.

    It seemed silly to even consider a vermin a threat, not worth plunging his des into, though it was hardly seeming to be beneath him in his current predicament¨C

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    He flipped off of it, delivering a kick straight against its nose in the same motion. The sharp impact struck the hostile rat with such force that it was thrown back violently. It let out a shriek as it was tossed into the towering grass, leaving the young man tond on his feet.

    ''Did I¡­overdo it?'' He questioned, catching his breath.

    Delivering such a kick to the vermin seemed like it was a bit much now that he stood there, almost feeling bad for the poor rat. That guilt was swept away as quickly as it came as he witnessed a ck mass once more emerge from the wall of grass¨C

    "Shit," he mumbled, readying himself.

    The colossal vermin leapt out like a raging bull, leaking blood from its nose, wasting no time in rushing him down. He felt the dirt rumbling beneath his boots as it closed in, bringing him to decide on his n of action promptly¨C

    "Sorry about this, big guy," Finn muttered with a sigh.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He warped right beside it as it charged, plunging his daggers into its neck and pulling them out in the same motion. The seamless assault brought the rat to squeal before copsing into the dirt some strides away. Fortunately enough, his natural inclinations as an assassin led his daggers to have found its artery, bringing a swift and painless death as itid itself out.

    ["Rat defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1 obtained."]

    ["Experience points: +5] [30505/50000]

    ["Assimted ability from ["Rat"]: "Sense: Cheese" 1 / 5]

 Chapter 93: Level One-Hundred

    There was no sense of triumph in the unremarkable spoils obtained in his victory, leaving him to wipe his daggers off on one of the tall des of grass.

    ''How long am I going to remain small like this? I''m not exactly a fan of fighting for my life against rats,'' he questioned.

    There was no choice but to step into the grass, as though entering a cornfield. Everything felt off when experiencing the world from the perspective of an ant; the des of grass swayed at twice his height, throwing his sense of scale offpletely.

    ''I wonder if the others have noticed I''m gone yet. Just hope they aren''t freaking out¡ªI''ll get back, somehow,'' he thought while traversing the towering field.

    He did his best to wipe off the blood from the in vermin as he moved, finding the smell unpleasant. It was hard to see anything around him with how much taller the grass was, leaving him heading north in hopes of it working out.

    A rustle in the grass ahead halted his next step, bringing him to listen in for a moment. From the left and right, more rummaging was heard.

    "Not again," he tiredly whispered to himself at the idea of more rats to face.

    Raising his daggers, he readied himself for what wasing, finding himself surrounded as the des of grass were parted.

    What crawled out in droves were not vermin, but multi-segmented, ck-husked creatures with bulbous eyes and glistening mandibles.

    ¡ªAnts.

    Each of the insects was the same size as himself, though they outnumbered him one hundred-to-one. They surrounded him as their mandibles dripped onto the soil.

    ''Crap¡­This is even worse,'' he thought.

    Common enough knowledge reminded him of the strength-to-weight ratio of ants. At his current size, even with his enhanced capabilities, the swarm of insects that possessed superhuman characteristics themselves hardly seemed like a good time.

    "Alright,e on then¡ª" He challenged, raising his daggers as the army of ants closed in.

    Rumbling met his ears from the dozens of legs that quickly crawled his way.

    The wave of hostile insects filled his vision as he met them halfway, lunging forward while preparing to sh the first ant''s head off before¡ª

    "Ah?¡ª"

    He found his vision rise before him, quickly transcending the soil and grass, leaving it at his feet. The rumbling of the swarm was gone as he looked down, seeing the puny specks on the soil dirt his boot.

    "I''m back to normal¡­Good, that''s good," he mumbled, breathing a sigh of relief as he stepped over the ants.

    Able to see the region clearly now, he found the field leading to a peculiar row of flowers. It acted like naturally-formed walls guiding him on a path overlooked by the colorful petals.

    It was all too colorful for him; glistening, pink flowers that swayed as though dancing; spiraling, cherry petals.

    ''This ce feels straight out of a fairy tale¡­but it''s off,'' he thought.

    The row of watchful flowers led him to a tucked-away clearing that housed a peculiar sight.

    A single, quartz table sat in the center with somebody seated at the opposing seat.

    The man with a strange smile with fluffy, orange hair and a tall, verdant hat atop his head drank from a cup.

    Finn stood there for a moment, not sure if he was seen quite yet as he questioned if he should turn back¡ª

    "Greetings, visitor!"

    Before the young man could find a different path, he found himself greeted enthusiastically by the lonesome tea drinker.

    "Take a seat, please," the snow-skinned man in the tall hat weed, gesturing for the guest to sit.

    Finn was hesitant with just how peculiar the circumstances were, though obliged as he had questions he wanted answered.

    As soon as he sat himself at the table amidst the towering flowers, he watched the stranger pour him a cup.

    "Don''t be shy. I like to think I''m quite the savant when ites to brewing tea," the man in the patchwork suit insisted.

    "Err¡­" Finn hesitated.

    "How rude of me! I should give my name first, shouldn''t I?" The strange figure gasped before cing his hand over his heart. "I am Hatter! And your name, good sir?"

    "Finn. What''s this ce?" He returned an introduction promptly. "I''m still in the First Order, right?"

    With questions ced on the table, he looked at the smiling Hatter who returned his gaze while resting his chin against his hands.

    Theck of an answer made it obvious he wasn''t going to get anything from the man until he epted his tea.

    "¡­Fine. I''ll have a sip," Finn gave in, lifting the porcin cup with a sigh.

    Hatter pped his hands together before raising his cup as well, "Delightful! I am always so d to have a guest at my tea party. It is a shame I haven''t had very many guests as of recent."

    The tea that Finn drank was rather sweet, to the point of making him pucker his lips as it tasted more like sugar water than something brewed naturally.

    He gave a look to the Hatter amidst his ramblings to signify he was more interested in what he initially asked.

    "Ah¡ªright, you wanted to know where you are!" Hatter recalled. "Well, you''re at my tea party! Wee!"

    The answer given with such passion met with little fanfare from Finn as he didn''t know whether or not the pale man was joking around or seriously believed that to be helpful.

    "I know that¡­I mean, what is this whole¨C" Finn began to ask.

    "How is the tea? I''m always open to feedback¨Cno, I insist on receiving it! Too bitter? Ah, I always think so as well¨Chere, I can add some more sugar for you!" Hatter spoke like a chatterbox, using a tablespoon with a mountaintop of voring to add to the guest''s tea.

    Finn quickly covered his cup, shaking his head, "Nope! No¨Cit''s definitely sweet enough, thank you."

    "Is that so? Well, more for me then," Hatter shrugged before dumping the excessive amount of sugar into his cup instead.

    It didn''t seem like getting a straight answer from the hat-wearing tea drinker was an easy task as Finn watched the man happily sip down the overly sweetened beverage.

    Hatter kept his cup to his mouth, gulping down the entirety of the tea before bringing his porcin back down, "--Well, if you''d like an answer for your questions, I''d suggest going north from here, right down that burnt hill."

    "What?" Finn asked, looking behind the tea drinker at what he was pointing out.

    There was a portion of the tree linepletely burned away, leaving a clear path of burnt soil and embers right in the middle of the peaceful clearing. It waspletely off from the rather tranquil fields, yet it piqued his curiosity.

    Hatter poured himself another helping of tea, "If you wish to leave this Wondend, go down that path. It''s not that far down really, just down the slope¨Cthat''s all."

    Seeing as he wasn''t exactly receiving any helpful information from the tea-drinking man, he decided to take him up on his advice as he rose from his seat. He walked past the quaint table, taking slow steps towards that burnt hill.

    The trees that bordered the path were devoid of leaves, ckened to a char. A scent of fire and smoke filled his nose as he stood atop the hill, looking down to find it leading into a further ashen trail.

    ''Alright¡­I hope that guy is actually giving me helpful information for once,'' he thought.

    He slid down the steep slope, finding himself right in the midst of the burnt path.

    The whimsical feeling of the strangend was gone as he felt an intense air while following the charred path. Embers gently glided in the air like snowkes, clinging to the dead trees. Beneath his boots, the soil crunched and crumbled, devoid of any moisture.

    He kept his eyes forward as the air flexed, once again experiencing a drippage from his nose. There was a stream of blood leaving his nostril, leaving him to wipe it off before continuing onward.

    ''¡­Just keep moving forward. I need to figure all of this out¡ªI''m sick of being lost,'' he resolved.

    Past the ashen trees, he stumbled onto and devoid of any features; a region of ckened soil, with no trees or signs of civilization in sight.

    There was only one monument in sight; a jagged mountain that was tilted like a spear plunged into the world.

    ''He said I''d find answers here. What did he mean¡ª'' He questioned.

    As the thought crossed his mind, a massive silhouette arriving upon the jagged peak brought him to look up sharply. It was only out of the corner of his eye that he caught an initial glimpse, though the sheer magnitude of it made him flinch.

    "Beware! My ws that snatch, my jaws that bite!"

    A booming voice of inhuman cadence roared from the peak of the burnt mountain. Finn found the thunderous introduction toe from a perplexing beast that stood atop the tiltedndmark.

    Skin of charred stone; wings spread from its back, spanning with a dreadful shadow; a neck like that of a serpent with a mouth full of uneven teeth.

    ''What the hell is that thing¡­?'' He wondered as his heart throttled in his chest.

    One of its eyes kept shut by the presence of a sword jammed into it, with many des, spears, and arrows lodged into its body, like the spines of a porcupine.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "The Jabberwock"] [Level: 100]

 Chapter 94: Dreamwalking

    If it wasn''t just the grandiose scale of the beast that resembled a cross between a serpent and a dragon, the level presented made his blood turn to frost in his veins. The first thought that entered his mind was simple¨C"Impossible."

    "Level 100"--that was imprinted into his mind as he was given a unique feeling that he hadn''t felt in a long while. It was like that of ying an RPG and encountering an "endgame" boss at a beginner level; being a mere gnat against a god.

    Perspective was ced in his mind of the beast he struggled to put down even with the aid of many others, yet even its strength fell short of that winged terror. It was the very idea of oveing such a monstrous existence that didn''t even seem possible to him, drawing uneven breaths from his lips as he halfheartedly raised his daggers.

    The beast leapt down from the jagged peak before crashing down on the charrednd before him. Its ws dug into the burnt soil, looming itself over him as its elongated neck allowed its head to leer at him far too close.

    He could smell its foul breath, reeking of smoke and putrid flesh, though he could hardly bring himself to look up at it.

    "A meager human yet remains in thisnd. I thought I vanquished them each, save for that mad Hatter," the Jabberwock spoke, each word leaving with a repugnant wind that brushed against the young man''s hair. "Nheless, I will ensnare you in my jaws."

    The im was followed up swiftly as Finn found its serpentine neck thrashing, bringing its jaws upon him with haste.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    He slid back as the jagged teeth snapped at the air in his ce. There was no wasted time from the unorthodox creature as it stomped towards him with steps that rumbled the dead soil.

    "I have turned this Wondend into and of ash. Yet, I am not satiated in my wrath. I sh, I chew, I burn, I smite! Monarchs and heroes! All have fallen!" The Jabberwock boomed as its voice carried out with thunder.

    As if its very wordsmanded the skies, lightning struck down upon the burnt valley, crashing with intense shes of malevolence.

    Finn kept his distance, feeling static buzzing at his ear. The light sensation of electricity against his skin prompted him to jump back just as a bolt touched down beside him. He witnessed the soil be tossed up as it was drilled by the lightning, returning his gaze to the serpentine dragon as a sh caught his attention.

    It stood on its hind legs, raising its hand unlike that of a beast, but a man. A bolt of lightning struck down, only to be caught in the ws of the Jabberwock. It wielded a spear of perpetual fulmination, setting its wrathful gaze on the young man.

    ''--What? It''s using the lightning¡­like a weapon?'' Finn witnessed.

    The Jabberwock raised the captured lightning high, bringing the clouds above to coalesce and swirl into a great oblivion, "Witness your death, meager human! Unwee guest into my world of ash, I will grant you a spectacle upon your end!"

    Finn could only watch as the cmitous beast brought the bolt down upon thend, striking the charred soil with mighty strength. A sh of light engulfed his vision; a riptide of force swept through thend, knocking him off his feet as he protected his body with his arms.

    The eruption of lightning scattered thend; he felt its bare force cutting into his arms, only able to endure it the best he could amidst the cmitous sh.

    ''I don''t stand a chance¡­Why is something like this here? Why am I here?!'' Finn questioned as he could feel the scattering lightning rending his forearms.

    "Finn!"

    "Aaaaaaergh!--"

    ["Dreamwalkingpleted."]

    Amidst feeling his own end closing in, he suddenly sat up, finding himself not caught in a storm of lightning, but in a dimly-lit, quiet room. He was covered in sweat, still holding his arms up as he sat in a bed.

    As he looked around, he found there were other beds in the same room, discovering hispanions up and looking at him with worry. It was utterly confusing to the young man as he caught his breath, still out of air as he was d in sweat; his heart still thumping wildly.

    "Finn? Are you alright?" Charlotte asked.

    "A dream¡­?" He mumbled through breaths.

    "What happened¨Cyour arms!" Jasper gasped.

    He looked where his friends'' eyes had gone, discovering his forearms were bloodied and bruised, leaking onto the olive nket that sat over his legs, "Ahh¡­?"

    It left him confused from what he could only assume was a highly-detailed dream left him with wounds he recalled clearly.

    "Where''s the ambrosia?" Magnus asked in a hurry, rummaging through the belongings at the bedside.

    As the others scrambled to help amidst the confusion, he watched as Charlotte held his arms with a gentle touch while Jasper ced a rag against his covered forearms. The pain nor the wounds themselves are what he pondered about, only sitting there as he considered what he just experienced.

    "Status," he said in a breathy whisper while hispanions worried.

    [Level: 30] [30505/50000]

    <Vitals: Danger>

    <Magic: Healthy>

    Seeing that notch in his experience confirmed it without a doubt for him, fully knowledgeable about what that value was before he stumbled upon the Wondend.

    ''It wasn''t a dream¡­The lightning scarred me, I gained experience there from that rat¨Cit all happened. "Dreamwalking" ¨Cthat''s what I heard. The ability I assimted during that night¡­I couldn''t figure out what it does, but is this what its purpose is?'' He considered as he sat there.

    As the bottle of ambrosia was discovered by Magnus, he was promptly served a drink of it while his arms were wiped down by Charlotte. With his wounds closed and the panic settled, he sat up with the others looking at him.

    "What happened, mate?" Jasper asked with concern.

    Finn didn''t know exactly how to answer, "To be honest, I don''t even remembering to this bed¨CI never came back in after talking to you, Magnus."

    "That''s not right. You followed me right back inside," the blonde-haired cannoneer contested.

    "I don''t remember it like that. I found a rabbit hole and slipped in¡­It was like a fever dream," Finn exined, rubbing his forearms as he could still remember the wounds. "Last thing I remember, I was confronted by this terrible creature. I used my arms to block its attack¡­"

    "Wait, are you saying¨Cwait, wait, wait, this doesn''t make any sense," Jasper said, shaking his head as he paced through the room.

    Charlotte sat on the edge of the bed beside his own, looking at him, "Finn, are you sure that''s what happened? It''s crazy to think, but¡­those wounds were real."

    "It''s not the craziest thing to happentely," Magnus added.

    "I''m not all too sure about it myself, but I think it''s a skill of mine I obtained. Sorry for waking you all up¡ªI''ll figure this out," Finn apologized while settling back into the bed.

    Jasper shook his head, still wearing his armor even as he got back under his sheets, "No sweat, mate. Just d you aren''t dying."

    "Yeah, just keep that ambrosia beside you¡ª" Charlotte insisted.

    Finn epted, setting the bottle aside, "I''ll do that. Goodnight."

    "Night," Jasper said.

    "Night," Charlotte answered.

    Magnus simply slumped into the bed across from Finn''s, seeming to instantly fall back asleep. There were a dozen beds in the rather spacious room, though Finn couldn''t tell what floor it was on the tree-abode.

    All he could see from the window were the soft, glowing leaves of a blue shade.

    It didn''t take more than a minute before he began to hear the snores of the knight, which brought Magnus to sleep with his head under his own pillow.

    Finnid there on thefortable bed, thankful for the hospitality of the elf still, though unable to shake what he experienced.

    It was too odd; far too concerning to simply go back to sleep over.

    "Finn?" The gentle, whispered voice of Charlotte called to him.

    He turned on his side, looking at the young woman whose bed was only a few feet apart from his own, "Just thinking."

    "Try and get some rest though, okay?" Charlotte insisted.

    "Yeah, don''t worry," he assured her.

    It took some time to fall asleep again, though it led him directly to the next morning without any further problems.

    The new day was brought upon by the blue leaves once more shifting back into their golden glow.

    An aroma of eggs and bacon guided him and the others down from the guest floor and into the dining area.

    "Breakfast? Sweet," Jasper said, not wasting a moment before sitting himself.

    "Where''s the old man?" Finn tiredly asked as he sat down as well.

    "Dunno, but he was kind enough to leave this for us," Charlotte answered before biting a piece of bacon.

 Chapter 95: Beyond The Oak

    A freshly cooked, homemade meal was always a wee in such times, leaving the guests to finish up the meal within minutes. It felt more pivotal with the fact that there was undeniably another long day ahead of them, requiring such energy before setting out.

    After a helping of eggs and bacon, it was time to head out as they took their leave out of the tree manor''s front. Though Finn wanted to find the old elf to give his thanks, the elder was nowhere to be seen.

    As Magnus hoisted up the bag of supplies, the cannoneer was stopped as though the bag was unexpectedly heavy.

    "What''s up?" Jasper asked, ncing back.

    Magnus opened up the bag, "...It seems that old elf had given us supplies¨Cquite a bit, actually. There''s a note, too."

    The inside of the bag was filled with wrapped-up pieces of break, fruit, vegetables, and even some dried meat, though Finn found himself more curious about what was written on the note: "Head east of the tree until you find the brokenndmark, from there you will find your path to the keep."

    "East?" Jasper repeated what was written.

    "Guess he''s helping out even more. Least we can do is follow through," Finn said.

    "That''s right," Charlotte agreed chipperly.

    Eastbound they were with the light of the gold-leaf trees above, with Finn leading the way as he carefully listened to the woods with each step. The threat of skulking beasts and fiends brought him to be cautious while walking.

    Jasper ced his hand against the bark of a tree while passing, "How far off do you think we are now?" The knight asked.

    "It''s been three days now. I''d like to think we''re getting closer towards that castle, though I''m not sure if that''s even a good thing," Magnus remarked, stepping over a bundle of twigs that crunched beneath his boot.

    "Maybe¡­what do you think, Finn?" Charlotte asked from not far behind the assassin.

    Finn kept his eyes out on whaty ahead of the subtle trail carved into the woods while answering, "Being realistic, I doubt we''re up to par to confront the lord here. We barely scraped by against that beast on floor ten, and that was with the help of others."

    "If that''s the case, what do we do? We''re stuck here ''till that bastard is dealt with," Jasper asked.

    "For now, all we can do is keep moving and do what we can to level up. Hopefully find others who made it here," Finn answered.

    The given n was set as the woods trail led to a small bridge that gave passage across a running river. An old, rickety bridge that definitely seemed long overdue for repairs that would nevere; nks were missing, making it all too easy to fall straight through, and chunks of wood were missing as if bitten out by a beast with a taste for timber.

    Finn had no trouble traversing the bridge with his light steps, nor did Charlotte, though the same couldn''t be set for the knight who was so abundantly equipped in heavy armor.

    "Easy does it¡­" Jasper said to himself, taking cautious steps as if he was an infant taking his first strides as each step taken seemed to test the stability of the creaking bridge.

    "Come on, it''s not going to brea¨C" Magnus began to say.

    Just as the cannoneer opened his mouth, the very next nk that the knight set his foot down on gave out from underneath him.

    "--Woagh!" Jasper let out.

    Finn dashed back in that split-second, managing to catch the hand of his friend before he could take a dive into the raging river.

    A nervousugh left from Jasper''s helmet, "Thanks, mate. I wasn''t trying to take a swim."

    "Could''ve fooled me," Finn said before hoisting the knight out with the help of Magnus taking his other hand.

    "Yeah, yeah, got jokes, mate," Jasper brushed off with a yful chuckle.

    The bridge led to the other side of the radiant forest, though only some strides in found it to be noticeably different; many trees were left scarredas if stricken by lightning, though still standing.

    As he walked, he found rusted swords that were plunged into the leaf-covered ground, with some des and arrows even stuck into the trees.

    "What''s all of this about?" Jasper wondered out loud, passing by a tree as he poked at one of the arrows.

    "Looks like some sort of battle happened," Charlotte answered.

    "It looks more like a war to me," Finn said.

    The opinion was settled as he came to a stop amidst a clearing in the scarred section of the forest, finding a graveyard of swords that left it more covered in steel than bark. The skin of the surrounding oak was painted in dried red, though it didn''t simply look like remnants of blood, but as though the trees were infused with it entirely.

    "In any case, it looks like something far in the past¡ªthese swords are practically brittle by now," Magnus remarked, grabbing hold of one of the plunged sword''s grips.

    Right as it was plucked from the ground by the curious cannoneer, Finn turned around, "Wait, put that back¡ª"

    "Ah?¡ª" Magnus looked at him.

    He couldn''t exin why, but the assassin felt as though removing the old sword from its resting ce was a serious offense. It was most likely due to his experience watching many supernatural movies that he was aware of such a concept, though even so, it proved itself.

    The graveyard of des began to rumble as the group looked around in a hurry.

    "Put it back, mate!" Jasper shouted at the cannoneer.

    Magnus didn''t hesitate to stick the rusty de back into the dirt next to the others, though the tremors didn''t stop.

    "I don''t think that fixed it!" Charlotte called out.

    "Well, what else can I do?!" Magnus responded.

    Amidst their panic was the unknown situation, the soil in the center of all the des parted as something erupted¡ªa hand.

 Chapter 96: A Skeletons Request

    Devoid of a shred of flesh, the skeletal fingers dug out as a groan came from underneath.

    "A zombie!" Jasper shouted as he unsheathed his de.

    "Not quite¡ªsame difference though," Finn corrected as he readied his daggers.

    They all stood ready as the skeleton unearthed itself from the resting grounds of the colossal forest. What arose was a figure of bones, still dressed in half-shattered armor with a scarlet helmet intact.

    Finn was about ready to strike as the undead picked itself out of the soil, taking a step towards it to strike its head before¡ª

    "Well, I was asleep quite awhile, methinks."

    The undead spoke casually while brushing the dirt off of its bony body. Such a soft, unassuming tone brought the assassin to halt his killing intent.

    "Oh? Did I give you all a scare? Sorry ''bout that¡ªguess it''s not normal to see a pile of bones talking!" The undead man apologized with a dryugh.

    "Yeah¡­not normal at all," Finn said, taking a step back to stand beside hispanions.

    The skeleton adjusted his own neck as it was out of ce while casually speaking, "I mean no harm, so don''t worry. Just a pile of old bones. Call me Geoffrey, or old bones¡ªdoesn''t matter to me."

    It was off-putting just how chipper the undead seemed, talking with excitement as though blood still ran through his veins.

    Jasper stood shoulder to shoulder with Finn, getting close as he whispered in his ear, "What do you think, mate?"

    "Dunno. Let''s just hear him out," Finn responded in a hushed voice.

    The skeleton sat upon a pommel, removing his helmet to reveal the face beneath, or theck of one as it was all bone.

    "You all are heading towards the Storm King''s Keep, aren''t you?" Geoffrey asked.

    "What of it?" Magnus responded.

    "You won''t be able to get in," the skeleton promptly informed them.

    "What do you mean?" Charlotte asked.

    A small gust passed through the forest''s graveyard of des, carrying the silence with it as they all looked to the entric undead for an answer.

    "There''s a front gate that''spletely imprable. It has a practice barrier ced on it that keeps out all outsiders," Geoffrey exined.

    "It''s impossible, then?" Finn questioned.

    "There''s no way¡ªwe were sent here to deal with that Storm King sucker, it can''t be blocked off," Jasper said in clear frustration, tapping his foot against the fallen leaves.

    Geoffrey lifted a bony finger, "I didn''t say that. There''s a way in, though it requires entering the sewers right outside the front¡ªwhich needs a key to enter."

    Magnus shook his head, "Of course¡­a key. It can never be quite simple, can it?"

    "Always has to be a pain in the arse," Jasper agreed.

    The remarks were swiftly shut down as the eroding skeleton reached into his own chest cavity, pulling out a glistening object:

    A cerulean key was held in his bony hand, "I have it right here," Geoffrey casually said.

    "What?¡ªThat''s it?" Magnus asked in shock.

    "You''re not lying, are you?" Finn asked, stepping closer to get a look at the key.

    As he raised his hand to take it, seeing as the skeleton was holding it as if offering it to them, Geoffrey pulled it away.

    "Ah-ah. I''m willing to part with it, but I need something in return," Geoffrey reprimanded, pointing at the assassin.

    The notion of having to do something to obtain the required key made Finn want to groan.

    ''Great¡­This is going to be a tedious side quest, isn''t it?'' He thought.

    "What do you want for it?" Charlotte asked.

    Geoffrey looked towards them with his hollow eye sockets, "It''s nothing that crazy, I promise. In fact, it''ll take no more than ten seconds."

    "Seriously? No catch? What is it?" Jasper asked.

    They were all curious as to what the rather quick favor was that the unearthed skeleton wanted.

    Geoffrey remained looking at the assassin, "Kill me."

    "Huh?¡ª" Finn reacted to the unexpected request.

    "Well, I guess I''m already dead, sorta. What I mean is, put an end to whatever existence you can call this," Geoffrey rified. "This is no way to live. Bound like this for eternity, cursed to guard this forest by the Storm King¡­I just want some peace."

    "Are you sure?" Charlotte asked hesitantly with a look of sadness in her eyes.

    The usually chipper undead nodded, "Without a doubt. Young man, I can tell by that de you''re holding¡ªyou are an assassin, right?"

    Finn confirmed it with a nod, "Yeah. Why?"

    "You''re a deliverer of death. I''m sure you can cut this curse," Geoffrey said, holding the key. "Do that, and the key is yours."

    It was a grim request, leaving the others quiet as Finn stepped closer.

    "You''repletely sure about this? I''m sure I don''t have to tell you this, but there''s noing back from this choice," Finn asked as he stood before the tired skeleton.

    A quiet nod came from Geoffrey, "The world is at its end anyway. It''s a husk, as am I; it''s time to rest now."

    Finn didn''t say another word as he watched the skeleton lower his head to signal he was ready for it. The dagger was raised before he brought it down with a gleam of ck¡ª

    ["The Art of Dying"] [24:59:59]

    A breathy gasp left the undead''s mouth as the dagger pierced its body, "Ahh¡­I''ming home, Maranda¡­"

    From the de, the strands of purified death took hold of what was already dead, granting to the weary bones a much longed for slumber.

    ["Geoffrey defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x50 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +500] [40505/50000]

    [Assimted ability from [Geoffrey]: "Magnificent de" 1 / 1]

    As death was parted to the undead, the skeleton fell apart as the traces of life were extinguished.

    "Rest easy, mate," Jasper solemnly said

    Finn took the key as promised, tucking it in his pocket as he looked back at the others, who looked as though they just witnessed a funeral.

    "Let''s keep moving," Finn said.

 Chapter 97: The Bard

    It wasn''t many steps past the set of nearest trees that the edge of the forest was found, along with whatid past it.

    A barren stretch ofnd extended as far as the eye could see; not a tree in sight nor a single weed.

    The soil was gray, lifeless and devoid of growth. Thousands of swords were left plunged into the hollownd, with the ashes of those who fell all that remained.

    "What we saw back there was only a glimpse of this. Hell, mates¡­This was a war to end all wars," Jasper remarked.

    "To end the world, rather," Magnus said.

    Finn felt the abundance of death in the air as his stomach sank in his body. It was a surreal sight, as though standing upon a graveyard of millions.

    The barren wastnd seemed to stretch on as an entire region of its own, leading them forward amidst the field of abandoned weapons.

    "Look at that¡ªit''s the keep, isn''t it?" Jasper pointed out.

    "That''s it, but¡­That seems like an unreasonable ce for it to be," Magnus responded.

    Far ahead, Finn saw it as well: a chunk ofnd hovered high up in the air, holding upon it the glistening castle. A floating ind of colossal scale; the sight of it alone made his stomach spin.

    "How the hell are we supposed to reach that?" Jasper questioned with an exhale.

    "It''s really high up there¡­I don''t see a bridge," Charlotte said.

    "Just gotta keep looking then," Finn said, beginning to move again.

    "Up there, look¡ª" Charlotte pointed out ahead.

    Finn squinted, making out a singlendmark that stood in the graveyard of steel and ash.

    It was a statue as tall as a skyscraper, of a figure dressed in draconic armor, though missing its head. The monument was hidden a moment prior by the haze of ash in the air.

    All around its base were hundreds of plunged swords, though they did not look lost through battle.

    The des were stuck into the ground in orderly fashion around the fractured statue, as though ced in reverence.

    "A broken monument," Finn said.

    "That''s what the old man was talking about, right? It has to be," Jasper asked.

    Finn took a step closer to the massive statue, getting a better look for whatever it may have hidden. Getting close brought his acute senses to hear something peculiar¡ª

    "Ashuuuu¡­"

    It was a soft sound, like that of a singsong breath, though it didn''t make any senseing from the statue.

    Charlotte was right beside him, giving him a look as if asking "Did you hear that?", bringing him to nod before slowly moving around the statue''s base.

    There was a small tform at the feet of the monument, leading him to step onto it as he circled around to its back.

    "Ashuuuu¡­"

    That same noise met his ears as he found it leading him to what lingered behind the statue. What he found was somebodyying there on the sculpture''s base, fast asleep.

    ''What the¡­?'' He thought.

    It looked to be a girl with short, messy hair of a white-and-pink shade. She wore a baggy, pale sweater that seemed to be used as a nket as she tucked her knees into it.

    Charlotte was just as confused as he was at the discovery, "A person¡­? Finn, is she?"

    "Yeah, she''s from our world for sure," he answered.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Name: Nova]

    [Age: 25]

    [ss: Pathfinder Bard]

    [Level: 33]

    "¡­Aaahhh¡­"

    The quiet chatter seemed to loud enough to disrupt the slumber of the girl as a yawn left her lips.

    Finn took a step back with Charlotte, watching the drowsy stranger blink a few times before rubbing her eyes.

    ''What''s with this chick? How the hell did she fall asleep here of all ces¡ª?'' He thought.

    The strange girl sat up, yawning once more before stretching her arms over her head. It took a bit longer until her olive eyes found the ones looking at her.

    "Oh," the sleepy girl said, tilting her head. "Good morning."

    "Morning?" Charlotte hesitantly responded.

    As Finn stood there, he found himself having to look down as the girl who was older than him yet looked younger stood only to his midsection.

    Jasper and Magnus found their way over soon after, just as taken aback by the peculiar person.

    "I''m Nova. Nice to meet you," the hoodie-wearing girl cheerfully said, yfully saluting.

    "Why were you sleeping here?" Finn asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose while trying to understand the dumb idea.

    Nova chuckled while rubbing the back of her head, "Well¡­I got sleepy, so Iid down. There was nothing around, so I thought it was safe. Nothing ate me up, so it worked out!"

    "How exactly did you survive this long?" Magnus mumbled while shaking his head.

    Though the small-statured woman seemed air-headed, the level she was at made Finn second guess dismissing her. Even just standing there, it was hard to discern any skillful qualities from the short girl as she rocked side-to-side while humming.

    ''The truth is, she''s made it here¡­by herself it looks like. Pathfinder Bard¡­That''s definitely a powerful ss,'' he considered.

    "Are you here alone?" Finn asked.

    "Surely you havepanions somewhere, right?" Jasper added in.

    Nova hopped down from the small tform as her sneakers hit the dried soil, looking back, "I didn''t make it here by myself. I don''t need anybody else, I''m fine on my own. But, I''m not opposed to joining you guys¡­if you have, err¡­"

    The condition of the yful girl''s request didn''t need to be said as her stomach did the talking for her, bringing her to nervouslyugh.

    Magnus sighed, sliding the bag he carried off his shoulder, "If you''re hungry, then say so. We''re not in the business of letting anybody starve."

    "Please and thank you!" Nova admitted without hesitation.

    While the hoodie-wearing girl happily ate away at a loaf of bread and a green apple, the others sat on the edge of the tform while watching.

    "Did youe through the woods? You could''ve gotten food from the old elf," Jasper asked while watching the bubbly women.

    Nova looked at the knight with a raised eyebrow, though having to finish chewing and swallowing before answering, "Didn''t see anything like that. You''ve got a neat ent, by the way!"

    "Err, thanks?" Jasper responde.

    Finn couldn''t shake it while looking at the girl how she was able to survive alone.

    ''She must be capable. That, or she''s been lucky,'' he guessed.

 Chapter 98: The Ascent

    While Nova ate, she kicked her legs like a giddy child before finishing up and jumping to her feet, "That hit the spot! Thanks a bunch."

    "Sure thing," Finn said, standing up as he looked up at the monument. "Do you know anything about this statue?"

    Nova put her hand to her chin, closing one eye as she peered up at it as if intensely analyzing it, "Hmmm¡­nope!"

    "I see," Finn said.

    "I''m not getting what it''s about either," Jasper admitted.

    There wasn''t anything to go off of, only that the statue held some sort of significance in reaching the distant keep.

    All the while they each scoured the perimeter of the colossal monument, Nova walked along the edge of the tform while humming to herself.

    "Hm-hm¡­Hmm-hmm¡­Hm-hmm," Nova hummed cheerfully.

    Finn had the misfortune of being right beside the girl that was in the world of her own while trying to carefully inspect the foot of the statue.

    "Can you keep it down?" He asked while looking at the boot of the monument.

    Nova continued her humming as though not hearing him, though he knew for sure she did. All he could do was shake his head before turning his focus back to the monument, having to continue listening to the incessant humming.

    "Y''know, I''m starting to think the ol'' goober meant a different statue?" Jasper remarked while tapping his hand against the right thigh.

    "I find that hard to believe, there''s not exactly a plethora of broken monuments, I imagine," Magnus contested, standing at its front.

    It was hard to see how the statue would even benefit in reaching the divine castle, seeing as it was up in the air.

    "Hmm-hmm-hmm," the humming from theckadaisical woman continued as she circled around the ck-stone base of the statue.

    It finally tested his patience as he stood up, "Cut it out, would you¡ªouw!"

    A wince came as he stood up from his knelt position, finding the top of his head smacking up against something solid.

    "Click"¡ªhe felt something push in and make a noise as he stepped back while holding his head. It was the pommel of the sword held by the fractured statue, having a section pushed in.

    The monument began to rumble as if shaken by an earthquake, forcing those that inspected it to quickly back off.

    "Did you¡­do something?" Jasper asked, stepping away.

    "I think so?" Finn answered.

    Nova excitedly pointed at the statue as it began to turn in the ashen soil, "It''s straight out of that movie! Oh, what''s it called¡­?"

    "Indiana Jones?" Charlotte presumed with a finger to her chin.

    "Yeah, that one! Totally Indiana Jones!" Nova pped her hands together.

    The outward enthusiasm wasn''t exclusive to the messy-haired, young woman as Finn found himself watching in awe as the momentum turned itself.

    It began to move as the stiff material used to make it croaked as if being forcibly bent by an unseen force.

    "That sword¡ªit''s raising," he watched.

    The headless monument raised its chipped de to the floating ind. A golden glow surfaced from the tip of the dormant sword, producing a line that reached from the statue''s weapon up to the heights of the airborne domain.

    One by one, tforms forged of soft, cerulean light extended from the front of the statue, ascending all the way to the floating territory.

    "It''s a bridge," Charlotte observed.

    "A bridge with a lot of steps, and no railings¡­Eurgh, I''m not a fan of this," Magnus quietly grumbled, taking the opportunity to light up a cigarette.

    Finn meant to take the first step to see how the tforms made of light felt, though he was toote as the hoodie-touting girl hopped right in front of him before he could even put one foot on it.

    "This looks like fun! Beat you to the top!" Nova yfully said before hopping to the very next tform with her arms out.

    From helplessly sleepy to singing and hopping around; It was beginning to feel like to him that he was having to manage a child.

    "--Shouldn''t we wait a bit?" Charlotte suggested before stepping onto the first tform.

    Nova had already hopped her way over to the fifth section, bringing her a good dozen meters off the ground as she turned back for a moment, "What for? I wanna see the castle up close!"

    "But¨C" Charlotte tried to reason, though found the entric girl already moving onto the next step.

    Finn gave a pat on the shoulder to the spellde with a quiet sigh of resignation, "Good try, but I can''t deal with her either."

    "She''s a free spirit. I didn''t know somebody could still have that much enthusiasm left¨Cyou''d think the world isn''t ending," Magnus remarked.

    "Some people handle things differently. I doubt she''s ignorant about what''s going on," Finn said, watching as the girl became more distant up the ethereal steps. "That unmoved cheerfulness though¡­It reminds me of somebody."

    "Finn," Charlotte lightly brushed his arm with her hand.

    Just the mere thought of a past friend brought Finn''s eyes to be glossy, though he pushed away the intrusive reminiscence with an exhale, looking over, "Let''s not fall behind¨CI don''t want to let her get caught up in something alone up there."

    Ascending the glowing tforms was simple enough, though looking down didn''t bring an encouraging sight as Finn kept his eyes up. A few steps behind, he could hear Magnus struggling with the heights¨C

    "Just keep moving, just keep moving¡­" Magnus repeatedly told himself while sounding one moment from heaving.

    Up ahead, Finn could see the energetic girl a dozen tforms in front, bringing them into territory with the clouds themselves after enough steps. As he got closer, the scale of the hovering region created a fluttering sensation in his stomach as he stood there a moment.

    Chunks ofnd simply floated in the air, with hanging vines in abundance and waterfalls that cascaded down the sides of the floating fortress, though did not fall to thend below.

    The castle itself, of glistening marble and towers that reached for the heavens, felt none more imposing than that moment as he looked upon them.

    "Finn?" Charlotte said, on the step right behind him.

    "Sorry¨C" He quickly apologized before continuing the ascent.

 Chapter 99: Storm Knight

    The ethereal tforms lead into a set of marble steps of the floating ind''s front. As high as he was, the air howled at his ears, feeling the stronger winds brush against his body. Heights were something he had to be ustomed to as of recent, but ncing down to see the barrennd far, far below made his head get fuzzy.

    He watched the fearless ball of energy up ahead hop into the fractured, marble steps from thest tform.

    "Made it!" Nova called out happily, turning back to wave at those behind.

    Seeing how chipper and proud the girl was about making it first, Finn hurriedly arrived at the final tform, though was met with a stomach-churning sight. There was a gap between thest step of light and the steps attached to the ind; it was only a few feet at most, though enough for the cloud-faring heights to be felt.

    ''Man¡­what the hell did I get into?'' He thought when peering down by the fault of his own curiosity.

    He was tempted to simply throw his de forward and use his warp, though it felt like a vast oveplication, especially when those following behind him didn''t have such crutches.

    "You can do it!" The encouragement came from Nova, who waited on the steps while pping her hands.

    The support only served to annoy him before hemitted to crossing the gap with a light jump. For a brief moment, he felt his legs crossing over the air, feeling the incredible heights below before his boots touched the stable stone.

    "--Hah," Finn exhaled as he found himself safe on the steps.

    As he caught his breath after his lungs promptly forgot how to wee air after such a jump, he found himself getting a pat on the arm from the short-statured woman.

    Nova gave him a smile as her eyes sparkled, "Good job! Wasn''t that fun?"

    "Not in the slightest," Finn answered.

    As he nced back, he moved up a few steps as Charlotte made the jump right behind him.

    "Ah¡ª" Charlotte stumbled a bit.

    Before she could risk slipping off one of the steps, Finn grabbed her wrist, helping her catch her bnce.

    "Thanks," Charlotte said with a slight flush to her cheeks, looking down.

    He let go of her wrist with a small smile, "Mhm. It''s a scary jump. I just hope Magnus doesn''t barf."

    Jasper crossed the gap with a slight sway, though Magnus looked as though he''d seen a ghost as he stood at the crossing point. Just standing there, it looked like the slender cannoneer was about one moment from being swept away by a passing breeze, one nce down from fainting.

    "C''mon, mate, it''s a small jump¨Cbarely a light hop away!" Jasper assured the one afraid of heights.

    "Hardly a jump when a small slip cannd me falling at god knows how high¡ªyes, thank you, very helpful, Jasper," Magnus responded, speaking quickly while gulping.

    Finn offered a lending hand, though the pride of the Swede seemed to overpower his fears as he took the jump¡ª

    It looked as though for a moment Magnus lost consciousness beforending on the skyward staircase, breathing out, "I made it¡­See, perfectly fine."

    "Nothing to it, mate," Jasper assured him.

    The vast steps awaited them, with the sky at their backs. Of course, Nova practically skipped up the regal stairs as the wind howled.

    Finn traversed the steps while looking towards the colossal castle. It was unnaturallyrge and magnificent in form; a structure straight out of a fairy tale.

    In the sky, what looked to be birds soared freely around the floating region. At a distance they looked unassuming, though the flying creatures were quickly discerned to be colossal with pointy heads like that of Jurassic-era beasts.

    "I hope those stay over there," Jasper remarked from a few steps behind.

    "I''m not up to fight with anything on these steps," Magnus remarked, doing his best not to get sick on the step stairway.

    It was likely a hundred steps before the summit was reached, bringing Finn to bring himself onto a vast courtyard. The tiles of stone were overlooked by a massive wall of golden steel, presenting the faces of lions on their exterior.

    "This must be the gate that the skeleton mentioned," Jasper said.

    It hummed with a translucent force that rose to unseen heights, safeguarded by primal magic. By all means, it did in fact look impassable.

    "Bummer," Nova huffed, tapping her fingers against the barrier, "¡ªGah!"

    A simple touch of the magical wall rejected the young woman''s finger with fierce feedback. It didn''t look to do any real damage, though it left the tip of Nova''s finger oozing with steam.

    "Why would you touch it?!" Finn asked, watching the girl shake her hand while wincing.

    "I was curious!" Nova reasoned.

    "Don''t just stick your hands into magic-stuff you have no clue about," Finn reprimanded her.

    Nova crossed her arms with a huff, "Who made you my boss?"

    "I¡ªurgh, whatever," Finn gave up as he ruffled his own hair before looking back at the others.

    The skybound courtyard, overlooked by the upside downndscapes not too far above, was subjected to grumbling winds.

    "There''s supposed to be a sewer entrance somewhere, right?" Jasper asked, kneeling down to tap the tiles.

    "Yeah, Geoffrey said it was near the gate," Finn said, pacing across the courtyard in search of the hidden passage.

    They each searched for the particr pathway, though the courtyard was rather spacious, with luscious gardens neighboring the tiles.

    "Not seeing anything, mates," Jasper remarked.

    "It might be hidden in the bushes," Magnus suggested near the steps.

    Charlotte called out from near the nestle of bushes, "Over her¡ª!"

    Just as Finn heard the spellde call out, the wind flexed as though something of grand force descended. He looked up, grabbing the sleeve of the entric girl while jumping back.

    "Hey!¡ª" Nova shouted as she was suddenly pulled back.

    The assassin''s quick thinking proved correct as a weight crashed down where they once stood.

    A gust of wind pushed outward along with chunks of shattered stone from the tilesnded on. What stood there amidst the settling dust resembled a knight in bulky, gilded armor with a winged helmet.

    "I was wondering if it''d stay quiet¡­" Jasper said while readying his sword and shield.

    "I''m surprised it took this long for us unwee guests to be greeted," Magnus responded, pulling up his cannon.

    What put into question the origins of the knightly figure was their stature, towering over three meters in height with a battle-axe in his handsrge enough to bring down redwood in a single sh.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "Storm Knight, Alexander"] [Level: 37]

 Chapter 100: Resolve of The Crumbling Warrior

    "A Boss?!" Charlotte called out.

    "Right off the bat? This ce isn''t holding out on the weing party," Finn remarked.

    The guardian of the castle''s gates was wordless as the axe was raised, lifting one foot up before mming it down¡ªTHWOOM.

    A ferocious wind swirled around the colossal knight like a newborn tempest.

    There was no chance for anybody to close the distance nor attack before the knight of the winged helmet swung his axe.

    It was right in the direction of Finn and Jasper, though too far for the de to reach. Even so, Finn felt the wind erupting along the motion of the swung weapon.

    ''It''s using the wind?¡ª'' He realized.

    There was no opportunity to evade as the Storm Knight''s swing incurred a massive wave of wind. The gust swept against Jasper and himself, taking him right off his feet as he was sted away.

    "Aaah!¡ª"

    "Woaaah!¡ª"

    Finn found himself knocked off the floating ind entirely as the axe-guided tempest still brushed at his body.

    With little time to think while hearing the yells of hispanions, he threw his dagger at the courtyard¡ª

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2100/2500]

    He found his boots back against solid ground, catching his dagger, though having no time to focus on the enemy.

    "Waaaaa!¡ª"

    The scream brought him to look back, finding that Jasper was still caught in the disruptive gust.

    ''Shit¡­Can I grab him? I have to be careful where I throw my dagger,'' he considered.

    He carefully aimed where he might toss his weapon to catch his friend, though his focus was torn away¡ª

    "Wake up and fly, fly away!"

    With a microphone in her hand that dazzled with a crystalline end, Nova spoke with a voice graceful and pleasant to the ears, yetmanding.

    [Pathfinder: Illustrious Roc]

    From a burst of glitter and light with disembodied cheers of an unseen crowd, a massive avian manifested in the air above the entric bard.

    Its feathers varied from all shades, constantly shifting from blue to red, to pink to purple, green to yellow.

    "What''s that?¡ª" Magnus questioned.

    "It''s pretty," Charlotte remarked.

    Finn watched as it pped its wings, scattering an array of glitter as it soared towards the falling knight, "It''s a summon¡ªit''s hers."

    Amidst their awe of the manifested creature, the axe-wielded that spurred the wind did not wait around.

    Finn found himself and Charlotte being rushed down by the Storm Knight as its axe was reared back again.

    Once more, a torrent engulfed its weapon as the gilded warrior raised its weapon high¡ª

    "Let your heart thump-a-dump-dump for me, baby!" Nova''s singing voice boomed from her crystalline microphone.

    ["Kiss of Haste"]

    In that moment, Finn felt his reflexes sharpen and hone as the wind-engulfed axe dragged through the stone tiles in slow motion.

    He felt a spark of swiftness in his body, letting him easily slide out of the way. The same agility seemed to be present for the spellde, as he watched her avoid the swing of visceral wind as well.

    "What was that? How did I?¡ª" Charlotte wondered, witnessing chunks of the stone be swept through.

    Finn looked over at the entric bard who kept her mic to her lips, giving him a yful wink as if saying "You totally owe me one!"

    ''I definitely am in your debt for that,'' he thought, continuing to flip back as the giant of a knight stomped at him.

    In the air, Jasper''s desperate yells were squelched as he was caught in the talons of the rainbow-feathered avian.

    "Ah¡ªfriendly bird, ain''t cha?" Jasper remarked before promptly being dropped back down onto the courtyard.

    The life-saving bird returned to the side of the songstress, who gave it a pet on its golden beak.

    Finn looked to the right where the Australian knight''s boots set down, "Are you good?"

    "Yeah, just a lil scare. Might need to change my underwearter," Jasper yfully said.

    There was little choice but to face the imposing warrior of the keep, seeing as there was no escape route. The Storm Knight stomped down once more with an eruption of wind, mming the bottom of his axe as the rampant gusts howled.

    It was a challenge: a wordless invitation to those that dared enter the castle grounds.

    A single breath was expelled from beneath the winged helmet, a raspy exhale of a withered soul.

    "One misstep, and that axe is gonna send one of us to the pearly gates," Jasper remarked.

    Finn kept himself low and ready to move in an instant, finding himself closest to the figure, right beside Jasper.

    Just as the wind-shifting knight raised his axe, prompting Finn to move alongside hispanion, the voice of the pink-hooded bard shouted¡ª

    The small-statured woman took a lower tone, singing with a raspy, deep scream, "We will fight to the death! To the ends of the earth! It''s a brave new world!"

    ["Hymn of War"]

    It wasn''t just the voice of the bard, but the sounds of guitars and drums filled the courtyard with the arrival of her lyrics.

    As Finn sprinted right towards the Storm Knight, he felt the words from the microphone resonating within him. A supernatural strength emboldened his muscles, quickening his pace and allowing him to close in with a dash.

    "¡ª!"

    The Storm Knight was ready for him, swinging its axe in a horizontal arc. He ducked down in a sliding motion, feeling the sharp extension of wind pass right over his head. Such a far-scoped ring of wind forced the others to halt their approach as well, either by jumping or ducking beneath.

    There was a clear opening for a counter as Finn shed his dagger at the midsection of the warrior''s golden armor.

    ["Assassin''s Strike"] [4:59]

    He dragged his de across the sturdy equipment worn by Alexander, finding the mystical strength bolstering his body extending itself through his dagger. It failed to dig into the flesh beneath, though he cleaved into the armor before having to flip back just as a retaliation came.

    As Finn withdrew, a hail of cannonfire crashed against the sluggish knight; a burst of fire was soon met with lightbound shes from the knight, fueled by an array of thrusts of the spellde''s sword.

    "Keep it going!" Nova cheered through her mic, pointing her finger forward as her words further bolstered each attack.

    A unified effort, met once more by Finning in as he set his eyes on the exposed point in the armor he had made himself.

    ["Blood de"] [Mana: -500] [1600/2500]

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    Both skills at once brought him to arrive beneath the winged knight''s wind-fueled swing, dragging his scarlet edge across their abdomen. Finn exhaled, finding that his dagger undeniably carved a lethal wound as he stood there.

    "Finn!" Charlotte shouted.

    "Get back!--" Magnus yelled.

    As he looked up, he found the Storm Knight was still moving into a follow-up, raising his axe as though not having his gut split open.

    The knight of the winged helm mmed his axe down, crashing into the tiles, slow to lift it with but a single hand as hollow words escaped the faceless warrior, "...Even if my soul is withered and but a fleeting ember, so long as my body remains¡­None shall reach the King."

    Undying resolve spoken from the knight whose once slumped shoulders rose as ifmanding his body with brittle bones. Pieces of the faded, golden armor began to crack and break off, turning to dust, yet the wind stirred, a roar of thunder made itself known.

    "The world may be corrupted and shattered, but so long as the King lives¡­As long as the King breathes, it will not fade away¡­Our record will not turn to ash," the knight of the storm said through a hoarse voice.

    Seeing the devotion of the figure that seemed to challenge himself merely to stand, yet alone raise his weapon and fight, Finn felt himself questioning if the path he treaded was the right one.

    That doubt seeded itself in those that heard the devout words, bringing Magnus to shout from the backline, "Don''t hesitate now! It''s our world or theirs¨Cwe knew thating here!"

 Chapter 101: Against The Castles Guard

    Little freedom for hesitation was given as the crumbling knight lunged forth with newfound vigor, seeming to head right for the assassin before pivoting and instead turning to the spellde.

    Charlotte raised her me-infused sword, though the towering knight mmed his boot down before she could swing it¨CFWOOM.

    A shock wave of roaring wind expelled, throwing the spellde off her bnce for a moment¨C

    "Ghh!--" Charlotte winced.

    As the battle-axe was swung with lofty wind, Finn threw his dagger right between the spellde and the iing weapon¨C

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1500/2500]

    He caught his dagger while in the same moment using it to sh against the downfalling axe. While his feet had yet to touch the ground in that split-second, collision with the swung weapon immediately brought his boots to m down against the tiles.

    "Nngh!" Finn struggled, attempting to hold his ground.

    Even preparing with the sh of orcish strength, he found the wind-swirling axe to be too much to simply block; the weight of the knight''s strength alongside the impending wind that howled against his ears was all too much.

    ¨CBOOM.

    A volley of fireballs crashed against the knight''s side, knocking the towering figure off bnce. It only took a brief nce and a quick breath for him to see the cannoneer responsible for the much needed aid, not wasting a moment to jump back.

    Jasper ced himself in front of the Storm Knight, bolstering himself as he raised his shield in a defensive position, "I''ll keep him busy!--"

    Such a im was tested as the wind was stirred up by waves of Alexander''s axe, carrying a tempest as the knight of storms swung his de right against the shield¨CTHWOOM. Another massive impact crashed against Jasper''s shield like a train, bringing his boots to scrape across the tiles.

    While Jasper held the Storm Knight at bay to the best of his ability, Finn sank into the darkness¨C

    ["Turn Shadow"] [2:59]

    He quickly circled around while the warrior of wind was distracted, emerging right as he watched Jasper be thrown back by the Storm Knight''s superior strength. What was exposed to him with the height of the hollow warrior were his ankles, bringing him to a swift strike.

    ["Tendon Slice"] [1:59]

    He swept his dagger across the achilles heels of the knight, slicing through armor and flesh beneath. The weakness-pointing sh was effective, bringing the Storm Knight to his knees as a step was attempted.

    Nova''s voice boomed through her amplifier, "Send him away!"

    Themand brought the colorful bird to swoop in, using its talons to swipe at the fallen knight. Jasper and Charlotte set in as well, given the chance to unleash elemental shes against the encumbered warrior.

    Finn set his sights on the figure''s neck, though as he closed in, he found the knelt knight raising his axe, intending to m its bottom down.

    "Get back!" Finn shouted, jumping towards the sealed gate.

    With thunderous force, the axe was brought down, incurring a wrathful wind that pushed all those near the hollowed knight away. With the outskirts of the castle being an enclosed space, no more than fifty square meters in scope, leaving the rampant winds at the Storm Knight''s behest to control the battlefield entirely.

    Such fearsome gales once more set them all at square one, with the distance closed being taken away in a single movement.

    "I could barely do anything because of that armor," Charlotte remarked with frustration, wiping the sweat from her chin.

    "It''s a real pain in the ass, that''s for sure," Jasper agreed.

    "Don''t just stand around! Keep it up¨Che''s weakening!" Magnus shouted.

    While the others regained their breath, the cannoneer didn''t let up as he hoisted his cannon up with a gathering of light.

    ["Draco Beam"]

    The bright-blue coalescence of burning energy shot towards the Storm Knight, cutting through the limited courtyard with a hiss of intensity. As the beam aimed for Alexander''s head, the husk picked himself up, lifting the glistening, tinum axe in front of the cannon''s expulsion.

    A collision of the condensed energy and the knight''s axe caused the force to be split apart and reflected, carving across the courtyard.

    "Shit!--" Jasper let out, ducking out of the way.

    "Hah?!--" Charlotte reacted the same, having to step back.

    The reflected beams of the cannoneer''s skill moved in an unpredictable fashion, cutting through the stone while attempting to carve through flesh. Magnus was forced to halt his skill, allowing Alexander to freely move in even with split ankles.

    Jasper huffed, striking his de down while shouting, "Alright, I need a minute, mate¡­!"

    Only Finn was directly aware of what was being requested, following through with the task as he flicked his dagger right in front of the towering knight of storms.

    ["de Warp"] [1400/2500]

    He blinked, now staring right at the withering breastte of the warrior as he caught his de. Even though he intercepted Alexander, the aggression of the formidable foe was still locked onto Jasper.

    He brought his boot up before quickly mming it down, demanding the knight''s attention¨C

    ["Commanding Stomp"] [4:59]

    A shock wave emitted through the courtyard, discing the already disheveled tiles. Even so, the mighty step failed to so much as push Alexander back, only bringing the figure''s attention to himself.

    ''Alright¨Ctime not to die!'' Finn resolved.

    "Steel yourself and don''t look away!" Nova''s voice boomed.

    ["Kiss of The Stone Maiden"]

    Once more, he felt those words that echoed instilling a force into his body, this time not one of relentless power, but of stalwart defense; his muscles felt as tough as steel, and his pose rigid and unmoving.

    He jumped up as the axe swept at his feet, though being promptly introduced to the free hand of the Storm Knight. A gathering of wind was balled up in Alexander''s fist, being thrown forth before the assassin could safelynd.

    With only one boot against the ground, Finn found himself sted by a howl of wind, pushing against him, though he wasn''t moved off of his foot.

    ''I''m not¡­being pushed back?'' He realized, finding his bnce to be impable.

    It was thanks to the bard''s singsong enchantments, noting that in his mind as he centered himself around.

 Chapter 102: Roundtable: Galahad

    "Duck!" The voice of Magnus shouted from near the summit of the steps at the back.

    Finn lowered himself just as a cannonballunched against the axe-wielding knight, releasing into bright-orange mes that soon turned to electric bursts.

    ["Spark st"]

    The wrath from the cannon of fire and lightning brought the knight''s armor to crumble further, revealing the hollow, ckened flesh beneath. While Alexander stumbled back with pieces of his equipment crumbling, Finn used the chance to create further strength:

    "Replication."

    The doppelganger formed itself from the ck substance, moving alongside him¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    Together, he crossed by the barely-standing knight alongside his replicated self. Thebined strikes carved off another chunk of the brittle, once shining, golden armor. He didn''t let up, stepping back in before the knight could regain himself.

    ["Death Flurry"] [2:59]

    ["Death Flurry"] [2:59]

    He moved his arms rapidly, unleashing the series of quick, yet deadly shes while his doppelganger followed his motions from behind the knight.

    All the while, Jasper continued his incantation while holding onto his plunged sword; Finn sought to end the fight without needing it to beplete.

    With the final sh of the flurry ending, he used thest strike to infuse a deadly substance into his de:

    ["Spider Bite"] [9:59]

    He stabbed his venom-empowered dagger into the knee of the encumbered warrior, though as his doppelganger attempted the same, Alexander swept his dagger right through it. Finn retrieved his de from the knight''s leg, flipping back just as the axe was swept towards his midsection.

    The Storm Knight lunged forward, faltering with the venom in his veins, "Eeeurgh!--"

    Before the winds could be stirred by the spin of the axe again, the spellde leapt up with her de primed with a sh of red-and-blue light:

    ["X-Cross"]

    A double sh created an "X" of radiance that shed against the encumbered knight, disrupting the poisoned figure from swinging his weapon.

    The unified attacks left the Storm Knight crumbling further, stumbling back as he once more copsed to his knees. Decaying, bleeding, inflicted with venom; it was a feat in itself that Alexander remained breathing, but once more, the figure rose to his feet as though guided by unseen hands.

    "If I am fated to fall, so be it¡­For this world, I shall crumble if need be," Alexander said, raising his axe to the upied skies, his knees buckling as his wounded legs could hardly stand his body. "...Grant me strength, O'' Sirius. On my name as Alexander, I shall give myself to this world¨Cto your eternal kingdom."

    Winds swirled around the eroding man, preventing any from drawing near, casting away the cannonballs that attempted to pierce the gale. With reverence furthest from empty, the Storm Knight looked up with his arms spread; the sky roared, crackling with thunder as if hearing his vow.

    At the same time the Storm Knight sought thest embers of strength, Jasper met him the same with his incantation, "I hereby pledge myself to the service of the Holy, to the righting of wrongs, to the repulsion of evil, harkening only prosperity to those around me¡­Grant me the strength to bring light." Jasper dered.

    ["Knights of The Round Table: Ghad"] [Mana: EVAPORATED]

    A cape forged of white light extended from the man''s shoulders as symbols of such radiance bore themselves on his armor. As he withdrew his sword from the ground, the de was utterly engulfed in a heavenly shroud.

    "Woah, woah! Totally bright!" Nova yelled, covering her eyes.

    It was hard to even look at Jasper in his current state, like a glimpse into the heavens themselves as he raised his shield in tandem with his sword, producing a pir of light that shone down upon himself.

    Charlotte stood by Finn, in awe of the heavenly form taken by theirpanion, "I didn''t know he could do something like this."

    "Yeah, he doesn''t like to use it because of the exhaustion it brings afterwards, but the power it brings is worth it," Finn exined.

    With the strength of divine light, Jasper stood before the Storm Knight, who dispelled the ring of wind around himself as instead, strands of magenta lightning coiled around his body.

    Alexander stood without faltering, as though he did not feel his wounds nor his decaying flesh, empowered by the uniquely flowing element, "...O'' Sirius, my King¡­Allow me to uphold my oath."

    It was not a battle that any felt they could interfere in now; Finn knew that better than anybody as he watched the one bestowed the ss of "Knight" approach a trueborn knight.

    Jasper crossed the boundaries between himself and his foe with a single step, passing as a flicker of light. A sh quick enough to split raindrops was set for the Storm Knight''s neck, though aptly blocked by the axe.

    Like a phantom unbound by physical form, Jasper moved from one spot to the other instantly, dozens of times across a moment while attacking from every angle.

    Even with such a quantity of shes, Alexander moved as the magenta sparkles crackled on his limbs. The Storm Knight moved nimbly, unfitting for his decaying form.

    "I can''t even see it¡ªthey''re fighting so fast," Charlotte remarked, trying to watch.

    "Jasper is amazing like that¡­I doubt I''d hold a candle to him when he''s like this, but what''s up with that knight?" Finn asked, squinting.

    "What do you mean?" Charlotte asked.

    While they witnessed the sh of knights, Nova didn''t observe anything as she kept her eyes covered at the sheer brightness of Jasper.

    Magnus set his cannon down for a moment, bringing himself beside the others who could only spectate, "You''ve noticed it as well? Alexander should be on death''s door, yet he''s moving better than ever."

    A stalemate continued as Jasper flickered around the courtyard, unleashing rays of light from his de. All the same, Alexander sprinted and pivoted, using his axe to sh through each form of radiance.

    What Finn noticed while watching closely were the sparks that arose each time the empowered knight of storms moved.

    "Yeah," Finn nodded, responding to the cannoneer. "That lightning around his body¡ªI think he''s using it to manipte his body."

    "Is that even possible?" Charlotte asked.

    "It''s the only way somebody could still move around in that state¡­The electricity is jabbing into each specific muscle," Finn observed.

    Magnus added in, "He''s puppeteered his own body. I''d like to help, but seeing that¡­I''m d Jasper is up to handle this."

    "Didn''t think I''d hear that from you," Finn said.

    He found himself having to move back, as did the others, as the sh of brilliant radiance versus lightning scattered across the courtyard. Even if he wished to be able to jump in and help, the opportunity was taken away as multiple silhouettes emerged from the bushes around the sundered tiles.

    "We''ve gotpany!" Nova called out through her microphone, stepping behind the other three.

    "What on earth are those?--" Magnus pointed out in confusion and disgust.

    They looked like toy knights, standing no taller than up to Finn''s knee as he watched the small warriors rush in from the edges of the floating ind.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Enemy Recognized: "Gnome Soldier of Alexander"] [Level: 30]

    Brandishing silver armor of lesser excellence, the pint-sized warriors rushed right for them amidst the sh of knights.

    "So cute!" Nova called out excitedly.

    "More like creepy!" Charlotte responded, having to jump back as one of the small soldiers mmed an oversized greatsword down.

 Chapter 103: The Knighting, Part One

    Finn found himself approached by a tiny knight wielding a halberd as it leapt up to match his height. He leaned back just as the silver halberd passed right over his nose, feeling the winding off of it.

    Despite the lesser size of the gnome soldiers, the strength behind the swing of the halberd was undeniably powerful.

    Finn responded by flipping back while delivering a kick aimed for the gnome''s midsection, only for the creature to present its own nimbleness in return. It kicked back as well, using the air itself as a tform beforending on its feet.

    ''It''s quick¨Cit can use wind like the big guy, too¨Cif this is a lesser urrence in this ce, it''s going to be hell,'' Finn considered while keeping his des raised and ready.

    The gnome knight before him mmed his boot down with a shriek of wind swirling around itself, demanding a presence tenfold its size.

    ¨C

    Magnus was pressed with his back to one of the courtyard-neighboring trees, quickly releasing cannonballs from his weapon, though each were sidestepped by the small, nimble knight. Before the swede could load up more firepower, the spear-wielding gnome leapt up, rapidly thrusting its weapon at him.

    Though the cannoneer raised his hulking weapon as a shield, the tiny spear reached further than it seemed with an extension of piercing wind. It struck him multiple times, leaving a small hole in his shoulders and nicking a piece of his ear.

    "Tch!" Magnus clicked his tongue in frustration.

    While the cannoneer was pinned against the tree with the spear striking against his weapon and flesh alike, the call of a bird filled his ears as a saving grace. A sh of those colorful feathers passed by as the gnome was grabbed in the talons of the massive avian.

    The summoned bird carried the pint-sized knight with its feet as it wildly swung its spear at the creature in an attempt to free itself.

    "Take it over the edge, baby!" The voice of Nova shouted.

    With a p of its wings and a call as it bled, the avian brought the small knight over to the ledge of the floating ind before tossing it off.

    Magnus breathed out while watching the gnome be promptly dealt with, "Haah¡­"

    The summoning bard gave him a wink from across the stretch of foliage, "That''s a debt repaid!"

    "...I have to agree," Magnus epted with a quiet sigh.

    ¨C

    Through the za, stone tiles were uplifted and torn to shreds by strands of magnificent lightning. Jasper found himself on the backfoot as the Storm Knight pressed forward with relentless swings of his axe.

    Even as he moved his shield to block, the strands of wind and lightning that came off with each swing of the axe moved wildly in various directions.

    ¨CSQUELCH.

    One such sh of wind ended up carving across his shoulder, while another produced a gash on his thigh.

    Each time Alexander swung his weapon around, sparks dug into his body, granting a swift follow up. The barrage of strikes left Jasper to push forward with his shield raised¡ª

    ["Heavenly Rejection"]

    Like a gong being hit, a chime resonated from the shield as it expelled a shock wave. The st of light knocked the Storm Knight back, though it was only a moment of reprieve as Jasper watched the man''s fingers twitch before a hiss of lightning returned.

    He tried to raise his shield, even ducking to the side, though it was a moment toote as the figure swept over with the quickness of a strike of lightning from the clouds. It was only thanks to his helmet that his skull wasn''t cleaved into, though the steel was split.

    "Haaah¡­" Jasper breathed out.

    Having protected him for so long, the silver helmet broke away, revealing whaty beneath; a gash left on his forehead brought blood to drip down his face. Dark brown hair fell to his shoulders, presenting a youthful face with bits of his disheveled hair falling over his rounded nose.

    "Jasper!--" Finn called out, attempting toe to his friend''s aid, though was cut off by the halberd-wielding gnome that shed at the ground in front of him.

    The knight stood himself up while breathing out, keeping his shield raised as repeated strikes rang against it. Blood continued to drip down his face, leaking over his discolored, light-blue eye that existed in contrast to his right side that held a verdant iris.

    ¨C

    [Before the First Impact]

    "I went everywhere with my younger sister¡ªGale. Ever since we were ankle biters. Y''see, my dad was a jackass that left before she was born. I don''t even remember him from when I was young¡ªhe was never around. Mum did her best, but she passed away from an illness while we were young. Left us to my Uncle, but he never gave us the time of day¡ªjust a roof over our heads."

    From primary to secondary school, he was practically a guardian angel tied to the hip of his sister.

    A hot summer in Brisbane, where the sunlight glistened on the water that neighbored the coastal city. Even in such heat, the young man didn''t mind it, wearing a pale-pink t-shirt with a monkey mascot on the front.

    In his hand, he carried a bag of pastries, walking down the sidewalk as he eyed the surrounding stores before looking at his phone.

    "Where did she run off to? An apparel shop?" He mumbled, seeing the text from his sister.

    He found the store on the corner of the street¨C"T''s"--having to wait for the stoplight before crossing the busy street. Before stepping through the front doors, he got some odd looks, feeling the strangers'' gazes on his odd-colored eyes, though he didn''t care.

    Right as he walked in, he was presented with a blue hoodie shoved right into his face.

    "Bam! Like it?"

    Asking him with bubbly excitement was a girl a head shorter than himself, with short, hazel hair who looked at him from behind the held-up hoodie. She blinked with her bright, emerald irises, waiting for an answer.

    He was confused, "Err¡­?"

    "I got it for you! Try it on! C''mon!" Gale insisted, practically shoving it into his arms.

    Right in the middle of the store, he didn''t exactly feel like putting on a fashion show, though the stubbornness of his younger sibling wouldn''t simply let him say no.

    "Y''know, you''re a needle in my neck sometimes," Jasper gave in with a sigh as he ruffled his lengthy tufts.

    "Just put it on already! I want to see how it looks on you," Gale further insisted with a yfulugh, holding the hoodie up.

 Chapter 104: The Knighting, Part Two

    The silver ring she wore on her index finger glistened like always, catching the sunlight as it reflected off of it, right into his right eye.

    As he stood there, the ambience of chatting in the apparel store was drowned out as a ringing filled his ears. He reached his hand out to ept the gift, unable to hold back from smiling himself as the glee of his sibling was too contagious.

    "Alright, you don''t have to pester me. I''ll put it on right¨C" Jasper said as he grabbed the sleeve.

    Before thest word could roll off his tongue, everything came down; a loud noise red into his ears as the ceiling itself rained down in chunks. It was only for a split second that he witnessed the chaos before somethingnded on his head, bringing everything to ck.

    "¡­Ueaah¡­?" He groaned.

    On his stomach, he felt a weight on his back, hardly able to open his eyes as his vision was left blurry. With his ears ringing, what sounded like popping and screaming was lightly heard until suddenly¡ªhis senses kicked in.

    Gunshots rang through the city, screams of fear and agony filled the streets, and roars of bestial nature overwhelmed it all.

    "What the¡­? Gale! Where are you?!" He called out, attempting to pick himself up.

    The walls of the establishment he was in had crashed down, with the ceiling gone and the sky seen above; it held a blood-redplexion.

    ''What''s going on¡­? What happened? I lost consciousness¡­?'' Jasper wondered.

    Again, he tried to pick himself up, though was brought right back down, "Hfff¡­! Gale!" He shouted.

    All he could see ahead was the debris of the shop, with chunks of the walls stacking up. Against his back, he could only assume from the rigidness to be a chunk of the wall. He struggled to move, scraping his fingers against the tiles as he desperately tried to get up, hearing the chaos in the streets he couldn''t even turn to see.

    "Gale¡­!" He continued to shout until his throat was strained, doing everything in his power to try and stand, even as his back felt as though it began to fracture.

    Through the sounds of chaos¨Cscreams, gunfire, roars and all¨Che struggled until a voice met his ears directly.

    [...Assessing life experience¡­]

    [Assessment Complete]

    [Name: Jasper Fitzgerald]

    [Age: 22]

    [Designated ss: Knight]

    [Starting Level: 5]

    [A [Legacy System] has been bestowed to you for your diligence in life.]

    [Roundtable System Awakened.]

    As the words inscribed into his vision faded, he found himself able to begin to lift, pushing off the ground as the weight on his back felt much lighter. It confused him for a moment, though his mind didn''t focus on it at all, allowing the chunk of debris to topple over as he picked himself off to his feet.

    "Gale! Can you hear me?!" He shouted, looking around the remnants of the deste shop.

    All of the outside noises fell upon deaf ears as he stumbled around aimlessly, searching the rubble as his mind honed in only on one thing.

    ''Please¡­please be safe. Just this one thing, God¨Cnothing else, please,'' he begged while lifting chunks of debris, thoughtlessly tossing heavy blocks away in search of his lost loved one.

    He fell to his knees as a glistening object caught his eye, bringing him to push and toss the debris out of the way in a hurry, "Gale¡­!"

    Before he could repeat the name, a lump formed in his throat at what he found beneath the mess of rubble. A lifeless hand, bearing a silver ring that reflected the sunlight.

    "Gale¡­" The name barely left his lips as more than a disheartened breath.

    He held her hand, giving it a small squeeze as he felt no life against his fingers. Everything else was tuned out as he sat there on his knees, unable to process what he had found. While he sat there with a trembling lip in silence, he found somethingying near the rumble; the bright-blue hoodie, though sprinkled in dust.

    Sitting himself up with a slight stumble, he brushed the dust off of the sweater before sliding it over his head, pulling it over his body.

    "...It fits," he weakly said, adjusting the sleeves. "Thanks, Gale. I''ll wear it."

    As he rose to his feet, everything felt numb as a weightnded atop the remnants of the shop. He looked up, finding a creature perched on the shattered wall of the shop. It resembled an overgrown lizard, covered in pale-white scales, twice asrge as a grown man.

    A roar was unleashed from its mouth as its eyes locked onto the lone man standing in the rubble. The beast of mythical proportions jumped down, crashing onto the debris as its studded tail flicked behind it.

    All of the sounds of car rms ring, people screaming, gunshots ringing; it was deafened out as he could barely even ce attention on the scaled beast.

    "Gale," he quietly said with a shaken voice. "Just wait a minute. I''ll handle this, then we''ll get out of here. You can leave it to me¨CI''ll always protect you."

    None of it processed for him yet as his mind was overtaken by a fog, instead facing the monster with a surprising amount of confidence. On natural instinct, he raised his hands as a broadsword manifested into his right hand, and a shield in his left.

    It felt right; the weight didn''t feel off as he waited for the reptilian beast to approach. Just as it leapt towards him, he ducked to the side, using his shield as its ws scraped against it.

    He swung his sword at it, though the half-baked swing only made his steel edge bounce right off of its sturdy scales. It caused him to stumble a bit before having to raise his shield again as the aggressive creature pressed him.

    "Ngh!--" He winced.

    The heavy swings of its ws and snaps of its jaws smacked against his shield, bringing him on the backfoot before another step back caused his ankle to press against a piece of debris.

    "Ah¨C"

    He lost his bnce, tripping over as he fell onto his back. The scaled beast wasted no chance as it pounced on him, forcing him to ce his shield between himself and its ws. It weighed too much, causing his simple shield to press into his own chest.

    Breathing became a struggle as only raspy breaths escaped his lungs, unable to draw any air in while the creature continued snapping its jaws at him, only held back by mere inches. Its saliva dripped onto his face, sliding down his cheek as he could smell its foul breath.

    "Get off!--"

    As he struggled to lift the shield from his chest, let alone push the beast off, its rampant iling brought one of its ws to drag across his face, slicing right over his right eye. It brought a yell from his lips as blood sprayed out, though that moment filled him with the courage to lift his sword.

    He felt the weight of the scaled monster press against his chest as he pushed the de towards it from an awkward angle. It slid between its scales, piercing its exposed flesh through its neck. Sinking the de deep enough, the erratic sounds made from the reptile''s mouth settled into rugged breaths before it stopped moving.

    As he slid the soaked sword out, the wound gushed with an abundance of scarlet fluid, sshing onto him.

    ["Lesser Newt defeated."] ["Anarch Token x15 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +950] [950/1000]

    Heid there for a moment, catching his breath as the beast copsed beside him. As he looked up at the crimson sky, helicopters passed overhead.

    "Just what in bloody hell is going on?" Jasper quietly asked at the devastating scenery.

    Some time was taken before he picked himself up, not rising to his feet as he crawled over to the section of rubble that left his heart aching. The whole world around him seemed to be crumbling; one look at the streets left a harrowing sight of countless dead.

    "What do I do, Gale?...Without you, what''s the point? I don''t have anything," he asked with a tremble to his voice, inflected by tears.

    As he sat there on his knees, squeezing the hand of the one dear to him, heid his forehead against the t, white brick of debris. The chaos was drowned out as he remembered; holding that hand, a moment so long ago resurfaced¨C

    No older than eight years old, at the pale-white hospital, he stood there as his mother held the infant in her arms; small and delicate, as though a breeze could take her away. How happy he was, filled with glee as he held the hand much tinier than his own; the little fingers wrapped around his pinky with a gentle hold.

    "...Gale¡­" The name left his lips with sorrow, though a warmth resounded in his chest.

    Precious; life was precious¨Cthat''s what he felt when remembering that core moment. If nothing else, it gave him enough meaning to stand up, even with weak steps, even if he stumbled; it was enough to walk forward.

 Chapter 105: To Honorable Ash

    For some reason, as his wound leaked, he found himself recalling those memories precious to him; those that made him who he was. As blood dripped down his glossy eye, Jasper kept his shield raised without blinking. Each strike against was felt, ringing through his bones like a mallet to a chime.

    He was forced to move, using quick steps to move around as fleeting light, though the knight relentlessly pursued him as a bolt of lightning, continuously nipping at his heels.

    "...I can''t let this world fade. I won''t let our people be erased¨Cit can''t¡­!" Alexander earnestly promised as his raspy voice howled from beneath the helmet, continuing his relentless swings.

    Just as the axe was cocked back, Jasper pushed forward, smacking his shield right against the chest of the towering knight in front of him.

    ["Light Joust"]

    The echo of radiance served to knock the electric-infused knight back, bringing Alexander to groan before his limbs twitched again with erratic power.

    "I''m not going to let mine fade either, mate. There''s some people I can''t let have their memory die out¨Cthat''s my responsibility as a big brother," Jasper imed as blood continued to leak over his eye.

    "I have an oath¡­Until my body turns to dust," Alexander repeated his resolve, swaying as his arm twitched with coiling electricity. "Can''t let our record be¡­forgotten¡­"

    "Don''t worry about that," Jasper assured the figure, though knew his words wouldn''t reach the knight who moved off of instinct. "I''ll remember this world fine enough for you."

    As his hair swayed in the winds that came off the storm-driven knight, Jasper straightened himself out, holding his shield-bearing arm out as he let the protective equipment vanish for the moment. He instead wielded his radiant sword with both hands, not shying away from a direct confrontation.

    A different stance was taken, raising the bright-white de up at shoulder height, pointing it forward, foregoing defense and cing everything on one strike.

    ''There''s no predicting this guy when he''s twitching like aggy game. Even when he can move like lightning, in terms of sheer speed, I have the advantage¨Cit''s just hard to steer. My best bet is to put everything into being faster, all on one move,'' Jasper considered.

    A crackle of electricity came with a spark of brilliant magenta, sending the Storm Knight forth like a bolt through a thunderous cloud. For a moment, corporeal form was abandoned as Jasper moved as a sh of light, intercepting Alexander at the same moment he came at him.

    He brought his heavenly de up in a curved sh, passing right by the lightning-blessed knight before sliding his boots across the disheveled stone.

    "--Haah," Jasper exhaled as he turned himself around, setting his de at his side.

    As the sh of light came to an end, the Storm Knight stood in the same spot with his axe only having fallen upon an unupied space.

    "...You havemendable strength¡­A fair oue,'' Alexander''s voice exhaled from his helmet before copsing. "Don''t forget this world¡­My name¡­"

    "It''ll be hard to forget it when you almost took my head off. Rest easy, Alexander, I''ll remember," Jasper promised.

    As the Storm Knight fell to his knees, his entire form dissipated into ash, leaving the pieces of armor simply to roll over onto the courtyard.

    In the very moment the Storm Knight fell, the pint-sized soldiers turned to ash as well, leaving behind their small bits of armor.

    "Ah?--" Charlotte reacted as she watched one of the gnome knights fade away with its de dropping down. "They''re gone?"

    "Good timing," Magnus remarked, holding his bleeding soldier as a sigh of relief was left out.

    Finn looked at the remnants of the gnome that he was faced with before setting his sights on the courtyard itself, seeing the unhelmed knight standing before the ashes of Alexander.

    ["Storm Knight, Alexander defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1500 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +65000]

    [Level thirty-two reached!] [505/60000]

    [Assimted ability from [Storm Knight, Alexander]: "Wind Upheaval"]

    [New Skill(s) Obtained: "Art of Combat: Taekwondo"]

    He took note of the peculiar skill he obtained before walking over to the knight, checking on him, "Nice one. Are you alright?"

    It was his first time getting a look at the face of his friend, though all he felt was that he looked exactly as he imagined: a kind face that could still smile.

    Jasper stood there for a moment before wiping the blood from his eye, tapping his own brow as if checking if there was a wound, "Peachy. Nothing to worry about, mate¡­just a bit tired."

    The earnest aussie nearly fell over as Finn grabbed him, lending a shoulder as Magnus helped with his other arm.

    "Sorry, mates¡­Doing that sorta thing really tuckers me out," Jasper apologized with a halfhearted chuckle.

    "Nothing to be sorry for," Magnus assured him, helping set the knight onto the grass, "You kicked that guy''s ass¨CI''m not sure any of us could''ve done the same."

    Nova chipped in while following from behind with a yful march, "You''re a real cutie, y''know that? Were you a model before all of this?" She asked, taking an all-too-close look at the aussie.

    As Finn sat his friend up against a tree that overlooked the edge of the floating region, he could tell the remarks from the entric woman flushed his cheeks.

    Jasper yed it off, "Not a chance."

    "Aw, really?" Nova persisted, sitting beside him. "Would''ve worked out well, I think."

    "Saying stuff like that¡­You remind me of somebody¨Cnevermind," Jasper brushed off while catching his breath.

    While there was no way to tell if it was safe now on the outside of the vast castlend, a moment was taken topose themselves after an all-too-stressful encounter.

    "That knight...He was fighting for this world still," Charlotte remarked, sitting on the grass.

    Finn stayed on his feet, brushing his boot against the ashes thatid on the battle-torn courtyard, "Yeah, that''s the first person I''ve seen in this ce that was still resisting."

    "I''m guessing he''s not the only one that won''t take kindly to our objective up here. Inside that castle, there''s undoubtedly more like him," Magnus remarked.

    "I''d be surprised if that wasn''t the case. Either way, we still can''t get through that gate¡ªgotta find the sewer entrance," Finn reminded them, looking towards the magic-protected gates.

    Charlotte spoke up while brushing the grass from her skirt, "Oh, I found it."

    "You did?" Finn asked.

    "Mhm, right before that knight jumped in," Charlotte said, pointing across the courtyard towards another set of bushes. "Over there."

    While it was good news, the woman of white-and-pink hair let out a displeased reaction, "Blegh¡­I don''t want to go into any sewers¡ªthat''s gross, totally gross." Nova protested.

    "You don''t have to. You''re perfectly free to not follow us," Magnus reminded her.

    "Hey, hey, mister! What''s with that tone when I certainly saved you from bing Swiss cheese earlier?!" Nova said, jabbing her finger right against the cannoneer''s nose.

    "I admit you helped out, but that''s only calling it even," Magnus rified while standing back up. "Like I said,e along if you want."

 Chapter 106: The Royal Sewers

    After enough time for Jasper to regain his breath, the courtyard was crossed in search of the sewer entrance.

    "Wha¡ªugh, fine!" Nova epted as they walked away, hurrying along.

    It was in the grass to the left of the castle gate that a soil-covered, circr lid was found in the ground.

    "Not used much by the looks of it," Jasper said while kneeling down, still out of breath.

    "You know, we can wait longer if you''re still feeling tired," Finn offered the clearly exhausted knight.

    "Yeah, it''s no problem," Charlotte assured.

    Jasper brushed off the offer with a wave of his hand, holding a smile, "Me? No, I''m fine, mates¡ªno worries."

    "If you say so," Finn said.

    "Don''t expect me to carry you if you can''t walk," Magnus jokingly reminded the knight.

    "Not in a million years," Jasper responded.

    As they gathered around the massive lid, theyer of soil was brushed off as the keyhole revealed itself in the center.

    "You''ve got the key, right?" Magnus asked while looking at the assassin.

    Finn reached into his pocket, bringing the required object out, "--Right here."

    The key slid right into the lock, though it required some elbow grease to turn it, having to use both hands to do so.

    "Do you need a hand?--" Charlotte offered, standing beside him.

    Finn breathed out, breaking a sweat as he continued to turn the unnecessarily heavy lock, "Nope¡­I''ve got it¡­!"

    With a "click", the mechanism was secured as the seals on the sewage gateway were withdrawn. It felt all too grand for what were merely sewers, though none of it was humble; not the overwhelminglyrge castle of glistening marble, nor the floating continent it sat upon.

    "We''re really going down there, aren''t we? Oh¡­" Nova mumbled as the lid was unlocked.

    Finn grabbed onto one of the handles, beginning to pull, "Some help?--"

    Another grip was taken by Magnus, though Jasper tried to help, Charlotte took another hold as they lifted in unison. It took abined, strenuous effort, though the metal lid was hoisted up. It seemed more appropriate to be the shell of a tank with how thick it was, being dropped to the side with a heavy thud.

    Jasper peered down at thedder that led into the unseen depths, "Well,dies first?" He asked, looking between the spellde and bard.

    "Listen, I know I don''t really need to say this, but we need to be one-hundred percent focused when we go down there," Finn said, looking around at the others. "It''s part of the Storm Keep. I don''t doubt there''ll be dangers down there as well. But, even when we get into the castle¨Cit won''t get any easier."

    "I didn''t think it would," Charlotte said.

    "Don''t worry so much, just take it easy!" Nova advised the assassin with a hearty pat on the shoulder.

    Finn ignored the less than wise words from the bard, looking at her, "I''m serious. If you can''t stay focused, then you can stay back. I''m not going to let you bring any of us down. Do you understand that?"

    He kept his eyes locked on the yful girl, not letting his warning be slipped away from as Nova tried to look away before finally waving her arms.

    "Alright, alright! I won''t get in your way, happy? I didn''t n on it anyway, but I''ll follow your lead, Mr. Boss-Man," Nova assured him halfheartedly.

    "Good enough, I guess," Finn said before setting himself onto thedder first.

    As he began his descent into the depths of the sewer, he was thankful that he wore gloves, as the metal of thedder was long rusted away, coated in old grime. It didn''t take many steps down until the fresh air became stale and rotten, quickly assaulting his nose.

    He held in an outward reaction to the smell, briefly looking up to see Magnus was descended directly above him. The lighting from the entrance above quickly diminished as the dark depths weed him.

    As the ground became visible, he dropped down from thedder, finding himself standing on a stone walkway that neighbored a shallow river of sewage.

    While he adjusted to the new environment, rather, he tried his best to deal with the intense stench, it wasn''t long before one-by-one, the others descended beside him.

    "It''s definitely¡­ripe down here," Jasper said, scrunching his nose.

    "Oh, I knew I shouldn''t havee down here¡­!" Novained, covering her nose with her hoodie.

    "Ladder is right there," Finn pointed back with his thumb, not epting anyints now.

    "I didn''t say it wasn''t anything I couldn''t handle! It''s just¡­an adjustment," Nova said.

    There was a single path forward through the sewers, bringing him to take the lead with careful steps. Though nothing made itself known yet, he didn''t feel that would be the case forever.

    At the end of the path, there were two directions leading to unknown destinations¨Cleft or right.

    "I''m thinking we should''ve asked that skelly for directions down here before he bit it," Magnusmented.

    "We don''t need to go anywhere specific, right? All we need to do is get into the castle itself," Charlotte reminded them all.

    "Yeah, you''re right," Finn agreed.

    "Well, flip a coin?" Jasper suggested jokingly while peering side-to-side.

    While it was given thought for a moment by Finn, all of that was thrown to the wayside as Nova marched her way to the left tunnel, "This way!"

    "Hey¨Cwhat''re you doing?" Finn asked sharply.

    Nova looked back, "It doesn''t matter which way we go, right? So¡­left! C''mon!"

    Though it was frustrating to follow along, it didn''t mean anything one way or the other, leaving the left to be the chosen path. Of course, Nova was left quietly humming as she walked now, seeming happy with herself.

    Finn moved past her, taking the lead as he ruffled her hair, "Next time, don''t do things on your own."

    "Hey¨Cwatch the hair!" Nova protested, attempting to fix her messy tufts.

    While the young woman huffed, they were quickly interrupted as the river of sewage moved. A ripple in the murky water brought them all to a still, listening in as something moved.

    "An alligator?--" Charlotte guessed, ncing over at Jasper.

    "Why''re you looking at me? First off, we have crocs in the Oz, not alligators!" Jasper corrected.

    "Alligators in sewers is a myth, anyway¨CI don''t know what that is in the water, but it''s probably not good," Finn exined, keeping his daggers ready.

    The rippling drew closer, getting between both walkways before what lurked in the putrid waters emerged. Muddy liquid cascaded down its back of pearly scales; it rose to its hind legs, though a reptile of familiar origin.

    It presented two heads on its shoulders, each hissing at the intruders of the sewers as its double tails flicked behind its body. The monstrosity stood hunched over with its back pressed against the ceiling, looming over twice the height of the humans.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Enemy Recognized: "Albino Double-Headed Alligator"] [Level: 32]

    "It is an alligator! See!" Charlotte pointed out while drawing her sword.

    "What sorta history channel did you watch?!" Finn asked.

    "I''d hardly qualify this thing as one!" Jasper responded.

 Chapter 107: Scaled Horror

    The discussion over the validity of the beast was cut short as it whipped around, mming both of its tails down towards the humans. Finn slid back, watching as the sewage sshed and the stone foundation of the tunnel was cracked beneath the studded whips.

    Not even a second after it mmed its tails, the double-headed beast spun back around, rushing the intruders down. It snapped its jaws wildly without rhyme or reason, thrashing in the enclosed space.

    The reptilian monstrosity was built like a powerlifter, possessing a body packed with muscle and scales that made cutting it a difficult endeavor. Finn and Charlotte found out at the same time as their des bounced right off of its body¨CCLANG.

    As his dagger was rejected, he found the beast still rushing right at him and the spellde foremost, bringing him to duck down momentarily. It was blind in its wrath, not noticing his low movement¨C

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    He found himself naturally inclined to perform a movement he had never done, pivoting off his right foot and turning his hips with an intense momentum. Within perfect range of the rampaging, man-beast heunched his foot right against its abdomen with a roundhouse kick.

    The impact of the executed move alongside his bolstered strength made the blow sound off like a gunshot, causing the shallow sewage to ripple before the beast was thrown back.

    "Ah¨C" Finn reacted in surprise at his own attack.

    "Woah, nice moves, mate!" Jasperplimented.

    He watched the rampaging, double-headed reptile have to flip around to catch itself on its feet as drool left its mouths as having the air forced out of its lungs with that kick. Even after having performed the movement, Finn found himself in a front stance, though it felt natural.

    ''This must be the Taekwondo skill I gained¡­it''s passive? I''ve never practiced it a day in my life, but it feels natural¨Cit''s weird,'' he thought, feeling light and free in his stance.

    All of that was put aside for the moment as the scaled inhabitant of the cesspit stomped towards him with rage fueling its crimson eyes. Again, Charlotte went for a strike against its side, though her sword simply bounced off, being promptly ignored by the man-beast as it pursued the assassin.

    Jasper tried to intercept it, stepping in front of the reptile''s path while raising his shield, though the hulking alligator stomped through the sewage without being slowed down, simply pushing the knight out of the way.

    "Gah! It''s after you, mate! I think you pissed it off!" Jasper called out as his back hit the tunnel wall.

    Finn sprinted down the tunnel, hearing the narrow walls rumbling as the water sshed behind him, "Yeah, I can tell!" He shouted back.

    He found himself quickly meeting a dead-end in the way he ran, having to spin himself around as he ended up isting himself in that moment with just the alligator while hisrades caught up.

    Just as he turned, the double-headed beast was right there, snapping its jaws at him. He ducked down as one set of teeth missed his head, having to roll to the left as the other head almost bit an ear off.

    ''It''s aggressive¡ªthis thing isn''t just trying to eat, it''s really pissed off,'' He realized.

    It swung its ws at him in a rabid fashion, forcing him to bob-and-weave as he watched the razor-sharp nails pass by mere inches. Being stuck up close and personal, he noticed the spot he kicked it was left with cracked scales and bruising.

    Finding that spot, he ducked beneath a swipe at his head, pushing off his right foot¨C

    ["Spring Foot"] [0:59]

    The rabbit-obtained ability made himunch forward with incredible momentum, leading him to naturally lift his knee as he struck the cracked abdomen of the alligator. Once more, the martial arts proved capable of flinging the beast back as it spat out.

    "Woah!--" Jasper let out, having to move to the side while trying to catch up as the monstrosity slid right past him.

    Finn shouted to hisrades that were within the enraged beast''s range, "Its stomach! Focus on its stomach¨Cit''s hurt there!"

    The advice was aided by the bard, who conjured her magical microphone to her lips, "¡ªExploit the wounded soul, strike and strike harder!"

    ["Kiss of Critical Power"]

    From the singsong lyricsing off the mic, a glistening aura of silver fashioned itself around each of them.

    [Critical Strike: +200%]

    ''A crit boost? I see¡ªevery hit on that abdomen will count,'' he discovered, rushing in.

    Jasper led the assault, dashing forward with his shield forward as the alligator tried lunging with its jaws.

    ["sh Joust"]

    The strike of the t metal hit the abdomen of the beast, bringing it to reel in pain as it staggered.

    Charlotte brought an flicker of lightning across her de before shing it at the shattered scales¡ª

    ["Electric Infusion"]

    A crackle of lightning struck the beast''s stomach, bringing both of its mouths to spit out blood. Each hit the beast received to its bruised gut was felt twofold, producing an effect akin tounching a "critical hit" in a game.

    Just as it stumbled, Finn found his opening as the path was clear¡ª

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He appeared right in front of him, driving his dagger right its gut before pulling his de back out swiftly. The humanoid reptile attempted to recover, wildly swiping its arms at the assassin.

    Finn slid back on the shallow sewage, ducking down before flipping back just as he heard a familiar "click."

    From his left side, a sh of fire was followed by a heavy spark.

    Magnus slid back a solid meter from the aftershock of letting the weapon release, "¡ªHff!"

    A cannonball wasunched right at the exposed abdomen of the reptile, striking with such critical force that it drove a hole right through its back. It swayed for a moment as its double tails slumped with a ssh into the murky waters before it finally copsed.

    ["Albino Double-Headed Alligator defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +15500] [16005/60000]

    [Ability assimted from [Albino Double-Headed Alligator]: "Skin Hardening" 1 / 5]

    "Haah¡­I''m not a fan of those things," Jasper remarked, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

    "Yeah, I hope that''s not amon denizen of these sewers," Finn said in agreement, lightly tapping the unmoving body of the alligator with his boot.

 Chapter 108: Fallen Icon of Gluttony

    There was more caution taken in traversing the tunnels of the underground section of the floating region now, seeing as the existence of such ferocious reptiles wasn''t one that inspired carelessness.

    Finn led with his silent steps, continuing down the chosen path, keeping an eye on the still water for any movement. While he tried to focus on the grimey tunnels and the foul water, his attention was continuously disrupted by the groans of disgust or yful hums from Nova.

    Whatever it was, it seemed impossible for the bard to keep quiet.

    It was turning the only corner ahead that he discovered something ahead: a person wrapped up in cloth, shivering on the ground.

    "Hey¨Csomebody''s there," Jasper called out.

    "Careful. We don''t know if they''re friendly or not," Magnus advised.

    Though that didn''t stop Finn and Charlotte from approaching foremost, finding that the trembling person whoid in the sewers was hardly in any shape fit to do anything. By their messy, long hair that resembled seaweed, it seemed to be a woman, though left only to bones that were covered in fuzz and growths.

    ''It looks like¡­cancer of some kind?'' He thought.

    "...Oooaahh¡­" A groan left the shivering bones.

    Charlotte had a look of sadness when seeing the clearly suffering person, "Hello, I''m Charlotte. We''re not here to hurt you¨C"

    "Ooaahh¡­The pain. Please, end this curse¡­This ce is hell," the skeletal woman groaned more.

    "This ce?" Magnus repeated.

    The trembling undead that looked to hardly cling to any semnce of life continued to groan and shake as if experiencing a terrible cold, "...They throw us down here to rot¡­The Gluttonous One consumes us all¡­I just want it to end¡­"

    Finn looked between the others, not needing to share any words as what needed to be done seemed clear enough as he brought his dagger out, "Alright. If this is what you want."

    "Oaahh¡­Please, end it¡­The cold¡­" The skeleton begged in a weak voice.

    He gently slid the dagger into the pile of agonized bones before infusing it with the concept of death.

    "...Oaahh¡­Thank you. The only way into the castle¡­is through the Gluttonous One''s chamber¡­" The suffering one said through lifeless whispers being all sense of life was extinguished.

    ["Mirana defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +5] [16010/60000]

    [Assimted ability from [Miranda]: "Lesser Wisp" 1 / 1]

    "They''re gone?" Nova asked quietly.

    "Yeah," Finn answered before standing back up with a quiet exhale. "They can rest now."

    Jasper ruffled his own hair with a disgruntled look, "I know we''re not in any position to judge, but this world¡­it''s damn depressing, mate."

    "It''s practically dead already. Everybody left is just...hanging on by a thread," Charlotte said.

    "And we''re going to sever it," Finn said.

    The tunnel led into arger, open space of the sewers; an area where many tunnels connected into a sprawling intersection. Each passage was busy pouring the sewage into a massive drain in the center, producing a foul air.

    "Uergh¡­Is it just me or does it reek twice as bad in here?" Jasper asked, clenching his nose.

    "My sense of smell gave up a long time ago," Magnus answered, not flinching at the putrid aroma.

    Finn walked over the metal bars of the huge drain, looking around as there were far too many paths to choose from now with no discernable sense of direction.

    "The walls¡­look," Charlotte pointed out while standing beside him.

    It was only then when looking where she guided his sight did he discover whatpletely covered the wall up ahead; a thick tar, mixed between a shade of ck and scarlet.

    "What is that?" Nova asked concerningly, taking a few steps back.

    The disgusting substance that coated the vast wall pulsated as though it were living flesh, holding within it junk; discarded weapons and armor, entire tree trunks, and even bones.

    "It''s¡­breathing?" Magnus observed.

    Finn nced around, finding that the substance waspletely coating the walls, bubbling up and steaming as even the tunnels were blocked off, "The passages¨Cthey''re covered!"

    "Shit¡­I don''t think we can touch that stuff, mate! It looks like it''s boiling to the touch," Jasper called out.

    "Look!" Charlotte shouted.

    It was directly ahead that Finn found his attention pulled, witnessing the tar ripple as a shape emerged from its unnatural depths. Foremost that came from the submerged walls were arms slick in the ck substance, of bestial ws.

    A head of curved horns soon followed, with a maw that expelled putrid breath and teeth left rotten. The colossal creature only emerged the top half of its body, sticking out of the tar as its grotesque body was stuck with abandoned weapons and skeletons that sat in its pool of ck.

    "A dragon?--" Magnus presumed.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "Fallen Icon of Gluttony, Fafnir"] [Level: 45]

    "Another Boss¡­Give us a damn break!" Jasper called out tiredly with his sword drawn.

    What Finn focused on aside from the grotesque form of the once mighty beast was the title given by the creature, "This thing¨Cit''s what the undead in the tunnels warned us of."

    "We have to get through this thing to get up into the castle? Wouldn''t it maybe be better to¡­turn back?" Nova suggested in clear disgust of the abominable being, covering her nose.

    "I don''t think that''s even possible anymore," Charlotte reminded the bard. "It blocked off all the passages with that ck goo¨Cshoot¡­"

    "The only path forward is through that thing. Can you fight, Nova?" Finn asked while keeping his eyes on the half-emerged dragon ahead.

    Hesitation came from the small-statured bard before she finally nodded her head, "''Course¡­but don''t expect me to get close to that thing! Not a chance!"

    "Just support us with that beautiful voice and we''ll handle it!" Jasper assured the bard with a smile.

    "Wha¨C?!" Nova reacted with cherry-red cheeks at the knight''s words.

    The first to make a move was Finn, keeping his eyes on the gluttonous figure emerging from the wall as he flicked his wrist.

    ["Throwing Knife"] [Mana: -100] [1300/2500]

    "Replication!" He invoked.

    An additional projectile was thrown straight for the mass of gooey ck that was the dragon''s body, though the sharp objects only sank right into its form.

    ''That didn''t do anything¨CI didn''t expect it to be effective, but notpletely useless,'' he thought.

 Chapter 109: Abominable Dragon

    "Ah, it just ate those up, mate," Jasper observed.

    Finn ignored the remark that he was already well aware of, witnessing the grotesque entity slowly wave its arm, "--Jump!"

    The warning was followed as he jumped up with the others following suit as the massive limb of bubbling tar swept across the ground.

    A trail of boiling goo was left from the arm that swung over, sizzling on the steel gutters itnded on.

    Jasper didn''t waste any time reeling his sword back as it became engulfed in a sapphire aura before shing it towards the distant monstrosity¨C

    ["Azure sh"]

    The ranged arc of bright-blue energyunched at the fallen dragon, crashing right against its body. At the same time, Charlotte brought mes from her de, sending a burst of fire towards the grotesque entity:

    ["zing Infusion"]

    Back-to-back, the rangeless shes impacted Fafnir, bringing tar to spill from its repugnant body, yet no visible damage was done. All that urred was a brief parting in its gooey body, though the ck substance quickly filled itself back in.

    "Seriously?!--" Charlotte reacted.

    "Damn thing isn''t feeling anything we throw at it!" Jasper added.

    Magnus settled his feet on the ground while the barrel of his cannon lit up with a bright-orange glow before the trigger was pulled, "It''s not unkible¨C! So don''t let up!"

    ["Hail of Fire"]

    A spread of over a dozen chunks of vtile projectilesunched from the cannon, crashing against the emerged monstrosity. Each piece fired off exploded into a burst of mes.

    The sh of the exploding chunks caused the tar flesh of the dragon to ripple as it let out a distorted roar.

    "Is that doing anything?--" Charlotte wondered out loud.

    "Looks like it," Jasper said.

    "It''s not enough," Finn confirmed.

    The observation was marked true as the tar flesh of the fallen dragon simply filled itself back in once again, bringing Fafnir to spread its arms with a devastating cry. What left the maw of the rotting beast was the opposite of a thunderous roar; a high-pitched screech.

    "Aeghh¡­!" Finn let out, covering his ears.

    "Ungh¡­Shit!" Jasper winced as well, shielding his ears as quickly as he could.

    Even when protecting his sense of hearing, Finn could feel the ringing screech piercing into his skull like a hundred knives. It was enough to bring them each reeling in pain, unable to escape the attack of sound itself; a persistent, relentless weapon.

    Finn was brought to a knee, clenching his head so tightly it felt his skull might shatter, though it was better than letting the sound pierce further. It made his brain throb with acute pain, finding blood leaking from his nostril.

    ''What the hell¡­do we do?! At this rate¨Cit''ll kill us¡­!'' Finn questioned.

    He could feel his eyes set with such pressure it felt they may pop out, forcing himself to his feet as the screeching threw off his bnce entirely. All he could do was force his gaze on the putrid, half-emerged dragon as its mouth stayed open to release the horrid noise.

    Into his hand, he relinquished his dagger for somethingrger, deadlier in a single movement; a weapon big enough to effect the putrid beast.

    ["Bloodstained Odachi"]

    Just as he felt the handle met his grip with its uneven weight, he leaned forward as he kept his bloodshot eyes on the screeching dragon:

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    ["Magnificent de"] [Mana: -600] [700/2500] [2:59]

    In unison, he used both skills, bringing the ursed de to be engulfed in a brilliant shroud of silver mes and golden lightning. Wielding it in that split-second as he found himself in the air, brought face-to-face with the putrid guardian of the sewers, he could feel the weight of the elemental grace on the sword.

    As the shing motion was made directly against the snout of the gooey dragon, it was unleashed with a burst of the tinum ze, followed by a roar of the gilded electricity. It rained down the devastating disaster of elements upon the beast, cutting its ear-stabbing screech short as it staggered in pain.

    Finnnded back on his feet with an exhale, looking at the odachi as the colorful unison of fire and lightning vanished. He felt surprised by the grandeur of the skill, and its effectiveness, especially considering who it was assimted from.

    ''Just who the hell was that skeleton¡­? He was capable of something like that?'' Finn questioned while looking at the lengthy sword.

    The thought process was cut short as he looked up, finding a massive, tar-fleshed handing down from above. Before he could jump back on his own, he found his hood tugged from behind, being yanked back without much care.

    "Hah¨C?" Finn let out, watching the dragon''s hand m into the grate.

    Right behind him was the cannoneer, letting go of his hood, though still looking towards the beast, "Whatever you just did, it looks like it managed to put a dent in that disgusting thing."

    "Yeah, look¨CI can see its bone!" Jasper pointed out.

    Where the majestic sh had been performed, the sludge flesh of the dragon was parted across its forehead, revealing its ckened skull beneath. While Magnus made another attempt to bombard the wall-anchored creature with cannonfire, it waved its arms wildly, tossing its ursed goo in all directions.

    "Don''t let that stuff touch you!" Finn yelled, hopping step-by-step to avoid the rainfall of boiling gunk.

    Each spot that the gunknded on began to sizzle like an egg cracked onto a stove, bubbling up without a moment to waste.

    Staying near the back of the chamber, opposing from the beast as far as she could be, Nova yelled into her microphone, "It isn''t in my blood!"

    ["Grace of Resistance"]

    The lyrical incantation brought a subtle aura around them each; Finn witnessed the light, soft-blue shine clinging to his body in a hexagonal shine. Just as the protective enchantment came, a wave of the tar swept by.

    Finn tried to backstep it with his arms raised, though a few drops still hit his cheek; the same urred for Charlotte and Jasper, though the boiling substance didn''t burn through their skin. It burned lightly, though nothing immediately harmful.

    Nova called out, "It''ll onlyst a couple minutes, but you should be more resistant! Especially to that gross gunk!"

    "Thanks!" Jasper shouted from up ahead.

    Finn added in without looking back, "Yeah¨Ckeep it up, Nova!"

 Chapter 110: In The Jaws of The Beast

    In the environment ruled by the abhorrent beast, even if it was only a minor buffer, it helped immensely to open up the battlefield as Finn sprinted right for the wall-anchored dragon. Though it wasn''t his mostfortable weapon¨Cnot by a long shot¨Che kept the odachi in hand.

    Jasper ran next to him, thoughgged a bit in keeping up, "What''s with that sword, mate? Doesn''t look very "assassin" to me!"

    "Are you asking me why I''m not using a dagger against this living mass of gunk!?" Finn shouted, having to speak over the dragon''s roar. "--This is better for handling big guys like that!"

    Amidst their discussion, the ck limb of the dragon mmed down between the two, prompting them both to jump to either side. The arm befalling the metal grating brought a ssh of the boiling tar, making it hard to close in to retaliate.

    Jasper kept his shield up against the wave of the putrid substance, though Finn only used the massive de to block against it the best he could. A few droplets met his clothing, burning right through the fabric as he pushed through.

    ''--We need to push the damage¡­quickly! If we can''t finish it fast enough, it''s going to flood us with this damned goop!'' Finn thought.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    He allowed his muscles to briefly swell as he lifted the massive sword overhead with both hands before bringing it down on the armid between them. The de struck through the tar, carving right into the bones thatid beneath.

    At the same time, Jasper brought his de down with an infusion of sapphire light, digging into the bone beneath as well.

    Charlotte sprinted by, using quick shes in a plentiful fashion, cutting through its non-solid flesh with infusions of light.

    All of it brought the putrid dragon to roar out in agony before pulling its arm back up, though not before being subject to a burst of cannonfire¨CBOOM.

    "--Iing!" Magnus shouted with his assault''s arrival.

    ["Sparking Disruption"]

    Each projectile fired from the cannoneer''s weapon broke off into an explosive of sparks, striking the gooey flesh of the beast with the vtile element.

    The decayed dragon once more let out a bellow as its bones were exposed, bringing its flesh to shift around and fill in.

    "We''re hurting it! It''s definitely feeling it now!" Jasper called out.

    Nova kept back, being careful not to dive her shoes into any puddles of muk, "Let''s just finish this quickly, okay?!"

    Though the tides of battle looked favorable, the bellows of the beast came to an end as it lifted its head, closing its mouth as if preparing to spit out.

    "¡ªGet ready! It''s about to release something!" Finn shouted, watching the emerged dragon''s throat swell.

    "Fire?!" Charlotte guessed.

    "I don''t think that''s it!" Finn yelled.

    As Fafnir''s maw parted, there was no glow of mes; a pitch ck abyss persisted in its throat, rising and spraying out.

    Putrid bile released from its mouth like a fountain, boiling in the air before it rained down. There was far too much to evade; even if he believed he might be able to manage, Finn knew it wouldn''t be the same for everybody else.

    Jasper yelled, raising his shield, "Get to me!"

    ["Stance: Walls of The Iridescent Castle"]

    An ethereal wall bolstered itself in an upward angle above the knight, producing a cover for the boiling substance.

    While Charlotte and Magnus made their way over behind the knight''s shield, Nova wasn''t quite as swift.

    "Gah!¡­I can''t!" The bard shrieked, stumbling back as the acidic bile rained down right in front of her.

    Finn watched while sprinting towards the knight''s cover, having to instead take a hard pivot as he slid himself over to the bard.

    "You''re a pain in the ass, y''know that?!" Finn said, having to slide right past droplets of bile.

    "Hey, I''m not¡ªwha?!" Nova let out as her feet were swept beneath her.

    He didn''t listen to the hoodie-wearing girl before hoisting her up and holding her in his arms.

    "Get over here, mate!" Jasper shouted while looking back.

    "Trying!" Finn shouted while holding the bard like a princess.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    He skated across the rusted grates, having to spin around and pivot as the downfall of bile came down quickly. Even as he moved, there was only so much he could avoid as a few droplets hit his back, burning right through the fabric of his coat and searing the skin beneath.

    "Ngh¡­" He gritted his teeth, not stopping as he slid across the metal flooring.

    Right as he reached the cover of the knight, he set the bard down, who was still taken by surprise of the unexpected maneuver. Finn let out a breath as he watched the downpour of the acidic substance befall the barrier above.

    It was even more plentiful by the moment, beginning to pile up on the ground as the gooey bile blocked off the drain, creating puddles of the abhorrent tar. As the dragon continued expelling it endlessly, it was bing clear just what it was intending to do.

    "Is it ever going to stop?!" Jasper asked through a strained breath, pressing his shoulder against his own shield.

    Finn watched the rotten beast as sweat dripped from his chin, speaking what was on his mind without filtering himself, "...It knows we have no choice but to defend. It''s just going to flood the whole chamber and wear us down until we''re swallowed in the substance."

    "What do we do then? What can we do?" Charlotte asked in a hurry.

    "Finn, do you think you can get close?--" Jasper asked while straining himself to maintain the barrier.

    The question was already considered as Finn lightly shook his head, "I probably could, but I don''t have the firepower to make it stop what it''s doing, let alone put it down. I''d be gambling everything on one strike that wouldn''t amount to anything."

    "I thought as much¡­Shit¨C" Jasper breathed out sharply.

 Chapter 111: A Simple Life

    It was quickly piling up, flooding the chamber as the sizzling of the substance sounded like meat to a grill. The entire time, the cannoneer had been quiet; uncharacteristically so, Finn noticed.

    "Do you have an idea, Magnus?" Finn asked.

    A moment was taken before Magnus responded, "Something. Maybe...It might work."

    "If you have a n, then we''re all ears, mate¨C!" Jasper shouted, scraping his boots against the floor to keep himself steady.

    Finn lended the knight a hand, cing his hands under the shield holder''s arms to provide him support, "Come on!"

    Despite the pressing situation, Magnus stood there with a distant look as though the chamber wasn''t filling with abundant death.

    ¨C

    [Ystad, Sweden | Before The First Impact]

    The quaint town still rooted in medieval structure, with cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses that neighbored a port was one perfect for the man. He sat on a bench with a book in hand¨C"Dv?rgen," in the same spot as always, beside a cafe as a light rain came down.

    ["I am ever myself, always the same, I live one life alone."]

    It was a passage in the book that stuck to him, resonating with the man who kept to himself. He lived by the philosophy of "Don''t make trouble for others", often believing it was best to remain alone. After all, he only sat there during the rainy winters as it was the time the streets were at their loneliest.

    He kept his umbre up as the gentle rain pattered against it, taking periodic puffs from the cigarette between his lips.

    "What''re you reading?"

    The lonesome reading he valued highly was intercepted by the question. It wasn''t from a voice he knew; a stranger.

    He looked over to find a young woman with braided, hazel hair standing by the bench, wiping her hands off.

    ''From the bakery?'' He presumed by the dough-stained apron she wore.

    A brief answer was given as he turned his attention back to the book, "Dv?rgen."

    "What''s that about?" The curious woman asked with a smile.

    The nce he gave to the stranger who was now bing a best was almost offended she didn''t know.

    "Read it if you''re curious," Magnus answered briefly.

    "Maybe I will sometime. You look like you''re drawn into a different world when you''re reading it, so it must be interesting!" She said.

    Magnus didn''t say anything in return at first, hoping that was the end of that as he breathed smoke out from his cigarette.

    "I''ve seen you around here a lot. I work at the bakery just down there, by the way¡ª" The freckle-cheeked girl exined.

    "I gathered that," Magnus said without looking.

    "Oh¡ªI guess my uniform gives it away! Ha-ha!" Sheughed. "You know, you''re a strange guy."

    "What?" Magnus reacted, taken aback by the outwardness of the baker.

    Amidst the light rain that traced itself along the old cobble of the town, the aroma of freshly-baked goods met his nose at that moment.

    The young woman smiled, pointing at his clothes, "You''re soaked despite holding that umbre now. You didn''t even pull it out until you started smoking. Isn''t that a bit silly?"

    "What do you want?" Magnus brushed the observation off.

    "Just making conversation. You seemed lonely, after all," the baker said with a smile. "I''m Melina, by the way."

    "Magnus," he introduced himself briefly, keeping to his book.

    Somehow, by giving his name he believed that may somehow bring the rather nosey woman to leave him to his devices, though somehow that instead brought her to take a seat beside him.

    "What''s it about? The book," Melina asked.

    Magnus grumbled, finding that even if he tried to stare at the words on the page, it would simply be impossible to read while the girl sat there. He set his marker in the book before closing it, looking up as the light rainfall continued to run slick on the cobblestone.

    "It''s about a dwarf hungry for power, to his own fall," Magnus exined as briefly as he could.

    "Oh, that''s¡­Interesting," Melina remarked.

    Thement was ignored by Magnus, who opened his book again as if dismissing the conversation he didn''t ask for.

    Melina scooted closer to get a look at the pages, "I didn''t mean it in a bad way¨Cit does sound interesting."

    "...Is that so?" Magnus said.

    ["Every week from then on, we sat on the bench together during the breaks in her shift. It was an annoyance at first, something I didn''t ask for, but I guess over time¡­It became part of my routine. I even stopped smoking, though she didn''t ask, I didn''t want to give her secondhand issues. Even if it was small and mostly meaningless, having somebody to share something with¨Cit meant something."]

    After enough meetings, they even began to talk about things outside of the book; how their days went, what sort of events they had going on in their lives. There was a genuine connection, he felt, also feeling that it went both ways.

    Still, it wasn''t something so easily acted upon.

    One such rainy day, as both sat beneath the umbre on the quiet bench, Melina leaned over while looking at the words on the book.

    "You know, I''m surprised you haven''t been to the bakery yet. I''d give you a nice discount¨Cfor being a first time customer and all that," Melina offered with a smile.

    "Ah, ying the long game to get a new customer, is that it?" Magnus yfully said.

    Melina lightly flicked his arm before standing up, "Just an offer. I promise you''ll like it¨CI rmend the Se¨CI make a mean one."

    "I''m not a fan of sweets," Magnus said politely.

    "Oh, c''mon¨C" Melina pushed.

    Magnus finally gave in, "Next week then, I''ll give it a try."

    "Really?!" Melina sped her hands together with a bright smile.

    "If I don''t like it though, I''m leaving a bad review," Magnus joked.

    "Ha-ha! You''re free to do so, but you won''t be disappointed!" Melina assured him.

    The rainy days of winter hade to an end as spring set in with beaming sunlight that cascaded over the old town, sprinkling down the roofs. He found himself not yet sitting himself on the bench, instead passing by it as he set his sights on the bakery just a strides away.

    As he approached the front door, he reached for the handle, though stopping as he grasped it. A sign in the center sat there: "CLOSED."

    It struck him as odd, seeing as he hade here on the same day, every week for months now, and it had always been open. All except for this one day, where he finally wished to try the pastries.

    He looked around, finding an old woman passing by that he usually sawing in-and-out of the bakery.

    "Excuse me!--" He called out, waving to the elderlydy. "Do you know why the bakery is closed today? It''s usually open around this time, isn''t it?"

    "Ah, yes¡­It''s a regretful situation," the small, old woman said with small nods and a sniffle.

    "What? What''s regretful? What do you mean?" Magnus hurriedly asked, feeling his heart ache inside of his chest.

    The words that fell from the senior''s lips found his ears with harrowing news:

    "It''s awful¡­The owner, Melina¡­She passed justst night, I hear. A horrible ident."

    There wasn''t a sound that left his lips as he listened to what he had been told, only standing there, starting a thousand miles away as though he had seen death itself.

    "Sir? Are you feeling alright? You look pale," the old woman asked worriedly.

    Magnus stepped away, holding his head in his hand as he waved off the senior, "Yes, thank you¡­I''m fine."

    ["Right when I opened my heart, as I began to believe maybe there was something for me in this life, it was snatched away. I learned my lesson; I learned not to "hope." I closed myself off again."]

    With the rain returned, he continued his lonesome times on the bench, reading with a cigarette between his lips. The only difference now was the space beside him felt all too empty; a warmth at his right was gone.

 Chapter 112: The Cannoneers Soul

    "I can do it," Magnus spoke up, adjusting the mechanisms on his weapon.

    Finn looked over at the man as the acid continued raining just a few steps away with the bestial roaring continuing. There was a certain look in the swede''s eyes; something resolved.

    "You can? What''re you going to do?" Charlotte asked.

    "If you can do it, then do it already! We''re gonna melt away here!" Nova rushed him.

    The childish way the bard spoke somehow managed to bring a small smile to break across the cannoneer''s lips, even bringing augh from the usually stoic man in the dreadful situation.

    "Ah¡­?" Nova reacted, unsure of what to make of the reaction.

    "You''re right," Magnus agreed. "I should hurry."

    There was no hesitation as the cannoneer pulled the levers on the cannon, walking out from the shield''s grace as if uncaring for the acid rain.

    Finn reached out, calling to the man, "Hey! What''re you¨C"

    "Don''t worry," Magnus assured him without looking back. "I''ll get it done."

    Even as Finn tried to step out as well with the spellde attempting the same, a ssh of the bilended right in front of the barrier''s reach.

    ''What the hell is he nning on doing?'' Finn thought, watching the cannoneer approach the beast.

    Alone in his approach, the cannoneer looked down at the cannon he wielded as it began to unwind itself, shifting on its own as a light swelled at its core. The dragon''s roars fell deaf upon his ears, as did the droplets of tar and their burning touch go unrecognized as theynded on him.

    ''Sorry. If I said anything more, I know you''d all refuse¨Ceven if you needed to hold me down, even if it meant we''d all end up dying together. That''s the kind of hard-headed optimists you all are. I''m more realistic, so this is the best I could manage,'' Magnus thought.

    With the beast in sight, he ran forward as the cannon reassembled itself on its own to amodate the swelling energy, avoiding the downpour of acid.

    ''If I used this normally, the explosion would take out this entire chamber¨Cnobody would be left standing. But, this is perfect¨Cthat gooey flesh it has¡­It can absorb just about all of the impact. I just need to be up close,'' Magnus nned while closing the distance.

    As he drew near to the beast, having to step through the puddle of the acid that had built up beneath it, the screams of those who realized his intentions befell his ears.

    "Magnus! Don''t¨C!" Charlotte yelled with tears in her eyes before gripping onto the man''s arm beside her, "Finn¡­We can''t let him do this!"

    For a moment, the assassin didn''t know what to make of it before finding himself once more with that tightness in his chest.It was that same feeling; a dreadfully painful ache when faced against impending sorrow.

    He brought himself to move, taking a step towards the edge of the barrier, though found himself grabbed onto again.

    "Mate, no!" Jasper said, holding onto him while simultaneously keeping his shield up, as much as it was a struggle to do so.

    "Why''re you stopping me? You know what he''s nning to do, don''t you!?" Finn sharply asked, yanking his arm away.

    "I know, but¨Cat this rate, we''re all going to bite it, mate¡­I hate to say it, but this is our best chance!" Jasper told him with teary eyes, forcing it back. "I don''t want it any more than you do!"

    It was a truth that had to be swallowed, as much as it pained to do so, it had to be epted. Finn stood there, watching the cannoneer approach the decayed dragon as his ears rang.

    ''Again¨Cit''s happening again. Is this all I can do? I just have to watch while others die in my ce?'' He questioned.

    The uniform of the cannoneer had been eaten away by the downpour of endless acid, leaving his torso bare as the substance dripped down his skin. The man''s chest began to be peeled away too, yet he pushed on, jumping up as he cocked his brightly-shining cannon back.

    "Grrhhh!--" Magnus let out, pushing past the pain as the acid slid across his skin.

    Used like a spear, the cannon was thrust forth as he plunged it straight into the chest of the dragon. He delved his other hand into its flesh, anchoring himself as he kept himself up close and personal with its disastrous form.

    "...I made it¡­Alright, it''s time¨C" Magnus said with an exhale of relief as he could feel the flesh of his arms being eroded by the moment as he clung to the ursed beast.

    Staring that ck mass of death face-to-face, for a moment, he recalled that small town, peacefully reading his book in the rain while being pestered by the baker. It was a pleasant thought; one a thousand times more preferable than the spot he found himself in.

    Yet, he pulled the trigger.

    ["Cmity''s Blossom"]

    ''I''m not doing this for the sake of humanity or our world. I can''t bring myself to believe there''s even a one percent chance it won''t all end sooner orter. Still¨Cyou all believe; you''re fighting for something like that, even if it may be nothing more than childish delusion.

    Compared to me, who''s only been holding on just to live, it''s simple math, isn''t it?'' Magnus thought, feeling the heat bubble up right before him.

    The cannon hummed as the light that built up within it continued to swell, bursting with such energy that even the dragon''s flesh it was lodged into began to ripple and shine.

    "Don''t!--" Finn shouted, managing to stumble his way from beneath the barrier as he ran towards him.

    Before he could even approach another meter, an eruption of fiery light from the cannoneer''s position knocked him off his feet entirely. The shock wave brought him across the room, finding his back hitting the back wall as he looked up at the daunting sight.

    The entire chamber rumbled as the vtile release bloomed from the dragon''s body, engulfing it in bright, eradicating mes.

    Amidst the center of the eradicating force, the man still clung to the beast even as its flesh bubbled and was burned away; even as his own flesh was left to the same fate.

    ["I suppose a part of me believes, too. A part of me wants to. I want to see the world as it was; to be able to read a book on a bench without a care. If there''s even a chance¨Cno matter how small¨Cthat it can be saved, if doing this brings us one step closer, then there''s nothing to think about. There''s nothing to regret; I made the right choice."]

 Chapter 113: Bitter Lesson

    The mes danced, howling with a magnificent intensity as the impact spread itself throughout the epassing sludge. Everything continued to shake for moments more, bringing dust to rain down alongside the sparks and evaporating tar.

    There was silence in those sparse seconds; some of it was hope that theirpanion survived, though it was a far-off wish. As the bountiful smoke was pushed away, the state of the dragon that had absorbed the entirety of the cmitous explosion was revealed.

    It slumped from the wall, nothing more than a ckened skeleton, yet still somehow moving.

    Jasper still had his shield raised, shouting out, "Go now¨C! Finish it¨C!"

    There was nothing else that needed to be said as Finn held the tears back, rising to his feet as he stumbled forward, catching himself on his hands before continuing his sprint. Even if it hurt, even if his heart ached, he put it aside so as not to waste the opportunity given.

    He found himself right beside the spellde as they approached the husk of the rotting dragon as it weakly roared and raised itself. In the middle of its exposed chest cavity was a pitch-ck organ; a beating heartrger than a grown man, pumping the cursed substance.

    "There!" Charlotte called out, having teary eyes herself, yet not letting it dull her de.

    In some attempt to defend itself, the skeletal dragon swept its arm wildly to ward them off, though the spellde met it with her light-engulfed sword.

    ["Radiant Arc"]

    The motion of the weapon cut right through the forearm of the rotting beast, amputating its hand from its arm in a single strike.

    Finn didn''t waste the opportunity as he kept moving, sprinting up the other arm of the dragon before leaping up towards its chest. As he was in midair, he found its boney jaws opening up as it intended to catch him in its mouth¨C

    "Replication!" He shouted.

    He manifested a half-baked doppelganger of himself, having it grab onto his arm to toss him out of the way of the dragon''s jaws. It brought him straight through the opened cavity of the crumbling dragon, setting his boots on its ribs.

    Face-to-face with the grotesque heart, there was nothing left to do, not a moment to hesitate, as he sank his dagger right into the beating organ. With the de plunging into the malformed core, it pulsated with a boiling heat; he felt it through how hot the handle of his dagger quickly became.

    "...Haah¡­" He breathed out before plucking his de from the heart, releasing a spray of ooze from its malignant nucleus.

    A bellow released from the decayed cmity''s jaws before it slumped over, bringing the assassin to jump out of the open cavity just as the beast copsed. The ckened bones crumbled like brittle, dismissed into a putrid powder.

    ["Fallen Icon of Gluttony, Fafnir defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x10,000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +90,000]

    [Level thirty-three reached!] [43990/65000]

    [Assimted ability from [Fallen Icon of Gluttony, Fafnir]: "Touch of Rot"]

    [New Skill(s) Obtained: "Art of Combat: Capoeira"]

    With the putrid beast put to an end, he stood there for a moment as the system disy was blurred to him, turning his focus to the state of his friend.

    "Magnus? Where is¨C" He questioned in a hurry, turning around.

    The sight he met made his heart drag for a moment, catching his words in his throat. He found the others huddled around what hardly looked human anymore; a charred, decimated body far beyond repair.

    Charlotte had her head down, though was clearly sobbing while Jasperforted her, though Nova sat there in shock. The harrowing sight brought Finn to rush over, nearly falling over as he hurried, rummaging through his own coat for the nearly empty ambrosia.

    "The ambrosia¡­! We can still¨Cwe can still help him!" Finn said in a panic, bringing himself at the side of what was left of hisrade.

    As he found the bottle from under his coat, he nearly dropped it as his hands wereden in sweat, finding his fingers hardly listening to him as his heartbeat swelled.

    He brought it to the burnt lips of the man, pouring in a sip of the ambrosia and waiting a moment, "Come on¡­! You just¡­You just have to swallow, Magnus! Come on!"

    Again, he tried, pouring more of the magical substance into the man''s mouth, though nothing came; not a breath nor a twitch of a finger.

    "Mate," Jasper quietly said.

    "He just has to drink it¨Cthat''s all. We have to help him swallow¨C" Finn hurriedly said, attempting once more.

    This time, Jasper stopped him by softly grabbing his wrist, "Mate. He''s already gone."

    Finn paused, looking down at the hardly recognizable face of hispanion as he slowly withdrew the bottle. The faces of those around him already epted it, settling in for him the unwanted reality.

    "Dammit¡­" Finn quietly said, epting once more the presence of loss. "We should go back."

    "Finn?" Charlotte said, rubbing her eyes.

    He spoke the truth he felt with a heart wrung by the sting of reality, "We weren''t strong enough to beat that thing. If it wasn''t for what Magnus did for us, we would all be dead."

    There was some silence before Jasper spoke up with a solemn expression, nodding his head, "I agree, mate. You''re right¨Cif we continue on as we are, there''s only going to be more loss."

    "For now, let''s head back. There''s still a lot more to this world. We can build ourselves up until we''re sure we can win," Finn said, straightening himself out as he stood up, lending his hand down to the spellde. "I think for now though, we need some rest¡­Let''s head back to the old elf. Sound good?"

    "Mm," Charlotte nodded quietly, sniffling as she epted the helping hand.

    ["It was a tragic loss, but a valuable lesson. If we didn''t learn then, we would''ve all died if we continued forward. There was no point in rushing to our deaths; there was still time to get stronger."]

 Chapter 114: Let It Out

    Through the tunnels of the sewer, back onto the surface of the floating ind, they ventured down the ethereal steps that led back down to the ground. There were hardly any words said on the walk back, crossing through the ashen fields and back into the woods.

    As nightfall came, the once golden leaves turned to their somber blue. Luckily, he was able to retrace his steps back to the trail, only having to avoid the attention of forest beasts before finding the massive tree mansion again.

    "We''re here," Finn quietly said, looking up at the abode.

    "Woah, this ce is crazy big," Nova remarked.

    "Don''t know how you missed it before," Jasper said.

    Finn nced back while approaching the front, finding that Charlotte was still quiet, though he didn''t say anything. Of course, time was needed to process what happened and grieve. As he reached the entrance to the treehouse, he found there was no handle that needed to be turned¨Cthe door was already open.

    He looked over at Jasper, who gave him a look as well with a shrug as they both wordlessly agreed it was off. One of the only rules he could recall when staying at the woodsy hospice was to keep the door shut at nightfall.

    Finn kept his dagger ready, with Jasper right behind him with a sword and shield at the ready as the abode was quietly entered. There were candles still lit, providing light to the area of fine collectibles, though it still felt weird.

    "Old man?" Finn called out.

    He began to ascend the spiraling steps, finding a noise meeting his ears with a few steps taken. It was a distinct sound; lips smacking and swallowing as if a meal was being ravenously consumed. From the noise, he presumed a beast made its way in, dining on the food left out by the old elf, or the elderly one himself.

    He quickly moved up thest few steps, practically lunging into the second floor as he raised his dagger, though stopped just short of attacking what was chowing down.

    "Ah¨C? Hold on¨Cyou?" Finn let out in utter confusion.

    What he found at the table was not a beast, though perhaps somebody with the manners of one; a golden-haired man shoveled pie into his face without any grace, only looking up after being addressed.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Name: Seung]

    [Age: 22]

    [Designated ss: Crusher]

    [Level: 44]

    The hot-headed man hit his own chest to help himself swallow before wiping his mouth messily, "Whaddya want?--Oh, it''s you. The assassin guy."

    "Finn," he corrected the crusher. "When did you get here?"

    The others hade up the stairs as well, finding the presence of the unexpected guest at the wood-anchored manor.

    Seung leaned back in the chair, kicking his feet up onto the table without any semnce of manners, leaving his coat open as well with his bare abs on disy, "Look at those faces. You''ve all been through the ringer recently, huh? Well, figures when the weak push themselves."

    "What''s your problem, mate?" Jasper stepped forward with an aggressive tone.

    Finn held his arm up to stop his friend, knowing just how abrasive the crusher''s words tended to be. In the few times he had the displeasure of meeting Seung, he found he knew him well enough, at least to know that the man was as far from "nice" as could be.

    "Get mad all you want. It doesn''t change the fact you all got a dose of reality, yeah? Just look at your faces¨Cyou came crawling back here, didn''t you? Just a guess," Seung presumed while picking his teeth.

    "Do you have a problem¨C" Jasper spoke up.

    Before the knight could step forward, Finn did it for him, finding himself unable to keep listening to the arrogant remarks of the man who was nowhere to be found when it mattered most.

    "You can keep running your mouth if you want, or we can step outside," Finn challenged.

    It was almost as though the golden-haired man''s eyes lit up at the offer, bringing himself to his feet with a single motion, "Those are fighting words. I don''t think you want that, man." Seung warned him.

    "Finn, don''t¨C" Charlotte asked, cing a hand on his arm.

    "Yeah, this isn''t the time for this kinda stuff¨C" Nova added in.

    The advisory words were brushed aside as Finn moved himself away, taking a step closer to the crusher as he didn''t shy away from his gaze.

    "Are you scared of getting your ass kicked?" Finn asked.

    "Alright, don''t say I didn''t warn you when you''re seeing stars in a minute," Seung said, pushing past him with his shoulder, heading down the steps.

    As the challenge spurred by pride and swelling emotions was epted, Finn stood there for a moment, staring off as his blood boiled. With the all-too-fresh loss, bitter feelings swirled in his heart; he needed to get it off, one way or another.

    "Finn, don''t go out there," Charlotte asked him.

    "Sorry, it won''t take long. Just get some rest, alright?" Finn said with a small smile before heading down the stairs.

    "Wait¨C" Charlotte called out.

    Jasper spoke in support of him, "It''s alright. They''re not going to kill each other."

    "What? How can you say that?" Charlotte looked at the knight in disbelief.

    "It''s just how guys are, y''know? Sometimes we gotta vent with our fists," Jasper exined. "Just let him do his thing. It''ll be fine."

    Nova let out a sigh, sitting herself at the pie-bearing table, "Boys sure are weird."

    "I can''t me ''em. I don''t feel like being hit in the face with steel right now, so I''ll live vicariously through my mate," Jasper said, seating himself as he watched through the window.

    Down the steps, Finn slid his coat off, leaving it on the rack before stepping out the door and onto the grass. The brisk air of the nightfallen woods met his skin nicely, feeling a certain freedom.

    Standing a dozen feet away, Seung was stretching, rolling his shoulders as he lifted his hands, which were surprisingly absent from the gilded gauntlets.

    "Don''t worry. If I wore them, you''d be smelling colors after one hit to the chin," Seung remarked.

    "You wouldn''t hit me anyway," Finn said while rubbing his wrists.

    "Is that so?--" Seung asked with a smirk.

    The words of provocation were met promptly as Finn found himself immediately face-to-face with the hot-headed fighter. It caught him off-guard for only a split-second, unadjusted to the agility possessed by the [Crusher].

    He moved his head to the right as the wild haymaker passed right by, not having much time to react before flipping back as a follow-up strike came. Even without being hit, the air following each movement pressed against his skin.

    "Don''t just run after running your mouth!" Seung challenged.

    The Crusher pushed the pressure again, running right at him before sending his fist sailing for his nose. Finn watched the knuckles close in before ducking to the side while throwing a kick up, falling onto his own hands as he let his shin smack right against the mouth of his rival.

    It was the first time pulling off such a move, finding his natural movements heightened by his [Capoeira] skill, though even as he felt the dropkick connect directly, Seung remained unmoving on his feet.

    ''Seriously? Is this guy a brick wall?'' Finn thought before using his hands to push off the ground, jumping to his feet as he moved back.

    There was a smile imprinted on Seung''s lips, spitting out a loogie of blood, though there wasn''t even any sign of bleeding as though his skin was made of steel. In fact, the assassin felt his shin throbbing, questioning if he hurt himself more than the crusher.

    Finn kept his distance for the moment as he watched the fierce man, thinking for a moment as he took in everything from that initial exchange.

    ''As I thought, this guy doesn''t fight with any kind of technique or style. He''s pretty much just throwing his fists around, but even still¡­Damn, his speed and power are incredible. Even without using skills or his gauntlets, he has this much strength?'' Finn thought.

    He couldn''t help but over analyze the person before him, finding it more akin to observing a monster than a human. As the man rushed him down against with his fist cocked back, the reflex to dodge was more ingrained in the assassin''s body, knowing the strength being those knuckles.

    "C''mon! Don''t talk then tuck your tail between your legs!" Seung provoked while throwing wild haymakers.

    Finn was kept on the backfoot, not moving his gaze from following each fist thrown by Seung. As he weaved through the strikes, pressed to only dodged, he instead pushed forward.

    He cut beneath a straight aimed for his nose before swinging his hips into a kick that sailed for the crusher''s head.

    "Oh?¡ª" Seung reacted.

    Finn felt his shin stopped just before connecting, finding it blocked by the man''s forearm. Before he could pull back, a vice grip took hold of his ankle.

    With a single tug, his entire bnce was pulled out from beneath him, bringing him tond on his hands.

    "Do better than that, or I''ll kill you!¡ª" Seung enthusiastically threatened.

 Chapter 115: Faraway World

    There wasn''t much of a choice as Finn caught himself, kicking both feet into the air not just to jump to his feet, but to push the fighter back.

    Just as his feet touched the grass, what felt like a truck ramming against the bridge of his nose greeted him.

    The impact sent him stumbling back, unable to catch his footing as it felt like his whole face was on fire.

    "Still on your feet? Better than I expected," Seung said, waving his fist.

    Finn stood there, looking at the grass as tears welled in his eyes from having his nose nearly sent to the back of his skull. Blood dripped onto the verdant des of grass below.

    Even still, the pain wasn''t quite enough; he felt he needed more. He deserved more, for letting another friend die; for being insufficient yet again.

    ''I''m a half-assed piece of shit. I didn''t learn after what happened, Damian. I was too weak again,'' hemented.

    After all, those were the standards he held himself to.

    These thoughts swirled like a fog in his mind, bringing him to grab the crooked bridge of his nose before¡ª

    Crack.

    "Pyf¡ª"

    A sharp jolt traveled from his face and throughout his body as he tugged his dislodged nose back in ce.

    Finn straightened himself out with an exhale, using his arm to wipe the blood from his nose as he looked ahead, "Alright. Let''s get back to it."

    "If you want more broken bones, that''s fine by me," Seung epted, though it looked as though he expected the skirmish to already be over.

    This time, he met the man halfway, not even attempting to dodge as he wildly threw his fist forward as well. Any attempt to use technique or mitigate his own damage received was suppressed.

    "Ghh!¡ª"

    "Hah¡ª"

    Both connected at the same time, though Finn felt himself punching a brick wall while he himself was hit by a hammer.

    Being hit a second time, he could taste copper on his tongue. Finding his bnce was like trying to stay still on wet ice, hearing the yells of Charlotte at the window overlooking the forest clearing.

    "Haa¡­" He exhaled before spitting out the blood that filled his mouth.

    Seung breathed out, looking unfazed himself as he nced to the side, "You done yet? Don''t think there''s anything else to¡ª"

    Before another word could escape, Finn tossed his fist square against the crusher''s face. He put his entire body weight into that punch, practically throwing himself at Seung.

    Jasper watched from the second story of the towering manor, whistling at the solid hit, "Nice one, mate."

    It definitely caught Seung off-guard, as the steel wall of a man took a step back, holding his hand out as blood dripped from his nose and onto his palm.

    "I felt that one. Hah!" Seungughed.

    The joy from the brawler left Finn a bit confused, though found himself at least able to find some enjoyment as well. He was beginning to learn something about himself, perhaps a concerning part of him that he didn''t want to admit.

    As he found a sense of joy, retaliation came before he could even raise his arms. He found the brawler right in front of him, swinging his fist with such ferocity it felt as though a rhino charged him head-on.

    Those knuckles rammed against his cheekbone with terrible strength, blowing spit and blood out of his mouth.

    ["When I''m fighting and my heart is beating in my ears, I feel good. It''s when I feel in control¡ªwhether it''s with my daggers or just my fists, I''m free. That pain dulls everything else."]

    It was only one blink from being on his feet to staring up at the illuminated, soft-blue leaves, feeling the grass at his back.

    "I''m weak," he admitted with blood trickling down his nose.

    Only a moment ofying there was enough for the brief distraction to wash away as the emotions dwelling within him resurfaced.

    "I''m goddamn weak¡ªI can''t protect a single thing. All I do is tell myself I''ll do everything in my power, but I don''t do a damn thing until it''s toote. I''m half-assed to the core," Finn pushed the truth he felt out whileying there, not caring for his bloodied nose or gums.

    Amidst his confession to himself, he found his view of the glowing trees above blocked by the man looking down at him.

    Seung extended a hand down with a raised eyebrow, "''Nuff of the sorry shit. You''re weak, but you have some fire."

    He was hesitant to ept the brawler''s helping him, expecting another punch to the nose as he grasped his hand. Instead, as soon as their hands met, he was tugged right up to his feet in one motion.

    "Thanks?" Finn confusedly said.

    Before he could even gather himself or let go of the hand that helped him up, he was tugged closed, brought face-to-face with the smirking man.

    "If you wanna be strong and forget all that whimpering, I can teach you how to really level up," the offer came from the hot-headed man.

    "Err¡ª?" Finn raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to think.

    Being on the receiving end of those dazzling, silver irises, it was suffocating being in the presence of somebody as intense, yet scarily attractive as Seung.

    The man of princely features, yet blemished by scars, let go of the assassin''s hand before giving him a p on the shoulder, "When morning rises, meet me out here¡ªI''ll show you how to level like a real man."

    "What? Wait, what about¡ª" Finn tried to ask.

    "Not them," Seung rejected the idea before it could be proposed. "Just us. Don''t worry¡ªwe''ll be back before they even wake up. Sound like a n?"

    While it seemed equally shady and reckless, there was no doing that the man in front of him was in another league of strength from himself.

    "Listen, just sleep on it¡ªif you''re not out here before the leaves turn gold, I''m heading out myself," Seung told him before heading back inside the manor.

    For some time, he caught his breath outside amongst the watchful trees. There was still throbbing in his face, feeling the aftermath of just a few blows from the abrasive brawler.

    As he felt his nose, which was already sore to the touch, he was greeted by the long-haired Aussie.

    "You took it like a champ, mate. Even gave him a good couple of smackas to the face¡ªbam! Nice going," Jasper assured him, slinging his arm around Finn''s shoulder.

    "I think that''s a nice way of saying I got my ass kicked," Finn walked arm-in-arm with him with a smallugh.

    "Chin up, mate. I know you''re beating yourself up over what happened¡ªI am too. He made a choice though. Magnus wasn''t the kind of guy to regret what he did," Jasper spoke honestly.

    "You''re right. I know that, it''s just¡­I don''t want to be in a situation again where that sort of choice needs to be made," Finn said, passing the threshold into the old elf''s abode.

    Jasper nodded, "Same here, mate."

    There wasn''t a whole lot said between anybody as they settled into their beds in the tree-turned-inn. He still had yet to see the old elf again as he settled into a bed.

    "Ashuuu¡­"

    "Haaa¡­"

    Of course, both Nova, Jasper, and Seung had already fallen asleep with their snores on full st. Though while Nova had a more gentle, quiet sound, Jasper''s was more pronounced with Seung''s being tenfold louder like that of a hibernating bear.

    Finn sat there on the bed, not yet sleeping as too much wasid on his mind; it was hard to sleep with thoughts swirling in his mind like a whirlpool.

    "Can''t sleep?"

    He looked over as he was quietly asked, seeing that Charlotte was still awake herself, though tucked into bed already.

    "Can you me me?" He said, scooting himself to the edge of the bed to bring himself closer to the young woman.

    Charlotte sat up, slightly shaking her head, "No, I''m not having such an easy time myself. I¡­It doesn''t get easier over time, does it? Losing somebody, I mean."

    There was some silence as the question stirred up plentiful memories, bringing him to slowly nod, "Not really. I think all that gets easier is how quickly you can jump back up and keep going after it happens. Besides that, it''ll always stick with you."

    "I guess I thought as much¡­He didn''t always show it, but he was kind and meant the best for us all," Charlotte quietly grieved, bringing her hands together.

    "Yeah, he was a helluva guy," Finn agreed while sitting there. "Get some sleep, alright?"

    "You too," Charlotte pointed his request back at him.

    "I''ll try," Finn assured her,ying himself down on the bed while looking up at the tree of tree roots.

    As heid there, the exhaustion he didn''t acknowledge until that moment took hold, not even needing a single minute before his consciousness faded.

    ["Dreamwalking Initiated¡­Entering Faraway World"]

    "Ah?"

    It only felt as though he closed his eyes for a moment before finding them open again, though to a vastly different view than the quiet roof of the treehouse. Instead, he found himself in a colorful, bright world, sitting in a chair with a tea table.

    "G''morning, sleeping beauty! Did you have a good rest?"

    A moment was needed for him to adjust, blinking a few times before acknowledging the person sitting across from him that had greeted him entrically.

    The pale-skinned man with fuzzy, orange hair and a ridiculous, verdant tophat sat there, staring at him with a cup of freshly-brewed tea in his hands.

    "You¨C" Finn confusedly said.

    "Me!" The man with skin like that of a clown responded.

 Chapter 116: The Jabberwock

    "Hatter¡­Wait, why am I back here? Dreamwalking¨Cis that what this is¡­?" He strung together the jumbled thoughts in his previously sleeping mind while sitting there.

    Fromying in bed to sitting at the table of tea with the peculiar man across from him, the shift was jarring. As he sat there for a moment, ignoring a rambling about the proper etiquette of "consuming tea" from Hatter, he ced together what was happening to him.

    ''I heard it when I fell asleep¨C"Dreamwalking Initiated"--it''s that skill I obtained. I didn''t activate it myself though. Is it passive? Whenever I fall asleep? No, it can''t be everytime¨Cthis is only the second time, right? Besides, this doesn''t even feel like a dream,'' Finn pondered while staring at the cup of tea sitting in front of him.

    Without giving any acknowledgement to the rambling hatter, he decided to test out the legitimacy of the world he was in as he pinched the skin on his hand. A sharp sensation met his action as he stopped, now left more confused than before.

    "Might I ask what you''re doing? It seems fun," Hatter asked before pinching his own hand then quickly letting go, "--Ow! This is not a very fun game."

    He kept to his thoughts, not paying any mind to the host of the lonesome tea party. It could only be exined as some sort of dream, though it certainly didn''t feel like one.

    Still, applying logic to anything as ofte seemed to be an exercise in futility¡ªhe recognized that.

    "This world is not a fabrication of your mind, if that''s what has your brain tying itself into knots," Hatter suddenly spoke up with a more intentful tone.

    "What''re you talking about? How did you¡ª" Finn tried to ask, finding it as if his mind was tapped into.

    "There''s not a whole lot else going on in thisnd anymore. Frankly, you''re the only guest I''ve had at my tea party in years!" Hatter imed, shrugging as he swirled the tea in his mug.

    "What''s that have to do with¡ªhold on, can you just give me a straight answer?" Finn asked.

    It seemed like an incredible task, considering Hatter struggled to do anything but ramble about tea.

    Finn looked around, looking at the trees that took the shape of wondrous animals. Yet, there were no such critters still present in the tucked-away field.

    The ginger tea-drinker swirled his cup, "I know a lot. After all, sitting here and drinking tea for as long as I have, you get quite a lot of time to think. Think and think, and think and think."

    "That doesn''t exin anything," Finn said.

    Hatter leaned closer with a small smirk, "Besides myself and that unkindly beast, there''s only two who upy this world, and not often at that. You are one of them."

    "And the other?" Finn asked, not knowing where the tea drinker was going with his admission.

    "The Universe," Hatter told him before leaning back in his chair, taking a sip while spreading one arm out.

    "The Universe?" Finn repeated, somehow expecting a reasonable answer.

    "Oh, yes. When I''m all alone here with a fresh cup of teaid out for a guest, there''s times when that seat is taken by the Universe. After all, even the embodiment of existence seems to get quite bored and lonely sometimes," Hatter exined casually.

    Even being told inly by the peculiar man, Finn didn''t quite understand what he was being spoken of. It only left him with more questions than answers, sitting there at that tea table in a foreignnd, when he should be sound asleep in bed.

    "The Universe knows quite a lot, you see. Well, I suppose they know everything. I am a great listener, so I learn a lot," Hatter exined. "They even told me about you. The "Dreamer" from afar."

    "The Dreamer? That''s what they¡ªthe "Universe" told you about me?" Finn asked, not fully wrapping his mind around it, though getting somewhere.

    The direct interest he took was met with a mischievous smirk from the host of the tea party. Of course, by that look and a raise of the eyebrows by Hatter, Finn knew what was being asked as he nced down at the cup of tea before him.

    ''Right¡­He''ll only tell me what I want as long as I drink this damned tea with him,'' he recalled.

    The mug was raised, bringing it to his lips as he took a sip before firmly cing it back down. As expected, a satisfied smile sat on the peculiar man''s lips.

    "What was I saying? As I was saying¡ªright! Quiz time: The boy who walks in his dreams, is¡­?" Hatter enthusiastically questioned, moving his fingers as though ying the table like a piano.

    "Me?" Finn answered, ying along.

    "Bingo! In the boy''s sleep, he drifts between worlds¡ªonly until he takes. Like jumping into ake with a rope around your waist," Hatter exined, using his fingers to represent walking legs.

    It was hard to digest, especiallying from quite the erratic pair of lips, though it matched what he experienced.

    ''Something like that¡­It''s hard to believe, but it lines up,'' he wondered.

    As he tried to ept what was told to him by the less-than-reliable mouth, he felt a warm sensation trickling over his top lip. Feeling it with his fingers, he was disturbed to find ck blood once more, bringing him to quickly wipe it away.

    "Shit¡­" Finn mumbled.

    "The Universe mentioned that one, too," Hatter said with a more disheartened tone.

    "It did¡­?" Finn asked, brushing the blood away as he exhaled before willfully indulging in a chug of tea this time.

    Hatter watched him before nodding, continuing on, "It is a great burden to walk between worlds. To project yourself through the curtains of reality. Your brain is struggling to endure."

    "I''m not doing it on purpose though¡­I don''t want this," Finn said, setting the cup down.

    "I''m afraid I don''t know anymore than that. Think of it like an affliction such as sleepwalking, yes? Perhaps there are solutions, yes," Hatter considered, though in knowing of the answer himself.

    Finn felt himself lightheaded, having another cup poured for him before downing it all in one sip. Again, he got another refill before chugging it in a single go, earning a look from the entric connoisseur of tea, crossed between concern and tion.

    "I am honored you enjoy my brew to such lengths, but I might suggest taking it slower? I believe a slower, more considerate consumption is more aligned with a tea party," Hatter suggested.

    If nothing else, he consumed the cups of provided liquid plentifully to alleviate his lightheadedness, dissuading the weakness he felt in the moment.

    "I''m fine now¡­How the hell do I wake up, anyway?" Finn asked.

    "You are "awake", well¨Cin a sense, I believe. You are, in fact, at my tea party, Mr. Thorne. You''re also sleeping in bed. It''s quite confusing, isn''t it? A conundrum¨Cah, it hurts my head," Hatter tried to exin, though quite literally seemed to tie his mind in knots as he caressed his head.

    "Enough with the bullshit!" Finn burst out for a moment, mming his hands against the table.

    There was a visible jump from Hatte at the sudden outburst, bringing the stressed assassin to sit himself back down, taking a breath.

    "...I just don''t want to be here any longer than I need to be," Finn calmly said.

    Hatter adjusted his tie with a huff, settling back down, "You''re free toe and go as you please, but I will not tolerate rudeness when I''ve been a more than charitable host."

    "Yeah¡­my bad, sorry," Finn half-heartedly apologized, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

    "Since you''ve been¡­mostly a proper guest today, I shall inquire more from Mr. Universe next time he visits," Hatter assured him, sipping from his cup. "All I can tell you for now is, you left this world soon after earning the wrath of that foul-breathed beast."

    "Thanks, I appreciate it," Finn said, sitting up from his seat.

    It still felt like a fever dream, though it was undeniably a reality in its own that he had to ept. Even if he was connected through "Dreamwalking", after the wounds he awoke fromst time, danger still felt present.

    ''I''m "projecting" myself into this faraway world, but if I get hurt here, I''ll suffer the same wounds when I wake up. The same goes for experience though¨CI can level up here. It''s a risk-reward bnce, I''m starting to get that,'' he acknowledged as he moved past the tea party.

    Retracing his steps led him through the burnt pathway out of the Hatter''s domain. If it all possible, he''d prefer a simple, normal night of sleep¨Cnot spending it risking his life.

    Tiredly, he stepped out into an ashen field, overlooked by a jagged peak. It felt all too familiar, none more so than the grand shadow that soon cast itself over him as the silhouette of wings spreading through the veil of clouds became visible.

    It was that same feeling of dread, settling itself in his heart at the sight of the beast that perched itself on the mountain with sizeparable to thendmark itself.

    "Beware! My ws that snatch! My jaws that bite!---"

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "The Jabberwock"] [Level: 100]

 Chapter 117: The Crushers Way

    Of stone skin and a serpentine neck, the draconic beast of cmitynded before him with a tremor of dirt and ash.

    Finn held one arm up as his coat fluttered beneath the weight of the creature that greeted him. There was no attempt to run, though he knew a fight was just as fruitless.

    The unnaturally lengthy neck of the world-ending catastrophe stretched itself around him, encircling him before its predacious eye set itself on him. As it looked at what was nothing more than fodder, the nted pupil dted.

    Brought within such closeness to the cmitous beast, feeling its breath pushed against him like steam from a pipe, his heart thumped in his chest as sweat clung to his pores.

    "You¡­Ah, the human that evaded my jawsst we met. I had believed my bolts turned you to ash, ground into the soil. Yet, here you are¨Creturned to my domain."

    From how the bestial eye dted, inspecting him closer with another lofty breath pushing his hair along, the Jabberwock seemed more than keen on his rising anxiety.

    ''...I woke up after encountering this thingst time, right? I''ll wake up¨CI''ll wake up before it can kill me, right?'' He questioned.

    The Jabberwock''s breaths intensified as a clicking sound emitting from its maw, honing in on the human in its reach, "Not a single being has eluded my jaws nor my ws. I have ensnared everyst creature that walked the soil of this world, that has breathed its air. You are the first to have escaped, but I will mend that failure."

    A chill ran up the assassin''s spine at the serpentine dragon''s promation, bringing him to jump up, flipping away from the encircling gaze of the Jabberwock.

    ''Shit¡­!'' Finn thought, feeling the dirt rumbling beneath his boots.

    The beast uncoiled itself, rising to its hind legs with disastrous height to cast its harrowing shadow over him like a gloomsome cloud. A storm brewed at the behest of the Jabberwock; bolts shing from gold, to scarlet, to sapphire¨Ca kaleidoscope of lights that spurred to the beast''s grasp.

    In the face of unavoidable death, Finn did the only thing he could think to do¨C

    He raised both hands, shutting his eyes before bringing his palms against his cheeks with an unrestrained p, "Wake up!"

    The thunder intensified; the rumbling grew stronger, and the spark in the air approached with killing swiftness¡ª

    ["Dreamwalkingpleted."]

    "Gah¡­!"

    He gasped, finding himself sitting right up in thefort of the bed. Again, the whimsical world was gone along with the world-ending beast.

    All there was now were the snores of his friend and the chirps of birds outside the abode.

    He sat there for a moment, catching his breath as his heart still thumped and sweat still escaped his pores.

    ''¡­I made it back,'' he realized.

    It took a moment, and some steady breathing, to settle his heart after the close encounter. He looked over at the bed beside his own, finding the spellde sleeping soundly.

    By the chirps of birds outside and the faint glow of the cerulean leaves bing brighter, it appeared dawn was near.

    There was no sign of Seung on the guest floor, bringing him to one conclusion¡ªfor better or worse.

    ''Is he really waiting? That guy doesn''t seem like the type,'' he considered.

    As he slipped out of bed, he pulled his ck boots over one foot at a time, tying theces tightly before sliding his gloves on as well.

    He moved with silent steps so as not to disturb the much needed rest of hispanions, bringing himself to the stairs before ncing back.

    "I''ll be back in a bit," he whispered, though none heard.

    Again, there was no sign of the elf that owned the towering treehouse, though he didn''t bother checking the higher floors.

    As he descended the steps, he went straight to the base, passing through the room of old antiques before leaving via the already opened front.

    "Took you long enough. I was about to leave."

    Right as he passed through the door, he was greeted by the abrasive figure, though didn''t see him right away. He looked to the left, finding the youthful man of messy, gold hair leaning against the massive, oaken trunk.

    "Good morning to you, too," Finn sarcastically greeted. "So, what''s the n?"

    Seung held a small smile, unfolding his arms from his chest as he walked past the assassin, giving him a light tap on the shoulder with his gauntlet, "I don''t hate weak people."

    "Is that so?" Finn half-heartedly questioned, not believing it from the man who seemed to belittle anybody lesser than himself in strength.

    "What I hate are suckers that can''t admit when they''re weak. Like they''ve got some kind of ego for no reason, driving themselves to get killed," Seung admitted with a solemn tone, for once not seeming to burst with reckless energy.

    "--" Finn didn''t speak up, finding himself to be one such person.

    Beneath the veil of the dark-blue leaves, Seung paced somewhat before stopping, looking up at the trees before ncing back at the assassin.

    "When we fought that beast back then, you were strong¨CI told you as much. But, the person I met here waspletely different. You lost that edge," Seung told him the brutal truth. "Even more surprising though, you admitted it. I recognize that look when somebody wants nothing else but to shed that weakness."

    Finn spoke up, "I''m sick of people having to die because I''m too weak. I don''t want anybody else to have to make that sacrifice¨Cto even consider it."

    "Listen, if you''re afraid of losing people, maybe it''s best to ride alone," Seung suggested.

    It was odd seeing a more quiet, reserved side of the usually loud-mouthed, abrasive brawler, though it almost seemed like something more reserved for one-on-one meetings. He ignored the suggestion from the crusher, moving the conversation along.

    "So, what''re we doing? I''d like to be back before anybody wakes up," Finn asked.

    There was a smile that stretched across Seung''s lips in such a way that it glistened with a certain glee, immediatelying back to his abrasive ways as he gave a p to the assassin''s back, "Raring to go, eh? Like I said¨CI''m going to show you how to really level up."

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Name: Seung]

    [Age: 22]

    [Designated ss: Crusher]

    [Level: 44]

    Taking another look at the status of the korean-born brawler, he couldn''t find the room to protest learning from him, seeing as his stats were easily eclipsed.

    "Where are we going then?--" Finn asked.

    An answer was half-given by the fact that Seung grabbed the assassin by his arm, looking towards the trees above, "Monster hunting, of course!"

    "Wait, what''re you¨C" Finn tried to ask. "--Guah!"

    Before he could attempt to ask what the crusher''s n was, he found himself pulled into the air without any regard for gentleness. He blinked from the sudden wind pressure, finding himself past the trees and shrouded in a golden light.

    By his arm, he was carried along in the flight of the nowughing brawler, who seemed overjoyed by the act of traversing the sky. For a moment, he had forgotten that Seung was capable of flight, though he was given a swift reminder.

    ''Seriously¡­?! Would it kill this guy to be standard for once?!'' Finn thought as his cheeks pped in the sharp winds.

    He couldn''t make out the scenery below or where they were heading through the bright light that engulfed them amidst their flight. Before he could even somehow force another breath into his lungs as the air seemed more prone to pelting his face than being inhaled, the swift flight came to an end¨C

    "Ah?" Finn let out.

    To his surprise, hended on solid ground before even seeing it arrive, though stumbling for a moment as the unseen arrival. It wasn''t scenery he recognized at all, finding himself removed from the forest entirety, instead brought to a stone quarry, stretching into an entire region of rock, devoid of nature.

    "Alright, this seems like a good spot," Seung remarked, knocking his gauntlets together as he stepped forward.

    "The middle of nowhere?" Finn questioned, looking up at the massive rocks that rivaled mountains overlooking the quarry,pletely devoid of trees or foliage. "There''s nothing here."

    It waspletely in to his view, finding nothing but some boulders and pits that held unearthed minerals, though that looked to be about it.

    Seung held a burning smile on the other hand, "It''s perfect¨CI can sense it at my feet; the ground is brimming with energy!"

    "What does that even mean?--" Finn tried to ask.

    An answer wasn''t given as instead he watched the golden-haired man draw in a heavy breath; it was an unnatural inhale, bringing in such an abundance of air that his chest puffed up along with his cheeks before¨C

    "COME ON OUT, YOU SPINELESS BITCHES¨C!"

    Seung''s voice boomed with unnatural volume, causing the sedimentyering the smooth, stone ground to vibrate as did the air, bringing Finn to quickly cover his ears.

    ["Challenge of Might"]

    The provocation spoken with such intensity that even the slumbering mountains seemed to tremble was returned as cracks in the stone quarry began parting with the arrival of those thaty dormant beneath.

    Rising out from the splits in the quarry were titanous humanoids of skin of stone, built like powerlifters. The rocky shells of the earth-risen giants resembled the armor of knights, with gaps for freedom of moment that revealed their pink flesh beneath.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Enemy Recognized: "Mineral Titan"] [Level: 32]

 Chapter 118: Fafnirs Aspect

    There were dozens of them at least, crawling out from their subterranean slumber as they stomped towards the unwee guests.

    "What the hell?! We''re surrounded!" Finn called out as he brought his daggers into his hands.

    Seungughed, smashing his gauntlets together as sparks fluttered, "That''s the point! Let''s get to leveling!"

    While the brawlerunched himself right towards the rudely awoken horde of titans, Finn steered on the path of caution, letting the first of the giants approach him. He flipped back as one of the towering figures mmed its fist down towards him.

    As hended on his feet, there was a small crater left in the spot he stood a moment prior, watching the titan lift its boulder of a hand from the ground.

    ''This guy is nuts¨C! He couldn''t think to warn me about his methods before just diving right into it?!'' He questioned.

    While the titan over twice his height was fast for its size, nimble like an olympic runner, he still found himself with the advantage in speed as he moved before it could lift its limb again¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He dashed by, dragging his dagger along its neck, only for his de to be rejected entirely. It simply bounced right off of the stone skin, bringing him to roll over to catch himself, turning around as the titan faced him, unfazed by his failed strike.

    Finn wasn''t deterred as he stayed light on his feet, thinking to himself, ''I thought as much. I''ll have to aim between the cracks in its shell¨Cthe problem is, there''s no vitals exposed.''

    While he was focused on facing one, the sound ofughter mixed with what sounded like rocks being sted by a hammer turned his attention for a moment. A pair of the titans had already been turned to pebbles by the gauntlets of the crusher, who seemed to be enjoying it all a bit too much.

    Finn found his focus turned back as a shadow cast itself over him¨CTHWOOM. He flipped back onto his hands just as the trunk of a foot from the titan stomped down mere inches from crushing him t.

    The giant threw its fist towards him, bringing him to duck right under it as he looked up as the exposed flesh at its elbow joint:

    ["Tendon Slice"] [1:59]

    He dragged both daggers against the small bit of vulnerability on disy, severing the ability for it to move its rocky limb. Even still, the grumbling creature of stone didn''t seem moved by the pain, continuing to stomp towards him.

    ''Alright, it''s not stopping there¨CI''ll try it his way,'' he nned.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    With a sh of barbaric strength, he leapt up as its other fist crashed down, countering with a sharp kick right at its head. As his boot struck the side of its head, it felt as though he merely smashed his toes against the side of a brick wall.

    "Urgh¨C"

    Hended with a wince, only aplishing to hurt himself as the titan remained unfazed by the blow. It felt like a creature tailor-made to counter his abilities as an assassin; the single, lethal strikes he went for had no ce on the sturdy being.

    ''I''m definitely not capable of outputting the same power as him¡­Well, I knew that, but damn that stung,'' he thought, breathing sharply through his lips.

    All the while he struggled to find a way to put down the shelled giant, he was subject to listening to Seung turn more and more of them into rocks to blend into the quarry. It was a feeling he didn''t like; it annoyed him, feeling that sense of weakness swell up again.

    There was one option that weighed fresh on his mind, bringing him to hinge on that possibility as he moved forward again. The titan crashed its one functioning arm down, sweeping it upon him as he slipped right through its attack.

    As he brought himself within reach, he pressed his palm right against its abdominal region, invoking the ability he was unfamiliar with:

    ["Touch of Rot"]

    The essence of Fafnir brought the glove around his hand to melt away from the front, leaving his palm exposed as a sizzling met his ears; an acidic hiss that brought a haze of steam at his hand. A groan like stones rubbing together emitted from the titan, prompting Finn to keep his hand pressed against it before cracks formed along its torso.

    ''It''s¡­melting?'' He realized.

    He could feel the now desperate titan opting to thrash its limbs as he pulled his hand away, sliding back before he could be crushed. At the abdomen of the giant, the stone shell that protected its stomach had dissolved, leaving only liquidized stone to drip down as its bright-pink flesh was exposed beneath.

    ''--It worked. I can use that opening,'' he recognized.

    The efficiency of the dragon''s ability that was assimted surprised him, seeing as it was without a cooldown nor mana restriction. He sprinted right towards the titan with bursting confidence, easily slipping past its lumbering swings.

    Getting into reach this time, a thrust of his dagger brought it to sink right into its vulnerable belly. It was incredibly hot; he felt that much just from the handle before dragging the de up in a violent motion.

    Steaming blood gushed out from the opened stomach, leaving its innards to spill before the titanous creature copsed.

    Finn stood in front of it, exhaling as he witnessed the triumph born of his ingenuity. That sense of weakness was washed away, at least for the moment¨Che felt ted.

    ["Mineral Titan defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x2000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +5000] [21010/60000]

    [Assimted ability from [Mineral Titan]: "Stone Digging" 1 / 5]

    Vanquishing just one felt like a monumental feat in the moment, though bringing his gaze up suffocated that triumph as he found the crusher turning a half dozen into powder already. None of the experience was shared to him, though he was well aware of the reason.

    ''It''s only a theory, but it feels like kills are only shared when two parties recognize each other as working together. Even if this guy dragged me out here to "help", he''s still fighting selfishly¨Che''s having fun out there, not caring about much else,'' Finn theorized.

    Seung crashed down a few meters in front of him with a devastating impact, havingnded while driving one of the titans straight into the ground. The force was enough topletely blow the giant away, leaving the excitable crusher hopping to his feet with augh as he looked over at the assassin.

    "What''re you standing around for? There''s walking piles of EXP all around you! Get ''em before they turn cold!" Seung shouted as though speaking of hot-and-ready food.

    Before he could even get a word out, the crusher passed by as a blur of gold, crashing right into another of the natural inhabitants of the quarry.

    It was bing clear what stirred the fire of the brawler''s immutable mindset that had allowed him to climb to such strength; Finn saw it as clear as day as the manughed while crashing into the titans.

    ''He really does see this all as some sort of game. Sure, parts of it are "game-like", but it''s life or death¨Cthis is reality. Still, it''s like somehow he really has no fear, as though if he died, it would only take hitting the "Restart" prompt toe back,'' Finn acknowledged.

    That type of thinking went against every bit of the cautious nature he sought to inhabit, though he couldn''t deny it himself. Seeing Seung blitz through the creatures, crossing the stretch of t stone with ack of worry¨Cit was refreshing.

    It brought him back to his days of grinding out in MMORPGs, getting excited at the sight of new monsters, ted when on the brink of a new level, wondering what skills he might obtain.

    Even if it went against his survival instincts, he decided to follow the crusher''s path, if only just this once. He stood there, finding multiple of the lumbering giants of rocky exteriors approaching him.

    ''--They''re just lumps of EXP. Don''t fear dying¨Cno, don''t even consider that being a possibility. Right now, I''m just leveling up,'' he convinced himself, flipping his daggers in his hands as he readied himself.

    The t geography of the stone quarry without trees nor slopes made it apletely open ce to fight in, leaving no ces for cover to protect or hide oneself. The heat of what felt like a day in the peak of summer already made him break a sweat, feeling the heated stone beneath his feet as the group of titans approached.

    He waited until one of them was just a step behind the other of its kin before swiftly moving his arm, tossing his dagger right by its head¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2650/2750]

    At its shoulder, he arrived, twisting himself around as he didn''t strike with his dagger, but instead pushed his bare palm against the side of the unknowing giant''s head before it could react.

    ["Touch of Rot"]

    He felt the sturdy stone melt away before his fingers made contact with the flesh beneath, pulling away before stabbing his dagger right into the exposed part of its head¨CSQUELCH.

    ["Mineral Titan defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x2000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +5000] [26010/60000]

    [Assimted ability from [Mineral Titan]: "Reinforce: Stone" 2 / 5]

 Chapter 119: Arbiter of Stone

    The giant copsed face first as he plucked its dagger out, immediately flipping back as he felt its kin seeking revenge. Its fist passed right beneath him as his back was to the ground, twisting himself around in the air while discarding his dagger in favor of a more favorable weapon.

    ["Bone-Forged Cleaver"]

    The repulsive de was manifested as he turned,nding his feet on the outstretched arm of the titan before sprinting up before it had the time to move. As it sought to move, he swept the visceral edge through its neck, ignoring the sturdiness of its shell altogether.

    In that moment, he disregarded the disgust he held for the weapon; he didn''t let him stop him, as all he wanted in that moment was something capable of eviscerating the tough exterior of the monster¨Cand he had that.

    ["Mineral Titan defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x2000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +5000] [31010/60000]

    [Assimted ability from [Mineral Titan]: "Summon: Boulder" 3 / 5]

    He didn''t stop as he used the now plummeting, headless titan''s body as a tform to leap over to the next source of experience. The titan hoisted a massive chunk of stone from the pit of geodes, heaving it towards him.

    As he watched the boulder close in on him like a colossal softball, he tossed the cleaver around with a quick motion¨Ca gamble born from the freedom of fear in that moment.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2550/2750]

    He was unable to see where the cleaver had gone in its path, instead met with a surprise sight as he warped to its location, brought to the right hip of the titan.

    "--Replication," he expelled the invocation quietly and with focus.

    A second copy of the vile cleaver manifested into his left hand just as he swung the original, taking out the leg nted right in front of him. With wless sharpness, the titan crashed down while bringing its fist down upon him.

    Finn met it halfway, using the replicated cleaver to sh right down the middle of the hulking, stone fist, parting its limb down the middle. A grumble left the rocky creature''s mouth as its arm was rejected, leaving itpletely open to the assassin''s strike now.

    Before the giant could use its only functional limb to attack, he dragged both of the cleavers through its body, eviscerating stone and flesh in a long swipe. The brutal motion turned the titan into three sections, splitting it onto the quarry.

    ["Mineral Titan defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x2000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +5000] [36010/60000]

    [Assimted ability from [Mineral Titan]: "Mineral Armor" 4 / 5]

    An exhale escaped his lips as he discarded the foul cleavers, calling back his dagger as he looked at the results of following the crusher''s impulsiveness. The field of rocks was left scattered with the remnants of the stone giants, split and crushed. Exclusive tales from m v lemp-yr

    While he caught his breath, he watched Seungnd in front of him without a sweat broken, yet still holding that gleeful smile.

    "Nice moves! Never seen cleavers like that, though¨Cpretty gnarly. Looks like you get the idea now," Seung remarked. "How''re you feeling? Pretty damn good, right?"

    "--I can see the benefits in this," Finn gave a partial answer, not wanting to indulge the wild figure.

    Augh poured from Seung, as if proud of himself in the effectiveness of his methods before giving the assassin a p on the shoulder, "It''s only been a few minutes, and look at how much you''ve umted. Imagine going at it for hours now, days. Just gotta stop worrying about all this shit and bring the fight to ''em."

    Finn didn''t exactly know how to feel about that method, imagining that one bad day is all it would take to end up in a grave, stumbling upon the wrong grouping of monsters. He looked up at the sky, seeing the reversed region above being a mirror image of the t, in quarry.

    "Heads up¨Cfeel that?" Seung asked him with an excited smirk.

    There was a huming from the ground, incurring a crescendo from the subtle rumbling to an intense vibration, bringing the pebbles atop the t surface to tremble.

    "Yeah. That wasn''t thest of them, was it?" Finn questioned as he brought his daggers out.

    Seung crashed his knuckles together with augh, "''Course not! This is the best part¨Cwe woke up the big baddy!"

    The intense rumbling peaked as cracks formed along the quarry, culminating into the crack in the center ahead that opened up. What came up from beneath the surface brought such an earthquake that its size would be nothing short of mountainous, yet¨C

    Finn witnessed a figure rise from the crack in the ground that was norger than the mineral titans, if not slightly smaller. It shared the same, pink flesh as the others, devoid of any features other than a muscr body covered in veins that held a silver glow within.

    ''It doesn''t have a shell exterior? By all means, it looks weaker, but¡­No, that couldn''t be further from the case,'' he recognized.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "Arbiter of Stone"] [Level: 40]

    "Hell yeah! We hit the jackpot!" Seung celebrated, grinding the knuckles of his gauntlets together in delighted anticipation.

    Finn didn''t quite share the same excitement, remaining wary in the presence of the humanoid giant of featureless flesh and muscle.

    It hovered just a few inches off the ground, slowly raising its hands as the dormant pebbles and shattered rock left of the fallen titans began to levitate as well, slowly orbiting around the enigmatic entity.

    While Seung dashed forward, Finn jumped back instead, though both were forced to evade as a hailstorm of stone collided with the quarry and shot past. The air whistled and flexed, finding the projectiles traveling at speeds breaking through the sound barrier as his boots slid across the surface.

    "It can manipte the rocks! Watch out!" Finn shouted at the crusher.

    Seung didn''t hesitate for a moment, continuing to rush towards the levitating figure, "Yeah, yeah! I''ll just grind them to dust¨Cdoesn''t matter!"

    While he was more focused on evading the storm of high-speed pebbles shooting towards him, he watched Seung approach the Arbiter of Stone without stopping for a moment.

    With a raise of its hand, flicking its wrist, the lord of the quarry summoned perfect spheres from the ground,unching the colossal boulders right at the crusher.

    Seung brought his fist back before thrusting it in front of him just as the first projectile arrived, bringing a tenfold projection of his gauntlet to punch right through the boulder. Augh emitted from the crusher''s lips as if partaking in a game, running right through the fragments of the crushed sphere as he jumped up, pushing his fist through the other.

    "C''mon! That''s not gonna stop¡­me?" The confidence in Seung''s voice evaporated as a shadow cast itself over him when rushing through the second boulder.

    What awaited the reckless crusher was a sphere that more so resembled a small mountain, rolling right towards him with frightening momentum.

    Finn tossed his dagger right in front of the crusher, with only a few meters between the man and the vige-crushing boulder¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2450/2750]

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    Without even taking a moment to adjust as he teleported to his de, he grabbed onto his unlikely ally''s arm while sliding across the stone. In that split-second, the sheer weight and the momentum behind the massive sphere made the left side of his body tingle, being closest to it.

    It was only by mere inches that the colossal boulder rolled by.

    "--Close," Finn exhaled.

    Seung immediately tugged his arm away with a huff, "The hell was that?! I had that handled!"

    "Really? Looked more like I was saving your ass!" Finn contested.

    "Hah! I was going to smash right through it¨Cget it right!" Seung reminded him.

    "Whatever," Finn brushed off, knowing it was an unwinnable argument with the prideful brawler, turning his attention back to the levitating maniptor of minerals. "Let''s just take that guy out."

    "At least you''ve got that right," Seung agreed, shing his gauntlets again.

    Without moving a single inch from the position it rose from, the pink-fleshed figure raised its hand once more. Hundreds of fragments of stone, feeble pebbles, rose into the air before shooting towards both men.

    ["Shell Barrier"] [1:59]

    Finn raised his hand, using the turtle-like shield in front of himself as he sprinted towards the Arbiter of Stone. It felt like running through a hailstorm, feeling countless impacts against the shield, each with lethal velocity behind them.

    A nce to his left showed Seung running with no regard for protecting his body, as the minuscule pebbles simply shattered and bounced right off his tough skin.

    "Keep moving! Keep moving!" Seung shouted with a bundle of joy, grinning as he let the stone bullets pelt his body withughter. "Don''t stop for a second, or I''ll pound you into the ground¡ª! Ha-ha!"

    The ultimatum given to him by the crusher was hardly motivating, though he didn''t n on letting up as he continued moving forward despite the difficulties.

    TAP. TAP. TAP.

    ¡ªAs he drew closer to the fleshy being, the intensity of the storm of rocks heightened. He felt himself being pushed back as the shield was relentlessly struck by projectiles. A few pieces made it past the barrier, barely grazing his leg and side, though cutting right through his flesh.

    "Ngh!" He winced, continuing to move forward.

    Enduring the hailstorm of the quarry boss, it made it all the more clear to him what kind of strength was possessed by Seung, who looked as though he was simply traversing a gentle rain.

 Chapter 120: The Man Who Fights Alone

    He nearly fell as another pebble struck his thigh, watching the crusher stop as he arrived within a dozen meters of the Arbiter of Stone.

    It wasn''t because the torrent of rocks inhibited him; no, Seung smiled brightly as he raised his fist before mming it down into the ground¨CBOOM.

    "Enough sitting there and looking down on us!" Seung ordered with a fearsome smirk.

    ["Wave of Decimation"]

    A ripple of golden force tore through the quarry, propelling right towards the faceless humanoid of pink flesh. It produced a sh of kic power that erupted right beneath the designated [BOSS], knocking it off bnce as the orbiting stones around itself were thrown off their key.

    The disruption of the Arbiter brought the hailstorm to a halt, taking the burden away from the assassin who had struggled to move further.

    "Hurry up already! Don''t waste this moment¨C!" Seung shouted from ahead.

    Finn saw the chance, discarding the ethereal shield as he threw his dagger right towards the stunned Arbiter.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2350/2750]

    Just as he caught the de while meeting the entity face-to-face, he initiated the follow-up by expelling the chosen word from his lips, "Replication!"

    The ckened copy of himself emerged from his shadow, following his movements as he set the visceral edge of his daggers upon the exposed figure.

    ["Death Flurry"] [2:59]

    ["Death Flurry"] [2:59]

    From both sides, the rapid onught of shes ensued; he moved his des a dozen times in a fraction of a second, carving the surprisingly durable flesh of the Arbiter in the process. As he cut up its right side, with his doppelganger handling its left, all that he managed to create were shallow cuts, no more harmful than paper cuts.

    ''It feels like I''m cutting into stone still¨C! What the hell is it made of?!'' He questioned.

    The futility of his flurry of strikes was called out as the crusher shouted, "Hey! The hell are you doing?!"

    Seung jumped in himself, cocking his fist back with the intent to finish it with his own strike, though with his arrival, the once helpless Arbiter suddenly took action. Its body flexed and swelled, bringing its pinkplexion to a silver shade.

    Pebbles and dust of stone rose up, orbiting with a visceral speed, bringing him to jump back, though his doppelganger was a moment toote to follow up. Even just being a second behind, he watched the copy of himself be turned to a paste in the orbital stones around the being.

    ''Shit¡­!'' He thought.

    Seung had moved back, raising his arms in a guard, though the rotating sediment managed to rough up his forearms as they were raw and bloody by the time he stepped out of the range.

    "Coward! Damn thing is just turtling up now!" Seung shouted, uncaring for the cuts on his arms.

    The Arbiter of Stone waspletely unseen behind the storm it brewed around itself, creating an impassable veil of sediment that shredded anything it touched.

    "What do we do now? We can''t reach it like that, and even if we do, its flesh is tough as hell," Finn observed.

    Seung huffed, wiping the sweat and sparse blood from his chin, "We? Just stand back right now¨CI''ll bring that damn turtle out of its shell."

    The im from the crusher didn''t leave Finn feeling very confident in his safety, taking more than a few steps back as he had a sinking feeling in gut. He felt no more vindicated than when witnessing Seung bend his knees beforeunching directly into the air like a rocket seeking the cosmos. Powered by m|v|l|e|mpyr

    ''Dammit¡­He''s about to do something really goddamn reckless, isn''t he?'' Finn questioning, looking up at the glowing figure in the sky, taking more steps away from the Arbiter.

    What were slow, cautious steps became him running back as the golden light expanded itself, causing the air to flex and the ground to rumble. Finn couldn''t help but look up the entire time as he put at least a hundred meters between himself and where the Arbiter hunkered itself down.

    From up high in the sky, just below the reversednd above, the voice of the crusher rang like a brewing storm, "WATCH ME! THIS IS WHAT LEVELING GETS YOU!"

    The small origin of golden light stretched to a vast reach, shaping itself into a unique form; it resembled Seung himself, forged of the divine illumination, only a hundredfold the size of the man.

    ''What the hell is that¡­? Is something like that even possible!?'' Finn questioned in awe.

    In the sky, the titanic projection of the brawler peered down while raising the gauntletrge enough to pulverize a mountain into dust. Each slight movement from the astral form, piloted by the man himself that hovered in the chest of his projection, caused the air to hum.

    ["Crusher of Stars: Apollo''s End"]

    The fist of the colossal aspect of Seung began to descend like that of a hammer wielded by a god to punish mortalnd. Finn watched as it befell the Arbiter, though the quarry began to suddenly erupt in response.

    "Hold on¨Cwhat the¨C?!" Finn let out, feeling the stone at his boots rupture unevenly.

    From the spot of the veiled Arbiter, a massive construct forged of minerals rose from the quarry. A titan that dwarfed all others unearthed itself, crashing its own fist against the golden gauntlet of the crusher''s projection.

    "--Hah?!" Seung''s bolstered voice boomed through the sky.

    A sh of giants; the titanic force of stone pushed Seung''s ethereal form back as it rose to its feet properly. The stone giant was built with a form of sleek, gray rock, glistening with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds embedded into its body with a triangr head devoid of features.

    ''That''s the Arbiter¨C? No, it created a suit of colossal armor¡­like a damn gundam pilot?!'' Finn realized, watching the surreal faceoff.

    A kick wasunched by the stone giant,nding right against the torso of the astral form wielded by Seung, knocking the golden projection against the mountain right behind them.

    "Grrhh!" Seung''s growl of pain emitted like a roaring thunderstorm.

    It hardly felt like there was any ce for him in the battle, seeing as he was a mere ant inparison to the twobatants. Even more frightening was that he was well aware that Seung was one open to friendly fire, not bringing him to so casually trust walking near that colossal projection.

    ''I really got myself into something crazy by following along¡­No, I already knew it''d get wild¨CI can''t act surprised,'' Finn reminded himself, slowly exhaling as he gripped the handle of his de.

    Against his better judgment, he sprinted through the quarry, approaching the sh of titans as the aspect of Seung threw his fist against the Arbiter''s mountainous head of solid crystalline. It bounced right off the sturdy head of the elemental of earthen form, bringing the colossus to retaliate by smacking its arm right against Seung''s projected torso.

    "Gah!--" Seung winced as the astral form stumbled back.

    Each little movement from either of the giant entities caused the whole quarry to rumble, bringing Finn''s feet to lift off the ground just barely at some intervals.

    ''It''s tough¨Cnot even Seung is doing any real damage with that over-the-top state of his. It might be nearly invulnerable in that form¡­It could be a trade-off? Maybe¨CI can find out,'' he analyzed while moving.

    As he got close enough, still far from the base of either colossus'' feet, he looked up before tossing the de he held with all of his might. He felt his shoulder nearly pop right out of its socket with how hard he threw the dagger, sending it up and up to the peak of the mountainous Arbiter''s height.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2250/2750]

    Transported from the ground, lower than even the ankle of the titans, he caught his de now being at the height of the Arbiter''s head.

    ''Don''t look down,'' he reminded himself as his coat and hair both fluttered in the high-altitude winds.

    His bootsnded atop the colossus'' head, finding its t, pyramid-shape to be vast enough to be an entire structure of its own.

    He brought himself a bit too far, finding himself sprinting down the slope of its head as if descending a pyramid. The problem was, the colossus moved without even knowing of his presence, tilting as he did his best not to fall right off.

    "Ghhh!¡ª" Finn gritted his teeth, finding the massive head tilting down as the colossus was ducking itself beneath an iing strike.

    He pressed his back against the smooth stone, sliding as carefully as he could as his boot scraped on it. While descending closer to its mouth, he watched a sh of golden light pass right above.

    "Shit!¡ª" Finn reacted, ducking his head and raising his shoulders instinctively as if it''d help.

    The projection of Seung''s arm passed over the colossus that ducked to avoid it, resembling a golden skyscraper that made the air quake.

    ''Doesn''t he see me here?! Of course he does¡­not like that''d hold the crazy bastard back¡ª'' He thought while sliding further.

 Chapter 121: The Bigger They Are

    He could feel the entire head rumbling as it began to tilt back. As it rose up, he rolled back onto his feet while sprinting towards the crater of a mouth still.

    The reversed sky of soil and stone above disturbed his sense of bnce while navigating the head of the giant.

    -THWOOM.

    He lost his bnce as the entirety of the mountainous entity suddenly jolted, finding it as though it was crashed by a meteoric impact. Just ahead, he could see the mass of exuberant radiance had mmed his gauntlet right into the abdomen of the colossus, causing it to stumble back.

    "HOW ABOUT THAT?!" Seung''s voice boomed as though elevated through the grandest of microphones.

    At the moment, Finn felt more annoyed than anything by his ally''s actions, finding himself having to rapidly move his feet so as not to fall right off of the moving head of the Arbiter. Finally, the gap in the pyramid of stone was found, allowing him to slide down beforending on what was considered the "bottom lip" of the stone-carved mouth.

    ''Made it,'' he thought.

    Seeking the core of the Arbiter, it wasn''t as if he believed Seung would be unable to win. No, he was certain that the brawler would be capable of it. What drove him was a sense ofpetition; whoever could defeat the Arbiter of Stone first¨Che wanted to test himself.

    Looking in, the insides of the mouth resembled the maw of a massive cave, leading into the unknown depths of the titanic form. He stepped inside of it, though immediately having his bnce pulled it from underneath him.

    "Huh¨C!?"

    The head must''ve begun tilting again, as the floor of the mouth was now a wall behind him, leaving him sliding down into the lightless chasm deeper into the colossus.

    ¨CTHWOOM.

    A massive tremor shook the entirety of the interior as stone dust rained over him, knowing full well it was the handiwork of the crusher to me. Still, he allowed himself to slide down, finding roots of flesh clinging to the rocky walls, leading deeper.

    ["Lesser Wisp"]

    To provide himself light, he called upon the meager orb of fire, bringing a small, but helpful amount of brightness in his descent. The further he slid down, feeling the rough grain of the stone scrape against his back, the fleshy roots became more plentiful, pulsating with a liveliness.

    "Woah¨C"

    The light of the wisp showed the end of the descent only a moment before he dropped, finding his feetnding squarely in an open, vast area of the interior: the stomach. There was a "squish" beneath his boots, unlike the firm stone before; he found himself standing among massive roots of muscle that pumped silver blood.

    ''There it is,'' he found.

    In the center of the colossal pit of the Arbiter''s stomach, the corey dormant, tethered by two lines of flesh to take the shape of a core made of tinum tissue.

    ''All I have to do is destroy its core¨Cthat heart, at least going bymon sense,'' he nned, readying his daggers.

    Another quake brought him to stumble forward a step, looking up as sediment trickled down, finding that the crusher''s gigantic punches were bing an annoyance. As he set his focus on the pulsating core once more, he found his path bing blockaded.

    "Oh, just great," he mumbled.

    From stone, an assembly of golems rose, using their giant bodies to get between the assassin and the heart of the Arbiter. With another impact shaking the entirety of the colossus, there wasn''t much freedom in time with hunting the core.

    As plentiful as the crystalline golems were, taking them each out would be a task too time consuming. A breath was carefully drawn in-and-out from his lungs as he stared down the approaching guardians of colossus'' heart.

    ''--I''ll try that. If not now, then never,'' he readied himself.

    As he closed his eyes, he took the situation away from his focus, instead concentrating on recalling a prior entity. The smell of blood, of unwashed fur coated in grime; the sounds of bestial growls that vibrated with malice and the roars of desperation; the imposing presence of the creature, invoking a sense of dread in his body.

    He recalled every aspect of it, honing in on that memory as he opened his eyes with a sharp exhale as he faced down the stone golems, "Replication."

    Arge mass of abyssal fluid extended out from his position, muchrger than simply forming a doppelganger of himself. The shadow-born substance rose up, matching even the golems in height as the shapeless mass was shaped into the memorized form.

    The circumference; the texture of its fur, of its skin; he needed to drill each aspect of it into his mind.

    A cloaked beast of ck fur, exuding a foul breath as the darkness forged a towering sword into its hand. It stood with its back to the assassin; Finn watched it carefully, wary of it somehow turning around tosh out at him.

    As he observed the beast reborn, it instead lunged forward towards the obstacles ahead, using its nimbleness to move like a predator hunting its prey. With a single sh of its de, the doppelganger of the Forgotten Beast split multiple golems in half before continuing on its rampage.

    Finn witnessed its efficiency, this time from the perspective of one allied with the frightening beast, though finding his muscles already cramping after just a few moments, "Ghh¨C"

    ''--It''s difficult to maintain¡­I knew that though¨Cthere has to be a trade-off for making something that big and powerful. The only reason I could Replicate something like that is the mark it left on me; the image of that bloodthirsty beast imprinted itself on my mind¨Cof course I''d never forget that,'' he thought, witnessing the doppelganger decimate the Arbiter''s soldiers.

    Another impact mmed against the colossus from the outside, bringing everything to quake again. Finn forced himself to move, keeping his focus on the giant sphere of flesh ahead while the beast kept the golems upied.

    He was unsure if he could manage to warp while at the same time maintaining the beast''s doppelganger, only certain he could hold it while running. Just a short sprint ahead, the core pulsated, pumping its silver blood through the roots of flesh.

    As he readied his de to strike, the stone in front of him rose into another humanoid golem, blocking his way with its sturdy body¨C

    "To me!" Finn shouted, producing a bloodied noise as his body ached.

    With the golem''s fist raised to him, it was intercepted by a blur of ck sweeping through. The replication of the ill-omened beast skirted by, leaving the stone guardian bisected from the waist.

    Finn continued to move forward as the path was reopened as his nose leaked from the strain of maintaining the boss replication.

    As he got within range, finding all of the closest guardians sliced-and-diced, he relinquished the beast, immediately feeling the pressure on his body being freed.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He warped right atop the spherical core, stabbing his daggers right into the living organ. It took some struggle to fully sink his weapons into it, as the strength of the heart''s muscles was like digging through solid stone.

    It wasn''t deep enough to be a lethal wound, not to the core that was tenfold the size of his own body. Once more, he felt the rumbling intensify from outside the hollow giant, bringing him to squeeze both handles of his daggers¨C

    ["Magnificent de"] [Mana: -600] [1650/2500] [2:59]

    A brilliant rise of silver mes and golden sparks were imbued from the des right into the heart, delivering an elemental execution that burnt the core from the inside out.

    ["Arbiter of Stone defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x5000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +75000]

    [Level thirty-four reached!] [51010/65000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Arbiter of Stone"]: "Stone Warping" 1 / 1]

    An exhale of relief escaped his lips as he sat there, still clinging to the core as it deted like a balloon once popped.

    Read more content on m-vl-em-pyr

    ''I''m getting pretty good, aren''t I, Damian? You can watch me, too, Magnus¨CI''m sorry I wasn''t strong enough before, but I''m not going to half-ass it anymore,'' he thought, suppressing the doubts of himself he had.

    All around him, the colossus made from the Arbiter began to crumble around him, bringing him to descend from the peak of the fading world''s heights. He looked around hurriedly, finding, quickly pulling his daggers from the in heart as he began to sprint.

    The walls of the mountainous golem came down around him, copsing like falling towers. He sidestepped a massive chunk that fell near him, having to pivot around as another piece mmed beside him.

    ''Shit¨CI have to get out of here!'' He urged himself while sprinting.

    As he ran with it all crumbling, the foothold he ran across crumbled from beneath him; a weightlessness under his boots spurred his stomach with a fluttering feeling. He looked around, finding himself exposed to the sky as his messy, dark hair rustled.

    All around him, enough stone to build a mountain rained down, bringing him tond himself on a falling chunk, sprinting across it as it descended.

    "Hhaaa!--"

    Drawing in a quick breath in his quick descent through the sky, he leapt from one tform to another, watching as the quarry below approached rapidly.

    Whatever fear of heights he might''ve possessed, he ignored it as he repeated the same mantra in his head while moving¨C"Don''t look down!"

 Chapter 122: Rebirth of Malice

    From the crumbling tform, he hopped over to a piece of stone barelyrge enough to fit both feet on. It was all a bit too much adrenaline for the morning time, his poor heart not having much of a moment to rest between this and the dreamwalking.

    Just as he sought to hop to the next step as it all descended closer and closer to the surface, the stepping stone cracked.

    "Wha¨C!?" Finn let out, finding himself falling before he could jump, waving his arms around wildly.

    As he fell freely among the remnants of the colossus, he looked around for a spot to throw his dagger to, though none of it looked viable. He looked down, seeing the ground rapidly approach, considering warping down, though it was a risky maneuver.

    While setting his sights on where to throw his weapon, he found the t, stone fields below no longering closer. He was at a total stop, watching the debris descend instead of himself.

    "Ah¨C?" He let out, ncing down as his feet were standing against a translucent, golden tform.

    "You owe me one."

    The powerful, booming voice greeted him as he looked up, finding himself being loomed over by the astral projection of the brawler. He could somewhat make out Seung himself, positioned in the center of the ethereal form.

    "Yeah, thanks," Finn sighed, letting himself sit upon the giant hand as he was brought down safely.

    He was wary of being "yfully" tossed like a softball by Seung, though surprisingly found himself guided to the quarry as he hopped down from the hand. As his feet met the ground once again, still feeling a lightness in his body from the adventure to heights he seldom wanted to experience another time, the golden light faded away like a lightbulb sputtering out.

    "Hah¨C"

    Right beside himself, he watched Seungnd from a height that would be fatal to most people, though the golden-haired crusher brushed it off with a smile. Experience adventure on m-vl-em|p-yr

    "You beat me to it, didn''t you? Hah, nice work!" Seungplimented him, sticking his fist out.

    The gesture caught Finn off-guard, expecting the fiery-spirited man to be a bit more abrasive than that as he bumped his fist against the gauntlet, "Thanks. That was pretty crazy¨CI mean that ability you used."

    "Isn''t it? It''s pretty damn nice being able to give big ass monsters a taste of their own medicine," Seung snickered while rubbing above his upper lip with a hint of bashfulness.

    Augh was shared as he found himself beginning to understand the hot-headed man a bit better. Through fighting alongside one another, pushing their strengths, perhaps a bond was forged; at least, that''s what he felt.

    Seung gave him a p on the shoulder, "Next time, I''m getting the killing blow though¨Cbet on it!"

    "Oh, yeah?" Finn asked, looking around at the remnants of the quarry as bits of the stone colossus still rained down, though away from his spot.

    "Yeah! Not a chance in hell I''m losing twice," Seung imed with a smile.

    "We''ll see. Anyway, it''s about time we head back¨Cthe others might already be awake," Finn said, looking up as the once dim sky was beginning to light up.

    In his head, he didn''t quite know how he was going to exin the short-lived journey he went through with the abrasive brawler, though he hoped he didn''t have to just yet.

    "Alright! Lift off in five¡­four¡­now!" Seung said, suddenly grabbing the assassin''s wrist.

    "Wait¨Cargh!" Finn winced as he was lifted off the ground, immediately brought into a high-speed flight through the sky.

    Again, he felt the wind tugging at his cheeks and eyelids, hearing the deviousughter of the crusher as though both enjoying the flight and mocking the assassin''s face. Before he could run out of breath, he found himself from the quarry back to the forest in merely a few blinks.

    "Uuegh¡­I''m not getting used to that," Finn groaned upon finding his feet back on the ground, rubbing his head.

    Seung gave him a p on the shoulder with augh, "Suck it up! It isn''t that bad."

    He didn''t feel like arguing with the adrenaline junky, looking up to find that the leaves of the vast forest had turned to their daytime, bright-yellow sheen.

    ''I wonder if everybody is still asleep. Charlotte is usually an early bird, so maybe¨C'' He considered.

    While distracted by pleasant thoughts, they were stifled as he stepped towards the front door of the manor built in the massive tree. He stopped, noticing that the front door was open. It was a small detail, but one just odd enough to bring him to a halt.

    Seung stopped as well, ncing back at him, "What''s up? I''m gonna scarf your breakfast down if you don''t hurry."

    "The door¨Cwe closed it, right?" Finn asked.

    "Err, did we?" Seung recalled, scratching his head. "Maybe somebody just had to take a piss."

    Finn stayed hesitant, watching the door for a moment before a footstep made itself heard at the threshold. It earned the attention of Seung as well, who now seemed wary after the assassin''s reluctance.

    That slow, sinking step echoed as a silhouette emerged from the doorway, bringing Finn''s blood to run warm for a moment. Who walked out was the opposite of a threatening presence; the hunched, small old man that owned the tree house, stepping out with a wooden cane.

    "Ah, I was wondering where you two wandered off too," Gurmo said, adjusting his sses before coughing into his hand.

    "Damn, old man, you''re a sneaky one. Almost gave me a heart attack," Seung sighed, ruffling his golden tufts.

    Finn eased up, silently scolding himself for his unprompted paranoia, almostughing at the fact he was all tensed up for it just to be the elderly elf.

    "What''re you doing up this early?" Finn asked the old man.

    "Is it odd to simply spectate the beauty of nature?" Gurmo answered, standing there with a small smile.

    "Guess you have a point," Finn said.

    Seung let out a sigh, stretching his arms behind his head, "I can smell that breakfast from here. Thanks for the food, old man¨CI''m going to chow down."

    "Oh yes, do go ahead," Gurmo gestured for them to go ahead into the home.

    Finn followed beside Seung, stepping to the right of the old elf with the thought of a warm meal taking priority in his mind. As he took a single step past the elf, an odd sensation met the left side of his body; a red-hot warmth at his ear, along with a sensation of liquid running down his shoulder.

    "Ah¨C?" Finn let out.

    In that split-second, he nced over, though the reflexes in his body took over in that moment, prompting him to jump to the right. All he could notice in that fraction of a moment was Seung doing the same, jumping away from the old man with a stunned look on his face.

    ''What''s going on¨C? An enemy attack? Where? What happened?'' A dozen questions ran across his mind all at once.

    As he moved back, almost pressing against a neighboring tree, he looked around in confusion, feeling his left ear as it felt to be hanging on by a thread. Checking his hand for a moment, he found plentiful blood, both from his ear and a gash left in his arm.

    It was only then did the pain of the fresh cuts was felt, further cementing his panic, "Gurmo! Get in the house¨C! Something''s¨C"

    As he tried to warn the elderly elf, Seung shouted at him from across the walkway to the treehouse, "It''s him! The fucking old man is the one that cut us!"

    "What?!" Finn responded, not even registering the nonsensical im from the crusher.

    It was only then as he looked at the small, unassuming senior did he notice the weapon that was held in the bloodstained hand of the elf: a cleaver with a handle made of bone.

    ''That de¡­Why does he have it? How does he have it? That''s¡­'' Finn recognized.

    A sinisterugh expelled itself from the short elf''s mouth, presenting such a terrible smile that it tore the cheeks of the senior. Yet, even as the skin split, it looked like nothing more than a mask.

    "Who are you¨C? It can''t be you¨Cthere''s no way¡­" Finn questioned, holding his bleeding arm.

    He watched in the same shock as Seung as the old elf grabbed at his own face with both hands, gripping his wrinkly skin before suddenly pulling, tugging as if ripping off a band-aid.

    Rip and rip, it did; the face of Gurmo was torn away as his entire body shed away, giving way for broader shoulders, a taller, slender body that seemed impossible to fit in the small frame of the elven elder.

    "What the fuck¡­?" Seung mumbled in disbelief.

    Finn was left speechless at the person who emerged from the skin of Gurmo, merely wearing it as nothing more than a disguise; a wolf in sheep''s clothing.

    That wicked smile; messy, snow-white hair with eyes devoid of empathy¨Conly holding malice within those cold, ck irises.

    "It''s been awhile, Finn," the twisted figure greeted him with a smile, tossing the patches of the elf off his skin as though tossing a simple shirt away. "I missed you, you know. Did you miss me?"

 Chapter 123: Cosmic Sickness

    "Crow," Finn greeted in return, feeling his blood run both hot and cold in fluctuation, though that confusion soon bloomed into rage. "What did you do!? Did you¨C"

    "I didn''t get the delight of dining on your friends yet, don''t worry. A real shame¨Cyou arrived before I had the chance," Crow told him with a saddened tone before grinning again, nudging his foot against the shed skin. "I can''t say the same for the old man, though. It was my first time tasting "elf"--an exotic taste, really."

    Seung lookedpletely disgusted, "Who is this sick bastard?!"

    "An enemy¨C! He gains power through eating others!" Finn shouted.

    "Doesn''t matter if I smash his skull in, then? Good!" Seung yelled, bursting forth with golden light propelling him towards the hunter.

    There was something off about it as he found Crow simply remaining still as Seung approached, calling out, "Wait! Seung¨C!"

    With a single, unseen motion, the head of the crusher was removed from his shoulders. It left him frozen, seeing the powerful man felled in such a simple fashion, not even earning a step out of ce from the hunter.

    "Why''d you go and make me do that? How careless of you, Finn," Crow reprimanded him with a yful tone, wiping the blood from the cleaver.

    "You¨C" Finn said in a spiteful tone.

    As he met with those hollow irises, he charged right towards the sadistic man, seeking to end him right then and there¨C

    "Gah!"

    Finn gasped, opening his eyes as he found the hunter nowhere in front of him, instead looking across a table right at the person whose head he just witnessed be removed.

    "The hell''s up with you? Did you fall asleep while eating? Guess leveling up really tuckered you out," Seung said while feasting on a te of eggs.

    "Err¡­?" Finn confusedly let out, looking around, finding Charlotte seated to his right, and Jasper to his left, both who looked at him with concern. "The old man¡­Where¨C"

    Before he could even properly look around, he found his te being topped with a portion of eggs, given to him by the short, elderly figure that was barely tall enough to see the table.

    "Hoh, the manners of youth these days," Gurmo remarked.

    "Ah¨Csorry," Finn said, looking at the old man, though unable to shake the fresh memories of the elder figure being nothing more than shed skin.

    It left him entirely confused, still finding his heart thumping as if he was really in a life-or-death encounter, though only at a peaceful, morning breakfast.

    "What was I saying?" Finn asked, trying to y it off, though not even remembering sitting down to eat breakfast.

    "Are you okay, mate? You look like you''ve seen a ghost," Jasper asked with concern while splitting a muffin.

    Charlotte leaned towards him, holding up a napkin, "Finn, your nose¨Cyou''re bleeding again."

    "Ah¨C" He reacted before watching the girl of silken, blue hair press the cloth against his nose, wiping the blood away. "Thanks."

    While he assured the others he was fine, letting them all resume their morning meal, he still was left in shock. It seemed a few minutes had passed since returning with Seung, though he had no memory since standing outside the tree-house.

    ''Did I pass out for a moment? Was it dreamwalking again? No, I would''ve gotten a system prompt¨Cit was too different, anyway. Why would I dreamwalk into such a simr reality? Maybe I''m just tired¨CI haven''t been getting much sleeptely, anyway,'' he rationalized.

    Even if it was a nightmare, seeing the sadistic hunter again unsettled him, harming his appetite. The bacon and sausage on his te, the squelching the cooked meat made each time he prodded it with the fork, turned his stomach.

    "Not hungry, mate?" Jasper asked.

    "I don''t know how you can''t be, this food is great!" Nova said, sitting at the end of the table, almost assuredly kicking her legs happily while snacking on bacon.

    Read today on m,v,l,e,mpyr

    Finn shook his head lightly, "Not really. I''m not sure why¨C"

    "More for me, then!" Seung joyfully pounced on the free seconds, grabbing the sausage without any semnce of manners.

    "Go ahead," Finn let him with a smallugh, sitting up from the table. "I think I''m going to get some more rest."

    "Are you sure you''re alright, mate?" Jasper asked, looking up from his te.

    "Yeah. I just didn''t sleep wellst night," he said, assuring the others.

    Charlotte looked up at him with concern, "Don''t push yourself too hard, alright?"

    "I''m not," Finn said, waving off as he ascended the stairs from the dining area.

    The ambience of his friends chatting the floor below was aforting white noise for him as heid down on the bed in the middle of the room, more so letting himself flop down. Even the idea of sleeping¨Cafort natural to everybody¨Cwas something he was hesitant about.

    ''If I just end up "Dreamwalking" again, what''s the point? I can''t beat that Jabberwock creature¨CI''m just putting myself at risk. Still, what was that with Crow?'' He questioned whileying his head against the pillow.

    From what he gathered, everything after returning to the quarry happened, though there was a blur sometime between arriving and eating breakfast. Paired with the nosebleed he had, what he questioned was the stability of his own mind.

    ''I''m not losing it, am I? It feels like ever since I entered this world, my mind has just been¡­fractured,'' he considered.

    He sat up for a moment, looking around the sleeping quarters, even peering out of the window into the golden forest. Overthinking it all felt like it''d have the inverse effect. Even he knew that if this continued on, unable to trust his own mind nor find proper rest, he would eventually crash.

    As heid himself down with the chattering of the others just a floor below, his exhausted mind leant itself to sleep with little resistance.

    ''Don''t take me to that damn world¨Cjust give me something¡­peaceful,'' he repeated, hoping somehow whatever force at work would listen.

    Darkness settled in with the dormancy of consciousness; the sounds of hispanions talking bled into a simr ambience; incoherent chattering, everywhere and plentiful. It wasn''t as though he opened his eyes, though he now found himself in a different ce.

    On a streetside bench, overlooked by skyscrapers ying digital advertisements ranging from fast food to makeup products, he sat there with the murmurs of car engines passing and the busy streets being crossed by waves of people going about their way.

    ''I''m dreaming¡­? No,'' he thought, pinching himself.

    It wasn''t a shock to him now, though it was a wee change from the whimsical world of the tea-drinking hatter and the cmitous beast. There was a sense offort found in sitting there in a lively cityscape, untouched by the world''s end.

    "Your mind is all over the ce, isn''t it?"

    The question from the specific ent turned his gaze to his right, discovering that another sat on the bench right beside him; a familiar, yet nebulous sight¨Cthe man in grayscale, smoking from a cigarette.

    "You¡­" Finn said, ncing over before staring back at the busy street as a bus passed by. "Do you know what''s going on with me?"

    "The night, darker than all the ones before it, I''m sure you remember," the greyscale man reminded him.

    Finn was quiet for a moment, looking at the looming skyscraper, only partially observing the digital billboard that yed an ad for some action movie, "Yeah. Of course I do. I can''t forget that."

    "You encountered something that night¨Csomething that mankind isn''t supposed to make contact with¨Ca "Vorherrschend", or "Prime," The Evanescent man told him.

    "A vor¨Cwhat? Prime?" Finn asked.

    "Do you recall what it is that happened on that night? What you had met?" The Evanescent man questioned him without first answering.

    It wasn''t something he so casually wanted to recall, finding it as though an icepick struck his head when digging up the memories of the hellish night.

    "...Everything I experienced, it constantly shifted from hallucination to being real. None of it made sense," Finn answered hesitantly. "It made me experience things¨Cimpossible things. It killed me, over and over again."

    "Usually, when a person directly meets a Prime in the way you did, their mind just shatters. Like a ceramic bowl dropped to the floor¨Cbits and pieces that you can''t patch together with all the tape in the world," the nebulous man exined. "Those might be the lucky ones, honestly. Then there''s us."

    "Us?" Finn repeated, looking at the strange figure on the bench.

    The greyscale man leaned back on the verdant bench amidst the crowds of people with blurred faces passed by, "Witnessing a higher existence like a Prime opens your mind to a whole lot that couldn''t be seen before. It''s like being able to see a new color spectrum. That''s how you can see me."

    While most of the exnation sounded right to Finn, he still couldn''t wrap his head around one thing as he looked over at the "Evanescent Man."

 Chapter 124: Solo Quest

    "What about you? From how you talk, you encountered something before the First Impact. I thought all of this crazy stuff came from that," Finn asked.

    The strange man didn''t hold any emotion on his face, even more apparent when posed with the question, "There''s so much you just don''t understand yet."

    "That''s why I''m asking," Finn rified.

    "None of this started with what happened to your world. This is the way it''s all been since the beginning of time, and before that," the man told him, pushing the smoke out from between his lips.

    "My world¡­You said something like that when we first met. You said this was your world¨Cthis city we''re in. It''s the same," Finn pointed out, unable to recognize anything that was disyed on the billboards.

    "Don''t think too much about it. Just think of your world as a city, and mine as another¨Cnot too close, not too far from one another," the Evanescent exined.

    "But, what happened to you¨Chow did you be like this?" Finn questioned, though finding himself bing lightheaded.

    The greyscale man moved the cigarette from his lips with a quiet puff, "You''ve spent long enough here already. Before you wring your brain, get some rest."

    "Hold on, I still have questions¨C" Finn pressed.

    "Goodnight, Finn."

    Everything went ck before any further answers could be given to him. As he parted his eyelids, the warm feeling he felt as he found himselfying in bed was a dearly missed feeling: he had proper rest.

    Sitting up, he felt fine; not a headache or dizziness as he yawned, letting himself slip out of bed, though not finding any of his friends in the room.

    ''Don''t think too hard about it. That''s what he said, right? Maybe I''ll take that advice,'' he thought as he walked over to the window at the end of the room.

    Waking up in a different world was still a concept he wasn''t quite used to every time. As he turned around, he found footsteps ascending the stairs, entering the guest room.

    "Ah, you''re awake. I hope you found proper rest."

    It was the old elf that greeted him, holding a tray with a container of what smelled to be freshly brewed tea and a cup.

    "Yeah, I did. Thanks again for letting us stay here," Finn said, watching the elven elder pour a cup of tea.

    "Don''t mention it. I''m happy to lend my home to you all," Gurmo assured him, handing over the warm mug.

    While he felt he had drank more than enough tea for a year in recent times, he epted the cup before sitting down on the bedside chair, "Thanks."

    Sipping the beverage greeted his tongue with a more herbal, subdued vor; a wee change from the overly sweetened brew he had from the Hatter. Each sip brought a rejuvenating warmth to his body as he watched the old elf make the beds, straightening the disheveled sheets.

    "I hear your group vanquished Fafnir¡­I am also aware one of you was lost in the battle. You have my sincerest condolences," Gurmo said, ncing over with a solemn nod while tidying up.

    It wasn''t a topic he expected to be brought up as he fiddled with the cup while sitting there, looking down as he recalled that bitter experience.

    "Yeah," Finn nodded quietly. "Magnus didn''t make it."

    "It''s a miracle any of you made it out. An even greater miracle that you slew it," Gurmo told him, adjusting his round-rimmed sses before sitting on a chair across the room. "I mean that not to insult your strength, but you must understand Fafnir was a great gue on this world, at a time."

    "I can see why," Finn responded, taking another sip before leaning his chin against his hand, though choosing to listen to what the wizened elf had to say.

    "Oh, what you saw was merely the remnants of that foul beast. In its age, Fafnir rained fire upon kingdoms. It brought fear to the world of man. de nor arrow could even fathom its scales," Gurmo spoke with true fear in his voice, recalling the might of the dragon.

    "Did you experience it?" Finn asked.

    The small-statured elf nodded his head, tapping a leg against the root-built floorboards of the guest room, "I remember that day clearly still. I was just ad, watching as my vige was turned to a pit of fire. My kin screamed and cried, drowning in mes all while that beast loomed, unflinching as our magic did nothing but shine its hide."

    "How was it brought down? The creature we fought¨Cit was just a rotten mess," Finn asked.

    "The Storm King, Sirius¨Cthe only force in the entire world that could peel those scales were his lightning bolts," Gurmo recalled.

    "If this Storm King is that powerful, why didn''t he take Fafnir outpletely?" Finn asked, feeling contempt at the fact the beast was even there in the first ce.

    "I don''t think anybody knows for sure besides the King himself. Some say he wanted a guard dragon, some believe he was simply merciful to the beast," Gurmo said, getting back up as began waddling away. "All I can say is, I am thankful that dread is dead now. You have my thanks."

    "Yeah, sure," Finn said, watching the elf ascend the steps, likely leading to his own room. "Where are the others? Still here?"

    "Ah, they went out to hunt some nearby monsters at my request. I believe the youngdy is still downstairs, though," Gurmo informed him. "Speaking of which¡­May I request a favor?"

    "Sure," Finn said, seeing as the old man gave him a ce to stay and good food.

    The old elf leaned against the leaf-enveloped railing of the staircase, adjusting his sses, "Your friends went towards the north to deal with a pack of wolves that have been digging up my crops. Across the river just a short walk westway, something lurking in the cave has been stalking this forest¨Csomething particrly dreadful. It''s why I don''t venture out at night."

    "And you want me to deal with it? Do you know what it is?" Finn asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "I''m afraid not. I only got a look at it once, but it looked like a tall man with odd skin, smelling of blood and coal. The fiend took my livestock¡­" Gurmo regretfully recalled.

    Finn tightened his shoes and slid his gloves on with a quick exhale, "Alright, gramps. I''ll take a shot at it. I''m not dying for some sheep thief, though."

    "I wouldn''t ask you too. I doubt the mighty hero who slew Fafnir would fall to such a fiend, though," Gurmo told him with a smile.

    "Right," Finn brushed off the remark.

    It seemed as though he had missed a few hours, Finn realized as he decided to venture downward to the base of the abode, finding itpletely quiet. Stepping outside, the chirping of birds that perched themselves in the forest greeted him.

    A breath of fresh air immediately felt as though it rejuvenated him, taking himself down the westward path towards the river. He used his dagger to cut down any low-hanging vines or tall bushes that impeded his way, finding a massive centipede crawling on the tree to his right.

    Despite the uniquelyrge insects, he was delighted at the prospect of going on a simple excursion by himself, given time to think and go at his own pace.

    ''I guess I can''t be surprised the old man has some tasks for us. We did eat¡­way too much of his food, I almost feel bad,'' he thought, stepping over an ant hole.

    It was surprisingly warm in the forest at that hour, in fact, it became hot enough that he decided to take off his coat entirely. He simply relinquished it to his "inventory", feeling the air against his bare arms as he let out a sigh.

    ''That''s better,'' he thought.

    He pushed through a bundle of foliage while hearing a gentle flow of water. Stepping out the other side, he found himself at the edge of the flowing river, though it hardly seemed to be in motion.

    Clear enough to see the rocks at the floor, he knelt by the crisp water, dipping his hands in. It felt cold, but refreshing against his skin.

    As he dragged his fingers through the water, he noticed how callused his hands had be. Living a life mostly as a recluse, whether it was by studying or gaming, his sedentary lifestyle led to his skin being soft to the touch, like a baby''s own, though not anymore.

    ''Guess I shouldn''t be surprised,'' he thought, feeling the calluses that were as tough as stone. Explore uncharted tales at m-vlem|p-yr

    He dried off his hands on the legs of his pants as he stood up, looking for a clear way to cross the narrow river. A quick nce around found a row of rocks that seemed so perfectly to create a bridge that their cement couldn''t be natural.

 Chapter 125: Mysterious Friend

    He hopped onto the first of the stones, watching the water rush against it before jumping to the next one.

    "Hyup¨C" He let out before catching himself on one foot.

    For a moment, his bnce was tested halfway across the makeshift bridge, finding the flow of the river seeming to intensify now that he was midway through. As he moved to jump to the next one¨Cthe stone suddenly moved.

    "Wha¨C"

    The rushing, rampant water pushed it, knocking it out of its ce as he found himself stumbling just short of the other side of the river. He nned to throw his dagger, pulling his left hand to do so as his right stretched in front of him.

    Before he could toss his weapon, he found his outstretched hand grabbed, stopping his fall as he blinked a few times. It wasn''t until bncing himself did he notice there was somebody standing at the other side, catching his hand.

    There was a reassuring smile from the nameless man of magenta eyes and messy, ck hair, who gave him a smallugh, "Almost took a ssh there, didn''t you? Guess you''re lucky I was closeby."

    "...Ah? Thanks?" Finn questionably showed his gratitude.

    The stranger that pulled him safely to the other side of the forest was a pale man of princely features, dressed in a white-and-gray uniform that resembled something out of a twentieth-century military get-up.

    It was odd to Finn as he questioned his own senses, knowing he fully would''ve registered the presence of somebody if they were that close, yet the stranger had slipped right under his radar.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Unable to obtain information.]

    ''It failed¨Cweird,'' he thought, looking at the stranger.

    "What''s your name?" Finn asked, trying to fish for whatever information he could.

    "Ah¡­Let''s go with Corvus," the stranger gave him a name as if deciding it on the spot with a yful shrug.

    "That''s not your actual name, is it?" Finn questioned.

    Augh came from the strange, youthful man as his gray cape fluttered behind him, "You caught me. It''s not like I''m asking for your real name, either¨Cjust tell me what you want to be called."

    "Alright¡­then I''m Ren," Finn gave a different name on the spot.

    "Ren? Hold on, you said that so casually without missing a beat¨Cis that your actual name?" Corvus asked, putting his hand to his chin.

    "Who knows," Finn shrugged off. "Anyway¡­What''re you doing out here? If you''re looking for somewhere to stay, there''s a weing ce back across the river."

    It was odd to find another survivor randomly in the forest, though he couldn''t tell if the taller, peculiar man was lost or not.

    Corvus yed with a low-hanging branch that stretched nearly to the river''s edge, "I''m just scoping things out, y''know? What about you? Seems like you were trying to take a swim a minute ago."

    "Actually, I''m looking for a cave somewhere this way¨Cit''s got some real nasty fiends lurking, from what I''ve heard," Finn admitted, pointing past the uniform-wearing man in the direction he meant to go.

    Corvus looked back in the direction pointed out, "Hmm¡­Well, I''ll tag along then."

    "Wait, what?" Finn questioned.

    The yful man stood himself right beside the assassin, as if waiting for him to lead the way, "I''ve got nothing better to do for the moment! Besides, an extra pair of hands is never a bad thing against fiends, right?"

    "I guess I can''t argue there," Finn epted.

    What turned into a quiet quest was now one apanied by the strange man, though Finn didn''t mind all too much. At the very least, "Corvus" seemed friendly, if not a bit entric. As there wasn''t exactly a trail to follow, one was made as Finn walked through the tall foliage of the forest.

    He remained wary of the man as he walked with him, looking over, "What''s your ss?"

    "ss? Oh, I''m a Hero!" Corvus answered, pointing to himself proudly.

    "Hero? Never heard of that one," Finn mumbled.

    An eye was kept on the mysterious man, not knowing if he was somebody that was going to stick around long term, or if he even wanted that. There was still too much off about Corvus; his sudden appearance and casual nature just didn''t sit right with the cautious assassin.

    "Hey, what¡ª" Finn began to ask.

    The question was promptly cut off as Corvus pointed ahead once parting a bush, "Oh, up ahead! That cave looks pretty menacing."

    As pointed out, the entrance to a cavern was visible through a veil of golden bushes. It was a bit surprising to find it so soon, though he wasn''tining.

    "Yeah, that''s probably it. I doubt there''s a whole lot of ominous caves around here," Finn remarked, approaching the front.

    As he stood at the entrance, cing his hand on the rocky threshold, a howl of wind came from within. It made the hairs on his arm stand, looking into the lightlessir.

    "Pretty dark, isn''t it? I can create some light, if you need it," Corvus offered, peering in while cing his hand over his brow as if that''d help him see.

    "No, I''ve got it," Finn said, snapping his fingers.

    ["Lesser Wisp"]

    The floating, sentient ball of light hovered above his hand before he gently guided it to float ahead.

    Corvus whistled, waltzing in behind the moving source of light, "That''s pretty convenient."

    "Hey, keep it down¡ªwe don''t know what''s in here," Finn said in a harsh whisper.

    "Right, right, my bad," Corvus apologized tongue-in-cheek.

    There wasn''t much to be discovered yet, only finding the rocky passageway leading deeper into the lightless cavern. All he could hear, besides the footsteps of the unlikelypanion behind him, were periodic echoes that came from further ahead.

    "What''re you looking for here again?" Corvus asked before lowering his voice after a sharp nce from Finn. "Oh¡ªright, being quiet now.

    "All I know is that it''s been scaring the old man living in the forest. He''s been hospitable, so the least I can do is give him some peace of mind," Finn whispered.

    Corvus was quiet for a moment, walking with little fear as though it was a casual expedition, "I see. You''re a thoughtful guy, aren''t you?"

    "Not really," Finn brushed off.

    As the glow of the wisp was followed, the monotonous walk into the depths was intercepted as he felt his foot kick against something.

    Continue your adventure on m-vl-em-py-r

    It rattled, bouncing off the bumpy ground as he looked at what his boot had hit. What swayed on the floor was a skull, though chipped as though a bite was taken out of it.

    "Dammit," Finn mumbled.

    "That''s a bad sign, for sure. Looks human to me¡ªthe skull, I mean," Corvus rified, kneeling down to investigate.

    Finn watched the peculiar man lift the half-broken skull to inspect it closer, "What? Were you some sort of detective before all of this?"

    The skull was carefully ced back down as Corvus straightened himself out, "Common knowledge for anybody who''s seen their way around."

    "Yeah, fair enough," Finn said.

    A slight slope led to a descent in the cave, with the wisp granting shine to the area thatid ahead. The dull, gray stone before blended into chalky, blood-red rock.

    Puddles sat in the dips of the ground, though not of water, but repugnant blood.

    "Phew¡­That''s certainly a smell," Corvus brushed his hand in front of his nose.

    "What kind of cave even is this? Something like this is in the forest?" Finn questioned, looking around.

    It felt as though the slope led to an entirely different cavern, as the scarlet walls were filled with holes ranging from small to entire passageways. The scope of it was the size of a football field, at least in that one area, littered with bones ranging from those of small animals,rge beasts, to human.

    "I can tell you what''s living here," Corvus said. "You''re bleeding, by the way."

    "I am? Dammit,," Finn mumbled, though hardly surprised, ncing over at the uniform-wearing, princely man as he wiped his nose, finding it leaking again.

    "In cases like this, I think it''d be better to learn firsthand¨Cit''sing," Corvus warned, looking ahead with a carefree expression.

    A vibration emitted against the ground, bringing Finn to call upon his daggers as he looked around for whatever that lurked in the scarlet cave toe. The puddles of dormant blood rippled, none more than the pool of it in the middle of the chamber, seeming to possess an unseen bottom.

    What erupted from the chasm of blood somewhat resembled the shape of a man, though it was far from human; it crawled out with circr fingertips that suctioned onto the stone.

    Its body was made up of muscle, segmented with dark-gray, ringed tissue that seemed to absorb the blood it rose out of as it picked itself up.

    Like a whisper spoken through nightly woods, a foul voice left through the mouth made of folds on the eyeless face of the humanoid entity, "I smell it¨Cyour blood. Those who enter my abode¡­relinquish the blood in their body."

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "Ebi, Minor Deity of Leeches"]

    [Level: 40]

    "Is everything in this damn world a boss? Give me a break," Finn mumbled, keeping his daggers ready.

 Chapter 126: The Bloodsucker

    "Is everything in this damn world a boss? Give me a break," Finn mumbled, keeping his daggers ready.

    "Well, have fun¨Cthis one is all yours," Corvus saluted, taking a step back.

    "Hold on, what do you mean¨C?"

    As Finn tried to look back to question what Corvus meant, he felt his blood run cold as he was immediately met face-to-face with the freakish being. Even hunching over, the minor god was taller than him, with an odd, stocky build with thin limbs and a stocky abdomen.

    It felt as though his veins swelled as the blood flowing through them vibrated within the presence of the minor deity.

    ["Hollow Disengage"] [4:59]

    Out of pure reflex, he activated the ability as he was automatically pulled back several meters, sinking into the shadows. Even as he blended into the unseen, he could see that the leech god still looked towards him with its absence of eyes.

    ''Can it see me¨C?'' He questioned.

    It lunged right towards him, bringing him to jump to the side just as its palm struck the wall behind him. A strange impact struck the stone, causing it to crack in perfect rings just from the gray fleshed being''s hand.

    "I can smell it¡­your blood¨Cit''s jumping in joy to join me," the nebulous deity said with a breathy voice, slumping his shoulders before turning to face the assassin.

    Finn emerged from the shadows, finding them to be useless against his opponent. A quick nce over, he found Corvus simply standing at the other end of the cave, keeping his distance while keeping him a thumbs-up as if reassuring him.

    There was only a single moment of freedom as he discovered the leech deity already right in front of him, engulfing his vision in the palm of that slimy, slick hand. As its suction fingers neared his skin by mere inches, he looked past the hand¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He passed by, dragging his dagger through its side as he felt its grotesque flesh be sliced into. As he caught his footing, spinning himself around to see the true damage of the sh, he was immediately confronted by the entity again.

    It was reaching for his body again, lunging towards him as though the edge of his dagger had done nothing to it.

    "Relinquish it¨Cyour blood,'' the nebulous figure demanded with a monotone whisper.

    With how close it was, he decided to counter rather than evade, finding that its arm was a viable target as he brought his des right through the segmented limb.

    ["Greater Gale Blessing"] [4:59]

    ["Deadly irvoyance"] [0:29]

    The unison of skills brought him greater swiftness and shing effectiveness, while foreseeing the exact moment needed to take action. It was a space of milliseconds, ducking himself down and slipping by as he brought his wind-coated daggers up swiftly.

    SQUELCH

    Using the wind like a de itself, he carved right through the being''s arm, amputating it from the elbow right as the grotesque figure stumbled past. As he looked down at his daggers briefly, he found that they werepletely spotless of blood; there wasn''t a single drop to be seen.

    It was odd, though he didn''t question it as he turned to face the one he had taken an arm off of. Peculiarly enough, the deity of leeches stood there without any sense of panic, simply lifting the stub left of its arm as not a speck of blood dripped from the wound.

    ''It''s not bleeding?'' Finn watched.

    "You want to im my blood?...What right do you have? It''s mine¨Call blood is mine," the harrowing deity imed.

    The amputated arm the leech-humanoid held up swelled and flexed as all of the muscles tightened in unison before it sprouted. Like dough being stretched and extended, the flesh pushed out the lost arm, returning the limb without much hindrance from Ebi.

    ''What the¨C? It brought its arm back? The sh on its side from before¡­it''s not there. This thing can regenerate¨Chow do I put it down? Its head? Maybe, maybe not.

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    This is a deity of some degree I''m dealing with¨Cas gross as it is, it''s divine in some capacity,'' Finn analyzed the grotesque existence.

    It was beginning to be suffocating in the scarlet cavern; the pools of blood fermented with a putrid smell that made him light-headed. He felt again that this would all be a hundred times easier if the man who came with him decided to stop spectating. A quick nce back again found Corvus still casually watching, this time giving him an "O-K" sign.

    For the moment, he needed more information at least, pushing his hand in front of himself as he gave way for another:

    ["Summon: Lost Goblin"] [Mana: -300] [2500/2800] [2:59]

    From a puddle of shadows on the cavern surface, the ravenous fiend emerged to fight for him, not wasting a moment to lunge itself at the minor deity. He didn''t expect it to do any damage, though wanting it to at least serve in showing him what Ebi had up its sleeve.

    Corvus finally spoke up from the back, "I wouldn''t have done that."

    "What do you mean?--" Finn asked in haste.

    As he attempted to look over at the spectating man, he stopped himself as he watched the wild goblin''s rabid lunge be intercepted as it was caught by the throat in Ebi''s grip. A disgusting sound, like that of liquid being suctioned through a straw echoed through the blood-stenched cave of the leech deity.

    The goblin''s erratic movements while held by its neck stopped within a couple seconds; itsplexion became pale as its limbs shriveled and its skin became like that of a raisin. Finn watched it go from a living, chaotic creature to nothing more than empty skin around bones before being discarded like rubbish by the god of leeches.

    "Foul blood¡­A horrible taste, I must wash it away," Ebi spoke as its limbs twitched and swelled momentarily as if its entire body took a taste of the goblin''s essence. "...Still, it will do."

    The physique of the leech deity looked much more filled out, as though he had be a bodybuilder after drinking upon the goblin''s fluids of life.

    ''Shit¨Cit drank it dry. So, that''s why it kept reaching for me¡­I can''t let myself get touched even for a moment then,'' he observed.

    As he considered his n of action, he was forced to begin moving as the minor deity dashed towards him like a feral predator. Each step it took squelched against the scarlet stone, every breath it expelled filling the chamber with the stench of copper.

    He was kept on the backfoot as the entity continuously grabbed at him, attempting to ce its fingers that held suctions like an octopus against his skin. As he moved back, he found its leg sweeping at his own, bringing him to quickly hop up to avoid any contact with it.

    "Got you," the foul face emitted against him from beneath its ps of muscle.

    In that brief moment caught before cing his feet back down from the short jump, he could smell the mmy palm of the minor deity as it closed in on his face¨C

    From his fingertips, he flicked his dagger right past the shoulder of the blood glutton:

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2400/2800]

    Only for a fraction of a second he felt its sticky flesh make contact with his face before reappearing at its back. With it leftpletely exposed at that moment, he stabbed his dagger straight into its skull¨Cat least, he assumed it had one. The sensation that met his weapon was squishy, as though there were no bones within its head.

    He quickly pulled back just as it spun around, attempting to ce its fingers on him. Again, the wound seemed to do nothing to it as the eyeless leech-man faced him.

    ''What the hell do I do? Is it unkible? No, nothing is¨Cthat''s not it. There has to be some kind of weakness,'' he considered.

    At the very least, swiping at it with daggers hardly seemed to be effective. All the while he considered how to bring down the eerie entity, he couldn''t help but feel annoyed that Corvus decided to watch.

    He ignored his contempt for the moment as heid out what he had analyzed thus far from the lesser deity.

    ''While a single touch might be enough to incapacitate me, it''s not like it''s a problem to avoid it. There''s a bit of speed, but it''s incredibly predictable¨Clike a starving beast just looking for its next meal. I can use that,'' Finn nned, looking at the eerie leech-man across the chamber.

    As it began to approach again, he stood his ground, instead cupping one hand while waiting for it to draw closer.

    ["Web Sphere"] [1:59]

    The orb made of adhesive material was thrown right when Ebi moved towards him, catching the bloodsucking deity off-guard. As it made contact, the spider-formed orb exploded into a trap of webs, binding the leech for the moment.

    "This is¡­?" Ebi questioned.

    Corvus leaned casually against the back wall of the cavern with his arms folded over his chest, watching with a smile, "Good one. You caught onto that half-brained deity''sck of, well, any higher thinking."

    "No thanks to you," Finn responded while hearing the man''s remarks from behind.

 Chapter 127: Deity Assimilation

    While the eerie figure was bound, Finn didn''t approach it, instead sucking in a breath as he called upon a skill he seldom experienced. It created a great hit in his stomach, moving up to his throat with a bright-orange glow before he opened his mouth¨C

    ["Fire Spit"] [Mana: -200] [2200/2800]

    What released was an expulsion of red-hot fire like that of a loogie spat by a dragon, crossing the blood-stained cave before colliding with the web-bound leech into a blooming array of fire.

    "Pyuh¡­" Finn coughed, caressing his throat as it felt as though he momentarily threw up a burning coal.

    Sticking out his tongue briefly, embers dripped off as he coughed, though they didn''t burn his mouth. It was an odd feeling, pushing smoke from his throat, though not finding himself burned.

    ''That one is unpleasant¡­It sounds like it was effective, at least,'' he thought, looking ahead.

    Amidst the bundle of ckened smoke, the sizzling was intertwined with a hissing sound as though air was escaping whatever was being cooked by the heat.

    "I need¡­nourishment. I need to rebuild¨CI need to eat."

    The foul voice echoed off the walls like an assembly of whispers, spoken as a malediction as though an invocation to incite dark magic.

    Again, that sensation was felt in his veins, as though his blood was being riled up within him by the words of the minor deity.

    "Relinquish your blood," the leech deity demanded, only its silhouette seen within the smoke.

    It made his temperature fluctuate from cold to a fever, heightening his breathing as sweat left his pores. Amand given to the liquid in his body; it boiled in his veins.

    Tu-tump. Tu-tump. Tu-tump.

    In his chest, he could feel his heart swelling in rapidity.

    "Relinquish it¡­That blood in your veins; the formless essence of all life. I shall give it a ce in my flesh," the harrowingmands of the leech deity continued.

    It was spoken right to his face as he watched the freakish figure emerge from the smoke like a snake from tall grass.

    He jumped back, though immediately feeling his chest tighten, "Ngh¡ª!"

    Tu-tump. Tu-tump. Tu-tump.

    In his ears, he could hear his heart racing with such intensity that it felt like it may pop like a crushed cherry.

    As he moved with attempted swiftness to avoid the relentless blood-pursuer, he found his movements bing sluggish as his body heated up further and tightened. Finn slid back, barely moving his body to the side as a swipe came from the ominous hands of the minor deity.

    "Cover your ears!" Corvus warned at the back of the cavern.

    In that moment, while the advice was taken, Finn found himself again questioning why he was left alone to fight something so dangerous. Was it that Corvus was simply too weak, or perhaps too frightened by the entity to face it¨Cno, that didn''t seem right.

    "Relinquish your blood."

    Again, as themand poured from the lips of the cave-dwelling deity, he promptly covered his ears with both hands. In that exact moment, he watched the gray-fleshed being sprint across the room right at him, reaching for his stomach in a swift motion.

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    ["Phantom Flow"]

    He slid back on the moving shadows before the fingers could reach his abdomen. It was quickly apparent that shielding his ears was a tactic that wouldn''t help¨Cit would do theplete opposite.

    ''I''m just leaving myself open that way, I won''t get anywhere like this¨Cbut if I don''t, the blood in my body is going to rupture. There is a way¡­'' He realized as he ced distance between himself and the ravenous deity.

    A deep breath was taken, filling his lungs before he exhaled, lifting both of his hands as he pointed his index fingers right at the canals of his ears.

    ''I can heal if I win¨Cso just do it,'' he urged himself.

    There was no time to think, no chance to consider what he may feel from this course of action.

    The only choice was to follow through¨C

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    With a single motion, he drove both fingers into his own ears, piercing right through with nothing held back. There was immediately a sharp pain that resonated through his skull, followed by a loss of bnce as he stumbled a bit.

    He could feel fluid dripping from his ears, leaking onto the shoulders of his ck coat as he looked ahead. The folds of the leech deity could be seen moving as if it spoke to him while carefully approaching, yet he heard no words.

    Only ringing; an intense ring ceaselessly yed within his head. It took a moment to settle his footing, fighting past the sense of imbnce as his equilibrium was surely skewered. Just as he did, he found the being of ringed flesh leaping at him feet first.

    He flipped out of the way,nding with a slight uneasiness, though catching himself as he felt the stone rumbling from the impact of the deity''s soles mming down. All he could hear was the ringing, though he could tell it was quite the loud impact.

    ''That''s better,'' he surprisingly thought.

    The pain was easily ignored, as he had felt worse. It was a somewhat enlightening experience; losing his hearing took that sense out of the equation, leaving him only to focus on seeing and feeling the hostile that came at him.

    As the relentless swipes came from the bloodsucking deity, he weaved through them with ease as his sense of sight felt empowered with the loss of hearing. Amidst his evasive maneuvers, he countered with quick shes against its body.

    Each time he eviscerated it, he watched its grotesque flesh close itself as quickly as the wound was made. It was clear physical strikes would be close to useless against it, though he noticed something when caught up close and evading it:

    Its gray, ringed flesh was heavily burnt on its chest, as though it attempted to heal the damage taken from the earlier mes, though failed topletely recover.

    ''Fire it is, then,'' he decided.

    With a n in mind to bring down the blood-sucking deity, he quickly knocked his stygian wristguards together while ducking beneath a swipe. Even with his ears decimated, the "ring" that emitted from the collision of his equipment was heard loud and clear through the marrow of his bones.

    ["Reaper Time activated."] [4:59]

    The foul hand swept upward as though intending to suction to his chin, leaving him lean back before spinning around and instead closing the distance again. Any sense of imbnce that came with his destroyed eardrums was thrown away when in ["Reaper Time"], finding all other senses heightened to an astronomical degree.

    ["Magnificent de"] [Mana: -600] [1600/2800] [2:59]

    Each dagger was engulfed in a shroud of the colorful unison of fire and lightning as he brought himself close enough to smell the putrid, blood-stenched body of the lesser deity. In a movement of his arms too quick to be perceived, he crossed an "X" with his daggers across the being''s chest, leaving a trail of silver mes and golden sparks.

    "--Replication."

    Before the elemental infusion could leave the grace of his des, he spurred the skill to return once more, connecting into a secondary attack while the leech deity was still writhing from the first.

    He flipped up, spinning himself around with unseen agility even for himself; all of the movements seemed to be spurred on by a killing creativity, onset by the reaper mindset. As hended behind the leech deity, he brought both des across its back with a roar of elemental impact.

    The radiant shine of the golden sparks intertwined with the glow of the tinum ze engulfed the lesser deity like a fantastical firework. He couldn''t hear the screams it unleashed against his ringing ears, though the way it writhed as the unison of elements tore it apart was seen clearly.

    ["Ebi, Minor Deity of Leeches defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x7500 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +50000]

    [Level thirty-five reached!] [36010/70000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Ebi, Minor Deity of Leeches defeated"]: "Unbleeding"]

    As the level-up went into effect, the ringing in his ears was suddenly reced by sound once again, first hearing his own breaths pass between his lips. He stood there for a moment, finding that a shrieking sound came from the burning body of the lesser deity that had copsed onto the ground.

    It sounded like a tea kettle as steam escaped, rising into a grating noise.

    Before he could even celebrate, he found a hand befalling his shoulder, bringing him to nce over to find the man of magenta irises stepping past him.

    "Thanks for the help," Finn sarcastically said.

    Corvus smiled, cracking his knuckles as he looked ahead at the writhing body of the leech deity, "You did good. The thing is, that creepy guy isn''t dead yet."

    "What? How?" Finn asked, left confused by the assumption.

    It didn''t process in his mind until then that the body of the lesser deity was still moving, though he thought it was simply the dying spasms of its abnormal form before. What were convulsions from the leech god turned to full thrashes as the body managed to slip itself into the pool of blood at the chamber''s center.

    There was an excited smirk from Corvus as he stepped ahead, "When you''re fighting a god, even a bottom feeder like this one, just one death won''t do it¨Cyou need to kill them twice."

 Chapter 128: Who Rules The World

    There was an excited smirk from Corvus as he stepped ahead, "When you''re fighting a god, even a bottomfeeder like this one, just one death won''t do it¨Cyou need to kill them twice."

    An intense tremor took hold of the cavern, bringing Finn''s focus towards the pool of liquid that the leech dove itself into. Like a drum being beat, the ground roared as the pit of blood rippled¡ª

    ''Something''s rising from below..?'' Finn recognized the sensation at his boots.

    The tremors increased as he witnessed a massive form emerge from the pool of blood. It rose with such grand scale, spurring the pools of crimson to ripple.

    Finn looked on, witnessing what now upied the cavern; a colossal blob of ckened muscle, presenting a maw filled with dozens of razor-sharp teeth.

    "There he is," Corvus remarked with a carefree smile as his hair and cape fluttered, unflinching at the risen entity.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "God of Leeches"]

    [Level: 50]

    A vibration emitted from the maw of the godly monster, screeching against the cavern walls. The sound invaded his skull like a parasite, feeling as though it bounced off the inside of his brain.

    "Aegh¡­!" Finn winced, clutching his head. "What the hell¡­is that noise?!"

    Looking over while he himself was brought down his knees, exuding sweat and leaking blood from his nose and ears, the peculiar man looked unfazed by the sound.

    "Just hang tight for a few seconds," Corvus said, approaching the leech god. "I''ve got this one handled."

    It was hard to even see as the blood vessels in his eyes werepromised, as if being squeezed by tiny hands.

    [//Relinquish your blood. Join the boundless flesh on a voyage of consumption. Relinquish your blood.//]

    The harrowing voice prated his head with a fluctuation of high and low tones, keeping him to his knees. It was hard for him to even see just what it was that Corvus was up to, only seeing a sh of magenta energy in front of his bloodshot eyes.

    ''He''spletely unaffected by that damn voice¡­Just who is this guy?'' Finn questioned, clutching his ears as he sat on his knees, hoping for the leech god''s call to end.

    Amidst his painstaking experience, drooling as the godly persuasion pierced his mind, coaxing the blood from his orifices, a gentle voice spoke through it.

    "Just listen to my voice, Finn. I''ve got you. I''m here right now, so don''t worry about a thing."

    It was like that of an angel, gifted down by a golden light upon his ears like a bed of feathers. Just like that, the grating voice of the leech god left him as his eyes cleared up, finding himself looking at the back of Corvus.

    There was something different about the youthful man in front of him; the voice he heard was unlike anything he would''ve expected from the entric, if not immature person.

    Around the arms of Corvus, sparks of a bright shade that crossed between pink-and-purple coiled as he faced down the awakened monstrosity. Against the monumental creature, such meager sparks seemed like they''d be nothing more than a light irritant, though something about it felt different. Thank you for reading on m v le_mpyr

    ''Lightning¡­? That shade,'' Finn watched, wiping the blood from his face as he sat on his knees, still recovering from the ringing voice.

    As the cavern rumbled and quaked at the presence of the God of Leeches, Corvus raised his hand, extending a de forged of magenta lightning from his fingertips to the roof of the deity''s abode. It matched the heights reached by the monstrosity before the man wielding the de of the fulminating element pulled it down.

    Like a sword forged from an unruly storm, the extended stretch of lightning was shed downward, cleaving straight through the blood-manipting deity. Down the middle, the electric de bisected the blob of a deity, bringing a downpour of blood into the chamber.

    "--That''s how you put down a god," Corvus remarked, dismissing the sparks from his hand as he turned back with a triumphant, yet calm smile.

    ["God of Leeches."] ["Anarch Coin x10000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +125000]

    [Level thirty-seven reached!] [16100/80000]

    [Assimted ability from ["God of Leeches"]: "Transfusion"]

    Seeing the colossal creature effortlessly split down the middle, leaving two hanging masses of flesh, left Finn at a loss for words. He carefully picked himself up, looking at the skills he unlocked with the abundance of experience obtained from that which he did not kill.

    More than the in monster, he was focused on the man who had brought it down, watching as Corvus casually brushed the sparks off his gloves before slipping his hands into his pockets.

    He tried it again, squinting his eyes to obtain the information he sought¨C

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [LORD Identified: "The Storm King, Sirius"]

    [Level: 100]

    What the system disyed to him brought him to blink a few times, having trouble matching what was being shown to him and who the information belonged to.

    It took a moment as he watched the kind-mannered man brush himself off, though Finn epted it, carefully raising his daggers as he readied himself to fight again. The difference in designated levels was astronomical, to say the least, a mere flea staring down a natural disaster.

    He could feel that difference now; a suffocating gap in power that materialized itself through a tangible thinness in the air he breathed.

    "Lower your weapons, please," Sirius requested without yet turning around.

    "You''re the one we have to kill¡ªthat''s right, isn''t it?" Finn asked, notplying in setting his des down.

    "You won''t get it done right here, I''ll tell you that right now," Sirius warned him calmly.

    Blood continued to rain down from the split corpse of the gluttonous god in the chamber''s center, like a grotesque fountain.

    Finn kept his daggers raised, not moving his gaze from the man he now found to be his enemy above all others. He set his gaze on the neck of the once unassuming man. Even if such a degree of power and status was wielded by Sirius, a well-timed strike at his throat would be lethal¡ªthat''s what Finn felt.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    In that instant, between moments far too small to perceive, he found himself not reaching the destination he set for his dagger.

    Before he could even get within striking range with the warp, he found himself pushed back by a faster force.

    The air was knocked out of his lungs as he found himself traveling backwards instead of forward, barely catching himself on his feet.

    As hended, he looked down for a moment, questioning what exactly had just happened.

    ''I intended to warp right by him to sh his neck. Did he react to it? No¡ªhe countered even faster,'' he realized.

    It took him a moment to guide his lungs back into functioning properly, resorting to hitting his own chest. He looked ahead, seeing that Sirius remained in the same spot with a calm demeanor without pursuing him.

    "Calm down, Finn. You''re not going to get the result you want here," Sirius requested once more.

    Even though his system designated the man before him as his enemy, he felt no animositying from him. In fact, all he could gather from those magenta eyes was a distinct kindness. It didn''t change what he knew¨Cthat the one in front of him was the obstacle that needed to be ovee.

    "I have to try, don''t I? This world is messed up¡ªevery day we stay here, there''s a chance another person I care about will die," Finn contested.

    "You''re free to keep trying. All I''ll say is that if you keeping at me, I''ll have to respond with equal force," Sirius warned.

    There was immense pressure felt from those words, as if spoken with raw strength, enough to make his own body question if confronting the man was the proper course of action.

    "I¨C" Finn hesitated.

    Before his eyes, the figure vanished before he felt a hand against his shoulder. It took a moment for him to react, finding the trace sparks of magenta electricity in the air as the man casually moved right past him.

    "Why''d youe here? Why''re you even here?" Finn asked, turning around to face the perplexing figure.

    "That''s a good question," Sirius responded, slipping his hands into his pockets in thought. "I guess I wanted to see what kind of people wereing into my world. If they were vile enough to send to the storm with a wave of my hand."

    "And?" Finn asked further, not yet ucing even a single finger around the handle of his daggers.

    "You''re no different than the people of this world. At least, the people who once upied it," Sirius admitted with a small smileced with a regretful outlook. "It''s a terrible predicament, isn''t it? If you want to return to your world, mine has to perish."

    "That''s just the way things are. There''s no changing it," Finn said, keeping himself ready at any moment, even if it felt futile if the man of divine strength considered him a threat.

    "You might be right. The choice must be easy for you, right?" Sirius asked.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 129: Bitter Truth

    "You might be right. The choice must be easy for you, right?" Sirius asked.

    "--" Finn didn''t respond, not quite knowing what the man meant, though not liking what it suggested.

    Sirius continued with a small smile, bringing his thumb and index finger together before¨C

    Snap.

    As that sound met Finn''s ears, he found the scenery of the crimson cavern reced by a luscious garden of colorful flowers, blooming with life.

    "Huh?--" Finn let out, perplexed at the sudden transportation as he looked around.

    Above him, the sky was a reverse field of flowers,pletely engulfing him in the scenic majesty of nature before he looked ahead at the man who seemingly brought them both there.

    "What I mean is, the choice between your world and this one must not be that much of a struggle. After all, you see this ce as one on the brink of fading away as it is," Sirius pointed out, holding his hand out as a stray dandelion gliding in the windnded on his palm. "You''re not wrong, but there''s still beauty left."

    There was something surprising about the attitude of the "Storm King", a title that Finn believed belonged to a mindless brute, though he found theplete opposite standing across from him in the serene field of flowers.

    "You seem aware of what''s going on¡­Can I ask why you''re holding on so tightly? There''s barely anybody left in this world, from what I''ve seen. What are you protecting anymore?" Finn asked sincerely.

    "Isn''t that what you''re doing?" Sirius said.

    "Well¡­" Finn thought about it.

    "There''s still things worth protecting¨Ceven if I might be thest person still standing, it''s my duty to preserve the memories of this world. The legends, heroes and viins, cities, wars, victories, people¨Call of it," Sirius told him, letting the dandelion crumble away by a passing breeze. "Once this world is gone, so are those memories. That''s what I''m protecting, Finn."

    Hearing it from the man meant to be his enemy, the meaning of those words were conflicted within him. He wanted a reason to hate him, to despise the one he had no choice but to kill, but he was given the opposite of what he asked for.

    "Why''re you telling me this? You know what has to be done¨C" Finn asked.

    "I''m giving you an option. If you want, you can live in this world. I''ll personally see that you and all of yourpanions are given royal chambers and protection. You wouldn''t have to fight anymore," Sirius offered. "Neither this world nor yours are stable; both are fleeting."

    Amidst that serene field of flowers, it didn''t seem like a bad offer; that world did have qualities of its own. Even so, Finn already had an answer in his heart, meeting the ruler of the First Order eye-to-eye.

    "I can''t do that," Finn answered.

    Sirius'' soft smile stayed as he nodded his head, "Yeah, I expected that answer. I wanted to avoid fighting if I could. I guess that was naive of me¨Cthat''s the way things always are, aren''t they?"

    Hearing the words of the man who seemingly wanted peace, there weren''t any words Finn could find, as he felt conflicted about the ordeal. He knew what needed to be done, even if it was impossible at the moment.

    "I''ll be waiting at the castle, then. I''d suggest training yourself up a whole lot more, by the way¨Cif you tried to fight me at this moment, you''d end up in a grave in the blink of an eye," Sirius advised him with a yful smile, bringing his thumb and index finger together again.

    Snap.

    Once more, with the distinct sound meeting his ears, the scenery around him shifted in a mere instant. From the majestic garden, he found himself standing back in the forest of golden trees, standing in front of the abode of Gurmo.

    ''I''m back,'' Finn thought, partially still confused.

    It took a moment for him to gather himself, looking around as he expected the benevolent king of the world to still be there, though he only found himself greeted by a familiar presence walking out of the tree-home.

    "Finn?" The concerned voice of Charlotte called his name with a look of worry printed on her face. "You''re alright? You''re not hurt are you? Gurmo told us about the quest he sent you on¨Che shouldn''t have sent you alone."

    "I''m fine," Finn assured her, wearing a small smile. "What about you? Heard you all went to take care of some wolves."

    "Yeah, it went fine¨Cwell, Seung sort of did most of it himself," Charlotte exined with an exhale.

    "He tends to do that," Finn said.

    As he entered the abode of the old elf, greeted by the scent of natural candles that smelled of maple, he found hispanions settled in, chit-chatting about unimportant topics. It was all noise to him, as his mind was left hyper-fixated on what he experienced¨Cwhat he had learned.

    He sat in thought on the first floor, taking up on a worn sofa set between two shelves.

    "Is something the matter, mate?"

    Amidst his thinking, he didn''t realize that Jasper was standing right in front of him with a concerned tone. The helmet of the knight was repaired, which meant of course he didn''t part from it for a single moment once again.

    Charlotte was in the room as well, looking over with the same question on her mind, no doubt.

    "I met somebody when I was out there," Finn admitted.

    "Somebody? Who? Someone from here or our world?" Jasper asked.

    "At first, I thought it was another survivor. In actuality, it was him¨Cthe person we''re here to kill," Finn truthfully informed them.

    Charlotte came closer with a curious look, sitting down beside him on the worn sofa, "That person¡­Do you mean the Storm King?"

    "Yeah," Finn confirmed with a quiet nod.

    "Wait, hold on¨Care you sure, mate? Isn''t the Storm King, like, the ultra-super boss of this world?" Jasper asked for rification, standing in front of him with his hands held out.

    The conversation seemed to reach unintentionally far as a certain golden-haired figure came barreling down the stairs as though his name was called.

    Seung practically crashed down, leaping from the railings as hended, not wasting a moment to question him, "You''re saying you met the Storm King? You didn''t kill him?!"

    "It''s not from ack of trying," Finn assured the hot-headed man.

    "Without a scratch on you? You pussied out, just tell the truth," Seung pressed further, waving his hand.

    "Knock it off, mate¡ª!" Jasper sharply told the brawler.

    The noise brought Nova down to the first floor as well, seeming to draw a bit too muchmotion for a nice afternoon. It was thest thing he felt like engaging in after what he experienced.

    "I''m just saying¨Cif I had the boss-of-all-bosses in my sights, I''m either winning or I''m dying right there," Seung said, leaning against a shelf while folding his arms over his chest.

    "Luckily not everybody is an idiot," Charlotte remarked.

    "What?--" Seung barked back.

    Finn spoke without looking at anybody, merely speaking his mind of the encounter still fresh on his mind, "I was practically a child throwing a tantrum against him. There was absolutely nothing I could do."

    "I knew it was going to be an uphill battle, but it''s that bad then," Jasper said, taking in the information.

    "You just got taken by surprise, right? It can''t be that bad¡ª" Nova tried to reason, waving her sleeves.

    "I was the one that took him by surprise. At least, I tried to. Look, as we are right now, we don''t stand a chance," Finn admitted.

    The truth of it wasn''t exactly hopefully news to any of their ears. Either way, there was nothing to do except to ept that reality.

    "Did you use Sleuth on him? What was his level?" Seung impatiently asked, nudging his elbow against the shelf.

    "One-hundred," Finn answered. Enjoy stories on m_v lem|p-yr

    Charlotte repeated what was said, "One¡­hundred?"

    "That''s a bit off the rails, mate. We have to face a monster like that?" Jasper sighed.

    Seung didn''t say anything as he marched his way out of the forest abode, practically stomping past the threshold. Nobody tried to stop the golden-haired man, nor did they feel like hearing what he''d have to say.

    "Where''s he off to?" Nova asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "To level up," Finn answered. "What we all should be doing."

    "You''re definitely right. It''s just¡­we can''t be reckless about it," Charlotte reasoned, holding her hands by her knees as she stayed beside him.

    "You mean what Seung is doing? Pretty sure that guy is just throwing himself at whatever looks at him the wrong way," Jasper jokingly asked.

    "About that¡­" Finn added in. "That guy might be a bit crazy, but he definitely knows how to level. I mean, you can''t deny he''s higher than all of us."

    "That''s true," Charlotte admitted.

    With the safety of the group in mind, but the pressing matter of having to deal with an astronomical enemy, the path was unclear. For the time being, at least, the best course of action was simply to sleep on it.

 Chapter 130: The Plan

    While he didn''t n on resigning himself to slumber just yet, he brought himself up to the guest room, perching himself on the cushioned seat that sat against the window. He looked outside of the ss pane at the gilded trees, unable to shake the chance meeting he had.

    "Hey, Finn."

    He turned his gaze away from the window to the young woman who entered the room, "What''s up, Charlotte?"

    On the bed closest to the window, she sat down, resting her hands against the sheets as she looked at him, "How''re you holding up?"

    For some reason, it somewhat bothered him to be asked that. It wasn''t this specific time, but the many moments in which he was asked this question piled up, feeling unjustified.

    "Listen, I know you''re just looking out for me, but¡­I''m fine, alright? I promise," Finn assured her, wearing a faint smile.

    "You know why I''m asking so often, right, Finn? You''ve been sort of distant for a while now. I can tell you''re stressed and anxious¨CI mean, everybody is, but you especially. I know you feel responsible for all of us, but that''s not your burden, alright?" Charlotte assured him.

    Finn simply nodded, "I''m just doing what I have to do, that''s all. It''s not "too much''--it''s what needs to be done for us to survive. I don''t care about anything else but that¨C"

    As he spoke his mind, admitting his foremost purpose, he was surprised to find himself enveloped in a peculiar warmth. The young woman''s arms gently wrapped around his shoulders, giving him a light embrace.

    "Charlotte?" He asked.

    Being so close, he could smell her hair; somehow even at the end of the world, it smelled likevender¨Ca refreshing scent that made him feel warm.

    He didn''t know how to respond, seeing as a hug was really something that had be foreign in recent times, though he epted it. As the young woman pulled away, there was a clear tint of pink to her cheeks as she brushed her hair behind her ear.

    "Sometimes¡­I think a hug can help, y''know?" Charlotte remarked.

    "Yeah, I guess so," Finn agreed, rubbing the back of head as he attempted to hide his own bashfulness.

    "Sorry, was that too much¡ª?" Charlotte asked, ncing around with a clear tinge of embarrassment.

    Finn waved his hand, brushing it off, "No, no¡ªthank you, really. I appreciate it."

    The gratitude seemed to make her happy, as Charlotte smiled with flushed cheeks, nodding her head, "I''m d it helped."

    "Listen¡­It might be best to hold out awhile. I didn''t want to mention this to the others yet, but I want to know what you think," Finn said.

    "What do you mean?"

    "More and more people like us will end up in the First Order¡ªat least, I hope so. If we wait long enough, maybe we won''t have to do anything," Finn theorized.

    "Do you really think that can work?" Charlotte sincerely asked.

    Giving it some thought, he couldn''t exactly confirm nor deny it. After all, it was hopeful thinking.

    "If I''m being realistic, I don''t know how much longer this world even has. The only thing holding it together is the Storm King," Finn admitted, adjusting himself on the window-side seat.

    "I was afraid of the same thing, too. We might be on a time limit here," Charlotte agreed.

    "It''s all just a mess. I really walked us straight into hell, didn''t I? Magnus opposeding here the most, and look what happened¡­" Finn recalled with a somber breath.

    "Don''t do that. It''s not your fault," Charlotte told him, leaning forward with a furrow of her eyebrows.

    Finn shrugged, "I have to take responsibility at some point."

    "What''s all this gloom, I sense?!"

    The conversation was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of one such small, but loud girl who hopped up from thest step of the stairs.

    Nova had a proud expression with her hands ced on her sides, though she even seemed to read the room after a moment, "Ah¡­Did I interrupt something?"

    "No, you''re fine," Charlotte told her.

    "Anyway¡­" Finn continued. "I bet if we ask the old man, he''ll know somewhere we can go to level up. Somewhere worthwhile, where maybe we can find some loot at the same time."

    "Loot? Did I hear you right¨C? You said loot? Oh, count me in¨C! You''re finally speaking mynguage!" Nova excitedly pped her hands together.

    Like an excited dog ready to go for a walk, Finn found the silver-pink haired girl right in front of him with a glimmer in her eyes, even having to lean back so as not to be so close to her.

    "Calm down, would you? Save that energy for when we''re out there," Finn said.

    It seemed that the conversation was, once more, overheard as the old elf walked his way into the room, coughing as if trying to subtly convey their attention.

    Only on m v|le|mp|yr

    Gurmo spoke up, "It seems you adventurers are looking for a ce to improve your strength, and perhaps stumble upon treasure?"

    "You guessed right, gramps," Finn confirmed.

    Nova hopped up-and-down, "C''mon, gramps, you know where we should go, right? Tell us!"

    "Settle down now, this old man''s heart may give out¡­Anyway, you should head north, past the ashen battlefield. You''ll find the Ruins of The Old King past the floating ind," Gurmo informed them. "It''s said there are powerful remnants of the primordial kingdom remaining there, still guarding the prime treasure of the Old King."

    "The Prime Treasure? What''s that?" Finn asked.

    Gurmo fiddled with the hair on his chin, "Well, it''s only a rumor passed through centuries¡­It''s said behind the throne of the Old King, there''s a hidden grove bearing a tree of divine fruit. When one takes a bit out of it, they obtain tremendous strength."

    It all sounded to fit right into the logic of a game to Finn, presuming full well that this was a necessary requirement to facing the Storm King.

    "Sounds perfect," Charlotte said.

    Jasper appeared on the staircase, hearing the information, "Sounds kind of scary, but I''m in."

    "Guess it''s decided, then," Finn said, standing himself up. "To the Ruins of The Old King, then."

 Chapter 131: Bastion of Humanity, Part One

    [New Vegas, Nevada | Nellis Air Force Base]

    ["As of the First Impact, urring on March 5th, 2025, at 9:25 P.M, the world has been plunged into disarray. Communications have been lost between nations,works between people gone, and a majority of humanity already lost. The damage has set mankind back decades, centuries, if it''s possible to even ovee this apocalypse scenario.

    However, a bastion remains¨Ca conglomerate of the greatest minds around the world and trained soldiers, the best-of-the-best, working together in a U.S base to work on solutions to oveing this armageddon."]

    A pristine chamber, kept so clean that not even a single breath of the outside air was allowed inside. Sterilized of all potential viruses and harmful bacteria, the room of snow-white steel was a perfectndscape for the chamber that looked like a cross between aboratory and surgical set.

    In the center of the spotless room, a man perfect in many regards sat in a tube with his eyes shut; a physique nurtured for both peak strength and conditioning; a princely face of androgynous beauty; fair, unblemished skin; short, silver hair that glistened like moonlight under the right light.

    Beside the man of such astounding qualities, an older gentleman in surgical gear typed away into a document¨C

    ["April 20th, 2025 ¨C the specimen has been nearly perfected. Utilizing my blessing bestowed to me, I''ve adjusted the subject''s gic structure. It''s only because of his abnormal constitution that it''s possible, but he''s now superhuman in every regard without any input from his system. Using the cells of the entities that our soldiers have caught was a sess.

    Jotham is the future of mankind. I believe that firmly ¨C this man will lead us to salvation from this apocalypse."]

    ¨C

    Across the road of lifeless dirt and dried nts, the wheels of an armored vehicle rolled through.

    Inside of it, a man outfitted in an all-ck military uniform watched through the window while keeping his rifle tucked close to his chest.

    "Hey, Zack! Hyped up to take out some of those green freaks?!"

    Posing the question with childlike excitement was the soldier beside the dark-haired man.

    Zack nced over, "It''s not a game, Ralph."

    The excited man of wild, hazel hairughed while holding his heavy-duty rifle up, "C''mon! Don''t be so boring! Gotta make what fun we can outta this, right?"

    "Just get the mission done," Zack brushed off, looking through the window again. "That''s all that matters."

    Ralph blew air in protest, "No fun. What about you, Brandon?"

    On the left side of the excitable soldier was a dark-skinned man who cleaned his rifle carefully, not seeming to care much for the topic of conversation.

    "You still owe me fromst time. Are you gonna pay up?" Brandon asked, looking over.

    Ralphughed, giving a yful p to the stoic man''s shoulder, "If you get more than me this time, sure! I''ll double up!"

    "Fine," Brandon agreed.

    Zack shook his head with a quiet sigh, "I''ll join in, too."

    "Hah! Knew you''d be in!" Ralph celebrated, holding his weapon up.

    It was only a bit further down the road did the trucke to a stop.

    The earpiece ryed the same message for the three soldiers,"Zeus Unit: a horde of approximately five dozen hostile areing up the northwest hill. Exercise caution and swiftness. Out."

    Ralph readied his rifle, pping the side of it, "Hear that? We''ve got a horde tonight, boys!"

    Both sides of the vehicle were opened as Zack stepped out, with Ralph right behind him.

    "I''ll hold north point," Zack said, watching over the hill while preparing for the iing hostiles.

    "Sure thing," Ralph agreed. "I''ve got the west, then."

    Behind them, Brandon cocked his rifle as it briefly emitted a sapphire light between its grooves, "East it is for me."

    "Let''s get this done, boys," Zack said, taking to a knee as he brought his gun up.

    "Yup, yup!" Ralph shouted, aiming down his sights.

    There was silence for a sparse few moments before it was heard¡ªthe march of fiends. Zack aimed down the scope, centering it on the green, bulbous head of the first goblin that came into view before pulling the trigger¨CBANG.

    In near unison, the Zeus Unit''s weapons fired, each shot piercing right through the skull of a fiend in the distance. With the arrival of monsters of supernatural properties, new arms were made, primarily focusing on ammunition uniquely made capable of hunting down fiends.

    "That''s three for me!" Ralph shouted excitedly, pulling the lever on his gun before continuing to open fire.

    "Three," Brandon added in.

    "Seven here," Zack calmly counted.

    "What the¨Cbullshit!" Ralph said.

    The bickering was ignored as Zack continued to fire off at the approaching goblins. It was a nightly task that switched between different squads, like that of cleaning duty. Against the efficiency of rifles, the goblins were helpless, like invasive boars being hunted down.

    While aiming, Zack found that the already dead bodies of the fiends were continuing to be filled with holes from more gunfire.

    "Don''t mess up the bodies too badly," Zack reminded them. "The Doc needs usable samples¨Che can''t get that if they''re turning to swiss cheese."

    As he calmly reprimanded hisrades, he pulled his trigger a single time, bringing down one of the approaching, green-skinned beings with a single shot to the head.

    Ralph grunted, butplied, "Fine, fine. It''s no damn fun that way, though."

    "We''re not here for fun," Zack reminded him.

    "Yeah, yeah," Ralph brushed off.

    It didn''t take more than a few minutes and some hundred rounds to put down the wave of goblins, leaving the soldiers left to collect the bodies of the fiends.

    "Man, I can do without this part of the job," Brandon tiredly said while dumping the corpse of a goblin into the back of the armored vehicle.

    "Little suckers are heavy, I''ll tell ya," Ralph added, tossing another into the truck.

    As Zack walked back across the bullet-and-blood ridden dirt, he stopped for a moment, touching his earpiece as a transmission came in.

    "¡­Got it," Zack said before turning towards the other two. "Looks like we don''t actually need to collect anymore specimens. Seems like they''ve had their fill."

    "Really? It''s about damn time," Brandon sighed, dropping the limp goblin he had hoisted up.

    Just as the trunk of the vehicle was mmed shut by Ralph, a rumble stretched through the rocky, tndscape.

    "The fuck was that?" Brandon questioned, looking around.

    "A bomb¨C?" Ralph questioned.

    Zack listened into the earpiece while hisrades looked at him for an answer before he quickly turned around, signaling for them to get in the vehicle, "We need to get out of here right now!"

    "What''s going on?" Ralph asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Just get in¨Cshit!" Zack yelled, interrupted as the ground shook violently once again.

    The air flexed, crackling like thunder amidst a winter storm. A shadow cast itself over the soldiers before any could get inside the vehicle, given form by a sound like that of a colossal object groaning through the sea.

    Finding the opportunity to flee being all toote now, Zack lifted his rifle, though immediately being knocked off bnce as a gargantuan weight descended right in front of the soldiers. As the tremendous entitynded, it felt as though the sky itself hade down atop Zack''s head, bing light-headed just in its presence.

    It surpassed the size of the armored vehicle tenfold; a beast of studded, silver scales and wings that stretched out.

    Behind him, Ralph barely got anything past his lips, "...Holy shit."

    [Enemy Recognized: "tinum Drake"] [Level: 50]

    A single breath that left the great creature''s maw pushed out like that of an unruly tempest, brushing the soldiers'' hair as they were left frozen.

    In the corner of Zack''s eye, he could see the hot-headed man beside him hoisting his weapon, pointing it right at the cmitous beast.

    "Ralph! No¨C!" Zack shouted.

    It was a moment toote as the trigger was pulled with haste, bringing the man to open fire on the scaled colossus.

    "Come on¡ª!" Ralph desperately shouted while recklessly shooting at the winged beast that loomed over their position.

    Each of the cerulean bullets simply bounced right off of the creature''s tinum scales like hail off a rooftop.

    Click. Click. Click.

    ¨CAn empty magazine, with only bullet casings left on the ground as the tinum scaled beast remained towering over the shoulders without a blemish on its hide.

    "Shit¡­" Ralph mumbled with a trembling lip.

    It looked down at them like a grouping of sheep meant to serve as its sustenance as droplets of saliva dripped down from its mouth and sshed onto the ground.

    "I think you pissed it off," Brandon quietly said, trying to barely move his lips while remaining still.

    "Shut up¨Cdon''t say a damn word," Zack harshly whispered, attempting to believe maybe remaining totally still and silent would divert the creature''s attention.

    All of that hope waspletely dissuaded as the tinum-scaled cmity brought its hand up, intending to sweep its wsrge enough to cleave trees in half through them.

 Chapter 132: Bastion of Humanity, Part Two

    In that barrenndscape on the outskirts of the base, there was nowhere to run or hide, not that running would do any good at that range, nheless¨C

    Each of the special soldiers found death quickly approaching as the beast swept its hand towards them¨CCLANG.

    "Huh¨C?" Zack stammered out.

    Somehow, the gigantic reptile''s sword-like ws were stopped before bisecting the soldiers'' bodies. Even more confusing was the fact that it was via the appearance of another person; a soldier in a ck, skin tight uniform of a unique structure.

    "You''re¡­" Zack recognized.

    The tall, built man of silver hair calmly spoke while holding the beast''s hand back with his de, "Return to the beast, immediately."

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [Jotham]...]

    [Name: Jotham]

    [Age: 25]

    [Designated ss: yer]

    [Level: 50]

    "But¨C" Ralph attempted to interject.

    Before any protest coulde, Jotham rejected the colossus'' hand with a push of his thin, long sword, causing the beast to recoil despite the disparity in size.

    "Go," Jotham ordered.

    Zack understood better than to ignore themand of the timely savior, nodding his head as he grabbed the cors of hisrades'' uniforms, "Let''s go¨C!"

    "Wha¨C!" Ralph reacted to practically being dragged away.

    "Hey!--" Brandon protested.

    As the soldiers practically jumped into the vehicle to drive away, none of them could look away even as the truck began to pull away at the sh between man versus dragon.

    Despite the overwhelming difference in size, with the man of silver hair being no more than an insect in the scope of the beast, it was the scaled cmity that steadily watched him with its guard raised.

    Wielded in Jotham''s right hand was a de longer than his body, though thinner than his arm. It looked incapable of cutting paper, yet as the beast swept its arm at the man once more, the yer responded in kind.

    A single motion was made with calmness and little haste; only focus and sheer finesse. In the battle between the tinum scales and the slim de, the sword won¨C

    The reptile left out a roar of pain as its hand was amputated, flung away as if chopped off with monstrous force, yet the man only moved with gentle grace. A fountain of blood sprayed from the lost appendage, leaving in such abundance that a crimson rain poured down on the gravel.

    As the drake writhed in pain, a bright-blue glow rose from its abdomen to its throat, exuding from its maw as it roared at the man with an expulsion of sapphire mes.

    Not a single step was taken by the calm man, not closer to the beast nor away from the flood of fire, allowing himself to be engulfed in the sublime heat.

    From the moving vehicle, those that watched were left with a sinking feeling at the sight¨C

    Ralph clutched the seat while peering out of the window, gasping out, "Shit, shit, shit¨C!"

    "We have to go back!" Brandon urged, pping the back of the driver''s seat.

    "Are you crazy?!" Zack shouted, barely managing to steer the vehicle as it hit every bump in the uneven ground, it felt like. "We''ll just be food for that damn thing, too!"

    "We can''t leave a soldier behind!--" Brandon protested.

    "If you want to charge to your grave, go ahead!" Zack yelled.

    Amidst the sh of what to do, it was Ralph that interrupted them while the men were distracted, "Err, guys¡­look. Look!"

    As the sapphire mes behind them dispersed, what should''ve been ash, or at the very least, a charred figure, was the silver-haired man leftpletely unburnt. It surpassed all logic, even seeming to leave the beast itself perplexed as the pale man didn''t even exude a droplet of sweat.

    [//Confirmation of draconic cells sessfully utilized by the subject. Without altering the form, the subject''s skin possesses the same properties of dragon scales¨Can absolute resistance to heat.//]

    "I''ve confirmed that, at least," Jotham remarked to himself with almost a disconnected tone, hardly focusing on the mountainous beast before him. "Enough wasting time. I''ll handle this, Doctor."

    The now one-handed beast spread its wings, rising to its hind legs as to make itselfrger, more imposing against the man that was already minuscule in scale to its own form. A parade came from the pebbles of the barrenndscape at the calls of the drake, its thunderous murmurs sending tremors through the ground.

    Jotham simply raised his sword, pointing the end towards the sky as he uttered a single word while the beast imposed itself: "Sigurd."

    [Mythos System Activated.]

    [Aspect of the Dragonyer summoned.]

    The air around Jotham swirled with a verdant force, extending the length of his de with an emerald light until it pierced the clouds above. A sword befit for ying beasts of catastrophic scale, brought down with impunity as his sapphire irises honed withplete focus on the threat ahead.

    It was a sight to behold from afar; that luminosity that contested the overcast of despair. The shining edge carved through the clouds, befalling the beast as its scales were reprimanded by the light.

    "--Fffuu," Jotham exhaled through parted lips, bringing his de at his side as the emerald radiance dispersed like ligules to a breath.

    The clouds that loomed over the base were left split; a wound left in the world''s crust as the beast that once stood so mightily was left in two. Aftermitting such a swing, the man''s physique had swelled to almost twice its mass in muscle before deting naturally.

    [//Confirmation of ogre cells sessfully utilized by the subject. The gically altered muscle structure of the subject has allowed for spontaneous growth-and-detion moment-to-moment. Usage briefly has brought no visible tear to the specimen''s body, all vitals are perfect.//]

    A quiet breath was expelled from Jotham''s lips, dismissing his de as there was no longer any need for it.

    Jotham pressed themunication device in his ear, "Target has been eliminated. The squadron on patrol is returning safely. Mission trial sess."

    ["In humanity''s darkest hour, the greatest of mankind was born. A glimmer of light in a world engulfed in shadow."]

 Chapter 133 : Many-Armed Foe

    It was hours of hiking through the golden forest before they found their way back onto the war-torn battlefield,yered in des as plentiful as trees in a jungle. Jasper willingly epted the burden of carrying their pack of supplies, benevolently given by the old elf, though the knight didg behind with how long the walk went on.

    "Aye, mate¡­maybe we should slow down?" Jasper rmended.

    Finn led the way across the ashen soil, "Just keep your feet moving. I''d prefer not to be out in the open here during nightfall."

    Being on such frequent expeditions was something his body had adjusted to, not needing all too much rest between each journey. In fact, he felt more at ease when on the move.

    "I still feel like maybe we should''ve asked Seung toe along. That guy is way, way strong¨CI mean, he took out all those wolves with one move," Nova recalled, shadow boxing as if somehow trying to mimic the brawler.

    "Yeah, no, that guy is impossible to cooperate with," Jasper rejected.

    "Let him do his own thing. Certain situations call for Seung, others don''t," Finn said, marching through the ashen stretch.

    Charlotte followed beside him with a tilt of his head, "When you say it like that, it''s almost like you''re describing Seung as a bomb."

    "Yeah, well, not too far off there," Finn said.

    "I dunno, mate. I heard you got all buddy-buddy with him," Jasper poked.

    Finn brushed it off, "Not at all."

    They reached thend directly beneath the floating ind, traversing where its grand shadow imposed itself. Up above, the flowing waterfall stopped in the sky, seeming to instead move in reverse.

    "Woah, it''s kind of pretty," Nova remarked while gazing up.

    Finn looked for a bit, though kept his gaze forward while marching, curious himself on whatid past the ashen battlefield.

    "This ce is the remnants of where a huge war was fought, right?" Jasper asked.

    "What about it?" Finn responded, ncing back.

    The knight was ncing at the ground while walking, "I was just thinking¡­that probably means there''s a bunch of bodies under the soil here."

    "Jasper," Charlotte said harshly.

    "What? I''m just speaking the truth here, right?" Jasper said.

    Finn brushed it off, keeping himself focused on the path ahead, "Even if there is, it doesn''t matter¨C"

    ¡ªRumble.

    He came to a stop, bringing the others to halt as well as he stood there for a moment.

    "What is it?" Nova asked, confusedly.

    "Do you feel that?" Finn asked.

    ¡ªRumble.

    Again, he felt the subtle sensation beneath his boots as the soil vibrated.

    "Oh, I definitely felt that," Jasper remarked, drawing his sword-and-shield. "Baddies iing!"

    Finn already called his daggers, watching the field of rusty swords and spears as the ckened soil shook more before what lurked beneath emerged.

    A hand of ck steel emerged from the dirt, though not before another one followed, and another, and another¡ª

    "How many hands are there?!" Charlotte questioned.

    "It''s totally freaking me out! I hate creepy things!" Nova squealed.

    The many hands erupted from the battlefield of countless fallen, though to a perplexing result. They did not belong to many bodies, but a single being that rose from the ground.

    "Am I the only one not surprised this cursed ass region has undead freaks lurking around? I sort of called it!" Jasper asked.

    "Focus up," Finn responded.

    A towering knight stood, dressed in cracked, sable armor with multiple heads; a helmet of a lion, a dragon, and a tiger from left to right.

    The risen undead of a dozen arms, grafted to its shoulders and back, reached around to the weapons left in the battlefield. It reimed the old steel, lifting each de up as it faced the outsiders.

    [Enemy Recognized: "Undead Martial Knight"] [Level: 40]

    Content from m-vl|em|p,yr

    From what he could see, there were no openings in the armor; not a single nce at exposed flesh for him to target with his dagger. As he analyzed the imposing figure, he was greeted by it lunging at him while swinging multiple swords at him and thrusting a spear at him all at once.

    Finn reacted promptly, flipping back andnding on his hands before flipping again just as multiple des passed right by his body, feeling the wind off of each edge.

    Just as hended on his feet, he found the knight arriving to help stifle the overwhelming offense of the many-armed knight¨CCLANG.

    ["Stance: Bulwark"]

    Jasper set his feet down as a glow d itself around his body, bringing his shield to remain unmoving like a steel wall as the des bounced right off of it. Though it seemed effective enough at first, the undead warrior responded by engulfing a pair of its des in a ck mass of miasmic energy before swinging them again¨C

    "Hhrgh!--" Jasper strained as the impact thundered against the shield.

    It was enough to st the knight off his feet, sending him several meters back as Finn rushed in to intervene. Alongside Charlotte, he rushed the many-armed knight, only for that assembly of limbs to wildly swing each weapon in every direction.

    "Gah¨C" Charlotte let out as a storm of swords swung towards her.

    Finn acted quickly, ducking beneath a spear thrust towards his head as he grabbed the spellde''s wrist, quickly pulling her away. As he pulled her away, there was a moment of reprieve as the Undead Martial Knight stood there on guard.

    It took a moment for Jasper to brush off the impact, rubbing his shield-holding arm as he looked on, "This guy hits like a truck. I know I don''t have to say it, but don''t get touched by those des¨Cit''ll be a death sentence."

    "Yeah, noted," Finn said.

    Nova held her mic up, "I''ll help you with that¡­Off the glistening moon, shine like silver and move like light!"

    ["Kiss of Elusive Moonlight"]

    From the bard''s words of encouragement, a guiding illuminance enveloped each of their bodies. It felt as though his body had be lighter, not just more agile, but harder to hit.

    Just as Nova had issued her enchanting song, the three-helmed knight leapt up, bringing down a rain of swords upon them.

    "Move!--" Finn shouted.

    As he dashed out of the way, he immediately spun himself around, finding that hispanions did the same as the undead warrior''s des crashed down on the ashen soil. He witnessed the grafted knight dig two of his arms into the graveyard of soldiers, causing it to rumble again¨C

    "What''s it doing¨C?" Nova questioned.

    Finn couldn''t tell at that moment, only moving by reflex as he jumped back just as the soil was ruptured by an unknown force. He witnessed interconnected arms of bones rise like ensnaring ropes, wrapping around the others who were toote to react.

    ''Shit¨C!'' Finn thought.

    An entanglement of bones rose where he once stood, though easily swept away by his dagger as he looked towards his ensnaredpanions.

    "The hell is this¨C!?" Jasper struggled as the decaying limbs squeezed around his body.

    "I can''t¡­move!" Charlotte gasped out.

    With the others bound, he was the only one left freely to move, quickly sprinting towards the closest of hispanions to free Charlotte from the bindings. Though that was his intent, just as he came within reach of the blue-haired girl, he jumped back as a massive object crashed down in front of his next step.

    "Dammit¨C!" Finn expelled through clenched teeth.

    The knight of grated limbs and heads seemed to have no intent on letting him free hispanions, pointing its dozen des at him. As he looked up at the undead sentinel, he could make out the hollow eyes beneath its three helmets; sunken eyes, devoid of life.

    "Finn! Don''t worry about us¨C! I''ll think of something!" Jasper assured, resisting the binding bones. "Just don''t let that damned big guy kill you!"

    Charlotte added in, "He''s right¡­! Just focus on yourself right now!"

    There was less conviction from Nova, who looked pale and on the verge of passing out, not from being squeezed tightly, but disgusted by the wriggling bones around her, "Get them off! Get them off!"

    For the moment, Finn had to listen to the others, concentrating on facing the many-armed knight amidst the battlefield of abandoned des and buried bones. It might be up to him to put it down alone, leaving him to analyze it as it towered over him.

    ''Avoiding all of those arms is going to be annoying, but I can manage. That ck force it used against Jasper before looked powerful, but it''s the same thing¨CI just have to avoid it. It seemed to manipte the bones underneath the field, though¨CI''ll have to watch out for that,'' Finn nned.

    All of it would have to be put into action as he witnessed the knight of bestial helmets sprint at him with frightening agility.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    He surfed atop the desecrated soil, moving backwards while moving himself side-to-side, slipping between the weapons plunged into the soil as the knight chased at him. It moved like a dancer, spinning itself around, wildly moving each limb from unorthodox positions to swing at him.

    Such a quantity of attacks kept his eyes peeled, focused on each arm that moved, bringing his irises to dart around as he moved purely on reflex.

    ''An opening¨Cgive me an opening,'' he thought, not blinking a single time.

 Chapter 134 : The Old Kingdom

    As he flipped himself around, the three-headed knight swept its swords through a multitude of the plunged des, bisecting the old steel without any regard as it continued its relentless assault.

    Finding an opening was like finding a needle in a haystack; the countless arms, the limitless stamina, and the deathly strength of the undead¨Ca single failure would spell the end.

    Even as he knew that¨C

    SQUELCH

    After dodging one de that swept down towards him, as he centered his feet, another sword came down from above, dragging against his chest in a downwards motion. It was merely a graze, though enough to leave a harrowing cut.

    Before further blood could spill, he clenched his body¨C

    ["Unbleeding"] [9:59]

    The skill taken from the lesser deity of leeches halted the loss of blood, even if only a temporary fix. It was enough to let him move forward in spite of theceration, using it as an opening as he pressed his palm against the knight''s middle helmet:

    ["Touch of Rot"]

    He had to reach up just to bring his fingertips to the dragon-shaped helmet, quickly decaying the old, ck steel as it cracked all over.

    "Watch out!" Charlotte shouted from her bound position.

    Without needing to look, Finn could feel the wind change behind him, being closed in on from every angle by the many des of the undead.

    ["Hollow Disengage"] [4:59]

    He relinquished himself to the shadows just as the des swept in, passing straight through his fleeting, incorporeal form before he returned just a few meters away. A quick exhale left his lips at the intense dance of life-and-death, not given a moment to breathe as the knight was already fast on his heels.

    ''I weakened the center helmet¡­I can break it away now,'' he nned, looking at the cracked helm.

    An opening was needed again; a single moment, just enough not to be turned to mincemeat by the swarm of steel. Just as the three-headed knight came within a couple meters of him, he held his ground, stomping his boot down with an intense force:

    ["Wind Upheaval"] [4:59]

    A torrent rose around him, swirling intensely as the ashen soil was cast away. The eruption of wind was enough to push back against the beast-helmed warrior, staggering the undead. He was thankful for the skill assimted from the Storm Knight in that moment, tossing his de right above the height of the grafted one in that same moment.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2900/3000]

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    Right above the heads of the risen knight, he warped amidst a flip, bringing his leg around in a devastating spinning kick that mmed right down against the cracked, middle helmet¨CSHATTER.

    What was revealed beneath the steel that broke like brittle ss was a fractured skull,pletely devoid of any semnce of life.

    "Boom!" Jasper shouted in encouragement.

    "Get ''em!" Nova yelled, though more so supporting in hopes of being freed from the grotesque bindings.

    Just as hended on his feet, he was faced down by the exposed, hollow eyes of the three-headed knight. The risen warrior lifted its many weapons as the putrid force wrapped itself around each de like a foul air.

    "Don''t get pissed because I exposed that ugly mug," Finn muttered, readying himself. "Replication."

    The mass of abyssal fluid separated itself from him, though he found himself confronted by the knight''s swarm of miasmic des quickly.

    ["Deadly irvoyance"] [0:29]

    Using the limited foresight, he could see where each of the limbs intended to swing a partial millisecond ahead, though it strained his eyes to witness each line. Though only a partial insight to the enemy''s movements, it was more than enough to guide him as he conroted his body like an acrobat to avoid the foul-infused weapons.

    Perhaps at one point in time, he would''ve frozen up when facing such an imposing foe, though his umted experiences led him to move freely without fear.

    ''Any day now¨C!'' He hurriedly thought while evading.

    The relentless swings from every direction continued as he jumped, flipped, spun himself around, ducked down¨Cperforming every action as though in a dance as well. Each miss brought the des of hollow infusion to crash down against the soil with shrieks of the undead.

    He waspletely caught in the spider''s web, having a dozen des closing in all at once. Perhaps he could avoid most of them, though nheless, it would only take one to snuff out his life¨C

    "Hurry it up!" Finn shouted.

    As the des closed in, they suddenly stopped as the three-headed knight froze up. The exposed skull from the risen warrior was promptly crushed by the dagger of the one who had climbed up its back.

    The doppelganger of the assassin sessfully assassinated the many-armed figure, bringing its limbs to fall limp before the body shrouded in old armor slumped over. Just as the knight faded into the ashen soil, the replication was dismissed.

    ["Undead Martial Knight defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x2500 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +10000] [26100/80000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Undead Martial Knight"]: "Shadow Grafting"]

    With the being vanquished, the ensnaring bones crumbled as well, freeing those that were held captive as Nova looked a moment from puking.

    Before Finn could even release a breath of relief, he was pounced on by the bard who hugged him as though he were her hero.

    "Thank you! Thank you!" Nova repeated.

    Finn was taken aback by the gesture, softly grabbing the small girl''s soldiers before moving her off, "--You''re wee? Let''s try not to get captured that easily next time, all of you, I mean."

    "Hey, mate, we don''t all have those cat-like reflexes," Jasper said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

    "Sorry," Charlotte instead apologized.

    Finn felt bad after hisment, taking it back as he continued marching forward, "I was just kidding. I almost got caught, too¨Cit was mostly luck."

    The idea of facing more undead that lurked in the soil of the past war was not a fun thought, bringing nobody to drag their feet on moving onward. It was across what felt like a few more miles of the barrenndscape before the region dipped down into a new part.

    "Whoa¨Clook at that," Jasper pointed out.

    Finn stood at the edge of it that seemed to run on for miles in each direction: a colossal crater that dipped into the world''s crust. In the center of the massive hole of ash and dirt sat ruins of a kingdom, built of old, gray stone weathered by countless years.

    "Well, this has to be what gramps was talking about," Finn pointed out.

    "Yeah, but I didn''t expect it to be¡­this big," Charlotte said.

    What was expected to be a single structure was a vast city, or at least, the remnants of it. Finn slid down the slope of the crater, immediately finding the air to be much more brisk when approaching the corpse of the old kingdom. Enjoy reading at m vl|em,pyr

    As they each came down, there was apleteck of coordination from Nova, who practically stumbled her way down to the base of the crater, "Waah¨Cmade it." The girl exhaled, brushing the dirt off her knees.

    There were still towers left standing, though deprived of half their mass as debrisid, partially submerged into the soil.

    "I wonder how it all ended up like this," Charlotte wondered.

    "Looks like a single bad breeze could bring this ce down," Jasper remarked.

    Finn carefully strolled through the ruins, finding a carriage that had begun serving as the base of a tree, engulfed in roots.

    "It''s hard to remember that sometimes this world might even be older than ours. With a history of its own. It''s all going to crumble away soon enough, though," Finn mentioned with a somber tone as he brushed his hand against the remnants of the root-grasped, wooden carriage.

    "Seems like this ce has had to deal with monsters its whole life, though¨CI guess we can count ourselves lucky we''re only just now experiencing that," Jasper remarked, gazing up at the remnants of a clock tower afflicted with charred stone.

    "It''s totally giving me the jeebies," Nova shuddered, hugging herself as she nervously looked around.

    Charlotte seemed to agree as she stood by the bard, "I get where you''reing from¡­I don''t like the air around this ce at all."

    It wasn''t far off for Finn, either¨Che felt the same, odd atmosphere that lingered around the ruins inhabiting the ominous crater. The thought of exploring the ruinous structures was brought with hesitance as he carefully stepped past the threshold of what appeared to be an old church.

    He was cautious as not to have the remnants of the buildinge crumbling down on top of him, though he found it was still intact.

    "Look at that, mate. I think I''d call that a divine miracle," Jasper said, stepping in right behind him as he looked up.

    Finn tilted his head, seeing what the knight pointed at as he found the entire ceiling had long since fallen, all except for a chunk of the roof that held paintings of a golden figure. Only by a single pir did it remain standing, though a single kick might bring it down.

    "Divine miracles are just the opposite nowadays," Finn remarked, continuing to explore the religious grounds.

 Chapter 135: What Lays Below

    The stone benches were mostly turned to chunks and dust, littering the worn floor of marble. Not much was to be found, except for statues of an unknown figure.

    He looked up at the monument at the back of the church, which presented the likeness of a knight with a wolf by his side.

    "I''m guessing he''s the hero of these people¨Cthe ones who used to live here," Jasper presumed.

    Finn looked at the statue for a moment more before turning his focus away, ncing around, "Gurmo said we''d find a challenge here. It doesn''t seem like there''s much of anything."

    "Maybe the old fart''s memory is a bit skewed, mate," Jasper reasoned with a shrug.

    "Maybe," Finn didn''t deny, stepping out from the fractured church.

    Onto the lifeless soil of the cratered ruins, he looked around for where the others had wandered off to. He picked up on the sounds of distant chatter a block down, at what looked to be a crumbled mansion.

    "Hey, Charlotte, Nova, what''d you find¨C" He began to ask as he approached the front of the manor that was missing its walls, seeing the spellde and bard touching what looked to be an old armor set.

    It was beneath his right foot that he felt a chunk of the dried soil give in with a sense of weakness felt through the very foundation of the ground.

    "Ah¨C"

    He froze for a moment, but it was toote¨Cthe entirety of the ground gave out from beneath him, splitting and cracking. It rapidly extended from the spot he stood to the span of the crater. The entirety of the old city seemed to break apart as soil gave away, leading to the structures falling with them.

    "Waaaaah!" Nova squealed.

    "Finn!?" Charlotte shouted out, holding the bard close to herself while falling.

    "What the hell is happening¨C!?" Jasper yelled. Read further on m_vl em,pyr

    Finn could see the others amidst the descent, though they were all some distance separated from one another as they plummeted through the newly-formed crater that delved deeper under the surface.

    "Hang on!--" Finn yelled out, watching as the fractured buildings crumbled away amidst their descent, falling alongside them.

    Through the vast pit that had opened, it only became visible now beneath that they were quickly descending upon a body of water sat beneath the surface.

    "I don''t wanna dieeeeee¨C!" Nova shouted.

    "You won''t! Just hold your breath!" Finn yelled, allowing himself to freefall. "There''s water below us!"

    Sucking a lofty sum of oxygen into his lungs, he braced himself as the subterraneanke quickly approached before¨CSPLASH. It felt like he was hit in the face by a flyswatter as he crashed into the water. It was lukewarm, though felt unpleasant to be submerged into as he quickly moved his limbs to swim.

    There wasn''t a struggle for air, thanks to the assimted ability from the fish-man: ["Minor Water Breathing"]. It was hard to see in the undergroundke, leaving the constant rainfall of stone chunks from the copsed structures that plopped into the water an unnerving experience.

    ''Please tell me none of them got hurt¨Cplease,'' he urged while swimming, kicking his legs and pushing his arms to move himself.

    He could make out the church submerged ahead of him, bringing him to swim through its entrance as he found himself in its lopsided interior.

    Maybe it was following his own gut, or a passing miracle, but he discovered Charlotte trapped beneath the fallen statue, struggling to push it off and for air.

    "Mmgh¡­!" Charlotte strained with puffed cheeks.

    He hurriedly swam over, pushing his hands against the copsed statue, though it was nudged into a particr spot with its foot lodged into a crack.

    ''Shit¡­I can''t move it!'' He thought, struggling.

    The water felt more thick than normal, like an oil that restrained his movements.

    There was no time to waste as his eyes briefly met with hers, bringing himself to push the word from his lips even without a breath, "Rrrrgl!¡ª"

    Somehow, the invocation manifested itself nheless as his shadow-born doppelg?nger emerged beside him.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    Together, he and his copy lifted the dense monument with every ounce of strength. Until it felt like the vessel in his forehead was going to pop, he pushed his body until¡ªthe statue was unlodged.

    Just as it was moved, he grabbed Charlotte, pulling her into his arms as he quickly swam upwards. She already lost consciousness, bringing him to hurry as he swam as fast as he could to the surface.

    ["Greater Gale Blessing"] [4:59]

    Using the wind to kick his feet with momentum like propellers, he forced his way to the top before breaking through the surface.

    "Pyuuuh!¡ª" He gasped out.

    With the woman in his arms still struggling with water in her lungs, he didn''t waste a moment approaching thend he found near the subterraneanke.

    The struggling coughs of the unconscious girl prompted him to move faster before climbing onto the underground shore.

    "Charlotte¡­! Shit¡ª" Finn called her name as heid her on her back, quickly giving her cheek a light tap.

    Against the damp stone flooring, he knelt down, not wasting a moment to perform chestpressions.

    "Come on!¡ª" He anxiously urged, not finding it to get the water out of her lungs.

    Desperation brought him to the next step, pinching Charlotte''s nose as he leaned in and brought his mouth to hers. Creating that seal for a moment, he pulled away¡ª

    "Ghhf¡ª!"

    A burst of coughs came from the young woman, spitting out water from her lungs.

    "Charlotte!" Finn said in relief, helping her sit up.

    The silken-haired girl looked confused for a moment as she blinked a few times, clutching her chest, "What happened¡­? Where are we?"

    "The ground gave out and we fell down here. You almost drowned¡ªare you okay?" He worriedly asked, moving her hair out of her face.

    Charlotte nodded, picking herself up as Finn helped her stand to her feet.

    "I''m fine¡­The others, where are they?¡ª" Charlotte asked, looking around.

    Finn looked back just as the thought urred to him as well, though an answer was found by the distinct "sshing" sound by the water.

    "Hff¡ªdammit, I''m not your boat!" The voice of the strained Aussie called out.

    Jasper was seen swimming up to the shore with the timid bard on his back, who looked frightened at the water.

    "What if there''s sharks? I can''t deal with sharks!" Nova protested, clutching his helmet.

    "I''ll send you to meet them!" Jasper threatened jokingly.

    Finn rushed over to help pull the knight and board onto the tform of old stone, "¡ªC''mon. I''ve got you."

    "Thanks, mate," Jasper said, standing up as water exited the inside of his armor. "Looks like we fell right where we were looking for."

    "Yeah, seems like it," Finn agreed.

    The tform stretched to what looked like a temple of ancient stone built into the dirt below the surface; a ce that Finn knew bymon sense alone was unweing to outsiders.

    Nova huffed, looking up at the massive hole a hundred meters above the undergroundndscape, "How''re we supposed to get out of here? My bird can carry me, but some of you might be too heavy." She remarked, giving a side-eye to the man in armor.

    "Hey, I wouldn''t trust your bird to carry me ten feet anyway," Jasper remarked.

    Finn pointed to the temple infused into the deepground, "A good ce to start would be through there, I''d wager. If it''s connected to the city above¨Cor what used to be a city now."

    Even though it seemed like the obvious route, he could see the hesitance written on the faces of Charlotte and Nova, not that he didn''t understand it himself. There were two, massive statues of lion-headed men positioned in front of the ominous temple, hardly making it weing.

    "I mean, this is what we came here for, right?" Charlotte said, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself. "If we find the Prime Treasure, we''ll have a real shot at the Storm King."

    "If it gets to look too dangerous in there, we''ll find another way," Finn assured them, looking at the spellde. "Sounds good?"

    "Mm," Charlotte nodded with partial eptance.

    The stone walkway led right up to the lion-faced statues, which looked heavily eroded by water and general age, as the stone was cracked and mossy. A vegetal, sulfurous smell lingered around the front of the eroded temple.

    He ascended the set of steps leading to the entrance, though quickly hearing the sound of stone breaking off as he looked back.

    Nearly falling backwards, Jasper caught himself after a chunk of the steps shattered beneath his boot, "--That was close."

    "Careful. I don''t know how old this ce is," Finn warned, looking ahead at the cracked and mossy pirs that held up the front.

    "Super-duper old, I can tell you that," Nova said with a tiny breath as she watched her steps.

    There were no doors at the front of the temple, only a lightless hallway that eerily sat ahead.

    Finn snapped his fingers to bring forth a light:

    ["Lesser Wisp"]

    The orange flow pushed the shadows back, bringing him to enter the old temple. Each footstep of hispanions that followed closely echoed through the interior. A gust of wind passed through the hall, pushed right past the group of outsiders like a brisk whisper.

    "Feel that?" Charlotte quietly asked with a shudder.

    "Y-yeah," Nova nervously answered, rubbing her own arms coldly.

 Chapter 136: Enchained Entity

    The corridor was rather wide and spacious, with the ceiling lifted high by fractured pirs. It was all rather vast in scale, unnaturally so.

    He kept on, entering a room of many pirs as the floating wisp guided them with its light. A stone seat just ahead made him pause, looking at its size, seeming many times toorge for a normal person.

    "What kind of chair even is this? Reckon it''s made for a buffalo," Jasper remarked, tapping his knuckles lightly against the old seat.

    "Do you think all of this¡­might not be made for humans?" Finn questioned.

    "What do you mean?" Nova nervously asked.

    Finn waved his hand, guiding the wisp to bring its light across the walls, revealing antique pots that wererger than grown man, and crossed swords on a mantle that spanned the length of pirs.

    The light revealed the unnatural scale of the archaic temple, bringing Charlotte to agree, "It''s all giant¨Cwho was this temple for?"

    "We''ll probably be finding out soon," Finn said, continuing on.

    Moving into the next room, a dining hall was discovered, though with tables tall enough it made him feel like a toddler all over again. A massive chandelier had long since crashed down atop the stone table, bringing fragments of ss scattered across the ground.

    "It''s awfully quiet, isn''t it? Might not be anybody here anymore, mate," Jasper theorized.

    Nova followed closely behind the knight, constantly looking around nervously as she practically clung to the back of his hoodie, "Nobody here¡­right. Yeah, that sounds true, right?"

    "I wouldn''t count on it. Stay focused¨Cthe longer it''s quiet, the faster everything will get thrown into chaos," Finn warned, walking beneath the towering dining table.

    It was some amount of walking, from the dining hall through a vast corridor, though it eventually led deeper through downward steps that culminated in a vast, open room.

    "What kind of room even is this?" Charlotte questioned as she stepped into it.

    "It isn''t normal, I''ll tell you that," Jasper remarked.

    The chamber was built into a circr shape with the ground being a carved te of steel. It could hardly be made out, though across the room that spanned at least one-hundred meters, there was a door at the other end.

    Finn looked up, finding that chains were anchored in the walls, crossing and interconnecting upward like a spider''s web. Through squinting, he looked up at the high ceiling of the chamber, trying to see past the mess of chains in the darkness¨Csomething moved.

    For a moment, he questioned what he saw, though trusted his eyes as he called his daggers into his hands.

    "Finn?--" Charlotte questioned.

    "There''s something here," Finn warned.

    That''s all it took for them all to ready their weapons just as the stale air in the cylinder chamber of chains trembled. The old walls, encrusted with moss and grime, rumbled as the chains began to rattle.

    Only through the light of the wisp was anything seen as a massive silhouette crashed down from above,nding between the unwee guests and the door across. Finn raised his arms as a torrent of dust was kicked up from the arrival of the unknown entity.

    "Ah! I''ll stay back here, so¡­protect me!" Nova said, readying her microphone as she stayed behind everybody else.

    "It''s okay¨Ccalm down," Charlotte assured the bard.

    Jasper moved his shield out of the way as the dust settled, "--We''ve got a big one iing, mates."

    "Yeah, no kidding," Finn said, focusing on what was ahead.

    Through the primordial dust that billowed, the shadow of the figure that hadnded could be seen rising to his feet with a harrowing height. The sound of chains dragging across the ground echoed as the silhouette stood.

    Four meters in height, a humanoid figure blocked their path; of charcoal skin and shaggy, dark hair with chains around his arms, the peculiar giant had a single eye that was stitched shut.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "The Exiled Cyclops"]

    [Level: 41]

    "Give us something, Nova!" Finn shouted before attempting to confront the muscle-bound giant.

    The silver-haired girl quickly nodded, "Right¨CLet your heart thump-a-dump-dump for me, baby!" Nova''s voice was crystal clear even through her panic.

    ["Kiss of Haste"]

    As the enchantment rushed through each of their bodies, Finn led the way forward with a sprint. The spellde and knight followed close behind him, while the chain-bearing cyclops had yet to move.

    Just as the shaggy-haired giant began to move his arm, Finn immediately tossed his dagger straight towards the figure¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2800/3000]

    He warped right by its shoulder, using the momentum to lead into a spinning kick aimed for the left side of its neck.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    The muscles in his body swelled with power momentarily as he swiftly turned his hips, mming his shin right against the cyclop''s neck.

    "Ngh?!--" Finn inced.

    It failed to even budge the figure, more so feeling as though he just mmed his shin into a steel pole as he flipped himself back. As hended on his feet, he nced down for only a split-second at his now throbbing leg.

    "Finn!" Charlotte shouted.

    "Watch out, mate!" Jasper yelled.

    Shooting his gaze up, his heart skipped a beat as his entire vision was engulfed by the sight of the charcoal-skinned cyclops. Who once appeared sluggish had crossed the distance between them in a mere moment, without a sound nor tremor through the ground.

    As the giant''s fist came shooting towards his head, he flipped himself back, feeling the wind from the punch brushing against his body. As hended on his hands, for a brief moment, he witnessed the cyclop''s leg sweeping right towards his face.

    "--!"

    He pushed off his hands, flipping around as the massive shin passed right beneath him. As hended on his feet, he witnessed the knight and spellde arrive; Charlotte leapt up, swinging her fire-infused de at its neck, while Jasper shed at its ankle.

    Before either edge could connect, the slim cyclops flipped back with perplexing agility. In that single, swift motion, it rotated aroundpletely twice beforending.

    "Huh¨C?" Charlotte reacted, finding her attack missingpletely.

    "Shit!--" Jasper reacted, spinning around.

    As both turned, the cyclops was leaping towards them, spinning itself around into a massive kick. It moved as though it were less than a third its size, like an acrobatic dancer. Finn set his sights on the giant''s leg in that split-second as it neared both hisrades¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    As he brought himself between the others and the iing shin, he shed against it with all of his strength. Though the edges of his dagger met the leg directly, a cut was made no deeper than the skin.

    "Hrrk!--" Finn strained.

    None of it stopped him from having to be thrown back as the cyclops finished the leaping kick, though he managed to lessen its momentum with his strike. He was flung back, flipping himself around as hended on his feet, having to slide for a moment.

    "Finn! Are you alright?!" Charlotte asked, looking back.

    He nodded, having to catch his breath quickly, "Yeah¨Cstay focused! This guy isn''t some sloppy giant¨Che''s skilled and agile!"

    There was no time to speak as they all had to move away with the hasty pursuit of the cyclops once again. The stitch-eyed figure used the hanging chains on its arms like whips, thrashing the massive ropes of steel wildly.

    Finn evaded carefully, moving himself side-to-side and flipping around as he felt each length of metal cause the air to crack. While he moved, he could see Jasper remaining behind his shield, being pushed back with each impact of the chains.

    While Charlotte was evading the whips, it seemed as though she was on the brink of being struck, losing ground against the rapid onught.

    ''It''s good with those chains¨Cshit, I have to stop it now before itnds a hit,'' he decided.

    ["Deadly irvoyance"] [0:29]

    Though it strained both his brain and eyes, he leaned on the brief foresight as he sprinted forward into the wildly thrashing chains. He ducked his head as one passed right over, jumping to the side as another crashed right by his body, cutting right into the steel as his feet.

    Keeping his eyes on the giant that used the chains like a conductor organizing an orchestra, he found his opening as the chains were parted from his position for no more than a millisecond.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2700/3000]

    He caught his de, having slipped it past the legs of the cyclops as he appeared right behind the figure.

    "¡ªExploit the wounded soul, strike and strike harder!" The voice of the bard echoed through the dim chamber.

    ["Kiss of Critical Power"]

    The empowering aura clung itself to his body in that moment, bringing him to praise the girl in his mind at the perfectly timed usage of the skill, ''Attagirl, Nova.''

    [Critical Strike: +200%]

    Just as he silently leapt up, bringing himself to the perfect height to dive his des into the skull of the Exiled Cyclops, the sounds of rattling chains stopped as it suddenly spun around with quickness.

    ''What? Did it sense me?--'' Finn thought.

 Chapter 137: Exiled Foe

    ''What? Did it sense me?--'' Finn thought.

    It was only then that he realized a miscalction; the being that had its only eye stitched, not reliant on its sight, likely possessed a superior sense of hearing and feeling. There was only a millisecond to decide whether to gamble on a killing strike, or to evade.

    As a chill ran across his body, finding the giant moving with such haste, he instinctively made his choice¨C

    ["Hollow Disengage"] [4:59]

    He retreated into the shadows just as the cyclops'' leg swung by, mming its foot into the steel.

    As hended several meters away, emerging from the darkness, sweat left his pores as his heart thumped. For a brief moment while that close to the cyclops, his own body had believed it was about to die.

    With its focus on him in that moment, a crackle of thunder echoed through the hollow chamber of chains¨CTHWOOM.

    An impact struck the distracted cyclops from behind before Charlotte passed right by it, flicking her de that had a coiling cloud around it. Before the sightless giant could try and retaliate, a single step brought it to be struck by the follow-up of electricity.

    "Nice one¨C!" Finn shouted to the spellde, bringing himself back in.

    "Mm, it''s not enough though!" Charlotte responded.

    "It''s a damn good start, mate!" Jasper added in,ing by as he sent a sh of cobalt light at the cyclop''s side.

    Against its tough skin, the knight''s illuminated de didn''t carve through its flesh, though it left a bleeding wound nheless while it was shocked. Finn approached with the intent of following up with a strike of his own, though found the cyclops moving just as he got close.

    "Watch out!" Charlotte warned.

    The assassin stopped his approach just as the bleeding giant opened its mouth for the first time, not speaking any discernible words, but unleashing a bellowing roar that caused the air to quake.

    He could feel the ground vibrating beneath his feet as the cyclops expelled not frustration from the pain it felt, no, this was different¨Cit was its pride.

    The yell brought them all to a halt for a moment; the sheer volume of it made his bones ache and his muscles to throb momentarily as his body stiffened up. As it settled down, the cyclops turned quiet once again, reaching towards its own eye.

    "What is it doing¡­?" Jasper questioned.

    "Nothing good," Finn answered.

    The exiled being tugged at the ck threads that sealed its eye, gripping the stitches with its fingernails without any care before violently tugging them out. It made a repulsive sound, like paper being torn.

    "He tore them out¡­?" Charlotte carefully observed.

    The once stitched eyelids now parted, revealing a singr,rge eye of a ck sclera and a deep-purple iris that subtly shined.

    Nova didn''t waste any time repositioning herself to be behind all of them, not wanting any part in directly facing the chained giant, "Go get it! Go get it!" She cheered, half nervously.

    The first step taken was by Finn, finding himself intercepted as the cyclop''s illuminant eye honed right onto him. Its shine increased as a hum filled the stagnant air, bringing his body to urge him to move without knowing what wasing.

    He dropped down to the ground on instinct just as a beam in the shade of sangria shot right above him. The cyclops turned its head to the side, carving the eye-beam through the chamber as the purple light hissed with burning intensity.

    "Get down!" Finn shouted to the others.

    They each dropped onto their stomachs as well while the beam was dragged horizontally, leaving a trail of melted stone against the back wall.

    "Hot! Hot! Hot!" Nova called out, clutching her head and shutting her eyes while the release of energy passed above her.

    Finn watched it move in a straight line across before picking himself up, taking note of the path the beam had moved in while the others stood up as well. Making it halfway through the room, the cyclops'' release came to an end as its eyeball was left sizzling, shutting it for a moment as it grumbled.

    In that moment of opportunity, Finn dashed while the giant clutched his heated eye. There was no way to get to its vitals with the way it clutched itself, leaving him to leave a passing gift closed in:

    ["Magnificent de"] [Mana: -600] [2100/3000] [2:59]

    With the unison of fire and lightning, he brought both daggers across its abdomen in an "X" sh, spurring a reaction as the dual elements roared against the giant''s coal flesh. The impact blew the cyclops back as it roared out, stumbling as it forced its eye open again.

    An "X" shaped wound was left on the Exiled Cyclop''s body as blood leaked from its stomach, even bringing its breathing to seem uneven now.

    "Good hit, mate! He''s feeling that one!" Jasper shouted.

    Finn quickly moved back with the others, "I don''t think it can see while it uses that eye-beam attack. It could''ve easily just turned its head down to get me, but it didn''t." He presumed.

    The spellde kept her de empowered with another infusion of lightning, staying ready as she watched the enemy across the chamber, adding what she saw, "It couldn''t move after, either. Doing that must strain its eye a whole lot."

    "Not a very good ultimate move then, is it¨Cwaaah!"

    Amidst Jasper''s snide remark towards the cyclops, a chain came in like a lunging snake, wrapping around the knight''s wrist before he was pulled right off of his feet and into the air.

    "Jasper!--" Finn shouted.

    As watched his friend be tossed around in the air by the chain, he suddenly felt something wrap around his ankle. Looking down, he found the chain tightly holding onto his leg.

    "Shit¨C!"

    Before he could even attempt to break it, the cyclops tugged on the chain, yanking him off his feet as he was swung up into the air as well. It was a sheer disy of strength and finesse from the cyclops, who swung around the grown men on the ends of the chains as though they were merely parts of the whips.

    "I''m¡­gonna¡­hurl, mate!" Jasper gasped out before smacking right against the wall. "Ghh!"

    "Dammit¡­!" Finn pushed out through gritted teeth, trying to reach for the chain around his ankle, though the g-forces from being swung so swiftly kept changing him from being upside-down or facing sideways.

    They were being used as human nunchucks, at least that''s how it felt; utterly unable to move amidst the giant''s dance with the chains.

    A stomach-churning predicament, though, quickly turned to one more painful as he found the wall quickly approaching as he was swung around again. Using all of his focus, he pointed his hand against the uing, rigid stone¨C

    ["Shell Barrer"] [1:59]

    The ethereal shield manifested just as he would''ve been sent right into the wall, acting as a cushion as he pressed against it, allowing his shoulder to glide against the shield.

    "Hold on!" Charlotte shouted, trying to close in.

    Though he heard the spellde''s reassuring words, he could briefly make out amidst his rampant rollercoaster that the cyclops unleashed another burst from its eye, forcing Charlotte to get down.

    "Jasper¡­!" Finn shouted, finding it hard to fill his lungs with air in the chaotic spinning. "Can you cut your chain!?"

    The knight was left groaning still, mostly limp as he was still swung around with blood leaking from the gap in his helmet, "No¡­no way, mate. I can''t¡­focus for a second¡­like this!"

    While it would be simple enough to warp away, the problem was that the chain around his ankle forbade him from doing so. As he racked his brain for a solution, he was suddenly tugged down,pletely reversing his momentum as he found his back suddenly being pulled towards the ground.

    "Finn!" Charlotte shouted, picking herself just as the beam dispersed.

    While he heard her voice, it did nothing to help as he was brought down in unison with the knight, mmed with such intensity that all of the wind was knocked from his lungs. Not just air, but saliva and blood was spat out of his mouth from the crash, feeling the steel flooring right up against his back.

    He yelped in pain, sharing the same experience as the knight from their sudden downfall. A silver lining came in the cyclop''s brief stint of exhaustion after using his eye, keeling over as the chains were released.

    "Hey! Hey¡­! Please get up!" Charlotte urged with clear worry in her voice.

    Finn found Charlotte at his side, carefully helping him up, though just the act of standing was a painful experience as his entire body was left throbbing.

    It wasn''t just his back, but his head that hurt, finding a migraine now from the impact, "Urgh¡­"

    All things considered, he was grateful to be unbroken, though undeniably concussed as blood leaked from his nose. The impact would''ve assuredly turned a normal person into tomato sauce, almost frightening to him that his bones were left unshattered, even if only barely.

    As he looked over, the bard helped Jasper to his feet, though the knight hardly looked any better.

    "Finn, we should get out of here¨Cwe still can," Charlotte suggested urgently.

    He straightened himself out, not leaning on the spellde as he breathed out, wiping the blood from his lip, "No. It''ll chase us down, and we don''t exactly have anywhere to run outside, remember?"

    "Right¡­" Charlotte epted. "But, still, you''re hurt. You can''t fight like that¨C"

    "I can. I''ve managed through worse," Finn assured her, wearing a smile as he stood straight, though hiding from her just how dizzy he felt as the room spun.

 Chapter 138: Brain Dysfunction

    The writhing cyclops rose back to his feet as well as its eye seemed to sizzle with even a greater abundance of steam that brought its eyelids only to partially be opened. When considering a n of action that could lead to the defeat of the agile cyclops, anything considering his own ability to execute it felt half-baked.

    ''He''s insanely nimble for his size, and moves like an acrobat. On top of that, his senses seem to be elevated¨CI can''t sneak up on him. In terms of assassinating it, that seems unlikely,'' he nned.

    "It''sing again," Charlotte told him, holding her glistening sword up.

    As he stood there in thought, he found that they were separated from the other two, as Jasper and Nova were on the opposing end of the room, though the cyclop''s focus seemed set on him.

    "The next time it uses its eye, I''ll hold it in ce," Finn said.

    "What? How?--" Charlotte questioned.

    "My daggers can cut through magic. It''s a bit of a gamble, but I should be able to hold the beam at bay with my des, but I won''t be able to get any closer, so it''ll be up to you and Jasper," Finn exined, looking over at her.

    Charlotte seemed hesitant about the n, "That sounds dangerous¨Cno, it''s too risky." Read further adventures at m vl_em|p_yr

    "Just trust me, Charlotte. I wouldn''t set myself up to die," he assured her.

    "Mm¡­" Charlotte considered it before slowly nodding. "Alright. Just, please don''t get yourself killed, Finn."

    "I''m not nning on it," he told her.

    Banking on blocking the eye-beam would take careful timing and positioning, not wanting to risk it being aimed at hispanions.

    ["Deadly irvoyance"] [0:29]

    ["Superior Sense: Smell"]

    There was a distinct scent he recalled from the first encounter with the cyclop''s eye release; it had smelled of a mixture of sulfur and citrus. Combining foresight and the heightened sense of smell to get any trace of the beaming ahead of time, he approached the cyclops, though staying ten meters away.

    "Come on¨CI''m ready," Finn said, challenging the giant.

    The coal-skinned being flexed its body, bending its neck as its eyelids parted to full capacity, bringing that shining iris to focus right on him. That smell met his nose; like freshlyid dirt and cut lemons¨Ca strong scent that flooded his sense.

    Only a millisecond of glowing was witnessed as the assassin raised his daggers like a shield in front of his body right as the shining release came¨CVRRRRR.

    The entirety of his sight was consumed by the sangria light, finding himself immediately being pushed back by the sheer force behind the beam. As he predicted, or hoped, his magic-cutting daggers kept the energy at bay, causing a storm of sparks as the daggers were grinding against its continuous release.

    "Go! Now!--" Finn shouted, straining himself as he tried his best not to slide back further.

    Charlotte nodded, sprinting across the chamber while guiding her fingers along her de. The infusion brought to it was not a raging element, but a translucent form given to her weapon, increasing its length yet bringing it to a thinner width.

    ["ss Infusion"]

    As she sprinted with her utmost haste, the groggy knight got the memo as he came in as well, closing in on the cyclops that was kept in ce by its ownck of sight.

    "Jasper! It''s neck¨Cget the right!" Charlotte shouted,ing in from its left.

    The steel-d knight nodded his head, understanding what was being asked, "Gotcha!"

    In unison as the cyclop''s beam continued to press against the assassin''s guard, the spellde and knight leapt from either side of the chain-wrapped entity. She swung the clear de against the left of its neck, with the knight''s sapphire edge shing into the right side.

    The enchanted sharpness of her translucent sword allowed it to slice right in, though required further strength to push through the sturdy muscle of the cyclop''s neck.

    "It''s tough as nails¡­!" Jasper gritted, struggling to push as well.

    "Just keep¡­going!" Charlotte pushed out.

    Against the sturdy flesh of the giant, both des sought to meet one another in the middle before finally¨Csteel met steel as the bone was severed.

    With his back pushed against the wall, Finn found the force pushing against his des suddenly dispersing as did the glow. He exhaled for a moment, seeing across the chamber that the spellde and knight stood on either side of the cyclops.

    While it remained on its feet, its single-eyed head fell from its shoulders with a "thud" that echoed through the chamber.

    ["The Exiled Cyclops defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x7500 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +45000] [71100/80000]

    [Assimted ability from ["The Exiled Cyclops"]: "Ocr st"]

    A sigh of relief left his lips as the system disyed the spoils of victory. It was a bit regretful to him that it wasn''t enough to reach the next level, as his body still ached, though he marched over to the center of the room.

    The others were busy catching their breath as well, still seeming surprised that the cyclops had been in as its headless body remained on its feet.

    Jasper sat down, resting his arm on his knees, "Crap, mate¡­I need a moment."

    "Yeah, I don''t me you," Finn said, rubbing his throbbing head.

    The bard was hesitant to stand near the standing corpse of the exiled cyclops, constantly watching it nervously, "So, like¡­it''s dead, right? Like, actually dead and not going to suddenlye back and attack us?"

    "It''s as dead as dead can be," Finn assured her.

    Charlotte brushed her hair out of her face, "Do you think this is what is guarding the divine fruit?"

    "I hope so, but I wouldn''t bank on it," Finn said.

    "This doesn''t look like any kind of throne room to me, so I doubt it," Jasper added.

    After a short time taking to recoup from the stressful encounter, they cautiously headed deeper into the weathered temple. Finn looked at the others, gauging their current strength as he assessed their levels:

    [Charlotte] [Level: 36]

    [Jasper] [Level: 37]

    [Nova] [Level: 36]

    ''Looks like they all leveled from that cyclops. I''m close to another level myself¡ªI''ll keep that in mind,'' he thought, using the wisp to lead the way.

    The passage led into a narrow walkway positioned over a pitch-ck chasm of unknown depths, though the wind that rose from beneath certainly felt primordial.

    "This ce ising down, isn''t it?" Jasper remarked, looking at the fractured marble that served as a single bridge through the chamber.

    "It already has, by the looks of it," Finn said, carefully moving.

    "Don''t look down, Nova," Charlotte instructed the bard who followed right behind her.

    Nova tilted her head up, forcing herself to watch only the ceiling, "Of course I''m not!"

    "You climbed the steps to the floating castle with ease. I thought heights didn''t get you?" Finn questioned, hearing the whimpers of the bard a few spots back.

    "This is different! I can''t see where I would fall¨Cit totally makes my stomach feel fuzzy¡­" Nova exined.

    "I actually kind of get that," Finn agreed, finding himself trying not to look down.

    Observing the interior of the fallen room found other peculiarities, with lion-face statues positioned sideways on the wall, as if defying gravity or simply melded there.

    As he carefully moved, the room around him spun as he took his next step. Instead of finding solid footing, he felt his boot stepping onto air.

    "Ah¡ª"

    He slipped his foot off the side of the walkway, nearly stumbling right into the unseen depths before catching himself.

    "Finn? Are you alright?" Charlotte asked.

    "Careful, mate. Don''t want to take a tumble down there," Jasper remarked.

    He nodded, brushing it off as he kept moving, "I''m fine. Just slipped."

    In truth, there was still haziness in his mind, no doubt from being mmed by the cyclops as though he was a hammer brought down against an anvil.

    ''We''re all out of ambrosia now. I have all of these coins stocked up, but what''s the point if there''s nowhere to spend them in this world?'' He considered, rubbing his head.

    While in thought, he found a swirling sensation in his stomach as he took another step¨Conce again, there was nothing where he intended to ce his foot.

    "Huh¨C?"

    "Hey!" The shout came from Charlotte.

    As he blinked, realizing he was stepping right off of the fractured walkway, staring down into the pit, the only thing that stopped him from an unfortunate descent were the hands that grabbed his shoulders.

    It was by the quick reflexes of Charlotte and Jasper taking hold of him that he was saved, which he realized as he was straightened out.

    "Woah, you totally almost died!" Nova remarked, watching from a few steps back.

    "That''s it, mate¨Cyou''re not good," Jasper told him, still holding onto his arm. "You got mmed pretty hard back there. I did, too¨Cbut I''ve got a steel head, mate."

    "Yeah, Finn¡­Be honest, please," Charlotte urged him, meeting him eye-to-eye.

    For a moment, he stood there, caressing his own head before nodding, no longer being able to deny his condition, "Alright¡­Let''s just cross to the other side, then take a minute to rest. I''ll be good to go after that."

    "You promise?" Charlotte asked.

    "I promise," he reassured her.

 Chapter 139 : Reality Crossing

    "You promise?" Charlotte asked.

    "I promise," he reassured her.

    Even though that was the agreement, he found himself practically being escorted by both Jasper and Charlotte as they kept a hold on either of his arms while he walked.

    "I''m not a baby, I can walk on my own¨C" He protested.

    Jasper responded, "Hey, mate. I just watched you stumble like an ankle biter taking his first steps, so I''m not so sure."

    "Just let us help you," Charlotte softly said.

    "Alright, alright," Finn epted, letting himself be guided.

    With their help, he reached the otherside, led into what looked to be a worn, dusty library with shelves that were all but crumbled.

    Finn sat down on the ground, seeing as the seats were far too tall, "I didn''t think I''d be too tiny for two different ces in such a short timespan." He mumbled.

    "What was that, mate?" Jasper asked.

    "Nothing," Finn brushed off, letting out a sigh as he let his mind set for the time being.

    The weathered library was explored by the others while he rested, leaving him to watch while Nova attempted to retrieve one of the massive books, only for it to crumble to dust at the touch.

    "Gah¨C" the bard let out, jumping back at the sudden dissolvement of the old book.

    It earned a small chuckle from him as he looked at the young woman who sat across from him, keeping a watchful eye on him as though he might seize up at any moment.

    "Listen, I''m fine¨Cwell, just a little not fine, but you don''t have to worry," Finn told her.

    "I know you feel that way, but honestly, Finn, you''re too used to pushing yourself. Sometimes just let us help," Charlotte said.

    "I am. Thanks though¡ªI guess I do have a problem with that sort of thing sometimes," he admitted.

    Sitting there amidst the weathered library that smelled of musty paper and mmy stone, he decided to stand up.

    "Finn¡ª" Charlotte said, getting up with him.

    "I''m alright, see?" Finn said, presenting himself standing naturally as if it was a grand feat.

    "I suppose so¡­" Charlotte begrudgingly epted.

    He looked over at one of the massive shelves, getting a closer look at the books that sat on them. At least, what used to be books¡ªat this point, they were melded together by age, turned to nothing more than dust.

    Jasper was standing by a shelf near him, poking at a pile of old books that crumbled at the touch, "How long does it even take for them to get to this point?"

    "Hundreds of years, at least," Finn answered.

    "This ce has been left at least that long then," Charlotte said, brushing her hand across a cracked pir in the center of the library.

    If there was any history of the nebulous ruins, all of it has turned to dust, it seemed. That realization brought Finn to consider it as he looked around at the fallen library, recalling the purpose Sirius had spoken of.

    ''Protecting memories, huh,'' he wondered, looking at the aged shelves.

    "Look! Here!" Nova called out, waving them over.

    He almost expected something to be attacking from the sudden yell, though instead discovered that the singer had found an intact boom sat atop a small table.

    "It looks pristine," Charlotte said. "Like it''s not aged a day."

    "The table it''s on¡­It''s normal sized. So is the book," Finn observed.

    "Maybe it wasn''t only giants that lived here. Think humans were cozying up with them?" Jasper presumed.

    "Could''ve been," Finn said, carefully turning the pages.

    As he touched the book, they all looked on, finding that there were twonguages written: one archaic and unknown, the other being English.

    ["I am but a humble explorer, not an envoy of humanity. Yet, I feel I must speak on behalf of the Giants to my kin. For too long have our people fought one another. Humanity sees giants as mindless destroyers, and giants see us as invaders to theirnd. However, it couldn''t be farther from the truth. The King of the giants is a benevolent man; a schr who is open to the teachings of mankind as well.

    Everybody here worships him not out of fear nor bloodline, but pure admiration and respect."]

    "So, this guy was friends with the giants?" Nova wondered, leaning on the table. "That''s kind of cute."

    ["¡­They''ve weed me with open arms, even teaching me theirnguage. They''re far from barbarians¡ªI''ve met many schrs here. Magic isn''t something they rely on¡ªeverything they''ve built is with their own hands."]

    As the next page was turned, Finn quickly read what was written, though it was noticeably sloppier with ink.

    "I wouldn''t call any of this cute¡ªread this," Finn pointed out.

    The next passage written seemed inplete contrast to what was previously inscribed:

    ["¡­The city they helped build for those fleeing the Stornds, it had beening along wonderfully. The giants are subterranean folk, yet they chose toe to the surface to build a home for my kin.

    I must question why, then¡­Why were we struck down by the unjust hand of god? Thunderbolts rained down on the region, smiting it down. I''ve imbued this journal with the rest of my mana¡ªlet it be preserved so the kindness of the giants is not forgotten."]

    "Everything here was brought down by lightning? How''s that possible?¡ª" Charlotte questioned.

    "A thunderstorm isn''t that bad¡­Maybe a few burnt trees, but not total extermination," Jasper considered.

    "Scary¡ª" Nova said.

    Finn looked away from the preserved book, "It was Sirius¡ªwell, it had to be."

    "Didn''t you say that guy was peaceful and all pacifist when he talked to you?" Jasper asked.

    "Yeah, it doesn''t seem like something he''d do, but he''s the Storm King¡ªnot like it gets any more red-handed than that," Finn admitted.

    It ced a perplexing sh of views he had of the Storm King, looking around at the ruins in a different light. While it didn''t look scarred itself, all of its inhabitants were gone.

    "We should keep going," Finn suggested. "I''m good to go now."

    "I really don''t want to linger around in a creepy ce like this any longer than I have to, so I agree!" Nova enthusiastically added.

    A corridor led through the other side of the old library, delving through a hallway of decimated antiques. What awaited was a room, oddly enough kept lit with meager, white torches that sat on the walls.

    "This ce¡­" Charlotte muttered in disbelief.

    ced on massive chairs like dormant statues were the bodies of giants, sitting watchfully from the sides of the chamber. It took a moment to realize the unmoving beings were not carvings, but lifeless corpses sat up.

    "What kind of freaky disy is this? Who would do this? It''s totally creepy!" Nova asked, covering her mouth in disgust.

    "Think the Storm King was up to this?" Jasper nced over at the assassin.

    "I doubt it. Somebody or something is still living here¡ªI''m sure of that," Finn guessed.

    None of it looked idental; the way therge bodies were propped onto the seats were intentionally ced, like statues watching over the chamber.

    Each of the seats were decorated with golden strips and jewels, with the giants'' bodies dressed in pale robes.

    Finn nced back, finding that Nova was holding onto Charlotte''s sleeve like a cowering puppy. It was hard to me the entric bard, seeing as he felt his own anxiousness, feeling watched by the lifeless colossuses sitting on their eternal seats.

    "Kind of feels like the big guys might just wake up at any moment, doesn''t it?" Jasper asked.

    "Don''t say that¨C!" Nova hissed, giving the knight a slug to the arm.

    "Hey¨Cjust kidding, sheesh," Jasper said, holding his arm.

    Listening to the antics of his friends just a few steps behind him, he continued walking while gazing at the peculiarity of the long chamber. The high-positioned chairs of robed giants came to stop, leaving him only walking through the dimly-lit temple.

    Oddly enough, he noticed the walls of old stone blended into a ckened material, almost as though it was leading into a different interior altogether.

    ''What''s¨C'' He began to consider.

    As he questioned the sudden change in the walls, he came to a realization as he stopped moving. There was no longer any chatter from behind, nor the echo of hispanions'' footsteps. It was utterly quiet; a dead silence that spurned a sickening feeling within.

    He didn''t want to turn around, already knowing what he would discover, not wanting to confirm it, yet he had to¨C

    There was nobody behind him, only a stretch of darkness the other way, only seeming to lead nowhere but the lightless beyond.

    ''What''s going on? Is it the same phenomena as inside the cavern before?--No, I don''t think so,'' he quickly thought.

    As he turned every direction in a panic, a familiar voice met his ears as if spoken right by his shoulder¨C

    "I''d start running if I were you, kid. I''m not going to stick anymore than to give you a warning, since you''ve lured in something nasty."

    It was that voice with the new yorker ent, always monotone and without much joy or eagerness; the Evanescent¨Che recalled. Only, he couldn''t find the grayscale figure anywhere to be seen.

 Chapter 140 : Ominous Contraption

    "What''s going on? Talk to me! Where are you?!" Finn desperately asked, only finding the dark walls around him.

    "You''ve identally crossed the boundaries of reality. I told you before that you are able to perceive other realities, but it gets a whole lot messier when you hurt that thing in your skull¨Cthings get weird."

    Finn kept trying to look around anxiously, feeling his heart thump, though he couldn''t find the man that spoke to him, "--You said I should start running? What''s going on?"

    "You''ll cross back into your reality soon enough. Think of it as a temporary out-of-body experience, but everything still goes. Just don''t die¨Ctry and survive until you return," the Evanescent''s guiding words met his ears.

    It felt more as though everything he was told left him more confused and anxious, though any presence of the man he felt was long gone already. He kept his daggers ready, looking around as he waited for whatever it was that led to the foreboding warning.

    In the darkness, he heard it¨C

    It sounded like intense, uneven breathing, expelling like a haunted whisper through the darkness. Just ahead, he could slightly make something out that moved closer; a tall figure shrouded in the shadows.

    He squinted, attempting to discern it with his skill¨C

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    The system notification that appeared in his view was unstable; the pale, silver text waved around and glitched like a sparking machine.

    [An0mAly R3c0n1zed!]

    ["Hello, Finn"] [L3vel: 44? Quandary? Error! Integer not found ? 1000? 54?]

    ''An Anomaly? What the hell is this thing¨C? None of this information even makes sense,'' he analyzed as his heart pounded inside of his chest, carefully backing away from the unknown entity.

    "Hello, Finn¡­Hello, Finn¡­Hello, Finn¡­"

    A raspy voice echoed through the darkness ahead,ing from the only thing he could make out of the enigmatic figure that slowly approached: a lipless mouth with teeth that moved unnaturally with each repetition of his name.

    "Hello, Finn¡­Hello, Finn¡­Hello, Finn¡­"

    It didn''t sound human; not as though something that genuinely spoke his name¡ªonly an entity using it.

    As he stood there a moment with sweat clinging to his skin, the thought of fighting back waspletely engulfed by the opposing feeling.

    He remembered what the Evanescent told him: "Run."

    Turning the other direction, he sprinted through the foreboding chamber.

    Immediately as he started running, putting his back to the entity, he felt himself being chased. Like a bell being rung constantly, the stomps of the ominous existence behind him were loud and clear.

    It wasn''t something he could fight; at least, that''s what he felt while it pursued him. As he ran and ran, the darkness suddenly cut off as he found himself nearly colliding face first into a wall.

    "Ah¡ª?"

    There was no recollection of a wall that way, seeing as that''s where he came from the library. With nowhere else to run, there was nothing else to do but face what chased him.

    ''Shit¡­Shit, this isn''t good,'' he thought.

    Through the darkness, he watched the lipless grin approach before the body it belonged to came in view. It wasnky with a humanoid physique, yet arms long enough to hang to its feet.

    Its torso was made of a smiling mouth, covered in smaller mouths around its body that constantly repeated the same phrase in unison¡ª"Hello, Finn."

    From high-pitched voices to bellowing ones; the many mouths chanted the ominous greeting while the long-armed, slender entity approached.

    With nowhere to run, he ced his fears behind him as he dashed right towards the figure with his daggers bear. He aimed his de for the mouth on its abdomen, closing in¡ª

    "Finn¡ª?"

    Hearing his name softly spoken, he blinked, finding the entity no longer in front of him. Instead, he found himself pointing his de at the perplexed knight that was standing in front of him.

    "Huh¡ª?" Finn let out, looking at his weapon before quickly pulling it away.

    "It''s just me, mate. Are you¡­good?" Jasper asked with his hands raised.

    Finn nced around him, finding Charlotte and Nova close by, both looking at him with shock. It made little sense to him in the moment as he looked at the room, finding himself back in the dimly-lit chamber of seated giants.

    "Finn? You''re okay¡ª" Charlotte assured him.

    "You totally spazzed out there¡ªI thought you were gonna take Jasper''s neck!" Nova shouted.

    "What? I¡­No, that''s not what happened," Finn said, shaking his head.

    "Then what happened? You can tell us, Finn," Charlotte softly assured him, looking closely.

    Jasper nodded, "Yeah, mate. We''re in this together."

    Even if it was something he didn''t want to talk about, nor did he have much of a grasp on understanding it as it is, hiding his condition any longer was a bad idea. He knew that as he quietly breathed out and looked at hispanions.

    It didn''t seem like much of a ce to hold a conversation, overlooked by the robed corpses of old giants in their high-up seats, though he gave in.

    "That night of darkness, when Damian died¡­I encountered something unnatural. Evenpared to all this magic and these monsters running around¡ªit was something otherworldly," Finn admitted.

    The topic of that nightmarish night was something they all seemed familiar with; a time nobody had fond memories of.

    "You talked about this before, right? You didn''t go into much detail about it to Magnus or I, though¡­" Charlotte asked, rubbing her arm.

    Finn nodded, "It''s not something I can really recall that well. There''s a reason for that, though¡ªit was a "Prime."

    "A Prime?" Jasper repeated.

    "I haven''t heard of anything like that," Nova remarked with a finger to her chin.

    "It''s a transcendent entity. Something people like us aren''t supposed to encounter. If you see one, your mind shatterspletely, or well¡­It fractures and begins perceiving other branches of reality," Finn exined. "At least, what''s all I know."

    The exnation he gave with what little insight he had to his own cosmic condition left the others in silence for a minute as it was taken in.

    "I''d be lying if I said I understood what you''re sayingpletely. Thing is, everything''s been all messed up for awhile now¡ªso, I believe you, mate," Jasper said.

    "Is it something to do with your system, you think? There''s a whole lot we don''t know about our systems still," Charlotte asked, looking at him.

    He slowly shook his head, "I''m really not sure one way or the other. I can hardly trust my own mind right now."

    "Don''t sweat it, mate. We''ve got your back," Jasper assured him, giving the assassin a pat on the shoulder.

    "Yeah¡ªtotally. You can rely on me¡ªtotally," Nova said yfully.

    "Thanks," Finn calmly showed his gratitude.

    It was a weight off his shoulders to admit what he was going through, even if it wasn''t something so easily fixed. He continued on through the hall of the revered dead.

    Jasper walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him, lightly tapping him with his steel glove, "If you start feeling funny, just give me a yell, alright?"

    "Sure thing," Finn agreed halfheartedly.

    "Finn, really¡ªmaybe we should find a different way," Charlotte suggested worriedly.

    "No, it''s alright. The thing¡­It doesn''t happen frequently, so I''m fine for now. Let''s just get through this," he said.

    "If you''re sure," the spellde epted.

    At the end of the foreboding chamber, a gargantuan set of brass doors stood. Each was carved with an indecipherablenguage, even the symbols were eroded. It looked impossible to open with strength alone, being multiyered in thick, dense material.

    "Don''t have a good feeling about whatever is past these doors," Jasper observed, looking up at the colossal barrier.

    "Massive doors like this mean they want to safeguard something, right? Old, treacherous temples like this¡­That usually means beautiful treasure!" Nova excitedly said, seeming full of energy now as she pressed her palms against the archaic copper.

    It seemed the concept of valuables washed away any fear from the girl who was quivering like a puppy the minute prior, now grinning like a mischievous feline.

    "Let''s get this open already and im that¡­treasure?" The excitement from the silver-haired bard was quieted down as her light taps against the colossal doors seemed to be answered.

    Seemingly on their own, the old metal began to part itself with a long, drawn out groan with ages of dust casting itself out against the outsiders.

    "Wha¨C" Nova reacted, stepping back.

    The sudden release of dust stirred coughs from them each, seeming to haveid dormant for countless years just by the sheer quantity of the particles in the air. What awaited was a small room with another door just a few steps ahead.

    "Huh? What''s the deal here?" Jasper wondered.

    "It''s giving us every chance to turn around, it seems like," Charlotte remarked.

    In front of the secondary barrier was a pedestal with a stone sphere sat atop it with a glowing orb sat in its core. It was resting between a perpetually moving mechanism of thin, bronze strips that encircled the disyed sphere.

    As Finn ced his hand near the contraption around the stone orb with the intent to grab it, the metal strips began moving at a much faster pace, whirling with a sharp intensity.

    "Woah¨Ccareful there," Jasper warned. "You could lose a hand, mate."

 Chapter 141: The King of Giants

    "What is that thing, anyway?" Nova wondered.

    Finn kept his eyes on the enigmatic object on the pedestal, "I think it has something to do with the door¨Cmaybe a key to moving ahead."

    "Positive?" Jasper asked.

    "Assassin''s hunch," Finn answered, keeping track of the rotating, sharp lines of metal while cing his hand close.

    Charlotte worriedly watched, "Be careful, Finn."

    "I know¨CI''m just figuring out the rhythm to this thing," he said, not looking away for a moment.

    Like a cat watching its prey, he waited with his hand raised, cementing the pattern in his mind before¨Che swiped his hand through.

    "Got it¨C" He imed.

    As soon as he managed to grab the sphere, he released a breath as the others let out sighs of relief of their own.

    "Nice work, mate¨C" Jasper said.

    Just as the knight tried to ce his hand on the assassin''s shoulder, thepact room shook as the floor itself seemed to adjust beneath their feet. Like a jigsaw puzzle, the stone tiles lifted and lowered, moving left-to-right, swapping spaces.

    "Haah¨C?!" Charlotte reacted.

    Finn stumbled, bumping into the pedestal as he looked around, "Hey¨C!"

    There was no chance to get another word out before the colossal, bronze doors behind them mmed shut, trapping them in the shifting space.

    "It''s changing! The room¡ªit''s changing!" Jasper called out.

    In the panic of the sudden change, Finn found the sealed doors on either side unmoving, though the floor seemed to continuously rumble and shift.

    "It''s an elevator," Finn quietly remarked upon realization.

    "What?" Charlotte asked.

    "It''s an elevator¡ªI don''t understand how it''s operating, but we''re being transported down," Finn imed while bncing himself.

    Each piece of the sealed room reconfigured itself constantly while the grinding of stone hummed. He could feel it in his gut that the chamber was lowering.

    "It''s a trap, isn''t it?!" Nova asked.

    "Maybe¡ªjust be ready!" Finn told them.

    After enough humming along the sound of stone grinding and shifting around, the downward motion came to a stop. It was a jarring shift that rumbled the entirety of the primordial elevator, forcing them each to catch their bnce.

    "It stopped?" Charlotte questioned.

    There was no opportunity to catch one''s breath as the unopened door opened itself by retracting metal tes. It opened itself into a vast, dim chamber.

    Finn stepped out from the unorthodox elevator as the others followed, careful and cautious as to what the room may be.

    "So dark¡­Use that light thingy, Finn!" Nova begged.

    "Hold on¡ªwe don''t know what''s in here yet¡ª" Finn responded.

    Just as they each stepped into the chamber far beneath the surface, light began to flicker into existence.

    From candles set atop the many pirs, silver mes awakened. The air was thin and brisk, like the peak of a mountaintop, yet the pr opposite.

    "Brrr¡­It''s chilly," Nova shuddered, anxiously rubbing her own arms.

    Finn shushed the bard, needing all five senses to work at their utmost in the unknown chamber.

    Knelt statues led up to what the lights brought into sight: a throne and the being who sat upon it.

    There wasn''t a word spoken as each eyeid anxiously on the figure that sat on the heightened seat of ckened stone.

    From the throne, the being moved; a towering figure of sable skin and unkempt, golden hair wearing a regal set of pale robes with the fur of a lion around his shoulders.

    ''He''s powerful¡ªeven without Sleuth, I can feel it in the air; this is an extraordinary being,'' Finn felt.

    Into his hand, the wordless figure of remarkable stature conjured a sh of cerulean light.

    It gave way toan exuberant staff of gold with a sapphire at its end, glistening with a mystical radiance. From the steps, the throne sitter began to descend with wordless intent; there was no doubt of the malice held by the figure.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "The Old King"] [Level: 50]

    "Here hees!" Jasper said, readying his sword and shield. "This is who we came here for! Ain''t no time to piss our pants now!"

    As soon as the final step was descended, the hollow husk of the giant ruler raised the golden instrument. A bright-blue glow was produced, like moonlight shimmering off the surface of the sea.

    Finn shouted to the others, "He''s using magic! We''ll have to close the distance!"

    He led with a sprint right towards the towering royal, deciding it was the best move with little information. As he approached swiftly, he watched the Old King weave the azure light into a volley of arrows.

    "Iing!" Jasper yelled, raising his shield in front of the bard.

    Finn didn''t stop his approach, jumping onto the shoulder of one of the knelt statues as the magic-formed projectiles tracked him. He looked down on the regal foe from above, finding himself making eye contact with the hooded king as those silver irises met his own in that split-second.

    The dagger in his hand was nearly thrown as he intended to warp, though stopped that n as the way the towering figure moved his staff made him reconsider.

    As a burst of azure light rose from the king''s tool once more, it took a refined shape into that of an ethereal sword of light that stretched many meters in length.

    ''It created a de made of mana¨C?'' Finn analyzed.

    He jumped back just as the colossal de of magic was swung with the staff as its handle, watching the incorporeal de sliced right through the scalp of the statue he stood on.

    Charlotte sprinted through the main walkway between the statues, quickly intercepted by another swipe of the magic-formed de. She ducked down as her hair waved, narrowly missing the sword as it passed over, cutting through the kneeling monuments like a hot knife through butter.

    Just as the spellde began to pick herself up, the sight of the Old King ahead, raising the ethereal de high filled her with a sense of dread. In a single swipe, the colossal extension was brought down¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2000/3000]

    "Hyup!--" Finn let out, having to tackle her as soon as he warped beside her.

    "Ah?--" Charlotte reacted.

    As hended with the woman, crashing to the side of the tiles of mossy stone, the pathway to the throne was left cleaved through by the azure light.

    "Gotcha," Finn said, breathing out as he stood up, lending a hand down to the spellde.

    Charlotte nodded, epting the hand as she was quickly helped to her feet, "Thanks."

    "Just stay on your toes. This guy is probably full of tricks¨Cwhen ites to magic users, there''s really no way to tell the depths of their arsenal," Finn imed.

    In the near distance, the pir-sword of light dispersed back into the golden staff as the unspoken king stood in the same spot. The way that the figure stood there irked the assassin, as though those silver eyes said "That was my greeting."

    Before another weaving of magic could be conjured, he set his sights on the robed king as the staff glistened again.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He crossed a hundred meters in an instant, cing himself face-to-face with the Old King, who was easily twice his height. In the same moment, he dragged his de across the side of the sable-skinned being''s neck, though the collision felt like he shed at solid steel.

    ''Seriously?--'' He thought.

    As he slipped by, the assassin spun himself around as he found the cloth of the Old King''s robe cut where the strikended, though only a light scrape was left. It didn''t make sense to him how a caster could be that tough, having to correct his logic that followed games a bit too much.

    The staff was mmed down with a wave of cerulean light, bringing the assassin to quickly toss his de back towards his allies.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1900/3000]

    ¡ªHe caught his de a safe distance away as his boots slid across the stones. The impact of the Old King''s staff against the ground conjured a field of ivory spikes around the mage''s position.

    ''¡­Good timing. I would''ve been skewered,'' Finn thought.

    For the moment, he stayed his distance, regrouping with the others.

    One of the knelt statues of cracked marble was used for cover, granting at least a brief respite. He looked at the others, seeing that they were rattled by what the Old King had shown thus far.

    "How do we even get close to that guy? Magic like that is just cheating, mate," Jasper remarked.

    "Even if we do¡­It looked like it wasn''t easy to hurt him," Charlotte said, looking at the assassin.

    Finn exhaled, tightening his gloves as he nodded, "He''s tough, yeah. It''s going to be hard to get a good hit in."

    "Didn''t that book say giants were adverse to magic? What''s the deal with this guy, anyway?" Jasper asked.

    "I''m not sure, but it doesn''t change that we''re here right now¡ªthat''s the reality of it," Finn answered.

    As they spoke, the colossal statue quaked as an array of projectiles sted into it from the other side.

    "I''ll try and keep his attention on me. Just give him hell for me, yeah?" Jasper offered.

    "In that case¡­I''ll support you with my singing, then. I can make sure you don''t tire out," Nova added, looking at the knight.

    Finn liked the proposal, though finding the time to discuss their ns being reduced quickly as the monument shook, "Alright. Charlotte, you''re with me then."

    "Mhm, I''m ready," Charlotte nodded.

 Chapter 142: Wielder of Magic

    The first to step out was the knight himself, keeping his shield raised as he made a mad dash straight for the Old King.

    "I''m right here!" Jasper taunted through a half-fearful yell.

    Through the side of the grim, royal chamber, Finn sprinted with Charlotte by his side, watching the knight''s provocation be answered.

    A stream of azure mana split itself into a burst of javelins that pierced towards Jasper.

    THWUNK

    ¡ªA direct collision with the shield brought the knight back several feet, momentarily breaking his guard.

    "Nnh¡­Woo!" Jasper caught himself, stumbling a bit before sprinting once again.

    The bard''s singing aided the knight''s approach, granting a verdant aura around his body that glistened with the liveliness of a jungle.

    From the giant king''s staff, a frosty air stretched forth through the ruinous walkway before raining down with rapid icicles.

    "Woah there!¡ª" Jasper reacted.

    The knight ced the shield above his head as the magical ice shot down from above, shattering into cold fragments.

    "I''m feeling great! Cheers, love!" Jasper shouted in gratitude to the bard while moving.

    Of course, such open thanks, partially due to the euphoria felt by the knight given a high from the blessing, flustered the bard.

    Finn watched the entire time while closing in unseen on the position of the fallen king, "He''s got a screw loose, doesn''t he?"

    "Are you really one to talk?" Charlotte yfully said, keeping up beside him in their sprint.

    "Ouch, Charlotte," Finn said before taking a sharp turn.

    From the position he was at, he had a clear view of the Old King''s right side, between thest of the knelt statues and the throne itself. As a stream of condensed magic mmed against the knight''s shield, the assassin and spellde struck.

    Finn led the assault amidst the Old King''s focus on the knight, getting close beneath the glow of the azure light as he ced his hand against the giant''s abdomen:

    ["Touch of Rot"]

    ''Focus it¨Cspread it thin, target the foundation,'' he thought.

    It took some effort in that single moment, not condensing the contact to the single spot his palm touched, but stretching it across the physique of the Old King himself. Past the hole decayed through the robe, the melting touch caused the skin of the mage to crack and peel all over.

    At the same moment, the ray of azure ended as the silver-eyed king set his sights on the assassin, reaching for him¨CSLASH.

    The spellde came in like a ray of light, forcing the Old King to raise his arm to defend himself just as the ming de left a gash on his forearm. Finn held his position, though the figure leapt back, waving his staff in retaliation.

    As the hood fell, the face of the Old King was not that of an elder, but a youthful man.

    In that moment, the wordless king of ruins brought the throne room to tremble as the dim chamber was illuminated by an uprising of mana. Through the sheer quantity of magic felt in the air, it felt like a boundless sea, yet all wielded by that single man.

    Jasper shouted, "He''s readying something, mates!--"

    Before whatever magic could be woven, Finn intended not to let it be cast as he sprinted towards the steps leading to the throne with the spellde by his side. Just as his foot befell the first step, the coalescence of magical light expanded and transformed itself¨C

    In that moment, Finn swore he saw it; the lips of the Old King parted, hearing a voice that was pained by guilt and sorrow speak:

    "Let me show you the beauty taken away by the thunder."

    From the king''s promation, all sight was consumed by light in that moment. From the stale, thin air, what was breathed into his lungs was bountiful and fresh.

    As the blinding radiance faded, he blinked a few times before finding himself not standing in the grim throne room, but in a luscious garden.

    ''What is this? The others?--'' Finn questioned, looking around.

    He found himself looking upon a peculiar instance in time. Both humans and giants walked along the vast stretch of flowers and trees; no fear or animosity between one another.

    It was some act of magic, he reasoned that much, though he was surprised by its rity; it all felt real, though as he brushed his hand against a flower, it went right through it. He viewed the thriving scenery as nothing more than a ghost.

    "This is what I used to rule. Where my kin thrived, peacefully, without troubling others."

    The softly spoken voice brought him to turn his head, finding himself looking towards a towering apple tree where a giant, youthful man in pale robes held one such, scarlet fruit.

    "You''re the¡­" Finn said.

    It seemed that the Old King was the only person he could interact with within the materialized memory, as the others that leisurely strolled the utopian fields of flowers simply walked right by.

    "I am the King of Giants, Zigmund," the regal figure gently gave his true name. "Though, I rule over nothing but an eroded temple now."

    "Why''d you bring me here? Where are the others?" Finn asked.

    The youthful giant seemed to have no regard for his haste, moving at his own pace as he caressed the fruit-bearing tree as if reminiscing upon fonder times.

    "Everybody else is experiencing the same. You''re speaking to one part of my consciousness, currently," King Zigmund answered, plucking another apple from the tree before approaching.

    Finn was left speechless, perplexed as to what to do as he watched the giant king approach. There was no animosity from the figure that he was fighting tooth-and-nail against just moments prior, even so much as being presented an apple as a gift by the royal figure.

    "This is a recreation of Spartia. The homnd of my people, and wee to mankind. Now it is nothing more than a memory to us," King Zigmund said, cing therge apple on the assassin''s hand. "Here. Try it."

    "I''m not interested¨C" Finn rejected.

    "I insist," King Zigmund said, looking down at the much smaller assassin with his silver irises.

    Even if he was wary, he epted the apple, seeing as his best choice for the moment was to y along. Hesitantly, he took a bite out of the fruit that was twice the size of what it should normally be. A look was given to the King of Giants as if asking "Happy?"

    "The version of me outside of this memory¨Cthe one you''re fighting¨Cis nothing more than a golem. All the "Old King" does now is attack anybody who enters the throne room," King Zigmund exined.

    "Then why did he use that spell¨C? To bring us here, I mean?" Finn asked.

    "He didn''t intend to use it. My soul is ced within that staff, you see," King Zigmund exined, leading the man on a stroll through the harden. "My hollow self intended to kill you with that spell, but I intercepted and changed it."

    Finn followed beside the perplexing king, walking on a stone-paved path between fields of colorful, blooming flowers amidst a tranquil spring.

    "Why''d you do that?" Finn asked. "We did trespass. We came for the treasure in your temple."

    "I''m somebody that prefers to avoid violence. I want to gauge what kind of people you are. Perhaps if you came just a decade earlier, it''d be different. After my kingdom fell, I was consumed by rage¨CI locked myself away and studied magic for centuries on end," King Zigmund recalled, bringing hisrge hand gently against a cerulean flower.

    "The Storm King did it, didn''t he?" Finn asked. "We''re going after him¨Cwe have the same goal, don''t we? Help us¨C"

    Amidst his questioning, he found the benevolent king stopping their stroll through the garden of memories as the figure stood in front of him, holding a pale flower.

    "Like I said, perhaps a decade earlier, it''d be different. I cultivated my magic for centuries, all for the express purpose of not just avenging my people and killing Sirius, but humanity itself," King Zigmund admitted. "But, I overcame it. None of it would bring back what was lost, I would only lose what little I have left."

    "What do you have left? There''s not a single person left in your kingdom, Zigmund," Finn asked.

    "Their memories," King Zigmund answered.

    It was that same answer again; the very same sentiment he found from the Storm King himself. A shared feeling that he did not believe was a wise idea to speak of to the King of Giants, instead listening.

    "As their king, it was my duty to protect them in life¨CI failed. However, in their death, I will safeguard their memories. Each of their names, their aspirations, the lives they led¨Cuntil this world crumbles, that''s my one purpose," King Zigmund exined.

    "Then why did you bring me here? If you don''t want to help, what do you want, then?" Finn asked.

    From a gentle smile, the towering, yet young king''s expression transitioned into a grim look.

    "Besides the preservation of my kingdom''s memory, I have one other goal. One ordained by a higher power, entrusted to me," King Zigmund told him. "¡ªTo safeguard the Fruit of The Gods."

    Before Finn could get a word out, he froze as the staff in the king''s hand mmed against the ground. It echoed, ringing against his ears as the beautiful garden faded away.

    "Show me what you feel when everything you care for is taken away."

 Chapter 143: Deceitful Truth

    "Show me what you feel when everything you care for is taken away."

    He found himself back in the throne room lit by silver candles. It took him a moment toe to, feeling an odd sensation at his feet as he looked down.

    The warmth he found was a slick, scarlet substance that plentifully pooled at the steps to the throne.

    "What¡­?"

    As he looked around him, his stomach dropped as his blood ran cold; the bodies of his friends were twisted and eviscerated.

    The knight was left covered in holes, lifelessly slumped against a kneeling statue. Just behind Jasper was the bard, who he looked to have tried to shield, though Nova shared the same fate,ying in a pool of blood.

    "Jasper¡­Nova¡­"

    Just a few steps ahead of him, he found Charlotteid on the steps, covered incerations and bloodied beyond survivability.

    "Charlotte¡­" He weakly said.

    Brought such unequivocal despair, the young man copsed to his knees as the strength even to stand was sapped.

    Everything else was ignored; sorrow swelled in his soul as heid there, sumbing to despair. It rose into a sickening feeling, bringing him to spit the bile from his stomach right there.

    Even as the hollow king stood in front of him, he didn''t acknowledge the presence as he wept.

    "When you''ve lost everything, there''s often two paths one''s soul faces," the king''s soft voice met his ears. "Rage or Emptiness."

    Facedown in a puddle of his own tears and bile, he continues to weep, gripping at the stone steps. The bitter emotions that swirled inside of him intensified like a tempest.

    "Which kind of soul are you, I wonder?" The King questioned.

    Brought to the furthest depths of bottomless dejection, the self-deprecating gue on his mind was ced secondary. What surfaced was an urge to fix things, even in the smallest way possible¡ªby avenging them.

    He pushed his hands against the ground to lift himself to his feet, wobbling as he set his eyes on the one ahead.

    "That look in your eyes is much the same as mine once were. Sharpened with rage, yet glistening with sorrow," the King said. "¡ªThat''s good."

    "I''ll kill you¡ª!" From the top of his lungs, Finn shouted as he lunged towards the figure.

    Click.

    ¡ªOnce more, the staff resonated against the ground as the scenery warped itself. From the sight of overwhelming despair in the grim chamber, he was brought back to the tranquil garden.

    The chirping of birds, the leisure chit-chat of those that lived on only through memory, a gentle breeze passing through the fruit-bearing trees¡ªit was peaceful.

    "What¡­?" Finn questioned.

    All of that rage and despair he felt a moment prior was washed away as he stood there, looking at the King of Giants who still held an apple in his hand.

    "It was all¡­fake? Now that I''m here, it feels like a dream, but a moment ago¡ª" Finn recalled, shaking his head lightly.

    "Forgive me, but I showed you a rather cruel sight. I had to see what kind of person you were," King Zigmund apologized.

    "So, did you get the result you wanted? What now?" Finn asked.

    It was still left undecided if the King of Giants would be a friend or foe; though it seemed to lean closer to neither.

    The dark-skinned royal peered with his moonlit gaze, "I will aid you in defeating my hollow self out there."

    "Really?" Finn asked in surprise.

    "As you are now, none of you will be able to achieve victory. For countless years, my flesh has soaked up mana and be a godly vessel. Even if you wound it, it''ll mend itself," King Zigmund exined, gazing at the sea of flowers to the side.

    "Then what do we do?" Finn questioned.

    "Strike my heart," King Zigmund answered. "¡ªI''ll be able to restrain the movements of my outside body for a few moments at most. That should be more than enough though, I hope?"

    "Yeah, that''ll work," Finn said.

    As the deal was set with the inner self of the King, he extended his fist as a gesture of good will. At the moment, he didn''t know exactly why he did it, perhaps just thankful for the assistance or that he resonated with his strife.

    The youthful king looked confused for a moment by the foreign gesture before meeting it halfway with a small smile, "I''m counting on you to put me to rest."

    "I''ll do it," Finn assured him.

    As their fists collided, the scent of flowers amidst the tranquil spring faded. A brief, blinding light settled as he found himself back at the base of the steps to the throne, looking up at the hollow shell of the benevolent king.

    He nced to his side, finding the spellde who looked at him as if having undergone the same experience. The same reaction was found from the other two as he looked around before returning his gaze to the Old King.

    "Let''s end this," Finn said.

    "Yeah," Charlotte agreed.

    ¡ªSuch haste was met swiftly with rejection as the hollow king''s staff was waved with a torrent of magical energy following.

    Finn quickly moved back with Charlotte doing the same as spiraling missiles of manaunched in every direction from the king''s position.

    While the knight hunkered down with a barrier to protect the bard, the assassin and spellde remained agile.

    It was a hailstorm of the magic missiles; each impact the dozens of projectiles made exploded with cerulean fireworks.

    Finn sprinted along the rightmost wall as the azure struck behind him, exploding as stone chunks flew. He leapt to the top of one of the kneeling statues, ncing over his shoulder to find multiple of the projectiles curving towards his position.

    ''There''s too many to dodge¡ªI have to confront it,'' he thought, spinning himself around.

    ["Deadly irvoyance"] [0:29]

    It required precise timing as he ducked down and spun himself around to bring his daggers through both of the foremost missiles.

    Burning, blue sparks spat against him as he carved into the tracking magic, feeling the heat as it lightly singed his cheek.

    The magic-cleaving des dispersed the projectiles, leaving him with one left honed onto himself. It seemed toe faster than the others, already mere inches in front of his face¡ª

    ["Impervious"] [4:59]

    ¡ªJust as it collided with him, he remained unmoved as it exploded into an assembly of sparks. He let out a breath as his muscles rxed, looking over to find that the spellde had the same idea.

    Atop another monument in the grand chamber, Charlotte confronted an iing trio of magic missiles head-on.

    ["Mirror of The Void"]

    A structure of ss framed in pearlescent steel materialized in front of her hand, intercepting the iing projectiles. Each one sank into the mirror like a hook into the sea, dispersing as the spellde cast it aside.

    Finn watched with a certain degree of fulfillment, seeing the newly-acquired skill of the young women. They shared a nce from across the chamber before everyone''s attention was ced back on the Old King.

    The entire room rumbled as the regal figure produced a torrent of azure radiance around himself. Like a blizzard in a tundra, the mana swirled around the Old King with a howling intensity.

    Jasper shouted from the middle of the room, "¡ªDoesn''t look good, mates! Something big ising! Get behind me!"

    Though for a moment the assassin considered going for a strike, he decided to follow hisrade''s suggestion as the sheer pressure of the mana weighed heavily.

    ''Shit¡ªwhere''s that help, Zigmund?!'' He thought, sprinting towards the knight.

    As the light of the magical energy near the throne rose to a grandiose shine, he slid himself behind Jasper just as Charlotte and Nova huddled up as well.

    "Raise it now!" Finn shouted as the ungodly quantity of mana made the air hiss. Experience tales at m v|l e-NovelFire

    "Getting right to it, mate!" Jasper yelled in response.

    ["Absolute Defense of The Imprable City"]

    The knight set his shield in ce as it produced a multiyered barrier of ethereal castle walls. An impromptu fortress, presenting a heavenly, white shine to the transient barrier.

    Finn kept his shoulder to Jasper''s back, helping him stand strong while Charlotte and Nova braced just beside.

    From ahead, it was impossible to see the Old King himself through the overwhelming coalescence of mana that took shape.

    It took the form of celestial arms, hands sping one another into one singrity point.

    "What''s that?" Charlotte questioned.

    "Nothing good!" Jasper responded hurriedly.

    Each of the nebulous limbs opened their palms, blooming like a flower as the finger presented as petals. At the core was a glimpse into the cosmos themselves, rumbling before it erupted with a burning glow¡ª

    [<<Genesis Nigh>>]

    A sh of cosmic force released from the core of the mystical handsmanded by the Old King. It held aplexion like that of staring at the bare cosmos, riddled with stars and eternal nebe.

    A captivating, yet horrifying sight, crashing right against the formidable barrier of the knight.

 Chapter 144: Genesis Nigh

    "Nnrgh!¡ª" Jasper struggled.

    "Keep it up!" Charlotte urged desperately.

    The entire floor quaked beneath the sh of the immeasurable magical force and the knight''s blockade, letting the stone tiles rumble beneath their anxious feet.

    Nova clung to the stalwart defender''s shoulder, "C''mon! Don''t let it break through!"

    "If you want to hold this shield, then be my guest¡­!" Jasper shouted in return.

    All that could be seen was that celestial torrent, tearing against the impromptu fortress as the firstyer shattered, immediately bringing a stronger quake to grip the chamber.

    "It''s starting to break!" Finn yelled as the resulting winds of the cosmic force tore his hood down, brushing his unkempt hair. "Jasper, can you keep it up¨C!?"

    "I''m doing my best, mate! Just need to¡­focus!" Jasper responded, struggling as he kept his feet nted against the rumbling tiles.

    As the knight faltered, Nova issued words into her microphone, transmitting her voice into a blessing ced right onto the stalwart protector, "--Never fall! Never surrender!"

    ["Kiss of The Boundless Star"]

    Nearly falling to a knee, Jasper picked himself up with a newfound burst of vigor, keeping the barrier raised, "Cheers!"

    It sounded like the air itself was crashing down; a storm ripping through the chamber as countless explosions ignited in unison. All of it came from that cosmicplexion with miniature stars bursting repeatedly, bringing yet anotheryer of the ethereal fortress to crumble.

    "Shit¡­!" Jasper strained.

    With only twoyers left between themselves and the overwhelming energy, its heat could be felt as though standing right in front of a piping oven. Even if the knight could remain on his feet, the sturdiness of the barrier itself was simply outmatched against the sheer power of the king''s magic.

    "I can''t¨C!" Jasper struggled as his arms wobbled behind the shield.

    "Just hold it!" Charlotte urged desperately as the heat of the cosmic radiance was felt closer than ever.

    Jasper reiterated sharply, "I can''t¡­!"

    Faced with certain copse of the single barrier preventing a confrontation with the cmitous wave, the assassin gripped his daggers, feeling the sweat build up in his gloves as he readied himself. As the second-tost barrier shattered, leaving only one, brittleyer left, he stepped forward with the intent of going out into the No Man''s Land to stop the king himself¨C

    ¨CIt all came to a sudden stop.

    Thest barrier depleted just as the celestial eruption fizzled out, with the ethereal limbs fading away like dust pushed away by a breath. At first, it seemed like a passing miracle, though it became clear as he looked at the magic weaver near the throne: the husk of Zigmund was seizing up as if his own body was fighting against him.

    The knelt statues that once towered high were left in pieces in the aftermath of the previous magic.

    It was apparent just what the situation was, leaving him not to hesitate.

    "Go!" Finn shouted, sprinting ahead without wasting a moment.

    Charlotte was right there with him, taking advantage of the opening given by the consciousness of the King of Giants. He tossed his dagger forward, using it to travel even just a second faster¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1800/3000]

    Catching his de, he immediately relinquished one dagger, summoning another weapon into his left hand:

    ["Winged Spear"]

    The weapon thatmanded the most reach in his arsenal manifested into his grip as he ced himself at the top step just before the throne.

    ''Pierce the heart¨CI have to destroy it,'' he reminded himself.

    He wasted no effort quickly bringing the spear back before thrusting it towards thepromised shell of a king.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    With killing intent, he aimed it for the heart, though it was stopped just as the tip of the dragoon''s weapon pierced into the tough skin of the giant.

    The Old King had caught the spear in his hand, squeezing it intensely as those hollow, silver eyes locked onto the assassin. Even though he found himself on the other end of the gaze, there was no soul behind them, simply peering right through him.

    "Ngh!--"

    He attempted to pull the spear away, though it was no use; the grip of the Old King was as though he found it lodged into the side of a mountain. In the corner of his eye, he saw the staff held in the giant''s hand begin to emit light once again.

    The hold on the spear was relinquished by himself as he abandoned the thought of retrieving it, instead taking a step back, ncing over his shoulder at the sound of rapid footsteps. It was Charlotte,ing in with her sword, infused with a heaping blessing of lightning.

    In that split-second, he foresaw an error in the spellde''s route; she was running headfirst into whatever magic was being woven by the giant, not yet noticing it.

    He stepped in front of her, pushing his right hand against her chest to get her behind himself while presenting his left towards the Old King.

    ["Shell Barrier"] [2:59]

    The circr shield bloomed just as the hollow king raised his stave, swiping it like a de. A de of curved magic was released with blinding speed, colliding directly with the barrier. It held for a moment, but no longer as the eviscerating mana cut right through.

    It sliced into his torso, leaving a gash from his shoulder to his abdomen, though the depth of the wound was non-lethal, only thanks to the barrier mitigating its momentum. He stumbled down the steps as blood leaked from his torn coat, catching himself with the support of the spellde.

    "Finn¡­!" Charlotte called out as the sudden wound.

    "I''m fine¨C!" He quickly said, straightening himself out as he clenched the muscles around his wound. "Focus on the enemy!"

    ["Unbleeding"] [9:59]

    "Right¨C" Charlotte nodded, cing her worries aside.

    Without a moment to breathe, he immediately found the sable-skinned king spinning his staff as it whirled with a cerulean grace. The Old King maneuvered the catalyst as though performing a dance, unleashing sessive shes of magic.

    What was once a single projectile became a dozen, cutting through the tiles like the ws of an unseen beast.

    They tore through the floor and ceiling alike, spanning the length of the room without any remorse for its structural integrity. Finn ducked between two of the azure des, moving his head to the side as the edge of one grazed his eyebrow.

    A stream of blood immediately dripped over his eye. For the spellde, she nimbly moved herself, though the sudden quantity of the magical des overwhelmed even her agility.

    Against the young woman''s side, one of the passing des of light cut into her.

    "Nnnh!--" Charlotte winced.

    It was a storm of the cutting magic, not ending as the hollow king continued his dance, bringing Finn to set his sights on his neck¨C

    Stay connected with m-v l|e-NovelFire

    ["Blink sh" ] [2:59]

    He closed the distance, cutting towards the giant''s neck, though only bringing his de through a haze of blue particles. It brought him to spin around just as he witnessed the Old King warping several meters away.

    ''He teleported¨C?'' Finn realized.

    Like a fleeting pest in the night, he watched among hisrades as the regal mage appeared and vanished multiple times in session all around the deste chamber. Amidst the constant warps, the imposing mage flicked his staff, bestowing magic with each movement.

    Countless strands of mystical light spread out, expanding to take the form of giant kin, devoid of flesh and made of magical energy¨Cethereal warriors.

    ''Summoning backup¨C? Is the old bastard feeling pressured?'' He questioned.

    There were dozens of them, quickly filling the room and surrounding each of thebatants as Finn found himself separated from Charlotte in an instant. All around him, he was enclosed by the translucent warriors that each stood twice his height, wielding des and clubs.

    In the face of such a quantity of magic-born fighters, he knocked his wrist guards together while pushing a quick breath out of his lungs.

    ["Reaper Time activated."] [4:59]

    Right into his veins, it felt like a needle of adrenaline flooded into his bloodstream. The blood that ran over his right eye didn''t hinder his sight; in fact, it felt as though his view expanded twofold.

    All five senses were elevated amidst [Reaper Time], all unnecessary thoughts were suppressed, and the qualities of a killer were pushed to the forefront. The closest of the incorporeal giants lunged towards him while swinging a club of chiseled stone downward.

    He sprinted right towards the towering figure, closing the distance as he spun around to pivot out of the way just as the hulking weapon shattered the tiles. The dagger was brought right through the mystical warrior''s throat, severing the magic itself as the giant dispersed into fickle particles.

    "Ruaaaah!"

    "Graaaah!"

    ¨CA pair of the giant-kin fighters roared, swinging their colossal greatswords towards the much smaller assassin from both sides. One came towards his head, the other sweeping at his ankles. He jumped up, twisting his body to the side as he narrowly slipped through both of the passing des beforending on his feet.

    The moment his boots touched the ground, he sprung himself towards the ethereal giant to his left, plunging his dagger straight into its head. It shattered like a hammer to ss before he spun himself right back around to face the other.

 Chapter 145: Reaper Time

    "Fffuuu¨C"

    He found himself immediately contorting himself to lean back as though ying limbo as the hulking greatsword soared for his head. It came an inch from shortening his nose, passing just barely over his face as he could feel the winding off of the transient de.

    He slid over in the same evasion, shing his de across the giants'' side. The moment it made contact, the warrior was cast aside.

    For the spellde and knight, a harder time was had in facing the ethereal giants; without magic negation, it was as though facing beings of flesh and blood.

    It was a hit-and-run confrontation for the others, while Finn cut through the magic-born warriors like cake.

    Back up near the magical elevator, Jasper bashed one such giant with his shield before shing through it. Even as the knight quickly dealt with one, he had to raise his shield again as the club from another phantom struck against it.

    Charlotte moved through the center path, bringing her de through a pair of the warriors using a skill that extended its length and width threefold:

    ["Grandiose Sword"]

    Though she quickly handled the two in front of her, the spellde looked back to find another giant charging her head-on.

    As the ethereal brute swung its club, it was quickly intercepted. Finn dashed through, flipping over as he shed right through the false giant.

    He didn''t stop for a moment, chasing towards the Old King, who warped himself to thest standing statue of the regal room. Amidst his sprint, he was intercepted by a swarm of magic soldiers once again¡ª

    "Graaaah!"

    "Ruuuuah¡ª!"

    The massive warriors all rushed him at the same time, forcing the assassin to dance around the barbaric assault.

    He distinctly felt the fluctuations in the air around him, sensing each weapon without having to look around.

    Leaning back, multiple des and clubs passed right by, mming into the ground as he was left perfectly unscathed.

    ¡ªOne.

    ¡ªTwo.

    ¡ªThree.

    ¡ªFour.

    ¡ªFive.

    In quick session, he stabbed and sliced through the obstacles in his way, leaving the phantoms to dust. With nothing left to block his view, he locked onto the figure atop the cracked monument.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1700/3000]

    The moment he caught his de, meeting the Old King head-on, that staff shined again. He knew instinctively what the hollow ruler was going for, dashing right for him as he quickly stabbed his dagger towards the Old King''s heart¡ª

    VRRR

    Before the tip of his de could even touch the sable skin, the towering figure vanished. He spun himself around, immediately locking onto where the mage reappeared¡ªatop a closed-off balcony overlooking the throne.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1600/3000]

    His footnded on the eroded railing of the regal balcony, bringing him to equal height of the Old King. Once more, he called the spear into his hand.

    Just as he thrusted it forward, the fleeting mage warped, leaving the spear to stab into the stone wall behind.

    "Over here, mate!" Jasper shouted.

    Finn turned around, overlooking the chamber from the balcony as he saw the knight, who was upied by more of the phantom giants. Just a few meters away from Jasper was the Old King, weaving together another spell.

    Once more, he threw his dagger towards the fleeting figure¡ª

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1600/3000]

    As he arrived just in front of the Old King, the attempt from the figure to vanish again was halted:

    "Grrraa!"

    The hollow king let out a groan as his own body twitched and seized up. It was another opportunity; help from the inner consciousness of the king.

    ''Now¡ª! I have to do it now!'' He thought.

    ["Greater Gale Blessing"] [4:59]

    ["Spring Foot"] [0:59]

    He set forth with utmost speed and momentum, sending the spear straight towards the heart of thepromised giant. It plunged into the skin and past the muscle, sinking into the firm body of the hollow king.

    Being brought to such close proximity, he could smell the adrenalineing off of the husk, like a nose-burning citrus.

    Finn pushed with all of his strength, though the husk of Zigmund contested it with all of his might. Atop the uneven footing of the giant statue''s head, he strained himself, struggling to push the spear deeper past the king''s grip.

    "Nnnrgh!¡ª" Finn gritted his teeth.

    ["Shadow Grafting"] [2:59]

    Another set of arms made of darkness extended from his back, sping onto the spear to add to his push. It was a newfound sensation, having to be adjusted in the moment as he used the ethereal limbs as though they had always been a part of himself.

    Even calling upon the extra set of arms, it barely pushed the spear another couple inches, struggling against the superior strength of the Old King.

    "--Give it everything you''ve got! Tonight''s the night!"

    From the swarm of phantom giants in the chamber, Nova sang through her microphone while both the knight and spellde protected her.

    ["Kiss of Empowerment"]

    The bard''s voice took to that of a rock artist, echoing against his ears as a scarlet force wrapped itself around his body. A surge of strength flowed through him, finding himself gaining an edge as he pushed against the giant, digging the spear deeper.

    "Nghh!" Finn struggled.

    "Ruuuah¡­!" The Old King contested.

    cing all of his being behind pushing that spear further wasn''t enough as a second wind from the hollow king brought him to be overwhelmed. The blood-slick spear was gruesomely removed by the tenacious strength of the Old King before pushing the assassin back.

    Finn stumbled as he found the sable-skinned figure twice his height immediately retaliating. While his footing was off, he was leftpletely open as that glistening staff was swept towards him like a sword.

    ["Skin Hardening"]

    Across a single moment, his vision was engulfed by the blinding light of mana before the swift magic collided with his face. The ethereal de cut into his right eye,cerating his face as he instantly found half of his vision taken away.

    It was only thanks to the split-second hardening of his skin that the magic projectile didn''t split his head open entirely. Find adventures on m_v l|-NovelFire

    "Haah¨C"

    For a moment, he felt lightheaded as the pain blended into the adrenaline that pumped through his body. Before falling backwards, he found his back pressing against something solid instead of simply falling off of the giant monument.

    "Come on, Finn¡­!"

    He nced behind him with what little vision he had left, finding the relieving sight of the fair-skinned spellde beside him, with her hands against his back. In that brief moment, he ced his foot down as he caught himself, not bothering to wipe his face as blood abundantly leaked.

    "We have to go for the heart¨Cright now," Finn said, finding his voice rasped.

    "I know," Charlotte responded.

    Just as the Old King raised his magic-weaving staff into the air, bothbatants dashed forth. The stygian giant tried to warp away, though was immediately seized once again, instead pointing the staff towards the two that approached.

    Finn got within a couple meters of the king before witnessing the staff glow as a bundle of thorny vines suddenly sprouted, spreading in every direction and multiplying rapidly. He used his daggers to cut at the chaotic roots, though they only seemed to sprout further as he found himself overwhelmed by the tidal wave of vines.

    The thorns dragged across his skin, cutting into him from every direction. He pushed against the eruption of vines, thrashing his des while the spikes continued to cut into him in return.

    All that was on his mind was the giant ahead, keeping his single eye on the mage while moving one step at a time.

    "Agh¨C!"

    A scream tore his attention from the Old King, looking to his left as he found that the spellde was swarmed by the thorns as they cut into her skin.

    ''Shit¨C'' He thought.

    ["Partial Exo Shell"]

    A natural, ck material d itself around his body, all except for his head; the ability assimted from the monstrous mantis was still being overwhelmed by the magic-sprouted vines. He moved against the prickly abundance, making his way to the girl, though those few meters felt like a mile as the wild vines thrashed like unruly serpents.

    They pushed him back further, cutting into him as they pushed-and-pulled like a saw against the impromptu armor.

    "Dammit¡­!" He struggled, being swept up in the riptide of artificial nature.

    A thousand cuts were ced on his body, though the pain did nothing but keep him conscious and with further focus. He pushed and struggled against the thrashing sea of thorns, reaching his hand out to the girl trapped as well.

    "Charlotte¨C!" He shouted.

    She reached to him with the best of her strength, though their fingers were just shy of being able to meet, "I¡­Finn! Just go¨C!"

    "What?!" Finn yelled.

    "I''m fine¡­! It hurts, but I''m fine! So, go¨C!" Charlotte assured him desperately.

    It was difficult to digest those words when the woman he cared about was covered in cuts, though he knew it was the logical decision. With the knight and bard cornered by countless of the phantom giants still, the swarm of vines encapsting the spellde, it was clear that the favor of the battle was not their way currently¨C

    It had to change; he needed to kill the enemy¨Cthat was what he knew for certain.

 Chapter 146: The Divine Fruit

    He pulled his hand away, begrudgingly giving up on freeing Charlotte in the moment as he followed her words, instead flicking his dagger above the river of vines.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1400/3000]

    It brought him a few meters into the air, though truly bringing him nowhere but just above the forest of rampaging thorns. That small moment was all he needed; his gaze locked onto the Old King, who was unable to be seen from amidst the vines before¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    Crossing the distance in an instant, he arrived directly behind the hollow figure, having dragged his des across his left side. It was a shallow wound, though enough to disrupt the continuous spell being cast by the Old King, who quickly turned to face the assassin.

    "--Replication," Finn said with focus as his eyes met with the silver gaze of the giant.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    It was used to move himself perhaps a single step away, bringing the edge of his ckened de across the eyes of his enemy. Compared to the steel-like skin of the Old King, it was far too easy to destroy his eyes, leaving a spat of blood to leak as the hollow figure let out a groan.

    ¨CA sessful attack, however, before his boots could return from the short hop required to reach the giant''s eyes, he found himself notnding.

    "Ungh¨C?!"

    Both of the mighty arms of the husk wrapped around his body, bringing him into an embrace pressed up against the unbreaking body. He attempted to move, though the strength of the hollow king was superior to his own, immediately feeling a tortuous pressure on his bones as the arms squeezed him.

    Kicking his boots didn''t help, nor did attempting to overpower the hold as it simply mped down harder. It felt as though the jaws of a beast closed in on his spine, gnawing on it intensely.

    "Nnngh¡­!" Finn struggled, gasping out in pain.

    While doing his best to resist, he did everything in his power to slip his arms closer to his body, though it resulted in the grip bing tighter, squeezing down on him like a fruit being juiced. It brought a tear to his eye from the sheer pain ced on his bones, but he moved his arms nheless, bringing his palms directly against the body of the giant.

    ["Touch of Rot"]

    The flesh of the giant sizzled while he felt the hold on his spine continue further. It was a contest of chicken, though one where neither could give up. Blood seeped from the gash on his face, leaking from his lost eye as his ears rang, only focusing on keeping his hands against the husk''s body.

    As his bones werepromised, cracking from the pressure, his fingers sank deeper past the flesh that was melting from the king. He spat blood from his lips while the hold tightened before finally¨Cit was let go.

    The husk had enough of it, falling to its knees as the abdomen of the Old King was left decayed, further chained down by the true consciousness restricting its movements. In that moment, Finn''s mind was focused solely on survival, stumbling forward as his fractured spine tried to bring him down.

    He ced his right hand against the center of the keeled-over giant''s chest, having to use that position to keep himself upright as he continued what he set to do¨C

    ["Touch of Rot"]

    "Raaaaagh¨C!" The Old King let out in pain.

    "Nnngh!" Finn struggled, feeling his consciousness flickering with the loss of blood and likely his internal organs left battered.

    He didn''t move his hand, letting it sink past the surface of the husk''s skin, past the flesh as the rotting effect led him to reach directly into the chest cavity. Into the depths of the giant''s body, he let his hand sink into before his fingers met the thumping organ¨C

    Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

    The heart; it was cold to the touch, like a block of ice, though he didn''t hesitate to bring the erged organ into his grip. While the rotting touch held the heart, he squeezed down at the same time¨Cpop.

    The core of the Old King was relinquished of its life, bringing the silver eyes of the figure to lose their light as the husk''s movements stopped entirely.

    ["Old King defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x15000 obtained."]

    [Experience points: +100000]

    [Level thirty-nine reached!] [1100/100000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Old King"]: "Grandiose Slicer"]

    [New Skill(s) obtained: "Phantom"]

    With the rewards imed of the giant''s death, he breathed out as the wounds across his body fixed themselves naturally. Before him, the husk of the benevolent ruler sat there on his knees, unmoving like a statue now.

    As he straightened himself out with an exhale, finding his spine back to normal, he turned to find the sea of vines gone along with the magic-born warriors.

    "Haah¡­It''s over," Charlotte breathed out, healed of her wounds from a timely level as well. Enjoy more content from m-v l''-NovelFire

    Jasper looked a moment from passing out, "I almost bit the dust there a few times. That guy was one helluva pain in the ass, I''ll tell ya."

    "Seriously, that was way too scary¨Cway, way too scary," Nova added, lightly pping her hands against the back of the knight, who wasn''t too keen on the gesture.

    "He can rest now, at least," Finn remarked, giving onest look to the husk before hopping down from the monument as his feetnded on the walkway to the throne.

    "Yeah," Charlotte agreed.

    The others followed as the pathway to the opening right behind the colossal throne was now left unprotected. Ascending the blood-stained steps led to the seat, though what was soughtid directly past it.

    A portion of the wall retracted itself, readjusting the stone bricks as the path forward was opened.

    "Just like that elevator," Nova remarked.

    "Yeah," Finn said.

    What waited past the opened passage was far from the grim, lifeless chamber just before it; a tucked-away garden of silver grass. In its center slept a tree of luscious, glowing leaves of a sky-blue shade.

    A tranquil pond encircled the base of the tree, being led to by a bridge of grass. It was a ce of magic; to the soil they walked on to the serene foliage. What hung from each branch were fruit that resembled peaches, though of snow-white skin.

    He reached up, plucking a pair for himself and one to hand to Charlotte, grabbing another pair that he gave to the knight and bard.

    "Doesn''t look too appetizing," Jasper said, rolling the precious fruit in his palm.

    "It feels juicy enough to me," Nova remarked, excitedly sniffing it.

    "Do you really think it''ll work? It sounds too good to be true, honestly," Charlotte asked, looking down at the yield from the tree.

    "Only way to know is to try," Finn said.

    With each of them holding their fruits, they looked at one another before each taking a bite in unison. The moment he sank his teeth into the fruit, the juices within it filled his mouth.

    It was somewhat sour, with a sweetness that made it taste more akin to a cherry candy than a fruit. As he swallowed it, a riveting sensation emitted through his body.

    Like a million volts of electricity coursing their way into his body, a transcendent experience took hold of him for that moment. That tion was quickly switched to pain as his body cramped and his bones ached, fluctuating from pain to pleasure.

    [Experience points: +1,500,000]

    [Level fifty reached!] [100/200000]

    [New Skill(s) Obtained: "Cooldown Reset" | "ckout" | "Multitask" | "Wraith me" | "Flicker" | "Shadow Realm" | "Abyssal Agent" | "Ripper" | "Phantom Piercer" | "Mortal Mana"]

    "Eleven levels¡­?" Finn muttered in shock, blinking as the overwhelming sensations faded.

    Such an extreme ascension made himpletely aware of just how fundamentally his physiology had been altered. An abundance of strength was felt flowing through his body, like an overcharged battery.

    [Charlotte] [Level: 48]

    [Jasper] [Level: 49]

    [Nova] [Level: 48]

    He looked at the others, checking as their levels had skyrocketed as they adjusted to the evolution as well, with Nova struggling a bit more as she spat out.

    "...Uegh, what was that feeling¨C?" Jasper groaned for a moment, shaking his head as he caressed his helmet.

    "My head is spinning¡­but it worked, didn''t it? My level shot up," Charlotte said, using the tree to lean against.

    "This power¨Cit''s incredible," Nova said as she straightened herself out with a certain glint of greed in her eyes, looking at her hands.

    Finn watched the bard, who took a few steps towards the mystical tree before she suddenly lunged towards a branch like a wild animal.

    "Hey¨C!" Finn shouted, reaching out. "What''re you doing?--"

    There was no reasoning with the entric girl once she had her mind set on something, holding the fruit she grabbed in both hands like a precious jewel, "Isn''t it obvious? This stuff gave us power! The more we eat, the stronger we''ll get! Eat enough of it, and we might be able to survive all of this crazy crap¡­! We can sleep soundly!"

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 147: Taste of Greed

    "Nova, wait¨Cwe don''t know¨C!" Jasper reasoned.

    "Yeah, listen to us, Nova. Don''t rush into anything¨C" Charlotte said, softly reaching her hand out.

    While they tried to warn the energetic, irrational bard, she seemed only to be rushed into a reckless decision the closer they drew near.

    The glint in Nova''s eyes brought Finn to lung forward right as she brought the fruit to her lips, having no other choice but to grab her. Just as he grabbed onto her shoulders, he watched as the girl took another bite of the fruit, a heftier chomp before gulping it down.

    "Hey! Spit it out!" Finn urged.

    "Nova! Don''t¨C!" Jasper yelled.

    The assassin released his hold on the girl, seeing as there was nothing else he could do short of reaching into her throat as if she were an unruly pup. He watched amongst the others beneath the divine tree, looking at the bard as she stood there before wearing a proud smile.

    "See? It''s fine¨Cmy level is shooting up," Nova imed brightly. "We just have to keep eating¨C"

    Amidst the silver-haired girl''s words, she suddenly hurled, grabbing her abdomen as veins pressed against her skin.

    "Bleeugh!¡ª" Nova spat out, keeling over as a ck substance spilled from her mouth.

    The once bubbly figure copsed onto the ground, convulsing as her body seized up and grew pale.

    Charlotte immediately rushed over, dropping to her knees as she grabbed onto the woman''s arm, "Nova¡­! Hey!"

    "Shit¡­! What do we do?!" Jasper asked hurriedly before swinging his gaze to the assassin. "Do we have any ambrosia left?!"

    Finn shook his head, kneeling by the seizing woman as he tried his best tofort her, "No¡ªwe''re out¡ª"

    "Please, we have to do something!" Charlotte pleaded with tears.

    "Dammit¡­!" Jasper sharply said at the world itself as he tried to keep the convulsing girl still.

    Finn pushed his brain to the depths of what he knew, thinking of anything he could. Looking around, there was absolutely nothing to be found¡ªnot a fragment of a miracle.

    "We need to get her out of here¡­get back to Gurmo''s ce," Finn pieced together, getting up.

    "Will he be able to help¡ª?" Charlotte desperately asked, clutching the sleeve of the afflicted woman.

    "I don''t know¡ªmaybe? Where else can we go?!" Finn questioned in a hurry.

    Jasper removed his helmet as he desperately moved closer to the bard, "¡ªShe''s not breathing! C''mon¡­!"

    Without much else to do as Nova garbled on the unknown substance that seemed to endlessly leave her orifices, the knight began to perform chestpressions.

    "C''mon, Nova! Work with me here!¡ª" Jasper begged, pumping his hands against her chest.

    While the man desperately tried his best, Finn could only watch as there was no response from the afflicted. Seeing Jaspere to a mess of tears as he fruitlessly tried to aid the girl, it became a sorrowful view.

    Charlotte''s face was in her hands as she knelt there, left to grieve in the moment.

    "Hey¡­Jasper, she''s¡­" Finn quietly said.

    "C''mon¡ª!" Jasper pleaded, continuing to press his hands down.

    "Jasper! That''s enough," Finn said, grabbing the shoulder of his friend.

    The monotonous attempts were put to an end as Jasper sat there on his knees. Silence filled the tucked-away garden as the sky-blue leaves gently drifted down.

    It was over so quickly that it almost didn''t feel real. Seeing the usually energetic womanying there lifelessly filled him with dread.

    "Goddammit¡­Why didn''t she listen?" Jasper said with a mix of frustration and sorrow, clenching his fists.

    There was nothing that could be said about the unfortunate situation as silence gripped them each. What felt like a victory quickly felt bitter¨Can all toomon taste these days. All around them, the walls of the temple groaned, rumbling with an ominous force.

    Finn looked up as dust rained down, feeling another wave of the tremblinging, "--We need to go. I think this ce isn''t long for this world."

    It took a moment for him to get Charlotte and Jasper to their feet before they seemed to take in the urgency of the situation.

    "Come on¡ªwe need to get back to the surface!" Finn said, leading the way back out of the treasured garden.

    As he sprinted out, the walls quivered again, this time both hearing and seeing cracks form along the foundation of the temple.

    "Where do we go¡ª?!" Charlotte asked while running. Explore stories on m,v l''-NovelBin

    "I don''t know, but we need to at least get to the elevator!" Finn responded.

    Passing by thest standing monuments of the throne room, they rattled like vases as another tremor came. Just ahead was the stone-forged elevator, rattling amidst the now frequent rumbles.

    He practically slid himself into the lift, having his toes m into the back of it before he spun around. Charlotte ran in right after him, though Jaspergged behind.

    "C''mon!" Finn shouted, waving his hand for the knight to hurry.

    Chunks of the throne room began to rain down as everything shook,nding down around Jasper as he ran.

    As pieces crashed down around him, the hurried knight was forced to leap thest few strides as he practically crashed into the lift.

    "Gah!" Jasper winced.

    "Uff!¡ª" Finn let out, finding his armored friendnding right against him.

    As all three entered the elevator, it closed itself off before beginning its unorthodox ascent. From inside, all that could be heard were the tremors beyond, bringing the lift to shake the entire time it rose.

    "Dammit¡­" Jasper mumbled in distress.

    It was barely a whisper loud enough for Finn to hear as his friend was still slumped over against him. As the elevator rumbled with the entirety of the old templeing down, he helped Jasper up before giving him a reassuring embrace.

    Recalling what Charlotte did for him at his lowest moment, it was the only thing he could think to do at the moment. After all Jasper had done for him, he wanted to help him with his sorrow.

    "I couldn''t do anything¡­Not a damn thing," Jasper muttered with a broken voice.

    "I couldn''t, either. It''s not on you or me¡ªit''s this fucked up world to me," Finn said before releasing the hug.

    For the man that had his back through thick and thin, the least he felt he could do wasfort him in that moment. Even as the structure crumbled, maintaining one''s strength to move forward was vital.

    The ascension of the lift seemed to elerate as they each suddenly were forced to bnce themselves. It sounded as though the wind carved from outside of it, shooting up much farther than it seemed to have initially descended from.

    "This thing is off its course¡ªit''s rocketing!" Finn realized.

    He held onto the sides of the interior, prompting the other two to do the same as suddenly¡ªit seemed to begin tilting. It was hard to tell, being closed off inside what was practically a stone box, though the forces of gravity did not lie.

    "Waaaaooo¡ª!" Jasper let out.

    "Ghh!¡ª" Charlotte struggled.

    Finn pushed his hands and feet out like a spider just not to go flying around the interior. Even so, it didn''t prevent the others from crashing right into him as the elevator came tumbling down.

    "Uff¡ª" Finn gasped out as the steel helmet from the knightnded right against his chest, with Charlotte falling against his stomach.

    With the way it hadnded, they were each left practically upside down.

    "It''s done moving¡­?" Jasper groaned.

    "Get off me, would you?" Finn breathed out, being pinned by the others.

    Rather than anybody getting up, the side door of the stone box popped right off as an unexpected light flooded in. A brief amount of soil sprinkled in on their heads.

    "We¡­made it?" Charlotte rasped out.

    Rather than being crushed any longer, Finn decided to roll himself out through the opening, leading to them allnding outside.

    "Gah!" Charlotte winced,nding face first.

    Finn felt his face smack right into the relieving sensation of dirt before picking himself up. To his surprise, the mystical elevator had somehow escaped the crater entirely.

    He nced around as he picked himself up, brushing his pants off, "Well, that''s awfully convenient¡­"

    Behind him the view of what used to be the old kingdom filled him with a sense of grandeur. Just a few steps shy of the canyon''s edge, he peered down to see that there was no longer any temple to be seen.

    "Man¡­That''s a feeling I won''t miss," Jasper groaned as he straightened himself out.

    Despiteing out alive from the subterranean temple, hardly any feelings of triumph surfaced. Looking up at the unnatural sunlight that existed without stars brought a certain sense of relief, still.

    Charlotte breathed out while adjusting her gloves, "What now? Should we head back to Gurmo''s?"

    "I haven''t thought about that yet¡­It''s a long walk, and I think we''re all already tired," Finn said.

    "You want to set up around here for a bit, then?" Charlotte asked.

    "Should be fine," Finn said.

    There wasn''t much input from Jasper, though it wasn''t surprising considering what just transpired. A short hike led to finding a nook near a grassy mountainside west of the crater, with trees that acted as good concealment from the wilderness.

 Chapter 148: The Worlds Ticking Clock

    Finn took it upon himself to gather the firewood, which Charlotte promptly cut up and set ame with her de.

    While the fire was set for a warm rest, he decided to scope around for something they could eat¡ªperhaps berries or protein.

    The mountainside woods were rather quiet and tranquil, with only small critters crossing his path.

    As he walked amongst the plentiful trees and shrubs, the events of the day still processed in his mind.

    ''If I''m being honest, I wasn''t that close to Nova. I kept my distance, sort of because I''vee to expect things like this¡­I hate that. It shouldn''t be that way, but it is,'' he thought while silently hunting.

    The subtle crunching of twigs and leaves brought him to kneel down behind foliage. There were movements of something light-footed, though he picked up on it.

    Between the oak, he could see the unusual fauna of the mountainside woods; a grouping of what resembled deer.

    The grazing herbivores had dark-blue fur with white dots that had a small glow, with little horns that buzzed as they ate.

    ''That''s a whole lot of them,'' he thought, keeping silent.

    It was the perfect opportunity to test out one of the numerous abilities he had recently acquired, having one in mind that seemed perfect for the current situation. Knowing the sort of fickle creatures the hoofed mammals were, even if they looked different from the ones he knew, it was clear that he needed to remain utterly silent and unknown until the moment to strike.

    Discover hidden stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    While the blue-furred dear grazed on the des of grass, he carefully positioned himself behind a tree, cing his index finger against the oak. He aimed his digit in such a way that it was directly pointing at one of the unassuming fauna on the other side.

    ["Phantom Piercer"] [Mana: -200] [3800/4000]

    From the tip of his finger, a small projectile norger than a bullet pierced through the trunk of the tree as though it was a non-existence obstacle. It shot without any noise behind it, silently striking the herbivore that had no chance to react.

    The sound of flesh and bone being bored through led him to quickly sidestep around, confirming that the formless bullet struck right between the eyes of one of the mystical deer. Just as its body went limp, the others scattered, though he only needed the one.

    ''That''s a nice skill. It''ll be handy to have,'' he thought, looking at his hand as he conjured the traces of the phantom shot before discarding it.

    ["Seqhu defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x50 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +100] [200/200000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Seqhu"]: "Berry Immunity" 1 / 1]

    As he approached the hunted prey, he knelt down as he held his hand out, calling upon a bundle of sturdy string.

    ["Dark Threads"] [Mana: 100] [3700/4000]

    He quickly tied its legs together before hosting it up, finding its weight to hardly be cumbersome for his body''s elevated condition. As he carried the in creature, crossing through shrubs bearing plentiful fruit.

    The skill acquired from the "Seqhu" was something he considered as he put his hand to his chin, staring at the rather ominous, bumpy berries thatid on the leaves. He decided to test out the ability as he plucked a number of the naturally grown fruit, shoving them into his pockets before continuing on his way with his prize.

    ''Well, they probably won''t be able to have these berries. More for me, I guess?'' He considered while hiking his way back.

    The light of the campfire was a good enough guide to direct him back as the light of daytime had already begun to dim. As he stepped past the treeline, dumping the hunted prey, he found the knight quietly sitting by the fire while Charlotte did the same.

    "Oh, what''s that¨C?" The curious woman asked as the blue-furred deer was dropped down.

    Finn shrugged, "Not entirely sure. I''m at least seventy percent positive it''s edible, at least."

    "That''s¡­reassuring," Charlotte said with a half-hearted chuckle.

    It took a bit of creativity to set up the prey above the campfire, though it was starting to be cooked thoroughly as he tied it to a branch above the mes. As the meal was being graced by fire, he sat himself down right across from the knight, who hadn''t said a word.

    "My sister, the first people I met after the world went to shit, Magnus, now Nova¡­It feels like all we do is lose," Jasper let the words breathe out with truthful sorrow.

    It was a sentiment that Finn was more than familiar with¡ªperhaps it was simply the new way of life. Though as he considered that the truth, a part of him rejected that.

    Inside of him, the voice of a rather clumsy, oaf of a man resounded in his soul¡ª"The world only ends when we stop fighting."

    Even he had trouble epting that sometimes. So much still felt simply empty¨Cthat each victory was a single step in a million mile journey. It was overwhelming just to imagine what lengths it would take to achieve true peace, yet didn''t change what the natural choice was.

    "I don''t know if the fighting will ever end," Finn admitted as the mes of the campfire crackled. "There''s times I consider that maybe justying low and trying to live in hiding might be the best. I really don''t know."

    "A life of fighting or a life of fear," Jasper said with an exhale, taking his helmet off as his hang drooped down over his shoulders. "One''s shorter than the other, that''s for sure."

    Finn nced over, discovering that the girl of silken hair was on the verge of tears as the droplets of emotion sat on the rims of her eyes.

    "Charlotte?--" Finn softly called.

    "I''m just¡­sad. The deaths, all of it, but¨C" Charlotte said, lifting her gaze as she looked at the calm me. "It''s too precious. Life is too precious of a gift to even consider giving up. It doesn''t matter how hard it gets, you just can''t."

    "I get it, I do, but honestly,tely it''s feeling damn hard to lift my sword," Jasper admitted with a look ofment in his eyes, hanging his head.

    Charlotte spoke from the bottom of her heart, "Do you value your loved ones? Your friends? Everybody that has fallen¨Cyou value them, don''t you?"

    "''Course I do. What''re you even asking, mate?" The sorrowful knight asked with a disgruntled look.

    "If you do, then you should treat the life you have more precious," Charlotte adamantly said.

    "You''re right," Jasper breathed out. "This crap just gets rough sometimes, is all."

    "That''s just the way it''s going to be," Finn added in.

    As the meal was finished being cooked by the mes, the assassin used his de to cut it up into proper portions. It was a rather tender meat, one that was easy to eat, though the vor tasted like grass¨Ca perplexing sh of texture and taste.

    Still,pared to canned food, it was a delight as he ate up, watching the other two quietly do the same. It was amidst a silent, but peaceful meal in the stretch of nature did the air shift. To the acute senses of the assassin, it made him flinch as he immediately looked over¨C

    RUMBLE.

    ¨CEverything shook. It wasn''t just a tremor through the soil he sat on, no; the entirety of the transient world seemed to tremble. They each shot up their feet amidst the sudden rumbling, only assuming it might''ve been an approaching enemy.

    Finn looked up, finding the sky ofnd above cracking; the soil split and began raining down sediment in its shattered state.

    "What''s going on?--" Jasper asked, cing his helmet back over his head.

    "It''s breaking apart¨Clook," Finn pointed out above.

    Seeing what was essentially the sky itself beginning to lose its stability as the air flexed around them led to one, clear cut conclusion at such a grandiose scale.

    "This world is ending," the realization came from Charlotte''s lips.

    "Yeah, seems like that''s the case¡­We''re out of time, then," Finn said, ncing at hispanions. "I don''t know if we''re ready, but we have to confront Sirius."

    "Time to rip the bandaid off, then," Jasper epted, breathing out.

    It was fortunate enough they were camping close to the ashen fields, leading to a fast arrival to the floating steps. With taking one''s time being a now abandoned luxury, he ascended each of the ethereal tforms with quick movements, not looking down as he set his sights on the castle in the sky.

    Every few minutes, another world-shaking tremor woulde, further bringing more sediment to sprinkle down from the sky. Feeling it all rumble coaxed him to move faster, not having any idea just how much time there was¨Cperhaps days, hours, or mere minutes¨Che had no way of knowing.

    "Phew¨C"

    He breathed out upon reaching the summit of the steps, stepping onto the disconnected stairs that led to the sight of the imprable gates of the Storm King''s Keep. Standing there for a moment, not knowing if to expect another knight toe crashing down like in his first visit, he waited for hispanions to catch up.

    Charlotte arrived with no more than a brief exhale, though the knightnded with a sigh of relief as though having felt his lifepromised by the climb.

    Another tremor came, this time bringing them much closer to the rain of sediment from the reversed sky above.

 Chapter 149: Interlude: Folklore System

    [¡­Somewhere in the First Order¡­]

    Within a dense, emerald jungle of giant trees enveloped in vines or hanging leaves, the man hummed to himself while walking.

    Despite the colossal insects that clung to the vine-wrapped trees, from elongated centipedes of tough shells to beetles, he didn''t flinch at their presence.

    ["Status"]

    [Name: Muyang] [ss: Martial Artist] [Level: 52]

    "Boy, I sure am lost¡­" The man remarked, scratching his head as he looked up while walking.

    A scar ran across his nose, with a ponytail descending his back. Despite the humid conditions in the faraway jungled, he wore his ck tangzhuang, only with the sleeves rolled up.

    "Phew, it''s hot, too¡­Seriously, where even am I?" Muyang questioned out loud while aimlessly walking.

    A yawn left the bored man''s lips as he navigated the jungle, using the polearm he wielded to part the intrusive vines.

    After finding himself still in the thick of the otherworldly jungle, the lost man came to a stop as he sighed.

    "Come, Lotus," Moyungmanded, holding his hand out.

    [Folklore System Initiated.]

    [Summoning: Lesser Sprite, Lotus.]

    From a burst of verdant light came a floating humanoid that was norger than the size of the man''s palm.

    The tiny creature that resembled a man with butterfly wings yawned,ying on the air while hovering in front of the summoner''s face, "What is it, Moyung? I was sleeping peacefully, y''know."

    "Oh, give me a break¡ªall you do is sleep! Anyway, I''m sorta¡­well, not exactly sure where I''m going here¡ª" Moyung begrudgingly exined, beginning to murmur.

    "Lost? You''repletely lost, aren''tcha?" The small sprite used yfully.

    Moyung conceded, "Yeah, yeah."

    "Well, let me at it for a moment¡­" The winged person said, scrunching his nose in concentration.

    While the sprite focused on theyout of the dense jungle, Moyung watched with a bit of impatience. He poked at the sprite''s cheek, bringing Lotus to huff and wave his arms in frustration.

    "Hey! I need to focus here¡­!" Lotus yelled before grumbling. "Mm¡­I can''t get a read on this ce."

    "Seriously? I wonder if it''s because this is technically a whole different world from Earth," Moyung questioned.

    The sprite scoffed, "Either way, I ain''t helping ya here! Now¡ªlemme sleep!"

    Just like that, the perturbed creature poofed back out of existence and into slumber.

    Moyung scratched his head with a sigh, "Guess I''m outta luck, then."

    Back to aimless wandering, the man resumed his humming while traversing the jungle. A yawn left his mouth as he walked,ing to a stop as something suddenly emerged through the foliage.

    From the cluster of trees and vines, a massive feline of jet-ck fur the size of a truck intercepted the outsider''s path. It closely resembled a panther, though vastlyrger with a grand mane like that of a lion.

    ["Tyrant Wildcat"] [Level: 49]

    "Woah there! I''m just passin'' through¨Cno need to get all growly at me," Moyung casually waved his hand at the great beast.

    Despite trying to speak reason to the massive panther, it didn''t seem to work as its fangs, asrge as tusks, dripped with saliva. Each droplet from its teeth sshed against the leaves.

    "Guess you''re not letting me pass, then? Ah, well¡ªcan''t be helped," Moyung sighed, flipping his polearm around.

    The beast seemed to recognize the aggression from the human as its fur stood up and its muscles swelled.

    It was an unnatural growth, as though the already massive beast grew to twice its size before parting its maw. A roar left its throat, causing the vines to dance amidst the powerful vibrations.

    "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya loud and clear!" Moyung shouted with a smile.

    The beast set off right for him, lunging with both paws rapidly swiping at him. A yfulugh came from the martial artist as he backpedaled, nimbly ducking between each strike.

    Ducking beneath one such swipe brought a tree to be caught in the crossfire. The beast''s ws severed the oak in half, causing it to plummet, though the colossal jaguar didn''t stop for a moment.

    "So aggressive! Y''know, I''m not that nasty¡ª!" Moyung said amidst his movements before striking his polearm upward.

    It was a perfectly timed strike as the ck-and-gold staff struck the predator right on its chin. While it didn''t render the beast unconscious, it certainly was unpleasant as the feline stumbled back and shook its head.

    "Not very pleasant, is it? Well, maybe that''ll teach you to¡ª" Moyung reprimanded the beast.

    Amidst his words, the massive cat retaliated as it sprinted across the firm soil of the wilnd, leaping up as it spun around to m its ws down on the man.

    Moyung quickly raised his weapon to intercept, catching its flesh-ripping tools back with a bit of a struggle, "¡ªGuess not! Ah, well¡ªI tried!"

    With some effort, he pushed the beast''s paw back as it jumped back before a counterattack could beunched. Moyung simply held his ground with a smile, raising his hand.

    [Folklore System Initiated.]

    [Summoning: Hellbound Chimera ]

    From a burst of mes that sprouted from the soil, a towering beast emerged from nothing. Walking on two legs like a man with the head of a lion, horns of a bull, and the tail of a serpent, the amalgamation roared.

    It equaled the monstrous jaguar in size, though it imposed a muchrger will with its scarlet eyes as mes hissed from its maw.

    "Alrighty, this one is all yours, Chimera," Moyung said, giving a yful pat on the back to the many-formed creature.

    Thatmand given was all that was needed to set the man-beast forth as it sprinted at the jaguar. With the aggression of the chimera, the feline looked more reserved, hesitating even to attack or to run.

    The ck-furred big cat finally decided, roaring as it lunged at the amalgamation with its fangs and ws sharpened.

    Before its jaws couldtch onto the golden-furred monstrosity, the jaguar was caught in the hands of Chimera.

    It held the wildcat in ce as though it were simply an unruly housecat, even as it hissed and iled.

    "Don''t y with your food, Chimera," Moyung reminded the beast.

    From the martial artist''s reminder, the amalgamation opened his mouth as mes rose from its throat. Against the helpless wildcat, the fire poured out from the mythical creature''s mouth, properly turning the jaguar to nothing more than a charred husk.

    ["Tyrant Wildcat defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1200 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +15000] [85000/200000]

    "Good job, Chimera," Moyung praised the beast as though it were a small pet.

    The towering creature lowered its head so that the man could give it a pet, to which the amalgamation released a purr that sounded more like steel grinding. With that, the beast was dismissed back to where it came, leaving only trace embers in its ce.

    ''This ce sure is odd. Everything is so muchrger than back home, and a whole lot more hostile¨Cit''s kind of a pain,'' Moyung thought, folding his arms over his chest.

    Amidst theckadaisical thinking of the lost martial artist, a rumble through the jungle stirred his focus. It was like a keychain being dangled in front of a cat, catching his bored mind as the trees swayed before some sort of force.

    ''Sounded like a meteor justnded¡­What could that have been?'' He questioned, hurriedly moving towards where the impact had crashed.

    Like a sprinting leopard, he leapt past the wall of bushes and vines with excitement.

    "Woah!¡ª" Moyung caught himself, sliding to a stop immediately with a smile.

    Right beyond the tall grass was a crater in the jungle, still left steaming from the impact. A bloody paste painted the crushed soil, with a person standing in the center of the newly-made terrain.

    "Pyuh¡ª! Barely leveled in time," the voice of the golden-haired figure in the crater huffed.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Seung] [ss: Brawler] [Level: 51]

    Moyung decided to wave to the stranger who crashnded in the jungle, "Yo! You good, dude?"

    "Hah?" The golden-haired man turned with a raised eyebrow, breathing out. "The hell are you?"

    "A survivor, like you. A fellow earthling, stranded in this strange world, like you. Pretty obvious, ain''t it?" Moyung yfully answered while patting his staff against his own shoulder.

    It didn''t seem anything he said was taken all too kindly by the strange man who stood in the small crater. The look on Seung''s face was like that of a dog ready to bark.

    "I still need experience¡ªit''s not enough! I need to level up more¡­! Or that bastard will catch up!" Seung shouted.

    "Err, okay? I think you should calm down¡ª" Moyung suggested to the stranger.

    Amidst his rmendation, the martial artist found himself leaning back as a fist soared right past his face.

    "Oh?" Moyung let out as his hair was brushed by the sudden punch.

    As he slipped back and straightened himself out, he found the brawler standing in front of him as the missed blow pushed around the vines.

    "So, you''re one of those kinds of people? Cowards that hunt others, because they''re too scared of monsters," Moyung called out.

 Chapter 150: Interlude: Folklore System Part Two

    "So, you''re one of those kinds of people? Cowards that hunt others, because they''re too scared of monsters," Moyung called out.

    "Shut up! Nobody is scared of anything!" Seung retorted.

    The golden-haired figure kicked off the soil with a burst of speed, bringing Moyung to bring his staff to his left.

    With skillful precision, he used his polearm to block the heavy strike from the gilded gauntlet.

    "Woah there," Moyung remarked with a frivolous attitude. "You''ll take somebody''s head off like that."

    "You talk way too much!" Seung shouted, bringing his other fist back with a coalescence of light around it.

    ["Piercer of Divinity"]

    The straight punch from the gauntlet-wearing man was brought with a radiant drill manifesting around his glove, rapidly spinning as it bored a hole right through a tree.

    Moyung managed to duck beneath it, slipping out of the torque of the brutal ability with augh, "That''s a bit of overkill, isn''t it?"

    Just as the drill of light was dismissed,the martial artist closed the distance with a single step, using his polearm as he quickly thrust it against the brawler''s abdomen in session. A burst of a half dozen hits left the wind knocked out of the clearly irrational figure, pushing Seung to spit the air from his lungs.

    "I''ll give you a moment to cool your head. I''m being nice here, so¨C" Moyung said, looking down at the keeled over figure.

    Between his words of mercy, the martial artist was caught off-guard as the golden-haired man suddenly lunged up with a raging uppercut. The impact struck him directly in the chin, bringing his feet to be brought off the soil by the tremendous strength behind it.

    "Nrrhg?!¡ª" Moyung winced before flipping around tond on his feet.

    Even though he caught himself, he immediately fell to a knee as his sense of bnce was challenged. A bruise on his chin was enough to tell him that he had his brain rocked inside his skull, bringing the jungle to spin around him.

    ''Shit¡­I let my guard down. I might have to summon it to deal with this wild guy,'' Moyung considered.

    Though he thought of his next move, he was surprised to hear the once shouting man to now beughing.

    It was a far cry from the prickly attitude before as the brawler expelled joy in hisughter, not approaching with violence now.

    "Hah! I feel better now¡ªjust needed to let off some steam. Thanks for that!" Seung showed his backwards gratitude with a spill ofughter again.

    Moyung picked himself up while rubbing his chin, "Needed to let off some steam? If I wasn''t as tough as I am, my head would be gone. You could''ve killed any other person, y''know."

    "I knew you could take it! Hah!" Seung said, rolling his shoulders with a smile.

    "Is that so? Asshole," Moyung remarked.

    Somehow or another, the two men that had greeted one another with violence found themselves sitting at a campfire just minutester. It was easy enough for the pair of men to catch some wild forest critters to cook atop a me.

    There weren''t many words exchanged as they sat across from another, sharing a cooked, bear-like beast. If there was one thing they held inmon, it was eating as though it''d been a week since theirst meal, chowing down without any grace.

    "Damn, this stuff in this world tastes great¡­Better than our world!" Seung imed with an exhale, tossing the left over bone to the side.

    Moyung sighed with satisfaction, patting his own stomach, "No way, man! It''s good, but nothingpares to some peking. I''d kill for some right about now."

    "That''s that duck stuff, right?" Seung asked, still chewing as he sat with his arms on his knees.

    "Yeah¡ªwait, have you never had it?!" Moyung answered, though in shock.

    "Never interested me," Seung responded with a shrug.

    "That''s a damn shame," Moyung sighed, shaking his head. "All of the best restaurants are long gone now."

    A sad breath left the martial artist''s mouth was he reminisced of the lost ces of cuisine, though Seung looked as though he hardly cared.

    "The world''s better as it is now," Seung imed, sitting up as he stretched his legs to warm back up.

    "Excuse me? Did I hear that right?" Moyung questioned, standing himself as well.

    Seung shrugged with a confident look, as though it was an obvious thought to have, "There''s no damn rules anymore. We don''t have to ve away at jobs, losing ourselves in boredom¡­Isn''t it a whole lot more exciting now?"

    "I just can''t agree there, man. Didn''t you have family? Friends? There''s so much that''s lost now¡ªthings that won''te back," Moyung contested genuinely.

    It hardly seemed to resonate with the brawler as he brushed the words off, "I didn''t lose a damn thing. All I did was gain from the apocalypse."

    "That''s an insane thing to say. Then again, you''re an odd fellow, so I can''t say you''re lying," Moyung sighed.

    Seung sat grabbed a piece of the cooked beast, chomping on it as he brushed aside the topic with a grumble.

    After the meal was finished, Moyung continued on his way, though following right behind the peculiar man as he walked with his arms behind his head with a whistle.

    Seung looked a moment from losing his temper as he stomped through the jungle before shouting, "Hey! Quit with the whistling! Also, why''re you following me?!"

    "Oh? I''m not¡ªI just happen to be going this way, too," Moyung exined with a smirk.

    "Thats¡ªurgh, whatever!" Seung huffed, taking a sharp turn to the right.

    Of course, Moyung also changed to the same direction while continuing his singsong whistling.

    "You''re totally following men!" Seung stopped, pointing at the man behind him with the usation.

    Moyung shrugged as though it waspletely baseless, "I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    "Yeah? Then where are you going, huh?!" Seung asked, jabbing his finger towards the martial artist.

    Moyung seemed to enjoy the conversation as heughed, "Well, wherever the world takes me! There''s a whole lot out here, a whole lot unknown¡ªisn''t it better this way?"

    For a moment, Seung seemed to debate with himself before exhaling and turning back around to continue marching, "¡­Whatever. Do what you want. Just quit the whistling, would you?"

    "I guess I can oblige," Moyung agreed.

 Chapter 151: To The Storm

    Another tremor came, this time bringing them much closer to the rain of sediment from the reversed sky above.

    "It''s getting more frequent," Charlotte remarked.

    "Yeah," Finn said. "Time is of the essence."

    Even so, it didn''t seem wise to simply barge on into the keep of the ludicrously powerful ruler of the First Order¨Cthat would be certain death, they were all well aware of that fact.

    "This is it, isn''t it? We''re really going to confront that monster¨Cshit," Jasper said, hardly sounding to believe it himself as the knight gazed up at the imposing structure ahead.

    "Finn, you met him before so I''ll trust you¡­Do you believe we can do it? Will we be able to win against him?" Charlotte genuinely asked, staring at the assassin with her sapphire gaze.

    While looking upon the towering castle, Finn nodded, answering with a degree of confidence that almost seemed unreasonable considering the circumstances, "We can. Our chances are a lot better than you think¨Cmaybe even fifty-fifty."

    "Seriously? How''s that? You said that your system recognized the Storm King as a level one-hundred threat, right? That''s double our highest here," Jasper reasoned.

    While it was a good point, Finn answered by reaching under his coat, retrieving what instilled him with the hope that he had. He pulled out a sable, diamond-shaped object that was connected by an opulent sphere ced in the middle.

    "This is our secret to victory," Finn admitted.

    "Wait, that thing¨Cwhen did you get that?" Jasper asked.

    "Is that a Convergence Call? Hold on¨Cyou have one?" Charlotte blinked a few times while asking.

    "Right before we entered the First Order. I had enough money to spare, so I grabbed it in the event we were ever in an impossible situation," Finn exined, tucking the object back beneath his coat. "I almost used it against Fafnir, but¡­Mangus acted first. But, it''s because of what he did that we might just stand a chance today."

    Revealing the item he so preciously held onto until this day noticeably changed the reluctance hispanions held into confidence. What perhaps felt like nothing more than a fraction of a single percent now felt real¨Cit was possible.

    "It could work¡­It might," Charlotte began to ept it with a nod.

    "There''s no guarantee anybody wille. Even if some do, it might not even be enough. Something like this, well, mate¨Cit''s a shot in the dark, isn''t it?" Jasper reasoned.

    "You''re right. There''s a chance that really nobody wille. Still, it''s the only thing we have right now, so all we can do now is just trust that people wille," Finn answered.

    Amidst their discussion, a rumble came¨Cthough it was distinctly different, instead originating from the barrier up ahead. The opulent gates began to open on their own, dismissing the protective magic shielding the entrance to the castle.

    "It''s opening for us¡­?" Jasper watched.

    "An invitation," Finn surmised. "--I think the Storm King wants to put an end to this as well."

    The opened gate was a wee change from diving into the foul sewers, leading him to pass the gates into a more illustrious walkway. Steps of pale, moonlit stone led towards the front entrance, neighbored by hedges carefully trimmed in the likeness of knights and heroes.

    Between the trimmed bushes were statues carved of gold and imnted with amethyst gems; some of gant warriors, others of divine maidens.

    All of it was fittingly grand for the pce, though none more than the gilded door that awaited at the end of the path. A serene shine coated the doorway, like that of sunlight strained through ss.

    "Alright, ready¨C?" Finn asked, standing in front of the illustrious doors as he held his hand towards it, ncing side-to-side at hispanions.

    A quick nod from the two brought him to push his hand against the door, only needing a light amount of force before it began to part for them. Like the breath of an angel, a warm wind left through the opened entrance, brushing by his ears like a gentle hymn.

    An illustrious lobby awaited; of moonstone chiseled to perfection, stabilized by pirs protruding of heroes carved into monuments.

    Finn passed through the entrance, immediately feeling the brisk air outside ovee by the interior; it was toasty with a refreshing sensation that made his skin feel as though moisturized by lotion and his body aided by plentiful rest.

    "Feel that? The air, it''s¡­rejuvenating," Jasper remarked as he stepped inside.

    It was true enough; Finn felt it firsthand as the air he breathed in, coating his skin, acted like an all-in-one remedy.

    "This ce isn''t normal¨Cit''s divine," Finn stated, having no other words to describe what he felt standing in that opulent room.

    Such an atmosphere couldn''t feel further from the crumbling world just outside of its walls¨Ca glistening utopia.

    Finn was taken aback by the feeling of perfect health with each breath, as were the others before the sound of the monumental doors shutting behind them returned their focus. The sudden closure of their singr exit sparked the knight to m his fist against the doors.

    "Dammit¨C!" Jasper let out, banging his gauntlet against the gilded material, though not budging the mighty structure in the slightest.

    "We weren''t nning on leaving anyway," Finn reminded his friend.

    "I know, but¨C" Jasper epted.

    Amidst their exchange of words, it was cut short as the echo of footsteps brought their focus to ahead to the staircase of a hundred steps that led to a sacred chamber.

    "--I must beseech to you toy down your weapons. In the time of the world''s rupture, the King must focus on maintaining it."

    A voice, mighty and dignified with strength and honor, spoke earnestly from the steps, descending the high-reaching path.

    The words spoken formerly, yet with announced power, came from a figure dressed in exuberant armor. A towering figure, broadly built like that of Hercules himself, dressed in golden ting.Wearing a lion-faced helmet and a cape made of a grand beast''s pelt; it was a sight that was familiar to the assassin.

    "Hold on, that''s¨C" Finn recognized.

    Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    Once more, the voice of the gilded figure boomed from the middle of the heavenly steps, calling into both hands a pair of colossal des, "--If you insist on moving forward, I shall have to take action. For the sake of the First Order."

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "Godfrey, The Exonerated Knight of The Golden Sky"] [Level: 60]

    "It''s him," Finn mumbled to himself.

    Jasper nced over to him, "What? You know that gold giant?"

    "I met him briefly when we first got here, but¡­I didn''t know it would end up like this," Finn answered.

    As their weapons were drawn, another rumble was felt throughout the transient world; the sky shook, even bringing the floating castle to feel the effects. Like the grains of sand running fewer in an hourss, time was fleeting¨Cthose frequent tremors made it all too clear.

    "Go on ahead, mate¨Cget the party started," Jasper said, readying his sword and shield. "I think we can handle this golden asshole, right?"

    Charlotte answered by cing her fingers on her de, infusing it with a burst of electricity with a nod, "We don''t know how much time we have. Every second may count, so¡­We''ll catch up."

    Though he was well aware of the stakes, Finn hesitated with leaving hisrades to face the radiant figure, though epting it as he ced his trust in their strength.

    "Don''t take too long, then¨CI''m going to need you both," Finn said.

    "''Course, mate," Jasper assured him.

    "--Go!" Charlotte shouted.

    The urgency from the spellde was spurred from the Knight of The Golden Sky leaping from the ascending steps. Each of them were forced to spread out before Godfrey crashed down with a mighty stomp, incurring a golden wave to spread through the moonstone chamber.

    "Mercy has left my considerations. The world supersedes that," Godfrey announced, raising himself as the particles of golden light fluttered like snow amidst a winter storm.

    ["Turn Shadow"] [2:59]

    Between the words of the gant figure, Finn dived into the shadows, slipping right between the legs of the gilded knight.

    "You!--" Godfrey shouted, spinning himself around whileunching his des downward with a radiant force.

    The abundance of light emitting from the unwieldy swords pressed through the shadows, bringing the assassin to feel as though he was being tugged from behind.

    ''What¨C? That golden shine¨Cit''s bringing me out?'' Finn realized.

    He found himself emerging from the darkness forcibly, picking himself up without looking back. In that moment, he entrusted it all to hisrades¨C

    CLANG

    Between himself and Godfrey''s des came the shield of Jasper, stopping the powerful strike dead in its tracks.

    "Go, mate!" Jasper shouted.

    Finn listened, not intending to ascend the countless steps as he instead quickly threw his dagger towards the summit of the regal stairs¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [3600/4000]

    He found himself facing the opulent doorway at the peak of the steps just as another tremor shook the floating keep. Approaching the enigmatic gate incurred a peculiar feeling; a sensation like that of a subtle rejection pressed against his hand as he brought it to the silver entry.

    ''I can feel it¨Cthis will lead me to him,'' he thought.

 Chapter 152: The Hero

    Entrusting hisrades to handle the golden knight, he pressed his palm against the sleek door. It was cool to the touch, finding his hand not making contact with the perceived solid object, but as though his fingers traversed a moist cloud.

    A weightlessness overtook his body as his vision shifted from that of the doorway to an entirely different scenery.

    "Huh¨C?" Finn quietly let out in confusion.

    A sensation rose through his body as though waves ran across his skin, finding himself rising through the sky. It took him a moment to realize he was now standing on a silver tform that ascended from the peak of the pce.

    ''The moment I touched the door¡­I was transported to this¨Csome kind of elevator in the sky? Where is it leading?'' He questioned.

    Bringing his gaze upward, the upside downndscape that acted as the sky, mirroring the ashen fields far below, had a circr hole through it. As the tform rose closer to the gaping hole in the sky-boundnd, a swirl of dark clouds guided the lift.

    Though the weather shaped itself around the lift, spiraling up like the shaft of an elevator, it didn''t push at the assassin.

    As it passed through the gap in the skyndscape, he found himself being risen through a grand scenery. Your next read is at m v|l-e''-NovelBin

    A true sky; though rather than a pale blue, it was violet with a goldenplexion bleeding into it. All of it left fractured with cracks in the horizon as though it was made of ss.

    ''There''s a real sky¡­? It''s on the verge of shattering, it looks like¡ªcan''t be much longer,'' he thought.

    Past a collection of drifting clouds in the shattering sky, a structure was suspended at the world''s peak. A vast, ss tform surrounded by walls of swirling clouds; the eye of the storm and the world itself.

    Approaching that transparent ce brought a chill across his body, as though taking strides right into the mouth of a raging tornado. Despite that feeling gnawing at his mind, it was a rather tranquil looking structure, bathed in sublime radiance.

    When confronting monsters of horrific appearances and intentions, he no longer found his heart racing nor his skin d in sweat, yet the thought of confronting Sirius was something else entirely.

    ''--I''vee a long way. From flipping burgers to facing down a god¡­It''s not a huge leap, is it? Just stay loose, and you''ve got this,'' he tried to instill confidence in himself.

    Bringing a breath into his lungs was a tad more difficult at the incredibly high altitudes, exhaling as he prepared himself. The tform brought itself to the perfect destination, sliding right into the circr gap in the structure bound to the sky.

    A constant parade of wind brushed against his hair and coat as he stood on the ss floor, only mere inches from standing on the sky itself. Across the minimal structure, he viewed the dedicated lord of the First Order, looking up with a mncholy in his eyes as his messy, ck hair swayed in the unruly winds.

    Finn looked up at what the Storm King gazed at; a colossal orb sat at the highest point of the world, just above the ss box, producing a supreme glow of magenta that warded the storm.

    "From the moment I was born, my purpose has been to protect this world."

    The mncholic words were softly spoken through the quiet storm that swirled at the world''s summit, bringing the assassin''s gaze back to the lonesome figure in the clouds.

    Sirius stayed with his side turned to him, not moving his gaze from the orb above, "I never once thought of it as a burden nor a curse. That''s just who I am. Until my body is dust and my soul is cast to the wind, I''ll protect this world¨C"

    Finally, the youthful lord''s focus turned to the assassin as electricity coiled around his limbs, sparking in the air with a valiant glow.

    "Even if it may crumble," Sirius dered. "It will only do so once I draw myst breath."

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [LORD Identified: "The God of Heroes, Sirius"]

    [Level: 100]

    Finn kept his daggers ready, though didn''t yet attack as he looked at the noticeable exhaustion worn on the godly figure''s face. Uneven breaths left Sirius'' lips as he seemed almost too tired even to properly stand.

    The cracks in the sky only seemed to stretch further as the colossal sphere flickered.

    "Sirius, it''s over¡­This world, it''s not going tost much longer, is it?" Finn sincerely asked. "What''re you even fighting for at this point¨C? It won''t aplish anything. Everybody is gone. You''re not obligated to do anything anymore¡­Just rest now."

    The attempt at persuasion brought a small smile to the lips of the benevolent man, bringing Sirius tough softly, "You''re not wrong, Finn. Right now, I''m holding the world together with everything I''ve got¨Cbarely. That orb above us¡­It''s my soul. This world''s heart has died¡­Think of it as a transnt¨Cit''ll maybest another day."

    "Then why¨C?" Finn asked.

    "You''re doing exactly the same, aren''t you? Fighting for your world¨Cno, it''s simpler than that. Fighting to survive¨Cwhat''s wrong with that?" Sirius asked genuinely.

    While it was a logical reason, not for a moment did Finn buy it as he looked at the figure that embodied the very concept of heroism. In that ss box amidst the crumbling sky, he saw right through the words of the man-god.

    "You''re not the type of guy that fears death, though. I''m just throwing a guess out there, but I''m pretty certain about it," Finn used.

    "That''s where you''re wrong. I''m terrified of death¨Cof nothingness. The moment I fall, so does everything I''ve ever known," Sirius exined with a mncholic smile that soon turned into one driven as the electricity around his body sparked. "--What awaits me at the end is the loneliest death. So, I''m going to fight against it until the bitter end¨Cas I''ve always done."

    By the way the strands of lightning coiled around the body of the man of depleting godhood, it was clear to Finn that hoping to end this all by means of talking wasn''t going to happen.

    ''There''s nothing that can really be said. The only way to get what we want is to kill him¨Cthat''s just the way it is,'' he resolved, clenching the handle of his dagger.

    A silence between them settled that the time for discussion was over; all that was left now was a confrontation¨Cone that the assassin seldom wanted. In hopes of seizing the initiative for himself, Finn kicked himself forward, trusting the ss to be unbreakable¨C

    ["Spring Foot"] [0:59]

    As he broke the distance between himself and the lightning-wielding figure in an instant, getting within striking distance¨Che pivoted.

    ["Flicker"]

    In a single moment, he warped himself only a couple steps, bringing himself right behind Sirius, then vanishing again as he arrived at his right. This repeated multiple times across a single second, fastly flickering from one spot to the next to overwhelm his opponent''s senses.

    ¨COne.

    ¨CTwo.

    ¨CFive.

    ¨CTwelve.

    All at once, he produced over a dozen fakeouts in that moment, all to bring his dagger as close to the neck of the God of Heroes as he could.

    ["Wraith me"] [Mana: -100] [3500/4000]

    A coating of white-and-emerald mes extended from his dagger as he shed it towards the exposed side of Sirius'' neck in that pivotal fraction of a moment.

    "Gotta be faster than that."

    The calm voice of the thunder bringer was quickly overwhelmed by a roar of wind as a sh of magenta light filled his vision in that moment. In that split-second, all he perceived was a casual nudge of Sirius'' wrist in his direction, followed by a build-up of sparks in the air.

    All of the breath was shot from his lungs as a burning sensation centered in his abdomen, finding himself flung back rapidly by the swift force.

    ''What¡­happened? I couldn''t even see it¨Che countered? With lightning?'' Finn figured out amidst his unwee flight.

    The ss structure quickly distanced itself as he was pushed through the clouds, finding the force behind the swift bolt devastating.

    What awaited him was a descent tens of thousands of meters above the ground; a thought that elerated through his mind as the fragmenting sky cracked around him.

    Still, he forced himself to control his breathing, not letting his mind panic as he calmly tossed his dagger towards the ss box¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [3400/4000]

    As he caught his dagger, the sensation of solid ground beneath his feet made him slip a bit before he caught himself, quickly returning his focus to the monumental foe before him.

    Looking down, he found a chunk of his coat burned away at the front with a steaming bruise left on his stomach. It quickly became purple, tightening with a sensitive pain, though it was nothing debilitating; only thanks to his leveled body did he find himself in that condition.

    ''I''m fine¡­It hurts, but it''s nothing I can''t handle¨Cthat was just a casual disy of strength from him though, wasn''t it? Even as he is now, he''s in an entirely different realm,'' Finn analyzed, watching the figure across the transparent structure.

 Chapter 153: Confronting The Impossible

    To his surprise, he wasn''t pursued by the wielder of lightning, instead Sirius remained in the same spot, looking at him as if waiting for him to approach once again.

    "Replication," Finn invoked.

    Taking the freedom given to him by the confident figure, he prepared himself as his doppelganger emerged from the shadows. He didn''t stop there, pushing the limits higher¨C

    ["Phantom"] [4:59]

    ["Phantom"]

    For both himself and his copy, a shadow-born replication was summoned, increasing his own number to four. Using the advantage of numbers, along with having aplete understanding and connection to the aspects of himself, they all dispersed, taking different sides around the God of Heroes.

    He sprinted along with his replications, constantly circling around the unmoving figure with enough speed to begin to blur. As he picked up such swiftness, he went further¨C

    The two phantoms of himself also used ["Replication"], and thus did the subsequent clones, producing a total of eight versions of the assassin. As the many aspects of himself sprinted circles across the ssy sky, Finn felt his heartbeat elevating as his head throbbed.

    ''Eight is the limit I can sustain right now¡­Any more, and I''ll risk hurting myself,'' he thought, breathing out.

    All the while he continued his confusing sprint with his copies, he readied himself, setting his eyes on the Storm King¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    ["Blink sh"]["Blink sh"]["Blink sh"]["Blink sh"]

    ["Blink sh"]["Blink sh"]["Blink sh"]

    In unison, each aspect of the assassin warped to Sirius with visceral intent. So manying in at many directions all at once, even so¨C

    "Gah!--"

    He found himself thrown back the instant he warped over, once more having the air knocked out of his lungs beforending on his feet. It was too fast to perceive, though he witnessed each of his copies be dispersed by the disy of force.

    ''Having so many doppelgangers means they can''t exactly take a hit¡­but what even was that? It felt like a wave of electricity expanded, though I only saw it for a split-second, maybe,'' he considered.

    Once again, he found himself staring at the man who had not taken a single step from the position he had confronted him in.

    "I can tell you''ve grown a whole lot since Ist saw you. Still, it doesn''t change a thing¨Cthis isn''t a fight you can win, Finn," Sirius said without arrogance, as if administering bad news to a patient.

    It was taken as a provocation to the ears of the assassin. Perhaps it wasn''t his fault directly, but he saw the God of Heroes'' very existence as the reason for the deaths of Magnus and Nova.

    "Let me make it clear to you," Sirius threatened.

    The swirl of clear clouds darkened with a gloomyplexion as shes of dark-purple thunder flickered within the fractured sky. As the radiance of daytime darkened with a storm, Sirius'' magenta eyes heightened into a slight glow as a coalescence of lightning gathered around him.

    Just standing there was a challenge as Finn tried to nt his feet down against the ss, holding his arm up as the unruly winds pushed against him.

    ''The air¨Cit''s electrified. Every breath I take is stinging my lungs,'' he thought, tasting the divine lightning against his tongue as it shocked the inside of his mouth.

    As he tried his best to straighten himself out amidst the sudden storm, he witnessed the lightning-d hero vanish from his view. In that split-second, not attempting to track that imperceivable speed, he instead focused on defending himself¨C

    ["Impervious"] [4:59]

    ¨CAn impact surged against his body no more than a thousandth of a second after his body was reinforced. What he discovered was the thunderous figure with his fist mmed against his chest, unmoving from his single moment of absolute invincibility.

    Even Sirius looked somewhat surprised by it as the remnants of the lightning-infused strike scattered across the sky with a hiss. Nheless, he could see that it wasn''t the end of the hero''s assault¨C

    "Replication!" He forced it from his mouth.

    ["Impervious"]

    Once more, he d his body just as the grandiose figure vanished before his presence was reced by a cmity of lightning. All he could see was blinding, magenta light; a tidal wave of the divine force swept across him.

    Even if he remained unharmed in that moment, it was settling in just the scale of the one he faced; the immeasurable chasm between them.

    As the wave of fulmination dispersed, he quickly looked around, tracking the presence of the swift deity. Before he could find the fleeting figure with his own eyes, he suddenly found himself dragged off his feet, being pulled straight up into the air.

    "Huh¨C?" Finn reacted.

    It only became clear to him after blinking and having the air siphoned from his lungs that the cor of his coat was in the grip of the God of Heroes, who elerated higher into the great beyond above with him in his grasp.

    "--Let me show you. There''s nowhere to hide¨Cthere''s nowhere safe, not in this world nor any other!" Sirius'' voice boomed against his ears.

    He grabbed at the arm that held him, though it felt as though he was trying to bend steel with a noodle. The air fluctuated against his ears as he kicked and punched at the figure that dragged him higher and higher, though none of it was effective.

    Attempting to plunge his dagger into the chest of Sirius only brought a current of electricity to transfer from the God of Heroes'' hand right into his body, causing him to seize up.

    "Ngh!--" Finn struggled.

    Experience more content on m v|l e''-NovelBin

    All he could do was watch as he was dragged from the heights of the fractured sky, past the stratosphere and to the ceiling of the broken world.

    ''I can''t¡­breathe¨Cthe air¡­I can''t¨C!'' He thought, gasping.

    As he found his lungs aching for oxygen, the rapid ascent finally came to a stop as he found the sight of the fragile sky far beneath, not surrounded by a more grand view: a boundless stretch of space, as far as the eye could see.

    The cosmos, in all of its daunting glory.

    Yet, it was different than he imagined, though he''d never seen it firsthand before. Monuments the scale of stars hung in the reaches of space, overlooking the fragmented world; colossal heads, statues of faceless beings, encased in nebe and crystalline growths of the cosmos.

    "This is¡­?" Finn asked, finding himself somehow able to breathe.

    "The Beyond," Sirius informed him, clutching his coat still as he looked up as well. "This is what lies outside our worlds¨Cwatching us, governing us, controlling us¨Clook."

    What the God of Heroes averted the assassin''s attention to was what loomed over the First Order itself. Casting a shadow over the fractured was a beingrge enough to fit the world in the palm of its hand; a faceless humanoid of smooth, snow-white skin.

    It hovered its hands around the sides of the world, peering down at it as its palms pressed against the surface of the, causing the fractures to extend.

    "That¡­What is that?" Finn let out in quiet disbelief.

    "That is the Apocalypse," Sirius answered, looking on towards the colossal entity as well. "I''ve tried fighting against it countless times. The truth of it is, the damn thing doesn''t even notice when I attack it. Do you get it now? There''s nowhere left in existence that''s safe."

    Seeing a being of such immeasurable scale made his stomach sink, even more so imagining that the man who dragged him up there, who dwarfed his own strength, couldn''t budge it.

    "I imagine one just like it is at your world. Likely just watching¨Cfor now, but the time wille when it takes action," Sirius said. "When that happens, you''ll be able to do nothing to stop it."

    It left him speechless before he refocused himself, turning his attention back to the one he still knew he had to defeat, "--That doesn''t change what I have to do!"

    Finn kicked his legs up, wrapping them around the arm that held him as he got the God of Heroes into an armbar, though it more so only seemed to annoy Sirius.

    "You''re persistent, I''ll give you that¨C" Sirius told him.

    As he squeezed his legs around the arm, Finn found his sight distorting as he was suddenly overtaken by overwhelming g-forces. It felt as though the skin was peeling from his face as his cheeks pped, finding himself being plunged from the distorted cosmos back into the reach of the fragmented sky¨C

    Crashing down as the one who held him descended like a bolt of lightning, he found himself tossed down by the hand of Sirius.

    "Ngh!--"

    He flipped himself around, finding at least his momentum lessened by the throw before catching himself back on the ss tform amidst the high-altitudes. Just as he found his footing, the lightning bolt crashed down, finding the magenta sparks dispersing around the God of Heroes.

    "There''s nothing left to say, is there? I''ve tried to be reasonable," Sirius imed, bringing his hands together as the vibrant strands of electricity emitted between his palms. "--All that''s left to do now is to fight. Like I always have."

    The hostility of the divine figure was felt clearly by Finn as the air itself became electrified, lightly zapping against his body like touching a static piece of fabric.

    In response, Finn regted his breathing even as the energized oxygen shocked his lungs, focusing himself as he abandoned all other fears. All he ced his mind on was the enemy ahead; that''s all he had to think about.

    ''I can do it¨Cright now, right here¨CI have to,'' he convinced himself, drawing in one more breath.

    ["Abyssal Agent: Hades"] [Mana: -2000] [1500/4000]

 Chapter 154: Divine Combat

    ''I can do it¨Cright now, right here¨CI have to,'' he convinced himself, drawing in one more breath.

    ["Abyssal Agent: Hades"] [Mana: -2000] [1500/4000]

    A mass of hollow shadows ran across his body, stretching and shaping into a uniform that d itself around his body. Once it enveloped him, it constricted and emerged with a phantasmal,

    teal ze.

    It shrouded his face beneath the hood made of mystical fire, extending down to his daggers that were engulfed in the blueish-green heat.

    Armoring his body in the abyssal infusion, a rush of strength filled his body as his muscles were rejuvenated by higher power. As soon as he donned the fleeting transformation, he set forth with a dash.

    He crossed the distance between himself and the God of Heroes in an instant, leaving a trail of heat in his path as he immediately wrapped around to the back of his opponent. In that moment, he seemed to even overtake the lightning-wielding figure by surprise as he shed his daggers at the Storm King''s back¨C

    From his des, a burst of hellish mes shed at the God of Heroes from behind, though passing through nothing but the ss structure as the agile figure vanished. Just from the single movement, the torrent of fire shed across the length of the sky-born arena before exploding against the other end.

    "Now, this is getting interesting. Caught me off guard there for a moment," the voice of Sirius met his ears from behind.

    That sensation of electricity sparking against his body brought the hell-d assassin to duck down nimbly just as a de of lightning carved above his head. He used the discolored fire to surf upon, sliding himself back with fiery finesse.

    Ahead, the God of Heroes brought his hands together before parting them with a grandeur of coiling power. As the assassin slid upon his hell-born mes, he witnessed Sirius swipe his hand down before a magenta shine overwhelmed the transparent arena.

    From above, an array of lightning bolts descended towards him, bringing him to sprint past them while bringing himself closer to his enemy. With frightening speed and precision, the downfalls of lightning curved around to target him, forcing him to reflexively move his body to avoid being struck.

    "Hfff¨C" Finn exhaled while moving.

    It brought his senses to the limit, contorting his body with no more than a millisecond to react as the serpentine bolts chased him. As the proximity of the assassin drew near, Sirius brought his arms out, extending des of lightning that formed with a far reach before shing them rapidly.

    Finn jumped up, spinning around to avoid the initial movements of the electric-forged swords beforending on his feet. He immediately was forced to bring his daggers up by his shoulders as the lightning des shed in, shing against his fire-engulfed weapons.

    "Ngh!--"

    Against the vast strength of the magnificent element, he rejected the bolts, kicking himself forward with a dast that cast a gust of fire in his wake. He brought himself face-to-face with the God of Heroes, bringing both of his daggers back¨C

    ["Ripper"] [Mana: -100] [1400/4000]

    He tore both des forth with ferocity, causing the wind to hiss as the ice-cold mes crossed into an "X" shape. The fire was narrowly avoided by the nimble god, who slipped right between the shes before retaliating with a thrust of his hand aimed right for the assassin''s chest.

    Finn watched the man''s fingers close in before spinning himself around, countering with a quick sh, though it was evaded again. He didn''t let up, flipping himself around as he weaved the ze into a burning wheel sent right for the heroic foe.

    It was swiftly intercepted by a de of lightning extending from Sirius'' fingers before the electric figure slipped back and wove his element into a new form. A bow made of fickle electricity was made as the ethereal string was pulled back by the God of Heroes.

    Finn immediately began to move, dashing to the right, then to the left, zigzagging before the divine bow was released¨CTHWOOM.

    Multiple projectiles released, as the arrows shot as thunderbolts, causing the wind to roar before electric impacts exploded against the unbreakable ss. Finn flipped himself around as one of the lightning-made arrows struck near him, producing a shock wave that nearly knocked him off bnce.

    The neutral sh brought them once more to square one as he stood his ground, exhaling a breath of frost. He tried his best to control it, though his hands trembled as he clutched his des.

    ''Not yet¡­I can''t release it yet,'' he convinced himself.

    "Abyssal Agent: Hades"--a remarkable ability that not only armored the user in the bitter mes of the underworld, but bestowed an incredible boost to one''s physical capabilities, from their strength to their senses. However, ites at a price.

    With every breath, the assassin''s body temperature drops; hypothermia sets in, turning one''s blood to frost and their flesh sumbing to frostbite.

    "I''m turning up the voltage, so try and keep up¨C!" Sirius shouted.

    As the assassin focused himself, he found that the God of Heroes had strands of electricity tracing from his shining irises, causing the man''s hair to stand. Though heid his eyes on Sirius for a moment, he found the divine figure vanishing, dancing from ce-to-ce, crossing dozens of spots on the ss structure, zapping across the sky¨C

    Everywhere, all at once; Sirius'' presence was felt everywhere. Traces of the magenta lightning trailed behind each movement of the lightning, producing an erratic constetion in the sky.

    Finn''s eyes darted rapidly, attempting to track the figure, though it was like trying to keep track of a single ke of snow amidst a blizzard.

    "Right here!" Find more to read at m_v l|-NovelBin

    ¨CJust as he looked to the right, the voice flew by from the left, followed immediately by an impact that struck him in the ribcage. Just as one strike was felt, another came, then another¨C

    Ten? Twenty? Maybe, even forty? He lost count, only knowing dozens of impacts struck against his body in what felt like unison.

    Each strike thundered against his body, though he remained on his feet, attempting to track the man who moved as lightning itself.

    ''--How do I deal with this sort of speed? It''s like asking a turtle to catch a fly¡­This guy¨Che''s way too damn fast,'' Finn thought, observing the flickers of magenta lightning that bounced off of the ss and sky alike.

    There was only one choice he could find in his mind when it came to confronting an opponent that vastly outssed him in speed.

    ["Greater Gale Blessing"] [4:59]

    Extending the wind that swirled around him, he spun himself around, raising his daggers as he directed the roaring tempest to amplify the mes that engulfed his des. Feeding the air into the frosted ze, using the unruly element to churn it, what was created from the movement was a fiery tornado.

    ''--This is something I could never do with the others around! I have to target everything around me¨Cwithout prejudice!'' He thought.

    It took some effort not to be blown away himself, standing in the center of the storm of his own creation as he guided it with his own daggers. All of that force, the chaotic swirl of the ice-cold fire that swirled with destructive grandeur, he pivoted around, bringing his daggers to his side.

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    With every ounce of strength in his body, he honed it, concentrating the rampant element to his daggers as the storming fire extended from his des like the length of greatswords. A newborn skill, not one granted by the system, but by his own ingenuity.

    As he wielded the ming tornadoes, standing amidst winds of frosty fire, he found himself facing a cmity of thunder. A sea of gloomy clouds consolidated between the hands of Sirius, condensing into a singrity of lightning.

    "I''m still breathing, still fighting, for the sake of this world and the memories of those who lived within it!" Sirius'' voice boomed with thunderous might. "--Without believing in something, there''s no meaning! None at all!"

    Purpose; belief¨Cthose words rang through the skull of the assassin, resonating with memories of those dear to him. What surfaced to him was the veryst guidance he received from his lost friend, the very thing that kept him moving forward.

    "Alone, I don''t amount to anything¨C" Finn admitted, staring down the vortex of clouds and sparks ahead of the ssndscape amidst the sky. "But, I believe in what he believed. That humanity still has a chance, that my world isn''t finished yet¨Cthat''s why I absolutely need to defeat you."

    The promation from the soul of the assassin was heard through the raging storm, meeting the ears of the God of Heroes as a genuine smile found itself on Sirius'' lips.

    "If your resolve is as you say, then make it reality with those des of yours¨Cbecause I''m not moving out of your way!" Sirius challenged with a million-volt smile.

 Chapter 155: The Magenta and The Golden

    For some reason, staring down that godly storm as the clouds spun like a whirlpool into that ominous singrity, even as his heart pounded, he wasn''t afraid. Excitement swirled in his body, adrenaline pumped through his veins as he found himself wishing to confront it head-on.

    ''When I assimte an aspect of somebody, I believe I inherit more than just a power from them¡­It''s against everything I would''ve done, but for some reason¨CI really want to face this guy. I want to test myself, that''s from Raven¨CI hate the idea of that creepy bastard influencing me, but this feeling in my chest, wanting to fight for my world, for humanity¨Cthat''s you, Damian.

    A twisted unison of the yer and the warrior¨Cit sure creates a reckless desire to fight with all I''ve got,'' the thought surfaced with the briefest of smiles.

    Confronting a full-fledged god in a faraway world, cing his life on the line, experimenting with his supernatural powers¨Call of it served to ignite his heart with a wild drum.

    ["Life has never been more exciting than this moment."]

    Around the swirl of the fire of the underworld, he apanied them with a burst of the ethereal ze of white-and-emerald, bringing together hot and cold.

    ["Wraith me"] [Mana: -100] [1300/4000]

    Around his daggers, torrenting around the spot he stood, the colorful mes roared in unison as he kept his eyes locked on his enemy, waiting for the exact moment to unleash it all.

    ["Deadly irvoyance"] [0:29]

    ["Multitask"]

    Hepartmentalized his focus, splitting it into a dozen, separate, yet connected functions that each individually watched the different parts of the God of Heroes. It had to be in the very same instant; not a thousandth of a second sooner norter¨Cit had to be perfect.

    A bead of sweat trickled right over his eyes, sliding against his pupil, yet he did not blink; he did not dare to draw a breath in that moment, watching the cmitous storm condense itself before¨C

    There was a twitch of Sirius'' eyebrow, a slight flick of his finger as the singrity pulsated. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin

    The only trigger needed was that, setting the assassin forth¨C

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He carried with him the unison of burning and freezing mes, engulfing his daggers as he warped across the sky with a trail of fire behind him like a fleetinget. Though he set himself straight for the God of Heroes, he was intercepted in that same instant¨C

    From the condensed storm held between Sirius'' hands, a grand release of lightning shot out. Of countless intertwined lightning bolts, infused into a single force, it resembled a bright-purple beam of eradication.

    The entirety of the assassin''s vision was filled by the cmitous light, soaring straight through it with his daggers cutting into it. With the fused mes shing against the condensed lightning, it was a desperate sh for Finn.

    "Nngh!--" He struggled, pushing against it with his daggers to the best of his ability.

    It was abination of abilities tailor-made to counteract the overwhelming force of the God of Heroes'' lightning; the infusion of roaring mes around his daggers allowed the anti-magic properties of the des to extend to the ze.

    The colorful fire burned away at the fulmination, eating into the lightning as Finn used his des to try and cut a path forward through the destructive torrent.

    "Oh?--" Sirius reacted in surprise to the assassin''s resistance. "Now, that''s something interesting."

    Pushing against the relentless force of lightning, Finn felt his arms going numb, both from the pressure on his limbs, but the frost that set in. As his hands trembled, feeling his shoulders ache from the continuous strain, he elerate his fire with onest push¨C

    ["Lesser Gale Blessing"] [2:59]

    Feeding the wind straight into the mes, they were given a second wind, allowing him to push through the grandiose disy. Through the fire he surrounded himself in, streams of lightning prated the veil, striking against his body repeatedly, burning through his coat.

    Against the bitter ache echoing through his body, he pushed with every bit of strength in his body, like having to sprint through the bottom of the ocean.

    ''--I can taste it. It''s like copper, stinging my tongue, zapping my eyes, mming against my body¨Cevery part of me wants to stop moving, but if I do¨CI''m done. Just push¨Ckeep pushing, like that oaf of a warrior would,'' he convinced himself.

    ["Spring Foot"] [0:59]

    Launching himself with thest momentum he had, he used his daggers like ws, carving his way through the all-eradicating storm before piercing through the other side. In that blinding sh, he reached the other end, finding himself facing Sirius directly, who didn''t yet perceive the possibility of him breaching the singrity.

    Taking that opening forged from his persistence, he swiped his des along with the fading embers of the mes. It was a wild, hopeful strike, encumbered by his body''s wear in that moment.

    In that split-second, Sirius tilted to the side, causing the edges of the daggers to scrape against his cheek and neck, leaving a cut, though hardly lethal. Finn flew right past after leaving his mark, crashing back down against the ss surface in the sky.

    "Hff¨C" He coughed out.

    [Abyssal Agent Deactivated.]

    The armament of the underworld dismissed itself as he was left with his bare torso, covered in cuts and bruises from the punishment of lightning. He struggled to keep his right eye open, having been struck by electricity as the blood vessels in it popped, leaving it scarlet as he picked himself up.

    Looking at his arms, they trembled, encased in a lightyer of frost as his fingers were partially ckened and stiff from the touch of frostbite.

    ''I pushed it too far¨Cno, I didn''t go far enough, did I?'' He questioned, turning himself around.

    Witnessing the God of Heroes descend to the surface soon after left him with a racing heart. Sirius wiped the droplets of blood from theceration on his cheek with an adamant look of frustration, though it couldn''t be more opposite for the assassin.

    "That was everything you had, wasn''t it? Everything, just for a paper cut," Sirius called out.

    Finn ignored the remark from the godly man, filling his soul instilled with a burst of confidence at the sight of that sparse amount of blood.

    ''I cut him¨Cit can be done, he can be beaten¨CI proved that just now. He might be a god, but when he''s diverting so much attention to keeping this world held together, he''s as mortal as me,'' he believed.

    The wielder of lightning raised an eyebrow at the expression worn by the challenger, "Why do you seem even more hopeful now? Is it this cut? I''ll admit it was impressive, but look at what it cost you¨Cdo you not see the state your own body is in?" Sirius asked with genuine curiosity.

    "Just worry about yourself," Finn dismissed with a clear threat, raising his weapons as he squeezed the handles of his daggers with his frostbitten hands. "--I''m feeling better than ever right now."

    --

    From the main chamber of the pce, the distant echoes of thunder frequently were heard amidst the world''s rumblings.

    As daunting as it sounded, there was no choice for the knight and spellde but to focus on the overwhelming foe in front of them.

    "Hff¨C" Jasper breathed out as the impact of one of the massive des struck his shield, bringing him to slide back several meters.

    In the same moment, Charlotte dashed across the length of the chamber as a fleeting line of silver light, bouncing from wall-to-wall with astounding speed in hopes of throwing the imposing figure''s senses off.

    ["Moonlight Carving"]

    From the right, she dashed in with blinding speed, going for a slice aimed right for the hip of the massive warrior. As she approached, she noticed something peculiar about the man who remained still; the gant knight drew in a lofty breath, bringing his cheeks to puff up.

    "Rrrroooooagh!"

    ¨CThe shout that released from the man''s mouth caused the entirety of the pce to tremble, forcing Charlotte to stop in her tracks to quickly cover her ears. Jasper was left wincing as the inhuman yell rattled his helmet.

    "Surely you did not believe this strength would suffice in oveing me," the man questioned as his shout still echoed through the rooms of the keep.

    [BOSS Identified: "Godfrey, The Exonerated Knight of The Golden Sky"] [Level: 60]

    Again, another rush came from the two, though it was quickly intercepted by a stomp of Godfrey''s foot. The simple motion from the mighty knight struck the floor with a tremendous force, bringing a shock wave to push against the challengers.

    Just as they each caught themselves, Godfrey delivered another stomp to the ground¨CTHWOOM.

    Once again, Jasper and Charlotte found their bncepromised by the resulting force, bringing the knight to act quickly.

    He quickly raised his sword as a dozen spheres of light rose up into the air before pointing his de at the figure in golden armor, "--Go!" Jaspermanded.

    ["Holy Hunt"]

    The balls of radiance shot across the chamber, seeking Godfrey with swift impunity, though they were met halfway by the gant warrior. With roaringughter, enthralled by the battle, Godfrey swept his des through the iing projectiles, slicing through the light.

    Remnants of the radiant hunt scattered, exploding on impact against the moonstone chamber.

    "Insignifiant! Attacks of that caliber will serve only to put me to sleep!" Godfrey egged on.

 Chapter 156: Prime Beast

    "Insignifiant! Attacks of that caliber will serve only to put me to sleep!" Godfrey egged on.

    As the boisterous knightughed with enough bravado to shake the room, Charlotte shed her de from a safe distance, sending with it a bitter wind¨C

    ["Frazil: Encapsting Meadow"]

    A field of ice stretched in front of her, quickly grasping the distance to the Exonerated Knight as spikes of frost emerged from the ground. It coated an entire half of the grand chamber, like a forest of frozen trees, even encasing the mighty knight''s legs.

    "Nice one!--" Jasper shouted, sprinting in.

    Charlotte nodded, "It won''tst long, so¨C!"

    As they both set in, the spellde found her hopes dashed by that indomitable smirk worn by the confident knight as he held both of his magnificent swords out.

    "A bit of cold won''t stop me! Not in a million years, missy¨C!" Godfrey announced with vigor as he banged both of his des together.

    The immense force that brought the steel together caused a ring so intense that Charlotte had to cover her ears. A chime of power pushed outward, sweeping away the frost like a breath to old dust.

    As the ice was cast away into little fragments of cold dust, the hulking knight raised one foot, arching his body like that of a sumo wrestler imposing his weight. In a swift, harrowing motion, both of the colossal des were swept downward with a heaping amount of golden light extending from them.

    Each of the divine shes reached as high as the ceiling, rapidly curving like snakes beneath thend as they cut across the moonstone.

    Charlotte readied her de to defend herself, centering herself as she breathed in. As she prepared to have to endure the torrent of eviscerating light, the sight of the steel-d knight arrived in front of her.

    "I''ve got this one!" Jasper shouted.

    ["Adamance"]

    He locked down his footing as though he were a statue melded to the floor, not allowing himself to budge an inch as he brought his shield in front of his body.

    ["Hallow Riposte"]

    Against the wild shes that drifted like speeding beasts, Jasper''s shield emitted a cross of golden light. It required precision right after the force of the eviscerating shine made contact, pushing the knight to quickly swing his shield to initiate the riposte¨C

    "There!" Jasper shouted.

    Converting the light of Godfrey''s shes into a condensed form of projectiles, Jasper began to sprint right behind the rebounded power.

    ["Greaves of The Lightfallen Warrior"]

    The boots of the knight became d in pure, white light, bringing his agility to transcend its previous limits multiple times over as he crossed the room in a split-second. He took to the Exonerated Knight''s right, lifting his sword as it became encased in a fantastical array of bright-blue light.

    ["Sapphire Scism"]

    ''We have to defeat this guy now¡­! Can''t leave Finn up there alone!--'' Jasper resolved.

    Just as he prepared to bring his de down along with the monumental energy, Godfrey''s attention found him in that fraction of a moment. As the hulking man turned to sh against his swung sword, the projectiles of repulsed light finally collided¨CBOOM.

    It hardly seemed to do anything more than annoy the Exonerated Knight as Godfrey simply scoffed, exhaling smoke from a short flinch. Still, it was enough for the knight to drag his de down, casting forth the unbridled power of the refined energy.

    The light pulsed from his de like a beam of sma, filling the room with steam as itunched against the other side of the sturdy walls.

    "¡ªGot him," Jasper exhaled, catching himself.

    Charlotte stood beside him with her sword ready, "That was a direct hit¡ªdid you?"

    "No, that didn''t get it done," Jasper answered.

    As the hot air faded, the grand silhouette of the imposing figure was seen amidst the steam.

    "Impressive!"

    ¡ªThe mighty shout from the golden knight produced a force that dispelled the swirl of dust and steam.

    Despite a clean hit, the two struggled to discern any damage left on Godfrey. Though from therge grin held by the legendary knight and the way he caressed his own chin, the only bit of damage was found¡ª

    The majestic mustache and pointy beard that onceid on the man''s face waspletely gone, with his smooth, almost shiny skin on disy.

    "That''s the nicest shave I''ve had in ages! You''ve got talent, young man!" Godfreyplimented with his booming voice, touching his now smooth face.

    For Jasper, it was an infuriating feeling that swirled in his gut with inadequacies. A gloatingughter poured from the dazzling warrior as he disyed his sparkling, smooth chin as though it were truly some marvel.

    "Damn, that stings¡­" Jasper mumbled.

    "Don''t let it get to you! We have to win here!" Charlotte reminded him, running her fingers along her de as it sparked with an electric empowerment.

    Jasper lifted his sword and shield with a huff, "I know that! I know¨Cit''s just, that damn musclehead is pissing me off!"

    Any frustrations were sidelined for the moment as the towering knight confronted them both.

    "Annoyed? Angry? Good! Let it spark your growth!" Godfrey shouted with a smile before bringing his twin des down.

    The copse of the mighty swords collided with the moonstone floor in a thunderous impact. A wave of titanic force erupted, forcing the two challengers away.

    Charlotte flipped herself around before springing forward with a sonic boom left in her wake.

    ["Hundred Step Thunderp"]

    Moving like a jagged bolt of azure lightning, the woman bounced from pir-to-pir, striking dozens of times in passing. Even though she struck with all of her strength, she found her de not leaving so much as a cut on theughing knight''s skin.

    Amidst the hundred, quick shes, Jasper brought himself within striking distance in tandem, allowing his sword to be engulfed in a heavenly me before swinging it towards the mighty figure.

    ["Fire of Retribution"]

    The dazzling mes swept against the form of the man in golden armor, yet he remained unmoving, unflinching with his invincible smile as the lightning-quick shes from the spellde continued.

    "Once again, I shall remind you of my name! Godfrey, the Gant! Godfrey, the First Knight of Sirius! Godfrey, the Impervious!" The proud warrior eximed as the attacks shined against his body like harmless rays of light. Readtest stories on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    With his booming voice, roaring out, the man who presented himself more like an amicable beast pushed the invaders to the castle away with a breath.

    Jasper slid across the floor, "Shit!--"

    "Gah!" Charlotte yelped, catching herself.

    Challenging the knight who guarded the Storm King''s rise felt akin to running headfirst into a storm. A full-force cmity, one that could not so simply be fought¨Cthat is what they faced.

    "You think he''s telling the truth? I''m starting to believe it¨Cthat "Impervious" crap¨Cit might not be bullshitting," Jasper asked in a huff, keeping himself facing towards the enemy that guarded the steps.

    Charlotte breathed out, "Considering nothing we''ve done so far has fazed him¡­There''s probably truth to it. But, there''s no way he''spletely invincible¨Cthat just wouldn''t make sense."

    "Yeah, I get what you mean. If that was the case, that nutcase would be the king, not the chum up in the sky," Jasper reasoned.

    Amidst their discussion in the heat of battle, a loud ringing brought their words to a null. The abrasive sound came from both of the gant figure''s des being nted into the ground as he spread his arms with a worldly smile.

    "This is a battle for the fate of the world! As such, I will present to you my true form¨Cmy greatest strength, not as a man, but as what I truly am¨Ca beast!" Godfrey''s voice stormed through the lobby.

    From the revered warrior''s skin, golden strands of fur emerged as his body itself morphed. The physique of the entric knight of Sirius bulked and grew in stature, presenting an exuberant man around his face that changed itself from one of human appearance to a beastly form:

    "What the¡­?" Charlotte watched in confusion, holding her arms up at the dramatic roar that pushed through thevish room like storming winds.

    "Well, I definitely didn''t expect that¡­" Jasper remarked.

    Standing tall like a knightly man, yet d in fur with the face of the beast that ruled the wilnds¨Ca lion. A low growl hummed off the glistening walls as the beastly warrior relinquished his des, instead bearing his vicious ws.

    ["Godfrey, Prime Beast of The Wilds"] [Level: 68]

    "This is my true self¨Cthe one who once ruled the savagends, king of beasts, before serving the Storm King! In the face of the world''s end, I''ve donned my origin!" The lion-man proimed himself, roaring out as the chandelier anchored to the ceiling rattled.

    Every word spoken from the prideful lion''s mouth shook the room, bringing Jasper to shudder with a perturbed exhale.

    "Does this guy not have an insane voice? Damn, my head hurts¡­" Jasperined.

 Chapter 157: The Embodiment of Intensity

    "Hey!--" Charlotte shouted, turning to the side.

    It was across a single moment, yet the leonid warrior crossed the distance of the luxurious chamber in an instant, appearing right in front of the knight. Jasper quickly raised his shield just as the ws of Godfrey swept forth¨CCLANG.

    "Ghh!" Jasper winced.

    For the young knight, it felt as though a bomb had gone off right up against his shield as his guard was broken, leaving his arm swinging up as the force left him wide open. It was too quick, too aggressive; the true grit of a beast.

    Before Jasper could catch himself, stumbling backwards as he was overshadowed by the towering knight of bestial origin, another swipe came in. It was an uppercut, pawing right into his chest as he was lifted by the ws that shed right through his steel breastte.

    The sheer strength behind the leonid warrior''s swipe knocked him into the air, leaving a set of three gashes on his torso as he spat blood through his helmet.

    "Grrk!--" Jasper gasped out.

    It was a daunting sight for the spellde, watching the stalwart knight so easily dismantled by the might of the bestial foe. In that frightening moment, Charlotte felt her heart racing, elerating with uncertainty within her chest as her breathing became encumbered.

    ''What is this¡­? I''m terrified again¨CI can hardly breathe. This enemy is horrifying¡­but, I can''t let myself be scared. I have the strength to fight,'' Charlotte resolved.

    She convinced herself to the best of her ability as she gripped the handle of her sword, focusing her mind as she activated a set of enchantments upon herself:

    ["Strength Evolution"] ["Defensive Shell"] ["Haste"]

    The set of enhancements came just as she found the leonid knight turned his focus towards her. Being on the receiving end of the bestial gaze, with that giant maw of sharp teeth looking towards her, quickly tested her resolve.

    "I can smell it on you," Godfrey said, standing over the spellde with his imposing height.

    Behind the man-built lion, Jasper copsed back onto the floor, though only the sound of the beastly figure breathing out was heard as the warm breath was felt right against her skin.

    "Wh-what?" Charlotte questioned, holding her de up.

    "Your doubt. Your hesitance. Your fear," Godfrey imed.

    Against the overwhelming presence, she found herself trembling at the astute observation, though forced herself to focus as she lunged forward. The very moment she stepped towards the knightly beast with her de held high, the mighty figure unleashed a thunderous roar.

    "Nrrrgh!--" Charlotte strained.

    The breath of the lion pushed against her like the gale of a tornado, lifting her feet from the ground as she was thrown back. Such was the force of the roar that her back was mmed against the furthest wall, knocking right up against a tall painting.

    The aftereffects of the roar were felt through the marrow of her bones, ringing through her body with a dull pain as she copsed onto the ground. A dry cough left her lips, trying to expel the weakness from her body that came with suffering direct contact with the beast''s voice.

    As she struggled to find her strength, the vibrations through the moonstone floor were felt against her body. Each footstep from the leonid knightmanded such presence, like the very rumbling of the world''s end.

    "Nnn¡­"

    She used her sword to help herself up to her knees, though it was still a tall order to stand. It wasn''t just the sheer force of Godfrey''s roar, but something instilled in her body, as if the voice of the beast made her hesitant to fight.

    ''My body¡­won''t listen¡­?'' Charlotte realized, looking at her hand that pressed against the floor as it trembled.

    The thunderous footsteps came to a stop as a shadow cast itself over her. Just the presence alone made her heart rate elerate once more.

    "Do you struggle to stand, child? If you wish not to fight, then stay down. However, if you do, then I will join the king in surely bringing down your friend," Godfrey issued his ultimatum.

    Amidst the merciful words that only came as cruel, both the lion and spellde found another speaking; words that perplexed the leonid warrior, but delighted Charlotte:

    "...Grant me the strength to vanquish evil: Gtine."

    ["Knights of The Round Table: Gawain"] [Mana: EVAPORATED]

    A rise of heat entered the chamber as did a vibrant glow of fire, bringing the lion-man to spin himself around.

    d in mystical mes, Jasper approached the beastly knight with haste, dragging his fire-engulfed sword with him before bringing it against Godfrey. As he swung the de at the lion, it exploded into a nursing ze against the massive foe.

    It collided directly with the golden armor that d itself around the fur, though failed to bring harm to the lion once again.

    "You''re stronger than I gave you credit for. Perhaps you''re a true knight, after all," Godfrey remarked as the mes brushed against his body without burning it.

    Jasper breathed heavily as smoke and embers exuded from his helmet; the blood that dripped from the gashes on his chest evaporated in the rising heat. He quickly pivoted around, spinning around into another sh that sent a wave of fire against the beast.

    As the fire danced with its scathing glow, Jasper witnessed the beastly knight push right through it with his jaws parted and his ws bore for him.

    "Urgh!--" Jasper stepped back, bringing one hand up as mes gathered around his palm.

    With the bestial warrior lunging right for him, he threw a ball of inferno right down the open hatch of Godfrey. It brought the golden-furred figure to a stop as Godfrey''s cheeks puffed up before swallowing the elemental orb down.

    As though enjoying a light treat, the lion man licked his lips before opening his mouth while tilting his head towards the ceiling. A belch released from the beast, spewing a breath of mes from his mouth before smoke left his jaw. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin

    "A serviceable snack," Godfrey remarked with a smirk.

    It was, once again, a frustrating sight for Jasper as his attempts to harm the impervious foe were merely yed with. For him, all he could do was move in again, striking with all of his might as he unleashed his zing sword upon the golden being. Each sh brought a roar of fire, shing against the gilded ting, though not budging it a single inch.

    "C''mon¡­!" Jasper grunted, quickening his pace, increasing the volume of fire as he brought his de downward.

    Before the final sh could make contact, his wrists were grabbed in the muchrger hand of the beast. He tried tugging his hands free, though it felt like trying to move from an encasing of diamond.

    "Ngh! Dammit¡­!" Jasper struggled.

    As the towering beastman lifted him off the ground by his wrists, he flexed his body to release as a wave of fire pushed outward, though it did nothing but brush against Godfrey''s golden fur.

    "It is admirable. I respect that you chose to fight me with fewer numbers so that your friend may face the King," Godfreyplimented amidst the outburst of mes. "--However, it changes nothing. Whether you faced myself or the King with the full might of an army, it wouldn''t change the result."

    "Just like nothing you do is gonna change the fact that your world is done for¡­!" Jasper gasped out as the mes exuding from his armor sputtered.

    Godfrey remained unflinching, even at the scathing reality, "Perhaps you''re right."

    "So, why''re you stopping us¨C?!" Jasper asked.

    "I am not as optimistic as the King. The world is very likely at its end. However, the King¡­Sirius, is still fighting with everything he''s got. After hundreds of years, he''s still struggling," Godfrey admitted with a genuine tone. "Even if it is the end, I will stand beside him in that struggle. That is the least I can do to repay the man who ascended me from the wilds."

    As if further cementing the words of the beast, a tremor shook the floating castle, bringing the chandelier to sway and dust to trickle down.

    While the lion spoke of his purpose, Jasper kicked and contested the hold on his wrists still, serving to finally challenge the patience of the beastly knight before¨CSNAP. With a simple tilt of his wrist, Godfrey''s strength brought a harrowing breakage to the man''s bones.

    "Gaaaah¨C!" Jasper screamed out in pain.

    Charlotte forced herself to her feet, "No¡­! Jasper!"

    Though fear lingered in her heart, she sprinted without a second though, squeezing the handle of her sword.

    Godfrey tossed Jasper aside like discarded trash, facing the spellde as his fur rose, "The stench of fear is stronger! Admirable! Approach your death with honor, swordswoman!"

    The words that were a mix between praise and taunts from the bestial knight were ignored by Charlotte as she gritted her teeth and carefully exhaled, bringing a mystical, blue light from her de:

    ["Assembly of The Eviscerating Moon"]

 Chapter 158: Apex of Barbarics

    ["Assembly of The Eviscerating Moon"]

    Amidst her sprint, a dozen ethereal copies of herself emerged, running alongside her and approaching the beast from all sides. Each of the spellde''s fleeting forms wielded a different infusion on their des¨Cfire, lightning, water, wind, poison, and even light.

    Every single version of the spellde looked identical; Charlotte dashed to the side, quickly shifting spots as each copy did the same, hiding her true self amongst the parade.

    Godfrey wildly swept his giant ws, sweeping through the approaching fakes, "Deception? That will not work, little swordswoman!"

    Approaching the rampaging beast, she nearly found herself meeting those ws as they crashed down upon her copy right ahead of herself. With a quick pivot, she blended into the crowd of herself once again just as a pair of her doppelgangers managed to break through¨C

    One wielding a de of electricity, the other of wind, both striking with one targeting Godfrey''s kneecaps and the other jumping to strike him in the head.

    As both elements collided with the golden-armored beast-man, Godfrey only grumbled before grabbing the false Charlotte that wielded electricity, biting right through her. At the same time, the lion raised his foot before stomping out the other, bringing the floor to rumble.

    The shock wave from the downfall of the lion''s foot caused the moonstone tiles to rise and fluctuate.

    "Strike me with me or wind, it does not matter! I am impervious¡ªthat is unchanging!" Godfrey roared.

    Amidst the proud promation of the ruler of beasts, thest of the spellde''s duplicates emerged from behind the lion, thrusting her de that swirled with an aquatic riptide. Godfrey spun around just in time for the sh of water to hit him square in the face, coating his immacte fur.

    "Rrrruah¨C!?" A shocked grumble left the beastly knight''s mouth.

    As the water-bearing copy faded, the leonid warrior didn''t even attempt to retaliate, instead stumbling around and viciously shaking his head as his mane shook. It was a confusing sight to Charlotte, watching the previously gant, confident figure gasping and panting, even bumping into a nearby pir.

    ''He''s¡­freaking out? From a bit of water? It didn''t hurt him, I think¨Cbut he''s totally losing it, as though it''s acid,'' Charlotte watched.

    Witnessing theplete breakdown from the gant lion, iling around as he leapt from wall-to-wall, pir-to-pir while shaking, brought an idea to the spellde.

    ''Is he maybe¡­weak to water? Cats don''t like it, right? It''s a bit of a stretch, but it has him freaking out,'' Charlotte considered, looking at her de before tracing her fingers along it.

    Godfrey thrashed around, knocking into a marble pir while rapidly shaking his mane, "Get it off! Get it off¨C!"

    "Awaken, Strengthen, Flow," Charlotte quickly invoked her de.

    ["Infusion of Rampaging Tides"] [Mana: -1000] [4500/5500]

    Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin

    With a dash, she crossed the chamber with her water-swirled sword, going after the iling lion as he didn''t even seem to notice her approach. As she arrived within striking distance, she found the lion hiding his face in his hands while tossing and turning, stomping his feet while patting his own mane.

    "Get off¨C! Get off¨C!" Godfrey repeated.

    Charlotte didn''t hesitate to swing her de, extending a veil of aqua that followed her movements. The lion tore his hands away from his face just as the water came; the bestial eyes dted, expanding with a mixture of horror and rage.

    In that moment, she could see a change ur in the leonid knight; all sense of pride and finesse was abandoned as the cornered beast lunged like a wild predator. The water sshed right against Godfrey''s fur, dousing him, though Charlotte was immediately forced to slide to the right as the beast rushed in a straight line.

    "Rrrrroooagh!" A roar left Godfrey''s mouth as he stomped by, swinging his arms at nothing but air.

    Right as the lion knight passed by, Charlotte quickly shed her de at his right arm, bringing the edge across the fur-d bicep. It was hard to tell in that split-second, though she felt it; the sword managed to bypass the skin, leaving an actual cut.

    ''--I did it! It worked¡­it''s small, but I left damage on his body!'' Charlotte discovered.

    Just as the minuscule cut was left, she flipped back just as the lion spun himself around, wildly swiping his ws at her in retaliation. The sharp talons of the beast didn''t meet her skin, though they tore at her uniform before shended on her feet.

    "You¡­! How dare you soak my fur! Uuuuergh!" Godfrey roared in utter frustration as veins bulged on the lion''s face.

    "Really are just a cat, aren''t you?" Charlotte remarked.

    The slight provocation reeled in the rampaging lion knight as she found him dashing right for her with blinding speed. She quickly moved to the side, watching as Godfrey rammed headfirst into a sturdy pir¨CCRACK.

    As durable as it might be, the unfortunate pir suffered cracks upon collision with the beastly man, bringing Godfrey to pull away with a primal growl.

    While she watched the dazed and enraged lion stumble, the sight of somebody else moving in the room brought her to look over.

    "Jasper¨C!" She called out.

    The knight hardly looked capable of walking, let alone fighting as the massive gashes on his chest bled and his snapped wrists made him drag his sword across the ground.

    "Stay back! You can''t¨C!" Charlotte warned.

    Jasper weakly spoke, "I''m¡­perfectly fine. No need to worry, mate."

    Though she tried to convince the injured knight to stand aside, the attention of the enraged lion found them as a roar filled the chamber. There was no reason left in the bestial eyes of Godfrey; only an animalistic rage.

    She watched the golden-armored beast dash right for the wounded man, honing his ws and presenting his teeth.

    ''No¡­! I won''t make it in time!'' Charlotte thought, attempting to intercept.

    Against the knight who limped with every step and bled so plentifully it seemed he wore red, the assault from the lion looked to be nothing more than certain death. Godfrey arrived within a single millisecond, bringing his ws down upon the much smaller figure¨C

    ["Perfect Counter"]

    As the massive ws drew within inches of the man, Jasper''s de rose at the exact moment, the final opportunity to respond. With the contact of his steel against those talons, aplete rejection manifested as Godfrey''s arms were bounced back.

    In a sh, the knight''s de moved with momentum fueled by the lion''s deflected attack, bringing the sword to cut right through the left side of Godfrey''s face. It went right across the beast''s eye, splitting it as blood spurted out.

    "Grrrruuagh¨C!" Godfrey let out in pain, reeling as he clutched his face.

    Jasper nearly lost his bnce after the miraculous counter, turning his attention over to the spellde, "Charlotte¡­!"

    Nothing else needed to be said as she was already dashing in, sprinting across the dislodged tiles. With a quick swipe of her hand over her de, she empowered it before sliding to a halt just a few meters shy of the wounded beast¡ª

    ["Wave of Dawn"]

    As she brought her de up in an upward sh, a wall of sharp, white light was produced. It reached as high as the ceiling, cutting straight through the chandelier before colliding with the soaked beast.

    "Grrruaaa!¡ª" Godfrey''s voice rang out as the eviscerating light shed right into his body.

    Straight through the middle of the beast''s body, the cut split through the nose down to the chest of the towering warrior.

    A spray of blood expelled from the perfect wound that stretched down the lion''s body.

    Godfrey growled with a unison of pain and frustration, "Nnnrgh¡­!"

    It was a surprising amount of damage done, more than Charlotte had expected as she looked at the maimed beast. ying monsters was something she didn''t think twice of, though Godfrey was unmistakably "human"¡ªwith a life and morals of his own.

    Seeing the proud figure with a split face, spilling scarlet liquid, was an unsettling sight for the spellde.

    Jasper brought himself by her, breathing out as he used his sword to lean against, "We''re almost there¡­! Just a bit more¡ªcan you keep going?!"

    "Yeah, I can¡ª" Charlotte nodded, ncing over at the knight who looked half dead. "But you¡ªJasper, you¡­"

    "I''m fine¡­Just a snapped bone or two, is all," the Aussie huffed, struggling to lift his own sword.

    "Seriously?¡ª" Charlotte asked.

    "Kind of," Jasper answered with a smallugh before coughing out.

    A bloodied roar called their attention as the bestial warrior imposed his rage.

    "A true battle! At the very end¡ªa thrilling sh of strength! A gnash of teeth!" Godfrey boomed as his body flexed.

    Despite the vicious wounds left on the beast''s body, spilling into the once pristine floor of the pce, the warrior descended into further thrill.

    It was a gruesome sight; an embodiment of barbarity¡ª

    The leonid warrior dragged his hands through the bloody mess on his chest, painting himself in scarlet. ws dug into the golden armor that ted his body before Godfrey tugged, tearing it apart with ease.

    Like discarded scrap, the breastte was tossed off his torso before he tore away his gauntlets as well, kicking off his boots as he was left bare in his bloodsoaked fur, standing tall.

    "I had forgotten what it was like to be harmed¨Cto experience the true thrill of battle¨Cno, a hunt," Godfrey admitted, exhaling a hot breath. "I fight now not as a knight, but an apex predator!"

    A roar left the leonid warrior''s mouth as a promation of his resolve, dyed in his own blood, donning a presence that shook the two challengers.

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 159: True Grit

    Without warning, the bloodied beast arrived before them with a blitzing stride. On all fours, the lion had sprinted before lunging with its ws.

    "Nrgh!¡ª"

    CLANG

    Jasper intercepted the beast, blocking the massive same with his own de.

    ["Immovable"]

    A split-second enhancement, bringing the knight''s body and the de he held to be fixed in ce for a single moment. Naturally, it brought the beast to bounce back from the recoil of his own charge.

    "Grrh?!¡ª" Godfrey growled.

    Using the opening, Charlotte dashed in with a de enveloped in dazzling light. A spinning sh cast the sparkles towards the lion, each of the particles eviscerating the air.

    It was only for a moment that the dazzles made contact with the beast''s fur, cutting right into it before Godfrey flipped himself into the air.

    For such arge-statured creature, the lion moved with the agility of a small cat.

    "Watch out!" Jasper called out.

    Charlotte found the massive beast leaping right back down from the ceiling above, crashing towards her.

    Before she could move, the only choice she had was to raise her weapon just as the warrior mmed down atop of her.

    "Nrgh!¡ª" She struggled.

    She used her de to hold back the massive ws of Godfrey, finding herself pinned down against the ground. Just a few inches above here, the blood-soaked beast growled as a mixture of saliva and scarlet fluid dripped down onto her cheek.

    There was no care from Godfrey as his palms pressed against the edge of the de, letting it dig into his own flesh.

    ''I can''t¡­get him off!'' Charlotte struggled, feeling her arms bing numb against the weight and strength of the beast.

    As the lion''s mouth drew close to her own face, releasing that putrid breath against her nose, footsteps rapidly came from the left¡ª

    "Raaaah!"

    The yell came from Jasper, who sprinted over before delivering a dropkick with all of his might. Both feet were used to strike against therge warrior''s side, knocking him off the spellde.

    Charlotte gasped as she picked herself up, finding that the one who saved her fell right on his side as a result of the all-out kick.

    "Thanks¡­!" Charlotte quickly said.

    Jasper picked himself up with a kick of his legs, "Don''t mention it¡ªlet''s just try not to get maimed."

    As soon as the knight had brought himself to his feet, the lion warrior was already up and unleashing a bloody roar. Each calf of the beast swelled, flexing with monstrous strength as the ground trembled.

    "Something''sing!" Charlotte called out.

    Jasper got in front, readying his de as his hands trembled, struggling to keep his sword held with his shattered wrists, "I''ll counter¡­! Be ready to follow up!"

    "You can''t! It was lucky before¡ª!" Charlotte protested.

    "Ain''t a damn thing lucky about it, mate! Trust me!" Jasper urged.

    There was no other choice for her but to believe in the words of her wounded friend.

    The tiles of the moonstone shattered as Godfreyunched directly towards them like a speedy, oversized bullet.

    It was less than a second before the distance was crossed, bringing the fangs of the lion right before the knight''s helm¡ª

    ["Perfect Counter"]

    ¡ªAn instantaneous riposte came from the lightning-quick timing, bringing Jasper''s sword to quickly sh across Godfrey''s face.

    Even though the counter came, it didn''t stop the beast''s rush as Jasper immediately found a chunk of his shoulder torn out by the lion''s jaws.

    "Geeeugh!¡ª" Jasper let out in pain.

    While Charlotte wanted to shout to her friend, she focused herself, instead intercepting the blood-soaked leonid. In that moment, she chose something that would help do damage, but also push him back¡ª

    ["zing Cavalry Stampede"]

    Pointing her de forward, a rush of ethereal, ming horses wearing knightly armor manifested. Amidst Godfrey''s rampage, the magical steeds led a stampede against the lion.

    "Haaaah! Yes! This takes me back to the savagends!" Godfrey roared withughter as he swept his ws through the zing horses.

    It hardly did much to push the lion back as he carved through the stampede with joyousughter.

    Through the blockade of rushing horses, Jasper sprinted through, using the ethereal steed as cover as he closed the distance.

    ["Holy Lance"]

    A light enveloped his sword into a shape like that of ance as he intercepted the lion, thrusting his weapon right towards the beast''s chest.

    The tip of the radiance prated the fur-d chest before it suddenly stopped¡ª

    "Huh?!" Jasper let out.

    "Grrrrh!" Godfrey growled with rage before turning to ominousughter.

    The light was caught in the grasp of the lion, burning against the beast''s palm.

    While thence scathed the hand of the leonid, it only brought frighteningughter from Godfrey before a w was swept towards the knight.

    CLANG

    Before the w could eviscerate Jasper, Charlotte used her de to intercept.

    "Nngh!¡ª"

    ["Fleeting Brawn"]

    It took a momentary enhancement to her strength to push back against the savage swipe, forcing the beast back as her de cut across Godfrey''s palm.

    Quickly, Jasper rushed in beside her to follow through, but the leonid was quick to rush right back into a rampage. Before either could defend themselves, the blood-soaked beast dashed past them with a wild swipe of his ws, leavingcerations on their bodies.

    "Agh!¡ª" Charlotte yelled.

    "Shit!" Jasper shouted.

    It was the equivalent of being struck by multiple swords at the same time, leaving blood leaking from the knight and spellde.

    Charlotte stumbled briefly, finding aceration across her abdomen and thighs, though still in one piece. A bit of relief was found for her in Jasper not being split apart as well, though losing quite a bit of blood.

    The once pristine pce was now bing painted in the visceral shade of red, much to the joy of the barbaric warrior.

    Godfrey boomed with joyousughter as his ws dripped, "This is it! The true essence of battle! When our flesh is at it limits, our spirits are at their peaks!"

    While the lion seemed more energetic than ever, Charlotte could feel her strength fading with the loss of blood.

    ''¡­Is it possible? It feels like no matter what we do¡­he never weakens. In fact¡­with every wound we leave, he seems to get even stronger,'' Charlotte questioned.

    Jasper was out of mana; she was aware of that fact alone from the temporary state he entered before. That left much of the knight''s strength off the table.

    Even worse, she felt her own condition worsening by the moment, while the lion reveled in the bloody battle.

    "Charlotte¡­Don''t let that ugly cat get to your head. We''re in this¡ªwe can pull this off," Jasper said, huffing out as blood leaked from under his helmet.

    "If we have a chance of winning, we have to do it now¡­You''ve noticed, right? We''re losing strength, while he''s only getting more energetic," Charlotte noted, looking across the chamber at the gant beast.

    Jasper moved while talking, dragging his sword with his shattered wrists, "¡ªJust gotta fake it till you make it! As long as I believe I''ve got energy, I''m good to go!"

    "That''s¡­not how it works!" Charlotte said, sprinting alongside her friend.

    "Sure it does! Just gotta believe!¡ªWoagh!" Jasper said.

    "Nrrfh!" Charlotte gasped.

    Meeting them halfway was the frightening warrior, whose ws shed against their des like a passing train. It was felt clearly behind those hands; the vigor of the beast was unending.

    ["sh sh"]

    ¡ªCharlotte moved herself in a near instant, ducking beneath the w as she instead swept her de for the lion''s side. Using a light infusion, the sword cut into Godfrey''s hip, though the beast immediately flipped himself around with a quick response.

    "Nah!¡ª"

    A gasp left Charlotte''s lips as the leonid''s foot mmed against the side of her body, kicking her away.

    At the same time, Jasper lunged forward, shing right for the beast''s face¡ªCLANG.

    "Grrrrrh¡­!" Godfrey growled.

    Between the lion''s teeth, the de was caught, with the wild one''s jaws shing against the strength of the knight.

    "Arrrgh!¡ª" Jasper strained.

    ["Budding Strength"]

    Forcing a swelling power through his body, the wounded knight forced his shattered wrists to hold strong. Despite his best efforts, Jasper found himself overwhelmed as the beast pushed through his defense, biting down on the side of his neck.

    "Grrrgh¡­!"

    With the size of the lion''s jaws, the entire throat of the knight waspromised as blood squirted out. He could feel those fangs piercing into his jugr, so easily capable of tearing out his throat.

    In that split-second, he decided to prevent that¡ª

    "Grrrrrgh!"

    Jasper mustered his strength past the shock that filled him, raising his de up. It pierced through the bottom of the beast''s jaw, stabbing through the roof to its mouth.

    The way the steel jabbed through Godfrey''s jaws prevented the beast from parting his teeth.

    "Grrrrh!"

    "Nnfh¡­!"

    The only thing preventing his throat from being torn out was the fleeting strength he had around the handle of his sword. Even with barely functioning wrists and a bleeding, eviscerated body, the adrenaline running through Jasper''s body fought with everything it had against those jaws.

    Amidst the knight''s struggle, the resistance was cut short as his arms were suddenly found in the grip of the lion.

    Just as his body waspromised, allowing the beast to begin to move his jaws even with the sword stuck in his mouth¡ª

    SQUELCH

    As his consciousness flickered with the abundant loss of blood, Jasper found himself staring at a zing piece of steel that was poking through the leonid''s forehead.

    ["Godfrey, Prime Beast defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x10000 obtained."]

    [Experience Points: +125,000]

    As the de was withdrawn from the lion''s head, the great beast warrior silently slumped over as Jasper was dropped back to his feet.

    The knight looked at the one who had delivered the lethal blow, finding that Charlotte shared the same shock as him.

    For a minute, as their wounds recovered from reaching a higher level, they simply looked at the fallen corpse of the lion. Jasper and Charlotte didn''t dare to drop their swords, fearing that even with a skewered brain, the beast may rise again.

    "He''s dead¡­Good one, Charlotte," Jasper tiredlyplimented before falling onto his back.

    Charlotte couldn''t help but drop down onto the ground as well, breathing out and finally catching her breath.

    "I¡­Are you sure?" She questioned, looking at the unmoving corpse.

    "You''re the one who stuck your sword through his brain," Jasper said, picking himself up. "But¡­Guess it won''t hurt to make sure."

    With caution, the knight approached the massive body, holding his de up as he looked down at the beast. Even still, there was some hesitance as Jasper breathed heavily before¡ª

    Squelch.

    The de was brought down, stabbing through the unmoving head of the leonid. It was almost surprising to them both that the beast was truly dead, only then getting to breathe in relief.

 Chapter 160: The Eye of The Storm

    A storm of lightning descended upon the transparent structure, striking down on the assassin with ceaseless bolts that chased at him. Finn stayed on the move, flipping himself around, dashing from spot-to-spot¨C

    Amidst his sprint, a thunderbolt struck down in front of him, intercepting his path as he pivoted around before flipping back as another crashed before his step.

    ''He''s not letting up now. I get it¨Cthat cut pissed him off, didn''t it? All of these theatrics, while just standing there, untouchable¨Cyou''re trying to show me it was just a fluke, aren''t you?'' Finn analyzed while on the move.

    The God of Heroes was like a conductor leading an orchestral performance, simply floating in ce while snapping his fingers, bringing bolt after bolt upon the singr assassin.

    A single misstep; the slightest mistake in his reflexes, all of it would lead to a swift death¨C

    Flipping from a crashing thunderbolt, just as the tips of his toesnded against the ss, static brushed against his body like a thousand needles.

    In that fraction of a moment he had to lift his gaze, it was engulfed by what loosely resembled a pair of knuckles closing in before¨C

    An impact drove against his nose with a thunderous force, sending him back as though he was shot from a railgun.

    ''A punch¨C? Couldn''t see it,'' he loosely thought as his brain bounced around his skull like a pinball.

    By pure instinct did he manage to flip himself around as his feet slid nearly off the edge of the ss tform. A quick exhale through his nose forced out a spray of blood before he grabbed the crooked bridge, snapping it in ce¨CCRACK.

    To his surprise as he spat the blood out from his mouth, a system notification alerted itself to him¨C

    [Assimted ability from surpassing physical limits: "Supercharge"]

    ''A new power¡­? But, I didn''t defeat anything¨CI didn''t even level up for that matter. What is this?'' He questioned.

    It wasn''t just that; he felt his body warm up as his muscles briefly swelled and flexed before settling. The sensation was like a harmless me being stoked within his stomach, extending throughout his limbs.

    A physical evolution, through and through.

    "Are you beginning to notice it?" The unexpected question came from Sirius, who stood across from him, ceasing the discharge of lightning.

    "What?--" Finn asked, perplexed by the developments within his body.

    "I''ve got a keen eye, so I''ve noticed it. Not just from when we first met, but from when this battle began¨Cyou''ve been growing," Sirius pointed out. "It''s not surprising. You''re facing me, after all. I''m sure your body''s working overtime. In that case¨Clet''s kick it up a notch!"

    Before he even got a chance to adjust to his new abilities, Finn found the entirety of the sky-anchored structure was filled with the blinding sh of thunder.

    "Let''s see what limits you can be pushed to!" Sirius shouted with electrifying excitement.

    It was hardly the same feeling for Finn as he felt storming winds push against his body, discovering rings of lightning forming above.

    A hum filled his ears as the circles of electricity spun and spun with great intensity, causing strands of the unstable element to randomly strike out at the sky. It was a tower of the magenta rings, with the highest near the summit of the skyrge enough to encapste an entire city, descending into smaller and smaller circles up until reaching Sirius'' hand.

    With each further rotation of the tower of electric rings, the hum grew louder as did the wild winds, pushing the assassin to raise his exhausted arms in a defense.

    ''Seriously? Isn''t this overdoing it¨C?!'' Finn questioned at the overwhelming sight.

    Each of the lightning-forged circles spun into smaller sizes, condensing before the hand of the God of Heroes triggered the ominous seals all at once, "Don''t get caught by this one!" Sirius excitedly warned.

    The entirety of the air above was filled by unruly lightning, crashing down from every inch of the sky with certain death. As plentiful as raindrops amidst a shower, the thunderbolts roared down.

    There was no dodging it, nor defending against the plentiful smitings. As he racked his mind, he found himself left with only one option, having to bank everything on it working¨C

    ["Shadow Realm"]

    The ss surface he stood on opened into a pool of shadows, forcing himself to dive inside just as the parade of lightning crashed. Into a sea of darkness, he found himself floating safely; he was able to breathe, though it felt like the air was solid, making it hard to move.

    ''I made it¨CI''m safe,'' he had to remind himself, not bathed in the rain of lightning.

    It was hard to make out what was happening on the surface while floating there in the realm of darkness. He waited a few moments before finally swimming back up, emerging out from the shadows¨C

    He rose out, more so being pushed out back onto the ss surface as the pool was gone, instead seeing the sky just beneath the transparent floor. Finding himself safe from the swarm of lightning, it was only for a moment as that sparking presence was felt.

    Quickly, he looked to the left, though found himself only observing fleeting sparks¨C

    "Keep your head in the game!"

    ¨CThat excited voice filled his ears just as he spun around, only to have his face grasped in the hand as he was lifted from off the ss. From the sheer momentum he found himself tugged along by, feeling the raw air at his back, he discovered the God of Heroes once more dragged him into the sky.

    ''Shit¡­!'' Finn panicked, grabbing at the arm that held him.

    It was apletely disorienting feeling, being carried along harshly miles across the sky in an instant before flicking back with the speed of a lightning bolt, twisting-and-turning many directions. All it did was serve to make him sick, making his brain bounce around his skull as he struggled toprehend the erratic movements he was forced to endure.

    "You''re not passing out on me, are you¨C?!" Sirius'' voice met his ears beyond the whirling wind.

    As he struggled, swinging his daggers and attempting to knee the yful hero, he found his attempts dismantled by the g-forces, preventing his retaliation from having any impact. Theughter that came from Sirius was as though he was truly enjoying himself; a somewhat annoying feeling for Finn, seeing as he was being manhandled like a child''s toy.

    "Alright! Ride''s over!" Sirius shouted.

    Atst, the disruptive travel came to an end as Finn found himself thrown, no longer blinded by the glove of the divine figure. Instead, he found himself watching the God of Heroes quickly be distant as he was left falling through the shattering skies.

    Through the divine power of Sirius, a massive quantity of sparks gathered at the man''s hands as Finn witnessed the sky briefly dim with everything seeming to center on those magenta strands¨C

    "If you want to return to your world, ovee me! That''s your only choice!" Sirius shouted, spreading his hands as he stood in the air.

    As he rapidly descended with the untamed wind at his bare back, Finn watched as bolts of lightning above were captured and shaped, manifesting into the shape of rampaging beasts. Roaring dragons, descending with calls that brought the skies to tremble.

    No less than falling thousands of meters, being chased by the colossal, serpentine creatures as they slithered through the clouds after him, it was a daunting situation he found himself in.

    The first of the twin beasts dove right for him, parting its elemental jaws as all that could be seen was a vortex of blinding lightning past its ethereal jaws. As it snapped its maw at him, he tossed his dagger straight by the side of its mouth¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1200/4000]

    Just as he caught it, he found himself higher in the sky, spinning around as he watched the serpentine tyrant descend beneath him. It was a moment of reprieve before a static speck stung his shoulder, bringing him to look to his right¨C

    "Ghh!--"

    The second of the elemental beasts charged straight into him, snapping its electrifying jaws around him. In a bout of pure reflex, he pushed his hands up and bent his knees, managing to hold its jaws at bay as he stared down the vortex of lightning down its non-solid body.

    The only barrier between his hands being scathed by its electric fangs were his daggers, rejecting it with the anti-magic steel, though it wouldn''tst long by simply remaining there.

    ''Shit¡­! The other one ising back around!'' Finn noticed, ncing back as he found the twin beasts soaring to meet one another halfway, with him caught in the middle.

    Finding himself quickly approaching being smashed between the dragons, he decided on the only path forward: through the elemental innards of the beast. He released his position keeping its jaws parted, allowing himself to dive right into it as he cleaved his way through with his des.

    Every movement he made was met with zaps from every angle, constantly shocking his body as he cut his way through the tunnel of lightning.

    ["Ripper"] [Mana: -100] [1200/4000]

 Chapter 161: Convergence Call

    ["Ripper"] [Mana: -100] [1200/4000]

    Pushing his de forward in a sharp motion, the elemental flesh was peeled away as he brought himself back into the bounds of the sky. Compared to the stinging innards of the ethereal beast, the fresh air of the fracturing skies felt rejuvenating against his exhausted body.

    "Haah¨C" A breath left his lips as the rampant winds at the world''s summit pushed through his unkempt hair, finding himself falling through the sky again.

    However¨C

    A bolt flung through the clouds right for him before hitting him pinpoint in the chest, driving him through the air with tremendous force. It immediately left the wind knocked out of his lungs as he found the thunderbolt to be Sirius himself, who met him with an excited smile.

    Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelBin

    "Ngh!--" Finn struggled.

    "Keep it up! You''re getting there!" Sirius provoked him with thunderousughter.

    Before he could make any movement, he was thrown back by the God of Heroes'' fist,nding on a solid surface, surprisingly. Again, he found himself on that ss structure, picking himself up as the elemental master crashed down before him.

    Briefly looking down, bruising covered his chest from the impact, notably the cause for his wheezing breaths. Between his rugged breathing, a pulsation in his chest was found; his muscles twitched as a static buzz met his ears.

    ''What?--'' He questioned.

    Without any warning, a shock was felt internally, striking at the interval of his heartbeat. His vision blurred with the internal shock, only realizing it as everything deafened, looking at the man across the ss surface.

    It was a residual from Sirius'' fist; a dyed bolt primed to perfectly throttle his heart to bring it to a dead silence. With the stoppage of his core organ, it wasn''t long before he felt his entire body beginning to shut down in response.

    As everything else was drowned out with his consciousness fading, he didn''t hesitate. With his life fleeting, he wasn''t moved¨Che was ready. The fading strength he had left was used to bring his dagger to his throat, not wasting a breath of hesitation before plunging it into his neck¨C

    ["Finn Thorne defeated."]

    That coldness returned; an emptiness that weed him, yet one that needed to be rejected. A part of him missed that feeling, as though it was where he belonged, though it was not the time. Briefly, he found himself in that cafe, sitting at a table around his friends that had left ahead of him¨CDamian, Magnus, and Nova.

    They greeted him with warm smiles, wanting to hear all about his adventures, how he felt, though he had to decline.

    "Not yet. Someday, I''ll tell you guys all about the adventures I had."

    As his vision faded back into reality, the coldness left his body as warmth filled his veins again. The wound on his neck closed itself, as the blood slipped back into his body as though recalled by a fixture of time.

    From his own aspect, what the actualization of his life and death presented him was not a preordained boon, but a power adapted to the moment¨Ca gift evolved from what pushed him, from who brought him to the edge:

    [Assimted ability from ["Finn Thorne"]: "God-Killing Void" | 2 / 5]

    A breath as cold as a winter storm left his lips, exuding the death he rejected, yet relied upon. Sheer focusid in his eyes as he experienced that sensation once again, having teetered the line between life-and-death.

    For the first time, there was a look of confusion left on the God of Heroes'' expression, witnessing the peculiar method of survival and evolution by the assassin.

    "What did you do? For a moment, you did¨Cyou did cross over, but you''re back," Sirius asked, holding his hand out as lightning coiled around his arm. "It doesn''t matter. All I have to do is strike again¨C"

    Before action could be taken by the lightning-wielding lord, Finn brought his dagger to the palm of his hand with focus. There was no hesitation as he shed it against his own hand, bringing forth not a leakage of scarlet, but a pitch-ck blood that seeped out.

    He kept his eyes on Sirius the entire time with an intense concentration, unwavering as the unorthodox method stirred into a puddle upon the ss. It was a necessary preparation for the ability born of the divine figure''s almighty strength¨C

    ["God-Killing Void"] [24:59:59]

    The bright, wondrous sky flickered from its radiance to pitch ck across a single moment, as though a switch was flipped. A world devoid of light, experienced only by the assassin and the one he caught in the void.

    For Sirius, it was a new sensation, or apleteck thereof as he remained as still as a statue in the absolute darkness.

    ''I can''t sense anything. It''s not just sight¨CI can''t hear, feel, or smell anything. What is this?'' Sirius questioned amongst the abundant ck.

    For Finn, it couldn''t be any different; in that void, he could see more clearly than beneath the guidance of sunlight, dashing right for thepromised God of Heroes. He had no idea just how long he could hold the isted world of darkness, perhaps minutes, seconds¨Call he knew was that he needed to take advantage of it.

    With man deprived of his senses in front of him, Finn dashed in, unleashing a flurry of shes against the unmoving figure''s body. Following a dozen eviscerations, he thrusted his dagger right for the unprotected throat of Sirius¡ªzap.

    "Huh?--" Finn let out.

    A millimeter before diving into the deity''s throat, he found his de rejected entirely. A bite of electricity, enough to force his hand back, though not enough to hurt.

    ''I get it. I should''ve expected as much from this guy¡­He''s protecting his vitals with electricity, even without being able to sense anything. Smart¨Che''s not just some gifted god, he''s been through countless fights himself,'' Finn analyzed.

    If it was the case that only the vital areas were protected, he flipped his dagger around before quickly stabbing it into the side of the God of Heroes. Just as he allowed his de to dive into the divine flesh, he plucked it back out as a light shock came, forcing him back.

    ''Shit¨CI couldn''t go any further. He''s using his electricity like an automated defense,'' Finn thought.

    As he slid back away from the lightning thatshed out in every direction now in a desperate defense, he winced, holding his own face. A nausea set in as he released his focus for just a moment. It was enough to shatter the pitch-ck void, resuming the sight of the fracturing sky once again.

    Sirius blinked a few times before looking at his own body, covered in at least a couple dozen shes, though he didn''t look all that concerned, "Look at that. You really got me good there. What kind of power even was that? Well, of course you won''t answer that."

    "--" Finn remained silent, looking at his opponent.

    Beneath the sunlight of the dying world, it was clear as day that the God of Heroes was bloodied, though still held his same, confident smile.

    "It''s been hundreds of years since I''vest bled," Sirius dered, wiping blood from his cheek as he looked at the remnants left on his glove. "At the very least, you can be proud of that."

    "Making you bleed is nothing," Finn responded. "I''ll have a greater aplishment to be proud of¨Cying a god."

    "Big words. Make sure to follow them up," Sirius said.

    From the wounded hero, lightning sparked from his body; the magenta force coiled around his form as clouds gathered at the sky-high structure. A bright-purple storm brewed, infused with shes of cobalt and golden shines¨Ca vibrant disy of the God of Heroes'' authority.

    Witnessing the released power, Finn breathed out as thunder roared around him like an apuse from the fleeting world. A small smile crept up on his lips as he reached into the pocket of his pants.

    ''Well, I''ve pushed this as far as I could on my own. I''m not strong enough to beat you, Sirius¨Cyou''re honestly downright amazing. Still, your humanity might be gone, but mine is still fighting, so¡­'' Finn considered, admitting his own shoring in the battle against the divine.

    From his pocket, he retrieved a diamond-shaped object containing an opulent sphere in its center, holding it up almost as if presenting it to his opponent.

    "Activate!" Finn invoked.

    [Convergence Call Initiated.]

    Across the vast, transparent surface at the world''s summit, dozens of gateways of light emerged, epassing the entire structure.

    In his hand, the beacon crumbled into dust, carried off by the wind as he wore a readied smile while catching his breath. Seeing the confusion on Sirius'' face at that moment was worth a million dors.

    It was much more than he could''ve predicted, a vastly higher number than the Convergence Call on the tenth floor, witnessing countless survivors enter through the gateways.

    [Name: Julian] [Designated ss: ck Mage] [Level: 45]

    [Name: Zion] [Designated ss: Gunde] [Level: 47]

    [Name: Rameses] [Designated ss: Necromancer] [Level: 52]

    [Name: As] [Designated ss: Knight] [Level: 47]

    [Name: Grace] [Designated ss: Twinde] [Level: 45]

    [Name: Orion] [Designated ss: Archer] [Level: 43]

    [Name: Paolo] [Designated ss: Spellde] [Level: 42]

 Chapter 162: Overwhelming Numbers Versus Greater Strength

    There were many, many more, unable to assess each of those that answered his Convergence Call, though there were three figures specifically that caught his attention more than any of the others, each of whom entered near him, closest to the God of Heroes:

    [Name: Pris] [Designated ss: Martial Artist] [Level: 70]

    [Name: Jotham] [Designated ss: yer] [Level: 65]

    [Name: Astrid] [Designated ss: Warrior] [Level: 90]

    Nearest to him was "Pris", a ratherckadaisical-seeming man who wore nothing but a in, ck tee and sweatpants, hardly seeming ready for battle, though his level proved otherwise.

    On the opposing spectrum, the yer, "Jotham", wore a pitch-ck suit that looked tailor-made for his physique, like that of a diving suit, with silken, pale hair that cascaded down his shoulders.

    For the warrior, "Astrid", the woman had lengthy, silver hair kept in a ponytail, carrying a massive greatsword that was longer and thicker than her body, letting the grand mass of steel rest on her shoulder.

    "Hey," Jotham spoke up, ncing back at the wounded assassin. "You''re the one that used the Convergence Call, I take it?"

    "Yeah, that was me," Finn answered with a nod, wiping the sweat and blood from his chin.

    "Brief me on the abilities of our enemy¨Cmake it concise and quick," Jotham ordered, summoning his lengthy de into his grip.

    The quick tone used by the yer wasn''t something the assassin was particrly fond of, but he cooperated, "He uses lightning. Trying to catch him is extremely difficult¨Che''s insanely fast. To make it worse, I¡­think he''s not using his full strength yet."

    Pris chimed in with a yfulugh, "Looks like you already got the shit kicked out of you. I''m not surprised, though¨Cjust look at the monster you brought us to."

    "Are you scared?" Astris asked with a calm, almost emotionless voice to the martial artist.

    "Hell no! I''m pumped up!" Pris answered, smacking his fist into his own hand as he bounced in ce.

    Against the dozens of system-wielders that arrived through the Convergence Call, Finn could see that the God of Heroes'' smile had not yet faded, in fact, it grew.

    "At the end of a burning star''s life, there''d be nothing more sad than to be deprived of an audience to witness itsst moments," Sirius said before raising his hand, bringing an encore of lightning to emerge. "--I''m grateful that I can give it my all, onest time!"

    From the summit of the fractured world, the colossal orb imbued with the God of Heroes'' authority cracked, causing the sky itself to rumble. Bolts of lightning scattered from the glistening sphere, dragging sharply across the ss as survivors were forced to move out of the way.

    The godly energy anchored itself to the God of Heroes as though he were a lightning rod, instilling him with a fantastical amount of power. All of thecerations on Sirius'' skin closed as an armor developed around his body.

    Like the scales of a silver dragon, crafted like that of a knight''s exoskeleton, the living armor encased thest hero of the First Order. Just from the presence of the equipped divinity, an imposing aura breathed off of Sirius'' body, causing the wind to flex like that of a subtle storm.

    "I''m ready, survivors of Earth," the God of Heroes challenged the many that now surrounded him at the world''s summit, "The First Order is within your reach. So,e and get it."

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [LORD Identified: "The God of Heroes, Sirius"]

    [Level: 125]

    "Seriously? You weren''t joking about that guy holding out," Pris said before bringing his knuckles together as embers sparked.

    The martial artist''s dark hair ignited into a burningplexion, taking a bright-orange glow as ming tattoos appeared across his body.

    ["Dao of Eternal Fire"]

    Finn readied himself, looking worn and exhaustedpared to the newly-arrived allies as he breathed out, "I''m not exactly happy that I was right."

    It seemed like the high-level yer was focused on only himself and the enemy ahead, not responding as he instead expelled only a single word, "Arthur."

    [Mythos System Activated.]

    [Aspect of Excalibur summoned.]

    The sword held by Jotham took on a bright glow, shortening itself as its de became forged of gold, with a jeweled, ivory handle.

    Astrid prepared herself as well, holding her de in front of her body as she shut her eyes for a moment, bing engulfed in a sh of enchanting lights:

    ["Durga''s Arsenal"] ["God of War''s Blessing"] ["Strength Evolution Plus"] ["Agility Evolution Plus"] ["Ironbody Master"] ["Auto Regeneration Plus"]

    The swarm of abilities used by the warrior produced an evolved strength throughout her body as Finn watched her physique momentarily tighten and swell before settling. With the preparationsplete, the true start of the battle was sparked by the many mages and archers that had arrived to the sky-high surface.

    A rain of fireballs, ethereal beasts, magical arrows, sts of explosive bolts, all came at the God of Heroes from every angle. It was a grand disy of fireworks, all intercepted by a single swipe of Sirius'' hand.

    Through the skybound structure, lightning swept in like a flowing river, curving through the wind as the erratic strands caught the projectiles in their path. It was an entirely different intensity of the element; it roared and cackled like a thriving beast.

    Sweeping through the unison of magic, arrows, and alike, the lightning cast it all aside, though the disy left a path open to the two who took foremost initiative.

    In front of the God of Heroes, Pris and Jotham arrived at the same moment, though not working with one another. The user of the Xianxia System greeted Sirius with an axe kick, bringing his foot down with an explosion of fire, bringing the orange glow to reflect off the ss floor.

    Sirius stepped back with swiftness, immediately pressured by the user of the Mythos System; the golden de of Jotham was shed towards the divine figure with impunity. It expelled a grand wave of light, though was evaded masterfully as Sirius ducked down.

    In that split-second, Jotham was left open to the counterattack¨CTHWOOM.

    Crashing down from above, a meteoric impactnded where Sirius was, bringing both Jotham and Pris to jump back.

    "Damn!--" Pris remarked with augh as the winds pushed back.

    "Tch¨Cwatch it," Jotham quietly reprimanded with a click of his tongue.

    The words were meant for the one that hade down like aet; the glistening greatsword of the silver-haired warrior found itself stopped by a single hand of the God of Heroes.

    It was impossible to see what expressionid beneath Sirius'' living armor, though it certainly wasn''t one that was impressed as he cast Astrid aside with a flick of lightning.

    As Sirius dealt with the initial assault, another volley of magic rained down; from fireballs, aquatic spheres, arrows seeped in verdant light, and even birds of energy, the projectiles fell like a meteor shower.

    "--Paltry," the single word left Sirius'' lips before he ascended as a bolt of magenta lightning.

    The divine figure soared as his prime element, meeting the downpour of projectiles made from the unified effort of the many survivors. At the ceiling of the world, the fleeting bolt intercepted each force, zipping from one point to the other amidst the fractured horizon.

    Finn watched it all while regaining himself, finding the disy from Sirius now to be on apletely different level from what he had fought.

    ''He could''ve easily just dodged all of that. Right now, he''s making a show of it¨Che''s showing us that he''s in a different realm,'' Finn concluded.

    Momentarily, the man that moved as lightning reappeared in the sky, catching one of the flying fireballs in his hand along with an arrow of light, spinning around before tossing them right back from where they came.

    To the leftmost of the ss arena, the mage and archer responsible for their contribution watched their attackse right back to them.

    "Ah¨C?" The woman in scarlet robes reacted.

    "Crap!" A man in a verdant cloak shouted.

    ¨CBOOM. There was no time for either to move out of the way before the returned attacks exploded on the transparent surface. It wasn''t the end of the divine one''s counterattack; into his hands, Sirius caught a pair of thunderbolts, sending them down upon the stagnant fighters.

    All the while, Finn found himself considering his n of attack, watching as the three highest levels of the group naturally came to stop for a moment.

    The silver-haired warrior huffed in frustration as her boots scraped against the ss, mming her de down before sprinting right back into action. It was almost impressive to Finn to witness that sort of tenacity, driving right back into battle without a second thought.

    He found himself not with that luxury anymore, having to think more carefully as he knew iming the life of the God of Heroes wouldn''t be so simple. Not that he ever believed it would be easy.

 Chapter 163: Mythos

    Pris slid right beside the assassin, catching his breath as he exhaled a breath of smoke in his fiery state, "--Alright, this isn''t going to work if you''re getting in my way."

    "You''re talking to me?" Jotham responded as hended at the same time, using his de to stop his momentum as it scraped against the ss. "I was going to say the same to you. Keep that fire to yourself."

    Finn decided to chip in, seeing as they had naturally gathered to him, perhaps recognizing his experience against the divine foe, "This isn''t going to work if you''re going to stay at each other''s throats."

    "Who asked you?" Jotham dismissed without batting an eye at the assassin.

    "Hate to break it to you, but your level is too low to be giving me advice," Pris rejected his input as well with a casual wave of his hand.

    The quick dismissal nearly made Finn say rather unkind words before he caught himself, choosing to instead only give them the cold, hard truth, "I''m the only one who hasnded a hit on Sirius so far¨Cmore than that, I almost killed him."

    "No way. That''s a in lie," Jotham rejected, looking down at the knelt assassin.

    Finn picked himself up without giving in to a quick response, watching the thunderbolts scatter on the other end of the sky-bound structure. It almost seemed like Sirius was "ying with his food", flicking electricity towards the groupings of survivors, though not following up on taking any out.

    Pris looked at the assassin for a moment, not seeming to believe his words at first before his expression settled, "You''re telling the truth, arentcha? My bad¨CI judged ya too quick. By the looks of your body, you''ve been fighting this guy by yourself for a minute, haven''t you?"

    "Yeah, I''ve held my own¨Clike I said before though, he''s fighting at a different level now," Finn admitted, brushing the blood from his cheek.

    A nce was shot at the light-haired yer beside him, who didn''t admit to his quick judgment yet, though it didn''t seem like Jotham was the type to speak kindly.

    "Just stay out of my way. I won''t apologize if you get caught by my de," Jotham coldly issued before sprinting back into the fray.

    He watched along with Pris as the rather difficult figure joined Astrid back in the head of battle, quickly having to dance between the rain of thunderbolts.

    Prisughed lightly, rubbing his knuckles against the palm of his hand as a glint of excitementid in his burning irises, "That guy sure is a piece of work, isn''t he? I can''t lie, I respect it, even if it''s annoying."

    "He reminds me a bit too much of somebody else," Finn brushed off with a mumble before flipping his daggers around. "Alright, do you want to work with me here? Or do you n on joining them on a reckless path to hell?"

    "If you can keep up, sure, I''ll work with you," Pris agreed with an energized smile, lightly bumping his fist against the assassin''s bare chest. "I won''t slow down for you, though."

    "Wasn''t asking you to," Finn assured him with a perturbed exhale.

    Across the surface at the world''s stratosphere, just beneath the cosmos and amidst the fracturing sky, thunderbolts rained from the God of Heroes. It was impossible for anybody else to dare to get close, only Jotham found himself sprinting past the descent of lightning, alongside the silver-haired warrior.

    As he ran, he nced over at the level-ny woman as a spark crashed between them, remaining unflinching.

    "Is there something you want to say?" Astrid asked in the midst of her pace, holding her massive sword up as it blocked an iing bolt.

    Jotham casually flicked his sword up, intercepting a lunge of lightning as his steel split the element right down the middle, "Just watch where you''rending from now on. If I feel youing from above, I might mistake you for a bolt and respond ordingly."

    "Is that so? Noted," Astrid responded without giving the man the time of day.

    Amidst their bickering, the storm caught up to the two as Sirius confronted them directly, shing by like a flicker of light. It was too fast to properly react to, leaving both the yer and warrior with impacts to their guts in a blitz.

    With such speed, it was almost as if the lightning-d figure was in multiple ces at once, flickering past them and back into the sky to rain thunderbolts.

    "Tch!--" Jotham clicked his tongue with a slight wince as his boots slid across the smooth ss.

    Astrid caught herself, using her sword to scrape across the floor, "He''s fast¨C"

    That same sentiment was shared by the man who stood at the apex of human evolution, looking up at the fractured stratosphere as the divine figure danced in the sky as a fleeting bolt.

    "--Hermes," Jotham intently invoked.

    [Mythos System Initiated.]

    [Aspect of The Swift summoned.]

    Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    On his ankles, small wings forged of light sprouted, with the same conjuring on the sides of his head. A serene glow emitted from the manifestations on his body, producing a glimmer off of his own skin.

    "Hey!--" Astrid called out.

    Before the warrior could say anything else, Jotham sprinted on the air itself, moving as a stream of light as he ascended with haste. Using the [Aspect of The Swift], his speed was elevated in every way; his movement, reflexes, and even his swordsmanship, granting him the ability to run on any surface.

    Once taking to the air, dashing on it as though solid ground, he used his lengthy de with rapid shes as a parade of elemental strikes came for him. He had yet to earn the full attention of the God of Heroes, as the divine figure never seemed to stop moving across the stratosphere like a buzzing fly, unleashing hundreds of strands of lightning in every direction, continuously.

    ''There doesn''t seem to be a limit to the amount of electricity he can output. I''ll have to assume it''s endless. In addition, he doesn''t seem to tire at all¨Che''s been moving non-stop at speed perhaps faster than Hermes. This is a troublesome opponent,'' Jotham analyzed amidst his airborne sprint.

    As a flying beast made of lightning roared by, the man of long, silken hair slid on the wind, holding his hand against the dull side of his de as it sparked against the underside of the elemental creature.

    Sliding past the ethereal dragon, he quickly pivoted upon witnessing a lightning bolt curve around the other side of the structure, passing by a volley of magic from the casters. It was different from the other bolts¨Cbouncing around, changing direction in a split second.

    He chased after it with his divine haste, having to run upwards as if traversing an unseen slope.

    ''It doesn''t matter if my enemy is a god. I am humanity''s hope¨Cthe culmination of the greatest minds. With my de, I will bring salvation,'' the resolve was etched into the mind of Jotham.

    That thought was immediately challenged amidst the sprint of Hermes'' agility; Jotham found his transcendent reflexes catching onto the thunderbolt sharply arriving right in front of him. In that moment between moments as sparks still hung stagnant in the storm-rampant skies, the yer''s eyes widened as he lifted his de.

    The motion wasplete just as the man-shaped bolt collided with his sword. It took every ounce of strength in his body not to bepletely overwhelmed as the magenta force pushed against his de, producing a sh of radiant and bright-purple sparks.

    Only for a fraction of a second did he actually see Sirius himself in the flickering lightning before he blitzed past him, leaving Jotham stumbling on the air.

    Jotham spun around with clear frustration, breathing out before having to control himself amidst the anger-inducing encounter. Watching that bolt soar past him, crashing in the distance to leave gifts of electricity to the other survivors, it was as if Sirius told him "You''re not worth my attention."

    Such a clear dismissal of his strength brought the cold, focused man to act as he dashed across the air with haste. There was nothing held back as he blitzed the distance between himself and the fleeting thunderbolt in an instant, intercepting the God of Heroes amidst his assault of electricity upon the struggling survivors.

    In that moment, the man who moved as lightning returned to his physical form, flipping his body as the glistening de of the yer shed at his body.

    Jotham used a quick session of attacks, moving his sword dozens of times across a second, though Sirius proved to be as elusive as ever.

    "You''re pretty fast," Sirius remarked while evading the glowing edge with ease.

    Jotham ignored the half-bakedpliment, more so aimed as an insult, dashing around as he swept his de at the divine one''s back. It was like trying to catch a fly with a needle; the sword seemed never close to making contact.

    Amidst his rampant swings, Jotham found Sirius counterattacking with a simple flick of his fingers. A spear of lightning extended, hitting him right in the chest as he was blown out of the air.

    "Ngh!--" Jotham winced, mostly in frustration as he crashed down against the ss surface.

 Chapter 164: Aspect of Zeus

    Just as hended, a pair of survivors rushed over¨Ca sword-wielding man and a bow-carrying woman that tried to lend a hand.

    "Hey, man, are you alright?--" The brte swordsman asked, extending a hand down.

    Jotham picked himself up, pushing aside the person that tried to help him as he didn''t spare them so much as a nce.

    Across the ss structure, Finn watched alongside Pris and another as the divine figure rose to heights just below the world''s ceiling.

    The man with a white half-cape in light armor, holding a silver bow watched, "What''s he doing now?"

    [Name: Orion] [Designated ss: Archer] [Level: 43]

    "I''m not sure¨Cit doesn''t look good," Finn answered.

    Pris watched with an excited smile, "Feel that? The air is getting electric."

    "It has been," Finn responded.

    The assault of countless projectiles towards the God of Heroes was rejected by an electric pulse as the divine figure remained just beneath the cracked orb.

    Sirius acknowledged those below amidst the storm at the world''s end, waving his hand, "--In what could be the final breaths of history, fight alongside me, Viins of The World¨Cthose who sought their greed, malice."

    From the invocation of the thunderous god, colossal seals manifested in the sky within a ring around Sirius himself. Each resembled the rune of an unknownnguage, holding a prismatic glow.

    "I''ve imprisoned you all for eons, but now¨Cwe fight together! If I fall, so too does the world¨Cthen so too does your world, cmitous beasts!" Sirius shouted, snapping his fingers.

    An eruption of wind emerged from the seals as they shattered and split, opening gateways that peeked into a nebulous void. From each of the four otherworldly prisons, creatures of unfathomable origins heeded the call of Sirius.

    "Are you serious¨C?!" Finn shouted.

    "Isn''t that sort of¡­cheating? A boss summoning more bosses?" Orion gulped, looking up in fearful astonishment.

    On the other hand, Pris looked as excited as ever as his muscles almost seemed to swell with readiness at the new challenge.

    [BOSS Identified: "Maneater Kildraun, The Burning Giant"] [Level: 50]

    A cyclopsnded on the ss valley, encased in smoldering skin with mes spewing from the cracks in his body, producing heat waves with each breath.

    [BOSS Identified: "Vale, The First Vampire"] [Level: 52]

    Much smaller in staturepared to the giant, a man of pale skin, dressed in a pristine, ck suit with slicked back, gray hair and scarlet eyes that looked at the survivors like prey.

    [BOSS Identified: "Aliya, The Siren of Madness"] [Level: 48]

    A woman of cerulean skin, possessing piercing beauty with silken, dark hair that surpassed her own height in length, carrying skulls around her neck.

    [BOSS Identified: "Goblin"] [Level: 76]

    Most peculiar of all among the cmitous entities freed from their imprisonment was the smallest of them all: what appeared to be a normal, green-skinned goblin, though somethingid twisted in his beady eyes.

    "A goblin? What the hell is that level?" Orion questioned in shock.

    The descent of the horrors brought the survivors'' morale to a halt, faced with an abundance of powerful foes.

    Finn squeezed the handles of his daggers, looking around as he heard the murmurs of the others, some questioning if it was even possible to win at this point.

    ''Where are Jasper and Charlotte¡­? I hope they''re fine¨Cwe''ll definitely need them still,'' Finn thought in concern.

    ¨C

    Pure frustration embodied the look in the yer''s eyes as he watched the dance of lightning in the sky.

    It was no longer just a battle for victory; the disrespect felt by Jotham brought it to a more personal level as he found one such force to invoke through his lips:

    "Zeus."

    [Mythos System Initiated.]

    [Aspect of The King of Gods summoned.]

    A roar of thunder pushed out from his body, calling strands of bright-blue lightning around his body as he raised his sword. From the storming skies, a bolt descended to his de like that of a provocation issued towards the God of Heroes.

    Jotham brought down a cmity of his own as his cobalt bolts crashed down around him, nearly striking the other survivors that were unprepared for the sudden shift.

    "Hey!--" Julian, the ck mage dressed in dark robes yelled out as a passing thunderbolt caused him to fall back as his messy, hazel hair was brushed aside.

    The whole time, a dark-skinned man with silver hair, dressed in a leather outfit with sparse armoring, pointed his sword like a gun, pulling a trigger as it released rounds towards the distant cyclops, though it did little more than annoy the molten-skinned giant.

    "Think it''s a wise idea to fight fire with fire?" The gunde user asked, momentarily looking back at the yer who embodied Zeus. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin

    [Name: Zion] [Designated ss: Gunde] [Level: 47]

    Jotham breathed out, flicking his de as it scattered smaller traces of electricity across the sky-high ss, "Worry about hitting your shots. I''ll handle getting the job done."

    "Sure thing. Let me know how that goes," Zion remarked with cold sarcasm.

    Amidst the storm of gunfire and magic flung through the skies in shes against Sirius'' thunder, Jotham ascended with the essence of lightning. As a cobalt bolt, he chased after the magenta streak in the sky.

    It took every bit of ability from Jotham to propel himself just enough to intercept Sirius, cutting him off amidst the array of deadly fireworks. He quickly shed at the purple bolt just as the God of Heroes returned to physical form, blocking the electrified de with an elemental blockade.

    As he found his sword stopped entirely, Jotham flexed his body, calling upon the full authority of [Zeus] as his body was instilled with godly strength and thunder. With another volley of plentiful spellsing in, Sirius began to fly back, though the yer didn''t allow him to separate, forcibly keeping up.

    "--You can''t run!" Jotham shouted.

    Following his words, the yer swept in between a group of amethyst orbs of magic that shot right by, shing his electrified de at the divinity.

    "Who? Me?" Sirius responded as if only now noticing the man who gave chase, spinning around swiftly and countering with a swipe of sharpened lightning.

    The thunderous de stopped the quick sh, reflected as Jotham immediately responded with a flurry of his own shes. As he moved his sword, he flew alongside Sirius as the war raged below, a colorful array of explosions filling the world''s final chapter.

    Even as he bolted from one point to the other in the air in rapid session, swinging his de each time, it was always one step behind Sirius'' maneuvers. He went for a downward sh in an attempt to split the God of Heroes'' head in two, though it was evaded by a simple lean by Sirius, however¨C

    Jotham pushed his right hand forward, thrusting a cobalt strike of lightning directly against the divine lord. Itnded pointnk, pushing the once unhittable god back as thunder roared through the sky.

    Though Jotham''s expression remained unmoved as traces of electricity sparked at his fingertips, there was no denying the look in his eyes¨Can adamant stare at a rival.

    Light peeling was left on the chest of Sirius'' armor, though it quickly stitched itself back together like fibers of flesh mending, "I see¡­A bit of my own medicine. That''s rich." Sirius remarked.

    Amidst the words of the surprised deity, Jotham moved as a sh, sparing no opportunity as he moved his de for his enemy''s neck. It was quickly deflected by a simple push of Sirius'' forearm, countering with a snap of his fingers as a small fork of electricity lunged for Jotham''s face.

    The yer moved himself in tandem with the rejection of his initial strike, spinning around as he went for a lower sh at the abdomen. It wasn''t by intention, but natural instinct that the gically engineered soldier empowered his de with lightning, pushing it forward with tiny sparks to increase its speed.

    Narrowly, it missed disemboweling the god, only scraping the scales of the armor. A quick counter came in the form of a spinning kick, blocked by the man''s right arm as a thunderous impact was felt.

    As the leg of Sirius made contact, the defending limb of Jotham momentarily swelled to amodate,pletely nullifying the strike.

    Sirius was surprised by the sturdiness of the mortal as he flipped away as a trace of lightning, ''What an abnormal body he has. It adapts in the moment, allocating strength where it''s necessary, maximizing his own cells. An attempt at a man-made god,'' he thought.

    ''Closer¡­I''m getting closer. Just a bit more, a little more¨Ctraces, that''s all it is. I have to memorize this rhythm, the tune my enemy moves at, the way the wind whistles around his movements,'' Jotham took in.

    Like an untamed beast, the yer unleashed flurries of shes while Sirius only evaded them, as if challenging the man to try andnd a hit. In an ever-moving chase in the sky, the one who burdened himself with the salvation of mankind didn''t let up; thunderbolts lunged at him, sharply curving to chase at him as he followed the God of Heroes.

 Chapter 165: Unleashed Calamities

    Amidst his movements through the sky, zipping as electricity, Jotham found himself constantly shing at iing bolts, deflecting multiple every second as it seemed to be an endless assault.

    It was bing increasingly harder to keep up with Sirius as the assault from every direction hindered his movements.

    ''--Everything. I have to maximize everything right now, if I hope to catch him¨CI can''t worry about what happens to my body afterwards,'' Jotham resolved.

    From all directions, dragons born of the storm soared at him at the behest of their god. Every muscle in his body pushed to the maximum, surpassing human limits. In a matter of a single moment, he underwent a split-second adaptation that would take one decades of training.

    He moved through the air with tenfold speed, passing by the bolts as he immediately confronted the enemy.

    The sheer quickness in which he met Sirius seemed to catch even the god by surprise as Jotham brought his de down with impunity. Still quick to react, Sirius moved his body out of the way, though Jotham immediately flickered as a bolt.

    ''A feint¨C?'' Sirius realized.

    With the lord''s back to him, Jotham followed up with a true strike, bringing his de forth, though, once again, Sirius spun around, only a moment toote¨C

    Across the chest of the God of Heroes, the sh permeated itself. In that split-second, faster than the blink of an eye, Sirius was surprised by the attacknding. That reaction allowed for the follow-up; Jotham unleashed further attacks, using sparks of electricity to empower each swing.

    ''I''ve broken through¨CI''ve found it!'' Jotham celebrated, not letting up.

    ¨CHowever, amidst that rise of confidence, the yer found his next sh having no effect as it dragged across the scaled armor. What was once effective no more than a second prior was absolutely futile now.

    ''What? It''s not harming¨C?'' Jotham thought.

    Before he could figure out the strange phenomena, he was intercepted by a sh erupting against him. Sirius rocketed straight up, pushing against him as a rising thunderbolt that left Jotham no choice but to be carried along.

    Jotham could do nothing but struggle as the sheer force drove upward, carrying him through the dense, moist clouds. It was difficult to breathe; no, inhaling any oxygen was an impossible feat as the ascending god pressed his fist against his sternum.

    "Grrrh!--" Jotham struggled for a breath.

    The rapid rise came to an end as Sirius pushed him off his fist, bringing them both at the summit of the shattering world, overlooked by the shade of the cosmos.

    "You want to y as a god, do you?" Sirius challenged with an excited tone, exuding a thrilling voltage. "--Let me show you what that really looks like, then!"

    What was born from the surging confidence of the God of Heroes was a conjuration made of magenta light; a knight in the sky, taller than the greatest of giants, wielding an ethereal de that dragged through the clouds like mere puffs of smoke.

    It mimicked the movements of Sirius, who piloted the colossal construct with a swipe of his hand:

    [The de of The Sky]

    It was a sight to those below that ryed only despair, seeing the magenta sword, capable of cleaving mountains, cutting across the horizon.

    Jotham ced his arms in front of his body, forcing his skin to harden and his muscles to tighten to their utmost in an attempt to defend himself at the downfall of the sky-rending de. As the cmitous force made contact with his body, all of the wind was siphoned from his lungs.

    Immediately, it felt to Jotham as if his arms were being sundered by boundless voltage, cut into by a peerless de, struck by a million ton hammer. All of it brought his limbs to their threshold before he was batted down like a fly from the sky.

    "Nnngrh!--"

    Jotham found himself descending with vicious velocity, unable to halt his own fall as he spun around wildly.

    "Shit!--" Finn called out, watching the yer drop past the ss structure, dipping beneath the clouds.

    There was no time for the assassin to worry about the others as he was confronted himself by the ominous goblin, having to step back as wild swings of its rusty de came for him.

    ¨C

    It was a matter of seconds, descending tens of thousands of feet with lethal momentum before crashing against the peak of a mountain did Jotham''s falle to an end. The collision with the jagged tower of stone brought it to crack at the base as a cloud of dust descended from its top.

    Jotham emerged from the crater ced into the peak with an emotionless expression, bearing wounds that looked as though he fell down a flight of stairs instead of crashing from the world''s summit.

    ''Only because of Zeus did that attack not blow my body away. Shrouding myself in lightning reduced the effectiveness of his own element, though¡­I am not unscathed. That took a lot out of my body,'' Jotham analyzed his own state.

    Looking up towards the sky, it was almost too high to see, though he could make out through the emergence of storming clouds the magenta lightning that fulminated. While it was his top priority to get back into the action, the yer considered the peculiar phenomena he experienced against the deity.

    ''My de¡­I cut him before, but a few secondster, my shes had no effect. It wasn''t the result of his armor toughening up¨CI would''ve felt my sword be rejected. Rather, the sensation was as if my de didn''t even register to him,'' Jotham considered.

    ¨C

    At the world''s summit atop the vast structure of ss as a kingdom of clouds shaped into towers and pces around them, Finn moved himself as the goblin pressured him with relentless attacks. It had be utter chaos; the cmities unleashed by Sirius ruined any unity from the survivors, splitting all of them up as fire and lightning rained down.

    Nheless, Finn found himself pressed by what appeared to be no more than a simple goblin. That, however, was only at a nce. Its rapid strikes and matching agility kept the assassin on his toes, with each movement of its deteriorated weapon causing the air to hiss.

    ''In terms of physical abilities, it''s realms above an average goblin. Its level definitely isn''t a lie¨Ca direct hit to the vitals, and I''ll be done for. But, that''s not the problem here¡­'' Finn considered.

    While he found many openings he could counter with, he hesitated from doing so for one good reason: scattered through the battlefield of ss and clouds, multiple clones of the goblin attacked other survivors.

    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman with brte hair, dual-wielding longswords as she dodged a strike from one of the doppelganger fiends and retaliated¨C

    [Name: Hanna] [Designated ss: Twinde] [Level: 45]

    "Don''t attack it!" Finn shouted.

    ¨CIt was toote as the dual wielder cut the right hand of the green-skinned monster off easily, though it only spurred an ear-to-ear grin from the fiend. From the hand that was sliced off, the flesh bubbled and extended, sprouting another goblin from the amputated body part.

    Just like that, another had entered the battlefield¨C

    [BOSS Identified: "Goblin"] [Level: 76]

    It was an increasingly worrisome foe as the number became increasingly more overwhelming. As one of the goblin copies pressed him with wild strikes, the best he could do in response was deliver a kick to the short fiend''s chest¨C

    "Bruuah!--" The goblin spat out, being knocked back before flipping around onto its feet.

    It was quick to immediately lunge at him with rapid swings of its de. He sidestepped it, only to find the goblin jumping up as it snapped its teeth for his neck.

    The jaws came close, though he leaned away, responding with a quick kick, only for the goblin to duck beneath.

    A quick sh of its de forced the assassin to flip back, avoiding the smiling fiend''s weapon.

    ''It''s a real pain in the ass. Not only is it virtually unkible, it''s way too aggressive. I''d like to focus on Sirius, but this thing won''t let me,'' Finn thought.

    For the others, it was proving just as troublesome¡ª

    A man of golden-brown skin and wild, dark hair waved his ming sword around to deter the wild goblin that came at him, though it hardly helped.

    "I''d like to take this thing''s head off, right about now!" Paoloined.

    [Name: Paolo] [Designated ss: Spellde] [Level: 42]

    Shooting off arrows to keep one goblin at bay, the hectic archer called out, "Don''t think about it! I''m not dealing with anymore of these things¡ª!"

    [Name: Orion] [Designated ss: Archer] [Level: 43]

    It was bing a clear issue to Finn that the stress of the goblins might force others to attack, even if they know it''s a bad choice. Once again, the sky trembled as the fractures etched into it stretched further¨Cthe time left for the world was expiring further.

    Amidst Finn''s game of evasion with the goblin, he witnessed a bolt of magenta lightning crash in the near distance, finding Sirius returning to the ss structure. With the limited time on his mind, the assassin delivered a kick to the unkible goblin to move it out of the way, immediately stepping towards the God of Heroes.

    However, somebody else confronted Sirius before he could reach him¨C

    "Yo! Are you done ying chicken in the sky and ready to fight like a man?"

 Chapter 166: Emergence of The Strongest

    "Yo! Are you done ying chicken in the sky and ready to fight like a man?"

    The words of provocation came with a smile from the man in casual clothes, bringing his fists together as his hair changed to a glowing, ming state with burning tattoos across his body.

    ["Dao of Eternal Fire"]

    In the form of mes, he dashed towards the God of Heroes with zing speed, immediately unleashing a flurry of strikes. Each punch sent with it a burst of fire, forcing Sirius to quickly move to avoid the heat.

    Amidst the fiery assault, Pris found the divine figure counter attacking with des forged of lightning, filling his view with the erratic glow¨C

    ["Transcendent Reflexes"]

    As the sharpened element approached his face, Pris leaned back, flipping his body around as the other de swept just past his legs. For the man d in mystical fire, any attack sent his way triggered his reflexes instantly, causing his perception to elerate in response. It manifested through the diamond-shaped glow embedded in his irises.

    For Sirius, it was a sensation he wasn''t adjusted to; each swipe of his elemental des, every flicker of lightning¨Cnone of it seemed toe close to grazing the human before him.

    ''This man¨Che''s the closest to godhood. No, I''d say he''s already there. I can sense it, somewhere deep inside of him¨Ca well of divine strength. How exciting,'' Sirius acknowledged.

    It was amidst the God of Heroes'' thrill that he found the me-wielding fighter slipping through his next two shes of lightning, stepping within striking distance in that moment faster than the blink of an eye.

    Pris clenched his fist, bringing it to his side as fire swirled around it. This was noticed by the deity d in living armor, however¨C

    ["Almighty Fist Intent"]

    Before the motion for a punch could be made, an impact mmed against Sirius'' body as though the fist of a colossus had collided with his body. It was enough force to slide the divine figure back, bringing a moment of recoil before a bright-orange glow called Sirius'' attention.

    Before the God of Heroes could adjust, Pris was already in the air, weaving the majestic mes into mythical proportions.

    "Come on, mighty god! Don''t make this boring! I came all this way!" Pris shouted with an excited smirk, pushing his hands out.

    The fire took the form of twin dragons, flying through the air with zing forms as they encircled the god. In response to the challenge, Sirius couldn''t help but expelughter as the sky rumbled, bringing both of his hands out as they exuded charge.

    As the ming dragons closed in on him, Sirius brought forth their kin in the form of lightning, bringing the ethereal beasts to sh in the air. With the collision of both elements, Pris approached the God of Heroes without wasting a moment.

    The Xianxia System wielder''s fist became utterly infused with fire, bringing it into an uppercut driven right against Sirius'' abdomen from a lowered stance.

    ["Ascending Fist of a Fleeting Star"]

    The initial impact was only the start; Pris'' fist drove into his foe''s gut, bringing with it an ignition of mes that were woven into a spiral, lifting Sirius with a rising pir of wildfire.

    It was like a drill, spinning with extraordinary heat as the God of Heroes found himself brought high, having to fight against the torque of the heat. The spiraling me failed to pierce through the armor, bruning against it, however¨C

    Pris didn''t let up; amidst the pir of fire he sent with an uppercut, he rose into the air as a flickering mes, bringing himself directly above Sirius. Amidst embers and sparks, the man who stood at the pinnacle of humanity spun around into a devastating wheel kick, delivering the ming strike to the god''s exposed back.

    The resulting impact ignited an explosion of mes, bringing forth its bright-orange glow to fill the battlefield at the fading world''s summit. It was a sight that caught the eyes of the others that fought with everything they had; a beautiful array of fireworks that brought hope to the oue of the battle.

    However, amidst the cloud of mes¨C

    An emergence of lightning cast it all away as Sirius stood on the sky; burns marked his living armor, left smoking and exuding steam.

    For a brief moment, a small took to Pris'' lips before that delighted expression was intercepted by the arrival of the God of Heroes. It was faster than he could''ve ever perceived, not expecting such an ascendance in speed as like a flicker of light, Sirius'' grabbed Pris by the face.

    [//This is what godhood looks like.//]

    Transmitted directly into his soul, those words are what Pris felt without them being spoken by the one who had grabbed hold of him. Before any action could be taken, the man found himself dragged across the sky at an iprehensible speed.

    The sheer intensity of the flight challenged his body to stay together; jarring shifts in direction, bolting from one continent to the next in a single breath brought Pris'' body to ache.

    ''It feels like¡­my body is caught in a vortex¨CI can''t control my limbs at all, every muscle is tensing up without my control,'' Pris thought.

    From and drowned in snow, a lifelessndscape of driednd bathed in fire, a war-torn meadow, back to the skies, down to the sea; across mere seconds, the fading world was traversed.

    Ultimately, Pris found his limbs snapping from the astronomical forces of speed before it all came to a sudden halt. He found himself tossed away, facing down at a vast sea, looking down at the God of Heroes who stood on the stretch of blue.

    As his broken limbs waved, he drew in a breath without worry, siphoning the air itself as life force¨C

    ["Benevolence of The Sky"]

    Through his calm breathing, his shattered bones reconnected, exhaling all of the wounds he had incurred from the inhuman travel.

    "I felt my life teetering on the edge for a moment there. My heart is beating a million times a second right now¨Cwhat a rush!" Prisughed, staying above the sea as his ming hair was brushed by the ocean winds.

    There was augh of relief from Siris below, "You''re a hard one to break. Let''s see how long thatsts."

    "You might be the one breaking first, O''mighty God!" Pris confidently imed, merging a sphere of fire between his palms.

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    ["zing Intent of The Fist"]

    The orb of mes extended itself over his arms, bringing him tomand colossal apparitions of fire-born limbs, casting them down with vtile punches. As each of the massive fists collided with the surface of the sea, clouds of vapor rose.

    Mountains of steam rose from each downfall of the me-born knuckles, though through it, Pris found electricity rising. Across the seemingly boundless length of the sea, it was shocked by the supercharged god before hundreds of shattering projectilesunched from Sirius''mand.

    It brought a vicious smile on Pris'' lips as he found the parade of lightning marching upward. The sky was filled with a magenta glow with each passing bolt, bringing Pris to fly upon mes beneath his feet as one projectile grazed his cheek.

    A flurry of ming strikes were unleashed in response, igniting a race across the sea as he followed the god who sprinted as a bolt of lightning across the surface of water.

    "This world is already on itsst legs, so I''m going to treat it a little roughly¡­!" Pris imed, flipping around between rising strikes of electricity.

    Oxygen was sucked into his lungs, exhaled as fire as he brought his hands to the air. Above him, the colossal limbs of fire followed, gathering a zing sphere that mimicked the might of the Sun.

    ["Aspect of The Copsing Season"]

    All of the fire that burned within Pris'' body was siphoned into the mountainous sphere before being brought down upon the sea. From below, Sirius could only see a blinding void of shining orangeing down.

    ''Now would you look at that¨Che''s showing me up,'' Sirius thought in delighted bewilderment.

    As the great sphere touched down upon the sea, it copsed into a magnificent explosion, expanding into such a scale that it reached into the heights of the sky.

    The sublime heat brought a nation of vapor clouds, encircling the parted sea as thend that dwelled beneath the ocean was left bare.

    Pris descended upon the gap left in the sea of his own creation, finding the God of Heroes waiting as well. A proud smileid on his lips as hended where ms and starfish dried out, surrounded by colossal walls of water that were pushed back by the residual heat.

    "Hope you don''t mind," Pris said with a smirk, bringing his fists together."This world isn''t going to be around much longer anyway, so I thought I''d change things up."

    ["Dao of Unbreakable Earth"]

 Chapter 167: Monkey King

    An earthenplexion of dark brown stone overtook his skin, hardening and cracking as his hair turned to grass, intermingled with blooming flowers.

    Despite the cataclysmic parting of the sea, Sirius didn''t seem angered at the rough treatment of his world.

    In fact, beneath that helmet of scales, a smile could be felt radiating from the God of Heroes.

    "I''m just grateful," Sirius admitted.

    "Grateful? Is that so?" Pris questioned, settling into a stance as he presented his fists.

    Electricity sparked from Sirius'' body as the great mountains of ocean waves stood tall, "One more time before the end, I can enjoy such a thrilling battle."

    "I''ll give you an exciting end, I can promise you that," Pris imed with a smile.

    In that moment, bothbatants set forth at the bare floor of the sea as the parted waves watched. The first move was made by Pris, dashing forward as the moist ground was crushed beneath the power of his initial step.

    However, Sirius'' reaction came even quicker as a quick session of bolts struck right for the earthen-empowered martial artist''s body. As each of the bites of lightning collided with Pris'' body, to the surprise of Sirius, the man wasn''t slowed down in his approach in the slightest.

    Against the earthen body wielded by Pris, the bolts were outright rejected.

    In that split-second, Sirius found himself intrigued by the fascinating body possessed by the man, but that admiration was intercepted.

    Utilizing "Dao of Unbreakable Earth", Pris developed a body of peerless toughness, bing nearly impervious while granting himself world-shaking strength. It came with limitations in elemental reach, though the benefits far outweighed the demerits.

    As Sirius partially turned to his erratic element to evade, it was toote¨Cthe fist of the martial artist arrived faster. With the collision of his knuckles against the sternum of the God of Heroes, an impact was born that transcended the physical realm¨C

    ["Soul Impact"]

    Through the toughness of the armor, past the flesh, the strike rang through the very core of Sirius'' being like a mallet to a gong. It vibrated his essence,promising the integrity of his soul as everything blurred in that moment for the one struck.

    For the God of Heroes, it was the hardest he''d ever been hit in his centuries of existence. Perhaps not the single most powerful blow he''s received, but the very fact it hit him in his deepest, most integral part.

    One''s soul is the most vulnerable aspect of their being,cking any physical form, unprotected, yet it tends to remain untouchable. To be struck so violently in that sacred part, it was an agonizing, freezing experience for even the long lived god.

    "Nngh!--"

    Sirius gasped out before the impact sent him flying back, being thrown into one of the unmoving waves.

    Before the God of Heroes could emerge from the parted sea, Pris remained steadfast, mming his knuckles together once again¡ª

    ["Dao of Ever-Changing Tides"]

    A freely flowing, aquatic state took over his hair as his body bore cerulean marks, waving his hands in the air.

    "Come on out!" Pris shouted excitedly.

    The colossal waves that had remained stagnant began to swirl around at his gesture. Leagues of water moved at once, spinning around before parting further at the guidance of Pris. It was an act that could only bepared to the authority of a god, felt by Sirius as the sea moved around him wildly.

    A cyclone of water rose into the sky, rotating with a disastrous torque before more and more of the very same phenomena emerged from the ocean. From each of the colossal storms of aqua, serpents born of the free-flowing element slithered out.

    ["Synthesis of The Great Depths"]

    In every direction, the liquid serpents expelled beams of high-pressure water, leaving the surface of the sea in chaos before a bolt of lightning emerged from below. Though Pris hadmanded an effort of attacks that spanned leagues, it seemed impossible to catch the darting bolt of lightning that wrapped through every instance of water in a mere moment.

    To the untrained eye, perceiving the movements of the God of Heroes was a task that bordered on simply unattainable; bouncing off the sky hundreds of times in a moment, Sirius moved while flicking bolts of lightning at the Xianxia System user.

    Pris moved his arms, contorting the tides to create barriers of water to intercept the iing strikes.

    ''After being hit that hard, I bet you''re not nning on taking an attack like that again¨CI don''t me you. Let''s see if you can avoid me, though,'' Pris thought.

    ["Insight of The Deep"]

    Across every inch of the sea that surrounded him, Pris closed his eyes as he instead solely ced his senses throughout the ocean itself. Every inch of water became just as his own body; feeling everything through the boundless mass.

    "Grgh!--" Pris winced, feeling his body tense up.

    Though he tried to sense the speeding god through the sea, it backfired; the entirety of the ocean was shocked by the trails of Sirius, felt directly by the one who linked his senses to the water. It pushed him to relinquish his synchronized sense, though it was toote as the momentary stun brought him face-to-face with the lightning-quick deity.

    In that moment, the exact way that Sirius approached with a fist utterly engulfed in energy, Pris recognized what wasing¨C

    "Payback."

    ¨CThe fist struck against Pris'' sternum, pummeling an astronomical surge of electricity through his body in tandem with the force. Exuding from the point of impact, lines of lightning cackled as the shock wave further parted the void in the ocean, bringing forth an artificial rain that trickled over the sea.

    Pris found himself flying back, mming through colossal waves before being back in the air repeatedly, flickering in and out of consciousness. More fickle than his own state of mind was the very fact that the direct hit had brought his heart to a stop¨Ca single hit kill.

    ''So, that''s how he returns the favor¡­Well, favor returned¨Cmy body is barely responding,'' the thoughts shed across Pris'' mind with thrill.

    ["Divine Interference: First Gift"]

    As the cultivator''s body teetered on the edge, his bones shattered and his internal organs failing, a phenomena was born against his own understanding; a secret skill embedded into his Xianxia System. A second wind stirred his consciousness awake, mending his wounds and filling his body with strength.

    Pris flipped himself around in the air as the unruly sea swayed, mming his knuckles together as blood leaked into the air from his nostrils, "--Alright!"

    ["Dao of The Boundless Cosmos"]

    Those irises of a rainbow kaleidoscope, shining with a brilliance beyond mortal reach; Pris swept his hands, stirring the vast sea. Sirius bolted across the ocean towards the man, though found himself intercepted by an ominous sight¨C

    Waves taller than the clouds rose, peeling from the world as the bottom of the sea was left bare.

    What the God of Heroes witnessed wasn''t an authority over the great blue¨Cit was something else as those glistening waves loomed over.

    ''He''s manipting space itself. You were holding out on me still? I''d be offended if I wasn''t ecstatic right now¨Cshow me,'' Sirius analyzed.

    As the God of Heroes prepared himself to face the warper of cosmic force, a presence flickered for just a moment, only just then entering his senses¨C

    "Wukong."

    A golden light shined from behind Sirius as he spun himself around, being blinded in the process. It only just then entered his mind that another had entered the fray, or rather, jumped back in¨C

    [Aspect of The Monkey King summoned.]

    The radiance was expelled from a shout as the one who crashed into the duel made his presence imposed. Nearly unrecognizable, Jotham stood upon the air, d in tan fur with the features of a monkey having blended with his human appearance.

    Unmistakably, both presences were distinctly divine; it was no different than a strong scent to Sirius¨Ca certain heat and density to the air around those who possessed that caliber of soul.

    ''That guy survived the sh earlier? Maybe I sold him short,'' Sirius considered, looking towards the one who wielded the authority of the Monkey King.

    Amidst Sirius'' own thoughts, it was cut short as the first move was settled by Jotham, who hoisted not a de into the air, but a decorated polearm that jingled. As it was lifted, the size of the scarlet pole extended miles into the sky.

    To an incredibly scale, the mythical weapon was brought down as the downfalling weight caused the waves to ripple and split once more¨C

    ["Befalling Heaven"]

    Beneath the scope of the pole that fell like a mighty tower upon the sea, the lightning bolt dashed through the sky, aiming right for the wielder. As Sirius'' fist primed itself for the monkey-featured man, he was suddenly brought only punching the air, not facing the Monkey King.

    "Ah¨C?" Sirius reacted.

    It wasn''t an act of illusion, but moving himpletely out of ce in that split-second as the infinitely scaling pole mmed into the ocean. As waves crashed, Sirius turned to find the one that had forcibly warped him.

    Pris stood on the sky with a confident smirk, "Sorry, I know being moved around like that can make your head spin. Hope you''re not prone to motion sickness."

    "What a problematic ability," Sirius remarked.

 Chapter 168: The Thunder Gods Secret

    In that moment, the God of Heroes kicked off the air with a crack of thunder, bolting right for Pris, though the martial artist responded merely with a wave of his hand¨C

    ["Spatial Axis"]

    ¨COnce again, Sirius found his fist unable to connect as he was moved in theplete opposite direction. Instead, Sirius found himself warped against his will directly in the path of a massive shadow that closed in: the growing polearm consumed his entire vision as it mmed directly into him.

    "Ngh!--"

    Sirius struggled, pushing his hands in front of him in an attempt to catch the mile-long staff. As he used his strength to push against the staff that surpassed the weight of mountains, it dragged him back through the air before he nced back at a change in the wind¨C

    Behind him, Pris'' hands pped together before pushing out. It was then that Sirius felt a distinct "wall" in the air; an unseen, but immovable barrier of space brought by the Xianxia System user.

    ''I see¡­you seek to crush me¨C'' Sirius realized.

    Sirius drew in a breath amidst finding himself overpowered by the momentum of the colossal weapon. In the sky above, the magenta orb cracked further, and with it, the pressure of Sirius'' soul exuded like a foul storm.

    A burst of electricity brought the silver scale armor to elevate to a purple glow before the God of Heroes repelled the staff with a kick, flicking across the sky in an instant.

    "Nn¨C?!" Jotham reacted, still holding the staff as he found that flicker of lightning rapidly approaching.

    Faster, stronger, more aggressive¨Conce again, the God of Heroes showed that his well of power was not over yet. Jotham attempted to defend himself, quickly turning the staff from leagues in length back to merely a couple feet to use it to shield his body, though Sirius'' fist arrived much before that.

    The impact sounded as though the sky had cracked, flinging the one who embodied the Monkey King away.

    Just as Jotham was dealt a crushing blow, Pris warped himself around Sirius, flickering from spot-to-spot continuously. Coming from the front, he found the God of Heroes rapidly approaching, bringing him to thrust his fist forward¨C

    [ Crust Crushing Might"]

    From his knuckles, an imprint of his hand extended through the sky as a partially visible maniption in the air. Though as his fist had knocked around the wind, it failed to touch Sirius as Pris failed to find the figure anywhere near where his attack had been sent to.

    ''Where?--'' He questioned.

    Amidst his confusion, an emergence of magenta light from above, almost blindingly abundant, brought him to look up. A mass of lightning took the shape of a dragon''s head, spanning miles in the sky as its colossal jaws parted with thunder that boomed with the world''s final moments.

    In that moment caught between moments, time seemed to grind to a halt as the entirety of Pris'' brain worked to survive against the befalling cataclysm of lightning.

    He raised his hand, contorting the space above him, spinning it as the elemental catastrophe plummeted upon him. Immediately as the sky-shaking production of electricity met the space he weaved, he could feel his arms aching beneath the sheer weight of it.

    Beneath the Xianxia System user, the unruly sea rippled beneath the sh of thedivine element.

    ''My arms¡­It feels like they''re going to be torn off¨Cso, you were still holding out, O'' Mighty God?!'' Pris questioned with his unfading smile.

    Through the contortion of space, forced into a spiral shape, the draconic head of lightning pierced, crashing upon the man. The arrival of the godly invocation upon the ocean brought the entirety of the vast sea to ripple, burrowing a hole straight into the transient world.

    A crater was left a mile into the sea, turning it into a perfect, rim-shaped waterwall where the sea slowly trickled in as remnants of electricity still sparked.

    At the very bottom of the new hole burned into the, the man who received the terrific gift of lightningid on his back, slowly exhaling.

    "I''m alive¨Cthat''s great," Pris quietly said, pushing out a wheezy breath.

    Even though that was the case, as he picked himself up, it felt as though his body had been run over by a parade of elephants. Every bit was left sore and aching, from his flesh down to the marrow of his bones.

    ''We''re not close to done yet, though,'' Pris thought, spitting the blood from his mouth.

    Above the crater burrowed into the sea, the God of Heroes illuminated the sky, standing above it as he looked down at the results of his own strength. Still, the air around Sirius was not one that was happy to bring such destruction, even if necessary.

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    However¨C

    An orange glow filled the air, bringing the God of Heroes to turn his attention to the east. What was found as a parade of fireballs, ranging from the size of boulders to that of castles, soaring through the great blue.

    Riding in the middle of the iing shower of fire, Jotham ced himself atop the fireball that shined the brightest as his fur gifted by the Monkey King glistened.

    Jotham exhaled, fixing the crook of his nose as blood was pushed out of his nostrils from the blow taken earlier by Sirius'' fist, setting his eyes on that lightning-d figure.

    ''I can''t wield the authority of the Monkey King for much longer¨CI''ll have to make this count,'' Jotham decided.

    As Sirius readied himself, the pack of massive fireballs collided with the ocean, erupting into explosions of steam upon impact. As the volley of ming projectiles arrived, Jotham flipped off of the one he rode, letting it befall the lightning figure in one more, colossal explosion of heat.

    With his feetnding on the surface of the vapor-clouded sea, left boiling, Jotham grabbed a handful of fur before tossing it into the air round him¨CPOOF.

    ["Mischief of The Victorious Buddha"]

    Dozens of clones emerged of the monkey-shifted man, all rushing towards the deity of lightning. The vapor was pushed away by a surge of lightning, pushing outward with roaring thunder as Sirius faced down the army of Monkey Kings.

    Each wielded a shifting staff, extending in length as many were swung from every side of the God of Heroes. Sirius moved quickly, sprinting across the surface of water as he swept des of lightning with both hands.

    "Clones¡ª? A party trick," Sirius remarked.

    Though the lightning wielder imed as such, the elemental edges were stopped short of cutting through the doppelg?ngers of the monkey man. The many, changing staffs decorated with golden rings were solid and sturdy, even if the clones themselves were not.

    Sirius discovered this as his electric swords were stopped short by the polearms, having to flip back as the gang of divine monkey men mmed their poles into the sea.

    "Tch¨C"

    Even for the God of Heroes, the sheer quantity of attacks, with their shifting speeds and increasing sizes, left him open to being hit. No, it wasn''t quite just oveing his own agility¨Che found that the jingle of the rings attached to the staffs incurred an unusual reaction to his body.

    ''That chime¡­It''s disorienting my senses. I guess I didn''t register it when it was just the one, but with this many of those rings¡ªit''s an orchestra,'' Sirius realized.

    The sluggishness bestowed to the God of Heroes brought a dozen of the massive staffs mming down atop him.

    Sirius held his arms up as the heavy weapons collided against him, pushing him down as the surface of water bent and rippled, though it didn''t break.

    "Nnnrgh!¡ª"

    Sirius'' living armor hummed, radiating to a blinding glow of magenta before he pushed outward. A shock wave of electrical light rippled, pushing back the monkey men and their staffs.

    Immediately, the parade of Monkey Kings shifted from swinging their weapons to each inhaling until their chests puffed.

    Sirius felt a change in the air¡ªan increase in heat. All at once, the fur-d warriors expelled their lofty breaths in the form of bright-red mes.

    ["Breath of Scorching Lands"]

    As the fire collided with the sea into a glorious explosion, a lightning bolt ascended through the plume of the ze. A scatter of electricity was sent down, hunting each of the doppelgangers. Though the clones of the Monkey King tried to evade, the veracious bolts of Sirius struck them with impunity, returning them to nothing more than puffs of smoke.

    Jotham himself used his staff to block an iing strike, being left alone once again as he looked towards the god in the sky. All of the burns left on Sirius'' armor faded, with some spots hardly umting any damage.

    This fact was noted by the Mythos System user as the God of Heroes once more seemed unfazed by each attack.

    ''That confirms it. I noticed it when shing him with lightning earlier¨Cthat armor started to not even register my attacks the more I did so. It''s likely that it adapts to the attack that it receives, building an immunity until bing impervious to it. That''s problematic,'' Jotham analyzed.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 169: In The End, Of Course Itd Be You

    Facing down that thundering deity as the sky curled with the presence of divinity, the man who borrowed the authority of the Monkey King drew in an extended breath. As the exhale pushed through his lips, it left with a breeze that trickled across the ocean surface.

    ["72 Bian Shen Wai Shen Fa: 72 Heavenly Forms, Body Outside of Body"]

    The divine hairs of the Monkey King were spread out, each expanded into the air with forms unlike that of the monkey¨Ca turtle warrior, dragons that slithered in the sky with elemental forms, serpents that dived into the sea, tigers that roared as they trampled on the air¨Ca great deal of mythical beasts emerged.

    The parade of magical creatures roared and howled, shaking the waters and the skies alike as Jotham stood among them, facing the God of Heroes above.

    ''I won''t let you adapt¨Ca hundred different attacks, all at once¨Ctry defending that,'' Jotham thought.

    Against the beasts of scales, fur, and even shells, the God of Heroes was pressed to respond as the seventy-two approached. Plentiful in number, but even more dangerous in strength¡ªfire and ice rained down from the serpentine dragons.

    From mischievous furrets, they flicked their paws with strides of chromatic magic. All of this served to bombard Sirius, who didn''t remain on one spot.

    Foremost between the raining elements, Sirius was confronted by a turtle-man. The shelled figure stood well over two meters tall, with an armored body as ted in steel.

    A flick of the wrist cast a lightning bolt at the shelled one''s abdomen, though it simply dispersed upon contact. Sirius was left stunned for a moment, though that shock was turned to glee.

    "You''re actually quite interesting¡ªI take it back! Perhaps a man-made god, but you''ve reached that level nheless!" Sirius praised Jotham, catching the turtle''s headbutt with a single hand.

    In that moment of passion driven by battle, Sirius yanked the heavyset turtle off its feet, holding it above his head just as an inferno and blizzard poured down.

    The soaring dragons above didn''t relent, though Sirius didn''t seem to mind as heughed with joy. As the God of Heroes tossed the shelled creature at the end of the elemental downpour, a rumble of the sea beneath his feet brought him to pause for merely a split-second.

    VRRRRRR

    The surface of the aquatic stretch rippled and parted right beneath his feet, bringing Sirius to look down to find the emergence of a vast, pale whale. It rose, flying into the air as its gargantuan maw opened in hopes of consuming the lively god.

    Sirius ascended, though as he watched the whale soar from the depths of the sea, a sh of frost and fire came down.

    "Nnh¡ª"

    Against the living armor, the unison of the dancing dragons brought down the hot and cold storm. While the heat did nothing to scathe the divine hero, the biting blizzard clung to his armor.

    ''I see¡­He wishes to overwhelm me with a variety of attacks. So, he figured out how my armor functions¡ªimpressive,'' Sirius deduced amidst the breath of frost and fire.

    Across the sky, he moved as a bolt of lightning through the breath of ice, striking against the chin of the azure-scaled dragon that had incurred the cold. Through the cold dragon, Sirius cut through with a de of lightning, not wasting a moment to give the same treatment to the beast that breathed fire.

    Yet, as Sirius passed through the zing beast, the divine hero''s instincts drove him to nce to the side¨C

    "Ghh!"

    Before the God of Heroes could move, a force struck him right in the sternum¨Cthe expanding staff of the Monkey King. It pushed against his chest, knocking the air out of Sirius'' lungs before he immediately bounced back, flicking across the air as he sent his foot directly against Jotham''s head.

    An immediate follow-up came before Jotham could defend himself, holding his staff in front of his body as a sh of lightning came.

    "Ngh¨C"

    Jotham winced as it bypassed the weapon, imbuing a gash across his chest before he was blown away once again. However, before he fell, the man who borrowed the Monkey King''s authority waved a symbol into the air, pointing his finger at the God of Heroes¨C

    ["Body Freezing Spell"]

    "Ah¨C?"

    Sirius found himself unable to move, as though there was no space around his body to budge even an inch. It wasn''t as though a great strength had bound him; what kept Sirius from moving felt in that moment more akin to forgetting how to move altogether.

    With that act, Jotham fell towards the sea with his chest oozing blood, flickering between consciousness and unconsciousness, holding the binding spell as long as he could.

    ''I''m leaving the final move to you,'' Jotham tiredly thought.

    As Sirius fought to break from the spell that froze his body, something caught the corner of his eye. With what little control of himself he had, the God of Heroes nced over, seeing the sore sight of Pris, whose body was bruised and battered, yet had a focused look.

    ''What is he doing? He''s not attacking while I''m bound? No¨Cwhat is that?'' Sirius questioned.

    In that moment ofpromise, the divine being realized why Pris did not approach; instead, the martial artist had thrown something in his direction. A dagger¨Cit was one that looked familiar to Sirius, though he didn''t recognize why at the moment. Instead, the only thing he knew is that he could not let it reach him¨Cfor some reason, his body told him that much.

    Yet, the binding spell restricted him, forcing him to draw upon further body¨CCrack. At the world''s peak, the orb that kept it all held together cracked further as a flood of godly power returned to Sirius'' body.

    The abundance of divine strength allowed the God of Heroes to tear himself out of the unseen binding, pushing his arms out with a gust of wind breathing outward. It was within a single meter of his body, though with ample time to react, Sirius flickered away¨C

    "--?!"

    Sirius'' moved himself leagues away, though found the dagger still right there, chasing after him at the exact same position. It wasn''t as if it changed direction to follow him¨Cno, it was different, he figured that out immediately.

    ''This de¡­It''s anchored to my position, wherever I go,'' Sirius realized.

    A nce across the dested sea brought him to a conclusion: it was the maniption of space at the hands of Pris.

    Instead of evading it, the God of Heroes opted to meet the ominous dagger directly, reaching his hand out with the intent of repelling it.

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1100/4000]

    From thousands of meters into the sky, across the transient world''s continents, Finn found himself transported to his dagger, grabbing it as he was brought face-to-face with Sirius.

    There was merely a partial millisecond to react, though Finn knew what to do without thinking twice¡ª

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    With enhanced strength, he pushed the dagger against the living armor of the deity. It took some push, but the de made it through.

    "Nrgh!¡ª" Sirius struggled.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Though the de stabbed into the abdomen of the god, Finn knew it wasn''t enough. It would never be just enough tond such a simple strike¡ª

    Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    ["The Art of Dying"] [24:59:59]

    Imbued through the de of the dagger and into the stomach of Sirius, the aspect of death was instilled. As the dagger delivered the end, Finn readied himself for retaliation from the man he stabbed, though found no such response.

    What the assassin found was an expression devoid of malice as the armor that clung to the God of Heroes'' body unraveled.

    "Somehow, I had a feeling. I knew in the end, it''d be you to deal the final blow," Sirius calmly remarked with a small smile.

    Finn didn''t know what to say as he retrieved the dagger, unable to conjure any words in the face of the one he expected to show him hatred. Just as he pulled his de away, he began to descend towards the ocean, as did the god that was dealt the final blow.

    The sky cracked and fractured as though being hit by world-shattering hammers, raining down glistening shards of the.

    ["Sirius, God of Heroes defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x50000 obtained."]

    [Level fifty-four reached!"] [25000/335000]

    [Assimted ability from ["Sirius"]: "Magenta" | "Scales of The Hollow Hero"]

    [New Skill(s) Obtained: "Plunder"]

    Seeing the rewards of his victory, he looked up as he plummeted, seeing the bright orb atop the world shatter inpletion, trickling down in a violet, tranquil rain. Everything wasing down; the sky itself crumbled as clouds split and stretched.

    Below him, the ocean itself was tossed around, rising into the shattering sky as though lifted from the''s crust. It left himnding on nothing but a shallow pool once his feet finally reached the ground once again.

    Somehow, falling from such a height didn''t bring any harm, instead feeling as though he weightlesslynded. It wasn''t surprising to him, seeing as the fading world''s gravity seemedpletely off, watching the sea itself rise up in a parade of aquatic orbs.

    ''It''s over now¡­We can finally go back home¨Cwhatever is left of it, anyway,'' Finn thought, ncing down at his body.

 Chapter 173: Interlude: Transcendence of Humanity, Part Three

    Sirius exhaled after finishing the destroyer, looking upon the results of the release of lightning¡ª

    Across the region of the cosmos, the ckndscape was scarred with snow-white bolts.

    "¡ªWe did it," Sirius breathed out, looking ahead.

    ["Burned into the flesh of the universe forevermore was the mark of not just Sirius, but those that had lived on the world that no longer stood."]

    With hisst purpose achieved, there was nothing left for the man to do. There was no world left for him, nobody to connect with, simply a vast, empty gxy looking back at him.

    As he floated in the cosmos with nothing left, Sirius began to close his eyes with the intent of resting for millennia, yet¡ª

    A light pushed against his eyes before they could sleep. He parted his eyelids, finding the radiance toe from a peculiar existence that had spawned before him.

    A white doorway emerged in the void in front of him, weing him in.

    ''Guess I''m being invited¡­? Where?'' Sirius questioned.

    With nothing left to do, he decided there was no harm in seeing where the enigmatic doorway led. He stepped on the bare cosmos, crossing the threshold into the unknown.

    What awaited for the man who had transcended the boundaries of reality was something that caught him off guard¡ª

    "Ah?" Sirius let out.

    What sat through the universal doorway was an unassuming, well-furnished home. It brought him to pause for a moment from the jarring shift, looking around at the peculiar interior.

    The room was upied by cushioned seats, set atop a fluffy rug sat in front of a warm firece.

    ''It''s a home¡­? What''s going on here?'' Sirius questioned.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It was all quite odd, questioning how he found himself stranded in the boundless cosmos in the quiet,fy home.

    "Take a seat."

    The voice caught him off guard; it was that of an older gentleman, calm and sophisticated, though with a strong undertone.

    Sirius looked to his left, finding that somebody was sitting in the chair closest to the firece. A middle-aged man, bearded man sat there, looking at the guest. Without needing to ask, Sirius already knew just who he was looking at¨Cit was a gut feeling, though the sort he was absolutely sure of.

    "You''re the Creator, aren''t you? The one responsible for all of this mess¨Cit''s you," Sirius used, looking at the stranger.

    The usation that came out as something undeniable, unable to be rejected, from the lips of the guest brought the bearded man by the firece to calmly respond¨C

    "I am who you believe me to be, yes. How does that make you feel? I''m sure there''s a lot of things you wish to ask me," the simple-in-appearance Creator admitted.

    Having his suspicions confirmed, a range of emotions yed through Sirius, manifested through electricity at his fingertips.

    "Why''d you do it? You''re all-powerful, right? Why''d you send the Apocalypse to my world¡ªwhat reason was there to doom millions?" Sirius asked with angercing his words.

    The Creator sat there with an unmoved expression, unflinching to the threat of lightning as the mes in the firece crackled.

    "You first need to consider it from a new view. The power you''ve obtained now¡ªit''s why you were able to see that doorway. You''ve transcended. In that, do you still believe life to be that precious?" The Creator asked.

    "What kind of question is that¡ª? Of course I do! It''s the only meaningful thing there is in existence!" Sirius answered.

    With his response, he swept his hand,shing out with lightning that scattered through the once calm,forting room. As he cast his contempt forth, the environment around him peeled away as though it was nothing more than a stic curtain.

    "Of course," Sirius muttered.

    As the walls burned away, what was revealed was a void of white, filled with translucent shapes that loosely resembled the architecture of a grandiose building. It was far from anything "human"-pletely foreign to anything built off of emotion or the unison of others.

    What it was amounted to the handiwork of an all-powerful entity, uncaring for the work put into building structures.

    "This is your real form then, is it?" Sirius questioned.

    Looking up ahead of him, what he found was a far cry from the appearance of the simple, bearded man previously. Instead, he stared at a towering figure that was roughly humanoid, possessing dozens of ivory arms with a body decorated in pale robes.

    Even the face he looked at was nothing human, more like a carving made out of brilliant diamonds in the shape of a cross between a man and woman''s faces, dazzling with light.

    "I had hoped creating an environment and appearance familiar to you would allow us to build rapport. I see now that I was mistaken in that judgment," the Creator spoke.

    Though the voice was loud enough to fill the transparent space, it didn''t disrupt the ears of the man, instead instilling a tranquil feeling like that of a nighttime melody. Yet, Sirius kept his contempt close to his heart when confronting the all-powerful being.

    "Something like you¡­There''s no way I can believe humanity was your creation. There''s no emotion in your voice¨Cit''spletely empty," Sirius used the pinnacle entity.

    A moment of silence followed before the many-armed Creator responded to the observation from the guest, "You are correct in your assessment. The core of humanity¨Cthe "Soul", as you might call it, is not a concept of my intention."

    "It''s not¨C? You''re supposed to be the all-knowing, all-powerful god of all of this, aren''t you? You''re telling me something like that wasn''t your doing?" Sirius questioned.

    With the motions of its countless arms, the diamond-headed being conjured a look into the cosmos, bringing the light of miniature stars ands into view, disying it all to Sirius.

    "I possessplete authority over creation, that is true. However, I am not all-knowing. I have spent many cycles of the universe observing, learning. That is¡­I am still unsure of how the "Soul" was developed¨Cthis is something I did not observe," the Creator admitted, holding a vibrant, white object in the palm of one of its hands. "Perhaps, this is the work of one that came before me. Continue reading on m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    A greater being? Somebody in a reality higher than our own? I yearn to discover the truth behind this unforeseen concept."

    "I don''t care about that. None of it matters to me¡ªyou took away everything that mattered!" Sirius admonished the being.

    "You still¡­feel attachment to those that are gone? Even in your current state that you''ve ascended to?" The Creator asked with genuine curiosity.

    Hearing the questione from the almighty figure, Sirius felt himself conversing with something far, far from humanity. It was clear to him that this being truly didn''t have any hand in what humanity had be.

    ''Maybe that''s why it ended up like this¡­The way humanity has developed, what it''s be¡­Maybe it''s be fearful of that unknown,'' Sirius considered.

    After some thought, he gave his response as the lightning surging through his body had no choice but to coil around his arms, "As I am now, it''s harder to see the smaller things. That doesn''t mean I''ve stopped caring though¨Cit doesn''t mean my rage is forgotten. My love for my world isn''t so shallow that a bit of power would strip that all away."

    "I understand now. One empowered by the human soul will not tarnish it, even when transcending the mortal coil. I have no such foundation¡­From before existence took form, I sprouted from the First Cell.

    In that great void, I melded with existence itself, integrating with it and bing its host and weaver," the Creator exined, using its many hands to conjure a view into the in, vast void that existed before the universe.

    "¡­You haven''t answered me. Why did you do it? These Apocalypses sent to worlds of humans¡ªwhy did you send them?" Sirius demanded an answer.

    In that pale pce of translucent structures, the Creator''s mechanical limbs clicked as its hollow eyes watched the guest with no emotion behind them.

    "You are an example of why I''vemitted to this Grand Experiment," the Creator imed.

    "What?" Sirius asked.

    "Being brought to the limit, pushed into the brinks of the most depraved situations¡­I''ve observed that''s when the soul thrives and begins to evolve. In an age of cmity, the adaptations of the soul are truly boundless, perhaps endless¨Cyou are one such result," the Creator exined without a touch of emotion in their voice.

    The answer from the divine entity only served to ignite something within Sirius as he stood there silently for a moment, settling in what he had heard.

    "Experiment¡­? Result¡­? You brought the end of millions of lives just to serve your curiosity?" Sirius used.

    The Creator rified, "--You make it sound like something so heinous. Each life is my own creation. What I''m doing is no different than a child pushing around sand to see what shapes can be made. It is of no consequence."

 Chapter 175: Dreams Never End

    The discovery he made, or at the very least, the educated guess brought hispanions over to look at the very same sign.

    "Russia? Really?" Charlotte asked.

    Jasper leaned in, brushing the scraps of nature from the deteriorated, wooden sign, "Yeah, looks like it to me. Guess it lines up, seeing where we''re at."

    It couldn''t feel more of a shift from Korea, thoughpared to the destendscapes of the First Order, it didn''t feel too different.

    "Out in the middle of nowhere, pretty much¡­" Charlotte remarked, brushing her hair behind her ear as she looked at one of the homes.

    It looked like a cruel breath would be enough to topple the rickety house that almost more so resembled arger shed.

    "You''re not wrong. Though most of the world isn''t much better," Finn said, lightly tapping his knuckles against the front door.

    Though it was more likely to be struck by lightning than to find somebody upying the home, he still felt it was necessary to knock.

    With no response, he turned the handle, finding it unlocked as it opened with a creak. A small peek found only dust entering his lungs as he coughed. All he could see was an old coat rack and crusted newspapers stacked up.

    "See something?" Jasper asked from behind.

    "Nothing," Finn observed before fully opening the doorway and stepping in.

    There was a foul stench that lingered in the abandoned home, like that of mold and spoiled food. A few steps down the hall brought him to nce into a kitchen, confirming the stench. A pile of dirty tes and pots were left in the sink, with ck gunk that used to be food left on the tableware.

    ''Unsurprising,'' Finn thought.

    It seemedpletely empty, left quiet even with the presence of the outsiders intruding.

    Jasper breathed out, patting the ck coat on the rack as dust cascaded, "Y''know, I would''ve thought a remote ce like this would be untouched."

    "Really, I doubt there''s anywhere that has been left untouched¡­sadly," Charlotte added, brushing her hand against a wooden chair sat by a table.

    Finn knelt down to investigate the stack of newspapers that were propped up against the moldy, beige walls. Lifting the first one, the vguage was something he couldn''t read, but he could still tell one thing¨Cit was extremely out of date.

    He continued sifting through the papers, though found they were all simr in age, "These are all decades old, at least. Whoever lived here must''ve been a hermit."

    "Whatever the case, the ce doesn''t look damaged¡­besides the obvious mess. I didn''t see a soul in this vige though. I don''t know if monsters actually came this way," Jasper questioned while walking around the kitchen, gazing at the mess in the sink.

    "Monsters aren''t prone to just destroying property unless somebody is hiding behind it," Finn responded, standing back up.

    Charlotte stood in the hallway, adding in, "Do you think the people who were here fled, then?"

    "That''s what I was thinking. It''s not like there''s anywhere to flee though¨CI doubt any kind of civilization is left," Finn presumed.

    For the time being at least, the home would have to do as a temporary ce of rest. The living room was at least somewhat clean, with a suitable couch and some nkets and pillows on the floor.

    Jasper sat on a knitted nket set on the floor, removing his helmet with a quiet exhale, "Being back here, all of what happened before¡ªit''s almost hard to believe."

    Beside the knight, Finnid himself down on another nket, resting his head against the pillow, "Yeah, I get that. It''s almost too quiet here."

    The couch was taken by Charlotte as sheid herself on it, being no more than an arm''s reach from Finn or Jasper. Keeping close proximity was intentional in the state of the world, as the threat of monsters or others was always present.

    The living room of the abandoned, vic home was also space to antiques that looked decades old, mainly of soldier figurines in a ss cab, alongside miniature cannons and tanks.

    "I''m probably going to have nightmares about that damn lion for a few weeks at least," Jasper sighed whileying back.

    "Yeah? I''m still seeing shes of lightning when I close my eyes," Finn remarked, closing his eyes.

    "It''s all done now, so we can rest easy," Charlotte said.

    Though it was true that the First Order wasplete, it hardly felt as though it was so given to rest easy. Finnid there, staring up at the ceiling riddled with mold and aged paint, still wary that the whole roof maye down at any moment.

    ''I wonder where everybody else was sent,'' he considered.

    The thought of all the other survivors that had helped in bringing down Sirius brought him to sit up.

    "What''s up?" Jasper asked from beside him.

    "There were a lot of people there¡ªwhen I used the Convergence Call, I mean," Finn exined.

    "Wish I could''ve been there," Charlottemented with a quiet breath, resting on the olive couch.

    "It was¡­something. I mean, seeing some of the people there¡ªit''s opened my eyes," Finn admitted while sitting there. Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin

    Jasper leaned on his elbow as his lengthy hair somewhat draped over his face, "What do you mean? Surprised there''s that many left?"

    "It''s not that¡ªthe strength of some of them, it''s astounding. I really think humanity has a chance at this," Finn genuinely said, remembering the sights he witnessed.

    It was something he wished they had seen as well, knowing what sort of people were still left fighting. Even in the depths of some remote vige in a country far from his home, it was nice knowing they weren''t alone in their fight.

    "I haven''t seen you this energetic in a while. No offense, it''s just¡­most of the time you look like you just left a wake," Jasper told him.

    "Trust me, I''m pretty tired right now actually¡­so on that note, I''m getting some sleep," Finn said,ying himself back down.

    Charlotte shared the same sentiment, "Me too. Night."

    "It was daytime out there still but¡ªyeah, night," Jasper ryed.

    "Night," Finn added in.

    Allowing himself topletely rx after the battle that required one hundred and twenty percent of his effort, sleep came quite easily to him.

    Even though that was the case¡ª

    ["Dreamwalking Initiated¡­Entering Faraway World"]

    "Gah¡ª"

    As soon as the sensation of entering deep sleep came over him, his eyes shot open. The moldy, dim interior of the vige home was instead reced by a vibrant sight.

    It took a second for him to adjust to the jarring change, though he recognized quickly where he had returned to.

    "Dammit¡­This again," Finn exhaled in annoyance.

    "Greetings, guest of the tea party!"

    From across the table that was already set with tea and biscuits was the Mad Hatter, always with the same excitement. Hearing that chipperughter from the man who drank an astronomical amount of the warm beverage, it only served to incite a headache from the young man.

    "Why the hell am I stilling back here?" Finn questioned out loud, rubbing his head.

    "Oh? You aren''t returning because you''re fabulously enchanted by my brew? Ah, just kidding!" Hatterughed, though frowned immediately after beforeughing again.

    "I''d like to get proper sleep¡­Not deal with this," Finn protested with a sigh, looking down at the fresh mug of tea served to him.

    "May I interject with a guess as to why you keep returning here?" Hatter offered, sipping from his cup.

    "I''m all ears," Finn listened in.

    It was another serving of tea before the man of a patchwork suit chimed in with his own thoughts, "Well, I''d say you and the Jabberwock out there have some unsettled business still, yes. Rather, I believe you''ve been tossed around like a ragdoll the past encounters."

    "¡­I wouldn''t put it that way, but I get what you''re saying. It''s been a pain in the ass in my visits here," Finn admitted with a sigh, opting for another sip.

    What was supposed to be a light taste turned into gulping down the entire cup before setting it back down. Of course, this brought the Hatter to happily pour him a refill.

    "I don''t need another cup¡ª" Finn tried to decline.

    "Nonsense. Enjoy one more with me before you confront that unruly beast," Hatter insisted, pouring them both another serving.

    Though he wasn''t thirsty, he didn''t reject the offer anymore as he epted the tea.

    "So, I have to kick that thing''s ass to stop these nightly visits¡­Yeah, I guess ites down to that," Finn resolved before downing thest serving of tea.

    As he stood himself up with the intent of paying the Jabberwock one more visit, the host of the tea party pped his hands with excitement.

    "Oh! I''m looking forward to this!" Hatter pped his hands together.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    For better or worse, confronting the frightening beast was an unavoidable obstacle in his way. Once more, he followed the burnt path of the tucked-away field, being led between charred trees and smoky winds.

 Chapter 176: Face The Calamity

    After oveing the First Order and obtaining newfound levels for himself, there was confidence instilled in him as he walked the same path that had led him to an unbeatable encounter before.

    Again, he found himself staring up at that jagged peak, only wishing to earn himself proper, stress-free rest.

    "Come on out, you half-baked dragon!" Finnmanded impatiently, readying his daggers.

    Rumbling shook the ground as he witnessed the clouds swirl and contort around the sharp mountain ahead. That massive silhouette crawled out from behind the peak, revealing itself with that peculiar neck slithering like a serpent.

    "You¡­again you approach me. Arrogant words spew from your mouth, little man¡ªam I misremembering that you are the one that flees?"

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [...Assessing information about [???]...]

    [BOSS Identified: "The Jabberwock"] [Level: 100]

    Even facing it now at a much higher level, Finn felt the sheer size and ferocity of the creature oozing like a dense wind.

    "The one that flees? That''s a funny nickname to call someone," Finn responded as sweat dripped from his cheek.

    ["Abyssal Agent: Hades"] [Mana: -2000] [2400/4400]

    Enveloping himself in the teal mes that shaped itself into armor around his body, strength surged through his body. Immediately with it, the coldness of the mystical ze settled into his skin in tandem.

    "¡ªOh? A new trick? Interesting, but futile nheless," the Jabberwock remarked as it quickly descended from the jagged peak.

    The weight of the stone-skinned, draconic monster crashed onto the ashen ground as Finn felt its presence in front of him. Somehow, despite the overwhelming stature of the beast, little fear was felt by Finn.

    ''Compared to Sirius, it''s not all that scary¡­That was worse¡ªthis can be managed,'' he thought, squeezing the handles of his daggers.

    Though he may steel his own resolve, the idea still sat in his head at the scale of the beast he faced against. As it stood on its hind legs as tall as a tower,manding ck clouds to swirl in the sky and violent thunder to shake the wind, it presented itself as a walking cmity.

    "I have sought a meal that has some bite to it, as well. It makes it all the more delectable when I have to work for my supper¡ªso, do not disappoint, small human," the Jabberwock weed the challenge as its tongue slithered from its mouth with a ravenous look in its eyes.

    "I''m not nning on bing a meal for anybody, so good luck with that¨C" Finn responded.

    As he got the words out, he was forced to flip back as the beast''s hand crashed down, carrying with it a spear of lightning that plunged into the burnt soil.

    What felt like an overwhelming torrent of power before was no more than an unruly wind as Finn caught himself on his feet, witnessing the sparks dashing in each direction.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ''In terms of lightning, this is nothingpared to Sirius¡­I can manage against this,'' Finn assured himself.

    The problemy in getting close to the Jabberwock, as it continued to m its hands down, bringing with it explosions of fiery, unstable power that erupted the charredndscape. A [Blink sh] felt too dangerous¨Cbeing in such close proximity at all to the unpredictable cmity felt like throwing his life away.

    "The one that flees! The one that cowers! It is all but certain when facing the Jabberwock!" The great beast shouted, roaring into the sky as it mmed its hands into the soil, once more causing an eruption of brilliant mes all around it.

    No matter how quick or swift he may be, Finn could only watch as pirs of fire rose to the sky, sweeping through the valley like burning tidal waves. None of his nimbleness mattered in the face of such wild, uncaring disys of power.

    ''This thing fights like a raging toddler. How the hell am I supposed to do anything when it''s just spamming attacks like this is a damn fighting game?!'' Finn thought.

    All that consumed his vision was the sight of the overwhelming inferno, cultivating into crimson geysers that spun and were woven into majestic fireworks that ignited in the sky above. At the same time, the Jabberwock unleashed hellishughter, parading in the destruction of its own causing, almost performing a dance amidst the cataclysmic fireworks on disy.

    It was the pr opposite to the God of Heroes in the assassin''s mind; a beast that cared for nothing more than destruction.

    Attempting to fight it was no different as trying tobat a natural disaster; shooting a gun at a tornado, or shing a sword at a hurricane¨Cit all felt equally futile and suicidal.

    ''How am I supposed to even fight something like this? Man, I just want a good night of sleep¡­Can''t I just have a nice dream for once?'' He wished.

    Even staying in one spot was precarious as the soil boiled beneath his feet, forcing him to move. Steam exuded from the ground as he sprinted around, attempting to find any sort of opening on theughing beast.

    It almost seemed like he wasn''t the focus of the Jabberwock, instead only an excuse for it to relish in destruction once more. The trees around him were lit aze by the rain of fire on the deste world, filling the sky with smoke and his nose with its scent of coal.

    ''I can try this one out¨CI haven''t had the chance to use it, but it might work¨Cif I''m quick enough, it might be possible to bypass its elements,'' he nned.

    Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin

    Readying himself, he tossed his dagger with all of his strength and precision, letting it soar right for the left arm of the grand creature. Just as the de arrived near its forearm¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100][2300/4400]

    He caught his dagger while setting his footing on the stone skin of the Jabberwock''s limb. There was only a split-second before it''d notice him amidst its destructive trance, but that moment was more than enough¨C

    ["Supercharge"]

    Upon activating the ability, he felt all of his muscles clench up momentarily as a feeling like a million volts running through his veins surfaced. Everything seemed to slow down; the hellfire that rained down trickled down like snowkes halted by gravity.

    Even the movements of the serpentine dragon seemed to be brought down to a slow pace. He began his sprint, moving with elevated speed as he ran along the length of the colossal limb with haste.

    ''It''s like everything is in slow-motion, and I''m faster, but¡­I can''t hold this for long¨CI already feel my body heating up like I''m in a damn oven,'' he thought, pushing a steamed breath past his lips.

    Even with the drawbacks, the sheer speed it provided couldn''t be overstated. He ran along its body, dragging his des along with the freezing ze across the beast''s stone skin.

    Against the warped mes, even the hardened hide of the Jabberwock gave in; the small incision led the cold to birth into frost that dug into each wound.

    A long trail of incisions were left before he reached its hand, priming his des for its skull before¡ª

    "Grk!"

    His entire body came to a halt amidst his swift trance, suffering a recoil from the prolonged overclock to his body. It felt like whish, nearly knocking him off the colossal body of the beast as he stumbled.

    He caught himself just before slipping off of its head, though it was toote as it already began to thrash around wildly.

    "You dare trample upon my head, little human?! I''ll gobble you up and burn your bones to ash!" The Jabberwock roared.

    The sudden movement brought Finn to try and catch his footing, but he was thrown off as the beast whipped its neck around.

    ''Shit¡ª'' Finn thought.

    It wasn''t just that he fell, he was violently thrown to the side as he rotated himself around in the air.

    "¡ªReplication!"

    In that split-second before he could be tossed leagues away, a shadow-born copy of himself was created. The doppelg?nger grabbed his arm, quickly spinning around and throwing him right back towards the beast.

    "¡ª!"

    Before he could return to the Jabberwock, it swiped its hand towards him. That massive limb might as well have been a tower being swung for his body.

    ["Blink sh"] [2:59]

    He arrived once again at the snout of the hideous beast, shing at its nose as it missed its swipe by a wide margin. It wasn''t optimal for Finn; he wished to save the skill for a better use, though was forced into it.

    Facing its nostrils that wererger than his body, he shed his des in an "X" cross¨C

    ["Ripper"] [Mana: -100] [2200/4400]

    The evisceration was infused with the freezing mes, cleaving into the decayed nose of the beast. Though it seemed effective, the weird ripple to the Jabberwock''s nostrils caused him rm.

    ''What''s it doing¡­?'' He questioned.

    Just as a realization came, he raised his arms to protect himself¨C

    ["Impervious"] [4:59]

    "ACK¡­CHOOOOOOOOOO¨C!"

 Chapter 177: Stone Skin, Steel Claws

    "ACK¡­CHOOOOOOOOOO¨C!"

    Directly against him, the colossal sneeze erupted from the colossus¡¯ nose, sting him with a foul wind that blew him away.

    Just from the wind pressure alone of the involuntary reaction from the Jabberwock, Finn counted his blessings for his use of [Impervious]¡ªknowing what could¡¯ve happened.

    ¡¯¡­My bones would¡¯ve shattered¡ªwhat the hell? It¡¯s like I¡¯m facing a cartoon,¡¯ he thought, attempting to flip himself around in the air.

    Before crashing into the burnt soil, he caught himself on his feet, though finding himself with the snot of the beast left on him. He quickly brushed it off, though was forced to move as fire once more erupted in the valley.

    Again, the distance around the cmity was engulfed by mes, spewing out and exploding into the sky.

    For Finn, any im to win felt impossible again¡ªdespite his efforts, the Jabberwock resumed to square one.

    ¡¯I barely scratched it. My Ripper only caused it to sneeze¡­Why am I being brought here? This fight is impossible¡ªit doesn¡¯t make sense,¡¯ he questioned.

    "My ws that snatch! My jaws that bite! My mes that burn!" The Jabberwock roared as if singing his own praises to the clouds.

    The temperature had ascended rapidly, from once being warm to humid and burning,pletely dry as the air that Finn breathed felt more like breathing pure smoke.

    It wasn¡¯t attacking him, at least not yet¡ªthe cmitous beast faced the sky, standing on its hind legs.

    ¡¯What¡¯s it doing?¡¯ He questioned.

    The air around the Jabberwock contorted, fluctuating with abnormal heat that only rose and rose at a rapid pace. He could see the ground around it bubbling up and melting as the mes that gathered around its maw ascended from crimson to azure.

    Discover hidden stories at mvl

    "That looks¡­bad," Finn muttered under his breath.

    What was bing clear to him was the goal of the Jabberwock¡¯s theatrics¡ªit wasn¡¯t just aiming for him. The destructive beast was seeking to burn everything in the region, gathering a hellstorm of fire that rippled through the valley.

    Just as the stone-skinned cmity tilted its head towards him, bearing the overwhelming glow of fire at the assassin¡ª

    ¡¯Shit!¡¯ Finn realized.

    ["Shadow Realm"]

    As the fire consumed his vision, he opened the gateway into the void of darkness, slipping into it just as the extraordinary heat flooded the region.

    The roars of the beast and its mes were reced by the silence of the realm of darkness as he floated there.

    It waspletely disconnected from the outside, leaving him clueless as to whatid out there. From the calm, unmoving darkness, it was a gamble to even poke his head back out, knowing what he saw in the split-second before submerging.

    ¡¯I saw it briefly, no¡­I felt it before dipping down¨Cwhatever it was that it unleashed, it was on a massive scale. It ignited the atmosphere, at least that¡¯s what I sensed¡­Shit. Is it safe toe out? Can Ie out? Did it see me? Does it know where I dipped out from?¡¯ Finn questioned, looking up at the ripples that led out of the abyss.

    All he could do was wait for absolutely no tell besides his own gut. As he sat there in the darkness, safe perhaps only until he left its boundaries, one concept popped into his head.

    ¡¯That¡¯s right¡­I obtained that from Sirius¨Cit might work, just maybe,¡¯ he recalled.

    ["Scales of The Hollow Hero"]

    Around his body, a warmth enveloped him as the living scales crawled across his skin. Ovepping his outfit, the mystical armor sped itself around his body topletion.

    It was somewhat tight, almost squeezing around his body before the pressure was released.

    "¡ªPhhhf."

    He slowly exhaled, readying himself as he looked up at the exit from the shadow realm. It was all a gamble, only one that he could entrust his own instincts to.

    ¡¯Let¡¯s do this,¡¯ he resolved.

    He ascended from dark gateway, exiting from the silent darkness right into¡ª

    "Ah."

    An immense amount of heat immediately greeted him as he found himself engulfed in a sea of fire.

    "Nnngh!¡ª"

    There was no avoiding it; the atmosphere itself was set aze, leaving the mes to grip his bodypletely. It was everywhere, burning everything.

    ¡¯Shit¡­C¡¯mon¡­!¡¯ He urged.

    The living armor worked to mend itself, fighting against the ravenous inferno. It was hard to see anything in the overwhelming element, though he could hear the thunderous stomps of the beast close by.

    Rather than focusing on the Jabberwock, he was more concerned with the mes that tried to eat through his protection. He could feel liters of sweat oozing from his pores, his lungs filling with smoke that burned him from the inside, yet the mes themselves did not reach his flesh.

    ¡¯It¡¯s resisting it¨Cno, it¡¯s adapting. This is the armor he wore¨C? Something like this¡­I¡¯m still surprised we somehow defeated that guy,¡¯ Finn thought, looking at his hands as the mes failed to chew through the armor.

    Though it resisted being consumed by the ze, it didn¡¯t change the fact it felt like he was in an oven, soaked in sweat just beneath the protective shell.

    "BA-HA-HA-HA! IT¡¯S BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL! THIS IS WHAT TRUE MAJESTY IS¡­THE SIGHTS OF FIRE AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE!" The twisted voice of the long-necked beast shouted amidst the hellishndscape.

    Nothing it said really made sense, nor did it seem to care to do so. It was no different than fighting a shark in the depths of the ocean; the natural environment, flooded with fire, was the stomping grounds of the Jabberwock.

    ["Flicker"]

    He moved swiftly, though with no set pattern, warping from spot-to-spot on the burning soil as watched the beast¡¯s shadow stretch over his position. It didn¡¯t even seem to notice him as one of its feet came crashing down just a meter to his right.

    The weight of it stomping into the dirt rumbled the ming field, rippling through his own body as he looked up at its body. Having a direct line of sight on it as it towered over him, he opted not to swing with his dagger, but test something else out¨C

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ["Magenta"]

    ¨CThe assimted power of the God of Heroes manifested itself through the bright, purple electricity coiling around his hand. It made his entire arm tingle as he lifted it, flicking his wrist in a natural motion to send forth the manifestation of lightning¨CFWOOM.

    In a quicksh, the power struck the Jabberwock in its stomach with a wind-cracking impact, causing the mes to ripple around it.

    "GGGRH?!" The beast winced, stumbling back.

    At the same time, Finn recoiled as his arm was shot back as though his entire shoulder was rejected by his own power.

    "Gah¡­" Finn exhaled, looking at his arm for a moment.

    His entire limb felt as though it¡¯d been expelled of its strength, cramping up and aching just from the single use of lightning. It froze him momentarily, not just the recoil, but the strands of electricity that coursed through his muscles.

    ¡¯It doesn¡¯t require mana or a cooldown like other abilities, but¡­It¡¯s a physical limit? At most, I can use this maybe two or three times, but after that, my arm would be useless,¡¯ he realized.

    More important than his throbbing arm was the destructive force in front of him that was now staring down at him.

    He could feel the wrath in those bestial eyes, knowing the only thing that wasing was destruction¡ª

    "Tiny man¡­! To think an attack from you could sting¡ªgruh!" The Jabberwock growled.

    In the middle of the monstrous gathering of mes, he witnessed the cmitous beast¡¯s mouth opening once more, calling unto a force of destruction. It was bing more apparent to Finn that it might be required to force himself to end the Dreamwalking session, though thereid one problem: he didn¡¯t know how.

    ¡¯I can resist the fire, but¡­the air¡ªit¡¯s making me lightheaded. Getting harder to think¡ªno, I¡¯m having trouble even standing at this point,¡¯ he realized.

    Through his mind, the possibilities of each and every one of his skills was considered. If victory was to be achieved, it felt impossible through his current abilities, staring at that massive beast.

    In terms ofplete strength, there was no contest between it and the God of Heroes; it didn¡¯te close to Sirius, yet that didn¡¯t speak of much.

    The Level One-Hundred status it shared with the God of Heroes seemed attributed to its sheer capability for destruction, tied to its massive body and terrifying attitude.

    ¡¯Right now, I have to move¨C!¡¯ He urged himself.

    Just as mes poured from the Jabberwock¡¯s mouth, Finn sprinted, escaping between its legs as tidal waves of the burning element scattered around the already burntnd. As the sky filled with smoke and the ground was nketed in ash, there were few options left for him as he pivoted around, looking towards the beast¡¯s back.

    Its tail swept across the ming soil, forcing him to jump up as he sprinted for it, only to be met as it turned to face him head-on.

    "COME! BECOME ASH UPON MY BURNT PARADISE! SMALL, BUT STRONG YOU ARE!" The Jabberwock boomed as its voice caused the ground to tremble.

 Chapter 179: The Truth

    "Jabberwock Shift¡­? I did it¨Cit''s done," Finn slowly breathed out.

    A sound like that of stone cracking turned his attention upward at the headless body of the Jabberwock. Feeling that it might''ve been toppling over on top of him, he stumbled back, though found that wasn''t the case.

    Its body came over with cracks, shattering as it broke apart and crumbled into bits and pieces of lifeless rock and dust. The remnants of the cmity that had brought the end to Wondend rained down gently like an ashen shower.

    All of the mes that had been burning on the field were brought down, though it didn''t seem to be the ashes of the Jabberwock that snuffed out the fire.

    He stood there as he could make something out standing just a few meters ahead on the ash-coated field. It was difficult to see it, not so much as transparent, but more so gentle fluctuations in the wind that roughly looked like the shape of a woman.

    "Huh?" Finn quietly let out, attempting to see what was there.

    Squinting harder finally let him see it, or more so, it seemed that the presence had allowed him to perceive it; a feminine figure not of flesh, but of aplexion that resembled glistening stars.

    "I am grateful to you, Finn Thorne. Today you have done a service to that man," the mysterious presence said.

    "What? Are you talking about the Hatter? Who are you¨C?" Finn asked with genuine confusion.

    While he was wary of the presence, he didn''t raise his daggers nor did he want to do so; there was an air around the unknown figure, one that instructed him not to make any rash moves.

    "A benefactor of humanity. That is all that you need to know," the presence answered. "You are correct. The Hatter was¡­a friend."

    Receiving such an answer, Finn remembered what the Hatter had told him on a previous visit, about the only other guest he had beside himself¨Cthe "Universe."

    ''Is this who he was talking about? Something like this¨CI can see it,'' he thought.

    Putting what he suspected into words, he responded, "If he was your friend, why didn''t you help out? It''s been centuries of this, at least, hasn''t it? The Hatter was living here alone with that beast all this time."

    "I cannot interject myself into the qualms of humanity directly," the presence answered. "That is why I steered you here, Finn Thorne."

    Hearing what was admitted filled him with a sense of frustration immediately as he stepped closer, "You¨Cwhy?! I could''ve easily died¨CI almost did, multiple times!"

    "But you did not and in turn, you received monumental strength from felling that beast," the presence informed him calmly.

    "It could''ve easily gone the other way! I didn''t ask to fight that thing¨Cwho the hell would?!" Finn sharply shouted.

    "You would not have fallen. I was certain of that oue. That''s why I guided you here," the presence exined to him.

    "How could you know that? That''s not¡­" Finn denied, slightly shaking his head though he felt it was an impossible task to argue with the obscure being.

    The enigmatic figure spoke with little emotion in a silken voice, "I just did. That''s all there is to it. What matters is that you were victorious, and thus¡­This world shall finally be reset."

    "Reset?" Finn asked.

    "Yes," the presence confirmed, holding one hand out. "Once deprived of all life, it marks the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one. Those that once lived here, their souls, shall reincarnate and all shall begin anew. Perhaps this cycle, things will not end so badly."

    "Hold on, but that''s not¨Cthe First Order¨Cthat world, when thest fell, it was destroyedpletely. There was no "cycle"--it was just aplete end," Finn recalled.

    "You are correct. That is because the First Order was a world deemed to be destroyed by another," the presence answered. "This world was not put under the same scrutiny."

    "Another? Aren''t you the one responsible for this? For the apocalypse on my world, too? These Systems¨C? All of that?" Finn pressed for answers.

    Before he could get the answer he wanted¨C

    ["Dreamwalkingpleted."]

    It all began to fade like a faraway dream, unable to speak or move as his vision turned to ck, only seeing that the ethereal lips of the entity moved with unheard words.

    "Gah¡ª?"

    His eyes opened to the sight of the dreary, molded roof that he slept under. It took him blinking a few times as he sat up to adjust to the jarring shift, looking around.

    Both of hispanions were still fast asleep, finding that it was still dark past the windows.

    ''I guess I woke up a bit early¡­I can actually get some sleep then, hopefully,'' he thought,ying back down.

    The next day started with further investigating the remote vige, and what else might be around it. He followed a dirt road alongside the others, only really finding broken down cars that had been imed by nature.

    "It doesn''t look anybody has been here for, well¡­before the start of all of this," Charlotte observed, looking at a truck without wheels parked in the tall grass while walking by.

    "I gotta agree. It just begs the question why a Tower touched down here of all ces. I assumed they only targeted areas withrge poptions, like major cities," Finn questioned, ducking beneath a toppled over tree that leaned against a crushed shed.

    With how broken down the small homes were, with vehicles rusted over and gripped by grass, it looked like somewhere nobody was meant to live.

    "Russia is a huge ce. I doubt this is the only vige like this," Jasper guessed.

    "Either way, this might be better. I think monsters mainly stick torge cities," Finn said.

    "Come to think of it, I haven''t been outside of a city until now¡ªit''s quiet and peaceful, actually," Charlotte remarked.

    "Yeah, it is," Finn agreed, looking ahead at the quiet trail that led through the woods.

    The chirping of birds in the early hours echoed through the forest just outside of the small vige. Sunlight dripped through the verdant leaves, bestowing its warmth to the traveling trio who didn''t have any real goals in mind.

    Jasper stayed at the back, keeping his sword resting against his shoulder, "I''ve been wondering¨Cit said we''d be given a "Boon" of some kind when the First Order was cleared, right? What was that about?"

    "I''m not sure. I''ve been thinking about that as well," Charlotte added.

    "Do you think we missed it when we were asleep?" Jasper wondered, tilting his head towards the sky.

    "I doubt it," Finn said, leading from up front as he kept his eye out for anything lurking near the treeline. "After what it took to bring it down, it better be something huge."

    "Ain''t that the truth. I definitely had nightmaresst night of that damn beastman," Jasper sighed. "What about you, Charlotte?"

    "I slept pretty soundly, actually¨CI don''t think I dreamed of anything," Charlotte answered with a smallugh.

    "Count yourself lucky, then," Jasper said before looking ahead at the assassin, "What about you, Finn? I bet Sirius gave you some trouble sleeping."

    "It wasn''t quite that, but I definitely experienced something odd in my sleep," Finn answered, though didn''t know exactly if he wanted to divulge all of the details.

    Charlotte squinted a bit at his back before giving him a gentle poke, increasing her steps so that she could match his pace, "Hey, I''ve been wondering since this morning¨Cisn''t your level higher thanst night?"

    "Now that you mention it¡­It totally is," Jasper added in, staring at Finn. "Did you do somete night monster hunting? No way, right? You''d have to have beat something massive."

    "Well, sorta," Finn responded, lightly scratching his own cheek.

    It wasn''t as though he had intended to hide anything from his friends, nor was it his goal to be secretive. All it came down to was, him not being entirely sure just what kind of phenomena it was that he experienced.

    At the very least, he didn''t want it to appear as though his sanity was fracturing from rather unbelievable ims.

    "The thing is¡­It''ll be a bit hard to believe," he said, preparing to ry to them what he had been experiencing.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Amidst their quiet walk down the old road, he divulged everything he had gone through in recent nights, from Dreamwalking to the peculiar world of Wondend, tea parties with the Hatter, and even his battle with the Jabberwock.

    He felt like a madman as he spoke about it, making the things he saw and experienced seem even more oundish as he put them into words. It took at least a mile of walking before he admitted everything, finally looking back at hispanions for their response after everything wasid out in the open.

    "So¡­Yeah, that''s what happened," Finn finished.

    "That''s definitely¡­a lot. I can''t believe you had to go through something like that alone," Charlotte said, walking close beside him.

    "I wasn''t entirely alone. That Hatter was an odd guy, but he was at least nice. It was sort of refreshing to see somebody with that kind ofckadaisical personality after all of this, y''know?" Finn remarked, rubbing the back of his neck.

 Chapter 180: The Walls of Civilization

    A p on the arm came from Jasper, bringing a quick gasp from Finn who looked over at the knight who gave him a sharp look through his helmet.

    "What was that for?" Finn asked, rubbing his own.

    "I''m still mad you didn''t tell us sooner. I get that you were confused and all that, but didja really think we wouldn''t believe you and just assume you had a few screws loose?" Jasper reprimanded him with a yful sigh. "There''s a whole lot of crazy shit going on nowadays. I don''t find anything hard to believe anymore."

    "That''s true, it''s just¡­This was definitely a phenomenon I couldn''t wrap my head around at first. I''m still not sure I really understand it," Finn admitted.

    "It''s just good you managed toe out of it okay," Charlotte said with relief.

    "Okay? I''d say he came out rich, seeing as he gained levels from it," Jasper remarked with a chuckle.

    "Guess so," Finn brushed it off, continuing down the remote road.

    It was another mile of hiking without so much as a speck of civilization in sight, only more deste cars left either on the road itself or dposing in grassy ditches.

    "Not a monster in sight, eh? Maybe they are sticking to cities," Jasper imed, looking around at the neighboring trees as he walked. "Could be worth just staking it out in the woods."

    "I bet some people have alreadye to that¨C" Finn responded.

    Between his own words, a massive weight crashed down just ahead of them. Itnded with such intensity that dirt was repelled in every direction, pelting against his coat like hail as he raised his arm.

    "What was that?!--" Jasper sharply asked.

    "The consequences of opening our big mouths, that''s what," Finn answered, bringing his arm down as the dust settled.

    Towering over them with height that rivaled the oaken trees around was a giant presenting not one, not two, but three heads, carrying a massive, wooden shield in one hand and a curved sword in the other.

    [ENEMY Identified: "Bchko"] [Level: 55]

    "Bleh!" The leftmost head grunted harshly, possessing only one functional eye.

    "Guaah!" The middle head roared, marked by a mohawk.

    "Ra! Ra! Rah!" The rightmost head cheered, expelling a cold breath through its lipless mouth.

    It stomped its massive feet, though it was difficult to tell if it was enraged or performing a dance as two of its mouths opened. There was a change of temperature felt as Finn summoned his daggers, though quickly found himself being pushed back.

    "Huh¨C?" Finn reacted.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Jasper slipped in front of him, raising his shield, "Outta the way¨C!"

    ["Vanguard Barrer"]

    A newly-observed skill from the knight manifested in a diamond-shaped, ethereal shield of an amberplexion manifested between them and the giant. It was proven to be quick thinking as breaths of fire and ice unleashed from two of the bumbling colossus'' mouths.

    "Hot! Cold¨C?!" Charlotte observed immediately from the fluctuating temperatures.

    The intensity of the opposing elements that poured from the three-headed giant''s mouths pushed against the barrier, being rejected as the frost and fire scattered to the neighboring trees.

    "Damn¨C! The cold is seeping through!" Jasper shouted, finding that the arm he held his shield with was crawling over with frost.

    As he took cover behind hispanion''s shield, Finn observed something when witnessing the dual-elemental breathe from the giant.

    ''This isn''t even recognized as a boss by my system¨Cit''s a standard monster. A level fifty-five just roaming around normally? I don''t want to think about it, but it seems like the world is only getting more dangerous,'' he thought.

    While Jasper kept his footing, the assassin readied himself to move, considering his path to nk the colossus.

    "Alright, I''ll find a way to get behind it. It''s busy focusing on your shield, so I should be able to¨C" Finn nned to the others.

    Before he could cement any such idea toe to fruition, the air whistled. It sounded as though something was approaching, quickly and harshly.

    "Look! Up there¨C!" Charlotte pointed directly at the sky.

    Finn looked where she had guided his gaze, though only witnessed the sh of a silhouette descending with vicious speed. It crashed down not even a millisecondter, directly beside the element-spewing giant.

    "What the¨C?!" Jasper shouted out.

    The barrier was relinquished as the breath of fire and frost came to an end as well. It wasn''t just them, but the three-headed monstrosity that seemed perplexed as well as the dust settled. What hadnded harshly, yet with elegance was not a monster, though their stature made them almost appear as such.

    [HERO Identified: "Ilya of Murom"] [Level: 75]

    A man nearly as tall as the giant, at least three meters in height, wearing abundant chainmail and a grand cape that looked to be made out of the fur of an enormous, dark bear.

    ''HERO? I''ve never seen thatbel before from the system¨Cis he on our side?'' Finn questioned.

    Before a word could be spoken, it was the giant''s triple heads thatshed out¨Croaring and grunting as it raised its curved sword to swing at the unknown figure. It swung its colossal de in a downward motion, fully capable of splitting a grown man in half¨CCLANG.

    The giant''s de broke in half before it could make contact. A sparkle of light brought Finn to quickly tilt his head to the side just as the other part of the sword flung right by his cheek.

    As the titan was left confused and stammering as its heads bickered with one another, the sound of steel scraping echoed through the remote road. From the silver-branded scabbard at his side, the [HERO] unsheathed his sword, revealing a ymore toorge for a man to wield.

    Yet with one hand, the de was swung.

    In that singr motion, all three heads of the giant were cut off separately, as were its limbs as its body was reduced into a dozen pieces. It was difficult for Finn to discern if it was some kind of unique ability, or if that was merely the raw strength of the stranger.

    "Grrrk!"

    "Bleguh!"

    "Guuah¡­!"

    The heads of the barbaric giant squealed upon being removed from their shared body, though falling silent as they bounced off the soil. Seeing the powerful creature dispatched with ease as though it was no more difficult than chopping up a vegetable, silence befell them as they watched the chainmail-armored figure.

    ''Is it an enemy?'' Finn thought.

    ''I seriously hope this guy is on our side¨Creally, really hope. I don''t want to fight that,'' Jasper wished.

    ''I can''t let my guard down yet¡­We don''t know what this person is about¨Cthey could be against monsters and people alike,'' Charlotte considered.

    With none of their weapons lowered, caution was not ceased as the chainmail-d figure didn''t turn around, only somewhat ncing back at the three.

    "Stay safe."

    The words left from beneath the figure''s helmet with a deep, gravelly voice, inteced with a heavy, but understandable vic ent.

    "Wait¨C" Finn called out.

    There was no chance to exchange greetings or any sort of information before the [HERO] leapt back into the sky, traveling by a single jump as the giant of a man vanished into the overcast.

    "What the hell was that all about?" Jasper questioned, looking at the clouds.

    "I think that was the "Boon" we earned¡ªI''m assuming, anyway," Finn answered, watching the sky as well.

    It was a perplexing encounter, though the parting words of the stranger left some amount of reassurance to him¨C"Stay safe."

    "Was he helping us?" Charlotte wondered. "He wasn''t another system user, was he?"

    "I don''t think he is like us. "HERO" was what the system designated him as. So I''m venturing to guess he''s somebody granted to this world to help us out. I''m assuming there''s more like him out there," Finn presumed.

    "I sure hope so. I know we need all the help we can get out here," Jasper breathed out.

    It was only after hours of walking that a piece of civilization was in view, having to hike along a freeway filled with abandoned cars. A gargantuan city showed itself in the near distance, just a dozen miles of hiking away.

    An eroded traffic sign in the vguage fortunately had its english name written in small letters beneath: "MOSCOW."

    "There we go¨Chold on, what''s up with that ce?" Finn observed.

    "Something''s definitely different about it," Charlotte added.

    Around the major city of Russia, there were colossal walls of sleek, ck steel, making it impossible to see what actuallyid within it. Standing on the side of the elevated freeway where a hundred foot drop would await if he slipped, Jasper flipped the visor of his helmet up to get a better look.

    "Careful,"Finn warned, standing near his legs.

    The knight looked as far as he could, calling out what he could make out with his eyes, "There''s something on top of the walls. Looks like guns of some kind¨Cthey''re enormous."

    "Guns? Like cannons?" Finn asked, not having much luck seeing it himself from that distance.

    "More like railguns¨Csome serious firepower up there. Wait, hold on¨CI''m seeing something else. What the hell?" Jasper remarked.

    Charlotte worriedly asked, "What is it?"

 Chapter 181: How Outsiders Are Greeted

    Charlotte worriedly asked, "What is it?"

    There was no need for an answer as the grating sound met their ears even from miles away. Finn witnessed it from afar: the "ceiling" of the city parted like an automated dome. From it, what looked like pitch-ck silhouettes rose out, moving together in a unit.

    "What are those?" Finn wondered. "Can you see?"

    Jasper answered to the best of his ability, "They look human¡­human shaped, at least? Like mechanical, sorta¨CI''m at a loss here."

    "Wait, like gundam?" Finn asked.

    "Now that you say it¨Cyeah, like that. Wait, they''reing this way, I think," Jasper pointed out.

    "They are!" Charlotte confirmed.

    The vibrations filling the air cemented it as the truth as the massive figures d in steel soared through the air right in their direction. While it was impossible to know if they were friend or foe, Finn quickly grabbed a hold of Jasper, tugging him off the side of the highway and grabbing Charlotte as well.

    "Huh¨C?" Jasper reacted.

    "Finn?" Charlotte called out.

    He didn''t waste any time quickly pulling them over before sliding himself under the abandoned semi truck that blocked the highway, "Get under cover!"

    They didn''t waste any time following along, though his decision clearly left the other two perplexed.

    Jasperid on his stomach beneath the ustrophobic shade of the vehicle, "What''s the deal? You think they''re hostile towards us?"

    "I don''t know, that''s why I''m not staying out there," Finn answered,ying on his elbows.

    "They could help us, too," Charlotte reasoned while staying beside him.

    "That''s true, but even if it''s a ny percent chance they''re allies and ten percent enemies, I don''t want to risk being gunned down by giant mechs," Finn exined, catching his breath.

    From the small amount he could see under the underside of the truck, he made outrge shadows passing overhead as the air fluctuated. The sound that flooded his ears was like that of multiple aircrafts passing over.

    He knew very well that they weren''t nes, though the noise they produced made him more wary.

    ''If something like this exists, it has to be the result of someone''s system¡ªthat''s the only exnation,'' he thought.

    As he considered what the circumstances were of the strange fortress-city and the flying suits, a loud noise made him turn his head up. The entire underside of the truck was swept away as he found himself and hispanions exposed.

    "Crap," Finn muttered.

    Like a gathering of mice discovered under furniture, he found himself being stared down at by towering, ck-steel mechanical suits. Each of them had the proportions of a person, yet stood well over ten meters in height.

    The first instinct from Finn was to jump up to his feet, but multiplesers immediately locked onto his body before he could take a single step. He could see the advanced weaponry protruding from the wrists and shoulders of the mechanical titans trained on him.

    "Finn¡­Don''t do anything rash," Charlotte whispered, keeping still.

    "Yeah, they''ve got us good," Jasper whispered.

    While it was a frustrating situation to find himself in, he couldn''t exactly argue while they were surrounded by a group of five of the advanced suits.

    The one directly in front of him produced a void through its speaker¨C

    [//Do not make any sudden movements. You are an unidentified outsider to the Alliance Military Domain. You will each be escorted within the ck Walls to be vetted. I repeat¨Cdo noy make any sudden movements. Do not resist.//]

    "Yeah, yeah, I hear you," Finn begrudgingly followed along.

    What he didn''t expect was to be grabbed in the steel hands of one of the mechs, wrapping around his arms so that he couldn''t move.

    "Is this necessary¨C?" Finn asked.

    "Hey!--" Jasper contested.

    "Ngh!" Charlotte grunted.

    They were each handled by one of the pilots, picked up like baggage. Finn decided not to resist and to save his energy as the one that carried him took off into the air with him. If it got him within those enigmatic walls, it didn''t matter¨Che was curious what sort of civilization was still resisting.

    He was confident he could break free if needed, though it would only stir up unnecessary trouble and get in the way of seeing what he needed.

    ''Just y nice. Just gotta bear with it for a bit,'' he thought.

    Some buzzing from the advanced mech that carried him seemed to signal for the roof of the fortress-city to open once again. As it parted, Finn found himself squinting at the sudden emergence of light from within it.

    It was blinding, not experiencing that sort of shine in what felt like an eternity.

    ''Light¡ª? Artificial light?'' He thought.

    As he was brought into the boundaries of the city, getting a bird''s eye view of it thanks to the mech, he saw what reallyid in "Moscow."

    Skyscrapers remained standing, the streets were clean and in order, lights shined from LEDs on disy across buildings. He could see people walking the streets without any fear of monsters.

    It was a sight that took his breath away; a look into something he thought was long gone¡ªa bustling city.

    ''¡­There''s still a ce like this on Earth? Is it still possible?'' He thought in disbelief.

    Of course, being carried in the hands of the ck-steel mobile suit meant many of the people below watched as though he and hispanions were some sort of spectacle. He watched in return, finding that the citizens of the enclosed city entered and exited stores, carrying bags of groceries, sitting at cafesmodities he thought were long gone.

    Ahead he saw where the mech was escorting him to: a colossal, stygian tower in the center of the city, standing like a sleek spear. The air brushed against his hair, listening to the humming of the mobile suit before it descended, carefullynding before setting him down.

    He breathed out as his foot set on the spotless, stone tiles outside of the ck skyscraper, turning to find the other pilotsnding as his friends were ced on the ground as well.

    Jasper groaned, stumbling a bit, "Oh, man¡­I''m not a fan of that."

    Charlotte fixed her hair with an exhale, "They could''ve held a bit looser. I feel like my ribs are going to be bruised."

    "Yeah," Finn said, looking up at the massive building, finding that the lights attached to the sky-high ceiling of the city resembled sunlight.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Isn''t this ce something else though? I didn''t expect there to still be any sort of city still standing¨Cthis is kind of unbelievable," Jasper remarked.

    "Look at that," Charlotte pointed out at the street behind them.

    Sure enough, there were cars using the streets as though it was still a normal urrence, following stoplights and waiting for pedestrians to cross. It was a surreal sight, especially after seeing the corpses of hundreds of vehicles along their journey.

    "Isn''t it wild, Finn?" Jasper asked, looking at him.

    "It is," he admitted. "I just wonder how it''s even possible."

    One of the towering mobile suits gestured for them to move towards the entrance of the stygian skyscraper, to which they followed along. As he walked, each step of the mech rumbled beside him.

    To his surprise, the automatic doors at the front of the building opened up with enough space to wee in the mobile suit as well, seemingly built to amodate for the titans. Inside of the capital building of the city was avish lobby built with dark, marble flooring and walls lined with silver.

    "Woah," Charlotte quietly ryed her awe.

    [//I''ve already told the Boss you three areing. Just take that elevator.//]

    The voice of the pilot in the mech instructed them, pointing towards the lift stationed at the back of the lobby.

    "Alright," Finn mumbled, leading the way.

    It wasn''t all too clear just what sort of purpose was intended by bringing them inside, but by the merit that none of them were in restraints and were allowed to move without supervision, he reasoned they weren''t being detained.

    He stepped into the elevator with Jasper and Charlotte right beside him, finding that the doors closed and it began to ascend without the need for any input.

    "Oh¨C" Jasper reacted as the elevator released a ding, beginning its rise.

    Charlotte had a somewhat nervous expression written on her face, with a small curl of her brow as she swayed side-to-side anxiously, "What do you think they want with us? At first, it felt like they were taking us in as prisoners or something, but this is different."

    "It''s likely because of our levels, if I had to guess," Finn reasoned.

    "What do you mean?" Jasper asked for rification.

    "Not to toot our own horns, but we''ve definitely reached the higher end of strength among what''s left of humanity. To add to that, there''s only one way a ce like this can survive," Finn theorized.

    Charlotte added in, "It''s with a strong fighting force, isn''t it?"

    "Exactly," Finn confirmed. "There''s no way that you can sustain a ce like this without having to fight off all sorts of entities. I bet this ce is like a shining beacon for monsters."

 Chapter 182: New Moscow

    Jasper adjusted his greaves, tightening them up while the elevator continued its rise, "Those big ass mechs can handle the job, I''m sure."

    "With normal monsters, yeah. The thing is, I''m sure there are creatures of unbelievable strength we haven''t seen yet. I don''t doubt that as good as this ce looks, they''re struggling to defend it," Finn presumed.

    "I hope that''s not the case. Just knowing a city like this still exists¡­It''sforting," Charlotte admitted with a quiet exhale.

    He felt somewhat guilty for perhaps making her doubt the city could be sustained, adding in, "I''m just speaking my two cents. For all we know, this ce could be perfectly protected."

    Your journey continues with mvl

    The elevator finally came to a halt with a small "ding" before its sable doors parted for the guests. What it opened up to was an exuberant floor with walls made of windows that had an outlook on the entire city, only through a one-way view.

    Floors made of dark, spotless marble; to the right was an open, lounge room of sorts with sofas surrounding a t-screen television that had a news channel ying. Again, it was a surreal sight for the survivors.

    "Living the sweet life, huh?" Jasper quietly remarked.

    A sound like that of buzzing and a keyboard clicking caught Finn''s attention as he quietly led the way in, walking into what looked to be an entire floor designated as a rich apartment. As he turned around a pir that blocked the sight of the other half of the room, he found what the noise came from¨C

    "Ah," Finn let out.

    He was face-to-face with the disconnected heads of one of the mobile suits as a digital screen disyed lines of code running over its visor.

    "Oh, hello there¨Cwee."

    The voice that calmly greeted him sounded as though it came from the helmet, though ncing over, he saw it came from a man working at a station behind it. There were bits and pieces, likely belonging to prototypes,ying around the workshop area.

    It was a rather tall,nky man that extended the wee; he was pale with messy, dark hair though by his looks nor ent, he didn''t appear to be Russian.

    "Hey. Are you the one that sent for us?" Finn asked.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [--]

    There was nothing given from attempting to identify any information about the man in clear sses, only a small smile from the slender figure as he adjusted his dirtyb coat. The stranger slid his gloves off, setting them down on the top of the work bench beside tools of unknown purposes.

    "That''s right," he answered, adjusting his hair before extending his hand. "I''m Nikko. I''ve been ced as the head of development for the security andbat forces, along with the technological general management for New Moscow."

    "That''s a whole lot of titles, isn''t it?" Jasper said before giving his name, epting the handshake. "I''m Jasper."

    "Charlotte," the spellde added, sharing the handshake as well right after.

    Finn waited a moment before epting, "I''m Finn. You said "New Moscow", right?"

    "I did. That''s what this ce is," Nikko confirmed with a smile, walking away from the workshop towards the walls of ss that overlooked the city, gesturing for them to observe as well.

    Finn gazed beside the engineer, seeing the tops of neighboring, but smaller skyscrapers, seeing the cars that looked as small as ants on the ground below.

    "Seeing a ce like this still surviving with the state the world is in¡­It''s amazing," Charlotte admitted, standing near the window.

    "It''s not just surviving. This city¨Cit''s an astounding achievement for humanity. Greater than any city in history before it," Nikko proudly imed. "Current circumstances were the catalyst for civilization to reach this point."

    "What''re you talking about? This ce is fantastic, but civilization as a whole¨Cit barely exists anymore. Outside of those walls, it''s a scattered hellscape," Finn contested, looking at the engineer.

    Nikko smiled, turning around as he looked at the prototype, mechanical suits that were still kept in pieces, "You need to look at the bigger picture here. Sure, as it stands, humanity as a whole is on the backfoot. Given time and resources, working together, we can return¨Cgreater than ever."

    "Working together as in under New Moscow?" Finn questioned.

    The suspicious stance taken by Finn earned a look from Nikko before the slender figure adjusted his sses with a smallugh as if brushing it off.

    "You have your doubts. That''s understandable¨Cyou haven''t seen the full picture yet. New Moscow is an imprable fortress. The Radegasts¨Cthe mobile suits you were introduced to earlier, I''m sure, are more than capable of exterminating most monster threats," Nikko exined with pride.

    "I can''t believe something like those robots are a real thing," Charlotte questioned.

    "Full blown gundams. I thought I''ve seen it all," Jasper remarked, lightly tapping a disassembled limb of one of the mechs.

    Nikkoughed, "It''s due to my system. I am not from Russia originally, but I came here to study abroad from Canada. I majored in robotics, so I believe that''s where my ability came from."

    "You said the Radegasts can handle most monster threats. Sounds like there''s something they can''t deal with," Finn pointed out, having been listening close.

    "You don''t let anything past you, do you? I respect that," Nikko acknowledged with a smile before adjusting his sses.

    The man in theb coat walked back to the center of the room, casually using one hand to quickly type on a keyboard. Whatever was inputted seemed to cause a massive monitor to unfold itself from the ceiling, disying to the guests.

    What was shown was a mountain range during a full moon; it seemed that the moon was particrly bright that night, almost overbearingly so.

    "What is this?" Finn questioned, watching the screen.

    Nikko stood beside him, "This is footage from one of the Radegast pilots on patrol a few nights ago. What it observed, well¨Clike you said, I thought I had seen it all as well," the inventor said, ncing at the knight.

    It was footage from the perspective of one of the giant mobile suits, walking among a squadron of others carrying rifles tenfold asrge as normal weapons.

    [//Three Nights Prior, Outskirts of New Moscow//]

    "Hound, ry any findings," the mech pilot at the backmunicated.

    "Nothing yet. It''s abnormally clear tonight," the frontmost pilot of the Radegast responded, stomping through the grassy ins.

    The patrol continued without any disturbances, only grass beneath the moonlight until¨C

    A harsh sound like metal being crushed rang through the quiet valley, bringing the mobile suits to raise their weapons.

    "Hound! Hound, respond!"

    "He''s¨C!"

    All that was discovered where the frontmost pilot had been surveying was nothing more than a ttened pancake of steel.

    A noise like that of the air beingpressed and crushed red before¡ªcrush. The mobile suit to the left of him was ttened in a single moment.

    It was a seamless urrence, as though the suit was nothing more than a tin can.

    "Fox!" The pilot shouted in a panic, pulling the trigger of his weapon as he fired into the darkness. "Unknown hostile in the area. I repeat¡ªunknown hostile in the¡­!"

    Multiple, unseen impacts created small craters in the valley before the footage went nk.

    ¡ª

    "What was that¡­?" Charlotte questioned after the dismaying video.

    "They were all killed, but by what?" Finn questioned.

    "The Moon," Nikko answered, looking at the guests.

    It was an answer that hardly made any sense, though the intellectual figure already knew that as he changed the feed, rewinding the shown footage to the exact frame with the full moon in view.

    "You can''t mean the moon, like that moon, right?" Jasper questioned.

    "Not exactly. I theorize it is more of an embodiment of the concept of our moon, or more urately the idea of it given physical form," Nikko exined, pointing to the screen. "Look closely. Can you see it?"

    Finn stepped closer to get a better look at just whatever it was that the man was trying to get them to see. It took some squinting to make it out, though he discovered it, though it was hardly a few pixels of the screen to decipher.

    Hidden in the near distance of that night time footage was a humanoid figure of pale, glistening skin with eyes that looked hollow and a body covered in craters.

    "Is that it?" Charlotte questioned.

    "What am I even looking at here?" Jasper asked, having trouble making it out.

    Nikko confirmed their guesses, "That''s the Moon. One of the pilots survived and was able to obtain its name from personally using sleuth on it. Strangest of all, it wasn''t given the usual designation of "Enemy" or "Boss", simply¨C"Major Arcana."

    "Major Arcana? Like tarot cards?" Charlotte repeated with some intrigue.

    "Exactly so, it seems," Nikko answered.

    Finn looked away from the screen, meeting eye-to-eye with the engineer, "And why exactly are you showing us this? I doubt it''s just a kind warning to some passing guests. I''d assume this isn''tmon knowledge, either¨Cnothing you let the citizens in the city see, right?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "You''repletely correct once again, Finn. This is something the popce is not permitted to see. We''re afraid knowledge of this would only stir up¡­unrest," Nikko answered.

 Chapter 184: Splendor of The City

    The interior was like that of an old-fashioned tavern, though clearly modernized with t screen televisions connected to the walls.

    It was noticeably empty, except for the employees at the back working the kitchen.

    Finn sat down, making sure to take a seat where he could see the entrance, having Charlotte beside him and Nikko across.

    "Quiet today?" Finn asked, looking around at the empty tables.

    "It''s working hours right now. Only people out eating are on their break, most likely," Nikko reasoned with a smile, passing the menus around.

    Enjoy more content from mvl

    A server came over, taking each of their orders, though it ended up just bing an entire lineup of ssic barbecue goods brought to them.

    From chicken to tri-tip, sausages and seasoned corn, a feast awaited the guests to the secured city. It was a taste of times before everything had gone to hell, a bite of nostalgia, though perhaps an appetizer for a brighter tomorrow.

    "Delifish¡ª" Jasper imed with a mouthful.

    "Can you not talk like that, man?" Finn said, sliding his te away from the crossfire of the knight''s lips.

    "Sfory!" Jasper apologized, only spitting out more.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Ugh¡­" Finn sighed.

    Nikko couldn''t help butugh, not partaking in much food but helping himself to a cider. With light alcohol being on the menu, the young woman decided to help herself, though at first gagging at the taste of it.

    "Have you thought about it more?" Nikko asked amidst the meal.

    Finn set his cup down, breathing out, "Can''t even let us enjoy a meal, can you? I get it. You need an answer. Just how urgent is this anyway?"

    The jovial attitude of the engineer was gone as he spoke with sincerity, "It''s been predicted that there''s a seventy-three percent chance that the Moon will attack New Moscow a week from now."

    "A week, huh?" Finn repeated, doing the talking as Jasper was having mouthfuls and Charlotte''s first time with alcohol made her a bit disoriented. "What''s the other twenty-seven percent?"

    "A twenty-percent chance that the Moon might ignore New Moscow entirely," Nikko exined but speaking with a quieter tone. "And a seven percent chance it strikes within three nights."

    "That''s¡­dire," Finn admitted, looking down at the half-empty ss of amber liquid in front of him.

    "Entirely so. That''s why I''m looking to get whatever help we can get. Listen, you wouldn''t be fighting alone¨Cthe full force of New Moscow would be there fighting as well. We have other system users, high level, myself included," Nikko spoke convincingly with earnest.

    "Are you saying you''d be there as well?" Finn asked.

    "I will have to be. That''s the situation we''re in," Nikko answered.

    Silence followed as they sat there in thought, listening to the chewing of Jasper and the grumbles of Charlotte as sheid her head against the table. It wasn''t more than a minute before the knight had worked himself into a fooda, and Charlotte passed out from just a single mug of cider, leaving Nikko and Finn the only ones conscious at the lunch outing.

    Nikko chuckled, "Your friends¡­they sure are a handful, aren''t they?"

    Finn couldn''t help but hold a small smile seeing the two in such a carefree, rxed state before his expression settled again, looking at the engineer, "Look¡­I want to help you¨Cthis city. The problem is, I don''t want to risk their lives."

    It seemed that his words stirred interest from Nikko, who leaned in with intrigue, "If I''m being honest with you, you''re the one I was mainly interested in inquiring for assistance."

    "Is it my level?" Finn asked.

    "It''s true that you possess a higher level than those two, but that''s only a small part of it," Nikko admitted.

    "What do you mean?" Finn pressed further.

    The light snores of Charlotte and Jasper served as ambience to the conversation that held the fate of New Moscow at the table as the artificial sunlight bled through the open windows.

    Nikko leaned back in his seat, ncing around as if making sure nobody else was listening before setting himself closer once again, "I have a greater version of the "Sleuth" ability everybody now possesses."

    "A greater sleuth?"

    Nikko nodded, exining further, "It''s not just the level or assigned ss that I can see, but I can also see if somebody possesses a unique system. Ones like Charlotte and Jasper here¨Cspellde and knight respectably, but no additional system. You, however, wield the concept of Assimtion, correct?"

    It made his mind skip a thought when hearing that word spoken by another¨C"Assimtion." To him, it was a conceptual advantage exclusive to himself, a fact only he was aware of.

    "You''re right. What about it, though?" Finn questioned, staring at the engineer.

    "The special systems that people like you and I possess allow for a higher threshold of strength. At your level, you''d be an invaluable ally in eliminating the Moon," Nikko convincingly told him.

    It was the sort of ttery that didn''t move him, though he couldn''t deny it.

    "Are there others here? Special system users like us," Finn asked.

    "Of course. There''s a few¡ª" Nikko began to say.

    Amidst the engineer''s words, a quake rippled through the building, though sounding as if it came from outside.

    "What was that?¡ª" Jasper asked, jumping up.

    "An attack¡ª?" Charlotte said, stumbling a bit as she got up.

    Finn was quick to move alongside Nikko, though stepped in front of hisrades to keep them from following.

    "Wait here¡ªI''ll check on it! You both are not in any state right now to help," Finn instructed his two friends before hurrying out of the restaurant.

    Through the front doors, he emerged onto the sidewalk right behind Nikko to see what was urring on the street.

    There was a woman in distress with a bruise on her arm, looking towards what urred on the street itself with onlookers watching¡ª

    "You can stay down now, bastard."

    "Urgh¡­!"

    A man, reddened with stress and wounds was pinned down against the asphalt by the foot of the one holding him there.

    The person restraining the man wore an advanced, mechanical suit of sleek, ck steel. Different from the Radegasts, it was much smaller in scale, though it still presented the man of wild, pale hair as imposing.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Name: Rykov]

    [Age: 29]

    [Designated ss: Brawler]

    [Level: 57]

    The level along with the advancedbat suit worn by the man caught Finn''s eye.

    "Lemme go¡­!" The restrained, blonde man forced out with his cheek pressed against the asphalt.

    The man of spiky, pale hair kept his sleek, metal boot held on the pinned figure, "Shut up before I make your arm useless!" Rykov shouted, pressing harder.

    Nikko hurried over, "Rykov! What''s going on here?"

    "Oh, hey, Doc. This scumbag here not only hit that woman over there, but vandalized the cafe down the street," Rykov exined, looking down at the suspect with contempt.

    "End the rough y, then. Send him away," Nikko ordered with a sigh, adjusting his sses.

    "Oh? Sure, I guess," Rykov listened, casually hoisting the captured suspect up with a single hand as though he were luggage.

    Finn stood there, feeling something was off about the encounter as he watched the man in the cybeic suit leap away with the criminal. Only a small nce was shared between them as he witnessed Rykov leave.

    It was only right after that Charlotte and Jasper came out from the restaurant, with the spectators going on their way again.

    Finn looked over at the engineer, "What was that about?"

    Nikko was tapping on his phone screen, sending a swift text before stuffing it back into his pocket, "That was Rykov. He''s the head of the Military Forces of New Moscow."

    "That looked more like police work¡ªor enforcement, more like," Finn said, looking at the crack left in the asphalt from the rough arrest.

    "The military also serves as the policing force of the city," Nikko exined.

    "And that doesn''t seem like a bad idea, does it?" Finn asked, looking right at the inventor.

    Nikko lightly shrugged, giving his rebuttal, "I said that a ce like this can only be maintained with strength. That is true across the board."

    There was nothing he wanted to say after that, now getting a better idea of whatid under the curtain of what appeared to be a utopia at first nce.

    ''It makes sense. A ce like this¡­Of course it would be run with an iron fist¡ªthere''s no wiggle room anymore. It''s not the kind of home I''d want, though,'' Finn considered.

    He walked back to the sidewalk where Charlotte and Jasper waited, to which it seemed the girl had already worked up a hangover and Jasper had an upset stomach.

    "Ooooh¡­Worth it," Jasper groaned, patting his abdomen.

    "I think I''m gonna be sick," Charlotteined, rubbing her own head.

    Finn smiled, giving his friends each a pat on the back, "This is why they say moderation is key."

    "I only had one mug, though¡ª" Charlotte protested.

    "Yeah, you should''ve had one sip," Finn said with a sigh, lending his shoulder to her.

    Before a single step could be taken, Nikko was there in front of him, tapping the button on his keychain as his parked car lightly honked.

    "I''ll take you three back to the building," Nikko offered.

    "For what?" Finn asked.

    "You need a ce to stay, right? I''ve had the floor right below mine secured as a suite for you all," Nikko said with a soft smile. "Unless you were nning on leaving the city. In that case, I can give you a ride to the wall."

    Finn looked at his tiredpanions before back at the engineer, "¡­Alright."

 Chapter 185: Prototype

    Back to the center architecture of the city, the floor they were brought to was just asvish and pristine as Nikko''s own home. Jasper wasted no time face nting the sofa, while Charlotte found her way to a bedroom.

    Seeing such a nearly kept ce to rest in was something Finn only believed was a luxury reserved for the Tower. Still, staring up at that television, it felt nostalgic.

    "Is it to your liking?" Nikko asked. "I''m not exactly an architect, but I designed this all myself."

    "Seriously? Just what kind of system is it that you have anyway?" Finn questioned with a raised eyebrow.

    "It''s a secret," Nikko yfully answered, tapping the side of his head.

    "A bit unfair to keep it one-sided like that. But, I''ve got a pretty good idea of what your system is anyway," Finn epted with a shrug.

    There was another room on the floor-wide suit separated by ss, which he found a circr, blueberry sofa that he slumped onto. It was ced in a lowered section of theplex, letting him peer out of the window and at the cityscape.

    Nikko adjusted his sses as he fiddled with an onyx pot on disy, "You were the one that defeated the "lord" of the First Order, Sirius¡ªcorrect?"

    The question brought Finn to sit back up before he could get the chance to rx, looking at the weing figure.

    "How do you know about that? You weren''t there¡ªwait, was it somebody else from this city?" Finn questioned, partially speaking out loud about his own assumption.

    "I have eyes and ears in many ces. It''s only natural if one has the capabilities to gain information, right?" Nikko answered with a question.

    "Sure, but I didn''t see any of those giant mechse through the

    Convergence Call.

    It''s a bit funny to be asking for help now when you didn''t offer any back then," Finn said, giving a look of animosity to the engineer.

    Nikko wandered to the front of the ss, standing in front of it with his hands in his pockets as he peered at the enclosed city, "I understand your frustration¨CI do. The hard truth is, I have to look out for the safety of

    New Moscow

    ¨CI can''t spare any strength past it. I''m stretched thin as it is."

    "Yeah. I get it," Finn halfheartedly said.

    "I am not lying or making excuses, Finn. I''m telling you the exact truth," Nikko adamantly assured him, looking back. "Do you know how many monster attacks there are on the walls per day? Several hundred, and while the walls endure, some of those slippery fiends manage to sneak their way in."

    "That doesn''t sound very safe," Finn said.

    Nikko let out augh that didn''t find the topic funny, more likeical in its degree, "Safety is a facade held together by string, and this world''s winds test it every moment. In order to maintain that thin veil of "safety", I have to oversee that every inch of the city is protected."

    "Do the citizens know about this? Creatures infiltrating the walls?" Finn asked.

    "The only ones that do are the unfortunate first victims of the beasts," Nikko admitted with a strained expression.

    It was clear to see that the youthful engineer wore his stress inly. None of it was surprising, seeing the scale and ambition of such a city in a world now ruled by the supernatural.

    Finn sat on the sofa, resting his arms against its frame, looking at the slender figure, "Listen, I want to help you. There''s still just one problem I have."

    "I''m listening," Nikko intently said, nudging his sses with his index finger and thumb.

    "That thing¨Cthe

    "Moon"

    dealt with your precious Radegasts in the blink of an eye. Like I said, I want to help, but not if I''m just amb to the ughter. If you don''t understand the power of this entity, or have any countermeasures¨CI can''t follow along with this at all," Finn reasoned.

    "That''s a fair mindset to have andpletely understandable," Nikko epted, waiting a moment with a quiet release of his breath. "--I, however, have built a countermeasure for the Moon."

    The curiosity of seeing whatever the "countermeasure" was led him to following Nikko down the elevator, not descending to any numbered floor, but going even deeper, past the surface and underground. He watched to see what sort of passcode was required, though it seemed the secretive floor was something only essed and verified by the engineer''s very own fingerprint.

    "I don''t like that you hid the existence of a potential counter to this thing until now," Finn said as the elevator descended.

    Nikko pushed his sses up, "It''s ssified information¨Ctop secret knowledge, let''s put it that way. I had no intention of telling any of you unless you were cooperating in helping with the extermination of the Moon."

    "You''re making it real easy to trust you," Finn said with a hardly subtle hint of sarcasm.

    "I need your cooperation, not your trust¨CI believe the best course of action is to always remain skeptical of your surroundings," Nikko advised him.

    Just as the piece of advice fell from the man''s lips, the elevator''s descent finally came to an end as it stopped moving. A momentter, the doors parted to a pristine room of smooth, ck walls kept slightly illuminated by cerulean lights.

    "What is this?" Finn questioned, looking around as he carefully stepped in.

    Apart from monitors, what resembled 3D printers, and some sorts of tools manned by robotic arms, there were pieces of technological equipment that he had no footing to even understand.

    "My home," Nikko answered with a small smile, petting a robot arm that lightly waved. "--The workshop where

    New Moscow

    as you''ve seen it was born."

    "No assistants?" Finn asked, scoping around the workshop that appeared more like some kind of sci-fiboratory.

    He leaned down a device with clear ss, watching as a small assembly of robotic arms fiddled with motherboards, seeming to reconfigure and assort them in various ways. The purpose of it was lost on him, though he didn''t beat himself up over it, considering who it was he stood by.

    Nikko seemed happy to answer his curiosity, "I don''t mean to pump my head full of air or diminish anybody else, but the work I do¡­It''s not something others can assist me in. My system¨Cpart of what it does is allow my mind to peer into conceptual configurations from an inhuman sort of precision."

    "That''s a nice way of saying you''re smarter than everybody else," Finn called out, standing back up as he continued looking around.

    The off-handedment brought a smallugh from the inventor, "Really, I don''t mean it like that. It''s just a simple fact of my system opening my mind to a realm that can''t be reached through human limitation. Every moment, I develop new blueprints in my head, transporting those thoughts directly to my true assistants here." Stay updated through mvl

    "Right, so that''s what they''re doing," Finn said, ncing at the assembly of mechanical arms that worked tirelessly. "Just what is it exactly you nned to show me? None of this looks like a countermeasure for the Moon."

    Nikko took intentful steps towards the back of the room where a ck curtainid, obscuring whatever it was that had been wished to remain unseen. He followed closely behind, finding himself ever curious with the inventions of the engineer.

    "I called it a countermeasure, but I believe it may be more appropriate to say it''s an

    equalizer

    ¨Cthe fact is, without this, it might be impossible to face our enemy," Nikko rified. "But, semantics aside¨C"

    Finn watched as the Canadian inventor snapped his fingers,manding the dormant arms to part the curtains to what was veiled. Sat behind a transparent cover was a sleek, ck suit made of some kind of metal.

    It wasn''t bulky, but ratherpact, designed with simplicity, yet elegance in mind. Compared to what was worn by the militarymander seen earlier, it was smaller, but more fitting for a human frame.

    "A cyber suit?" Finn observed.

    "It''s a prototypebat jacket, using the

    Radegasts

    as a base, but much more improved. I call it the "

    Perun

    ." What you see is just its default form, but it fits itself to its wearer. After putting it on, it remainspact enough that you could even wear clothes over it," Nikko exined with a clear amount of pride in his development.

    "So it''s more fashionable and convenient than the previous one I saw. I''m failing to see how that turns the tables against the embodiment of the Moon," Finn questioned, looking at the engineer.

    The smile written on Nikko''s lips was as if he was waiting for that kind of response so he could continue his exnation, not sparing his excitement, "Of course. You see, the

    Perun

    is specifically designed to amplify the ss and system abilities of its wearer. It provides a physical boost not unlike that of a

    RadegastN?v(el)B\\jnn

    , only without the size."

    "Interesting," Finn said.

    "That''s not the main part of it, though," Nikko continued, standing in front of the ss, staring at the prototype as though it were child of his. "It deploys its own personal gravitational skin. That is, it remainsrgely resistant to the effects of external gravity."

    "Something like that is possible? That sort of technology¨Cit sounds centuries away," Finn remarked with awe. "So, that''s the "equalizer", then¨Cwith this, you won''t get turned into a pancake."

    "Exactly. It evens the ying field," Nikko confirmed. "Even if it''s

    God

    itself, human ingenuity can find a way to adapt to it. That''s the beauty of technology."

 Chapter 186: S.O.S Message

    Even if it was across the world, it was somewhat relieving to see that people from all corners of the globe still held that kind of hope. After confirming with his own eyes that there was a path to oveing the looming threat over the city, he returned to the suite exclusive for him and hispanions.

    Nikko remained on the elevator as it reached the proper floor, "You can think it over through the night, but I''d like an answer in the morning."

    "Yeah, I''ll have one for you," Finn assured the engineer.

    "I hope you''ll make the choice you see is best," Nikko said as he tapped a number on the elevator, bringing its doors to close as it moved.

    As he watched the lift leave, Finn found the sound of the television ying old sis ying in the other room, alongside the snores of Jasper still echoing. It was a rather long day, he realized, mostly of hiking, but a lot was ced on his mind with the existence of New Moscow now.

    He stood at the wall made up of windows, peering at the cityscape as the artificial sunlight was dimmed to a manmade dusk. Living within those vast walls, it felt somewhat ustrophobic for him. He had be adjusted to walking the world as a free te, unimpeded by borders orw.

    ''Having some order now feels¡­weird,'' Read new chapters at mvl

    he thought.

    Either way, he headed down the hallway, ncing in one room to find Charlotte dozed off on a bed. While Jasper slept on a sofa in the main room, he found his way into a room he chose to im as his own.

    It was rather minimalistic, save for a painting of Rome and a desk outfitted with a couple books and aputer. Seeing the device sitting on the oaken disy, he couldn''t help but sit at the desk and give it a try.

    ''Feels like years since I''ve touched a PC,''

    he thought.

    A single tap to the keyboard woke up the slumberingputer as the monitor flickered on. Feeling the LEDs against his irises felt the same to him as stepping into one''s childhood home after decades removed from it.

    "It really works," Finn mumbled.

    Scooting the chair closer, he slowly moved his hand over the desk, cing his fingers on the keys of the sleek keyboard. Though it''d felt like so long, he naturally got into the position to begin typing without any need for thought.

    He moved his hand to the mouse, moving it over before double-clicking on the globe-shaped browser icon. It immediately brought up the search engine, though he didn''t know exactly what it was he wanted to check first.

    That decision prevented him from typing a single letter for an entire minute before he checked the most obvious¨C"

    Utube

    ." Entering it into the address bar only showed up with an error as though there was nothing belonging to that term.

    Checking other popr sites¨C"

    Xitter", "Gram", "Faisebook"

    --all of them brought up the same,cking result.

    A quiet sigh left Finn''s lips as he leaned back in the chair, expelling his disappointment through that breath, "Yeah, I expected as much." He mumbled.

    It seemed like any website he remembered was gone, though it was hardly surprising. Though he questioned whyputers would be set up if that was the case, bringing him to minimize the browser as he looked around the desktop.

    Upon closer inspection, he found that there were applications on the desktop, though they were all in a vguage. He leaned back, ncing at the window at the decided nighttime of the enclosed city.

    A breath left his lips as he found himself not even interested in ying a game if he had found one. Though video games were once a pivotal part of his life, more than half of it, he didn''t feel the desire.

    ''It feels like¡­I''m not ready to rx yet. Not until the world is safe¨Cnot until I can kick my feet up without considering a dragon tearing the roof off will I be able to indulge myself like that,''

    he considered.

    There were still many questions he had in regards to

    New Moscow

    , some suspicions of his own, though the only source was his own gut feeling.

    ''No point in racking my brain on intuition. I don''t know if I can fully believe that four-eyes, but at the very least, it''s safe for the time being,''

    he thought, standing up from the desk as he stretched his arms, readying himself to sink into thatfortable looking bed.

    Intending toy down¡ª

    Ping

    .

    A distinct chime yed from the desk as he turned to look at theputer. It caused the monitor that had fallen asleep to sh back on, popping up with a mail icon in the center.

    "An email?" Finn audibly wondered.

    He sat right back down, clicking on the notification that had nted itself on the screen.

    ''Likely something from Nikko? Better not be asking me for an answer again,''

    he thought.

    To his surprise, it wasn''t from the engineer, nor was it written in the standardnguage of the country. It was a messy, jumbled-up message that looked put together in a hurry¨C

    [//

    SNED HRLP#sSEND HEKP DISRCT FOUR ¨C GUARD DEAD//

    ]

    The message took a moment for him to understand, though the direness of it was clear as day when reading it.

    "Send help, district four, guard dead? Why was it sent only to me?" He wondered, looking at the outgoing email.

    It wasbeled as the same floor of the building he was staying on, bringing him to conclude every floor had aputer with its own email set up. Still, it didn''t make much sense.

    ''Whoever this was probably just intended to get the message across to anybody in this building, seeing as it''s connected to Nikko. They probably want me to ry it to him,''

    he realized.

    Before that, he decided to try responding to it, typing up a response he felt was sufficient:

    [//

    What''s going on? Are you safe? Where exactly are you?

    //]N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He clicked to send it out, watching the animated icon of a letter being stuffed into an envelope as another "ping" resonated with the message sent.

    For a minute, he sat there, simply staring at the monitor to wait for a response. He began to move with the intent of trying to reach Nikko¡ª

    ping.

    Before he could do anything, that chime met his ears as he found a mail icon popping up once again:

    [

    //SEND HELP ¡ª PLEASE! MAN WITH A CLEAVER, THINK HE ATE THE OFFICER//

    ]

    ¨CCleaver?

    ¨CAte?

    Reading those words, cing them together, made his blood turn to ice in his veins. He sat there, staring at that message, rerunning the words through his head on the off chance he simply misread it.

    ''It can''t be him, right? I saw him die that night¨Cno, that''s not the truth of it, is it? I saw something else happen¨Csomething I still can''t fathom, let alone exin,''

    he recalled that night.

    A memory he seldom wanted to explore, though one that surfaced on his mind anyway. Just the thought of it made his heart begin to race. It was a more dreadful feeling for him than facing the God of Heroes¡ªperhaps an irrational feeling, but that one swelled in his chest.

    ''Even if it''s him¡­I''ve gotten stronger¡ªmuch stronger. But, the same might be true for him as well¡ªshit,''

    he failed to assure himself.

    Considering his options for a moment, he found an application on the desktop with an icon resembling a map. Clicking it brought up theyout of New Moscow from a bird''s eye view, with every partbeled.

    "District Four, that''s¡­there," he found, looking at the right hand corner of the city.

    He had a frame of reference, considering the map showed him his own location rtive to where the district was. Securing that information, he got up, checking the other rooms to find that Charlotte and Jasper were still asleep.

    ''Alright¡­They''re better off staying in here,''

    he thought.

    Seeing his friends peacefully asleep, the burden was ced on his shoulders as he did not want to disturb that slice of tranquility, even if it was minuscule. Going back to his room, he pressed his hand against the window, forcing it to open outward as a cool breeze was weed inside.

    He slipped himself out of the window, setting his boots on the small grooves on the smooth surface of the skyscraper. As he stood there, breathing out, he looked over the cityscape with only one hand keeping him from falling into it.

    The fear of heights was something that had be lost on him. He still considered it, though it was hardly a factor in his own safety anymore. Across the vastndscape, he set his sights on the direction of District Four, squeezing the handle of his dagger as he clung there, hundreds of feet high.

    [

    "Orcish Boost

    "] [4:59] ["

    Supercharge

    "]

    With thebination of both skills, he empowered his right arm with tremendous strength. Histeral muscles swelled, his tricep flexing and his forearm constricting before he tossed his dagger across the enclosed air¨C

    He waited for the right moment, the exact one as the de soared quickly before¨C

    ["

    de Warp

    "] [Mana: -100] [4400/4500]

 Chapter 187: A Delectable Reunion

    In an instant, he crossed the length of the city, between countless buildings and streets without being seen even for a fraction of a moment. As his daggers returned to his grasp, he immediately caught himself on the side of an apartmentplex without a single sound being made.

    He blended into the shadows, peering around the street that was a story drop below, seeing if anybody was there. It was eerily quiet in the neighborhood of the district, bringing him to drop down silently.

    ¡¯I¡¯d prefer to settle this quickly and easily¨Calone. If I got anybody else involved, I¡¯d only risk them being eaten by him¡­if it is him,¡¯

    he thought, straying from the flickering street light.

    It was a residential area, it looked like, with apartments and townhouses neighboring the street. There wasn¡¯t a sound he could hear, not letting his own breaths emit a noise as he quietly lurked the street. Rather than staying on the sidewalk itself, he merged into the wall, not letting even his physical shape be nced at.

    ["

    Turn Shadow

    "] [2:59]

    ¡¯I¡¯m not exactly sure where I should be looking. If it is Crow, then what I need to be wary of most is noticing him before he notices me¨Cthat¡¯s a challenge. He has all the gifts of an assassin, and¡­knows me on a deep level¨Cthat¡¯s just counting the level he was at before,¡¯

    he considered.

    With steps that did not utter even a trace of sound, the breathless wind felt even more silent than himself. Everyplex he passed by, he gazed at the exterior, looking for signs of struggle or the stains of bodily fluid.

    Every stride forward, engulfed in the shadows where nobody could feasibly sense him, his heart rose in its rapidity. The anxiousness was deeply seated within him, knowing just what kind of person could be lurking¨Cwhat kind of inhuman monster it was.

    It was at the turn of the block did the sound like that of a step scraping bring him to quickly spin around, partially emerging from the darkness with his dagger drawn¨C

    A loose piece of paper, carried by a light breeze across the street; nothing¨Cnothing that should merit his heartbeat ascending like it did.

    Before he could rx his tense self, the creaking of a door brought him to quickly turn again.

    "¡ª"

    He found the door to the apartment building at the corner of the street to be open, slightly swaying back still.

    ¡¯That wasn¡¯t open before, was it?¡¯

    He questioned.

    With careful steps, watching the darkness thatid beyond the front doors, he walked past the metal gate of theplex. Up the short steps, he moved before stopping just at the threshold of the entrance. It was cold; against his skin, a brisk wind trickled, unable to tell if it was weing him or telling him to leave.

    He carefully moved his foot over the threshold, cing it down on the other side as a chill ran up his leg. Just standing in that lobby, the eeriness that crawled over the olive walls like mold confirmed it for him.

    ¡¯I know this feeling¨Cthe taste of death in the air. He¡¯s here¡­I¡¯m certain of it now,¡¯

    he told himself.

    While he was initially focused on the strange feeling in the air, his attention was brought to the sound of liquid dripping down onto the pale, tile floor. He looked up between the stairs that went up for dozens of floors of the apartments, finding the source of the slow drip.

    "--"

    It was a crimson liquid, puddling onto the ground from somewhere high within theplex. Only then did ite to his sight; the marks of red that lined the walls, unnaturally painting the wallpaper as though intentionally signaling for him to move up the stairs.

    ¡¯What has he done?...This ce¨Cit reeks of death,¡¯

    he questioned, carefully ascending the first steps of the old stairs.

    At every moment, with every breath he allowed to escape his lips, he was ready. Though he was ready to strike, it wasn¡¯t as though he knew what the tell would be; it was impossible for him to predict that predator.

    Stay tuned for updates on §Þ??

    He ascended the steps carefully, keeping his eyes peeled onto the higher floors, looking between the wooden railings for any sign of predator.

    ¡¯One thing I never confirmed is how his predation works. When he eats somebody, does he gain only the system abilities they had at that point, or does he gain more as he levels? If it¡¯s thetter, then¡­¡¯

    He considered.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Amidst his thoughts, he quickly moved as a "squelch" met his ears. He dashed up to the second story of the steps, moving out of the way of whatever it was that crashed down from above. Whatnded against the steps with a harsh impact was a body¨Cbloodied, battered, and eviscerated.

    Finn carefully stepped closer to get a better look, kneeling down as he pressed his fingers against the neck of the unknown, but unfortunate soul.

    ¡¯No pulse,¡¯

    he confirmed.

    It was a young woman of brte hair, though hardly recognizable when covered in such abundant blood and cut up as much as she was. Looking straight up at the spiraling stairs, he caught the glimpse of a silhouette for only a millisecond.

    There was no hesitation now; Finn quickly sprinted up the stairs, keeping his steps silent, but his malice present. He wasted no time leaping around to the next set of steps, rushing up the stairs before¨C

    squelch.

    "Ah¨C"

    He nearly slipped as his boot slid forward upon cing it down, finding that it had found a puddle of blood that ran along the tile. It was entirely red; the floor he had reached of theplex was practically dyed in blood.

    ¡¯...What has he done?¡¯

    Finn couldn¡¯t help but question in shock at the horrific state of the apartments.

    A few more floors of careful pursuit only seemed to increase the amount of blood that trickled down the stairs like a hellish waterfall. Near the top of theplex¡¯s floors, what he found was an open door¨Cthe only one left like that in the building.

    Even without looking into it, he could tell just from the repulsive air that came out of it; this is where he¡¯d find that man. There was no point in using a tracking skill; he knew that, considering the person he pursued had ess to the very same abilities that could slip beneath being found.

    ¡¯I¡¯m beginning to feel like this was an invite¨Che wanted me specifically toe out here. It wasn¡¯t just dumb luck with that message hitting myputer¨Cno, it was meant for me,¡¯

    he put together, slowly approaching the opened door.

    Before even stepping foot into the apartment, just standing near the threshold allowed him to smell whatid past it¨Ca grotesque haze of death. It was a mixture of scents that overwhelmed his senses.

    Despite everything he had experienced so far, it spurred him to gag as he quickly covered his mouth. It wasn¡¯t specifically the smell of it, but just what sort of inhuman realityy within that apartment¨Che could sense what horrors were done.

    He brought himself to step past that threshold, immediately engulfed in the air so abundantly inteced with death. There was not a single inch of the walls not painted in stter, it seemed, yet the floor remained spotless.

    "You¡­"

    It was the only word that could leave his lips as a lump formed in his throat at what became visible as he arrived at the end of the hallway. Within the apartment, a disy like that of an artist¡¯s expression was suspended, showing nothing but terrifying brutality¨C

    At least a dozen bodies were hanging from the ceiling, ced into abnormal positions as though being propped like statues.

    "What do you think? I wanted to give you a proper reunion gift¨C"

    That foul voice, so calm and silken despite the horrific scene; his skin crawled as he wasted no time in turning to face the left where it hade from. Without any hesitation, heunched¨C

    ["

    Blink sh

    "] [2:59]

    CLANG

    Crossing the room in an instant, his de failed to cut the figure¡¯s throat, only instead scraping across the familiar, heinous de wielded by the predator. That snow-white hair and lifeless, ck eyes; the tattoos of bird wings on the back of his hands¨Cit was undeniable now as he looked at him so closely.

    "How the hell are you even alive, Crow?!" Finn demanded an answer, pressing his dagger against the smiling one¡¯s cleaver.

    All he was met with was that eerily calm grin as Crow spoke, "Now that we¡¯re so close, I can sense your emotions keenly again. Fear, anger, disgust¨Cis that how you feel about me, Finn?"

    Finn didn¡¯t answer, instead cing his other hand in front of the butcher¡¯s abdomen.

    "Oh?--" Crow nced down.

    ["

    Magenta

    "]

    The dark room was briefly filled with a bright, purple sh as the bolt struck the killer right in the stomach. It pushed with enough force to m Crow through the wall, throwing him into the next room.

    Finn pursued without wasting a moment, ignoring the aching in his arm after the single use of lightning. There was no room for hesitation; he already knew that when it came to the killer. He jumped onto the bed that the fiendish figure hadnded on, calling his second dagger into his grip before shing both downward¨C

    ["

    Ripper

    "] [Mana: -100] [4300/4500]

    The "X" shaped sh cleaved the bed into four sections, though was stopped from cutting into the flesh of the pale-haired man. Once again, that all-cutting cleaver stopped it short of eviscerating the hunter.

    "You¡¯re so impatient to kill me," Crow said, pressing his cleaver against both des with his back against the mutted mattress. "I called you out here so we could have a chit-chat. Like old times."

 Chapter 188: Understanding Evil

    "That¡¯s why you killed all of those people?! You shouldn¡¯t even be alive¨C! I watched you die!" Finn pushed the words out with contempt through gritted teeth, pressing harder with both des.

    Crow¡¯s smile widened at that im, simply looking up at him with those eyes hollow of humanity, "You watched me survive. Think back to that night. Oh, I know you remember it¨CI do, too. How could I forget? We had a lot of fun together, didn¡¯t we?"

    No part of him wanted to indulge the sickening fantasies of the killer, though he couldn¡¯t deny that he indeed witnessed something far off from "dying" when it came to Crow¡¯s fate. A part of Finn couldn¡¯t even muster up rage, it was more confusion and sadness that somebody this twisted could exist.

    "I don¡¯t get it¡­Why the hell are you like this? Those people¨Cthey were just trying their best to survive, like anybody else¨Cwhy did you take that away from them?" Finn demanded an answer, grabbing hold of the man¡¯s wrist as he slipped past his guard.

    The power of position was his as he had the twisted, young man pinned, with his de pressed against his throat. Despite the dagger being intimate enough to cut the life out of Crow in an instant, the rxed smile didn¡¯t fade nor did Finn sense any urgency from the killer.

    ¡¯What¡¯s wrong with him? I can¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on in his head at all¨Che doesn¡¯t care if he dies? Does he still think he¡¯s in a position to win here?¡¯

    he questioned.

    "I¡¯ve learned quite a lot about myself recently. Some introspection¨CI mean, all we have is

    time

    . What I¡¯ve discovered is that the greatest gift, the greatest mercy I can give to people is to wee them inside of me," Crow exined with a soft smile.

    "What? What the hell are you talking about¡­?" Finn quietly asked in quiet disgust.

    "You haven¡¯t learned it yourself, have you? We¡¯re very much the same, Finn," Crow imed.

    "Not a chance¨Cthere¡¯s no world where that¡¯s true," Finn responded, pressing harder as the edge of his dagger drew blood from the pinned man¡¯s neck.

    Crow¡¯s smile remained, "When I consume somebody, a part of them stays with me¨CI learn so much about them. Even in death, they¡¯re carried with me. Isn¡¯t it the same with your gift, Finn? You assimted Raven, and even¡­me. Tell me, do you feel me inside of you? Somewhere in there, a part of myself?"

    "I¨C" Finn tried to speak.

    The words of the elusive hunter stirred something within him, feelings he had thought of but ced deep within his mind. It was a phenomena he recognized before; picking up pieces of those he assimted.

    Whether it was the adamant nature of Damian, the lust for battle like Raven, or even the tenacity of Crow¨Che could feel their mark.

    "You do feel it, don¡¯t you? I have a part of you as well¨Ca small piece, but a piece all the same," Crow told him. "In that regard, we both carry Raven as well."

    Listening to the words that made his stomach twist, he breathed heavily while looking down at the person he pinned. The feathers of the eviscerated bed floated in the air like snowkes, yet Finn didn¡¯t feel any resistance from the hunter.

    It seemed almost too easy that he held him down without a fight. Though he saw the man as nothing more than a bloodthirsty predator, something deeper within him knew¨CCrow wasn¡¯t intending to kill him.

    "Ah, you get it now," Crow said. "You can sense my intentions. I¡¯m not here to take your life¨Cnot yet, anyway."

    "What the hell are you here for, then?" Finn questioned in quiet disbelief, conflicted at what his own gut was telling him as he kept the de pressed, though not as hard.

    "To see you," Crow answered.

    "If you n oning anywhere near the others¨Cif you do, I¨C!" Finn threatened, once again pressing his de down.

    As blood trickled from the neck of the hunter, Crow¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t shy away, "I said I¡¯m only here to see you, not them."

    Again, the sickening feeling was that he could sense what came from the man¡¯s lips was the truth. No part of him wanted to trust what was said, but it was something he concluded on a deeper level¨Can understanding on the threshold of souls.

    "What¡¯re you getting at here? What is it you want from me?" Finn asked, needing an answer.

    "I¡¯m not sure of that right now. Since that night, all I¡¯ve wanted was to meet you again. I was hoping a reunion might spark some answers to that," Crow answered with a smile.

    "Those people in there¨Cyou killed them just because then? For no reason?" Finn asked.

    "Rx. I didn¡¯t kill anybody here," Crow said casually despite the cold steel driving harder against his neck.

    It felt like the most in lie, one so tantly false it bordered on an insult to his intelligence, though once again, Finn sensed it was the truth. Confirming that with the twisted connection they shared, it left him baffled.

    The expression on his face must¡¯ve been an interesting one as it drew a chuckle from the hunter¡¯s lips, "I found this ce when I snuck my way past those walls. You could say the aroma of death brought me here."

    "But you told me it was a gift¨C" Finn used.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "I did," Crow confirmed with a quiet answer. "I sniffed this scene out for you. Think of it as an apology gift¨Cthe way this person handles business, I¡¯m sure if this scene wasn¡¯t found so soon, many more would be meeting the same fate. I wonder what will happen."

    There was a sickening curiosity from Crow as he seemed to imagine what kind of atrocities would bemitted by the unknown killer. Finn scoffed, moving his dagger away from his neck before getting up.

    "Oh? I¡¯m free to go?" Crow jokingly said, sitting up as he caressed his bruised neck before guiding his own blood to his lips for a taste.

    Everything about the snowy-haired, pale hunter made Finn disgusted, though at the very least, he could tell he wasn¡¯t in any danger at the current moment.

    "I¡¯m not epting any sort of apology of friendship from you. Get that through your head now," Finn adamantly imed, not sheathing his weapons.

    "My heart is twisted by those words," Crow said with a yful tone and a smallugh. "If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you just cut my throat right then and there?"

    "Oh, believe me, I¡¯m not against the idea. I¡¯m still debating on it. You¡¯re right about me assimting the people I kill, though¨Cif it wasn¡¯t for

    him

    , I wouldn¡¯t even give you a second thought. I¡¯d have already killed you," Finn exined, remembering the friend of his he once scorned for his selfless nature.

    "I should thank him, then," Crow said, holding his hand out as he caught the swaying mattress feathers in the disgruntled room.

    "Right now, I can sense something different about you¡­Maybe it¡¯s a long shot, but you don¡¯t seem Explore stories on §Þ??

    as

    fucked up," Finn imed. "If there¡¯s any chance of that, I can¡¯t thoughtlessly kill you."

    "Maybe it¡¯s the part of you I consumed," Crow guessed with a sly smile.

    "That can¡¯t be it. I don¡¯t consider myself that good of a person¨Cnot enough to influence the type of evil that you are," Finn presumed. "Along the way, maybe you killed somebody like that."

    "A good person?" Crow repeated as if reminiscing.

    It was rare to see the man once disying a one-track mind for killing reminisce without bloodlust. Though it felt like a shot in the dark, Finn was beginning to believe it might be possible that the hunter was changing, even if slowly.

    "I doubt even if I ate the

    Pope

    that I¡¯d be a functional member of society," Crow finally said after a moment of thought.

    "Yeah? I¡¯m more inclined to believe that as well," Finn said, staring at the suspicious hunter. "Thing is, being a functional person means not killing based on chance. As inconvenient as it might be sometimes."

    A part of him wanted to end Crow right there, quickly and cleanly. It was the biggest part of him, yet that small, but ever loud portion, tucked close to his heart, spoke against it.

    ¡¯If I did it like that, you¡¯d be disappointed, wouldn¡¯t you, Damian? I know that if you thought there was a chance to avoid killing, you¡¯d take it¨Cthat¡¯s why you let me¡­Yeah,¡¯

    Finn thought.

    From what he could tell, he had the physical advantage against Crow. It didn¡¯t mean anything for certain when it came to unknown abilities, but he was at least confident he had the upper hand.

    "If you try anything, I¡¯ll cut you down before you can do it. Do you get that?" Finn warned.

    "I believe you. I just wonder if you¡¯d be quick enough by the time I decided to do it," Crow responded with a yful smirk.

    "Just shut up," Finn brushed off before looking around the messy room. "You know something about the person that killed the people in thisplex, don¡¯t you?"

    "I have some presumptions," Crow answered with a rxed shrug.

    Walking around the room with the destroyed bed, Finn considered his options while Crow simply watched him as though trying to figure out exactly what he was thinking.

    "It¡¯d be better to tell Nikko about this. Leave this to the officers," Finn mumbled.

    "That won¡¯t be possible," Crow interrupted his thought process.

 Chapter 189: To Hunt Alongside The Hunter

    "It''d be better to tell Nikko about this. Leave this to the officers," Finn mumbled.

    "That won''t be possible," Crow interrupted his thought process.

    "Why not?" Finn asked, looking at the hunter with a raised eyebrow.

    Crow tapped his hand against the wall, rifying what he said, "To be honest, I wasn''t exactly nning on just sitting around here and waiting for you. The truth is, I can''t actually leave. You can''t either."

    "What''re you talking about?" Finn asked further.

    Instead of exining through words, visualization was much quicker and easier it seemed as Crow summoned his cleaver into his hand. With a swipe of the de that could cut through even titanium, it cut through, though the wall bled a ck sludge, quickly mending itself.

    "The hell?" Finn mumbled.

    "Every part of this building is like this. It seems the interior ispletely indestructible," Crow imed.

    "Then the front door¨Cit was open when I came here," Finn said, stepping towards the stairwell.

    Crow stopped him immediately with more words, "It''s closed. It was closed the entire time. My guess is that it only shows itself open for potential "prey."

    "Prey?" Finn questioned.

    Despite the situation, the pale-haired man had an enticed smile, "I believe this entire apartment has been turned into the feeding grounds for a rather interesting person. We were ensnared in their web the moment we walked in."

    "If that''s the case, then I''m shit out of luck. Of all the people to be stuck with," Finn remarked, ncing at the hunter. "Still, I''m curious why we haven''t been attacked yet then."

    "Doubting me?" Crow asked yfully.

    "I should, but I can tell you''re speaking the truth¡­creepily enough," Finn said.

    "It''s a great thing, being connected¨CI can see you''re creeped out, but I can also see you''re not frightened in the slightest considering the situation. I wonder, did your assimtion make you this way or was this always Finn Hawkthorne?" Crow questioned curiously, stepping closer, staring at him as if analyzing a piece of art.

    Conversation wasn''t something he sought even if he was forced to be with the hunter for the time being. Even if he could confirm whether Crow told the truth or not, it didn''t mean he knew the entire situation.

    ''There''s likely things he''s neglecting to speak about. I doubt it''s to bring me down, but more just because he finds it interesting¨Cthat''s the kind of person he is,''

    Finn thought.

    As he surveyed the room, looking for signs of anything that pointed to the unseen killer hiding in the midst, he could feel Crow watching him the entire time.

    "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help out?" Finn finally asked, ncing back.

    "Oh? You want my help?" Crow questioned with a smile.

    Seeing the clearly amused expression, Finn turned away, "Forget I asked."

    "I can sniff them out, y''know," Crow imed, tapping the tip of his nose. "Like a chef, I''ve developed a certain sense¨CI can smell a prize."

    "Creepy, but fine¨Clead the way," Finn epted, if nothing else, putting a meatshield between him and the unknown killer.

    He watched as the snowy-haired hunter began his search, brushing his fingers against the walls, touching the stter, all with an expression so calm you would''ve thought he was staring at a tranquil beach.

    "This person isn''t a mindless beast nor a butcher. No, what they''ve done here is intentional¨Ca work of art that they want witnessed," Crow imed, looking towards the strung bodies in the main room of the apartment.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "I''d disagree about them not being a butcher, but go on," Finn said, standing beside the hunter.

    Crow nced at him before turning around, "The sorts of killers that perform like this, starved for attention, craving recognition¨Cthat sort of person would be waiting for our reactions, watching it."

    "Watching?--" Finn repeated, quickly turning to the side.

    It was only when given that realization did he finally feel the gaze on him; it felt as though he was being watched from every angle by hundreds of eyes.

    "Don''t get too worked up. I didn''t mean that our killer is closeby in person¨Conly that they''re watching," Crowughed quietly, bringing his cleaver into his hand. "--They''re watching us closely without getting close."

    Finn watched as the pale man walked over to the back wall before plunging his cleaver into it, kicking his foot against it at the same time. A squirt of ckened liquid released from the action, spurring a smile from Crow as he brushed the substance from his cheek.

    Upon closer inspection, he found that what Crow had cut was not simply the wall, but an eyeball that he hadn''t seen previously.

    "I really hate being watched from afar¨Cit''s an annoying feeling," Crow said as he withdrew his de from the wall, looking over at the assassin.

    "Are you sure it''s a person we''re dealing with? A trapped building, dead bodies, eyeballs in the walls¡­It seems more like some kind of nightmarish monster than a human," Finn remarked.

    "You''re asking me that? I''m sure you know that there''s not much of a difference between man and monster when we really try," Crow answered with a smile.

    Finn didn''t feel like responding to the sly words, instead realizing to himself it was the case. Still, he didn''t want to consider just what kind of person would be responsible for the unnatural situation he found himself in.

    Finn decided to give a look around for himself, stepping towards the hallway that led back to the stairwell.

    "I''d watch your step," Crow warned from behind.

    "What''re you?¡ª" Finn began to ask as he nced back.

    A squishy sensation beneath his foot brought him to look down, finding that he had stepped on a disc of flesh.

    ''What''s that?''

    He questioned.

    As it pulsated, he flipped back just as it erupted from the ground. A pir of ckened flesh rose, quickly molding itself into a familiar, distinct shape. What intercepted the path was a humanoid of tar flesh, covered in eyeballs across its sickening body.

    ''Is that the killer? No, sleuth isn''t even bringing up any information, so it''s not a natural monster either¨Cthis thing must be a skill or part of the killer''s system,''

    Finn analyzed.

    A quick nce back at how casual Crow was standing at the back of the room confirmed that he likely wouldn''t be of any help. That slight smirk was saying "This one is all yours"¡ªa frustrating expression for the assassin.

    The ck fleshed monstrosity cocked its arm back as it extended, sending it forward like a whip. Finn slid to the side, feeling the air be rent by the vicious limb as it pped against the floorboards.

    The air hissed as the wooden tiles were shattered by the collision. It possessed enough strength when whipping its limbs to cause serious harm.

    Not only that, by the way its fleshed wasyered and folded, it would be difficult making meaningful cuts with his dagger.

    ''I''ll opt for this one, then

    ,'' he thought.

    [

    Bloodstained Odachi

    ]

    Recing the dagger he held was the curved sword that possessed tenfold the reach. He could almost feel the blood of the hunter behind him pump when he called upon the special weapon, as though it drove his heart into a celebration.

    The putrid being lunged at him, erging both of its arms to swing them as whips. As it approached, he brought the lengthy sword back¡ª

    ["

    Stay tuned to §Þ??

    Magnificent de

    "] [Mana: -600] [3700/4500] [2:59]

    In a swift sh before it could strike with its limbs, he brought the de through its body with an arc of colorful fire and sparks. The elemental strife only chewed away at his enemy, bringing no harm to the room itself.

    ["

    Mortal Mana

    "]

    [Mana Recovered: +300]

    "¡ª" Finn briefly exhaled as he sent the sword away, watching the grotesque creature dissemble into ash.

    There was no experience nor ability assimted, though [Mortal Mana] still presented a recovery of mana for killing it.

    ''I guess that thing was the minion of the killer. Some kind of system that allows them to create fiends and ensnare people in buildings? What could it be?''

    He considered.

    Finishing it off, he nced over as Crow walked past him, kneeling down to brush his fingers over the putrid remains of the creature.

    "It''s been a long time since I''ve seen that de he used to kill something. As beautiful as ever, isn''t it?" Crow reminisced.

    "I hate using it," Finn admitted with an absent look in his emerald irises. "I can feel all the blood on the hands of the person who wielded it."

    "Oh? Then you must be feeling the lives of hundreds," Crow remarked, straightening himself out with a delighted expression. "I was always more picky and deliberate with who I hunted, but Raven¡­He had no such prejudice in who he hunted."

    It was repulsive hearing the man speak about the act of taking lives as though it was nothing more than a game. He chose not to respond, instead taking his leave from the apartment as he entered the stairwell.

 Chapter 190: Manipulated Complex

    "I can see your disgust bubbling up whenever I talk about the act of hunting. You can hold a poker face all you want, but I can see within you that it stirs you up," Crow said while following behind with a smile.

    "You''repletely right. Every time you open your mouth and those vile words spill out, it makes me want to stick my de in your neck. There''s never¡­there''s never been a person I''ve sincerely wanted to kill besides you," Finn admitted, looking at the pale-haired man. "Everything about you is

    wrong

    to me¨Cwell, not everything. That small part that might be capable of change, of growth¡­That''s the only thing keeping me from bing no better than you."

    The honest spiel from his lips finally brought a change to Crow''s expression, who looked genuinely surprised by the genuine admission.

    "If you wanted to kill me, I wouldn''t really mind. After all, a part of me will be a part of you. For me, that''s a curiosity maybe worth dying for," Crow said. "Why not take the plunge? I''ll even let you do it¨Cright here."

    The man of a dysfunctional mind pointed right to his own neck, tilting his head as if making room for the silver de to fit right in. What sounded like a joke didn''t seem as such when he was able to sense there were no falsehoods in Crow''s words.

    "Taking a life isn''t so simple. At least, for normal people," Finn rejected the wicked offer, trying to turn his attention back to the ursed apartments.

    "But you''re not normal. Don''t forget, I have a deep understanding of you, deeper than you have of me¨Cthat brain of yours is fractured like a dropped teacup," Crow imed, tapping his finger against the side of the assassin''s head.

    Finn immediately pped his hand away, serving him a sharp re, "Enough. Focus on the issue at hand."

    "Sure thing," Crow obliged half-heartedly with a smile.

    As he looked around, the entireplex seemed "off"¡ªfrom the walls that appeared ck now, to the subtle vibrations in the air.

    It was unmistakably different from when he entered, he knew that for sure. He took some steps across from the floor, looking up through the spiraling stairwell.

    "¡ª"

    The floors seemed to never end; he couldn''t even see the ceiling of the building, only more and more railings ascending. It sounded like raindrops pitter-pattered against the outside¨Can impossible weather within the city.

    "Higher or lower?" Crow asked, gazing up through the stairwell.

    "It''s a coin flip either way, isn''t it? There''s now way to know for certain. That being said¡­I have a feeling our suspect would ce himself high up, looking down at us," Finn theorized, leading the way to the steps.

    Crow didn''t resist his line of thinking, following right behind him, "Hmm, that''s a good assumption."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "You already knew which way to go, didn''t you?" Finn asked, ncing back at the pale-haired, young man.

    "A hunch," Crow answered.

    Finn chose to ignore whatever games the hunter was ying at, focusing on the problem at hand as he followed the steps to the next floor. Upon walking onto the next floor, he found his boot sinking into a wet step.

    Looking down, he found his foot in shallow water, surrounded by heavy rainfall. As he brought his gaze back up, the sight of the apartments was muddled, instead seeing everything covered by rain and mist.

    ''What is this¡­?''

    He questioned. Continue reading at §Þ??

    It was a familiar sensation; that lightheadedness that came with inexplicable sights. What he surmised is that it was his mind ying with him again. After all, it made little sense to find himself in a flooded rainfall in the middle of an enclosed building.

    A hand to his shoulder snapped him back as he blinked, finding himself looking at the bloodsoaked walls of the apartment again. He looked over, finding Crow''s hand moving away as the snowy-haired man looked at him with a smile.

    "Spacing out? I couldn''t sense anything you were thinking just then," Crow asked.

    Finn didn''t answer, instead standing there for a moment as the fog in his mind cleared, turning his focus back to the floor itself. There were two apartments on every floor, though for some reason, that specific floor¨Cnumber eight¨Conly had one door.

    "Interesting," Crow remarked. "Whatever it is, this person''s system seems to let them freely alter this warped ce however they please."

    "I''d call it more annoying than anything," Finn said while approaching the single door.

    As he grabbed the handle, something was off about it¨Cwhat should''ve been solid brass instead squished as he gripped it. It was a texture like that of jell-o, molding itself to his hand.

    ''What the¡­?''

    Finn thought, feeling the perplexing warmth radiating from the handle.

    Just as he squeezed the odd handle, he jumped back as his instincts red up. The door he intended to open morphed, pushing outward as its dark-red form opened into a gaping maw full of jagged teeth.

    "Ha-ha! Look at that! The door was a trap," Crow observed from a safe distance.

    There was no time for Finn to have any kind of the same reaction as the door-mouth lunged out from its hinges like a train of flesh, ramming right into him. In order to respond quickly, Finn raised his hand, causing the ground of the high-up floor to rumble.

    ["

    Stone Warping

    "]

    Just as the gaping, salivating mouth got close, a wall of material shot up, mming the grotesque, blistered worm of flesh right in its jaw. It stopped the grotesque force in its tracks, though it quickly began to ram towards him again.

    There were less thanfive meters of space to work with on each floor, making it a rather ustrophobic experience in dealing with what was essentially a tube of hostile flesh.

    "Need a hand?" Crow asked from the sidelines.

    Finn rejected the offer without saying anything, running towards the wall absent of a door as he used it as a secondary foothold. He ran up the wall before flipping around, causing the door-mimicking creature to ram straight into the building.

    Before it could move around again, he moved his hand to manipte the stone wall he had risen¨C

    ["

    Stone Warping

    "]

    It used his mind as a canvas, forming the solid material into a shackle that wrapped around the tubr body of the creature. A hiss released from its putrid mouth as it was held still, allowing for him tond his boots atop its body.

    "--Fffuu."

    A sharp exhale pushed through his lips as he calmly, with focus, drove his dagger down into what he could only guess was its head. The de sank right into the tough, but susceptible flesh before its constant hissing came to an abrupt end.

    ["

    Mortal Mana

    "]

    [Mana Recovered: +200]

    Ending the worm-like fiend''s life reduced it to ashes that dispersed beneath him, letting his feet fall back to the floor.

    "You handled that nicely," Crowplimented.

    "These creatures are getting annoying. They''re not difficult to handle, but¡­they''re ced like traps," Finn observed, looking at where the door should''ve been for the apartment building.

    There was no longer any sort of door blocking the way, only a trail of repulsive slime from the one that had pretended to be one. The stench of the secretion left from the fiend smelled of bananas and spoiled fish, almost enough to make his eyes water if he wasn''t used to horrible smells already.

    He approached the threshold, taking a peek into the apartment to see it had a far different interior from the other he had seen. The walls inside were turned to a charred ck, the same for the floors. Even without stepping in, the smell of burnt wood infiltrated his nose with a smoky air.

    "It''s been burned?" Finn questioned.

    "I doubt our person of interest did anything like that. It seems to me more like we''re viewing a glimpse into their mind," Crow theorized.

    As he entered the charred apartment, he listened to what the one who shared the mind of a killer had to say, beginning to feel part of that himself. Theyout of the fire-touched room was entirely different as well, with a kitchen directly to the right upon walking in and two bedrooms on the left.

    ''This entire apartment¡­It likely does exist in the city, but right now, it''s like the inside has been altered by this person¨Cit''s built like a fever dream,''

    Finn thought.

    Passing down the hallway, he nced into the opened door to find a room untouched by fire. It stood out like a sore thumb as the walls were painted baby blue with clouds on the ceiling and toys scattered on the floor. The juvenile room looked as though it should exist a thousand miles away from the charred apartment, yet was a threshold away.

    "A kid''s room?" Finn muttered to himself as he walked in, looking around at the vibrant walls.

    "A kid''s nightmare, it seems," Crow remarked, standing at the doorway of the room.

 Chapter 192: Man In The Tape

    Again, the television switched off right as the message was finished ying through the dusty speakers.

    "Died? What''s he talking about? Happiness through violence?" Finn questioned, looking down at the room filled with empty cans and discarded stic.

    "A figure of speech, maybe? Though we''ve both experienced death, haven''t we? It''s not too far-fetched to believe somebody else has done the same," Crow guessed.

    The more this went on, following along the intended showcases of the mind of the sinister stranger, Finn felt himself bing lightheaded. Walking through the scenery forged of the killer''s memories, it forced him to connect with them, having to feel the very same things they felt.

    ''It''s like I''m being forced to retrace his steps. The blood on his hands¡­I can feel them on my own¨Cit''s disgusting. I hate it,''N?v(el)B\\jnn

    he thought.

    Though Crow hardly seemed disturbed by any of it, Finn wanted to be done with it all as quickly as possible. He ventured down the corridor, finding one more room before the end of the hall.

    It was a small chamber full of chains hanging from the ceiling, obscuring the television before it flickered to another tape.

    "I don''t know if I want to keep listening to this crap. The ramblings of a madman¡­It''s pointless to hear him out," Finn said, wiping the sweat from his chin as he stared at the screen.

    "I think there is value to be found in listening, even if it ends up being nonsense," Crow said with a curious smile. "After all, there''s a reason for this, isn''t there?"

    "--" Finn neglected to respond.

    The television buzzed before the tape finally loaded, this time showcasing fuzzy footage that looked unrecognizable to the previous scenery. It was a vast, dark ce of ck sand that stretched in every direction.

    Screams emitted in the far distance within the recording,ing from all sorts of directions.

    "What the hell is that ce?" Finn mumbled.

    Crow didn''t answer, seeming focused to find that out as well, "Hmm¡­"

    Finally, the emotionless voice yed in the tape¨C

    ["

    Eventually, I was caught. After forty years of bloodshed, they pinned me down. I took down twenty officers with me¨Ca final scar to the world. I was executed without any discussion, and my name was erased from the record books. Apparently the government came together and decided my name was too much of a stain on humanity to be remembered. That made me smile.

    After that, I found myself in this paradise¡­Hell.

    "]

    "Hell?" Finn repeated thatst word.

    "I''d say it was another figure of speech, but that footage¨Chm. If it really does exist, I suppose I know where I''m headed," Crow considered as his smile loosened momentarily.

    "You don''t seem too disappointed by that," Finn said, seeing the snowy-haired man''s expression return to a pleased one.

    Crow pushed the chains away, tapping his hand against the television as he chuckled, "Oh, I expected some sort of eternal punishment at the end of my life. That''s only natural after the things I''ve done."

    "You can understand that, but you can''t stop yourself?" Finn asked.

    "Call me short-sighted, if you have to," Crow answered.

    What awaited at the end of the gloomy corridor was a set of double doors. In the gap beneath the doors, he could see light bleeding in from behind. He only shared a partial nce to Crow before pressing his hand against the doors, carefully parting them.

    Opening to what was on the other side, the static and buzzing of televisions filled his ears as he moved his feet slowly, one in front of the other.

    "What¡­is this?" Finn questioned.

    The room was built high like a tower, with countless televisions attached to the walls, some stuck on static screens, others ying hand-recorded footage. Every one of the T.Vs yed what looked like the tape of a horrific act¨Cstalking, murder, torture¨Cthings that would send somebody to the deepest gate of Hell.

    "This is all of his work," Crow testified, looking up. "I had my fun here and there before the world became how it is now, but¨Chah, this one¡­Look at all of this. Hundreds? Thousands? All before this."

    Seeing the tapes ying on the countless screens, their horrific nature, made Finn''s stomach swirl as he held back his disgust. It was absolutely abhorrent just thinking about it.

    "Somebody like this existed? This isn''t a serial killer¨Cit''splete genocide. He''s a demon¨Cmaybe the damn devil himself," Finn remarked, repulsed by his findings.

    What was a night he expected nothing from turned into an encounter that froze the blood in his veins. It was a step away from the terrors he''d faced; from the Furthest From God, to Sirius, to the Jabberwock¨Cthis was different.

    A human who was without a trace of humanity.

    "I almost feel put to shame. I hate to admit it, but I''ve been outssed, through and through," Crow relinquished with a smile.

    "Let''s find a way out of here¡ªI need to regroup with the others. This isn''t something we can take on¡ª" Finn said, looking around desperately.

    Even though inside of his mind, he understood that he was trapped in the warped apartment, something made him anxious.

    "Don''t get cold feet now, dear Finn. He''s been courteous enough to treat us like guests¡ªso we must see it through," Crow excitedly said, calling his bone-made cleaver into his hand.

    All of the televisions suddenly went ck as though the power went out, bringing the overload of noise to a deafening silence.

    Wump-wump. Wump-wump. Wump-wump.

    Inside of his chest, he could feel his heart racing; in his ears, he could hear it. The absence of the artificial light in the worn down, rusty chamber weed the sinister presence in.

    In the center of the dim room, from thergest, nk television that spanned multiple meters, "something" crawled out.

    A man whose face was shrouded in the darkness, veiled by his messy, dark hair as he picked himself up like a puppeteered doll. He possesses an imposing stature, over two meters tall, built with freakish muscrity.

    Yet, none of that mattered; Finn found himself frozen, breathing unevenly, his fingers trembling around his daggers as he looked towards the nameless force of evil.

    ''I can''t breathe¨Cwhat¡­is this? I shouldn''t be this scared. I''ve put my life on the line more times than I can count¡­Why am I so scared?! It''s unnatural¨Cit''s as though just breathing the same air as him is enough to send my heart into a panic,''

    he thought.

    All the nameless killer carried with him was a hunting knife, standing there with chilling confidence.

    Finn readied himself, silently praying that Crow would actually be of help.

    ["

    Sleuth Status

    "]

    [¡­]

    Attempting to obtain any information on the hostile presence didn''t give him anything. Not a name, ss, or level¡ªnothing.

    He nced at Crow for no more than a millisecond, hoping to affirm he will fight with him. In that brief pause of watching the stranger, he found the space between them torn away.

    ''¡ªAh?''

    Finn thought.

    That sinister presence was right in front of him, inducing an utter frost through his body. So deeply gripping his mind, the fear prevented him from activating a single skill, not even conceiving the thought before¨C

    Squelch

    .

    A warmth filled him at his stomach before a visceral pain red. There wasn''t any time to focus on that one instance of pain as he looked down, finding therge knife leaving his stomach and stabbing into another point of his abdomen.

    "Grrk!¡ª"

    Finn gasped out, swiping his dagger desperately as he forced the stranger to step back. The momentary retreat from the nameless killer caused the knife to be carelessly ripped out from his body, bringing a spige of crimson from his stomach.

    "Hfff¡­!" Finn breathed desperately, feeling his head spinning already from just a moment of blood loss.

    ["

    Unbleeding

    "] [9:59]

    As a puddle had already spilled onto the metallic flooring, he forced his body to restrict all bleeding from his two wounds. Even though it was stopped, he could feel that the knife had skewered parts of him inside.

    ''Shit¡­It was so fast and aggressive¡ªI couldn''t react? No, my body just didn''t even move,''

    he thought.

    As he focused up, he found himself being rushed again by the knife-wielding killer, though was intercepted by the hunter. Crow swiped his cleaver in front of the imposing man, missing by arge margin, though with a smile on his face.

    "I can''t have you dying on me so easily, Finn¨C" Crow remarked with a smile.

    Amidst the hunter''s own words, a counterattack came swiftly and without warning from the stranger as the knife struck at Crow''s face. At thest possible moment, Crow moved his head, though only enough that the de still dragged across his cheek, tearing through it.

    Finn moved quickly to counter while the killer''s focus was on Crow¨C

    ["

    Blink sh

    "] [2:59]

    He appeared right beside the imposing figure, shing his de at his neck. It made contact, though he found that it presented only a small cut, not nearly enough to prove fatal.

    ''What? It didn''t go deeper than that¨C? His skin didn''t feel that tough¨Cno, it was my own strength. My body isn''t responding properly,''

    Finn realized.

 Chapter 193: Black Sand

    He flipped himself back just as the de passed by his head, onlynding with a slight wobble as he felt the strength in his legs fading. It was a peculiar feeling; like nausea, only intensified and more unpredictable.

    ''It''s something with his ability¨Cit has to be. I can''t focus, my mind is foggy and my body won''t work properly¨Cit''s not normal,''

    he deduced.

    However, it hardly seemed to be the case for the pale-haired predator, who happily engaged with the nameless killer.

    "You''re not very talkative, are you?" Crow asked as swept his cleaver for the man''s abdomen, though missed by a margin.

    There was no response as the imposing figure immediately retaliated, stepping in close.

    Crow morphed his body into a slender, slithering form, slipping by the brutal stabs and shes from the sinister man.

    ["

    Serpent Shift

    "]

    As though bing almost like a liquid, devoid of a skeleton, Crowpressed his own body, slipping between the man''s legs before bulking up. It wasn''t just back to his usual physique, but beyond it as his body became engulfed in dark-brown fur, presenting curved horns at his head:

    ["

    Minotaur + Orc Shift

    "]

    ''Full strength¡ª!''

    Crow excitedly thought.

    With a hand threefold asrge and a bicep even more overwhelming, he swung his cleaver towards the nameless man''s back¡ª

    Squelch

    .

    "Ah¡ª?" Crow let out with a nk stare.

    The cleaver only hit the air, in turn finding that the only one suffering wounds was Crow himself. Like bullets punching through the hunter''s skin, multiple stabbings appeared across his body.

    It was a worrying sight for Finn, seeing the only ally he could rely on in this moment so easily outmatched. None of it was shy; the killing prowess of the nameless man was something in a different realm entirely¨Cquickness, precision, aggression, violence¨Call perfectly honed.

    Finn watched Crow drop to his knees as the dozen knife wounds spurted blood out, deciding to take action himself.

    "Hey!--" He shouted out, seeing the man without an identity for a split-second.

    Attempting to take the focus back onto himself proved to be a mistake as he found the knife-wielding sin dashing through the dim room, arriving right in front of him before he could do anything. That anxiousness; the nausea¨Call of it wore down his reflexes and ability to act so much that he barely managed to raise his own weapon before¨C

    squelch

    .

    ''I¡­''

    An unformed thought surfaced in his mind.

    Right in front of him, low like a beast on the hunt, the nameless killer had stuck his de into the assassin''s gut again. Feeling he steel lodged into his stomach, Finn raised his arm, forcing himself to try and defend himself, but¨C

    It was toote.

    The stranger tore the de to the side, ripping open Finn''s belly as though gutting a fish, cleanly and without any resistance. All he could do was watch, looking down as the knife was removed only by virtue of cutting across his abdomen.

    He dropped his de, attempting to hold himself together as his own intestines spilled into his hands. A mess of crimson poured out as he stumbled back, attempting to regte his breathing before he dropped to his knees.

    ''How did this happen?...Am I going to die? Am I dying? I couldn''t even tell¡­what happened. Everything about this¨Cit just feels off¡­It''s not right¨Cthis person, they''re not human,''

    the thoughts shed across his mind as his vision grew weary.

    In those brief shes of consciousness, he witnessed Crow on the receiving end of the knife again, cut across the body, stabbed just as he was¨Chelplessly. Finn fell onto his stomach as a pool of warm crimson flooded beneath him.

    "I¡­" He weakly exhaled.

    Keeping his hand on his stomach with some sort of futile notion he could keep his insides where they should''ve been, he gasped out as his stomach burned like an oven. As his eyelids grew heavy, one look at the stranger across the room finally gave him something to sleuth¨C

    ["

    Major Arcana: The Devil

    "]

    ''Ar¡­cana? What is this guy? I can''t¡­feel anything¨Cit''s fading,''

    his thoughts loosely formed, held together by mere string.

    Like a ck smog, a haze filled his mind as the overwhelming warmth that radiated from his stomach turned to a chilling frost that gripped every inch of his body. Through every pore of his body, life left him in a hurry.

    Everything went ck¨C

    ["

    A single misstep in this messed up world, and this is how you end up.

    "]

    A soft wind whispered against his ears, brushing against his body with a rough grain. It felt as though he''d been in a peaceful sleep for some time, though everything was left foggy. What were simply breaths of the wind turned to distant howls of agony, of sorrow.

    As his eyelids slowly opened, he found himself staring up at a hollow sky, devoid of anything but a dark fog.

    ''What¡­is this?''N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He questioned.

    In the void above him, it looked as though distorted faces looked back at him, their wails blended into the wind that passed by. He carefully picked himself up, cing his hands against what appeared to be ck sand.

    It took some effort not to fall back over as he stood up, breathing out. Finally adjusting, he began to see where it was he woke up¨C

    A vast, ck desert where screams echoed in the distance, though he couldn''t quite see where they came from.

    ''This ce¡­I''ve seen it¨Cit was in one of the killer''s tapes. Hell¡­He said he went to Hell,''

    Finn recalled as his anxiousness began to rise.

    Coming to that conclusion only made his heart thump as his blood felt as though it vibrated in his body. It was a concerning realization, one that made him question if he had begun dreaming, hoping it was that.

    He pulled up his shirt, checking his stomach to attempt to certify what was real or not¨C

    "Ah."

    Across his stomach, a visceral scar revealed itself to him along with another pair of smaller scars. Seeing those emblems of past wounds resurfaced thest memories he remembered; the unsettling encounter with the nameless killer.

    Down to the smell of rusted steel in that room to the sensation of having his gut torn open, he remembered it clearly¨Cafter all, it wasn''t something forgotten so easily.

    ''Did I die? Is this Hell? For some reason, I''m not all that scared¨Cit''s just¡­empty,''

    he thought, looking around the ck desert.

    He began to wander aimlessly, trudging through the dark sand as the wailing wind brushed past him. There was no correct direction to walk, it seemed. All of it seemed exactly the same, without aim, without purpose.

    The temperature was humid, with the passing winds hot enough to coax a sweat. It was ufortable to breathe, as the air was thin and grainy. He hiked for what he could only imagine was an hour, finding himself ascending a mound of sand, reaching the top¨C

    "Not even close, huh?" He mumbled to himself as he caught his breath.

    Ahead, as far as the eye could see, the lonely desert continued on without any seeming end. The only thing he could do was continue moving one foot in front of the other, hoping it''d lead him somewhere.

    Hours, perhaps a few, maybe a dozen; he moved forward through the aimless wastnd. It was all the same, every step of the way; the same, coal grains that shifted beneath his boot, the cries of agony hidden in the wind, the void looking down at him.

    At a certain point, seeing the exact same, unchanging scenery after hours of hiking, he began to question it.

    ''Am I making any progress? Is it a loop? I can''t tell,''

    he thought.

    After enough hiking without making any seeming progress, he came to a stop as he regained his breath. It was tiring, though not from the walking itself, but the humid wind.

    "What the hell is up with this ce? There''s nothing here¡ªit''s just¡­sand," he questioned as he continued his monotonous march.

    After enough dragging his feet for what could only be hours more, he tripped when descending a slope of sand.

    "Nn¡­!"

    Face-first into the downward hill, he slid down without much grace. It was another little act just to rub dirt in the wound.

    The grains tasted painfully putrid, like a torment to his taste buds of spoiled meat and charcoal. He spat the sand out of his mouth, gagging as he did so.

    "Nnng¡­" He groaned as he picked himself up, coughing out whatever pieces of sand made it past his mouth.

    Straightening himself out, the groaning continued, though not from his mouth. After countless hours in the empty, vast desert, something finally sticking out to him made him alert.

    "Hello¡ª?" Finn called out, looking around.

    Piles of sand to the west, more to the east, north¡ªsomething stuck out. A person was sitting crisscrossed on the sand, swaying somewhat as they looked aimlessly into the distance.

    It looked to be a man of a lifelessplexion with unkempt, burgundy hair.

    "Hey? Hey!" Finn called out, scrambling over to the first sign of another person.

    There was a dyed reaction to his words, as though there was no hurry from the individual in acknowledging he was there.

    "Oh¡­? A fresh soul," the stranger remarked with a hoarse voice. "What foul machinations did you perform in your life to end up here, I wonder?"

 Chapter 194: The Deepest Layer

    "Oh¡­? A fresh soul," the stranger remarked with a hoarse voice. "What foul machinations did you perform in your life to end up here, I wonder?"

    The man of withered skin looked at him with glossy, ck eyes, picking himself up from the sand with an air of curiosity. One thing stood out more than anything, though, one of the man''s eyes possessed an iris like that of a six-pointed star.

    "Here? Where is "here", exactly?" Finn asked, staring at the peculiar individual.

    There wasn''t a single article of clothing worn by the hollow stranger besides the remnants of a dark coat, barely a scarf clinging to his body.

    "You don''t know? This is the ce below the deepestyers of

    Hell

    , exclusive only for the most wicked, yes¡­The most sinful souls of our kind, yes," the hollow man exined with a decrepit grin.

    "So, it really is Hell¡­I didn''t want to be right on that one," Finn mumbled to himself.

    As he took in the bit of information from the strange, malnourished man, he noticed that the stranger held a rather curious gaze on him while tilting his head. It was that same type of curiosity that resembled the insufferable madness akin to Raven or Crow; an intrigued predator.

    "You though¡­You don''t belong here, do you?" The strange man used, stepping closer.

    Finn held his ground, "What''re you talking about?"

    "Your skin still holds color. Your blood quivers, your heart thumps with anxiousness, and your soul still throbs with desperation," the withered man analyzed. "You''re not dead."

    The exact moment thatst part rolled off the stranger''s tongue, he could feel the animosity oozing from their body. Presented with a hostile presence, he opted to use Sleuth, though quickly met with odd feedback¨C

    [N@M3: Jun-Seo]

    The way the information about the hollow man before him was presented to him struck him as odd, bringing him to call his daggers to his hands without wasting a moment.

    "What''s your problem?" Finn asked.

    While it seemed a breeze might''ve carried the hollow husk of a man away before, there seemed to be renewed vigor flowing through him as he held his hand up.

    "This eternity beyond life, filled with nothingness, is a supreme punishment for the greatest sinners. It''s not often an opportunity for entertainment happens upon my feet¡­iming the life of someone?" Jun-Seo remarked with his hoarse voice. "It''s a gift¨Cit must be."

    Into the hand of the one damned beneath Hell, a sword crafted by intertwined bones crawled out from the sand. As the stranger armed himself, Finn couldn''t help but not feel all too surprised.

    ''I guess if this is the deepest depths of Hell, then I can''t expect the freaks ced here to be normal¨Cstill, I didn''t expect this. Does he have some kind of system? It''s weird¨Cit feels different from normal,''

    he questioned.

    "Those clothes, those emerald eyes, so full of life, yet distant¡­Oh, yes¡­You remind me of him. He wielded daggers, just like you, too¨Cit must be a gift, then. A gift that I get to cut apart another just like that troublesome boy," Jun-Seo imed.

    "I don''t know what the hell you''re talking about, but just put that sword down¨Cthere''s no need for this," Finn advised, holding his ground.

    Of course, attempting to speak reason was only futile as he saw the curl to those fiendish lips¨C

    Jun-Seo swept his sword across the sand, sending a wave of the grains right against the assassin, "Come on, boy! Make this an enjoyable experience! It''ll satisfy for at least another century!"

    The wave of ck sand obscured his vision, though he focused on the vibrations through the desert he stood on.

    ''The right¨C!''

    Finn found.

    At that moment, he leaned back just as a stunning sharpness passed in the spot he stood a split-second prior. It cut through the sand with a harrowing viciousness, cleaving forth with a foul, green re.

    From that single instance, he quickly learned that the hollow figure he encountered was not a simple soul that led a simple life; Jun-Seo was repulsively wrapped in sin.

    Another sh came, forcing him to duck down as he found himself getting right into the guard of the sinful figure. He squeezed the handle of his dagger as the sand pelted against his skin; the sharpness of the missed sh bringing the air to hiss on his ears.

    ["

    Wraith me

    "] [Mana: -100] [4400/4500]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    As the colorful mes birthed themselves along the length of his de¨C

    "Cancel: Magic!"

    The words were spouted from Jun-Seo''s lips like an invocation; amand that could not be ignored, bending the air itself.

    "Huh¨C?" Finn nced down at his dagger.

    Just like that, as though a breath pushed against a mere candle, the enchanted ze was extinguished from his weapon. That moment of distraction led to the hollow man''s foot being sent straight for his gut.

    Finn raised his arm just as the foot mmed right against his forearm. The force behind the kick was surprising as well, picking him off his feet before sliding back several meters across the sand.

    ''What was that? He canceled my skill with two words? That didn''t seem like a ss skill¡­Is it some sort of unique system? Either way, it''s trouble,''

    he considered.

    It only brought an annoyed exhale from the assassin as he expelled his frustration. Being attacked by the resident of the afterlife didn''t frighten him¨Cit only was a bother.

    ''If I''m still alive, I need to get back¨Cif that killer is still out there, I have to get back before he gets to Charlotte and Jasper. That''s all that matters¡­nothing else,''

    he resolved.

    Augh spewed from the mouth of the burgundy-haired sinner, "What''s got you so quiet now?! Dying isn''t so scary, trust me! You''ll have an eternity in the sand tofort you!"

    "Shut up."

    ["

    Flicker

    "]

    In that instance, he crossed the distance between himself and the sword-swinging husk. He moved both of his daggers, intercepting the de that was swung his way¨C

    squelch.

    "Oh¨C?" Jun-Seo reacted.

    The hollow man''s arm was cleanly flung off by the interception of the dagger. Finn calmly watched the man, deducing his next move at that moment.

    ''It''s unlikely that I can "kill" him¨Che''s already dead and in Hell. The best I can do is put him out ofmission, then,''

    he decided.

    As the now one-armed man stumbled back as blood gushed from his nub, heshed out beforeughing again, "It wouldn''t be fun if you couldn''t bite back, anyway¡­!"

    ["

    ckout

    "] [9:59]

    Finn carried an orb of ck mass in the palm of his hand, tossing it right for the maddened man. It made contact before Jun-Seo could even perceive it, slipping right into his chest without an issue.

    "Oh?" Jun-Seo reacted. "Oh? Oh? Oh?"

    The assassin observed for a moment at the effects of [ckout], witnessing the sinner stumble around the sand, not even facing the right direction anymore.

    ''It''s effective. ckout is capable of suppressing all five senses¨CI don''t know what the duration is, but it should be fine,''

    he thought.

    "Where did you go, assassin?!" Jun-Seo called out, wildlyshing his one arm around.

    Finn calmly stepped over, casually swiping his dagger without much effort required. The simple movement removed the man''s neck from his shoulders, letting his head plop right into the dark grains of sand.

    "Oh¡­? It appears I''ve been beheaded," Jun-Seo remarked while his body still stumbled around.

    There was nothing else for Finn to do but continue on his way, doing his best to forget about the odd encounter with the only person he met in the depressing ce. Again, he found himself marching through the vast desert, perhaps still aimless, but with something to keep him going.

    ''I''m alive¡­At least, that''s what that crazy guy said. Going off the words of somebody like him might not be the best idea, but it''s not something he''d lie about. Still, if I''m alive, then why am I here?''

    He questioned.

    None of it made sense to him, though that wasn''t all too surprising considering everything he''d experienced. The more he aimlessly walked, the more he started to believe he may truly be damned to the lonely desert.

    Perhaps more hours passed, though he couldn''t tell a minute from an hour anymore as he solely focused on moving his legs. He found himself walking in the center of a sandstorm, pelted by grains of sand relentlessly as he walked.

    ''If I had to guess, the reason I''m here is because of that guy. "The Devil"--that''s the name it showed me. Maybe he sent me to Hell when he gutted me? That''s all I can guess,''

    he thought.

    The sand wasn''t too bothersome, though it made it difficult to see where he was going. Again, that failed to be much of an issue when the direction he went hardly seemed to have any bearing.

    Pushing through the storm, enough was had as he tiredly dropped down,ying on the sand as he breathed out.

    "It''s just one thing after one always, isn''t it?" Heined with an exhale.

 Chapter 195: Deceitful Self

    As heid there, staring up at the malignant void that looked back down at him, it settled in just how strange of a situation he was in. Experiencing otherworldly phenomena so frequently, he was desensitized to it all.

    It wasn''t something he gave a whole lot of thought to normally, as most of the time he was more preupied with trying not to be killed by whatever hostile was after his life.

    ''Living in this crazy Apocalypse¡­I feel like my mind has been permanently changed,''

    he considered.

    Amidst his self-reflection, a peculiar sound greeted his ears; like that of a gentle wave casting itself over. He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the trickles of water.

    Laying there, he envisioned the sand he was on to be part of a beach, neighboring a crystal-clear, beautiful ocean.

    ''I was never much of an outdoors person, but nowadays¡­If the world went back to normal, I would be. Watching the sea beside some friends,ughing and having a good time. Yeah, I would live like that,''

    he dreamed of.

    That peaceful time with his eyes closed was interrupted by a whistle. It wasn''t an abrasive sound, but a soft call as though lightly beckoning his attention.

    He opened his eyes and sat up, looking over to where the gentle whistling came from.

    A pristine sightid before his eyes, one that he had not imagined seeing in the ce deeper than

    Hell:

    an oasis of sparkling water with vibrant, coconut trees sprouting around it.

    ''Water¡­? A ce like this?''

    He questioned, approaching the peculiar area.

    It almost had a maic pull on him, bringing him to move his feet without thinking to do so as the glistening oasis allured him. As he made it to the edge of the water, he dropped down to his knees, looking into the water.

    The sight of it made him gulp as his throat felt dryer than ever when staring at it, finding himself simply wanting to just sink his head into the refreshing depths.

    "Oh¨C"

    Before dunking his mouth into the water, he noticed the small, wooden sign ced into the sand right beside the brisk spot¨C"

    Hell''s Oasis

    .

    Take a dip.

    "

    He sifted his hand through the water some, feeling how cool it was while considering the message written on the post.

    ''There''s not exactly any other leads¡­This is my only bet on getting somewhere,''

    he thought.

    Taking in a breath, he readied himself before dropping into the oasis. The cool water immediately weed him with a refreshing sensation against his skin.

    It didn''t feel as if he was simply sinking, it felt as though the water was guiding him downward.

    ''Odd. Right now, I don''t feel like I''m drowning¡ªthe need for air isn''t there. I''m drifting towards something¡ªno, the oasis is pulling me there,''

    he thought.

    Deeper and deeper he was guided, heading towards a point he couldn''t quite make out within the brisk depths.

    He reached his hand out, watching to touch whatever it was that waited at the bottom of the oasis before¡ª

    "Haah¡­!"

    His eyes shot open as he gasped out, finding the scenepletely shifted. There was no water around him, only staring up at a gray ceiling that he did not recognize.

    Beep. Beep. Beep.

    That monotonous sequence of sounds met his ears as he sat there for a moment. He finally looked around, finding a beeping monitor beside him as well as IVs, with tubes plugged into his arms.

    ''A hospital¡­?''

    He questioned.

    Sitting there as he looked at his body, he found a massive scar left on his abdomen and others near it. He ran his hand over his stiff stomach, feeling it as he confirmed that the encounter must''ve been real.

    It wasn''t until he looked over to the side did he realize he wasn''t alone in the room. Sleeping soundly on one of the chairs was Jasper, and on the other side¡ª

    "Finn!"

    "Gah¡ª"

    He was taken by surprise as he found himself suddenly in the embrace of the blue-haired woman.

    "You''re okay¡­Does anything hurt? Do you feel fine?" Charlotte worriedly asked, looking over him with concern.

    He chuckled at the hyper worry shown by the girl, assuring her, "I''m alright¡­I think so, anyway."

    It didn''t take much for the snoring knight at the right of his bedside to wake up at the sound of talking.

    Jasper practically shot up from his seat as his steel armor rattled, grabbing the bedside, "How''re you feeling, mate?! Your gut was busted wide open! It was gnarly¡­"

    "Yeah, I know," Finn acknowledged, not wanting to be reminded of what had happened. "Still¡­I''m surprised there''s functional hospitals in this city."

    "Isn''t it nice?" Charlotte said.

    For a moment, heid there in consideration of what happened. Part of it didn''t add up, now that he thought about it.

    In fact, none of it really made sense.

    "Hey¡­How exactly was I found?" Finn asked, ncing at his friends.

    "You know¡ª" Charlotte began to exin.

    "It was like¡ª" Jasper added in.

    Though he could hear them speaking, their words came off broken and muted to his ears. It was odd; everything began to look hazy, making him dizzy.

    "¡ª¡ª-" Charlotte moved her lips.

    The faces of his friends became blurry, their words having no distinctnguage to them as he tried to listen.

    "Hey¡­I can''t hear you¡ªwait," Finn called out.

    As he reached his hand out, attempting to hold onto her, the serene scenery of the hospital room was torn away. A gloomy, unsettling interior bled in instead as the presence of his dearrades were gone.

    The realization began to settle as the familiar setting instilled a sense of dread into his skin. Lifeless televisions, walls encrusted in rust, and the burning at his gut¡ª

    "Ghhh¡­!"

    He gasped out in pain, moving his hand over his stomach as all he could feel was warmth and liquid. All of the pain came rushing back in, flooding from his gut to his limbs, down to his fingertips.

    ''I''m back¡­? No, I never left¡­''

    He realized, gasping out again as his internal organs acted in a panic.

    It felt as though his chest waspressing with panic beyond his own control. He had to forcibly steady his own breathing, coaxing his lungs to work with him.

    Pushing air out slowly, he collected the strength in his body before flexing his body¡ª

    "Nnngh¡­!"

    With a quick, painful motion, he sat himself up while keeping his hand over his opened abdomen. He could feel his guts attempting to slide out even with such a simple movement, holding them in as he breathed out.

    ced back in the hellish situation, he almost forgot about the pressing thread as he looked around hurriedly.

    There was nothing; not a shade nor whisper. Not a single sign of the nameless killer was to be found, except his opened belly and the puddles of blood sttered across the room.

    ''What is even going on¡­? That guy is gone, and I don''t see Crow¡­Why was I left here? I''mpletely lost¨Chow long was I even out? Not long enough to bleed out, I suppose¡­''

    He considered, looking down at his blood-soakedp.

    There was nothing left but to suck in a hefty breath, filling his lungs as he forced himself up to his feet. It was an inelegant rise, nearly slipping on his own blood as he struggled not to topple over just as he straightened himself out.

    Every breath felt as though strength was being sapped from his body, more blood spilling, the moreborious it becameborious to keep himself upright. A few steps were attempted, practically having to drag his feet before his right foot slid, bringing him to nearly fall over as he hit his shoulder against a fortunate pir.

    ''I don''t¡­I don''t know if I can make it,''

    he thought.

    Being realistic¨Csometimes a gift, sometimes a curse upon his mind¨Che couldn''t deny that his chances weren''t all too bright.

    Weak steps and slight stumbles brought him halfway across the room before he slipped again. He caught himself, letting his shoulder smack into a wall as he gasped.

    "¡­Come on¡­" He weakly urged himself.

    Using the wall as a shoulder to lean on, slow steps were taken as he ran his hand against the surface. A trail of blood was left on the wall as he moved, keeping his eyes on the door.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    It was no more than a few meters away, but it might as well be a mile journey for his exhausted body.

    "¡­Hhf¡­"

    A couple of steps from the door, he left thefort of the wall to stumble over. Dizziness settled in harder than ever as he practically fell against the door, opening with his shoulder.

    "Haah¡­" He breathed out.

    Leaving the room, he found himself in the stairwell, staring over the rails down at many floors. Just peering down made his head feel light, getting a glimpse at the arduous journey ahead of him.

    "One step¡­at a time, right?" He breathed out.

    The descent of the stairs began with slow, careful steps as his own blood spilled in a trail. Dozens, maybe even hundreds of strides remained. Though he tried not to think about it, the thought was lodged into his mind as blood gushed against his hand.

    ''I just need to find¡­Charlotte and Jasper¡­Nikko, there should be a hospital or something like it in this city¡­Right now, I can''t¨CI can''t hold on much longer,''

    he thought.

 Chapter 197: Hospital Lockdown

    Every word he could push past his throat only served to increase the pressing anxiety, sharing it to his allies. Continuing to recall what he saw, the footage he had seen with his own eyes felt engraved into his memories.

    "A man? A person? I thought the Arcana were all monsters," Jasper admitted.

    "Believe me, he¡¯s a monster¡­the worst of the worst. Somebody that should¡¯ve never been born¨Cno, he should¡¯ve stayed dead," Finn shook his head, feeling his face bing hot.

    For some reason, he felt he had to say it, he had to give the name he saw before he had lost consciousness, the title he perceived the veryst moment he looked upon the stain upon humanity.

    Standing in the middle of the isted hospital room as the vital machines quietly beeped, Finn ryed the name he had seen:

    "I couldn¡¯t find his name, all he was called was "

    The Devil

    ."

    Immediately as the title left his lips, the air shifted; it became more strained, chillier yet drawing a sweat from each of their bodies. A moment of silence stood between the three; from the looks in their eyes, Finn could tell they felt the ominous change as well, even if they didn¡¯t quiteprehend what it was.

    But, he knew¨Che understood the error he made the very next second he had made it.

    ¡¯The name¡­Speaking that name¨Cit¡¯s the trigger. I brought him right to me¨Che¡¯s in the hospital now, I feel it,¡¯

    he realized.

    All of the lights began to flicker, spazzing out as the machines underwent the same trauma, leaving the room shrouded in darkness and silence.

    "What happened¡­?" Charlotte quietly questioned.

    Finn answered, "He¡¯s here. We¡¯re trapped in this ce now¡­Shit."

    "Trapped? The hell do you mean?" Jasper asked hurriedly.

    There was no better exnation than just to point to the wall where the window was, which had now be veiled in a nighttime that shouldn¡¯t exist outside.

    "Try breaking it," Finn suggested.

    The offer came with no wasted effort by the knight, who immediately rammed his fist against the window, only for it to bounce right off as though it was imprable.

    "What the¨C?!" Jasper sharply reacted, stumbling back.

    Charlotte gave it a try, spewing azure mes from her sword as she shed at the wall, "--Nh!"

    The de managed to cut into the material, though it fixed itself just as quickly as it had been damaged.

    "Shit¡­You weren¡¯t kidding, were you, mate?" Jasper breathed out.

    "Unfortunately not," Finn confirmed. "Doors leading outside won¡¯t work, either. This entire hospital is now "his" domain¨Cit can be changed as he sees fit."

    The truth of it wasn¡¯t devoid of any weaknesses he knew of, only bad news after bad news.

    "Shit¡­Maybe we can contact Nikko from inside of here," Jasper reasoned.

    Charlotte added in, "Yeah! It¡¯s not just us here¡ªthere¡¯s guards as well with the doctors and patients. It should be fine, Finn."

    Though it was momentarily a relief to hear the hospital wasn¡¯t empty, it turned to despair quickly in Finn¡¯s mind. It only served to ignite the disgust within him, knowing the reality it meant.

    "No¡­For this person, more people just means more will die. They¡¯ll be ughtered¨Call of them," Finn hesitantly admitted, from a ce both of ration and fear.

    "You can¡¯t mean that¡­There¡¯s others that can fight¨Cwe can fight. Nobody has to die," Charlotte reasoned from a ce of hope.

    Even as genuine the young woman was, Finn found himself unable to ept that line of thinking even for a moment, having first hand experience with what they faced, "I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s just not how it¡¯ll go down."

    "Mate, what the hell happened back there? You¡¯re never exactly sunshine and rainbows, but I¡¯ve never seen you

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    this

    defeated," Jasper asked.

    The looks from the only two friends he had left in the world sought to know just what it was he experienced, though he found it difficult to admit. Part of it was to protect their own resolve, though another part simply didn¡¯t wish to speak of his own failure.

    "I¡­" Finn spoke, finding the words. "I tried fighting that man. I couldn¡¯t do a damn thing. It wasn¡¯t even a minute until I was on the ground, holding my own guts in my hand."

    "Finn¡­" Charlotte looked at him with eyes that seemed on the verge of tears just considering what he had experienced.

    "I¡¯m not saying we can¡¯t fight, but it won¡¯t be without him leaving scars. Against a killer like this, people will die¨Cthat¡¯s just the way it is," Finn admitted.

    Read exclusive content at NovelBin.C?m

    Amidst the words of advice he gave to hisrades, it was interrupted by blood-curdling screams that echoed from outside the room. Charlotte and Jasper were quick to burst out into the hallway without a second thought, without question seeking to help whoever was in trouble.

    Finn, however, found himself not yet taking a step, even paring his lips with the intent to stop them. He stopped himself, questioning just what it was that was going through his mind.

    ["

    I¡¯ve never really considered myself brave, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a coward either. So, why am I so okay with countless people dying if I have the strength to prevent it? Even if it¡¯s just a chance, just a one-percent chance to save a single life¨Cit shouldn¡¯t be a question. Life, especially in a world losing it so abundantly, is invaluable¨Cit¡¯s precious. Damian, you¡¯re telling me this, aren¡¯t you

    ?"]

    It was a frustrating feeling he had to ovee as he pushed his way out of the room, stepping into the halls of the hospital. With the lights gone out, the pristine, white interior of the building now held an unsettling look.

    He found Charlotte and Jasper standing in the hall, looking ahead silently as though something had frozen them stiff. Approaching with his daggers ready, Finn saw the sight that awaited down the corridor¨C

    Blood stained the once pristine walls of the hospital, with bits and pieces of shredded staff left. There was a gap in the ceiling for the vents, where all that could be seen was the arm of a man dragging the severed torso of a male doctor into the ceiling.

    ¡¯What the hell¡­is this person?¡¯

    Jasper questioned.

    ¡¯Why¡­? Why would somebody do this?¡¯

    Charlotte thought.

    While many atrocities had been witnessed by them, there was something distinctly different about this; something more sinister, acted by the hand of another person.

    Finn forced himself to act, releasing his body from the grip of fear as he swiped his hand towards the arm extending from the ceiling vents¨C

    ["

    Throwing Knife

    "] [Mana: -100] [4300/4500]

    He tossed the projectile for the blood-stained forearm, though it retracted into the ceiling along with the grotesque remnants of the doctor like a beast¡¯s tail.

    "Shit¡­!" Finn clicked his tongue in frustration.

    While Charlotte had already begun to rush ahead in hopes of chasing after the killer only seen by his arm, Finn grabbed a hold of her wrist before she could go.

    "Finn?!--" Charlotte looked back at him in a hurry.

    "There¡¯s no point in chasing him. Like I said, this whole ce is now his territory to shift as he pleases," Finn exined. "If he wants to be elusive right now, then we won¡¯t be able to catch him."

    "Then how are we supposed to do anything?" Charlotte asked with a reluctant expression.

    He let go of her hand, looking around at the corridor that had already experienced its share of death. It wasn¡¯t any kind of coincidence that the first sight of [Nameless] was so close to where he was; he knew that¨Cit was a taunt.

    "Trust me¡­He¡¯ll face us. All this thing cares about is killing¨Cwe aren¡¯t an exception to that," Finn admitted.

    "It doesn¡¯t mean we should wait around. There¡¯s still people here¨Ccan¡¯t just watch them be butchered," Jasper reasoned.

    "Yeah, I know¨Clet¡¯s go," Finn agreed.

    It was down the hall, taking a turn that it almost felt like venturing into a different world entirely as the walls weren¡¯t stained by blood. There were still members of the hospital staff present, though visibly concerned with what was going on.

    A blonde-haired woman in scrubs looked towards them, "Hey! You three are the ones brought in by Nikko, right? Please, do something about this¨Cwe can¡¯t get out!"

    A male doctor with fuzzy, brown hair adjusted his sses as he chimed in, "None of the elevators are operating, and the stairwell is a hazard. There¡¯s something inside the building¡­"

    It only took a quick nce at some of the rooms neighboring the hall to see there were patients resting in each, no doubt heightening the concern of the doctors. While the best odds of survival against [Nameless] came without taking other people into consideration, Finn knew that wasn¡¯t a viable option.

    "Come with us¨Cjust follow right behind," Charlotte offered.

    Before he could say anything, the spellde had already made a choice, though not knowing if it was right or wrong, he epted it.

 Chapter 198: The Stairwell

    "Really?" The blonde doctor asked.

    "Yeah, it¡¯s fine, right, Finn?" Charlotte looked over.

    He hesitantly nodded, pointing down the hall, "You said the stairwell was hazardous, right? That means it¡¯s at least still able to be used."

    The doctor who had made the observation waited a moment before answering, pondering it, "...It can be used, I think. There was a strange substance lining the walls, and eyes everywhere¨Cjust stepping in it for a moment ran me over with a cold."

    "We¡¯ll use it to get to the lower floors, then," Finn said, ncing back at the knight.

    Jasper sighed, holding his sword and shield, "I¡¯ll lead the way, I suppose."

    The patients were guided out of their rooms by the doctors, who did their best tofort the sick and wounded.

    Finn watched, staying at the back of the group to oversee the rear. Seeing others just doing their best to survive, lending one another a hand, he felt he made the right choice.

    ¡¯¡­If there¡¯s guards on other floors, we need to group them together ASAP. This person is strong, but I doubt even they want to mess with a huge group,¡¯

    he thought.

    There were around a dozen survivors found on the floor, following from the back as one of the doctors helped lead the way to the stairwell. Finn kept checking over his own shoulder, ncing up at the ceiling at every moment as the others entered into the stairwell one-by-one until he followed behind.

    "Where are we doing?" A sickly man asked the doctor beside him.

    "My wallet¨Cmy wallet is still back there!" An older patientined.

    "I¡¯m scared¡­" A small girl with brte fringes sobbed.

    "It¡¯ll be okay, it¡¯ll be okay," the blonde doctor beside the girl assured her.

    All of it was feeling too unruly for Finn as he followed from the back, keeping an eye out. With how long and uncoordinated the group was, it only felt like a matter of time before everything became chaotic.

    ["

    Sleuth

    "]

    [Mark] [Level: 2]

    [rice] [Level: 1]

    [Marie] [Level: 2]

    Checking the levels of both patients and doctors, it came off as worrying to Finn as he followed down the steps.

    ¡¯How were they this low? Did all these people do is hide? They¡¯re not prepared for any kind of threat at all,¡¯

    he thought.

    Part of him couldn¡¯t help but judge those levels, though he ced the me more on the city itself. It felt all toocent to him, in a world that required one to be able to fight.

    "Where is my mommy¡­I wanna be with mommy¡­!" The young girl sobbed, stopping in the middle of the steps.

    "We have to keep moving¡ª!" The female doctor encouraged the kid, though to little avail.

    It didn¡¯t seem like the doctor had all too much experience with kids¡ªno, that wasn¡¯t fair. Going off of levels, he imagined that the situation itself left the doctor in a panic.

    Finn moved down the steps, kneeling down as he ced his hand on the crying girl¡¯s shoulder.

    "Huhm¡­?" The sobbing girl nced over.

    "What¡¯s your name?" Finn asked with a soft, reassuring smile.

    "An¡­Anna," the small girl answered with a sniffle.

    "I¡¯m Finn. Nice to meet you, Anna. Right now, we¡¯re all headed down to meet with the others¡ªI¡¯m sure your mom is waiting for you," Finn assured the girl with a calm tone.

    The stalled sniffling from the child seemed to get through her as she slowly nodded her head.

    Your journey continues on NovelBin.C?m

    "Mr. Finn¡­Is your mommy waiting for you, too?" The small girl asked, rubbing her eyes.

    It caught him off guard as he hesitated a second before returning his smile with a small nod, "¡­Not here, but yeah. She is. Let¡¯s go, alright? Don¡¯t want to keep them worrying."

    "Mhm," Anna nodded.

    A sigh of relief left the doctor¡¯s lips as she gave a look of gratitude to the young man.

    He was never much of a fan of children during the normal days, but in a world deprived of much hope, seeing one delivered warmth to his heart.

    Finn delivered a gentle pat to her head, ruffling her hair, "Alright, let¡¯s¡ª"

    Just as he saw the teary-eyed smile on Anna¡¯s lips, his instincts red up as he noticed a blur of reding from the left wall.

    It emerged from a simple crack in the pale drywall; a morphing mass of flesh that shaped itself into a humanoid.

    "Eeeek!¡ª" The girl screamed.

    The first thing Finn did was move his hand to cover her eyes before scooping her up, jumping back just as the mass pushed through. It moved with violent speed, pushing right through the blonde doctor.

    Squelch

    .

    That haunting sound brought the entire group to a still within the stairwell. Bits and pieces of the doctor copsed onto the steps, bringing one of the patients to scream as flesh touched her shoe.

    ¡¯Shit¡­!¡¯

    Finn thought.

    Before Charlotte or Jasper coulde over to help, more of the morphing fiends slipped through cracks in the wall throughout the stairwell.

    Finn was left holding the girl as the first arrival of the flesh-made monstrosities unraveled itself on the steps. It took the form of a man as though made out of ground beef, with fingers of razor-sharp ws and a twisted neck.

    "Fresh¡­meat!" Distorted words crawled out of the vertical mouth of the grotesque figure.

    It lumbered towards him as its bulging, disyed eyeballs watched only the girl in his arms as though she were a delectable snack.

    "Give it! Give it! Give it!" The disproportionate fiend demanded, with its heavy top half swaying while walking on its needle-like legs.

    ¡¯It talks? That¡¯s new,¡¯

    he thought.

    The repulsive creature born of [Nameless¡¯] manipted territory stomped up the steps in pursuit of the child.

    "Mr. Finn¡­!" Anna shouted, clutching her eyes shut.

    With his hands full holding the girl, he opted to rely on his legs instead of his des to confront the approaching terror.

    He held the child firmly against himself before jumping up into a spinning kick. It was a vicious rotation, causing the air to hiss as he delivered the heel of his boot to the fiend¡¯s head.

    It was enough to m its skull against the wall, sttering it with a cracking impact. Only for a split-second did he watch it, finding its body fizzling away.

    ¡¯Going for the head works best¨Cgot it,¡¯

    he recognized.

    "Finn!" Charlotte shouted from a lower level down head, surrounded by citizens.

    "There¡¯s a bunch of themin¡¯ in hot!" Jasper yelled from the stairs a couple floors lower.

    The warning came from the arrival of flesh-shaded gunk, oozing from the walls and taking the shape of malformed humanoids and beasts alike.

    "Aaaaah¨C!"

    "Get away!"

    "Help us! You have to help us!"

    ¨CThe fearful cries of the patients and hospital staff alike flooded the stairwell as panic broke out. Some people tried forcing their way back up, others down, but it ended the same either way¨C

    "Move¡­!"

    A tubby, middle-aged man in scrubs pushed himself right past Jasper, heading for a pale door, only to be intercepted by a hound-faced fiend.

    "Hey!--" Jasper reached out.

    The flesh-formed canine leapt by the stout man, causing the panicked figure to copse as his entire throat was imed by the beast¡¯s jaws.

    At the highest floor, Finn clutched the girl in his arms as a pale, sickly man practically fell upwards trying to climb the steps. The thin adult shoved his way past without any care or orderly conduct.

    Finn nced back, "Stop it¨C! Get back in front of me¨C"

    Though he tried to warn the man, all he could see was a blur of red before the top half of the pale man fell away from his lower section.

    "Dammit¡ª" Finn exhaled.

    Stomping across the tform of the floor was a fiend taller and more built than the rest with tendril-like, des arms.

    Its oval head chortled withughter after having promptly executed the panicked man, "Stupid man¡­Stupid man! Pffft!"

    Finn could feel the girl in his arms trembling as he faced down the tentacle-armed abomination. A nce around found that the stairwell was quickly bing infested by the formless fiends, inducing pure panic and chaos in the survivors.

    ¡¯This is getting bad¡ªcan we defend everybody here like this?¡¯

    He questioned.

    For the time being, he at least sought to safeguard the child he held as the de-armed fiend approached.

    A sour stench filled the ustrophobic area, like that of pickled meat with the heckles of the fiends growing louder.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    It was far different from calcting just his own survival; every movement he made, every decision had to factor for the life he clutched to his chest as well.

    Orcish Boost? Blink sh? Supercharge? All options, though ones he didn¡¯t know how they¡¯d affect the fragile child.

    ¡¯I can¡¯t risk using skills. It should be fine, though,¡¯

    he decided.

    "Gah! Gah! Gah!" The many-armed fiend began tosh out, whipping its limbs around.

    The de tendrils shed against the walls, scraping and bouncing off the metal railings. Finn sprinted, ducking down, keeping Anna out of harm¡¯s way.

    "Give¡­fresh meat!" The crimson-fleshed monstrosity demanded as drool sprayed from its pping lips.

 Chapter 201: Level Zero

    A quick nce back found the formed hole closed uppletely. He had to set his gaze forward again as he found himself immediately pursued by the man.

    The distance was crossed in that single moment as he leaned to the side, avoiding that knife that passed by like a spear.

    At that moment, the system brought him an identification¡ª

    [

    Special Entity Recognized.]

    [Major Arcana: "The Devil"] [Level: 0]

    ''Zero?''

    He repeated.

    Maintaining his footing after leaning almost entirely onto his left foot, he pushed his right hand against the bare abdomen of the killer:

    ["

    Touch of Rot

    "]

    ¨CHe sought to burn a hole through the nameless man''s gut, though he only touched for a split-second before that knife came down on his wrist. Before he could be down a hand, he flipped back,nding with a nimble slide.

    ["

    Phantom Flow

    "]

    Using the formless rotation of shadows beneath his foot, he drifted backwards while keeping his eyes on the "Devil."

    ''Rot won''t work at all. He''s too fast, too aggressive¨Cif I try to push that too much, I''ll lose a hand or worse,''

    he decided.

    Though he thought he had a clear idea of the nameless killer''s path while in the rusted corridor, he found that idea intercepted as the shaggy-haired figure slipped into one of the doors to the side.

    ''A different room? Is he trying to draw me to him? I won''t fall for obvious bait like that¨C''

    Finn thought.

    From the footsteps he heard, he realized it wasn''t just a single room, but that they must''ve been interconnected, realizing the man returned from Hell was trying to use the walls to get closer.

    ''The left¨C''

    Finn realized.

    He pivoted around, surfing on the shadows as he faced the left wall, only to hear the one right behind him split open. Spinning around again, he found the repulsive figure rushing at him from the right side of the corridor, even though it made no logical sense.

    ''That''s right¨Cthis entire ce is his to manipte as he sees fit. What a pain in the ass,''

    he recalled.

    Using the torrent of shadows, it was easy enough for him to slide to the side while ducking down, avoiding a sh that would''ve split his throat open. The fear that once paralyzed him wasn''tpletely gone, but it was manageable; he was able to move freely, undisturbed and focused.

    Though he avoided the initial sh, he had to keep skating the darkness following under his boots as the man without an identity relentlessly pursued him. There wasn''t an opportunity to go for an attack of his own, entirely focusing on protecting himself against that brutal knife.

    Only a single de; that''s all he had to watch out for, but a single mistake would lead to his guts being strewn through the hall.

    ''He''s like a damn beast¨CI don''t know if this dude has taken a single breath, he just keeps pointing that de for my vitals,''

    Finn thought.

    At times like this, being pressed relentlessly, he wished to have the wide-scale gifts of a brawler like Seung or Pris. Rather, he was met with the worst possible matchup against a killer like the nameless one before him¨C

    A persistent, stronger, faster, more ruthless opponent.

    Yet, that only drove Finn to attempt to match and exceed those very same attributes.

    The back of the corridor was closing in as he found himself being cornered quickly, having to slide to the side as the knife passed by his abdomen.

    Just as he moved himself out of the way, out of the corner of his eye, the wall behind him underwent a dramatic shift. A pair of fangers jutted out before the texture of an open mouth blended through the rusted interior.

    ''A mouth¨C?''

    He recognized.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    There was barely enough space for him to duck down, trusting his instincts as a chomping mouth expanded from the wall. It resembled the maw of a man, mming its teeth down with a grin, narrowly missing his body.

    Another maniption of the building; an ability limitless in scope that kept him on his toes.

    ''I have to watch every inch of this ¨C''

    He thought.

    His own thinking was intercepted as he jumped to his feet with the retraction of the wall-mouth, finding the nameless man already in front of him. The knife already passed through his chest, piercing and skewering.

    A feeling radiated through his body, causing his blood to heat up like magma yet turn to frost across a single moment. It was like a balloon popping in his chest, along with a detion in strength¨Csomething that shouldn''t be touched was so brutally trampled on.

    ''My heart¨Che stabbed my heart¡­!''

    He realized, gasping out.

    Being brought face-to-face with the stain on humanity, he could still hardly make out anything of his face beneath those messy, dark fringes; only a tired eye, devoid of kindness and swirled with animosity.

    The only thing he could do was kick his foot against the man''s abdomen, forcing the killer back as the knife was plucked from his chest. On the way out, the ridges of the de cut him further as he stumbled back, clutching his chest as he spewed blood from his lips.

    His entire body was in a panic, losing strength by the second as the corridor spun around him.

    Death was approaching, though it wasn''t inevitable.

    Without much hesitation, knowing the sinister killer was watching him bleed out, he shed his own dagger across his neck.

    ''Give me something to put this guy six-feet under with,''

    he wished coldly as his neck sprayed crimson.

    ["

    Finn Thorne defeated

    ."]

    Darkness; bitter cold, enveloping his body. A sensation he had be all too familiar with, like a far-removed rtive, visited on holidays. As quickly as it came, the frost of death was cast away like dandelions by a breath.

    Warmth filled his body as reality colored back in as though he had only blinked for a moment. The gash on his neck closed, his heart rebuilt itself; all anew.

    Staring down at the emotionless killer down the hall, fear was absent from his heart upon his third return from death.

    Something was different; the ability gifted to him to ovee the man foul enough to bear the title of "Devil" was one that tampered with his own humanity.

    [Assimted

    ability from ["Finn Thorne"]

    : "Zombie" | 3 / 5]

    For the first time, he imed the initiative against the relentless killer¨C

    ["

    Spring Foot

    "] [0:59] ["

    Supercharge

    "]

    He pushed off of one foot, covering the distance of the corridor in an instant as he shed at the taller man''s throat. A makeshift Blink sh; not quite as fast, but one with more momentum behind it.

    The nameless man leaned away from the dagger''s range, dropping low and sweeping for the leg. Finn nced down as that leg closed in, flipping back though not before letting his weapon slip from his fingers.

    It was a purposeful dismissal before¨C

    ["

    de Warp

    "] [Mana: -100] [3800/4500]

    There wasn''t a millisecond between the time he avoided having his leg swept and being right back there beside the killer as he warped to his de, just a meter away from his position. For the first time, it seemed he truly got the upper hand in an exchange as the eye hidden beneath the hair of the killer was only just then ncing over at him¨C

    ["

    Magenta

    "]

    A bolt of deep-purple lightning shot from his hand, striking it against the side of the nameless one''s body. From such close proximity, having the thunder roar through the foul corridor, the impact sent the killer flying through the wall on the other side.

    The recoil of it sent his shoulder cocking back, though the pain was dulled as he didn''t so much as flinch at it.

    ''It still wears on me, but I can deal with this¨CI can handle this better now. This "Zombie" body¨Cit can take a whole lot more punishment,''

    he recognized.

    The sound of rapid footsteps led him away from thinking he''d have any time to think even after sending a lightning bolt right against the man''s body.

    ["

    Mineral Armor

    "]

    When considering the various defensive options, rather than using the scale armor, he opted for the rigid one made of stone as it crawled over his body. Before the pale, stone suit couldpletely form, he found the blur of the killer swiftly cutting in from the corner of his eye.

    Before his hands could move, he found the man with his gaze, instinctively flexing as his ocr organs heated up¨C

    ["

    Ocr st

    "] [Mana: -200] [3600/4500]

    A release of fluctuating light pushed out of his eyes, burrowing through the stitched hallway and crashing against the nameless figure. With that blood-stained knife, the "Devil" blocked the ocr st, though was mmed back several meters.

    "Phew¨C"

    Finn breathed out, having to close his eyes briefly, feeling as though he had just dunked them in chlorine. They were no doubt bloodshot, blurring his gaze for a moment as he began moving without wasting a moment.

 Chapter 202: Back Home

    He ducked into one of the rooms attached to the hallway, finding the decrepit office of a doctor.

    There was nothing there besides a chair, metal table, and a desk¨Cnot even a door as he nced back over.

    ''It changed? Guess he wants to block off my sight of him, but he''s doing the same, isn''t he?'' Finn considered.

    As quickly as he thought of that, he realized the error in his thinking. If the building was underplete control of the killer, it would stand to reason it was an extension of his senses.

    ''Eyes¡ªevery inch of this ce are practically his eyes,'' he realized.

    Just as he discovered that, he nced down to find a hole splitting upward from the floor. It wasn''t just that spot; across the ground, from the walls,ing down from the ceiling, dozens of holes opened.

    The whistle of grinding meeting his ears prompted him to ready himself as what awaited within the cavities erupted¨Cincredibly long, barbaric des that stabbed into the room.

    He moved himself, stepping back as the spear from the ground nearly pierced his chin, having to duck as one came out of the wall behind him, brushing against the back of his hair.

    In that enclosed room with countless des sliding in and out, jabbing violently, he was no better than a fish in a barrel.

    A dance needed to be performed as he flipped around,nding his feet against the wall, having to hop onto his hands and back upright to dodge the retracting des.

    All of his effort into evasion was sessful before¡ªmore holes sprouted. Dozens, maybe hundreds of the slick spears pushed inward from every direction all at once.

    ''Not good¡ª'' He witnessed.

    ["Impervious"] [4:59]

    The invincibility d itself to his body as the countless des pushed against him, grinding against his body with the intent to skewer his flesh. Though in that moment his body waspletely unbreakable, he could feel the pressure of the des pushing against him as they broke against his invincible self.

    "--Fffa."

    An exhale escaped his lips as his impervious state faded within a breath, not leaving him much of an opportunity to wait around. He looked towards the wall that led to the corridor, squeezing his fist as he cocked his arm back¨C

    ''I''ll have to make a door,'' he thought.

    ["Supercharge"] plus ["Magenta"]

    The magnified burst of lightning wasunched with enough force to burst through the wall, granting him passage as he dashed through before the hole could close. Right as he stepped a single foot into the rust-encrusted corridor, that murderous blur met him halfway.

    That sinister presence drew him to move without fear slowing his de.

    He shed his dagger, bringing it across the side of the man''s neck. It was a mutual greeting, as the knife of the nameless killer cut across his hip. Only by leaning did he avoid having the de plunge through his gut, avoiding a far worse oue.

    Exchanging wounds with the man of sinister origins, there wasn''t an ounce of fear pumping through his heart. It wasn''t a natural development he overcame itself; an attribute of his "Zombie" body.

    As he pivoted, flipping his de around as he sought to plunge it through the man''s neck to finish the job, the killer''s knife was primed for his heart. With timing no more than milliseconds apart, it would be a neck for a heart; an exchange of unavoidable death for both men.

    Just as his dagger would skewer the throat¨C

    Just as the knife would cut through his heart¨C

    ["Dreamwalking"]

    Rapidly approaching his own death in exchange for the end of the nameless killer, the nebulous ability was activated while conscious for the first time. It felt as though time stopped, unable to move as he was connected to the Devil only by the tip of his dagger touching his neck, and the end of the knife greeting his chest, though neither yet piercing.

    "Huh?--"

    The scenery began to unravel, warping around them as the man in front of him even began to blur. No, it wasn''t that the apartment was changing; he was being moved from it, pushed through a kaleidoscope of brain-numbing shes of color.

    A nauseating fluctuation; it felt as though his eyes were splitting apart,pounding like that of a fly to perceive the shifting scenery.

    ''Dreamwalking¡­How did it activate? Why did it¨C? I''ve never even seen it used, only while I''m asleep¨Cwhat''s going on?'' He questioned.

    Leftpletely frozen amidst the influx of colors against his eyes, it all quickly dispersed as he blinked once. Where he found himself was a ce deeply familiar and equally unsettling; a scenery he had never hoped to see again.

    A ck sea that stretched on as far as the eye could see, a void staring down at him from above; it was the sights of that horrific night of the "Third Impact."

    He stood on the surface of the water, ncing around as the abyssal ocean rippled, still questioning how he found himself back at such a ce.

    ''This is where I faced it¡­the "Furthest From God"--I thought this ce was some kind of hallucination, but it actually exists?'' He considered.

    Back in the depraved ce, he watched the water ripple as the haunting figure rose from beneath the surface. Of course, he knew he''d be here; the nameless killer emerged like a shark from the depths.

    A flicker; for just a moment, he perceived the sinister man as something else, something inhuman. Briefly, he saw him as the faceless entity of ck tar he once faced.

    ["The Furthest From God"]

    ["The Devil'']

    Those two names, seemingly belonging to two different entities entirely; only when cing them together did he see how simr they were. It wasn''t a rtion by coincidence, nor did he find himself returned to the abyssal sea by chance.

    ''This guy¡­That thing I encountered at the night of the Third Impact¨Cthey''re connected in some way, aren''t they?'' He reasoned.

    None of that mattered inparison to what he needed to do at the current moment¨Csurvive. He was caught off-guard by the sudden leap taken by the knife-wielding man, who was already in front of him,ing down with sheer malice.

    ["Phantom Retreat"] [0:09]

    He briefly turned to a shadow, pushing himself several meters back as the nameless figure crashed down onto the sea. The whistle of wind past his ears was followed by a visceral force carving through the ck water, passing only mere inches by him.

    It was a fortunate miracle that he leaned just slightly to the right as the unseen sh parted the sea just briefly. Such strength and range behind the knife wasn''t something he believed was previously within the man''s arsenal, forcing him to stay active on his feet.

    ["Phantom Flow"]

    Surfing across the water, he opted to rece his dagger with a weapon more optimal against the knife wielder.

    [Winged Spear]

    The lengthy tool wasn''t his mostfortable weapon, but its reach was far superior to a hunting knife.

    Nheless, in the heat of battle with his heart drumming in his ears and his blood heating up, it felt as though he''d been wielding a spear since before he could walk.

    Coming straight ahead, the knife-wielder dashed with steps that barely made the water ripple.

    "Not very talkative, are you?!" Finn shouted towards the nameless man.

    Before that knife could get within range, he pushed his spear forward with rapid thrusts. The tip of the spear kept [Nameless] back, nearly driving the end through the man''s heart.

    It was like attempting to keep a predator at bay; he pushed the silver end forward, forcing the killer back only to bring him circling around to try for another bite.

    ''He''s relentless¡ªI won''t win by tiring him out, that''s for sure,'' he thought.

    An exhale pushed through pursed lips as he cocked the spear back in a single motion, spinning around on the riptide of shadows. Right behind him, the bestial killer sprang towards him with that knife¡ª

    ["Heaven Piercer"] [Mana: -500] [3100/4500]

    He rotated his shoulder with sublime speed, thrusting the spear as it produced a sharp de of light. It stretched onward for a mile, though prating only the bare wind.

    Seamlessly, the man sank into the water, dipping beneath it with only the most subtle of ripples.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ''He ducked into the ocean¡ª?'' He realized.

    Side to side, he turned, looking for where the killer would surface, though found the deep-ck water rippling all too much. It wasn''t the result one man rising, but something much more dire¨C

    "Shit," Finn muttered.

    From the unseen depths, abyssal figures emerged all around him, nearby and in the distance. The pirs of the ck substance remained enigmatic in shape until he looked up.

    An army of colossal limbs, each wielding knives that could carve apart buildings as though they were cake. It was the spitting image of that night, staring up at those abyssal arms.

 Chapter 203: Destruction and Debt

    He could almost taste those memories; the bitterness on his tongue, the despair of having just lost a brother in all but blood.

    Thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp. Thoomp-thoomp.

    ced into a situation alone, separated from others, his heart thumped; it wasn''t with fear, but a thrill.

    ''Come on, then¨CI''m ready for round two. The Furthest From God¡­I''ll kill you again,'' he resolved.

    [New state temporarily acquired: "Adrenaline"]

    [All skill cooldowns reduced by 100%.]

    Each of the massive limbs began their assault, crashing down, sweeping through with their incredible reach as the sea rippled.

    ["Spring Foot"]

    ["Spring Foot"]

    ["Spring Foot"]

    ¨CContinuously, he sprung in different directions; a sharp left was taken, kicking against the unbreaking surface of water as he pushed himself out of reach from a crashing knife. As he flipped back with the colossal, ck knife stabbing into the sea, he nced back as one of the limbs was sweeping its de from the left.

    ["Blink sh"]

    He warped himself just above it, evading it as he watched it pass underneath beforending. In the air, he was left vulnerable as the countless limbs set towards him.

    ["Blink sh"] ["Blink sh"] ["Blink sh"]

    ¨CRepeatedly, he teleported, feeling the knives pass by his body, constantly shifting his view from normal, upright, upside down in a disorientating fashion before¨C

    "Ghh!"

    Squelch.

    The overwhelming number of limbs broke through as he found one of the gargantuan des passing across his chest before he could blink away.

    Only then did he make out what led him to being struck; it wasn''t miscalcting the limbs themselves, but he discovered the arm had sprouted more limbs.

    A sort of killing creativity that wasn''t present with the Furthest From God; this was the craft of the nameless murderer.

    It ripped right through his coat, leaving him open as blood gushed from his torso.

    Before he could focus past the sudden gash left from his shoulder to his belly button, a parade of fists mmed against him from every direction. It felt more cruel than efficient as the abyssal knuckles punched him from all angles, grinding against his body as he gasped for air.

    ''He''s ying with me¨Ctrying to draw this out. That''s right¡­somebody like this enjoys tormenting others. A real piece of work,'' he thought.

    For some reason, he remained calm even as he felt the integrity of his bones be challenged¨C

    ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"]

    ¨CThe repetition of strength pumped through his body, elerating his body until a mere flex of his muscles blew away the abyssal limbs. He dropped down back onto the surface of water, breathing out as blood trickled from his nose, mouth, and ears.

    There was nothing left but tattered pieces of fabric on his torso, leaving a single passing breeze to tug the remnants of his coat away with only his bruised and battered chest left bare. As he straightened himself out with an exhale, he was greeted by the sight of not just colossal limbs now, but ck-tar giants.

    Each took different forms; some of devilish beasts, fantastical behemoths, demonic men, all of gargantuan scale and presence. It was an impossible ocean of foes that marched his way, alling for one, puny man.

    ''Don''t think about it. Even if it looks impossible¨Cdon''t think about it. Just do it¡­breathe in, breathe out, and move forward, Finn,'' he instructed himself.

    ["Abyssal Agent: Shiva"] [Mana: -10000] [-6900/4000]

    ''It turns out, this is the perfect ce for this. A vast, lifeless void¨Cif I do it here, it''s fine,'' he resolved.

    A dark-purple cloak forged of harmonious forces materialized over his body, concealing his face with its hood. It was a stark difference from ["Hades"]; a trance of destruction pushed through his body, providing a benevolent warmth that repelled all curses.

    Around him, the ck sea trembled and boiled, bubbling up as steam rose. An unnatural, abnormal amount of power flooded through his limbs, like a sublime heat. All thoughts were silenced in his mind, intently focused on one goal as the overwhelming giants stomped ever closer¨C

    "Destroy."

    With the arrival of a towering minotaur of ck flesh, he moved¨C

    A single sh of his dagger carried with it a fluctuation of pure, refined destruction; a curvature through the wind that rattled atoms, dispersing them and igniting them all at once. The swipe incarnated into an arch of colorless fire, pushing through the closest grouping of colossals.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Like needles to balloons, the mere touch of the mes of destruction dispersed the tar-formed creations into nothing but abyssal stter.

    Across the sea, the far reaches of the me destabilized the waters, incurring wrathful tidal waves, crashing around as the remnants of the destroyed wind howled.

    That single movement left his arm trembling as he forced himself to take another step. Each and every movement was agonizing; the sheer power pushed through his body was crippling.

    With another wave of the abyss-made giants, he swung his dagger again as his arm cracked like an ungreased doll. The strain on his body resulted in his forearm cracking from within, his muscles unraveling like yarn.

    Yet¨C

    FWOOOOSH

    The devastation of that crippling power set forth in a grand wave of cataclysm; waves were tossed as the transparent mes burst forward again. Even as his arm dropped limp at his side, there wasn''t so much as a groan from his lips as he continued marching forward.

    ["The benefit of "Zombie" came from non-lethal wounds being ignored to an extent. So long as he wasn''t cut to pieces, he could keep fighting, no matter how broken and battered his body became."]

    As he continued his march, the water rippled from beneath him, rising as he was lifted by whatever it was that emerged. He was knocked up into the air, looking down at the behemoth that rose from the ck sea.

    A call emitted from it that sent vibrations through the air; a far toorge, monstrous whale that caused the water to crash in every direction. Its gargantuan maw opened,rge enough to engulf entire ships¨C

    With a flick of his wrist, the abyssal whale was sted into smithereens by the colorless force of destruction. Even attempting to use smaller movements, condensed to smaller parts, brought damning results¨Ccrack.

    His wrist snapped, though he only nced at it before dropping back down to the surface.

    ''Keep moving. Keep striking. Even if I break,'' he resolved.

    It felt as though his bones were being squeezed, crunching beneath an unbearable weight. Every movement made his skeleton creak like old wood, stiffening his body as he breathed out.

    ¡ªDozens.

    ¡ªHundreds.

    The giants born of the abyssal sea rose from every direction,pletely surrounding him. There were far too many; perhaps thousands, engulfing him in their colossal forms.

    ["Orcish Boost"] ["Orcish Boost"]["Orcish Boost"]["Orcish Boost"]

    ¨CAgain.

    ["Orcish Boost"]["Orcish Boost"]["Orcish Boost"]["Orcish Boost"]

    ¨CMore.

    ["Orcish Boost"]["Orcish Boost"]["Orcish Boost"]["Orcish Boost"]

    Every instance of the strength-amplifying skill magnified the already inhuman power flooding his body, squeezing his bones and tugging at the integrity of his muscles. It felt as though his skull would be crushed by the pressure as blood gushed from his ears and nostrils, yet¨C

    More.

    ["Supercharge"]

    Against the army of abyssal giantsmanded by the ["Devil"], he swung his de, carrying with his simple movement an imperceivable wrath. The waves parted, pushing away in all directions as though they had beenmanded away by a higher power.

    The unseen mes ignited the air, atomizing each and every one of the abyssal giants that surrounded him in an instant.

    A powerful counter, however¨C

    Squelch.

    From his shoulder, his entire arm flung off as though popping out like a bullet. The recoil of such a blow left him fortunate enough to feel he didn''t have his entire body blown to bits, only discarding his right arm.

    [Abyssal Agent Deactivated.]

    The cloak dispersed from his bruised body as he coughed out, spewing blood from his throat as he gripped his shoulder where plentiful crimson poured.

    "Nrrgh¡­!" Finn gasped, wincing as he nced over at where his arm used to be.

    The after-effects of [Shiva] were felt as his entire body ached, feeling as though his skull had been battered by hammers.

    ["Unbleeding"] [9:59]

    He restricted the blood flow from the gnarly nub where his arm once was, breathing out as he found himself pressed with yet another side-effect:

    [Mana Debt Incurred | All skills restricted until mana is repaid.]

    It only seemed that the situation grew worse as he stood alone in the abyss, still unaware of where the nefarious man lurked.

    ''Mana debt¡­That'' s new. No skills¡­If it only applies to my assassin abilities, I can work with that. If it''s everything, I''m dead,'' he considered.

    A hoarse breath left his lips as he watched the abyssal sea; the ripples calmed, leaving it tranquil and unmoving once again. Searching the barren view, thest ce he thought to look was straight down, discovering histe find¨C

    Hands reached out from beneath the surface, grabbing into his ankles and yanking him right down. All he could do was suck in thergest breath he could, filling his lungs as he was brought down into the unforgiving, ck depths.

 Chapter 205: Regroup and Recuperate

    205 Regroup and Recuperate

    Reaching down, he wrapped his fingers around the brass handle. It was cold to the touch, as though sitting amidst a bank of snow. He carefully twisted it, not so much as inhaling or exhaling as he began to open the door. It opened to apletely ck void sitting beyond the threshold¡ª

    ["The truth of it is, from the start, I''ve always been who I am."] The grim voice of [Nameless] filled his ears as his entire vision became engulfed in that darkness. He witnessed it all; the inception of the man erased from history, the upbringing he had, the choices he made. All of it, all at once, flooded into his mind¨Cthose memories. However, what he found did not bring enlightenment. ''No, this can''t be right¨Cit can''t,'' he thought. The foul memories yed into his mind, showing him the finest details of [Nameless], yet none of it served to shine any light upon the stain on humanity. ¡ªInhuman. Evil. Depraved. Irredeemable. All of it still applied, from the day the man was born; there was no difference made in the choices that led him through the years. There was no "choice"--from the moment he was born, this is who he was. It was too much to process at once, though enough of it was perceived for Finn to feel his anxiousness skyrocket. ''He''s not human¨Che isn''t. Somebody like this should have never been born,'' he realized. ["You get it now. But, how does that help you?"]

    Finn stumbled out of the doorway of the man''s memories, backing into the dreary corridor once again. Still processing all that he learned across mere moments, he couldn''t hold back the disgust piling within his body before¨C

    "Hrk!"

    He expelled the repulsiveness from his gut, spilling bile onto the floorboards as he coughed out. It was as though by peering through those heinous memories that he experienced the cruelty enacted by the man firsthand. As he picked himself up off the floor, he did his best to straighten himself up while wiping his mouth. The creaking of wood behind him forced him to turn around, staring down that grim hallway as something filled his vision. With such abundant darkness, the figure of [Nameless] approached, twisted and concealed in shadows with nothing but his eyes and teeth visible. Against that, no part of him in that moment wanted to confront the sinister silhouette¡ª

    ["Dreamwalking Initiated"] The kaleidoscope materialized around himself, engulfing him in the mind-numbing influx ofplexions. A sense of relief flooded his body when removing himself from that ursed corridor. He based his walk on returning to where he had moved himself from, back to the hospital¨C

    "Hff!" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Before he knew it, he was falling as the swirl of colors was reced by the in, gray walls of the hospital interior. He quickly flipped himself around, catching himself before mming into the floor. As soon as his boots slid across the tiles, he looked around in a hurry, expecting [Nameless] to be following not far behind. "Finn¨C?"

    He was surprised to find his name callen in a much kinder voice than that of the sinister figure, ncing back to find himself not alone. The sight of the spellde, apanied by the knight with others scattered through the floor of the hospital, granted a weight from his shoulders. "You both¨C? I made it back," Finn mumbled to himself, a bit surprised that he even wound up in the same building. "The hell happened, mate? You got in a tussle with that guy, didn''t you? Did you¨C?" Jasper asked, leaning closer. "No, it''s not over yet¨Cwe need to get out of here! Away from everybody else!" Finn shouted, not wasting a moment as he began sprinting down the hospital wing. "What¨C?" Charlotte responded. "Hold on, mate!" Jasper shouted, following behind. There was no chance to stand around and talk as he stayed on the move, performing a quick pivot as he turned a sharp corner before finding a door leading into the stairwell. In the essence of not wasting a single moment, he didn''t stop, insteadunching his boot against the door to force it open. The goal was to reach the bottom floor, the lowest within the building where nobody else should be. He rushed his way down, hopping over the railings in the stairwell as he let himself drop down. To the bottom, hended from the several story drop, finding himself before the door of the hospital''s basement. It looked to be a storage area, going by the crate symbol illustrated beside the threshold. Only a few momentster did the two arrive behind him, though a bit more clumsily. "Uff¨Cwhat''s gotten into you?" Jasper asked,nding with a slight wince. "Do you know where he''s heading?" Charlotte asked him with concern. Finn pulled open the door as ayer of dust fell through, revealing the vast, dim warehouse beneath the hospital, "Yeah. He''ll being right for me¨CI know that for sure."

    "You wanted to get away from everybody else, then. I gotta say, mate, you really don''t ce all that much value on your own life," Jasper remarked, following him in. The air in the basement was harder to breathe, abundantly upied by dust that rained down like snowkes from the steel shelves. After everything he''d just experienced, sifting through abstractions, there was a slight haze to his mind, yet a stronger focus. An intense air hung around him, making even his friends follow with slight concern as to his state of mind. "What happened when you left? Your arm¨Cwhat''s up with it?" Charlotte asked, looking at the ethereal limb attached to the assassin''s right side. "I lost it," Finn calmly answered. "I''ll get it back, as long as I level up soon. Don''t worry." "Not very convincing there, mate," Jasper remarked. "The real issue is I can''t use any of my normal skills right now. I''ve hit a "Mana Debt", so I likely will need to level up to use them again. I can use assimted skills, but that''s it," he admitted. "Are you sure you can fight then?" Charlotte asked with concern. "Of course," he admitted. There was nothing to hesitate for, as there was no avoiding conflict now. Running or hiding wasn''t an option; no¡ªanywhere he could go, [Nameless] would follow. "Listen¡­I might be able to handle this alone, so if you want¡ª" Finn began to say. As he turned around to look at hisrades, a sharp impact was delivered to his right cheek. Somehow, his reflexes weren''t rmed, though it wasn''t a punch made by malicious intent. Jasper stood there with his fist still raised, letting out an annoyed exhale, "Don''t insult us, mate. How many times do we have to tell you¡ªwe''re with you through the thick of it." Another, much more gentle punch was delivered to his shoulder from Charlotte, who shared the same sentiment. "We''re not that weak to you, are we?" She asked. "No, it''s not that¡­I just¡ªI don''t want to lose anybody else," he admitted. Don''t try and shoulder this alone. We''re with you, Finn," Charlotte assured him. He paused for a moment, feeling his cheek as it surely bruised up, "¡ªYeah, I probably deserved that. Thanks." No matter how he felt, it didn''t mean he could dictate what his friends wanted to do. That was obvious to him now, leaving him with a renewed sense of resolve while apanied by the two people he was closest to in the world. "I get why you came down here, but did you have to choose the darkest, creepiest ce in the whole building?" Jasper questioned, looking around as he trailed close behind. "It''s not like I exactly had much time to think about it, sorry," Finn responded, scoping out the basement while keeping his fingers ready around his dagger. "I wasn''t trying to give you crap or anything, it''s just¨C" Jasper tried to exin. Amidst their conversation, a sound like that of electrical humming set all three of him on guard. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand as he raised his weapon, ready to strike at the slightest instance of noise. "What''s that¨C?" Charlotte called out. Between a sea of discarded, cardboard boxes that littered the dump of a storage room, the figure stood like a statue. It certainly wasn''t human, though it resembled one only in shape; built of sleek, ck steel, the mechanical presence seemed to turn itself on with a subtle, silver light shifting beneath its chest. "A robot?" Finn mumbled. "Don''t be rmed. It''s just me," a familiar voice transmitted from the faceless robot. It took a moment for Finn to process where he recognized that calm, soft voice before rxing his guard, "Nikko¡­?"

    "Wait, Nikko?" Jasper repeated in surprise. The mechanical humanoid adjusted itself, approaching as his fingers curled and stretched as if warming up, "This is one of my sentries I''ve positioned in the hospital in case of emergencies while I wasn''t able to be directly present. We''ve been unable to ess the building entirely for the past hour¨Cwhat''s the situation inside, Finn?"

 Chapter 206: Face The Nameless

    Seeing the robotic unit operated by Nikko was a surprise, but a hopeful discovery in the darkest hour. He didn''t know exactly where to begin in describing the circumstances, though found it to be a good time to inform the others as well.

    "There is a Major Arcana in the building¡ªthe Devil," Finn admitted.

    "An Arcana? Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure, Finn?" Nikko desperately asked for confirmation.

    "Yeah, one hundred percent. It''s a man that can warp the area around him. He''s ruthless and cold; it feels like he''s always faster and stronger than whatever you throw at him," Finn divulged what he knew.

    "Warp the area? That exins why nobody has been able to get back inside¨CI see. You said this one appears as a normal man?" Nikko asked for rification, touching his metallic chin as if in thought.

    "Anything but "normal", but yeah. I don''t know how to exin it, but it just feels like no matter what, he''s always just a bit stronger, faster¨Cjust a moment ahead," Finn said, feeling the phantoms of wounds that once persisted on his body.

    Charlotte looked at him with concern, shuffling a bit closer as she nudged her arm against his, "It''s different now, though¨Cwe''re here, Finn."

    "Yeah," he nodded, holding a small smile, though not sure if he felt it was a benefit.

    The ck-steel sentry controlled by Nikko raised his left arm, unveiling a hidden de that popped out, "I will assist you to the best of my ability. It may not be my most recent model, but this prototype will still provide plentiful support inbat." Nikko offered.

    "Oh, hell yeah! I''ve been wanting to see a robot in action!" Jasper excitedly imed.

    "We''ll take all the help we can get¨C" Finn admitted.

    Amidst his own words, the entire left side of his body buzzed as he swung his gaze around. It was that stomach-turning sensation; that sickening feeling that rang like an rm within him.

    "He''s here!--" Finn shouted, pushing the words desperately from his throat.

    As he took the first step, pushing between hisrades in the direction he felt that disgusting presence, he was apanied by a ring noise¨CGRAT-GRAT-GRAT.

    The dark floor was brightened with a burst of light from beside him, finding the cyber-pilot holding his left arm forward as a built-in gun rapidly fired bullets. A barrage of gunfire sprayed against the shadow-crept wall, though the sinister silhouette bled between the shes of light from the bullets.

    It was difficult to make out anything through the light of the gunfire, only seeing brief glimpses of the figure.

    "Nikko! Hold on!" Finn yelled, reaching his hand over to the robot''s arm.

    The relentless shots came to an end as the robot nced to the side, "What is it¨C?"

    No sign of [Nameless] was seen at the other end of the facility, only dozens of bullet holes still left oozing smoke from the wall. There couldn''t be a single second of allowing that man to escape his sights, quickly listening in for the quietest footsteps¨C

    He looked over his shoulder, checking behind him as he saw Jasper with his sword and shield ready. A nce was shared between them in that second before he nced to the other side, seeing Charlotte checking as well as her sword was d in mes.

    As soon as their eyes met, he noticed it right behind her left shoulder; that figure that blended in with the abundant darkness.

    ["Orcish Boost"] ["Hydrostatic Pressure"] ["Spring Foot"]

    Everything was ced into his legs, causing his calves to swell, brimming with energy as he set off with a single push of his foot. He shot forward like a bullet, forcing his dagger to intercept the knife that crept towards Charlotte''s neck.

    He begged for his arm to stretch far enough, to be quick enough to block it¨CCLANG.

    Against that knife that imed far too many lives already, he pushed against it, immediately stepping in closer to the depraved man to retaliate with his second de. He intended the de to sh through the man''s throat, though it only pushed through shadows as the figure vanished into the darkness.

    ''Shit¨C'' Finn reprimanded himself.

    The exchangested less than a split-second before he immediately spun around, seeing the unprepared looks on the others'' faces. He couldn''t me them, considering none of them had faced the ruthless killer, though there was no time to learn.

    "Listen! This one is relentless! You can''t let up for a second¨Cdon''t leave yourself open at all! He''ll jump onto any opening¨Che''ll strike to kill at the smallest window!" Finn shouted, trying to get the information out as quickly as he could.

    It was amidst his own words that he had to enact caution, hearing hispanions begin to shout back, though to warn him. He could feel the presence bubbling up from right beneath him, forcing him to slide back as he shed his dagger.

    At the same moment, the sinister figure erupted from the ground as if unfolding from the shadows.

    CLANG¨C

    He shed his dagger against the knife, stopping it from sinking into his heart once again. As he caught the sneak attack, the others came in; Charlotte, Jasper, and Nikko unraveled their des on the position of the Devil yet¨C

    The figure contorted his body, flipping back before any piece of steel could touch his skin. It was an eerie kind of nimbleness to witness from a man of his frame, like an acrobat without a bone in his body.

    Every part of him wanted to blink or warp to break the distance, though he was forced simply to dash forward.

    Beating him to the position of thended killer was the ck-steel robot, who moved with vibrations fluctuating in the air from his heels. Nikko arrived with a spinning leap, using mes that propelled from his feet to ignite his speed as a metallic kick was delivered overhead to the Devil¨C

    With a single arm, the axe kick was blocked as the dark fringes of the killer parted just briefly, showing that glint of malice in those ck pearls. As seamless as water flowing down a river, the man moved to counter immediately as the knife stabbed into the robot''s leg multiple times in session.

    Finn arrived alongside the knight and spellde, surrounding the killer in that moment. Fighting in such close proximity to hispanions limited his offensive options; it was the same for them, too.

    ["Adhesive Grip"]

    He practically glued the handle of his daggers to his hands, making sure there was nothing but his utmost strength gripping them as he closed in. Towards the wordless killer''s neck, his dagger moved; Jasper''s sword moved towards his left shoulder, while Charlotte primed her de to slice into his back.

    Yet¨C

    All of it was intercepted by a spin from the enigmatic figure, repelling their assembled assault with nothing but his knife.

    Finn stumbled back, knocked off his bnce; Charlotte was left the same, but Jasper and Nikko managed to catch themselves.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    For the knight, a quick skill was initiated¨C

    ["Banishment"]

    From his right hand, Jasper tossed golden chains that sought to grasp the elusive man. The figure dropped down on all fours, rolling out of the way before hopping back up, flicking the gold links back with a sh of his knife.

    From behind, Nikko closed off the killer''s escape, cocking his metal fist back as the knuckles opened with hiddenpartments¨CBOOM.

    A punch from the robot came, ignited with a gunshot thatunched right from the fist, though it hardly came close to striking [Nameless]. Instead, the fist of the cybeic sentry was removed from its arm with an electrical buzz.

    "That''s a problem¡ª" Nikko remarked.

    A follow-up was attempted from the sinister man, pushing his knife towards the robot''s head. Finn sprinted in from the right, while Charlotte came in from the other side.

    While he intended to intercept the killer alongside the spellde, their pincer attack was cast aside as the man vanished into the shadows.

    "Shit!¡ª" Finn reacted.

    He dug his boot into the ground, forcing himself toe to a stop just short of a headbutt with Charlotte.

    "Gah!" Charlotte flinched.

    There was no time to exchange a word as he instantly nced around for where the elusive man would sprout from next. It was bing like a lethal game of whack-a-mole; an impossible difficulty.

    The mechanical construct built by Nikko extended minuscule fragments from its separated arm, swiftly rebuilding its own limb.

    "I can still keep going. Just worry about protecting your own bodies¡ª" Nikko''s voice emitted from the robot.

    Finn saw it was a split-second, not hesitating to love, "Jasper!"

    The warning came just as the knight pivoted, raising his shield to guard against wherever the knife came from.

    ["Azure Fortification"]

    A blue hum d itself to the knight, acting as a secondary exterior of astral armor that bolstered his shield as well.

    All of that to stop the knife, yet it sank right past the armaments.

    As though it were butter, the enchanted shield was pierced easily.

 Chapter 212 Casual Outing

    212 Casual Outing

    The position that Nikko was left in wasn''t one that he envied in the slightest. One look at the engineer''s face, gued by dark bags beneath his eyes and disbelieved hair, it was undeniable the stress he was in. "I''ve considered that avenue. The problem is, a lot of the people here aren''t equipped to handle the world outside these walls. Y''know, most of them were found hiding away, never attempting to fight," Nikko exined. "I noticed that. None of them have any levels. To think people manage to survive that way," Finn remarked, finding the idea of it somewhat annoying. "Well, not arge percentage, anyway. Just those who got lucky," Nikko corrected. Finn got up from the stool, stepping over as he peered out at the cityscape through the window as well. The sight of the skyscrapers, cars driving in the street, people crossing without the worry of otherworldly horrors¨Cit was something he found himself staring at for long periods of time sinceing to the city. "I don''t want it to alle burning down. Just thinking of it¨Cthat thought makes me want to curl up and scream. You agree, don''t you? A ce like this¨Cwith how the world has been, it''s a precious thing," Nikko remarked with heartfelt words. "...Yeah, it''s amazing. If you''re asking if I''d put my life on the line to defend it though, the answer is no¨Cthe same goes for Charlotte and Jasper," Finn answered. Nikkoughed, "You got me. Can''t me a guy for trying, though. You''re amazing, Finn. While you''re not the highest level I''ve seen, I believe you''re the most capable person left. You get more done with what you have, I suppose is what I''m saying."

    "Apliment like that almost sounds backhanded," Finn yfully said. "It''s not," Nikko assured. "You''ve got a real fan in me, Mr. Hawkthorne."

    Finn turned away, strolling through the room as he approached one of the suspended prototype robotics hanging from the ceiling, "ttery isn''t going to convince me to throw my life away, either."

    There was a smallughter shared between the two, though none of it was quite a joke; he had no ns of putting his life on the line for the city. "Where do you think it is? The end of all this, I mean. If there even is one besides humanity ceasing to exist," Nikko asked. "Somewhere in the Tower," Finn answered with the only thing he was confident in. "I''m sure of it."

    The discussion with Nikko didn''t seem to help all that much with the engineer''s worries, though at the very least, being able to talk about it alleviated something. After that talk, he left the building, remembering the n he had to meet up with Charlotte and Jasper at the city''s mall. Stepping outside, the scope of the city filled him with a sense of wonder, left on his own to take it all in. ''It is really amazing¨CI can''t deny that,'' he thought, looking at the pristine buildings, watching cars pass by as he strolled along the sidewalk. In his pockets, his hands stayed as he crossed the street while cars waited. The block ahead was neighbored by a small, well-maintained park, even outfitted with a yground. He watched while walking as a man tossed a frisbee to a small dog,ughing and ying without a care in the world. It wasn''t a far walk until he found his way to the mall, which took up an entire block in its size. "This is it, right?" He mumbled to himself, looking up at the gargantuan structure. Mostly built of a silver, reflective material with a curved roof with ss panels, it was the kind of building that stuck out like a sore thumb. Stepping inside, there were an assortment of shops built into it¡ªcafes, toy stores, makeup ces, and even gaming hubs. It was a st from the past for the young man, feeling as though it''d been years since he saw such a thing. While it couldn''tpare to the sort of crowds that would gather in malls before the world was turned on its head, it was the most amount of people he''d seen grouped in one ce. The meeting ce was the center za, though he found himself standing there alone with his hands in his pockets. ''Looks like I might''ve gotten here first,'' he thought, ncing around. A marble fountain produced a stream of water behind him, luring his bored mind while he waited. Leaning over the edge, he nced down into the crystal clear water, finding countless coins left in it. He couldn''t help but smile to himself at the old tradition still being followed through by others. ''I guess wishes are more needed than ever, huh?'' He considered.

    Rummaging through his pocket, he found a copper coin of his own, holding it on his thumb for a moment. A worthwhile wish is what he thought of, thinking of it carefully before deciding on a suitable one. With a flick, he sent the coin into the fountain as itnded on the water with a "plop."

    ''Where are they? I guess I did wake up a lot earlier¡­Perks of being used to no sleep,'' he thought. ncing around, he decided to scope out what the za held by himself to pass the time. There was a jewelry shop, a clothing store, and¡ªthe next store caught his eye: "GameTop." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Posters were stuck to the ss disys, showcasing an FPS (First-Person Shooter) game "Mission Ace III" that hade out just a few months before the First Impact. It was one he was actually interested in, at least before everything had gone the way it did. He entered the storefront, browning around the shelves that were stock full of video games for different consoles. While he questioned how they could have such a stock in times like this, it was because of this situation that he realized finding products would be easiest. "This really takes me back¨Cwow, I sound like an old man," he muttered to himself, grabbing the cover of a vintage tformer, While he scoped around the store, the excited chatter of a couple kids caught his attention as he nced over. A blonde-haired, taller boy and a tan-skinned, shorter one with freckles were arguing, both holding a game of their own. ''What''re they getting all riled up for?'' He questioned. Though he couldn''t understand what they were saying, sounding like they were speaking Russian, it wasn''t hard to get the gist of it. After all, it was a situation most boys experienced¨Cwanting a game, but not having the money for it. Both seemed to want a different game, though only had enough money scraped up together for one of them; the blonde boy wanted the farming simtor game "Risehill Valley'', while the freckled one argued for "Monster Tracker", an open-world RPG (Role-ying Game)--at least, that''s what he got from watching their debate. "Hey, you two¨Cover here," Finn called out to the kids, standing in front of the cashier as he pointed to the counter. Of course, even with anguage barrier, the boys seemed to understand the offer from him with giddy smiles as they rushed over. Both the games were ced on the counter as the cashier smiled, ringing them up. "Total will be one-hundred-and-twenty," the chubby cashier said. "Right," Finn said, reaching into his pocket. What he retrieved was a sleek, ck card with a silver line down the middle. The sight of it was as though it was some kind of one-of-a-kind treasure as the worker and the kids held looks of astonishment. "That''s a¡­" The cashier mumbled with an agape jaw. Finn casually swiped it through the card reader as a small chime yed with a sessful transaction. ''Guess it works. I probably shouldn''t abuse it too much. Nikko said it doesn''t have a limit¨Cthough he said to try and not copse the economy,'' he thought, stuffing the special card into his pocket.

 Chapter 213 Flipped On Its Head

    213 Flipped On Its Head

    "Spasibo!" In unison, both the boys said what he could only imagine was "thanks" before they hurried off. He watched with a smile as they ran out of the store, reminiscing of his own childlike memories of such stress-free excitement. As for himself, he was tempted to grab a few games of his own, though decided against it. ''It''d probably be a waste. When the apocalypse is dealt with, then I''ll rx and game all night,'' he told himself. Heading out of the shop, he walked around the za, still finding no sign of the two he was waiting for. He didn''t want to explore too much, as the point of the meetup was to do that with his friends. Left standing near the coin-filled fountain, he stood there, watching as people passed by, carrying bags, filling the atmosphere with casual chit-chat. It felt as though in that mall, the world might''ve been normal, even if that was a faraway hope. Standing there, the chatter of the shoppers was deafened by a ringing¡ª "¡ª?" Finn stopped, looking around for the source of the ring sound. Some of the people kept walking and talking, while others seemed to notice the sound as well. Not just the shrill ring, but the air flexed; vibrations rippled through the area. It was something too subtle to be noticed by a normal person, but his acute senses were well aware. ''What''s that? It''s getting louder,'' he thought. The ringing intensified, growing as everybody in the za came to a stop with the same confusion. All at once, it felt as though every cell in his body alerted him of danger. Just as he looked up, taking a step forward with the intent of taking action at the unknown vibrations¡ª Everything broke. A terrible storm ripped through the building, bringing the roof crumbling down. No, that wasn''t quite right¡ªit mmed down, instantly submerging his vision in darkness. Before he knew it, he wasid on his stomach, feeling an incredible amount of weightying against his back. That darkness he found himself in changed, though he realized quickly he must''ve passed out briefly. "Nngh¡­" He winced as his back muscles strained to handle the incredible weightying against him. Even with his eyes open, he couldn''t see anything but a bit of his own hands, only from the small glimpses of light that managed to slip through. ''The mall copsed¡­? No, something brought it down¨Cshit¡­shit,'' he thought, trying to rationalize the situation while pinned below the entire building. Attempting to move came with some difficulty as the edge of arge chunk of the ceiling must''ve been pressing against his spine. Trying to lift himself while the rubble did its best to keep him pinned, the sounds of screams met his ears from outside of the debris. It was pure terror; so many yells, all in aplete panic. Hearing the horrified screams forced him to push with all of his strength, not knowing what was going on beyond the copsed mall. ''What the hell¡­is going on out there?'' He thought. A massive rumble was heard more than it was felt, sounding as though a hammer the size of a mountain had struck the city. ¡ªTHWOOM. Again, that dreadful impact rippled through the city. This time, it caused the pile of debris against his back to move slightly. It was enough to let him move just a bit, allowing him to gain some leverage. ["Orcish Boost"] ["Supercharge"] Flooding supernatural strength through his body, infusing it through every fiber of muscle for that moment, he flexed his entire self while pushing up. He pressed his palms against the shattered ground, lifting with every ounce of strength before breaking through¨C

    "Nnhf!--" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He managed to climb up to his feet, shoving a massive b of marble off his back, though still having another pair of debris to push off. With a final push, the triangle of thick, dense stone was pushed away as he climbed out of the copsed mall. "Hfff¡­" He breathed out, coughing as dust filled his lungs. Standing atop that mountain of fallen debris, there were no remnants of the mall left standing; all he could see left of anybody there were the bits of their bloodied limbs sticking out from beneath the rubble. His lungs fought for air as the shock settled in, though his mind did its best to adjust to the sudden situation. As he looked over, it wasn''t just the mall, no¨Cit was everything. Multiple buildings were crushed into craters like a palm making an imprint on snow. Tilting his head back, the scenery filled him with bewilderment. Floating in the sky, entire skyscrapers moved alongside a parade of cars, trees, and even strips of the roads. It all seemed to orbit a massive sphere in the center of it all. The enigmatic object resembled a tiny, coated in emerald grass and azure water. [Special Entity Recognized.] [Major Arcana: "The World"] [Level: 150] A hum emitted from the spherical goliath, rippling through the air. The chunk of a building orbiting around it was crushed with its tens of thousands of pebbles being suspended. ''What''s it¨C?'' Finn questioned. As he attempted to figure out what the intent of the massive sphere was, every cell of his body instructed him to protect himself as he crossed his arms in front of his body¨C

    ["Impervious"] [4:59] A ring noise like the wind itself being bored a thousand times over filled his ears as the countless pebbles wereunched in every direction from the sphere''s gravity. Each of the projectiles, small as they may be, were shot with speed that broke the sound barrier. A single of the high-speed pieces of sediment was enough to smash through a truck left on the road. The nearby buildings that were left standing were filled with holes, leaving entire walls smashed in as windows shattered from the sheer speed. He stood his ground in his moment of invincibility, feeling multiple impacts collide with his immovable self, bouncing off his body and being deflected into the nearby walls. ''If a single one hits, that''s it for me¨C'' Finn thought, finding himself thankful for his quick reflexes. As soon as the dust settled, he immediately sprinted down the hole-riddled road. There was hardly anybody left alive on the street, with bodies left on the streets that looked as though they''d been blown away by bombs. ''Shit¨Cshit¡­! Where are you guys?!'' The worried thought strained his mind. The cries and screams of civilians flooded his ears, though it was overwhelmed by the hum of the massive sphere in the sky above. He sprinted, only seeking his friends as he leapt over a ravine left split in the asphalt¨C

    A sudden change in the temperature brought him to a grinding halt as he found orange snowkes drifting down; embers, hot to the touch gliding down onto the street. For a moment, he was left oblivious to their origin before witnessing a sh of bright-orange light touch down from a few blocks ahead. "Nngh¨C?!" He squinted, raising his hand. A massive pir of fire mmed into the city, erupting through the unfortunate buildings closest to the burning force. Even from the distance it was at, the rippling heat waves caused the asphalt he stood on to boil as his boots began to blister. The faces of the stores neighboring his position began to melt from the enormous heat. Sweat dripped from his pores as he looked towards that blinding pir of fire in the distance, seeing a silhouette buried within its all-epassing heat¨C

    [Special Entity Recognized.] [Major Arcana: "The Sun"] [Level: 150]

 Chapter 214 The World

    214 The World

    [Special Entity Recognized.] [Major Arcana: "The Sun"] [Level: 150] ''Another one?'' He realized. There was no feasible way to move in that direction with the astronomical heat emitting from it, forcing him to quickly spin around as he dashed in the opposite direction. As he ran down the street, the heat reached other people, leaving their skin bubbling up. One man copsed as his blood left his body with a sizzle against the asphalt, gargling on his own screams of pain. Finn stopped briefly, wanting to help as it seemed his leveled body could at least manage the heat, though it seemed impossible by this point. The entire western district seemed hopeless with the extraordinary heat spreading through it. He kept moving, though was conflicted by the screams of agony, bringing him to clench his teeth as he came to a stop¨C

    THWOOM. ¨CBetween him and the pir of sr heat, a capsule of ck steel drove itself into the concrete. It didn''t look to be something from the Arcana, but instead an invention of Nikko. The construct was short, but built like a cauldron, shifting its ting to reveal multiplepartments. ''Nikko? What is that?'' He thought. From the enigmatic invention, a massive wave of frosted wind released, pushing outward with incredible volume. All of the heat was counteracted, colliding the immense cold with the melting hotness as the wind howled with the sh of temperatures. A constant influx of cold and hot; the kind of energy needed tobat the heat of the embodiment of the Sun was something astonishing in itself. In that moment, watching the waves of frost push against the heat, stopping the boiling of the people in the streets, a sense of hope surfaced in him. A secondarypartment opened within the frost-emitting device, expanding what appeared to be an electronic veil, deployed throughout the sector of the city. Within it, the heat was kept out, now leaving the frost to cool off what was already heated. Finn watched the mes that had sparked be snuffed out by frost, finding the cold more pleasant than ever as his breath left with an icy paleness. While many were injured, their wounds would not get worse; most seemed to have passed out from the pain,forted by the cold. ''...They''re saved?'' He thought. It was the kind of device that seemed far too niche to have been created, though he realized quickly that line of thinking didn''t apply. Nikko was well aware of this threat; there was no doubt he had prepared for it. ''You''re goddamn brilliant, Nikko¡­!'' He praised the inventor in his mind, now free to sprint without the burden of choice on his back. If at all possible, regrouping with the engineer who oversaw the city itself would likely be his best path. It would simultaneously be the best chance of locating his friends as quickly as possible. With that in mind, he set his sights on the skyscraper in the center of the city as he sprinted down the desecrated street. He kept his eyes locked on the building miles away, though found his boots not making contact with the asphalt as he stepped down again. "Huh¨C?"

    ncing down, his feet weren''t even touching the ground, instead raising and raising higher from the street. ''I''m being brought up¨C? It''s that thing, isn''t it¨C?'' He thought, looking up at the tiny suspended over the city as it was orbited by even more debris than before. It wasn''t just himself that was being lifted, but the street itself; the asphalt was peeled, poles and traffic lights were guided upward as well. Though he''d experienced floating before, this was different; it was like his body was drawn towards that earthen orb like a ma, unable to keep himself from being pulled into its orbit. "Aaahhh!"

    "Help¡­!" "What the hell is going on?!" ¡ªHe quickly realized he wasn''t alone in the pull of the [World] as he saw others being lifted towards it unwillingly. Those caught in it iled their limbs, shouting for help, though it seemed like a faraway hope. He was the furthest from the sphere''s orbit, finding even the disassembled parts of Radegasts caught in its pull. ''Shit¡­I might be able to make it out of this, but them¡ª? Not a chance. Shit¡ª'' He hurriedly thought. Being brought above the height of skyscrapers as the hum emitting from the tiny red against his ears, his thoughts were washed away¡ª "Aaaahh!"

    "Heeeeeeeeelp¡ª!" "Aaaauuuu!" The others caught ahead of him were violently spun in the orbital rotation around the [World]. It moved them fast enough to blur, quickly turning their bones to dust and their flesh to a red paste alongside buildings turned to pebbles. In a single moment, all of those screams were silenced; those lives were turned to a scarlet mist without any resistance. Witnessing the horrific disy from the cmitous sphere, a concoction of dread and frustration bubbled up within him. It was a feeling he wasn''t used to; an anger at the loss of life, even for those he didn''t know at all. He clenched his teeth, suppressing the feelings welling up in his chest as he focused foremost on not joining them in their sad fate. ''--It''sing!'' He prepared himself. That violent hum red as the air flexed against his ears. He was a hundred meters away from the [World], leftpletely exposed while floating towards it. All of the material it had gathered up; the bits of stone, steel, and blood were released at high speeds in every direction. Dodging wasn''t an option at that moment; it all came too fast, and the gravitational pull was unkind to any other options. ["Mineral Armor"] Stone stretched over his body in multiple, fusedyers with haste as he brought his arms in front of his body, shielding himself to the best of his ability. All he could do was turtle up as the transonic projectiles passed. One hit his left shoulder, immediately breaking the armor in that spot; another struck his leg, undeniably leaving a bruise as the stone skin was cracked. "Nnff!--" The air hissed as each of the high-speed, destructive bullets of debris passed by. Without even seeing iting, all he could do was endure as one struck him dead center in the abdomen, shattering the mineral protecting his stomach. It took the air from his lungs, causing it to burn as he attempted to breathe back in just as another struck him in his right pec. ¨COne.

    ¨CTwo.

    ¨CFive.

    ¨CTen. Count was lost as the full storm pushed by, filling his ears with a violent hum as each and every impact felt like cmitous raindrops against his body. As one struck right against the stone covering his face, it undoubtedly shattered his nose as the rocks were shattered. "Pyuh¨C"

    He gasped out as a bit of blood squirted from his nostrils, finding the hailstorm at an end for the moment before ncing behind him. The devastation left from the transonic scattershot was harrowing; clouds of dust engulfed the area of the city below, with entire buildings looking like swiss cheese. ''...I got lucky¨CI don''t think I can endure another one of these. Well, I won''t have to worry about that¨Cbefore it happens, I''ll be pulled into that thing''s gravity¡­I''ll be turned to mush,'' he realized, looking at the earth-like sphere as it loomed over him closer than ever. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 215 Path To Salvation

    The closer he got, the more intense the pressure became; it felt as though the air itself was weighing down on him from all sides. Vision began to blur, his head throbbed, his bones ached¡ªit was a matter of time before he''d be a red mist.

    He raised his hand, attempting to throw his dagger, but he could no longer move his arm downward. Like a ma, his fist was being kept pointed at the [World].

    The tears from his eyes were siphoned; moisture from his mouth was pulled away, even feeling his blood pulsate in his body towards the sphere. It was bing impossible to breathe, as even oxygen was pulled from his lungs.

    As the vibrations intensified, echoing throughout his body, he readied himself¨C

    ["Phantom Retreat"] [0:09]

    The exact moment he forcibly moved himself back several meters as a shade, he flexed his arm:

    ["Orcish Boost"] [4:59]

    ["Supercharge"]

    He pushed his physical strength to its limits, cing everything in his right arm before tossing his dagger directly down. Enough power wasmitted to ovee the gravitational pull, shooting his weapon towards the street¨C

    ["de Warp"] [Mana: -100] [4500/4600]

    Catching his de, he blinked from the sky down to the torn streets below, having to roll across the concrete sidewalk. He caught himself on his knee, rising to his feet as he looked up just as the disastrous sphere emitted a groan¨C

    ''Here ites¨C!'' He thought.

    Up above, another orbital ring of debris was turned to ammunition for the hostile orb in the sky. He readied himself, though found himself with very few defensive options against yet another round of the projectile storm¨C

    "Fire!"

    Amanding shout rang throughout the asunder city as he found the sky filled with the giant, ck-steel mechanical pilots.

    ''Radegast units¨C? About time!'' He realized.

    The squadron of mechs intercepted the release of transonic debris as dozens of tiny, fast-moving missiles were released from each of the Radegasts. Each of the explosive rounds shed with waves of the high-speed rubble, not letting a single piece break through the resulting explosions.

    Seeing a counterattack tore away the veil of hopelessness, setting a fine reminder that he wasn''t alone.

    As he watched the lethal rubble be blown to smithereens in the air, the ground beside him rumbled as he looked over.

    The wind pushed at his hair as it pulsated like that of an aircraftnding near him. One of the giant, ck-steel mechanical suitsnded just a few meters to his right.

    ''A Radegast?'' He looked up at it.

    The tinted visor on its head retracted, revealing the one piloting it; a dark-skinned man with messy, brown hair.

    ["Sleuth Status"]

    [Name: Arnold] [Level: 36] [ss: Ranger]

    "You''re Finn Hawkthorne, correct?" The mech pilot asked from above.

    "Yeah, that''s me," he answered.

    "Nikko sent a message to you, but it likely wasn''t received," the pilot said.

    Only then did he realize to check his pockets, taking out the phone that was given to him. It had slipped his mind, though this was the exact situation as for why Nikko gifted him the device.

    As he tapped the screen awake, it showed a clear message at the top: "NO SIGNAL."

    "Right, you wouldn''t have been able to receive it anyway. Allmunications are down¡ªthe handiwork of one of the enemies," the pilot informed him.

    "Don''t tell me¡­It''s not just those two, is it?" Finn asked, already suspecting the answer.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Clear sweat dripped from the chin of the Radegast pilot, who nodded his head, "ording to our intel, there''s already four within the city. It''s likely more may converge. That''s why it''s important¡ªthe request Nikko has for you."

    "I''m not going to like this, but go ahead," Finn listened.

    What was presented to him were not the words from the mouth of Arnold, but the giant hand of the mech presenting a message ryed from its speakers:

    ["It seems the apocalypse has weed itself to our doorstep. Now, if you want to run or hide, I would suggest running¡ªthere may be nowhere left to hide soon enough. However, if you want to stay and fight¡ªchances are, we''ll all die¡ªbut even so, if you choose so¡­I need your help.

    The Moon is disrupting allmunications with its gravitational emissions. As it stands, ny percent of my devices were jammed¨Cour forces are being suppressed. At this rate, New Moscow will be turned to dust within just an hour¨Cunless the Moon is dealt with¨C"]

    The pre-recorded message was cut off abruptly, though what was being asked was clear to Finn as he pondered for a moment amidst the battered streets.

    "He''s asking me to confront the Moon¡­Can''t a guy catch a break?" Finn breathed out, feeling exhausted just at the thought of the uphill task given to him.

    "As the message said, you''re not obligated to assist us. If you need an escort out of the city, then¨C" Arnold offered from the cockpit of his Radegast.

    "I know what he said. Looks like I''m stupid enough to jump into the heat, though," Finn begrudgingly admitted.

    It almost felt like a sick joke to him that this was even a discussion, as the whole city seemed to tremble beneath the chaotic forces at y.

    The air smelled of ash and bleach; sediment trickled down like snowfall.

    "Where am I heading?" Finn asked, looking up at the towering mechanical pilot.

    The man in the cockpit of the Radegast wore a smile before bringing the mechanical arm to point up to its right shoulder, "Hop on. I''ll give you a ride."

    Finn stood there for a moment before epting the gesture, hopping onto the extended, steel hand. A quick few jumps brought him up to the shoulder of the Radegast, leaning his hand against its head.

    "Hold on tight!" Arnold called out before the helmet of the mechanical suit closed itself.

    "Right!¡ª" Finn responded.

    Quickly, the wind changed as he found himself brought into the air as the Radegast took flight.

    "We''ll need to move fast to avoid being pulled into that thing''s orbit up there¡ªturning on Hermes boosters!" Arnold''s voice emitted from the mech.

    Finn kept a hold of a grip on the steel giant''s shoulder, bracing himself before it shot forward between buildings.

    To call it a rollercoaster would be an understatement, finding the humanoid mech flying through the streets with jet-like swiftness.

    While it was always a childlike dream of his to ride on a mech, it was the sort of fantasy he never expected toe true. With how his cheeks went numb and the moisture was drying from his eyes, the experience was certainly better in fantasies than reality.

    Intercepting their path through the evacuated sector of the city, a bright-orange sh expanded¡ª

    "Iing!" Arnold shouted.

 Chapter 217 A Knights Stand

    Bubbling, popping, and scraping; the heat growled and hissed at everything it touched. The air itself seemed to ignite, causing a sewer lid to pop up from the scorching temperatures. As a droplet of sweat trickled down his chin, he made the first move¨C

    Bringing his sword up, it became engulfed in a coalescence of scarlet and ck aura, intertwining into a blossoming skull.

    ["Deathprint de"]

    The gathering of magical output weighed down his de, having to tug it down with both hands into a mighty sh. A rippling conjuration of a rose-blooming skull was released, tearing forward through the melting asphalt.

    As the skull chomped its rotten teeth through the burnt street, the Sun hadn''t budged an inch, not so much as unfolding his zing arms.

    ''He''s not¨C?'' Jasper thought, watching the deathly release crash against the manifested star.

    The impact expanded with a howl like that of fading wolves, taking the form of a toxic cloud that engulfed the burning entity. Only for a split-second did he believe he might''ve imed victory before the smoke was pushed away, giving way for the unbridled shine of the Sun once more.

    "Right, thought so¡­A guy can hope," Jasper mumbled with a tired breath.

    The Sun''s arms had yet to so much as unfold, not having moved from his spot as a vicious smile remained perched on that fire-formed mouth.

    "That was your opening strike? Unimpressive, but I shall respond," The Sun dictated.

    A chill ran over the knight''s body with the deration from the entity, witnessing the figure unfold their arms with malicious intent. Every part of his body instructed him to "move", though he had no idea where¨Cafter all, the Sun''s reach was simply too vast.

    From the fingertips of the Sun, condensed, fast-moving beams of sr energy released, being whipped around without any care for coteral. No, it was more it seemed that the Sun sought to destroy not just the human, but everything around him¨C

    "Ga-ha-ha-ha!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Laughter boomed from the zing entity, filling the knight''s ears as he dashed across the street, having to hop over one of the beams of heat that passed by his ankles like a jump rope.

    "--Close¡­!" Jasper gasped to himself, stumbling a bit before having to quickly slide across the sidewalk in his run.

    He passed by a fountain built with a statue of abrador, only for one of the Sun''s beams to cut through the middle of it, instantly vaporizing the water that spewed from its mouth. The sidewalk of the za was ravaged by the assembly of wild lines of sr force, cutting through a smoothie shop, splitting through a pottery store with burning trails.

    Another of the melting ropes passed right over his head, feeling the heat through his armor as it was mere inches from gracing him with its heat. He rolled before jumping back to his feet, not so much as slowing down to open the door of the building in front of him as he bashed his shoulder right through its ss.

    Experience new stories on empire

    Red-and-blue, retro carpet and arcade cabs right by the entrance; from the posters leading the split corridors, it only took a moment to process where he''d barged into¨Ca movie theater.

    He sprinted past cardboard cut-outs of a gray-skinned, slender monster headlining a horror movie¨C"WENDIGO NIGHTS." Right behind him, a beam chased, carving through the building, slicing across the ceiling and burning through the out-of-date walls.

    POP. POP. POP.

    Ducking down as the sr rope cut across the building right over his head, he could hear the dormant popcorn in another room cooking from the sheer heat. Before the ceiling above him could copse, he dashed through the twin doors leading into one of the theaters.

    A movie was already ying; an action hero jumped across a building, chasing after a helicopter. Jasper sprinted across the empty aisles, hopping over a set of seats as he set his sights on the emergency exit¨C

    "I THOUGHT YOU WEREN''T RUNNING?! WHERE DID THAT COURAGE WANDER OFF TOO, I WONDER?!"

    The ming voice boomed as the knight was intercepted from the exit,ing to a stop as the colossal screen was ignited. Fire ate away at the reflective screen before being burst through as the man-shaped embodiment of the Sun weed himself in.

    Just the presence alone seemed to set the theater on fire, spreading across the walls as one-by-one, each set was engulfed in heat. With a simple waving of his hand, the Sun tossed multiple of the far-reaching, all-melting beams without any need to aim properly.

    Jasper ducked down, dodging one as another came for his torso, only intercepted by his floating shield automatically getting in front of it.

    Looking upon that mighty figure, Jasper questioned himself again¨C

    ''What am I doing? Do I think I even stand a chance against something like this? Seriously, just look at it, Jasper¨Cthat''s the sort of shit you''d be seeing in aic book! Save it for Superman or Thor¨Cwell, they aren''t around,'' he convinced himself, feeling the overwhelming heat radiating off of the overwhelming presence.

    Amidst his own doubts, he blinked back into focus, finding the figure gone from the burnt screen, instead right in front of him before¨C

    A sh of heat pushed against his body, though it was the direct force that he felt first. It rippled through his body, feeling that tremendous fist drive directly into his abdomen. All he could see was that fiery smile, burned into his mind as the air was pushed out of his mouth as a steaming gasp.

    Before another breath could be drawn, he was flung back by the follow-up of the swift punch, smacking into multiple seats, crashing right through the wall as he bounced into the theater lobby. All he could do was cough out and gasp, wheezing for air as heid on his chest, feeling as though he had swallowed burning coals.

    ["In terms of defensive capabilities, the "Armageddon Armor" was the best he had ess to. Yet, the magical metal was caved in with the steaming imprint of the Sun''s knuckles."]

    Those heavy stomps were felt more than they were heard, each one sending vibrations that murmured through his armor.

    ''Gotta¡­get up,'' he urged himself, having to beg his muscles to listen.

    ["Wartime Rejuvenation"]

    The knight-ss ability pushed a refreshing force through his body; flowing into each limb, his aching bones and sore muscles were given a second wind.

    It wasn''t a "heal" by any means, though it provided him the means of picking himself up off the floor. With a hardly sturdy stance, he rose to his feet, breathing out as he stared ahead at the hole left in the theater lobby from his own body.

    "Able to stand? Not as fragile as I thought, then. You getmendations for not having your insides turned to ash," the Sun remarked, already standing before him. "--Let''s see where that limit lies, then."

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