ã€ŠWITCH OF THE ENDã€‹


 The Two Sides of House Feng

    In the expanse of a grand chamber, a figure of ethereal beauty commanded attention. With silver hair cascading like liquid moonlight, and her porcelain skin unblemished by worldly scars. She exuded an aura of pristine elegance. Pale gray eyes, devoid of emotion, surveyed the surrounding darkness with an eerie calmness, adding to her doll-like allure.

    Dressed in a lavish silver gown that hugged her form, the hem just grazing her knees, she radiated an air of regal poise. Each movement spoke of grace and purpose as if she were a porcelain figurine brought to life in the dimly lit expanse of the room.

    In front of her, a large dim screen was displaying her recorded statistics:

    Name: Lena Feng

    Age: 18 years

    Blood group: A1 (Special inheritance)

    Zenshi Mastery: Level 2

    Aura: Ice

    "Ice Aura? As expected of the Feng clan," remarked one of the soldiers, prompting Feng to shift her attention towards them.

    The soldiers had seemingly materialized out of thin air. One, a young woman with ebony skin and short brown hair, possessed bright green eyes that exuded an aura of determination. The other was a tall and imposing figure with a comically thick mustache. He stood beside her, his presence commanding attention despite his cartoonish appearance.

    The tall man was in a black uniform adorned with four stars upon his shoulders denoting his rank as a general in the army and commanded respect with his imposing presence. While the young woman''s uniform bared two stars indicating her position was two ranks below him.

    "General Blackthorn, it''s an honor," Feng acknowledged respectfully, her voice as detached and cold as her Aura, she lowered her head in deference to the esteemed military leader.

    The general smiled with his lips for a brief moment and said:

    "The Military is as thankful as ever for the Feng clan''s continuous contributions. The five great clans are the main reason humanity still fights. So technically speaking, it''s an honor meeting you, Lena Feng," General Blackthorn expressed, acknowledging the significance of the Feng clan''s role in the ongoing struggle against adversaries.

    "I''ve heard great things about you. It''s a shame Lady Lunaris can''t be here with us."

    As soon as the general mentioned that name, Feng''s eyes widened as if shocked by the general. Their unlively nature had disappeared for a moment.

    "Is something wrong, Miss Feng?" The general must have noticed the slight change in her expression. "Is Lady Lunaris well?"

    "Luna is fine. She''s probably locked in her room playing Raiden Lords."

    "Oh?" The general exchanged a confused expression with his subordinate.

    The woman frowned and shook her head. She too had no idea what ''Raiden Lords'' was.

    Blackthorn turned back to the imposing young lady and continued. "It''s a shame she wasn''t born with the gift of wielding zenshi. The world could use more soldiers if we wish to take back it."

    The corners of her lips curved upwards into a weak but genuine smile. Lena Feng was now thinking of her little sister.

    "The world has enough soldiers, general. They just need to be trained more."

    ***

    Click¡­click¡­click

    "Okay guys, I''ve got three hundred credits in my bank account as we speak. The armor of truth is only fifty because it''s Raider''s season."

    Just as her sister guessed, Luna was indeed playing Raiden Lords. Locked in her dark room as always.

    She stared at her wide display, her dark eyes burning with anticipation as she stared at The Armor of Truth''s description.

    Enchantments: [Guardian of truth], [Light Bringer], [Mantle of Reality]

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.Descriptions: [Guardian of truth]: the player is immune to all magic for sixty seconds. The player must have completed level ten to acquire this.

    [Light Bringer]: Your party will have a power boost for thirty seconds. {only works if the party members agree}

    [Mantle of Reality]: Players can cancel out spells and copy them for their use. {Mana points must be full}

    A weak smile appeared on her pale face as she moved the cursor on her screen down to the word "BUY" on the screen. Luna had dark circles under her eyes and looked pale, thin, and wild after not being touched by the sun for over three days now.

    This new Demo had taken all her time.

    Before she selected the option, a message appeared on the corner of her screen.

    It was from one of her online friends:

    Neonmonkey: "What if it''s a scam or a glitch in the servers? Doesn''t that armor sound too good to be true? Come on, Raya."

    Raya was her username.

    Dragonhunter: "But Raya has the money to spend. She once spent one hundred and fifty credits on a limited edition quest and came out on top, winning all the money back."

    Frozenpanda: "150 CREDITS!! I spend that much in half a year and you''re telling me she spent all that on a game! These rich bureaucrats are something."

    Her expression darkened when she read that. And just like that, Luna lost the appetite for her game and logged out of the game without saying anything else.

    ''Rich bureaucrat? What an asshole.'' She hissed at her fellow gamer''s comment.

    Who was he to say that? That brat barely knew her to make such a comment.

    With a sigh, she picked up her communicator and started reading through the latest news. The headlines, however, didn''t brighten up her mood at all.

    They only made it worse.

    "Lena Feng joins the Ascenders continuing the great Feng legacy."

    The second one read:

    "The Military is proud to announce another great Ascender has joined their ranks. The Feng clan continues to fight for our realm against the devils and cursed beings. Word has it that the Feng acquired the Ice Aura just like Mao Feng¡­"

    Luna quickly shut her communicator after feeling a pang of jealousy awaken in her chest. Feeling this way is inevitable when you''re someone like her.

    Luna sighed heavily, curling up in her gamer chair as her screen saver cast a soft glow in the dark room. Her fingers traced the outline of her gaming headset absently. The reminder of her sister''s achievements gnawed at her insides. Unlike everyone else in her clan, Luna had no zenshi, no spark of divinity. She was a hollow vessel in a family of warriors.

    Unlike everyone else in her clan, Luna was the only one who hadn''t been blessed with the ability to use zenshi.

    According to the elders, Luna simply wasn''t born with a spark of divinity despite being a Generational Inheritance in terms of blood type.

    Who could imagine that? She was the rarest of all the divine blood types and yet didn''t gain the one thing her family stood for.

    ¡­She was a failure. Even though no one said it to her.

    ''I shouldn''t have been born in the first place.''

    Luna felt bitter with each day that passed by. Her sister, Lena Feng was of special inheritance which meant that she inherited one of the gifts that moved through the Feng clan which was her Aura of Ice. When Lena opened her first gate at fifteen, half of the estate was blown to bits because her Zenshi levels were abnormally high. Just as expected for someone born in a great lineage.

    At that time, Luna remembered feeling excited. She assumed that her awakening was going to be something of a much greater spectacle. All her life she had been fueled by a fantasy fed to her by her family.

    However, when Luna turned fifteen, which was the normal age for awakening, she never opened her first gate after cultivating energy for ten whole years.

    They thought she was a late bloomer maybe but the truth was harsher than that¡­.

    Luna lacked the divinity meant to make her an Ascender in the first place. It was at that moment where Luna''s dream of following her father''s footsteps collapsed and becoming the strongest ascender shattered like delicate glass.

    "At least I don''t have to go to a military academy. I don''t have to risk my life to fight those things¡­"

    She shivered when the thought of going against a cursed fiend or a devil crossed her mind.

    In this world, Ascenders were the natural weapon against the alien beings that came to consume the mortal realm.

    This battle has been going on for fifty years because humanity refused to go down without a fight thanks to the sudden gift of zenshi which could be awakened by opening the first gate. No one knew how the gates worked exactly, but they connected humans to the Source, which was believed to be the heart of all divinity.

    So far, humanity has unlocked four gates. The first gate allowed one to acquire and manipulate zenshi. The second gate unlocked one''s Aura which granted them an ability. The third allowed the summoning of ancient creatures from the Endless Void.

    The fourth gate was the strongest and turned them into Sorcerers. They were few in the world capable of wielding their Auras like magic, affecting the natural world as they willed. Sorcerers were the peak of human evolution, possessing godlike authority over their Auras.

    Both her mother and late father were sorcerers. Perhaps one of the strongest in the world.

    After spending about an hour silently sulking. The raven-haired girl moved her small body to the bath and prepared for the day.

    Today, a congratulatory party was going to be held for her sister and Luna needed to attend as the younger sister.

    The entire Feng family was attending. Just the thought of being surrounded by many people made her sick. After all, she wasn''t used to crowds.

    ***

    "Congratulations on enlisting in the military, Miss Lena." said the tall old man as he offered Lena his hand. "I am from the Chau Family. We''ve served under your clan for over forty years. "

    Lena acted amused and rushed to share his cold hands. she smiled¡ªa smile she had practiced so many times¡ªand said:

    "How can I forget General Lin Chau? One of the few humans to ever take down a Sovereign devil. I''ve heard they''re crazy powerful."

    The lanky general looked around, smiled shyly, and then ran his hand through the bald center of his head:

    "Well of course they are, sovereigns have incredible powers like us perhaps even surpass us."

    Lena was silent for a moment. Everyone in this room knew Lin was a lair. That sovereign was killed by her father a few years ago when a rift appeared and two sovereigns along with five cursed tyrants destroyed an entire continent.

    On that day, humanity suffered a great loss when the leader of the Feng Clan, Zheng Feng died. Or as the masses called him, The Master of Calamity. He died from a fatal wound after slaying a high-ranked devil.

    He died a hero.

    His second in command at the time was Lin Chau who was given some credit because he was nearby.

    ''Probably hiding like the coward he is.''

    Lena scowled.

    This man was a pathetic excuse of an ascender. How did even open four gates with this level of¡­

    Lena didn''t finish that thought because something else had caught her attention. Standing beautifully at the entrance, a pale woman stood elegantly at the ballroom''s entrance....

    Dressed in a glossy white kimono with a silver obi tightly tied around her abdomen area, the woman looked nothing but incredible. Her radiant silver hair was tied back in a bun with a flower-shaped silver hairpin to hold back her hair.

    The room temperature seemed to fall as everyone else, including Lena, turned quiet and bowed to welcome the current head of the Feng House...

    Mao Feng, The Flame Of Winter.

    For a moment, the woman''s cold grey eyes scanned the room before she also bowed back to the many people who had come to celebrate with them.

    Raising her head, Lena''s eyes landed on another figure that surprised her.

    Hiding behind her mother''s height was a slightly tall pale young woman in a beautiful black kimono. Her long black hair had been cleaned and treated well to the point where it was now shining under the ballroom''s lights.

    Her dark eyes were filled with complicated emotion as she looked left and right, feeling the weight of the gazes aimed at her.

    Lena scoffed. ''Her social anxiety might kill before any devil ever does.''

    The pale girl quickly traced Lena''s gaze and smiled weakly. Her smiling muscles or bones had once again betrayed her. This is all they could muster up.

    Luna hadn''t smiled in a long time, after all.

    Anyway, today appeared to be the day she was doing things she hadn''t done in a long time¡­

    Things like socializing.

 New Beginnings

    "Are you enjoying the party?"

    Luna glanced around the crowded room, her eyes heavy with disdain. "Len, parties are emotionally draining and a waste of valuable time. All these people could''ve just sent you a gift, and it would''ve been the same."

    She took a long sip of her red wine, feeling its warmth slide down her throat. Her sister''s presence was the only thing keeping her from bolting, despite the sharp, scrutinizing glances their mother cast her way.

    Lena stared at the crowd in front of them and said in a formal tone:

    "The Feng Clan needs to maintain good relations with the other clans. This is how she does it."

    "There you go again¡­defending mom''s actions. Some clans don''t need to be here, like the Chau clan. Their leader''s Aura is literal eternal flames and a natural counter against Mom''s Aura. I bet they''re waiting for the right time to take down our clan and become a great clan."

    Lena chortled at her sister''s claim and sighed. At this point, she was used to Luna''s constant pessimism.

    "Have you considered becoming a combat professor yet?" she asked, changing the topic completely.

    Luna''s lips curved upwards then and quickly came down as she remembered the proposal.

    The idea of becoming a combat professor had been brought forward by her mother a few months ago. Since she had no divinity in her blood, the least Luna could do was use her natural gifts for some good.

    Yes, she was gifted despite being unable to awaken. Luna was a special skilled martial artist to the core thanks to the unique blood in her veins.

    So, even though she didn''t join the sacred path of ascension, Luna still had all the gifts that came with her blood traits. She was faster than normal humans, too strong to be considered human, and well-versed in the area of martial arts thanks to the memories engraved in the mystical blood.

    In short, Luna was a warrior at heart.

    Because of that, the Feng clan still wanted her to serve the world by offering her a job at an Academy to train the younger generation.

    The academy was obviously for High blood students. Why else would they send someone as skilled as herself there if it wasn''t?

    A strange expression appeared on her face.

    ''All those brats will make fun of my inability to use Zenshi. I can feel it.''

    She suddenly suppressed a laugh when a strange sense of self-consciousness touched her mind and realized something about herself.

    ''I am seventeen and this is my life. I wonder what normal girls my age do?''

    If Luna were normal she would probably be thinking about mundane things like¡­what is she wearing in the morning? Or does that cute guy like her?

    ''I don''t even think I have interest in that romantic nonsense¡ªhumans are too complicated.''

    "I''m still thinking about it. Couldn''t they have sent me to some sect in the North Reach and made me a janitor or something¡­" she replied after a short moment of silence.

    Lena didn''t respond. Instead, she turned to the crowd. The musicians were playing a symphonic violin tune one that made the atmosphere very calm. She stared at the band with a wistful look and said:

    "Dad liked the violin. Did you know I mastered the damn thing so that I could play it for him one day?"

    There was a sad nostalgic smile on her gentle face.

    Meanwhile, Luna wanted to growl. Len changed topics when they got difficult or when she didn''t have a reply.

    But why did she have to change to this one? Why did she have to bring up their father?

    Feeling pressured to continue the conversation, Luna forced a smile and responded, "He would be proud to hear that one of his daughters is an Ascender. A powerful one."

    "I hope to live up to his name. We both should, he was a legend after all¡ªand we''re part of his legacy."

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Luna stared at her drink blankly, the memories of her father playing in her mind like she had only lost him yesterday. Time moved fast, didn''t it?

    Would she feel this way if he was still alive?

    ''I''m sorry I can''t live up to your legacy.''

    "Failure."

    That''s what talking about her father reminded her of; her lack of success. The one who was destined to become the next head of the clan was now nothing. No one dared to look at her, and those who did only did so to remind themselves of what she was¡­

    A miscalculation¡­a mistake¡­a stain to one of the greatest houses to ever exist.

    But¡­

    Was she really going to continue feeling like this for the next years? Lying in her room, playing games, watching clips on the network, and having terrible sleep schedules.

    Was that the life she wanted to live?

    ''Well, that would be sad. I would probably earn the world record for the World''s Saddest Human Being before killing myself.''

    And Luna wasn''t the type to jump to her death. That''s if the fall could kill her.

    She lingered in thought for a while, the symphony of violin music slowly drowning away. It had been two years since her dreams were crushed. In those two years, she faced doubt, sorrow, and maybe the urge to commit seppuku because of embarrassment.

    Deep down, Luna also wanted such parties celebrated in her name. She wanted to elevate her House''s name. She wanted to elevate humanity.

    That''s what her younger self would have wanted. That''s what her father would have wanted.

    ''I won''t know what I want if I stay in my room all day with my dark thoughts.''

    With that thought, her next words shocked Len.

    "I will join the academy as a combat professor on condition that my blood information is retained and kept private. Tell Mother that I will use Mao Feng as a referral to prove that I trained from a Feng Sect and that''s it."

    Saying those words felt like lifting a heavy load. Luna was self-conflicted.

    ''My biggest problem is my heritage, so running away may be hard but I know I will make it somehow.''

    Lena''s eyes widened, she didn''t expect her sister to agree after months of trying to convince her to join. This, truly¡­was a big step for her to make.

    "You''ve made up your mind, I see. My sister, a Hansho Academy professor. I thought I would never see the day."

    "And humanity never thought the sky would fall. Never say never, I guess."

    Luna shrugged, smiling back at her sister. She was slightly shorter than Len and had to lift her head to stare directly into her grey eyes. They looked different because Luna was more of an embodiment of their father while Lena looked more like their mother.

    It was something she took pride in, sometimes.

    Feeling overjoyed, Len raised her glass in the air and made a toast:

    "To new beginnings, Luna Feng. This may be the last time I see you in a while since I''m getting drafted soon."

    Luna frowned and held back on her glass before making a toast.

    "You didn''t have to say that, you creep."

    "Says the girl who plays games day and night. Do you even shower?" Lena snickered at her, mischievously.

    Luna gasped, her pale face reddening in an instant before turning away from Len''s vulgar gaze.

    "¡­sometimes¡­" she murmured. Then raised her glass:

    "TO NEW BEGINNINGS!"

    The music stopped and everyone turned to her as if this was the first time seeing her. Some were shocked by her beauty, and more shocked that she could talk all along.

    ''Crap. That came out louder than I expected. I drank too much wine.''

    Mao Feng turned to her direction and noticed it was. She smiled gently and raised her wine glass:

    "To new beginnings!"

    Soon, everyone followed Mao Feng''s action and joined in on the celebration.

    ''Alright, it''s not as bad as I thought.''

 The New World

    Luna sighed as she gave one last look at the grand estate she had stayed in for most of her life until now. And aside from the memories, Luna was sure she wasn''t to miss a damn thing about this place.

    The Main house of the Estate was made from white bricks that hadn''t aged a day despite having been constructed over forty years ago. The windows were also too clean and so were the pavements leading to the main entrance as if untouched by a shoe. Most estates had machines that did the cleaning but House Feng liked to keep things old-fashioned so they hired workers who offered the best of the best cleaning services.

    ''They even managed to clean my room and that was the most messy place I have ever seen in the estate.'' She thought with a weak scoff. It was also not something to be proud of as a young lady.

    For the first time in so long, Luna was leaving the Feng estate with a determined look. Leaving was still a challenge, but she needed to see more of the world and what it had to offer. this was the best course of action for someone like her.

    Smiling weakly, she then dragged her wheeled suitcase as she made it past the main gates leading out of the luxurious home.

    During the past two weeks, Luna spent most of her time thinking through all of this and preparing herself for what was to come. Firstly, Luna had worked on her appearance by cutting her hair to a reasonable length of up to her shoulders¡ªthis was supposed to be her new personality according to Lena, of course. Second, Luna bought herself a state-of-the-art limiter for her superhuman strength.

    This was the most important thing she had bought because it gave her a slight chance at a normal life by hiding her physical strength which was the biggest attention drawer.

    "¡­like being a powerless Feng didn''t draw enough of it," she murmured to herself. A dumb habit she had acquired after spending so much time alone.

    Limiters were advanced special devices that gave ascenders a chance at a normal life by suppressing their strength and powers.

    However, there were not many in the world since the life of an ascender came with so many privileges. One of them was a chance to become an ascender under one of the Great Houses that ruled the New World. This was one of the greatest honors in the world, so Luna understood why most ascenders would stick to their excitingly dangerous lives of protecting humanity.

    Who the hell would turn down such a life?

    ''I would.'' A thought cut in.

    She glanced at the device on her arm resembling a silver bracelet with a black screen in the middle with the number ''97'' displayed on it. This meant that 97% of her strength was currently being suppressed by the limiter. She didn''t feel particularly different from before she wore it. But when she tried bending a metal rod earlier, it only bent after she strained herself.

    To her surprise, this proved that the remaining 3% was still something even though her punches wouldn''t be as powerful as before.

    Which was okay in Luna''s case. She had no plans of fighting anyway.

    The gates behind her closed automatically and she stopped. Luna didn''t look back as waited for the sound of the lock clicking, marking the beginning of her life as a seventeen-year-old professor.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ***

    "The next station is Hansho Station."

    Luna scowled as she read the LED display on the train.

    A feeling of fulfillment was currently washing down on her. She was no stranger to this feeling, by the way. Luna experienced fulfillment each time she saw her name as number one of the top players in the Ranker League.

    This wasn''t a game though, so this form of fulfillment was new to her. She had taken the first steps of her new life and she was excited.

    Soon, she would be in Hansho district, one of the five major districts here in the Eastern Settlement of the world.

    "Excuse me, miss¡­do you mind if I sat next to you."

    Luna turned her focus away from her communicator and looked up to the old man who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

    In the transporter''s white lights, the man looked extremely pale and withered. His small face was covered in years'' worth of wrinkles. He had a pair of dull green eyes underneath his lens.

    She only nodded without saying a word and returned to her communicator, not bothered by the man''s appearance. People with divinity aged slower than mundane humans, so she usually never got to see many old people, especially in majorly populated parts like this one.

    This man, specifically, looked almost ancient as if he had lived hundreds of years to this moment. Which was impossible as far as human knowledge went.

    He slowly took the seat next to her and started conversation with a rather strange question. "Your shape is very unique, do you practice judo?"

    Judo? Luna hadn''t heard of that mundane combat style in a long time. She was told it was a form of martial arts from a long time ago before the Fall.

    It was harmless and humans of that specific time considered it a sport. Now, no one in the world cared about Judo. No one except for the Martial Arts-focused Houses like House Feng.

    Luna politely smiled and nodded. "Sometimes. But mainly for self-defense."

    The old man cleared his throat. His facial expressions couldn''t be mapped out because of the overgrown wrinkles on his face.

    "I knew it. You see, I was a judo master back in the day. When I was twenty¡­I, Hamido Kashiragi. Won the Olympic finals in judo. We took that medal home that day. the food was so good, I remember my mother holding the greatest feast at home. Ah. It''s funny how time moves, miss¡­?"

    "Luna." she lowered her head out of respect for the old man.

    Suddenly, the dullness in his eyes seemed a bit lighter, "Luna¡­what a nice name. I feel sorry for your generation young lady. All you know is to fear the sky. You see, back then, the sky wasn''t a place to fear. We never even knew the sky was home for those things until the shackles broke and all hell came falling on this poor realm."

    He paused for a moment as if gasping for air then continued, "I was looking at the sky that day when all hell broke loose. Gods¡­ I ran for days as I watched great buildings made from great materials and architecture crumble down to dust in mere seconds. How could something so beautiful be so dangerous? I thought. Now, I am one hundred. Wandering the world after the Fall with only my purpose keeping me going."

    They remained quiet for a moment after he said that. Indeed, this was the era of the world after The Fall, or as the youngsters liked to call it, The New World.

 Message

    Surprisingly, humans had adapted and managed to live on and survive in this so-called New World.

    Luna was aware of people like Hamido. The few humans who had witnessed the first day and survived the next fifty years so that humanity could continue. This unfortunate group of people hadn''t been prepared and still had it worse than anyone else to date.

    Most of the survivors were now dead, but the ones with divinity in them were still alive¡ªthey were living fossils, a stark reminder of Humanity''s spirit.

    For Hamido, the fall must have happened when he was in his forties for his divinity to work.

    ''How unfortunate.'' She thought and chanted out a prayer to the gods who were long dead by now.

    It was pointless to pray since they couldn''t answer. But prayer always brought comfort to mortal hearts. The way Luna saw it, the gods had failed them¡­.

    The infected, the cursed creatures, the gates, and the devils. It was all because the gods failed them. They were to blame, even in their graves. Wherever they were.

    "So you still pray to them." Hamido smiled with gratitude. "I pray too sometimes¡­for my family. For their souls to stay at peace. The world was too cruel for them to exist in it."

    Suddenly, Luna felt a coldness settle in her heart.

    ''It''s too cruel indeed.''

    She thought, listening to Hamido share some of his pain with her. The old man probably didn''t have much time left himself.

    As if it wasn''t already clear, humans were not meant to survive the New World. Cursed Creatures were always crawling in the outskirts, black ether that infected living things, and outrageous climatic changes that made life on Earth inhabitable. It was humanity''s fate to be perished. But humans were tough enough to change their fate. They had fought back and flourished in a dying world.

    The human spirit was the true essence of the New World.

    Just when Luna was about to speak, the train came to a sudden halt and the doors opened. That was her cue to leave.

    She was about to stand up when the old man suddenly moved and grabbed hold of her small arm and stopped her by force. He was stronger than he looked because he easily resisted her strength.

    Surprised¡­Luna opened her mouth to speak but the old man beat her to it. His voice tinged with urgency. Yet, his face was ghostly calm. "I may die today, Miss Luna. I am waging war with those who command divinity itself. I''m tired of running, to be honest. I''m glad I''ve told you about myself."

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "What are you talking about?" Luna asked, altered by the man''s sudden distress.

    He didn''t answer her question. Instead, he continued to mumble with broken speech.

    "¡­The stars that watched over the sky¡­some of those stars fell¡­.I know where¡­I know where they are. And now they want me to tell them¡­Yong Feng told me to hide, but they found me. They will kill me if I choose to remain silent.  But that''s good. I am not running away this time. I won''t be a coward this time."

    In everything he had just said, Luna only caught one name.

    ''Yong Feng?''

    Her heart skipped at the mention of that name. Very few people knew of Yong Feng. To her family though, he was a very significant person in their history.

    The old man must''ve noticed the look in her eyes because he let her go immediately. His eyes narrowed and his body started to tremble as he looked at her with eyes etching with newfound dread.

    "You know him? Yong Feng¡­you know him¡­you know him."

    He paused for a moment and the dread was quickly replaced by a fierce calmness after something changed in the air.

    "I''m sorry child. I can''t tell you everything. For now, I need you to run."

    With those words, the man''s hands emitted a blue ethereal glow that transformed into light blue flames, the color of pure Zenshi. Hamido was indeed an ascender, and a powerful one because of how pure his zenshi appeared.

    Confused and startled at the same time, the pale girl fell off her seat and crawled away from the old man who then turned his back to her.

    Then, a loud monster alarm sounded across the entire train station and everyone broke into a panic as they fought to exit the train immediately.

    Luna stared at the man one last time before she got on her feet and dashed out before the train doors closed.

    She wasn''t fit to fight a cursed creature. She hadn''t fought one before, to begin with.

    When she was outside, she turned to the man who smiled at her one last time before shifting his attention to the terror that had appeared on the train.

    Shockingly, there was no rift or tear in space to explain where it had come from.

    ''What the¡­'' Luna frowned at the disgusting sight.

    It was about two meters tall with a humanoid body but no head. A head that looked humanoid. Instead, the terror had a flower-shaped mouth with countless teeth growing on every part. How could anyone have missed such a creature? Did it just spawn into existence or had it been hiding in the train all along?

    It lunged at Hamido with a deafening screech, swinging its disgusting claws at the ascender. The old man didn''t waver as he unleashed strength and stopped the terror''s claw with his arm which was now burning with blue flames. Then, with his free hand, he threw a powerful punch in the terror''s gut and sent it flying and crashing into the next car.

    Not wasting any time, the old man proceeded to use his Aura on the terror. Once he opened the second gate and let its power flow, the entire creature was torn to bits by black spikes that had manifested from the creature''s shadow.

    The scene was bloody and horrifying...

    Luna hadn''t taken her eyes off the old man. That Aura felt and looked so unnatural with the way it appeared and disappeared, leaving only the terror''s remains and not even its traces.

    ''Incredible.'' She admired how he used his Aura to kill the creature off in such a short time.

    He looked at her with a somehow pained expression and mouthed something. He was far but his voice reached her as if he was standing right next to her:

    "I die today, but you won''t remember. So forget all of this and remember what''s necessary, please."

    His fingers snapped and Luna''s vision blurred for a moment.

    ¡­When it returned, the station was back to normal, filled with people as always.

    There was no sign of a fight or panic anywhere.

    ¡­like nothing happened.

 The New Life Of Professor Lunaris

    The evening sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving a serene, amber glow that seeped through the tall glass windows of the principal''s spacious office. The room was enveloped in a warm, inviting light, with the reddish wood paneling on the walls reflecting a rich, golden sheen. A plush, soft brown carpet covered the floor, adding a touch of comfort to the otherwise formal setting.

    At the far end of the room, grand windows framed a view of the twilight sky, while a meticulously polished mahogany table dominated the space with its deep, lustrous finish. It was perhaps the most exquisite piece of wood Luna had ever encountered, its surface gleaming with an almost magical sheen.

    Sitting at the table was a young man whose presence seemed to fill the room. His brown hair was tousled with deliberate carelessness, and his striking green eyes were fixed on Luna with an intensity that bordered on the palpable. His features were sharply defined, his skin olive. And a face dotted with a scattering of freckles that only enhanced his allure. Each glance he cast was laden with an unspoken curiosity, making him not just intriguing but almost mesmerizing in the twilight glow.

    .

    Luna had never seen a man this beautiful before. He was more feminine, just like the webtoons depicted him. She always thought the artists were simply obsessed with keeping a consistent art style. After all, characters in most webtoons were already devilishly good-looking. Eye candy for the readers, as she might call it.

    Were men even supposed to be like this?

    "When I heard a Feng was going to join our institution I thought¡­"

    The pale girl exhaled softly, her disappointment masked by a veneer of practiced composure. Her mind raced with potential identities.

    "Jin Feng, Lena Feng, Shin¡­?"

    The list could go on. But those were her top contestants for who he was going to say. There were so many young and formidable ascenders in her family, especially Lena who was already proving her worth to the world.

    The man turned his gaze away from her to the open file in front of him.

    There was a brief silence between them as he flipped the pages while reading about Luna''s information.

    And when he was done, he leaned back in his chair with her file in his hand.

    "Well, I expected one of those if I am honest. Tsk¡­I knew it was too good to be true." He let out a sharp hiss and continued.

    "But Feng is still a Feng. You are still the daughter of The Master of Calamity and Flame of Winter. The school will greatly benefit from that either way."

    The man didn''t bother to mask his disappointment. And that somehow disturbed Luna.

    What stopped her from hurling this table out the window like a paperweight?

    Well¡­much as she wanted to, Luna didn''t throw a rage. She was used to this, anyway. This man just didn''t understand how much worth she was.

    ''Jin relies too much on his Aura. I could beat him with ease. Shin''s slow; a swift reaction is all it takes to surpass his Aura. Lena could be challenging, but her movements are rife with openings. Did you know that?''

    Of course he didn''t. The public''s perception of House Feng was that of flawless perfection. It was almost tragic.

    ¡­the peak of human evolution, they claimed.

    Luna was used to this type of misconception humans had for the Great Houses and Ascenders.

    Unfortunately, Luna herself had grown too comfortable in this false image people had created about her that she no longer wanted to explain. To most, zenshi was everything and not having it as a person from a Great House meant that you''re as mundane as they come. Luna, however, wasn''t mundane at all. She was very confident in her physical abilities and the combat skills she inherited and developed to fit her small body.

    The illusion of her being weak always gave her the element of surprise which was a great tool to have when facing an enemy.

    When the young man noted her silence, he continued, indifferent to her internal struggle.

    "Most students here possess zenshi, and the top students have Auras at about level 2 Mastery. You will be our new Martial Combat professor, as your file emphasizes that you have an A-grade in Martial Arts. We also already needed a replacement for the fourth-year class anyway."

    "What happened to the previous professor?" Luna asked, her tone neutral but her curiosity piqued.

    "The students of that year are¡­what should I say? Troublesome." He hesitated, his voice laced with apprehension. "They are around your age and proud brats who won''t accept being taught but someone weaker than their leader¡­."

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    "¡­Those savages."He added with a mix of pity and amusement, a smirk tugging at his lips.

    "But the school pays a lot for your services. Not forgetting the privileges professors hold, no matter what Tier. We expect you to reflect your clan''s might."

    "I will. Thank you, Principle Lukan."

    With that, she inclined her head slightly, stood, and made her way to the door. She needed to leave before she could be further drawn into his dispassionate gaze.

    To be honest, money was the least of Luna''s problems. She earned enough credits from live gaming and sponsorships from companies who hired her to advertise various products.

    By now, she had about a total of ten thousand credits since she became a serious gamer two years ago.

    ''I can''t believe I dropped my successful life for this.''

    Luna still had that bitterness she felt from when she switched off her computer and left her room in silence.

    It was a bittersweet goodbye to say.

    "At least they pay well. Even for a lower tier."

    Yes, the academy''s professors'' privileges and income were based on what they referred to as "Tiers". The tiers worked as a simple description of a professor''s quality and how valuable they were to the academy.

    They were divided into three: Upper tier, Middle tier, and lower tier. Under normal circumstances, Luna would''ve been put in the upper tier since she was a Feng.

    However, the circumstances were not normal and she wanted to keep some of her secrets to herself like the special blood in her veins and the special abilities that came with it.

    Hence why she shared the same rank as a mundane professor.

    The elevator door opened, revealing the beautiful corridor which led to the professor''s quarters. Upper-tier professors had houses, while middle tiers had suites. Meanwhile, the lower tier had decent-looking apartments¡ªwhich were fine. Despite the class division, the academy still had an image to uphold as one of the best academies in the world.

    They couldn''t do that by treating their professors poorly because it was a source of bad press.

    Luna dragged her small suitcase across the floor and finally found her room. After the system identified her through the small camera, she was able to twist the knob and walk into her new place.

    The room was well-lit with state-of-the-art lamps. It was spacious enough to look like a suite with fancy woolen couches with a small wooden table in the sitting room. A refrigerator in a fully furnished kitchen with a high-spec cooker. The professors of her tier didn''t have access to the academy''s chefs and would therefore have to make their meals when outside working hours.

    The apartment had three more rooms aside from the kitchen and sitting room. One was the training room for combat professors like herself, and the other was her bedroom and a guest room. Both were equipped with bathrooms.

    "How fantastic. A guest room I may never use."

    When she was done exploring the apartment, she switched to her house shoes and stretched¡ªit had been a long day. So long that some parts of it felt like a blur.

    After making herself a cup of coffee and settling everything, Luna sat on one of her fancy couches while reading through a webtoon.

    The webtoon was based on Hansho Academy and while reading it, Luna couldn''t help but cringe and laugh at some points in the story. But that didn''t stop her from reading it, the cringy factors made the story juicier.

    The webtoon''s main character was none other than Lukan in his younger days when he was just a young ascender from a prestigious family.

    His Aura in the story was [Space]. with it, Lukan was capable of phasing through physical objects and teleportation.

    Even here, in the real world, Lukan''s Aura was indeed [Space] and had inherited it from his parents who were both ascenders, making him of the Special Blood Type.

    Luna knew everything about Auras. It was part of the special education she had received as a member of a high-blood clan.

    In their world, Auras were weaker manifestations of concepts through zenshi, which connected ascenders with the world¡ªand were unlocked after attaining a second gate.

    How do they use it? Well, that was up to the ascender to decide.

    If it was Space, your powers were connected to space manipulation; if it was [Mind], your powers were connected to the mind, whether telekinesis, telepathy, or something entirely different.

    So, in general, a person''s Aura always gives an idea of the ascender''s abilities.

    For that reason, Luna was going to learn about every student''s aura.

    Even if it took the whole weekend.

 First Lesson; Martial Combat

    "Hey, I heard we got a new professor for martial combat. And guess what? She''s super pretty."

    "But she can''t use zenshi¡­"

    "What, Are you serious? What a waste, honestly. Everyone in this class has an Aura, I bet she won''t survive a week for sure."

    By Monday morning, the news of a new professor had already spread across the academy like wildfire. Both professors and students were shocked by the sudden hire of a new professor so early into the year. Usually finding a replacement took about a year since the academy focused a lot on the quality of their professors.

    It''s why the teaching staff had so many privileges.

    "I doubt."

    The two gossiping girls were interrupted by another student. He was in a navy blue uniform just like the pair. A fellow student.

    "Really? What makes you think that, Regan?" One of the girls asked, playing with her brown locks.

    His piercing red eyes turned to her as a faint smile appeared on his face. He had sharp features, a pale handsome face, and short faintly dark hair.

    "Just hunch." He replied with confidence. "I''ve been here for three years and never seen anything like this. The new professor must be something if they rushed to hire her so quickly. Don''t forget there is the possibility she was offered the hire a long time ago."

    The brown-haired girl shook her head along with her friend. They seemed not to have anything to say back or challenge the young man''s statement.

    The three of them, along with ten other fourth years were taking the martial combat class. It was the least popular class and had no weak students since most of them came from powerful clans.

    When the brown-haired girl finally found something to say, she paused when someone else entered the lecture room. Just then, everyone turned silent when a woman who looked just about their age walked down the small stairs leading to the front of the room. Her serious footsteps echoed across the room as she slowly approached the bottom.

    The woman was ghostly beautiful with short raven black hair, dark eyes, white pale skin, and a small petite body that made both boys and girls stare with both envy and desire. She was smartly dressed in a long-sleeved buttoned black shirt, a pair of light black trousers, and a black coat hanging on her shoulders.

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the young woman reached the platform where the training took place.

    "Excuse me, that''s where the professor stands. You don''t bel¡ª"

    Regan put his hand over his colleague''s mouth and stopped her from saying anything more.

    However, the young woman didn''t seem to mind her words.

    "Good morning ascenders, my name is Professor Lunaris but you may call me Professor Luna. I will be your new professor for martial arts from today till your sixth year."

    As expected, the silence got deeper. Ans Luna already had a vague idea why; it was because she was almost the same age as most of these students, perhaps even younger.

    ''Maybe I should have rethought all of this.'' She felt like slapping herself. Luna had spent the weekend practicing this encounter, learning everyone''s face, Aura, strengths, weaknesses, and levels of Mastery. Only two students here had cracked to the second level of mastery. And the stronger one was¡­

    "I heard Regan is the strongest fighter here. Will all of you introduce yourselves if I defeated your strongest fighter?"

    The silence was then replaced by small laughter and clamor as if she had said something impossible.

    She scanned the room and stopped when her eyes landed on a crimson-eyed boy. He was handsome, but to her, his most interesting features were his crimson eyes. People with unique colored eyes were usually special.

    "I will fight you!"

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    He accepted her challenge and rose and appeared on the same platform where she was standing.

    ''He''s not afraid of exposing his Aura. What a confident fellow.''

    She smirked and picked up a training sword. The academy provided weapons with stored plasma energy to go against zenshi-created weapons. They were not as powerful, of course. But were tough enough to hold their own against these special weapons.

    Regan watched her with a stoic expression then held out his hand to summon a weapon of his own. First, a gentle blue flame manifested in his hand, transforming into a replica of a sword when the flame disappeared.

    Weapon manifestation needed at least level one mastery to be possible, meaning that one needed to have mastered zenshi manipulation after opening the First Gate. Judging from how perfect his weapon looked, the young boy must have trained that hard to achieve such.

    "Do you think you will win?" Regan''s expression grew serious as he asked.

    "Yes of course. You don''t feel like a powerful opponent." She replied, her dark eyes staring at the weapon he had manifested. It was a very obvious choice; a long beautiful tachi. Highblood clans always loved old-style weapons.

    Suddenly, Luna had an interesting idea. "But I will give you an offer. If you last sixty seconds¡­you win and get to ask me for anything. If you lose, you will become my class assistant."

    Regan only nodded in reply. Then narrowed his eyes with fierce determination as he tightened his grip on the weapon. With a sudden burst of energy, he lunged toward Luna, his movement a blur of speed and precision. The clash of their swords reverberated through the air, creating a shockwave that rippled across the shimmering barrier surrounding them.

    Regan''s heart raced as he witnessed the confrontation. To his astonishment, Luna, despite the absence of zenshi¡ªenergy that imbued Ascenders with their formidable strength¡ªhad managed to block his powerful strike. Ascenders were renowned for their strength, their abilities magnifying their physical prowess to extraordinary levels.

    To see Luna withstand such an attack was nothing short of remarkable.

    With a fluid motion, Luna redirected the young man''s sword and surged forward. Her initial step shattered the platform beneath her, sending fragments of stone flying. In an instant, she was right in front of him, her dark eyes locked onto his with an intensity that seemed to pierce through his very soul. Before he could react, she unleashed a punch that struck him squarely in the face, the impact reverberating through his entire body.

    The young man staggered, his vision blurring as he attempted to regain his balance. But the force of her blow sent him reeling and he teleported in a desperate bid to escape. However, the teleportation proved ineffective; he materialized directly behind Luna and collided violently with the barrier.

    The barrier quivered under the force of the impact, a dazzling display of energy cascading outward.

    The sheer force of the collision was overwhelming. Regan''s senses were engulfed by a blinding flash as the barrier''s defensive aura flared in response.

    When the light faded, Regan realized with a sinking feeling that he lay unconscious, sprawled on the ground.

    The fight was abruptly ended, with Luna standing victorious amidst the settling dust.

    ¡­Not even fifteen seconds had passed.

    ''Huh? I thought this was their strongest student. Is this really the guy who has been challenging the previous professors?''

    Feeling disappointed, she turned to face the rest of the class. All of them were dead silent after what they had just witnessed.

    Did they really believe she was that weak?

    "Umm¡­anyone with a healing ability?" she felt awkward. Was beating a student bad? Or challenging one?

    One of the students raised her hand in response and quickly stood up. Like Luna, she was very pale but with brown locks and green eyes.

    "My name is Diana, I am a healer from House Artemis." She spoke in a small tone as if afraid of what Luna might do next.

    ''Oh yah¡­I told them to introduce themselves. Never thought I would meet a member of Artemis so soon.''

    She studied the young girl and lowered her head in a bow. Artemis was one of the Great Powers ruling this world.

    However, they didn''t reside in the Eastern Settlement of the world. Artemis resided in the Western Settlement where their headquarters were.

    Diana must have been an exchange student sent to keep peace between the clans. But how could they send a healer of all things? Healers were rare and were heavily demanded by a lot of military factions around the world. Also, she was at level 2 like the boy she just defeated.

    "Could you please attend to this young man?" she pointed at the unconscious student.

    "Yes."

    Diana smiled shyly and rushed down from her seat to the platform. She used water Aura to heal every injury and cut on her college''s face. Soon, he was stable and his pain was gone.

    When Diana was finished, Regan regained some consciousness and was led out of the room by one of his close friends¡ªa short girl with brown hair who kept on giving Luna death glares as she led him out.

    Currently, she was looking at the rest of the class as each of them introduced themselves. She had already memorized everyone''s name and face here over the weekend. But Luna thought this would be a good start if she wanted to build a good relationship with her students.

    Most of them were of the same age as her while the others were a year younger. So it shocked most of them when they learned of her real age.

    "Alright. Now that we are done with introductions, I will begin the class right away. To some of you, martial combat may seem very pointless since it''s just fists in a world where you have magic powers. But as you can see, magic powers are not everything.

    "Martial combat is the most lethal art of combat, lethal enough to rival even zenshi. It''s a combination of one of the most dangerous styles from the old world¡­ranging from taekwondo¡­which is harmless to Kenjutsu, ninjutsu, kudo, kendo, tang sudo¡­and many others from the old world. They were all transformed to create these specific combinations that Ascenders today use when fighting devils and cursed creatures."

    Luna paused, the corner of her lips had curved up. The class was silent¡ªthey were interested.

    "Small as I may look, I have inheri¡­learned so many styles since I''ve been training from the time I started walking as a child. So, I need you to believe me when I tell you I am the best martial combat teacher you''ll ever meet."

    Luna knew she sounded cool because she had written these exact words while preparing for her first class¡ªthis facade of confidence seemed to be working too.

    Luna took them through the basics of martial combat after requesting them to forget everything they thought they knew about martial arts. She believed her methods were more effective than some expensive tutors.

    ''My methods are original. Not copy and paste.''

    ***

    "My assistants will be Diana and Regan. That will be all for today."

    She turned away from the class as everyone else started to exit the lecture room. She collected the training equipment and carried it to her own office located next to the platform.

    It was a beautiful office with beautiful furniture and air filters to prevent the pollution that sometimes leaked through the city''s barrier.

    "And the best part is the super-fast network."

    "Really? Despite the fact this is one of the best offices in the academy."

    "Ye¡­" she paused and turned to see who had just entered her office. Standing at the entrance was a tall old man in a black checked suit with a dark blue cape attached to it.

    "Professor Graham. What brings you here?" she faced her senior and bowed.

    "As the head of the professors, I wanted to see how the class would react to you. I''m surprised you handled it so well, honestly."

    ''So he was watching all along and I couldn''t even sense him. How formidable.''

    Luna was impressed. As expected of a veteran.

    "The professors are holding a dinner party today, we would like you to join us. Come and get to know your fellow professors."

    The old man''s request was a polite one. Much as Luna wanted to reject his offer, she needed connections to survive in this society. And what better way to do so than engaging with the rest of the teaching staff?

    "I will be there, Professor Graham."

 Dinner Party

    A soft, melodic symphony wove through the air, setting a tranquil yet anticipatory tone as guests began to fill the grand hall. The men, clad in an array of elegant black and white tuxedos, moved with a refined grace. While the women, adorned in an exquisite spectrum of colorful gowns, transformed the room into a vivid tapestry of grace and glamour.

    At the heart of the hall, a magnificent chandelier hung on the ceiling, its crystals catching the light like a constellation of stars, casting a warm, golden glow over the gathering. This centerpiece, suspended with effortless grandeur, bathed the room in a rich, inviting luminance. Surrounding it, delicate orbs of light floated like enchanted fireflies, their gentle illumination ensuring that every corner of the hall was awash in a bright, welcoming radiance.

    The interplay of light and shadow created a dynamic interplay of brilliance and warmth, accentuating the guests'' elegant attire and animated conversations. The air was filled with a harmonious blend of soft laughter and the distant clink of glasses, adding to the enchantment of the evening.

    In the corner of the room, right next to the food table, a pale woman stood with a glass full of champagne in her hand. She wore a sleeveless sparkling black dress with a coat to keep herself warm during this night. She was staring at her communicator, scrolling and reading the latest pop culture news. Mundane humans had the best drama when it came to these things¡­ascenders never usually involved themselves in mundane lifestyles.

    Luna was shocked to find out that her famous persona, Raya, was trending number one after announcing her temporary retirement.

    Of course, the Internet had to go haywire. Gaming companies were now looking for new faces to test their latest games.

    ''Ah, good times¡­''

    She drank more of her champagne. Its bitter-sweet taste was familiar to her tongue. She finished it in seconds, as she tried to distract herself from the eyes staring at her. And when she met with their eyes, they either turned away or pretended to look at something else.

    "Having fun?"

    A melodious voice gently cut through Luna''s reverie. She blinked, reluctantly tearing her gaze away from the communicator to find the source of the interruption. Standing before her was a striking vision of elegance: a tall woman draped in a stunning velvet red dress that seemed to shimmer with every movement. Her long, cascading curls of golden hair framed a face marked by bright, hazel-brown eyes that now focused intently on Luna.

    Luna''s breath caught in her throat. "Wow¡­ you''re so beautiful," she blurted out, her voice tinged with genuine admiration. The words escaped before she could stop them, and her cheeks immediately flushed a deep crimson. Flustered, she averted her gaze, her heart racing. "I mean, it''s just that this isn''t my type of party."

    The woman''s lips curled into a warm, understanding smile as if she were well accustomed to such reactions.

    "I understand," she said softly, her voice like velvet. "Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get used to the atmosphere."

    Luna stole a quick glance back at her, her curiosity piqued by the woman''s grace and ease.

    The woman''s smile was both warm and serene. "Thank you for the compliment," she said with a gentle laugh. "Given your youthful appearance, I''m guessing you''re Professor Feng. I''m Professor Bell. I teach sorcery." She extended her hand in a graceful, welcoming gesture.

    Luna, slightly taken aback, reached out and accepted the handshake. The touch was surprisingly firm yet delicate. "Sorcery? Is that part of the curriculum here?" she asked, intrigued.

    "Not exactly," Professor Bell replied, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Our academy doesn''t focus on sorcery per se, but since our enemies wield such formidable powers. So we believe in preparing our students for any eventuality. It''s a matter of ensuring they are equipped for the challenges they might face."

    Luna nodded thoughtfully, her curiosity deepening. "That makes sense. It''s always good to be prepared for the unexpected."

    Professor Bell''s smile widened, her gaze reflecting both wisdom and warmth. "Exactly. The world outside these walls is full of surprises. It''s our job to make sure our students are ready for whatever comes their way."

    Luna was well aware of how cruel the world was outside the settlements. Devils came down with a lot of calamities ranging from giant monsters to natural disasters due to the powers they wielded as corrupted deities. To fight against them, humans developed a ranking system in line with the threat level and how much damage is to be expected. These levels started from level 1 up to level 7.

    Level one was of lesser threats which could be handled by any ten ascenders with ease and evacuation was usually unnecessary.

    Level two was of moderate threats where the ascenders with Auras were needed to subjugate. Beyond this level, evacuation was a must since the monsters were bigger and smarter. Level three was of significant threats that could not be seen and were subjugated by ascenders with spiritual abilities and zenshi mastery of level two and above.

    Level four was of Major threats including elemental monsters and powerful undead capable of shape-shifting¡ªsome were even capable of sorcery.

    Level five was designated for Legendary threats, involving monsters like weak dragons, and mythical beasts with multiple heads or forms. The last time the world had faced a legendary threat, an entire settlement on the moon was destroyed by a Cursed Emperor-type beast. Luckily most humans had evacuated before it was taken over by their enemies.

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    Levels six and seven were the rarest because the world had seen little of them. The threat level for these two was the same¡­.

    God level threats.

    These specific threats were so dangerous due to the fact they could wipe out an entire settlement if they wanted to. The monsters of this level were not even considered to be monsters in most cases. They were intelligent and carried powers similar to what you would consider god-like. The beings of this threat level included Devils higher than the rank of Scythe due to how powerful and mysterious their abilities were in the first place. Only Humans who have opened the Fourth Soul gate were capable of fighting these beings and had a chance of winning.

    Luna''s father was killed by a god-level threat that wanted to wipe out the Northern settlement. He managed to kill a Soverign-ranked being which was a great victory for humanity that day.

    "I teach martial combat. I can''t use Zenshi though." Luna forced a laugh, as placed her glass down and put away her communicator.

    Professor Bell felt like a cool figure and someone she should at least show some respect to despite coming from a high standpoint in modern society. From her presence, Luna could tell that Bell must have opened around three gates to appear so powerful and teach an advanced class like that.

    "A Feng is still a Feng. Word moves around a lot." She winked at Luna. "Regan Atlas is a very promising student. He can travel through space and he''s showing signs of opening his Third Soul Gate before advancing to the next class."

    "He''s weak and too confident. Diana is a stronger, much stronger."

    "Diana? The Artemis¡­girl? I thought her only ability was healing." Professor Bell muttered with interest.

    ''Interesting.''

    Diana seemed to have put up a powerful facade and everyone had bought it. Artemis was a great clan. Having a healer of her caliber was similar to having an immortal soldier on your side.

    "There is much more to healing, professor. It''s obvious she doesn''t wish to stand out."

    Bell regarded her words and nodded with approval. "I am starting to see why you still shine even among diamonds. Welcome to Hansho Academy. If you ever need a tour around the city and the academy, feel free to ask."

    With those words, the beautiful walked into the crowd and soon disappeared.

    Luna was left alone once again. But before she could pull out her communicator, Professor Graham walked in and the hall was suddenly silent.

    His presence was a powerful one. A mundane human would''ve been crushed by it. But a good percentage of the professors were trained in how to combat this weird phenomenon, including Luna herself who was trained in how to combat pressures and mental attacks which were very lethal. The mind was in charge of everything the body did, so damage to the mind was damage to the body.

    He stopped in the center of the room, picked up a glass of champagne and tapped on it to get everyone''s attention.

    "Good evening. I hope all of you are enjoying the beautiful night as much as I am. Tonight, we''re are celebrating the promotion of Professor Bell who is now the seventh professor to join the upper tier rank."

    They all clapped as Bell made her way to the head Professor and accepted a black cape from him.

    Does being in the upper tier mean that much? The most common thing in the world was class division. Humans could not survive in a unified state. And so, class division was something that always allowed this special balance that they seemed to go along with.

    Luna hadn''t been out much and was always at the top of society. She never experienced the effects of class division.

    ''But I feel like I''m about to feel them soon.'' She mused as she watched Bell wear her cape and make the occasional "thank you for this opportunity" speech.

    ***

    "What does it take to become an upper tier anyway?" she picked up some shrimp from her plate with a pair of chopsticks.

    Bell, who was now seated right next to her with her plate of food answered. "I recently unlocked my third gate and my zenshi mastery is now above level 3." She grabbed a piece of sizzling meat with her chopsticks and threw the juicy meat in her mouth.

    "Oh, I also contributed to the level 4 gate subjugation in Astral. And it was a surface gate, I was leading one of the troops. We won, I opened my third gate, and here we are¡­getting higher pay."

    Luna was surprised Bell managed to subjugate a surface gate. Gates were more of a calamity to mankind since they were a bridge between the world of gods and the human world. Thanks to technology and sorcery, humanity was able to construct the IDSS which stands for Inter-dimensional Sensory Satellites. The special satellites floated within Earth''s orbit to sense even the slightest change in reality or foreign energies. Most gates appeared close to the sky so they were the easiest to detect. However, gates that appeared underwater or on the surface weren''t very easy to detect.

    How did they work? She had no idea.

    "Do you have plans on climbing higher, Miss Feng?" Bell asked, her tone very professional.

    Luna shook her head. "I already get paid a lot of credits. I''m seventeen and I am making more than a government official in a month. That''s enough for me. Also, please call me Luna."

    Bell smiled and returned to her meal.

    Meanwhile, Luna savored more of the taste of shrimp as she devoured more. The seafood here was by far the best she had ever had, it was perfectly cooked accompanied by a special sauce that made her taste buds dance to the sweetness of the spice and ingredients.

    ''This is so good, compliments to the chef who made this indeed. I''m so glad I came tonight.''

 Blood And Memories

    Luna was in the comfort of her couch as she watched the movie play on her ''Seventy-five Inch'' TV screen she bought a few days ago after receiving her recruitment bonus. As of now, she had spent over three hundred credits buying the things she thought were necessary for her new life. Luna had upgraded her communicator with the money. Purchased a new gaming computer, a table for it, a pair of headsets, and a comfortable gaming chair that resembled the one she left at the estate. As a person who spent two years building a gaming career, these things were now a part of her. Yes. Wherever she goes, they come with her.

    The new chair was far more superior in terms of design and everything else. As tempting as it was to sit on it and wear those headsets one more time, Luna decided to remain strong and focus on her so-called Adult Responsibilities. Which were not fun, by the way.

    When the movie ended, Luna stood up and stretched before looking through her lesson plan.

    She frowned. "No lesson today? How will these kids get good at combat if they give me only three lessons in a week? I should pass this on to Professor Graham the next time I see him," she grumbled to herself, put away the communicator, and stared blankly at the rolling credits.

    Feeling exhausted¡ªeven though she did nothing the whole day¡ªLuna decided to go take a warm bath to fix her spirit. On top of that, she also had plans to go out and explore different parts of Hansho.

    ***

    When she was done heating the bath water, Luna removed her bathrobe and slowly submerged herself in the steamy water. It was not like the typical hot spring from the old world, but this was the closest technology could get.

    This bathtub was by far her best purchase yet.

    ''Best sixty credits I''ve ever spent.'' With that thought, Luna made a relaxed smile and stared at the ceiling. She leaned against the edge of the tub and let her mind wander off as the rest of her body relaxed.

    The steam was blurring her vision so she closed her eyes instead.

    ''If only life could be this smooth.''

    As that thought crossed her mind, a memory buried deep in her blood suddenly awakened¡­

    Luna almost gasped when the darkness was replaced by the vibrant bright color of the sun. The warm air of the steam entering her nostrils disappeared, turning into cool wet air carrying the calm scent of green.

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    Her mood died instantly. ''Good, another memory.''

    Luna was slightly stunned by the sudden change of scenery but managed to keep her cool. She gave herself a quick look around and noticed she was now in the body of a ridiculously tall man dressed in a green and blue ancient robe and standing on a stone platform in the middle of a...

    Forest? Garden? She couldn''t tell because she had no control over her body. In her right grip, she was surprised to see herself holding a unique ancient Jian that curved at the edge.

    Another man was standing a few meters away from her, holding a similar weapon. He had olive skin, a great build, and brown eyes that now looked hazel in the sunlight. He also had a jerk face that beamed with absolute confidence as he smirked at Luna.

    ''I already don''t like you.'' Luna thought.

    "Let''s do this Jau." The man spoke as he held up his Jian and pointed it at Luna.

    Of course Luna was not oblivious to what was going on. This happened to her so many times thanks to a little thing called fate. These episodes were the effects of the Generational Blood Type she happened to have inherited at birth. Its mysteries and mystical nature were yet to be explained because of how rare it was in humans. To most, those who inherited this blood type acquired very unique powers as Ascenders. While to Luna, she seemed to have inherited knowledge and superhuman strength.

    For Luna, her blood traits allowed her the privilege to walk the same steps as those who came before her. Or something like that¡­

    Her body might look young but it had years of combat experience etched within her core being because of that factor. The Feng Clan had always been a special family, even before Zenshi came into the picture and turned it into the powerhouse it is today. Luna''s special ability¡ªas one might call it¡ªtook her back in time through memories, giving her the true essence of the legacy she''s inheriting.

    Yes, it was cool and all. But a very hectic experience because of how random some of these memories came to her.

    She watched through Jau Feng''s eyes as her comrade lunged at her and swung his sword with great precision. As if knowing what he was going to do next, Luna dodged the sword with ease. Her comrade was shocked for a moment before he brought his sword back only to strike the surface of her sword.

    "You''re as predictable as always, Alaster," Luna spoke in Jau Feng''s voice as she pushed her comrade back and closed the small gap between them in seconds.

    Her weapon danced with her as she exploded into a myriad of attacks and calculated footwork.

    Alaster struggled to keep up with the speed and strength of her attacks. His blade started to chip and crack before Luna''s final swing shattered Alaster''s weapon the moment he tried to parry her sword once again.

    Shocked, Alaster froze for a moment as he watched his sword break into pieces of perfect silver.

    Luna or Jau Feng saw the opportunity and ended their session with a blow to her comrade''s gut. Alaster''s eyes widened in painful shock as he gasped in pain and dropped what was left of his sword.

    "Did you have to use that technique?" Alaster groaned, holding his stomach in pain. "You haven''t even mastered it yet."

    She smiled and dropped her sword which was immediately picked up by a servant who had been watching the fight in silence.

    "The Dancing Maiden remains dangerous even though it is incomplete." Luna winked. "The trick behind it is footwork and equal division of physical strength across the entire body. The mind and body must be in sync for the Dancing Maiden technique to work gracefully. You see, the sword will simply follow the rhythm¡­making my strikes stronger than you think."

    Alaster looked at her with a bleak expression and said:

    "To hell with footwork¡­you''re just a bookworm, Jau. Now that I''ve lost¡­"

    Luna smirked and cut off the young man. "Yes¡­I love dumplings, kung pao chicken with rice, ramen, and sake¡­a lot of it. Don''t forget the courtesan we agreed to. She''s the best sword dancer in this village." Luna looked at her comrade and studied him for a moment. He was probably a young lord. "I know Min is expensive. But I also know you''ve been saving a lot of silver recently¡­"

    Alaster immediately cursed as he slowly calculated how much money he was going to lose that day. He shouldn''t have made a bet with someone who trains from the Wind Flower Sect. "You will pay for this." He forced a laugh.

    "If you beat me I will."

    As Jau''s mouth moved, Luna remained silent as she marveled at how he used the technique.

    ''So this is the Dancing Maiden''s true principles. Impressive¡­''

 Practice Makes Perfect

    ''So this is the Dancing Maiden''s true method. Impressive¡­''

    Luna''s world once again changed as the vibrant world of nature transformed back to her bathroom ceiling. The memory had come to an end. And now, it vaguely felt like hers.

    Quickly, she jumped out of the bathtub, reached for her bathrobe, and rushed to the training room before the memory became a blur or she forgot it.

    When Luna entered the training room in her house, she first locked the doors and picked up a fully charged plasma sword after making sure she was alone in this room. Then, she quickly got to work. Luna inherited techniques and important knowledge. Each time she acquired one, she would have to train her body to memorize it too before it became difficult to remember.

    ''Dancing maiden?'' she sighed as she thought back to the memory¡­imagining herself as Jau Feng once again. He was tall and muscular so the imagery wasn''t perfect, comparing her shape to his was pathetic and fruitless. But alas, the show must go on. First, she began with simple footwork and slowly moved the rest of her body, mirroring whatever he did during the session with Alaster.

    Once Luna was sure she had a clear hang of it, she began to involve her sword, making a few swings carefully as if fighting someone delicate.

    ''Wow.'' Slowly, the technique started to look like a sword dance performance as she let the memory guide her. By controlling her breathing to match Jau''s, Luna was mimicking her ancestor''s movements. His steps were now her steps and how he controlled his body overall, now matched her rhythm.

    Soon, her blade was moving perfectly as if she were Jau himself. The small fight and information he gave were enough for her to clear out his errors and develop even more from the concept. In this era, the Dancing Maiden wasn''t in its original state due to how weapons and technology had evolved over the centuries. Turning it into a difficult technique for most swordsmen.

    Luna continued this for about an hour until she was sure her body was familiar with the essence of the technique itself.

    What came next was confirming if her body had memorized the technique. This was usually done through a sparring session with a master martial artist. The people Luna trained with her masters of each technique she awakened. Sometimes she won and even gave tips, others she lost miserably till she fully absorbed them.

    It was a win-win situation at Feng Sect. That''s how she could describe it without jumping to the fact that a little girl was fighting against experienced warriors.

    And the twisting fact was she enjoyed it!

    "Well, I might not have the masters to help me. But I happen to teach martial combat in a prestigious academy." A mischievous smile appeared on her face as an idea crossed her mind.

    Without wasting any more time, Luna rushed to her bedroom, dressed up real quick, picked up her family sword, and ran to the main academy building like her life depended on it.

    ***

    After locking the doors to her lecture room, Luna walked down the stairs with a sheathed black sword in her hand. The academy had recently purchased training dummies to test the student''s abilities. They weren''t better than the real deal but they were going to have to work for now.

    She reached for the touch screen control system and cranked up the gravity around the platform by 60% then chose her robotic dummy.

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    Luna preferred fighting in high-gravity spaces as It was a method her family used to teach her how to regulate the magnitude of her physical strength.

    Stepping onto the platform, a barrier surfaced around it as a dummy also appeared. The thing looked like a cross between a mannequin and a knight with thin a steel layer of skin and two glowing lights where the eyes were supposed to be. By looking at it, Luna already recognized the unique magical technology used to create the training dummy.

    Luna unsheathed her sword. A black katana with black steel shimmered in the darkness, its edges cut through space itself.

    The dummy lunged for its plasma sword with a metallic hiss and swung with fierce precision. Luna''s reflexes kicked in as she rolled out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding the glowing blade as it crashed into the platform with a thunderous clang.

    She sprang back to her feet, her movements a blur as she danced through the dummy''s subsequent attacks. Her footwork mimicked the fluid motions of Jau but with added adjustments to fit her smaller frame. She expected mistakes and missed steps, but thankfully, the dummy was no master in combat.

    As she moved, Luna mentally logged each misstep and near-miss. Jau''s technique was powerful and suited to his muscular build, but Luna had to find a version that worked for her petite size.

    A sudden flash of light made her gasp¡ªshe barely avoided the plasma sword''s razor edge, ducking just inches from a potentially devastating cut. Seizing the moment, she swung her black weapon with precision at the dummy''s torso, aiming for its core. The blade clanged off its sturdy frame, leaving Luna startled.

    Strength was not her ally in this fight; focus was. She needed to exploit the dummy''s weak spots. Dodging another swing, Luna blocked the second attack with all her might. The dummy''s force was immense, pushing her back with ease. But she retaliated with a well-aimed kick to its ankle, feeling a jarring impact as she shattered half of its leg.

    "Damn, I thought it was tougher!" Luna muttered, frustration evident. The dummy''s broken leg revealed a hidden blade, which now swung at her with renewed aggression. Luna dodged the initial strike, but the blade shifted direction, grazing her shirt with a sharp edge.

    Her heart pounded as she noticed something unsettling about the dummy''s kick. It was too precise, too reminiscent of the move she had just executed.

    "That''s my move. How did it¡ª"

    Before she could finish her thought, the dummy launched into a series of attacks, mirroring her every action with uncanny accuracy. It danced with the same fluid grace she had used, swinging its weapon with deliberate precision. Their swords clashed in a flurry of blinding light and force, each strike a testament to raw power.

    As Luna fought, she gained valuable insights into the technique. Her perception sharpened, and her understanding of Jau''s movements expanded.

    The dummy, though formidable, was merely imitating her actions. With each parry and thrust, Luna adapted and evolved her technique, exploiting the gaps in its replication.

    It was like she was fighting against herself.

    With a final burst of agility, Luna evaded a searing swipe of plasma light and delivered a flawlessly executed cut through the dummy''s torso. This time, the blade sliced through its core effortlessly, as though the machine were made of paper. It was cut in two and the sound of its collapse echoed back to her ears.

    Sweat gleamed on her face, and her breaths came in rapid, ragged bursts.

    Exhausted but exhilarated, she looked at the defeated dummy with a mixture of triumph and disbelief. "It worked. It actually freaking worked!"

    She exhaled deeply and jumped off the platform after the shield was off. The shift in gravity barely affected her as she walked and turned off the gravitational field.

    "Since when could dummies copy someone? I need to check the manuals."

    "And clean up." She added solemnly as she looked at the mess lying on the platform.

    After putting away the dummy''s parts, Luna fixed up the cracks with a weak smile on her pretty face. Today''s accomplishment was a great one.

    She had mastered a deadly technique¡ªmastered wasn''t the right word, yet. But she was definitely somewhere.

    When she was done cleaning up, Luna sat on the platform''s edge and stared at the lecture room with her sword resting on her thighs.

    Luna didn''t go to academies like the rest because her whole childhood was dedicated to making her a worthy successor to House Feng.

    Now that she couldn''t ascend, Luna wasn''t sure if she was next line for the title of heiress. What was next for her then? Who was she without the legacy of Feng?

    ''I don''t know.''

    Suddenly, the feeling of accomplishment was gone. Replaced by the bitterness she hadn''t felt in a while.

 Shameless Professor

    "That will be all for today, class dismissed. You can go, Terry."

    The dark-haired boy smiled and bowed before putting away his training sword and rushing down the platform to join his group. It welcomed him with smiles and a few insults after noticing his sloppiness during the sparring session with their professor.

    Well, with Luna as your instructor, your training will always be sloppy. The gap between her and everyone here was the size of the Grand Canyon, whatever that was. To be sincere, she almost felt bad for the kid.

    While the rest of the students left the classroom, Diana and Regan stood and walked to the platform where Luna was waiting for them. It was time for them to do their jobs as assistants. While Diana seemed rather lively for most of the time, Regan was the complete opposite. The young prodigy of house Atlas rarely said a word to anyone. His face was ever calm and unreadable, turning him into someone hard to approach or talk to. He was only sixteen and his demeanor already belonged to a miserable old man like in those webtoons she always read about. Luna had recently learned that he was turning seventeen in early June. And since May was coming up, Luna wished to throw the grumpy quiet kid a birthday party.

    <div>

    <div>

    ''You''re only seventeen once, after all. I can barely remember my birthdays for the past two years.''

    "Professor Lunaris," Diana spoke as she put the swords in order.

    Luna shifted her eyes to the brown-haired girl. "Yes? Also, what did I say about calling me ''Professor'' in private? We''re the same age¡­"

    The girl''s face suddenly turned red from embarrassment. "Oh, I forgot, sorry¡­." She scratched the back of her neck and continued. "Would you mind telling me how you and Ascender Lenadria are so strong at a young age?"

    As soon as she asked that, Regan¡ªwho was carrying some equipment to the office¡ªstopped to listen. He seemed rather interested in combat.

    Seeing that she had his attention, Luna nodded and began. "I don''t know if the other Great Houses or Clans. But as you know, The Feng Clan has always been a family that worked hard to preserve the old ways¡­especially in martial arts. My ancestors found beauty in martial arts and they endeavored to pass down each style they learned as they traveled the world. We have scrolls about those techniques in every Sect aside from the special techniques only meant for direct descendants of the bloodline such as myself and my sister. Since the fall, those techniques have been engraved into us from the moment we learn how to fight. Also¡­I started learning to fight from the time I started to walk, making us the strongest fighters in the world."

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    "That''s a joke, right?" Regan''s cut in, his face stuck in shock.

    "How can it be? I defeated the updated training dummy without Zenshi because I was trained how to use the sword till it felt like an extension of my own body. My kicks and punches are powerful because I trained under increased gravity to increase my body density."

    That was a lie. The reason why Luna was so good at the sword was simply because she inherited generations'' worth of techniques due to her special blood. Of course she wasn''t the best swordsman in the world, yet. But she wasn''t someone to take so lightly in a sword fight. It was her favorite weapon and easier to use than a spear, mince, bow, and so much more.

    And yes, she could wield more weapons if she wanted to.

    Regan hissed. "But¡­mastery is supposed to take years. Lady Lenadria isn''t even as good as you when it comes to hand-to-hand combat," he argued with a doubtful look in his red eyes. "I studied all her fights when she was in Sector 31 for the army recruitment tournament. Ascender Lena''s sword techniques are dilute compared to the techniques you''ve demonstrated for the past two weeks. And before you ask, I know that because I''ve been trying to replicate your movements. I just got curious and tried to compare."

    Luna was surprised Regan could catch on that quickly. He was right. Most styles will always appear dilute when compared to Luna''s. Luna''s styles were the peak of perfection and mastery. While most marital artists had to train for years to attain perfection for a specific technique while referring to books and scrolls, Luna could memorize, adapt fast, and let the technique sync with her body.

    Similar to how the Dancing Maiden technique was now familiar to her after two weeks of consecutive training.

    "I am also not sure. Now let''s get back to the assistant duties. I pay the both of you too much to be slacking around with conversation."

    Diana rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You only pay us ten credits per week, professor. The other assistants earn thirty."

    Luna looked at Diana and chortled. "But House Atlas owns Atlas Technologies which has a revenue of about thirty billion credits in a year. House Artemis runs a whole settlement! Which means it earns as much as my own family¡­." she crossed her arms and forced a cough. "Thirty credits is less than pocket change compared to what you''re given as allowance. So, since my allowance is going to pay for the damages I caused, you''re lucky I''m giving you ten."

    Diana gasped dramatically and pouted. While Regan shook his head out of disappointment and awe. Their professor was one hell of a cheapskate despite coming from House Feng, the strongest family in the Eastern Settlement and one of the five great houses of the New World.

    Sighing, he interrupted the two girls with a cough to get their attention. He suddenly had an idea. "I''m fine with the low pay if Professor Luna offers me extra private classes and¡­"

    "Ha! I have no problem with sharing my great knowledge with you. Though I will cut your pay to five credits." Luna cut in with a victorious grin. She desperately needed money after using what remained of her allowance to pay for the damages. And to make it worse, it was even enough to cover 30% of the repairs.

    Luna was independent now, asking for money would destroy the small pride she had developed recently.

    "Do we have a deal, Regan?"

    "Yes, we do!" Regan nodded, his face unchanged. Yet, his eyes were burning with newfound excitement.

    Diana on the other hand, her jaw almost dropped. Just how low was Professor Luna willing to go? How shameless were these terms?

    Noticing the look on her assistant''s face thoughts Luna thought to herself. ''Well¡­the academy''s rules only state that the assistants must be paid. They were never specific with how much.''

    "Sigh." Diana couldn''t sideline the fact that Luna was indeed right. Thirty credits were pocket change to people like them. So, she took the same deal Regan offered. Learning from a daughter of House Feng was a privilege of its caliber.

    "Alright. Nice doing business with you two, now let''s get everything done. I have somewhere to be. So I won''t be back until Monday."

    "Is it about the Crimson Tower?" Diana''s question was sudden and no one expected it. "I heard it''s now a level 5 threat."

 The Crimson Tower

    Seeing no need to lie, Luna nodded in response to Diana''s question. The News had already been made public.

    The Crimson Tower was actually between threat levels four and five. The strange structure had fallen from a Category A Gate a few months ago. It landed in the Southern Reach of the continent and led to an immediate evacuation due to the mystical toxin it produced. The strange energy was known as Black Ether, which was an unknown energy from the divine realm that was capable of infecting mortal minds and turning them into very powerful mindless corpses.

    But aside from that, the tower remained dormant after arriving. No cursed creature emerged from the upright tower, so the federal army and government failed to give it a worthy threat level. However, since the gate that brought it here was a high Category, The Crimson Tower was predicted to be above level 3 because nothing good came from a Category A gate. And to make matters worse, no one could enter or destroy it thanks to the strange red material used to construct it. All they could do was deploy a small army to keep an eye out for any abnormal activity.

    For two months, the Crimson Tower had remained silent until three days ago when it unleashed a shockwave that shook half of the continent as if announcing its wake. Immediately after the earthquake, another gate appeared at the entrance of the Tower--shocking the world and every soldier at the scene.

    In short, the tower was calling for challengers.

    Luna had no plans of going for obvious reasons, she had no plans of playing heroine any time soon. But she couldn''t say the same for her mother and Len. The pair, along with the strongest members of the Clan and its vassal houses, were going to have a meeting concerning the matter before marching to the Southern Reach. The Eastern Settlement was Feng''s responsibility so the Crimson Tower was their problem too.

    Luna was also called for this meeting, and she didn''t feel so happy about it when she received the call. She only came to terms with it after she gave herself time to give it some thought.

    "Calamities mess with the natural order. I bet that place is going to become unhabitable after the subjugation." Regan spoke. His crimson eyes glared at Luna as he continued. "There is no level of technology that has succeeded in reversing the effects of things that affect our realm."

    "No technology, yet." Diana corrected him.

    "The world right now isn''t the same as before. We have fewer resources, the air outside the settlements is poisoned and most land can''t support agricultural produce. Most food supplied to this settlement comes from the South due to the somehow stable weather and good soil. Sigh, We''re about to lose some of that good soil. The occupants of that small state will move to the next district and the land being used for agriculture will be cut down significantly to accommodate the refugees."

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    After Regan''s detailed explanation, the whole room was drowned in silence. He was right, every single word he had said was right.

    ''That''s a legacy for you.'' Luna shook her head and continued with the cleaning. She didn''t care much about what was happening to their world. They were already doomed, to begin with.

    ***

    Luna didn''t have to go all the way back home since Hanshoo was a powerful district of its own with a full military headquarters in the city. She was picked up from the academy by a large armored vehicle that drove her straight to the Hansho Military Division headquarters.

    After a short while, the armored vehicle stopped at the entrance of the division''s headquarters. Luna sighed, feeling nervous as she stared at the small buildings that made up the military base. She rubbed her sweaty palms and sighed even louder. Her stomach turned when the fresh air hit her nostrils. ''Why am I so nervous all of a sudden?''

    Soldiers in nano-tech suits were scattered everywhere, from the rooftops to around the buildings to keep the security tight as much as they could. But it was pointless.

    ''There are few things in the world that can harm Mao Feng and the clan''s ascenders. These men and women are wasting their time.'' Luna thought briefly. She pushed the door open and stepped out of the armored vehicle with her sword gripped in her right hand. Immediately, all the soldiers nearby bowed as they let her walk to the main building.

    On reaching, she was surprised to see that someone was waiting for her. It wasn''t just anybody though¡­.

    It was her cousin, Captain Snow.

    He was standing at the entrance, his chest raised and his brown eyes staring at her with indifference. He was pale, just like her, and had fluffy dark hair, which was quite common from her father''s side of the family.

    "Well if it isn''t the great Captain Snow."

    Instead of bowing, the two embraced each other.

    "You shouldn''t call me captain, cousin. That''s beneath you." He spoke through her ear and freed her almost immediately. "Congratulations on the professor gig. Who knew that you would be teaching students at seventeen?"

    Feeling proud, Luna crossed her arms and nodded with a proud smile on her small lips. "I just couldn''t wait for fate to take me where it wants. I chose to take hold of my own fate and make it do as I wish." She shamelessly quoted a stupid line she heard from a game she once played.

    "Anyway, how''s the army? I bet the Crimson Tower thing is causing chaos for you first-division captains and Generals." Luna asked as she followed Snow into the main building.

    He nodded. "We''ve already lost a lot of normal human soldiers who tried to stop some creatures from trying to escape. We exterminated the creatures, of course. They were undead."

    ''Undead? Like Zombies!'' Luna mused.

    "Seeing that the cursed beings are undead, it''s safe to assume that the being ruling the tower is a Devil with a power similar to that."

    "I see. So my sister and mother wish to fight this Devil?" Luna asked.

    Snow nodded. "Our technology is telling us it''s a Master. But we need someone as powerful as her with us in case it''s a scythe or sovereign."

    The mention of a Sovereign made Luna shiver. Sovereign-ranked devils were rare and extremely powerful in terms of Corrupted deities. In the past fifty years, only four sovereigns had been spotted. One of those four died in the battle for the Northern Settlement while the other three only came down to cause chaos by opening gates. No one knew what they wanted from the Mortal Realm but they were undeniably both evil and mysterious.

    "I see."

    After walking for about three minutes, the pair made it to a room that looked so out of place with walls made of synthetic cream paper and wood.

    Luna didn''t need zenshi to sense the monstrous pressures waiting for her beyond the thin paper walls.

    Snow slid the doors open for Luna and everyone inside turned to see who had arrived.

    Before anything else though, Luna''s eyes landed on her mother and sister. Both were seated in front of the room, on the floor like everyone else.

    She was about to bow, but her mother interrupted:

    "You look well, Dark Blade."

    Luna smiled weakly. Dark Blade was the name her father gave her when she chose a weapon made from black steel. Hearing that name warmed her heart with nostalgia.

    "Thank you, mother."

 Subjugation 101

    Sitting beside her mother, Luna bowed to the rest of the clan, her head almost touching the floor. Although these customs were way past their time, it was important for them to maintain them as a way of preserving their cultures.

    The room was filled with real blood relatives and heads of clans that were absorbed into House Feng like her father''s, The Yin Clan.

    "Thank you all for coming today. I know how busy you all are, especially with what''s going on in the world right now." Her mother began. "And I will jump to the point because of that single factor. I have summoned all of you here to discuss the Crimson Tower threat and the countermeasures we shall take in case anything goes wrong. We will be participating in the subjugation of the threat as a House, and I will be overseeing the entire operation as the current head alongside the Government President."

    Suddenly shocked expressions appeared on every person''s face. Everyone in the room started to clamor.

    Why, you ask. Well, it''s because Mao Feng hadn''t participated in a subjugation since the death of her husband years ago.

    "Lady Feng, our house has enough powerful ascenders of level five mastery and above. You don''t have to¡­" one of the attendants cut in. He was in a grey polyester suit with dark hair and grey eyes.

    Luna stared at her uncle, Hilde Yin, as he continued his argument. "You don''t have to put your life on the line."

    "I agree with him, sister." Agreed a large grey-haired man. He wore a pair of rectangular glasses. Underneath, he had striking blue eyes that were fixed on Mao Feng. They carried a familiar coldness. Despite that, his face was kind and warm in comparison.

    It was her uncle, Ronan Feng.

    Just then, a woman with dark hair and dark sunglasses over her eyes spoke from the corner of the room. "Hilde has a point, lady Feng. You haven''t even picked a worthy successor, yet. Your husband might have picked Lunaris but we all know she''s not capable of leading us to the future. The least she can do is marry another ascender and birth to a child with her blood type."

    Luna faced her aunt with a calm expression. She was burning to say something. But. One thing she learned from gaming was keeping your emotions in control was a good thing.

    ''If anyone is worthy of marriage here, it is Lena.'' Luna eyed her sister. ''The girl was a goddess for gods''s sake.''

    Mao Feng sighed at the woman''s words. "My daughter will marry at her own time, Astrid. Also, it wasn''t my late husband who chose Luna as the successor of this house, I made the decision and he supported it. Luna''s gifts make her the true foundation of the Feng Clan. Our clan will continue to move forward with her in the chair of leadership. We were already a powerful clan even before the fall¡­before Zenshi came into the picture. So Astrid, if any of still don''t understand, let me rectify this. Lunaris Feng will succeed me should I die or retire, Lenadria Feng will be her second."

    As soon as she heard that, Luna''s eyes widened from shock. Did her mother just say that she will remain the heir? How could she say that when the most obvious choice was Lena? Why didn''t she pick Lena?

    It was both a baffling and risky choice to make considering the kind of world they were living in.

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    Astrid scoffed. "This Clan will collapse if you go through with that decision. Just because she can fight like a true master doesn''t make her the worthy choice." She paused for a moment and hissed while the emptiness of her gaze pierced Luna. "What''s so special about that¡­"

    "Astrid!" Ronan slammed his fist into the ground, his striking eyes almost glowing. "You have no right to look down on someone of high blood."

    "High blood?" Astrid spat. Then laughed.

    However, no one reacted to her. No one could complain about Astrid Feng''s behavior. No one in this room understood what she felt. Unlike everyone here, the woman lost her son and husband a few years back during the battle on the moon. She was a member of the moon community before that incident and one of the politicians who managed it.

    The appearance of a gate on the moon was unexpected because humans assumed gates only appeared here on Earth and that''s it. The few ascenders there fought bravely to protect and allow a safe evacuation, Astrid''s husband being one of them. Unfortunately, they lost and only ten million humans out of the total population of thirty million made it back to earth. Astrid was the only ascender that made it back to Earth. Since returning, she turned bitter and joined the special forces that hunt and subjugate powerful monsters around the world.

    While in silence, Astrid rose from the floor with a somber look on her face. She was pale, almost like a corpse. She removed her shades, revealing her bright red eyes. She had bags of sleep under her eyes, revealing her palpable exhaustion and sleep deficiency. It was clear that she was no longer the mighty Moon Siren who led thousands of ascenders many years ago.

    Right now, Astrid was just a husk of her former self. "Being born a Feng is a curse, cousin," she said to Mao Feng while painfully clenching her teeth. "We can never have normal lives, we can''t be happy. Ronan is blind due to his Aura, you and I are widows. It is all shit! All of this! I hate it! I hate these gifts! I hate my responsibilities."

    Tears started streaming down her cheeks. She tried to clean them with her sleeves but they kept on flowing down like a river.

    When her crying slowed down, she sniffed. "I will participate in the subjugation. But after that, I request Snow to grant me the gift of death. I''m tired of living in a world without them."

    Mao Feng listened. Her face was stern and beautiful. When she was sure Astrid was done, she nodded, respecting her request.

    "If that is your wish, cousin. Sigh. Then it will be granted by the Reaper himself."

    Luna exchanged glances with Snow who quickly turned away with a bitter expression on his handsome face. Snow had a very rare Aura known as [Death]. His abilities were godlike compared to the rest of the concepts in the mortal realm. From the little she had learned, Luna knew he was capable of extracting souls from mortals and guiding them to the realm beyond death or consuming them to make himself stronger which he was against as it made him less human in a way.

    The scope of his powers was only known to him and was the sole reason why his code name was Reaper.

    After a while, the meeting continued. Her mother explained why she needed to be there for the subjugation. The answer was simple: public image. Mundane civilians were starting to think the Feng clan had lost a big part of their strength since the death of Zheng. Mao Feng and Lena, along with the strongest clan members would need to participate and subjugate the threat to show the public that the clan is still as strong as ever.

    During the entire meeting, Luna only stayed silent as she listened. She kept her conflicting thoughts to herself to show her respect for the clan. Her mother''s reason was very valid¡ªthe great houses needed mundane humans as pillars of their survival.

    When the meeting closed, everyone apart from Mao Feng and her daughters left the room.

    After an awkward moment of silence, after everyone left, Lena finally spoke. "The Crimson Tower is a level five threat. The black ether is just one of our many problems."

    She produced a touchscreen tablet and handed it to her mother who started studying the three-dimensional layout of the tower. From what they had learned, the tower was roughly made of three to four floors.

    Luna stared at it with a bleak expression. She had developed a bad feeling about this entire "operation". It''s not like she didn''t trust her mother''s abilities. Heck¡­she was also a sorceress, meaning the chances of winning against a sovereign or scythe were higher than a summoner by a large margin.

    Lena explained to their mother. She made sure she kept the information both detailed and short with her words since time was of the essence at the moment.

    "The subjugation units will be of one hundred and fifty men from our side each divided into three groups each led by a captain. Captain Snow and I will lead the first team of fifty men, serving directly under General Astrid Feng. The second force will be led by Captain Yun from the Military and a member of House Ares. They will also work under General Astrid. The third group to enter will be yours, you will be taking care of what lies on the last floor."

    As Lena continued her briefing, Mao Feng continued reading through the files on the device. Her expression was the same, her concentration unbreakable. She casually scrolled through the plan layout without saying anything until she was on the final page.

    She placed the device down and sighed. "The plan is incredible. But you haven''t accounted for the corruption leaking out of the tower, and how it affects every soldier. Not every one of the government''s soldiers is immune like ascenders."

    Lena picked up the tablet and nodded. "We already did, mother. The latest Nanotech suits block and protect the wearer from infection."

    "Also¡­" Mao Feng faced Luna who had been silent since the meeting began.

    Caught slightly offside, the pale beauty straightened herself to appear serious under her mother''s gaze as she continued speaking.

    "¡­Dark Blade will fight alongside us."

 Two Sisters Against The World

    After the small "beep" from the security system, the locks twisted along with the doorknob, and the metallic door opened. Two women walked into the silence. One was a tall silver-haired beauty. While the other was pale with short black messy hair. Beauty wasn''t the thing written on her face, though.

    It was the three Ts as she called them at times; Terror, Tiredness, and Torture.

    She was tired because she had a bunch of paperwork and briefings she needed to go through since she was now part of the subjugation. Yes, she was too much of a coward to turn down her mother''s request. Also, Luna felt dread each time the thought of having to fight a cursed creature or an infected crossed her mind. These creatures were mindless and unpredictable. What if she comes into contact with black ether? What would her fate be then?

    Being unaware of her fate tortured her mind. Luna sighed silently as she slowly removed her shoes.

    On the other hand, Len rushed past her and tossed her body on the leather couch in the sitting room. Didn''t she read the no shoes in the apartment sign?

    ''Ahh...I should make one.'' she scowled with an irritated look on her face.

    "Arghhhh¡­."

    "I am so tired." Cried Len after groaning into one of the pillows."Pretty neat room though."

    "It''s a neat apartment, dearest sister. And I would like to keep it that way," Luna added, glaring at her sister''s shoes which were now touching her couch.

    Sensing her sister''s deadly gaze, Len paled a little before quickly removing her shoes and sighed with relief once Luna''s gaze left her. However, as the young woman exhaled, her breath appeared like vapor even though it wasn''t called in the room.

    Luna could feel the sudden chill in the air. This was her sister''s Aura reminding her of its presence. "I didn''t expect to see you so soon," Luna began.

    "Me neither. I was waiting to be drafted off to the Northern Settlement and support the Ares Clan and maybe learn how to use my Aura in real battles," Len replied casually and smiled. "But this is good. I get to spend time with my cute little sister."

    "We''re a year apart." Luna rolled her eyes as she made her way to the kitchen to prepare something for them. She felt strange having her sister as a guest, actually having a guest was already making her stomach turn a little. Letting people into her comfort zone didn''t settle with her being.

    So, to calm herself, she decided to task herself with making dinner despite feeling so tired. She opened her fridge and pulled out some packed beef, eggs, leftover rice, and a few other things like soy sauce, sugar, and dashi.

    Luna was planning to make some Gyudon with Tamago. It was quick to make and could fill the stomachs of two hungry girls with ease.

    Also, not to brag or anything, Luna thought of herself as an excellent cook. Fighting wasn''t the only skill she inherited with her blood. But she kept that secret to herself.

    ***

    The two settled on the couch with steamy bowls of Gyudon with a pair of chopsticks in each of their hands. Luna started with her rice, her chopsticks grabbing a good amount in a practiced manner and leading it to her mouth. It was delicious. Just as she had expected.

    After some time of eating in silence, the air was now calm. Luna saw the opportunity, so she finally popped the question that had been lingering on her mind all day since the meeting in the morning. "Do you think anyone will die during the subjugation?"

    Lena paused her meal and leaned back in the coach. As the older sister, she was surprised she didn''t know what to say to her younger sister. How pitiful of her. Her expression darkened a little as she responded, "Many die during subjugations. Have you forgotten that our father died during one? Whether mundane soldiers or powerful ascenders, we are all capable of dying, little sis. So you shouldn''t ask such dumb questions."

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    "Sorry." Luna stared at her bowl. What was she thinking starting the conversation with a death-related topic?

    "No need to apologize. I''m just uptight with all of this. The subjugation is happening in two weeks and I''m already playing the role of captain yet I''ve just opened my second Soul Gate recently. Sigh, I just have a very bad feeling about this."

    When she mentioned that, Luna suddenly lost the taste of her food and her appetite disappeared. The subjugation was to take about three weeks due to how massive the threat was. Her clan was taking charge with the government military following behind it. The allied Houses like Ares were also sending their finished ascenders from the Northern Settlement to fight alongside house Feng as a sign of the mutual friendship the two great houses had for each other. Knowing the god they served and the Territory they came from, Luna was confident in the skills the Members of House Ares had.

    She drew in a sharp breath and placed the bowl on the small table in front of them. The pair remained silent as the bright images of her television continued to display.

    Len was tense, meaning that this wasn''t just a bad feeling. As a warrior, trusting your instincts is very important in life.

    Luna wouldn''t call Len a good martial artist, but she showed signs of great potential. She was a genius capable of learning and mastering difficult techniques in a short window of time. She was also one of the best cultivators in their generation because of how fast she opened her second gate and achieved mastery of level 2. These¡­facts, often made Luna jealous of her sister. But also proud.

    If you were to ask her how she truly felt about Lena, she would say she loved her sister more than anyone else in this hellbent reality. And because of that love, Luna wasn''t going to regret participating in the subjugation. It would be nice to fight by her side.

    ''This subjugation will have to be a success. I will make sure of it.'' Luna suddenly felt a wave of determination wash down on her as she finally found her motivation.

    "I guess we have to be extra careful¡­you have to be extra careful, Len."

    "Says the person who has no zenshi, you''re not immune to the corruption like us. That means you will have to wear a body suit to protect yourself."

    "I think I can handle myself with or without zenshi. I''m still superhuman, after all."

    Lena held herself back from rolling her eyes. The corners of her lips curled upwards before she brought her bowl closer to her face to finish the rest of the rice. "By the way¡­I would like to meet your class tomorrow."

    Luna rushed to shake her head in response once she heard that. "I don''t want anyone to get starstruck. I''m already a popular figure, you know." She sipped the last of her soup then pointed a thumb to herself. "I defeated the latest training dummy without breaking a sweat. It could adapt to my style by the way," she winked.

    Suddenly, stars appeared in Len''s eyes as she quickly put down her bowl and grasped Luna by the shoulders, excitement evident on her face. She had already pieced everything together. "You were learning a new style, weren''t you? What''s it called?"

    "Dancing Maiden." She answered, hiding her pride like a pro. Ah, it felt good feeling like the older sister. Truthfully speaking, Luna was always the more mature one. While Len was only mature when surrounded by people. It was amazing that no one saw through her perfect mask of maturity.

    Without saying anything else, Luna left her seat and walked to a certain pair of metallic doors leading to the training room. She placed her hand on the small screen on the left. ''Lena is a genius. I''m sure she''ll master it after a few exercises.''

    After a small beep, the doors slid open to reveal a large brightly lit room. It was as large as a small karate dojo but with walls of synthetic steel and a floor made of synthetic enchanted self-repair wood.

    When Luna first saw this room, she was impressed by the effort the academy had put in to make sure the professors stayed in top shape by giving them these rooms. Every professor in the academy had some form of combat ability to back them up so training was necessary.

    This was her training room, perfectly designed to withstand her strength as she was told. It was recently when her clan decided to reinforce the structure and she hadn''t tested them out yet.

    "Is Han-shoo really an academy? Damn...." Lena walked in, her gaze scanning the room with excitement and awe. Her silver hair glistened under the room''s lighting. And her pale skin glowed beautifully. If she was in her armor she would probably be looking like a goddess, right?

    ''I have pale skin too.'' Luna scowled mentally. The little jealousy she felt for her sister was back.

    "I will teach you the Dancing Maiden. I''m sure you''ve heard or read about back at the sect."

    Len nodded. "Yes, I have. Though I''ve heard it''s a complicated technique and hard to master. Only about thirty humans in the world can use it."

    "Thirty-two if you count me and yourself." Luna grinned. The reason why it was complicated was simple; the current form of the sword style was rather weak compared to its past version. Bodies changed, but the style stayed. No one bothered to change it because they wished to stay true to the one who created the style in the first place¡­

    Tai Hae, the Dancing Maiden.

    According to Feng''s database, she was a swordsman from hundreds of years ago. Tai Hae was a beautiful courtesan known for her genius, beauty, purity, and talent for sword dancing. Her art was said to be mesmerizing and later deadly when she evolved her dancing art to a deadly form of combat.

    The transition was easy and became perfect when she passed it down to her children. Luna was not sure why Tai Hae turned her sword dance into a sword technique, but it was her technique that created The Tai clan, which ruled great cities in Asia long ago. Currently, the clan was long gone and its descendants had been absorbed and eaten away by other clans thanks to intermarriage and the growth of science.

    "I will teach it to you. The key is to let your body adapt to style. Through that, you can grab hold of its essence and make it yours."

    She picked up a staff and got into a unique position. Her legs were apart and both hands were gripped on the wooden staff.

    Lena summoned a replica of a wooden staff using Zenshi. That staff alone could be used to flip a truck with ease. Luckily, Luna''s weapons were not just cheap wood. Each weapon contained a power crystal that powered the plasma energy that kept it sturdy and stiff.

    Luna''s narrowed her eyes as she entered a clear state of mind. With a brief sigh, Luna proceeded to burst into a familiar type of footwork that surprised Lena almost immediately.

 Ghost Of Winter

    The sound of wood striking each other echoed throughout the training room like thunder. Each time the two weapons seemed to touch with controlled aggressiveness, the air seemed to shudder as the two bo staffs refused to even develop the slightest cracks after three straight hours of continuous exchange.

    The rest of the world was shrouded in darkness for them as the pair of sisters continued their intense combat session, each strike deadlier and more precise than the previous one.

    Len was slowly adapting to her younger sister''s unconventional fighting style, carefully observing her footwork and overall movements. Her sister''s unpredictable shuffling between attacks made her difficult to anticipate, but not impossible. She continuously fell for these deceptive maneuvers multiple times, evident from the bruises that adorned her hands.

    However, she now seemed to have looked past the illusion and could now block her sister''s deadly strikes.

    As the training session raged on, the sisters moved with fluid grace, resembling dancers following a unique choreography to an inaudible tune. Their bo staffs--intended as imitations of blades--clashed and swept through the air in a symphony of precise movements. Each parry, block, and strike brought Len closer to learning the technique, her understanding deepening with every moment of their intense practice. She had only been familiar with it on paper before today. By combining the basic knowledge and the explanations Luna gave her during the session, she was now getting a grasp of how The Dancing Maiden worked.

    ''Incredible.'' She thought through the sound of intense strikes. Her admiration for her sister''s skills had only grown even more after today. This is how they always were. Even when they were kids, Luna always endeavored to share the techniques she usually acquired through her memories with her. Of course, some were too difficult to grasp even after the constant years of training she put herself through.

    Even after the clear explanations Luna gave her.

    Martial Arts had always been easy for Luna. Lena, on the other hand, could only do her best. And her best is the reason why she made it this far in life.

    After a while, Luna stopped her assault and stumbled forward before falling into her sister''s arms. Despite her superhuman body, she still had mundane human qualities that limited her stamina and endurance.

    "I''m spent," she said wearily, her breath coming in rapid, uneven gasps. Training with an ascender was grueling for this very reason. While she might almost match them in physical strength, ascenders represented the pinnacle of human evolution. With zenshi, they could endure challenges that ordinary humans couldn''t fathom. Currently, Luna''s exhaustion highlights the stark difference between them despite her extraordinary capabilities.

    Luna looked up to her sister. There was no sign of exhaustion on her face.

    ''The fates are cruel indeed.'' she spat from within.

    "You should go rest. I''ll remain here and try to adapt to the style as you said."

    Much as she didn''t want to call quits, her body demanded it. Heck. Even the damn bo staff felt heavy in her hand. However, Len still had to learn how the footwork worked. There were so many gaps in her movements. She was so off track. And yet, they only had a week left before traveling south.

    Luna couldn''t just let herself stop like this. Not when there was so much more to teach. Len had barely touched the surface of the technique. "I will be back in three hours," she mouthed as she dropped her bo staff and led herself out of the training room.

    She didn''t bother cleaning up as she was too tired for that. So, she let her body rest from the comfort of her bed.

    ''Three hours is enough for me.''

    ¡­the next time she opened her eyes, however, the next day had dawned upon them.

    Oh....

    And she was late for her class.

    ***

    "Today we will cover the visuals. One of the most important parts of a martial artist is his or her vision. However, since most of you here can use Zenshi, I will teach you another way of seeing without the need for your eyes or Zenshi. It''s the same method I use to visualize the world when facing beings much faster than me¡­or in other cases, ascenders. This method is¡­"

    Luna paused when she noticed that no one was listening to her. Instead, they all had their eyes on the silver-haired woman who had tagged along to see how Luna taught her class.

    Luna only agreed because she had promised not to cause any commotion.

    But, even without doing anything, Lena attracted attention. Everything about her screamed: "I want attention."

    Luna rubbed her forehead and sighed. ''I should have done something about the silver hair.''

    Of course the silver hair wasn''t the only thing drawing so much attention. Most of the world now knew about Lena Feng. She was incredibly talented for her age and possessed a unique blood group that had been made public a few days ago. She was also an Ice Aura user, which was rare in this world.

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    The Government and army were using her position to uplift spirits and remind the world that the Feng clan was still powerful even after losing its strongest member a few years ago. This wasn''t propaganda but the actual truth. The clan was still as strong as ever with Mao Feng as its current leader now that the power had shifted back to her. But some mundane still doubted this fact.

    Maybe having Lena here wasn''t a bad idea, some of these students needed to get into high spirits. Even though she maintained her usual cold gaze and ice-princess behavior, they still looked at her with great admiration. To achieve as much as she had, at such a young age, was a testament to her hard work.

    "Regan!"

    "Yes, Professor!"

    The dark-haired boy sprung from his seat and faced her with a cold determination. He was so intense.

    ''He should loosen up.''

    "I have an announcement," she spoke loudly and the class was suddenly quiet. The students also held Luna in high regard after her stunt a few weeks ago. "As you all know, the subjugation of the Crimson Tower, a level five threat will be taking place in a week by the Feng clan and its vassals. And as a member of the clan, I''ve been requested to join the subjugation."

    The students clamored when she mentioned that. Joining a subjugation of this level was a suicide mission for someone without Zenshi. But that didn''t mean that mundane humans couldn''t participate. In fact, most government soldiers were humans who wanted to keep defending their world and race. It was their way of protecting their loved ones and finding a sense of duty or purpose in this hell.

    Clearing her throat, she continued. "I will be fighting alongside my mother and sister for the next three to four weeks to subjugate the threat and also get a higher rank as a professor¡­I have to eat you know, I can''t be skin and bones forever."

    Regan rolled his eyes as the rest of the class laughed at her small joke.

    With that said, Luna then turned to the tall dark-haired boy, keeping a professional tone. "Regan and Diana will be in charge of the class while I''m gone. He will teach all of you how to detect attacks using the qi. If you can use it by the time I''m back, you will get a tour of the Feng Estate and get to meet the legendary Mao Feng. I''m sure my sister can make that happen."

    Lena raised an eyebrow. Surprised. "Me?"

    Luna stared at her for a brief moment and asked with a wink: "You won''t want to upset your fans? Would you, Ghost of Winter?"

    Immediately, the class was sent into a frenzy after she said that. Ghost of Winter was the name most mundane humans referred to her as. Just like Dark Blade, the names were given to formidable warriors by the great monks or their masters.

    Dark Blade was given to Luna by her master¡ªher father¡ªafter she picked enchanted black steel for her sword. On the other hand, the name Ghost of Winter was given to Lena by the Master of the Northern Ice Sect where she trained after awakening and confirming that her blood was indeed going to follow their mother. The name was meant to represent the nature of her powers and how similar it was to their Mother''s who was The Flame of Winter.

    ''Guess the apple doesn''t tend to fall far from the tree.'' Luna smiled a little.

    "Why would I?" Lena shrugged, a small grin on her face. "I will make it possible."

    Luna turned back to the class. "There you have it. Make me happy and you will get yourself a tour with Ghost of Winter."

    Just like that, Luna had managed to motivate an entire class. People would die to spend a day with the great and beautiful Mao Feng, the great sorceress and one of the pillars of humanity. And for those who weren''t interested, they wanted to spend time with Lena.

    The boys couldn''t take their eyes off the silver-haired beauty. So, Luna was confident they would want to try their luck. Not all of them though¡­

    Regan seemed uninterested.

    ''I should maybe show him something he doesn''t know yet. Maybe¡­'' she suddenly had an idea.

    Later, Luna bowed to the class after giving her notebook to Regan. The notebook was where she wrote some notes on the techniques she recovered from her memories. The young man''s entire mood changed immediately after seeing the small drawings and notes she made when training herself. Shabby as they may have looked, they were the best notes on martial arts out there. Better than the ancient scrolls in the sects and military academies because they focused on merging the body and essence of the art.

    So far, Luna had only inherited Twelve techniques, ranging from pure martial arts to great sword styles. Three of those techniques were only known to her because they were either lost or too dangerous in the hands of superpowered humans. Or both. The notebook carried what Luna wanted to pass on to the world--even though the world was already familiar with whatever she wrote down. Anyway, in the right hands, the notebook was a great tool to have around.

    ''Maybe I should start a Sect of my own.'' She chortled at that ridiculous thought. Who wouldn''t find that funny?

    ***

    Standing outside the academy, a young raven-haired woman stood at the edge of the road waiting for her army transport to take her to where they were to board the train leading to the Southern Reach. She carried a long black briefcase that appeared to be way heavier than her because of her small design. The people standing next to her were both stunned and impressed by how she easily held the briefcase with one hand. She looked like a teenager, but her eyes beamed with fierce maturity.

    Unfortunately, Len had to leave to go sort out a few things before the clan''s ascenders were deployed to the Southern Reach. The evacuation was almost complete, along with the territorial barrier meant to contain the strange powers coming from the Crimson Tower. The armies had moved south and all public transport to the Southern parts had been sized to prevent infection.

    For now, everything seemed to be going smoothly. Were the fates really in their favor?

    Well, she was going to find out one way or another.

 The Southern Reach

    "Please remain in your seats. All devices should be turned off to avoid interference from the powering reactor."

    Luna leaned back in her seat, while she proceeded to turn off her communicator. As a VIP, she had been granted an entire cabin, ensuring her a comfortable journey to the Southern Reach, which was now classified as a red zone due to the formidable powers emanating from the tower. Ordinary machines were rendered useless within a forty-kilometer radius. The only transport machines capable of traveling through it were those that had zenshi assisting their reactors and granting them and the passengers protection from foreign powers like Black Ether.

    An example of these special machines was the Trans-Continental Trains. These specialized trains were designed specifically to facilitate the evacuation of people and enable travel through wastelands affected by supernatural forces. They were armed with formidable weaponry and enhanced by advanced reactors to act as endless energy sources that kept them running for days without stopping.

    As the behemoth began to move, its systems hummed to life, powered by the special magical reactor.

    ''I left the estate a month ago. Now, here I am heading to the Southern Reach.''

    Luna sighed at the thought as she watched the images beyond the sealed window blur and pass by as the train slowly gained speed. Her journey to the soon-to-be wasteland had begun.

    From what she had read from the latest reports, the situation around the tower had stabilized. The vassal clans had arrived a few days ago and were currently handling the mindless undead that occasionally wandered from the Tower and the infected humans. Both were generally weak compared to real cursed creatures so even regular soldiers were capable of holding their own against these lesser threats.

    Over ten million people had already been evacuated from the nearby towns, a testament to the efficient coordination of the evacuation efforts. The overarching plan involved the Feng clan subjugating the primary threat by eliminating the Masters of the tower. Concurrently, Mao Feng was tasked with encasing the tower in an ice prison after defeating the masters. The strategic move was designed to neutralize its powers and prevent its malevolent influence from spreading further into the world since destroying it seemed difficult at the moment.

    As Luna reflected on these developments, she felt a mix of relief and anticipation. The journey ahead was fraught with peril, but the measures in place provided a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. The tower''s first two floors were expected to be relatively easy to conquer. However, beyond that point, only sorcerers and summoners were permitted to face the monstrosities that lay ahead. These beings were said to possess intelligence and unknown abilities, making them far more formidable opponents.

    In any case, the subjugation of the Crimson Tower was not going to be an easy task. Yet, the Feng clan was powerful and well-equipped to handle and contain this threat. Their expertise and strength provided a reassuring confidence in the face of such a daunting challenge.

    "I should rest." Luna yawned.

    The ride to the Southern Reach was going to take two days at most. Luna planned to use this time to review the plan one last time, striving to understand how everything would unfold. Her mother had placed both her and Lena under General Astrid''s command. A decision that puzzled Luna, especially given Lena''s proven capability to fight alongside their mother.

    Luna was part of a special force working directly under General Astrid. However, her position was unique; she was neither a captain nor a cadet. Instead, she served directly under General Astrid without a formal rank. In contrast, Lena held the rank of Captain, commanding a unit of one hundred ascenders and mundane soldiers under General Astrid. This distinction highlighted Lena''s significant leadership role and the trust placed in her by the general.

    General Mao Feng was in charge of the strongest unit, tasked with the complete subjugation of the tower. Her unit was specifically assigned to deal with the tower''s masters on the third floor. This elite group consisted of thirty powerful ascenders with deadly abilities, seventeen summoners, and three sorcerers, including Luna''s mother. The other two sorcerers were Zen Chau, known as the Phoenix, and Kaigen the Dragon. Both hailing from the most powerful vassal clans of House Feng. Together, they formed a formidable force poised to confront the greatest threats within the tower.

    ''The Phoenix and the Dragon. What a pair.''

    Luna''s gaze lingered on the images of the sorcerers displayed on her datapad. One depicted a young man in his late twenties, with long brown hair, piercing sapphire blue eyes, and a sharp, distinct facial structure. A small goatee adorned his chin, marking him unmistakably as Zen, the Phoenix.

    The other image showed a handsome man with a tanned complexion and muscular build. Despite being in his late thirties, his short black hair and striking golden eyes conveyed a timeless youthfulness. This was Kaigen, also known as the Dragon.

    As Luna studied their portraits, she contemplated the formidable powers and unique abilities these sorcerers would bring to their mission inside the crimson tower.

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    Sorcerers were the rarest of the ascenders due to how powerful they were in general. A summoner could call upon mythical beasts from a hidden realm while a sorcerer could bend Nature to fit their will through Zenshi. Opening the fourth Soul Gate meant that one had fully surpassed the limits of what the human body was capable of. In other words, sorcerers were closer to actual gods than anyone else. Unfortunately, the transcendence from the Third Soul Gate to the Fourth Soul Gate was difficult hence their rarity.

    From the information on the datapad, Zen was incapable of dying and could manipulate fire and lightning with the help of his fourth gate. And Kaigen was a sorcerer capable of changing his physical form to that of an actual dragon with the ability to manipulate wind which was his Aura.

    General Astrid or the Moon Siren was also a sorcerer with the ability to control minds since her Aura was [Authority]. Her sorcery could affect memories, emotions, and thoughts--making her one of the strongest and most terrifying ascenders in the world. There was more to it, of course. No one else in the world possessed [Authority] so there was no way of knowing how strong she truly was.

    ''I wonder if Lena will be as strong when she opens her fourth Soul Gate.''

    She let out a heavy sigh as she placed down the data pad and yawned. All that information was a lot, even for someone who took on a hobby of memorizing cheat codes. Luna then leaned back in her seat and stared at images passing by. They were already out of Hansho and the night was approaching.

    After several hours, they were out of the populated districts and were now crossing some deserted areas. Most of the vegetation looked dead, with only the strongest vegetation surviving. The earthen soil looked black and barren due to the constant exposure to foreign energies from the divine realm. The worst of those energies was Black Ether which was responsible for corruption in mortal creatures and mutations. The foreign energy had only descended the world shortly after the Fall. And whoever was touched by this foreign energy would turn into an "Infected." Luna had never seen an infected before. But she was informed some mundane humans and soldiers had been touched by the Black Ether. Meaning she was going to see an infected soon.

    ''I should get some sleep.'' She pulled her bed cover and closed her eyes while trying to forget she was probably traveling to her place of death.

    Just before drifting off, the train''s defense systems activated, bathing her cabin in a stark red glow. Startled, Luna''s eyes snapped open to the cacophony of massive gunfire.

    ''What the...'' Before she finished that thought, thermal beams erupted from the train''s defenses, targeting and incinerating the approaching horde of infected monsters with precision. Immediately after that, the train seemed to slow as more and more of its defense systems came online.

    Luna quickly looked out her sealed window and almost gasped at the sight. The train was being attacked by strange-looking creatures. They appeared to be a hybrid of wolves and bears, possessing large, muscular bodies and canine faces. Their skins were mottled and rotten, their eyes an eerie shade of purple. White bone spikes protruded from various parts of their bodies, giving them a grotesque and formidable appearance.

    ''I guess I get to see infected this early, how lucky of me.'' With that thought, she was about to open her black briefcase. But a robotic voice sounded from the small speakers in the corner of her room.

    "All mundane humans stay in your containment areas to avoid infection."

    "Designated tier level: Two."

    "Threat: Infected."

    "Situation: Contained."

    "All ascended with range abilities are requested to assist the security unit."

    As soon as the final message rang out, Luna witnessed a spectacle she had never expected to see so soon, a battle unfolding right before her eyes.

    Amidst the chaos, she watched the largest of the infected bear wolves being hurled into the ground with a single devastating punch that killed it instantly. The assailant was a woman clad in a sleek black nanoskin uniform. Her short black hair framed her face with sharp bangs, and her piercing blue eyes blazed with a haunting intensity that matched the ferocity of her attack.

    Without hesitation, she propelled herself towards another bear-wolf, closing the distance in an instant. She then grabbed it by its tail and launched herself into the air. She ascended higher than expected. But Instead of falling back down immediately, she hovered in mid-air with effortless grace.

    She could fly.

    While still in the air, she released her grip on the bear-wolf, letting gravity take over as she descended upon her other targets with formidable force. Like a missile, the woman streaked through the air with breathtaking speed, leaving a resounding bang in her wake as she intercepted another pack of creatures charging towards the train. With a powerful clap, she unleashed a sonic shockwave that reverberated through the air, causing the very train to shudder beneath the force. The creatures were obliterated in an instant, their forms scattered and torn by the sheer impact of her attack.

    As a spectator, Luna''s jaw almost fell. ''Incredible.''

    As if the woman''s devastating attack wasn''t enough to decimate the swarm of infected abominations, waves of radiant arrows rained down from above. The sky momentarily blazed with golden light as each arrow found its mark, obliterating every abomination with precision and finality. Upon impact, the arrows seemed to disperse the black ether within the creatures'' systems, ensuring their complete annihilation in a single strike.

    ''Wow¡­are these the guys helping us out in the Southern Reach?''

    If they were, then Luna had no reason to worry much because what she had just seen was incredible.

    In mere moments, the swarm attacking the train was no more. And their bodies started to crack and crumble to dust since the ether couldn''t keep them together or alive anymore.

    The train soon regained its speed once again and shot forward now that the reactor was no longer powering the defense systems.

    The robotic voice sounded across her room and the entire. It was making an announcement:

    "The threat has been subjugated."

    The red beams of light shut down and the silence once again knocked it.

    That night, Luna slept like a baby.

 Darkness

    When the morning finally came, Luna was already up and ready for another day on this super train.

    Slowly, she was getting used to this whole traveling across dangerous zones thing. Which was a terrifying experience but not as bad as she thought. After witnessing the short-lived battle from last night, Luna was sure of her safety for now. The Ascenders protecting the train must''ve been incredibly skilled to handle an attack so swiftly.

    "It was still incredible.'' She finished changing into formal wear. Her uniform consisted of cargo pants, a navy blue jacket, and a shirt made from nanoskin. The thin material was meant to work as a protection vest that kept track of her vitals while traveling through the wasteland area of the Eastern Settlement. Vitals were important because they helped to track early signs of corruption in humans and give chance to the possibility for treatment.

    The doors of her cabin slid open automatically and her small figure walked into the corridor heading to the next car for breakfast. As a VIP, she could''ve ordered her food to be delivered. But Luna wanted to see the flying lady from last night and maybe even talk to her. Luna had also gained a sudden interest in the identities of every ascender on this train. Knowing them would maybe make life on this train much easier, which was a strategic move.

    ''This feels like I''m collecting IQ points in a game.'' She giggled at her thoughts as she walked to the next car.

    The doors to the diner car slid open. And when she walked in, Luna was met by powerful gazes, coming from every direction. The car was almost full, with ascenders and mundane humans going about with their new lives in the behemoth train. It looked like a normal diner with ordinary people enjoying the morning.

    Ignoring the intense gazes, Luna strolled forward and found herself an empty seat close to a sealed window. Shortly after settling, a robotic waiter delivered her cup of hot coffee and cake, who handed her everything right after she paid for the food.

    Luna let out a weak laugh after she received everything. ''So eating outside my room costs money. Frauds trying to milk the people risking their lives.''

    Just when she was about to grab the cup, the car was suddenly possessed by a dreadfully powerful presence.

    Luna''s eyes instinctively shifted to the doors. But her feeling of urgency died right away. "Oh¡­ it''s her," she said to herself when she recognized the person who had just walked in. The owner of the intense presence.

    ¡­A tall woman with short messy black hair and sharp bangs that elegantly covered her forehead. Her sapphire blue eyes were both frightening and intelligent as they scanned the car filled with people. "Good morning, everyone."

    Her hoarse voice echoed through the car as she walked to an empty pair of seats and sat down. No one seemed particularly bothered by her presence, except Luna, who was utterly starstruck as she studied the woman''s figure.

    Sensing her gaze, the woman''s sharp eyes landed on Luna.

    Luna shivered when she felt the intensity of those piercing blue eyes. ''Huh?''

    "What is it, little girl?" the woman barked at her.

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    "N...Nothing. Wait¡­who the hell are you calling little?" Luna''s outburst came unbidden; she found being called "little" offensive. It might have been true to some extent. But saying it to her face was another matter.

    The woman stared at her for a few moments, her expression bleak and almost bored. "Heh? Who let this child in this car? Or on this train?" the woman suddenly broke into laughter which was a big mistake. "Hey kid, please go find your¡­"

    ''That''s it.''

    Before she finished her sentence, a silver knife flew at her with incredible speed. She caught it effortlessly between her fingers. When she tilted her head to track where the knife had come from, she was a bit surprised. The person who had thrown it was no longer there.

    ''Where did the girl go?''

    In the next instant, Luna appeared in front of her with another knife pressed against her neck.

    The woman''s eyes trembled, shaken by how swiftly the small human had moved. ''So fast. How did she move so fast?'' Her thoughts were cut short by the girl''s bloodlust.

    The pale girl glared at her with a somewhat twisted smile on her pretty face¡ªalmost like a creepy bloodthirsty doll. It would take more than a table knife to harm an ascender, of course. But if harming the woman was her intention then a fully charged punch could''ve left a more lasting impression.

    "What''s the matter? Still think I''m just a little girl?" Luna taunted, her eyes gleaming with defiance.

    Both those who knew who she was and those who didn''t were shocked by her sudden stunt. Who could blame them? None had seen the girl in action till now.

    "Holy shit. It''s Dark Blade."

    "I thought the rumors were just rumors. She can actually match us in speed despite being mundane."

    "Really? I thought Dark Blade had silver hair."

    "No you dumbass¡­that''s her sister."

    Suddenly the car was now drowned in a canopy of whisper as the other passengers stared at the two women, astonished by Luna''s little display.

    Ignoring the chatter, Luna withdrew her knife and cleared her throat. The wicked smile faded, replaced by a calm, indifferent expression. She felt the tension ease slightly, though she knew her identity was now unmistakably revealed.

    "Sorry for that¡­I just hate being mistaken for a child," she said, her tone steady and composed. "I am Luna Feng. You may call me Dark Blade."

    Luna proceeded to offer her hand to the woman who was staring at her with a mixed expression¡ªpart shock, part confusion.

    "Oh! My apologies...!" As if snapping back to her senses, the woman jumped from her seat and bowed respectively. And when she straightened, she stared even more. "You look just like him¡­wow. I am Ascender Darkness of House Ares."

    Luna''s lips curved into a slight smile. She knew the woman was talking about her father. The resemblance between him and her was almost uncanny.

    Technically speaking, Luna was his twin in terms of looks. Though the resemblance wasn''t exact. While her father usually had a warm and handsome feel for the time he was alive. Luna''s features held a distinct, almost haunting beauty. Her skin was paler than his, like porcelain touched by moonlight. Her hair was darker than midnight and contrasted sharply with her fair complexion. Her eyes were the most striking feature. Deep and dark, like twin black holes that seemed to reflect the vastness of the universe. They held an otherworldly allure, drawing people in with their mysterious depth.

    Luna also exuded a dark, enigmatic aura that set her apart from others. It was a stark difference in contrast to the warm presence her father usually carried around. The combination of her striking appearance and the dark energy she radiated created an unforgettable and mesmerizing impression on anyone who encountered her.

    "You fought well last night." Luna began, trying to force a conversation. This is what happens when she doesn''t plan out interactions. If she had predicted this encounter, she would''ve had some notes written down to avoid an awkward conversation.

    Darkness remained silent for a moment as if trying to recall which fight Luna was referring to. Her eyes then brightened with recognition. "Oh, the infected from last night. The House of Ares usually does not consider the infected worthy opponents, so I tend to overlook them. The real battle is at The Crimson Tower. That''s where the real Glory lies."

    Luna raised an eyebrow, slightly shocked by what the woman had just said. "Overlook infected? Your House must truly hold itself in high regard."

    The woman shook her head and laughed. "Not exactly. But when you''ve grown up surrounded by infected, you tend to see things a bit differently. Please, let''s have breakfast together. I will pay for coffee¡­I know it''s cold by now."

 Those Who Control The New World

    Luna had never been outside the Main Districts of the Eastern Settlement. However, that didn''t mean she was ignorant about their world. As a legacy, learning about the rest of the world, the other great houses or clans, the settlements, and who governed them was a must.

    After the fall, humanity couldn''t live on without some control to instill a new form of order. There were currently five settlements in the New World. And before, the settlements were six with one being a section of the moon--which was now classified as a danger zone. The settlements were the only habitable areas on modern-day earth and each one was protected by a Great House. The Eastern Settlement, formerly known as Asia was protected by House Feng. The Western by House Artemis. Central by House Val. Southern by House Night. And the Northern by House Ares, which had just recently become a signed ally of House Feng.

    These Five major houses had only come into the picture fifty years ago and had only grown since then. Each house had an army of powerful ascenders serving directly under them to protect their respective settlements. In other words, the Settlements acted like huge citadels for most houses, and losing one meant you had lost your control over the world.

    For example, when the Moon Settlement fell, The Government and the Houses that ruled it lost their influence on the world. At this time, the government wasn''t as powerful and influential as before losing its settlement. The worldwide organization served as a bridge between mundane humans and the great houses. They also played the role of managing the great houses maintaining order by spreading propaganda and hiding the terrible news from the public. They also had a group of elite ascenders serving under them to maintain security in cities all around the world. While the Great Houses focused on protecting the Realm.

    After having a conversation with Darkness, Luna learned that the Northern Settlement''s surface could no longer support mundane humans due to the overall increase of black ether in the air.

    That''s what the woman meant when she said she grew up surrounded by monsters.

    The settlement hadn''t been lost because they had found a way to survive thanks to the deal they made with House to construct an underground city. The city has been standing for three years now, sustaining mundane humans while Ascenders continued living on the surface because they were immune.

    Even with how far humanity had gone with technology, black ether was something that needed to be studied more if they wanted to find a solution.

    ''Maybe a filtration system that converts it to basic ether. Would that work?'' she mused then shook her head right away. ''No. They require the chemical composition to create a suitable filter.''

    But how do you find the chemical composition of something magical?

    Sigh. There was still so much humanity didn''t know about what was happening to their world. The only guarantee was that they had a fighting chance with more humans being born with divinity in them these days.

    Luna spent the rest day in the diner car after Darkness ended their conversation. Right now, she was almost done with her piece of pie. She paused eating when she suddenly felt a shift in space as the train entered the vicinity of the tower''s influence.

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    "Creepy." The world was suddenly faint as the sun''s light seemed to slowly dim down in its attempt to try and penetrate the dark crimson clouds that hovered over one of the evacuated towns.

    Luna first placed the pie down and closed her eyes to calm her thoughts, then opened them after a few seconds. Adjusting to the magical atmosphere left her with a nauseating feeling. This was a first-time experience for her since she hadn''t trained for this.

    Her communicator blinked red, informing her that the train had entered a red zone.

    ''I''m not blind damn it.'' She scoffed closing the device while stabilizing her breathing.

    The closer they got to the Crimson Tower, the more Luna felt like something was wrong. It''s not she didn''t trust her mother or her clan. But, with how everything was progressing, Luna felt like it was too smooth.

    The plan was too perfect, everything was going smoothly.

    What if they encountered a sovereign-ranked being?

    She leaned back in her seat and faced the roof. "You''re just being paranoid, Luna. You need to let loose."

    ***

    Captain Snow was quiet in his office, staring at the monitors in front of him with a bored expression. After a brief while, he yawned loudly as he shifted his eyes to the massive ancient structure towering not so far away from the command building he was in.

    The Crimson Tower was gigantic, casting a dark shadow over the town they had chosen for a main base. Surrounded by dark crimson clouds and engulfed in red sparks of lightning, it emanated a captivating and formidable presence. From what they had observed, the tower was capable of affecting the natural order which was a rare and powerful ability that was reserved solely for calamities like Black Ether.

    The tower arrived two months ago and the military had been watching it since then. Its dormancy was concerning, but since nothing could get it opened, the Government decided to initiate the relocation of occupants to keep the infection numbers as low as possible.

    Staring at one of the former capitals of the Southern Reach, the young man couldn''t help but feel pity for its previous occupants. Capitals weren''t like towns that were simple to reconstruct. Capitals were the people.

    Without the people, cities could not exist technically speaking. To be honest, this entire place was on its way to becoming a real wasteland since its effects couldn''t be reversed. And because the structure was indestructible from the outside, subjugating it was all they were capable of for now.

    While he was still thinking, his wrist communicator blinked with a beep noise. He pressed accept and a familiar holographic face was projected from the device.

    Even with the weak network tearing some parts of her image into pixels, Lena Feng was still beautiful.

    "Reaper. How nice it is to see you again. How is the situation in the Reach?"

    "The Evacuation was successful. The engineers are currently setting up the barrier projectors and they''ll be up in about thirty to fifty minutes, the here power is very unstable."

    Lena smiled briefly¡ªwhich was very rare for the most part¡ªand said:

    "The Generals are on their way right now, the expected ETA is sixty minutes. Myself included. I also request for a file on each ascender participating in this operation and information on the suit I ordered for."

    Snow froze for a moment. "Why would she need a prototype suit though? Do you think she can draw out its full power?"

    Lena shrugged from the other end. She also didn''t have a clear answer to that question. "I''ve trained with her multiple times, recently. She''s gotten stronger. See this."

    Another holographic display appeared next to Lena. On it, it displayed Luna''s recent overall body statistics. These statistics were from a secret project run by the clan to understand where her physical strength came from.

    Sure, it could be the dense molecular structure that made up her body structure or the special blood that ran through her veins. Or something entirely new.

    His eyes widened as he studied the overall results while Lena waited in the background with a proud smug on her face. "Incredible. How did she grow so fast? We only do these tests once a year and the change is usually significant enough. But this¡­"

    "I know. So will she be able to use the suit?"

    "I''m not sure, but I''m confident she will handle the rush of having zenshi in her system. After that, drawing out its power is up to her."

    Lena was excited after his reply. "That is all I needed to hear. Thank you, Captain Snow."

    Snow was about to speak when the communicator''s screen stopped projecting. She has ended the transmission.

    "Little brat," he hissed.

 Breach 1

    Later in the evening, Luna found herself unable to get some rest.

    Her palms were sweaty, her hands trembled intensely, and her heart pounded loudly as if it was about to explode out of her chest. All of this was due to one feeling that she couldn''t compress¡­a feeling of impending doom. The train had entered one of the evacuated cities and the eeriness around her made Luna''s entire being shiver. This part of the journey wasn''t like the empty wastelands they had crossed before. Here, there were signs of corruption everywhere, leaving the former city empty and silent as an actual grave. It was difficult to believe there were millions of people living here.

    Earlier today, they were briefed and informed that this was the most infected area in the Southern Reach because their systems failed to detect the black ether in the air. So by the time the evacuation began, it was too late and most of the humans were already in the final phase of turning into infected.

    Everyone on the train, whether mundane or ascender, needed to stay on guard because some of those infected had grown too powerful in a short span of time because of the single factor of having the spark of divinity dormant in their systems. The army had done its best to wipe out as many as they could but failed due to their shortage of ascenders. The best they were able to do was push the infected to the deeper parts of the city and let them feast on each other in a specific territory.

    ***

    Luna was now waiting in one of the first cars, where most mundane soldiers were gathered. They were armed with magical artillery to give them a fighting chance against black ether abominations should the worst come to happen. Most of them held plasma swords, that contained a zenshi charged crystals in the hilt. While others held crystal-charged guns to defend themselves and the train in case of an attack.

    Luna on the other hand held her beautiful black katana forged from enchanted steel. Its blade did not reflect light but rather seemed to absorb it as she continued to hold on to it. The sword was special in a way that it had two enchantments: one that made it durable and another that granted her the ability to cut through almost anything as long as she desired it. The person who forged it for her made it so that it didn''t need zenshi to activate these two enchantments, making it the only one of its kind.

    In her family, every member had a sword that fit them perfectly. The special forge-masters of her clan used special materials from the divine realm to create weapons capable of holding powerful enchantments like the ones on Luna''s sword. To them, blades were extensions of a swordsman''s soul. So when a person of their bloodline died, they were usually buried with their sword because it was part of their soul.

    "Nervous?"

    Luna raised her neck to see the owner of the voice. It was a young female soldier holding a cup of coffee in one hand. She was offering it to her with a warm smile.

    "Yes¡­I am." Luna replied honestly and accepted the cup of coffee before turning her beautiful gaze to the window. Everyone, including herself, was tense because of the current situation. Nothing had happened yet, but the ascenders capable of flight were already scouting and monitoring the train from above.

    Darkness was among them.

    "I''m not the only one, I guess," Luna added after noticing the strange look the woman was giving her. She had short black wavy hair with a few white strands in her locks. Her beautiful face was complimented by a few freckles which highlighted more of her genuine looks.

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    "Well, I''m not good at being brave." The woman laughed nervously.

    Luna studied the woman for a few moments. ''Why is this woman in the army? Isn''t she worried for her life, at all? Doesn''t she know often died in these operations, especially mundane humans?''

    Luna wasn''t mundane, she could survive. But the woman in front of her looked so¡­Fragile and innocent despite looking much older than Luna herself.

    The car was filled with mostly young men and women. They all carried stoic expressions, which Luna found strange in the first place. No one seemed worried for their life apart from the young lady in sitting front of her. It almost made her think that Lady Astrid had placed everyone here under her mind-controlling powers.

    "I''m Mira, a lieutenant serving the government. I''ve heard a lot about you, Miss Lunaris. You seem to be the main topic here, surpassing even the mighty Lady Darkness."

    ''Oh, a fan?''

    Luna didn''t feel flattered by her words. Attention was up there as one of her most powerful enemies. As a gamer, attention meant more credits to update her software and buy exclusive gear. But as a legacy, attention meant that people expected great things from you. These soldiers, including Mira, probably felt safer knowing that the Flame of Winter''s daughter was fighting alongside them. That they wouldn''t die because Flame of Winter''s daughter was here.

    Luna didn''t want to feel responsible for their deaths or even their hope. Hence why she kept an unapproachable look until now. ''Where did she get the guts to approach me?''

    "I am from Hansho, my little sister is in your class. She says so many things about you..." Mira continued her introductions, her nervousness was as clear as day. it''s like she wasn''t even trying to hide it.

    Luna slightly smiled at the mention of her class. ''Small world.''

    "Really? So you''re a highblood?" she questioned, now curious about the young lady.

    Mira, however, shook her head in response. "Not by blood. I was raised in a sect and later adopted by the noble house of Hong. I joined the government to earn my house glory and prestige."

    Luna studied the woman even more. It was rare to see a mundane adopted by a noble house and given the family name. This meant that the Hongs were either good people or Mira was a skilled fighter who didn''t break easily.

    ''I choose the latter.''

    "This isn''t my first operation, you know," the young soldier began, her voice tinged with a hint of anxiety. "I''ve assisted in fights against giant birds with tentacles that slice through anything in their path. Battled a giant snake with the power to control corpses. Truth be told, being a government soldier is exhausting."

    She clasped her trembling hands together. She then locked her eyes with Luna and shifted them once she felt even more anxious. "Every time I fight, I wonder if it''s going to be my last day. It feels like I''m gambling life."

    Luna, who had never faced any of those creatures suddenly felt bad for the young lady. Maybe she wasn''t going to die during this operation. The person Luna had to be worried about was herself--she had zero to no experience when it came to all of this.

    As they were still having their conversation, the train''s robotic voice came online and made an announcement that caused a stir in their car:

    "Reactor damaged, self-repair system is now online."

    Immediately, all the soldiers in the car sprang into action, drawing their weapons. Even Mira regained her composure and activated her plasma blade¡ªa thin, long weapon glowing with blue energy that resembled flames flowing from the hilt.

    ''Something has breached into the train without being noticed. This oddly feels familiar.''

    Just then, Luna noticed what was wrong. "I''ve got to get to the main car," she muttered urgently to herself as she picked up her sword and rushed to the end of their car.

    ''Crap...'' The doors burst open after one power kick from her as her mind started calculating the situation. The attacker had chosen to attack the reactor first; their main source of power and the reason why everyone was still alive despite the ether in the air. If it damaged the reactor, the self-repair system would require a great amount of power, forcing it to shut down some systems. Stopping the train wasn''t an option in this zone, it meant death.

    So Luna had to reach the main car, defend the reactor, and ensure their survival somehow. ''If the defense system goes offline, black ether could seep into the train.'' she thought as moved faster to the next car without looking back.

    All those mundane soldiers, including herself, would get corrupted if the system went offline for more than ten minutes.

    With a fierce swing of her weapon, Luna cleaved through the thick iron doors leading to the reactor room as though they were mere paper. Luna was greeted by a scene of chaos and danger as the doors fell away. The first figure she saw was an old man in a lab coat lying motionless on the floor before her. His coat was stained by the red color of blood.

    The sight sent a jolt of adrenaline through Luna''s veins. She recognized him immediately¡ªthe chief technician with the uncanny ability to peer into machinery. They had only exchanged brief words when she had boarded the train, but now his presence in this dire situation added an extra layer of urgency to the already tense atmosphere.

    The old man was dead.

    ...Along with his entire team of ascenders.

 Breach 2

    ''Damn it.''

    Luna stared at the bodies strewn across the room. The technical ascender team, consisting of seventeen powerful ascenders, lay defeated. Each of them was formidable enough to handle an Infected on their own.

    How did they lose?

    The question echoed in her mind, adding to the tension and urgency of the moment. Luna''s grip remained on her weapon as she scanned the room for any signs of movement or clues that might explain what had transpired here. The air was thick with dread, and she knew she had to act quickly to prevent further disaster.

    The lighting in the main car flickered on and off as she slowly moved past the fallen team. She proceeded with absolute caution, each step deliberate, her senses on high alert. She needed to get to the reactor room and find a way to restore its power without compromising the defense systems.

    The sound of sporadic gunfire outside the train reached her ears, signaling that the abominations had begun their attack. The sense of urgency intensified, but Luna remained focused. They only needed to survive this night before receiving help from the army. And Luna had believed they would make it through. The train had powerful ascenders like Darkness and Gail--who could decimate a horde of monsters with his mystical arrows--protecting it.

    The doors to the power room slid open with a hiss, revealing the dark interior. Luna gripped her dark blade tightly, her knuckles turning almost white. She forced herself to control her breathing, expanding her perception with qi, in an attempt to sense anything that might be lurking in the shadows.

    As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she saw something...A figure stood motionless next to the large steel sphere that housed the reactor. Thick cables snaked from the sphere, pulsating with a faint, eerie glow.

    The man''s right hand was gone, replaced by a charred, blackened stump. Despite the gruesome injury, he showed no signs of pain. His indigo eyes were locked onto the reactor with an unnatural intensity, and his blond hair hung limply over his pallid face, obscuring his features in the dim light.

    A chill ran down Luna''s spine. She sensed no qi coming from him, confirming her worst fears¡ªhe was undead and infected.

    "Who are you?" Luna''s voice wavered slightly, betraying her fear. "What are you doing here?"

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    The man turned his head slowly, the movement unnatural and jerky. A twisted smile spread across his lips when his eyes met hers, and Luna felt a wave of nausea. His eyes were empty, devoid of life, yet they held a malevolent intelligence. "I''m here to finish what I started," he rasped, his voice echoing in the confined space. "And you, little human. Are no match for me."

    Luna''s heart raced. Her grip didn''t loosen, not even one bit. This thing of a man could talk like a real human. Was her first fight going to be this one? Did Fates really hate her this much?

    "I think I can handle you." Her enchanted blade sang when she made it sharper.

    The man''s smile widened, and Luna''s stomach churned. She lunged forward, her blade aimed at his heart. But. In a dire flash, he moved faster than Luna could have anticipated. Dodging her strike effortlessly. His movement had been a blur, almost untrackable by the human eye.

    At the same, Luna felt a cold clammy hand close around her wrist. His touch was ice-cold, sending a shock through her body. She twisted, trying to break free, but his grip was iron-clad.

    "Such a feeble attempt," he sneered, his face inches away from hers. His breath was foul, like rotting meat and Luna fought the urge to gag. His hand leaked Black Ether, and it was slowly trying to get into her system.

    With a surge of energy, she wrenched her wrist free and swung her blade in a wide arc. The edge caught him across the chest and he staggered back, a dark, viscous fluid oozing from the wound.

    However, the man''s smile never faltered. "You have spirit, human. Even for an unblessed," he said, his voice a mocking hiss.

    Suddenly the black hand regrew anew, taking away the one advantage she had.

    ''Ah, shit.'' Luna''s mind raced. She had to think quickly. This was her first fight against such a monstrosity, and she couldn''t afford to falter. She steadied her breathing, focusing her mind once more. She wasn''t going to let fear overwhelm her.

    Not now when her life depended on it.

    "An unblessed thinking they can go against me. Has the world gone mad after the fall?" His indigo eyes bore into Luna''s, mocking and full of dark amusement. Then, in a swift motion, a sword wreathed in dark purple flames materialized in his right hand¡ªthe telltale sign of corruption.

    Luna tensed, steeling herself as he unleashed an arc of searing flames towards her. With practiced precision, she intercepted the attack, her blade slicing through the air with a fierce downward cut that nearly cleaved the man in two. He evaded at the last moment, landing lightly on the ground. Before he could retaliate, Luna channeled her resolve into a devastating punch against the wall. The force of her blow sent shockwaves through the car, rattling the steel and emphasizing her formidable strength.

    The man staggered back, the pain evident on his face as Luna''s blade severed his corrupted right hand. She wasted no time, shifting her sword''s position to strike at the undead''s torso. she was aiming to end the confrontation swiftly. However, he still deftly stopped her attack with his remaining hand, the chilling smile never leaving his face.

    Luna met his gaze squarely, fear coursing through her but determination holding firm.

    "Such resolve," the undead mocked, his voice filled with dark amusement. "You mortals truly fascinate me... It brings back memories. Truly. I am Raphael, servant of Corruption."

    Luna leaped backward, narrowly evading his reach with the newly formed right arm. She knew from her earlier encounter that any contact with the corruption could spell disaster for her.

    "Hello, Raphael," Luna retorted, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. "Looks like I''m your exterminator for the day... or night."

    "The pleasure is all mine, unblessed."

    "It''s Lunaris Feng, you twat."

    The undead man smiled, summoned more flames, and lunged at her with unnatural speed.

    Luna braced herself for the fight, feeling both excited and terrified.

    The flickering lights, the distant gunfire, and the oppressive darkness all seemed to close in around her.

    For the first time in her life, Luna felt like she was now part of the great fight for survival.

    ''And I am not ready to lose on my first day.''

 Breach 3

    Chaos reigned supreme around the train, a relentless wave of infected abominations and cursed beasts were surging toward the moving behemoth with alarming speed.

    Even Darkness, a seasoned warrior from the Northern Settlement, had never witnessed such a massive convergence of monsters.

    ¡®It¡¯s like something is drawing them towards the train.¡¯

    "Oh gods, what the hell is that?" an ascender beside her exclaimed, his voice tinged with fear. He was one of the few ascenders who could fly and a skilled archer whose abilities were a crucial asset in their defense.

    "What else does it look like smartass? Your fangirls?" Darkness snickered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

    With a flourish, Darkness then summoned her weapons. Blue flames erupted from her left hand, coalescing into a finely crafted silver double-edged sword, its blade ablaze with the same ethereal flames. While the infected could be subdued with conventional artillery, the cursed beasts required the power of zenshi to be fully vanquished since they were not from their realm.

    The young man also proceeded to summon his forged weapon; a complicated but beautiful gold and white bow with a single golden string where his arrows manifested.

    Darkness had witnessed him in action before, during the bear-wolf skirmish. So she knew his abilities were formidable.

    Unlike Manifested weapons that were replicas created by zenshi, Forged weapons drew their strength from their user''s Aura.

    Darkness was also aware that Gail''s Aura was undeniably powerful and capable of delivering breathtaking attacks. They had only spoken briefly after the last fight. Its during then that she learned that they were both high-ranked ascenders in the service of the Great House¡ªa commonality among the ascenders on the train.

    "Fan girls? Maybe you''re one of them," Gail teased, his golden eyes sparkling as if they held the light of the sun.

    Darkness smirked, her eyes not leaving the approaching horde. "Keep dreaming, golden boy"

    In preparation, she sent her suit a mental command through the neuron sensors connected to her brain, and it began to transform. The fabric flowed like liquid as the nanomites reshaped it into something tougher. A metal shield formed around her right arm and her body was encased in a material that looked like steel armor.

    "Damn... it''s like real armor," she muttered, marveling at the lightness of the suit despite its metallic appearance. It fitted perfectly, even offering the option of a helmet.

    "Looking good, Daughter of Ares," Gail called out, flashing a grin as he soared toward the horde at incredible speed, a golden arrow already manifesting between his bow.

    He nocked it, aiming for a towering corrupted beast that looked like a giant hairy man. It had cracks over its skin and mad violet eyes.

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    By the time it noticed the flying archer, a golden arrow had already gone through its head and it was falling backward, landing on other abominations.

    Gail''s arrows were infused with the power to destroy black ether. In short, one arrow was enough to kill an infected. And because the arrows were an extension of his Aura, he could fire as many as he could as long as his Soul Gate fed him zenshi.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± He inhaled a deep potion of the air and tapped into his second gate. He felt his reserves of zenshi drain when he enforced his will on his Aura.

    Without drawing his bow, the air crackled with energy as more of his magical arrows manifested from nothing and lit up the night sky when he released them. Each one was a streak of golden light that found its mark with unerring accuracy. He was a force of nature, his attacks relentless and precise. The monsters stood no chance against his onslaught.

    For now, at least.

    The other ascenders were also holding off the infecting humans and creatures, each using their abilities effectively and accurately to wipe out the threats. No one had called upon their summons, yet. Which was a good thing.

    Darkness observed the fight for a while, her keen eyes scanning the battlefield for worthy opponents. The infected monsters were useless to her, she needed powerful cursed beasts to quench her thirst for victory. That''s where the true Glory was.

    After a few moments of searching through the chaos, her gaze locked onto a particular beast at the back of the horde. Gail''s arrows had struck it¡ªsome were still embedded in its flesh¡ªbut the creature moved as if unbothered by the injuries. Standing nearly five meters tall, it resembled a grotesquely muscular human with a dog-like face and a hairy body.

    Darkness''s lips curled into a smile. It was a rare lycanthrope, a cursed creature. Its empty dark eyes radiated a chilling malevolence.

    ''That will earn me glory,'' she thought, her heart pounding with excitement.

    With that resolve, she dropped from the sky, her descent like a falling meteor. She then plowed through hundreds of abominations with her shield, the impact sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Her Aura, a manifestation of the concept of Gravity, allowed her to manipulate the force around her.

    By changing the intensity of the gravitational force around her, Darkness could hit her enemies with punches heavier than trucks if she wanted to.

    Noticing her, the cursed creature¡¯s eyes immediately ignited. It opened its mouth and unleashed a sonic attack in her direction. Darkness dodged by taking the higher ground, her movements swift. The monsters caught in the path of the sonic blast screeched and died from the blast after their bodies exploded into piles of flesh.

    Once it closed its mouth, Darkness seized the moment and shot forward before the beast could release another sonic roar. With a determined roar, she rammed the surface of her shield into its chest with tremendous force.

    Thanks to her abilities, the impact of her attack sent the cursed creature flying, crashing into other weaker monsters and ending them instantly.

    Darkness slowly floated down. Her armored feet touched the ground with a resounding thud. She took her first step and the ground beneath her was crushed by the weight of the gravity field she manipulated. Any creature that attempted to attack was destroyed the moment it got too close, disintegrated by the intense gravitational force surrounding her.

    Her target staggered to its feet, shaking its head as if trying to recover from the disorientation her attack had caused. Its mad, dark eyes locked onto her once again, and it howled¡ªa sound filled with rage and defiance.

    "Come and earn me some glory!" Darkness laughed maniacally, her voice echoing through the battlefield. She lunged at the beast with ferocious speed.

    The lycanthrope prepared another sonic blast. But, it was too late. The crazy daughter of war was already upon it, her burning sword slicing through the air. The blade struck true, cleaving into the monster''s torso. The cursed creature let out a guttural roar of pain, its dark blood splattering across the ground.

    Darkness''s eyes gleamed with a fierce light as she jumped back to avoid its claws--and pressed her advantage. She swung her sword again and again, each strike fueled by her unyielding resolve. The lycanthrope fought back with savage ferocity, but it was no match for her relentless assault. The wound in its torso also slowed down, making it easier for Darkness.

    ¡°AHHHHHH!¡±

    With a final, powerful swing, Darkness moved and severed its head from its body. The beast''s massive form collapsed to the ground, its lifeless eyes staring into the void.

    Darkness stood over her fallen foe, her chest heaving with exertion.

    The battlefield was quieter now and the horde of infected had significantly diminished. The other ascenders were mopping up the remaining abominations, their combined efforts securing the train''s safety.

    The feeling of earning glory was indeed still the best in the world. The house of Ares considered itself the last of what remained of the god of war. To them, war was the source of glory. If they didn''t fight to earn that glory, the god of war would be fully forgotten.

    Being forgotten was the harshest and yet the truest form of death.

    Giving one final look at the dead humanoid wolf, Darkness launched herself into the air, slicing through a few lingering abominations on her way back to the train. However, the satisfaction of victory was short-lived as something unexpected occurred¡­.

    The tungsten rail guns attached to the train, which had been firing relentlessly to keep the horde at bay, suddenly stopped. Darkness hovered in the air for a moment, her eyes wide with shock.

    "What the hell?"

 Breach 4

    "Lieutenant, I need support!" yelled a soldier, his voice battling with the sound of his powerful machine gun.

    Mira¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the monstrous abomination that had breached the train''s defenses. It resembled a colossal tarantula, its violet-cracked carapace oozing with black ether. A mere touch from its tendrils spelled the risk of getting infected.

    "On it"

    Mira wasted no time to act. With abilities honed through years of training, she aimed her weapon at the beast''s legs, trying to destabilize it. Her shots were on target, but the creature''s tough hide deflected most of her bullets. Panic gripped her as she realized their firepower might not be enough against this monstrosity.

    The ascenders who could have supported them were elsewhere, dealing with their own battles in other train cars.

    Mira gritted her teeth, knowing they were alone in this fight. The defense systems, crucial for keeping the infected at bay, were offline at the moment and some creatures had found a way of getting onto the train. Soon, they were going to become infected themselves if nothing was done about this.

    The creature then lunged, its speed and ferocity catching them and herself off guard. In the next moments, chaos erupted as it tore through soldiers with its mandibles that were strong enough to rip through flesh and break human bones with horrifying ease.

    ¡°This is bad. This is very bad.¡± Mira''s heart sank as clear screams echoed across the car, each one a stark reminder of the stakes they faced. This is what they had signed up for.

    Gripping her gun, she began firing relentlessly at the creature and managed to blind one of its black eyes out of sheer luck. Unfortunately, it wasn''t enough to halt its advance. She watched in horror as it cut through their ranks, leaving a trail of death and corruption in its wake. But that didn''t stop anyone from attacking.

    Mira¡¯s eyes trembled at the sight of the towering beast as it got closer and closer. Everyone here carried a zenshi-powered weapon, supposed to be capable of harming the infected.

    But¡­

    This infected one seemed different. It wasn''t dying after all the bullets that had penetrated its carcass.

    ''We''re all going to die here.'' That''s all she thought as she viciously pressed the trigger of her weapon. And when she finally ran out of charge, she made a split-second decision to attack. With agility born of desperation, she darted past the soldiers, slid under the creature''s towering legs, and reached its blind side.

    Mira then drew her energy sword in one fluid motion and swung at one of its toughed legs. The creature let out a weak roar and dared to attack her.

    Luckily, another soldier managed to snap out of his terror and started shooting at the abomination with absolute madness and fury burning in his eyes.

    His actions turned its attention away from its attacker. And brought Mira enough time to climb on top of the creature¡¯s head and plunge the plasma sword right through it with all her strength. Once its brain was destroyed by the zenshi, the creature stopped moving and collapsed on the floor before drying up and turning into black ash.

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    The black ether must¡¯ve been the only thing keeping its body moving.

    Even though they had won, no soldier bothered to smile or dare to celebrate because the creature''s death meant nothing if the defense system was offline this meant that black ether was now in the air and more monsters were going to find a way into the train.

    Why were they so fixated on getting in?

    Looking out the window, Mira¡¯s face even paled more when she noticed that more infected were marching towards the moving train.

    Why were they suddenly coming at them? And why were there so many infected in a place that had been just evacuated recently?

    Something else was at play here. She could feel it.

    With an exhausted sigh, she counted down the soldiers left in their car. Only twenty of the seventy soldiers meant to protect the main car were left.

    ''The weak are not meant to exist in this world.''

    Those were the words her master kept telling her when she was still at the Sect. While there, Mira watched her friends awaken and leave her behind because she lacked divinity. That''s just how this damn world worked¡­The weak die, and the strong fight to survive. The Hong family only picked her because their oldest son was weak and she was strong despite being a mundane human.

    She was given better training from better martial artists and even some small insight on how to use qi in detecting enemies. Mira had hoped that there was more to qi. But sadly, the knowledge of the great mystical art was lost thousands of years ago before the Fall.

    Thinking back to how she has lived her life. Mia only wanted one thing¡­

    to Survive.

    The only reason she always came back alive from most missions was because she wanted to survive. She survived by either clinging to the strongest ones, running away, or fighting for her life when she had no choice like today. She had planned on sticking closer to the great Dark Blade, daughter of the Flame of Winter.

    But all her plans were blown away when Luna rushed off to the reactor room without warning.

    Mira wanted to follow, but if the creature there was strong enough to get Luna''s attention, who was she to join?

    ''Gods. Why is living so hard? Can''t I just be doing twenty-four-year-old things?'' Mira sighed and stared at the young soldiers. She almost felt bad for what she was about to do.

    Using her sword as a cane, she faced the men and put on a determined face before she spoke. "We will fortify our defense and hold our stand here. Anyone with severe signs of corruption, end your life and at least die as a human. We only have eight minutes before the black ether starts affecting our bodies. And if they elapse before the reactor comes back on, it was nice knowing you all."

    They only needed to survive for one night. Though the night now felt longer. The situation outside was worse due to the fact more cursed creatures had decided to join in on the fun. The smell of blood here was getting stronger and drawing their attention.

    The ascenders outside seemed to be more than capable of holding their own against the ferocious monsters.

    Many of the creatures had already fallen at the hands of the summoned beasts that held mystical powers. Even in the dark sky, they could see a glowing winged beast soaring through it with lightning shooting out of its wings and frying them instantly.

    ¡°We will live.¡±

    The soldiers got to work quickly as they prepared for what was to come. First, they replaced the crystals in their weapons and got into position. Those who were corrupted jumped out of the train while some killed themselves.

    ''Like samurai committing seppuku.'' she thought as she watched the two scenes unfold. Those who ran feared death while those who killed themselves feared losing their humanity.

    ''How poetic.'' Mira thought and looked away from the scene.

    When she thought there was no hope, the train trembled and hummed back to life immediately. Then, they all heard the robotic voice announce once again.

    "Self-repair complete. Defense system online."

    A strange energy washed over the entire train and the mundane humans. The broken windows resealed themselves as the reactor''s power expelled all the black ether lingering in the air.

    Before Mira and the soldiers could celebrate, another tremor happened. This one violently shook the train.

    Dum¡­Dum¡­

    Mira quickly reached for a metal pole and stared at the newly sealed door leading to the reactor room. In the next moment, she witnessed something shoot through the thick metallic walls guarding their car and landing right next to her.

    Her eyes remained on the thick door as the air suddenly left her lungs. ¡°what the the¡­¡± She had no words for what just happened. The entire car full of soldiers was suddenly silent when her terrified gaze moved to see what had just penetrated the thick walls and her heart sank immediately.

    ¡­It was none other than the girl she was talking to earlier. Her dark hair was filled with dust and metal and her pale skin was covered with burnt marks, revealing the flesh underneath. It was also covered in violet cracks of black ether.

    Lady Lunaris was unconscious and she had been infected.

 Flame Of Winter

    The night grew colder with each passing moment, a bitter chill continuously permeated the air as if being affected by an external force. Below the ominous night sky, the battlefield stretched out like a desolate wasteland. The once bustling town was now reduced to ruins and rubble. Its streets were empty and its buildings were mere shadows against the backdrop of chaos. The few standing structures bore the scars of previous battles, their walls marred by scorch marks and shattered windows. There was no sign of a single human in miles since this area had already been evacuated.

    Amidst the eerie night, a relentless march of grotesque abominations advanced with an unsettling determination. Their movements were primal, either driven by an insatiable hunger for human souls and blood or an inexplicable urge to converge upon the fast-moving machine that sliced through the darkness with unwavering purpose.

    The train, a sleek behemoth of modern technology, cut through the nightly darkness with its two bright beacons acting as swords that pointed forward. The train was a lifeline for those aboard, a refuge during the chaos--but also a target for the ravenous creatures that were swarming around it. In the distance, the fight against the ascenders and the monsters hadn''t come to an end, yet. The monster numbers had only increased--making their fight for survival even harder than before. The sounds of flesh tearing, roars from both summons and monsters, and cackling of energy echoed throughout the battlefield.

    Amidst their relentless march towards the fast-moving train, something incredible occurred¡­.

    A strange hush fell over the battlefield as if an unseen hand had pressed pause on the chaos. The monsters, driven by instinct and hunger, froze in their tracks. Their movements ceased, and the air grew heavy with a palpable silence that surpassed even cemeteries. It was as though the very essence of the night held its breath, waiting with bated silence to witness the unfolding events.

    The creatures, with their twisted forms, stood motionless, their hypnotic gazes fixed upon the distant train.

    Had they sensed a greater threat? Was it a momentary lapse in their aggression, or a sinister strategy unfolding in the dark recesses of their minds?

    No.

    It''s because they were all dead.

    ***

    Luna gasped for air and coughed back to life. The metallic tang of blood filled her mouth, a stark reminder of the battle raging around her and a reminder that she was still alive after taking the full force of that previous strike. Her entire being seemed to be in a pain she had never felt until today. It hurt...it hurt like hell!

    Mira stood nearby, her face a mask of fear and concern. "Lady Feng¡­" Mira''s voice trembled, her eyes darting between Luna and the approaching danger.

    "I am fine," Luna hissed, her vision slowly clearing. She pushed herself up, ignoring the throbbing ache in her bones. How long had she been unconscious? Minutes felt like hours in this relentless fight.

    "The undead!" Her gaze darted around the car, searching for any sign of their adversary. And then, with a suddenness that sent a shiver down her spine, Raphael materialized before them, his presence a sinister specter in the dimly lit space.

    "You think I am like them? Foolish girl," Raphael sneered, his twisted form looming closer.

    Luna''s muscles tensed, her mind racing as she assessed the situation. With no weapon in sight, Luna improvised by seizing a metal plate from the ground. With a fierce throw, she hurled it towards Raphael. He dodged it easily, his laughter echoing off the walls as he closed in on the pair.

    Mira on the other hand remained frozen, her eyes wide with terror. Thoughts raced through her mind. How did it come to this? They were already outnumbered and outmatched. Now this creature seemed to hold its own against a legacy like Luna.

    "Get away from here, damn it!" Luna''s roar snapped her out of the daze. Mira almost jumped as she tried to find anywhere to run. Even her fellow seemed to be in the same situation.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.Drawing upon her remaining strength, Luna launched herself into action, her movements a blur of determination. Each strike was a calculated risk, a dance with death as she dodged and countered with the ferocity of a cornered animal. But Raphael was no ordinary foe. His resilience was matched only by his malevolence, his twisted laughter a chilling reminder of how dangerous he was and that he saw no threat in Luna. To him, she was probably an insect to toy with.

    After delivering another weak blow that he blocked with ease, Luna staggered back and coughed more blood--the cracks on her hands growing even more. Raphael''s immortality is what made him a difficult foe. Her fists seemed to slow his regeneration, but every blow risked exposure to corruption. If she let herself get infected by any more Black Ether, her body would give in...turning her into a walking corpse.

    Gods, if only she could use zenshi.

    Noticing her sorry state, Raphael laughed even more. Everyone except for Luna seemed to be frozen in place by his insane level of bloodlust. "Your body isn''t going to last any longer, unfortunately."

    Luna couldn''t help but agree with his observation. Special as she was, her body had reached its limits and it was on the verge of breaking down. In fact, it was a miracle she was still conscious despite the pain she felt at the moment. However, it was clear that if she pushed herself any further, she would either die or succumb to the Black Ether that was in her system at the moment.

    She looked at the silver bracelet on her scarred hand. The limiter was still displaying the number 3%. The thought of forcing out her strength crossed her mind. But she crossed it out when she remembered the delicate state her body was in right now.

    ''Am I going to die here?''

    Just after she asked herself that question, a chilling presence filled the air and the temperature of the room took a massive drop that even caught Raphael off-guard. Luna was quick to recognize this effect. Yes, she knew the owner of this presence.

    Her eyes widened in surprise when out of nowhere, a hand pale hand patted her shoulder. Quickly, her gaze traced the hand up to the woman standing behind her. "Mom?" her voice came out crooked and dry before breaking into another bloody cough.

    Yes. The Flame of Winter, her mother, a vision of icy beauty amidst the chaos--was casually standing behind her. Luna almost sighed with relief, though the possibility of it being a hallucination lingered.

    Flame of Winter''s gaze softened momentarily as she looked at her daughter. "You''ve fought bravely, Lunaris. Rest now," she said gently, a rare note of affection in her voice.

    Then, she turned to Raphael, her expression hardening to ice.

    As soon as he noticed her ferocious presence, the infected demeanor shifted, his bravado faltering as he locked eyes with the majestic figure beside Luna. No one knew where Flame of Winter had come from, how she had arrived, or when she arrived.

    ¡­Only that her arrival spelled doom for any who crossed her.

    "I will teach this fool a lesson not to mess with my children," Flame of Winter''s voice was calm yet carried an undertone of ferocious anger.

    Raphael attempted to retreat, sensing his imminent defeat, but Flame of Winter halted him effortlessly. By expelling her divine ability, she encased his entire body in ice, leaving only his head exposed.

    After passing her daughter to a shocked Mira¡ªwho was finding it hard to believe that she was looking at one of the strongest humans on earth¡ªFlame of Winter stepped forward and the air around her crackled with frigid energy. The temperature in the car plummeted even more with frost now creeping along the walls. The breath of every soldier was visible in the chilled air but none of them felt cold.

    The soldiers, who had been battling despair, now stood in awe and relief, their morale bolstered by her presence.

    "Who sent you?" Her voice reverberated through the car, commanding and powerful.

    Raphael''s defiance crumbled. "No one. I sought chaos for its own sake."

    Flame of Winter''s silver hair billowed in the cold breeze she conjured with her very presence. Her chilling grey eyes stared at him with no emotion, her aura a stark contrast to Raphael''s corruption. "You''re lying," Flame of Winter''s gaze bore into Raphael, her patience waning.

    Before Raphael could defend himself, she shattered his arm with a gesture, sending him into a wail of agony. His screams echoed across the train, a chilling testament to her power.

    Everyone else, the soldiers, the ascenders present, and Luna herself remained dead silent. it was horrifying to watch a scene like this unfold. And yet, it brought Luna some relief, knowing that that bastard felt pain.

    Flame of Winter waited for the screams to stop. And when they stopped she continued. "This isn''t my first rodeo, dark servant. Now. The truth."

    Raphael''s resolve crumbled under her icy gaze. "I am the servant of Corruption. My Master sent me to sow chaos and eliminate an anomaly aboard this train."

    "What anomaly?"

    The infected shook his head with an intensity. "I don''t know. My job was to destroy the reactor and let the horde take care of the rest. The anomaly is not supposed to reach the Blood Tower¡­that''s all I was told." Raphael confessed, his voice tinged with resignation.

    ''Blood Tower? Is that what they call the Crimson Tower?'' Luna listened to Raphael carefully. If she wasn''t too damn weak at the moment, then maybe she would have given it more thought.

    Flame of Winter remained silent for a few moments. Then, without giving the intelligent infected a warning, a white spike shot out of the ground and pierced directly through his heart. "Thank you for the information, dark servant. I would''ve let you go, but you''ve caused great harm to my daughter and many of my men are dead because of you. Your punishment will be eternal death."

    Once those words left her mouth, his insides started to turn to ice as Flame of Winter''s power destroyed him from within. The Ice spread angry poison, carrying a vicious will of its own.

    Raphael''s laughter echoed hollowly, mocking his inevitable fate. "Eternal death? I hope so. This world was already doomed anyway." His eyes then flitted to Luna, who was watching with a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

    "See you soon, you damn brat," he sneered, his defiance lingering even in defeat.

    As soon as he said those words, Luna felt a pang of pain in her chest that grew so intense that even her body couldn''t fight it anymore. Each heartbeat sent waves of agony coursing through her as if her very veins were aflame with corruption. The brief respite of adrenaline had faded, leaving her vulnerable to the darkness consuming her.

    Her vision blurred, edges darkening as her senses dulled. The cacophony of battle around her¡ªthe shouts of soldiers, the roar of monsters, the hum of the train''s defense systems¡ªfaded into an eerie, oppressive silence.

    What happened next was a blur...

    The world itself seemed to dissolve into darkness. Shadows crept in from the corners of her mind, swallowing her consciousness. She felt herself falling, her body no longer responding to her commands.

    However, before she fully lost all her senses, Luna heard her mother''s gentle voice say:

    "Hold on for now, Lunaris."

 Mind Hex

    When Luna opened her eyes once again after the train incident, she was surprised to be met by a rare sight of a strange darkness.

    For a second, her mind almost jumped to the conclusion that she had gone blind after the Black Ether worked its magic¡ªwas magic even the right to use after that experience?

    But that wasn¡¯t the case, Luna could still make out details of herself. Her pale hands were still there and her body seemed to be in one piece too. There were no scratches or scars from the previous fights, concluding that this was probably a version of her consciousness or her soul. She didn''t know the difference.

    When her eyes finally adapted to the darkness around her, Luna realized she was sitting on a black mirror-like surface. Turning her gaze up, the sky was also pitch black. There were no stars or moon to lend beauty to this place. Also, even though she was completely naked, she felt no wind let alone any sign of life in this world. She couldn¡¯t even feel her own breath.

    It was a Void of darkness. With nothing else but that.

    She gulped and tried to keep her "mind?" at ease. There was no need to act rashly in a situation like this. "So this is death. I never thought it would be this¡­boring," she sighed while recalling her last moments before losing consciousness to the painful feeling of corruption.

    To be honest, it had been an excruciating ordeal. Having her body break apart from toxic magic was one thing. But to have that poison gnaw at her broken form was another kind of torment entirely.

    Luna laughed at herself while she recalled the events and how they played out before losing her consciousness like a film. The details were getting clearer and clearer now that she had time to spare.

    Since when had she become such a heroine? For a fleeting moment, Luna had enjoyed the main character treatment of fighting valiantly with intentions that didn''t only benefit her own but everyone else.

    However, despite her noble intentions. In the end, Raphael remained invincible. Her enchanted blade, her strength, and her impeccable combat skills had all been useless against him. The disparity in their power had been undeniable.

    Why had she even tried?

    She laughed louder, her voice swallowed by the empty world as she lay motionless on the floor. She laughed at weakness because crying about it wasn¡¯t her way of life.

    When stopped she sighed and lay on the floor once again. "At least now I can rest."

    With those fleeting words, closed her eyes for a few moments and thought.

    ''Perhaps my end wasn''t so bad.''

    ***

    When she opened them again, the void was gone along with its darkness.

    A cacophony of beeping machines assaulted her ears before white light pierced her darkened vision.

    She squinted her eyes as the world slowly came to focus. They had been used to being surrounded by darkness so the bright light was such a harsh welcome to the world of the living. If she had even left in the first place.

    ''What the¡­''

    Luna paused that thought when she realized she was in a hospital room. The sound of a life support machine was ¡®beeping¡¯ rhythmically beside her, its monotony reassured her of her stable condition.

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    Something covered her mouth and nose, amplifying her breaths.

    "Loud." She hissed. She felt numb all over. Why did her body feel so numb?

    Moving her head slightly, she saw numerous tubes and wires connected to her. She recognized the setup; these tubes were keeping her body nourished and managing her waste while she was in a coma.

    Another tube was in her forearm, delivering synthetic blood. This blood, mixed with zenshi was designed to treat those afflicted by corruption and were still in their early stages of infection.

    In most cases, only thirty out of a hundred survived the treatment. This was not a bad number by the way, since this medication was still in the early stages of testing.

    Luna was sure she survived because the blood inside her body held out long enough to deliver the synthetic blood into her system. Her body was already weird to begin with.

    ¡®Or maybe mom put me in a cryo state.¡¯ She sighed and shifted her eyes to the false window across the room.

    They had survived the night thanks to the timely intervention of Flame of Winter who had decimated Raphael''s entire army and ruined his plans.

    Throughout their journey, whispers of the legendary Flame of Winter had circulated among the soldiers. Tales of her icy wrath and unmatched power were spoken with a mix of fear and reverence. From time to time, Luna had always bothered to dismiss most tales about her mother as exaggerations made up to fuel propaganda.

    But after last night, Luna now believed everything they said about Mao Feng.

    Ascenders capable of real sorcery were indeed the mightiest among humanity, revered almost as gods. They were pillars of strength, capable of manipulating nature itself. That''s because the Fourth Soul Gate allowed one to expand their Aura and let it affect the natural world as they pleased. She remembered how the entire world suddenly bent to support Mao Feng as soon as she arrived.

    Luna had never seen her mother like that before. Or seen her use her powers until last night. Truth be told, it was quite a beautiful sight.

    Opening the Fourth Soul gate meant that an ascender had finally understood their Aura, granting them full control over the concept they ruled. But to what extent? Because there were things Mao Feng couldn¡¯t do.

    She was sure of it.

    Once she was finally able to move, she removed the oxygen mask and yanked the unnecessary tubes out of her body. She settled on the edge of her bed and stared at the false window.

    Now that she was alive and kicking, she could put the pieces of the information she acquired before passing out together.

    She thought back to her fight with Raphael and his gruesome demise, his final words, and the context hidden behind them.

    He claimed to have been sent by ¡°Corruption¡± to eliminate an anomaly.

    This confirmed two things. One, that there existed a being capable of wielding Black Ether or something similar as an Aura. Two, an ascender on the train possessed a power that it saw as a threat if they made it to the tower.

    "Who could have such an Aura? And why are they connected to the Tower." Luna wondered.

    Auras were manifestations of concepts. To humanity, they were complex phenomena granting extraordinary abilities. Auras were simply what humans called them because of how they changed one''s entire presence. Ascenders with the Second Soul gate opened were believed to have already traversed the realm of humanity because they wielded concepts like gods themselves. Yes, these concepts were weak compared to what a god was capable of.

    But wielding concepts was never meant to be something mortals should be doing.

    "What if it''s not the Aura but the ability they wield with it?" she tilted her head. "Or maybe that person can manipulate Zenshi to a level we don''t know yet."

    They were flames in their purest form after all. Flames that couldn''t burn like...

    "The stars..." she muttered mindlessly when she recalled a few vague words told to her by a man she couldn''t quite remember.

    "Are they one of the fallen stars?"

    Just then, Luna lingered for a moment and shook her head when she realized that her mind had gone blank.

    Whatever she had muttered for those short seconds was gone.

    "My head hurts."

    Her eyelids flattered as she regained her train of thought and rubbed her temples.

    Gasp. She froze when she thought back to what she was thinking about and noticed¡­

    She remembered nothing.

    This was the second time something like this had happened since the incident on the train to Hansho where she had forgotten an important piece of the journey.

    Those memories had remained inaccessible despite the hours of meditation she put herself through that day. Luna always prided herself on having an impeccable memory.

    So. The only answer to this memory problem was that someone placed a mind hex on her and everyone else that day.

    But the hex didn''t just affect the mind¡ªevery sensor and camera had captured nothing as if intentionally keeping everything concealed. It was like reality had been twisted to hide everything that happened that day.

    ¡°Maybe I was tired that day.¡± She told herself this every time she thought back to the subway incident.

    But now it had happened twice, confirming her theory. Such power was unheard of, even after fifty years of researching Auras. The power to erase something was¡­ridiculous.

    ¡®Is the power the power they fear?¡¯ Luna wondered.

    At the same time, a creepy smile curled on Luna''s lips as the gears in her mind churned with the many possibilities she was coming up with.

    "I guess I recalled something that triggered that hex. I see... it''s a fail-safe to keep their secrets hidden. Very smart, indeed."

    And so, Luna accepted the challenge.

 Fragments

    A few days passed and Luna continued her steady recovery. The army had done its best to provide her with doctors and healers to ensure she was in peak condition before she was called to join the subjugation of the Crimson Tower, or Blood Tower as Raphael had referred to it.

    The subjugation had already started with Captain Snow and Lena leading the first group into the Tower. Aside from that, everything else was confidential and Luna was to find out when she reached the main base. Which wasn¡¯t far from here because the Tower was now within her sight.

    From a distance, the tower appeared as if it were hewn from the very heart of the earth itself. Its surface was marred with grotesque runes and symbols that seemed to pulse with a life of their own. Red lightning arced intermittently across the sky, illuminating the tower in brief, eerie flashes.

    The parks in this former town had long since withered under the tower''s influence. Once verdant and probably lively, the trees now stood as cruel sentinels, their leafless branches twisted into grotesque shapes that seemed to claw at the sky in silent agony. The grass beneath them had turned brittle and brown, crunching underfoot like ancient parchment.

    No birds chirped here, no insects buzzed. Even the wind seemed to hesitate before rustling through the dead territory, as if afraid to disturb the oppressive silence that hung over the cursed land.

    Seated peacefully on one of the former park''s benches, Luna looked up at the towering monstrosity before her. She couldn''t shake the feeling that the Blood Tower was not merely a structure of stone, but a malignant force¡ªa festering wound upon the world, waiting to infect all who drew near with its dark allure. Special territories had been created by the government for safety purposes. Within these territories, barrier technology was being used to shield the doctors and mundane humans in the hospital complex from the black ether or any other form of influence from the tower.

    Luna''s dark hair had grown longer, neglected for too long, or perhaps an effect of all the healing she had gone through. Her skin was once again flawless after the healers did their best to fix the damage done to her. The mental wounds were still there, of course.

    But that didn¡¯t explain the dark sacks under her eyes.

    Luna was exhausted and fatigued from not sleeping for the past three days while trying to remember what she kept forgetting.

    She had tried meditation, which hadn¡¯t worked. Banging her head a few times hadn''t helped either. And even taking brain boosters to fire up her mind only resulted in severe stomach aches and headaches.

    Now, she was on her final trial. Staying awake in the hope that she might start remembering something by triggering her sub-consciousness. At this point, she needed to recall something because the subconscious was where most memory was controlled, even the most forgotten. If she had managed to remember something a few days ago, then that means it was still there. Just hard to access.

    In her hand, she carried a small timer to track how long it took before she forgot again. She hadn¡¯t started it yet since nothing had occurred at the moment.

    To keep her mind awake, she continued observing her silent environment with a keen eye. The trees were dead, the grass brown after being poisoned by the black ether. The park had turned into an eyesore.

    Corruption must have been some evil witch to let this happen to such a beautiful planet. It wasn''t entirely their fault, though. Even before the Fall, the world had been breaking apart, resources were scarce and humans were building colonies on other planets to save the rich.

    Unfortunately, that plan never came to fruition. When the Fall happened, the only colony that survived for a while was the Moon Settlement.

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    "The Fall."

    Her dazed gaze traveled back to the crimson sky.

    "He spoke about the fall."

    She mumbled, her mouth moving on its own.

    "Olympics¡­ and Yong Feng."

    Suddenly, Luna froze as the forgotten memories started to replay once again. She remembered. She remembered the old man on the train and their short-lived conversation about the fall and her great-grandfather Yong Feng.

    "Yong Feng¡­ the Olympics¡­ the stars. The old man knows where the stars are¡­"

    Suddenly, Luna burst into a fit of maddening laughter. But it quickly tapered off as the hex''s influence took hold. In a bewildered moment, she even forgot why laughter had seized her in the first place.

    "Huh?" she sighed and looked around. No one was here to see that. ¡°I¡¯m starting to sound like a mad person."

    ¡°I even forgot to start the timer¡­¡± She put away the small timer and the corners of her lips curved upwards in a smart grin, a testament to her victory as she pulled out a small recorder attached to her hospital gown.

    "Hehe. I''m a genius indeed."

    She nodded with a smile and quickly pressed the replay button. The only recorder she could find in these parts was one from the old era, dating over fifty years old, with a small tape capable of recording sound for days. She turned it on when she started the challenge and today¡­something had finally happened.

    Luna found it fascinating that humans used to store data on these polythene-looking things. Primitive as it might have looked, this was high-end technology free from things like tracking.

    The tape began rolling, accompanied by static interference in the background¡ªmaking Luna''s voice initially struggle to come through clearly. However. Soon enough. Her words became discernible:

    "S..tar¡­ stars¡­ fall¡­ Yon¡­ eng. Fall."

    Following her utterance, static overtook the recording as the potent hex imposed on her erased the remaining information. Despite this, Luna had gleaned what she needed from those fleeting words.

    "The fall, the stars falling, and...Yong Feng?"

    ''What does he have to do with all of this?'' she asked herself.

    These fragments were her clues. Remarkably, the fact that she didn''t forget them suggested that tricking the hex was indeed possible. The hex was undeniably formidable, but Luna suspected constraints were holding it back¡ªperhaps rules imposed by the universe itself, responding to her attempt to outwit its effects.

    "Hmm¡­ I wonder if it''s connected to why the world is like this?"

    This question lingered in her mind as she pondered the implications of her revelation. The fragments recovered from memory were like pieces of a puzzle, hinting at a larger truth about the state of their world and the events that had led to its current fractured state. What did she learn about on the train? Was it connected to the Tower?

    Luna leaned back in her seat and sighed.

    ¡° All of this. It''s Interesting.¡±

    ***

    After her successful attempt, Luna needed sleep more than anything else. She was already inside the hospital complex, heading to her room. When suddenly, she saw someone who surprised her.

    Standing at her door was a tall, striking woman clad in sleek black nanoskin armor that accentuated her lithe frame. Her sapphire blue eyes shimmered with an intensity that hinted at unimaginable power. Sharp bangs framed her pale face like a curtain, adding to her enigmatic presence as she stood sentinel-like, exuding an aura of quiet strength and vigilance.

    What was Darkness doing here? If Luna remembered correctly, the daughter of House Ares had performed remarkably well during the fight on the train. Luna had even heard she had killed a Lycanthrope with her hands and sword.

    Of course, Luna wasn''t surprised. Legacies were supposed to be the best of the best due to the rigorous training they received throughout their lives. She imagined Darkness had begun her training the moment she learned how to walk.

    After all, House Ares was known for being brutal.

    "Lady Darkness, what brings you here?" Luna approached the woman, feeling a touch nervous in her presence. It wasn''t just because Darkness towered over her.

    Darkness lowered her head and replied in a calm, respectful tone. "I was assigned to be part of your unit. We requested to follow you when you join the subjugation."

    "Unit? When did I get assigned a unit? I thought only capt¡ª" Luna paused, recalling Darkness''s words.

    As if reading her thoughts, Darkness cleared her throat and snickered. "After hearing about how you fought against that devil without giving up, the Flames of War told me that following you will bring me more Glory! I waited for the four days you were in a coma to tell but you weren¡¯t there when I returned to check on you."

    Luna scowled, bringing her hand to her forehead. "Glory? Is that your reason to follow me? Seriously, what is wrong with you warmongers?¡± she asked Darkness who had her chest puffed out.¡° Ah¡­Biscuits.¡±

    "Mm¡­ are you hungry, Lady Lunaris?"

    Luna nearly jumped when someone spoke right behind her. She turned swiftly, her reflexes primed to strike, but she halted upon seeing his handsome face.

    "Hi." Gail waved and smiled, his perfectly white teeth gleaming. His wide, golden eyes showed surprise after her near-attack.

    Luna''s narrowed gaze softened slightly, her expression serious yet tinged with a hint of embarrassment at her overreaction to his friendly greeting.

    "Gail? You''re here too. I''m guessing it''s for the same reason as hers."

    She gestured towards Darkness, who winked mischievously at Gail the moment their eyes met.

    He shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips. "I don''t know her reasons, Lady Lunaris. But I''m here at your sister''s request. I''ll be your guard while she''s away. I¡¯m also part of the same unit because of that."

    "Oh. Really? Then who is the other, Darkness? You said ¡®We¡¯."

    Luna turned back to the tall woman who stood with arms crossed, radiating confidence.

    "Mira is currently receiving treatment before she suits up in her nanoskin armor," Darkness replied casually. "We''re going to have fun together. The three of us and Golden Boy over there. Hehe."

 Bad News

    The night was cold in the ruined city by the ocean, a biting chill seeped through the cracks of the crumbling buildings and whispered through the empty streets. The sky was a deep, velvety black, punctuated by a smattering of distant stars that offered little comfort to the desolation below. The moon, half-hidden behind a veil of clouds, cast a pale, ghostly light that flickered on the jagged edges of what remained of the city''s once-proud skyline.

    The air was thick with the scent of salt and decay, mingling with the faint, briny tang of the nearby ocean. Waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, their sound a distant, melancholy roar that echoed through the empty avenues and alleyways. Broken windows stared like hollow eyes from the facades of dilapidated buildings, their shattered glass glinting faintly in the moonlight.

    Here and there, rusted cars lay abandoned, half-buried in rubble, their frames twisted and skeletal.

    This was once a city before the Fall, with so many people living here. And now¡­it was just an echo of what it was previously.

    Amidst the ruins, two lone figures moved. Their blades rang as they engaged in a furious fight.

    One was a girl with raven black hair, her skin glowing under the gentle tease of moonlight. She moved flawlessly with her black blade as she deeply engaged herself in this current fight. If it weren''t for the small cuts on her white tunic, she would¡¯ve looked like a deity dancing under the faint moonlight.

    Her opponent was a tall woman with serious sapphire blue eyes and messy dark hair, wielding a silver Jian that blurred under the moonlight sky as it danced along with her vicious nature.

    Luna managed to push the woman back with a pinch of her strength which caused her opponent to somehow startle. Then, she strategically used the small seconds of her opponent¡¯s loss of focus to swiftly strike the Jian out of her hands.

    The beautiful Jian flipped through the air and pierced a loose piece of concrete, marking the end of their sparring session.

    Darkness forced out a grin, her chest rising and falling at a concerning rate. "I guess you''re in good condition if you can fight like that. You demoness," she hissed and stared at one of the wounds Luna had delivered during the session. It was a shallow cut on her arm that closed immediately once the zenshi noticed it.

    Luna gave her a faint smile and touched the air to summon a holographic panel displaying the multiple options for the training room. She gently tapped the ''End Session'' option and the room''s entire reality started to shift and crumble down, returning to its original.

    For a brief moment, she stared at the ruins of the once mighty New York City as they disintegrated into pixels of augmented reality. Of course, the city didn''t look this it looked like at the moment. This was too peaceful. Currently, it was crawling with all kinds of horrors since it was close to the shore. Areas close to the shore were hunting grounds for cursed creatures that lived mostly in the water.

    Another thing humanity was afraid of.

    She turned to Darkness and scoffed, "I only won because the room doesn¡¯t support Auras. That''s all."

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    "What''s the use of training rooms if they can''t let the ascender go all out?" Darkness scowled, her face burning with annoyance.

    Luna sighed and tried to give the woman a reasonable explanation. "Auras vary from person to person. Do you think this huge room will survive the full output of your Aura? Are you ready to pay for the damages done to Army Grade technology?" she raised an eyebrow.

    Darkness frowned a little and clicked her tongue. "No. But at least they should make them sturdier."

    Just then, the doors to the room slid open and Gail walked in. Behind him followed a young woman. She was shorter than him, with wavy black hair and fierce jade-green colored eyes, the freckles on her face made her only more beautiful and her greeting smile even more. She was clad in nanoskin armor¡ªwhich was now a normality among military officials in the Southern Reach.

    Even Luna had received hers a few days back. However, hers was said to have a few modifications from the upcoming models. Cool as it looked to have one, Luna decided to put on hers once she¡¯s completely recovered and ready to leave the Hospital complex.

    Which was soon because they were leaving for army command in a day. When there, Luna and her small team were to await further instructions from whoever was in charge of giving instructions.

    ''Geez¡­I''m not an army veteran. I was just a professor a few weeks back¡­''

    ¡°And a depressed gamer before that,¡± she murmured to herself as if responding to her thoughts.

    All this looking-for-a-purpose stuff was getting hard, to be honest. If her mother hadn''t made that request, Luna would probably be taking tea or going for a run on this Saturday morning.

    ''Instead, I''m going to spend my weekend hoping I don''t die while mystery hunting.''

    She sighed and then turned to Mira. The young woman was probably the only person she could relate to. Just like her, they were here because they had responsibilities as members of powerful families. The only reason she didn¡¯t feel so bad about this was because this was her chance to protect Lena for once and also prove herself as the next heiress to House Feng.

    Sure there was also the damn mystery in the background of an anomaly that might be a threat to Raphael¡¯s master or the Mortal Realm. The strangest thing concerning all this was that no one ever talked about what exactly happened on the train that day after Mao Feng arrived and cornered the infected. The reports to army command had been made, but there was no mention of what Raphael said during their conversation. To every soldier, Raphael was speaking in a foreign language that only Mao Feng seemed to understand. A foreign language that Luna also secretly understood.

    ''All of this is making my head hurt.''

    "Is something wrong Captain?" Mira now looked uncomfortable.

    Luna''s eyes flattered. "What?"

    "You were staring at me with a weird look, is something wrong?"

    Luna shook her head as she sheathed her black katana. She hadn''t realized she had zoned out for a few seconds. "No. Nothing is wrong. By the way, did you get everything I asked you for?"

    The young woman nodded. "Yes. All the available star data recordings before the fall were downloaded onto your datapad, captain."

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    As it turns out, Mira was a very resourceful person when she was not fighting. And since she chose to follow Luna to battle, she planned to utilize her abilities to the full extent.

    With Mira¡¯s help, she pulled a few strings and acquired a good number of star readings from the government¡¯s secret vault of information. Most of the earlier star readings were hard to acquire, but the later ones were much easier to get since they were taken from the moon settlement. She was even lucky enough to get some readings after the fall.

    Now that everyone was here, Luna took it upon herself to make an important announcement. "Today is our last day here. All of you won''t be getting any good rest until the subjugation is complete, so I advise you all to get some rest."

    Gail opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Darkness whose energetic voice overpowered Gail''s in an instant. "We''ve been here for two weeks and the subjugation was to last three weeks. Next week should have been the second week."

    Suddenly, the mood in the room turned solemn after Darkness''s statement.

    A few days ago, they received news of new powerful creatures emerging on the first level. And to make it worse, the interior looked nothing like the recordings taken by the drones. The interior of the tower was nothing like the inside of a castle or anything like that. According to recent reports, it resembled another world torn from a different reality. Many soldiers had already died at the claws or mouths of the cursed creatures that ruled the tower from within.

    House Feng had also lost seven out of the total force of one hundred fifty ascenders, which was frightening to say because House Feng¡¯s swords were powerful. There had been a big change in plans and the generals commanding both armies were now trying their best to make changes to cover for humanity¡¯s miscalculation. Thankfully, the threat level hadn¡¯t been increased.

    This information had obviously caused a stir in the Eastern Settlement and the rest of the world in general. They had underestimated the threat; something that hadn¡¯t happened since the War on the Moon.

    With that, the subjugation time frame of three weeks had been changed to ¡®unknown¡¯

 Expectations and Reality

    Luna spent her final hours of peace in her hospital room playing ''Shadow Quest'', a new game from her favorite developer. She used a new account to avoid alerting any other online gamers that the great Raya had returned to conquer the gaming world once again.

    Seated in the corner with a pair of headsets over her head and the bright light of her datapad''s screen reflecting in dark eyes, Luna silently tapped and let herself enjoy the new game without interruptions. Gaming was her peace now that everything around her felt so chaotic.

    Sure, it was unhealthy to game for multiple hours. But what if she died during this subjugation and returned to that darkness and never came back?

    Her biggest regret would be not playing more games¡ªalthough she played more than one hundred over the past two years. Also, the network at the army command was strictly for military purposes. So she had no option but to waste the night playing Shadow Quest since the hospital''s network was more public.

    What Luna loved the most about the game was simple, the world-building, and the main character by the name of Salvos who could control shadows. It was an RPG set in a world similar to theirs, the only difference being that humanity had a chance of winning. Later on, the game allowed the player to switch between the other main character¡ªTerra, who was also an awakened, and one of the main villains of the story.

    The game portrayed her as the person who lost everyone she loved and sought refuge in the darkness which turned her into a force of evil. She had an ability similar to Regan''s¡ªto travel through space¡ªbut on a much larger scale.

    Could loss really do that much harm to a person? To make them hate the world and everything it represents.

    Luna paused the game and stayed silent for a moment. She always overthought these things. It was ridiculous how she constantly spent so much time in her head. It was also ridiculous that she cared more for these fictional characters than a good percentage of humanity. These fictional characters always defeated or found a way of winning their battles, whether personal or against the villains who threatened their world.

    ¡­the heroes were always triumphant. Which was not the case in the real world.

    Luna herself struggled with the expectations people put on her. She already disappointed everyone when she failed to awaken two years ago. Now, she needed to prove to everyone¡ªespecially Astrid¡ªthat she was worthy of becoming the heiress of the Feng clan.

    She also had to meet her mother''s and sister''s expectations all at once. She couldn¡¯t risk messing up this one opportunity to turn her life around.

    Her hands trembled. Her gaze then traveled from the screen and lingered on the small device strapped on her wrist. It resembled a silver bracelet that happened to be sealed tight around her wrist.

    The small limiter displayed the number ¡®97¡¯. Which meant that it was still suppressing ninety-seven percent of her physical strength. Luna hadn''t used the full output of her strength, yet. Or at any point in her life due to the possibility that her body would break down if she ever drew one hundred percent.

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    But should the time come and her family is in danger, Luna wasn''t afraid to draw it all out. What''s the point of having all this power if she couldn''t at least use it to protect the people she cared about?

    She stared at the datapad and then at the reddish-dark skyline beyond the window seal.

    "I have to protect them. It''s what Dad would''ve done."

    ***

    The next morning, Luna and her very small team were picked up by one of the army transports. The steel armored vehicle was as large as a truck with twelve large wheels and machine guns attached to the sides. It was built like a tank, relying on a reactor as an energy source to keep it alive in an area like this.

    Luna and everyone else were inside as the machine hummed while moving. The ride was surprisingly comfortable.

    Luna was now in her nanoskin uniform which looked like a skin-tight body suit. The rush of zenshi constantly made her dizzy but that¡¯s because her mind and body were still adapting to it since she had just linked with it. Still, having zenshi flowing in and out of her body was odd.

    "I am looking forward to encountering a dragon, if there is one." Darkness was the first to break the cone of silence around the group.

    "Trust me, you don''t want to. Those things don''t just blow fire. Some even blast ice from their mouths. Mao Feng¡¯s summon can do that."

    Everyone turned to Luna, they were surprised. Very few people had had the privilege of seeing the great dragon that the Flame of Winter was bonded to.

    "So it''s true, her summon is a dragon."

    "I heard it has pristine white and azure scales," Mira added to Gail''s statement.

    "And it slithers through the sky like a giant snake. Is it true that it''s wingless?"

    Luna simply nodded, a brief response to Darkness''s question. "Her dragon is an ancient dragon. It even shares its wisdom with her. That''s why her control over the element of ice is extraordinary even for a sorceress."

    "I saw her Aura...It''s terrifying. Every cursed creature on the battlefield died after having their cores frozen. The infected crumbled down instantly." Darkness spoke her voice tinged with fear.

    ''What she saw that day must have been scarier than the horde of monsters themselves.'' Luna noticed the fear in Darkness¡¯s voice.

    Flame of winter had appeared like a breeze that moved through the monsters before materializing in the train.

    Mira sighed. "Gods. How she spoke on the train and killed the thing that showed up there."

    "It''s not dead." Gail cut in.

    Luna turned to the golden-eyed boy. A hint of confusion on her beautiful face. "But she destroyed his core?"

    "Not really. At the academy, we were told immortal beings don''t actually die until the source of their immortality is destroyed. What Flame of Winter did was simply destroy its current body. He will sprout somewhere else and continue his wreckage." Gail explained to the group.

    Darkness turned to the gold-eyed man. She only picked out a particular statement out of everything he said. "An academy for ascenders? You must be some rich brat to afford one of those."

    Mira turned to Gail. He was situated on her right, his usual calm and stoic expression unbroken.

    "Of course, I am Darkness. Did any of you read my file? I''m the son of an official in the government. I awakened at fifteen and joined an academy where I spent four years training hard and mastering my powers. Now here I am, saving the world."

    Darkness suddenly laughed at his words. "Saving the world? How rich of you to say that, golden boy. But I guess you can see it that way too."

    Her sapphire eyes then turned to the Luna. They stayed on her for a while as if she wanted the young girl to say something. Eventually, she did say something. Though the words that came out of her mouth didn''t sound encouraging or depressing¡­

    They were just the cold truth.

    "We''re not saving the world, Gail. We''re simply stalling the end as we search for solutions." She ended her response with a weak smile. That probably scarred the poor man''s spirit.

    But his reaction was the opposite. His radiant smile made all three women blush.

    "You know, Lady Feng. Someone as beautiful as you shouldn''t sound so negative." He paused for a moment to recall his thoughts then continued:

    "Bad thoughts are bad for your skin."

    Luna froze for a moment. Wait. Did he just call her beautiful?

    ''Biscuits.'' Luna quickly faced the floor when she noticed something. Who gave him the right to make such comments?

    Her face was now red.

 Dungeon Emergence

    The sky was still painted with a faint crimson color with red flashes of light occasionally striking down at the highest points around the base. The air felt toxic and the atmosphere itself was nerve-wracking with all the giant alloy exoskeletons, arachnids, and ascenders marching towards the towering crimson figure ahead. The structure stretched up to the skyline, casting its massive and eerie shadow over the small capital army command was stationed in.

    ¡­The blood tower¡ªas Luna called it¡ªnow looked much more menacing than it had been when she was recovering in the hospital complex. The black ether here was so dense that she could almost taste it in the air. Every mundane human in this area needed to wear a nanoskin uniform. Which provided all of them with a thin invisible layer of energy that shielded them from corruption.

    "Welcome to Hell," Darkness announced as they all stepped out of the armored vehicle.

    Luna took a second to marvel at the sight before her. The command base was completely busy with multiple ascenders wielding mystical weapons and arachnid machines moving up and down with some carrying supplies and others pointing their weapons at the large gateway at the tower¡¯s entrance. The spatial rift resembled a large circle of crimson energy that refracted the light around it to make it resemble water waves.

    Her gaze lingered on the large gateway for a while before she suddenly felt a strange pull come from it. As if reacting to the pull, Luna quickly averted her eyes away from the structure and faced her small unit, which was waiting for her to say something.

    She was still not sure how exactly she got a unit in the first place. But yeah. She was a captain now. "I''ll go meet with General Astrid, the rest of you can go do whatever you want."

    Mira shook her head and sighed at Luna''s statement.

    Gail smacked his forehead and looked down, disappointed.

    While Darkness stared at her with a deadpan look.

    ''What?''

    Luna raised an eyebrow. "What?"

    Mira cleared her voice. "You''re really bad at this, aren''t you captain?"

    "Bad at what? ¡°Luna frowned.

    "Leading a team, damn it." Darkness interjected.

    Luna shook her head and shrugged. "Well, I am seventeen. Do you expect a seventeen-year-old human to give a group of ascenders and powerful fighters orders?"

    "You''re seventeen?" Gail looked at her, genuinely surprised. "I thought you were younger than that."

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    Luna was shocked. Did she look younger than seventeen?

    ''No...it can''t be. I''m turning eighteen this year. Is my body betraying me?'' Luna held back from checking herself.

    Sigh. She pushed away her toxic thoughts. Staying young and beautiful is a good thing. If she looked at it from a positive perspective, Gail was complimenting her.

    "You will pay with your life, golden boy." She smiled at the handsome ascender, her voice nailing down her threat.

    After that, she quietly heaved out another sigh and turned her back to her unit before following the ascender General Astrid had sent to guide her to her office.

    Gail was left frozen. His face was pale as if he had just seen a ghost. "What have I done?" he whispered to himself.

    At the same time, Darkness and Mira were laughing their hearts out at what had just happened. Who would''ve thought the captain was so sensitive when it came to her age?

    ***

    "Come in."

    A deep reserved voice sounded from the other side of the steel alloy door after the ascender Luna was following pressed a small button on the side.

    Luna wore a complicated look as she watched them automatically open. ''This is an office? Might as well call it a prison if it looks like this.''

    When they completely opened, another voice followed. "Prison cell you say? That''s quite a mind you''ve got there. I''m sorry it doesn''t look like the garbage you called a room, my dear."

    General Astrid stood alone behind a thick metal table with a pair of shades hanging over her eyes. Her black hair curly hair fell over her to the middle of her back like seaweed. Her skin almost looked grey under the strange lighting of this room.

    Like Mao Feng, Astrid was a sorcerer. But unlike the flashy abilities the other sorcerers usually displayed, her ability was a passive but deadly one. Her aura was [Authority]. Which was considered and recognized as one of the most powerful Auras in existence. The Aura granted Astrid the ability to control the minds of whoever met her fierce gaze. She could also read the thoughts of anyone or any monster so long as it has one. There was also a third ability that she never disclosed to even the monks because of how powerful and dangerous it was.

    When she was younger, Luna usually heard of the stories that revolved around Astrid when she opened her second Soul Gate. She was not as strong at the time but she took down cursed creatures and infected she had no business fighting against as someone whose strength stopped at the Second Gate. Later on, the people of the World gave her the name The Moon Siren. This was shortly after she joined the moon settlement and became one of its protectors. She was a Summoner at the time.

    Luna was glad the woman looked livelier than she did when they last met. At least on the surface, she did. Her uniform was clean and her pale skin was brimming with life.

    She first waited for the guide to leave before talking casually to her aunt. "Ah, so you read my mind. I thought there was a policy for that."

    Astrid scoffed. "There are no policies in this soon-to-be wasteland. You of all people should know that." She then removed the shades, revealing a pair of beautiful vermilion eyes staring directly at Luna.

    "I''m here to talk about¡­"

    "The tower?" Astrid interrupted, seriously. "Of course, that''s why you''re here. I thought I was the one who invited you."

    Luna was finding it hard to stay calm under her aunt''s gaze. The fact that she had already peered into her mind without permission was enough to annoy her. This was the type of relationship she shared with her aunt. Many could''ve called this tough love because there were times when Astrid showed genuine care.

    But those times were so rare to a point where Luna barely remembered any.

    Astrid raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I was going to thank you for keeping everyone on that train safe. Where you almost died, by the way. I heard you spent two whole weeks recovering, which affected the entire plan and whatnot. Bravo¡­should I maybe clap for the heiress?"

    Luna clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Luckily, she managed to keep her emotions and thoughts in check. "Please jump to the point."

    Seeing that Luna was still calm, despite her disrespectful tone. Astrid felt a bit disappointed. Maybe Luna wasn''t as immature as she thought. " Sigh. I guess you have something driving you towards your mother''s goal. Let me fill you in on what''s happening¡­"

    Her face turned stern and serious as if she had just swapped personalities. The annoying version was gone, replaced by a calm and devoid version of herself. "The diviners have discovered that the tower isn''t a real tower. As it turns out, the piece from the divine realm is actually a gateway to another dimension if that makes any sense. They''ve called this phenomenon a ''Dungeon emergence''. "

    ''No way.'' Luna''s eyes sparkled when she quickly recognized the word "Dungeon". It was a popular word in fictional stories where the main story was connected to adventuring. But that''s impossible....

    "Is this some joke to you? Because it¡¯s not funny at all," she said with annoyance.

    "Do you hear anyone laughing? The Crimson Tower is a dungeon." Astrid crossed her arms. "And that''s only part of the bad news I''m about to deliver. You might want to sit down for what you''re about to hear."

 Desert Worm

    The ground trembled with a deep, resonant rumble as a giant sandworm suddenly emerged from beneath the shifting dunes. Its massive, serpentine body stretched out in undulating waves, each segment of its form covered in thick, armor-like scales that glinted dully in the harsh desert sun. The scales were a mottled blend of sandy reds and ochres, blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, providing the creature with a natural camouflage that made it nearly invisible when burrowed.

    As the worm reared up, its gargantuan head loomed high above the sand, casting a long shadow that stretched out like a dark omen across the desert floor. The head was a fearsome sight, dominated by a circular maw rimmed with row upon row of razor-sharp, serrated teeth. These teeth rotated and clicked menacingly, creating a grinding, churning sound that sent shivers down the spine of any who heard it. The mouth itself was a dark abyss, capable of swallowing a man whole with a single gulp.

    ¡®Shit.¡¯ Luna cursed before she commanded the arachnid pilot to release the full force of his machine¡¯s arms.

    Immediately, its guns started running as countless rounds of energized bullets struck the giant creature¡¯s tough skin. However, the bullets didn¡¯t even manage to damage the creature¡¯s skin or even get its attention because its focus seemed to be fixed on the flying ascender who kept circling it while firing down his magical arrows that easily bypassed the tough hide and dealt real harm to the cursed creature. Because of that, the creature was more bothered by him than the rest of the group. This was the opportunity they needed.

    Adam and Monic didn¡¯t hesitate to open their third gates and call upon their summons. There was a bright flash before a winged lion and a black Pegasus came into reality to assist their masters in their battle against the Cursed Creature. The fierce mystical beasts roamed the sky awhile and dived to pick up their masters. Adam mounted the Winged Lion while Monic reached for the black Pegasus.

    The pair then shot off into the sky and flew towards the giant worm with nothing but steel expressions on their faces. The two looked like ants compared to the cursed creature, but its size was the least of their problems.

    Darkness let out a glorified laughter and launched herself into the air, catapulting her body to the giant worm.

    Luna watched as the warmonger threw her shield at one of the small cracks on the sandworm¡¯s body with her gravity ability active. The shield struck true and sent a powerful shockwave through the worm¡¯s entire body, pushing it to Monic¡¯s side. The Navy-haired Ascender roared and threw her spear with practiced accuracy. As it whooshed through the air, the spear suddenly lit up with black tendrils of electricity and delivered an explosive blow after it shattered a lot of the creature¡¯s armor with ease.

    At the same time, Adam jumped from his mount, his twin blades glowing with a reddish-brown energy. He swung the pair of weapons with flawless precision and delivered a single powerful cut that tore through the creature''s flesh. He jumped off its body and back flew away on his summon before turning around.

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    The sandworm cried out, its attention snapping to the attacking group. The red sand on its scales stilled, then shifted, hardening into razor-sharp spikes. In a blur, the spikes launched toward the nearest Ascenders like a hail of deadly projectiles.

    Monic¡¯s Pegasus was fast enough to dodge the spikes and her black lightning coming from the spear effortlessly destroyed the crimson spikes whenever they got close to her.

    But the same couldn¡¯t be said about Adam¡¯s griffin which was moving slower than the flying horse. Unfortunately, one of its wings was caught by the one red spikes and he dismissed it into a rain of sparks. He couldn¡¯t risk losing it now because a new summon would take him a year at most or four months to retrieve.

    After his desperate attempt to save his summon, the muscular man let himself fall from a distance before landing on his feet and letting his suit absorb the impact.

    As soon as he was on the ground, though. The sandworm noticed him and more crimson sand spikes were fired in his direction. He braced to take on the attack, but a large machine came between him and the rain of spikes to shield him. The pilot pushed a lever within the arachnid and activated a charged barrier, blocking most of the spinning spikes before more could damage the machine.

    The arachnid fired more charged bullets that destroyed some of the falling spikes, its body trembling from the force of the rail gun running as the pilot inside desperately fought to protect Adam and himself.

    Finally, the spikes stopped but the gunfire didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Adam¡¯s voice was inaudible through the sound of continuous gunfire, but he spoke anyway right before he charged forward. His twin swords hummed with energy as he poured zenshi into them and opened his second gate to unleash his Aura.

    The arachnid pilot caught on quick enough to take down the barrier and give way to his comrade. With a loud and powerful grunt, Adam plunged his swords into the red sand, and spikes¡ªtwice as large as the machine guarding him and almost as tall as the giant warm¡ªexploded around the sandworm and trapped it in a sand cage.

    ¡°This is my domain, you bastard.¡±

    Noticing that it was trapped, the creature roared and prepared to burrow back into the ground. It twisted its body to retreat into the sand, but Adam¡¯s spikes were too powerful to just shatter after a single motion.

    Darkness, Monic, and Gail then shot forward into a series of explosive attacks that could be heard across the desert. Monic leaped off her Pegasus and managed to latch onto the creature¡¯s body and thrust her powered spear into its skin. This time, however, cackles of black lighting exploded from where her spear had struck as she pushed it deeper.

    Darkness on the other hand manipulated the gravitational field around her sword and delivered a very deep cut that shattered its stone armor and drew blood.

    Luna watched all of this from a distance with her sword drawn. She was studying the fight as it unfolded.

    The diviner was standing close to her. Just like Mira and Luna, he was also impressed by the display of power. Diviners were usually not very suited for combat like other Ascenders. Also, they were too valuable since ascenders with Auras connected to divinations were rare.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to join the fight?¡± He asked Luna who hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off the fight since it started. The cohort¡¯s ascenders seemed to be holding their own against the sandworm.

    And soon, it was going to fall if the battle continued like this .¡°Of what help would I be?¡± she replied. ¡°Aside from the pilot, Mira and I are the only unblessed. We¡¯re useless in such a fight.¡±

    The man stared at the fight and smiled. ¡°Then why do you have your blade drawn?¡±

    When he asked that question, the desert trembled when the worm managed to shatter Adam¡¯s crimson sand spikes and burrowed into the ground. It moved with surprising speed and agility, its massive size cutting through the sand like a ship through water.

    At first, Luna hadn''t noticed what the sandworm was doing. But when she did, her feet were already sinking into the sand. The ground heaved and buckled as the sandworm burrowed, creating a cascade of shifting sand that made it difficult for Luna and her group to keep their footing.

    "It''s here."

 Wind Blade

    Luna''s eyes widened as she realized the immediate danger. She turned to the diviner, her voice sharp and urgent.

    "Get back! Now!"

    The diviner didn¡¯t hesitate to move, retreating quickly as the ground beneath them quaked more violently.

    Mira must have noticed it too because she started shooting at the sand as she led the diviner away from the initial point. Her energized bullets caused the sand to implode on impact each time she fired at the enemy coming in their direction.

    With swift motion, Luna activated a sequence in her nanoskin armor, sending a surge of energy into her legs. The suit responded instantly, enhancing her body through the neuro link.

    With that, Luna leaped high into the air, avoiding the initial burst of sand as the sandworm broke through the surface where they had just been standing.

    Landing gracefully a short distance away, Luna took a moment to recalibrate. Her heart pounded, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She glanced around, assessing the situation before she did anything else.

    Gail was sweating as he continuously fired golden arrows at the thing, Darkness was already on its back delivering powerful strikes that made the monster cry as it fought to wiggle her off. She was covered in red sand which probably meant she was on it when it burrowed into the sand.

    Monic had dismissed her summon and was doing her best to deliver lightning strikes at the small wounds she had created earlier. At the same time, Adam called on red walls to trap their enemy.

    The worm was partially above ground now, its massive body writhing as it tried to shake off the attacks from the others. It was injured, but its vicious presence remained as its roar continued to cause rumbles across the desert.

    ¡®The only thing keeping you alive is your tough skin¡­so don¡¯t look down on me like that.¡¯

    Tsk. She wasn¡¯t even sure if this thing had eyes.

    Steeling her resolve, Luna dashed forward, her enhanced speed leaving a blur across the sand. As she approached the sandworm, she searched within to draw out a technique she had mastered long ago.

    Her helmet disappeared to let more air into her lungs. And soon, everything in her body was functioning at a balanced rate as she drew out the sword technique.

    ¡®The blade is like an extension of a swordsman. It¡¯s not just a tool, but an extra limb that can cut through anything.¡¯

    As Luna recalled her father¡¯s words, the rest of the world seemed to go silent as she got closer and closer to the sandworm. Once the silence finally overtook her mind, Luna finally got to sense the sandworm¡¯s core. It was pulsing out energy, like a large heartbeat.

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    This unique energy was qi or its life force. As a martial artist, this is how she perceived the world of the supernatural and how she was able to catch up with so many ascenders. She had harnessed her ability to sense life essence to a great degree in case she ever went against invisible enemies.

    However, the case would have been different if the worm was undead or infected. It would''ve made it very hard to detect with qi since the dead had no life energy and black ether was known for consuming life essence.

    ¡°Sacred art, Wind Blade.¡± She whispered, her voice barely audible in the chaos of battle.

    With a single, fluid motion, Luna leaped into the air and her katana sliced with a resonant hum. The forged weapon¡¯s blade seemed to extend into an invisible wind slash that cut deep into the creature''s armored body. However, that¡¯s not where the invisible attack stopped. Because of the enchantment, the invisible technique easily found its way to the core and sliced right through it.

    ¡°RAAAAAAAGGGGRRR!!!!¡±

    The worm let out a deafening roar, its body convulsing in pain.

    Luna landed on its side and held on tightly, using her suit''s suction grips to maintain her position.

    She had destroyed its core of course, but the bastard refused to die instantly. Having a core destroyed was equivalent to having a Soul Gate destroyed. In that situation, most people preferred death because of how painful the experience was. The Cursed Creature seemed to be more than desperate to survive.

    ¡°Shit.¡± She continued to cut through the creature¡¯s scales with ease and then its flesh. Her sword seemed to know no weakness as more and more blood spluttered out of the wounds she created. Being so high up was a frightening experience but the sandworm was nothing compared to greater cursed creatures which were about the size of actual mountains.

    Finally, one of Gail¡¯s powerful arrows flew into its mouth and killed it instantly the moment it exploded and destroyed its insides with zenshi.

    Everyone knew what was coming next, so they either cleared the way. Or for someone like Luna who was latched onto its body, held on, and prepared for the descent.

    With a final, guttural roar, the worm collapsed. Its massive body fell still on the blood-red sands that imploded outward to create a giant sand-dust cloud.

    Luna coughed after inhaling some of the dust. She blinked, her vision blurring momentarily as a vague, shadowy form appeared atop the worm¡¯s carcass. She froze, her heart pounding. Was it a trick of the dust?

    ¡°Huh?¡± she squinted her eyes and forced them to blink once again. When she looked, the vague shadow was gone and Darkness was the one standing on the creature with a glorified smile.

    '' Argh...The dust is playing tricks with my eyes.''

    ¡°This is glory! The god of war must be pleased by us indeed. This is enough to make him turn from his grave¡­haha.¡±

    Gail landed on the beast, his handsome face was now pale after using so much zenshi in one fight. ¡°It¡¯s always about glory when it comes to you. But the reason why we won was because of Lady Luna. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    He turned to the raven-haired girl who was now staring at where the dark blade had cut. It was clean and perfect. Wind Blade was a secret technique meant to be used against colossal enemies. The Sword Technique''s creator was from the Feng Clan. After creating the technique, the great nobleman noticed its dangers and decided to take its secrets to the grave.

    When Luna inherited it, she decided to respect him by keeping the technique to herself as well. No one could be trusted with this level of power. Both of its forms would be too powerful in the hands of an ascender.

    She turned to the rest of her unit. After observing how they fought as a team, Luna was now confident in their strength as a cohort.

    ¡°Not really. You guys helped me learn more about the enemy.¡± She finally replied to Gail¡¯s question with a weak but genuine smile.

    ¡°But that technique¡­how?¡± Adam was generally awe-struck by Luna''s display of power. He was from the Green Rose Sect which was one of House Feng¡¯s so of course seeing Luna use a technique that was only briefly written about in scrolls must¡¯ve surprised him.

    ¡®That¡¯s only if he noticed it''s the same technique. The other person I believe must¡¯ve noticed I used Wind Blade is Darkness¡­¡¯

    Before she could answer with a lie, Monic cut in just in time to save her.

    ¡°You Legacies really are powerful. To think I would ever see a mundane take down a Cursed General.¡±

    ¡°The suit and the enchanted sword did most of the work.¡± Luna forced a laugh as she rubbed the back of her neck. Yes, the suit played a big role; it kept her from spending too much stamina in one go.

    She then turned to the vast red desert. Its red red sun was already setting and a red moon was already taking shape in the twilight sky. She may have not been tired, but the rest of her cohort was after using so much zenshi against the cursed creature.

    Sigh. Even the arachnid pilot needed to reload its guns and charge the fields.

    The machine had survived a rain of spikes so it was still more than capable of moving.

    ¡°We¡¯ll rest here tonight. Let¡¯s make camp and prepare for the cold night.¡±

 Desert Worm

    The ground trembled with a deep, resonant rumble as a giant sandworm suddenly emerged from beneath the shifting dunes. Its massive, serpentine body stretched out in undulating waves, each segment of its form covered in thick, armor-like scales that glinted dully in the harsh desert sun. The scales were a mottled blend of sandy reds and ochres, blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, providing the creature with a natural camouflage that made it nearly invisible when burrowed.

    As the worm reared up, its gargantuan head loomed high above the sand, casting a long shadow that stretched out like a dark omen across the desert floor. The head was a fearsome sight, dominated by a circular maw rimmed with row upon row of razor-sharp, serrated teeth. These teeth rotated and clicked menacingly, creating a grinding, churning sound that sent shivers down the spine of any who heard it. The mouth itself was a dark abyss, capable of swallowing a man whole with a single gulp.

    ¡®Shit.¡¯ Luna cursed before she commanded the arachnid pilot to release the full force of his machine¡¯s arms.

    Immediately, its guns started running as countless rounds of energized bullets struck the giant creature¡¯s tough skin. However, the bullets didn¡¯t even manage to damage the creature¡¯s skin or even get its attention because its focus seemed to be fixed on the flying ascender who kept circling it while firing down his magical arrows that easily bypassed the tough hide and dealt real harm to the cursed creature. Because of that, the creature was more bothered by him than the rest of the group. This was the opportunity they needed.

    Adam and Monic didn¡¯t hesitate to open their third gates and call upon their summons. There was a bright flash before a winged lion and a black Pegasus came into reality to assist their masters in their battle against the Cursed Creature. The fierce mystical beasts roamed the sky awhile and dived to pick up their masters. Adam mounted the Winged Lion while Monic reached for the black Pegasus.

    The pair then shot off into the sky and flew towards the giant worm with nothing but steel expressions on their faces. The two looked like ants compared to the cursed creature, but its size was the least of their problems.

    Darkness let out a glorified laughter and launched herself into the air, catapulting her body to the giant worm.

    Luna watched as the warmonger threw her shield at one of the small cracks on the sandworm¡¯s body with her gravity ability active. The shield struck true and sent a powerful shockwave through the worm¡¯s entire body, pushing it to Monic¡¯s side. The Navy-haired Ascender roared and threw her spear with practiced accuracy. As it whooshed through the air, the spear suddenly lit up with black tendrils of electricity and delivered an explosive blow after it shattered a lot of the creature¡¯s armor with ease.

    At the same time, Adam jumped from his mount, his twin blades glowing with a reddish-brown energy. He swung the pair of weapons with flawless precision and delivered a single powerful cut that tore through the creature''s flesh. He jumped off its body and back flew away on his summon before turning around.

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    The sandworm cried out, its attention snapping to the attacking group. The red sand on its scales stilled, then shifted, hardening into razor-sharp spikes. In a blur, the spikes launched toward the nearest Ascenders like a hail of deadly projectiles.

    Monic¡¯s Pegasus was fast enough to dodge the spikes and her black lightning coming from the spear effortlessly destroyed the crimson spikes whenever they got close to her.

    But the same couldn¡¯t be said about Adam¡¯s griffin which was moving slower than the flying horse. Unfortunately, one of its wings was caught by the one red spikes and he dismissed it into a rain of sparks. He couldn¡¯t risk losing it now because a new summon would take him a year at most or four months to retrieve.

    After his desperate attempt to save his summon, the muscular man let himself fall from a distance before landing on his feet and letting his suit absorb the impact.

    As soon as he was on the ground, though. The sandworm noticed him and more crimson sand spikes were fired in his direction. He braced to take on the attack, but a large machine came between him and the rain of spikes to shield him. The pilot pushed a lever within the arachnid and activated a charged barrier, blocking most of the spinning spikes before more could damage the machine.

    The arachnid fired more charged bullets that destroyed some of the falling spikes, its body trembling from the force of the rail gun running as the pilot inside desperately fought to protect Adam and himself.

    Finally, the spikes stopped but the gunfire didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Adam¡¯s voice was inaudible through the sound of continuous gunfire, but he spoke anyway right before he charged forward. His twin swords hummed with energy as he poured zenshi into them and opened his second gate to unleash his Aura.

    The arachnid pilot caught on quick enough to take down the barrier and give way to his comrade. With a loud and powerful grunt, Adam plunged his swords into the red sand, and spikes¡ªtwice as large as the machine guarding him and almost as tall as the giant warm¡ªexploded around the sandworm and trapped it in a sand cage.

    ¡°This is my domain, you bastard.¡±

    Noticing that it was trapped, the creature roared and prepared to burrow back into the ground. It twisted its body to retreat into the sand, but Adam¡¯s spikes were too powerful to just shatter after a single motion.

    Darkness, Monic, and Gail then shot forward into a series of explosive attacks that could be heard across the desert. Monic leaped off her Pegasus and managed to latch onto the creature¡¯s body and thrust her powered spear into its skin. This time, however, cackles of black lighting exploded from where her spear had struck as she pushed it deeper.

    Darkness on the other hand manipulated the gravitational field around her sword and delivered a very deep cut that shattered its stone armor and drew blood.

    Luna watched all of this from a distance with her sword drawn. She was studying the fight as it unfolded.

    The diviner was standing close to her. Just like Mira and Luna, he was also impressed by the display of power. Diviners were usually not very suited for combat like other Ascenders. Also, they were too valuable since ascenders with Auras connected to divinations were rare.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to join the fight?¡± He asked Luna who hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off the fight since it started. The cohort¡¯s ascenders seemed to be holding their own against the sandworm.

    And soon, it was going to fall if the battle continued like this .¡°Of what help would I be?¡± she replied. ¡°Aside from the pilot, Mira and I are the only unblessed. We¡¯re useless in such a fight.¡±

    The man stared at the fight and smiled. ¡°Then why do you have your blade drawn?¡±

    When he asked that question, the desert trembled when the worm managed to shatter Adam¡¯s crimson sand spikes and burrowed into the ground. It moved with surprising speed and agility, its massive size cutting through the sand like a ship through water.

    At first, Luna hadn''t noticed what the sandworm was doing. But when she did, her feet were already sinking into the sand. The ground heaved and buckled as the sandworm burrowed, creating a cascade of shifting sand that made it difficult for Luna and her group to keep their footing.

    "It''s here."

 Wind Blade

    Luna''s eyes widened as she realized the immediate danger. She turned to the diviner, her voice sharp and urgent.

    "Get back! Now!"

    The diviner didn¡¯t hesitate to move, retreating quickly as the ground beneath them quaked more violently.

    Mira must have noticed it too because she started shooting at the sand as she led the diviner away from the initial point. Her energized bullets caused the sand to implode on impact each time she fired at the enemy coming in their direction.

    With swift motion, Luna activated a sequence in her nanoskin armor, sending a surge of energy into her legs. The suit responded instantly, enhancing her body through the neuro link.

    With that, Luna leaped high into the air, avoiding the initial burst of sand as the sandworm broke through the surface where they had just been standing.

    Landing gracefully a short distance away, Luna took a moment to recalibrate. Her heart pounded, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She glanced around, assessing the situation before she did anything else.

    Gail was sweating as he continuously fired golden arrows at the thing, Darkness was already on its back delivering powerful strikes that made the monster cry as it fought to wiggle her off. She was covered in red sand which probably meant she was on it when it burrowed into the sand.

    Monic had dismissed her summon and was doing her best to deliver lightning strikes at the small wounds she had created earlier. At the same time, Adam called on red walls to trap their enemy.

    The worm was partially above ground now, its massive body writhing as it tried to shake off the attacks from the others. It was injured, but its vicious presence remained as its roar continued to cause rumbles across the desert.

    ¡®The only thing keeping you alive is your tough skin¡­so don¡¯t look down on me like that.¡¯

    Tsk. She wasn¡¯t even sure if this thing had eyes.

    Steeling her resolve, Luna dashed forward, her enhanced speed leaving a blur across the sand. As she approached the sandworm, she searched within to draw out a technique she had mastered long ago.

    Her helmet disappeared to let more air into her lungs. And soon, everything in her body was functioning at a balanced rate as she drew out the sword technique.

    ¡®The blade is like an extension of a swordsman. It¡¯s not just a tool, but an extra limb that can cut through anything.¡¯

    As Luna recalled her father¡¯s words, the rest of the world seemed to go silent as she got closer and closer to the sandworm. Once the silence finally overtook her mind, Luna finally got to sense the sandworm¡¯s core. It was pulsing out energy, like a large heartbeat.

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    This unique energy was qi or its life force. As a martial artist, this is how she perceived the world of the supernatural and how she was able to catch up with so many ascenders. She had harnessed her ability to sense life essence to a great degree in case she ever went against invisible enemies.

    However, the case would have been different if the worm was undead or infected. It would''ve made it very hard to detect with qi since the dead had no life energy and black ether was known for consuming life essence.

    ¡°Sacred art, Wind Blade.¡± She whispered, her voice barely audible in the chaos of battle.

    With a single, fluid motion, Luna leaped into the air and her katana sliced with a resonant hum. The forged weapon¡¯s blade seemed to extend into an invisible wind slash that cut deep into the creature''s armored body. However, that¡¯s not where the invisible attack stopped. Because of the enchantment, the invisible technique easily found its way to the core and sliced right through it.

    ¡°RAAAAAAAGGGGRRR!!!!¡±

    The worm let out a deafening roar, its body convulsing in pain.

    Luna landed on its side and held on tightly, using her suit''s suction grips to maintain her position.

    She had destroyed its core of course, but the bastard refused to die instantly. Having a core destroyed was equivalent to having a Soul Gate destroyed. In that situation, most people preferred death because of how painful the experience was. The Cursed Creature seemed to be more than desperate to survive.

    ¡°Shit.¡± She continued to cut through the creature¡¯s scales with ease and then its flesh. Her sword seemed to know no weakness as more and more blood spluttered out of the wounds she created. Being so high up was a frightening experience but the sandworm was nothing compared to greater cursed creatures which were about the size of actual mountains.

    Finally, one of Gail¡¯s powerful arrows flew into its mouth and killed it instantly the moment it exploded and destroyed its insides with zenshi.

    Everyone knew what was coming next, so they either cleared the way. Or for someone like Luna who was latched onto its body, held on, and prepared for the descent.

    With a final, guttural roar, the worm collapsed. Its massive body fell still on the blood-red sands that imploded outward to create a giant sand-dust cloud.

    Luna coughed after inhaling some of the dust. She blinked, her vision blurring momentarily as a vague, shadowy form appeared atop the worm¡¯s carcass. She froze, her heart pounding. Was it a trick of the dust?

    ¡°Huh?¡± she squinted her eyes and forced them to blink once again. When she looked, the vague shadow was gone and Darkness was the one standing on the creature with a glorified smile.

    '' Argh...The dust is playing tricks with my eyes.''

    ¡°This is glory! The god of war must be pleased by us indeed. This is enough to make him turn from his grave¡­haha.¡±

    Gail landed on the beast, his handsome face was now pale after using so much zenshi in one fight. ¡°It¡¯s always about glory when it comes to you. But the reason why we won was because of Lady Luna. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    He turned to the raven-haired girl who was now staring at where the dark blade had cut. It was clean and perfect. Wind Blade was a secret technique meant to be used against colossal enemies. The Sword Technique''s creator was from the Feng Clan. After creating the technique, the great nobleman noticed its dangers and decided to take its secrets to the grave.

    When Luna inherited it, she decided to respect him by keeping the technique to herself as well. No one could be trusted with this level of power. Both of its forms would be too powerful in the hands of an ascender.

    She turned to the rest of her unit. After observing how they fought as a team, Luna was now confident in their strength as a cohort.

    ¡°Not really. You guys helped me learn more about the enemy.¡± She finally replied to Gail¡¯s question with a weak but genuine smile.

    ¡°But that technique¡­how?¡± Adam was generally awe-struck by Luna''s display of power. He was from the Green Rose Sect which was one of House Feng¡¯s so of course seeing Luna use a technique that was only briefly written about in scrolls must¡¯ve surprised him.

    ¡®That¡¯s only if he noticed it''s the same technique. The other person I believe must¡¯ve noticed I used Wind Blade is Darkness¡­¡¯

    Before she could answer with a lie, Monic cut in just in time to save her.

    ¡°You Legacies really are powerful. To think I would ever see a mundane take down a Cursed General.¡±

    ¡°The suit and the enchanted sword did most of the work.¡± Luna forced a laugh as she rubbed the back of her neck. Yes, the suit played a big role; it kept her from spending too much stamina in one go.

    She then turned to the vast red desert. Its red red sun was already setting and a red moon was already taking shape in the twilight sky. She may have not been tired, but the rest of her cohort was after using so much zenshi against the cursed creature.

    Sigh. Even the arachnid pilot needed to reload its guns and charge the fields.

    The machine had survived a rain of spikes so it was still more than capable of moving.

    ¡°We¡¯ll rest here tonight. Let¡¯s make camp and prepare for the cold night.¡±

 Dreams

    Luna stared at the fiery flames dancing in the center of the small camp they had managed to create quickly. The desert was silent again since the cursed creature had been defeated. Now, the night was drowned in the gentle light of the red moon that hung in the sky while giving this place a familiarity with the real world.

    Moments like this always made Luna feel sentimental. She had never gone out camping¡ªwhich was close to impossible in the New World--but sitting here with some company and a flame burning in the center was enough to paint the image of the activity. While she quietly watched the flames, the rest were doing as they wished after the battle. Gail was meditating, trying to restore his zenshi. Darkness was in deep conversation with Monic¡ªthey seemed to have grown pretty close after fighting together recently. Mira was seated nearby, cleaning her gun with a silk cloth.

    Adam and the Arachnid Pilot were also talking while holding steaming cups of hot chocolate that the pilot seemed to have an addiction to.

    ¡®How unmanly of them.¡¯

    Luna almost laughed at the scene. The large, muscular man who looked so intimidating when they first met was now sipping down a cup of hot cocoa and engaging in a deep conversation with someone much smaller than him.

    ¡°Weird.¡± She commented, taking her eyes off the pair. The nights here might have been cold as hell, but at least they had a fire and hot chocolate to keep themselves warm. Chocolate cost a fortune, by the way. So Luna was surprised to hear that her sister sent her this much.

    ''She always goes overboard.''

    With a relieved sigh, Luna picked up the cup that she was waiting for to cool and brought it to her lips.

    The sweet taste was even sweeter. The fact that she could die any day here made her savor the taste of the chocolate even more. She licked her lips and closed her eyes in enjoyment.

    "I¡¯m so glad you survived the apocalypse," she whispered to her cup before drinking more.

    ¡°Why are you this far from everyone, Lady Luna?¡±

    Upon hearing a voice, she awkwardly snapped out of her daze and faced the owner of the voice.

    ¡®Oh, it¡¯s Mr. Shin.¡¯

    Luna smiled at the diviner as he sat beside her and offered her a plate of food. She stared at the plate of spiced roasted meat, a few greens, and some rice on the side. She didn¡¯t know she was hungry until she almost salivated from just looking at the displayed meal.

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    ¡®Be a lady¡­be a lady Luna. He just addressed you as one¡­¡¯

    Thankfully, she managed to resist the frightening urge to yank the plate out of Mr. Shin¡¯s hands and chow on her meal like a hungry wolf.

    ¡°Thank you¡­Mr. Shin.¡± She placed her cup of chocolate down, accepted her food, and let herself drown in the aroma it made. After catching a good whiff of the meal, Luna didn''t wait for the cutlery to arrive. She was already ripping some meat off the bigger piece with her teeth.

    Mr. Shin stared at her for a moment, then looked away and cleared his throat. ¡°I see¡­you were indeed hungry. I should have known and cooked earlier.¡±

    Luna stopped for a moment and shook her head. ¡°Perfection requires patience, your cooking skills are awesome because we¡¯re patient.¡±

    Mr. Shin smiled gently at her praise. He was older than her by many years. Yet, the middle-aged man looked to be in his early twenties.

    ¡°It''s an honor to receive such great praise from you. My daughter tells me the same every time I cook," he said with a gentle smile.

    The mention of his daughter briefly shocked Luna. Sure, Mr. Shin was old, but the handsome fella looked too young to have a child.

    ¡°You¡¯re married?¡±

    ¡°Divorced.¡± He replied with a heavy sigh. ¡°My wife was against my job, she said she wasn¡¯t ready to lose me in such. But in truth, this was the only job I could do that paid well. Awakening was probably the best thing to ever happen to me.¡±

    Luna was silent as she focused on her food alone. ¡°What is your daughter¡¯s name?¡± she asked after swallowing some rice.

    ¡°Ling Hana, she¡¯s seven. She wants to be an Ascender doctor.¡± He chuckled a little while he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. His blue eyes seemed to brighten up as he continued to speak of his daughter.

    Was this his reason to live? Luna wondered. Was Ling the reason why Shin always made it back in despite the exciting life of an ascender? Was she his anchor to life?

    Diviners weren¡¯t so strong, after all. To be a combat diviner meant that you had a very strong will to survive.

    ¡®I forget how strange humans can be sometimes.¡¯

    ¡°An ascender doctor?¡± she laughed. ¡°What a dreamer! I like her already, Mr. Shin.¡±

    After a brief while of silence, she asked a question. ¡°Mr Shin, is she the reason you live?¡±

    He nodded energetically. ¡°Yes. I have a dream to spend the rest of my days with her. After this subjugation, I will have made enough money to send her to one of the best academies and sects. Or enough money to let her follow her dreams.¡±

    ¡°Dreams?¡± Luna repeated the word quietly to herself as if it was her first time hearing that.

    ¡®Do I even have dreams of my own?¡¯

    Suddenly, Luna was surprised to feel a small hint of jealousy toward Ling, a seven-year-old. The idea of having dreams always sounded unreal to the ears of someone who was raised to carry on the dreams of those who came before them.

    Legacies were usually wired with the dreams of others. It was a cruel fate that they had adapted to and normalized.

    Dreams were a luxury children born under Legacy clans couldn¡¯t afford. Maybe life would¡¯ve been different if she was just a normal girl doing ordinary things.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you have to survive, Mr Shin. For your daughter¡¯s sake, don¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to die any time soon, Lady Luna. And please, call me Shin. there is no need for someone of stature to speak so formally to me."

    "Then call me Luna, please," she faintly smiled.

    They continued sharing their meal in silence as the cold night went on. This was by far the most peaceful she had been in a long time.

    If only things could stay this peaceful.

    ***

    The next morning, the cohort was already on the move continuing their journey across the crimson desert.

    Today, they hoped to cover a great distance before sunset. They were all well-rested and back to their full energy after recovering all the zenshi they had used during their encounter with the sandworm. Shin was leading the way with Adam and Monic acting as his guards. While Darkness and Gail played the role of scouts as they soared through the red sky. Mira and Luna stayed on guard, protecting the arachnid carrying their supplies.

    Soon, after what felt like hours of walking without any shade under the relentless sun, the group finally stopped when they laid their eyes upon something that seemed to stand out in this desert. Its structures were mostly buried in red sand, but there was no mistaking it¡­

    The cohort had landed upon the first sign of civilization...

    Ruins of what looked to be an ancient human settlement.

 Temple In The Sand

    Luna stared at the ancient ruins with a grim expression. The ancient civilization of the divine realm was long gone with only a few of its structures still halfway buried in the red sand as if begging to not be swallowed by this harsh world. All of this happened due to the rise Cursed Creatures and corruption that hand in hand consumed everything that breathed and had life. The beings who once occupied this part of the divine realm had faced a much worse end by becoming restless corpses that attacked anything that moved.

    Once the corruption was done with this world, it proceeded to the Mortal realm with cursed creatures as its carriers. The Gateways too leaked Black Ether, making the destruction of their realm much worse by spreading it faster. But unlike the beings of the divine realm who faced an unavoidable end, the humans of the Mortal realm gained zenshi which granted them full immunity against black ether and a fighting chance against the cursed creatures.

    That¡¯s why Luna had all these questions gnawing in her mind and giving her headaches constantly. Why didn¡¯t the beings of the divine realm have zenshi to protect them? Why were the people of the Mortal Realm given a fighting chance? And why is there a spell that keeps things hidden?

    How much of what they knew was true?

    After her two recent life-changing events, Luna was starting to believe that this Tower was connected to both her train incidents. She didn¡¯t exactly know how it connected to what happened on the train when traveling to Hansho, but she was sure it was. This wasn''t just her paranoia speaking.

    ¡°The fall, the stars¡­Yong Feng. I can still remember them.¡± She murmured, strongly. Each time now and then, she repeated those words out to make sure that she hadn¡¯t forgotten anything, yet.

    Darkness¡¯s voice then sounded through the communication device connected to her ear. ¡°Most of the undead here are already dead¡­or more dead. I think our two captains were here.¡±

    She ended her sentence with a giggle. The sight of violence always made her the weirdest of the bunch.

    ¡®That explains why there are no abominations, I guess.¡¯ However, Darkness¡¯s communication gave her a little hope.

    ¡°Alright. I will continue looking around for anything that might be of use to us. We¡¯ll rest here for a few hours¡­I sense nothing either so we might be safe. However, that doesn¡¯t mean you should let your guard down. Keep Alert.¡±

    ¡°Aye, captain!¡±

    Darkness and Gail answered at the same time before they turned off their communications.

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    The return of a familiar silence made Luna shiver.

    ¡°I might as well use the free time to explore this place.¡±

    With a sigh, she turned off her communication and continued to go deeper into the ruined establishment. The solemn silence grew eerie with each step, but Luna was born and raised with nerves of steel.

    The sand under her feet crunched loudly as she studied the still-standing structures. These ruined structures were indeed made using an ancient type of architecture since technology wasn¡¯t a thing in the divine realm. At least not the technology in their world. The buildings were made out of a special red type of stone that glistened faintly under the sun¡¯s radiance. And when Luna tried scanning it, the suit¡¯s intelligence couldn¡¯t find anything with a similar composition on Earth.

    "Not surprised, I guess."

    Out of curiosity, Luna then dismissed the nanoskin around her hands and touched the red.

    ¡®Huh!¡¯

    It was cold to the touch which was strange for something that spent most of the time under the sun. Meanwhile, her hands were already burning up under the red sun¡¯s light. This only made her more curious.

    Although it felt pointless to try, she closed her eyes and tried extending her senses beyond the red wall. Her range wasn¡¯t as good as that of the monks who trained her in this art, but if she tried hard enough she could go as far as fifty meters without stressing herself that much.

    Anyway, using qi to sense required one to fully connect their soul and allow their energy to further into the earth. Qi was the source of life, so it needed life to be influenced. However, for some odd reason, those with zenshi could weakly use this ability.

    She took in a deep breath and her perception changed, drowning her world in darkness. Luna didn¡¯t sense any life inside, but as her life energy stretched further, she noticed that the interior of the building was much larger. It was so large that her range could not make out the entire structure.

    Luna was now intrigued by this discovery.

    So¡­

    Without causing much noise, she cut a human-sized hole through the red stone. On cutting down the rock, she was met by a chilling coldness that she felt through her suit. Suddenly, she felt hesitant about going any further than where she was.

    The sun''s red light barely cut through the intense darkness before her. And the eerie feeling she felt earlier only became stronger when she stepped forward and jumped onto one of the weak wooden beams. But there was no turning back. After all, Luna was one curious cat.

    By watching her steps and relying on her qi sense, Luna managed to navigate the wooden pathways till she found a way down. To her surprise, no sand had found its way to the floors. There was no crunch to indicate that not a single grain of sand had made it here despite the structure being buried in the sand.

    For a moment, Luna froze when she realized this wasn¡¯t a normal structure.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Her breath trembled as she took in the sight. She needed a moment to take it in.

    Right now, she stood at the threshold of her discovery, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and trepidation. The red sunlight cast an ethereal glow over the scene, highlighting the weathered red tone and intricate carvings that adorned the building''s facade.

    As she stepped closer, Luna''s suit illuminated more details, revealing that the building was not merely a relic of some long-forgotten civilization, but a grand temple of sorts that happened to be submerged in the red sand.

    The entrance, a gaping maw framed by towering columns, remained shut behind her to keep the sand away from blasting in like a powerful wave and burying her.

    Taking a deep breath, Luna continued deeper inside, her footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor. The temperature dropped sharply as she moved further into the temple, the air growing colder and damper with each step. Wherever the light of her device touched, it revealed faded murals and hieroglyphs that hinted at the temple''s ancient origins and the deities it once honored.

    There, a few words were inscribed on the walls in ancient languages Luna hadn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡°Biscuits¡­¡±

    She cursed and scanned the murals, storing the texts automatically. Maybe someone could decipher them when she returned to the real world.

    The eeriness in the air continued to linger and Luna continued scanning and storing the ancient temple¡¯s murals.

    When she reached a certain point of the temple, her instincts kicked in and she drew her dark blade almost instantly. She looked around with caution and noticed the thick darkness was eating away the light from outside.

    Soon, the temple was dark again and her only light source was the device of her suit.

 Tales in the Sand

    Deeper inside, Luna led herself through a narrow corridor leading into a vast chamber, the sheer size of it taking her breath away. Massive stone pillars rose from the floor, disappearing into the darkness above. Each one was carved with symbols and figures worn smooth by time. The walls were lined with alcoves, some containing statues of beautiful winged divine beings.

    And in the center of the chamber, an altar stood, its surface covered in a thin layer of dust.

    Luna approached it cautiously, her suit¡¯s light revealing a mosaic on the floor depicting a celestial scene, stars and moons intricately inlaid with precious stones that glinted faintly in the dim light.

    The coldness here was more intense, almost numbing. She could feel the ancient power that permeated the space as it brutally fought her back¡­but Luna persisted stubbornly.

    As she stood there, a sense of awe washed over her. This was a place of worship, of reverence, lost to the sands of time yet remarkably preserved in its eerie beauty.

    The realization that she had discovered something so significant and ancient filled Luna with a deep sense of purpose.

    The temple, submerged in the red sands of the desert and shrouded in cold darkness, was a testament to a civilization long gone and forgotten.

    She turned to the thick darkness looming above her and asked herself to ca

    ¡°What is this place? And What happened to its people?¡±

    She touched the mosaic and studied the images beneath her feet. The celestial image depicted millions of stars. However, among the stars, only eight of them seemed to shine the brightest.

    ¡®Are these stars connected to the Fall?¡¯ Luna wondered as she traced the stars.

    From the mosaic, these eight stars were the brightest in the sky. Seven of them were probably representing the gods. But what did the eighth one mean?

    According to the discoveries made throughout mankind, only seven active gods watched over realms. The god of Death, Moon, Heart, War, Sun, Fate, and Sea. These seven deities were called by many names by different cultures. However, no eighth deity has ever been mentioned before.

    While searching through the writings, Luna finally stumbled on something she could read. It was vague and written in a strange language she understood so suddenly. This was probably the work of the memories infused in her blood.

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    Just like what happened on the train when she automatically knew what Raphael was saying that day.

    This time, Luna read out the texts she was capable of translating:

    ¡°Our world is on the verge of breaking down. May the blessing of darkness shield us from the madness of the gods, let it hide us from their watchful gaze and shield us from their wrathful powers.¡±

    ¡°Hail to the true guardians of the Heavenly Realm¡­Hail to the True Celestials¡­¡±

    Luna stopped when the rest of the inscriptions were not recognizable. Someone had scratched through them with a sword or anything sharp to keep them hidden.

    But what she had learned was enough. The darkness in this place was the creation of a different kind of deity, a kind that rivaled the gods in terms of strength and power.

    ¡®No wonder the Sun does not affect this temple.¡¯

    Yes. The darkness here had eaten away all traces of the Sun¡¯s light because of its possible connection to the Sun god.

    Luna understood that gods always took it overboard when they were furious, it was the nature of superior beings. In fact, Tales of humans being cursed by gods were once popular literature in the Mortal Realm.

    ¡°But if the darkness worked¡­.why is everyone here dead?¡±

    Luna stared at the scratches on the walls. It''s as if someone did this intentionally to hide the truth behind the texts. The Stars were probably gods or something connected to them. From what she translated, there was a conflict...a conflict that forced the people of the Divine Realm to turn to these so-called "True Celestials."

    However, these True Celestials sounded much stronger than the corrupted deities humanity has encountered over the past years. To be called True Celestials must''ve meant that your powers almost rivaled the gods.

    Her grandfather, Yong Feng must have discovered something about the gods. The knowledge that mere mortals weren¡¯t supposed to have access to¡­

    ***

    After spending about three hours in the temple, Luna guided herself out of the thick cold darkness. Now that she knew the Darkness here was more than just a creation of no light, she felt nothing but dread for it.

    ....if this hid them from the god¡¯s wrath or gaze, didn¡¯t that mean these ''True Celestials'' could still see them?

    She didn¡¯t want to think about it. But. What if it was these very ¡®True Celestials¡¯ that betrayed them?

    When she reached the surface, the red sun was gone and a red moon now illuminated the sky with its crimson brightness.

    The first thing she heard was the ringing of her communication devices as they suddenly went online. What followed was the annoying feeling of disorientation after stepping out of the human-sized hole.

    The first person she saw was Gail, his pale skin was glowing under the red moonlight, his golden eyes shining like a pair of gems. His golden hair flattered in the wind as he started at the ruins with a deep and wistful expression.

    Luna noticed he was holding a longsword in his right hand, his black nanoskin uniform was nowhere to be seen. He was immune to corruption, anyway. Gail was now in a white sleeveless tunic which he must have picked up while exploring the ruins of the establishment.

    She wasn¡¯t surprised that the high-quality garment had survived this long. This tower was once a part of the divine realm¡­so anything was possible.

    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±

    His sweet voice cut through the desert wind like a finely shaped blade.

    ¡°Of course, I am.¡± Luna paused for a while then snickered. ¡°¡­Golden boy.¡±

    He cringed. ¡°I should use that as a superhero name when we return to our realm.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still in our realm.¡±

    ''And who the hell still believes in superheroes.''

    He shook his head, denying her response. ¡°Our realm doesn¡¯t have a red sun or a red moon. Deserts are supposed to be fields of golden sand¡­or something like that. This whole place looks like a sea of crystallized blood.¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I think these ruins belonged to humans. Humans of the divine realm.¡±

    He looked at her with a deadpan expression. ¡°How is that supposed to make me feel any better? This whole place feels like the gods forsook it¡­there is no sign of life. No sign of their influence¡­¡±

    He stared at the ruins with a thoughtful gaze. Whatever happened here was nothing but cruel. The people lived forever as undead, their advanced civilization lost and forgotten.

    ¡°Being forgotten is indeed the true form of death.¡± He continued. ¡°This civilization will no longer exist. This tunic will become a normal fabric. The names of the people here are lost forever¡­how cruel.¡±

    ¡°I guess life is cruel for all humans. Whether in our realm or the divine.¡±

    ¡°You can say that again.¡±

    ¡®Really? This guy must be an idiot. At least he¡¯s good to look at.¡¯

    Shaking her head, she repeated her words, jokingly.

    ¡°I guess life is cruel for humans¡­whether in our realm or the divine.¡±

 Desert Ice

    ¡®Cut¡­.¡¯

    The sound of her ice blade cutting whooshed through the air as it tore through an undead abomination. The creature¡¯s insides were dry, and no blood splattered as its parts split in different directions, the severed halves crumbling into the dust of the red desert.

    Before the defeated abomination¡¯s body even touched the ground, Lena was already rushing toward another adversary. This one was a cursed creature with limbs resembling black tentacles attached to a humanoid body with red spikes growing out of its stone-like ebony carapace, each spike glinted ominously under the harsh sun creating a disgusting sight for anyone who looked at it.

    With precision, her translucent blade flashed at the attacking tentacles. Each tentacle that made contact with her weapon immediately turned to solid ice. The cold from her blade moved rapidly from the point of contact and immobilized the creature¡¯s limb.

    This was the true strength of her Aura, Divine Ice. Each time she drew it out, the desert cooled down for a moment.

    As the Ghost of Winter, Lena moved with its presence like an extension of her soul, just as the sword was for her body. The temperature dropped noticeably around her, the heat of the desert retreating from the biting chill she exuded.

    With ease, she phased through the abomination¡¯s offense, her movements fluid and ethereal. Once she was close, she plunged her sword right into its neck and smirked as white ice flowed from the point of penetration, rapidly encasing the entire creature in a crystalline prison until it stood as a grotesque ice sculpture. Its once menacing form now frozen in an eternal moment of defeat.

    Another creature burst out of the red sand and lunged at her, its maw gaping and claws outstretched. But before it was even close, a spear of steaming ice had already materialized in her hand and shot through the air, piercing the creature''s chest. The creature halted abruptly, the attack was both immediate and lethal enough to destroy its core.

    It collapsed to the ground, lifeless. For real¡­at least.

    ¡°That was easy¡­¡± Lena muttered to herself, her breath visible in the cold air surrounding her.

    The red desert, a stark contrast to her frosty aura, seemed to momentarily accept her dominance. The heat was pushed back by the ghostly chill she wielded.

    She surveyed the battlefield, her icy grey eyes scanning for any additional threats.

    The other soldiers seemed to be winning the ongoing battle against the horde of abominations. The number of their forces had fallen drastically since entering the dungeon weeks ago.

    Right now, the original fifty men and women had been reduced to almost half after the countless battles they had gone through. Unfortunately for them, the cursed creatures had only gotten stronger as they drew closer to the portal supposed to lead them to the next floor.

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    Luckily, even after losing almost half of their original number, the available humans and ascenders were still capable of fighting against whatever cursed creature that came in their way. This was all thanks to Snow¡¯s leadership and strategic skills. He was the main captain of this entire operation.

    Lena¡¯s only job was to assist the captain in case he faced powerful creatures of higher ranks like Generals or higher. And so far, she had assisted in killing three Cursed Tyrants with deadly abilities that killed most members of the unit.

    ***

    When the fight was over, the unit regrouped to see how many survived the fight against the horde and treated those who were severely injured. The arachnid machines also needed maintenance. Only three of the massive machines had made this far into the blood desert. Because everyone was exhausted, the unit decided to make a stop and camp not so far from the battlefield.

    They needed the rest to recover from the fatigue and their zenshi reserves.

    Lena was now quietly relaxing under her tent with a piece of roasted meat from a living cursed beast that was killed by one of the soldiers. At first, she was against eating foreign meat. But after learning that the black ether could be burnt away with zenshi, her fears of turning into an Infected by eating monster meat were no more.

    After giving it a long stare, she led the spicy meat to her mouth and started eating it like there was no tomorrow. It was soft and tender¡­just the way she liked it.

    Len had never been the type to chow down on fatty meat like this but she was wary of losing so much weight as every day here made her feel like she was working out. The battles seemed to wear her down even before the sunset.

    Today was the first night of pure peace since they entered this horrible place.

    Once she was done with her meal, Lena decided to go out for a stroll. She stepped out of her cold tent which was in the far corner of the camping area to avoid affecting her comrades with her presence.

    The night was already cold. So she didn¡¯t want to make it worse with her chilling presence.

    As she moved across the campsite, her silver hair flattered in the wind while she marched. Under the crimson light, she looked like a divine being. Her pale white skin was smooth and free of any scar, a flawless canvas that seemed to glow ethereally under the moonlight. The soft radiance accentuated her serene beauty, making her appear almost otherworldly amidst the desolate landscape.

    Her grey eyes, cold and piercing, remained devoid of any emotion, reflecting the stark, unfeeling red light of the moon. In this harsh, unforgiving world, she stood as an enigmatic figure, a ghostly presence of winter that commanded both awe and fear.

    ¡°It''s Ghost of Winter, I heard she took down a general today all on her own. And she didn¡¯t get hurt at all.¡±

    ¡°Did you see how she killed it with so much ease? Legacies are indeed something else¡­even Captain Snow. You saw what he did with that Cursed Tyrant. He killed it in one move¡­¡±

    Lena made no reaction to the soldiers¡¯ weirdly loud conversations. Most of them were mundane humans who were excited after seeing the ascenders use their powers¡­especially herself and Snow.

    The two were only using their second gates, but had already left quite the impression on both ascenders and mundane soldiers.

    ¡­Which was a good thing since needed all the morale they could get from them.

    She arrived at the main tent and walked in.

    Inside the tent was a group of five soldiers studying a hologram of a map they had come up with after traveling for so long. Snow was standing at the side as a red-haired woman explained everything to him and the rest of the soldiers.

    The woman was a diviner clairvoyant and was currently the most important person here. To be more clear, without her, the path to the portal would¡¯ve been much harder than it already was.

    Also, she was the one tasked with making a map to be used by the unit meant to join and take on the second floor of this damn dungeon.

    They all paused what they were doing and lowered their heads to welcome Lena¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Um¡­Good evening.¡±

    ¡°How was the meal?¡± Snow asked with a mischievous grin. ¡°Cursed creature meat is top-shelf quality, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Len turned and faced the handsome man. Then covered her mouth to hide her smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t expose your weird fetishes to your co-workers, cousin. You might destroy the slim chances you have with Ascender Rita.¡±

    The red-haired woman¡¯s eyes widened, her face turning red after hearing Len¡¯s teasing words.

    Snow gritted his teeth, feeling embarrassed. He looked at the surprised redhead and then at Lena with eyes burning with animosity.

    ¡°Anyway, I think we should save the confessions for later when we get out of this place.¡±

    Both Rita and Snow replied in unison.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    Len snickered before letting out a satisfied sigh. She turned to the nervous Rita and asked:

    ¡°How far is my sister from here?¡±

    ¡°Very close, Lady Feng. Mr. Shin has successfully guided them across the desert.¡±

    A wide smile found itself on Lena¡¯s face as she said:

    ¡°Music to my ears.¡±

 Cursed Emperor

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    Luna froze at the sight of what was in front of her. As predicted by Shin, the cohort had caught up with the first unit by the second day despite all the breaks and small battles they fought along the way. Of course they hadn''t yet caught up to the first unit. But they knew they were pretty damn close because of the disgusting display ahead of them.

    Luna and her cohort had stumbled upon a field of rotting monster corpses. The image was even more grotesque-looking now that it was under the faint crimson light of the moon. The disgusting smell of rot permeated most of the air and the desert wind only made it worse.

    Luna wanted to throw up once the smell reached her nose. Why couldn¡¯t these things just turn to dust like the sandworm?

    ¡°This¡­stinks¡­¡± Gail commented as he used his hand to cover his nose and at least try to block the smell. The ascender hadn¡¯t changed back to his uniform and was still in the white tunic. This¡­was a big distraction because he showed too much skin than usual.

    Luna of course shook it off, but Darkness and Monic kept giving the young man lustful gazes that he accepted with a smile.

    The arachnid pilot too kept staring at Gail¡¯s physique and looking at his from time to time. The man was probably feeling less attractive and insecure in the presence of an actual divine.

    Wait. Not an actual divine, Gail was still human after all.

    ¡°The bodies look fresh. We should move forward.¡± Darkness suggested as she stared at the former battlefield.

    While scanning the area, Luna happened to notice that one of the creatures had a white javelin running through it. The creature looked like a grey-skinned man with claws and a face covered in holes. She wasn¡¯t interested in the creature¡¯s appearance....but the white javelin that growing out of its corpse.

    "Len."

    Immediately, Luna smiled after feeling relieved by the spear¡¯s appearance. It was made of pure ice. And not just any ice, but the ice created from an Aura which was denser than normal ice.

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    ¡°The first unit is just beyond this point. I will go forward first.¡±

    Darkness was about to move when Shin suddenly grabbed her arm and said with urgency:

    ¡°We can¡¯t cross the battlefield now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked with a troubled frown.''

    Shin didn''t bother to reply. He pointed at the field of corpses. Actually....he pointed at a specific creature lying on the sand. It was both silent and motionless.

    Luna and everyone else turned and followed the direction of his finger to the silent corpse.

    Darkness growled. "What?¡±

    "Wait for it¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a giant black serpent emerged from the sand and swallowed the creature in one bite. Its eyes were a dark crimson like the moon itself and its massive black scales shimmered in the moonlight. It had a pair of horns growing on its head and a third one right above its nasal.

    Just then, Darkness paled and stepped back from the edge of the dune they were standing on.

    ¡°A Cursed Emperor.¡±

    Luna gritted her teeth at the sight of the cursed creature. Emperors were believed to be ancient creatures with powers that were not to be taken lightly. If Sovereigns were the strongest ones among the devils, then Emperors were their counterparts in terms of cursed creatures. These powerful monsters possessed Four cores and a very strong life core because of how old they were.

    ¡°How do you know it''s a cursed emperor?¡±

    Gail asked as he stared at the giant snake consume every dead body on the field in one bite. The Creature let out a crashing presence that forced them to remain still as if trapped in place by its otherworldly powers but that wasn''t the case at all. The giant snake was larger than the sandworm, its presence was horrifying and its crimson eyes beamed with cunning intelligence as it distinguished between undead corpses and corpses that were once living creatures.

    ¡°Because we wouldn¡¯t feel this terrified if it was a tyrant¡­¡± She replied, almost failing to catch her trembling breath. The air itself seemed to tremble from its aura, turning her blood cold.

    This was not a fight they could handle. So, even though it pained her a little, they needed to retreat for now and cross the field in the morning if the night didn¡¯t stretch on for too long.

    With a regretful sigh, she let out a command that everyone, even the warmonger agreed to. ¡°Everyone. Quietly retreat.¡±

    With that, everyone here gathered the strength to move and returned to the lower end of the dune where the arachnid pilot and Mira were waiting. They too were pale after sensing the giant snake¡¯s presence.

    None of them asked what they saw, no one dared to talk about what they saw.

    The cohort stayed silent.

    Fear was still fresh in their hearts.

    Luna on the other hand felt so much fear that she wanted to burst into crazy laughter. What were the odds that she would get to see a cursed emperor this early in her life? They were so rare because these cursed creatures were too powerful and ancient to crawl into the mortal realm. The Few that had made it to the Mortal Realm were asleep and were being monitored by both the World Government and the Great clans. So far, there were only three cursed emperors in the world...

    ....The Great Leviathan of Antarctica...The Mountain Beast of Everest...And the Dragonic creature resting on the moon. It hadn¡¯t been given a name yet.

    All of them were Level Seven threats, recognized as Kaiju to make it simpler for the mundanes to understand.

    A twisted grin found its way on her lips as she stared at the red dune she had just come done. What made these bastards so powerful that even sorcerers avoided them?

    Was it their intelligence? Or their fierce and unknown abilities?

    A voice in the corner of her mind kept whispering, telling her to go try and challenge the creature. Maybe it would show its ability if she provoked it.

    ¡®No. I would be dead before it even tries using its powers.¡¯

    After confirming that it was a stupid idea to the core, Luna was able to shake off any ideas that would potentially lead to her and the cohort¡¯s demise.

    Staying away and lying low was the only was the only they could survive the cursed emperor.

 Demanded Rematch

    Luna¡¯s eyes fluttered open, the red light of the morning sun invading her eyes with its sharp rays. She wasn¡¯t yet used to the harsh light of this desert so she winced as she lifted herself from the comfort of her sleeping bag.

    ¡®I guess the serpent didn¡¯t notice us.¡¯ She mused after accounting for everyone. They had spent the night on the lower side of a large dune while hiding from the Cursed Emperor. It was surprising that the creature didn''t even waste a minute on them.

    What surprised her more was the fact she had managed to sleep through the serpent¡¯s presence. Its image was still fresh in her mind¡­its gigantic scaled body, glowing under the moonlight as it consumed countless monsters in one bite. Some of those dead creatures were the size of cars by the way.

    ¡°Rise and shine, princess.¡±

    Darkness approached her with a wide grin. Her timing was perfect as if she had been waiting for Luna to wake up all this time.

    Luna looked up and smirked. "Did you rehearse that line while I was sleeping?" she asked while yawning at the break of dawn.

    "Hehe. Probably..."

    The warmonger¡¯s beautiful face was covered in sweat, her chest rising and falling steadily. She was already out of her nanoskin uniform and was now in a light cream garment that looked similar to the tunic Gail was in. Though the garment was too short and its hem barely reached her knees. It looks like Darkness hadn¡¯t considered her height when they retrieved the clothes from the ruined city.

    Unfortunately, no one else stumbled upon an ancient temple like Luna. The rest of the buildings were covered in sand with a few things still left behind like rusty cutlery, deteriorating furniture, and clothes. As expected from people used to desert conditions, their way of dressing was light clothing.

    What made the tunics even more special was the self-restoring ability that activated once someone willed zenshi into it. On top of that, Gail discovered a passive enchantment that increased resistance to extreme cold and hot conditions.

    Luna was fascinated by how the people of the ancient civilization were able to create such tough magical fabric. Was it silk harvested from a creature or sorcery way beyond mundane human understanding?

    Luna stared at her own tunic, which was a bit too large for her small body. Mira had to adjust it for it to fit her small frame. The fitting wasn¡¯t perfect since she still looked like a child in the presence of giants like Adam and Darkness.

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    She held back from rolling her eyes. ¡°You seem pretty happy. What is it?"

    ¡°I¡¯m from having a good fight with Adam and Monic. Those two are monsters. I adapt easily, so of course I won..¡±

    ¡°I see...I see. And you¡¯re here for?¡± Luna raised her eyebrow in question.

    ¡°After your fight against the horrible sandworm, I am more interested in sparring with you. I would¡¯ve picked Mira, but her body might break from the sheer force of my attacks.¡±

    ¡®Really? Is this what I am to her? A durable fighting toy. This is so degrading.¡¯

    Even though her inner self was throwing a tantrum, Luna¡¯s face remained calm and stoic. If she looked at things differently then Darkness¡¯s words meant that she was a worthy opponent.

    ¡®Lena was right, I should try looking at things positively.¡¯ With a thought, she stretched and picked up her sheathed sword. She then stood up and looked Darkness in the eyes with a serious expression. The scene must¡¯ve looked comical because of the height difference.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to stretch my muscles recently,¡± she said with a hint of arrogance. ¡°How can I refuse the opportunity to train with the mighty Darkness?¡±

    They still had some time before they proceeded to cross the field. Also, Luna needed to spar to continue sharpening her individual combat skills. Seeing the cursed emperor last night reminded her of how high the stakes were and how weak she was in comparison to the people she wanted to protect.

    ¡­No weak person could come out of this dungeon alive. And If they did enter it did enter it weak, they would come out stronger.

    ¡°Very well then.¡±

    Darkness took a few steps back and held out her hand as her weapon began to manifest. First, bright blue flames burst out of her right hand and slowly began to take shape. The Zenshi finally took the shape of a jian before fully transforming into a beautiful silver Jian that glimmered and reflected the red light rays from the sun which were already pushing away the night¡¯s coldness.

    Luna studied the Jian briefly with her eyes and sighed. Manifested weapons were weapons created solely from Zenshi, they were stronger replicas of the normal mundane weapons. However, the more complicated a weapon was in terms of design, the longer it took to imagine and manifest. If it were rushed, the weapon could easily collapse.

    ¡­But ascenders like Darkness were different. In fact, legacies were different when it came to such. The majority of them stuck to old-fashioned weapons like swords, spears, bows, and sometimes armor. A few could manifest shotguns and older models of guns due to their less complicated designs from the old times. Also, the higher your level of mastery, the sturdier your weapon was.

    ¡°Nice blade.¡±

    ¡°Not as good as that sword of yours. My blade is just a replica, yours is something stronger. You just love holding back.¡±

    Luna scoffed and slowly drew her black katana from its scabbard. It was light despite it being made of enchanted metal. The sword¡¯s sharp edge was finely curved to show the beautiful craftsmanship the swordsmith used to create the enchanted sword.

    The pair moved a distance away from the dune, afraid to damage the landscape because of how physically strong the pair was.

    Darkness was a summoner of incredible strength with gravity manipulation. And while Luna didn¡¯t have the glory of being blessed with mystical powers, her combat skills spoke volumes of how lethal she was when it came to fighting. Her skills with multiple weapons, especially the sword were almost flawless¡­turning her into the Dark Blade her mother and sister usually spoke highly of.

    Few people knew of her physical super strength. Which was one of her trump cards if the need to use it fully ever came. But currently, Luna so no use for it. Darkness was just as strong, so relying on her strength was a tempting but dumb idea.

    To take down Darkness, she needed to adapt to her instant movements. The ascender was fast when it came to instantaneous movements. So these unnatural movements were hard to predict even with Qi sensing active.

    During their training session at the hospital, Luna relied on her intuition to predict Darkness¡¯s speed. But now...she probably must have noticed that, meaning Darkness was going to try and trick her intuition. She was a combat analyst, so using the same trick wasn''t going to work. Anyway, this rematch was long due...

    Pointing her jian at her, Darkness asked with a serious tone:

    ¡°Shall we begin?¡±

 Flaw

    Luna stared at Darkness, her dark eyes narrowing as she gripped her katana with both hands. She held her weapon like a heavy rod, anticipating Darkness¡¯s potential to manipulate its weight. She kept it in mind that here, Darkness could unleash the full strength of her Aura without worrying about causing a great amount of damage, embodying her nature as a follower of the War God.

    "Let¡¯s see how you keep up without the training room saving you."

    ''Prepare to be amazed, I guess.'' Luna smirked from within as she attained a combat-ready stance.

    After a few moments of dead silence, Darkness burst into action. Her instantaneous movement split the red sand apart as she flashed forward, her jian swinging in a beautiful, deadly lower arc. The air hummed with the force of her strike, a testament to her formidable power.

    Luna reacted swiftly, using her katana to block the jian with accuracy. The sand around them exploded from the powerful shockwave produced by the impact. They jumped back after the first strike and continued their deadly dance, unrestrained by the fear of destroying their surroundings.

    Darkness vanished and reappeared directly in front of Luna with a wicked smile on her pretty face as she brought down her Jian. She opened her second gate and Luna''s body suddenly felt unbearably heavy. With no time to evade, she raised her sword above her head, bracing against the force of Darkness¡¯s gravity blade.

    "Urghhh...."

    The weight was unlike anything she had ever sensed. Every muscle in her body strained as the katana absorbed the tremendous impact. Luna gritted her teeth, her legs nearly buckling under the immense pressure.

    ...it was heavy. So heavy that she would cry if she held it back any longer. Luckily, she didn¡¯t have to. She rolled out of the way and Darkness''s devastating blow struck the red sand, causing it to explode outward.

    ¡®So this is Gravity.¡¯

    Luna stood up straight once again. Her hands trembling from the force she had absorbed, each nerve felt like it was about to implode or tear. If she were normal, her hands would have shattered entirely.

    This is what Darkness meant when she said Mira would break easily from the sheer force of her strikes.

    Before she recovered from the effect though, Darkness was already rushing through the falling red sand like a crazed maniac.

    Her jian flashed in an arc, and the sand in front of Luna exploded, killing her vision in an instant. And when it cleared, Darkness was already behind her swinging her weapon with incredible precision and a victorious smirk plastered on her beautiful.

    But...

    To Darkness¡¯s surprise, her sword''s edge ended up cutting only the falling grains of sand. Luna was no longer in her previous position.

    ¡°Wha¡­¡±

    Her state of shock was interrupted by the force of a sudden kick that emerged from the sand and struck right on the left side of her jaw. It was so powerful that Darkness heard a loud snap as one of her jaw bones cracked from the sheer impact.

    Luna scoffed a little as she regained her balance and turned her sword to the blunt side. She approached a slightly disoriented Darkness with unnatural speed to deliver her final blow. She was relying on her senses to keep track of Darkness¡¯s movements because the sand was messing with her vision. Here Luna was sure of having the higher ground.

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    But she thought too soon because the world slowed down when Darkness cleared out all the sand and killed the advantage Luna had grasped for herself.

    The tall woman lunged at her and their powerful blades immediately burst into action once again. Their weapons turned into a combination of blurs and beautiful sparks that danced wildly each time the blades touched and produced friction.

    The Warmonger had grown considerably stronger since the last time they fought. She had no visible openings; her movements were close to unpredictable.

    It¡¯s like¡­

    ¡®She studied me and adapted. Not bad.¡¯

    Smirking, Luna stepped forward and let one of Darkness¡¯s attacks graze her cheek. Blood trickled down, but she ignored the pain, using it to fuel her resolve. Without changing the rhythm of the fight, she decided to abandon her style and mirrored Darkness''s movements--performing the same intricate maneuvers that had just been used against her.

    Their dance of death continued, each strike more precise, more forceful. Luna¡¯s heart pounded in her chest, the weight of each blow resonating through her bones. She focused intensely, analyzing every shift in Darkness''s stance, every subtle hint of her next move.

    Just then, Darkness¡¯s own eyes widened as she realized Luna was mirroring her technique. A flicker of surprise crossed her face, quickly replaced by a fierce determination.

    She increased her speed, her jian cutting through the air with lethal intent. But to her surprise, Luna matched her, step for step, strike for strike.

    The realization dawned on Darkness: Luna wasn¡¯t just copying her. She was perfecting the moves, exploiting the tiniest flaws, turning them into advantages. Actually, she wasn''t perfecting her style, but rather changing it to fit her body. With chances mixed with her battle intellect, Luna was consuming the essence of one of the War god''s techniques.

    ''What is your flaw, Darkness?''

    In combat, it was good to know one¡¯s flaws. Fighting a human was different from fighting a machine or a monster simply because a human could never be perfect. You could practice the same attack for fifty years and still not be able to create or use its most perfect form. Understanding one¡¯s flaws always gave one the upper hand in combat. Luna was one of the few people in her clan who knew that. To train continuously just to perfect a single technique didn''t create a great martial artist...

    A great martial artist accepts their flaws and learns to grow with them. Only through that can the technique grow beyond its creator''s limitations. And no, Luna didn''t acquire this knowledge from a memory. She simply noticed while training a few years ago.

    It is why she was a genius in combat.

    Soon, the pair was in sync. Their strikes carried the same force, their blades sounded the same as they echoed across the deadly desert. The wind carried the force of their attacks and trembled each time they met.

    Luna was now perfectly matching Darkness. Even though she was burning through her stamina at an alarming rate, Luna was sure she could peer into the essence of her opponent¡¯s technique before she ran out of it.

    Sensing the shift, Darkness gritted her teeth and unleashed a flurry of rapid strikes, her jian moving like a blur. Luna parried each one, her katana a seamless extension of her will. She was no longer just reacting; she was predicting, countering with almost preternatural accuracy.

    And when it finally happened, she vanished and closed the distance between them in seconds.

    Darkness¡¯s eyes widened before the blunt edge of Luna¡¯s sword collided with hers and caused a shockwave that destroyed the Jian.

    They both watched it explode into bluish flames that vanished right away.

    In that moment of shock, Luna smirked and abandoned her weapon to make this a fair fight. She squeezed her right hand into a tight fist. The one flaw she found was that Darkness¡¯s sword grew weaker each time she ran gravity through it. This was because she was at Level 2 of zenshi control.

    ¡­This made her manifested blade imperfect. To break it though, Luna had done the unspeakable and tapped into a good percentage of her strength. Her body coursed with strength, and she liked it.

    ¡®So this is her strength¡­incredible¡­incredible¡­incredible!!!¡¯

    Darkness recovered fast enough and prepared to take the full force of Luna¡¯s strength by going to a block while squeezing her teeth.

    But Luna¡¯s fist never reached¡­ Instead, she let out a guttural scream as her entire body erupted into a torrent of agony.

    Muscles tore, sinews snapped, and her bones felt as if they were being ground to dust. The strain of shattering Darkness''s jian had pushed her beyond her limits.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡±

    A violent spasm cut off her curse, blood gushing from her mouth in a crimson flood. The metallic taste filled her senses, mingling with the acrid scent of fear and desperation.

    She shot one last, fierce glance at Darkness, her eyes blazing with unyielding resolve even as her vision blurred.

    Luna''s body convulsed, her legs buckling under the unbearable weight of her own power. She tried to speak, to hurl a final defiance or command, but the words died in her throat, choked by the searing pain.

    When her face up gave up, Darkness was already there to catch her before she hit the ground.

    After she was her captain was still alive, Darkness let out a weak sigh of relief. Now that she had seen Luna in serious combat, the tall ascender felt nothing but respect for the young lady in her arms.

    ¡°Well done, Captain Lunaris. You win.¡±

    ***

    Lena stared at the former battlefield. The bitter taste of fear still lingered in her heart after she witnessed the giant serpent devour most of the corpses of the creatures they defeated a day before.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen it, of course. But this was the first time she was so close to the damn creature. Its intimidating presence had left a scar on their minds.

    As she was still staring at the field, the voice of a soldier alerted her out of her daze.

    ¡°Captain Lena! They¡¯re here!¡±

 Reunion

    Luna opened her eyes for the first time after fighting Darkness. She was struck by a chilling presence that made her body shiver first before anything. With a loud groan, she tried lifting her body out of the comfortable sleeping bag. Her gaze lingered on a light source as she waited for her blurry vision to clear.

    And when it did, the first thing she realized was she was staring at a lantern. The electric device bathed the dark tent with a dim white radiance, giving it a cozy feel.

    Luna then heaved out a loud sigh and ran her hands through her messy raven hair which had grown at an alarming rate over the past weeks. It was almost touching the center of her back.

    As she gathered her thoughts, she shifted her intelligent gaze to the silver bracelet on her wrist. Its screen was still displaying its previous number, meaning it hadn¡¯t malfunctioned. There were also no signs of a short circuit as everything worked perfectly fine.

    Limiters were supposed to create a specific fail-safe to alert the wearer should they exceed the input limits. But hers hadn¡¯t.

    Was the strangeness of the tower affecting her limiter?

    She placed her face in her hands and groaned even louder. ¡°Maybe. But I did push myself a bit too far."

    In all honesty, she enjoyed her spar with Darkness. Luna hadn''t pushed herself this far while fighting someone human. At the sect, most of the masters there often taught her while being mindful of the fact that she was a legacy. Even though some were harsh in their teachings, Luna had yet to come across someone who would force her to draw out her true strength.

    ¡­Darkness, however, was a battle genius. She didn¡¯t stick to the books in combat, she relied on her surroundings and the sole nature of her power. She was very sharp-minded, quick to control her emotions, and highly responsive.

    Luna was sure she would¡¯ve lost if that sword wasn¡¯t weak. If it wasn''t, Luna was sure she would''ve burned through her stamina while trying to mirror her opponent.

    ¡®Yes. it was worth it.¡¯ She snickered from excitement before the tent opened and someone walked in.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±

    Luna paled a little once she recognized that voice. She sighed and faced the owner of the voice.

    Her older sister looked hauntingly beautiful, like a servant of death, due to the cold presence she carried. Her eyes, grey and cold. Her hair, silver and long. Her face¡­

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    Luna couldn¡¯t tell whether it was anger or worry. Or both. Not knowing how to react to the situation she immediately started looking around for her sword. It was nowhere near her.

    ''Gods...''

    Noticing the struggling look on her face, Lena laughed. ¡°If you think a sword will save you, little sister. Then you must be underestimating me.¡±

    ¡°Where is my sword, Len?¡±

    Len crossed her arms and replied:

    ¡°Somewhere safe. Why are looking for a sword at this moment? I am not going to do anything to you.¡±

    Luna was finding that hard to believe. To most people, Lena looked like a flawless goddess. Her looks were otherworldly, she carried herself with the utmost respect on the surface.

    However, to Luna, Len was an absolute psychopath. That was the true nature of her sister. Yes. She was sure that was the term to describe her whenever they were alone like this.

    With a sigh, Len continued. ¡°You had me worried you know. We healed your body but you stayed asleep for about four days or longer, I think. The healers said you pushed yourself too far. Geez Lunaris Feng..I thought you knew the limits of your strength.¡±

    Luna stayed silent for a few moments, then turned her dark eyes to the floor. The mood somehow felt¡­dark. ¡°I got too excited. I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡±

    She didn''t get to finish her apology when Lena lowered herself and pulled her into her cold embrace.

    ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for, Luna. As long as you made it here, it''s fine by me," Lena said while still hugging her sister. "But you made so much noise that you attracted a few monsters, that''s how we found you.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something to be sorry about?¡± Luna asked, a weak laughter escaping her lips.

    ¡°Yeah¡­but you¡¯re the exception.¡±

    They stayed still for a few minutes, enjoying each other¡¯s company in this desolate and deadly tower.

    ***

    After their small reunion, Luna and Lena finally headed out to meet with what was left of the unit. The twenty-seven men and women were now thirty-four after Luna and her cohort joined.

    The main force hadn¡¯t moved in four days but Captain Snow was ahead leading a team that was scouting the area and clearing the path. While Len stayed behind to keep everyone safe and prepare for what¡¯s to come. They believed they were close to the portal leading to the next floor and were well aware of the upcoming fight against the being guarding the portal.

    ¡°You look nothing like your sister, to be honest. Aside from looking pale, I see no other similarity.¡±

    Darkness commented, giving the sisters both scrutinizing and confused look.

    Luna and Lena stared at each other. Sure the differences were there, but they never tried to observe each other. However, Luna felt more human than Lena who resembled a perfect doll. She had silver hair for gods''s sake.

    ¡°We know.¡± They responded in unison.

    After clearing her throat, Lena turned to the hologram projected on the table they had made from a few rocks stashed together.

    The hologram displayed a layout of the explored parts of the crimson desert. The danger zones were marked red while the safe zones were marked green. Danger zones were also where the Giant serpent and stronger cursed creatures were mostly spotted. There were also moving dots on the map which indicated that Snow¡¯s armor was online and was alive.

    ¡°They will be reaching the portal in a few days. If they don¡¯t meet any inconveniences, that is.¡±

    Shin spoke as he studied the hologram. He was their only available diviner since Rita decided to join the scouts.

    ¡°How are our supplies?¡± Luna asked one of the soldiers in the tent.

    The soldier in steel armor shook his head and said:

    ¡°We¡¯re low on water mainly.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡±

    The man trembled from Luna¡¯s gaze. The darkness in her eyes felt endless. ¡°Um¡­about a week¡¯s worth of water, Captain¡­I mean Lady Luna.¡±

    While they were still contemplating what to do next, another voice cut in after the soldier¡¯s response. The one who spoke was someone Luna was familiar with, the arachnid pilot she entered the dungeon with. He was covered in sweat after running here, his chest was rising and falling at a rapid and frightening pace.

    The two captains faced him and waited for him to first catch his breath. The pair had noticed the fear on his face.

    Once he calmed down, he opened his mouth and said:

    ¡°I have something to report, Captains. Two of the available arachnids have lost their reactors.¡±

 Mind Wraith

    Luna carefully chose what to say next because the pilot looked unwell.¡°What is wrong with the reactors, Kang?¡± she asked, calmly. Everyone was now looking at him.

    The pilot heaved out a sigh and faced his captain. ¡°The two reactors have stopped working. After a few investigations, I discovered why¡­.¡± he paused to choose his next words. The number of gazes locked on him made him somehow nervous. However, his eyes never left Luna¡¯s.

    ¡°The cores lost the zenshi stored in them. It leaked out¡­¡± his voice was tinged with fear. ¡°You see, captain¡­captains. Reactors have special barriers around them, mystical advanced ones designed solely to keep the power from leaking and continue using it as an endless energy source. The barriers are supposed to be close to unbreakable. But while I was checking the reactors, I noticed that both barriers were shattered completely. And to make matters worse, the damage can¡¯t be undone.¡±

    After a brief silence, Lena asked, her tone balanced. ¡°How old does the damage look to be?¡±

    Kang was silent at first then replied in front of the several souls waiting for his answer. ¡°Three days. Whatever damaged the reactor¡¯s barrier did it three days ago. That¡¯s how long it takes for that much zenshi to be lost completely. There were still traces of the energy left behind, but that''s it.¡±

    Lena gritted her teeth in silence. Losing two arachnids at once was not good at all. She had thirty-plus men and women to feed. Food and water were important, especially to the mundane soldiers who couldn¡¯t go long without the two. Drinkable water was important in a desert like this one where the sun was unpredictable. Both ascenders and mundane humans needed water. How much water could they carry with two machines? Arachnids were also armed machines meant to assist the mundane soldiers, so losing two meant they looked a good amount of their offense. But who in their right mind would break the reactor, let alone who had the strength to break a barrier?

    She had a few ascenders in mind. But no. Her men were trustworthy comrades who wanted to fight for humanity. None of them would do such a thing....

    ''Wait...could it be...''

    "Is it back?" she murmured to herself.

    Luna heard her sister murmur out something. She was slightly paler than usual as she thought deeply about the situation. She knew something, Luna noticed. But chose to remain quiet. If Len had something to say, she would say it on her own time.

    After giving it some thought, Len regained her composure--no one noticed she had lost it--and said, professionally:

    ¡°Thank you for the report, Kang. Work with the other pilots and restore the remaining machines. I want them at top-shelf performance, even if it means tearing down the other two and using their parts.¡±

    Kang¡¯s expression changed into a confused one after Lena¡¯s statement. He frowned a little.

    ¡°What is it, Kang?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t met any of the other three pilots since I got here, my Lady¡­I mean captain,¡± he replied to Lena.

    Once she heard that, Lena¡¯s face suddenly turned white as her suspicions turned into facts. Her eyes darted across the room as if searching for something. Then, in an urgent tone let out a command that made the air colder than it was:

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    ¡°Every soldier should quickly get into battle positions. There is no reason for us to search for the other pilots, the Wraith is back for us.¡±

    The soldiers in the tent tensed upon hearing the mention of the Wraith. Immediately, they turned on their communication devices and rushed out of the tent without saying anything else.

    Lena quickly summoned her enchanted blade and activated her nanoskin armor. In moments, a beautiful silver armor materialized over the tunic she was already wearing. For a brief moment, she looked like a comic book character considering how well her silver armor matched her hair.

    Just when she was about to follow the others out of the tent, Luna stopped her by grabbing her hand, tightly. She opened her mouth to demand answers, but her older sister beat her to it as she gave her a summarized explanation.

    ¡°A few days ago we encountered a Wraith-type creature, a Cursed General, to be exact. It possessed the ability to manipulate minds and gain information from those minds it took over, meaning it could speak like us and hide within us. It took a while to figure out it had taken over some of our soldiers. To make matters worse, it possessed the powers of whoever it took over with its mind powers. All those Twelve men died at the hands of their comrades....and later we had to run away to avoid its range."

    ¡°Mind manipulation...¡± Luna slightly quivered. This was her first time hearing of a creature with that ability, which wasn¡¯t surprising because there were so many cursed creatures out there. Some hadn¡¯t even crossed to the mortal realm yet.

    However, she was well aware of how dangerous mind manipulation was. Heck¡­she was currently battling a mind-related curse.

    Len nodded. ¡°Mind attacks are hard to counter, especially if your enemy can become intangible.¡± She growled and looked at her hand. ¡°That bastard managed to touch me in my incorporable form and tried to control me.¡±

    ¡°My blade can harm it. It has the enchantment to cut through anything.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s only possible if you believe you can. How sure are you that you can cut through a ghost?¡±

    Luna gave her sister a deadpan look and then turned to her soldiers. They were standing in the corner, listening and waiting for her orders.

    She faced her sister and smiled. ¡°I thought you knew me well, dear sister. Now¡­hand over my sword.¡±

    ***

    As the night stretched on, the desert remained motionless under the crimson light of the moon. The air was still cold, the wind blew silently across the red desert, forcing the sand to move a few times.

    At the campsite, the entire unit of tense soldiers had gathered in the middle with their weapons drawn as they waited for their adversary.

    ¡°Over there!¡± one of the soldiers, a scrawny ascender pointed at something entering the camp¡¯s territory.

    Everyone¡¯s expressions turned grim when they noticed three smiling men, walking to the center of the campsite. Each of them was holding a completely black sword. Their faces were filled with terrible bleeding scratches that made them almost unrecognizable.

    Lena stepped forward first and looked at the men. Her eyes widened and her grip on her glass-like longsword tightened. She instantly recognized these men. They were her pilots.

    Seeing them like this broke her heart.

    When they stopped moving, the tallest of the controlled men stepped forward and spoke, his voice was broken and ancient as if two people were talking within him.

    ¡°¡­immortal¡­cursed¡­gods¡­death.¡±

    Avoiding his pointless mumblings, Lena didn¡¯t hesitate to attack. Her ice sword flashed into a powerful swing that the man blocked with his black blade that seemed to be stripped from the shadows. But that wasn¡¯t the end of her strike. Ice spread from her weapon and ate up the cursed man¡¯s weapon till it was nothing but something made from ice.

    It instantly shattered like glass under the weight of Len¡¯s weapon.

    ¡°Immortal¡­¡± the man responded fast and punched her right in the chest with the strength of a cursed general.

    Lena found herself stumbling back before coughing out some blood. She was much tougher than she looked, so she was impressed he managed to draw blood.

    The remaining two smiling men looked at her and charged towards the group of ascenders waiting for them. They were mundane humans before the mind wraith took over. Now, each one of the pilots had the strength and powers of a cursed creature.

    Because of that, no one was allowed to hold back against them.

    Soon, the campsite became another battlefield as the ascenders activated their abilities and attacked.

    ***

    Cyrus was the first to make contact with one of the possessed men. He grunted as he stared at his former friend, who looked like a messy corpse. His blond hair had been ripped out from his head, revealing fleshy parts of flesh and bone. He was covered in blood, but he couldn¡¯t care less.

    His lifeless eyes were fixed on him.

    Dodging the black sword, the ascender let out a desperate yelp in the hope that his friend could snap out of the curse.

    ¡°Duncan! Please come back to us. You have a freaking wife waiting for you back at home!¡±

    The possessed man didn¡¯t react to his words. Instead, he swung his dark sword more viciously. Cyrus dodged each attack, refusing to strike back.

    The man had a wife, he couldn¡¯t be the one to end him.

    ¡°Duncan¡­please¡­¡±

    Before he opened his second gate, something flashed past him and his former friend¡¯s body was suddenly motionless.

    Motionless because it had lost its head to a beautiful obsidian katana.

 Mind Wraith 2

    Luna stared at the headless body of the former pilot she had just ended. For a moment, she wanted to ask herself if it was right to do so. She had just killed a fellow human which was morally wrong.

    But was there any humanity left to save?

    ''I don''t think so.''

    The headless corpse moved for a few seconds before falling on its back. It seized all motion and didn''t even twitch.

    An Ascender stood behind her, his eyes wide with shock after witnessing what she had done to his colleague. The man was trembling in fear to the point where tears were going down his face.

    "I am sorry about your partner...A quick end is what he deserved," she said in a serious and powerful tone.

    After giving the ascender one last look, Luna ran off to the darkness ahead to face the wraith and defeat it. She wasn¡¯t going to fight it alone, of course. Gail was in the sky his energy arrows ready to strike down anything that tried to get in her way.

    Luna had never seen a Wraith before. But from the webtoons she read as a child, and the extensive knowledge about Cursed Creatures she was fed, Luna was confident she had an idea of what it looked like and how she could locate one. Especially one that is capable of entering minds.

    Mind-controlling creatures had one thing in common; the strength of their powers was generally limited by distance. So, for the wraith to control these three men, it needed to be close.

    Also, Luna had noticed something odd about this Mind Wraith as she called it. Its abilities seemed to be almost flawless. And by the way, she noticed that the black blade the possessed man was using dissolved into the shadows once he completely died.

    Generals weren¡¯t supposed to possess dual abilities. Had it evolved to a higher class?

    ¡®That would be bad. But I need to first find it.¡¯

    The camp was hidden in a rocky area where monsters rarely approached due to the tough terrain. On top of that, the rocks were both good for cover and a perfect place to create a defense port just in case they were ambushed by something.

    But in this situation, the rocks were currently acting as a great cover for the Mind Wraith.

    She stopped running when the sounds of the battle started to grow faint.

    Gail landed on her right side, his golden eyes scanning the towering rocks with intense determination. He didn¡¯t dismiss his bow, as he still sensed something was close.

    Without saying anything to her companion, Luna tried to sense further. It was pointless to sense for a ghostlike being, but maybe it would work because it was alive in a way...

    ¡®Never say never.¡¯

    As her senses traveled to the rocky areas, Luna struggled to remain focused qi sensing might have been part of martial arts. But it required great mental strength. She kept the distance in mind as she tried hard and hard to sense for a life core.

    Suddenly, she immediately stopped when her ability was forcefully stopped after stretching up to a specific rock not so far from the pair. It felt like something had hit her head. At least the pain was bearable and her thoughts were still running. She seemed to be getting hurt a lot these days.

    ¡°There¡­¡± She pointed at a big crack in one of the red towering rocks. The crack''s entire size was enough to be an entrance to a cave and dark enough to be the hiding place of the Wraith they were looking for.

    ¡°Should we lure it out?¡± Gail first inquired from his captain.

    Luna nodded. ¡°We can¡¯t fight it in its element, I have a hunch that this thing can control shadows. So yes, we should lure it out. Maybe then I could get a better look at its powers."

    ''A cursed tyrant?'' Gail was briefly shocked by Luna''s hunch. However, he maintained his calm face as pulled onto the golden string of his beautiful bow. There, light slowly gathered from the point where his figures had notched, transforming into a golden energy arrow.

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    Luna was almost blinded by the brightness of his arrows. They were energy itself and he was the only one in the world who could touch them without burning to death. The government had made sure to hide any details about the concept the handsome Ascender wielded...if she remembered correctly, his Aura was given the grade Upper A.

    Meaning it had the potential to become something incredible as the Ascender grew.

    Luna gripped onto her sword and stared at the chasm. Though weak, she could feel its powers trying to latch onto her mind. ¡°As soon as it gets out, get into the sky!¡± she commanded as she prepared for what was to come.

    Gail didn¡¯t respond as the archer had all his mind on shooting this one arrow. He focused on manifesting the golden arrow and drawing out its full power. Once it was done manifesting, he sharply exhaled and let go of the golden string. The arrow flew to the large chasm with an explosive force.

    It entered the chasm and disappeared along with its light. It didn''t take long for the Wraith to react after Gail''s arrow hit something.

    An ear-piercing screech escaped the depths of the chasm. The force behind the screech was enough to make the rock it was in quake ominously. Then, the shadows around the rock suddenly started to move in reaction to the creature''s emotions. That movement disrupted the wall blocking her qi sense and Luna was finally able to glimpse into the creature...

    ''I was right, its core has become more pure. it evolved.'' It took her a second to process the situation. This thing was strong but it just recently evolved. It was still getting used to its new abilities.

    Immediately, she turned to Gail and bellowed. ¡°It evolved to a Tyrant, run!¡±

    Unfortunately, her warning came too late because the shadows around them turned into tangible tentacles that grabbed Gail by the foot. He was then pulled and ran through one of the towering rocks.

    Before Luna reacted, another tentacle appeared behind her. It moved in what felt like a second and hit with a force that swept her off the ground and almost destroyed her armor.

    She collided with a towering rock, causing its entire structure to collapse with her in it.

    ¡°Ahh!!¡± She groaned in pain as she tried to get up. Although the suit was on and took most of the damage, Luna found herself coughing out some blood in response to the impact.

    Still coughing, she emerged from the pile of rocks.

    ''I know we damaged your hiding spot...but you''re overreacting.''

    She first noticed Gail¡¯s energy arrows raining down on the shadow tentacles. His arrows were similar to pure light, so they destroyed the darkness with ease. But more and more kept on forming from the shadows around them. Fighting this thing at night was their biggest mistake.

    If he continued like this, he would be out of zenshi in minutes. Luna needed to act fast or else all of this was going to be for nothing.

    "Now or never."

    Taking a deep breath, she ran towards the chasm at an incredible speed. As soon as she stepped into the stone¡¯s shadow, tentacles took shape and started attacking her.

    Her sword flashed and many of the tentacles were destroyed in quick and precise swings. Another came for her but she slid right under it and cleaved through it with terrifying ease. She made sure her blind spots were accounted for as she battled the shadow creations. The Tyrant¡¯s ability was extremely lethal now that there was no sun in the sky. However, since the Wraith hadn''t discovered the true potential of its powers yet, Luna could still win this.

    When she was close to the large crack, a golden arrow fell from the sky and destroyed the many tentacles coming at her with its bright light¡ªsaving her enough time.

    ¡°I will distract it!¡± Gail shouted from above. The flying archer quickly dismissed his bow and his entire body started to glow with golden brilliance. The tentacles shifted all their focus to the archer, forgetting the raven-haired girl who was now a few meters from the entrance to the creature''s hiding spot.

    Without hesitating, Luna ran into the darkness and disappeared instantly.

    ***

    Meanwhile, the campsite fight was getting harder to win now that the tables had turned after Duncan¡¯s easy death. It''s like the wraith was no longer underestimating them and was using all of its powers to defend itself.

    Adam, Monic, and Darkness were doing their best to hold back the second possessed who was still standing despite not having much of a body left.

    The man was lacking an eye, a left arm, and a good portion of his stomach. The gaping wound was bleeding but he didn¡¯t seem to mind any of that.

    ¡­His humanity was gone. This was what was left.

    Darkness stepped back, her jian was filled with a net of cracks after she went all out against the abomination.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t the strength of a Cursed General.¡¯

    Monic was in a worse state, her hands were trembling along with her entire body. She was sweating after conjuring so much lightning to fight against the constant shadows that kept manifesting out of the possessed man. Aside from Darkness, she had burnt through her reserves the most.

    Adam was also exhausted. The large man¡¯s hands were dripping crimson after he abandoned his weapons to reserve his zenshi.

    Darkness looked around. The soldiers they were fighting with were lying on the ground defeated. Most of the mundane soldiers were the first to die at the hands of the pilot¡¯s shadow manifestation powers. The deadly power had come to them as a surprise, killing those who were not fast enough to dodge or sense the attacks coming from their shadows.

    She narrowed her eyes and faced the smiling man. ¡°Are you enjoying this?¡± she asked, angrily.

    The man looked at her with one good eye and stopped smiling momentarily.

    ¡°Curse to the True Celestials¡­.may all gods perish¡­immortal.¡±

    The man let out a painful scream that should have destroyed his vocal cords. He then lunged at Darkness with a shadow sword. He was no swordsman but the strength behind his swings was terrifying.

    She prepared to parry it again with her weak sword. But Monic hit it with the last of her lightning which surprisingly slowed it down.

    With no time to waste, Monic reached for her spear and called out Darkness in a desperate and weak tone. The tall ascender turned and immediately received the spear.

    "Use that. It''s a forged weapon."

    Darkness nodded and dismissed her damaged jian to recover some of her zenshi. There was no need for Monic to say more. They all have the same goal¡­

    To defeat the Mind Wraith.

    The man shook off Monic''s lightning like it was nothing and continued approaching Darkness, the mad look in his one eye gave her the chills.

    But before it reached, Adam suddenly jumped in front of him and wrapped his arms around his lower body like a wrestler. He channeled all his strength to his legs and created earth cuffs around his legs and feet to hold his position.

    The man let out a scream as he struggled to free himself from Adam''s iron hold. He struggled so much that he started summoning shadows. But Adam held on while Darkness opened her second gate to increase the spear¡¯s weight.

    Because her reserves were very low, her Aura was taking time to manifest into the real world even after dismissing the Jian.

    Finally¡­the Aura manifested and her ability took form. Then, with a powerful roar Darkness threw Monic¡¯s spear with all the strength she still had in her body. Its weight easily tore through the smiling man¡¯s wall of shadows and then his head, ending him instantly.

    They had defeated the Wraith''s vessel.

    Before Darkness could let out her ceremonial victory laugh, Adam slowly looked over his neck and smiled.

    He released the lifeless body of the pilot before vomiting a great deal of blood.

    Just then, Monic and Darkness realized what had happened and rushed to their teammate¡­

 Mind Wraith 3

    Without hesitating, Luna ran into the darkness¡­

    Eventually, the golden light behind her disappeared as she ran further and deeper into the chasm which was surprisingly bigger than she had originally expected. Thanks to her terrible luck, the cave interior was perched in a creepy darkness that made it hard for her suit¡¯s night vision to peer through. But that wasn¡¯t a problem for her because she was following the weak streams of life energy that leaked out of the Wraith each time it used its powers to fight outside. The closer she got, the more she felt its ominous presence, lurking in the air to feed her fear.

    There was a moment where she thought about ditching all this and running out. But Gail¡¯s power couldn¡¯t affect incorporeal objects or beings. Sure, there might be someone at the campsite with the ability to harm a ghost¡ªthat would buy the wraith time to escape and attack once again after getting a hold of its powers.

    So far, there were five classes of Cursed Creatures: Cursed Beasts, Cursed Soldiers, Cursed Generals, Cursed Tyrants, and Cursed Emperors. Cursed beasts are the weakest of the bunch because they possess a single core. They were also the most common class of cursed creatures and rarely evolved to another class.

    Unlike Generals and Soldiers which possessed a single ability due to the presence of two cores, Tyrants and emperors possessed three and four respectively. There was a main core which usually served as the life core, then the others would be the sources of its powers. Some creatures possessed a single power that only became deadlier when they evolved while others gained a new ability from the newly formed cores.

    The Wraith had acquired a core that granted it shadow powers and made its mind possession much more powerful from the looks of it. Luna didn¡¯t know how these creatures became cursed in the first place. But she suspected it had something to do with the gods¡¯s wrath and the True Celestials. The people of the ruined city turned to darkness to survive their wrath or madness. The darkness must¡¯ve worked for a while¡­until it didn¡¯t.

    When she was finally close to the source of the sinister presence and life essence, Luna staggered after experiencing a sharp pain in her head. Her suit started flashing red to inform her of the high concentration of Black Ether.

    She paused as the pain in her head grew more intense. Soon, she started to hear whispers of distant voices calling out her name. The mind attacks had started. She bit her lips and continued walking forward while she ignored the whispers that got louder and louder as they tried to shatter her mentality. However, this creature was underestimating the strength of her mind because she wasn''t planning to give in so easily.

    Also, the suit constantly provided a healthy amount of current to her nerves to keep her senses alert.

    The path got narrower as she continued. Finally, her foot stepped on something that clanged a second later. When she looked down, she was surprised to see that It was a broken black chain stretching into the darkness. It wasn¡¯t incorporeal since she could touch it.

    She then dismissed her helmet and her tired eyes traveled to the darkness the chain had disappeared into. The whispers grew intense, and the pain in her head too grew more excruciating as she kept her eyes on the darkness. When she looked away, they reduced.

    ¡®I guess you¡¯re hiding there¡­¡¯ Hiding was the only thing it could now since it was still understanding its powers.

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    ¡°Lunaris¡­leave us¡­¡±

    ¡°Lunaris¡­turn back¡­¡±

    ¡°Lunaris¡­¡±

    The whispers got louder as she proceeded to the darkness. She bit harder on her lips even more as she fought back the mental noise and tried to ignore the splitting headache. She made it to another section of the cave which was odd because the rock didn¡¯t look that big from outside.

    This section wasn¡¯t as dark as the previous one. Here, the cave was bathed in eerie red moonlight that seeped through the cracks that connected to the outside world. The crimson light ignored the laws of physics and unnaturally bent to merge at the single point in the center where the wraith stood, still and lonely. There was nothing to defend as if it had been patiently waiting for her to arrive.

    ¡°Lunaris Feng.¡±

    When it spoke, both the whispers and the headache she was feeling stopped, and her mind was freed from the burden of hearing so many voices at the same time.

    ¡°Of course you know my name.¡± She stepped into the light, revealing her pale and sweaty face. She was exhausted¡­.mentally that is. Her thoughts were spinning and the only thing keeping her standing was the damn resilience she tended to have. But she maintained a fierce look as she faced her opponent.

    Two black chains were growing out of its body, one of them being the one she followed to find it.

    ¡°I know much more than your name, Luanris Feng. I know your fears, I know your hate¡­I know your pain. And maybe your terrible future. Born with divine blood, forced to watch from the sidelines, questioning her worth...questioning her destiny... questioning who she is." The apparition¡¯s crooked voice echoed throughout the cave as it spoke. Its sinister presence had only grown and Luna was finding it hard to stay on her two feet while face to face with a Tyrant.

    Gritting her teeth, Luna raised her sword at the wraith. ¡°Get out of my head!" she demanded in a furious tone. "You don''t me know me at all, you creature."

    The apparition hissed at her words and lifted its head to face her. It had a rotting human-like face, eyeless sockets, and long grayish hair. It was disgusting. ¡°I am not a creature...I am the priest of Verge. I deliver corpses for my god, the god of death. He gave me this gift¡­so I continue serving him even in death. But I can no longer hear his voice, did something happen to my lord? Do You know what happened to my lord ?¡±

    ¡°Verge? Is this what this place is? This red desert?¡± Luna asked, ignoring the creature''s question. Wasn''t it aware that the god of death died a long time ago?

    It didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°What happened here? To the people of Verge?¡± she continued to ask the apparition, hoping it might speak out something important. This thing was once human...she was sure it could say something important.

    Unfortunately, the thing only continued to stare with no expression. It was not obligated to say anything to her, after all.

    After a while, it spoke in a more humanlike tone. ¡°Lunaris Feng, the True Celestials did this to us. I am no longer human¡­.I am no longer human¡­.I am no longer human¡­it hurts¡­it hurts¡­it hurts¡­.everything hurts¡­.I am no longer humannn!¡± Suddenly, the wraith broke into a mad scream that startled even Luna.

    The chains on its arms rattled loudly as it shook its head and screamed while facing the walls.

    ¡°Who are the True Celestials?¡± Luna bothered to ask.

    The apparition halted at the sound of its question and faced her. ¡°How dare you mention them¡­!¡±

    Once they locked eyes, the shadows around Luna suddenly took shape and materialized into large spikes that shot themselves at her in an attempt to tear through her. She dodged each one with ease and proceeded to attack the Mind Wraith. She channeled all her suit¡¯s energy to her legs. And then shot herself forward at the apparition with her sword humming as its enchantment came to life.

    Her initial step left a large crack on the stone floor as she brandished the black weapon at the wraith. The creature wrapped itself in shadows to defend itself and a wall to separate them. But they were no match for the enchanted blade. Her sword easily cut through the manifested shadows and then the dark shroud the wraith was wearing.

    As long she believed she could cut through it, her katana¡¯s enchantment made it possible. And right now, she believed it was possible to cut through a ghost and the sword responded by making it possible¡ªthis was something connected to her father¡¯s Aura.

    it attempted to fight back by trapping Luna''s hands in shadow chains but they were too weak against her strength. She snapped them with a grunt and continued cutting through the apparition. Surprisingly, it didn''t try to use its mind abilities on her. She was expecting to be cutting through an illusion. But no. Her sword had made contact with the wraith that easily...

    It stared at her and smirked--at least that''s what it looked like--while its body started to fade after her fatal strike. It stared at her and whispered in her mind. Its voice was now human. ¡°Hehe. Their end has come to them¡­¡±

    Then, it was silent. Her mind was her own once again.

    With a final look at the fallen chains, she turned and made her way back through the darkness. Now that what was causing it was dead, the moon¡¯s light started to find its way in guiding her through the small tunnel she had used.

    This was the second time she had heard of the True Celestials. Just who were they? And why were they called that?

    ¡°It seems I have to find Verge if I want some answers¡­¡± she sighed tiredly as she returned to the outside world.

 Death Is Not The End

    By sunrise, the small army was already recovering after the fight against the possessed men.

    The three men¡¯s bodies had disintegrated the moment the Mind Wraith¡ªas Luna had named it¡ªwas defeated.

    They had won, but the mood around them wasn¡¯t a celebratory one. No one was happy. No one felt the need even to smile because so many soldiers had fallen in one night, including Adam who was stabbed by a shadow spear while fighting against a possessed pilot.

    Their numbers had fallen to less than twenty in one night. Most of the dead were mundane soldiers who died bravely at the hands of the surprise shadow manifestation. This was bad because how exactly were they supposed to fight against the portal guardian if they kept dropping like flies?

    You could argue that ascenders were crucial to all of this but mundane soldiers were great strategists and great support. It''s because of these reliable members that Ascenders didn¡¯t need to go all out while in combat. And it''s not like mundane soldiers couldn¡¯t keep up. The nanosuits significantly enhanced their physical abilities.

    Regardless, Luna was shocked that she hadn¡¯t seen this coming. Even with her calculative mind that usually saw through all possibilities, she didn¡¯t expect the mind wraith to do this much damage with just two possessed men. This type of loss was new to her¡­especially after losing someone she got to know over the past weeks.

    Adam was an ascender working under house Feng. He was only in his late twenties when he opened his third gate and became Summoner. The files Luna was given designated him as someone with the potential of becoming a sorcerer someday. He was an exceptional soldier and gentleman. In another timeline, Adam would¡¯ve grown stronger and later become a sorcerer. In this one, he died young. That was the cruelty of this world.

    Just like when she lost her father years ago, Luna didn¡¯t how to feel about this. The feeling of losing someone she was close to left her like this. She felt a whirlwind of emotions at the moment, emotions that felt so alien to her being.

    She felt responsible, even though it wasn¡¯t her fault. Adam had died protecting his teammates and that was a heroic death¡­

    ¡®Darkness said you smiled.¡¯ She said inwardly as she stared at the pale body. She had crouched down to get a better look at the ascender. As he lay, he wore a peaceful expression that Luna hadn''t seen on him since she met the large man. Was death this peaceful?

    With a painful sigh, she gave him one last look and covered the man¡¯s body with a black burial shroud. She had no words for him, he wouldn¡¯t hear them anyway. Only a few whispers left her mouth:

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    ¡°Death is not the end. As long as you¡¯re remembered, you continue to live on. You¡¯ve served me well Adam Lightwood, I won¡¯t forget you.¡±

    After that, she stepped away from Adam¡¯s body and joined her sister and the rest of the cohort. The ascender¡¯s body had been aligned with the other fallen soldiers. It was morning, but the desert was cooler than usual. Taking them back to the real world was the best choice, but time was of the essence at the moment.

    So, the only form of a proper send-off they could give was burning them so that they wouldn¡¯t become undead or get eaten by the giant snake that occupied the red sands.

    ¡°It''s hard, isn¡¯t it?¡± Luna turned to her sister who had been quiet since they started the ceremony.

    ¡°It is.¡± She replied through gritted teeth. She was in a worse state than Luna herself. Her pale face was whiter and she had dark bags under her eyelids.

    ¡°If I was stronger, these men and women could be celebrating right now.¡±

    Luna wanted to tell her sister that it wasn¡¯t her fault. But did she even have the right to say that if that¡¯s the same thing she was thinking about?

    Len turned to her little and patted her shoulder before forcing out a weak smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself for Adam¡¯s death.¡± She said, her grey eyes staring directly at Luna. They were trying hard not to look sad and remain devoid. ¡°There will always be loss as long as this battle for survival continues.¡±

    After saying that, the beautiful pale woman moved forward and faced everyone. She steeled herself and put on a brave face before she began:

    ¡°It is a devastating morning for all of us. But I guess this is the price we have to keep on paying as humanity¡¯s last stand against the horrors trying to lead us to extinction. These fallen men and women are not the first to fall in this hell and I am sure they won¡¯t be the last to. But¡­¡±

    She paused for a moment and exhaled. "But we cannot let their deaths be in vain. Each soldier here has sacrificed their life for humanity and we¡¯ll carry that torch forward till we burn down whatever monster that guards this tower and win this fight. I¡¯m not asking you to die. But I¡¯m asking you to continue fighting¡­don¡¯t lose hope. I, The Ghost of Winter will be one of your many swords as we move forward.¡±

    Her last statement was indeed a powerful one. The soldiers alive remained silent through her speech, but the expressions on their faces changed during the final sentence. The battle-hardened men in women were now looking at Len with eyes filled with hope and determination.

    How could they not look at her like that? The Feng family was blessed with one of the strongest ascenders in the world. The great clan was great even before the fall and everyone in it was born with a special responsibility to maintain its greatness.

    To humans and other ascenders, people born within Legacy clans such as Feng were the new gods of humanity. This was not the truth of course. They were still humans, with real-life emotions, with the fear of death like everyone else, with pain like everyone else.

    But¡­

    If not them, who else was capable of saving the world?

    Luna turned to Mira who was standing still and staring at the Len. It was surprising the young woman had made it this far without even getting injured that much. Though she was aware of how much of a tactical thinker the legacy from house Hong was, there was more to her than just that.

    Unlike everyone here, Mira knew when to run. She wasn¡¯t so prideful soldier. No. She was a smart one. Also, she was able to keep up with ascenders despite depending mostly on her suit for energy.

    ¡®Her file did say she trained with ascenders. So maybe that¡¯s why.¡¯

    When Len was done with her speech, she turned to the aligned bodies and saluted them before an ascender stepped forward and summoned a creature.

    It was a beautiful white stallion with a body covered in silver flames and protected by silver armor that wasn¡¯t affected by the flames.

    The ascender commanded the fiery stallion to use its flames. It then placed its head on one of the covered bodies. Just then, the silver flames on its head danced steadily and flowed down, engulfing the shroud in flames. They continued to consume, slowly spreading from body to body until all of them were engulfed in silver flames.

    Luna watched the white flames, they burned beautifully and in contrast with the crimson rays from the red sand.

    In the dead silence, only the sound of rustling flames could be heard. Then finally, Darkness broke the silence. She didn''t know the ascender much, but she did feel a deal of respect for the man as a warrior.

    Her voice was bitter as she said:

    ¡°Thank you, Adam.¡±

 Truths

    A few days after their fight with the Wraith and the ceremony, the small unit was already moving northwards of the desert to join the five scouts. Just recently, the scouts ahead had finally messaged Lena, informing her they had located the portal. It was Northwards, hidden by large dunes that had formed around these specific parts.

    Only twenty-seven soldiers were left. Kang was the only pilot available so they had to move forward without most of their supplies since they needed to move as fast as they could. There was no time to train a soldier how to ride an Arachnid.

    ¡®Sighh.¡¯

    Luna pulled her sword out of the cursed beast she had just slain. Its black carapace might have given her some trouble to penetrate, but her strength had come through and she was able to penetrate right through the head, killing it instantly in the process.

    The creature resembled a crab¡ªonly if a crab was about five meters tall and spit out black acid that could melt away even your bones. Its claws were strong enough to snap a human¡¯s body. Its armor was tougher than steel. So, to make it immobile, she cut between the joints to take down the legs.

    Jumping down, she observed the rest of the carnage happening around her. Everything was going smoothly.

    Lena had taken down five crab-like monsters and Darkness was tearing the bastards apart like they didn¡¯t have tough skin in the first place. Mira and Shin were also fighting the smaller creatures. They were winning thanks to Shin¡¯s ability to see ahead by a few seconds and Mira¡¯s overall surprisingly excellent skill with the sword.

    The young lady had resorted to a red greatsword after her guns became an inconvenience to her movement. If it weren¡¯t for the suit she was wearing, the weapon would¡¯ve troubled her due to its weight.

    Monic and Gail served as scouts and delivered surprise aerial attacks that wiped out most creatures of the horde. Monic¡¯s black lightning easily burned through the tough carapaces and fried them to a crisp with ease.

    Luna flashed towards another approaching group of abominations. Her blade was quick and deadly, each swing ending an abomination before it even spotted her. She danced from monster to monster, her bloodlust at its peak as she spilled more and more blood with her dance of death. Her swordskills too had grown over the past weeks in this cursed place.

    By the time she was done, more than five cursed beasts had fallen. Her weapon was dripping with black blood. At first glance, you could think the black katana was melting.

    The fight against the crab monsters ended quickly and with their victory. As soon as it was over, they gathered some meat from the corpses, burnt up the rest to avoid luring the serpent, then regrouped and continued their journey North without taking a break.

    The cursed creatures were getting more powerful, the further North they continued. Mere cursed beasts were now hunting in groups to strengthen themselves which were quite hard to defeat like these crabs. Usually, one crab creature could be defeated by one arachnid. But if they attacked in groups, the arachnid and its pilot didn''t stand a chance. Even an ascender with an Aura would struggle against two crab-like beasts--especially mature ones.

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    As someone inexperienced with all of this, Luna had to admit...

    This was so hard.

    ***

    Luna was right behind her sister with Shin leading the way since his abilities allowed him to sense danger before it reached them. He was an essential member and the two sisters were guarding him with full resolve. Although Luna wasn''t taking it as seriously as her sister did.

    According to the coordinates Captain Snow sent, their way out of the desert was located in a ruined city called Verge. That¡¯s what Snow had called it. And yes, it was exactly where the mind wraith claimed to have come from.

    ''It''s like fate has been pulling me towards something ever since I found that temple.''

    ¡°How far are we from Verge?¡± Luna asked. She was getting both tired and impatient after only seeing red dunes everywhere she turned. Heck, the scenery no longer looked artistic at all. She was also starting to hate red as a color itself.

    ¡°Not sure. Snow mentioned that it''s the only ruined city still standing. There is a magical force keeping the old city above the sand¡­we believe it''s connected to the Cursed Creature ruling this territory.¡±

    ¡°What class?¡±

    ¡°I haven''t received that information yet, but they call it the Undead King. Just from the sheer amplitude of its power, it could be a powerful general or something higher.¡±

    Luna stopped.

    Lena turned her neck, her cold gaze landing on her sister. She shrugged. ¡°What? You thought a guardian was going to be something weak?¡±

    She shook her head in response. ¡°No. It''s just that I¡¯m a bit unsure about all of this. What if that thing is a Cursed Emperor? How sure are you these men and women will survive a direct battle against a cursed emperor? Have you forgotten the serpent?¡±

    ¡°I have not forgotten the serpent, Luna. But I am sure we can win if we plan this through.¡±

    Luna raised her brow and gave her sister a skeptical look. Fighting a cursed emperor was bad news. Four cores meant that it possessed one powerful or three different abilities¡­only sorcerers were capable of winning against these creatures. However, there was a possibility that it was just a powerful cursed creature ruling over untamed territory.

    ¡°Do you have one at least?¡± she asked.

    Len stared at her seriously and said, ¡°It''s in the planning phase, dear sister. We¡¯ll create a better plan when we reach Snow. If it means waiting for backup, then we will do so.¡±

    ¡°But it will take backup weeks to get here,¡± Luna argued, remembering how long it took her cohort to get here.

    Len sighed almost immediately. ¡°We can¡¯t lose any more good soldiers. Honestly, I don¡¯t think I can take more loss.¡±

    Luna wanted to understand what her sister meant with those words. However, she chose to keep quiet about it. Lena was a complicated character to read in the first place. So, Luna chose to do the one thing she was best at; keeping quiet and assuming that Len knew what was best.

    Luna was only here for a few number of reasons, one of them being answers. Over the past few days, she had grown curious about the tower and the divine realm. She hadn¡¯t mentioned her discoveries to anyone, yet for reasons that it might put them in danger. From what she had gathered, the Tower seemed to be harboring dangerous truths about the divine realm.

    ....Truths of the conflict between these True Celestials, the gods, and the humans of the divine realm. There were also the Cursed Creatures who appeared to be victims of the consequences of the conflict like the Mortal Realm.

    ¡®It feels like my curiosity is constantly driving me towards dangerous territory.'' she sighed before shooting a glance at the metal bracelet around her wrist. ''I need to get stronger or I will die before I uncover the truth.¡¯

    Now, she was starting to see why Corruption attacked that day. The immortal creature mentioned that the anomaly must not get to the tower. It was later revealed that this tower was actually a real dungeon, a structure born from powers way beyond human understanding.

    Luna had made an educated guess that the anomaly spoken of was someone who shared a connection to the divine realm. And if that person uncovers the truth, they would be a threat to someone as powerful as Corruption.

    She recalled the scratched-out words in the temple and the words she couldn¡¯t translate. Someone might have scratched them out because they knew that a human from the Mortal realm could translate them. Luna happened to be one of those humans capable of translating some of those texts.

    And apart from her, Snow and Len were her top guesses. The others she had in mind were Shin, Darkness, and Rita....who happened to be an enchanter in training.

    ''Someone is aware of our presence here...'' Once that thought crossed her delicate mind, Luna halted her steps and quivered when she remembered the shadowy figure after she killed the sandworm. Was she seeing things due to the dust? Or did she really see something?

    "Or someone."

    ''But I didn''t sense anything at all...even undead give off a weak presence.''

    Her sister and Shin also stopped when they noticed Luna¡¯s uneasy state.

    ¡°Luna....¡± Len called.

    ¡°Luna!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± she snapped out of it after hearing her name the second time.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Len asked.

    She shook her head, brandishing her many thoughts back to the corner of her mind. The fear was still there, but she successfully hid it. ¡°No¡­I was just lost in thought.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s keep moving. We will rest at night.¡±

    Luna nodded.

 The Fallen City of Verge

    Finally, after spending three more days walking and fighting against abominations, the small army arrived at the rendezvous point where they were supposed to meet with the scouts.

    Luna paused for a moment, her gaze lingering on the once great city of Verge which was now empty. As expected, its ancient structures were made of made of the same red rock as the previous city. No. It wasn¡¯t a city but a town.

    She remembered what the Wraith said. It claimed to be a former priest of Verge who was transformed into that through a gift from the god of death. But could it really be called a gift if he turned into a cursed creature because of it? The True Celestials made him into that. But how exactly?

    From her observation, Luna noticed that the Wraith had recovered bits of its humanity after taking control of human minds. And before that, it had just been a cursed creature with the single intention to kill.

    Luna hoped that she would get some answers while here, in Verge, their final stop on this level of the Blood Tower, hopefully. The city still stood, with some of the structures standing in all their glory. Some were damaged by time while others showed clear signs of war.

    Something had transpired here.

    ¡°For a city owned by a king, it sure has no subjects.¡± Darkness stepped forward to give herself a better look at the ruined city. The Warmonger had been expecting some action, but the silence disappointed her.

    Luna smirked at the warmonger¡¯s statement and added, jokingly. ¡°I guess he¡¯s not that good of a king.¡±

    Darkness scoffed at her statement.¡°Would you look at that, one of the princesses has some humor. Though I can¡¯t call your statement funny at all.¡±

    Luna didn¡¯t know why, but that last sentence felt like a direct punch to the gut. What did she mean that wasn¡¯t funny at all? And that she¡¯s surprised she has a sense of humor.

    ¡®I make jokes online all the time and they laugh. I¡¯m quite a funny person.¡¯

    ¡°What do you mean it''s not funny?¡± she pouted. ¡°I¡¯m a very funny person.¡±

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    ¡°In your head, you are, princess delusional.¡± Darkness snickered as she walked ahead. She had long dropped the armor and was now in a tunic that showed too much skin. Her milky muscular legs were exposed but she didn¡¯t seem to mind due to the extreme heat conditions.

    Also, everyone was too focused on the mission to even consider her way of dressing.

    Lena was also in a tunic anyway, but not as revealing as it was for the warmonger.

    Why wasn¡¯t anyone bothered by this?

    ¡°Perverts¡­¡± Luna hissed as they continued marching forward. Meanwhile, she was still in her nanoskin armor. It was once again in its original form¡ªresembling a black skin-tight body suit¡ªwith a sword attached to her small waist. The sun didn¡¯t seem to bother her much because the suit¡¯s insulation was superb.

    ¡®My thoughts are so jumbled today.¡¯

    ***

    When they arrived at the city¡¯s entrance, the unit was greeted by a beautiful red-haired woman dressed in red metal armor. She almost looked to be as old as Lena or slightly older, depending on how you saw her. She was small with a petite body structure and her intelligent eyes were the same color as her short red hair.

    Everyone except Luna seemed to be familiar with the clairvoyant lady and greeted her with a smile.

    ¡°I am glad you are well, Lady Lunaris.¡± She spoke with a respectable level of familiarity.

    Luna smiled gently. ¡°Thank you for your concern and for helping my sister. Please, call me Luna.¡±

    ¡°Rita.¡± She smiled back before bowing to Shin who would¡¯ve been her superior in this case. They were both diviners, after all.

    After their greetings, Rita led the small group of soldiers through the empty and destroyed streets of the ruined city.

    The silence of the city was rather eerie, the warm winds carrying silent echoes of the past as they blew silently through the desolated place. Many of the red buildings had collapsed and the ones still standing were filled with ugly cracks as if they were on the verge of breaking down any time soon. The streets were made from red rock but shaped to look like clobber stone paths leading cutting through the city. Some parts of the street were destroyed beyond recognition while others remained intact with only a few cracks.

    Noticing the silence, Shin finally spoke. ¡°This was once part of the divine realm. Fascinating¡­¡±

    ¡°Keep your heads up, you never know when something attacks.¡±

    Len commanded and every soldier in the group immediately steeled themselves, the ascenders had their weapons already manifested. While the mundane ones also stayed on high alert.

    But Rita relaxed everyone with what she said next. ¡°The cursed creature that rules this place is a cursed general, it controls both Soldiers and Beasts. Those creatures are currently focused in the center of the city guarding the portal supposed to lead us out here. The Undead king doesn¡¯t have any intentions of attacking us unless we enter the guarded territory.¡±

    ¡°Wait? Do you mean a Cursed General can be that powerful? Powerful enough to control the other creatures?¡± Len asked, her voice tinged with surprise.

    Rita was silent for a moment before answering. ¡°It seems so. The Undead King, as we named it, is a humanoid with one single powerful ability...Control. Every undead here is under his control including the creatures in a lower class. We believe he was some kind of mage before getting cursed and turning into that thing. He¡¯s very powerful due to that connection.¡±

    ¡®Cursed?¡± Luna¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is that what happened to the people in this city?¡±

    Rita nodded. ¡°Cursed, wrath, blessing¡­whatever you want to call it. The people of this world called it Wrath while others called it Blessing. But yes, it is what happened to the people of this section of the divine realm. The god of death¡¯s wrath is what destroyed every human here¡ªthey were cursed to live forever.¡±

    ¡°I see. So this is the god of death¡¯s doing. How cruel.¡±

    ¡°Not all of this is the god of death¡¯s doing.¡± Rita cut in, responding to Luna¡¯s words. ¡°From the little we¡¯ve uncovered, I am sure that the people of this city became moving corpses after they did something to the god of death.¡±

    ¡°This was their punishment.¡±

 Servant of Light

    Rita led the group to a small stone cathedral hidden within the desolate city. Inside, they finally earned themselves some rest before proceeding with anything else. It was not the best place to rest, but everyone needed it after walking for so long under the red sun.

    Now that they had a break, Luna decided to use this time to continue her research. She was currently seated alone, in one of the cathedral¡¯s corners. Her suit¡¯s projector was now on, displaying the texts and images she had scanned while in the buried temple.

    Some of the texts were translated automatically by her brain while others remained a mystery to her. In other words, the people who used the temple didn¡¯t speak the same languages. Each of them had added something to the murals. But without knowing the other languages, Luna was only translating bits of the truths she was looking for.

    Also, the fact that she could translate some of this meant that the people of this realm probably had a connection with the people of the Mortal Realm a long time ago. This explained why some of these translations came naturally to her...one of her ancestors must have endeavored to learn something.

    With that, Luna continued studying the texts and images displayed before her. She analyzed everything word by word. Then proceeded to try and translate what she could. She was no linguist of course¡­but as someone well-versed in many extinct languages, Luna was sure she could understand something. And after so many hours of taking notes and comparing, Luna managed to make out a few versions of her own translations with the help of the images on display.

    Most of the descriptions were surrounded a being called the Eternal Light¡­or the Everlight. From the texts she could translate, they mentioned Everlight as one of the True Celestials who protected mortals from the madness of the gods.

    It didn¡¯t say what exactly made the gods like that. But Luna was certain this marked the beginning of the end for the divine realm. From the translations, the temple she was recently in had been solely constructed to serve as a place of worship for the True Celestial. The texts described her as a protector with godly powers and a Servant Of Light.

    ¡°The Servant of Light¡­¡± Luna halted at that statement. The title alone seemed to draw out some of her strength just from saying it. When she was younger, her father warned her that deities¡¯s true names or titles were not supposed to be just called out because of the mysterious powers behind them.

    She had forgotten that warning and now she felt slightly weaker.

    The rest of the text appeared mixed and therefore impossible to translate.

    But there was so much more that talked about the people of this desert. The images told tales of a place born under one of the ¡°Give Great Suns¡±. This place happened to this very desert. And in this desert, humans of the Sun god¡¯s Domain flourished with the blessings bestowed onto them by the great gods.

    ¡®The priest was blessed.¡¯ Luna recalled the creature¡¯s mad words as she continued studying the images.

    And she noted two things¡­there was no mention of zenshi or the spark of divinity.

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    ¡°Maybe it''s because they were born inside a god¡¯s domain.¡±

    As she read through the remaining texts, she landed on a specific prayer dedicated to the deity who saved them. It said:

    ¡°Hail, Everlight. Giver of light, servant of light, and warrior of peace. As your swords, we worship and humble ourselves in your presence.¡±

    ¡°Your power burns bright¡­your light ignites our hearts. And protects us from their wrath.¡±

    Luna paused reading the text and thought:

    ¡®Protects us from their wrath¡­the god¡¯s wrath? Or Madness? Could she have been the one who created the darkness?¡¯

    Luna wondered.

    Everlight was no goddess. She was a servant of ¡°Light¡±, ¡°Flame¡± or ¡°Sun¡± depending on how you translated it. She was a weaker deity that served the god of the sun.

    ¡­She was a servant who the people of this realm began to look at as a true deity. They went as far as worshiping her and dedicating prayers to her.

    One thing was clear though, she was powerful enough to rival gods. Those who had witnessed her powers decided to call her a True Celestial¡­

    She froze. ¡®The Servant of Light is probably stronger than a sovereign.¡¯

    Luna couldn¡¯t imagine a being stronger than a sovereign. Sovereigns were powerful corrupted deities or devils. The Corruption might have destroyed their divinity, but they were strong enough to resist the madness that came with it. In other words, their looks might have changed¡­but their powers hadn¡¯t.

    That¡¯s what sovereigns were, according to Human Understanding, at least.

    ¡®Even if Everlight was corrupted, I doubt she would be an ordinary devil.¡¯ She swallowed her saliva. It was strange¡­strange that they knew so little about the divine realm.

    ¡®Maybe I should have remained ignorant.¡¯

    ¡°I was told you were too busy to see me. I guess they were right.¡±

    Luna suddenly looked up after sensing another presence. Her eyes remained devoid as if her brain was taking its time to process all the information she had just revealed herself to.

    ¡°Oh, cousin. Long time no see.¡± Her words came out very blank even though that¡¯s not what she wanted to express.

    ¡°I would say the same to you. I see you also collected the text from the ruined temple.¡±

    Luna was suddenly interested. She raised an eyebrow, then uttered the keyword of his sentence.

    ¡°Also?¡±

    The curly-haired ascender smiled and nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve been collecting information that will be sent back to base after we defeat the undead king. If we¡¯re able to get the full translations, we might find a clue to how can end this overstaying apocalypse.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­You¡¯re pretty smart for someone like you.¡± Not offended by her statement, Snow raised his hand and karate-chopped Luna on the head.

    ¡°Uh!¡± the small girl hissed and rubbed her head.

    ¡°You forget I¡¯m seven years older than you. Have some respect, would yeah?¡±

    Luna winced. At that moment, she realized that this scene looked like she was being scolded by her older brother.

    ¡°Hitting me on the head should be a crime. Do you know how valuable my head is? It carries centuries of knowledge.¡± She growled, her dark eyes staring at the stoic Snow with fake intent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Lady Lunaris,¡± he replied, lifting his chin and crossing his arms. ¡°Disrespecting your elders is punishable. Back then, seppuku was the only worthy way one could redeem themselves for disrespecting some of the high class like mine.¡±

    He grinned with satisfaction.

    Luna gave her cousin a dead stare. Then, after a minute or two, she said, ¡°I won¡¯t say more, Shogun of Lies. I don¡¯t know much about the old ways, after all.¡±

    Snow laughed and then moved his gaze to the displayed text being projected by Luna¡¯s suit. Since there was no paper to write on, the young girl had improvised and was using the floor as a board to write on.

    There, she had made comparisons between the languages she knew with the ones of the divine realm.

    The legacy clans believed the godlike beings once stepped down on the mortal realm and shared some of their knowledge thousands of years ago. The knowledge of qi and languages that were written down by ignorant humans as extinct languages from cultures long gone due to the Modern Age.

    His eyes widened when he started recognizing the characters.

    Luna almost jumped when she noticed his reaction to the inscriptions and stared at the same text he staring at. She hadn¡¯t translated it but it looked like Snow understood it right away.

    ¡°This¡­it talks about her, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°If that ¡®her¡¯ is Everlight, yes. The people of this ruined town technically worshiped her.¡±

    The curly-haired man crouched down and started studying the displayed text. The more he translated, the more pale he turned. It seems this was the first time he had seen all of this.

    When he was done reading through, which surprisingly didn¡¯t take long, Snow stood up and faced Luna with a dark expression.

    ¡°Where did you find these texts?¡±

    ¡°A half-buried temple. What is it?¡± Luna asked, her curiosity on the verge of exploding. ¡°Is there something you want to tell me?¡±

    Snow nodded. ¡°There is a shrine dedicated to her under this cathedral. You might want to see it yourself.¡±

 Shrine

    Luna followed Snow down a hidden path the scouts discovered while here. Underneath the cathedral was a strange door that was forced open a long time ago. The door was made of stone of course. And judging from the scribblings on its surface, Luna could tell it was once a magical entrance.

    With his strength, Snow easily pulled the door open and revealed another passage that led to a flight of red stairs that spiraled down into the living darkness.

    There was no shred of light here, making the air more tense and colder. Now that she knew of the Servant of Light, Luna didn¡¯t know what to think about this darkness.

    Nevertheless, deities were not to be trusted.

    ¡®So I will stay on high alert.¡¯ She thought to herself as she followed Snow as he led the way to this supposed shrine they discovered in this cathedral.

    On the way, Snow explained the few things he had uncovered after spending a week in this city. He spoke of the strange monster he and the scouts had encountered and fought and the discoveries he had made till now.

    Just like Luna, he was often curious. And that, just like Luna, got him into trouble most of the time.

    Most of the discoveries were things she had already uncovered on her own while some of them were new to her like the piece of the sun domain was probably put in here by Everlight after the death of the Sun god.

    This was an important bit of information, so Luna made a mental note to get back to it later.

    ***

    They made it to the end of the staircase after what felt like ten minutes of walking through eternity. They relied on their suits since the darkness didn''t react to unnatural light.

    Luna halted her steady movement and let Snow step forward and interact with what he claimed to be the entrance to a shrine.

    The red wall was still intact with intricate writings imbued on the surface. The twisted writings were obviously runes engraved to keep whatever was inside hidden from intruders.

    The magic system of this world was a mystery to them, but Luna believed that it wasn¡¯t so different from the one on Earth. Magic opposed nature and that¡¯s exactly what zenshi could do with ascenders.

    ¡°These runes are a protection enchantment that was placed here to hide the place and keep the shrine intact.¡± Snow explained as he placed a bare hand on the wall and closed his eyes.

    He murmured out something and bluish flames exploded from underneath his palm.

    Suddenly the darkness was forced to retreat as a blinding light of Snow¡¯s zenshi spread from the ascender and through the runes at a threatening speed. The blue light turned white as the runes immediately came to life and recognized the foreign power.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Snow paled as it viscously siphoned his zenshi, till all the runes were fully glowing white.

    Once he pulled his hand away, the wall vanished and the pair was hit by a powerful feeling of a barrier being lifted.

    Luna staggered a little, overcome by the feeling of vertigo. While Snow ended up throwing up everything he had eaten before coming here.

    ¡®Humans like us are not supposed to be here.¡¯ Luna noted as she tried to resist the presence in the air.

    The sinister presence was so intense that the air itself trembled as she already felt something beyond the threshold. Her sword hand quickly found itself on the hilt of her katana, ready to draw it from its scabbard should the need to fight come.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to fight. The presence belongs to a statue.¡± Snow immediately grasped her arm and faced her with tired eyes.

    ¡°A statue?¡± Luna raised an eyebrow, confused by what he said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you see it yourself.¡±

    Carefully, he made the first step past the entrance¡¯s threshold and Luna followed with her hand still on the sword. She was too paranoid to trust Snow¡¯s words.

    You can¡¯t blame her though. Ever since she joined this mission, every day felt like it was going to be her last.

    ¡®I even died once.¡¯ She argued with herself, remembering her fight with the servant of corruption and the abyss she was in before waking up.

    Anyway, the first thing she noticed about the room was that it wasn¡¯t a red color like everything else in this desert. Instead, the shrine¡¯s walls and floor were pitch black.

    She freed her sword hand and looked around with perplexed wonder.

    There was a small sacrificial altar at the front that was constructed right in front of a statue that almost sucked the air out of her lungs when her eyes landed on it.

    Instinctively, Luna took a few steps back with her eyes still glued to the statue of the Servant of Light. Now, Luna knew where the sinister presence was coming from.

    ¡®Gods¡­¡¯

    Standing ominously was an obsidian statue of a tall veiled woman with two pairs of large black wings stretching out of her back and casting no shadow despite the floating orbs of light Snow had activated.

    Even with its eyes covered, Luna could feel its eyes piercing directly into her soul like sharpened mythical swords. At that moment, she felt like the deity itself was looking at her¡­waiting to see what she would do next in a moment like this one.

    She quivered slightly, her heart gaining pace as the statue of the deity pressed her down. She was about to call out the deity''s name when Snow¡¯s voice reached her ears and recovered her from the trance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her gaze. This is just a statue,¡± he said while avoiding the presence. It had taken a couple to get used to, but he had. ¡°What we¡¯re here for is over there.¡± He pointed at the sacrificial altar.

    They carefully took a few steps forward and made it to the black altar without anything going wrong.

    Once there, Luna got a better look at the altar while trying to resist the overwhelming presence coming from the statue.

    On the surface, aside from the ancient design and the obsidian color, the altar looked normal. But, when she looked at it more, Luna noticed the small writings on the surface.

    ¡®Pushing my curiosity, I see.¡¯

    Luna snickered in her mind when she immediately recognized the texts. The writings couldn¡¯t translated by Snow, he wasn¡¯t very familiar with the extinct languages like someone born within a Great House such as herself and Len.

    Yes. Snow was a legacy too, but he became one after his clan was absorbed into The Feng clan when Mao Feng married Zheng and he became a Feng.

    And since he¡¯s not a pure-blooded Feng, he doesn¡¯t have full access to all of their knowledge. Luna herself too didn¡¯t have that much access.

    But that¡¯s because she wasn¡¯t worthy, yet.

    ¡°Can you translate that?¡± he whispered.

    Luna easily recognized the characters and smiled within. However, before responding to his question, she asked:

    ¡°Is that statue going to attack me?¡± there was genuine concern in her voice. ¡°I know it''s a statue¡­but anything is possible with magic. I haven¡¯t done many things in life, you know.¡±

    ¡°I thought you already made it in life, Professor Luna.¡± Snow shot her wicked smile after saying that.

    ¡°I am a great professor by the way. I¡¯ll become even more great when I conquer this damn thing.¡±

    She thought about the number of credits she would be earning after her professor rank increased. They¡¯d probably move her to a bigger suite with food delivery and other privileges she wasn¡¯t aware of yet.

    ¡°Can you translate them or not?¡± Snow asked again, sounding a bit impatient.

    ¡°I can," she responded as she continued studying the characters. She touched the rock and started tracing the characters to see where she remembered them from.

    And immediately, she was taken aback by the small discovery. She now understood why she recognized these characters so easily. Before giving them a better look, she assumed her blood her triggered it like how it did back at the temple.

    ¡®No¡­This can¡¯t be.¡¯

    Noticing her silence, Snow stared at the writings.

    ¡°What does it say?¡± he asked.

    But an answer never came. Luna¡¯s gaze was stuck on the inscriptions. The characters were familiar because they were written an ancient mortal language that House Feng seemed to have not forgotten¡­

    ¡®Ancient Mandarin¡­this is Ancient Mandarin. I¡¯m sure of it.¡¯

    Behind the characters, they translated into a message of only three words:

    ¡°You will die.¡±

 Warning?

    ¡°You will die.¡±

    Luna''s breath hitched as the words seared into her mind. Her pulse quickened, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. The weight of the words ''You will die'' hung over her like an executioner''s blade, sharp and inevitable.

    She read through the characters again, hoping that it was an illusion or a misinterpretation. But to her disappointment, no mistake was made, and no illusion was conjured up by something.

    These characters were indeed ancient Mandarin and the haunting message behind them was meant for someone like her or Len since very few people bothered to study versions of such languages.

    Who cared about maintaining cultures in a post-apocalyptic world?

    ¡°So¡­what does it say?¡±

    She snapped back to reality and opened her mouth to give a quick explanation.

    ¡°The writings are not of this world.¡± She murmured, her voice tight. ¡°These characters¡­ it''s Ancient Mandarin. From our world.¡±

    Snow frowned, disbelief flickering in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s¡­impossible. Are you saying someone from our world was already here?¡± he paused then shot a quick glance back to the writings and remembered his original question. ¡°What do they translate to, Luna?¡±

    After regaining her composure, she translated the words with a balanced tone:

    ¡°¡®You will die¡¯ The words translate to that. It sounds like a warning from whoever was here first.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t sure who could¡¯ve walked into the divine realm and delivered this message. However, she was sure that person was from the same realm and that someone knew that someone like Luna or Lena would find this place.

    ¡­.A secret message warning them of their deaths.

    ¡®But why?¡¯ Luna gritted her frustration. This message wasn¡¯t enough, she needed more context. Was this coming threat avoidable? Was it connected to the shadowy figure that was watching them? Or to the True Celestials?

    After searching the altar, she found nothing else craved on the black rock.

    Much as she didn¡¯t want to imagine the worst possible future for them. Death wasn¡¯t something she was ready for at the moment. Gods¡­just when she thought they stood a chance.

    ¡°I¡¯m done here,¡± Luna straightened herself and turned away from the both statue and the altar. They both made her skin crawl in a way she didn¡¯t want to describe.

    Unlike her, Snow remained weirdly composed for someone who has been exposed to such information. Well¡­his Aura was the Concept of death, to begin with.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°I think it''s a warning for something. But I¡¯m pretty sure we can handle a Cursed General,¡± he sighed while staring at the characters on the surface. ¡°We¡¯ll have to inform the others.¡±

    Out of curiosity, he brought his face closer to the black surface and touched the altar abruptly. The rock was mirror-like and the light devices gave it a shiny appearance.

    Snow¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he leaned closer to the altar, the reflection warping.

    The version of him staring back was broken¡ªhaunted. It looked as if this reflection had aged a thousand years in mere seconds. Fear danced in his eyes, fear that mirrored something deep inside him, something he kept buried. He pulled back abruptly, breaking the connection and clearing away the reflection.

    But the image of his reflection lingered, a ghost in his mind.

    ¡°Is this your doing¡­Death?¡± he murmured weakly.

    Meanwhile, Luna had her mind somewhere eyes as she did her best search for any clues left behind by the person who wrote the message.

    ¡®Ugh¡­this stone can block my ability to sense qi. I can¡¯t even spread it out. What is this place, exactly? Where did she get something like this?¡¯

    Losing her ability to sense was enough to spell bad news for Luna. For once in her life, she actually felt handicapped.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this place. We should leave,¡± she suggested. Also, the statue of Everlight made her very uncomfortable. This was her holy place, anything could happen.

    The deity could just strike them with lightning at this point. If she desired.

    If her inevitable fate was linked to Everlight, Luna wanted to delay it for now. After all, ignorance is bliss.

    So, knowing that she might never get any chance like this, she commanded her suit to scan and capture the statue.

    Maybe she will study it when she¡¯s back in the mortal world. Which was much safer than this place.

    ***

    By the time they returned to the surface, Len and everyone else were already awake and at work while briefing and making strategies on how they were going to go against the Undead king who ruled this city and guarded the portal.

    And as a king, the Cursed General happened to have an army of his own. It was rare for mindless creatures to join forces, but the Undead King appeared to possess the power to control the cursed creatures with ease. Because of that, the scouts had given it the title of King.

    The Undead part was obvious.

    With the help of Rita, whose ability let her share sight with other creatures, especially with her summon who happened to have the ability to fly at supersonic speeds and dive into shadows.

    When sight-sharing with the sparrow-like summon, the Ascender¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t limited by distance, making her the best for spying and collecting information.

    Through her, the scouts had managed to make out a rough map of the city. They mapped the danger zones of the city where the cursed beasts'' ranks started. There, the monsters had formed a ring wall around the territory as the first form of defense against anyone who tried to attack. These abominations were weak and lacked abilities so they were best suited to play as a wall.

    The Undead king was smart enough to create such a stable hold that got stronger the deeper you ventured. The first ring of defense was made of mindless cursed beasts and undead while the second was filled with powerful cursed soldiers with unknown abilities.

    The Cursed General was controlling everything from a red tower in the city center where its powers were most effective.

    Luna studied the map again. The rough sketch was made on a wooden board the red zones marked by red stones. She was trying to keep her mind here, but that was unsuccessful since her thoughts kept on drifting back to the warning left on the ancient stone. Was it directed to her? Lena? Or everyone here? She shook away those thoughts, but fear lingered like a shadow, creeping at the corner of her mind with the rest of the things she had come to fear while on this mission.

    ¡°Well the numbers don¡¯t seem to be in our favor,¡± Lena heaved out a sigh. ¡°The ascenders might be more but if we¡¯re counting¡­there are about two hundred cursed creatures.¡±

    ¡°I suggest we wait for backup. We¡¯re twenty-seven in total. Fifteen ascenders, thirteen mundane. Of those fifteen ascenders, only around ten are powerful enough to go straight into battle. Sure, only three don¡¯t have Auras. But we can¡¯t underestimate the undead king.¡±

    Luna cut in abruptly. Among the three captains, she was the least experienced. However, after reading that message, Luna wanted to proceed with everything with caution.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to wait for backup, and Rita would have to travel back to guide them.¡± Snow retorted.

    Luna turned to her sister, expecting her to say something. But to her disappointment, she didn¡¯t.

    ¡°And besides, these are only cursed beasts and soldiers. I''m confident they can hold their ground if we fix the mundane soldiers'' armor and lend them some forged weapons. Each of them has shown that they¡¯re the exception, isn¡¯t that right, Lunaris?¡±

    His sharp gaze fell onto her, and she suddenly lost words. ¡°Maybe¡­but¡­¡±

    ¡°You and Valentine will be in charge of the mundane soldiers,¡± Snow added. ¡°We will offer parts of our nano suits to help fix those whose suits are critically damaged.¡±

    ¡°Valentine? Who¡¯s Valentine?¡±

    Snow paused his strategizing and looked around. When he noticed that one of the scouts was missing, he frowned. Then sighed with frustration before asking the two present scouts, a pair of identical twins with long brown hair and small noses.

    ¡°Where the hell is Artemis Valentine?¡±

    ''What is an Artemis doing here?''

 Death and Me

    The meeting continued for about three hours more hours till the red sun was now above them. The red rock kept the cathedral''s interior cool despite the piercing rays outside, making this the perfect shelter for such a place.

    So, the conditions weren¡¯t as bad as one would expect an afternoon in a desert.

    No one was out for patrol since Rita and Shin could warn them of something approaching miles before they even reached them. Currently, everyone was doing as they wished. Most were resting and getting their armors repaired, while the rest were training outside.

    The sounds of ringing steel constantly made it to her chamber, but Luna was barely bothered by the training outside.

    Her eyes were staring at the ceiling with a cold expression. Her thoughts were still fixed on that secret message in the shrine.

    She had already addressed this to everyone during the meeting but Len suggested that she might need to take a look at it with the help of an oracle like Shin. And when they went down to the shrine, Luna chose not to stay behind because the idea of having her qi sense cut off didn¡¯t settle with her.

    ¡®How is that rock here?¡¯ Luna asked herself. Now that she was relaxed, she had managed to remember where exactly she had seen this specific type of material before.

    In the archives back at home, Luna recalled coming across a few books with notes talking about materials that were capable of blocking qi. Those materials were rare with a mystical nature that rivaled life itself because that¡¯s what qi was, the energy of life.

    One of those materials was Styx stone which was described as a pitch black material with a smooth reflective surface just like the one in the shrine. This specific stone had the quality of opposing life due to having been born from the banks of an underworld river which dead souls used to cross after death.

    Since no one had seen this stone-like material on Earth, it was easy to pass it on as fiction. And most people treated it like that.

    But now that she had seen and learned of existence, Luna was growing more worried by every minute.

    ¡®Where did they find all that stone to make a shrine? And wouldn¡¯t something like gold be more worthy material for a Servant of light?¡¯

    Frustrated, she turned over and stuffed her head in the white pillow given to her. She was supposed to be resting but these looming questions and thoughts kept her mental gears running not stopping.

    Luna wanted to know¡­she needed to know why she forgot¡­what she forgot. And why did she have to forget that information?

    Raphael said there is an anomaly among them, a threat that could be a danger to Corruption, the being.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Did that mean that person was a savior since corruption was killing more and more humans every day? Where did corruption come from anyway?

    In the comfort of her bed, Luna stayed silent as the afternoon continued. She was only hungry for answers, and yet, a new question was brought to her attention each time she felt like she was at least getting one answer.

    Soon, her body gave in to the alluring comfort. Now that she had dismissed the suit, the tiredness and fatigue hit her like a tsunami. Luna could no longer fight the urge to close her eyes.

    ¡­And so, she closed them and let sleep take over.

    **

    Meanwhile, in another chamber¡­

    Snow had his legs crossed while seated on a makeshift carpet. He had his eyes closed, meditating as he let the zenshi from his first Soul Gate move freely across his relaxed muscles. His scarred broad chest was exposed as it rose and fell steadily while he focused on trying to break through to the third gate.

    Out of everyone here, he was the closest to becoming a summoner since Len had only mastered her Aura recently. It would take her some time to open her second gate, and time was something they didn¡¯t have at all.

    And, as the strongest one here, he had taken it upon himself to try and finally break to the third gate after years of intentionally being stuck on the second. They needed more force if they were to win the upcoming battle.

    Keeping his breaths steady, he began to circulate more and more zenshi through his body. With a clear mind, it moved perfectly, touching every cell in his body with a warm feel. To open a third gate, one needed to form a connection with the Void, the source of all summons. This next step was usually hard because the Void was very hard to sense. No one knew exactly what it was. But forming a connection with it granted Ascenders the power to call up creatures they¡¯ve bonded to.

    Once the zenshi was done connecting with the entire body, he dove into his soul and started to visualize the zenshi into a string to create a link with the Void.

    He imbued the string with purpose: Protect like every Ascender. Then searched deep for any glimpse of the void. He needed to sense its presence first before anything else.

    Blue sparks danced beneath his closed eyes as the eerie presence of death filled the room.

    As soon as he felt the ominous invisible presence, his Aura manifested and the string of zenshi connected with the weak presence of the void. It felt like he came into contact with a water-like wall in his soul.

    But before he completed the connection, the zenshi string disappeared and a sweet voice sounded in his left ear.

    ¡°You want to kill more people¡­?¡±

    Snow¡¯s eyes snapped open, breaking his concentration which automatically paused his ascension.

    Immediately, his eyes turned dark as he stared at the apparition floating in front of him. It had the face of a beautiful girl with short brown hair, lustrous green eyes, and intelligent eyes staring back at him. She was wearing a white sleeveless party dress that showed too much skin.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I am your Aura, silly. I appear every time you manifest me,¡± she giggled like a child.¡°I am Death. ¡­.Don¡¯t tell me the face I chose still bothers you. You killed her a long time ago¡­¡±

    Snow hissed and forced himself to look away. This time around, he had something else on his mind.

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about what that mortal girl was reading. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die, my dear Servant. I won¡¯t let you¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did you translate them?¡± he suddenly asked, his voice tight. ¡°What made you think I wanted to know?¡±

    ¡°Because you will have to. You should understand that I am not just an Aura, and you¡¯re not just a human.¡±

    Snow¡¯s breath trembled out of fear. ¡°At least let me warn her. Let me warn them about the True Celestials¡­I know there are rules. But Luna needs to know what she''s walking into. Please..."

    Up until now, Snow had kept to himself the abilities behind his Aura...if it could even called that. His second Soul Gate weathered him with the concept of death, a piece of the god of death. Because of that, he knew things mortals shouldn''t know. Things like what was written on those murals Luna scanned.

    The apparition stared at Snow with an emotionless look. She pitted her servant and almost felt like she was going to regret what she was about to do. She then opened her mouth to speak. But instead of a response, a single word escaped her mouth.

    ¡°Forget¡­¡±

    As soon as he heard that command, Snow froze and the fear in his eyes vanished in an instant. The emptiness in them was quickly replaced by surprise.

    ¡°Death? Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°To open a third Soul Gate, your Aura must always be active while opening it. When you do, you will receive a death creature and it will help you feed me more souls while you grow stronger.¡±

    With those words, she disappeared and Snow was left alone once again.

    He stayed quiet for a while before returning to his meditation without having a single memory of what he translated while with Luna and his conversation with Death.

 Training Session

    When the sun was finally gone and the heatwave was no more, Luna woke up fresh and decided to utilize the cold night by practicing her swordsmanship with Len.

    The idea had come to her after she found herself waking up with so much energy to spare. Also, Luna wasn¡¯t in the mood to stress her mind with thoughts so she went for the second thing that came to her mind.

    ¡­Training. And lucky for her, Len had the same thing in mind.

    Currently, the pair were standing on opposite sides, facing each other with daring glares under the moonlight.

    Len was holding a longsword made from her zenshi. The blade was as silver as her own hair, reflecting the crimson moon¡¯s light just like her eyes did. Under the moonlight, she truly looked like a seasoned warrior while the gentle wind made her hair slowly flatter.

    She was still, in a combat-ready position, ready to strike like a deadly predator. This alone showed how seriously she took combat. Especially in the presence of someone potentially stronger.

    Luna shivered in response to the wind. Her black katana was still lifeless, perfectly still as she held the beautiful weapon with her firm grip. Her raven black hair was now longer, thicker, and even more beautiful after weeks of neglecting it.

    Her eyes were empty and deep as they stared back at Len. And suddenly, her lips curled into a wicked grin.¡°Why are you so serious?¡± she asked, jokingly. ¡°It¡¯s just a friendly spar.¡±

    ¡°There is no need to be so on guard when fighting your sister.¡± She added with a playful tone.

    ¡°In every fight, you should know that you¡¯re one mistake away from death. No matter how skilled you are, you can make a mistake and give the enemy the advantage¡­¡±

    Len¡¯s tone was indifferent and calm as always.

    Luna rolled her eyes mentally and then sighed and complained in her head. ¡®But I am not an enemy.¡¯

    ¡°Sigh. I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    Shortly after saying that, Luna calmed herself and made the first move by springing into action once she saw the opportunity to attack. She closed the distance between herself and Len within an instant. And swung her katana in a beautiful lower arc, aiming for the abdomen. Unfortunately, the tip of her sword only managed to graze the surface of Len¡¯s tunic as she quickly leaped back and skidded on the sandy floor.

    She looked at the cut in her tunic and kissed her teeth. If she hadn¡¯t leaped back, there would be a shallow cut on her flesh. ¡®That was quick¡­I¡¯m impressed.¡¯

    ¡°So that¡¯s you want to play¡­¡± A lewd smile appeared on her face and her Aura manifested into reality. In the blink of an eye, the desert was colder than it was a minute ago.

    Len¡¯s entire presence almost turned visible right before she pounced forward like a hungry wolf and her blade collided with Luna¡¯s katana.

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    BOOM!!

    The force alone sent a shockwave through her body as she blocked and tried to push back the sword and its wielder. ¡®Of course she likes to go all out.¡¯

    Luna thought while staring into her sister¡¯s eyes. Now that her Aura had manifested, silver flames were dancing in her eyes, reflecting the soul and power waiting to be unleashed.

    She jumped back after dodging another strike from Len¡¯s blade.

    Fighting against Luna was completely different from fighting against someone like Darkness whose Aura made her constantly strong. Ice was a powerful natural force, which grew when manifested and protected its wielder as if it had a mind of its own. Going past its defense was difficult for someone with an aura and impossible for a mundane. But Luna had known Len her whole life. She had a clue on how she could go around this.

    When Lena closed the distance once again, bringing her sword in a downward slash, Luna moved out of the way at the last moment.

    Keeping her momentum, she swung her katana and struck her opponent¡¯s side below the ribs. She made sure to maintain the sharpness of her blade as she landed a strike that shattered the ice layer that had manifested a second ago. It might not have looked much, but since the enchantment was active¡­Len hadn¡¯t stopped the damage.

    She found herself wincing from the pain, but her determination only made it last for a second as the wound closed immediately.

    In that second, Luna was already swinging at her sister¡¯s legs while wearing a confident smirk.

    To her surprise, Len reacted faster and her blade was blocked by a longsword which slid on the surface up in an attempt to cut her face. She only survived by a hair¡¯s breadth when she withdrew both herself and the katana by leaping backward at the last moment.

    When she landed, a single question rang in her mind:

    ''When was Len this good with the sword?'' She paled a little when she witnessed some strands of her hair slowly fall on the red sand. ¡®Has the desert made her stronger?¡¯

    Yes. That was the only explanation behind Len''s incredible growth.

    ¡°You¡¯re really having fun aren¡¯t you,¡± Luna hissed as she stared at the small strands with a solemn expression.

    ¡°Trust me, fighting with you always brings me joy. This fight could¡¯ve ended a long time ago if you wanted to go all out.¡±

    ¡®It''s not necessary, but you asked for it¡­¡¯

    Luna shook her head and sighed regretfully before tuning her limiter down to 90%. She felt a strange shift in her body and the world must¡¯ve sensed it too because the atmosphere seemed to shift while Luna turned serious and called upon one of the styles she mastered a long time ago.

    Len¡¯s eyes widened when her sister suddenly vanished from her sight once she made the first step. And because Luna didn¡¯t have zenshi, sensing her was a bit of a hassle when she pulled out tricks like this.

    ¡®Behind me¡­¡¯

    She quickly reacted to the weak presence and shifted her position before putting her sword forward as a shield. And just as she had predicted, it collided with a powerful strike that cracked her sword and sent her flying and landing in the sand.

    ¡®The Whispering Titan blade technique. How sneaky of you to choose an attack that requires so much speed.¡¯

    Hissing, Lena lifted her face which turned ashen as she observed a dark figure materialize through the path of dust she had created.

    Her pale skin glowed under the crimson light, her dark hair beautifully waved in the wind. Granting her sister, Dark Blade with a sinister and haunting presence. The shadows bent to her will, paving a path for her.

    ¡®Maybe I¡¯m seeing things.¡¯ Len quickly cleared away the thoughts of being in danger.

    Luna produced no bloodlust, but her dark eyes were terrifying each time she got serious. Lena didn¡¯t even witness the blade move, but she heard it slice and the dust was vanquished.

    ¡°Now I see no reason to hold back,¡± Len said to herself as she watched Luna slowly approach her. She stood up and straightened herself once again. This time, her skin turned whiter as ice spread to the cracked longsword and made it sturdier. The temperature dropped even more as her breath could be seen each time she exhaled.

    She focused on bringing out the potential of her Aura and slowly, her body started to dissolve into a thick white fog.

    Dark Blade¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. She watched as her sister¡¯s incorporeal form approached, growing larger and larger, turning the rest of the desert into a haze.

    Ghost of Winter was always a pain to fight against due to her annoying form.

    ¡®Biscuits.¡¯ She cursed as the fog grew bigger and bigger. It grew to the point where she was surrounded by nothing but white fog.

    And just like that, Luna had been robbed of her vision. The fact that the fog was alive even made it worse because when she tried using her Qi senses, she sensed life coming from everywhere. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint where an attack was going to come from.

    But she was familiar with her sister¡¯s style. She knew that this form was very demanding regarding Zenshi consumption, especially during maneuvers.

    ¡®But am I willing to wait that long?¡¯

    While she was still in her head, calculating a way of winning against this, Luna suddenly sensed something in the fog that alerted every other cell in her body. She quickly dived down and swiftly avoided a deadly white swing that could¡¯ve caused so much damage if she hadn¡¯t evaded. She could summon a shield since her suit was still online, but it would be a waste of time and energy.

    Auras like Len¡¯s were just too powerful and unpredictable. And as for someone without one, Luna did the one thing she could do in this situation.

    ¡°I give up!¡± she announced to the fog and dropped her weapon.

    Much as she hated to admit it, the difference between her and the average ascender was still too large to overlook.

    She couldn¡¯t win against someone with abilities like this one.

    At least for now...

 Greatness and Responsibility

    Under the moonlight of the calm night, Luna found herself staring at the starless sky while lying in the sand.

    Right now, she was enjoying the silence of this strange world alongside her sister who just happened to be sitting right beside her while staring at the silver flame in her hand. It didn¡¯t cackle nor burn at all, but it emitted a coldness that could only be felt by her.

    ¡°What do you plan to do after this?¡± Luna turned to her sister. She wanted to speak of anything else but the tower and the message in the shrine.

    They were both avoiding that conversation.

    Lena extinguished the flame and faced her sister. ¡°Hmm¡­me? I think I want to go on a three-month break in Sector 18, Gaen district to be exact. I want to eat an organic strawberry cake,¡± she answered with a gentle smile.

    Luna was silent after that answer. ''Strawberry cake?¡¯

    ¡°Organic fruit is so expensive to grow. A cake made of organic fruit will cost a fortune,¡± she said, slightly surprised. ¡°I know you have millions of credits hidden somewhere but¡­¡±

    Luna paused to rethink what she was talking about.

    Noticing her pause, Len laughed softly. ¡°But what dearest sister?¡±

    ¡°Never mind.¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t have a million credits stashed in a hidden account. And who the hell thinks strawberries cost millions of credits? The fruit you ate at the mansion was mostly organic.¡±

    ¡°It was? Oh. My bad¡­I always thought¡­¡± Luna looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed. She needed to get her facts updated.

    Lena chuckled but didn¡¯t bother to tease her little sister. ¡°I simply want to enjoy some organic fruit and its cake. Can¡¯t a girl have that for herself?¡± her face suddenly lit up when she remembered something. ¡°And by the way, we should celebrate your eighteenth birthday when we go back to the real world.¡±

    At first, Luna didn¡¯t react to her sister¡¯s words. But then, her eyes went wide with realization. ¡°Wait! Is it summer already?¡±

    ¡°No, but by the time we get out of this place, it might be. So¡­¡±

    ¡°If we go back to the real world and its summer. We can celebrate. It hasn¡¯t been a bad year so far.¡±

    ¡®Though I¡¯m fighting for my life¡­literally.¡¯

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Len made a fist and punched the air. This would be the first time she¡¯s celebrating her little sister¡¯s birthday in two years. The parties were usually thrown, but Luna was never present for them. This year, Luna would be turning eighteen¡­.and she would be turning nineteen in November.

    ¡°What about you?¡± she asked, out of curiosity. ¡°What will you do when you become a high-ranked professor?¡±

    ¡°I plan to continue teaching. I believe knowledge is power and sharing it only makes humanity stronger.¡±

    ¡°Wise words from a former shut-in¡­¡± Len snickered. ¡°Though I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to be calling you High-lady Feng in the future when Mom passes on the clan to you.¡±

    Luna¡¯s expression softened after hearing that. By now, she had already accepted herself as the named heiress of the Great House. In fact, she was surprised her mother wanted her as her successor. Sure, Luna felt negative toward responsibility. But after fighting cursed creatures for the first time and seeing how the world viewed her as a Feng, she was finally getting to understand why she needed to be here.

    Her mother was trying to create an image for the public so that when she finally announced Luna as the next leader, the world wouldn¡¯t be in shock and think that it was the end of the clan after choosing an unblessed.

    ¡°I was surprised, by the way. You know, when Mom announced me as the heir. I was okay with not being the next leader.¡±

    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t,¡± Len replied.

    Luna lifted herself, surprised by Len¡¯s response. ¡°What?¡±

    Len chuckled at her reaction and said with a genuine smile, ¡°Being the clan head was never my thing from the start, Lunaris. I just wanted to travel the world and fight for humanity. Cliche if I may say. But that was my dream.

    ¡°I was simply born to achieve great things. While you¡­you were born to be great. Look at you, even without a shred of divinity, you have managed to become a force of your own. You fascinate me, little one.¡±

    Luna blushed at Len¡¯s words. ¡°I will let you call me little this one time. Turns out, I like compliments.¡± Luna giggled. Then dropped her body back into the sand.

    ¡°Also, I want to eat strawberry cake too. And I want to see Gaen. I¡¯ve seen images of it on the network, so I want to see it someday.¡±

    Her requests came out like whispers but she was sure her sister received them. Was it really the right time to make such requests? Where they weren¡¯t sure if they were going to make it out of this place alive?

    Of course not. But maybe that¡¯s what humans were like; making plans without certainty. Maybe that¡¯s what kept a few people alive despite what they were going through in life.

    ¡­looking forward to a better future.

    ¡®I like that.¡¯

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re paying for the accommodation, oh great Raya.¡±

    ¡°I thought we don¡¯t use our user names, Lady Onslaught324. I still don¡¯t get the numbers, though.¡±

    ¡°Lady Onslaught was already taken.¡±

    Luna burst into an unladylike laughter.

    ¡°Then you should have picked something else. Lady Slayer¡­lady slaughter¡­lady killer.¡±

    She winked at Len on the last one and clicked her tongue.

    And as a response to that win, Len rolled her eyes and stood up when she felt like her zenshi was back to a sufficient level. She turned and stared at the city behind them. The dune they were resting on was a pretty high one so the rest of the desert looked like an ocean of red.

    After a brief moment of silence, her pale face turned grim before she opened her mouth.

    ¡°That message was meant for one of us. The fact that it was written in ancient Mandarin confirms that there might be other forces at work. We should send for backup,¡± she suggested as she remembered the words written in the shrine.

    ¡°That would take weeks, though. Both for the call and the backup to reach. Much as I hate to admit it, we don¡¯t have that much time. Let¡¯s face off the undead king and his army and win. We won¡¯t die, I will make sure of that.¡±

    Len¡¯s eyes widened a little after hearing those words. She then turned her gaze to her sister who now had her eyes closed. ¡°You sound like dad, you know. That confidence,¡± she said with a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m terrified. But that¡¯s not an excuse. We have to protect our world, it''s our responsibility¡­I guess.¡±

    ¡®But they owe us nothing.¡¯

    Luna suppressed that dark thought. Then turned to her sister who was now wearing a hopeful look.

    ¡°I guess it''s high time I try to get stronger. That fight was embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°And how do you plan on doing that?¡± Lena asked. ¡°The limiter can be taken off, but...¡±

    ¡°I know. My body isn¡¯t compatible with my strength. I don''t know how, yet. But I want to become so strong that the gods can turn in their pitiful graves.¡±

    After her statement, the pair remained silent for a while and enjoyed each other¡¯s company before calling it a night and returning to the city.

    Tonight, Luna was just glad she got to spend quality time with her older sister and learn a little bit more about the mysterious figure she occasionally admired in secret.

 Selfish

    The next days passed by and the group spent the little time they had strategizing and getting enough rest. The day of the portal battle was only a day or two away, so everyone was using this time carefully since the battle needed all their attention once it started.

    Luna used this time to train, research, and mostly meditate after Mira advised her that meditation would greatly improve how she originally perceived the world. Before, Luna would say that her skills were quite exceptional. But seeing that Mira was just like her¡ªa martial artist trying to keep up¡ªLuna took the gamble and was already starting to see results after she spent a whole day meditating.

    She found it odd that someone like Mira knew as much as the monks knew about qi arts and how to use them. Although the young woman had made it clear that she was doing her own research on life energy when she made these discoveries, Luna found that hard to believe because everything about qi was already out there.

    It was stupid to think there was more to qi. And even if there was, it was impossible to ascend with it.

    She was well aware that the qi arts existed way before zenshi ever came into the picture. But the tales about qi in general were exaggerated by the humans of the Old World. They believed that people who could use qi were seen as powerful martial artists who had transcended their humanity through the complete cultivation of the soul, body, and mind. There was no proof of any of this of course. Heck, even her memories hadn¡¯t revealed anything like that to her.

    So, it was best to believe that life essence couldn¡¯t be used to ascend. Ascending with life essence meant draining your own essence to create some sort of Soul Gate. Zenshi was divine energy so it didn''t affect one''s life essence in general.

    ''And even if you survive creating a soul gate with qi, you will be depleting your life force each time you use it. There is a reason why creatures have cores for their powers.'' Luna thought to herself while trying to remain in a calm state.

    Also, even though ascenders were technically on the path of ascension, none of them had transcended beyond humanity. Sure, sorcerers were pretty close to being seen as gods. But everything about ascenders remained in the realm of what was humanly possible.

    They were not immortal¡­They couldn¡¯t regrow limbs like Raphael (unless you have an ability that lets you do that). And most especially, they still needed basic things to exist.

    Hypothetically speaking, if humans could transcend and become immortal beings entirely, the mortal world would not be in such a mess. They could travel to the divine realm and find whatever is causing this collapse and put an end to this chaos. But as of now, very few humans had abilities that linked them with the divine realm.

    If humans could harness life essence like zenshi, Mira believed that things would be entirely different.

    The little knowledge of qi left in the world focused on the growth of the mind or Cultivation of the mind. This specific piece of knowledge from thousands of years ago was the reason why Luna and so many martial artists in the world were aware of Qi''s existence. And why most mundane martial artists could still keep up with their awakened counterparts with the help of technology of course.

    As a child, Luna had undergone this intense type of training alongside her sister. But as they both started to understand the world of martial arts and the mystical side of it, Luna just happened to develop a thing for sensing qi. And while most people sensed qi as tiny fluctuations, Luna usually sensed its true form. To her, she saw it clearly though she couldn¡¯t influence it, nor touch it like zenshi.

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    In the end, controlling life sounded like a godlike thing. And so out of reach for humans.

    ***

    When she was done with meditating, Luna headed to the main floor of the cathedral where she joined Rita and Snow who were finalizing the important parts of the plan.

    Luna noticed all the faces here aside from one that she just hadn¡¯t gotten used to.

    ¡°Good morning Lady Lunaris,¡± Valentine spoke, giving Luna a practiced smile like he gave everyone.

    Luna had just met the tall mysterious man recently and she already found him strange despite sharing a lot of similarities with him. He was a true member of House Artemis and an unblessed. He had cold dark eyes, long messy raven black hair, and procaine white skin that made him look like a perfect doll of sorts.

    He was a swordsman too and no one trusted him because he was from House Artemis. From what she remembers, the House had rejected their request to assist with the Crimson Tower¡¯s subjugation.

    So why was he here? The son of Lord Artemis. Had they changed their mind so quickly?

    ¡°Good morning, Valentine.¡± She briefly smiled at him before turning her attention to the full map now the table.

    ¡°This is the final map of every part of this city. Information on the working tunnels and the red zones,¡± Snow began. ¡°Darkness and Gail explored the tunnels and discovered that only one of them leads to the Siege Tower. The rest either collapsed or are crawling with horrors.¡±

    Gail was in the corner with Darkness and Monic. The two ladies seemed to be on his tail due to his looks. Mira and Len were standing side by side, staring at the map with serious expressions. Rita and Shin were seated nearby, both wearing tired expressions after using their abilities to make this all possible.

    While Valentine was standing beside Luna, his eyes fixed on the displayed map.

    The other main players in this operation were the recently awakened summoners who had already fit into their abilities. Even though it was rare, a few of the mundane soldiers who had a dormant spark of divinity had managed to awaken due to being exposed to a god¡¯s domain for too long.

    ¡®Reducing our chances of dying any time soon...Hehe.¡¯

    Anyway, the plan was to send mundane humans and recently awakened at the first ring of defense. They were just Cursed beasts so even the weakest ascenders were capable of fighting them without having many casualties. They were outnumbered. But since the creatures were weak and mostly mindless, the chances of winning were actually there.

    Luna and Valentine¡ªor Team A¡ªwere to lead the attack on the first ring of monsters and pave a path for the summoners and ascenders with Auras. At the same time, they were the ones tasked with distracting the Undead King''s army by drawing his attention to the attacking soldiers.

    At the same, Snow, who was currently the strongest after opening his third gate was to use the underground tunnel with Rita and Shin, find a path to the city tower, and kill off the undead king. These three were the ambush team since their abilities were never flashy to begin with.

    The three were enough to fight a cursed general, hopefully. They were team B.

    Len was in charge of keeping the undead king¡¯s army distracted till the undead king himself was killed by Snow and his team. And If anything were to happen Team B; Len, Darkness, Gail, Luna, Valentine, and Monic were to finish the job without fail.

    Luna found it difficult to imagine them losing to a cursed general. Especially with people like Len and Snow fighting on their side.

    Snow had just opened his third gate and his entire presence had shifted into something more terrifying to those who hadn¡¯t known him for long.

    ¡­It was also powerful. Similar to the concept of Ice, Death was also an aura manifested from nature. But unlike ice, death was a very powerful concept in the hands of a human. It was endless, sinister, and inescapable.

    Snow was literally a Harold of death to put it in simple terms. And no one else in the world had a similar Aura. It''s like¡­he was chosen by it.

    He never talked about his Aura and only manifested it when desperate. Even though Luna had known Snow her whole life, she had never witnessed his abilities. All she knew was that they were powerful considering he had already made a name for himself.

    ¡°So that''s our best and only shot at winning this.¡± Snow concluded the meeting with a sigh.

    Upon hearing his voice, Luna snapped back to reality and looked around to observe the effects of having strong leaders like Snow. The soldiers present all wore determined looks.

    Inside the cathedral, all these soldiers appeared ready to put their lives on the line for humanity.

    ¡­.Something Luna wasn¡¯t ready to do. She was a selfish person. So if it came to choosing between her life and the rest of the world, she would shamelessly choose her life.

    Because she cared about herself the most.

    She was even more on the edge after that secret message. Were they going to die if they continued trying to conquer this dungeon? Or if they fought the undead king?

    ¡°Or both.¡± She quivered when she tried to think of a monster capable of killing someone whose Aura was death.

    Nevertheless, they were still human. So death was never out of the picture for them. It was a constant for Mortals.

    However, Luna was willing to cheat death if it came to it. She wasn¡¯t ready to die, yet.

    Not when she had just started living.

 Sharp Shooter

    The first ring of cursed creatures was nothing but horrifying to look at. They ranged from crawling beasts with hundreds of legs to slithering snake fiends with humanoid bodies above their torsos. There were spiders twice the size of humans with iron-like bodies, undead, and more of the crab-like foes they recently encountered.

    These creatures occupied the city¡¯s streets and moved in a circular hypnotic motion around the siege tower where the undead king was habiting.

    ¡®About two hundred cursed creatures are guarding the undead king.¡¯ Luna guessed as she adjusted her suit¡¯s binocular vision. With the suit, she managed to proximate a ten-kilometer distance separating the first ring of weaker monsters and the second ring. The entire distance from the Siege Tower to the first ring was about thirty to forty kilometers.

    A distance that someone like Gail could cover in seconds if it wasn¡¯t for the red wyverns patrolling the sky. It seems the undead king had thought this through.

    ¡°Valentine,¡± she called after observing everything.

    ¡°Yes?¡± the tall man replied under his suit¡¯s helmet.

    ¡°We¡¯ll split into two groups. I¡¯ll head in first and keep the creatures occupied. Mira, Darkness, and Monic will work with me directly. The rest will be under your command.¡±

    Valentine remained silent for a second. Then nodded to show that he understood.

    ¡°Are you sure about me lady Luna?¡± Mira asked, obviously surprised after hearing the captain say her name.

    Luna nodded. ¡°You and I can move through towering beasts without being sensed so you are with me. But first, I need your marksmanship skills. Get to that building, prepare your gun, and wait for further instructions.¡±

    Luna gave her orders to the young woman. Now that their suits were fully charged, the nanomites were capable of shifting to even complicated shapes like a large gun if needed. The days spent under the sun weren''t for nothing as they used that time to prepare and plan effectively for this battle.

    With help from the recently awakened humans, the small unit had managed to create thousands of zenshi bullets and used the abandoned suits to create shells that temporarily held the zenshi. The whole process had been difficult and time-consuming. But in the end, it was successful thanks to a certain ascender whose ability could speed up zenshi recovery.

    After giving Luna a nod, Mira jumped off the rooftop and landed on the ground with impressive force. Without waiting for a signal, she immediately ran to one of the tallest buildings which looked like an abandoned bell tower, and quickly climbed to the top and settled where the rusty bell hung.

    Once she was sure she was in the right building, Mira proceeded to command her suit and activate the tiny nanomites connected to her brain. There was a single ¡°beep¡± sound and the black metal flowed from her suit to her hand, shifting into a large black sniper gun that she rested down and started loading with glowing bullets from the crate placed in the tower for her.

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    ¡°I am here.¡± She informed Luna through the communication device in her helmet as she crouched down and confirmed her vision.

    The suit obviously granted her the best microscopic vision, so the chances of her missing were very low. Also, she could sense life essence, meaning she was capable of striking the life cores directly, saving them so much ammo to use later.

    This was the main reason why Luna had picked her in the first place.

    ¡°Good.¡± Luna smiled from the other. ¡°Take down some of the wyverns and whatever monster you think is too big to handle. If it fails to die after one shot, strike another, we won''t waste ammo by taking risks. Make sure your cover isn¡¯t blown. And if it is, you know what to do.¡±

    "Aye, Captain."

    ¡®Here we go.¡¯ Mira remained quiet as she moved her index finger to the trigger. The power coursing from the gun¡¯s charge was intoxicating, fueling her focus as she searched for her first target.

    Once she located one, Mira didn¡¯t hesitate one bit to press the trigger. The gun powered up before letting out a thunderous roar after a glowing projectile flew out and struck through a flying wyvern, killing it instantly. Without wasting a second, she shot down three more wyverns before they could even make sense of what was taking them down.

    Her bullets punched through their armored skin, striking life cores with lethal precision.

    The creatures fell from the sky and crashed down into other smaller creatures. Some of the hypnotized creatures started to notice and began searching for what was killing them. But it was too late, bullets were already raining down on the abominations, claiming their lives within seconds. Some were caught in the crossfire, while others were unlucky enough to be her targets.

    Mira was quick with the trigger. Her aim was perfect and the bullets only added to her lethal marksman skills. Each beast fell and showed no sign of coming back up after getting struck.

    ¡­Then, just as when things were moving smoothly, something strange transpired. One of the wyverns tracked the glowing projections coming from the bell tower and flew toward it at an incredible speed.

    "Hmm...come at me, you bastard." Mira was ready to kill it with one shot when a golden arrow suddenly shot through its neck and severed its head from the rest of its body.

    ¡°Keep doing what you¡¯re doing. I¡¯ve got your back.¡±

    Gail¡¯s sweet voice sounded through her helmet.

    ¡°Alright. Thanks for that.¡±

    She turned her aim to a moving cursed beast that resembled the carcass of a giant armadillo with bones stretching out of its dry rotten flesh. Its armor resembled brownstone with webs of cracks distributed across it like it was about to break. It was one of the larger creatures here, towering over a few buildings at a frightening height.

    She searched for its life core. And although it was faint, Mira could tell it was hidden inside its dead black flesh. But how was she supposed to penetrate its armor?

    ¡°Display weak points.¡± She commanded the suit.

    [No weak points available from this distance]

    The suit responded. Its robotic voice was emotionless as always.

    Taking note of that, she established a connection with Luna and reported with urgency:

    ¡°I can¡¯t take down the armadillo things. The cores are protected by something zenshi this weak can¡¯t penetrate.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Continue to take down as many as you can. We will take care of the larger ones."

    She moved her eye to the group standing on one of the red buildings. They were staring at the army of frenzied beasts with serious expressions¡ªat least that¡¯s what she wanted to think¡ªand hadn¡¯t moved one bit.

    Some of their adversaries were starting to separate from the ring, spreading into the city with caution after sensing foreign life forms.

    Most of them were snake-like beings while others looked like a cross between over-sized crocodiles and Komodo dragons. Their tongues slid in and out of their mouths as navigated the streets.

    The undead king had noticed their company.

    Luna was the first to jump into action as she leaped from the building and landed on the stone floor. Her landing shattered the floor and alerted some of the creatures, especially the Komodo dragons which started breaking through the buildings while running in her direction.

    Mira wished to help. But quickly changed her mind when Dark Blade revealed her battle aura and every monster in the ring turned its attention to her.

    The world seemed to slow down as the cursed beasts nearby suddenly let out disgusting noises and started running towards Luna with intense madness burning in their eyes as if she had provoked them.

    Mira was watching the fight unfold from afar. She also felt it...her captain¡¯s warrior presence. It made all the hairs on her body stand.

    ¡°Mira!¡±

    She was startled by Luna¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes Captain?¡±

    ¡°Turn your attention to every monster heading in your way. Protect yourself and get out of there once things get tough.¡±

    Those were Luna¡¯s last words before she dismissed her helmet and faced the collapsing buildings with a weirdly calm expression. The only weapon in her hand was a black enchanted katana, deadly and void of light, as though it absorbed the world¡¯s shadows.

    She steeled her resolve once more and watched the cursed creatures run towards her.

    If they survived this, she would be one step closer to figuring out the truth about their realms.

    The fight for the Siege Tower had begun.

 Battle of the Siege Tower (1)

    The sound of large doors opening echoed through the empty temple hallway as a dark shadow was cast by a small frail-looking Luna who had just turned ten a few days ago.

    The temple interior was more silent than a grave. No wind played through its walls and there was a haunting absence of light. The only light in here was the light that seeped in when the doors opened to the outside world.

    Children her age would usually be frightened by the dead atmosphere lurking in the air. But Luna was no ordinary child. In fact, she remained composed as her small dark eyes scanned the area. And aside from the horridly damaged statues dedicated to the war god, this was an ordinary temple.

    ¡®This is it. This is where the memory let me to. I¡¯m sure of it¡­¡¯

    This sacred place was a temple dedicated to the Sword god, built by his worshipers before the fall.

    Due to being on an island, most of the temple was now submerged in water after the fall. But after getting some help from the ascenders, House Feng managed to find and temporarily reprise the ancient structure after Luna announced that she needed to recover something.

    After looking back and nodding at her father--who stood at the entrance with his sword drawn--the small girl crossed the threshold and the doors behind her immediately shut with a loud thud.

    No one else except Luna herself was allowed to enter for some reason.

    ¡°Great god of swords. Umm¡­I am here to learn what¡¯s meant for me.¡± She repeated the same words from the memory as she stared at the darkness.

    Unfortunately, no one responded to her request. But at this age, Luna was a hopeful young lady. She was sure this was the temple she was supposed to be in.

    And so¡­

    She decided to settle down and wait for a response. She wasn¡¯t expecting the god of war to respond, of course. Luna was expecting someone else to respond¡­

    Someone who would give her what she was looking for.

    And when she was about to hit her last straw, a man¡¯s voice responded with a snort:

    ¡°The War god is dead, Lunaris Feng.¡±

    ¡°You know me?¡± Luna sighed with relief. As expected, her patience had come through.

    ¡°I¡¯ve known you for a long time. I recognize that blood of yours.¡±

    Luna knew what he meant by that. He was talking about her generational blood and its unique traits.

    Before saying anything else, the little girl folded her legs and dipped her head at the darkness. It was best to remain humble in the presence of otherworldly beings.

    ¡°Please teach me the technique of the war god. Teach me how to use the battle aura bestowed onto me. I tried to use it, but I found myself failing over and over again. It was only recently when I discovered one of my ancestors came to this island and mastered it from this very temple.¡±

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    There was silence for a moment before she heard the sound of armored footsteps approaching her.

    Once they stopped, the being spoke:

    ¡°I am not the one who helped your ancestor, unfortunately. I only came to this realm a few centuries ago to escape the Authorities. But before we proceed, face me¡­Lunaris Feng.¡±

    Responding to the being¡¯s command, Luna slowly lifted her face and caught a glimpse of the armored man. She froze at first glance, but quickly regained her composure. The being was clad in damaged silver armor and couldn¡¯t make out his face because of the helmet over his head.

    However, she could feel the great presence he concealed within his body.

    ¡°I will teach you how to become a warrior. In exchange, please don¡¯t forget me this time.¡±

    Luna stood up and smiled. Her smile was both warm and beautiful to look at. ¡°I won¡¯t forget you, um¡­.¡±

    ¡°Call me the Lord of Swords, for now.¡± He laughed through his helmet.

    ¡°I won¡¯t forget you, Lord of Swords. I promise.¡± The little girl smiled back, trusting the strength of her own memory.

    However, after months of training with the lord of Swords on the mysterious island, Luna forgot as soon as she mastered how to use Battle Aura.

    The temple vanished once again and everyone who saw it during those months forgot it.

    ***

    ¡®Huh? Why did I suddenly think of that tower?¡¯

    Luna asked herself as she watched the buildings reduce to nothing before a group of cursed creatures emerged from the chaos.

    Brandishing her mind to clear her thoughts, Luna flashed her weapon at the first creature¡ªa cross between a lizard and a crocodile¡ªthat shot its tongue at her. Her blade easily sliced through its tongue like paper once it was within range.

    It let out a guttural roar before she let out of its misery thrusting her sword through its head. It was much taller than her so yank it by its tongue to deliver the killing blow.

    Another one appeared, swinging its claws at her without giving her room to breathe. She dodged its claws and then kicked it back before cutting it down from its torso where its human body began.

    Another snake fiend pounced at her, but Luna¡¯s blade had already severed its head from its body. Without wasting a second, she reached for the falling body and tossed it at one of the approaching Lizard creatures. The force behind her throw sent the large lizard crashing through a few rock structures. Causing this much damage would¡¯ve bothered her if they were in the real world. However, the circumstances here were different

    She signaled the other soldiers to attack when she was sure the first creatures to reach her were dead.

    As planned, Len and the other more powerful ascenders remained in the background to avoid exhausting their zenshi. Gail was limited to only using arrows while Monic didn¡¯t participate as a summoner. Instead, she kept in her weakest form, which dealt great damage.

    Darkness on the other hand¡­

    BOOM!

    There was a loud explosive sound and one of the giant armadillos stopped moving and collapsed. The warmonger had torn through the cursed beast¡¯s insides and emerged from the other side while laughing her heart out after taking down something so big. Her blue sapphire eyes were glowing brighter with madness.

    She landed in the middle of a small horde and jammed her jian into the ground. There was a slight rumble before a dome of gravity erupted from the point where she had planted the sword. The dome began to weigh down each cursed creature trapped in it. The stronger ones remained standing while the weaker ones were pressed down into a bloody mess of flesh and bone.

    And when she dismissed the gravity dome, Darkness roared and attacked the stronger ones before they recovered from the effects of her power.

    ¡­she was truly a daughter of war as her house described her.

    ¡®I guess she¡¯s having fun.¡¯ Luna thought as she turned her gaze away from Darkness and watched the battle slowly unfold.

    Auras were already manifesting and taking action. The soldiers who were still mundane were at a safe distance, firing their guns endlessly at the approaching monsters.

    Meanwhile, the ascenders were the ones delivering the deadliest feats.

    ¡­There was a soldier whose Aura allowed him to control the earth. He had created giant earthen golems that were putting up a great fight against the bigger monsters.

    Another ascender with the ability to affect sound used his powers to disorient many monsters, causing confusion and leaving them defenseless against their attacks.

    Soon, more and more monsters left the first ring in response to Luna and her team¡¯s attack. Drawing the cursed creatures into their side of the city made it much easier to gain assistance from the snipers planted on other buildings.

    She shifted her focus back to the growing battle before her and moved forward. She picked up the pace and entered a group of spider creatures. Using the dancing maiden, she avoided being stabbed by their legs. And even ripped a few from their bodies and used them to stab other spiders.

    By manipulating her battle aura, stronger creatures had their malice directed at her. With that, Luna accepted that malice with open arms and tore, sliced, plowed, and destroyed any enemy that came her way.

    If they continued to fight like this, Luna was confident that Team A was more than capable of taking down the first ring of creatures.

    ***

    Meanwhile, hidden deep in armies..

    A lone undead clad in rusty silver armor carrying a broken longsword held together by magic stood still as a tree. He watched the carnage unfold in the empty city with glowing green eyes underneath his visor as he awaited his king¡¯s command. After all, he was a knight of verge.

    Suddenly, a crude and dark voice sounded in his mind. Telling him to do one thing:

    "Spill our enemies¡¯ blood! Spill the blood of Everlight¡¯s enemies.¡±

    His king¡¯s command had arrived.

 Battle of the Siege Tower (2)

    Mira continuously fired her rifle at the approaching creatures both from the sky and on the ground. While shooting, the only sounds other than the sounds of her gun-running that reached her ears were the sheer sounds of her rapid breaths and the distant explosions that made the battlefield tremble each time they hit true.

    Auras were active, manifesting into weapons that summoned different energies that rained down on creatures¡ªit was quite a sight, honestly. The mundane soldiers were also doing their best, pushing their nanosuits to full performance as they battled the abominations with absolute bravery.

    The only active summoner in the fight was Darkness, whose abilities delivered so much damage that the city itself couldn¡¯t take it. Each building she landed on would go down seconds after she launched herself off it and her jumps left craters on the ground. Her gravity manipulation had proved to be an effective weapon against even the toughest and largest enemies.

    There was Valentine too who looked to be holding his own against the cursed creatures. He cut through one creature after another with his twin short blades. His movements were blurred as he ran through the attacking creatures and delivered his deadly strikes that left no creature alive.

    The only one who seemed on par with the Mysterious Legacy was Captain Lunaris herself. She was surrounded by carcasses of creatures she had slain with her sword. Her movements resembled a deadly dance of death and no beast managed to live after encountering her.

    She was a demon¡­that¡¯s the only way Mira could describe what she was looking at. She wasn¡¯t much of a swordsman but she recognized the perfection behind Lunaris¡¯s swings.

    The swings of a true legacy.

    ¡°What a sight¡­¡± she thought loudly before shooting down two huge spider creatures.

    She was only left with about a few hundred bullets. This meant that her time here was almost up. Because after this, Mira was required to join with the others and engage in close combat.

    But being the coward she was, Mira already had second thoughts of hiding here and waiting for the fight to end. However, staying here would eventually lead to her death if a wyvern or something destroyed the tower she was hiding on.

    Could she really survive such?

    ¡°I will survive.¡± She steeled herself before releasing another round of enchanted bullets.

    She shot down about ten more before something within her changed and she stopped.

    She felt a jolt of electricity when her body screamed at her to move out of the way. Mira didn¡¯t bother to scan her surroundings. In that waking moment, she acted out instinct and abandoned her post before a ball of flames appeared out of nowhere and collided with the tower destroying her gun and the enchanted bullets which exploded right away.

    Mira had run behind the rusty bell and only survived the explosion because of it and the suit¡¯s last-minute shield function.

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    ¡®Crap¡­crap¡­this is bad. How didn¡¯t I notice it?¡¯

    As if things couldn¡¯t get worse, Mira froze when she saw a red beast burst through the raging flames and land in the bell room once it pulled back its wings. It had a serpentine body with four limbs and red crystalline scales that bounced off the flames around it. The creature¡¯s forearms had wings attached to them with dorsal spikes growing on its back.

    She hadn¡¯t noticed wyverns looked this horrifying up close.

    She quivered while hiding behind the rusty bell. She was trying not to sweat from the heat and dread was she feeling.

    Grey smoke snorted out of its nose as it moved its head around while searching for Mira¡¯s scent.

    Quietly, her suit produced a black gladius and a small round energy shield around her left hand. Nano mites could not regenerate, so she sacrificed her helmet and some thickness to create both the sword and shield.

    ¡®I have no choice but to fight¡­oh gods¡­¡¯

    The wyvern slowly moved towards the bell, the floor cracking under the weight of its heavy steps while Mira waited for the perfect time to strike.

    Badum...Badum.

    The grip she had on her gladius tightened as she tried to control her breathing under the heat radiating from the hot bell. Once the creature turned, its eyes widened when a terrified Mira screamed and thrust her weapon into its left golden eye. It painfully roared and rammed her into the rusty bell with its head before pulling its head back.

    Mira coughed some blood but she endured the pain of having her back slammed against metal. The pain she felt from this was not as bad as the one the wyvern was feeling after she left the gladius in its creature¡¯s eye. The gladius was charged with zenshi so she was sure the time of pain it felt was unbearable.

    Its roar shook the small space as it began swinging its head recklessly in an attempt to remove the sword from its eye. And while it was struggling with the sword in its eye, Mira tuned her suit''s strength to full performance and attacked from its left by slamming her shield into its head with enough force to break its skull.

    There was a loud shockwave after that attack and the floor finally gave in to its weight and shattered like fine glass which they both fell through. Mira acted fast by throwing a kunai with a steel thread tied around its end. The kunai managed to firmly pierce into the wall, surprisingly holding her weight before she could plummet to the ground. And the wyvern hit the tower floor with a thunderous force. A force that sent the entire ancient trembling, sending a network of cracks through the entire structure.

    After a subtle silence, the structure started to collapse bit by bitPieceses of rubble started hitting the floor, hinting that there wasn''t much time left before the ancient structure was a pile of rubble.

    ¡°My damn luck.¡±

    Mira cursed and she slowly descended by adjusting the steel thread till she made it to the ground right next to the now-dead wyvern.

    ¡®Hehe, that¡¯s a win for the team.¡¯

    She stared at the fire-breathing cursed beast with a trembling gaze. It was about the size of a large vehicle. After taking a deep breath, she walked toward it and pulled the gladius out of its eye.

    She waited for a moment, afraid that it would move after she did that. But, to her relief, it didn¡¯t.

    "Thank gods, it''s actually dead," she muttered, feeling a bit excited after killing something this big.

    After that, she rushed out of the collapsing structure and watched the large beast get buried under a pile of debris. Soon, there was nothing left of the wyvern. Even the last traces of its qi vanished.

    Sigh, Mira was glad she had once again escaped the cold clutches of death. She then shifted her eyes to the rest of the battlefield where more and more monsters were joining the fight.

    However, despite their strength in numbers, the cursed creatures didn¡¯t stand a chance against the ascenders¡¯s powers.

    Humans were crafty and intelligent. And because of that, mindless creatures never posed much of a threat. On top of that, Cursed Beasts didn¡¯t possess supernatural powers to credit their physical talents. Things like fire breath were only physical abilities attached to dragon species.

    ¡°I am guessing you¡¯ve lost your post.¡±

    Gail¡¯s sweet voice sounded as he landed gently landed behind her.

    Mira quickly turned and faced Gail with a tired smile. The ascender was still as dashing, but his uniform was covered in dried blood after having his fair share of bloodthirsty cursed creatures. Because of that observation, Mira didn''t even bother to ask why he didn''t take down the wyvern. He must have missed it while dealing with other abominations capable of flight.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to join the Lady Luna in the center. I¡¯ve honestly never seen someone as young use Battle Aura so well,¡± Gail commented, sounding both surprised and amazed.

    ¡°So you noticed it too. She¡¯s the first person I¡¯ve seen use it like that. I thought it took years of training to provoke and scare so many creatures at once. And you¡¯re telling me Luna can use it so well at eighteen?¡±

    To be honest, Mira felt jealous of Luna. And at the same time, she felt a deep respect for Luna. She was a remarkable warrior.

    ¡°I know....just what type of training did she go through to become this good? And she''s seventeen, by the way," Gail corrected her with a grin.

    Mira didn''t bother to say anything in response to that. Instead, she let Gail lift her by the arms and they both shot into the to join with Luna who was relentlessly cutting through her enemies with no remorse.

 Battle of Siege Tower (3)

    Luna slashed¡­ sliced¡­ diced.

    Her mind was a dark silence as she moved gracefully through the horde of monsters attacking her. Each swing of her blade was precise, every step a calculated dance of death. She was an embodiment of lethal elegance, cutting down her foes with cold efficiency.

    Amidst the chaos of battle, a massive scorpion burst from the ground, its pincers snapping towards her with deadly intent. Luna dodged effortlessly, her movements fluid and controlled. But the scorpion''s tail struck with the speed of a viper, plunging into her right shoulder and piercing the suit¡¯s armor as if it were made of paper.

    Pain exploded through her body, but Luna''s expression remained stoic. Without hesitation, she grasped the scorpion''s tail with her free hand. Her muscles tensed. And with a raw display of physical strength, she tore the tail in two, blood spraying as she ripped it apart.

    The scorpion reeled back in agony, screeching as it thrashed its mutilated tail. The ground around them was stained with its dark, viscous blood, and its shrill cries echoed through the city. However, the noise around them basically muted out its cries.

    Luna staggered, glancing at the deep, bleeding wound the scorpion''s stinger had left. The poison was spreading fast, but her strong resistance to toxins made it the least of her worries. The bleeding, however, needed to be stopped immediately.

    ¡®I need to end this quick.¡¯ She thought while gritting her teeth.

    The scorpion''s six bug eyes glowed with malice as it let out a roar and lunged at her, pincers snapping. Luna gripped her katana and jumped back just as the creature''s massive body smashed into the ground where she had stood.

    For its size, it moved with alarming speed which obviously surprised Luna. She pounced forward, becoming a blur of motion before her sword flashed, severing both of the scorpion''s pincers in what looked like a second.

    Circling it, she quickly searched for its core, her mind focused despite the pain and blood loss. Spotting her target, she shot to its side and thrust her weapon deep, destroying the life core.

    The Creature¡¯s body froze before blue blood splattered out of the deep gash left by her sword. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t as poisonous or acidic as she had feared. Luna wiped it away, her breathing heavy but controlled.

    Finally¡­she could catch a break after pushing her body this much. She scanned her surroundings and took a second to take in the scene she had created while on a killing streak.

    Multiple carcasses surrounded her, some of undead humans, others belonging to cursed creatures she hadn¡¯t bothered to take note of. The red rock was stained with black blood and the air was thick with the stench of death.

    ¡°When was I such a battle brute?¡± Luna asked herself and sighed. The noise around her was gradually fading away. ¡°Heh, maybe Darkness is rubbing off me.¡±

    Just then, Mira and Gail arrived and their expressions quickly shifted to a mix of surprise and terror as they surveyed the carnage Luna had caused.

    ¡°You look um¡­well,¡± Gail spoke first, his gaze shifting to the gruesome sight of Luna¡¯s shoulder wound.

    ¡°I am not,¡± she responded in a blank tone. ¡°I am currently bleeding out¡­need medical assistance.¡±

    She stumbled forward when she tried to walk, but Mira was already there to catch her before she hit the floor.

    ¡®I guess the poison is doing something.¡¯

    Mira¡¯s face paled at the sight of the bloody wound on Luna¡¯s shoulder.

    "Hold on, Cap¡­Luna. We¡¯ve got you," she said, her voice steady despite the horror in her eyes. She carefully helped Luna lower herself to the ground while avoiding putting pressure on the wound.

    Gail quickly pulled out a medical kit from a small back laced around his waist and quickly started giving first aid.

    "We need to stop the bleeding," he said, his hands moving swiftly but carefully as he prepared bandages and antiseptic. After losing two arachnids, the small army prioritized medical supplies the most for such situations. Gail was one of the ascenders carrying kits to help out some soldiers before sending them to healers.

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    "This is going to sting...by a lot. But we have to clean the wound."

    Luna gritted her teeth and nodded. "Just do it."

    As Gail worked, Luna¡¯s thoughts drifted back to the fight. The pain from the wound and antiseptic was excruciating, but she forced herself to stay conscious.

    The battle may have taken a toll on her, but she knew that letting her guard down, even for a moment like this, could be fatal.

    Mira¡¯s hands were steady as she assisted Gail, her face a mask of concentration.

    ¡°Hang on, cap¡­I mean Luna," she said softly, trying to offer some comfort. "We¡¯ll get you patched up and back on your feet."

    Luna nodded weakly, her vision blurring slightly from blood loss. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. The edges of her consciousness started to fade, but she fought to stay awake.

    "We¡¯re almost done," Gail assured her, tightening the bandages around her shoulder. "Just hang on a little longer."

    Luna''s resolve held. And soon, the wound was securely bandaged.

    Gail and Mira then supported and helped her to her feet. She swayed slightly but managed to stand, her face pale but determined.

    "We need to get you back to the base for proper treatment," Gail said, glancing at Mira who nodded in agreement.

    Luna took a deep breath and thought for a second. If she were an ascender, the zenshi wouldn¡¯t let the wound slow her down.

    But she wasn¡¯t ascender. She needed to be more careful when going against cursed creatures. No matter how weak they were¡­

    "Let¡¯s go," she said, her voice firm despite the pain. She wasn¡¯t out of danger yet, but she had survived the worst. So for now, that was enough.

    ¡°Take her to the edge of the perimeter, there are healers stationed there. I will keep all of you safe,¡± Gail commanded, his voice filled with determination.

    He summoned his golden bow and shot into the sky, unleashing a barrage of magical arrows on the approaching monsters. Each arrow streaked through the air with deadly precision, exploding on impact and slowing the onslaught of enemies.

    Mira and Luna started their slow retreat toward the small tent a few kilometers away from the red zone. Luna''s steps were unsteady, her legs trembling with each movement. She leaned heavily on Mira, who struggled to support her weight while keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.

    More and more monsters started to rise from the ground, their grotesque forms emerging from the shadows.

    Most of the stronger beasts had been defeated, so Luna was sure Gail and the others could handle the first ring of enemies.

    As they neared the makeshift sick bay, Luna''s vision blurred further. She could barely make out the shapes of the healers rushing to help out the injured ascenders.

    Her breathing became shallow, each step feeling like an eternity.

    ¡°Hold on, Luna,¡± Mira urged, her voice filled with urgency and fear. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±

    As they traveled, the city trembled once again when a large wyvern crashed nearby after Darkness hit it with a gravity attack. A cloud of dust rose from where it had fallen, spreading across the city with the powerful wind that followed.

    Soon, Luna and Mia were enveloped by red dust. Neither could see, but they continued walking toward the tent. While they continued, Luna¡¯s perception of the world was becoming increasingly distorted because of her current state.

    ¡®This is bad¡­very bad.¡¯

    Knowing her luck, Luna was aware something bad was about to happen. They needed to take a different route¡­and fast.

    When her senses spark back to life for a brief second, Luna desperately pushed both herself and Mira in opposite directions just before a large, red-horned serpent burst out of the dust cloud. Its mouth was wide open as it snapped at the pair''s previous position.

    The creature had two glowing red eyes that stared at the pair with unbridled rage.

    The serpent''s hiss filled the air, a menacing sound that sent chills down their spines. Its massive form coiled and uncoiled, the scales glinting ominously in the crimson light.

    Luna, despite being in her weakened state, instinctively reached for her katana, ready to defend herself and Mira.

    But before she could, Mira appeared. Her weapon was drawn, positioned herself between Luna and the serpent.

    "Stay behind me," she ordered, her voice steady but tinged with fear. "I''ll hold it off for as long as I can."

    Luna nodded, her vision swimming. She knew she was in no condition to fight, but the survival instincts honed through countless battles kept her alert.

    After a moment of silence, the serpent lunged again, its maw wide open to devour them both in one bite.

    Mira dodged to the side, swinging her longsword in a wide arc that left a shallow cut on the serpent¡¯s hide.

    It reared back, hissing in pain and anger. But attacked again after brushing off the attack.

    Meanwhile, Luna stayed back as she observed the serpent¡¯s movements while trying to predict its next attack.

    ¡°Mira, aim for its eyes!¡± Luna shouted, her voice strained. ¡°Blind it!¡±

    Mira nodded and changed her stance immediately. The serpent lunged again, and this time, Mira attacked. She avoided its mouth by stepping to the side and then swung at one of its glowing eyes.

    Her sword connected, and the creature let out a deafening roar of agony as one of its eyes was slashed.

    The serpent thrashed wildly, disoriented by the sudden blindness in one eye. Once that happened, Luna seized the opportunity to muster some strength to achieve her next action. She created a small dagger with her suit and threw it.

    The dagger flew true, embedding itself in the serpent¡¯s remaining good eye.

    The creature roared again, its body convulsing as it was rendered completely blind. It lashed out in all directions, but its strikes were wild and unfocused.

    ¡°Mira! Now! We need to move before it recovers!¡± Luna urged, struggling to keep her balance.

    Mira, who thought the plan was to kill the serpent, quickly snapped back to her senses and returned to her captain. She grabbed Luna''s arm, supporting her as they hurried away from the thrashing serpent.

    They moved as quickly as Luna''s condition allowed, heading toward the distant tent where healers awaited.

    Behind them, the serpent''s roars grew fainter, drowned out by the sounds of the ongoing battle. Luna''s vision blurred, the world around her dimming. But she held on, driven by sheer willpower and the hope that they would reach safety in time.

    Finally, they stumbled into the tent.

    ¡°We need healers, Captain Lunaris is injured!¡± Mira called for help as she dragged a pale Luna and placed her on the floor bed made from sheets. It wasn''t the most comfortable of course. But was comfort really necessary in a warzone?

    The available healers quickly rushed to Luna''s side and began working on her with their healing abilities. One was a young tired man with brown hair and eyes and the other was a young woman with dim blue eyes and short dark hair. Both their hands were glowing as they focused on destroying the poison and closing the wound.

    Luna¡¯s consciousness flickered, the exhaustion and blood loss threatening to pull her under. But she could hear Mira''s faint voice. This was the second time they were like this¡­.

    What a coincidence. She thought as she felt the warmth of the healing as it took effect.

    As darkness closed in, she clung to the resolve that had kept her alive this far.

    While at it, Luna thought back to their fight against the serpent and realized something they had missed.

    The serpent had two cores. It possessed powers. But how could it? This ring wasn¡¯t supposed to have any cursed soldiers.

    ¡®I need to tell them.¡¯

    She summoned her helmet and activated her suit¡¯s communication device to inform everyone of her discovery. However, all Luna heard back was static. Something had interfered with the powerful signal that powered the cores in their suits.

    This was supposed to be impossible. These suits were designed with the idea of foreign interference in mind.

    ''What could be the cause?''

    Suddenly, just as Luna was still thinking of a plan, the green dots on her display, representing their soldiers, disappeared.

    They were dying.

 Battle of the Siege Tower (4)

    Ghost of Winter watched the battle unfold from a further rooftop. She hadn¡¯t moved since the fight started and her body was already twitching after resisting the urge to join the first team.

    Gods knew how badly she wanted to join it and protect her little sister. It was her duty as the older sister to do so, after all.

    However, much as she wanted to, Ghost of Winter had come to terms with the fact that her little sister was a natural leader. And decided to let her take the lead alongside Valentine Artemis; someone she didn¡¯t trust at all.

    Artemis and Feng were two of the strongest houses in the entire world.

    But¡­

    For as long as she remembers, the two houses have never been on good terms because of how different they were in general. Like Luna, Valentine was an unblessed with great combat talent and an affinity to sense qi. There was nothing more to say about him other than the fact that he was viciously strong despite not having enhanced physical abilities.

    ¡®It''s time.¡¯

    With a sigh, Ghost of Winter cleared her mind and moved her eyes to the ascender next to her.

    The ascender had navy blue hair, and a pale beautiful face and was clad in silver nanoskin armor. In her left hand, the beautiful woman carried her ideal weapon, a silver lance that was stained with black blood. She was the only one here who had participated in the first fight.

    ¡°It¡¯s time. The cursed beast¡¯s numbers have fallen.¡± Ghost of Winter announced her observation. Her voice was cold and balanced as she said the next sentence:

    ¡°Monic, let it rain¡­¡± she gave one last look at the clear sky as Monic stepped forward and raised her spear.

    Its tip started to gleam with an unearthly light and everyone took a step back away from her.

    Without saying a single word, Monic opened the first gate, then the second which caused the wind to suddenly pick up.

    Dark cumulonimbus clouds began to appear and churn violently in the sky. And soon, the world was swallowed by darkness as the black clouds amassed, their presence oppressive and ominous.

    The winds howled like tormented spirits, sweeping away the lingering dust and debris. This was the full manifestation of her Aura, the concept of Elements.

    Despite the immense strain that twisted her features, Monic¡¯s Aura granted her dominion over the weather, allowing her to summon tempests at will if she had enough zenshi.

    In what felt like minutes, the red city of verge was shrouded in an unnatural twilight, as if the very essence of night had descended. Black and red lightning crackled menacingly across the sky, illuminating the desolation below with brief, sinister flashes.

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    Then, the impossible happened; raindrops began to fall. First tentatively, then with a relentless, pounding force.

    In moments, a deluge transformed the parched desert into a storm-wracked battlefield, the rain mingling with the blood of the fallen.

    As the storm grew stronger, Monic¡¯s face paled even more as she fought to sustain the full force of her ability. The summoner was visibly struggling, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The storm was powerful, but it was also draining her zenshi at an incredible pace. She could affect the very state of nature to a certain extent as a summoner. Beyond that limit, her second gate could shatter completely.

    Noticing the strain on her face, Ghost of Winter approached and patted the ascender¡¯s shoulder. "Monic, can you hold?" she asked, her voice softer but filled with concern.

    Monic gritted her teeth, eyes blazing with determination. "I can...and I will," she replied, pushing through the pain as her reserves plummeted.

    ¡°Thanks for everything.¡±

    With that, Ghost of Winter proceeded to open her second gate. She didn¡¯t wait for a signal to join the fray; she felt the shift in the air the moment the cursed soldiers breached her sensory range. She could sense their energy cores through her connection to zenshi.

    The same occurred to every summoner and each one called forth their summon.

    At the same time, Ghost of Winter¡¯s entire form began to shift. Her translucent blade materialized as her skin grew paler, turning as white as snow. Her silver hair too turned a stark white and her grey eyes shined with an eerie brightness as she advanced.

    The water around her solidified as she switched to her incorporeal form. Both she and her sword became an ethereal fog that froze everything it touched.

    Behind the thick fog, divine creatures marched forward with their summoners running behind them. A flaming horse wreathed in silver flames, a massive crocodile that could turn into an apparition and phase through objects with its ascender, a giant bird of prey forged from metal, and two white serpents with unique abilities: one could spit acid, while the other could split into five equally powerful copies.

    These serpents belonged to a pair of ascender twins who served House Feng.

    Each cursed beast that dared to challenge the summons was ruthlessly torn apart by their overwhelming power. Their mission was clear¡­to annihilate the remaining cursed beasts and soldiers. Anything to distract the undead king.

    As they pushed deeper into the battlefield, a portion of the fog condensed into a partially corporeal form. A translucent longsword flashed, striking a grotesque creature with three eyes and a humanoid body.

    The creature had no chance to react before its body froze solid and shattered like perfect glass. This sword was more than just a weapon. It was an extension of her Aura¡ªcrafted from her mother¡¯s Ice Aura and had the power to freeze anything it touched. Unfortunately, such a forged weapon could only be used by ice users.

    Len moved through the battlefield with lethal grace, dispatching twenty more cursed beasts. Her movements were not as flawless as her sister¡¯s, but they were equally deadly.

    Her incorporeal form made her nearly untouchable as her icy presence turned her enemies into frozen statues.

    Transformations were taxing, consuming vast amounts of zenshi each time the user shifted between their original state and another one. But Len¡¯s exceptional reserves allowed her to maintain her form longer than most ascenders of her rank would. The only real challenge was the constant switching between her corporeal and incorporeal states, each shift requiring immense concentration and energy.

    Each step she took was a testament to her resolve. And each enemy she felled, was a sign of her incredible strength. She was determined to ensure that they emerged victorious in this battle.

    Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced the din of battle.

    Ghost of Winter''s heart skipped a beat as she scanned the battlefield, her eyes locking onto a nightmarish sight¡­

    A massive cursed beast, unlike any she had ever seen, emerged from the darkness. Its body was covered in thick, armored scales that glistened with an unnatural sheen. Multiple eyes, glowing with malevolent intelligence, adorned its grotesque head.

    With a roar that shook the earth, it charged toward her and her team.

    ¡°Everyone else spread out!¡± her command cut through the sound of falling rain. ¡°Take down as many cursed soldiers as you can. We can¡¯t risk losing after all those sacrifices. So be careful!¡±

    She fully turned corporeal as the cursed soldier lunged at her. Its tail started cackling with dark energy as it prepared to strike at her. It then swung its armored tail down but Len rolled out of the way before the magic tail could do any harm. When it struck the earth, the energy from it exploded out of it and left a depression on the stone floor.

    Gritting his teeth, Lena charged at the main body as it pulled back its tail. She brandished her weapon, but it easily dodged.

    Its tail swung at her again. This time attacking from her right side.

    To its surprise, the tail phased through her incorporeal state when she quickly switched forms. The thickness of her second form managed to blind the creature¡¯s multiple eyes which widened at once when Lena¡¯s weapon bypassed the scales and struck directly at its energy core.

    The cursed beast stilled for a moment and turned into a frozen sculpture instantly before shattering into particles of ice.

 Battle of the Siege Tower (5)

    A lizard-like cursed soldier swung a bone-like weapon in its clawed hand, aiming for Lena''s head. However, she raised her arm just in time and the ice around her skin blocked the lethal strike.

    The creature loomed over her, its two-foot advantage making it even more menacing. Its lizard face twisted into a grotesque snarl, rows of razor-sharp teeth gleaming as its two snake-like tongues darted out in an attempt to lick her face.

    Lena shoved it back with a fierce grunt, her eyes blazing with fury. She then threw a powerful punch, her fist connecting with the creature''s armored chest. The impact was explosive and it sent cracks spider-webbing through its tough hide. When that happened, The force of her blow launched the cursed soldier through several buildings, debris raining down as it crashed through the structures.

    Lena waited, seizing the moment to catch her breath. Her face was a wet mask, rain dripping from her chin as the raging storm roared around her. The storm''s noise dulled the sounds of the ongoing battle, creating a surreal, almost eerie atmosphere.

    Despite wearing only a tunic, she didn¡¯t feel cold. Her mind remained clear, analyzing the battlefield with clarity.

    Dark lightning crackled across the sky, producing no light but striking down a few enemies with lethal accuracy.

    Monic¡¯s storm had been raging on for minutes now. She must have been on the brink of exhaustion.

    From the looks of it, everyone was giving their all in this battle. Even the newly awakened ascenders who were still unfamiliar with their abilities and the mechanics of zenshi were pushing themselves to the brink because that¡¯s what humanity was¡­resilient. This entire time, Lena had been holding back her power due to the fear of losing control over an Aura as powerful as this one.

    However, seeing that this was a win-or-die battle, Len was starting to see no reason behind restraining herself.

    Raaarrrrr!

    "Just in time," Lena scoffed as she watched the lizard man emerge from the rubble. The bone sword was still clutched in its hand and its eyes burned with rage.

    Lena¡¯s eyes narrowed. She dismissed her weapon and squeezed her hands into clenched fists which ignited with silver flames of zenshi.

    The lizard roared again and charged towards her. As it closed in, Lena dodged its first swing by lowering her body. She delivered a powerful uppercut that exploded with mystical flames.

    Then, in a flash, the creature vanished and reappeared behind her using its primary ability as a means of maneuver.

    Lena turned and blocked its bone weapon again. Her flames spread, freezing the weapon until it shattered once it added more force to it. The lizard stared at the broken piece of bone before abandoning it and attacking with its claws. Its reaction was almost instantaneous, surprising Lena when it managed to land a shallow cut on her face.

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    ''Shit...''

    The lizard creature disappeared, reappeared behind her, and struck her neck with its thick tail. It moved so fast that its movements resembled teleportation. And If it had been any stronger the ice protecting her would¡¯ve shattered after that strike.

    She twisted her body with her hand open to grab for her opponent with her ice touch, but the lizard was too quick and disappeared from sight.

    ¡°Where¡­¡± she hissed with frustration tinged in her tone as she searched around herself. While she tried to deduce what its actual abilities were. She hadn''t sensed its second core activitating so this unnatural speed was part of its species as a creature.

    "There!"

    It reappeared on the building wall behind her and leaped off its surface with its maw open, ready to swallow her whole.

    However, Lena didn¡¯t flinch. Instead, she transformed the ice around her right arm into an ice spear and pounced at the lizard, thrusting the hand spear into its open mouth. It snapped its jaws, trying to destroy the ice and her arm, but she pulled it out just in time, tearing its jaw in the process.

    To her disappointment though, the wound she had caused closed almost immediately when the creature finally used its ability. its power core was now pulsing with energy.

    Lena jumped back and observed the lizard man as its eyes started glowing an ethereal red. Its body temperature rapidly increased till it attained a molten red glow.

    Raindrops evaporated on contact with its scales.

    ¡®Of course its ability rivals my Aura.¡¯

    The creature¡¯s molten heat radiated like a furnace, warping the air around it. Lena¡¯s mind raced, desperately searching for a strategy.

    ''My ice will probably just melt considering I''m just at Level 2! How do I go around this?''

    While she was still thinking out a plan, the lizard man lunged at her again. This time moving slower but with a menacing, deliberate pace.

    Lena knew she had to act fast. So, she took in a deep breath and focused all her energy on drawing more power from her second gate.

    Then, with a roar of defiance, Lena jumped into the air, avoiding its red-hot claws by a hair¡¯s breadth. While she was still in the air, Len twisted her body and she delivered a powerful kick to the side of its scaled face. Her flesh sizzled on contact, but her strike sent scales flying off.

    She turned incorporeal, her form becoming a swirling mist, and appeared behind the abomination with her sword in hand. She was sweating when she severed its tail with a swift slice from her translucent sword and transformed back to a fog.

    The creature howled in pain, its tail thrashing uselessly on the ground. It threw a fit and scanned the fog. It even went as far as trying to sniff her out, but Len''s scent just happened to be coming from everywhere.

    ¡®I already noticed that to use your ability, you have to sacrifice a good amount of your speed.¡¯ She thought before attacking again.

    Moving like a ghost, she severed one of its arms with another precise strike. The lizard man snapped its jaws at the fog, but its attempts were futile against an enemy it couldn''t touch.

    The lizard''s frustration grew as it lashed out blindly, its remaining limbs flailing in a desperate attempt to hit something.

    Lena partially reappeared in the fog, her eyes cold and determined.

    ¡°You lost the moment you sacrificed your speed for power. Because if you hadn¡¯t, you would¡¯ve survived this next attack,¡± she said, her voice echoing from every part of the fog.

    Then, with a final burst of speed, she materialized directly in front of the creature and thrust her sword into its chest. The lizard man let out a guttural roar, its molten body shuddering before collapsing in a heap.

    Lena stood over the fallen abomination, her breathing heavy but her resolve unshaken. The storm raged on around her, but at that moment, Lena felt a sense of calm.

    She saw golden arrows light up the sky as more creatures fell victim to Gail¡¯s impressive ability. He soared through the sky, burning through his zenshi by creating more trick arrows that delivered great damage to their enemies.

    ¡®Let¡¯s do this.¡¯ Now that the lizard creature was dead, it was time to proceed to why she needed rain in the first place. She crouched down and touched the wet earth with her bare hands.

    Once in contact, Len suddenly felt a connection with every molecule of the water gathered in the city.

    Over the past months before joining the army, Len had spent time with her mother trying to learn the best way she could use the full manifestation of her ability without putting too much strain on her Soul gate and mind.

    Since she was only at the Second Gate, this ¡®trick¡¯ was only possible if there was water nearby to act as a medium for her Aura. As someone who only opened her second gate recently, Len wasn¡¯t confident in the full potential of her Aura. Pushing herself this far would have consequences in the long run.

    ¡°But who cares?¡±

    They needed to turn the tables and make this city theirs. And what better way to do so than putting it under her domain?

    ¡­The Ice domain.

 Battle of the Siege Tower (6)

    Ice domain was a sorcerer-level trick that allowed one to extend their aura to create a temporary territory where they could use their powers to full capacity. While in their domain, the sorcerer could use their Aura to create a field that functions in their favor and will.

    As Len''s hands remained on the wet ground, the earth started to tremble and the red mud slowly turned white. Her eyes narrowed, and she gritted her teeth as she drew out more and more zenshi from her first gate to fuel the second. Painful tears streamed down her pale face as ice spread from her hands at a much faster rate. All the water she could sense immediately solidified to white ice, slowly creating a field of ice.

    Just then, she was spotted by a cursed creature that charged at her with terrifying speed. She almost thought she was done for but Valentine appeared and sliced it down with his double blades. His movements were so quick that Len almost missed the moment when he cut it down.

    In what looked like a flash, he proceeded to take down another cursed soldier which she had missed-- an eight-legged half-human, half-centipede creature with black spikes as two pairs of arms. It fell victim to his elusive style and collapsed shortly after he decapitated it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you back! Do what you have to!¡± he yelled, his voice almost inaudible in the storm as he continued.

    Lena trembled before turning her focus back to the ground. The overall temperature took a drastic fall and ice started growing around her. It moved at an incredible pace, freezing any weak cursed creature and avoiding the humans and divine summons as if it bared a mind of its own. It spread further and further, straining Lena even more till drops of blood started dripping down from her nose to warn her that she was close to her limits¡­

    ¡®A little longer¡­.¡¯ She pressed the icy floor and forced out more zenshi. This time, her head felt like it was about to split in two. Her second gate pulsed in pain till she forced herself to withdraw and pull her hands away from the ice.

    By the time she was done, Lena had only managed to freeze half of the city and kill every cursed beast and weaker cursed soldiers that couldn''t battle against her Aura.

    ¡®I feel cold,¡¯ she was surprised by the revelation. Lena hadn¡¯t felt cold in a long time.

    Heavy breaths escaped her lungs which felt like they were on the verge of collapsing after the stunt she had just pulled. They even failed to heal, meaning that she was out of zenshi at the moment. More blood dripped down her nose. Surprisingly, her mind survived controlling so much ice and taking in so much information at the same time. Her second gate too felt intact, meaning she hadn''t pushed herself as much as she thought.

    She cleaned the blood with the lower part of her tunic and looked back at Monic, who was supposed to be standing at the top of one of the crimson buildings. The ascender had also stopped imposing her will on the skies and was now lying on her Pegasus as it took her to the healer''s tent. She needed to rest.

    The other summoners and their divine summons were tied in vicious combat with the remaining cursed soldiers. The still-standing ascenders of the first line also joined to avenge their fallen comrades.

    Now that everyone was accounted for, Lena fell back on the icy floor and let the battle wage on as she tried to circulate some zenshi into her system. The dark clouds were soon disappearing and the rainfall was slowing down.

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    In other words, the storm was coming to an end.

    Lena focused for a while and once she felt her first gate had gained some zenshi, she did the dumbest thing someone in her state could ever do....

    ¡­Open her second gate.

    Both her body and mind showed desperate resentment by sending incredible pain that made her bite her lips till they drew blood. She stared at the battlefield and touched the icy floor once again.

    Today¡­they were going to win, even if it meant pushing past her limits.

    ''This will be House Feng''s victory!''

    She let out a powerful, pained scream and the ice floor morphed into spikes that tore through every cursed soldier standing on it. Guts and black blood stained the white floor of her created ice domain. Her ability continued to ruthlessly kill off any monster within her sensory range which wasn''t much.

    This continued for a few more seconds till only the strongest of the cursed soldiers were left standing. And with that, she seized her ability and dropped to the icy floor but didn¡¯t lose consciousness.

    Her tired eyes shifted to the Seige Tower ahead...

    ''I need to recover.''

    If Snow and his team failed to take down the undead king, it was up to her to continue their determined assault.

    ***

    Valentine was frozen at the moment. He was standing on an ice floor, staring at the now-dead five cursed soldiers that had surrounded him a few moments before Ghost of Winter¡¯s ability ended them.

    He wasn¡¯t struggling in any way to need assistance. But he was left surprised that someone of a second gate could do damage to this scope. Valentine had witnessed Ghost of Winter use her ability before to create weak walls and spikes that easily shattered when they came in contact with a cursed beast with a tough hide. These spikes, though, were denser and sturdier. He couldn¡¯t even punch through them even if he wanted to.

    ¡®Is she using a charm to enhance her power? Or has she just gotten stronger from this fight? The files never mentioned she was this powerful.¡¯

    Valentine questioned himself as he stared at the spike that was four times his height. At the top of it, a dead crablike creature was bleeding a black liquid that made the ice sizzle.

    He then turned his gaze to Ghost of Winter. The beautiful woman¡¯s legs were trembling as she struggled to get back on her feet. She was paler than usual, but her eyes burned with vicious determination. The young heroine¡¯s presence alone made Valentine shiver on impulse.

    As someone from house Artemis, he was told to be cautious of a Feng¡¯s claws. The Clan may not have had the greatest abilities or the strongest military force in the New World. But its members, especially the true-blooded ones, were blessed with great strength that allowed them to stand alongside the other Houses that rule the world.

    ¡®What a peculiar house.''

    ***

    The steel knight marched forward with steady movement. Its steps were hollow but its glowing eyes were a sign that there was a being inside.

    Just as it was still marching, a large metallic bird of prey suddenly landed on the ground and thrashed its steel talons into the hallow knight''s armor, tossing it into a series of buildings.

    The bird''s rider, a young man whose body was made of metal jumped off its mount with a crossbow in his hand. His name was Ceres, a summoner from House Feng. Being this close to the siege tower made his skin crawl but that didn''t in any way tamper with his confidence.

    Slowly, he followed the line of damage. He tilted his head as he prepared to fire a steel arrow from his forged weapon. Once he reached the point where the steel knight was, Ceres powered his bow and made it face the pile of debris.

    However...

    Before he could shoot, Ceres heard a strange distorted voice coming from the rubble.

    "Hail...to...the Servant Of Light...I am your Sword!"

    He watched the Knight emerge from the rubble. However, this time, it exerted a presence that made Ceres freeze up before he could press the trigger.

    Noticing the situation, Ceres rushed to command his summon once he realized this was no ordinary cursed soldier. ''Protect me! Heres!''

    The large bird of prey jumped and landed between him and the knight. It swung its talons at the Knight, expecting to strike the cursed creature. But what happened next was hard to track because the steel knight dodged them with ease and burst into an explosion of speed and destroyed the metallic bird of prey in a single swing.

    Ceres''s eyes widened as he watched his summon explode into a rain of sparks. His face twisted from fear to anger. He gathered all his zenshi to shoot at the knight but was surprised when he coughed out blood and dropped his forged weapon.

    And that''s when he noticed...

    There, between his torso, a deep bleeding gash of red. When? When did this happen? When was she cut?

    Ceres gave one last look at the knight. There was no blood on its sword. Was this its power?

    ¡®Am I going to die?¡¯

    Although Ceres knew this desert was a hunting ground for death, he never thought he would go down this easily. However, he felt no regrets.

    "I hope I served well."

    Those were his final words before his body collapsed. He stared at the Knight for one more time and the light in his faded while fixed on the Seige Tower behind it.

 Freak of Nature

    The world was dark and cold¡­.

    Wet soil, blood, and death were the only things Luna could smell as she stood at the edge of where the ice floor started. Her eyes were wide, stunned by the scenery of beauty and terror laid before her.

    Beyond the healer¡¯s tent, half of the fallen city of Verge was now covered in white ice. The buildings resembled perfect ice sculptures from where she stood. The sky was stuck in a strange twilight and the air was cold. If it wasn¡¯t for the rest of the desert, one wouldn¡¯t have believed that this part was recently a very hot area. The streets were covered in solid ice, their color hidden under the pure white nature of Ghost of Winter¡¯s power, creatures remained trapped as horrific statues. Meanwhile, the rest of the city maintained its red hue.

    Her sister could only push herself so far.

    Luna¡¯s heart ached as she took in more of the icy wasteland. The cold bit into her skin, a stark reminder of how powerful the ice Aura was if used at its full potential. By now, she assumed Snow and his team had found their way to the dark tower where the undead king ruled.

    The ominous structure towered over the entire city, its silhouette resembling a dark spear pointing at the clouds. Its shade of red appeared dark as she continued staring at it. Since there was no mention of it in the translations, Luna assumed that the structure had only appeared after the people of this world had been cursed or somewhere close to that specific period. Also, she was almost sure that the Undead King was one of the people who attained unique abilities from the gods like the priest.

    Little did they know that those same blessings would turn into curses when they sided with the True Celestials, specifically the Servant of Light because this was the Sun god''s domain. The statue in the shrine might have given her nothing to work with. But the translations had ensured that The Servant of Light and the other True Celestials led a war against the gods. And from the looks of it, the divine realm was affected heavily by this war.

    ¡®I need to find out more¡­where do we fit in? Is there a way all of this can be reversed?¡¯

    ¡°It looks like I need to rejoin the fight and meet the undead king.¡± She muttered. If Undead King was anything like the priest, Luna was sure she would get something from him. His consciousness wasn¡¯t gone, only scattered.

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    Just when she was about to take her leave, someone grasped her arm and she was forced to look back.

    It was Mira. She was staring at her with a serious expression.

    ¡°You won¡¯t make it to the Siege Tower in time. The strongest cursed soldiers are guarding that thing,¡± Mira spoke, her voice steady but her eyes betraying her worry.

    Luna stared at her for a moment and sighed when she realized Mira had a point. It seems she had forgotten the current situation. A summoner had already fallen at the hands of a cursed soldier which was hard to believe because Ceres was an exceptional ascender from House Feng with an impressive summon.

    ¡­Whatever killed him had to be something incredibly powerful.

    ¡°I can take down a few¡­¡± Luna replied with forged confidence. The message was still something that lingered on her mind. It made her mind restless and unsure of what to do next. However, if Luna continued thinking about the message, she would never achieve her current goals of protecting Lena and uncovering the truth about her realm and the gods that once ruled it.

    Also, much as she wanted to ignore it, Luna felt a great sense of dread each time they got closer to the portal. Each time she got closer to the truth...

    Mira turned to the white expanse stained with black and corpses of both ascenders and monsters. The sight of carnage made her slightly quiver. She wasn''t used to seeing this much carnage. ¡°You¡¯re strong, Lady Luna. At first, I thought you were as strong as I am or maybe slightly even stronger.¡±

    She paused and looked down. ¡°But, after seeing you today¡­I realized that you¡¯re far more superior than I am. However, my lady, that doesn¡¯t put you on par with those who are blessed. You and I are unblessed. We don¡¯t rely on special abilities that lie outside sensing life energy. We can die if we push our bodies further than they¡¯re supposed to. Do you understand that?¡±

    Luna nodded slowly as she let Mira¡¯s words sink in. But that question was irrelevant¡­.

    She was aware of her weaknesses. She was aware she was unblessed. She couldn¡¯t manifest flames¡­create ice¡­summon divine helpers¡­fly in the air like Gail and Darkness, or heal wounds at the thought. All her life, she has been reminded by everyone that she will never be as great or powerful as an ascender.

    However...

    After pushing herself to survive this desert, a desert crawling with creatures she hadn''t seen before-- Luna had grown more accepting of what she was...

    A freak of nature.

    ¡°So?¡± Luna hissed.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mira turned to her.

    ¡°So what if we don¡¯t fit the necessary criteria of ascenders? It doesn¡¯t make us weak, Mira. I know you''re more experienced and older than me. I don¡¯t know much about the world to be honest¡­I¡¯m only seventeen, after all,¡± Luna argued while facing Mira directly. ¡°But one thing I¡¯ve learned is that only the strong get to see tomorrow. You¡¯ve survived everything and you¡¯re still alive, Mira Hong. Adam is dead and you¡¯re alive. So to me, we¡¯re strong enough to fight this battle.¡±

    ¡®I am starting to sound like Len.¡¯ She scoffed in her head after hearing her own speech.

    ¡°We can keep up with the ascenders because no weak fool can survive this hell for as long as we have.¡±

    Mira¡¯s lips curved into a small sad smile. ¡°Sigh. I have tried my best to convince you not to go. I guess I have no choice but to follow you to Siege Tower. How do we get in though? The tunnels have already collapsed.¡±

    Luna grinned, the craziness of her idea making her feel alive for the first time in a while. All of this somehow felt like a multiplayer battle royale. And in battle royales, Raya (Luna''s online personality) was known for making the craziest decisions that even left her teammates shocked.

    Luna¡¯s eyes gleamed and she shrugged. ¡°Through the front door, of course,¡± she answered nonchalantly.

    Mira groaned, rubbing her forehead. Of course¡­the front door was their only way into the Siege Tower.

    ¡°Why did I even bother asking?¡±

 Two Unblessed and A Wyvern

    As soon as Luna and Mira confirmed with the healers they were in good shape, the pair left the tent to make room for the ascenders who needed healers more. Mundane soldiers were rushing in, some carrying their comrades, others dragging themselves into the tent before the only available healers rushed in to work on them.

    Although useful, it was unfortunate that only one of the three available ascenders was capable of healing the nastiest injuries. The ascender had entered this dungeon for a second time as a mere first gate user, but while he was at death¡¯s door in a battle against a cursed tyrant, Hyeon awakened his second soul gate and gained the ability to heal himself.

    Triggers like this were rare, but because they were inside a structure connected to the divine realm, the possibility was always there.

    Similar to how some humans recently awakened inside the tower.

    However, Hyeon¡¯s healing ability only worked on living things unlike Diana¡¯s which was more advanced and could repair even broken structures and objects as long as she knew how they originally looked like before.

    Luna guessed that the two Auras probably shared the connection with Diana¡¯s being superior in a way it was more of Restoration.

    As for the other two healers Luna first saw, Jin and Ellie were basic healers who could close life-threatening wounds but not regrow entire limbs.

    They were still essential though, healers were rare almost as rare as diviners.

    ***

    The pair ran through the icy wasteland without stopping, avoiding clashing with Cursed Soldiers unless it was really necessary. Mira was running behind, her gladius glued to her tight grip as they traversed the frozen region.

    Luna and Mira had decided to take a different route. A route that required them to circle around rather than moving in a straight line. It was safer to move this way since most of the abominations had left their posts to fight the powerful ascenders and their summons.

    Even though the buildings were in her way, Luna could feel the intensity of the fights happening on the ice. Their clashes sent powerful ripples through the battlefield and made it tremble each time.

    ¡®I hope Len is okay.¡¯

    Luna was concerned about her sister because she knew that affecting nature for a person who only possessed an Aura was very difficult. Even Monic was immensely weakened each time she tried controlling the weather with her ability.

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    ¡°She will be okay. She¡¯s a Feng.¡± Luna reassured herself as she ran straight ahead. She wasn¡¯t willing to let her personal feelings cloud the belief she had in her older sister.

    After a few minutes of running and fighting off the weaker creatures, Mira and Luna made it to the boundary line created by the white ice and the red territory.

    They hid behind one of the half-red buildings to hide their presence from a wyvern that seemed to guarding the territory. Strangely enough, this wyvern didn¡¯t seem like the previous one that had been sent out to roam the skies. This one was larger about the size of two buses stacked upon each other.

    ¡°It''s a cursed soldier. And its core is powerful¡­ it''s soon evolving into a dragon,¡± Mira whispered after peering through its scales with her qi sense. It wasn¡¯t as good as Luna¡¯s of course but she felt the faint pulses of its core as the energy inside it shifted.

    Luna nodded and asked, also whispering:

    ¡°Any idea about its powers?¡±

    The young woman lingered and after a while, she responded:

    ¡°Blast Breath. Wyvern soldiers have a common ability known as blast breath¡­if I remember correctly, that is.¡±

    Luna scowled. Blast Breath¡­it sounded so familiar. She was pretty sure she read about it somewhere when she was still interested in cursed creatures.

    ¡°What is that exactly?¡± she asked, rubbing the side of her neck. It should have been basic knowledge if Luna was an ascender.

    ¡°It''s an attack creature with an affinity to the fire aura have. They gather energy from their core and burst it out in a beam of red flames¡­like a giant laser from a death star.¡±

    Luna raised an eyebrow. What exactly was Mira talking about? Like a what? Why would there be a star of death? What level of technology can create a star that shoots lasers?

    Why didn¡¯t anyone tell her about the Death Star?

    Her gaze lingered on Mia for a while before popping out the question:

    ¡°What is a death star?¡± she tilted her head, confused about the matter.

    Mira frowned. Then scowled. ¡°It¡¯s from one of the gre¡­you know what. Never mind. Let¡¯s focus on our friend for now¡­¡±

    Choosing not to press on the matter, Luna turned her gaze to their ferocious enemy waiting for them at the boundary. The Wyvern hadn¡¯t moved its position. Its sinister wet red scales glistened under the small rays of sunlight penetrating the now dissipating dark clouds. It had golden red eyes that observed the battle happening on the icy wasteland with eerie intelligence.

    From just looking at it, you could tell it was no ordinary beast like the rest of its kin.

    ¡°How about we confuse it? You act as the bait, I take it down from its blind side.¡± Luna suggested. She was confident that her weapon¡¯s enchantment would let her cut through its tough scales with ease.

    Mira nodded softly before exhaling her breath. Much as she fought to steel her appearance, she was still trembling. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea,¡± she agreed, her tone balanced.

    She gripped her gladius and activated her suit¡¯s helmet. She then turned on the suit''s heat resistance functions. The heat resistance was not powerful enough to block a blast breath but with the shields at full capacity release, Mira¡¯s chances of surviving a blast breath were not zero.

    ¡°Sigh. See you on the other side. Wait¡­that came out wrong. You know what I mean.¡±

    With that, Mira stepped forward and gave Luna one last look before dashing towards the cursed soldier.

    Once it noticed her, its entire body moved and the ground trembled with each step. It let out a world-shaking roar. But Mira charged at it. Flames gathered in its mouth as it prepared its Blast Breath. However, Mira put her shield at an angle. Its reflective surface reflected the sun¡¯s crimson light which she guided to one of its golden eyes.

    In response to the distraction, the Wyvern closed its mouth and charged at the small instead. It was a proud creature so it chose to remain on the ground despite having wings to fly.

    Under the helmet, Mira let out a bestial roar of her own as she deflected one of its claws with her round shield. Instinctively, she lowered her body and dodged its other clawed arm. And when she was back up, Mira thrust her weapon into a small opening between one of the scales on the arm that she had just dodged.

    ¡°How is that you bastard?¡± she laughed and pulled her weapon. The abomination reeled back after her weapon struck true and faced her directly. Its rage-filled eyes were now focused entirely on her.

    ¡­it was Luna''s turn to act.

 Dynamic Duo

    Luna didn¡¯t wait for Mira¡¯s signal to move. She exploded into motion by circling the distracted monster and made it to its most obvious blind spot¡­.its back.

    Meanwhile, Mira was fighting off the wyvern with her beautiful swordsmanship. She had managed to delay the blast breath by maneuvering and staying out of its range. She deflected its claws and dodged when the attacks were too strong for her to deflect with her shield or when she wasn¡¯t strong enough to take on its force.

    Luna on the other hand appeared behind it and avoided its swinging tail by ducking. She had concealed her entire presence, so she was in the clear as long as the creature didn¡¯t see her.

    Compared to the smaller Wyverns she saw earlier, this one was three times the ordinary size. Its entire body was glowing with amounts of qi she hadn''t felt until now. If it survived today, then it wouldn''t be an ordinary cursed general.

    ''It might be powerful enough to break free from the Undead King''s powers.''

    Luna was careful to avoid making contact with the creature as it maneuvered while trying to kill off the little human bothering it from ahead. After desperately trying to go under the creature without being detected, Luna finally found a perfect spot right near the creature¡¯s legs. She acted fast by activating the katana¡¯s cutting enchantment and slashing at one of the legs in a perfect swing.

    At first, it looked like her blade had done no damage to the crimson scales.

    But then, a deep laceration appeared and black blood spluttered as the blade¡¯s enchantment tore through scales, flesh, and bone as if they were all made of paper.

    Once that happened, the creature stopped attacking and let out a painful roar before stumbling after forgetting to walk for a moment.

    Luna quickly ran away before the creature could collapse onto her. It was clear she didn¡¯t know what to do next after this.

    In an attempt to flee, the wyvern opened its wings to fly. But after leaving the ground for a second, Mira jumped and stabbed between its right wing and limb. Weak as her attack might have looked, Mira had pushed her gladius in the perfect place to kill the creature¡¯s balance.

    GRAAAAAAA!

    A Pained roar escaped its mouth before they both fell back on the ground and Luna wasted no minute to sever its tail next. Confused by the pain, the wyvern ignored Luna and snapped at Mira who was still trying to pull her weapon out of the wing.

    She narrowly escaped the clutches of its mouth by jumping back before its mouth closed.

    However, when it turned to attack again, its golden eyes noticed a smaller human running from behind. Its eyes narrowed when it sensed the intense battle aura taunting it to attack.

    ¡®What the hell is she thinking?!¡¯ Mira asked herself as she turned her focus to Luna who was charging ahead.

    Suddenly the world¡¯s temperature rose at a rapid pace when the cursed creature opened its maw to use Blast Breath. The energy in its mouth was like swirling hot air at first before turning into a swirling fireball. Even though she wasn''t in line for its attack, Mira increased the power of her hand shield in order to take on the heat that came from Blast Breath.

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    It was better not to underestimate the attack, especially while being so close to the source.

    Meanwhile, Luna continued her charge even after seeing the flames gather in the creature¡¯s mouth.

    Luna was planning to use a Wind Blade to counter its flames. She had given it some thought and came to agree that that sword technique was the best for a situation like this one because air was a perfect counter to fire to some degree. She had fought dragons, digital ones of course. And from what she had learned from every game so far, the best weapon against creatures with powerful affinity to fire was either water or wind itself. And lucky enough, Wind Blade was a powerful sword technique that allowed her to control the wind to a minimal degree.

    On top of that, her katana was powerful enough to take the force of Wind Blade''s second form without shattering to bits like a normal sword. The technique''s effects would be minimal if she or her weapon were normal. That sandworm wouldn''t have fallen so easily.

    She channeled more energy into the suit and her speed increased as she balanced her breathing to tighten every muscle. Luna didn¡¯t slow down, neither did her demeanor collapse as she approached the much larger Wyvern.

    As soon as she was within its range of fire, the cursed soldier unleashed a beam of crimson flames. They exploded from its mouth with a loud, ear-piercing whistling noise like steam escaping from a gigantic kettle.

    At the same time, Luna stopped and pierced the air with the tip of her sword with all her strength. Her maneuver released a blast of air that collided with a beam of flames and split through them, surprising both herself and the wyvern.

    Before it could unleash another blast, Mira quickly acted by throwing her shield at its exposed neck. It flew in a spinning motion and dug itself it the large wyvern¡¯s neck and drew a lot of blood after she had used the full strength of her suit.

    Luna saw the opportunity to kill the creature. She burst into an incredible speed and appeared just under the wyvern after it lowered its head to avoid bleeding. In that moment of its distraction, Luna let out a warrior scream and used the first form of Wind Blade to end this fight. Her blade and technique didn''t fail her because the sword''s enhancement easily slashed through from one end of the neck to another...

    The wyvern froze for a moment as if time had stopped for it.

    Then, its head fell and the rest of its body followed with a loud thud that briefly shuddered the ground.

    Despite the ragged breaths, Luna managed to muster up a weak victory laugh to celebrate this new achievement.

    The two of them had killed a cursed soldier on their own. And not just any cursed soldier, a cursed soldier that was evolving into a cursed general soon. This would¡¯ve been an easy feat for someone with powers. But for them, this was a great feat.

    Sure Luna had killed the Mind Wraith a few weeks ago. But that didn''t mean anything because the Wraith was still weak at the time. It was her luck at the time.

    Mira finally heaved out a sigh of relief. ¡°No one would believe me if I told them this.¡±

    After catching her breath, Luna shot Mira a pale smile. She hadn''t tried two Wind Blade forms in one fight until today. Who knew it would cost her her this much stamina to pull off?

    ¡®I should make notes on that.¡¯

    Her body felt both tired and strained. She needed a short break to recover some of it.

    ¡°That we killed a high-class wyvern? Or that we, two unblessed, killed a cursed soldier?¡±

    Mira let out a soft laugh and answered:

    ¡°Both, my lady.¡±

    Luna sighed.

    ¡°We should have recorded the entire fight on camera. That last move we made would¡¯ve looked good on a high-resolution screen. It looked like something out of a webtoon or a video game.¡±

    She laughed tiredly and turned her eyes to the wyvern¡¯s head which hadn¡¯t fallen so far from them. Its lifeless eyes were staring at them with eerie calmness¡ªas if it was at peace during its final moments.

    ¡®No. I¡¯m seeing things.¡¯

    ¡°Well then, should we continue to the tower?¡± Mira asked with her usual respectful tone.

    Luna then looked at the Siege tower. It wasn¡¯t far from them, only a few kilometers away. However, the undead king was probably guarded by powerful creatures.

    So¡­

    Much as she wanted to, fighting in her current state was a death wish. She needed a few moments to breathe before attacking head-on.

    ¡°No. I need to gather my strength for a few minutes.¡±

    Mira seemed to understand the situation because she only nodded and turned to observe the fight happening in the icy wasteland.

    Most of the cursed creatures had fallen at the hands of the humans and their divine summons.

    ¡­The battle of the Blood Desert was slowly reaching its climax.

    ***

    Meanwhile, atop the Siege Tower.

    A humanoid figure silently watched the battle unfold. It was covered in shadows to keep its presence hidden from everyone with a sensing ability. Its only visible feature was its vibrant pair of scarlet red eyes that watched everything from a distance.

    And right now, it was staring at a pair of young women who had just taken down a Cursed Soldier, as they called it. In its right hand was a single flame that extinguished itself once the Wyvern lost its life force.

    A smile appeared under the mask of shadows and it spoke in a very human voice. ¡°As expected of someone like you, Lunaris Feng. I guess Hamido was right when he said he finally found it after all these centuries.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to meeting you on the next floor, Lunaris. After all, you are drawn to the truth. Just like the rest of us."

    After a short silence and a long look, the figure sighed and vanished into the air¡­.

 Team on the Inside

    Snow had always hated being in tiny spaces. And no. He didn¡¯t have some phobia for small spaces. But its hat small spaces always reminded him that his movements were limited while in combat.

    And after this small fight, Snow now hated them even more. Though ¡®small¡¯ was a bit of an understatement because their enemy had been a large cursed soldier with a lion face and four serpentine tails. The ancient creature had been resting in these tunnels moments before it noticed the three ascenders using them to travel to the Siege Tower.

    As of now, each one of them was staring at the creature''s corpse as it stayed silent with half of its body submerged in the shallow waters of this tunnel. Rita was the one who had accidentally alerted it of their presence after her summon flew past it and was attacked by one of the tails. Driven by anger, she happened to be the one who delivered the final blow with her magic rapier because she was familiar with fighting in small spaces like this one.

    Shin hadn¡¯t done much fighting but his ability to look into the future helped them when it came to dodging the serpentine tails.

    This was supposed to be the safest tunnel. And yet, they struggled this much to fight just one cursed soldier.

    ¡°How are we? Any injuries?¡± Snow asked, his voice echoing through the tunnel walls even with his helmet on. Underneath, a rough map of the tunnels was displayed. If they were on the right path, then the secret passage leading into the Siege tower was close by.

    Rita¡¯s red hair was dripping wet, almost blending with the red pool they were standing in. She looked at herself then Shin. ¡°No....we actually managed to kill it without being driven close to death''s door.¡±

    Shin studied the monstrosity for a moment and said in an even tone:

    ¡°I thought this was supposed to be filled with monsters that are beatable.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Snow responded. ¡°The cursed soldiers in the other tunnels are said to have powers we can¡¯t rival even if we took months of preparation because they''re evolving into Generals. They¡¯re the creatures that the undead king can¡¯t control.¡±

    ¡°It''s why his gaze doesn¡¯t extend to these tunnels,¡± Rita added, still breathing heavily after straining herself against the cursed creature.

    ¡°We should continue. Len has turned half of the city to ice and Ceres, the iron knight has been murdered.¡±

    Shin¡¯s announcement echoed throughout the tunnels. As a Seer, he already knew that these moments were going to happen. But as a seer, he wasn''t permitted to twist fate. He wasn''t that powerful yet.

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    ¡°What killed him?¡± Snow asked after a short silence.

    Rita also lowered her gaze, her expression paling at the news of Ceres¡¯s death. She murmured a short prayer for the ascender and heaved out a pained sigh once she was done.

    In response to Snow¡¯s question, Shin only shook his head and replied. ¡°I can¡¯t see what killed him. It¡¯s hidden from my powers to glimpse into fate.¡±

    "Sigh. I see." Snow sighed and continued leading their group to the exit leading out of the tunnel.

    They finally made it to a large iron door. It felt so out of place in a world like this but Snow was aware that these special towers were built after the destruction of the sun god¡¯s domain.

    After giving it a few knocks to confirm that nothing was waiting for them on the other side, Snow and Shin forced the door open. It was heavy enough to give two ascenders a hard time to push and tough enough to deflect their weapons with ease.

    Out of the three, Rita was the first to feel the Undead king¡¯s presence as soon as they crossed the threshold and stepped into the Siege Tower. Quickly, she decided to connect her sight with the small creatures inside and outside the tower to avoid surprise attacks.

    As a clairvoyant, Rita could only share her senses with only five creatures without straining her mind. Before coming here, her limit had been three because her mastery of zenshi had been level one. And after training herself, Rita had crossed to the second level. With that, her overall ability had grown to a point where she could share her sight with five other creatures.

    After reaching the stone door, she carefully observed the runic symbols inscribed on them. Her red eyes stayed on them for a while before placed her hand on the door and channeled zenshi into the runes which ignited as the divine energy breathed life into them.

    The floor seemed to tremble. Then, the stone door slowly slid open and revealed a familiar black altar¡­

    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened as they were met with a very familiar shrine from the Cathedral.

    The black reflective stone, the altar ahead, the ominous silence, and Everlight¡¯s statue which, for odd some reason, was missing a head.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Rita¡¯s voice trembled.

    ¡°No its not.¡± Shin was quick to cut in. The mature man¡¯s expression was no longer as calm as it was before. His face had paled even more as if he had just seen a ghost or a very bad future.

    Noticing his expression, Snow turned to him. ¡°What do you feel?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I feel we should leave this room. The undead king is right below us. We should proceed there and leave this room right away.¡±

    Snow listened and then manifested a sword on thought. The thought of calling upon his summon had crossed his mind, but it was safe to save the best for last.

    Instead, he activated his Aura and a familiar wraith appeared next to him. The being wore the face of a dark-haired beautiful girl who just happened to be the person who locked his fate with the concept of death.

    ¡®What do you think?¡¯ he mentally sent a message to the wraith. But instead of responding, she remained quiet as she studied both Rita and Shin.

    The older man quickly searched once he felt her gaze and froze when he noticed the wraith standing next to the captain.

    Ignoring Shin¡¯s obvious reaction, Death turned to Snow, sounding a bit excited. ¡°That man can see me. What a powerful seer. I¡¯m impressed, honestly.¡±

    Snow turned to Shin, gave him a sorry smile then back to the wraith which was his Aura.

    Ignoring her comment, he went on to ask another important question. ¡°Can we kill him?¡±

    ¡°The undead king?¡± she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Of course we can kill him. It''s just that Undead King was a very special man before he turned into this. Do you know what his blessing was?¡±

    Snow sighed at the obvious question and shook his head in response.

    With that, Death continued. ¡°My master gave him the blessing of reincarnation. You see, people of the Sun god¡¯s domain were very similar to the humans of your world. Laius here was someone who impressed my Master by hunting down a sacred beast known as Death Hound. When he was alive, he offered the creature''s heart to my Master and was given the power to remember his previous lives¡­.turning him into a king loved by the gods.

    But when the gods died after the conflict. For siding with the Authorities, Laius¡¯s blessing turned into a curse. His memories collided with him and he lost the ability to die. That¡¯s all I know about him.¡±

    ¡°I see. How do we kill him?¡±

    ¡°We have to break the curse on him, of course. The undead king is undead like the rest of his people. However, he¡¯s very different and wields broken madness. Your ability alone won¡¯t finish him off.¡±

 Inside Job

    ¡°My ability alone won¡¯t finish him off?¡± Snow scowled. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means what you¡¯ve heard. I hold no desire to sugarcoat truths, young man. Laius was a powerful king in his final cycle. He wielded powers far superior to what you humans can do. And the fact that he controls all these cursed creatures means he still has his powers despite losing his mind to a curse.¡±

    Death explained calmly. Her face was always emotionless unless when she tried to mimic human facial expressions.

    ¡°You will need the the clairvoyant¡¯s summon and the seer to look further into the future if you are to defeat him.¡±

    Snow looked back at Shin and sighed. As he had predicted, the seer could hear the Wraith¡¯s voice.

    Rita stayed silent as she tried to replenish the zenshi she lost when fighting the cursed soldier earlier. She was familiar with the invisible wraith that haunted her captain each time he manifested his Aura. Also, even though she couldn''t see the Wraith, Rita could tell from their expressions that Shin also had the ability to see it.

    Shin looked at the wraith and lowered his head in a bow.

    Death smiled at his acknowledgment. ¡°This man bears a gift from the god of fate, the concept of Revelation, just like most diviners. However, you barely try to use your powers. Like seeing multiple timelines at the same time.¡±

    Snow was taken aback by Death¡¯s words. Was Shin really that powerful?

    ¡° I have tried it before, but it''s very exhausting and my reserves aren¡¯t that much to begin with. What if I¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Die? Tsk¡­I¡¯m sure you will die either way if you don¡¯t try.¡± She cut him off. ¡°Aside from Snow. You, Shin Royu reek of my presence. You¡¯ve died many times in your mind and have watched your friends die multiple times. You¡¯ve twisted fate in the past and that has twisted your future.¡±

    The wraith floated toward him and said, with a harsh and cold tone:

    ¡°¡­I record each death for I¡¯m the element itself. You will obey, for I am your salvation, Shin."

    Shin exhaled calmly and nodded.

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Rita stood at the altar and watched the Snow and Shin interact. The scene looked very strange in her eyes. To her, the two men were talking to each other. And yet, there was a third member in this conversation.

    When Snow spared a moment to look at her, she quickly turned her attention to the runes engraved on the altar.

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    ¡®Gods¡­I feel so awkward right now.¡¯

    ***

    After devising a plan, Rita summoned her divine creature. The creature resembled a small red sparrow with a pair of small curved horns on its head. Its feathers looked like a mix of both scales and feathers that protected it and made it as fast as a fighter jet from the old world.

    Its master, Rita, was now in light silver armor with a torn red cape hanging on her shoulders. The cape was a monument passed down to her by a friend who happened to die while fighting the Mind Wraith.

    Snow and Shin led the way as they descended the flight of cracked stairs leading to the main floor where the undead king had made himself a throne.

    Rita shivered and her summon itself trembled as they continued to descend. The grip on her rapier tightened as she channeled more zenshi into it to make it stronger.

    As they got closer to the first floor, she casually sent some concerned looks at Snow who had been silent the entire time. He had transformed his nanoskin armor into a black steel armor that easily matched his aesthetic as someone who was a servant of death.

    When they arrived at the end of the stairs, they were met by the eerie silence and the sight of large erect dark red pillars stretching up to the ceiling wall. At the end of the room was a dark lone figure seated alone on a gigantic red stone throne.

    Rita¡¯s face turned white and her blood froze when its dim green eyes met with hers.

    Finally¡­they had come face to face with the Cursed General known as the Undead King who was oddly silent as if not bothered by their presence. But it was obvious why he wasn''t bothered by them.

    His presence was much superior to what the three of them could muster.

    Now that she had a better look at him, Rita realized that the humanoid cursed creature was more human than she thought. He had long black seaweed hair with a crown over his head, dry grey rotten skin, and was adorned in slightly damaged onyx armor that appeared to be cut from the same material as the one the shrines were made from.

    Shin also froze and manifested a glaive into reality. He didn¡¯t let the Cursed General¡¯s presence overwhelm him as he stared at the quiet being ahead.

    After a brief silence¡­

    Snow took the first step forward¡­then the second¡­then the third and continued moving forward with a stern look. His footsteps echoed with intensity, reverberating like a war drum as he slowly approached the silent Undead King with only his sword and Aura active.

    Then, once he was close enough¡­.

    ¡°Attack now!¡± Shin bellowed and Rita quickly sent a mental message to her summon to survey the room.

    The small bird spread its wings and burst into a speed that shattered the sound barrier with an intense boom. It flew in a line heading to the undead king at a powerful speed then started flying around as Rita borrowed its sight to search for anything odd. The sparrow¡¯s eyes sent back fragmented images of glowing runes embedded in the pillars and the subtle shift of dark energy.

    At the same time, Snow jumped into action. His beautiful sword ignited with the ethereal blue flames of his zenshi which were reflected in his serious brown eyes.

    The entire tower trembled when he pounced forward and appeared in front of the cursed general. Before he could swing it though, Shin let out a desperate yelp after looking into the future.

    ¡°Your left!¡±

    Immediately, Snow trusted his companion and sidestepped to the right. Shortly after his maneuver, hidden runes appeared in his previous position and black flames shot out of them. Even at a distance, he could feel their intense heat.

    ¡®Traps?¡¯

    Taking that into note, Snow continued running forward and jumped with his sword gripped between both hands. He was planning to unleash the flames in a single downward slash.

    However, before Snow could swing his sword down, The Undead king''s eyes flicked and Snow''s sword ended up crashing into an invisible dome, a resonant hum echoing as his energy dispersed through the stone floor beneath. He felt the reverberation run up his arms, teeth clenched as he jumped back and landed with great force.

    Unfortunately for the Undead King, these three had already been informed of the Cursed General¡¯s abilities.

    Just then, Rita dismissed the summon after using it to study the runes around the undead king.

    "Analyzed and processed." She smirked as soon as she understood how to counter the barrier. To avoid the traps and straining Shin¡¯s foresight, Rita used the walls to move around.

    She and Snow were currently the strongest summoners the entire unit had.

    Aside from the skilled fighters like Lord Artemis Valentine and Lady Luna. Snow, Rita, and Lady Lena were the strongest ascenders and the only ones capable of taking down a threat as powerful as the undead king without paying with their lives.

    Rita¡¯s heart hammered in her chest as she leaped to the side, her eyes catching the flicker of the undead king¡¯s gaze. ¡®I have to make this count,¡¯ she thought, focusing all her energy into her blade. Once her attack was ready, she thrust her rapier into the barrier and let all the zenshi in it shatter the energy barrier.

    As soon as the barrier collapsed, Snow swooped in with his weapon, swinging it with great purpose¡­

 Death Dealer

    As soon as the barrier collapsed, Snow swooped in with his weapon, swinging it with great purpose¡­

    ¡®You will die.¡¯

    As his sword traveled, Snow remembered the writings on the altar. And because of that single thought, his concentration suddenly wavered and his sword slowed in momentum.

    The undead king reacted slightly and easily stopped Snow¡¯s sword with one hand. The ascender had hoped the flames would spread into the cursed creature¡¯s body. But, to his surprise, the flames disappeared as if the undead king had some kind of authority over them.

    What happened next was hard to describe because after glazing into the Undead King¡¯s eyes, Snow was hit by an invisible collection of dark energy that sent him flying through multiple pillars before stopping in a wall where he died instantly when his skull shattered on impact.

    His sword burst into blue flames as soon as his connection with it was severed.

    That was Rita¡¯s signal to attack. Utilizing her closeness to the Cursed General, she charged with her rapier and attacked without any fear in her crimson eyes.

    She used her ability to borrow the undead king¡¯s vision for a few moments and take in her surroundings. And in those few moments, she felt the world spin as she saw herself charging at herself in a misty green world.

    ¡­it was weird, seeing the world through something like this.

    ¡®Move¡­¡¯

    Rita suddenly reached to a voice whisper in her mind and switched to her original vision. She ignored the feeling of vertigo and prepared her attack.

    Swinging her rapier diligently, the enchanted weapon cut through the second barrier. Now that she had grasped the concept behind it, the barriers were no longer a problem for her.

    ¡°Move out of the way!¡±

    Shin bellowed, concern painted on his pale face as he looked through so many futures.

    Rita heard and stepped out of the King¡¯s line of sight before dark tendrils of electricity launched and struck her previous location. She jumped back as more as more lightning struck at her as if following her movements. She continued to dodge and block each tendril that reached her.

    However, each time she moved, she was being pushed further away from the enemy.

    He was doing it on purpose to keep her away from the stone throne.

    According to Shin, the throne was the main supply of all the energy that it used to control the cursed creatures in the city. It was also the source of the energy supposed to be fueling the portal leading to the next floor.

    It would make sense as to why he wouldn¡¯t want anyone close to it.

    ¡®I need to understand this attack .¡¯

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    Rita suddenly stopped and let one of the dark tendrils strike the tip of her rapier. Her red eyes glowed as the zenshi from her soul gate traveled from her hand to the rapier¡¯s delicate blade and destroyed the dark energy creating the electricity.

    As a person studying enchantments, Rita was familiar with how easy it was to cancel out energies. The zenshi might have been stronger in this situation, but this dark energy''s versatility proved it was dangerous enough to combat the divine energy.

    Another tendril struck at her. But this time, it was canceled out by the zenshi coming out from her body. She now had a grasp of how the Undead King''s power worked.

    ***

    Meanwhile, as Rita fought to occupy the enemy¡­..

    ¡­Snow¡¯s eyes flashed open when his bones and spilled brains finished mending themselves.

    He barely remembered how he had died¡ªit all happened so quickly¡ªbut the memory of his mission was still wired in his very being.

    His vision cleared and the first he saw was Death floating in front of him. He also noticed that he was lying in a huge depression he seemed to have created after that quick strike from the Undead King. He was surprised by how thick the tower¡¯s walls were for him to remain like this despite the damage.

    ¡°About time. Welcome back to the land of the living.¡±

    Ignoring the wraith, Snow stood up and summoned his forged weapon¡ªa large black war scythe that seemed to tear reality itself with its curved blade.

    Pretty ironic, right? A guy whose Aura was Death having a scythe as a forged weapon. Snow disliked it of course. He always wanted something smaller and not so obvious.

    But according to how his Aura, this was the perfect weapon. It was always cold to the touch and it hummed with an ominous energy.

    After a sharp exhale, Snow launched himself at the undead king with his war scythe ready to be swung.

    The cursed creature noticed him and immediately launched multiple lightning strikes that he easily canceled out with his own zenshi and destroyed another one of its barriers.

    Once its barrier shattered, Rita disappeared and reappeared behind the throne with her rapier ready to destroy one of the runes inscribed on its surface. She searched for the one that produced the most Dark Energy as she gathered more and more zenshi into her sword¡­

    It hummed as the sword¡¯s blade started to emit an ethereal bluish glow.

    There¡­.

    Rita¡¯s face then tensed and she immediately thrust her rapier into the brightest rune on the throne. When it was deep enough, she poured half of her remaining zenshi into the dying rune and destroyed the system controlling the dark energy.

    Before she could celebrate its destruction, Rita was suddenly met by a powerful pressure that forced her to freeze right away.

    ¡®What? What is this?¡¯ she asked herself as she slowly took a few steps away from the ancient throne.

    ¡°Get out of there!¡±

    Shin¡¯s warning reached Rita a few seconds too late when a black hand emerged from the throne¡¯s shadow. It grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground. Rita¡¯s pulse hammered in her ears, the cold touch of the shadowed hand freezing her breath as she strained against it.

    Terrified, she placed both hands on the hand and tried crushing it with all the strength an ascender could muster at a time like this. But¡­

    To her surprise, it felt like she was trying to crush the bark of a very thick tree with the strength of a mundane child.

    What was this? A spell of some sort? No. This was a devil.

    She thought when she realized that its ominous presence had swallowed that of the undead king in an instant. She also couldn¡¯t sense its energy cores summing up the fact that this was no cursed creature.

    ¡®Damnation.¡¯

    At the same time, Snow¡¯s scythe was blocked by the undead king¡¯s rotten arm.

    For the first time, the king moved and grabbed the war scythe¡¯s blade. However, Snow quickly turned it into a mist just before the undead king could destroy it.

    He leaped back and the forged weapon materialized once again. And without hesitation, he moved forward.

    The undead king also stood up and stepped away from the throne and a dark tachi appeared in his left hand. His dim green eyes were devoid of emotion. And his eerie presence was still there though lesser compared to the one behind it.

    Snow¡¯s eyes flickered to Rita for a split second, her form suspended and struggling. Unfortunately, he was still occupied by the Cursed General. ¡°Shin! Please help Rita!¡±

    The man only nodded and ran past him and the undead king with a silver glaive in his hand. His hands were trembling, betraying the brave mask as he approached the dark presence holding Rita.

    Snow was quick to turn his attention back to the undead king after making sure that Rita now had some help. ¡®I will take care of this one.¡¯

    ¡°Come at me, you bastard!¡±

    He roared at the cursed general, his bellow echoing through the empty tower. His war scythe gleamed ominously as he charged, each step reverberating with raw power. With a mighty leap, he swung the scythe with deadly precision, aiming to cleave the general in two.

    The cursed general, armed with a fearsome tachi, met Snow''s attack head-on. The weapons collided with a thunderous clang, sending a shockwave that made the entire structure tremble.

    The sheer force of the impact pushed both combatants back and left the air trembling.

    Snow gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with determination. He twisted his body, using the momentum to swing his scythe in the opposite direction. The blade arced through the air, aimed at the general''s exposed side.

    The cursed general reacted with supernatural speed, raising the tachi to block the incoming strike. Sparks flew as the blades clashed again, and the ground beneath them cracked under the strain of their battle.

    Snow''s attack was relentless, each swing of his scythe filled with fury and precision. He pressed forward, driving the general back step by step.

    While they fought, a chill spread from Snow¡¯s core as he decided to draw more energy from his second gate. The air thickened, a palpable darkness creeping forth as Snow¡¯s eyes glimmered with an eerie light. Just then, his ability came to wake as he whispered the words that would tip the scales:

    ¡°Death Dealer.¡±

    Then....

    The chamber shuddered as if death itself had awoken to claim a specific soul.

 Shadows of Vengeance

    The world around Snow changed as his body moved. He felt the zenshi flow from his second gate and into his body, as it made him more and more powerful. His calculated steps became more elusive, his swings deadlier and his determination more firm.

    Snow always saw himself as a powerful ascender. And he wasn¡¯t wrong to think so. He might not have been a special blood like the rest of his companions. But his affinity for divinity was one of the highest to ever be recorded over the past years. At this level of power, he had gotten too comfortable and believed advancing to the next gates was something unnecessary for a person who was difficult to kill.

    But now, he had a reason why he needed to get stronger. Getting pushed to such lengths was something entirely new to him. And maybe even a wake-up call to remind him of how weak he was in a world like this one.

    Each strike from the cursed general was explosive in nature. Each block made the scythe tremble and his entire body quiver. The height difference between the two even made it harder because it was difficult to evade the swift deadly swings of the black tachi as they came from a much further distance.

    With Death Dealer active, Snow stepped to the side and evaded a downward slash from the enemy. Being this close to something with a foreign power made his skin crawl as he lunged at the cursed general.

    His face twisted into a grin and his brown eyes glowed as the war scythe flashed through the air and struck the undead king¡¯s onyx armor.

    The armor didn¡¯t crack in the slightest even after his incredible strike. But the necessary damage was done.

    Snow wasn¡¯t aiming to destroy the armor. No. Instead, the ascender was aiming to destroy its life core with his Death Dealer ability.

    Although zenshi hindered the ability to sense life cores, Snow¡¯s Aura was the opposite of life. The two concepts were two sides of the same coin so Snow could sense qi to a greater degree than most ascenders in the world. Also, Death Dealer needed two conditions to go active. One, he needed a weapon powerful enough to handle Death''s power. And second, the user needed to first experience death before drawing its full strength.

    The weapon was the easy part. But dying always left a strange feeling that made Snow view his powers as a curse. Throughout his life, he had experienced six deaths--each one more disturbing than the one before.

    The cursed creature let out a pained roar as soon as Death Dealer came into contact with its life core. He dropped its dark tachi and stumbled back as its soul began to break down from Snow¡¯s powerful ability.

    Meanwhile, Snow waited and watched in anticipation. If the ability failed, he would have to deliver the final blow.

    As he waited, something sudden happened¡­

    The undead king stopped moving and his green eyes landed on Snow. Though. This time, they flickered with an old and familiar presence.

    ¡°Death¡­?¡±

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    His voice was deep and eerie like his presence. His mouth didn¡¯t move but his voice reached Snow¡¯s ears clearly¡­or mind.

    It was hard to tell where the voice was coming from because he heard come from every direction.

    ¡°Telepathy?¡± Snow muttered through gritted teeth and prepared to attack. But halted when the Undead king continued.

    ¡°What brings you to this place? Why have you stepped into this cursed place?¡±

    Before Snow could speak, The Wraith beat him to it by breaking into maniac laughter. ¡°Is the traitor concerned about me? How disgusting of you, Laius.¡±

    ¡°Traitor? Is that what you divine beings see us as? Traitors? We were just trying to look out for ourselves. The gods didn¡¯t give a damn about us!¡±

    The Undead King responded in an angry tone.

    Death grinned and crossed her arms. ¡°I can see the ones you followed didn¡¯t either. I am here to bring your end, Laius. To destroy your immortal soul.¡±

    ¡°I can see that. You even brought your little puppet with you. I guess they indeed destroyed your physical body seeing that you''re depending on a human. The once mighty Servant of Death is now nothing but a floating apparition wearing a human face.¡±

    Death stayed silent as she listened to what the undead king had to say.

    On the other hand, Snow stood there with a confused expression on his face. Death and the Undead King seemed to be holding a conversation but it was only Death replying with her mouth.

    It seems he was only acting as a connection between the Wraith and the Undead king because Death was a part of him as an Aura.

    Just then, the undead king¡¯s voice suddenly reached his mind again.

    ¡°But I am glad it''s you two to end me; an old friend and her puppet. You know, just of recent, a sorceress came up to me and told me that if I want vengeance for my people, I have to accept my end...that I have to let Lunaris Feng cross to the other side.¡±

    Both Death and Snow were surprised by this piece of information. Since when did Luna share a connection with all of this?

    Snow opened his mouth to ask why. But the Undead King¡¯s moment of stability ended and his dim eyes were overtaken by the madness once again. He screeched at the pair and conjured a ball of black flames with the dark energy around him.

    Snow rushed to call upon his own flames. Although zenshi flames were nowhere near as powerful as real flames created by someone with fire as their Aura. They were less destructive despite being divine and capable of harming divine beings and those infected by corruption.

    However, if given purpose, the flames of zenshi were capable of delivering some form of destruction.

    The bright flames moved up to his blade. With visible strain, he slashed through the approaching flames and destroyed them with ease. He then ran toward his enemy, his eyes burning with fierce determination.

    Snow felt a powerful wave of power take over his body as his ability activated once again and waved his war weapon, aiming at the cursed creature¡¯s lower body. But to his surprise, the undead king moved with fluidity, dodging Snow¡¯s attack perfectly. But Snow wasn¡¯t going to give the cursed general a chance to cast another attack.

    With another swing, he brought it back and severed his hand with incredible precision.

    The undead king reeled back after losing a hand and let out a hoarse broken laughter.

    Snow¡¯s expression remained calm as he dashed at the enemy. His hands almost turned white as he tightly held onto the weapon¡¯s handle. He didn¡¯t flatter when he brandished the weapon. This time, it cut through the onyx armor and his flesh and dealt direct damage to the soul once again.

    The tower then trembled when Shin and Rita delivered a powerful blow at the dark figure that had emerged from the throne. Shin¡¯s summon, a saber feline creature with red and golden fur that resembled a collection of threads all stitched together. They seemed to be putting up an incredible fight by twisting the very fabric of fate with its powers.

    Before he could finish off the Cursed General, Snow stormed the Undead king with questions, hoping that his sanity would resurface. ¡°Who is the sorceress? Why does Luna have to go to the next floor?¡±

    Unfortunately, the undead bastard continued to laugh and attacked Snow with his good arm. But he was too slow this time around--because Snow released the war scythe and created a shortsword that he plunged through the Cursed creature¡¯s chest the moment they were close enough. His ability was still active so the sword directly pierced its soul.

    At that moment, the madness in the undead king disappeared and their eyes met once again. He stared at Snow and started to rumble.

    ¡°Our Vengeance...The sorceress promised us our Vengence. They trapped me here with my people to guard the corrupted deity. Yes...I remember now. Please¡­free him too.¡±

    After that request, the dim light in the undead king¡¯s eyes was no more once his soul shattered completely. His grey flesh immediately dried up and crumbled into a heap of dust.

    Without wasting a second, the tired ascender turned his eyes to the throne. His companions were locked in a battle against a shadow-like being that had emerged from the throne.

    However, while he stared at it, a strange feeling dawned upon him. Out of nowhere, his Second Soul Gate had stopped feeding him with energy.

    The apparition near him suddenly vanished and Snow''s eyes widened when he noticed he couldn''t feel his Aura anymore.

    ...The Concept of Death no longer existed within the Tower.

 Dark Blade Against Steel

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Luna suddenly felt the hairs on her rise shortly after she sensed a shift in the air that almost made her jerk from where she stood.

    On looking around, it came to her notice that all the attacking cursed creatures had come to a strange halt following this abnormal shift in the atmosphere.

    And then, as if the universe was giving her an answer, Luna felt a new and powerful presence that turned her blood cold in an instant.

    Her powerful gaze didn¡¯t hesitate to travel to the siege tower as if her own body had come to notice that something stronger had emerged from within the tower.

    Mira also noticed this; her eyes quivered immediately when they landed on the ominous structure ahead. ¡°Umm¡­Luna. Something¡¯s wrong¡­¡±

    She instinctively swallowed her saliva and took a few steps away without taking her eyes off the structure. The feelings she felt towards the building were too many to break down all at once. But in simple terms, the tower felt like it had come to life¡­like its true master had just awakened.

    ¡®But that¡¯s impossible. It had to be the Undead King.¡¯ Mira¡¯s thoughts denied the possibility that they had just made things worse for themselves.

    Luna didn¡¯t respond to Mira right away. Instead, she responded to her intuition after feeling an intense battle aura coming from nearby. On top of this battle aura, Luna also felt an insane amount of bloodlust directed at the pair.

    Quickly, her eyes started moving in every direction, and searched for where this bloodlust could be coming from. Then finally, her eyes came across a peculiar suit of armor that seemed to appear out of thin air and a few steps away from them.

    A chill ran down her spine as she gripped her sword with trembling hands. ¡°Mira¡­we have company!¡±

    The young woman followed Luna¡¯s gaze and she felt her entire body freeze when she caught a glimpse of the approaching knight. He held a cracked sword in his left and underneath his visor were glowing turquoise-colored orbs that served as its eyes.

    Her breath quivered as she started to sweat from dread. Her mind and soul were screaming at her¡­telling her to run. But for some reason, she remained frozen before taking a few steps back and falling on her bottom.

    Luna noticed the fear in her partner and realized that unlike her Mira was still a mundane human. While she combated this intense bloodlust and battle presence with her own, Mira was going to be affected by the knight.

    So¡­

    She decided to save the mundane human. ¡°Mira!¡±

    The terrified woman faced the dark-haired girl with some faint recognition.

    ¡°Run and call for backup. Tell them it¡¯s very powerful. I will stay here and hold this thing off for as long as I can.¡±

    As if snapping back to her senses, Mira forced herself up and gave the creature one last look. As a coward, this was way above her pay grade. She was confident that this thing was stronger than Luna by far.

    It was suicide to try and fight this thing. Was she really choosing to play the heroine at a time like this?

    ¡®Just like in the train.¡¯ Mira gritted her teeth and nodded at her captain¡¯s request. She could only help by requesting backup before this thing tore Captain Lunaris apart.

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    ¡°Yes¡­captain.¡± After her reply, she turned back and ran towards the frozen wasteland in hopes that her suit would get a connection with someone as powerful as Gail or any powerful ascender with great speed.

    As she left, Luna sighed and did the unthinkable by switching off her limiter. Her gaze traveled back to the knight. Its tall bulky structure made it even more menacing. She wasn¡¯t sure how she was going to fight someone this superior. But knowing Mira, all she needed to do was keep it busy.

    When she peered into it, she felt a lot of qi circulating through its metallic bits to keep it moving. And beyond the metallic bits, the cursed creature had no cores to match its nature as one.

    Could it be a corrupted deity?

    ¡®No. Probably something connected to one.¡¯

    Once it was close, the knight seized its motion for a second to observe her. Then, in what felt like a heartbeat, it burst into a spontaneous motion as it lunged at Luna. Its initial step shattered the earthen ground as it swung its sword.

    Luna also moved, her katana colliding with the greatsword. Now that she was using a good percentage of her real strength she could match the knight¡¯s to a certain degree. And with the suit helping her, she could handle the strain of using a good amount of her physical power.

    If she were to assume, her output right now was about seventy percent. Meaning that she now on par with an ascender with level two of zenshi mastery in terms of strength.

    It jumped back and attacked again right away. This time, its swings turned into a brigade of blurry attacks that created shockwaves on impact. Her resilient sword absorbed each wave as blocked and parried each deadly strike from the knight.

    To her surprise, Luna could see through his movements despite the intimidating battle aura he produced. One thing was clear though; if she was inexperienced and slow, she would be already dead.

    She had tried using the whispering titan blade technique. But switching from the Dancing Maiden was proving to be a difficult maneuver. Changing styles now was similar to switching a gun while being shot at with nowhere to hide.

    ¡®There!¡¯

    She finally caught sight of a narrow opening in the knight¡¯s movement. She dodged another of his deadly swings and then aimed for his lower body. She moved perfectly as she imagined her sword could slice through the creature¡¯s steel armor. The enchantment awakened and swung the sword in a perfect low arc.

    ¡­However, to her surprise, the sword didn¡¯t cut through the rusty steel. Instead, it bounced off the surface and the powerful recoil almost shattered her wrist bones.

    She froze for a second before coming back to her senses and avoided a punch directed at her face. The steel fist hit the ground instead and both the red rock and sand exploded outward.

    Bits of it hit her face but barely managed to cut through her skin because of how tough it was. She then pounced at the Knight and let out a warrior scream and continued their deadly clash.

    Sparks flew each time they met, as their swords turned into a blur. Luna relied on the fact that the dancing maiden was capable of giving the martial artist the chance to anticipate the opponent¡¯s next attack.

    The sound of steel dancing echoed throughout the battlefield. The air shuddered and sparks danced after each strike as Luna pushed herself to her limits.

    Luna fought with total concentration, her entire presence now could be compared to a deadly creature. However, it was still nothing compared to the Steel Knight.

    ¡®One mistake and I¡¯m dead.¡¯ She reminded herself as she kept her eyes on the enemy. Deep down, she could feel the growing strain after using this much of her strength.

    Had a minute even passed?

    Her small muscles were already burning up and her stamina was falling rapidly.

    ¡®Where the hell is Mira?¡¯

    No sooner had she asked herself that question when another presence decided to join them. He appeared between her and the steel knight and stopped its greatsword with both his blades.

    Valentine¡¯s wet dark hair waved as he struggled to push back the greatsword with just a small blade.

    As he held it back, Luna grasped the opportunity and rushed past him. She stopped right under it and drove her right fist into its center. Even with her strength and the nanoskin protecting her, Luna felt a great deal of pain when her hand connected with the creature.

    Unfortunately, the creature was only pushed back slightly despite the force and strength behind Luna¡¯s blow.

    Now that he was no longer holding it back, Valentine charged at the knight¡ªthe edges of his blades now glowing a silver hue.

    The knight moved its gaze to Valentine. But before it acted, a golden arrow bounced off its helmet.

    ¡­and then another. And another¡­and another. Each bouncing off its armor or shattering on impact.

    A smile appeared on Luna¡¯s face when she saw the golden-eyed ascender floating in the air with a bright glowing bow in his hand. His handsome face had been scarred and filled with scratches from the flying horrors he had been fighting.

    Aside from that, he seemed unharmed.

    The steel knight didn¡¯t regard Gail¡¯s appearance. However, its strange eyes lit up when a certain figure appeared on their small battlefield.

    Ghost of Winter had arrived.

 Frozen Resolve, Shattered Blade

    Surrounded by frozen air and fog, Ghost of Winter¡¯s godlike presence could be felt from the far reaches of the fallen city of Verge. The air around her froze from just her breath and her skin radiated a strange icy fog.

    She had landed right in front of the knight with specks of zenshi dancing in her round grey eyes.

    Her silver hair now looked pure white and her eyes glowed a silver hue when she used her ability to create an ice falchion. She channeled a lot of zenshi into it to harden its surface and transformed it into a weapon worthy of sustaining this battle. The idea of using her forged weapon had crossed her mind, but the fear of having it destroyed lingered in her mind.

    She gave the battlefield a quick scan. Then faced the bulky knight with a confident look.

    ¡®House Feng will conquer this dungeon.¡¯

    With that thought, everyone charged at the steel knight with a confident look now that one of the two strongest captains around had arrived.

    Luna and Valentine continued their relentless attacks against the creature. The pair moved in sync, not needing to tell each other where to move and where to strike. They were both fluid and deadly with their movements as they fought turning them into a deadly force all on their own.

    And when Len joined, their force turned even deadlier as they battled the steel knight.

    Luna kept slashing at its armor in search of a weak spot where her enchantment could work. But her inability to see or track signs of enchantments had finally given her a reality check. Her sword kept on bouncing off the armor, rendering her sword¡¯s enchantment useless.

    The same happened to Valentine. Though his short swords seemed to scratch the steel surface. Out of the three, Len¡¯s sword dealt the most damage thanks to the zenshi imbued in it.

    Meanwhile, above the battlefield, Gail¡¯s golden eyes were glowing like two bright suns as they followed the knight¡¯s movements. He channeled more divine energy into the bow in his hand and a light arrow manifested between as he fed more and more energy, aiming for the knight.

    Once it fully manifested, he uttered some words before aiming for the moving armor and freeing the magic arrow.

    At the same time, Luna, Len, and Valentine created some distance between them and the steel knight as Gail¡¯s magic arrows plummeted and pierced through the supposed-to-be-indestructible armor. It stopped halfway through but Gail wasn¡¯t done with his attack yet.

    ¡°Explode!¡± his command cut through the battlefield like a sharp sword and the arrow detonated into an explosion of golden energy.

    Ghost of Winter quickly created a wall of ice to protect her companions against Gail¡¯s explosive power.

    Crack!

    Despite its strength, the force behind the energy blast was strong enough to create cracks in the ice wall, proving that it wasn''t as resilient as they thought.

    ¡®Considering the amount of energy Len uses. This shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡¯ Luna noticed the small cracks grow on the ice as it protected them from the explosion. Was Gail¡¯s Aura as powerful as ice to a certain degree?

    Before she answered that thought, the blast ended and Ghost of Winter charged at the staggering steel knight with her weapon ready to strike. Unfortunately, it had only lost its wielding sword arm to Gail¡¯s explosion.

    While staring at the steel Cursed Creature, a strange uneasiness dawned upon Luna. The Creature had lost its arm. This was supposed to be an advantage...

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    ''If it is. Why do I suddenly feel uneasy?'' her eyes darted left to right as she searched for what caused this feeling. The hairs on her body stood again and her heartbeat got faster.

    Then after seconds of deep thought...

    Something suddenly snapped in her mind and her eyes widened when she sensed a foreign power in the air that instantly alerted her. However, foreign wasn''t the right word to use for this power because she had felt it before. Only this time, the power was much more intense.

    ¡®Qi¡­there is a great collection of qi in the air.¡¯ She gasped when she recognized the energy bringing this foreign attack to life.

    Without saying anything to Valentine, Luna¡¯s body moved on its own and the world came to a halt in her mind as she ran toward her sister because the attack was aimed at her.

    ¡®A powerful attack is coming. She can¡¯t dodge it.¡¯ Luna panicked as she moved with a desperate look in her eyes and a sword gripped in her right hand.

    When she caught up to Ghost of Winter, Luna pushed her out of the way and put Katana forward to block this single, powerful attack.

    The world moved again and her black sword shattered the moment it tried blocking the invisible slash coming in her direction. She was surprised to see the Forged weapon shatter into a rain of black specks of steel with so much ease. When its powerful enchantments broke, she was blown away by the zenshi embedded in it.

    And to make it worse, the attack managed to hit her.

    A split second later, Ghost of Winter gasped when she realized her sister had been blown away.

    ¡®When did she¡­¡¯

    She didn¡¯t get to finish that thought because her attention was immediately drawn to the approaching one-handed knight. It picked up its greatsword with its good arm and faced Lena.

    She gritted her teeth and attacked. She had no idea what had just happened but she knew that this battle would only be over when this thing was defeated. She didn¡¯t want to ask herself if Luna was okay until this creature had fallen.

    Meanwhile, Luna landed a few meters away from her former position.

    And instantly¡­.

    She was already regretting her life decisions once the effects of her heroic actions kicked in. Her entire body was in terrible pain as her face remained on the ground.

    Why wouldn¡¯t it be?

    There was a bloody laceration on her abdomen where the qi attack just happened to graze. Was graze even the right word for it when she was so close to being split in two if it wasn¡¯t for the sword?

    She remained silent and tried her best to maintain her breathing to avoid losing her consciousness right now from all the blood loss. She trembled, trying her best not to think that she would die in a place like this¡­.

    ¡®Gods. What did I do to deserve this treatment?¡¯

    Soon, she was watching the fight from the ground and in a pool of her own blood.

    As expected, Gail, Len, and Valentine were now holding their own against the steel knight.

    Even though it had just lost an arm, the abomination moved perfectly and was forcing everyone to give it their all as it swung its greatsword with deadly intent. Behind all its maneuvers, you could tell this creature was mimicking a powerful swordsman.

    Much as she would¡¯ve liked to give it some thought, Luna found it difficult to focus will all this pain coming from the bloody wound near her stomach. It felt like someone was using a hot iron to torture her¡­

    ..trying to burn her life force away.

    There was a loud Boom when Gail launched more trick arrows at the knight. It shrugged off his attacks because of how little his reserves were at this point.

    Valentine was doing his best to keep up, but the fatigue was very visible on his face. It was clear he was close to his limits.

    From how things looked, only Ghost of Winter seemed to putting up a worthy fight against their current adversary. Her face maintained a stern and stoic look, but her eyes burned with fury that could destroy a city if she wanted to. If she were a fourth gate user, this fight would¡¯ve been leaning more on the side of humans.

    Luna carefully observed the fight as Ghost of Winter turned into a white fog once again. Her falchion flashed, striking the creature¡¯s armor, and disappeared before the knight reached for it.

    While she confused the knight with changing forms, Gail dropped from the sky and flew directly into the growing fog where Valentine, Ghost of Winter, and the steel knight were engaged in a life-or-death exchange.

    The handsome ascender was gone for a while before bursting out of the fog with the steel knight in his powerful embrace. He might not have been as powerful as Darkness, but it was necessary to push him further if they were to win this fight.

    When he was high enough, Gail braced himself and dived down with the knight still struggling to free itself. It went as far as crushing one of his arms. But the ascender swallowed the pain and plummeted both himself and the knight into red earth, causing a miniature earthquake that sent the entire city trembling.

    Luna didn¡¯t see what happened next because the fog grew even more and swallowed both Gail and the Knight.

    The sound of their clash continued to play throughout the battlefield for a while. And for the cursed creatures still standing, Darkness destroyed them with a bright smile on her face like a child playing with her toys.

    Her love for chaos was both baffling and terrifying from a normal view standpoint.

    Finally, when the fog disappeared, the three soldiers were the only ones left standing and the steel knight was no longer moving. Its steel body was now white after Len used her ability to transform it into a sculpture.

    The steel knight had been defeated. However, it hadn¡¯t gone down without a fight.

    ¡­Gail¡¯s right arm was twisted. His skin was torn and revealing the bloody mess underneath.

    Valentine was almost uninjured apart from a deep neck wound he was pressing against with his left hand.

    And Ghost of Winter was missing a good chuck of her stomach. But, instead of a bloody mess, she had replaced it with white ice to prevent blood loss.

    She stared at the frozen knight for a moment with an inhuman expression before blinking back to her senses and her face quickly masked itself with deathly concern. Her eyes started searching the battlefield for her sister who she saw getting blown away earlier.

    When they landed on the small girl lying in her blood, tears welled up in them, and she ran without thinking of the pain in her abdomen.

    ¡®Don¡¯t be so dramatic¡­I¡¯m alive. But my sword.¡¯

    Luna thought to herself as the image of her sister got larger and larger.

    The fight for the Siege Tower had come to an end.

 Into Nothing

    After receiving some first aid, Luna was more than happy to see that her face was no longer glued to the strange earth of this world. The bitter taste of soil still lingered in her mouth. The pain in her abdomen was still there, but as an irritation after Hyeon did his best to close the wound inflicted by Qi.

    No one except Luna knew this. As she had expected, no one here had sensed the attack. Since when did cursed creatures have the ability to use Qi like this?

    Was it its connection to a real deity that gave it this ability?

    With a sigh, she stared at the scar on her stomach again and pulled down her shirt to cover it. She then gazed upon the Siege Tower. Judging from everyone¡¯s expressions here, you could tell they could feel the power pressure sourcing from the ancient structure ahead.

    The remaining mundane soldiers had it worse because most appeared frozen in place. Some were dead from the intense pressure¡­while others fought against it with sheer willpower.

    Luna was slightly affected by the pressure because she had already undergone this type of experience when sparring with her father a long time ago.

    ¡®He had the pressure of a beast.¡¯ She giggled in her mind when she remembered how desperate she always was to win¡ªonly to cry herself out after a few seconds.

    Although the tower was practically calling to them, the signal from Snow and his time had not come yet.

    Luna wanted to assume the worst. But the worst would be Snow dying permanently, marking the beginning of their defeat at the hands of a corrupted deity.

    If the inside team failed to defeat the corrupted deity, they were supposed to launch a signal and alert the first army. Luna knew that everyone inside wasn¡¯t some proud warrior who didn¡¯t know when to accept defeat.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    Luna gathered her thoughts and moved her gaze to a worried Lena who hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off the black tower.

    Before she opened her mouth to speak, they both felt a powerful shift in the air, and the siege tower shuddered at a seismic level. The fallen city trembled. And with it, some of its long-standing structures crumbled to bits or red rubble.

    It felt like the entire floor was on the verge of collapsing.

    Len didn¡¯t hesitate to summon her forged weapon. Then faced her little sister. ¡°Can you still fight?¡± she asked Luna, giving her concerned look.

    Luna straightened herself and nodded. ¡°Yes. But I need a sword to fight as a swordsman of my caliber. Hehe¡­.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making such terrible gags even after almost having your entire body split in two.¡± Lena¡¯s face darkened with fear and regret. She didn¡¯t want Luna to her in this state, so she faced the floor and let her tears fall.

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    Each drop was like a ball of liquidized silver that froze once it hit the ground.

    Not knowing what to do to comfort her sister, Luna kissed her teeth and rubbed the back of her neck. She awkwardly approached her sister and patted her shoulder.

    ¡°Sisters are supposed to look out for each other. I know you would¡¯ve done the same big sis. Though you can treat me to fried noodles later or gimbap when we get back to our world.¡±

    ¡°But I am a terrible cook.¡± Len giggled and sniffed before she dropped her sword, pulled Luna in, and put her in her warm embrace.

    Being the person she is, Luna didn¡¯t seem to enjoy her sister¡¯s hug. The idea of being this close to a person usually bothered her because she loved her personal space. But, for just this once, Luna put aside those irritative thoughts and hugged her back.

    ¡­even someone as cold as herself needed some hugs once in a while.

    ¡®And she has a soft chest too¡­I¡¯m so jealous.¡¯ Luna sighed mentally.

    ¡°I will protect you, even if it costs me my life.¡±

    Len whispered, her voice now cold. White sparks danced her eyes when she said those words as if it were a promise to her self.

    They remained silent for a while in the small room before both their communicators started beeping and Shin¡¯s voice immediately sounded after the final beep.

    ¡­However, he didn¡¯t sound like his usual calm self, his breaths were uneven, and background noise made his voice hard to hear as he spoke.

    ¡°The guardian of this floor, the undead king¡­has been defeated by Captain Snow. After his defeat¡­a devil. He was a guarding a devil of the first rank¡­.¡±

    He was silent for a moment before another seismic tremble reached both Lena and Lunaris.

    And when it stopped, Shin¡¯s continued. ¡°We need help. Captain Snow and Rita are doing the best they can. But¡­our Auras are inactive. It has erased the concept of second gates¡­.¡±

    The communicators stopped after another tremble and it disconnected shortly after.

    Once it disconnected, the pair ran out of the building and turned their eyes to the dark tower. It was the middle of the day, but Monic¡¯s dark clouds were still blocking the intense red light from reaching. The structure was as ominous as ever.

    Luna shivered. ¡®The Concept of Second Gates? Erased?¡¯

    She moved her eyes to the icy wasteland and her eyes widened when she noticed that the ice her sister had created was breaking down and disappearing. The devil''s powers were erasing Len¡¯s with terrifying ease.

    ¡®How do you even combat something with that power?¡¯ she asked herself as she tried to brainstorm a way of fighting a corrupted deity with such a broken power.

    Where do you start understanding the bizarre concept behind its powers?

    ¡°I have to go to the tower.¡± Luna suddenly spoke after thinking. ¡°It seems the devil is only focused on wiping out potential threats. It won¡¯t see me coming.¡±

    ¡°Threats¡­?¡±

    Luna nodded.

    ¡°Yes. I believe that the devil has erased its biggest threat, which is the concept of Auras. I also believe it can only erase one thing at a time considering that you still sense your zenshi. I think what makes it dangerous is the range.¡±

    ¡°But I can feel the second gate. I can still use my Aura.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re far enough for now. But the range of its power is growing,¡± Luna pointed at the ice while wearing her calculative expression. ¡°Your ice is not only melting but completely dissolving into the air¡­into nothing.¡±

    Just to be sure, Luna had tried to sense for qi in the air. But, to her surprise, there was nothing but a powerful dark energy lingering in the air.

    ¡­it was corruption, something very common in Devils.

    She swallowed her saliva and continued. ¡°Tell everyone aside from Healers to restrain their Auras. Every ascender heading to the siege tower will have to stick to their first gate.¡±

    Len nodded and quickly switched on her communication. She summarized everything and all of the summons were dismissed and auras were turned off in response to her communication.

    All the cursed creatures had either escaped or had been killed so there was no need for anyone to go all out anymore.

    Now that that was done, Luna informed Mira and Valentine to prepare themselves for their first fight with a devil since they were the only ones who could easily fight it without being affected by its powers at the moment.

    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± Lena sighed after going through the plan. It sounded so much better than her original one of attacking with the entire first army.

    ¡®Since was she this good at strategizing?¡¯ she almost laughed at herself when she remembered Luna was a pro gamer.

    ¡°Yes, we will also need Gail and Darkness. They¡¯re both very good at manipulating their zenshi so we will need them.¡±

    ¡®If the devil doesn¡¯t try to erase the zenshi itself.¡¯ She tried not to think about the worst that could happen while in the Siege tower.

    ¡°But first, I need someone to lend me a sword since mine¡­..¡±

    She remembered her beautiful katana. The enchanted weapon had been destroyed when trying to block the invisible slash from the Sword Knight as Valentine had called it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get fixed when we find a forge-master at the Sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Luna¡¯s response was solemn.

    The reason behind this feeling was that the sword was forged by the Wielder of Calamity. Due to that, It was one of the few things that reminded her of her father.

    And now that it was gone, Luna couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat bitter.

 Taking The Siege Tower

    The semicircular red doors leading into the siege tower were unlike anything any of them had come across till this current moment. They were a mixture of the dark red color of blood, covered in beautiful ancient runes that looked more complicated than the ones humans of the mortal realm used.

    Luna was not very knowledgeable about runes for obvious reasons. But she was aware that enchanters and forge-masters often used runes because runes were necessary for what they specialized in. Enchanters studied enchantments and were the ones who imbued purpose into materials through runes. While forge-masters created magic weapons with zenshi through runes with purpose already imbued in them. Although most forge masters usually had abilities that worked well with their specialized line of work.

    Amongst the group, the only enchanter Luna was aware of was Gail. His trick arrows were the work of the runes he engraved on the forged weapon, The Golden Athena. Through those runes, Gail was capable of giving the arrows purpose after channeling zenshi into them.

    ¡­At least that¡¯s how Luna understood it when he explained it some time back.

    ¡°Binding runes. These are meant to keep whatever that¡¯s inside inside.¡± Gail began to translate the few few runes he could make out. ¡°This is the prison of Darkness. No...sorry¡­Oblivion. This is the prison for Oblivion, the Servant of Fate.¡±

    ¡°I am guessing Oblivion is the reason why our powers are erased. How self-explanatory.¡±

    Len sighed and took the first steps forward. She approached the doors while wearing a deadly serious expression.

    She exhaled sharply and sealed her second gate completely before doing anything else. Once she felt no energy leave it, Ghost of Winter first studied the runes for a brief while and placed her hand on the Red-colored wood. Ghost of Winter sighed again and channeled her divine energy into the tower doors.

    Everyone else watched in anticipation as Len did what she had to.

    There was another explosion and the tower trembled both from inside and outside. But Len continued channeling her zenshi into the runes which hungrily siphoned her power to awaken. She gritted her teeth as the magic doors consumed an ocean''s worth of zenshi from the ascender in what appeared to be a minute to everyone else.

    Luckily, Lena just happened to be an ascender with ridiculous reserves in her arsenal.

    After that minute and a few more seconds, Lena wiped the sweat off her face and stepped away from the wooden surface . The runes flickered and a strange mechanism played to life as the doors slowly opened, greeting them with the scene of grand floor with erect crimson pillars stretching to the roof.

    The group didn¡¯t wait for them to fully open as they were already dashing in with their weapons ready.

    Luna, who was the last to run into the foreign space froze when her eyes landed on the humanoid being that happened to be the source of all this evil presence she felt¡­.

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    Its entire skin was pitch black with purplish cracks. It had no eyes, no face, and no mouth to let out roars. The Corrupted had the build of a very tall man, stretching about nine meters.

    However, what she saw next made her heart sink and blood freeze.

    Her gaze had landed on Ascender Shin, who was leaning against the wall. His armor was smeared with crimson, a grim testament to the battle that had just transpired. The stump of his left arm hung limply and a large portion of his left upper shoulder was missing, exposing raw, mangled flesh. Despite the state of his injuries, Luna felt a surge of relief as she noticed the steady rise and fall of his chest.

    He was still breathing. With his oracle powers blocked, Shin was the most vulnerable here because he depended on them the most.

    ''Thank the gods he''s alive.'' Luna thought, exhaling a breath she hadn''t realized she''d been holding. She quickly shifted her gaze to the other members of Snow¡¯s team, assessing their condition with a newfound sense of urgency.

    Rita was still standing, but her armor was filled with cracks and dents after taking so many blows from the Devil.

    It was surprising that she was still alive and still in a condition to fight. Her rapier was also covered with cracks, but it was still holding thanks to her zenshi keeping it together.

    Snow, on the other hand, was locked in a serious battle against the Corrupted deity since he was the only one who could hold it back at the moment. His forged weapon and body were still in tip-top shape. However, the armor was also covered in spiderweb cracks. The nanomites holding it were going to collapse soon.

    Luna¡¯s eyes darkened and tightened the grip she had on the zenshi Falchion her sister had made for her. She drew in some of the toxic air and followed the others who were already charging at the corrupted deity.

    Just like infected creatures, Devils shared the weakness of zenshi or divine energy. Because of this, ascenders were their natural enemies. The origin of Black Ether was a mystery to humanity so no one knew why zenshi was the perfect weapon against such.

    However, the fact that ascenders could manipulate divine energy didn¡¯t particularly mean that they were stronger than Devils. This was why ascenders with auras were usually the only type needed when going against corrupted deities like this one.

    Unfortunately for them, this specific one just happened to rid them of their ability to use Auras.

    They were going to fight this thing the old-fashioned way.

    Len was the first to join the deadly fight by swinging her weapon at one of the corrupted celestial¡¯s legs. Her aura didn¡¯t activate this time, but a blue laceration appeared on its left leg the moment her sword touched its skin.

    Before it attacked her, a flying shield struck its arm and disrupted the dark energy that was gathering around the limb.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget us, you bastard!¡± Darkness shouted as she pulled back her shield. It few back in her magnetic grip before she attacked with her gladius.

    Seizing the opportunity, Snow jumped and dismissed the war scythe while still in the air. His fist ignited in zenshi flames when he landed a powerful blow right where the being¡¯s face was supposed to be.

    It stumbled back and Gail started shooting multiple arrows at its limbs while flying around around the room. With the way he was firing rapidly, it was hard to believe that one of his arms was mangled a few hours ago. He flew between pillars to avoid that dark energy that happened to appear everywhere on the floor.

    Whenever one of his arrows managed to penetrate the black skin, the would explode in hopes of blowing a limb off. But, to their luck, the creature staggered even more before colliding with the tower walls.

    Mira, who had remained at the entrance was now holding a large rail gun made from the material of a new fixed suit. In its chamber, there were four glowing zenshi bullets ready to fire once she got the perfect shot.

    And when the creature collided with the wall, she didn¡¯t hesitate to press the trigger and let three of the four bullets fly out of the barrel.

    As always, her shots were perfect. The first one struck the left leg. The second one hit a black left arm. And the third one found its way into its shoulder.

    There was no shout or scream which kind of disappointed Mira because she wanted to brag about how she made a diety scream in pain. But that didn''t happen, so she prepared to shoot at its head.

    Before she could shoot, though, the rail gun vanished once she sensed the slightest ting of malice pointing towards her.

    ¡®Just like she said, we¡¯re invisible to it until we do something crazy.¡¯ Mira smirked upon remembering the discussion they had before coming here.

    At the same time, once Mira¡¯s rail gun disappeared, everyone with a second gate felt a rush of power as their connection with their respective concepts returned.

    ¡®She was right. It can only temporarily take out one thing at a time.¡¯ Lena thought to herself as her eyes started to produce a silvery hue.

    ¡°Everyone! Use your Auras!¡± she bellowed as she ran forward and turned into a white fog.

    ¡­Gail¡¯s golden eyes glowed as hundreds of golden arrows appeared out of thin air.

    ¡­Darkness grinned and all the debris in the room started to float.

    And a familiar apparition appeared near the entrance.

 Victory

    Luna almost cheered at the fact that she was right about the corrupted deity only being able to cancel out one threat at a time. Also, seeing that Mira was still standing after that wave confirmed that the creature was incapable of erasing humans at least.

    She shot a nod at Valentine as a signal and the pair ran into the white fog that now covered the grand floor. Even with her armor on, Luna could not help but feel the intense coldness that had invaded the space. Her fog would''ve been unnecessary outside but since they were in a contained space, the white fog gave everyone the advantage of surprise attacks because it hid everyone''s presence within a single person.

    A few large pieces of debris flew over them as Darkness attacked the dark figure ahead. Every time they hit true, the tower would tremble in response to the force behind her gravity attacks.

    ¡®Len has gone all out on this one.¡¯ Luna thought to herself as she followed Valentine through the very thick fog. To think that even her high-tech suit was finding it hard to peer through the white fog. At this point, Ghost of Winter was eating her reserves just to maintain this more powerful version of the fog.

    But that was understandable, this was both their first time facing a corrupted being of this caliber. It was important not to underestimate corrupted deities from the start because of how out of the box their powers usually were. It was safe to remember that Humans were humans and Devils were once Deities from a realm that was out of reach until fifty years ago.

    Although being the weakest, the Devils ranked as Masters were deadly because of their intense madness and the powers they obtained after being corrupted. But for Oblivion''s case, he appeared to have retained some version of the abilities he had before the corruption ate his soul away. Luna wasn''t sure why were called Masters but she was sure it had something to do with First Generation and their first battle against these nasty beings.

    They knew they were close to the Devil when they saw a large hand engulfed in black flames cut through the fog in an attempt to catch the flying ascender.

    Gail was still shooting his golden arrows with a tired expression on his face. The flames ate away the arrows like a cancer and Luna immediately received a bad feeling about them. Quickly, she peered into its very being and located the single glowing sphere of golden light in the center of the deity¡¯s soul.

    Strangely, Its life core was located in the head and protected from a growing sinister darkness by weaved transparent membrane. This darkness was the corruption that was trying to eat away what was left of the deity¡¯s life essence.

    Wait. What does it mean if the corruption fully takes over? Would it evolve into something else?

    Luna questioned herself as she got a clear look at the core and the darkness.

    ¡°Can you see it? Its life core?¡± Valentine¡¯s tone was alarming as he asked.

    Luna nodded. The look painted on her face was that of resolve and pure determination as she answered. ¡°Yes. But there is something odd about its life core. It''s not corrupted¡­I thought black ether eats away life essence.¡±

    ¡°Of course it does! What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    Luna shook her head. ¡°Never mind. Its core is in the head. All of its powers are focused there,¡± she responded while trying to navigate the fog without getting hit by loose debris or the divine being¡¯s hand. ¡°But there is also a great concentration of black ether inside.¡±

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    ¡°Alright. So we break it and make a run for it. Got it!¡± Valentine giggled from underneath his helmet as they approached the enemy.

    When their eyes landed on the godlike being, Luna¡¯s falchion was the first to react as harmless silver flames exploded from the edge and swallowed the entire blade.

    Now that they were close, they caught sight of the ongoing carnage in the fog. Rita¡¯s rapier was burning with blue flames as she fought alongside Snow with fierce agility and coordination. The two avoided the spontaneous dark energy attacks with ease as if they knew when they were going to happen.

    At the same time, a large ice spear shot out of the fog and landed right in Oblivion¡¯s right thigh. There was no blood, only an acidic black substance that melted the floor.

    Before Luna and Valentine could do anything, the unseen runes on its body ignited and an invisible wave of dark energy escaped its head and turned the room into a vacuum of dark energy.

    Luna and Valentine turned cold when they saw the fog shape itself back into a silver-haired woman with tired grey eyes. Darkness, who was at a distance, also fell out of the air along with the debris she was controlling. And all of Gail¡¯s arrows shattered out of existence. But unlike the rest who used their auras to fly, he stayed suspended in the air.

    ¡®That¡¯s our cue.¡¯

    With that thought, Luna channeled all her strength to her legs and leaped off the ground. She left a crack in the floor as she brandished her sword in a deadly diagonal slash and silver flames erupted from the Falchion. Even though she wasn¡¯t an ascender, the flames responded to her command and turned into an extension of her will that reached the corrupted deity.

    And for the first time¡­

    It let out a stifled growl after the flames made it to its chest. The smell of burned flesh permeated the air as the flames continued to burn till they disappeared.

    Valentine attacked and cut its hough, forcing it to fall on its knee. His blades had zenshi in them and carried an enchantment that slowed down healing. And with the suits and full functionality, he was able to cut through both tough skin and bone.

    When she landed, Luna moved as fast she could and slashed the other hough with ease.

    The devil fell on both knees. It fought to stay up with its one arm.

    But that¡¯s where they wanted it to be¡­

    Just then, Rita appeared above it, falling from the ceiling with her rapier burning with silver flames. The enchantress was screaming when she thrust her rapier into the devil¡¯s body and whispered some words:

    ¡°Divine Euphonium.¡±

    On saying that, all the flames on her weapon were sucked into the corrupted deity¡¯s body. While still holding onto her weapon, she quickly slammed her bloody hand on its surface and roared out a command that could be heard across the floor.

    ¡°Oblivion, Servant of Fate. I command you not to move!¡±

    ¡®You made a mistake in thinking that zenshi wasn¡¯t a big threat. To underestimate us¡­¡¯

    Following her command, the corrupted being stopped moving for a brief moment. Though its bloodlust only intensified, trapping everyone else in a cage of fear.

    ¡°Snow!¡± Luna yelped at her cousin.

    He summoned his war scythe and Snow moved like the wind. His body vanished entirely before he appeared again above the frozen devil. Twisting his entire body, the war scythe waved and severed the creature¡¯s head clean from the neck.

    When that happened, its head hit the ground with a thud that echoed throughout the floor. It then rolled to Luna whose expression turned to disdain once she saw it. Slowly, she moved away from the head after remembering that that¡¯s where the most corruption was.

    ¡­though, she hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off the creature, yet.

    A still silence hung in the air for a moment before Rita freed the rest of the body and it also fell on the floor with a great thud that shook the tower. She also lost consciousness and Snow ran to her rescue before she could plummet to the ground. She had used up all her zenshi in that final attempt to freeze her opponent.

    ¡°Did we win?¡±

    Mira¡¯s voice cut through the silence, her footsteps echoing before she stopped and caught sight of the scene.

    Darkness emerged from the rubble she was under. She coughed and replied hoarsely:

    ¡°I guess. But where is the magic circle that takes us to the next floor?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re standing on it,¡± Len answered as she stood up, her gaze scanning the room they were standing in. ¡°This entire floor is covered in runes.¡±

    ¡°Gail and Darkness, please get Shin and Rita to the others and make sure they get treatment. Both of them will also lead a small team to go and inform the second army that this floor has been cleared.¡±

    Gail and Darkness nodded and immediately did as they were told. Shin was unconscious after using his Aura to assist Rita and Shin in delivering the final blows. This fight could¡¯ve gone differently but he managed to tip the odds to favor them.

    Meanwhile, as all that happened in the background, Luna hadn¡¯t said a word since the fight ended or heard anything for the fact. Her body was frozen, staring at the celestial¡¯s head intently. Her dark eyes were darker as they reflected the black head of the celestial.

    As if snapping back to her senses, Luna flinched when a pair of jade green appeared on the black head and returned her gaze.

    In reaction, Luna let out a short scream and found herself falling on her bottom.

    But¡­

    She was surprised to discover that the sight of the head and tower were gone and a dark space surrounded her¡­

 Encounter

    Luna found herself surrounded by the expanse of dark space. The scenery had changed so quickly from the tower to the galaxy she was raised to fear all her life. She was surrounded by a myriad of beautiful colors of violet and blue. And beyond the many colors were small tiny objects that sparkled from a distance.

    ¡°Stars?¡± Luna marveled at the beauty before her. She had never been to space, neither was she ever planning to. But this sight made her somehow forget the messy world around her for a brief moment.

    ¡°Beautiful. Aren¡¯t they?¡±

    Luna tensed at the sound of another voice. This triggered and emotions and everything was suddenly coming back to her. She recalled the fight, the tower, her friends, and Rita''s actions that led to their victory.

    Yes. They had just defeated the devil before its eyes opened right in front of her and she was suddenly dragged to this place.

    She tried to search for her weapon. But to her luck, there wasn¡¯t a sword in sight.

    ¡°Calm down, Lunaris Feng. I¡¯ve only invited you here so that we can talk.¡±

    Luna didn¡¯t calm down. Instead, her dark eyes moved with panic etched into them. They moved left and right, searching for the owner of the voice, and stopped when they landed on a single golden tree growing in the center of space. It didn¡¯t look healthy at all; its branches were thin and dry, and its gold leaves were slowly turning to golden dust.

    Seeing it in such a state immediately calmed her down as her concern shifted to the dying tree.

    Once that happened, she caught sight of the tall man staring at it with a solemn expression. He had bleached white skin and long beautiful white hair. He was dressed in one of those elegant ancient Chinese robs that were often won by royals in one of those dynasties she read about while reading about human history.

    He looked hopeless when he withdrew his hand from the dying tree and slowly turned to face Luna.

    Once his jade green eyes met with hers, Luna instantly felt the godlike presence coming from him. It demanded respect and beamed with authority that could crash an army of soldiers.

    She had no choice but to lower her head before asking the first that came to her mind.

    ¡°Are you the one who dragged me to this place?¡±

    The man smiled and responded with a nod. He then raised his hand and waved it slowly.

    Suddenly, the small distance between her and the man was no more. Luna gasped when she realized she was standing in front of the man. He studied her for a moment.

    Surprisingly, Luna managed to keep her composure while face to face with a deity.

    ¡°Welcome to my domain, Lunaris Feng. I am The former Keeper of Nothing and Servant of the god of Fate.¡± He chuckled. ¡°To think that I would die at the hands of humans. Have humans of the mortal realm really grown that much since the gods died?¡±

    He sounded arrogant. But that was a commonality in all high beings. It would be surprising to fight one that isn¡¯t.

    ¡°I guess it''s my lucky day.¡± Luna crossed her arms and sighed while trying to establish some form of dominance. ¡°I get to talk to the keeper of Nothing. And by the way, what is Nothing?¡±

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    ¡°Nothing is my domain. You humans think of nothing as a word but nothing is an entire concept. The concept of imagination is the same as Nothing. It is what my Master gave me when I was born.¡±

    The celestial smiled wistfully as he stared at the stars and the rest of space. Even though it was an illusion, Oblivion could not help but feel nostalgic about this place. ¡°But I¡¯m not here to tell you about myself. I¡¯m here to give you a choice, Lunaris.¡± He gave her an amused smile excited about something.

    Luna tensed and frowned. ¡°What choice?¡±

    ¡°No need to be serious¡­Lunaris. As you can see, I am already dead and this is what¡¯s left of my life essence. You and I both want the same thing.¡±

    ¡°The same thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. As you can already tell, the Mortal Realm is slowly breaking down as the Heavenly bleeds into it. The corruption is what destroyed this world. Sigh, It was a great weapon to use against the gods until the same weapon was used against us. This¡­Blood Tower¡­is something Everlight and her followers used to contain us who were a threat to her and the so-called True Celestials.¡±

    His complexion darkened at the mention of the Servant of Light. He said it with so much ease, proving once again that he was not on the same level as Luna. He didn¡¯t have that strange fear humans felt for deities.

    ¡°I created the darkness to protect her people you know. I went down to the rivers of death and gave her people stones to build her statues! And what do I get huh¡­? A cage. I get pushed into a cage¡­damn it!¡±

    For a moment, he lost his composure. While listening carefully to the deity¡¯s ranting. Whether it was indirectly or not, he was giving her information about Everlight and the true celestials.

    The first thing he made obvious was that he became one of the beings that followed the servant of light after the death of the god of fate. He mentioned that the corruption was meant to be a weapon against the gods. However, that same weapon was later used against them. It seems Oblivion was one of the beings that were too powerful to just let wander around.

    He was a threat to Everlight.

    ¡®Wait¡­so the undead king was just a guard?¡¯

    The second thing she noted was that he was the creator of the darkness that protected Everlight¡¯s people. This was the same darkness she encountered back at the shrine. This was meant to hide the humans'' betrayal as they planned the rebellion against the gods.

    .

    And the third Luna noticed was that Everlight was probably the one who started all of this. The Servant of Light was not alone of course but she was one of the main pieces of the puzzle.

    ¡°Is there a way I can save my world then?¡± Luna asked out of curiosity. He said they wanted the same thing. Which Luna highly doubted. She wanted answers, but jumping straight to the questions felt like unchartered territory and she didn¡¯t want to test her luck in a place like this.

    ¡°Of course there is!¡± Oblivion grinned and spread his arms. ¡°By killing Everlight and the others. They¡¯re the reason why your world and mine are slowly colliding. They''re the root of all this mess I assure you.¡±

    Luna didn¡¯t express anything or any emotion when she heard this. Letting out a sigh, she spoke. ¡°I am guessing you¡¯re trying to use me as a revenge plan against Everlight. Sigh. Unfortunately for the two of us, I do not have anything that puts me even close to the divine. I have no divinity in my blood, I can¡¯t enchant, and I have no gates to open...

    ¡°I cannot Ascend!¡±

    The celestial looked at her for a moment. Then, a quirky smile appeared on his not-so-handsome face as he pointed somewhere with his white finger.

    Luna followed the finger and noticed the aged tree growing in space.

    ¡°This tree represents my life essence. Everything born under the five suns contains life energy,¡± he began to explain and Luna listened carefully. ¡°Both the Divine and Mortals share this single quality. And through that similarity, divinity will always exist.¡±

    Suddenly, Luna¡¯s eyes gaped. ¡°So you¡¯re saying there are other ways to ascend? Ways that we don¡¯t know about?¡±

    The celestial nodded. ¡°Domains are concepts that exist in both realms. Divine energy is the key that opens the door to those concepts. But if you can¡¯t open the door with the house key¡­¡±

    ¡°You break it down.¡± Luna¡¯s eyes widened even more as ideas started flowing into her mind. Maybe Mira''s crazy theories weren''t all nonsense. All along, Luna hadn¡¯t thought of qi as a divine energy. It was life energy but never did she think of it as something that could be controlled like zenshi.

    How does one even wield life essence?

    ¡°Exactly. You¡¯re quite smart for a mortal.¡± He complimented Luna after a gentle laugh. ¡°You humans wield some form of divine energy that you continuously cultivate to grow stronger, am I right?¡±

    Luna nodded.

    ¡°Us who aren¡¯t gods cultivate life energy to develop the control we have over the domains our masters bestowed onto us. Unlike the gods, we weren¡¯t born with the luxury of sharing direct connections with concepts.¡±

    Luna regained her composure and asked in a serious tone. ¡°Do you later become gods after gaining full control over a domain?¡±

    Oblivion sighed and slowly shook his head.

    ¡°No, It''s impossible for us. We are already at the peak of our powers and can¡¯t go any further than this. I don¡¯t know how the others managed to do it¡­to surpass our nature and become something more than what we are. But I am confident to say that they never became gods from what I remember. And if they did over the past centuries, then the divine realm would¡¯ve stopped collapsing¡­.the Eternal Fire would still be burning.¡±

    ¡°The Eternal Fire?¡± Luna knitted her brows as she tried to recall where she heard those words.

    Was it from a memory? Or something else.

    ¡°Yes. The Eternal Fire is something the Ruler or Heavenly Supreme as you may call him, created a long time ago. As long as balance existed, the flame would always burn and keep the divine realm from growing.¡±

    He scoffed when he noticed the golden tree was finally coming to its end. This meant that his existence was soon coming to an end.

    ¡°Unfortunately, the balance crumbled when the gods perished and new gods weren¡¯t born after that. The consequences of our actions are finally here. It might have taken a few centuries but I guess the time has come¡­¡±

    ¡°The time for what?¡± Luna gulped.

    Oblivion looked at her with certainty. The green in his was fading but for the first time in a long time, he felt some hope.

    ¡°The End of Everything.¡±

 The True Path

    Luna blinked and gasped when she realized that she was now back in the siege tower. Out of instinct alone, her dark eyes quickly searched around to make sure she hadn¡¯t been pulled into another space.

    ¡®Thank gods.¡¯

    A weak sigh left her lungs when she relaxed a bit after she caught sight of Len and the rest of the cohort. Everything seemed to be back to normal so suddenly.

    ¡®My head hurts.¡¯ She winced at the hammering pain in her head that came shortly after she started remembering her conversation with the deity. This pain appeared to be an after-effect of stepping into the ''Domain of Nothing¡¯ as Oblivion had renamed it.

    She cursed to herself as she let the pain go on for a short while as her memory got updated.

    That bastard had pushed her out of the space once the golden tree fully faded and the image of space started shifting into an ominous darkness. And before Luna could make sense of what was going on, the deity smiled and pushed her out to save her from the consuming darkness.

    However, much as she appreciated that last-minute save, Luna couldn¡¯t help but hiss at the fact that he had left her with a line of questions she didn¡¯t feel like answering.

    Questions like¡­where the hell is the eternal flame exactly. Sure it was in the divine realm but how exactly was she supposed to get there as a mortal?

    How does she even cultivate qi? Where does she begin commanding life essence? What choice did he have to give her?

    And most importantly¡­

    Who were Everlight¡¯s other followers? And can what happened be revered in anyway?

    There was more but¡­

    ¡®That bastard left me on a cliffhanger.¡¯

    ¡°Luna!¡±

    Len¡¯s voice snapped her out of her dark thoughts. Her eyelids fluttered before she gazed over her shoulder and gave everyone a confused look as if she didn¡¯t the situation.

    ¡°Hmm..?¡± she lifted her eyebrow.

    ¡°You have been quiet for three whole minutes. Are you okay? Is it the pain?¡± Len asked with concern in her eyes. Her eyes traveled to where the head was moments ago and it was gone like the rest of the devil¡¯s body which crumbled to black dust.

    ¡°What pain? I don¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    Everyone fell silent upon Luna¡¯s claim. But when her mind snapped back, the cold expression she was wearing quickly faded and her face turned bright red when she noticed the unnatural looks they were all giving her.

    ¡°Oh¡­no¡­the sword wound is fine. I just lost train of thought.¡± Her eyes traveled to the gold-eyed ascender who had just returned with Darkness. ¡°So, what are we going to do about the teleportation circle? Umm¡­Gail?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to rest for the night and figure out what to do about the circle tomorrow. We can also decide on who¡¯s going to the next floor tomorrow,¡± Len¡¯s serious tone cut in before Gail could speak.

    Automatically, everyone agreed to her suggestion. After a long day of constant fighting, it seemed everyone here had finally reached their limits.

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    Outside the tower, the remaining soldiers were gathering the bodies of their comrades to prepare a burial while the healers were running up and down to save those who they could.

    All those men and women were either sworn members of House Feng or soldiers of the government who simply wanted to delay the end of humanity.

    Nevertheless, it was better to focus on the positive side of things. Especially now that Luna had learned a small bit of the truth¡­

    And so, for now, she could say that the battle of the Siege Tower had ended with House Feng¡¯s victory.

    The first floor of the Blood Tower had been conquered.

    ***

    The red sun has finally set and the crimson moon now hang in the dark sky. The remaining men and women had finished gathering the bodies of their fallen comrades and had set them aflame to avoid having them eaten by the giant serpent or other cursed creatures that were attracted by the strong smell of blood.

    And because the undead king and the devil were dead, the strange powers keeping Verge a monster-free city were fading away. Soon, Cursed Creatures were going to be roaming the fallen city of Verge.

    After paying her respects to her fallen comrades, Luna was now gazing at the expanse of the red desert. She smiled wistfully after she recalled the small life she was just building herself not so long ago. For a brief moment, she thought about her students in the real world.

    Were they worried that she was gone for so long? Or were they celebrating the fact that they didn¡¯t have someone so skilled as herself to remind them of how lacking they were?

    ¡®Maybe that was too specific.¡¯

    Tonight, she was somehow in a good mood. One of the reasons was that she had finally avenged her fallen comrades by conquering the first floor of this dungeon. The second reason was because she had discovered that was indeed another way of ascending.

    She had decided to call this method celestial cultivation simply because the deity claimed that this was how they got stronger before becoming what he was.

    Discovering this made her excited to be honest. Though the downside of all of this was that she barely knew how to absorb or manipulate her own qi or that around her. All living things had qi in them. But unlike divine energy that could be manipulated once the first soul gate opens, life essence didn¡¯t react like that.

    ¡®I need to learn more.¡¯

    Just like in those martial arts-based games she played all the time, Luna realized that she needed a master to help out with this.

    She was already sensitive to qi. But where was she going to find someone that isn¡¯t dead or a deity that was capable of killing her in the blink of an eye?

    ¡°Is manipulating qi even possible for humans? These things are only in comics and games¡­¡± she asked herself.

    She groaned. ¡®It feels like I¡¯m way in over my head. And I can¡¯t admit to Mira that she might have been right.¡¯

    A crazy idea crossed her mind and Luna reached out her hand and tried to manipulate the energy in her body. She put out her hand and closed her eyes to try her luck for once.

    With them closed, Luna started to sense the Qi around. She squeezed them as she tried to manipulate the energy in her body to do something else other than sensing.

    But, to her disappointment, nothing happened for ten whole minutes. There was no response from the qi inside her our around her.

    Oblivion said that all beings with life are capable of ascending. If she can¡¯t use zenshi to open the door, Luna needs to break it down and step onto a similar path.

    Was even the path of zenshi the true path?

    ¡®My head hurts¡­¡¯

    She scowled and turned away from the desert view. Upon turning, she was startled when she noticed Snow¡¯s presence. He standing and the entrance leading to the roof with a hot cup of tea in his hand. Like her, he looked tired and derepressed under the moonlight.

    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± he approached her and handed over the metallic cup of hot tea.

    Luna accepted the warm beverage and smiled weakly. ¡°Nothing much. I was trying to see if qi can be manipulated like zenshi.¡±

    Snow wasn¡¯t at the least surprised. Maybe he was too tired to react.¡°Really and where did you get such a wacky idea? Did Oblivion say something to you?¡±

    Luna shook her head and sipped some of the tea. It was best to keep the truth about their world hidden until she found some real evidence. What difference would it make if she told him that there is something called the Eternal Flame and it''s the reason why the world is like this?

    That would only bring more chaos.

    Also, she couldn¡¯t sidetrack the fact that the deity was put in this place because he was going mad. Not everything he said was believable.

    At least that¡¯s what she thought.

    ¡°I just thought that if zenshi is divine energy and can be manipulated. What of Qi?" Luna faced her cousin. "A more ancient energy that was there before zenshi. Don¡¯t you think the humans of the old world knew something we don¡¯t?¡±

    Snow was quick to respond. ¡°Well¡­for starters, all knowledge about Qi was destroyed thousands of years ago. All we know about it is what was saved and made it to the New Word. Members of my clan are historians and all we managed to collect is that Qi... it¡¯s beyond us, you know? It¡¯s life itself¡ªorder and balance. Stuff we mortals can¡¯t really grasp.¡±

    He turned to the red desert and continued after a short pause.

    ¡°If we could use qi, we would be immortals. No..deities. If you are to ask me, qi is the root of all sorcery. If we, mortals, had taken the path of qi. I believe we could¡¯ve ascended beyond even Fourth Soul Gate.¡±

    Luna almost spit out her tea. ¡®Beyond the fourth gate. Is that even possible?¡¯

    Currently, sorcery was the pinnacle of what humans were capable of. To shift nature to your will with your aura and feel one with the world was something looked at as incredible. What could be better than that?

    Unlike most enchanters, sorcerers didn¡¯t even need runes to create enchantments with their aura. For example, both hers and Len¡¯s swords were made by forged by forge¡ªmasters, and the enchantments were created by sorcerers who shared their auras to grant them special powers.

    The uniqueness of their forged weapons was why Len¡¯s sword could affect nature and even turn into a fog along with her.

    And why Luna¡¯s black katana could cut through almost everything.

    As she thought deeply, Snow continued.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think qi is something we need since Black Ether consumes life essence. That¡¯s why this path is the better one.¡±

    ¡°Its the path that ensures our survival in this fucked up world.¡±

 Worst Possible Future

    When the red sun finally touched the horizon after about ten hours of nighttime, Len and the rest of the group that defeated the corrupted deity returned to the now-silent siege tower to continue where they left off the day before. Surprisingly, even after the intense fight, the magic circle had remained intact.

    After carrying away the debris and cleaning up some parts, the group managed to unveil the entire teleportation circle that covered about thirty percent of the floor.

    Without wasting any time, Gail rushed to the center and started revising the runes and put his knowledge to the test. Rita was currently resting so he was the only one here who had a fair understanding of how runes worked in general.

    While he was doing that, everyone else resorted to doing whatever they wanted as they waited for Gail¡¯s results.

    Luna climbed up the tower stairs and made her way to the black shrine of this tower. After her interaction with Oblivion, Luna had grown a great deal of interest in Everlight, the Servant of Light.

    That name still made her tremble but she was starting to get used to it as she learned more about this world and the true celestials.

    She slowly walked to the sacrificial altar and climbed onto the surface to get a better look at this statue of the Servant of Light behind it. This one lacked a head though, but its build was very similar to the one back at the cathedral.

    Another interesting detail about this statue was that it lacked wings. This version of the statue of Everlight depicted a more human version of the celestial.

    Was this how she appeared to some followers?

    ¡®I guess it¡¯s common for deities to shift between forms.¡¯ She thought as she scanned the black figure.

    Anyway, since she had some time to spare, Luna decided to try and see if she could control Qi once again. She sat down, crossed her legs, and started to meditate. This was the second time since yesterday.

    Previously, Luna had hoped to awaken a memory that would gave her some kind of clue about manipulating Life Essence. But her hopes led to nothing. And for once in her life, unique blood felt useless in this situation.

    As she entered her meditative state, Luna began to feel the life energy traveling through her muscles and giving them life with each breath she took. If she could control that life essence in her body, Luna would finally find a way of opening a Soul Gate.

    She was confident that learning how to control the essence in her mundane body would set her on the path of ascension. She had been taught how to control zenshi even before her family confirmed she wasn¡¯t capable of awakening like the rest.

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    Luna had not put that knowledge to waste of course. The special breathing techniques and exercises improved her overall combat abilities and made her a better swordsman as she indulged herself more and more in the world of martial arts.

    However, the most important piece of information she had acquired was the art of meditation. An art she was told to master from the time she first gained the ability to walk.

    Meditation was the key to ruling the mind. Anyone born with the spark of divinity needed to learn this specific art if they wanted to become an ascender in the first place because it was the first step at achieving the balance between the body and mind.

    ¡­.Cultivation of Mind is what the monks back at the main sect called it. It focused on preparing the mind for the path of ascension due to how intense zenshi sometimes felt after opening the First Soul Gate.

    Also, a powerful mind could on the stress of summoning a weapon in a short period and manifest weapons almost instantly. However, the strength of the manifested weapon usually depended on the Ascender¡¯s level of zenshi mastery.

    Fortunately, Luna just happened to be a master of the art of meditation due to her inability to sense unique energies like ascenders. Through meditation, she was introduced to the world of using qi to expand her mundane senses. One could say it was a consolation to not let her feel so left behind. But after going against the sword guardian, Luna realized she was underlooking the benefits of being sensitive to life''s essence. If she wasn¡¯t, Len would¡¯ve been one of the bodies they were burning yesterday.

    ¡®Sigh. Let¡¯s try again.¡¯

    After getting comfortable, she cleared her thoughts and closed her eyes. The world around her was engulfed in darkness as she entered a meditative state.

    Slowly, her senses started to fade. It started with her hearing as she slowly felt the canopy of noise on the lower floor disappear¡­

    Second, the smell of sand finally disappeared from the edges of her nostrils. Meaning her sense of smell had been numbed as she dived deeper into a more clear conscious state.

    Like zenshi, she started by feeling all the qi flowing through her. Then, she tried moving some of it to her hand like how would enhance a punch by concentrating all their zenshi on that point.

    Qi was more difficult to command due to its ancient nature. Things like intent were useless. She needed to find a way of influencing it without trying to enforce her will on it.

    Soon, her concentration broke after some time of meditation. Once again, she had accomplished nothing.

    ¡°I might as well go mad from all this overthinking.¡± She whispered to herself.

    Suppose Oblivion was right about the flame holding the divine realm. Then Luna needed to tell someone else to do something about it.

    Honestly, this was above what she signed for.

    He mentioned that the end is coming. By the end, he meant that more and more gates were set to appear in the mortal realm to finish the job.

    The current world was already a mess because a small part of the divine realm started bleeding into the mortal realm. The Fall began with a large rift in the sky that made way for all types of monsters that caught humans off guard. The advanced technology at the time was useless¡­guns¡­nuclear bombs¡­nothing could kill those things.

    One gate at that time led to the death of about forty percent of humanity. Some fell victim to cursed creatures while others turned to monsters after coming into contact with black ether. What made it worse was that zenshi was still complicated to awaken or use because of how foreign it was to humanity. A first Soul Gate user would go against a cursed tyrant with no assurance of coming out of it alive.

    Those were the darkest times.

    Luna sat properly and tried to imagine what would happen if the two realms finally collided. The number of sorcerers in the world would never be enough to give humanity a fighting chance if more cursed emperors made it to the mortal realm.

    ¡°Extinction.¡± She muttered with a shaky breath. ¡°We would be driven to extinction¡­¡±

    She imagined a scorched earth. An Earth crawling with all kinds of abominations, gates spawning everywhere with more devils and cursed creatures crossing over.

    ¡®It would truly be the end.¡¯ Luna¡¯s dark thoughts lingered as she remembered every detail of Oblivion¡¯s conversation.

    The deities didn¡¯t care about humans despite this being their mess.

    ¡®Why would they? We¡¯re a lesser species¡­¡¯

    Luna was silent for about three more minutes as she tried her best not to quiver even more. She was terrified of the future because she now knew bits of the horrible truth. As she analyzed these bits more, her fear seemed to escalate even further each time she thought of a possibility.

    ¡°The magic circle is active¡­but this configuration...I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. You all need to see this.¡± She heard Gail¡¯s voice over her communicator.

    ¡®I guess I will find more answers if I continue to climb this tower.¡¯ She sighed and jumped off the altar.

    She gave one final look at the headless statue of Everlight and proceeded down the flight of stairs leading to the first part of the dark tower.

 Hard Choices, Harsh Truths

    On returning to the main floor, Luna noticed the usual faces standing around and staring at the magic circle with anticipation burning in most of their eyes. Gail was still in the center but now the circle¡¯s runes were releasing a dim blue hue that almost felt hypnotic when her gaze stayed on it for longer than a minute.

    The only person who hadn¡¯t gotten close to the circle was Valentine. He was silently staring at the circle and the ascenders landing around it. His dark eyes reflected the blue light like a mirror.

    Silently, Luna walked up to the son of house Artemis. The two hadn¡¯t had a normal conversation since they met, so maybe this was the perfect time for one.

    She cleared her throat to speak, but Valentine beat her to it. ¡°Good morning, Lady Lunaris. How are you?¡± he asked in a friendly tone.

    ¡°I''m good. And please stop calling ¡®Lady¡¯. The honorifics are useless. We¡¯ve fought side by side after all.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I guess that seems fit. Lunaris it is then.¡±

    Luna raised an eyebrow. People usually called her Luna, to mean Moon. Her father told her she was born on the day of a Luna eclipse so they picked the name Lunaris¡ªto mean the moon will rise. Yes, her father was somewhat of a failed poet.

    ¡°Luna is also fine,¡± she added.

    ¡°But I prefer Lunaris. It is the full form of your name¡­ it''s a strange name, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Luna smiled. ¡°Finally. Someone who agrees with me. Maybe my parents wanted something fancy. Who names their child after a celestial body.¡±

    Valentine nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Lucky you. I am named after some strange saint from the old world. My father claims that history is meant to be remembered so that it doesn¡¯t repeat itself¡­¡±

    ¡°But what part of history says anything about cursed creatures?¡± Luna hissed. ¡°The old world is almost fully gone. I had to be the bearer of bad news, but this is the New World with new history¡­¡±

    Crap¡­she had almost let her emotions wild. How worried was she feeling?

    Valentine smiled weakly and turned his eyes to the group working on the teleportation circle. He wore a scrutinizing look as he studied the light of the runes on the floor. Len, Gail, Snow, and Darkness were watching with serious expressions.

    ¡°Do you ever feel bad about being unblessed?¡±

    Luna was a bit surprised by the sudden shift of topic. ¡°I always feel bad,¡± she answered matter-of-factly. ¡°It''s the source of my low esteem and depression most of the time. Coming from a Clan as powerful as mine, it is not uncommon to feel this way.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­well you shouldn¡¯t, Lunaris. We¡¯re the special ones in my opinion. I think zenshi is a shackle meant to hold us back from our true potential. Oblivion¡¯s Aura was Nothing, the concept of nonexistence was at the palm of his hand,¡± he suddenly began to mumble out his thoughts and Luna listened. ¡°No human has ever wielded such a superior concept. In my Clan, we believe that zenshi was something the gods gave to us as a fighting chance.

    ¡°¡­But after being here for a while, was it really the gods who gave us these powers?¡±

    His question hung in the air for a full minute before Luna forced her ignorance. She had already thought of this after talking to Oblivion. For fifty years, the reason for the fall had always been the death of the gods. It was human to think that the gods decided to save the precious mortal realm by giving the humans a fighting chance.

    She believed this theory until yesterday when she found out that there was an entire Epoch where the True celestials ruled the divine realm after the gods died.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she pretended not to have an idea.

    ¡°Someone gave us zenshi. And it''s not the gods as everyone thinks. I¡¯m only here to confirm my hypothesis.¡±

    ¡®Great¡­a curious one.¡¯

    ¡°So you¡¯re not a spy?¡± Luna giggled.

    Valentine shook his head right away.¡°No one knows I¡¯m even here. Traveling from the Western Settlement was hard considering I used my sister as an excuse to come to this continent. I¡¯m pretty sure the council will get mad when they find out I lied in the name of my house and Father.¡±

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    ¡°So you¡¯re in big trouble?¡± she raised her brow. She wanted to inform him that she was his sister¡¯s martial combat professor but where is the fun in that?

    ¡°Exactly. I am only here because I¡¯m curious and I want to save our world, Lunaris. I resent my father and clan because they only wish to take over the ruined world. They turned me and my siblings into fierce warriors. So forgive me if I look like an assassin or spy sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry for my comment.¡± She slightly bowed as she apologized.

    ¡°It''s alright, Lunaris. I believe you and I have a lot in common. You¡¯re also looking for answers too, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Luna lingered and nodded. ¡°You can say that, I guess.¡±

    Valentine¡¯s gaze shifted to her. He gave her a gentle nod and turned back to the group trying to activate the teleportation circle.

    Snow and Gail were now guiding their zenshi into the magic circle. And before they knew it, a powerful gale of wind burst out of the teleportation circle as it got brighter and brighter.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Luna frowned as she asked Valentine.

    ¡°Gail figured out how the runes work. Turns out, to control the runes, they needed to feed zenshi to them in a specific order to make it work. Or something like that¡­¡±

    As she watched the circle awaken, a feeling of dread suddenly washed over Luna and all the hairs on her body stood up. Electric sparks began to move out of its center, dancing wildly but not striking anyone. Soon the room was bathed in the light of the blue flashes of zenshi and the electric-like energy that seemed to distort space in a way.

    ¡®Why do I feel like this so suddenly?¡¯ she shivered and made a few steady steps towards the group working on the teleportation circle.

    She looked at the glowing runes, then her face paled even more when she remembered what Oblivion had said. He mentioned that the tower is a prison for corrupted beings like him. Beings who were too powerful if they became devils.

    Everlight didn¡¯t kill them because she still needed their powers.

    If they had failed to contain Oblivion what would happen if he made it to the mortal realm?

    ¡®But he was just a devil of the Master rank so even a powerful summoner can defeat him.¡¯ Luna consoled herself.

    As she approached the teleportation circle, the weary feeling grew stronger with each careful step. And when she stepped into its range¡­the circle seemed to emit more blue light as if she was also feeding it zenshi.

    She stopped and began to sweat when she remembered the warning left behind in the shrine.

    ¡®We will die if we proceed.¡¯

    ¡°This world is a prison meant to keep corrupted deities!¡± She bellowed with a panic.

    Gail looked at her, confused. ¡°What do you mean by it''s a prison?¡±

    ¡°The Crimson Tower is a prison. We¡¯ve killed the undead king who was the guardian of this floor and the warden who kept Oblivion in this tower by using energy to control the army of cursed creatures, including the Sword Guardian.¡±

    ¡°When did you come up with that idea?¡± Snow asked.

    ¡°I spoke with Oblivion. He...um...told me of how he was placed here after being corrupted. This¡­floor was his prison. We can assume the next two floors are prisons too.¡±

    Luna explained while everyone listened with a baffled expression. Even Valentine, who was standing far away was a bit surprised by this information.

    Information that stated that Luna had shared a conversation with a deity.

    ¡°I suggest we wait for reinforcements before we decide to move forward. It could be a scythe or a sovereign waiting for us on the next floor.¡±

    There was a silence as they all stared at Luna. Luna was not the type to enjoy any attention so she felt uncomfortable with being in the spotlight.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I will go in first and see for myself. The teleportation circle works both ways, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Snow asked Gail who rushed to shake his head in response.

    ¡°That only works in games. If this were a game, this would be a checkpoint and you would be able to return as you wish. Unfortunately for us¡­this isn¡¯t a game that grants you a return. We may all be transported to different areas of the wasteland that awaits us,¡± Gail explained and everyone¡¯s face darkened. The idea of getting separated was something.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let the strongest ones among us go forward while the rest wait for reinforcements. We can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing,¡± Lena finally spoke.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Luna snapped at her sister. ¡°Have you heard what I''ve just said? Are you deaf?¡±

    Luna found herself falling short of breath. Was she scared?

    ¡°That is not the right way to speak to your captain, Lunaris.¡± Len barked and the entire room was silent in an instant. ¡°I have to think of what to do next because you forgot to tell us something important!¡±

    Luna gasped a little and squeezed her hands into fists till they turned completely white. She looked at Len with a nonchalant expression and didn''t respond. If she told everything, their morale would shatter completely. There was also a hex that filtered the truth. She still didn''t know what triggered it in the first place.

    ¡°You know what. I think you¡¯ve played your part, Luna. You¡¯ve shown you¡¯re worthy as the next leader the Feng Clan by displaying your skills and growth. Beyond this level, you can¡¯t fight without zenshi. That¡¯s why I have decided¡­.

    Luna¡¯s eyes widened. She wasn¡¯t going to. Was she?

    ¡°I have decided to also dismiss you and Valentine. By protocol, I hereby release you from your duties as a captain and soldier. And you are expected to return to the Mortal realm with Mira and the rest of the Mundane soldiers. That¡¯s an order!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Len gritted her teeth. ¡°You¡¯ve heard me, civilian.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough, Luna. I respect you¡­a lot. But a human needs to be aware of their limits. I can¡¯t go face to face with a scythe worrying about my sister can¡¯t regenerate like me or take on a heavy attack.¡±

    Luna¡¯s expression darkened. Did her sister just call her weak? No, she said she wasn¡¯t capable of surviving the next level. Was she calling her a burden?

    ¡°I¡¯m choosing what¡¯s best for you, Luna.¡±

    ¡°Who says you know what¡¯s best for me?¡± Luna gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°I came here because mom believed I could grow from this.¡±

    How could anyone know what¡¯s best for her? How could Lena know that her sister has been depressed for a long time? That she¡¯s jealous of her. Or that she¡¯s doing her best to keep her older sister safe.

    Luna wanted to grab her sister by the collar and scream out everything she felt at the moment. She was burning...

    But¡­

    She stayed silent. Her fists trembled and the dark nonchalantness in her eyes didn¡¯t waver. After all, facial expressions weren¡¯t her best suit.

    After the short silence, Luna scoffed at her sister and turned her back to her sister as she headed for the open large doors leading to the rest of the city. She felt devastated but maybe Len was right. There are things she just wasn''t capable of.

    Whatever happened next was up to her cohort and the other capable ascenders.

    ¡°Take care of her.¡± Lena requested Valentine who followed Luna as soon as she left.

    Len remained still as she watched Luna leave the tower without even looking back. She convinced herself that this was for the best¡­

    Luna was the most likely to die in a fight against a scythe or something stronger. They were only lucky this time because they had someone like Snow or Shin.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry so, Luna. I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into our fight. I shouldn¡¯t have convinced her to let you join this operation,¡± she whispered to herself then turned to now active circle.

    Gail, Darkness, and Snow were silent after overhearing that conversation.

    ¡°Open it.¡±

    Once she ordered, Gail and Snow channeled zenshi through a sequence of runes and the world tensed when space itself began to ripple apart as the portal grew from the epicenter of the teleportation circle.

    The first thing that came to Luna''s attention was that her breath was visible as the next floor¡¯s temperature fell rapidly. With a thought, a translucent ice blade appeared in her right hand.

    Snow summoned his jian while Darkness created a gladius and a round shield with her zenshi. The three of them were currently the strongest here and could withstand whatever was on the other side.

    When it fully opened, a powerful combination of strong and white snow erupted from the next floor just where the portal had appeared.

    They all shivered from the intense coldness bleeding from the next floor.

    ¡­the next floor was a frozen wasteland.

    A/N: Valentine Artemis''s sister is Diana Artemis.

 Through the Portal

    The frigid air from the portal clawed at their skin, sending shivers down even the most seasoned warriors¡¯ spines. Lena, Gail, Snow, and Darkness stepped closer to the shimmering veil of energy, its edges crackling like frost-laced glass. Beyond the portal, the vague outline of a frozen wasteland stretched endlessly, jagged cliffs and frost-encrusted ruins barely discernible through the biting gale.

    Lena took a slow, steady breath, watching as her exhalation crystallized in the air. Her ice blade shimmered faintly, its translucent form reflecting her resolve. This was no ordinary environment¡ªit felt hostile as if the land itself was imbued with ancient malice.

    She gulped and turned on her tracker. ¡°I will be the first one to step in. This is my element, after all.¡±

    No one seemed to object to her decision. They were all ascenders but there was still so little that they knew about the divine realm as it rules. So no one questioned why there was a frozen wasteland in a tower that was or was not built by the gods.

    ¡°Be careful. We will be right behind you,¡± Snow reassured her as he stared at the wasteland below. Gail mentioned that they could appear anywhere due to how unstable teleportation usually was. It would be like a gateway.

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Lena nodded with confidence and spared a glance at the Siege Tower¡¯s exit. A part of her hoped that Luna would run in to say goodbye. But that moment never came.

    ¡°See you on the other side then. Don¡¯t get yourself killed Captain Frosty.¡±

    Lena reacted to Darkness¡¯s words with a nod. She got even closer to the circular rift and drew in a sharp strong breath before jumping right into it. She first felt a great pull, sucking her into the next floor. She saw multiple colors flash past her as both the images of the siege tower and her cohort faded away as she got further and further.

    Before she could make sense of what was happening, Lena found herself getting caught in a powerful blizzard while falling from the cloudy sky. She quickly realized what the great pull was.

    Her vision blurred as snowflakes kept hitting her face. She had no control of the snow here because the powerful winds were not giving her a chance to understand what was happening. The intensely cold wind whooshed past her ears ruining her sense of direction and balance.

    She almost panicked but her resolve kicked in just before the coldness got to her head.

    ¡®Calm down. You¡¯re the Ghost of Winter. That is your true name.¡¯

    As soon as she remained herself that single truth, Lena straightened her body and unleashed the power of her second gate. Her grey eyes turned silver-blue as she tried to slow herself down by commanding the snow around her. She did this by transforming her lower half into a fog extending her reach as a second gate user.

    Thankfully, it worked, and she plummeted from the sky, falling into a leafless, snow-covered tree before landing on the soft, snowy ground.

    Her sword wasn¡¯t that far either.

    ¡®Argh! Gods¡­.¡¯

    With a groan, she lifted herself off the ground and granted herself a good look at her surroundings. There was nothing much to see¡ªaside from the small orange light that glowed from a distance. It must¡¯ve been very bright because it tore through the darkness and the thick snow of the active blizzard.

    This floor appeared to be trapped between daylight and nighttime. Above, thick dark snow clouds covered the skyline and blocked most of the light from the sun above.

    ¡®I need to create a signal for the others.¡¯ She recalled protocol and quickly got to work. She moved her quick gaze away from the distant orange light and looked up for any signs of the portal.

    ¡° I can¡¯t even feel its energy. Is it too far away or was Gail right?¡± She asked herself.

    Anyways the only person that could worry her was not her. Her group was the strongest.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Len then went on to create the beacon meant to guide her teammates to her just in case they ended up here. Lucky for her, Lena happened to be surrounded by a bunch of twisted trees covered with snow. It was strange and amazing that something could grow in a place like this.

    Even her resistance to coldness had grown weak in this place.

    She located the tallest of the twisted trees, placed her right hand on its thick bark, and started pouring zenshi into it. Her zenshi was almost white because of her Aura so anyone who knew her could identify her zenshi.

    Also, if any creatures were lurking in the darkness, they would try to remain hidden because of the divine nature of zenshi itself.

    When she was done creating a beacon, Len began her exploration of the frozen wasteland. The most obvious place she needed to go to was the distant orange light. It was obvious that something waiting for them there.

    With a sigh, dismissed her forged weapon and began running through the twisted tree woods. The blizzard was difficult to navigate, especially with all the falling snow. But she didn¡¯t stop.

    Even when the snow got thicker and the wind got colder.

    After running through the twisted woods for almost thirty minutes, Lena stopped when she noticed something odd. She had felt a strange but powerful presence that caught her by surprise.

    ¡®This presence feels so similar to mine.¡¯

    ¡°No¡­not similar.¡± She corrected her thoughts as she approached the source of this presence.

    ¡®No¡­way.¡¯ Her eyes stretched open when her eyes landed on the familiar twisted tree. She got closer to confirm and touched its surface with a trembling hand.

    ¡°Crap.¡± She cursed upon identifying the energy as her own.

    This was the tree she was using as a beacon for the others. How did she get back here?

    ***

    Luna returned to the camp, fuming with rage after what her sister had done.

    Valentine followed behind her. He hadn¡¯t said a word since they were dismissed from the subjugation.

    Everyone else had left the night before with Mira and Rita leading the journey back to the real world. Rita had been tasked with the duty of informing the second army about their conquering of the first level. She was to also deliver the map of the quickest route to Verge through the blood desert.

    If they moved now, her and Valentine would catch up in a few hours if they were lucky not to meet any enemies on the way. But Luna didn¡¯t want to leave the Blood Tower yet. Not when she still had so many questions. She might never get a chance like this ever again.

    Because of those unanswered questions, Luna had decided to wait here for the second army and join them in conquering the second floor of the Blood Tower.

    ¡°We can just activate it ourselves and sneak through.¡±

    She stopped her pacing and faced Valentine who had just broken the silence with his suggestion. He was seated on a stone chair. This was where they had held the final meeting before parting ways with Mira and the others.

    ¡°Are you an ascender by any chance? Because if you¡¯re not, I¡¯m not really in the mood for jokes.¡±

    ¡°Lady Lunaris. Of course I am not an ascender. But I come from house Artemis where even mundanes know how to turn the tides on some things. Isn¡¯t sorcery fascinating?¡±

    He put out his hand one of his short blades appeared in his hand as if he had summoned it.

    Frightened by this, Luna instinctively backed away from the tall man and pulled a steel black blade from the scabbard attached to her waist.

    All her life, she had never seen a mundane human summon a forged weapon. Storing forged weapons required zenshi and a special rune that connected the user and the weapon itself. A mundane human summoning one was meant to be impossible.

    ¡°How is that possible? You''re....mundane¡± She asked in a serious tone while pointing her blade at him.

    Valentine scoffed and put both his hands up to mean no harm. ¡°We call it Human reconstruction. I am an unblessed with Blood Group A1,¡± he began to explain. ¡°My clan specializes in mixing science and whatever zenshi. And through that, my father, Lord Artemis succeeded in creating something revolutionary.¡±

    He dismissed the short katana and grinned.

    ¡°I am a freak now.¡±

    Although she was still stunned, Luna exhaled sharply and put away her dagger. House Artemis never kept its human experiments a secret to the world, of course. Lord Artemis was a proud ruler who believed that all humans had great potential buried in them. The methods he used to awaken this potential were usually dehumanizing in a sense.

    But that was none of House Feng¡¯s or the rest of the world¡¯s business. Morals were not that necessary in a world falling apart.

    ¡°Can you perform sorcery?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°A little. I can also manipulate zenshi to an extent.¡±

    That¡¯s all she needed to hear. If she had someone that could manipulate zenshi with her. Then opening a portal to the next level wasn¡¯t going to take as long as she had expected.

    ¡°Then we should head back at¡­¡±

    She suddenly paused after something made the world around them tremble.

    They both turned their heads to the tower and fell silent as an eerie feeling possessed the pair.

    Something was wrong¡­.

    In that moment of silence, a golden teleportation circle appeared right beneath their feet.

    Luna was quick to catch on. This circle was made from life essence. Its pure nature confirmed that.

    She tried to extend her arm to hold Valentine¡­

    But she was a second too late.

    They were both sucked into the portal.

    ***

    Inside the Siege tower, Darkness was the second to jump through the portal. She felt a great pull before she realized she was in the air, falling through a powerful blizzard and clouds.

    Below, her eyes settled on the snow-capped peaks of a very tall mountain. They were growing larger as he continued to fall at a faster rate.

    ¡°Hehe....it seems the Gravity is pulling me in.¡±

    She grinned and her sapphire eyes glowed. She opened her second gate and manipulated the gravity field around her to slow her fall.

    She landed safely on a snow-covered rock. That cracked from the force of her landing. Darkness spared a moment to gather her thoughts and take in her surroundings.

    There was only snow as far as the eye could see.

    But, within all the white and darkness, Darkness noticed the orange light glowing at a distance.

    ¡°I guess I have to go there.¡± She muttered before shooting into the blizzard at an incredible speed.

    She was flying into the mountains.

    ***

    Gail and Snow entered the portal at the same time and they were both welcomed by the horror of realizing that they were plummeting to the ground at an incredible speed while the raging blizzard heavily obscured their vision.

    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Snow rasped as he braced himself for one hell of a landing. If he died he would resurrect anyway.

    However, before he could hit the ground, Gail swooped in and grabbed him. Unfortunately, he lost control to the blizzard''s powerful winds and they both collided into an ice wall.

    The collision was so powerful that it left a crater in the ice wall where the pair had crashed.

    ''Oh gods!''

    Snow was surprised they were alive after that. They both winced and lifted their pain-filled bodies. Gail was rubbing the back of his head while trying to make sense of where they were.

    ¡°I mean it could¡¯ve been worse," he laughed painfully.

    On the other hand, Snow was already staring at the blizzard with heavy concern. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have come to place¡­¡± he murmured when he felt the mark of death left on this floor.

 Into The Cold Wilderness

    Just then, the world around Luna shifted faster than her mind could even fathom. One moment it was hot enough to make her sweat underneath her suit, the other it was so cold that the brain itself had gone numb.

    She was now staring at a dark sky, surrounded by white snow dots circling her. The sharp wind felt like blunt razor blades cutting her exposed skin. The sound of wind kept cutting across her ears as her long dark hair moved upwards in a wild manner.

    ¡®What...is going on¡­¡¯

    ¡®Where am I?¡¯

    Luna stretched out her hand with great effort. As she continued falling from this height, she noticed her arm was covered by a cold layer of ice. She quickly realized that her brain activity was too slow to activate the mental link attached to her spine. The suit wasn¡¯t going to adjust to the conditions if her body didn¡¯t react to the environment.

    If this continued for more than two minutes, the heating system would remain inactive and she would freeze to death before plummeting into whatever the ground was made of.

    And knowing her luck, Luna wasn¡¯t expecting snow to break her fall.

    Gods¡­Was she really going to die here? Was this her fate?

    Luna stared at the dark clouds and her consciousness started to fade. The layer of ice started to grow even faster as her descent continued. She had almost given up when something within the depth of her soul awakened and her eyes seemed to brighten as she was overcome by the sheer will to survive.

    ''I can''t die in a place like this.'' She clenched her cold hands and forced her mind to wake up. ''Not when I am so close to the truth.''

    There was a renewed spark in her mind and the nano-mites that protected her body reacted to the environment. The suit¡¯s core increased its power output and started supplying her body with enough heat to awaken some of her awareness. Her blue lips gained some color and her thoughts were now running as her blood started flowing to her brain. She was still short of breath but at least dying from hypothermia wasn¡¯t on the list.

    ¡®Where¡¯s Valentine? How were we suddenly teleported despite being so far away?¡¯ Her mind didn¡¯t spare her a second as multiple questions bombarded her consciousness.

    Then¡­

    Kraak!

    Without warning, Luna heard the sound of ice breaking when her body plummeted into a thick ice surface. She felt a great deal of her bones shatter before she was immediately submerged in the cold water underneath the surface and coughed out a great deal of blood as she began to swallow a lot of water.

    The suit had done its best to protect the vital organs but it felt like her mind was flickering on and off as she held onto her life which felt like a weak thread at this point.

    Despite the pain coursing through her tiny body, Luna gathered the little strength she had managed to swim up with one hand. She emerged from the cold black water and gasped for air. The air left a bitter taste in her mouth and a sharp pain in her lungs but that¡¯s fine.

    She desperately reached for one of the floating ice blocks and clanged onto it as if her life depended on it.

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    She continued to hold onto the block for some time, and then she let the suit do the rest by heating her. Very Soon, her fingers regained their color and her eyes started to move and take in her surroundings.

    ¡°Crap¡­¡± Luna cursed weakly when she realized she was¡ªin the middle of a frozen water body. The rest of her surroundings, well¡­was blanketed by a twilight darkness and a powerful snow blizzard. The winds carried most of the snow, obscuring the little visibility she had left.

    Once she felt some of her strength return, Luna climbed up the ice block and threw her body on the surface of the ice block. She looked up at the dark cloudy sky. Her breaths were ragged due to the extreme cold and the hypoxia she had just experienced while she was falling. Her lungs were also taking some time to adjust to the cold air of this world.

    ¡®I guess Gail was right about appearing in weird places.¡¯

    With a thought, a black helmet formed over her head and her display changed showing her a full body status and diagnosis. She wasn¡¯t surprised to see that she was in a terrible condition, her right arm was dislocated. Parts of her spine were cracked and some ribs had attained a good deal of damage after breaking the ice with her back.

    ¡®Damn it¡­damn it all.¡¯ She cried out while staring at the display.

    What exactly had happened? Why were they suddenly transported to the second floor?

    A dark thought crossed her mind as she waited for the suit¡¯s heating function to go fully online. Though it was far from the realm of possibility, she could''ve become a prisoner of this place. She was getting close to the truth, after all.

    Being suddenly dragged to this world only confirmed that she was right about some foreign force pulling the strings of everything that led her to this tower.  All of this no longer felt like a coincidence. Why did Oblivion only pull her into his space? Why was it only her who found the temple?

    ¡°Something happened on that train.¡±

    Yes, something must have happened there to initiate this cycle of events. She needed to remember.

    Corruption and Raphael were probably trying to stop her from getting into the Crimson Tower because she was the anomaly that worried Corruption.

    But in what way was she a threat to someone as powerful as Corruption? Was it her knowledge about qi or something entirely different?

    Luna wondered.

    ¡®Whatever it is, it¡¯s connected to what happened on my way to Hansho. It''s connected to the stars¡­.¡¯

    ¡°That makes me an enemy of someone like Corruption.¡±

    A creepy smile appeared on her face before she broke into mad laughter. She laughed at the top of her voice but the blizzard was loud enough to hide her mad laughter with the whistling wind.

    She was now unsure of her fate in this place and the real world. If she lived through the challenges of this tower and made it out alive, then she would be the anomaly Corruption is trying to get rid of.

    So¡­

    Luna needed to get stronger to protect herself and the people close to her. It was the only way.

    After some time, her body temperature returned to normal and her breaths became more controlled. Her thoughts came down cleared and she was finally able to move perfectly.

    Luna used her good hand to row her way to the edge of the ice surface, reached for the icy surface, and climbed over to it. The ice was thick enough to hold her entire weight so she wasn¡¯t worried about it at the moment.

    She stood up and scanned the environment with her helmet on. Even with the helmet peering through some parts of the frozen seemed difficult despite the night vision too. Her infrared scanners also picked up no heat signature which wasn¡¯t surprising for a world ruled by magic and disobeyed what humans considered normal.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Len but I guess I still have business here.¡±

    She observed the blizzard around her for a moment. Beyond this point, there was a high chance she was going to go against cursed creatures and other horrors on her own. She bit onto her lower lip and fixed her right arm into position. This was a first-time experience so the pain from this action could only be described as excruciating for a brief moment.

    She could''ve waited but fighting with one arm would be difficult, especially in her current state.

    Once that was done, the first thing Luna needed to do was get off the surface of a frozen water body and then locate the others. She turned on the navigation for the first time since she entered the dungeon. But was surprised when received an unexpected response from the nanosuit.

    [This function is unavailable]

    She stared blankly at the red words on her display. ¡®Why did I think technology would work in a place like this?¡¯ Luna sighed and began her glorious trek across the frozen surface.

    The ice crunched under her boots as she entered the blizzard and began her search for land through the darkness. Since the night vision seemed useless, she was now relying on her qi sense to navigate and sense for any enemies. Her only weapon was a black enchanted dagger.

    Unfortunately, Rita wasn¡¯t skilled enough to repair her original weapon so she left with its pieces to have it repaired when she returned to Main Command outside of the tower.

    So, for now, this enchanted dagger passed on to her by Monic was her only weapon in this world. Honestly, an ordinary enchanted dagger wasn¡¯t enough for someone like her. But this dagger, the Poison Sin was a powerful one and made from the skin of a cursed tyrant that appeared in the southern settlement a few years ago.

    The blade didn¡¯t look much, but it contained two impressive enchantments. One made the blade very sharp and tough, while the second delivered a powerful toxin capable of incapacitating a tyrant and killing anything below its rank.

    The toxin was part of the tyrant¡¯s ability so that made the blade even more special because copying a creature¡¯s ability into a weapon was extremely difficult and needed to be done within a specific time frame.

    Nevertheless, Luna wasn¡¯t going to let herself die in a place like this.

    Also, there had to be a reason why she was the only one Oblivion had exposed his truth to and why the tower decided to keep her.

 Welcome to The Wilderness

    Luna had walked for hours through the blizzard and still hadn¡¯t found any sign of land. However, she had noticed a few signs of life hiding the snowstorm. As expected, the creatures here used the environment to aid with their hunting.

    But....

    So far, her dagger was still clean because the cursed creatures were currently focused on resisting the strong winds which also helped hide her scent from the predators. However, if the winds slowed down before she found any land, that would be a whole other situation she needed to avoid at the moment.

    Under the helmet, her face had grown pale after feeding her mind with so much information after overusing Qi sense. She was using it like a radar that stretched for about a kilometer since most of her ¡®advanced radar¡¯ was offline.

    Luna silently continued searching for land while traversing the ice terrain. She was tired, cold, and hungry after walking for so long. She was occasionally tempted to activate cross-country communication, but she was focusing all her energy on keeping herself warm for now. She may have been very different from mundane humans but she didn¡¯t carry that slight resistance to elements most ascenders had.

    Len was fully immune to the coldness of this world so Luna was sure she was going to survive unless attacked by something more powerful and impossible to escape.

    After walking for a couple more hours, Luna¡¯s eyes finally landed on a distant orange light. Its brightness easily cut through the darkness and snow like they were nothing.

    She stopped and asked herself. ¡°What is that?¡± her eyes stayed on the orange light. ¡°A beacon or a lighthouse of sort?¡±

    Much as she wanted to find out what it was exactly, her concerns were much bigger than that. She was still ignorant about this world, its rules, and the possible prisoner of this floor. There was also the fact that she was getting hungrier by each minute.

    She needed to find something to eat.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Luna hissed. Her movements were now getting slower. She was now getting thirsty. Was it even safe to drink the black water under feet?

    Once she was warm enough, Luna decided to turn on her communication to try and get in touch with anyone nearby. The suit¡¯s screen blinked green when she transferred most of the suit''s energy to enhance the communication.

    While that happened, a holographic screen appeared in front of her. It displayed all the active zenshi reactors. The screen showed three green dots, meaning that these suits belonged to ascenders since the ascender¡¯s soul gate constantly recharged their reactors.

    If she were to guess, the three green dots were Gail, Snow, and Darkness. The single red dot represented a dormant suit that was still online, representing Lena because the environment wasn¡¯t a problem to her like the rest. The remaining orange dots belonged to active suits which belonged to Luna and Valentine.

    Once the communications were online, Luna let out a command. ¡°Initiate cross-country communication.¡±

    [initiating cross-country communication]

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    The suit¡¯s intelligence responded as it began to communicate with other suits in its reach. The chances of this working in this snowstorm were close to zero so Luna wasn¡¯t confident about this. She started to feel a little cold as the surface of her armor started to freeze instantly. After she toned down on the power, the suit''s heating was no longer as effective as before. If she had two zenshi cores or her own zenshi, the suit would¡¯ve been a lot more powerful. But, unfortunately, even with two cores, this specific model was designed for people who easily lose stamina after using their super strength for too long. To make that possible, many functions had to be removed including the compatibility with two cores.

    ¡®She thought I wouldn¡¯t notice¡­.¡¯ She was well-informed about the technology of the real world.

    After waiting for about twenty minutes, Luna smiled when something aside from the sound of wind reached her ears.

    [Lu¡­na! Are you¡­.there? Glad¡­alive]

    She immediately sighed when she heard Valentine¡¯s voice.

    [Thank gods. Valentine, I¡¯m on a frozen¡­lake of sorts. Where are you?]

    [What is that? L..Lake? No¡­.you¡­get off now! The Frozen Sea is Dangerous!]

    Valentine''s final statement felt like being hit by a rock. Before she could ask why, her suit was hit by more static, and then it was completely silent.

    [Valentine¡­.Valentine!]

    She called out his name a few more times but all she received was utter silence. The storm had finally interfered with the signal. Nevertheless, at least someone was still alive.

    ¡®I need to leave this sea. But where do I run to? There is no land at all.¡¯

    She continued crossing the frozen sea without encountering anything. The snowstorm hadn¡¯t reduced but she getting used to the sound whistling sound of wind and the crunch of ice as she counted her steps whenever she was bored.

    After reaching a certain part of the frozen surface, Luna was hit by an overwhelming pressure that instantly turned her blood cold. Her grip on the Poison Sin tightened as she looked around for any danger. Her senses hadn¡¯t warned her of anything yet so where was this pressure coming from exactly? When she moved, Luna felt a chilling, predatory gaze lock onto her from below the ice surface. It was coming from the black waters.

    She gulped and slowly moved her eyes to the surface with her Binocular vision active. ¡®Oh no¡­.¡¯ The sight that met with her eyes was something that sent a chill down her spine. Luna spotted a massive shadow, slithering and undulating as it swam rapidly toward the surface. Its size was monstrous, dwarfing everything around it as it got bigger and bigger.

    Just then, panic surged through her veins as she burst into motion, her body propelled by sheer terror. Luna darted across the ice, each step a desperate attempt to escape the unseen horror below. The ice behind her shattered with a deafening crack as something massive exploded out of the water.

    A screech, unearthly and bone-chilling, tore through the air. The sound was so piercing that Luna felt her ears bleed. She didn¡¯t dare look back, but she could feel the creature¡¯s malevolent presence bearing down on her. It was as if death itself was reaching out to claim her.

    The creature¡¯s screech was followed by a guttural roar, a sound so filled with hatred and hunger that it seemed to reverberate through her very soul and make the frozen ocean tremble. The air around her grew colder, the temperature plummeting as the beast¡¯s icy breath washed over her.

    Luna ran faster, her heart pounding in her chest. Her breath came in ragged gasps, each step a desperate bid for survival. She could hear the creature¡¯s massive form crashing through the ice behind her, each impact sending tremors through the ground. The ice splintered and cracked, the shards flying in all directions as the beast tore its way toward her.

    ¡°Shit shit shit¡­..¡± Luna''s mind raced as she tried to think of a way to escape this monstrous predator. She could feel its killing intent, a palpable force that seemed to wrap around her, suffocating and relentless.

    She chanced a glance over her shoulder and her breath quivered. The creature was unlike anything she had ever seen in any book. Its body was a grotesque amalgamation of scales and spines, its yellowish two eyes glowing with a malevolent intelligence. Rows of jagged teeth glistened in the darkness as its maw opened wide to reveal a cavernous throat lined with razor-sharp spikes and tentacles swinging without direction.

    At first glance, Luna could tell It was intelligent. She could tell It had been watching her, stalking her from the depths and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Now, it had her in its sights and there was no escape.

    Luna''s legs burned with exertion, her lungs screamed for air, but she couldn¡¯t stop. She had to keep moving and needed to stay ahead of the horror that pursued her.

    As Luna ran, the ice beneath her feet began to glow with an eerie, otherworldly light. She barely had time to react before a gigantic tentacle burst through the thick ice, sending shards flying in all directions.

    The ground beneath her shattered, the sound echoing like a death knell through the frozen wasteland.

    Acting on pure instinct, Luna channeled every ounce of her remaining energy into her legs, propelling herself into a powerful leap. She soared through the air, her heart pounding, and landed with a heavy thud on a distant icy surface. Behind her, the monstrous tentacle smashed down, obliterating the spot where she had just been standing.

    The creature let out a furious screech, its frustration visible as it thrashed the ice, searching for its lost prey. She knew she had only moments before the horror beneath the ice realized she was still above water.

    Turning her back to the chaos, she sprinted directly into the snowstorm. The wind howled, whipping icy flakes against her helmet but she forced herself to keep moving. Each step was a fight against the biting cold and the deepening snow that tried to slow her down.

 Her Fate

    Luna ran without stopping. Her pursuer also seemed reluctant because she still sensed its incredible bloodlust.

    Why did it even want her so badly? The damn thing had been observing her from the very start. Waiting for the right moment to strike. Had the coldness affected her awareness? Is that why didn''t sense it until it was close enough?

    ¡®If only I had a power.¡¯ she cried to herself.

    The beast''s gigantic silhouette was moving in the dark depths. Its tentacles moved with great force to add to its speed.

    Luna herself was incredibly fast, even in her poor state. But the creature was fast enough despite being the size of about five submarines.

    After all, it was moving in its natural element.

    Luna continued desperately running, relying on her qi sense to navigate the tough snowstorm. Her purser would attack sometimes, its dark tentacles tearing through both ice and wind and attempting to drag her into the water.

    She evaded many of the tentacles successfully by predicting their movements and jumping out of the way just before the ice broke.

    The issue was that there was still no sign of land no matter how hard she looked. The world was still shrouded in the semi-darkness of twilight and the blizzard was only getting stronger. And to make it worse, Luna was starting to feel tired. Her legs were getting weak and she needed to catch some air.

    If Luna stopped one bit, the crazy was going to make her a meal. The cursed creature was hungry for her life essence. This is what most cursed creatures and infected creatures hunted for in mortals.

    ¡®But I feel more dead than alive.¡¯ She cried inwardly as she cut through the terrible storm.

    She was on the verge of losing hope when she finally caught sight of an odd frozen structure growing out of the iced water body. It resembled a leaning modern--building made completely out of frozen white coral. Part of it was submerged in water while the top remained untouched but completely covered in white ice.

    Luna felt an adrenaline rush and increased her pace as she got closer to the white structure. When she entered its vicinity, she felt ticklish as if she had crossed through a mystical barrier. She continued running to it and climbed up and climbed up the cold structure. The pain in her arm made it difficult but she made it to the highest balcony and fell on the frozen surface.

    The first she did was check on her pursuer. A weak smile appeared on her face when she noticed the creature hadn''t bothered to get too close to the building.

    ¡®The Building is protected.''

    An exhausted sigh escaped her lungs before she dropped to the frozen floor while breathing heavily. The sound of her heart beating wildly could be heard by her ears. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she slowly tried to make sense of the world around her.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The first thing she noticed was that here, in the building made of coral, the blizzard wasn¡¯t as powerful as it was around it. The winds were still strong and persistent. But not powerful enough to blow a human away as it was outside the building¡¯s territory.

    When she felt relaxed, she dismissed her helmet and crawled to the corner away from the balcony. She curled up and placed her head on her knees. Now that the adrenaline was gone, the dread finally kicked in.

    The thought of almost dying had left Luna trembling in absolute fear. She was so scared that tears started trickling down from her eyes. Luna could no longer hide the terror she felt at the moment. In just moments, this level of the tower had proven that it was worse than the desert.

    And to make it worse, this wasn''t planned for. While here, Luna was forced to navigate and learn about this level all by herself. She had no Shin to see acts coming or a powerful group of ascenders to fight by her side. ¡°I had become too dependent on them.¡±

    That was very true. Luna had grown comfortable with her cohort and forgotten that she was alone in this world. And now, reality was making sure she remembered her loneliness.

    The good side of all of this is that she had noticed her own growth from battle to battle. Her overall skills were now sharper and better. Her use of qi sense was more impressive and she felt like her control over her physical strength had improved.

    ...So, it wasn¡¯t as bad as one would think. Humans have faced worse things than this.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯ She sniffed and wiped away her tears. She had made it this far for gods¡¯ sake.

    ¡°Listen to me fates. I won¡¯t die in this place. Countless times I thought that death was the best thing for a failure like me. But¡­I am not the same idiotic depressed girl who blamed the world,¡± she squeezed into fists. The gods had already sent the world ruin. Accepting her situation would mean she had accepted the fate of her world. ¡°I will kill that thing, find the teleportation circle, kill its guardian and whatever shit it''s protecting and I will advance to the next floor, damn it!¡±

    Her voice could barely be heard in the wind. But she wasn¡¯t trying to talk to anyone. She was shouting at herself or any entity out there that controlled her fate.

    The concept of having imaginary strings attached to every person always annoyed her. It''s those imaginary strings that gave her this strength and gifts. Those imaginary strings made her a Feng.

    And yet, they banished her from the divinity that gave purpose to her people.

    It was her fate to lose her father at a young age¡­

    It was her fate to learn the secrets of their world¡­

    It was also her fate that she was here.

    Luna had never been a believer in things like destiny and fate. She always believed that people made those two concepts to give reason to their pathetic lives whether beautiful or filled with misfortune. Luna believed that logic was the answer to everything. The world before the fall was great because humans followed logic. They built empires with logic and developed incredible technology with logic.

    They changed the world with logic.

    However, as of now, no sort of logic could help explain what was happening to her. This was fate at play. Fate is what lead her to this damn tower. Fate is why she had inherited generational blood and became so good at whatever she was supposed to be good at.

    ¡®The god of fate must be laughing at me from his grave.¡¯

    Fate was the only explanation of her current situation. ¡°I will kill that damn Kraken. It will know that I''m not to be messed with," she hissed as she stared at the frozen water with gritted teeth. The Giant Cursed Creature was still swimming around. Its gigantic body now glowed an ethereal silver hue to inform her that it was still around.

    It¡¯s like it was daring her to come to it.

    ¡°Huh¡­you want the Sea god¡¯s pet?¡±

    Luna¡¯s blood turned cold and her bracelet ¡®beeped¡¯ as the displayed number dropped from 90% to 70% in a second. She didn¡¯t hesitate to draw and swing Poison Sin at the being that had just appeared behind her.

    The building trembled when a similar weapon suddenly stopped Poison Sin but with a saw-like blade. With her strength, Luna was confident she could push back the owner of the saw-like blade with no difficulty¡­

    But, to her surprise, her opponent wasn¡¯t even slightly pushed back even after she added some effort. A hood that wavered in the wind hid her opponent''s face.

    ¡°Pretty weak for a person using 30%¡± She heard a woman¡¯s voice when Luna and her blade were pushed back easily. In the next moment, the figure moved at an incredible speed and struck her in the chest with its palm.

    Luna coughed and dropped her blade once she felt the air leave her lungs. She looked up and dodged another palm strike that was aimed at her face.

    ¡°Quick. As expected of you.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Luna asked weakly. Her voice was barely audible. On top of that, Luna was currently too weak.

    The figure scoffed. ¡°Me?¡± it then gently removed the cloth over his head to reveal something that surprised Luna herself. ¡°I am someone who has been patiently waiting for you, Lunaris Feng.¡±

    The strange figure¡¯s most noticeable feature was her bright red eyes which stared at Luna with a strange familiarity. She had a slightly pale complexion and the face of a peaceful young woman in her late twenties.

    However, her presence made her question that assumption because it felt both ancient and powerful. Luna involuntarily stepped back as soon as she noticed that this person was leagues beyond her in terms of strength alone.

    Much as she looked human, there was nothing human about her presence.

    Who was this woman?

 The Witch And Her Tree

    Luna wondered with her blade still in hand. She hadn¡¯t moved one bit since her eyes landed on the mysterious figure. Or to be more specific, the person under the cloak.

    For a good five minutes, Luna''s eyes stayed on the woman. And when they came to pass, the woman finally moved to the frozen building''s entrance and touched the ice doors with her pale hand. A strange golden light left her body and dissolved into the doors and then Luna felt a burst of a familiar energy before the ice on the door melted away. The doors slowly opened and revealed an empty and dark corridor that seemed to be untouched by the conditions of the outside world.

    As she watched them open, a strange feeling washed down on Luna and her eyes widened when she recognized the energy that had just been used. ¡®Life essence.¡¯ Her eyes traveled to the beautiful woman. ¡®This woman just used life essence like zenshi¡­¡¯

    She gulped and put away her blade. If what Oblivion said was true then this woman was stronger than she had imagined.

    ¡°Lunaris Feng¡­I didn¡¯t expect you to be summoned this far¡­¡± She said quietly as she shook the snow off her head. She had short golden hair with curls at the end of her locks and her scarlet red eyes were like perfect rubies that felt so surreal and unnatural when she looked at them. It''s like they could see everything in this tower.

    The woman then walked into the corridor first and all the fire torches automatically set themselves on to light the rest of the building''s hallway.

    Luna hesitated to step into the corridor. It was this or the cursed creature patrolling the frozen sea--by the way, she still felt its bloodlust despite being so high up. If these were normal conditions, Luna would¡¯ve taken her chances with the cursed creature outside.

    But¡­

    She drew in a sharp breath and gave the one a suspicious look. Then, her foot stepped into the corridor as if it was her first time walking.

    When she fully stepped into the interior, the coldness she felt disappeared along with the howling noise of the wind as if they had stepped into a soundproof room. ¡®Advanced sorcery.¡¯ She guessed after she noticed the runes on the floor threshold. She couldn¡¯t interpret even one but she felt the active energy merged into every single one.

    ¡°You can dismiss your armor. There is no corruption in this area. The levels of Ether are too low to infect mortals inside the Blood Tower.¡±

    Luna didn¡¯t move far from the threshold just in case she needed to run. The fear on her face was palpable, considering how wild the past few days had been. This woman was a human but not exactly because her body produced a pressure she was finding difficult to stand in.

    ¡°Are you a seer?¡± Luna finally asked. Of course she was not a seer but faking ignorance is the only way she could at least get some answers. ¡°What do you mean you didn¡¯t expect me to appear this far? Are you the one who brought me here?¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The woman stopped. ¡°What makes you think I have such powers?¡±

    ¡°You seem to know everything about me yet we just met a few minutes ago,¡± Luna replied with a serious tone.

    With a gentle smile, the woman responded by saying. ¡°Oh¡­that. I¡¯ve been expecting you,¡± she started moving. ¡°I sensed the rifts and thought you would appear somewhere near the sea god¡¯s temple in the east. I only rushed here when I noticed that someone had crossed into my territory.¡±

    Luna remembered the strange feeling she experienced when she entered the building¡¯s territory. She recalled the strange shift but didn¡¯t mind it because she was focused on running away from her enemy. ¡°I see. Then who are you?¡±

    The woman stood and looked at her like she had just asked a confusing question. ¡°For now please just call me Storm Rider. I¡¯m a Fire Keeper and the guardian of this level of the Blood Tower. If you¡¯ve made it here, I assume you killed the Immortal King and Oblivion.¡±

    Luna froze at the mention of the word ''Fire Keeper''. It sounded so familiar. Where exactly had she heard it from?

    ¡°So you¡¯re aware of the Eternal Flame and what¡¯s happening to the mortal realm?¡± She quickly jumped to the point.

    ¡°Of course I am. I¡¯ve known for so many centuries. I¡¯m aware of the Heavenly battles that took place¡­the consequences, Everlight and her followers. The curse¡­¡±

    Storm Rider paused then fully turned around and faced her. ¡°I am a practitioner of cultivation like the mortals of your realm, you see.¡± She smiled with her lips and continued. ¡°So feel free to ask some questions while you¡¯re here. But first, let''s get you cleaned up and have something to eat. You must be famished after running for hours.¡±

    When she heard food being mentioned, all her thoughts disappeared and then her stomach growled to remind her of the hunger she had been ignoring all this time.

    ¡®Oh yes, I¡¯m hungry.¡¯ Luna looked down with embarrassment.

    They continued walking through the white coral hallway without exchanging another word. After climbing down a few stairs, Luna found herself standing in the main of the building. Below this floor, Luna could hear the sound of the water hitting against the coral walls which reminded her of a beach shore, somehow. Just like the rest of the building, everything in here was made from white coral apart from the large twisted tree growing in the center. It was surrounded by a glowing magic circle that appeared to support the tree¡¯s growth under such conditions. Its large brown roots stretched downwards up to the floor below and its branches were filled with crimson leaves that seemed to glow under the strange light source looming over it.

    Luna then proceeded to deactivate the damaged armor by sending a mental command. With that, all the nanomites on her skin started to release her as they merged into a small special chip connected to her spin on the middle back area.

    With the armor off, Luna was left in the tattered cream tunic she had picked up in the first ruined town where she discovered the buried temple. "At least I''m not naked." she consoled herself after seeing the state her tunic was in.

    Luna had been worried about being affected by the coldness of this level. But, to her surprise, the inner side of the building was warm and cozy. Her feet were bare and were in contact with the floor. But she didn¡¯t even sense a tinge of coldness coming from it because the floor was warm enough to favor humans such as herself.

    She could stay barefoot and not notice that the outside world was covered in a snowy mess.

    "This level is sorcery is more advanced than humanity''s."

    ¡°Please make yourself at home.¡± Storm Rider said as she removed her cloak and hung it on a small hook on the wall. Underneath she was dressed in a long old-fashioned skirt with a baggy white shirt that looked like it was from a different era.

    Storm Rider was exceptionally tall for a woman. She had a white slender neck, long arms, and an appealing figure that was portioned perfectly. She resembled those foreign beautiful women in the webtoons that artists used to depict their version of a perfect woman and also appeal to the male audience and some women like Luna who occasionally found reasons to feel jealous.

    Feeling jealousy towards hand-drawn characters was low but Luna had never been the type of person who felt shame when she was displaying her hate.

    ¡°I will go make us something to eat. Don¡¯t touch the Mildrith. It will drain your blood and life force even though that¡¯s just a prototype of the real thing.¡±

    All her jealous thoughts disappeared and a chill ran down her spine when she heard that. She turned her nervous eyes to the twisted tree. ¡°This is a Mildrith?¡± she pointed at the tree as she made two or three more steps away from it. Gods...just when she thought she was safe, a bloodthirsty, soul-sucking tree existed in this witch''s house.

    Storm Rider nodded. ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s just a replica I created to make this building special. The real Mildrith tree lies at the heart of this tower.¡±

 Meet The Immortal Storm Rider

    When she first stepped into this tower, Luna hadn¡¯t expected that she would even reach this far. In this dungeon, a term she was used to because she was a huge fan of fantasy had become a reality. Were more dungeons going to appear? Was this just the beginning of this new kind of madness?

    She sighed and faced Storm Rider. ¡°So this is what this entire dungeon is, a passion project for the dead gods?¡±

    Storm Rider gave Luna a confused look. ¡° I don''t know about Passion Project. But it was indeed created with the blood of a god.¡± Storm Rider explained. She had a British accent like in those movies Luna used to watch as a child.

    This woman was from the old world.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t solely created for this. But when I was brought here, the first floor already existed.¡±

    Luna pretended to understand what the woman was talking about. ¡°Oh, I see. You said you were a guardian, where is your prisoner?¡± she asked nervously. She still hadn¡¯t developed any trust for the woman despite learning that she was a human, a very powerful human.

    ¡°I killed her in a battle a few decades ago,¡± Storm Rider answered calmly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She had a very terrifying Domain which allowed her to twist this reality and affect my own abilities. There was no more of her left so I had to kill her before she could kill me.¡±

    ¡®Domain? Is that another way of saying Aura?¡¯

    Seeing that Luna was still frozen, Storm Rider continued to explain the details of what she needed Luna to learn from this conversation. ¡°This endless snowstorm just happens as a byproduct of our battle. You wouldn¡¯t believe it¡­but I almost lost. It was either me or her.¡±

    ¡®The snowstorm is her fault!¡¯ Luna was still frozen as she heard Storm Rider explain all of this. If her power left a mark on the world, then doesn¡¯t that make her on the same level as a sorcerer or higher?¡¯

    Meanwhile, Storm Rider continued to speak. They were both staring at the majestic tree in front of them. Its red leaves almost looked beautiful if you overlooked the fact that it could drink blood. ¡°Are you terrified of me? Is that why you¡¯re suddenly quiet? This shouldn¡¯t surprise you considering the condition of your world is in.¡±

    ¡®My world? Aren¡¯t you from the same world too?¡¯ Luna scoffed from within.

    ¡°I am not scared. All of this¡­sounds so bizarre. A few weeks ago, I didn¡¯t know that our world was in this much danger. I thought¡­I thought that I would return to a normal life after all of this. But I guess I don¡¯t have that pleasure anymore, do I?¡±

    Storm Rider smiled with her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t have the answers to that, unfortunately. You don¡¯t seek life advice from someone who has been hunting cursed creatures and studying the secrets of our realms for the past five hundredish years¡­¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°FIVE HUNDRED!¡± Luna jumped. ¡°How old are you, exactly?¡±

    ¡°I stopped counting when I was thrown into this tower in¡­.¡± She thought for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t remember exactly when. It''s been so long since then. So long since I saw the mortal realm.¡±

    ¡®So she¡¯s indeed from the old world.¡¯

    ¡°After I killed the corrupted deity of this floor, I hunted down every powerful cursed creature as I developed my understanding of life essence.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Kraken powerful enough for you?¡± she asked in an unhurried tone.

    Storm Rider returned a pleasant smile and said, feeling slightly embarrassed. ¡° Hehe¡­I attained a curse from the Sea God. I can¡¯t swim and my powers can¡¯t work under water. You could say that the little guy is strategically located¡­.

    ¡®Little?¡¯ Luna frowned at Storm Rider¡¯s statement. That thing was the size of a two submarine and its tentacles were big enough to crush this building if it wasn¡¯t for the special barrier.

    ¡°Ah. All this talking is making me hungry. I should go make us something.¡± With that, Storm Rider hurriedly left off to patch up something to eat. Their conversation had lasted longer than she had expected.

    Soon, the air was filled with the delicious aroma of spices as Storm Rider started cooking up something.

    Luna stayed silent, staring at the mysterious tree with a suspicious look. From Storm Rider¡¯s explanation, something similar to this tree was what acted as the heart of the entire dungeon on the next floor. The original tree was a product of a certain god that she refused to disclose. This meant that these trees shared a connection with the divine realm.

    Even though it was harmless as long as she didn¡¯t touch it, Luna could not pass off the fact that it made her skin crawl. What type of twisted powers did the fire keeper tap into exactly to something this powerful?

    And to make it worse, this was just a copy of the real thing.

    Luna didn¡¯t want to trust the Fire Keeper at all. In all her life, she had never met someone with a presence this intense and powerful. She was stronger than the strongest humans in the mortal realm, that¡¯s for sure. In fact, Luna had come to believe that the fire keeper had ascended and surpassed the rank of Sorcerer because ascension through qi was different from that of zenshi in general.

    Luna suspected that this new version of cultivation offered more than what humans were used to. How else could a person who claimed her Aura to be Fire create spaces like this one?

    On top of that, Storm Rider was an immortal.

    ¡°How come she¡¯s not a god yet?¡± Luna asked herself as she started pilling one thought after another.

    ¡°Lunaris!¡± She lost her train of thought for a moment once she heard her name.

    Turning over, she saw Storm Rider carrying two steaming bowls of hot soup with cursed monster meat inside. The room had no tables or chairs for them to act civilized so they just settled on the floor cross-legged and began feasting.

    ¡°I grow wheat in the less snowy parts of this place. The bread is not good, but I think it checks all the boxes.¡±

    The blond-haired woman said as she returned with a chest box. She opened and revealed a baguette¡ªat least something that looked like it.

    Luna almost drolled as she received her portion of the bread, which she started eating immediately.

    It was tasteless. Absolutely tasteless and somehow stale. Its texture was rough and hard to chew without dipping it in the soup. Nevertheless, Luna was too hungry to think of such things. At least the soup was filled with a rich blend of flavors thanks to the variety of spices the Fire Keeper had used.

    Luna didn¡¯t say a word until the last drop of soup was finished from her bowl. She chewed the meat no matter how tough it was and washed it down with some clean water that Storm Rider happened to have.

    She covered her mouth to belch from satisfaction. She lifted her eyes to Storm Rider who was almost done with her food and said with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°Thank you for the meal, lady Storm Rider. It sounds weird calling you that¡­why can¡¯t I use your real name?¡±

    Yes, her name sounded like something that belonged to a cheap game character.

    ¡°Pfft...that? It''s because you will forget me. Whoever hears my true name forgets everything connecting to me. It is also another unfortunate curse that I carry,¡± she put down her cream bowl and continued. ¡°And I need you to remember everything I tell you.¡±

    ¡°It is the only way you can get out of this tower.¡± The tone Storm Rider used was extremely calm. It didn¡¯t betray her demeanor at all.

    ¡®So she¡¯s affected by the Mind Hex. I need to be careful with what I ask from now on.¡¯

    ¡°There is another curse on you? Which god gave it to you?¡±

    Luna was now serious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who put this curse on me. But the curse long ate up our true names and now the world doesn¡¯t remember who we are.¡± She paused and a bitter expression found its way to her beautiful face.

    After a few minutes of solemn silence, Storm Rider sighed. Hamido was the only person from the mortal realm that she had talked to since she was brought to this place by the deities.

    She was immortal but she still felt nervous each time she brought this tale up. She briefly looked at Luna. In her eyes, the little mortal was surrounded by a golden radiance.

    The qi seemed to draw itself to her. It took a few centuries, but she had finally reached her goal. If everything went as planned then¡­

    ¡®Then maybe things would be different this time.¡¯

    ¡°My colleagues and I flew too close to the sun and got burnt. We should have stayed ignorant and go about our lives.¡±

 Tragic Journey

    ¡°My colleagues and I flew too close to the sun and got burnt. We should have stayed ignorant and go about our lives.¡±

    Storm Rider¡¯s was suddenly cold. The girl in front of her was staring at her with the same indifferent look she always wore whenever she was thinking. She wanted to know why the hex kept her people ignorant.

    ¡°The Fire Keepers were a special group of humans who found pleasure in studying the mortal realm,¡± she began after gathering the little she had of those memories. After so many years, it was getting harder and harder to maintain her sense of self. ¡°¡­ You could describe it as a group of researchers who wanted to make a record-breaking discovery that would change our world forever. My father, the biggest researcher in London then, was a pretty irresponsible man because he let me join the Fire Keepers when I was only seven¡­.

    ¡°You see, when I had just joined the bunch, one of the Fire Keepers learned of a certain Asian tribe that was said to have transcended humankind and gained mystical abilities through martial arts and cultivation. I remember everyone laughing because of how ridiculous it sounded. Well¡­everyone aside from the main members of the group, including my father.¡±

    ¡®London existed? How old is this woman exactly?¡¯ By the time of the Fall, many great cities had already become irrelevant because of technological evolution. Cities like London lost their privileges when they failed to catch up with the technological evolution of the old world.

    Storm Rider sighed as her gaze traveled to the clothes she was in. ¡°So my father and the determined Fire Keepers set sail for Asia to find this mysterious tribe and learn their secrets if they existed. It was a terrible ride. Weeks on the water¡­.bad weather. And seasickness,¡± she shivered. ¡° But then, we reached a certain point of the ocean that humans had never explored. It crawled with leviathans and water creatures you could¡¯ve only seen in fantasy books.¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t hostile?¡±

    Storm Rider shook her head. ¡°We were protected by someone.¡±

    ¡°So you had entered the divine realm?¡±

    Again, Storm Rider shook her head. Though this time she wore a complicated look. ¡°Yes and No,¡± she answered. ¡°The Divine realm was already leaking into our world at the time, but it was temporary due to the effects of a strange island.¡±

    ¡°A strange Island?¡± Luna stared at Storm Rider with a hint of confusion.

    ¡°Yes. The people there called it ''Zhong Shen Zhi Dao''. Luna¡¯s face paled when she heard Mandarin again. It translated to Island of Gods. ¡°We had no wind so we were forced to anchor there and immediately started our research. The Island wasn¡¯t in any records at the time, so of course it caught the fire keeper¡¯s interest. Me on the other hand, I used to pretend the island was some fancy resort or something like that¡­¡±

    The corner of her mouth curved upwards as she remembered the memories of her playing in the white sand. Things were normal at the time until the day she noticed the stars move¡­.

    Then, the next day¡­.

    ¡°We were discovered by the people who occupied the island. They were a humble bunch who were so much more than we wanted to believe. They welcomed us and told us about the divine power they commanded. How it works and how we can harness it...

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°This was the breakthrough everyone had been waiting for. You could say it was our nature as researchers that led to our end,¡± Storm Rider stared at the empty bowl. There was a deep sadness in her eyes as images of her father and the Fire Keepers celebrating this discovery. This was the happiest she had seen her father since her mother passed away. She knew that this research was how he hid the grief of losing the love of his life.

    ¡®I was pretty smart for a seven-year-old.¡¯ Storm Rider thought and opened her mouth.

    ¡°My father was the first to open the First Soul Gate after¡­.about¡­six years of meditation and training. And soon, the others followed and became the first humans from the outside world to ascend. I was one of those people, and by the time I was sixteen I was capable of summoning soul beasts.¡±

    ¡°Soul beasts? You mean summons?¡± Luna interrupted.

    Storm Rider nodded. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re summoned from the void which the people of that island considered the true soul of the mortal realm.¡± She did her best to explain what she remembered. ¡°My summon¡¯s name is Storm, a rare storm dragon. I was her Rider before the curse.¡±

    Luna listened carefully as Storm Rider gave her the details of everything. The entire time, her face was stuck in awe-stricken expression. Storm Rider was a third gate user at sixteen. There was an entire mysterious culture of powerful ascenders! So powerful that they could offer protection and travel between realms.

    As of now, only a handful of humans were capable of traveling to the divine realm. But only few a limited period of time because of the pressure in that world.

    ¡°By the way, were the gods alive at that time?¡± She asked, staring eagerly at Storm Rider.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that or you¡¯ll forget our whole interaction as soon as we separate. The curse is on the entire mortal realm and its occupants¡­you¡¯ll never know the truth about your world as long as that curse exists. Oblivion ignored telling you his true name because he wanted you to remember everything he told you. He also hid a lot of information because you¡¯re not immune to the curse.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then how do I become immune to the curse?¡± Luna¡¯s curiosity was getting the best of her. This information could change everything she knew about their world.

    Especially that island. Did it even still exist?

    ¡°Be careful what you wish for. The Fire Keepers were the first to enter the divine realm. I had grown passed the rank of mage and was slowly turning more divine than human. My father along with everyone else had also achieved transcendence¡­all fourteen of us had opened our fifth gates and could do more than what our Domains limited us to.¡±

    ¡®There is a fifth gate?¡¯ Luna was surprised by that discovery. So humans could ascend beyond the Fourth Gate. She also made a note that Storm Rider hadn¡¯t mentioned zenshi at all since their conversation started.

    ¡°What lies beyond the Fourth Gate?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­for starters, you can gain a second Domain. One that¡¯s more powerful and difficult to control. There is a total of Seven Gates to become a true god. I¡¯m on my sixth, which is why I¡¯m immortal.¡± She smiled faintly as she spoke. Seeing Luna¡¯s wide eyes was almost humorous.

    ¡°I am as strong as a sovereign in your terms.¡±

    ¡®A sovereign¡­that seems just about right¡­.hmm.¡¯

    It took a moment for Luna to realize what Storm Rider had just claimed. Ans she she did, her eyes widened even more as she gasped from shock. "As a Sovereign?!¡± she jumped. ¡°That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s insane. How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°Well. When we decided to live in the divine realm permanently, we learned that there are a lot of things to worry about. Things like abominations with ancient powers that rivaled our own and strange weather conditions. We tried to build and live on with our lives, detached from humanity because we believed we had received true enlightenment." There was a wistful look on her face as she continued her narration. " We lived comfortable lives for almost a century while doing research and learning about the beings that lived in it. At the same time, my father was still trying to break through to the sixth gate believing that his power could make the Fire Keepers even stronger.¡±

    ¡°Did he break through?¡±

    Storm Rider nodded. ¡°He did make it to the Sixth Gate, right before we discovered The Walled City. I can¡¯t explain what that city looked like or tell you its name.¡± Her voice shook with fear. ¡° But that¡¯s where we found a real living deity. We thought of our encounter as something incredible but¡­

    She squeezed her hands into fists and golden electricity started cackling around her body as she tried to suppress her emotions.

    ¡°It corrupted my father and remaining Fire Keepers to see how humans reacted to something capable of bringing down a god. That thing laughed as it watched the people I had grown up with turn into monsters. Sigh¡­¡± she looked up. You could tell she was having a hard time describing the events of what happened. ¡°I only escaped because Storm put up a good fight for me to escape at the cost of her life¡­¡±

    ¡°When I opened my eyes, I remember being on the island. But everything around me had been reduced to cinders. The corrupted Fire keepers were too powerful¡­¡±

    Storm Rider¡¯s face darkened as she continued. ¡°I had no choice but to kill them all. I burnt my father then killed the deity that corrupted them.¡± The cackling around her body stopped and the powerful pressure resided. ¡°That bastard had been a servant of the god of seas, so as a penalty for killing him, the universe cursed me. Hence why I¡¯m powerless underwater.¡±

    ¡®She has killed two deities¡­!¡¯ Luna paled upon this discovery.

    ¡°Only later, when I left the island, I discovered that the FireKeepers never existed. Two hundred years had passed and my father¡¯s fortune and the family had been erased. The Fire Keepers who didn¡¯t join us for the voyage to Asia never wrote about us because they never knew us. We never existed¡­.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how I became a Forgotten, at least that¡¯s what I like to call it.¡±

 Soul Gate

    ¡°A forgotten?¡±

    Storm Rider nodded. ¡° To put it clearly, I learned too much during my ascension. I returned to the divine realm after walking the Mortal realm for a few years. That¡¯s when I was captured, unfortunately.¡±

    Luna leaned back and used her arms to keep herself from falling. She was still digesting Storm Rider¡¯s tragic tale and the information that came with it.

    ¡­the seven gates¡­the strange island, and finally the Curse.

    At what point did Storm Rider get cursed to become a Forgotten? Was it when they found the island or when the Fire Keepers entered the divine realm? Just how powerful was her Aura that it was enough to kill a deity?

    Celestials were the highest beings in the two realms because of the unexplainable powers they had. They were simply the better race. Did that mean that Storm Rider was as strong as a Celestial?

    ¡®That¡¯s insane.¡¯

    She knew Storm Rider knew more and had a lot to say. But neither could risk triggering the curse that would make her forget this entire interaction or even turn her into one of the cursed.

    Luna would have to look for answers herself.

    ¡°Wait, then how did you become a guardian? And why are you not a god despite having lived for hundreds of years?¡±

    Storm Rider stayed silent after a moment then shrugged and said:

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Cultivation is hard to explain. When I opened the sixth gate, I think I hit the limit of what humans are capable of. Becoming an immortal god is just difficult, especially on a level where I can absorb as much Qi as before. I only became stronger by killing and absorbing the energy of powerful cursed creatures. I can teach you how to manipulate energy for now because you need it to help me kill our friend over there.¡±

    She was referring to the Kraken, which was still hidden in the depths of the water.

    ¡°I see.¡± Luna couldn¡¯t help but feel a little excited about finally manipulating life essence.

    ¡°What about the rest of my teammates?¡±

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    ¡°Your friends and sister are safe. They¡¯re powerful enough to survive the blizzard. The teleportation gate here is located Northwards. I am sure they¡¯ll be safe because of the beacon I created. I only came here because you¡¯re the one with the most potential¡­¡±

    ¡°Potential?¡± Luna knitted her eyebrows as Storm Rider picked up the bowls and transformed them back to coral dust. Usually, finding out that the bowls were made from the coral of a dirty building would¡¯ve set her off. But, in such conditions, even a noble like herself needed to tone down on a few things.

    ¡°You can see it too. Can¡¯t you?¡± Storm Rider gave her a skeptical look with one eyebrow raised. ¡°Your blood is rich with life essence. With the proper guidance, you will be able to open your first gate.¡±

    ¡°My blood?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I am not allowed to give you the details. But, your body is brimming with life essence¡­when I was younger I had absorbed all that essence. But it appears the world is drawn to you in a way¡­¡±

    ¡®Drawn to me? What the hell is she talking about.¡¯ Luna was still confused. Was she talking about her special affinity for life essence?

    As she lampooned, Storm Rider went on to explain how gates worked and how they connected with qi. ¡°You see, Lunaris, Soul Gates are what most mortals consider as the source of an ascender¡¯s powers. They are awakened through constantly absorbing energy and feeding it to the spark of divinity most humans of your time are born with, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    Luna nodded like a student undergoing a lecture about the things she already knew.

    ¡°Good. Now what about those who lack the spark of divinity? How do they exactly open the first gate?¡± the corners of Storm Rider¡¯s lips curled upwards. ¡°We don¡¯t stop absorbing more energy from the earth. A soul gate is a connection between you and your very being. Feeding more life essence to your soul strengthens your connection with outer realms like the Divine, the Void, and beyond. And when the time reaches, a Soul Gate comes into existence within your being¡­

    But before that time arrives, you must have already mastered two important concepts, Feeling and Control¡­¡± Storm Rider sighed and continued explaining everything without missing out on any detail. ¡°Feeling is the most common among martial artists in the mortal realm. To ascend one must be capable of sensing the presence of life. It is pretty much the easiest thing on earth, Control¡­.however¡­.¡± She seethed through her teeth.

    ¡°Control or Manipulation is extremely challenging. It''s more raw compared to zenshi, therefore it needs more effort to influence. Unfortunately, if you can¡¯t control life essence, you can¡¯t open a first gate.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Luna quickly interjected. ¡°If manipulation is meant to be mastered before opening a soul gate, what does the First Soul Gate grant you then?¡±

    Storm Rider paused for a second and answered. ¡°The Gate of Immersion is what they called it. It grants you a deeper understanding of qi and better control over life essence.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­so that¡¯s how it works.¡± Why did she think that zenshi and life essence were the same?

    Storm Rider nodded. ¡°Exactly. Anyway, that¡¯s all I can say about life''s essence. You¡¯ll have to figure out the rest on your own, unfortunately.¡±

    She paused and turned her gentle gaze to the Mildrith. She sighed wistfully as if reminiscing about the times when she was young. Lunaris reminded her so much of her younger self.

    Maybe this was fate¡¯s way of reminding her that she was still a human.

    ¡°You¡¯re the second person ever to visit me. The last one was a fellow forgotten who I led through the blizzard back to the Mortal Realm. That old fool refused to tell me everything about the modern world. But it was through him that I learned of your existence.¡±

    ¡®My existence? I guess someone already knew I was the anomaly.¡¯

    ¡°So what do you need me for? There¡¯s always a catch in these things.¡± Luna leaned forward. ¡°And I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want me just to kill a monster.¡±

    Storm pretended to be surprised. ¡°You catch on quick. But my goals are a bit long-term. However, I need you to proceed to the next floor and destroy this tower¡¯s heart. If you kill it, I will no longer be chained to it as its guardian. I am not corrupted¡­so I can continue living in the mortal realm.¡±

    ¡°What about becoming an immortal deity?¡±

    Storm hesitated for a moment.

    ¡°I am no longer interested in power. I still have a lot to do, like trying to break the curse on me.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Luna didn¡¯t of course believe Storm Rider¡¯s response. There was something she wasn¡¯t telling her about her ascension. There was a reason why she was still on the six gate.

    ¡®Is it connected to the curse?¡¯

    ¡°Yes. But for now, I will teach you how to manipulate the qi in your body. That will be the first thing you need to learn if we¡¯re to defeat the Sea Tyrant.¡±

 Martial Peak

    Days passed and Luna was still stuck in the coral building with Storm Rider. The frozen wasteland was still stuck in endless twilight and the blizzard hadn¡¯t dared to slow down even one bit.

    During those days, Luna spent her time meditating and trying to communicate with the life essence inside her body. When she wasn¡¯t meditating, she was doing some reruns and trying to adapt to a short blade after being used to a katana for a long time.

    And when she wasn¡¯t doing either of the two, Luna spent her time sleeping or talking to Storm who always had the time to talk. She often flew out to fight off cursed abominations because she needed their life essence to fuel the complex sorcery that she refused to share with her. Which she was okay with, by the way.

    On the second day in the frozen building, Luna came to notice that the Fire Keeper didn¡¯t even sleep. Instead, she spent most of her silent time hovering in the air, cultivating energy and saving her power for the coming fight.

    Yes, the pair had come to a stupendous agreement to kill the Kraken after a reasonable period of three weeks after Luna had acquired at least some level of skill. However, three weeks now felt far-fetched because to manipulate the qi in her body, Luna had to start by learning to control her physical strength without the need for a limiter.

    Before the limiter, Luna relied on breathing exercises and keeping her emotions balanced. As a child, her strength only grew whenever her emotions went rogue. She didn¡¯t remember much of course, but she was sure raising a kid with super strength wasn¡¯t easy.

    ¡°Now!¡±

    As soon as she heard Storm Rider¡¯s voice, Luna¡¯s eyes snapped open and she pounced with great might.

    Storm Rider smirked as she braced herself for the attacking Lunaris. None of them held any weapons. This was a hand-to-hand fight meant to see how much control Luna had over her strength in general. She had grown so dependent on the limiter that she might have forgotten how to hold back.

    From the start, Luna¡¯s first punch was a soft one because she wanted it to be. Storm Rider blocked it with her own palm and nodded with approval. ¡°Good start. Now control the essence with your breathing, just like I showed you.¡±

    Keeping her concentration, Luna slowed her breathing and let the essence in her body flow wildly. She felt a rush of energy as she sparred with Storm. Despite how fast they got with each throw, Storm was quick at evading and parrying her blows. Luna wasn¡¯t surprised by this of course. Being old as she was, Storm Rider might have fancied martial arts at some point in her eternal life. Qi and Martial arts were usually paired together in the mortal realm, after all.

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    Luna changed movement and twisted her body as she kicked. She aimed for Storm¡¯s neck but she easily blocked it with her arm and pushed her back without any effort. Her strike left a shockwave in the air, though which meant that it was much stronger than she had planned.

    ¡°You forgot to hold back.¡±

    Luna landed well and wiped her hand over her forehead to clean the sweat gathered around her face. ¡°Well¡­ it''s very hard to do when you¡¯re trying to manipulate essence.¡±

    ¡°I can do it.¡±

    ¡® Of course you can.¡¯ Luna tried not to roll her eyes and scoffed. ¡°Well said, the immortal mage who technically mastered manipulation to the fullest.¡±

    Storm crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a crybaby. You need to control your strength. If you can control it, your body will adapt and you¡¯ll be able to draw out its full capacity. Have you ever wondered what 100% looks like?¡±

    Luna attacked again, unleashing a whirlwind of quick kicks aimed at Storm¡¯s midsection. Storm deftly sidestepped, smoothly evading the strikes with a dancer¡¯s grace.

    ¡°Now release some of it¡­let your strength flow by letting your will guide it. Remember Qi is Life Essence, it only listens if you give in to it. It''s a part of you.¡±

    Without warning, Storm exploded into motion, her footsteps sending tremors through the floor. She threw a massive punch, the air whistling around her fist. Luna reacted with lightning speed, ducking under the blow and countering with an uppercut that connected with Storm¡¯s jaw.

    Because her strength was now at play, the impact of her blow reverberated through the room. But Storm staggered back. There was a look of surprise mingled with respect crossing her face. She would¡¯ve never thought that this delicate-looking girl was capable of doing this much.

    ¡®What a gift.¡¯

    Luna pressed her advantage, launching another series of rapid strikes. Each punch and kick cost her a lot of stamina as she struggled to keep her balance without letting her strength fully take over. She was constantly fighting to keep the agitation, nervousness, dread, and excitement bottled up.

    And due to that, she wore a harrowing calmness on her face. The only sign of her struggle was the sweat on her pale face.

    Each punch and kick landed with the force of a sledgehammer, the white coral walls shaking with every impact. Storm Rider grunted, blocking and absorbing the hits, her eyes narrowing as studied the flow of qi in Luna¡¯s body.

    To her surprise, it flowed gently through her channels. They were overflowing of course. But at the moment, Luna was like a true master.

    ¡®How astonishing. So this is what ¡®his blood¡¯ can do¡­intriguing.¡¯

    After that thought, Storm proudly smiled, planted her feet, and swung a haymaker punch that collided with Luna¡¯s shoulder. The blow sent the small girl crashing into a white wall, cracks spider webbing out from the point of impact where Luna had landed.

    ¡°You seem familiar with qi manipulation. I¡¯m guessing it''s the breathing techniques?¡±

    Storm''s nonchalant voice echoed throughout the room they were in. She ignored the fact that the entire building was trembling after that attack.

    Luna heard but didn¡¯t respond to Storm¡¯s words. Her mind was focused on the fact that her body was suddenly familiar with qi manipulation. She felt her body awaken as it let the essence in her veins respond to her thoughts or maybe intent.

    Just then, she also noticed that something had protected both her back and shoulder at the last moment before Storm¡¯s strike. The strike wasn''t going to kill her, but it was going to inflict a great deal of pain. However, she barely felt any after getting slammed into a wall with all that force.

    The essence had protected her as a response to her thought.

    ¡°This is getting interesting.¡± Luna then shook off the debris and a fierce grin spread across her beautiful face.

    She also didn¡¯t know what was happening to her. She had spent the previous week in constant meditation, trying to form a connection with her life essence.

    And now, that connection had been materialized. It now felt like she was reaching the peak of martial combat.

    With a sigh, Luna launched herself back into the fray. This time feeling more excited to see the results.

 Small Backlash

    Luna and Storm clashed again, transforming themselves into a whirlwind of superhuman strength and speed. Fists met flesh with bone-jarring force, each strike a testament to their extraordinary power. The floor bulked under their feet, the coral cracking and splintering with each movement.

    Storm moved with elegance, her strikes deadly, her movements a blur every time Luna lost sight of her. The deadly Fire Keeper was not even using a fraction of her true strength but she was already an overwhelming opponent. And a tough one to keep up with. Soon, this fight was starting to feel more like a dance with death than a training session.

    On the flip side, at least Luna was learning more and more about hand-to-hand combat. Before this fight, she considered herself one of the strongest martial artists because she was a fast learner and her blood¡¯s mystical trait. It was solely those two factors that contributed to her quick growth as a martial artist.

    At the Feng Sect, she learned complicated moves faster than anyone and left at an early age because of that. Her peers viewed her as a genius for this and often avoided her for that.

    But Luna found solace in being different¡­

    She jumped to the side, avoiding one of Storm¡¯s torpedo punches. Luna then launched herself at the Fire Keeper and delivered a devastating kick to Storm¡¯s chest, sending her flying across the room.

    She hit the opposite wall with a thunderous crash. Dust and coral concrete immediately rained down to clarify that kick was fueled by her monstrous strength. For a moment, the room was silent except for the sound of Luna¡¯s heavy breathing and the sound of wind outside.

    She stared at the destruction their fight had caused and staggered forward. Then, suddenly, her vision blurred in and out. She tried rubbing them.

    But¡­

    She was immediately overcome by a sudden weakness that made her knees buckle and she collapsed on the floor.

    ¡°W¡­what¡¯s happening to me?¡± She asked her voice hoarse and tired. ¡®I must¡¯ve reached past 50% to feel like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Backlash from using so much of your life essence carelessly. I¡¯m immortal, so I can use mine as much as I was. You, however, are a mortal¡­and one who doesn¡¯t even have a first gate.¡±

    Storm¡¯s voice echoed as she emerged from the debris and made a solemn sigh when she saw the damage made to her sanctuary.

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    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn me?¡±

    ¡°Well, I never expected you to become this good at controlling the flow of your essence so quickly. It''s actually mediocre but it''s enough to get the job done.¡±

    Storm answered as she began clearing the destruction their spar session had caused. The debris floated back to its previous position and dissolved into the wall once she commanded it.

    After a few minutes, Luna stood up feeling fatigued and exhausted. She groaned and rubbed her temples feeling a growing headache. ¡°What next?¡± she asked with a determined tone.

    ¡°Nothing Lunaris. I need you to recover so I¡¯ll go make us something to eat before I go and absorb essence.¡±

    ¡®Oh right. Her sorcery requires essence that¡¯s not hers.¡¯

    For a moment, Luna wanted to ask how long it took to reach that level of sorcery. It was so different from the one she¡¯s used to seeing in the mortal realm.

    Over the past few days, she learned that the fire keeper had kept a lot to herself when she explained how life essence worked and how she drew power from it to perform her sorcery. Luna had observed how life essence reacted whenever she performed anything related to sorcery and realized it moved in an orderly manner and usually faded to mean it wasn¡¯t hers and it was weak. It scattered and collected itself each time she commanded it. But when she created something like a flame, the energy that flowed out of her body was usually brighter, meaning she was much stronger.

    Luna assumed that this had to do with the sixth gate in general. The Sixth Soul Gate provided the user with a great pool of life essence to support Auras. But it didn¡¯t do the same for sorcery so Storm Rider drew power from other creatures to fuel her sorcery that didn¡¯t connect to her Auras.

    So basically, the Sixth Gate was a scam.

    ***

    After a good meal of monster meat and stale bread¡ªwhich she was now getting used to, Luna returned to her chambers as Storm flew out to hunt for cursed creatures.

    While in her room, Luna started to spend some time meditating and trying to control the qi in her body. This was the first step of manipulation. And after this step, she would have to start absorbing as much essence as she could to force an awakening.

    Of course, the process would probably take years, months or days¡­the time frame depended on luck, honestly. If she were a zenshi user, the spark of divinity would always be there to quicken the awakening process. Luna would¡¯ve felt jealous if she hadn¡¯t learned of the fact that zenshi bottlenecked humans when they reached the fourth gate.

    Whoever created it wanted humans to stop somewhere or else they would be as powerful as deities. However, zenshi also made its users completely immune to any corruption of any sort. This alone meant that the being behind all of this still needed humans to survive the apocalypse which was the fall. The corruption had already eaten up the beings of the Divine Realm, so when it descended into the Mortal Realm zenshi already existed to protect many mortals at the time.

    Of course it didn¡¯t protect everyone because so many life forms were affected and transformed into the infected.

    ¡®What do they need mortals for in the first place?¡¯

    Luna opened her eyes and welcomed the sound of the whistling wind outside as she broke out of her meditation. There were no windows in her room, just a small floor bed made from the hide of a white hairy creature, probably a giant polar bear, like in the books she used to read.

    Lying down, Luna stared at the white ceiling for a while. While silent, a weird idea of testing her new qi sense. She closed her eyes again but extended her qi sense to the water under the thick ice which wasn¡¯t hard because part of the structure was submerged in water.

    There, she sensed a massive shadow swimming around the barrier. Its life core was burning brightly while pulsing out the life essence that flowed all the way to its many limbs.

    It stopped briefly and Luna almost jumped when she thought the sea creature had sensed her. But it hadn¡¯t. Instead, the Tyrant was reacting to something else in the water that was approaching the Kraken at an incredible speed.

    Then, there was a blast of life essence and Luna¡¯s concentration was shattered. Following that, there was a loud explosion outside and the building trembled in reaction when the shockwave underwater slammed into the building and brought even cracks up to her room.

    Luna¡¯s blood froze as she stood up from her makeshift and ran out of her chamber. She headed for the balcony to see what was happening at the barrier.

    On arriving, her jaw almost dropped as she became one of the first ever people to witness a real monster battle.

 Aspiring Sorceress

    Luna narrowed her eyes to confirm if what she was seeing was true because, there in the snow, Storm Rider hovered in the air with a focused look. She was watching the unfolding fight from the sky with serious eyes that were glowing with life essence. At the same time, there was a small red flame floating beside her.

    ¡°What is she doing there?¡± Luna shifted her shaky gaze to the parts with more broken ice. There, the black sea water boiled as the glowing Kraken attacked another gigantic creature that resembled a grotesque shark with visible bones and exposed inner flesh.

    ¡®A cursed beast.¡¯ Luna¡¯s jaw dropped after she sensed only one core. All her life, she had never thought a cursed beast would ever be of that size. Big enough to go against a titan-level creature.

    Luna held onto the edge of the balcony when the ugly shark was grabbed by one of the Kraken¡¯s tentacles and slammed into the invisible barrier. The shark let out a roar and dug its multiple teeth into the tentacle holding it.

    The Kraken screeched and retrieved its tentacle. But not before black blood contaminated the dark waters. The shark shook its head and bit onto another tentacle and ripped it off after snapping its jaw.

    Suddenly, the black cloud of blood grew thicker as the two vicious creatures fought. Even though being a mere beast, Luna was surprised to see that the shark was holding its own against a tyrant.

    The remaining eight tentacles entwined themselves around the shark, but its visible bones suddenly transformed into pointed spikes like a porcupine. However, that didn¡¯t stop the tentacles because the Tyrant¡¯s hard skin hardened and the bone shattered immediately. They constricted the shark till it could no longer move. As the tentacles crushed the shark, they radiated the ethereal golden light of qi as it absorbed the shark¡¯s energy.

    While that happened the flame near Storm Rider flickered and dimmed.

    Once its opponent was now stationary, the giant creature opened its maw to reveal the razor-sharp pointed rolls of teeth and slowly directed the shark to the open doors of death. It was swallowed whole by the Kraken and its bone defenses shattered with a very loud crunch as the bigger creature chewed it.

    After that, it let out a loud screech to announce its victory against the undead shark. It seemed like victory from its perspective.

    But it was part of the Fire Keeper¡¯s plan to weaken it.

    Storm Rider laughed when the flame near her disappeared. She watched the massive tyrant with excitement as it disappeared into the sea to recover. Its glowing body faded as it dived deeper and deeper.

    ¡°Be careful of what you eat you bastard.¡±

    ***

    Back inside the building, Luna had already returned to the main room where the copy Mildrith grew.

    She was staring at it with a worried expression after she noticed that the tree was missing a few branches. Luna had only discovered that the shark creature was Storm Rider''s and she had reanimated it back to life with her divine flames. This specific creature though, had been fed with magic tree branches to weaken it for its day of execution¡ªwhich was drawing closer.

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    It was a good plan overall. But Luna still felt bitter for a very stupid reason. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she tell me?¡± Luna gritted her teeth as she questioned herself.

    What would she have done if they told her though? She couldn¡¯t do any sorcery to help.

    Let alone touch the damn tree!

    ¡°I hate this tower.¡± She mumbled angrily then turned away from the tree.

    She couldn¡¯t even read the runes around it. The concepts of magic were still jarring to understand. And her ignorance even angered her more.

    Luna didn¡¯t like the idea of being so ignorant about things, especially in a place like this. Aside from the little knowledge Storm Rider had shared, she knew close to nothing about this place.

    Where exactly was she? And where were the others? Was Valentine still alive in this weather?

    She was here, having a warm meal every day, a warm place to stay, and a comfortable bed to sleep in while the others were probably fighting for their lives or worse¡­

    But Luna wasn¡¯t doing nothing in the first place. She was learning about what threats they might expect on the next level. She was trying to find a way of saving the mortal realm by finding other methods of ascension even though it didn¡¯t feel like it was her responsibility to do so.

    She was not some heroine with the desire to save the world like every stupid ascender she had met. Heroes often died risking their lives for strangers. And Luna was sure she wasn¡¯t that kind of person.

    ¡°I am sure they will find a way with the information I¡¯m going to share.¡± She had already even planned out what to say and what to share when confronted about the topic. Being the anomaly didn¡¯t mean she was the chosen one in those cliche stories.

    ¡®Sigh I should get some sleep.¡¯ She yawned and glanced one more time at the tree before turning away and returning to her chambers.

    ***

    The following days passed by quickly and her routine was the same. In those days, Luna learned about the Kraken¡¯s ability to absorb life energy and to create sonic attacks. There was also its ability to weakly control ice. It was rare for a creature to have three abilities, so it was obvious that the sonic attacks were connected to its specific species'' genetic makeup.

    It was important to learn how to manipulate her essence so that she could at least fight its nasty ability that threatened the lives of living creatures.

    After two weeks of constant training which got tougher and tougher with each day, Luna had attained some form of control over the pure essence in her body. As expected, fully controlling her essence was going to be much harder than they both thought due to her blood traits which were still a mystery to her.

    However, despite lacking in the area of control, Luna¡¯s body had undergone a significant change towards the end of the second week. She was still small and pale, but she was already light in weight, which was why her movements were so fast and precise.

    But, the change on her body made her feel even lighter as if the wind could carry her off the ground. Also, her bones felt more refined and denser after Storm Rider recommended that she put more essence into them to make them tougher overall.

    And the best of all, Luna could draw almost all of her strength as long as she fed more essence into her muscles. Come to think of it, Luna was only stronger because she listened and followed Storm Rider¡¯s guidance. This only proved that only a human who can use life essence could teach you how to manipulate it.

    ¡°When do you think I will open my first gate?¡±

    Luna decided to pop the question she had been dying to ask since she witnessed true sorcery from the Fire Keeper.

    ¡°As we speak¡­it depends.¡±

    ¡°Depends on what?¡± Luna walked up to her mentor. She was covered in sweat after three recent strength tests.

    ¡°It depends on how badly you want power. You see, sorcery is the peak of what life essence can be used for. The people of the mortal realm are capable of using runic sorcery to create enchantments. That power is drawn from zenshi¡­because zenshi is limited to that.¡±

    She pointed at the Mildrith and said:

    ¡°But my sorcery isn¡¯t limited. Life essence is superior because it is life itself. I can use incantation to make mystical results and I can use runes too. So, if you¡¯re badly hungry for power, you will be a real sorceress in a short period of fifty years.¡±

    ¡°Fifty years!¡±

    Luna creased her brows and her face twisted with shock. She didn¡¯t hold back on expressing her disappointment after Storm¡¯s answer.

    Storm Rider nodded gently.

    ¡°Yes. After opening your first gate, you will become an ascender so your aging will slow down. Fifty years is a short time.¡±

    But Luna didn¡¯t have fifty years. She was too excited.

    ¡°Anyway, this is the second last week. I¡¯m impressed you can use life essence like that. It¡¯s probably due to your blood.¡±

    ¡°Blood?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you familiar with the unique blood types of your world?¡±

    ¡°I am, but I¡¯m an anomaly. Without the spark, my blood will never unleash its true potential.¡±

    Storm Rider raised her eyebrow. ¡®The Visionaries indeed did a great job at hiding this from the mortals. Wouldn¡¯t it be fun to break some of your progress?¡¯

    After a brief silence, Storm Rider spoke. ¡° Well, in case you didn¡¯t know, the mystical nature of your blood might be a wild card that might change everything about ascension. Special blood types are something I also don¡¯t understand¡­.

    ¡°It was fifty for me, it could be ten or less for you. But don¡¯t give up, I believe that you not receiving the spark of divinity was your chance to become something more powerful¡­¡±

    ¡°Look at me for God¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t it take centuries for you to get there?¡±

    ¡°I still got there didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yah¡­after centuries.¡± Luna heaved out a loud sigh.

 Return of the Heroes

    The next day, Luna was standing on the rooftop as she stared intently at the frozen water. She was in full armor since this part of the building was still affected by the coldness of the outside world.

    She had been staring at the distant orange light for a while now and hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off it. Beyond this point, the powerful winds were still blue, and the sky was still trapped in twilight like everything else here.

    After giving It some thought, Luna sighed before uttering a command to the suit.

    ¡°Initiate cross-country communication.¡±

    After a brief silence, the suit¡¯s robotic voice responded.

    [Signal interference detected. Cross country communication unavailable.]

    She clicked her tongue. It was probably the enchantments around the building blocking the signal from other nanosuits.

    Speaking of enchantments, Luna was still thinking about what Storm Rider had said to her before.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have the potential to become a sorcerer. A powerful one.¡±

    She smiled and squeezed her small hands into fists. Luna felt some hope that she might survive long enough to learn more about both worlds. She needed to learn more about the fall. The origin of the corruption and how the gods died. And what exactly led to the fall after the gods fell?

    Oblivion explained that the flame was nourished by the gods¡¯s existence. But the upsetting truth about all this is that the flames held for a while. The occupants of the divine realm were still alive with their New Rulers. The temples were proof of that.

    Oblivion had been promised power and later betrayed by his comrades. Something happened in between that upset the balance even more.

    ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯

    She could turn around and go ask Storm about everything. But learning the truth from Storm Rider seemed to have consequences. And Luna wasn¡¯t ready to risk that much at the moment.

    ¡°Control yourself Lunaris.¡±

    She told herself as she stared at the orange light. Yes, she was going to find the answers to her many questions one day. She was the threat, after all. And if the tower was keeping her trapped here, then there was still something for her.

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    It didn¡¯t need a genius to figure out that was playing along with someone¡¯s sinister plans. Luna even suspected it was the person she talked to before her memory was altered by the curse on the forgotten. That person might even be Storm Rider¡¯s accomplice.

    Anyway, she already needed a break from reality. So maybe the tower wasn¡¯t so bad. At least she wasn¡¯t getting judged by people here.

    The only people she often thought about were Diana and the rest of her class. It had been months since the subjugation and the outside must¡¯ve changed drastically because of the events happening in the southern reach. The appearance of a real dungeon must have caused its own chaos in the real world.

    In games and webtoons, dungeons could be claimed or destroyed. This one in particular was capable of being claimed after all its guardians and prisoners were killed and transformed into a citadel for one of the great houses of the world. Ascenders were immune to corruption so making a citadel couldn¡¯t be that hard.

    They would claim this thing and build a city around it or in it if they found a way of killing the cursed emperor in the blood desert.

    ¡°They can also make this floor work like Southern Settlement.¡±

    At the moment, she was sure that the quick great houses were now running towards this dungeon. They were coming after its secrets, its relics, and most importantly its powers. Humans were always hungry power creatures. They only needed one person to study the construct of this structure to replicate the world created in this tower.

    However, it was only Luna who knew that the Mildrith tree was the heart and source of the power running this tower. You could describe the tower as a relic left behind by the now dead gods.

    Slowly, she walked to the edge and looked down.

    There, a massive shadow was moving in the water. Its eight tentacles waved calmly in the water like seagrass. It was no longer glowing with essence after it had consumed the undead shark.

    From the little Luna understood, the Mildrith was a parasitic mystical tree that fed on energy or blood depending on which type of Mildrith tree you encountered. The one in the building was rather unique since it fed on both blood and energy if its creator wanted it to.

    And right now, the branch had grown into a small tree inside the Kraken¡¯s body that was using its roots to absorb both blood and essence to slow it down. It was so weak that it had failed to regenerate its lost tentacle. By the coming week, the Kraken would be killable thanks to Storm Rider¡¯s plan.

    After next week, Luna was either going to be dead or off this frozen sea. This floor was not going to break down her mentality.

    ¡°You hear that? I¡¯m going to kill you and move on to the next floor.¡±

    As Luna stared into the frozen sea, far beyond the tower¡¯s influence, the world outside was bracing for its next challenge.

    ***

    Outside the Tower, the reddish sky hadn¡¯t changed since the first soldiers were sent to conquer the first floor of the dungeon.

    It was raining heavily, the sky cackling with red lightning as the terrible downpour continued. The world was enveloped in an eerie darkness that was slowly consuming the Southern Reach. For several days now, the Southern Reach hadn¡¯t experienced any daylight thanks to the tower¡¯s strange influence on the real world.

    Waiting at the entrance was an armed group of soldiers. Some were mundane soldiers holding guns while others were in arachnids and exoskeleton suits with large rail guns in the size of small cars.

    Leading the front line of ascenders was a tall man with alabaster skin and wet brown hair. He was dressed in black nanoskin armor with a specialized greatsword in his right hand.

    As he was still watching the boundary, a voice sounded in his ear. ¡°Major! There has been an interference, something is coming through!¡±

    The tall man lingered, turned his eyes to the ascenders waiting for his signal, and then back to the boundary.

    ¡°Everyone! Brace yourselves!¡±

    His serious green eyes narrowed. Weapons powered up in the background as zenshi cores came active.

    He almost attacked when a red-horned sparrow flew out of the gateway and past them, heading to the main command building where the generals were.

    Following the small creature, a winged horse with a short-haired woman emerged from the tower¡¯s entrance.

    As soon as they recognized the winged horse, the soldiers broke into a wide celebration as more familiar summons emerged from the gate.

    Cheers erupted as the survivors emerged, their armor battered, their faces weary but triumphant. The sight of the winged horse brought tears to many who had feared the worst. This was proof¡ªproof that the tower could be conquered

 The War Council

    Returning to the real world felt so surreal after being used to the red sand and the red sun of the blood desert. The cool air and the sound of rain hitting the surface, the sound of machines, the hardness of the ground, and the dark red clouds¡­

    Rita was so glad to be back in the real world after being gone for so long. They had made it back to the dungeon entrance after weeks of constantly fighting monsters and hiding from the black serpent whenever it emerged from the ground at night. Shin had played the huge role of warning them before even their enemies showed up. That advantage alone gave them time to prepare and fight strategically without losing more of their already low numbers.

    With Monic and a few other summoners, they even managed to fight off a horde of cursed soldiers with only Summons.

    She felt a hand grasp her shoulder. And looking over, Shin was giving her a kind smile. They didn¡¯t exchange words because they were interrupted by the sudden excitement of soldiers.

    The ascenders raised their weapons while the mundane lifted their guns as others clapped to celebrate their return.

    Rita wanted to lift her rapier and celebrate with them. But the final beast had taken a huge toll on her so she had no strength left in her to fight.

    Just then, the celebrations stopped when another presence decided to join them. This specific presence was a powerful one despite being held back by the owner.

    Suddenly, Rita and the remaining soldiers raised their heads to witness a large winged creature emerge from the dark red clouds. The sky flashed and its dark green serpentine scales were doused in brilliant red light.

    It then paused its descent, flapping its wings with intensity. The surprising fact behind its aerodynamics was that the wind created by its intense flapping didn¡¯t affect the environment as expected. The massive wings beat with a strength that should have torn the air apart, yet the ground beneath remained undisturbed¡ªa surreal display of restrained power.

    The dragon¡¯s intelligent yellow eyes stared at Rita for a brief while and then studied everyone else who had made it back from the first-floor mission.

    Rita didn¡¯t tremble under the dragon¡¯s gaze. In fact, compared to the things they saw while in there, this dragon wasn¡¯t enough to scare them with its form only.

    ¡°Lord Kaigen.¡± Shin stepped forward and bowed before the menacing being.

    Kaigen was known to be one of the few humans to successfully merge with a summon. To many, he wasn¡¯t even considered human anymore because he no longer belonged in the realm of what you could consider human.

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    Before Shin could say something else, he was interrupted by Lord Kaigen¡¯s powerful voice.

    ¡°YOU HAVE ALL BEEN SUMMONED BY THE COUNCIL.¡±

    ¡°War council? Since when do we have a council?¡±

    ¡°A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE YOU LEFT TWO MONTHS AGO. PLEASE, PROCEED TO THE CENTRAL COMMAND IMMEDIATELY.¡±

    With those words, the dragon gave one last look at Rita and flew off till it disappeared in the clouds completely.

    Lord Kaigen left everyone stunned and overwhelmed by his crushing presence.

    ¡°Wait. Did he just say two months?¡± Mira suddenly broke the silence. "I swear it felt much longer than that."

    Rita on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem very surprised. Time inside the Tower felt very different compared to the time flow in the real world. Inside, it felt like five months or more had passed since they entered the dungeon.

    ***

    After refreshing up, Rita and Shin headed to command control which was the largest building in the small town and where the generals held their meeting. They were no longer dressed in the messy armor they were in when they arrived. Instead, they were both in normal black and navy blue army uniforms.

    ¡°What do you think they want to know?¡± Rita asked, nervously.

    Shin who was surprisingly calm answered in a balanced tone:

    ¡°The truth. And also why our strongest ascenders are nowhere to be seen. Gods¡­I hope they¡¯re okay, my foresight couldn¡¯t see what¡¯s beyond that circle.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­you don¡¯t think they¡­.¡±

    ¡°They did.¡± Shin sighed sadly as they continued walking, the sounds of their footsteps echoing back to their ears.

    ¡°If they haven¡¯t returned already.¡± He paused, fighting to hide his genuine concern. ¡°It''s best to assume that they couldn¡¯t find a way back to the desert so they¡¯re already trying to conquer the second level.¡±

    As soon as Rita heard that, one person came to her mind.

    Lady Lunaris!

    How was she going to survive without powers because the second floor was meant to be deadlier in comparison to the desert?

    Was it even a desert on the other side?

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll make it?¡± she asked Shin.

    But he shrugged and said. ¡°If they die. Then it''s fate. If they live, then it''s fate. We foreseers are told to trust the strings of fate.¡±

    ¡®Fuck Fate.¡¯ Rita retained her curse. She was a diviner like Shin. But unlike him, she wasn¡¯t the type to keep up with all this trusting-the-universe nonsense most diviners had.

    The doors leading to the council room slid open once the facial scanners recognized the pair as they walked in¡ªmarking the end of their small discussion.

    Inside the room was a black round table with twelve seats all pointing at the table. Occupying the seats were House rulers and highly ranked government officials who seemed to be staring at large a hologram displayed on the table¡¯s surface.

    Their voices had died out the moment Rita and Shin entered the room and all eyes were now focused on them.

    The air in the room felt heavier than it should have. Each figure around the table exuded an aura of power and authority, their gazes sharp, dissecting as if they already knew the answers Rita and Shin carried.

    Immediately, Rita was sweating as she struggled to keep her eyes on the incredible figures before them.

    Shin must''ve noticed her anxiety because he whispered. ¡°I will handle this¡­¡± then made a few steps forward and bowed at his superiors. Rita followed shortly after.

    In the room, she had noticed five powerful presences. One belonging to Lord Kaigen the Dragon who had now assumed his human form. He was in a jade green armor that resembled his scales when in the form of a dragon. The second one belonged to the Phoenix. The sapphire-eyed man was staring at Shin with a complicated expression of boredom.

    The third presence was Lord Astrid who was wearing her usual shades, despite being indoors. Her small pink lips had curled into a weak smile when the pair first stepped in.

    The fourth presence was that of Flame of Winter. Her gaze had just landed on them. The calmness on her face was alarming considering they were experiencing hard times. Her silver hair was no longer held back by a hairpin, letting it fall past her shoulders.

    ¡®She looks like her daughter. Or is it the other way around?¡¯

    And the fifth presence belonged to a man Rita had never seen before. The man¡¯s presence was suffocating, his golden-red armor glinting under the room¡¯s light. Rita¡¯s breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell on the crescent moon emblazoned on his armor.

    And suddenly...

    Her mind raced¡ªLord Artemis, the head of House Artemis, sat right next to Mao Feng with a serious look.

 Oral Report

    Rita had never seen Lord Artemis before today. Having been born and raised in the Eastern Settlement, she had no idea what the Western Settlement looked like or how House Artemis and the government ruled that side of the world. She was also not curious about the other continents, especially those that rarely involved themselves with House Feng.

    However, she was familiar with the great houses and their symbols. Also, she knew a Sorcerer when she saw one. And...Lord Artemis was one of the most powerful ones she had seen in a while. She could tell this from just his presence alone. He had a pale complexion and dark eyes that seemed to siphon out coldness. On his head, he wore an enchanted crown with intricate runes. The rest of his face was not particularly handsome, but its sharpness and wellness could draw some attention.

    ¡°Please, tell us what happened while inside the dungeon.¡±

    Lord Astrid¡¯s voice suddenly snapped Rita back to her senses. She had been staring at the man for so long that she had forgotten the silent audience before her.

    ¡°Umm¡­well¡­.the tower is already a dungeon as¡­you all know¡­¡± Rita found herself in a lack of words before the powerful ascenders.

    Luckily, Shin swooped to save her from embarrassing herself. ¡°The Crimson Tower is indeed a dungeon, my lords. In there, we encountered the undead king and the Master of Nothing. We lost most of our forces fighting against the Undead King who happened to have the ability to control every cursed creature as the guardian of the level we were on.¡±

    ¡°He was a cursed general, my lords.¡±

    Shin continued to speak as the rest of the lords and government officials listened to his version of a report. As he reported his experience, he made sure he didn¡¯t leave out any details. He talked about the Shrines, the cryptic message left behind in ancient Mandarin, and the cursed emperor that only appeared at night. And the statue of a deity called Everlight.

    Everyone in the room was shocked by what they heard. The existence of a real deity was uncanny and terrifying considering humans were bugs in the face of the deities¡¯s powers. Sovereigns were currently the strongest enemies humanity had faced up to date. These corrupted deities were already stronger than humans by leaps with only Fourth Gate users being the only thing that came close to them in power.

    ¡°Did you learn anything about this deity?¡± Mao Feng finally spoke after Shin paused. Her gaze was as sharp as a double-edged sword and her voice filled with so much authority it could crush an army.

    Shin didn¡¯t waver under her gaze though. The Seer nodded and said, tentatively:

    ¡°We learned that they are a lesser deity compared to the gods. Everlight was originally a servant to the god of the sun before his death. They had a whole religion and people who built shrines out of Styx stone in their name.¡±

    ¡°Styx stone?¡± Lord Astrid cut in. ¡°The beings of the divine realm must have been quite strong to create shrines using that tough rock.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Mao Feng didn¡¯t mind her cousin¡¯s words. ¡°Tell us about the Master of Nothing?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much to say about him, my lord. The deity had already descended into madness by the time we unleashed him. It could cancel out concepts like our Auras and zenshi itself.¡±

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    ¡°Cancel?¡± Mao Feng frowned. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Zenshi is divine, are you sure that¡¯s what happened?¡±

    Shin nodded with a solemn expression. He remembered losing an arm in that fight. ¡°Yes. Everyone¡¯s ability stopped working and we all lost our summons the moment it did so. We were powerless.¡±

    ¡°Then how did you defeat it then?¡± Kaigen leaned forward while the others stayed silent. He was intrigued by this report. Hearing it from these two gave him a bigger picture in this case, unlike the written reports he was going through earlier.

    ¡°Lord Valentine and Lady Lunaris played a huge role in defeating it. They figured out that the Master was incapable of canceling out two things at the same things. So we gave it a bigger threat to worry about,¡± Shin explained. ¡°It canceled out that threat and we were able to use our Auras for a brief moment. Snow decapitated it and used his ability on it.¡±

    ¡°What about the Sword Guardian Mira Hong encountered? In her reports, she says they fought one.¡± Mao Feng asked, her tone indifferent.

    Rita¡¯s heart raced as she felt the weight of Lord Artemis¡¯s gaze. Every instinct screamed at her to shrink away, yet she knew the room would not allow weakness. These were the rulers of humanity, the arbiters of its fate¡ªand she, a mere clairvoyant, was expected to speak.

    ¡°Yes¡­they encountered a sword guardian. And the process of fighting it, Lunaris Feng was injured terribly while trying to protect her sister.¡± Shin replied.

    Mao Feng sighed and crossed her arms. She turned to Lord Artemis who technically had the same level of authority as her in this room. They ruled the world after all.

    Artemis shifted in his seat and landed his fierce gaze on Rita. ¡°And you, young lady. Why are you so quiet?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re a gifted clairvoyant who is also gifted in enchanting.¡±

    Rita fell into a rushed bow. ¡°Thank you, my Lord.¡±

    ¡°Please, tell me about the Master of Nothing and the undead king.¡± He said in a calm and collected tone. ¡°Was the term Mildrith mentioned anywhere?¡±

    Rita shook her head. ¡°No¡­no my lord. The undead king only chose to speak with Captain Snow. I was also occupied with the Master of Nothing while they had an exchange." she paused and remembered something important. ¡°The Master of Nothing did speak with Lady Lunaris though. As a clairvoyant, I was able to feel the change she experienced when her mind was taken for a brief moment.¡±

    A faint smile appeared on Lord Artemis¡¯s face after hearing that. ¡°So the deity was interested in an unblessed. What an interesting detail. Thank you for that information, Ascender Rita.¡±

    After that, Lord Artemis turned to Mao Feng and said, this time carrying more resolve and authority.

    ¡°The Generals will be joining the conquering of the crimson tower. I will be joining as well.¡±

    ¡°This not a conquer, Lord Artemis. This is a subjugation. If we don¡¯t destroy this tower humanity¡­¡±

    ¡°We are humanity, Mao Feng.¡± Lord Artemis cut her off. ¡° If we conquer that thing, imagine the citadel we can construct around it. A city of ascenders, right here in the southern reach of your continent. Think about the things we could learn from studying about this dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right, Kronor. But I have no such goals. This tower is a problem, the black ether has killed so many people in this state. I can''t risk letting the structure stand when there are chances that it might grow and destroy my continent someday.¡±

    Lord Artemis scoffed and let out a soft chuckle.

    ¡°Destroy it? You sound like your dead husband, naive and childish. Always trying to be the saviors. In case you didn''t know, Mao Feng, the world is already destroyed. It¡¯s why more and more people are being born with divine traits in their blood. This is a sign that it''s about time we try to conquer the divine realm.¡±

    ¡°And we start with the tower.¡±

    There was a dead silence in the room. Mao Feng lingered, looked at the rest of the war council, and gritted her teeth. Their silence angered her. ¡°What makes you think we can? Technology? Or have you gotten cocky after mastering your Aura? Cocky enough to call my late husband naive.¡±

    There was a hint of anger in Mao Feng¡¯s voice. But aside from that, she was doing an incredible job at bottling her emotions.

    ¡°Power, Mao Feng. My continent has enough power. I have an army of the next generation ready to conquer the other realm.¡± Lord Artemis spoke with pride. But nothing he had spoken was a lie. Their world was sick and it was dying even faster with more cursed creatures walking into their world. Humanity needed to survive somehow.

    Mao Feng¡¯s voice sharpened. "You speak of power, but power without knowledge is a blade without a hilt. The divine realm is an enigma¡ªits rules, its dangers, its guardians. We can¡¯t risk humanity on blind ambition."

    Artemis leaned back in his chair, his gaze unwavering. He repeated his statement. "The world is dying, Mao Feng. Your hesitation only delays the inevitable."

    Mao Feng¡¯s fingers tightened into fists, her voice cold as ice. "And your arrogance accelerates it. We¡¯ve seen what unchecked power does¡ªit corrupts, it destroys. I won¡¯t gamble my continent for your delusions of grandeur."

    ¡°I am not asking you to gamble, Mao Feng. I''m asking you to risk this continent for the greater good. This Tower is the key to something big, I can feel it! It might be an opportunity for us to understand the mechanics of the divine realm. Build an empire!"

    ¡°I refuse.¡± Mao Feng hissed out a cold response that silenced Lord Artemis.

    ¡°Fools.¡± he scoffed in his mind and let the meeting go on without saying any more. He had said enough to get his vision into the mind of everyone else in this room. If they were smart enough, they would agree to this...agree to the evolution of mankind.

 Family

    Rita returned to her quarters after meeting the Council. Truth is, she didn¡¯t know how to feel after everything that transpired there.

    On one side, she agreed with Lord Artemis that humanity needed to conquer the divine realm to survive. But what would happen to the mundane humans who could be corrupted easily? There were billions of people out there who wouldn¡¯t be able to survive the conditions of the Divine realm. The blazing sun''s heat of the blood desert was an example of this. It was a very unpredictable world compared to the mortal realm with creatures bearing unfathomable powers.

    Right there, Rita remembered her family members. Her little brother was mundane, along with her sickly mother and older sister. They didn¡¯t have any divinity to even give hope for ascension. Thinking of them made her miss her family so she decided to check on how they were doing now that she was back in the mortal realm.

    She turned on her ability and her world instantly changed from the steel room given to her to a spaced apartment in Ga-mu-bin, one of the safest capitals in the Eastern Settlement. The apartment was modest but welcoming, its pale blue walls reflecting the soft light streaming through reinforced glass windows. A faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, a reminder of simpler, safer days.

    It was afternoon and the sun was fully out. It was a hot day since it was coming to mid-June and the azure sky was beautiful as always thanks to the barrier over the capital city.

    Just then, the main door opened and a small child with fiery red hair rushed into the apartment while screaming and playing with a few figurines in his hand.

    ¡°Alex, you¡¯re going to fall.¡±

    The door fully opened beautiful brunette walked in holding a large paper bag full of groceries. She had sparkling red eyes¡ªa common feature in her family because their father was an ascender.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± the woman cursed as she closed the door with a kick then headed to the kitchen.

    She had a pair of headphones and she hummed to the tunes as she removed everything they had brought.

    ¡°Rachael¡­Rachael¡­see!¡± Alex rushed to his older sister and showed her a figurine of a green dragon.

    Bothered by the little boy¡¯s excitement, Rachael lazily removed her headset and turned to her brother.

    ¡°Do you know who this is?¡±

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    ¡°It''s Kaigen the Dragon? Right?¡±

    The boy nodded excitedly. ¡°Do you think big sister will get to meet him? My friends say she¡¯s now super powerful after she ascended to a summoner.¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± Rachael replied with a faint smile. ¡°Your sister is super powerful. Hehe¡­I bet she¡¯s stronger than that Kaigen guy!¡±

    The four-year-old boy¡¯s eyes sparked with stars. ¡° Really! Then why doesn¡¯t she have an action figure yet?¡±

    Rachael chuckled and patted the small boy¡¯s red hair. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have cool dragon form, you see. Heck, it''s only Kaigen with an action figure.¡±

    ¡®Exactly.¡¯ Rita chuckled.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t she become a dragon then?¡± the boy asked, curious about what his sister had just said.

    Rachael smiled and began unpacking whatever they had brought. ¡°Because that¡¯s not it works for ascenders. But know that your sister is saving the world as we speak. Those toy companies better make toys about the mighty Rita someday!¡±

    The boy nodded and returned to playing with his figurines.

    Rachael sighed and put her headphones back on and listened to her music.

    After seeing that they were safe, the imagery of the apartment faced and she was now back in the small room she had been given.

    Rita scanned the room she was in and threw herself on the small bed. She suddenly felt homesick after seeing her family. They were the reason why she was on this side fighting against the end of the world. Before ascending, their father had been the breadwinner of their family as an ascender for the government sector of the Eastern Settlement.

    Unfortunately, he died during a subjugation after a gate appeared outside the Eastern Settlement border. As the oldest and the only one born with special blood, Rita took it upon herself to become the breadwinner of her family. She fought against all odds to prove her worth to the highblood houses and her hard work finally paid off when she became one of House Feng¡¯s diviners.

    The pay was high and the life of luxury was always within her reach even if she ever decided to retire. Sure, she risked her life doing this job. But without it, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to pay for her mother¡¯s very expensive treatment or her school for her mundane siblings.

    As Rita stared at the sterile ceiling of her quarters, one thought echoed in her mind: humanity might find a way to survive, but would her family be among those who lived to see it?

    "I can''t agree with Lord Artemis...I just can''t."

    ***

    Meanwhile, Shin was seated alone on his bed smiling at his communicator while reading a message from Ling Hana who was currently with her mother, Agatha.

    He still couldn¡¯t believe that two months had gone by since he left for the Southern Reach. And now that his primary role of guiding Lunaris to her sister, Shin had already sent his request to be removed from this subjugation. Many would¡¯ve looked at this as a cowardly move. But during that fight against the corrupted deity, Shin had had a lot to think about since that battle. His decision wasn¡¯t a rash one because he still had people to live for in this world.

    He could¡¯ve been one of the soldiers that died in that dungeon but he hadn''t because it wasn¡¯t his fate to die there despite having escaped death so many times.

    ¡°Ling will awaken at fifteen. She won¡¯t be rejected by the coming age.¡± He was still thinking about what Lord Artemis said about their world. It was common sense that the mortal realm was indeed dying away. The process could take a few years or even centuries¡­.

    But it was sure to happen.

    Humans had zenshi to help them survive not save their realm. so, very soon, more cursed creatures will break into the human realm and begin their conquest. The continents would all fall unless the world had more ascenders to fight against the inevitable end. So, to survive, humans needed to go stronger to conquer the more vicious world.

    Could humans survive in that world? His ex-wife and daughter had divinity in them. The chances of Ling awakening were higher should they cross into the divine realm.

    He put down his communicator and rubbed his temples. Was there really no other way than to declare the end for the mortal realm? To move on?

    No. It wasn¡¯t right to forget about the billions of mundane humans who managed to live and continued to fight even after the world was trapped in despair.

    He joined his hands and buried his face in them. Lord Artemis had a point but his vision wasn''t the right way. Humans belonged to the Mortal Realm and that''s it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find another way to live. We have to.¡±

 Lunariss Survival Guide: How to Kill a Kraken without Dying 101

    Luna stood next to the Mildrith, giving it one last look before the fight against the Kraken began.

    She wanted to savor her last moments just in case this thing killed her the moment she stepped into the cold waters. It was hard to put her trust in a person who often told her half-truths.

    Luna had transformed the suit¡¯s nanomites into a diver¡¯s suit. Its underwater functions were now at an acceptable level of functionality and its heated system was fully functional now that she had made a few repairs.

    Over the final week, Luna had spent most of her time refining her pathetic control of life essence and her ability to use Poison Sin and its enchantments properly.

    Her experience with a dagger hadn¡¯t been the best of course. But she was finally getting a hang of it since it was the only weapon she had in her arsenal. Short blades were not her style at all, it often felt like she wasn¡¯t extending her soul each time she practiced with poison sin. To master the blade, Luna turned to her memories to transform herself into someone skillful with short blades like this one.

    She wasn¡¯t skilled enough. But at least she had the basics tucked within her mind.

    To top up her new skills, Luna acquired some control over her physical strength, which was the main purpose of her Qi training. This was because her physical strength was very necessary in this coming fight. She had also learned that her strength came with the special blood flowing in her veins--which wasn''t news because many suspected so. Generational Blood Type humans were so rare so very little was known about her blood type.

    "If she gain full control of my essence, I would never have to worry about my mundane body ever breaking down."

    Also, now that she was in control of some of her strength, Luna¡¯s body could combat the pressure while underwater and at the same time let her deliver blows without being worried about them getting weaker by any chance. This meant that as long she didn¡¯t burn through her essence or allow the tentacles to absorb it, Luna did have some advantage if she stuck to the plan of getting the creature out of the water. When most of its body was out like when she first arrived, Storm Rider would then destroy it with whatever trick she had up her sleeve.

    That was the whole plan and she was the bait in this situation.

    But Luna was fine with that because she was sure the Cursed Tyrant was much weaker after having a parasitic plant growing in it for two whole weeks now. By now, its life essence must be leaning on the low side because of the tree¡¯s terrifying nature.

    Today, the three weeks of training would finally prove their worth by letting her survive and get her off this tower.

    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure the Fire Keeper knows it''s been three weeks because this level of the tower is trapped in semi-darkness.¡±

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    Some parts were completely dark while some parts¡ªlike where the sea and the coral building were located¡ªwere stuck in an endless twilight. That, the blizzard, and the orange light were the only unchanging things Luna had observed about this floor.

    ¡­Oh and Storm Rider since she was an immortal.

    ¡®Immortals are unchanging.¡¯

    Speaking of Storm Rider, Luna was still suspicious of the Fire Keeper despite the time they had shared over the past weeks. There was a lot that the Fire Keeper was hiding from her. But instead of focusing on that, Luna was going to focus on surviving today first and then proceed with investigating Storm Rider later.

    ¡®She wouldn¡¯t kill me for essence, at least that I know.¡¯ She consoled herself when she remembered an interesting fact about the Fire Keeper¡¯s abilities. If the Fire Keeper wanted to, Luna would be dead by now considering that Storm Rider was the superior human in this case. She could wipe her out of existence if she wanted and leave behind ash.

    That proved that she was morally upright.

    ¡°I just have to take caution should the time come and she wants me dead.¡±

    But where would she run? Storm Rider could fly and do so much more with all that experience.

    ¡°I¡¯m being too pessimistic about all of this.¡±

    After clearing her thoughts and saying her prayers to the dead gods, Luna sighed and slowly walked to the balcony where she first climbed onto when running from the Kraken weeks ago.

    There, she found Storm Rider who was in her usual clothes with a black cloak on top. ¡°Lunaris, are you ready?¡± She asked with a pleasant smile.

    ¡°If ready means terrified. Then yes, I¡¯m scared for my damn life. And if I do survive, I might never go for a cold swim ever again. Or for a swim at all.¡±

    Luna glared at the frozen water, her breath trembling at the sight of the white expanse of ice. These were times when she wished Len or her mother were here since they could fight freely without worrying about dying from hypothermia.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°I thought you know the plan?¡± Storm responded. She then raised her hand and a network of golden electricity started to cackle around her fingers.

    ¡®I am still living in doubt.¡¯ Luna didn¡¯t say a word, remembering that they had discussed this plan over and over again. If she died here, Storm Rider wouldn¡¯t be able to save unless she appeared on the surface of the ice.

    She heaved out a sigh and shook her body to warm herself. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    Luna drew in a sharp breath and stared at the sea. Her adversary was still in the waters waiting for her like a hungry predator.

    Luna could feel its chilling blood lust all the way from her. What did this thing want from her so badly to stay so close to a Fire Keeper¡¯s territory?

    ¡®Well, I am going to find out away.¡¯

    With that thought, she called upon her helmet and jumped off the balcony with her dagger in hand. The ice shattered on impact as her body plummeted softly into the cold waters. The first thing she felt was a cold chill that made her entire being tremble but her suit adjusted immediately by warming her up.

    She was surrounded by nothing but water.

    The shadow of the Kraken was still visible from a distance, its size being so noticeable in the dim dark waters. She was still safe from its reach due to the active enchantment cast around Storm¡¯s territory.

    However, when she left the territory, Luna would no longer be protected by The Fire Keeper¡¯s magic. She would be on her own till she¡¯s out of the water with the creature itself.

    She bottled up her fear, exhaled sharply, and propelled herself forward with great speed. The size of the Kraken grew as she got closer and closer to the boundary. She sensed its powerful gaze but shook off her fear as she was overcome by the fierce determination fueled by her will to live.

    Underneath the helmet, she carried a dark expression as she glared at her enemy while moving like a human torpedo.

    She crossed the boundary at an intense speed and ignored the strange vertigo it always caused. Then, she maneuvered her body into a spin and avoided the immediate glowing tentacles that the Kraken shot at her. It wasn¡¯t hard to avoid getting hit or captured because of their size.

    But its speed was unsurprisingly incredible underwater because it wasn''t affected by the natural forces that slowed down large bodies while in water.

    ¡°Biscuits¡­¡± Luna cursed through gritted teeth as she continued swimming further away from the building, heading to the agreed upon center of the sea.

    Right above the ice, hidden in the dark clouds, lines of golden electricity started to gather in the center above the frozen water body at the command of one person¡­

    Storm Rider smiled when the massive Kraken moved its body, turning away from her building and chasing a smaller figure. They were both moving at incredible speeds, one chasing the other running for her life.

    A wicked smile appeared on her calm face. The golden lightning had doused her entire body in golden light. Her red eyes were now glowing a unique red-gold glow as her qi gathered even more to create an attack that would bring down their adversary¡­

 Water Combat

    ¡°Shit¡­¡±

    Luna¡¯s heart was racing, her blood frozen as she tried to create distance between herself and the Kraken by swimming faster. Her suit was using air to propel her in any direction of choice and right now she was only moving forward heading to the center of the sea where Storm Rider waited.

    It felt like the waters were getting darker as she moved further away from Storm¡¯s building. Behind, her chaser¡¯s speed hadn¡¯t fallen one bit while swimming towards her.

    Luna of course didn¡¯t panic when she saw this. If she panicked right now, then this hot pursuit would end with her as octopus food. Also, these dark waters were unlike any water body back on Earth. In here, Luna constantly felt like something was trying to pull her into its depths. This was the deal with magic water bodies.

    And even though she wasn¡¯t relatively deep, the pressure was strong enough to crash an ordinary person and the nanoskin suit itself. Luckily, the life essence had transformed her body into something more resilient and could endure high-pressure levels for a good period of time.

    The other thing she needed to be wary of aside from the giant creature chasing her were the ether-infested depths that seemed to be the reason why the water here was so dark. It was so concentrated that if she touched any of that, the armor itself wouldn¡¯t save her from turning into an infected in an instant.

    ¡®I need to avoid the deeper levels. That won¡¯t be difficult because I can¡¯t handle the pressure down there.¡¯

    Luna continued moving through the dark waters with incredible speed till the bright center was finally in sight.

    She almost felt hopeful when something unexpected happened. She noticed she was losing momentum to a force dragging her towards the giant creature and away from the surface.

    ¡®Crap!¡¯

    Cursing, she chanced her gaze to the creature behind and realized that the bastard was the one controlling the water.

    In that moment, Luna froze, thinking of what to do next as she watched the water around her become more solid and capture her body which appeared like a water grip. Her eyes widened with instant panic when she heard a part of her suit crack from the more intense pressure coming from this influenced water.

    Of course, a sea god¡¯s pet ruled the frozen sea and was capable of controlling water. Why the hell didn¡¯t that cross her mind?

    And now, she was stuck and being dragged back to the creature. ¡°Crap¡­crap¡­crap.¡± She cried as the creature slowly emerged from the dark waters and revealed its entire self to her.

    Its harrowing dark tentacles swam peacefully as they came face to face with each other. Its eyes stared at her with fierce intelligence as if they were borrowing into her very soul.

    Luna had never felt this much fear in her life as she watched one of the dark tentacles slowly swim toward her. When it reached, the water freed her and the tentacle intertwined itself around her entire body. Trapping her entirely without constricting and killing her.

    That was its biggest mistake--because in the next minute, Luna unleashed her strength, weakened its grip for a second, and thrust Poison Sin to a small gap between the scales. The blade cleanly pierced through the flesh and black poison quickly found its way into the creature¡¯s system.

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    Immediately, the tentacle freed her and a loud screech escaped the creature¡¯s maw. If this was the same enchanted weapon as before, then the damage wouldn¡¯t have caused this much pain to begin with. But now that Storm Rider had tweaked its build and enhanced its enchantments, the blade was 100 times more deadly than it was.

    Its blade was now capable of causing incredible internal damage like this attack. However, due to its weak construct, Poison Sin was too weak to hold Pure energy like qi. Hence it would shatter after three uses.

    Luna noticed a crooked line appear on the blade¡¯s surface¡ªmeaning she had two more attacks left before the blade shattered.

    ¡°Come at me, you bastard!¡± Luna yelled and swam toward the giant creature with incredible speed. She gasped in a large breath of air and dismissed her helmet. The very cold water left her feeling like she might die from frostbite but her body held, choosing to remain intact due to the essence in her body.

    Putting the Poison Sin in her mouth and grabbing it with her teeth, Luna let out a muffled roar and delivered a powerful blow at one of the tentacles with just her fist. The force behind it caused the water to separate while the tentacle she had just hit exploded into a pile of flesh and blood.

    ¡®This is my revenge damn it!¡¯

    Covered in dark blood and flesh, Luna avoided the other tentacles that started to produce an ethereal glow to absorb her essence. She felt the water respond to the creature¡¯s painful anger, the pressure getting stronger as it tried to crash her body.

    To fight against it, she unleashed her Battle Aura and the world suddenly became more vivid and terrifying.

    She was still not used to the imbalance in the water but the armor regulated her weight to give her more control as she grew more fond of the water combat.

    A glowing tentacle approached her from the side. But Luna dodged it with ease and delivered a blow fueled with essence from her body. The creature¡¯s flesh tore from that attack.

    Indeed, its tough skin had grown weaker because of fake Mildrith in its system. This wasn¡¯t the intelligent creature she had encountered when she first came to this level. The Mildrith had twisted its biology and life core, turning it into a desperate being hungry for essence.

    With that noted, Luna swam to the main body which was now descending into the polluted depths.

    ¡®I¡¯m not going to let it retreat just like that.¡¯

    Steeling her resolve, Luna raised her arm and drew out all her strength. Then, with all her might, she threw Poison Sin into the depths where the creature was retreating. She was aiming for its main body. The blade¡¯s third enchantment was active so she started swimming to the surface because her life depended on it.

    Just then, the Kraken roared and the ice above the water cracked as the sea turned and twisted in a rage.

    ¡®I guess that worked.¡¯ She thought as a black helmet materialized around her head.

    Behind, the Kraken was now tailing her with its entire body out of the depths. She spared a second to gaze over her right shoulder to see fully what looked like. It blended perfectly with the black waters, its shape resembling a formless shadow.

    Speaking of water, the pressure was getting much worse as she got closer to the center of the water body. Blood was already flowing out of her nose, meaning that she was moments away from blowing to bits.

    But above the ice, she sensed an even more terrifying presence waiting for them. It belonged to Storm Rider.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Luna leaped out of the water with a stifled cry once she was close to the surface. She didn¡¯t waste a second to continue running for her dear life because something enormous exploded out of the ice and released a series of sonic attacks in her direction.

    One of the attacks managed to hit both her and the ice she was standing on. She failed to recover in time and the ice shattered instantly, sending her body back into the water.

    Luna was then struck by a glowing tentacle. It had appeared out of nowhere, sending her flying out of the water like a small rock.

    Crack!

    Luna painfully landed on the ice, the sound of her bones breaking echoing across the ice wasteland. The life essence hadn¡¯t protected her this time, which only meant one thing...

    ¡®My essence is gone.¡¯

    The mad creature emerged from the water and opened its mouth to swallow her with the ice. But stopped when a line of Golden lightning fell from the sky and hit the Kraken.

    The blizzard stopped for a brief moment and the sky was bathed in the beautiful golden light of Storm Rider¡¯s first Aura, Divine Flame.

    KRRRAAAAAAAAAA!!!

    The Kraken cried out in pain as the golden lightning fried its insides like it wasn¡¯t a cursed Tyrant. The ice around it began to melt and black water started to boil from the intense heat Storm Rider was creating from just opening her second gate.

    Luna expected the heat to reach her. But it didn¡¯t¡ªproving to her that Storm Rider was very familiar with how her powers worked and had full control over them.

    After a short while, the lightning stopped and the Kraken Luna had feared so much was now burned beyond recognition. When she peered into it to see the life core, it was pitch black¡ªmeaning it was dead.

    Her gaze relaxed a little as it lingered on the still creature. The World was suddenly silent as if mourning the death of the Sea god''s pet. Despite the state she was in, Luna could not help but feel some fear towards Storm Rider''s first Aura.

    She didn''t look up or say anything to celebrate her survival. Instead, Luna silently watched the creature¡¯s body slowly descend into the depths.

    Never to be seen again.

    ''Gods...I really hoped for something more climatic.''

 The Towers Purpose

    After their fight against the cursed Tyrant, Luna found herself back in the comfort of the small bed while staring at the familiar white ceiling with an indifferent look. She had just woken up since the big fight and her foggy memory was slowly clearing up.

    ¡°Ah.¡± She groaned as she remembered her final moments before she passed out from the worst pain of her life. Most of her bones were shattered after getting hit by a giant limb. Her armor was damaged so the coldness reached her, the fatigue from pushing herself too far and using 90% of her strength. And worst of all, the backlash after running out of essence.

    Luna had never been driven to such a poor state. The feeling of being so vulnerable and helpless was a haunting one¡ªespecially when you¡¯re somewhere where anything could kill you.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Storm Rider¡¯s Divine Flame, then Luna would¡¯ve been as good as dead by now.

    ¡®I guess the world is still in need of me.¡¯ Luna thought, thinking back to how well she fought during that fight.

    She had learned a few things about her own abilities during that fight though. Things like the extent of her physical strength when she¡¯s not trying to restrain it. She still felt the weak jolt of energy when she drew it out all once and willed it all into a single attack. The feeling was similar to that of having electricity surging through her bones and muscles to give them incredible strength. It was awesome.

    The second punch she delivered with essence also led to a fascinating discovery. It didn¡¯t feel like she was using her physical strength at all. Instead, Luna felt like she was borrowing power from a foreign force.

    ¡­she was borrowing power from the world around her.

    ¡°Did I perform mediocre sorcery? Was it even sorcery?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure of where that qi came from exactly. But yes, she did manage to manipulate qi outside of her body. Even though it was by mistake.

    ¡®I need to find a way of forcing by first gate open. Cultivation is one hell of a chore¡­¡¯

    ¡°But worth it.¡± Luna remembered Storm Rider¡¯s lightning spell and how it affected the very nature of this world.

    Divine Flame was different from the Flames the Chau Clan had inherited.

    Storm Rider¡¯s flames were versatile in a way that they could be turned into lighting for destruction and later be used to heal dire wounds while the the flames the Chau clan used couldn¡¯t shift between forms or change purpose.

    Storm Rider had displayed perfect mastery over fire to a point where her sorcery looked natural.

    ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen sorcerers go all out,¡± Luna remembered. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯m amazed by Storm Rider.¡±

    When she felt mentally recovered enough, Luna left her chambers and headed to the main room where she found Storm Rider who was doing her usual staring at the creepy tree. She always wore a distant look in her eyes as if thinking about the past.

    To announce her presence, Luna forced out a cough that echoed across the room.

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    Noticing her, Storm Rider moved her distant gaze away from the tree to the silent Luna who was still in her battered armor.

    She didn¡¯t have the material to replace the damaged nanomites so the armor was going to break down soon. What would she wear then? And even though she did find some form of armor, will it be resistant to the cold? Under the armor was the cream tunic she had picked up in the ruined city.

    Speaking of the tunic, it was also not in good condition since she had been wearing it for weeks now.

    ¡°Lunaris. I see that you¡¯re awake. How are feeling?¡±

    ¡°Like I¡¯ve been hit by a bus.¡±

    ¡° I see. But wouldn¡¯t you be dead if you were hit by a bus?¡± The Fire Keeper tilted her head.

    ¡°It''s a metaphor we use back on earth. Actually, never mind that. What are we going to do next now that the Kraken is dead?¡±

    ¡°We find your teammates of course. I¡¯ve been watching over all of them. They¡¯re all interesting¡­especially that sister of yours. She killed a Cursed Tyrant all on her own. She almost died, but she won. Somehow.¡±

    ¡®Wait! She what on her own!¡± Luna¡¯s jaw almost dropped. ¡®I almost died just fighting one and you¡¯re telling me she killed one.¡¯

    ¡°The death boy and the handsome one are almost close to the teleportation circle while the gravity girl might die if she continues being reckless. All your friends are heading to the teleportation circle and will be there in a few days.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Luna asked. She was going to ask about Valentine. But knowing the mysterious young man, Luna was sure he had some relic under his sleeve to hide himself from The Fire Keeper¡¯s power.

    ¡°Simple. This is my domain, Lunaris. I know everything that takes place on this level since I¡¯m its guardian. I am also a prisoner and only you and your friends can free me by destroying this entire tower¡­¡±

    The gears in Luna¡¯s mind started moving when she realized what Storm Rider had been trying to do all along.

    ¡°Is that why you taught me how to use qi and asked me to defeat the Cursed Tyrant? Were you lying about being powerless in water?¡±

    ¡°Yes and No. I can¡¯t fight in water but there are other ways to kill that thing.¡± She grinned and winked. ¡°I am an immortal sorceress with unimaginable powers. Give me some credit.¡±

    ¡®Of course it was a training arc. I should have known.¡¯ Although Luna felt bitter, she had to admit that Storm Rider had taught more than any master at the sect. She was now much stronger than she was before entering the Tower.

    After a small silence, the quirkiness on Storm¡¯s face disappeared and was replaced by the seriousness she often carried around. She sighed and settled into her serious personality as she proceeded to the next phase of the plan.

    ¡°This Tower was created to hold the enemies of the gods. On the final floor of this prison, one of the strongest deities was imprisoned there and to destroy means to free him. The choice is yours to make because I have given it to you.¡±

    ¡®I am here to give you a choice.¡¯ Luna remembered Oblivion¡¯s words before his space collapsed. Is this what he meant?

    Luna frowned a little. ¡°You mean the final floor doesn¡¯t have a corrupted being? But an actual sane deity?¡±

    Storm Rider lingered before answering. Then, she answered in her usual calm tone. ¡°The Moon goddess put him here and he¡¯s guarded by one of her servants. The Guardian belongs to a special race of beings known as Pantheons. I can¡¯t tell why that person was imprisoned though. Some things you will have to figure out yourself, Lunaris.¡±

    ¡®Of course she won¡¯t tell me more.¡¯ Luna wanted to roll her eyes so badly after hearing that.

    The curse haunting the forgotten. Who created it? And for what purpose exactly?

    Those were the two questions Luna needed answers to. Currently, she was digging deep into the true lore of the divine realm. But she needed to tread carefully about this since didn¡¯t have any desire to carry the curse, even though she sometimes wished that everyone would forget her.

    But that was the depression speaking. Luna didn¡¯t really mean that.

    ¡®Or did I?¡¯

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. What do they look like, the true celestials.¡± Luna asked a question that had been on her mind since she saw Everlight¡¯s statue back in the desert.

    Storm Rider hissed. ¡°You¡¯re a curious one I see. Well, some of them look like humans but with wings to show their supremacy. They¡¯re the strongest and the ones you should always be most cautious about.¡±

    She paused for a second to think of what to say. Then continued. ¡°They were the direct servants of the gods and the closest thing to what you have as gods in this new era. Take Oblivion for example, he was a Servant of Fate. True Celestials also wield complicated domains or concepts to be exact. The complicated domains are what made most mortals follow them and call them true celestials.¡±

    Luna was about to say something but Storm cut her off immediately.

    ¡°If you ever learn a living deity¡¯s name, never say it out loud, or else they will descend into your realm. You see, there is a single reason why the Servants can¡¯t simply walk into your realm, that reason is Balance. That''s the Nature of Servants.¡±

    Luna creased her brows, obviously confused by her mentor¡¯s warning. What exactly did Storm mean by Balance?

    Expectedly, Storm Rider kept the rest to herself. But the information she had shared was so important. Devils could appear in the mortal realm because they no longer had the privilege of being deities. Many cultures believed that gods were capable of descending to the mortal realm like the Sun god who was believed to be a fan of mortals. But he couldn¡¯t last long in the mortal because of universal rules.

    However, Devils weren¡¯t held back by these rules since they no longer belonged in the divine realm.

    ¡°No wonder it is so easy to think that all divine beings are either corrupted or dead.¡± Luna¡¯s dark eyes suddenly sparkled. ¡°But if the divine realm is bleeding into the mortal realm, those rules will cease to exist. The manics of the divine realm will be able to rule the mortal realm too.¡±

 Neptune

    Luna spent her last days in the coral building learning more about sorcery and the history of this level specifically. Similar to the Crimson desert, this part of the tower was also torn from a place in the Divine Realm called Neptune (as Storm Rider and the Fire Keepers had named it).

    The god of the seas was the one who ruled Neptune before he met his demise in the war in the divine realm. Later on, the deities serving him were also corrupted and had to be put down by the strongest deity of this Domain. According to Storm Rider, the deity also fell victim to corruption, leading to a terrible series of events.

    Her corruption affected almost everything in the Sea god''s domain and turned the people of this territory into hideous monsters of corruption. From Storm¡¯s descriptions, Luna discovered that the corruption in the divine realm was much worse than what was eating up the mortal realm.

    According to Storm, this version of the evil power was capable of destroying higher beings.

    Did it grow weaker over the centuries? What changed exactly? Luna was curious about all of this.

    Anyway, to stop the spread, Everlight and the ¡°True deities¡± ripped the infected land and placed it in the Blood Tower just like they had done with the crimson desert which belonged to the Sun god and later handed over to Oblivion.

    The more Luna learned about this world, the more dread she felt concerning Everlight. She or It¡­.was, by far the most mysterious and powerful being in the divine realm from the little information Storm Rider had shared.

    For gods¡¯s sake, she had the power to wipe out entire territories like that!

    When Everlight transferred this part of Neptune into the tower, the remaining survivors of the calamity were hunted and killed by the deity slowly descending into madness and hungry for life essence. The people fought back as much as they could but their actions were in vain.

    In the end, only cursed creatures and the floor guardian remained.

    These were conditions that led to Storm Rider¡¯s first battle in the tower. And since the deity itself controlled Water, Storm Rider found herself struggling to hold her back due to her curse while at the same time trying not to get corrupted like the rest.

    Neptune was in this sad state because of that fight.

    But...

    Was there anything left to save in the first place?

    However, on the flip side of things, Storm Rider had saved Luna and the others from a battle they wouldn¡¯t have survived. Also, the fire keeper had given Luna some information about the next floor and its topography which was meant to be entirely different because that floor was entirely built by the gods meaning its creatures were solely created to guard whatever being had been locked in.

    Also on the first floor, a beautiful ancient and powerful tree rested there, acting as a testament to the incredible sorcery left behind by the gods and the heart of the tower and the worlds that it supported. On top of that, there was an actual deity guarding it in case the creatures failed to protect the tree and the floor.

    Luna wasn¡¯t sure about the whole killing a pantheon thing. Heck, defeating a deity was never part of the plan to begin with. They were immortal but not unkillable according to Storm Rider.

    But just how many hits did one need to deliver to kill one? A thousand? Ten thousand? A million? Or use corruption.

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    ¡®Or use the real Mildrith.¡¯ Yes, that could work if they somehow managed to push the Pantheon and trap it there. With its energy drained, a win was within reach.

    Luna sighed, exhausted from all the thinking. Matter of fact, she wasted so much time in her mind trying to create a strategic plan when they crossed over to the next floor. ¡°But it would be smart enough to wait for reinforcements. We don¡¯t stand a chance against the real deal.¡±

    Luna was currently the only one who understood what they were truly against and how dire the situation actually was.

    She might have been one of the best martial artists in the world at this point but after seeing and assessing the state of the world they were in, Its unpredictable nature, and the existence of deities. Waiting for real sorcerers wasn¡¯t a bad idea.

    They could stay here on Neptune and wait for reinforcements. For once, Luna badly needed to take the safe route. She wasn¡¯t immortal to take such stupid risks like battling a deity. To it, they were just superpowered mortals and nothing more.

    ¡°Yes, this is the smarter approach.¡± Luna nodded to her thoughts.

    She moved her cold eyes away from the sizzling orange flames and then to the tree. "I need them to listen to me for once."

    Suddenly, knowing too much had turned into a burden.

    A burden that growing too heavy to carry. There was no way of turning back from this.

    Regardless, she needed to finish what she started.

    ***

    On the last day in the coral building, Luna spent her last moments outside trying to initiate cross-county communication, especially with Valentine. His presence had now completely disappeared to a point where her suit couldn¡¯t detect Valentine¡¯s armor anymore.

    Had he taken off his suit?

    Suddenly, Luna¡¯s face paled when a dark thought crossed her mind.

    ¡®Valentine could be dead right now.¡¯

    Or he might have taken his armor off after damaging it. But how would he survive then?

    Sighing, Luna continued staring at the blizzard. The powerful whistling wind was carrying the wild white specks of snow. The dark waters below were silent now that the Kraken was no more. But fear still lingered in her heart like a cold stone or thorn.

    Everything about this tower made her feel like this. Is this how the ascenders who risked their lives felt? Was this what her mother wanted her to see before she inherited the title of Clan Head?

    After a while, Luna returned inside the building and met with Storm Rider who finishing up some work before heading into the blizzard.

    She spared Luna one look and scanned the condition of what she was wearing. The black nano skin armor had been reduced to an ugly network of cracks. The nanomites holding it together were no longer capable of shifting after the Kraken¡¯s attack.

    This is why human technology was still underdeveloped for the Divine Realm.

    ¡°That armor is going to be useless in the next day or two. You will die if you don¡¯t find something sturdier.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Luna scoffed.

    ¡°You can wear my cloak. It''s enchanted with my own power so it will keep you warm and it''s durable enough. You will also need a change of clothes¡­¡± she paused. ¡°And a weapon.¡±

    And that¡¯s when it hit Luna. Her katana had been destroyed during her fight against the Sword Guardian and The Poison Sin¡¯s pieces were somewhere in the depths of the frozen water body.

    She rubbed the back of her neck and snickered. ¡°You don¡¯t happen to have something lying here?¡±

    Storm Rider smiled back. Her smile was still flawless and gentle. Smiling was her way of living through the fact that she killed her father and the other fire keepers.

    Luna couldn¡¯t relate. So the best she could do was keep her mouth shut.

    ¡°My father was a swordsman. I still have his sword somewhere.¡± She paused and a somber look appeared on her beautifully warm face. ¡°Lunaris, I would like you to have it.¡±

    ¡°¡­isn¡¯t that important to you. Like a monument of some sort. To remind you of him?¡±

    The pale girl didn¡¯t really know how to break this conversation. Storm Rider was a very complicated person to read. For a person who had lived for hundreds of years, she was still full of emotions that were difficult to read.

    Storm Rider shook her head and approached Luna. Without saying a word, Storm took off her long black cloak and hung it over Luna¡¯s small shoulders.

    At first, it was too long and unfit. But when the sorceress tied its two golden buttons around the neck area, the cloak¡¯s size and length reduced to fit Luna perfectly.

    Feeling both conflicted and amused, Luna looked up to her ¡°mentor¡±. The ridiculous height difference was rather comical to be exact¡ªthough Luna could not consider herself having the average height of a girl her age in this Era.

    Storm Rider sneered and said. ¡°It looks good on you Lunaris. Indeed you will make a fine sorceress someday.¡±

    She patted Luna¡¯s shoulders with both hands and bent a little to meet with her dark, enchanting eyes.

    ¡°I was never a good warrior in the first place, Lunaris. The memories of my father will carry me on each time I miss him. You on the other hand¡­¡±

    As soon as she said those words, Luna quivered as something strange and foreign entered her body. It started as a tingling sensation in her chest, spreading outward like wildfire. She shivered as it moved, tendrils of energy snaking down her right arm, leaving a trail of warmth in its wake.

    Luna¡¯s gaze rushed to her arm. Her eyes widened in shock as she watched, transfixed. Intricate, glowing runes began to etch themselves into her skin, shimmering with a golden light. The symbols were ancient, their meaning lost to time. Yet, they held a powerful, primal energy. The process was painless, but the sight was mesmerizing, almost hypnotic.

    The runes swirled and danced, forming a beautiful, complex pattern that covered her entire forearm. It was as if a master artist was at work, each stroke deliberate and precise, creating a tapestry of ancient power. Luna felt a connection to something vast and timeless, a force that transcended her understanding.

    ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± Luna asked, her voice trembling. She couldn¡¯t tear her eyes away from the runes, now glowing softly as if alive with an inner fire.

    ¡°That¡­is your forged weapon,¡± Storm Rider answered, her voice tinged with awe and excitement. ¡°From this day onward, Lunaris Feng is the wielder of one of the sun god¡¯s ancient swords¡­¡±

    ¡°The Sun''s Ember,¡± she continued, her voice rising with excitement.

    A New Flame Emerges.

 The Sun Ember

    ¡°The Sun Ember.¡±

    Storm Rider¡¯s announcement hung in the air momentarily before welcoming a deep silence. Luna, on the other hand, was stuck in both disbelief and awe. She had no words for this.

    What did she just say? A forged weapon? Wasn¡¯t she incapable of wielding one of those?

    She tried studying the newly formed runes on her arm, but nothing came to her mind. They didn¡¯t trigger any memory in blood. This¡­this level of sorcery existed long before her family began.

    ¡°A forged weapon? Ha¡­How?¡± Luna''s voice trembled as switched between Storm Rider and the intricate runes. ¡°I thought only ascenders could use them.¡±

    Storm Rider laughed a little at her words. Then began to explain what had just happened. "I thought I told you zenshi is a copy of qi. You have learned how to manipulate the essence in your body. So if you continue gathering more essence, you will soon open the first gate. However, to wield an enchanted weapon, one only needs the ability to manipulate life essence. You met that one requirement.¡±

    Manipulation was the second and hardest part when it came to True Cultivation. If one was capable of Manipulating qi, then gathering it into the body wasn¡¯t going to be as difficult. Luna¡¯s manipulation was currently possible within her body solely because she was a beginner in this case.

    Storm Rider had done her best to teach her the basics of this true path. And she was grateful for this because she wasn¡¯t as ignorant as she had been before. The Fire Keeper had intentionally shared small details to start the flame inside her. Yes, this woman had succeeded in awakening something Luna had thought had long faded after so many years of disappointment¡­

    Hope.

    Luna had come to peace with the fact that she would never have the potential of Ghost of Winter or ever be as Great as the Sorcerers she admired so much as a child. Sure she was born with a high affinity for life essence, inhuman abilities, and the blessing of her memories. The monks casually claimed that she was loved by the world and this was proof that a weak Feng could not exist.

    But what good would she have been if she couldn¡¯t use her strength to its full potential? When her memories aren¡¯t consistent or always helpful? Or the fact that Life essence wasn¡¯t something humans could tap into at the time.

    ¡®If the world loved me so much, it wouldn¡¯t have made me feel like I was nothing for so long.¡¯

    At least now Luna felt like she had a part to play. If she became strong enough, then House Feng¡¯s members would accept her as a leader. Astrid and the other elders would not have to look at her with pity every time.

    Maybe the fates were on her side this time around.

    ''Maybe they are...''

    Following her intrusive thoughts, Luna raised her right arm and called for the sword into the physical world. The runes on her forearm moved delicately as if forming a combination of words she did not understand. There was a gentle sizzle around her right palm and then sparks that quickly shifted to beautiful golden flames.

    The flames twisted and churned as they coalesced, golden light spilling across her vision. When the transformation ended, Luna found herself gripping a weapon that defied expectation. The Jian appeared simple¡ªits blade unadorned save for faintly glowing runes¡ªbut the power radiating from it was anything but ordinary. The hilt pulsed against her palm, alive with an energy that seemed to hum in time with her heartbeat. The sheer weight of its aura made her knees weak.

    ¡®It looks like any jian but the power coursing through it¡­¡¯ Luna found herself sweating from just holding back its power. Heck, she was finding it hard to even keep it in her hand.

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    The sword was so light that she could barely feel its weight and its edges were so thin, that they could probably slice through the black stone at the temple with ease.

    With a trembling voice, she asked Storm Rider. ¡°How did the Fire Keepers find a god¡¯s weapon?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­it was lying in Sun god¡¯s kingdom. It was my father who found it first and claimed it after killing the creature guarding it.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess. Was it a dragon?¡± Luna hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off the magic. She felt a connection with it as if it had chosen her. But, she was still trying to prove her worth to it.

    ¡°Close¡­it was a firebird, a Cursed Emperor. It was a pretty hard fight but we won anyway since all of us were on the fifth gate at the time. I believe the sword accepted my father because he delivered the final blow to its guardian. He proved his worth.¡±

    Luna tried imagining a group of fifth gate ascenders, each of them carried a second Aura, and their sorcery and overall abilities must have been top-notch without forgetting the fact that each of them had a summon.

    If Storm Rider had a Storm dragon, what did the others have?

    Luna was even more curious about the Fire Keepers. No human had killed a cursed emperor, yet because of their abilities. However, the fire keepers managed to kill a cursed emperor created by the sun god. Each one of them must have been powerful, especially their leader after he recovered the sword.

    ''This Sword is a Forged weapon to a certain point but its master was a divine being and its maker was also a divine being. In the right hands, this sword could turn the tables back in the real world.'' Luna''s hand trembled even more as she tried to study the runes engraved on its surface. A weapon like this...it could change everything.

    ¡°How many enchantments?¡±

    Storm Rider shrugged and answered in a balanced tone. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The blade is mysterious when it comes to powers. All I know is that it grows with the wielder and it''s stronger with more essence. We never managed to translate the runes on it so its powers remained unknown."

    ¡®I see. So it''s that powerful.¡¯

    Luna smiled faintly and put the sword against her chest. She then lowered her head in a respectful bow to show her sincere gratitude to the Fire Keeper.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Storm Rider. Words alone aren¡¯t enough to show my gratitude.¡±

    Storm Rider looked down at Luna with a proud look. The spark had been started. She could feel the change this girl was going to bring to all the realms. She knew everything about Lunaris, of course.

    ¡®But Lunaris has to figure things out on her own. She must know the truth on her own.¡¯

    ¡°Defeating the pantheon and surviving is enough for me, Lunaris. You are the only one who knows about the Fire Keepers, so as of today, whether you like it or not, you are a Fire Keeper such as myself.¡±

    The last sentence sounded bittersweet coming out of the Fire Keeper¡¯s mouth. But it was understandable, Luna probably reminded Storm a lot about her former group or maybe her younger self when she was curious and full of energy.

    ¡®I am not the full of-energy type, though.¡¯ Her thoughts retorted.

    Luna looked up to her ¡°mentor¡± and said. ¡°Forcing on me the term Fire Keeper is crazy work but if it makes you happy, then I will gladly do so¡­¡±

    "Memories are something beautiful Lunaris, we live on through memories. You learning about the Fire Keepers and our adventures means that the ones before you will continue to live on. True Death is when you''re forgotten. You are now a Fire Keeper because you will remember us."

    Luna nodded. To be forgotten was a cruel fate, but as humans, they believed that being forgotten was true death. A death where no one in the world knows you anymore, as if you never existed in the first place. The Hex made its victims experience True Death by erasing their names from the world.

    ''Is there really a way I can change everything? or am I being delusional?'' Luna felt like gritting her teeth. Knowing too little about all of this was starting to get on her nerves. Storm Rider had confirmed that her answers would be found on the Next Floor...

    Of course, there was a price to pay to learn all of this. A price she will learn of when she makes it to the next floor. For now, Luna was going to focus on growing her manipulation and begin her long-awaited awakening.

    After Luna learned how to dismiss the sword, the two shared a bittersweet moment for a while before proceeding to the exit of the building which was technically a balcony since the rest of the building was submerged in water.

    Whether it was tall enough to reach the bottom of the dark waters or some magic was keeping it afloat¡­Luna could barely give a damn. What she wanted now was to leave this territory. She was experiencing some mild trauma after her battle with the Kraken.

    She had trained for weeks only to deal close to zero damage and succeed in annoying it. Her revenge wasn''t as satisfactory as she would''ve thought.

    ¡®At least I have stories to tell when I return to my class. I swear if I don¡¯t get advanced to a high tier¡­¡¯

    Unexpectedly the outside was still dead and dark, the sound of rushing wind being the only reminder of what happened to the once great land of the sea god. Luna was currently standing on the frozen surface, staring at the darkness ahead with a calm expression. The cloak Storm had gifted her was doing its job and not even a cold wisp of wind got past its shield of warmth.

    ¡°You will follow me without question. Do not stare into the blizzard too long, creatures of all sorts are brave enough to hide in it and some of them can steal souls and stuff. If you hear any voices don¡¯t reply, and if anything attacks us¡­do not engage, I will handle it. Do you understand?¡±

    Luna nodded, her face half-hidden under the hood. She had decided to have faith in the Veteran. The teleportation circle was apparently at the heart of the blizzard. So, starting from now, the pair wasn¡¯t going to stop walking until they found the heart of the storm which was easy thanks to the orange light acting as a beacon.

    Taking a deep breath, Storm Rider summoned an orb of flames and took the first step toward the blizzard. She usually flew over the frozen sea but today she was going to walk over it to protect her only hope. She made another step and the ice underneath crunched from her weight.

    When she looked back, Luna hadn¡¯t moved yet. She was staring at the ice as if expecting something to explode from it and try to kill her.

    ¡°We¡¯re safe here. This sea¡¯s more powerful creatures are long dead, the Kraken was the last of his kind.¡±

    Luna shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t trust someone who can¡¯t swim.¡±

    Storm Rider scoffed and continued walking towards the blizzard without a care. ¡°Have fun surviving without 600ish-year-old all-powerful sage.¡±

    Luna gasped. ¡°This¡­hey I was kidding. I¡¯m coming! I¡¯m coming!¡± she moved quickly across the icy surface, thinking it would break any minute now.

 One Thousand Death Swings

    Darkness¡­

    They were surrounded by darkness, snow, and winds that could rip a tree from the ground. The blizzard was anything but gentle. Luna occasionally found herself lagging while trying to resist the strong winds. The world around them continued to rage but neither of them dared to stop even for a second.

    She also kept on hearing distorted whispers coming from the blizzard. But she didn¡¯t dare to respond, even after she heard one of the wraiths whisper out her name.

    To ignore them, Luna kept focusing on the floating sphere of flames that floated in the faint darkness, acting as a guiding light for Luna as she followed Storm Rider. It remained undisturbed despite the powerful winds fighting to blow it out. Not only was it a source of light, but it was also a warning to any creatures that would¡¯ve attacked them after sensing their presence.

    According to the Fire Keeper, the frozen dark sea was safe territory mostly because the Kraken scared off most cursed creatures with its bloodlust and power to consume life essence. To the habitats of this level, this was considered a red zone and no creature usually tried to even fly over it except from Storm Rider of course.

    She was bold enough to build a base of operations for herself. With her level of sorcery, she created a barrier that affected the life essence of Kraken along with any cursed creature that came close to it.

    Not even Emperors dared to approach it.

    Luna followed Storm Rider in silence as she led the way to the heart of the blizzard where she had slain the Corrupted Deity. The sound of her footsteps against the ice grew faint while the wind around them didn¡¯t stop. Luna was sure she would be an ice sculpture by now if it wasn¡¯t for the cloak protecting her.

    That fact alone made her wary for Valentine who wasn¡¯t wearing his armor at all. At least that¡¯s what Luna assumed at the moment. Len, Snow, Gail, and Darkness¡­were they okay? How were they coping with this level? What kind of beasts were they facing? And had one of them make it to the circle.

    All those questions were unanswered.

    And yet, she was dying to know the state of her team even though Len was going to be enraged by her presence here. But that was another day¡¯s problem. Right now, they needed to regroup and discuss the situation.

    Luna was still against the whole thing of versing a pantheon. Even though Storm Rider had claimed it to be a possible feat for a person with a god weapon and a good level of Qi manipulation.

    Of course, Luna was sure there was more than just those two factors. A god weapon wasn¡¯t going to make her a god killer of sorts. But from the little knowledge Luna acquired from webtoons and webnovel, she learned that only something created by a god could fully destroy something created by a god. The sword and the deity on the next floor both shared a divine origin so it made sense for the sword to be a weapon capable of killing the pantheon and the Mildrith itself.

    ¡®Ah, gods. I swear we can just wait for reinforcements.¡¯ She scowled and looked ahead.

    Suddenly, she noticed a twisted figure in the snow and stopped for a moment. It was a humanoid shadow with two glowing blue orbs gazing at her with intensity. The gentle flaming dimmed, warning her of the cursed creature silently watching them.

    ¡°Lunaris Feng!¡± Storm Rider¡¯s voice called out.

    Luna heard her name and was quick to respond. ¡°Yes!¡±

    By the time she realized her mistake, she was already too late because the shadowy figure was gone and a blue thin hand reached out of the snow and grabbed her by the wrist.

    ¡®It wasn¡¯t Storm Rider.¡¯ Luna reacted fast by throwing a punch with her free arm.

    Kuak!

    Her fist was stopped by another strange blue hand that emerged from the snow and grabbed her fist with incredible strength. Her opponent was a fast one it seems.

    Now that she was in its grip, the snow twisted and transformed into a maw that could swallow her whole. However, before it swallowed her Luna started to hear shallow cries coming from its mouth. They were eerie and almost sounded like whispers that weren''t affected by the wind around her.

    ¡°May the gods forgive me¡­may the gods forgive me¡­may the gods forgive me¡­I can''t rest if you don''t forgive...¡±

    "What the..." Luna battled to yank her hands out of its grip. But even with her strength, the creature didn''t release her. It unleashed its power and the snow around them grew even more to the point where not even Storm could see them. It had picked Luna because she was easier prey in this situation.

    With its gorilla strength, it slowly pulled Luna in without any difficulty. Its cold breath penetrated the cloak''s protection layer and reached her face. Was really how she was going to go out, eaten by a freakin snow creature?

    ¡°You¡­you¡­you¡­reek of them!¡±

    Just then, a ring of flames appeared between her and the snow creature. The hot golden flames easily severed the creature''s blue hands and Luna was freed from its grip. The creature then screeched and the winds grew even stronger. Ice started to materialize out of thin air but it melted right away from Storm Rider''s growing flames as they moved to create a thin dome around Luna.

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    It unleashed its bloodlust and revealed a humanoid blue-skinned demon with spikey white hair and a fake wide smile on its face then lunged at Luna with ice claws ready to swing.

    Sizzle.

    Its claws melted after touching the thin barrier with its ice. Luna thought she was safe until the thin layer of heat disappeared and the creature opened its mouth to bite into her.

    Instantly, Luna summoned the Sun Ember and sidestepped to avoid its icy claws and wide mouth. She then twisted her body and swung the forged weapon with strength that made the air tremble and the ice floor crack when it stopped the sword with just its arm.

    At the same time, Storm Rider appeared behind it with a hand charged with pure golden light. She had made sure that this attack was strong but not strong enough to break the surface they were walking on.

    Bang!

    With just a palm strike, Storm Rider managed to destroy the creature''s body after striking its back and sending a blast of Qi through its energy cores. The creature paused and its body shattered like perfect glass. However, that didn¡¯t mean it was dead.

    ¡°I told you not to respond to anything!¡± She turned her eyes angry gaze to the confused Luna.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What the hell was that?¡±

    ¡°An annoying creature created by Oceai, one of the sea god¡¯s servants. It''s a humanoid cursed creature that feeds on souls. It''s something Oceai created during his madness, of course. They¡¯re so damn hard to kill¡­because they touch souls whenever they make contact with a person. It has touched my soul so it understands my Domains.¡±

    While she explained, Storm Rider chanted and more rings of fire appeared around the pair. She moved closer to Luna and focused on the darkness to sense any shifts. She could feel every fluctuation of life essence in the air.

    Raaaaarrrr!

    A screech came from above and the Snow Creature appeared above them. Its form had changed once again, this time with two extra arms holding swords. Storm acted and the rings of fire merged into threads of fire that engulfed the snow creature once it came into contact with them.

    Luna watched the darkness fade away as the creature was painfully eaten up by the stoic witch¡¯s power.

    And again, this new form shattered.

    ¡°Lunaris, its next form is going to be immune to my flames. Snow Puppets can adapt to Auras, so I need you to destroy its third form. I can''t get into details but know that if you don''t kill it now, you will die a very horrible death.¡±

    ''Thanks for that information.''

    Luna then extended her senses into the darkness and tried to sense any movement or life. The creature seemed to be very good at using the snowy surroundings by turning to snow itself. While in that form, Luna couldn''t feel any life energy leaking from it--making it invisible till it tried to move.

    ¡®Focus¡­focus¡­¡¯ she stared at the darkness as she ignored the noises in the background. Her eyes moved around for a while before narrowing when she noticed a weak change in the environment.

    ''There!''

    Quickly, she dashed past Storm Rider and unleashed one of her techniques: The One Thousand Death Swings. She took on a unique stance, seconds before the snow puppet returned. This time, it looked just like a blue human with pointed ears and snow-white hair¡­

    Its body was now covered in a blue aura with a wide smile on its face. But. Its smile quickly faded when it saw the dark-eyed woman just about to swing her deadly weapon.

    ¡°You reek of their blood!¡± it screamed, its skin bubbling as he tried to take on its previous form that had already touched Luna''s soul and adapted to her strength.

    Luna¡¯s swings vanished as she swung her new sword with great precision and accuracy that even surprised Storm Rider herself. Each swing directed the Jian to a specific part of the Snow Puppet. Its flesh was cut down to bits, bone to nothing, perfectly cutting down the cursed creature like it was made out of thin paper.

    Luna''s focus didn''t shudder one bit. She maintained her breaths while her muscle memory performed every swing just as she had practiced this technique a long time ago. She didn''t notice she had stopped till she was hit by fatigue that forced her to collapse on her knees.

    ''As expected, this was the perfect technique for such a situation.'' She smirked when she noticed the blood sizzling off her blade. The creature hadn''t shattered this time around and its remains were now scattered on the ice surface, steaming with heat.

    ¡®One thousand swings is ridiculous, Xio Min Feng.¡¯ She felt like complaining to the creator about the sacred technique. ¡®No wonder he was the only human capable of using it.¡¯

    ¡°Impressive. Now let''s get moving. This puppet may be dead. But once it dies, its information is passed on to another one.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t a girl just take a breather? I barely have any stamina.¡± Luna spoke in broken gasps. The cold air was unpleasant to her lungs, it also left a sharp pain in her windpipe.

    ¡°Sadly, we can¡¯t take a breather in a place like this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I hadn¡¯t noticed,¡± Luna responded with a blank tone and forced herself back on her feet. Even after growing to this level, the One Thousand Death Swings technique was still a one-time use technique. This was the same for its creator because humans had finite stamina.

    When Luna acquired it, she thought she could change that single flaw. But, to her disappointment, no level of training could take away the flaw.

    Snap!

    Storm Rider snapped her fingers and a ring of fire appeared around them. ¡°This is a small security measure to keep you safe while you recover. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    With those words, they continued crossing the blizzard and frozen sea. This time around, Luna stayed quiet and didn¡¯t trail far behind because Storm stayed around a meter ahead to avoid getting separated again by illusions.

    She decided to stay quiet about the Snow Puppet''s mumblings since Storm mentioned that the creatures reflected Oceai''s madness during his final days.

    ***

    After a few more hours of nothing but silence and the sound of wind, Luna caught sight of more vague erect images in the snow. They were tall, stretching up to the sky where her eyes couldn¡¯t follow. They leaned to the left, swayed by the relentless winds. Her eyes brightened up when she noticed the ancient structures¡­

    "Pillars," Luna whispered, her voice barely audible over the howling gale. She let out a sigh of relief, her breath visible in the freezing air.

    Finally, a sign of land.

    Picking up the pace, Luna caught up to the silent Storm Rider who wore a vigilant look. Her face was expressionless, her gaze sharp and focused. The Fire Keeper wasn¡¯t very familiar with these parts because she was used to an aerial view of this place.

    "I guess we¡¯re here." Storm Rider¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound excited at all. In fact, when her eyes landed on the pillars, her expression turned colder.

    "Where exactly?"

    "One of the former temples of the dead god of the sea. After its collapse, it turned into a home for a few bastards, and they¡¯re very hard to kill."

    "Hard to kill?" Luna swallowed nervously, her initial joy at finding land quickly turning into fear.

    "What exactly made its nest there?"

    "Bugs." Storm Rider hissed. "We won¡¯t fight them, though. We just have to cross quietly. I know you¡¯re familiar with hiding your presence."

    ¡®Oh.¡¯

    Luna nodded. ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡®Death Bugs it is.¡¯

    Just thinking about it made her feel somber. Aside from fear, somberness was probably her second most felt emotion throughout this subjugation.

    ¡®I need to take a long vacation after this and maybe get some therapy to avoid the nightmares I¡¯m about to get.¡¯

    When they made it to the snowy landscape, the first thing Storm Rider did was extinguish the fireball and the fire ring. It had served its purpose of guiding them.

    Now that they were at the shore, Luna got to see what the pillars looked like up close.

    Unlike Storm¡¯s territory, which was mostly dark, this part of Neptune was bathed in the faint white light of something akin to the sun of this level.

    The five tall white structures stood majestically near the shore. They were a pristine white color, each one adorned with unreadable runes that seemed to pulse with ancient energy. The pillars were positioned to create a pentagon-shaped floor with a magical circle intricately drawn into it. However, the magic circle was not in the best shape¡­

    The white coral floor beneath was covered in a network of cracks, with some sections missing entirely. The once-perfect geometric design was marred by time and perhaps battle.

    Between the cracks, Luna noticed millions of life forms hiding under the floor. Tiny movements caught her eye, revealing the presence of countless creatures lurking in the shadows of the cracked coral.

    ¡®Cursed Beasts! Each one of them is a cursed beast,¡¯ Luna realized, her heart racing. The sheer number of them was staggering, and the thought of what they could do if provoked sent a chill down her spine.

    Storm Rider remained vigilant, her eyes scanning the area with intense focus.

    "We have to move quietly and avoid drawing their attention," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the howling wind. "Any disturbance could awaken them and we cannot afford to fight them all at once."

    Luna nodded, steeling herself for the next phase of their journey. The stakes were higher than ever and one wrong move could mean their end. With silent determination, they continued onward, mindful of the lurking danger beneath their feet.

 Rush

    Luna took the first step on the coral floor. She heard it crunch from her weight as she slowly navigated past the open cracks to the pieces still whole. The Death bugs underneath slightly moved but her movements didn''t alert them.

    Right above her, Storm Rider was slowly floating with lightning cackling in her right hand ready to strike anything that attacked. But if the tiny creatures did notice them, the plan was to run as fast as she could and leave the rest to the strongest person.

    ¡®Gods I wish I could fly. Or at least switch off the ability to sense these lurking dangers.¡¯ Luna groaned silently while carefully crossing the broken floor. She did all this while keeping her presence completely hidden from the little guys.

    As she slowly walked, Luna sometimes spared a glance or two at the magic circle and the ruins each time she got the chance. The runes making up the circle were similar to the ones on the pillars and her forearm. Unfortunately for her, the only symbols that made some form of sense to her were the ones specifically dedicated to the god of this temple.

    ¡®I¡¯m guessing the pillars are protected by a blessing that still lives on even after the gods died. Fascinating¡­¡¯ The gods were still the same great mysterious figures. And even more mysterious now that Luna was learning more about them.

    ¡®How did they even lose to their servants?¡¯ Luna wondered as she continued crossing and taking in the ruined scenery. ¡®The gods are always depicted as the strongest beings in reality. What did their servants use to win against them? Was it a trick of sorts or were they betrayed by one of their own?¡¯

    While she asked herself those questions, Luna stayed on high alert, watching her steps until she reached the end of the ruined coral floor and looked up ahead. The orange beacon no longer seemed as far as she would¡¯ve thought. However, beyond the ruins, the marching pair was met by a field of snow that stretched for more than sixty kilometers and ended at the starting edge of a forest of twisted snow-covered trees that were desperately reaching out to the open sky like thin fingers. Further ahead, the small shadowy mountains could also be seen pointing at the sky.

    There was still some distance between them and the place they were supposed to be heading to.

    ¡°All your friends are heading there.¡± Storm Rider pointed beyond the mountains, exactly at the orange light ahead. ¡°I can feel their movements, four humans. Two of which are very close to the beacon.¡±

    ¡°I guess we march forward.¡± Luna sighed even louder, feeling oddly tired. Usually, she wouldn''t be feeling like this but she was still recovering from the damn technique from hours ago.

    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s the spirit, Lunaris. And while you are at it, we should try figuring out the sword¡¯s abilities.¡±

    She said while leading the way across the snow-covered field because she was responsible for creating a path through the deep ice¡ªit reached their knees so someone had to make moving much easier for them.

    ¡°I thought I couldn¡¯t use its enchantments?¡±

    ¡°When did I say you couldn¡¯t?¡± Storm chuckled.¡°You¡¯re a smart girl and yet you think at a grounded level. The sword requires Qi. Feed it enough and you will be surprised.¡±

    "Really? It''s that easy?"

    "Hmm...Hmm.." Storm nodded cheerfully. Having an apprentice was a chore she never thought she would enjoy this much.

    Luna rubbed the runes on her arm. She thought about calling for the sword but didn¡¯t after some small thought. Storm had just indirectly revealed that this sword was part of her training because if she failed to control her energy flow, the Sun Ember would drain it all in one go.

    ¡®I need to be careful with these god weapons or else I will be dead before I get a peek into its enchantments.¡¯

    At the same time, Storm Rider explained a few things to her. ¡°The Sun Ember is a god-type relic. It''s very important to know that god relics are a special kind of relics so the rules governing them are very different from the rules governing the typical relics people of the Mortal Realm collect or make. For starters, god relics tend to have Wills imbued into them. Wills you have to tame to gain access to their powers.¡±

    ¡°I see. Are there more god relics?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Storm responded without toning down on the fireball melting down a path for them. ¡°There are mortals who wield them and some remain undiscovered in the broken parts of the Divine Realm. You see, these powerful relics were scattered during their great war.¡±

    Luna stayed silent while following behind. This was a critical detail because relics were already rare and powerful in the mortal realm. House Val was known to have the most relics in the New World. These relics were behind the rapid growth of the Central Settlement, which is also known as the most developed region in the world.

    House Feng had three under their protection, one of them being the Ice Rose retrieved from Antarctica three years ago. Luna wasn¡¯t qualified enough to see it but had read about it in the files describing it as a white rose that turned part of the Southern Ocean into a frozen surface for months. It was contained thanks to Flame of Winter¡¯s authority over the domain of Ice and passed on to House Feng since they were the ones who contained it in the first place.

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    Meanwhile, the remaining two powerful relics were strictly classified because of how powerful they were in general. So, only the Clan leader and Grand Masters had access to this level of information to avoid leaks.

    ¡®I wonder if there are houses with god relics. Or are those two relics god relics? Maybe that''s why they''re classified.¡¯ Luna followed behind Storm Rider. She made a mental note to inform the clan members of this when she returned to the real world after this subjugation. Or at least do more research on this topic when she''s out of the Tower.

    ***

    When they reached the forest territory, Storm Rider stopped creating a path and stared into the distance as if scanning the area for life forms. A weak smile found its way to her beautiful face and then she turned to the silent Luna.

    ¡°Survive this place and rely on the sword. This forest is crawling with low-level creatures. Kill as many as possible until the sword reacts and unleashes one of its powers.¡±

    ¡® So basically a side quest. Great.¡¯ Luna didn''t feel particularly enthusiastic about this, but she agreed to it anyway because she needed to grow stronger.

    With a mental command, bright flames were conjured into existence and materialized into the silver jian, its glowing runes fading once fully manifested into reality.

    ¡®Let¡¯s do this¡­

    ¡°Make sure not to get hurt a lot. There¡¯s a degree to how much corruption you can withstand even with life essence coursing through every part of you.¡±

    "I understand."

    With that, Storm Rider shot off to the sky¡ªscaring the wind and splitting the snow when she launched off of the ground.

    Luna started following the flying Fire Keeper at incredible speed while on the ground¡ªher cloak and hair waving through the wind as she cut through the snow and entered the forested zone.

    She then calmed her breathing, suppressed all the random emotions she felt, and unleashed her battle aura to get the attention of any nearby creatures.

    The first cursed creature that noticed her presence immediately attacked. The wolf creature pounced out of the snow, its large fangs exposed, ready to bite into her flesh. She side-stepped out of the way, dodging its fangs by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    The Sun Ember whooshed, and the wolf creature was now in half. Its blood splattered, painting the white snow black, and its body made a soft thud after hitting the snow.

    ¡°Too sharp.¡± Luna noticed the clean cut. She hadn¡¯t expected to kill it in one move.

    When she turned away from the dead wolf, Luna was met with a sight of more horrifying creatures that had their eyes fixed on her after she killed one of their own. These creatures were either strong enough to face her or intelligent enough to trick her. However, this current version of Luna was strong and hard to trick. She almost pitied the creatures because they might have had a chance against her if they were in the water.

    But this was solid ground and she was fighting with a sword. She let her intent bleed even more as she attacked the nearest creatures. She jumped, avoiding one of the creature¡¯s wide mouths. It had a humanoid body with an open back and spikes protruding like knives and arms that looked like tentacles. It was a cursed beast but its speed surprised Luna when it appeared in front of her when she landed on one of the larger tree branches.

    It swung one of its tentacle arms but Luna severed it clean with her sword. She flashed forward and thrust her sword through its gut. The Creature froze and growled while trying to push Luna away with its good tentacle. But she only made its pain worse when twisted the sword and drove it through its insides. She didn¡¯t even know where its vital organs were so she did this in hopes that this action would kill it.

    Luna yanked her sword out of its body when its life core faded and pushed it off the tree branch. The other creatures saw this and started to retreat while others began closing in on the tree she was on.

    Luna needed to worry about the ones closing in.

    The first creature to react started climbing up the tree at an incredible speed. Luna jumped from her branch and landed in the snow. The six-legged worm creature also retreated from the tree and rushed to her, its six bug eyes fixed on her, bleeding pure malice. Its pointed insect legs pierced the snow as it closed and tried to close the distance between them since she had landed further away from the actual tree.

    As it ran to her, Luna gathered her energy and put it all in one throw.

    Whoosh!

    The Sun Ember shot like a launched spear and tore through three of the abomination''s six legs before pinning itself into the tree behind.

    At the same time, Luna dashed towards the injured beast and threw a power punch that shattered the scaly armor over its face. She threw another and its blue blood splattered over her face. The creature let out a few shrilling cries before her last blow silenced it.

    Once the creature was killed, more creatures rushed out of the darkness, directing their malice toward her. The Sun Ember flew back into her bloody grip and her monster hunt began. She slashed through the weaker ones without relying on her strength and used her techniques to take care of the stronger ones.

    At that moment, she didn¡¯t care about their appearance. Luna just destroyed anything that pounced or tried to bite her. It''s like she had gone berserk.

    Boom, Boom, Boom.

    Suddenly, the forest trembled when a series of explosions happened above her. Then, a charred corpse of a birdlike cursed creature fell from the sky and plummeted into the standing trees.

    After that, more explosions followed and the sky was blessed with intense light as Storm Rider let her golden flames destroy everything that tried to attack her.

    As for Luna, a new dumb strong creature had decided to attack her. The creature was about the size of a bus towering over her with long ape arms, white fur, and a dog''s face.

    It ignored its fellow beasts and opened its mouth to strike at Luna right away.

    Luna saw the smoke and cursed inwardly as she quickly jumped out of the way before a beam of twisting crimson flames erupted from its maw.

    The snow in the flame¡¯s path melted instantly as they killed the monsters in their path. The trees, however, did not burn after coming in contact with the magic flames.

    Since she was not in the line of fire, Luna seized the opportunity and attacked from its side.

    She was close when the hairy fool caught on to her and reacted by turning its dog face in her direction.

    Her eyes widened when it unleashed a bigger beam of crimson she couldn¡¯t evade. Luna acted fast by squeezing onto the handle of her weapon and channeling Qi into the sword.

    As she did this, Luna focused on the sun god as she let the sword siphon more energy from her. She was growing weak but one of the sword¡¯s runes appeared on the surface.

    Seeing this development, she put the sword forward as if defending herself from another attack.

    And then¡­.something extraordinary happened¡ªthe sword suddenly ate up all the flames till nothing was left to harm her.

    Luna gasped, feeling both weak and excited after seeing this. ¡®I see. You can do that¡­¡¯

    ¡°Tsk. And the heavens haven¡¯t called me a genius, yet.¡±

    When the steam settled, the hairy fool¡¯s eyes widened in shock when it noticed the little human had survived its flames. It stepped back a little, frightened by the discovery.

    A wicked grin beamed on Luna¡¯s face. ¡°What? Surprised to see me?¡±

    It growled and charged with both force and speed. Luna also lunged at it, aiming for one of its ape arms. Her movement was like a bolt of lighting¡ªinstantaneous and lethal. To it, it looked like Luna had just vanished from one place to another.

    And then, when she brandished her weapon, it sliced through both flesh and bone with haunting ease.

    Before the creature could cry in pain, another limb was gone after Luna¡¯s, and her sword danced. Now that she had better control over her strength, even cursed creatures with tough hides weren¡¯t safe from her powerful swings.

    In the next second, the creature¡¯s head came down, its black blood melting the snow it had spilled on.

    Seeing that this one was dead, Luna shot toward another attacking monster and decapitated it with a powerful slash that left an impact in the air.

    After that kill, Luna felt a lot of life essence entering her soul through the sword.

    ¡®It''s feeding me the essence of the falling creatures.¡¯ Luna stared at the sword in hand. It was humming with energy after absorbing the crimson flames.

    The creatures that saw her take down the cursed soldier started slowly withdrawing when they sensed her battle aura mixed with bloodlust. The ancient sword also played a role in this by piercing the air with its divinity.

    She could¡¯ve stopped now and continued to the forest''s end since her objective had been accomplished.

    But¡­

    Luna was not in that category of people who stopped even after receiving this adrenaline rush. In fact, she belonged to the special category of psychopaths who felt incredible when deep in combat. And because Luna was in this state, she didn¡¯t want the rush to go away. She broke into a mad laughter that cut through the wind.

    If anyone saw her now, they wouldn''t believe this was the usually calm Lunaris Feng.

    Once she stopped laughing, she stared at the bleeding carcass for a moment.

    Then to her shocked prey.

 Conspiracy

    For just a few moments, Luna found herself on a killing spree as she let more and more of her warrior self out. Her speed, her strength, and her mind were all in perfect balance as she moved in perfect harmony.

    Luna was also using this opportunity to study the changes the qi had gifted her. She couldn¡¯t pull this off before because fighting under water was different from this because she had the ground to stand on and wasn¡¯t focused on resisting the pressure as she was when going against the Kraken.

    Here, Luna was free of those constraints and she could move freely.

    The hood on her head was blown off by the wind, letting her raven black hair flatter wildly. Her pale face was even whiter now that she was in a forest surrounded by the pure whiteness of the snow. Her eyes were like black emeralds, reflecting only the faint light of the strange sun of this world and maybe the final look her enemies gave before her blade took their lives.

    The Jian sang, killing another cursed creature, blood splitting out but never reaching her face because she was already attacking the next. Her victims didn¡¯t last even five minutes after their encounter as she switched between appropriate techniques¡­

    For the tricky ones, she used the Dancing Maiden. The unpredictable movements always came in handy in case her enemy was cursed creatures with powers similar to teleportation.

    For the large ones, The Whispering Titan came in handy due to its quickness. When she was quick, her opponent would rush to protect the vital spots of their body¡ªnot knowing that the technique was simply born for that purpose.

    For larger ones, the two forms of Wind Slash were enough to kill them in one go. Surprisingly, she was pulled to exhaustion. By controlling her breathing, Luna still had a lot of stamina left.

    The Sun Ember also played a great part in all this, truly it was a weapon worthy of being held by a god. It was not a replacement for the black katana¡ªthat sword was too precious to let go¡ªbut it was surely a better weapon. Especially for a person who was capable of using qi like her. It was sharp and only grew sharper each time she willed Qi into it.

    It withstood her powerful swings with most of her strength unleashed and fed her with essence each time she took the life of another cursed creature. It was not a lot, but the essence was playing a huge role in her cultivation.

    It was amazing.

    She cut through more creatures. Each swing, stronger than before. Each parry carried more purpose as she countered some attacks.

    Luna could feel it. This rush¡­this pulse of bloodlust and the other mixed feelings of excitement and desire. As the battle manic she was, Luna was excited.

    But desire for what, though? Power?

    Yes, It had to be. Luna had never been known for being strong. Luna, a member of one of the Great Houses and the true Heiress of her clan¡­ has never seen herself as Strong.

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    But now, the wheel of fate was spinning in her favor. Luna was on the path of ascension, a different and more powerful one. She was going to become strong. That¡¯s what Lunaris Feng, the heiress of House Feng desired.

    If she was, then they would stop giving her those pitiful looks.

    ¡®They will stop.¡¯

    Luna¡¯s last slash cut through the last two cursed beasts and an entire tree, severing it from its bark.

    ¡°They will stop.¡±

    She stopped after that last attack and dismissed the weapon. It disappeared back into her body as the remaining essence flowed into her system. Her body had even heated up after pushing herself so far.

    ¡°I have never fought like that in my entire life.¡± She looked at the scattered bodies and laughed lightly. So this is the rush of combat she often overheard the masters talk about. It was gone but still left a lingering impression on her body. She felt like she had peaked in the martial arts division.

    Luna took a moment to reflect on what had just happened. Strangely enough, all this felt like it wasn''t her first time having this type of connection with essence. The way she used it felt oddly familiar.

    A strange thought that made her gasp suddenly crossed her mind. ¡®Life Essence manipulation already existed in the Feng Clan before the fall and Yong Feng must¡¯ve been a cultivator himself before the gates. It¡¯s probably why his name was mentioned by That Person from the train station.¡¯

    Luna was alive by the time her grandfather was alive so her Blood Traits could not have possibly gained something from Yong Feng. The mechanics behind how her memory inheritance worked were still a mystery but she was sure about this.

    The reason why she was a fast learner in cultivation could simply be because there were cultivators in her bloodline? Not everything needed to be a memory for her to recognize that it was connected to her clan. This sensation of manipulation energy like this had existed before and Yong Feng was probably aware of it.

    How sure was Storm Rider that everyone on the island died when the deity descended? What if a group survived?

    Or a person. And they started the Feng clan, under the banner of a martial arts focused clan. What if Yong Feng was that person?

    ¡°That would make him very old. But someone on the path ages slowly. So maybe¡­¡±

    ¡®No that can¡¯t be right.¡¯ She shook her head and let out a stifled groan. None of this made sense.

    ¡®I¡¯m missing something important. Yong Feng was alive for fifty more years before dying. Did he die? Why can¡¯t I remember what happened to him?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She froze once again before the thought finally hit her with the force of a rock. ¡°Of course, the hex. It would make sense why we don¡¯t remember his death. Gods¡­why didn¡¯t I think of it.¡±

    Recently, Storm Rider mentioned that because of her blood, life essence will be more responsive. Luna assumed she meant the fact she inherited memories¡ªone could say she was the same person living over and over again. But that wasn¡¯t the case. Here, Luna inherited ¡°Skills¡± through ¡°Memories¡± of previous members of her clan. However, she didn¡¯t inherit skills from every Feng but only the special ones who had a special connection with her¡ªthis was Luna¡¯s theory. As for why life essence was more responsive to her, Storm refused to give a good answer.

    A cunning smile appeared on her face. ¡°Why did it take this long for me to notice Yong Feng¡¯s mystery? The clues were all laid out for me. Shit! The curse seems to be capable of drawing your attention from some things.¡±

    She was already shocked she had missed all of this. She only remembered Yong Feng by name and face and the fact that he was dead. Apart from a few simple facts, the man was a mystery to her.

    ¡®I need to dig deeper into all of this when I return.¡¯

    With that thought, she decided to put a pin on this entire conspiracy and turned her attention back to the fight against the cursed creatures. The alive ones left alive and already retreated and out of her sensing range.

    Luna didn¡¯t bother chasing after them. She was already out of stamina.

    Storm Rider¡¯s aerial fight was also getting less flashy, meaning she was done feeding herself with qi.

    ¡°Mission complete.¡±

    ***

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the shore, a young woman stood in front of the corpse of a large creature she had just slain all on her own. Around her, the blizzard seemed non-existent in her presence. Its winds were weaker, and the snow had stopped falling around her.

    Her long silver hair was still, her once fancy tunic now tattered and covered in scratches, exposing more of her smooth white skin. No wind blew out around her. And even though it did, she wasn¡¯t going to feel cold anyway. She was immune to it.

    She gave one last inhumane glare at the creature that had almost taken her life.

    She turned to the translucent sword in her hand. Then to the white walls of the giant crater she and the cursed creature had created during their fight. It had been a powerful foe with the ability to mess with the mind and her body. By the time she figured out its powers, her zenshi reserves were close to empty.

    How much time had passed since she was put in its mind prison? Hours? Weeks? Did it happen when she first appeared in this level?

    It was all a blur.

    When she had no more zenshi left, the translucent sword in her hand disappeared. She was too tired and too weak to continue forward.

    Her knees buckled and her vision started to darken. She closed them slightly and her body collapsed in the snow the next moment.

 Self Reflection

    Luna made it out of the weird-looking woods after a few hours of walking while following Storm Rider who was leading the way from up. She was taking down everything in the sky while Luna took down every creature on the ground. After Luna was done with her massacre though, every creature was doing its best to hide from her gaze. Her bloodlust and battle aura seemed to have left an impression even after she concealed it.

    Of course some cursed creatures tried to fight back. But they were killed before they managed to scratch her cloak. Nothing higher than a cursed general existed in this eerie territory¡ªmeaning that she could take on most of the creatures here on her own as long as she didn¡¯t give them time to use their powers.

    Abilities varied in nature, a Cursed Soldier could have a terrifying ability like mind control in its arsenal. Mind attacks were one of the most feared attacks because they weren''t something you could just notice unless you have some relic or power that defends you against it.

    Some creatures could trap you in false realities and feast on your energy till you¡¯re a corpse. While others were like the Mind Wraith, physically weak but capable of creating powerful pawns.

    It was because of this unpredictability that Luna never hesitated when fighting a Cursed Creature with more than two cores. Also, one thing Luna had learned from this entire subjugation was that holding back meant that she was asking for a death wish.

    This place, the Crimson Desert, everything here was trying to kill her. So to survive, Luna needed to become more ruthless in battle because hesitation could mean the worst.

    Luna peered at the landscape ahead of them and frowned. They hadn¡¯t stopped to rest since they left the coral building and her body was slowing now from all the fatigue she felt. Her legs were getting heavier with each step through the snow and she found herself yawning unknowingly. She was still a teenager and her body could only endure so much.

    Right now, they were traversing the white land between the mountains and the forest. The land masses ahead grew from the ground, casting an incredibly dark shadow in the faint light. Their majestic five peaks were covered in snow while the highest peak disappeared in the grey clouds above.

    The tallest peak made Luna shiver because of how sinister it looked from this distance. The snowstorm wasn¡¯t so strong here so her visibility wasn''t bad either. The black peak resembled a spearhead, piercing the clouds like a sword.

    ¡°Is there anything beyond the grey clouds?¡± Luna asked Storm Rider who had been silent this entire.

    ¡°Yes, there is.¡± Storm Rider answered after some silence. She had flown above the grey clouds twice and almost lost her life because of the cursed emperors that ruled the skies. ¡°There is a sky island. Actually, there are many sky islands in the divine realm. Though this one is infested with Cursed Emperors only.¡±

    ¡®An island of cursed emperors! The food chain up there must be broken.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting fact. Anyway, when will we take a break then? I¡¯m awfully tired.¡± Luna groaned loudly as she dragged her boots through the snow.

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    Storm Rider stopped as soon as she heard that. She faced Luna, her serious look fading away instantly as if blown off by the wind itself. She had forgotten that Luna was a human.

    ¡°Oh! Why didn¡¯t you say so? Well¡­we can rest here if you want. I can make shelter and we rest for a few hours before heading to the Mountains.¡±

    ¡°Really? Aren¡¯t you worried about the monsters?¡±

    Storm Rider shook her head and responded. ¡°No. There is nothing to be feared once you enter this part. You see, this part is known as a No man¡¯s land. I don¡¯t know the magic around it, but creatures refuse to cross it despite being harmless. Creatures from the mountain can¡¯t cross to this side. The same works creatures from the forest.¡±

    Hearing this, Luna couldn¡¯t help but feel more cautious. What the hell did she mean by all the creatures refusing to cross it?

    What if something more powerful was hiding in the ground?

    ¡°I¡¯ve crossed this place a few times but nothing has attacked me. This might be a sacred land.¡± Storm Rider continued.

    ¡®Oh.¡¯

    Yes, this might as well have been a Sacred land. In theory, Sacred Lands were territories that were blessed by the gods.

    Could it be that even in their madness, cursed creatures still recognized the power of the gods? Back then, Luna hadn¡¯t given much thought to it because of the already strange nature of this place. In the blood desert, the temples remained untouched by the cursed creatures ruling that level. Even the giant serpent avoided the cities because they were sacred in some way.

    The pillars were still intact because the runes on them made them sacred. Therefore, the Death Bugs avoided them and destroyed everything else.

    ¡®I guess they¡¯re not that mad, after.¡¯

    She thought about all this while Storm Rider used her powers to create a small dome shelter from roots and earth under the snow. Now that her essence was replenished, the fire keeper could do more with her two auras. She created a small dome made of tough roots and cleared the snow inside to create a cozy floor. The entire time she was doing this, Storm Rider¡¯s body was emitting a beautiful golden glow as she expended the life energy to control nature.

    After she was done, Luna was more than glad to have a roof over her head. She laid down close to the warm flame while using the cloak as a headrest. She felt her entire body finally relax after what felt like two days of walking while fighting to stay alive.

    She watched the gentle flame for a while before yawning and closing her eyes to sleep for the first time since she left the tower. The fatigue played a huge role in her exhaustion and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

    While asleep, Luna had a vivid dream. It wasn¡¯t a memory because she wasn¡¯t in someone¡¯s body. Rather, Luna was in her original body wearing the same tunic she was in back in the real world.

    For Luna, dreaming was a foreign phenomenon because most of what she called dreams back then were actually faint memories that her brain couldn¡¯t interpret at the time. She could dream, though.

    But it was very rare and hard to remember.

    This dream, however¡­felt too real to be called a dream.

    The snow was gone, and everything else was drenched in pure darkness. She was standing in clear water that covered her feet and reached up to her ankles. It wasn¡¯t cold or warm, but it left her with a tingling sensation.

    She scowled. ¡°A mind attack?¡±

    Luna then carefully lowered her head and saw a familiar raven black-haired girl with white skin and dark mysterious eyes, looking back at her through the clear water.

    It was her reflection.

    Feeling unconvinced, Luna carried out a few tests to suppress her paranoia. She moved her head and made a few silly expressions to check. And surprisingly, the reflection followed without any mistakes.

    Any person would¡¯ve passed it off as reflection and that this was just a dream. But Luna was not that easy to trick.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me.¡±

    When she said those words, the reflection smirked. The water splashed and she immediately jumped away to create some distance. She automatically called for the Sun Ember.

    However, since this was somewhere in her consciousness, the Sun Ember failed to manifest because she had no life essence in the first place.

    Luna opened her palms and prepared to strike whatever had just invaded her mind with pure martial arts.

    The water in her previous spot started to boil as a pale wet hand emerged from the water and grabbed onto the liquid surface like it was solid. Then, a full humanoid being emerged.

    Once Luna saw this, she immediately attacked with a palm strike that pushed it back and made the water explode in all directions.

    She lunged at the being with another palm strike attack but stopped when it disappeared and appeared before her. It wore a crazed smile as it looked at her with mad excitement. It had short, dark, wet hair. And its dark eyes reflected nothing. Its face, however¡­.

    Was just like hers.

    ¡°What the¡­why have I stopped?¡±

    ¡°Because you can¡¯t hit yourself, Lunaris Feng.¡±

    The reflection talked back in a tone very similar to hers.

 Quite A Gift

    Staring at herself was a surreal experience for someone who didn¡¯t often stare in mirrors. Luna''s lips then curved up into a mischievous grin as she immediately understood what was going on.

    This wasn¡¯t some illusion but a version of herself conjured up by this place. Also, this wasn¡¯t a dream but a space similar to the one Oblivion had pulled her into when in the Siege Tower. Luna was sure of this because she had felt like this before--there was always a way her body reacted to these things. However, this specific space was limited and looked like a pocket dimension rather than what Oblivion had conjured the last time.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. This is not a dream.¡±

    Her other version spoke, seeing that Luna had now grasped the context behind the situation.

    ¡°Then what are you?¡± Luna asked her twisted reflection. It was standing still, her arms in a cross as she wore a wicked smirk.

    ¡°Well, in theory, I am the gift Oblivion left you. The last piece of his First Domain, Imagination. Ha ha, you might as well consider me a figment of your imagination but that figment can talk and stuff. And no, I am not corrupted at all.¡± She explained with a foxy tone. From her mannerisms alone, Luna could tell that this thing had succeeded in creating a version of herself. It mirrored her personality so well that it disgusted her. ¡°As you can see, this is similar to the space you had your final exchange from. That was his Mental Space, a pocket space he created using Imagination. It''s where a piece of his consciousness survived until you found him.¡±

    ¡®Imagination? That¡¯s what she is?¡¯

    Luna studied the talking thing with only her eyes. This¡­this was the manifestation of an Aura left behind by a deity. It was ancient and powerful enough to be sentient, just like Snow¡¯s Aura.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Luna asked again, this time more serious. She took a few steps forward and stared directly into its obsidian eyes.

    It shook its head as if it had expected Luna to ask again. This time, it chose to respond differently. ¡°I am the gift Oblivion has given to you, Lunaris. The gift that will protect your mind from the madness of knowledge and whoever wishes to invade your mind. I will hide your secrets because I am born from Imagination.¡± It spoke while maintaining its questionable smile.

    This thing was a gift from Oblivion, meaning that it was in her mind this entire time. Were the changes Luna was experiencing responsible for awakening this thing?

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    Probably...

    It claimed it was born to protect her mind from the madness of knowledge as well as her mind. Luna understood the knowledge part because she already knew too much about the deities at this point. Knowledge was something she needed to be wary of especially since there was a curse bestowed on those who knew too much like the Storm Rider. To make things worse, Luna was also pursuing the true path of ascension, something that was erased from human history.

    Oblivion knew this would happen so gifted her this before passing on. ¡°Oblivion is trying to keep me hidden.¡± She muttered to herself.

    Remember, she was already considered a threat if she made it to the tower and came out of it alive. Luna didn¡¯t have the slightest idea who Corruption was or what their general goal was. She didn¡¯t know if they were human like her, or divine like everything else from the divine realm. But If someone could control something as evil and powerful as black ether, then it was safe to assume there existed a being capable of twisting mortal minds at will¡ªjust as Lord Astrid could with her Aura.

    Oblivion had seen all this and created this thing to protect her. ¡®I¡¯m sure this is why Everlight didn¡¯t even know that a piece of his consciousness was still in there.¡¯

    After thinking everything through, Luna had no choice but to accept all this. It was the only shield she had against other deities.

    ''It could also be nice to be completely immune to mind attacks.''

    ¡°Sigh, I guess you can be useful after all.¡± She said to the reflection which was looking at Luna with a bored expression. There was nothing trust about this thing but Luna had no choice in this matter.

    ''How funny it is to have no control over my own mind.''

    The reflection smiled and slowly lowered her head into a bow. ¡°I will serve you then.¡±

    Looking at her twisted reflection, Luna wondered if she would also be able to pull people into this space when she was stronger. This wasn¡¯t her Aura, of course. The chances of this Mind Space growing were very slim unless she inherited the aura of imagination when she opened her second gate in a few years.

    ¡®If I am alive in a few years.¡¯

    After that thought, Luna opened her eyes to the light of the golden flame dancing in front of her.

    She sat up and leaned against the soft wall of roots Storm Rider had made. Luna expected her mind to feel fatigued after that interaction but she was perfectly fine and full of energy. Her mind felt intact and nothing different had changed since she closed her eyes.

    ¡°I should go and tell her it''s time for my watch¡­¡±

    Luna was about to stand when she noticed that there was a significant change in the flow of life essence after getting some rest. Before, the flow of life essence was like that of a river that only slowed down when she tried to concentrate. Now, however, the flow was more stable and calm since her mind had fully relaxed.

    ¡®I had forgotten how essential the human body is when it comes to cultivating energy. Maybe because I never got to know how to cultivate energy in the first place.¡¯

    Cultivation only happened for those with zenshi. That¡¯s what Luna had been taught her whole life.

    Yet, here she was, also following the path of ascension as a mundane human. From what she had observed, sensing life energy was the key to all this. If a person could sense qi to her level, he or she would have a high chance of learning how to manipulate it.

    ¡®However, if they do not understand the concepts of qi and how it flows, they can never learn how to manipulate it. I now see why I needed a teacher in the first place. You need a Qi user to show you how to harness it. Storm Rider also needed a teacher to learn the basics.¡¯

    Just then, Storm Rider walked in and ended her deep thinking. The tall woman was covered in monster blood but wore the same calm expression.

    She gave Luna a strange look. She rubbed her temples and cleared her to say something that made Luna almost jump.

    "Your sister is heading towards us."

 101. Capture And Rescue

    ¡°What? You can sense her presence?¡±

    ¡°Not really but the weather has taken a great change. The winds are weaker and there is a fog coming from the shore.¡± Storm Rider explained with a balanced tone.

    Luna listened, feeling both confused and relieved by the Fire Keeper¡¯s explanation. However, she was also a bit confused. What did she mean by saying the winds were weaker? Len was not a sorcerer to have that level of effect on the environment. If it was her, then just how much was her sister enduring to maintain the fog form while controlling the winds?

    ¡®If she continues this, then her soul gate might shatter from exhaustion.¡¯

    ¡°Where¡­is she?¡± Luna¡¯s voice trembled when she realized the gravity of the situation.

    ¡°The fog. She is the fog coming in our direction. I guess that she¡¯s heading to the orange flame.¡±

    Luna rushed out of the shelter upon hearing that. Her heart raced with emotion. Once she stepped out, she was slammed by the cold wind because she had forgotten to put on her cloak, and her armor was on its last legs. It was so cold that her skin felt like it was about to burn down from the cold alone.

    Nevertheless, Luna¡¯s determination pulled through and her heart burned as she channeled the Qi she had absorbed to boast her endurance. The pain subsided but her hair started to solidify.

    Was it always this cold?

    Her eyes darted left and right, searching for the fog that was supposed to heading direction. She couldn¡¯t sense zenshi and the coldness getting to her head was now hindering her ability to sense life essence.

    ¡®Len! Where the hell are you!¡± she screamed at the top of her voice and crossed the harsh snow land while battling the elements.

    After about ten minutes, Luna was back in the creepy forest. Her breath came in sharp, visible puffs as the cold bit at her skin. The snow crunched underfoot, adding to the cacophony of sounds that seemed to drown out her thoughts.

    But then, just as she was about to lose herself to hypothermia, Luna saw it.

    In the heart of the forest, an ominous white fog was already expanding, slowly drifting towards her. It was unmistakable¡ªthis was her sister¡¯s transformation ability, the reason why she was known as the Ghost of Winter.

    Before she could celebrate, Luna¡¯s heart pounded as she watched in horror as everything the fog touched turned into a frozen sculpture¡ªtrees, cursed creatures, and even the corpses of those who had fallen in battle were encased in ice. The fog continued to spread relentlessly, freezing everything in its path like a wildfire of its own.

    She took a few tentative steps back, her pulse quickening with fear. If Len was capable of maintaining this form for so long, then something was wrong.

    ¡°Should I call her?¡± Luna murmured to herself, her mind racing as she contemplated summoning her forged weapon.

    The situation was dire and her sister¡¯s unchecked power was threatening to freeze everything around her.

    She was about to come to a conclusion when a blast of crimson gold flames hurtled past her, striking the menacing fog with explosive force.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Luna¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she traced the flames back to Storm Rider, who was floating high above with her arm extended. Her red eyes glowed with a chilling intensity, a stark contrast to the frosty scene below.

    The explosion of Storm Rider¡¯s power sent shockwaves through the forest, causing the very ground to tremble beneath Luna¡¯s feet and the weaver trees to fall.

    ¡°That¡¯s my sister! Don¡¯t attack!¡±

    Storm Rider, however, did not respond. She only shot her one daring look that forced Luna to shrink back in her place. Then continued her assault by unleashing a barrage of golden flames that looked like wisps of light. Each blast struck the fog with devastating impact, causing it to explode on contact, sending shards of ice and mist into the air.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Luna watched in despair as the fog was assaulted by Storm Rider¡¯s relentless attacks. The fog writhed and contorted, struggling against the onslaught but didn¡¯t dissipate. The conflict between Storm Rider¡¯s searing flames and the Ghost of Winter¡¯s chilling fog created a chaotic dance of elements, each vying for dominance.

    ¡®What the hell is happening¡­¡¯

    Luna turned her gaze back to the fog, her mind racing with realization. The golden wisps of fire had collided with the fog and something was profoundly wrong. Len¡¯s transformation was supposed to be incorporeal¡ªuntouchable in that state. At least, that was what Luna had always believed because Len always treated it like a trump card.

    Yet, amidst the chaos, Luna saw a critical change. The fog, which had once been so imposing, was visibly shrinking from Storm Rider¡¯s relentless assault that was clearly having an effect.

    ¡®Storm Rider is directly striking Len¡¯s body. But how?¡¯

    Desperation gripped Luna¡¯s heart as she watched her sister¡¯s fog retreat after taking on more attacks from Storm Rider. She stopped after she was sure there were no more traces of the fog. Unfortunately, half of the forest was now completely gone after using her power.

    Meanwhile, once her fog was defeated, Lena reappeared and fell to her knees, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Despite her sweat-soaked skin and the exhaustion etched on her face, her body appeared unharmed, with no visible injuries marring her pale skin.

    Luna didn¡¯t hesitate to rush to her despite the state she was in herself. When she arrived, the first thing she noticed was the lack of visible wounds on her body despite having been hit by Storm¡¯s attacks.

    She stopped when she saw this. Wasn¡¯t Len¡¯s fog just her body turning to fog because when they sparred¡ªher katana was capable of cutting through Len¡¯s incorporeal state? Those injuries would then be seen whenever she returned to her real body. This time though, her body was uninjured but she looked very weak.

    ¡°Lena!¡±

    Lena¡¯s head snapped up, upon hearing her name once. Her dull eyes widened when she recognized the person standing in front of her.

    She opened her mouth, her lips shuddering. ¡°Lu¡­¡±

    However, before Lena could say anything else. Luna was already upon her, enveloping her in a fierce, protective embrace. The desperation in Luna¡¯s voice was palpable, tinged with relief and concern.

    ¡°I thought¡­I thought you were¡­¡±

    Lena made an exhausted smile as she returned her sister''s embrace, her breath coming in labored gasps. She didn¡¯t know how Luna ended up in a place like this but she was glad to see a familiar face after being trapped in a mental prison for so long.

    ¡°I am more powerful than you give me credit for, Lunaris,¡± Lena managed, her voice strained but warm. ¡°Though I didn¡¯t know you found a way to get here. Or that you made some friends.¡±

    Even in her weak state, Lena couldn¡¯t ignore the powerful presence in the sky.

    Luna¡¯s heart ached after hearing her sister¡¯s concerned tone. Tears welled in her eyes as she clung to Lena, her emotions a tumultuous mix of relief, fear, and love.

    After those wild emotions settled, Luna reluctantly released her sister from the comforting embrace and turned her gaze upward.

    Storm Rider remained suspended in the air, her piercing red eyes fixed on the two sisters. They were hostile as if she was bothered by Len¡¯s presence.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the guardian of this level, Storm Rider. I can¡¯t tell you much, but know she¡¯s on our side,¡± Luna explained, her voice steady but edged with concern.

    Storm Rider¡¯s gaze remained inscrutable as she responded with a curt nod.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    With a deep breath, Luna carefully lifted Lena onto her back, her sister''s weakened form pressing gently against her.

    And together, they made their way back to the small shelter nestled amidst the sacred land. The snow underfoot crunched with each step, the cold wind biting at their exposed skin. Despite the harsh conditions, Luna¡¯s focus remained solely on ensuring Lena¡¯s safety. The problem wasn¡¯t her sister¡¯s weight but the coldness that slowed down her activity.

    More minutes passed until they finally made it to the shelter and were now safe from the weather outside. During that entire time, Luna didn¡¯t ask Storm for any help. Instead, she controlled the Qi in her body to keep her blood warm and heartbeats normal.

    Now that the three of them were inside the shelter, Storm Rider went on and introduced herself to Len, officially. But this time, she kept a lot to herself¡­even the fact that she was an immortal fire keeper.

    She talked about how she killed the being here and never explained how like she had with Luna. Also, she introduced herself as an Ascender in Len¡¯s presence.

    Luna understood why Storm Rider needed to lie. The path of zenshi is the path that was gifted to humanity by unknown powers. To Storm, this version of ascension was impure because it might have been created by the enemies who put her in this tower in the first place. She loathed the so-called ¡®True celestials¡¯ and everything they represented.

    Also, caution becomes second nature when you have lived as long as she has. Zenshi was a mystery to her as well. She needed to be wary of how much she revealed to a zenshi user.

    As the flames danced, she went about to explain how she met with Luna and decided to help her find the teleportation circle of this level. Her words came out naturally as if she rehearsed all this before.

    ¡®She wouldn¡¯t. Would she?¡¯

    In the end, Storm Rider¡¯s information dump ended and Len¡¯s face was stuck in visible awe. All this information felt overwhelming, even for someone who survived a history lecture about the Origin of Runes and the purposes they served.

    She turned to Luna who had been quiet the entire time. She was staring at Storm Rider with that look.

    ¡®They haven¡¯t told me everything.¡¯ She turned her gaze to the tall woman. It was strange to feel hostility towards a person she had just met. Her instincts were telling her that this woman was a danger to her and everyone else.

    Yet, this woman had saved her sister¡¯s life.

    When she had explained everything, Storm Rider decided to give the sisters some time to talk. She made an excuse and left the pair alone.

    ¡°Wow, that much time has passed. It''s been over a month since we came here¡­wow.¡±

    Len exhaled and remained silent for a while as she tried to piece everything together. She rubbed her face and then turned to Luna, who was seated on her right side. Luna''s dark eyes reflected the golden flame and the sadness she was hiding.

    ¡°There is no teleportation circle that takes us back, I guess.¡±

    Luna nodded and said. ¡°We all appeared in the sky. All I remember is falling through the clouds and almost freezing to death. And before you scold Valentine and I were dragged here against our will.¡±

    ¡°You were lucky. Valentine might be dead by now.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not.¡± Luna retorted. ¡°He¡¯s stronger than he looks.¡±

    ¡°I know he is. I saw him go against a cursed soldier and felt pity for the soldier. But¡­this level¡­ it''s worse than the desert, it¡¯s terrible. The things here.¡±

    She squeezed her hands to hide the fact that they were trembling.

    ¡°The things here forced me to push myself. They reminded me of how much I feared death.¡±

    Luna didn¡¯t need to hear the details. The fear in her sister¡¯s voice was almost palpable.

    She now understood why Lena felt so much different. Earlier, Storm¡¯s attacks did indeed harm her physical form.

    Lena just healed faster.

    ¡®Her Aura has grown stronger.¡¯

 Much Stronger

    ¡®Her Aura has grown much stronger.¡¯ Luna noticed the subtle change in her sister¡¯s overall presence.

    Back when she was training her body, the monks often mentioned that if you wanted someone to grow stronger, you give them trials. Those trials would then either give the person a reality check or force them to give up. Or, in some cases, force them to work harder. The former was easy while the latter needed unbroken determination as its key tool.

    Knowing Lena, Luna was 100% sure that ticked the determination box. She was a true warrior, one heavily inspired by their father who wasn¡¯t even a Feng by blood. Just like her, Lena carried his Will and therefore his unbroken determination that usually made them fierce. It was responsible for her incredible strength despite having been a second gate user for not even more than a year.

    ¡°What exactly did you encounter that made you go so far?¡± Luna¡¯s question hung in the air. For a while, only the creaking sound of the burning wood could be heard inside the shelter.

    Len then drew a deep breath and all the terror in her mind subsided. Having her mind violated was something an ascender should be trained for. She nodded and opened her mouth to break down the details of her experience here.

    ¡°It has me trapped in a mental prison for weeks. Unlike you, I¡¯ve been living the same day over and over since I got to this level. I remember falling from the sky and creating a beacon for the others. It was only after felt weaker that I realized something was wrong. The cursed creature was feeding on my zenshi, you see. To break out, I decided to freeze the whole damn thing. It took me some time to gain full control of my power but I succeeded and broke free of the loop.¡±

    ¡°Then attacked the first creature I saw. I think it was a cursed Tyrant.¡±

    ¡®Wow, you make it sound like it was easy to beat.¡¯

    ¡°Easy as it may sound, our battle was in fact a legendary one. The world was twisting and turning as I encountered a beast so powerful. I was unsure if I was going to win. But, thanks to my trusted weapon, I was able to kill a cursed tyrant or a general,¡± Lena explained the rest with an energetic tone. She made sure to add some intensity as if she was narrating a novel or something.

    Luna¡¯s eyes rolled. Why did she have to be dramatic all of a sudden?

    ¡°What a great story. I¡¯m sure they will make a whole movie based on your experience,¡± Luna said, not bothering to hide her sarcasm.

    ¡°They should call it¡­Empress of Ice part one.¡± Len giggled. Slowly, her humanity was returning. This was the real Lena when she wasn¡¯t keeping up with the theatrics.

    ¡°So you¡¯re planning a trilogy? How fantastic, Ghost of Winter.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. The third part will be a bit erotic, the audience must know that¡­¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Luna quickly raised her voice and cut her sister off. She knew what she was about to say.¡°Shut that damn dirty mouth of yours!¡± she pointed at her sister.

    A lewd smile appeared on Len¡¯s face. ¡°Che! Look who¡¯s blushing. I haven¡¯t said a word but your perverted mind has already gone that far.¡±

    ¡®This¡­this vile brat is willing to say such at a time like this. Can¡¯t she read the room?¡¯ Luna pouted. Her face turned even redder.

    ¡°Do¡­Don¡¯t say stuff like that. We already have a lot of things to do.¡±

    Len shrugged. ¡°We always have a lot to do. Gods¡­can¡¯t we just be normal for once? I want to talk about boy bands and stuff.¡± She groaned and looked up. ¡°I¡¯m turning nineteen and I¡¯ve never gone to prom. Let alone kiss a guy. They always fear me, even when I give them signs. Do you think I should try doing cute things?¡±

    ¡®You¡¯re asking the wrong person, Sis.¡¯ Luna stared at her sister blankly. This was the Lena she had grown up with. Often unserious and quirky. Her serious side usually felt like an alter ego.

    ¡°Gods, why am I so powerful?¡± Lena cried.

    Yep. Lena had recovered completely.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± Luna hissed out a curse and curled up to keep warm. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I was worried sick about you a few moments ago.¡±

    ¡°Come on, dearest sister. In the worst of moments, the least you can do is keep a positive mindset. You know, when last I saw you, I was glad because I knew you were safe. However, I didn¡¯t know I would be more glad to see you here.¡±

    Luna blushed at her sister¡¯s words. ¡°A..Anyway¡­I just wanted to know how you got stronger. Everything about you feels different¡­don¡¯t tell me you opened the third gate already?¡±

    Len shook her head. ¡°Not really. I also can¡¯t explain it properly, but something about this level makes me feel connected to it. It feels like an extension of my Aura. Here, my wounds heal faster and my powers have a greater scale than usual. I¡¯m like a fish in its natural habitat. I¡¯m much more¡­¡±

    ¡®So that explains how she was able to stay incorporeal for a long period of time.¡¯

    ¡°How much exactly?¡± Luna was more curious now.

    ¡°Enough for me to control the blizzard and keep my fog transformation longer. I don¡¯t know how to get to the specifics, but my entire body feels like it¡¯s so much more here.¡±

    ¡®Incredible.¡¯ Luna listened as the gears in head moved to look an explanation.

    ¡°My guess is you have a connection with the god of the seas or the deity that caused this snowstorm in the first place. Maybe through your Aura.¡±

    Len frowned at Luna¡¯s statement.

    ¡°How should I know about them? I don¡¯t know much about the gods in the first place. It was always you who was interested in mythology.¡±

    ¡°But we took the same class.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we did. But we had different interests, dearest sister. I do understand what you mean because zenshi has always been a remnant left behind by the gods.¡±

    ¡®By the gods? I don¡¯t think so.¡¯ Luna retorted. The gods weren¡¯t the ones that created zenshi.

    In Luna¡¯s eyes, every human possessing zenshi was a bottleneck cultivator. They will never know what lies beyond the fourth gate unless someone finds a way to break that layer.

    In other words, zenshi was created to keep humans alive without letting them get too powerful.

    ¡®Storm Rider mentioned that the two powers conflicted. But how? How does divine energy conflict with life energy.¡¯ If Luna could sense zenshi then she would¡¯ve tested it out and see how exactly they conflicted with each other.

    All humans had qi, it was life. It existed in all living things, in the air, and all around them. The reason why ascenders could still sense Qi was simply because life essence still lived in their bodies. They were still alive so they had normal levels of Qi in their bodies. Black Ether mainly attacked the Qi. But for the case of ascenders, the zenshi protected that Qi and made them immune to infection.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Luna continued. ¡° Your Ice Domain is either connected to the God of Seas, or his Servant. It''s most likely the first one.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Len sighed and crossed her arms. She hummed in thought. Then faced Luna.

    After some silence, Lena opened her mouth after noticing something. ¡°The zenshi of your suit is no longer entering your body. Is the suit dead?¡±

    ¡°No, I simply found no need to keep it on always.¡±

    Len forced another sigh and her expression turned serious as she glared at the flame. ¡°This flame wasn¡¯t created using zenshi, was it? I feel the Aura behind it but it feels more pure than anything I¡¯ve ever felt.¡±

    She put her hand over the fire. It was very warm. When she tried to use her zenshi, there was a spark of energy when the silver-white flames collided with the golden flames.

    Luna paled on seeing the spark. Of course, Len was no idiot, even though she liked being one when around Luna. Her observation skills were very good.

    But Luna didn¡¯t expect her to catch on this fast.

    ¡°Your limiter is off. There is more to all of this. Am I right?¡±

 103

    Luna sighed and leaned back. Her eyes didn¡¯t steer away from the golden flame. They were reflecting it as if they were a pair of delicate mirrors. The atmosphere inside now felt vigilant.

    ¡°Some things are better left unsaid,¡± she answered calmly.

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Len scowled. She didn¡¯t like this version of her sister. ¡°Who the hell is Storm Rider? I don¡¯t feel any zenshi coming from her. How is she so powerful?¡±

    Luna¡¯s face turned serious as she said, ¡°That¡¯s for her to tell you. It¡¯s not my place to explain what¡¯s going on. But you should know that she¡¯s on our side and I owe her a lot.¡±

    Len gritted her teeth then forced a sigh to calm herself . She wanted to think her sister was trying to repay her for taking her off the subjugation, but Luna wasn¡¯t that immature.

    Plus, Len noticed that Luna had also changed in ways she couldn''t quite define. She might have done her best to hide it. The changes were very hard to see. But Lena had known Luna for seventeen years. She knew her expressions all too well.

    ¡®Her eyes....there¡¯s something very different about her. The limiter is off so she has some control over her superhuman strength. But how did she succeed with that?¡¯

    Lena was not the type to be nosy. But this¡­this is something she had to know.

    She then turned her sharp gaze to the exit. Outside, she could feel the white expanse of the snow spreading far wide across the landscape.

    By extending her senses through the ice, Len managed to find Storm Rider. She was standing not so far away from the shelter, undisturbed by the harsh weather of this place.

    Indeed, this ascender had no zenshi. However, she was far more than just an ascender. There was more about her than met the eye and that alone bothered Len.

    ¡°She will sense your gaze. I advise you to stop doing that.¡± Luna warned when she noticed what her sister was doing.

    Immediately, Len cut off her other senses and turned back to her sister. She frowned. ¡°How else am I supposed to find answers?¡±

    Luna turned her eyes away from the flames and heaved out a sigh which sounded more like a groan. After giving it some thought, she opened her mouth and decided to share a little bit of what she had learned while in this Tower.

    ¡°I had an interaction with Oblivion after his death and learned that the Divine Realm is slowly merging with ours.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Until now, Luna hadn¡¯t told anyone aside from Storm Rider of her interaction with the corrupted deity.

    Why?

    Because she wanted to separate what was fact and what was not. Oblivion¡¯s hate for Everlight might have affected his judgment at some point and ended up twisting what he told her.

    But it appears she no longer had time for such.

    Len on the other hand, her expression was sullen with a ting of pure shock. ¡°Wha¡­what are you meaning?¡± she scowled.

    Luna huffed and bit her lips as if fighting against herself from talking about that day. Much as she wanted to keep it to herself, Luna needed to tell someone who would feel the same level of concern she did¡ªeven though they couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    ¡°Oblivion pulled me into his mind and shared with me some important information about our realm exactly. The gates dropping cursed creatures, the structures from the divine realm, the black ether¡­all of it is happening because both realms are slowly colliding. Soon, a huge wave of energies will merge with our world and create a true end.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®True end¡¯?¡± Len jolted. Her voice mirrored the confusion and disbelief she suddenly felt.

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s the reasonable reaction. I always knew I was too calm that day.¡¯

    Luna thought back on when she first got the fateful news. Her reaction was¡­inhumane.

    Luna then drew in a deep breath, steadying herself. ¡°I mean that the End is coming. At first, I thought he was lying but it seems our world is doomed. Ascenders are just slowing down the inevitable. More gates are going to appear, more cursed creatures¡­¡±

    Luna watched as Len slowly tried to make sense of the small pieces of information she had been given. The news of their realm collapsing was indeed dire. And the solution was close to impossible because one needed first to become a god and then find the heart of the divine realm to power the flame that keeps the realms separate.

    At least that¡¯s what Luna assumed. There was also the mystery of the gods, their servants who were likely still alive, and the Devils who were still wreaking havoc whenever they felt like it.

    Lena started pacing left and right. Her breaths came out in short, panicked breaths. ¡°Oh, gods! Why didn¡¯t you tell any of us?¡±

    ¡°And what would you have done? Do you think becoming a god is that easy?¡±

    Len stopped and creased her eyebrows. ¡°Wait¡­Becoming a god is the solution?¡±

    Luna¡¯s face turned grave. She nodded. ¡°Yes, it appears that there are more gates after the fourth. But those gates are inaccessible for someone like you unless something drastic happens.¡±

    As soon as those words left her mouth, Len appeared in front of her sister. Her movement could¡¯ve been mistaken for teleportation.

    ¡°I already assumed there were other gates. It''s the path of ascension and I believe Sorcery isn¡¯t the peak of ascension. And what do you mean by inaccessible?¡±

    ¡°The path of ascension for you may stop at sorcery. Even though you cultivate your mind and body to a peak point¡­you may not go beyond the fourth gate. I can¡¯t tell you more.¡±

    Len saw the sincere look in Luna¡¯s dark eyes. She was about to say something, but Luna continued.

    ¡°Call me a Lair if you want to Len. I have no reason to lie to the people I genuinely care about. The path of ascension the heroes of our realm follow is a false one. We are incapable of becoming gods because of this. Whoever blessed us with zenshi wanted us to survive but not save our realm.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The two sisters remained silent for a while. They used each other¡¯s company as a consolation for the exchange they had just had. Luna had of course managed to hide everything connected to the true path. As of now, there were still too many things she didn¡¯t understand. Especially the unknown forces that are still at play.

    ¡®I hope I¡¯m making the right choice.¡¯ Luna thought to herself. She felt a whirlwind of emotions and maybe that¡¯s why she felt so confused right now.

    Len was the first to break the silence. She was calm again.

    ¡°Sigh. Let¡¯s first conquer this Dungeon and then see how to move forward. Right now, our goal is to destroy the tower. And even though I have questions, I will choose to keep them to myself until the subjugation is done. We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there. Okay?¡±

    Luna nodded in response. Honestly, it was amazing how easily handled her emotions. In just a few minutes, Luna had seen about three versions of her sister.

    ¡°Let¡¯s first save humanity then figure the rest out together. Also, I¡¯m sorry if I made you feel less the last time. That wasn¡¯t very responsible of me, Captain.¡±

    Luna smiled, her gaze not moving away from the beautiful flames.

    ¡°I will tell you everything I know after all this. I promise.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

 The Dark Mountains

    The following days blurred together as the group continued their arduous trek toward the Mountains. The closer they got to them, the more powerful the monsters became. Ever since they left the sacred territory, the situation drastically changed. They found themselves battling hordes of cursed creatures that had adapted to coldness and were very good at utilizing their environment. And in most situations, the pair of sisters found themselves heavily relying on Storm Rider¡¯s divine flame to heal their wounds and burn their enemies mercilessly.

    She was the powerhouse of the group who handled enemies that could fly and creatures that were too powerful for an ascender on her Second Gate and someone who was in her beginner state of cultivation.

    As they continued to fight, Luna was also getting a hang of her forged weapon. She hadn¡¯t used its fire absorption ability since they hadn¡¯t faced a fire-breathing adversary, yet. When she first summoned it, Len was shocked to see that she could summon a forged weapon just like an ascender. But as she promised, Len chose to keep her questions to herself until the end of the subjugation.

    Speaking of Lena, her powers had come in handy since she joined the group. The blizzard was now weaker with her around. She willed it without any effort. Her power growth was extraordinary even for someone of who¡¯s domain was similar to the ruler of the seas.

    This dark world had accepted her as its temporary ruler. Which was good because they now had better visibility and could see their attackers.

    After a couple more hours, Luna looked up and smiled faintly. It was a hopeful smile because the range light ahead no longer seemed unreachable. The mountains too were now larger, meaning they were getting closer¡­

    They continued walking for more hours, only taking a few stops to feed on rations of monster meat and rest. Now that they were dangerous parts, each of them slept between one-hour shifts to avoid overstaying and getting the attention of hungry cursed creatures.

    After another five days¡ªaccording to Storm Rider¡ªthe group finally arrived at the rocky entrance that served as the entry point to the dark snow-covered mountains.

    The dark landmarks loomed over them like ancient sentinels, casting massive shadows since the sun of this level was dim and weak. Luna felt a cold shiver climb up her spine as an ominous feeling suddenly gripped her.

    The mountains were like jagged teeth biting into the sky, their peaks lost in the perpetual twilight of this strange realm.

    The small group climbed up. Luna was careful not to slip in the snow they walked upwards. The air kept getting thinner. She slowed down her breathing rate to avoid getting any hypoxia. In front of her, Len was doing her best to hold back the winds here while Storm Rider looked for a path through the mountains.

    After reaching the middle part of the mountain, they discovered a man-made path. It was carved into the mountainside, winding its way through the rocky terrain. The path was barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and it snaked precariously along the edge of a sheer cliff.

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    The snow had partially covered it, making it even more treacherous. The air here was even thinner and Luna could hear the distant howls of creatures echoing through the mountain valleys. She could almost feel their presence too.

    The path, though narrow, was clearly ancient. Its surface was worn smooth and the remnants of old carvings and runes could be seen etched into the rocks.

    The people of Neptune must have constructed it hundreds of years ago, perhaps to support transportation through the mountains or to connect distant villages.

    Luna glanced at Storm Rider, whose face was as impassive as ever. The Fire Keeper seemed unaffected by the cold or the menacing atmosphere. Her eyes were sharp, scanning their surroundings with the vigilance of a seasoned warrior.

    Len, on the other hand, was visibly tense, her muscles coiled and ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation.

    ¡°We need to move quickly,¡± Storm Rider said, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. ¡°This path is dangerous. We don¡¯t want to linger here any longer than necessary. The cursed creatures here are a headache.¡±

    With that, they followed the smooth path, leading them into deeper parts. Of course, Storm Rider led the way as she was the only person who knew where this path was heading exactly. While Lena protected their rear as the second strongest.

    ¡°You know, for someone who¡¯s over five hundred years old. I expected you to be a bit more mature.¡± Luna whispered to the Fire Keeper.

    ¡°Mature about what? She uses zenshi. They control her.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The beings who run both worlds. Zenshi is very powerful and the fact that its wielders are incorruptible makes it even more dangerous.¡±

    For the first time since they met a month ago, Luna could hear the urgency in Storm Rider¡¯s voice. Her face remained emotionless.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t trust your sister. They told me about the current world and I assumed that¡¯s how weak ascenders are.¡± She continued. ¡°But your sister¡­.she¡¯s¡­different in a terrifying way. I can feel the influence she has on this world. Its¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t even have a word to describe what is happening. I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    Luna understood Storm Rider¡¯s concern about this. Zenshi opposed life. That alone was enough to worry a few people who weren¡¯t familiar with the new world.

    Before the tower, Luna¡¯s zenshi mastery was at level two and she was halfway to level three because she constantly spent days meditating and training herself. One needed to achieve five levels of Mastery to gain more authority over their Gates and Aura in general.

    Luna was no ascender so she couldn¡¯t map out the experience. But she was aware of the big difference between every level. A level two was way more powerful than a level one. And a level five was stronger than all of them combined.

    ¡®Len must¡¯ve made it to Level Three then.¡¯

    ¡°It''s this tower.¡± Luna suddenly recalled her previous experiences. While on the first floor, many humans changed under the environment. Those who were overexposed to it and had the dormant divinity had experienced a reawakening of sorts. ¡°The blood tower is changing everyone who dares to enter it. The weak die helplessly. While those with strong will continue to grow stronger.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what is happening to me, isn¡¯t it?¡± Luna thought that adding herself as an example might somehow affect Storm¡¯s judgment.¡°I¡¯m sure my sister wouldn¡¯t let some beings control her. No matter how powerful they are.¡±

    Storm Rider remained skeptical, of course. She gave no reaction. Her eyes remained as cold as ice. Nothing could change her mind.

    ¡°You¡¯re still so young. Things change, Lunaris. Sometimes you need to accept that anything is possible. Your sister is blessed with so much potential. But that potential is no longer hers¡­.¡±

    Storm Rider suddenly paused, her eyes narrowing as she sensed something amiss. In an instant, a wave of seriousness washed down on her and a flame javelin appeared in her hand. She swiftly assumed a battle stance, her body tensed and ready.

    Seeing her quick reaction, Luna and Len didn¡¯t hesitate to summon their forged weapons. The familiar weight and power of the artifacts bringing them a semblance of reassurance amidst the growing tension.

    ¡®What the hell is going on?!¡¯

    What followed next was unexpected¡­.

    The mountains first trembled, and a low rumble seemed to come from the very core of this floor. Loose stones and snow cascaded down the cliffs, echoing through the narrow pass.

    Luna''s heart pounded as she tried to steady herself against the shaking ground.

    And then, out of nowhere, a crushing force slammed into them. It was as if the very air had turned solid, pressing down on them with a weight that felt like it could shatter bones.

    The black walls around them splintered and cracked under the pressure, fragments of stone flying through the air.

    Luna felt her soul leave her body as she uttered one curse while gritting her teeth.

    ¡°Crap¡­.¡±

    This¡­she recognized this Aura too well since she had been hit by it multiple times.

    The warmonger was nearby.

 Field of Stones

    Luna gasped as she felt the force pressing against her chest, threatening to drive the breath from her lungs.

    She staggered, struggling to keep her balance on the treacherous path. She reached a point where her legs had no more strength left and she dropped to her knees.

    Len fared no better. Her ice sword flickered with a cold blue light as she strained against the unseen force. Her face was set in a grim expression of determination, every muscle in her body straining as she resisted the crushing weight. She wasn¡¯t doing a great job because every step forward felt like she was lifting the heaviest element on the earth.

    The gravitational force here was not to be played with.

    Storm Rider, however, seemed almost unaffected by the increased gravity. There was no sign of struggle on her body or face. Her flame javelin burned brighter as she gathered more energy into it. And when it was ready, she released a sharp breath as she thrust the weapon into the air.

    The fiery projectile shot forward, piercing through the oppressive force with a burst of heat and light.

    For a moment, the crushing pressure lessened, giving Luna and Len a chance to catch their breath. But the reprieve was short-lived. The mountains trembled again, and the air seemed to ripple with dark energy.

    Luna could feel the malevolent presence closing in around them, the very atmosphere charged with danger.

    When she felt the breath return to her lungs, she didn¡¯t wait behind. She ran past Storm Rider, carrying only her sword because that¡¯s all she needed for this.

    The crushing force was something she had seen before. Yes, it was by no doubt that it belonged to Darkness as part of gravity manipulation.

    The closer she got to the source, the heavier the world felt. The mountains trembled more and more to the point where she almost lost her footing because of how intense the tremors were.

    As she ran, the narrow path grew wider and even worse more rocks had fallen in it, blocking some parts. That wasn¡¯t going to be a problem for her.

    She dismissed the Sun Ember and punched the larger rocks out of the way. They shattered immediately and paved a path for her.

    In less than three minutes, she made it to the end of the path. She froze when she saw what was leading to all this chaos.

    ¡®Crap crap crap crap!!¡¯

    Standing in the center of what looked like a black field of rocks and snow, a giant beast made from the same black rock as the mountain moved with all its intensity. Its massive eight black legs moved and created craters with each step, thanks to the gravitational force field the human ahead was creating.

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    Other rock spiders surrounded it, but those were already dead, and their bodies were scattered across the field. Only the large one seemed to have survived the small human¡¯s assault.

    Darkness was an ant in comparison to the creature¡¯s size. She had her hand out, her nose bleeding after pushing her power past its reasonable limits. Her short dark hair was now longer, her armor in pieces, and her complexion covered with open bloody wounds that had frozen due to the intense cold.

    ¡®I can¡¯t resist this gravity for long. I can¡¯t wait for the others.¡¯

    With that thought, Luna dashed towards the rock creature at an incredible speed. She slid down the basin-like rock surface and landed in the black field. She wore a cautious look, trying to analyze the situation.

    But¡­Unfortunately.

    Her luck struck and the stone spider noticed her presence right away. Its black head moved and its line of black eyes all landed on the dark-haired girl like she was carrying some beacon.

    Darkness also turned, her expression breaking into a confused one.

    ¡°Luna?¡±

    She lost control over the gravitational field and the mountain creature broke into a frenzy and attacked Luna. The entire ground shook as if the earth was responding to its madness.

    Its roar tore apart the howling wind. It was so powerful that every stone in its path was reduced to nothing.

    Luna saw the blast and cut in between the force with a downward slash that could split the heavens. It cleared the path for her and she didn¡¯t hesitate to attack the giant creature.

    She brandished her weapon, striking one of its stone legs.

    Kang!

    The Silver Jian bounced off the creature¡¯s armor¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t surprising considering Luna didn¡¯t channel any qi into it.

    Before she could move, the same leg moved faster, and she was hit. The strength of its blow catapulted her off the ground, sending her flying straight into one of the black walls at the edge of the field.

    Her hands quickly lost their strength and her sword dropped to the black floor with a loud clang. She then vomited an entire mouthful of blood as her body was sent into a wave of excruciating pain.

    The Qi had protected her, but because she was a First Gate user, Luna¡¯s defense wasn¡¯t the best in the first place. At least she wasn''t a mushy pile of scattered flesh and blood.

    For a moment, the world was a blur before the iron taste of blood pulled her back to her senses. The world slowly cleared and the first thing she saw was the stone creature rushing at her with pure madness and rage in its eyes.

    Luna quickly ignored the pain she was feeling and pulled herself out of the small crater made by her body. She landed on the rocky floor on her chest.

    She coughed more blood as she tried to move her body. But she was too late. Her sword was still too far away and the creature¡¯s shadow was already looming over her.

    Just then, Darkness roared and punched the earth. Her ability activated and the crushed force returned¡ªthis time more powerful¡ªand everyone in its range was pushed to the ground¡­.

    The cursed creature, however, didn¡¯t get pushed to the ground like Luna. It stayed standing and remained still as it couldn¡¯t withstand the increased gravity.

    The rocks and corpses of the smaller rock creatures exploded from the might of Darkness¡¯s power as she drew out every single drop of energy she had left.

    Before it could let out a defiant roar, one of the beast¡¯s eyes was destroyed by a flying javelin that exploded once it pierced into its head.

    ¡®She¡¯s here.¡¯

    Just then, Storm Rider appeared from the same path Luna had used to get here and attacked the creature without hesitation.

    She jumped into the field and the ground cracked from her force.

    She looked around and smirked. Then suddenly, the surface of her palm glowed and a ring of golden flames appeared just above her fingers. The flames began to spin in a circular motion until they looked like a fire saw.

    The creature saw this and roared, hoping to destroy her. But a barrier appeared instantly and the creature¡¯s attack bounced off.

    ¡®This is supposed to be a High level Cursed Tyrant? Too weak.¡¯

    She threw the spinning ring at one of the rock creature¡¯s legs and it successfully severed it. The creature cried in pain as its acidic black blood splattered everywhere. Wherever it poured, the rock sizzled.

    At the same time, Darkness freed the world of her power and immediately stepped into motion. She manifested a jian with the zenshi she had left and attacked the crying beast.

    From above, Len, who had shown up as a fog above the creature, transformed back to her physical form and landed atop where she thrust her longsword and her ice started to spread. It didn¡¯t spread quickly, but it moved across its tough armor at a stable speed.

    Luna, on the other hand, sucked in the pain and mustered the strength to stand. She picked up her weapon as the creature turned its attention to the three women.

    It was moving once again now that Darkness¡¯s ability was off.

    ¡°Crap.¡±

    With that thought, she joined the dreadful battle. This was a winnable battle since they had someone as powerful as Storm Rider on their side.

 Earth Lord

    Luna moved at a terrifying speed as she delivered deadly strikes with her sword. The Sun¡¯s Ember moved with great precision as she attacked the creature¡¯s joints. When she added more strength, her sword easily connected but failed to fully cut through its bone.

    The creature roared in pain. She leaped back, dodging one of its spider legs. Her feet skidded on the floor, leaving deep lines in the black rock until she stopped.

    She couldn¡¯t risk getting hit again. Her body already felt like it was in flames.

    ¡°Darkness, surround it and make sure it doesn¡¯t leave this place. Luna, aim for the legs. I¡¯ve made it slow but I don¡¯t know for how long!¡±

    Len¡¯s commands cut through the chaos. She was still on top while wearing a strained expression. Both her hands were on her sword as she pushed it deeper into the creature¡¯s rock armor.

    Meanwhile, Luna willed more of her energy into the sword and charged at the same joint she recently failed to cut down. Its legs were more than two meters thick so of course to cut them down, she needed to rely more on technique this time around.

    Swoosh!

    The Sun Ember sang, its horizontal slash returning to the wound she had left. It was a brief, clean, and powerful slash that severed the large leg from the joint connecting part of it.

    Splash

    Black blood spewed and the creature immediately toppled to the side after losing one leg.

    Darkness on the other hand destroyed the two more legs with nothing but brute force and skill.

    Storm Rider had already helped by blinding it. Other than that, she stayed in the air with her arms crossed. She was observing Luna, especially the way her life essence flowed.

    ¡®Her growth rate is even faster than before.¡¯

    At the same time, Darkness was almost stepped on as the creature shook its body to throw Len off its back. However, it had underestimated Len because she held on for her dear life each time it added to its force. The silver hue of her Aura was making her entire body dimly glow as she drew out more and more to affect the creature¡¯s anatomy.

    Soon, one of its legs just shattered after it tried to step on Luna. Now only three of its legs were left. It lost balance and plummeted on the black field with a loud thud that echoed through the mountains.

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    After its collapse, the stone creature was easier to take down. Luna attacked its remaining legs while Darkness destroyed its outer shell with a series of powerful punches charged with gravity.

    Once the shell was gone, Len''s ice made it inside its body and consumed it from within. The creature grew weaker and slower as Len''s powerful Aura ate away everything.

    It let out a death cry as the ice burned its insides, turning them crystalline and white as snow.

    Soon, its cries grew quieter and finally it stopped trying to fight back. Then, the cursed creature turned still and all that remained was a lifeless being made of ice.

    It was dead.

    Luna fell to her knees and let out a brief relieved sigh. Now that the adrenaline was slowing down, the pain from that hit was back then was reviving, causing her to gnaw as she slowly held back the tears welling up in her eyes.

    Darkness let out a laugh before she immediately fell on her back and lost consciousness from exhausting too much zenshi and blood loss.

    At least she was alive.

    Len jumped off the creature¡¯s back and fell on one knee. Her face was painted with sweat and her body skin was paler. For the entire time, her ability was the one doing most. To freeze every atom in that creature must have taken a great toll of both mental and physical energy to manage because the creature was as big as a house.

    A normal group of Ascenders wouldn¡¯t have survived this thing. Matter of Fact, a normal group of Ascenders couldn¡¯t survive this world in general.

    ¡®The second army needs to be more packed. No humans, just hundreds of ascenders with sorcerers leading them. That¡¯s the only way they can survive this level.¡¯

    Luna thought while staring at the ice trophy of a beast. She was doing her best to ignore the pain.

    ¡°You¡¯ve all managed to kill an Earth Lord. I would be lying if I said I¡¯m not impressed by you¡­.ascenders.¡± Storm Rider acknowledged as she floated down.

    ¡°Ha! So you do get impressed, Lord Storm.¡±

    Luna creased her eyebrows. ¡®Lord? When did she start seeing Storm Rider as a Lord?¡¯

    Storm Rider also looked as surprised to hear that title added to her nickname. Lord was a title given to people born in high-born families and Fourth Gate users.

    Since Len was under the impression that Storm Rider was beyond a fourth gate user, Lord seemed like the appropriate title to use at the moment.

    ¡°Well¡­I like to give credit when I see its worth.¡± Storm Rider¡¯s eyes moved to the frozen Earth Lord. She walked up to it and touched the icy surface of its frozen skin. ¡°The Earth Lords were sacred and peaceful beings who lived in this territory. The path we¡¯ve just used to get here was made by the humans who co-existed with them. If it wasn¡¯t for the curse¡­¡±

    Storm Rider stopped explaining and closed her eyes.

    Whoosh!

    The wind started to whisper as golden wisps of essence started to flow from the Earth Lord. They resembled a beautiful collection of threads that was entering Storm Rider¡¯s body.

    ¡®Storm Rider is immortal so her essence reserves are almost endless. However, that essence isn¡¯t powerful enough to create complex sorcery.¡¯ Luna recalled the small lessons Storm Rider had taken her through while she was still in the Coral Building.

    She had shared the differences between the sorcery humans used and the one gods used. Take for example the barrier and the prototype Mildrith. To create these, Storm Rider used essence belonging to cursed creatures.

    Even though they were cursed, they were still Divine Creatures. Their energy was part of the Realm the gods occupied. But if she had been born in the divine realm, then maybe she wouldn¡¯t need to always absorb Life Essence.

    The weakened sisters watched in awe as the Earth Lord slowly decreased in size. Its frozen body started to fade away as Storm Rider drew more essence from it.

    ¡®I don¡¯t even know why she¡¯s absorbing energy from everything. She has only been relying on her Aura to fight. She¡¯s definitely up to something.¡¯ Luna caught on quickly. But unfortunately, her body pain forced her to keep her mouth shut. She didn¡¯t want to overthink anymore.

    Soon, the giant stone spider was no more. It faded out of existence after Storm Rider siphoned each drop of energy left.

    When she was done, Storm Rider inhaled a large chunk of fresh cold air then let out a satisfied sigh.

    ¡°The Earth Lords were purely heavenly beings and maintained that purity even when the gods cursed them. In fact, all of the Earth Lords here were created by this mountain to protect itself from the curse. Each one is a piece of its subconsciousness that was affected by the curse.¡±

    ¡°The Mountain?¡± Luna¡¯s eyebrows knotted.

    Storm Rider nodded and pointed at one of the snow-capped peaks.

    ¡°These mountains are actually the surface of a very ancient and powerful Earth Lord who is currently in slumber.¡±

 Choice

    Luna¡¯s eyes quickly turned to the ground and peered into its being to see exactly what Storm Rider was talking about. She paled immediately when she felt four bright spheres of pure energy brimming inside its body.

    These notes of energy were three essence cores and a single bright life core that shone in the depths of its bright soul. This¡­this creature showed no signs of corruption. All of its essence moved like a calm river to indicate it wasn¡¯t a cursed creature.

    Cursed creatures were mad so their energy was often wild with the amethyst color of ether slowly eating them up from the inside.

    ¡°Oh my gods!¡± Luna mustered out a few words and lifted her head to face Storm Rider.

    ¡°I know, right? This being is somehow immune to the curse of madness and corruption bestowed on all creatures of the divine realm after the conflict. But don¡¯t worry, the Earth Lord may never wake up because of the conditions of this level. Maybe it''s the hibernation keeping it from becoming a cursed creature.¡±

    Storm Rider added. She then approached Luna--bent a little, and placed her hand on the young woman¡¯s shoulder.

    Luna gave the Fire Keeper a confused look right before she felt a familiar warmness find its way into her body. This time, it was the divine flame''s healing property. She trembled from the feeling of having every internal wound she had received close thanks healing qualities of the divine flame.

    In less than five seconds, Luna was back to feeling like her normal self.

    Without saying a word, Storm Rider moved on to Darkness who was currently lying on her back. She was the one with the worst wounds amongst them and most of them were internal.

    Affecting the world to a degree like that as a non-sorcerer meant that one had to pay a greater price since she was opposing the world. Darkness had obviously pushed her second gate to its limits and could¡¯ve shattered it if they hadn''t gotten here any sooner.

    For ascenders, shattering a gate was probably the worst possible thing that could happen to them. If one shattered a gate, he or she would lose their ability to ascend¡ªthat''s if they endured the pain and the possible chance of death.

    Shattering a gate meant cutting yourself off from the source, leaving you with your previous gates and the powers that came with them. For example, if Darkness had shattered her second gate, she would lose her connection to the realm of the Void. And with it, her ability to summon and never regain it.

    However, this case was rare because Ascenders who shattered their gates often died from the pain that came after having a piece of their soul destroyed.

    After Storm Rider healed her with her flame, Darkness stayed unconscious. She was showing stable activity so there was no need to fear the worst.

    It''s not like she was screaming in agony before Storm healed her.

    ***

    After patching up everyone, Storm Rider and Lena decided to get some rest after a big fight like that one. Plus, Darkness and Lena were not in the best shape after exhausting themselves.

    Luckily, they found a small cave and set up camp near the field of stones. The weather had returned to its harsh state once Lena decided to rest.

    Now that the snowstorm had returned, Storm Rider and Luna decided to use this opportunity to go do some hunting. They were almost out of food rations and what remained was not enough to support Darkness''s incredible appetite.

    Luna did the hunting while Storm searched for some plants she could use for spicing their meals. She understood this place the best and knew what alternatives to use to make the monster meat at the very least¡­tasteful enough. Plus, some meat smelled horrible and made it impossible to eat so herbs were needed in such situations.

    After searching for ten minutes, Luna managed to find a pack of five white-furred wolves. She engaged them and managed to kill two of the large wolves, leaving three alive because she was too tired to go on.

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    She dragged both of the dead wolves back to the cave.

    ¡°Woow! Guess we¡¯re eating like kings today.¡± Storm Rider was shocked to see two wolves being dragged into the small cave by a young girl.

    Luna released the dead wolves and dropped to the ground, feeling exhausted. Today, she had climbed up a mountain and battled gravity, and a giant stone spider.

    By the way, she almost died during the last one.

    ¡°I looked for the best meat.¡±

    ¡°Snow Wolves are powerful cursed beasts. I¡¯m impressed you managed to kill them. They usually move in packs with an alpha who¡¯s a Cursed General.¡± Storm walked up to one of the dead wolves and ran her hand through its fur. A golden knife appeared in her other hand and she immediately started carving through its skin.

    Squelch!

    Black blood oozed out of its body when she made a line through it. Like a true hunter, she first removed the skin fur and then moved to its flesh. She started cutting out chunks of meat and placed them on a black stone plate she had created earlier.

    ¡®How will I return to civilization after getting used to eating my enemies.¡¯ Luna watched Storm Rider work her magic. Her mouth was already watering from just seeing all the meat.

    Her face flashed red when her stomach growled right.

    When she heard the unpleasant sound, Storm chuckled. ¡°Lunaris, have you ever seen a polar bear?¡±

    ¡°No. Though I have seen pictures of them. I heard they¡¯re like white bears that live in the snow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are.¡±

    ¡°What about Penguins?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a type of bird that can¡¯t fly. It''s complicated to explain. But know that penguins were locals in parts like this place back in the mortal realm.¡± Storm Rider stopped cutting the meat. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to see a penguin and a polar bear. And a sea lion, I used to think they had manes since they had ''lion'' in their name.¡±

    Luna laughed nervously. ¡°What¡¯s a sea lion? I have seen a magical lion. But¡­what¡¯s a sea lion.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember what they look like.¡± Storm shrugged. ¡°I forgot a lot of things, unfortunately.¡±

    ¡®Of course you did. Being immortal doesn¡¯t strengthen your memory.¡¯

    ¡°But I do remember how the mortal realm feels like. The tender earth ground, the green pastures, blue clouded skies, starry nights, and clean air. Even the four seasons.¡±

    She smiled to herself. It was a small, sad smile.

    Luna was quiet the entire time. It was hard to believe that this powerful 600-year-old woman was human just like her. She was a prisoner from a time that was long erased from history. The creatures she wanted to see had probably gone extinct by now. The green pastures weren¡¯t so many on the current earth, the sky often lacked stars. The world had changed so much since she last saw it.

    Humans have exploited most resources in the name of growth. Cities had fallen, and many animals had been hunted to extinction.

    Oh¡­and a literal calamity that changed everything happened fifty years ago!

    ¡®I could tell her to tame her expectations. But I think she knows that already.¡¯

    ¡°Lunaris.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡± she snapped back to reality.

    ¡°Do you know your role in all of this?¡±

    Luna first thought for a minute before she responded. ¡°Not really. I came here to find answers, a purpose maybe?¡± She turned to her sister. She was now sleeping right next to Darkness after exhausting her energy. ¡°I wanted to prove myself to my family and her. But now it feels like I¡¯m flying too close to the sun and I¡¯m afraid that I might get burned by it.¡±

    ¡°You can just walk away from all of this, you know. Remember, until you follow me to the next floor, you have the choice.¡±

    The sincerity in her voice could be felt as she spoke.

    ¡°What happens if I walk away?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m no seer.¡± Storm Rider finished cutting down the wolf. Then washed the blood off with hot water she had made using melted snow. ¡°This isn¡¯t some chosen one tale. Fate is something we may not be able to run away from. However, we can bend it to our will. Outside of this tower, your fate is already determined¡­but here, it''s disoriented. Determined by your choice¡­.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you unless you go to the next level. And even if I did, Lunaris. You will forget, the curse will automatically activate and I will cease to exist in your mind.¡±

    When she heard that, Luna¡¯s mouth almost dropped. Quickly, she covered it with both her hands to avoid asking any more questions.

    Although, Storm Rider had just hinted at something very important. To bypass the curse, she often dropped hints knowing that Luna was smart enough to get it.

    ¡®The tower keeps me hidden from something connected to fate. Inside the tower, I have more control over everything happening to me. I have a choice!¡¯

    All of a sudden, a few things started to make sense. Oblivion said she had a choice to hint at the general nature of this tower. Even though her role wasn¡¯t clear yet.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    There was a brief silence after her response. Storm Rider returned to her cooking, giving Luna some time with her thoughts.

    Luna noticed and walked over to her sleeping sister. She crouched down and removed her cloak and covered her. Len didn¡¯t need it, of course. The heat from Storm Rider¡¯s flames was enough to push away all coldness, including hers.

    ¡®She looks so vulnerable when she¡¯s sleeping. Is this how I look when I¡¯m sleeping? Luna wondered as she brushed her fingers through her sister¡¯s silver hair. It was soft and smooth like perfect silk.

    ¡®Pretty.¡¯ She thought. ¡®No wonder the guys these days like silverheads.¡¯ She remembered the comments guys often made on live chat each time she played online.

    Len¡¯s silver hair was an effect created by Mao Feng¡¯s unique characteristics. When she had just opened her first gate, Mao Feng was a brunette like Luna. However, when she attained her second gate, the divine energy changed the color of her hair.

    This was normal among ascenders with unique Auras. Gail and Rita both had their eyes changed because of their Auras. House Ares also shared the uniqueness of sapphire blue eyes, passed down from the first member of the bloodline. And maybe Storm Rider too because her eyes looked like a pair of red flames.

    ¡°Have you decided?¡± Storm broke the silence. Her calm voice was somehow louder in this forsaken cave.

    Luna didn¡¯t respond. She remained silent and continued feeling Len¡¯s hair carefully because she didn¡¯t want to wake her.

    Before she thought of what to say next. Luna remembered the words back in the shrine. The mysterious writings warned them of their deaths if they continued any further in the tower.

    The next floor was the final floor. If they did, by any chance, make it to the final floor¡­Luna had to expect the worst.

    ¡®But we can wait for backup. This is beyond us. Damn it, I can¡¯t walk away from all this when I''ve come so far. If I knew less at the time, then it would¡¯ve been an option. But I¡¯m already too involved to consider abandoning the mortal realm.¡¯

    ¡°I guess I have a little bit of you in me, Dad.¡±

    After whispering to herself, she turned away from her sister and then faced Storm Rider. Her eerie dark eyes were now shining with a spark after an idea crossed her mind.

    The Fire Keeper was seasoning the meat with some spices before she added it to a thin black rock resembling a pan. She could¡¯ve cooked it with her hands, but she needed to keep things civilized.

    Finally, Luna replied with another question.

    ¡°How do we kill a deity?¡±

 Lunaéˆ¥æªš Decision

    ¡°How do I kill a deity?¡±

    Luna''s question hung in the air, creating a sinister type of silence as if she just tapped into a very delicate topic.

    Killing a deity wasn¡¯t impossible. Storm Rider had killed two deities in her life. One was the ruler of Neptune and the other was an arrogant fool who mistook her humanity for weakness.

    That confirmed that deities were not unkillable. They could be killed, just like humans, like anything that lives.

    They had weaknesses and were flawed by nature. This meant that the moon goddess¡¯s servant could also be killed. The Pantheon was no Everlight to begin with. Hence why Luna saw a chance of winning when a battle surfaced on the top floor.

    ¡®I need to get to the prisoner. But first, I need to find the prison his in and avoid the Pantheon guarding. However, I should not underestimate someone with three eyes. I need to find a way of killing him should a fight break out between us.¡¯

    Just then, Storm Rider scoffed.

    The flame dancing under the stone pan intensified reflecting the slight anger the Fire Keeper felt after hearing Luna¡¯s question.

    She chortled and then broke into a weak laughter that bothered Luna. She shifted her focus away from what she was cooking and her crimson eyes met with Luna¡¯s.

    They are cold and devoid of emotion. Yet, a boundless sea of power was sleeping in them.

    Then suddenly, a strong pressure that could bring down an army emerged from Storm Rider¡¯s body.

    Luna, the target of this pressure, quickly froze and fell to her knees. Her eyes widened in horror as the air started to feel thin. She started choking as if someone was strangling her.

    She reached for Storm Rider with one hand while the other held her neck as if that would change anything. The vision in her eyes started blurring once her lungs started to collapse.

    While that happened, Storm Rider¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t left her. She sighed with some disappointment. ¡°You can¡¯t withstand my true presence and you think you can kill a deity? Don¡¯t be so pathetic Lunaris.¡±

    Storm then suppressed her presence once and the young woman lying on the floor gasped. This time, the cold air rushed into her mouth all the way down to her lungs.

    She relaxed as her chest started rising and falling steadily. She coughed, choking on her saliva while trying to get back up after that murder attempt.

    This was Storm Rider¡¯s presence! How was it so suffocating?

    ¡®Shit. I completely forgot that Storm Rider is someone who already transcended the nature of humans and achieved some form of immortality. She showed me so much humanity that I forgot that bit¡­damn it!¡¯

    When she recovered, she sat on her knees and faced the Immortal Fire keeper. Her body was trembling after what just happened and her dark eyes were mirroring the desperation she felt.

    ¡°I¡­I just don¡¯t want to die. I thought there was a safer way through all this. My cowardly self thought we could wait for reinforcements and let the sorcerers handle the Pantheon. But then I wouldn¡¯t get to engage with the prisoner. You¡¯re helping because you want me to choose after learning the truth about the gods and my world. However, if I wait for the second army, I will be abandoning you, the mortal realm, and everyone I love.¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    She spoke calmly even though she was still recovering from earlier. Her eyes were now sparkling as she remembered her entire journey as she tried her best to express her true self.

    The haunting fear of losing the people she cares about pained her chest more than she thought it would. And expressing herself made her feel all these emotions even more.

    ¡°You see, before all of this, I spent two years crying about my fate. Calling the world unfair and cursing to it because I wasn¡¯t like the rest. I saw myself as a failure for two whole years until I decided to take another try at life." A gentle smile appeared on her face. "To be honest, it hasn¡¯t been all bad. I got my own apartment, my students don¡¯t see me as a talentless freak of nature. My mother picked me as the next successor despite my faults. And finally, I got to fight alongside my sister. For once, everything seems to be going well. For once!¡±

    Suddenly her eyes became wet and salty tears started flowing down her cheeks. ¡°I had the wrong idea about the outside world. Sure a few people judge me, but those are the minority.¡±

    Being open to someone who she had met only a few months ago wasn¡¯t supposed to be the way. But since when were human relationships not complicated?

    Plus, Storm Rider often felt like someone who understood whatever she was going through.

    ¡°Lord Storm Rider, you have restored the type of hope I thought I once lost a long time ago. I didn¡¯t have dreams before stepping into this dungeon. But now, I just want to enjoy the time I have with the people I love and try to save them. I¡¯m not making promises because no one is perfect. but if there is even a 0.000000001% chance that I can change things, then help me....please.¡±

    ¡®I want to do my best.¡¯

    She added while facing the ground. She couldn¡¯t endure the embarrassment that came with crying in front of someone.

    Storm Rider remained silent. She maintained a dark expression as Luna broke down in front of her. Seeing this brought back memories she thought she buried deep in the corner of her mind.

    ¡®This brat.¡¯ Storm Rider cursed internally. She hated seeing Luna like this, in her most vulnerable state. If only she knew how much she reminded her of her younger self centuries ago.

    But, no matter how much she wanted to help Lunaris, there was nothing she could do.

    Right now, the young woman had nothing but potential. Her first gate wasn¡¯t going to open anytime soon unless something changed. And even if it did succeed in the next days, she wouldn¡¯t be able to use its power well.

    ''Even her lineage isn''t enough to bypass the rules of ascension.''

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill a deity¡­¡±

    Luna remained facing the black floor with saddened eyes. She squeezed her hands into fists and clenched them.

    She felt lost.

    However, Storm Rider wasn¡¯t done talking yet. She smiled and added. ¡°But I can.¡±

    Surprised, Luna looked up and faced the Fire Keeper. She was silent for a brief while before she opened her mouth.

    ¡°I thought you can¡¯t leave this place. You said this level is your prison. Is there a way you can leave this world without dying?¡±

    Like every being in this tower, guardians were also prisoners in a way despite having more freedom. The undead king was the guardian of the first floor and had authority over every cursed creature and the undead corpses of his people under his control. it was odd but not surprising that his consciousness was still in there despite having lived for centuries at this point.

    That was his freedom as a guardian, a consciousness. He got to see his realm get taken to the tower and considered a defected part of the divine realm. And to save what was left of his people, the Undead King had no choice but to obey and watch over Oblivion as the guardian.

    At least, that''s what Luna had picked up.

    ''If the Corruption couldn''t be contained at the time, how many more places like this exist in the divine realm? Probably many considering this was just the first dungeon to ever descend on the mortal realm.''

    More were to come. Deadlier ones¡­because the divine realm was slowly coming down to consume the Mortal World.

    Soon, more gates were going to show up and more devils and cursed creatures will break through.

    ¡°Well, that would¡¯ve been the case if my second Aura didn¡¯t exist.¡± Storm Rider winked as she turned the sizzling meat.

    Luna gasped.

    ¡°My second domain is Omniscience. I can exist anywhere in this Tower at the same time.¡±

    ****

    The red desert was quiet. Its red-hot sun had just reached its peak and the whole landscape was now under the hot afternoon sun. The smell of rotten monster corpses had long disappeared and most of the creatures were hiding from its penetrating rays.

    The desert was in its normal state. Until suddenly, the world started to shift as a gateway connecting the tower to the mortal realm tore through the desert¡¯s space while it fully opened.

    The gateway looked like a very large spherical light that cackled multicolored electric waves that turned the sand to glass once they came into contact.

    There was a powerful disturbance in the air before a large dragon appeared. Its massive size cast a massive shadow on the red sand as it flew over the sandy territory.

    The Dragon was covered in jade green scales and its eyes were brimming with great intelligence as it surveyed the entry point.

    On top of the dragon was a red-haired ascender, who was currently holding onto its scales with a frightened expression.

    The large being landed on the ground with incredible force and the Ascender on it finally got a chance to catch her breath. This was the first time traveling on a dragon, a sorcerer in fact.

    ¡°There are no beasts in the vicinity. Give them the signal.¡±

    Hearing her words, the Dragon opened its maw and let out an earth-shattering roar that reached the other side of the gateway.

    The Ascender covered her ears as the dragon¡¯s roar lasted. When the dragon stropped roaring, the gateway grew bigger and four powerful figures emerged from the other end of the gateway.

    One was a silver-haired woman with icy grey eyes. She was clad in silver armor and carried a thin sword that resembled a rapier.

    The other was a dark-haired man with sinister obsidian eyes in red and gold armor. He had a cape hanging on his back, a golden crown over his head, and carried no weapon.

    His smug expression said it all.

    The other was a blue-eyed man in a normal army uniform. He wore the same bored expression he carried every day, which had become part of his personality.

    And finally, next to him, was a woman in similar clothing wearing black shades. She was almost as pale as the silver-haired woman

    The powerhouses had arrived to lead one of humanity¡¯s greatest conquests.

    And with them¡­.

    Three hundred Ascenders entered the Crimson desert.

 Omniscience

    Omniscience.¡¯

    Luna stared at Storm Rider with surprised eyes. She was both amazed and shocked after she just casually name-dropped the name of her second Aura. Omniscience meant knowing all. Did that mean that Storm Rider had infinite knowledge?

    No, not at all. This meant that Storm Rider could exist at any point in a certain reality.

    Luna frowned a little as she tried to assess the small description the Fire Keeper had shared. ¡°You can exist at many points?¡±

    ¡°To put it lightly, yes.¡± The Fire Keeper responded as she shifted her attention back to the meat.

    She hissed when she noticed some charred pieces. ¡°Crap! This one is overcooked. It won¡¯t taste as well as I wanted it to.¡±

    She flipped the meat with her hand. She didn¡¯t even react to the heat.

    Meanwhile, Luna remained seated on the floor with her eyes carefully watching the Fire Keeper like she was some golden prize that had just spawned out of nowhere.

    Earlier, she had assessed that the Fire Keeper had an aura that connected her with nature. Everything she had done until now connected her to the concept of Nature: the reanimated shark creature, the coral manipulation, the way she created the shelter, and her will over certain territories.

    To think that was all just advanced sorcery!

    This changed things because Omniscience was a term often used to describe gods. They were all-knowing. They are aware of everything that happens because they are Omniscient.

    Storm Rider was aware of everything that happened within this Tower because she was always watching them.

    She was omniscient in that way.

    Luna swallowed her saliva. ¡®A human who possesses a god-like Aura. She doesn¡¯t create clones of herself but chooses to exist at certain points. I can now see how she defeated the deities in her past.¡¯

    She managed to defeat those deities because she was almost unkillable. How do you beat someone who can exist at all points?

    ¡®The outcomes only point to loss. Her second Aura might not be so battle oriented but that''s catered for by her authority over the divine flames and her advanced sorcery.¡¯

    Luna¡¯s eyes brightened up the surroundings.

    ¡®Then I should focus more on learning sorcery as soon as I open a Soul Gate. If I do, I won¡¯t be held down by my aura if I face someone who knows about it. There¡¯s also the possibility that my Aura might not be an offensive one.¡¯

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Are you just going to stare at me like that, or are you going to help me cook? Oh, and by the way, an army is currently moving through the Desert of Rou,¡± one of her versions watching the desert noticed the large army crossing the red desert. ¡°They will probably make it to Verge in a few weeks or days and will soon wipe out the remaining creatures. They all seem to be extremely powerful, especially the man.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡± Luna asked.

    ¡°Mhmm. Strange¡­I don¡¯t know him. He¡¯s protected by Them.¡± Storm Rider responded with a complicated expression. There was a hint of anger in her voice.

    ¡°By who?¡±

    Just when Storm Rider was about to answer, the sweet aroma of the ready meat reached Len and Darkness. The two woke up at almost the same time and groaned before they noticed the aroma in the air and instincts instantly led them to the source and stars formed in their eyes.

    At that moment, none of them wanted to know where the meat was coming from. They just wanted to expel their hunger.

    Lucky for them, most of the meat was ready and Storm Rider was garnishing it with some spice to finish it up.

    ¡®Unfortunately, we''re out of stale bread.'' Luna somehow missed the strange taste of spoiled bread. ''Where did she get the wheat even? How..."

    This wasteland was composed of both ice and snow, growing anything was supposed to be impossible. But Storm Rider was a well-established user of the mystical arts so not a lot of things were impossible for her.

    ¡®She¡¯s technically a goddess.¡¯

    Luna and Storm Rider placed the meat on four stone plates. It was a lot of meat but that was all they had as a form of food.

    Len pulled her plate out of Luna¡¯s hand and started chowing down her meat like a hungry wolf.

    Darkness followed. She showed no form of hesitation as she started chewing on her meat.

    With a heavy sigh, Luna grabbed her piece of meat and bit into the meat. To her surprise, the meat was both tender and juicy as her mouth was bathed in a rain of flavor. Storm Rider was right when she said she had her way around spices. She had improvised with the weird plants she collected around to create something like this.

    This was luxury in a place like this.

    ¡°This is amazing.¡±

    ¡°How is this so flavorful?¡±

    ¡°Oh my gods¡­.who knew cursed creature meat would taste this good!¡±

    ¡°Eating my enemies is indeed the best revenge!¡±

    Darkness laughed weakly as she chewed her meat like a real animal. There was no etiquette to the way she ate. She sucked on her fingers as she savored the taste of her meat.

    Usually, Luna would¡¯ve been disgusted upon seeing this. But she was doing the same thing. The meat was too good.

    Soon, the cave was lively and even got livelier when Storm Rider told them all of the news of the army arriving.

    As it appeared, a good meal and good news seemed to affect both Len and Darkness. The two seemed to have endured a lot over the past weeks on this floor.

    Their faces brightened up because this was a sign that this hellish subjugation was coming to an end soon.

    Whether this is a good thing or not, Luna wanted to remain neutral about all of this. This Tower could only be destroyed by her. Will that be a good thing or a bad thing?

    After eating till she was satisfied, Luna left the cave to go and try cultivating since she had a lot of essence in her body and it was about time she purified it and made it her own.

    Plus, the giant Mountains which were part of an emperor-level being¡¯s body were flowing with life essence of the purest kind since this creature wasn¡¯t cursed or corrupted in the first place. She might never get an opportunity like this again. So she was going to absorb as much life essence as her body could handle.

    With pure essence, she might force the first gate open earlier than expected. The changes in her soul were now more tangible.

    Whether it was her unique inheritance or the god relic. Luna was sure something was accelerating these developments.

    She ignored the coldness and found herself a nice tall ridge growing out of the ground. Luna sat close to it and began to meditate after clearing away some snow.

    She entered a clear state of mind and started siphoning the energy around her into her body while refining the one she already had. Refining was the easy part but merging the foreign essence with her own was a lot harder than she thought.

    Her muscles tensed up and she bit onto her lips as the battle for dominance started. The essence in her body wanted to dominate. While the essence of the Earth lord resisted.

    The essence of an Actual Heavenly being was more aware than that of the creatures she fought in the forest. So its resistance wasn¡¯t fully a surprise.

    When Storm first explained all of this to her, she never mentioned that the essence of stronger creatures needed this much effort to be resisted.

    Her body trembled slightly. Then it started to feel like her own blood was on fire as the essence resisted even more. She steeled her nerves and clenched her fists. Her eyes shook under her eyelids and her body started to glow a gold hue.

    After a few more hours, Luna opened her eyes. And with them, all the noise of the world returned to her ears.

    There was a gentle glow in her eyes as all the pure essence merged with her soul.

    A satisfied smile appeared on her face. ¡®I¡¯m close. I can feel it.¡¯

 Changes

    The world grew harsher as the group traveled through the black mountains.

    They followed a specific path through the harsh territory and made it through without fighting so much. Darkness hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet. So when they encountered stronger creatures blocking the path, Lena and Storm Rider handled them.

    While all that happened, Darkness and Luna spent that time meditating.

    Ten sessions later, Luna was now capable of absorbing qi at a much faster rate. The Earth Lord¡¯s energy was still difficult to merge with of course. It left her sweating and exhausted each time she manipulated it. But at least she didn¡¯t need to refine this one because the Earth Lord wasn¡¯t cursed in the first place.

    Also, over the past few days, Luna had started to notice changes in the levels of qi in her body. For starters, her pool of essence had grown much deeper and could now take in more qi than before. Plus, thanks to the Earth Lord¡¯s energy, the energy in her body itself was now more condensed and stronger which was a huge breakthrough in her journey to ascension.

    Luna now understood the flow of qi and how best she could use it. She was also still using her breathing techniques to maintain the flow and used her mind to give it purpose. Unfortunately, without a Soul Gate, Luna was only capable of improving her physical statistics.

    With a heavy sigh, she ended her session and opened her eyes. The first person to come into sight was Darkness. The warmonger didn¡¯t look so well after walking for so long. She was sweating profusely, her chest falling and rising rapidly, and the sapphire color of her eyes was still dull.

    Even though three days had passed already, she was going through the cost of almost breaking a Gate. She was paler than usual and often heated up. The divine energy in her body was too wild and it was messing with her body.

    Outside the shelter, the sounds of battle made the mountain tremble as Len and Storm Rider fought to push back the giant beast that tried to attack the shelter. It was a cursed soldier, possessing acid properties that even melted the black stone. It was almost invincible because its body was made entirely of acid.

    Luna almost threw up when she first saw it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve changed.¡± Darkness spoke. Her voice was weak and strained and her face was bleak as she stared at the flame before them.

    ¡°So have you,¡± Luna responded.

    In the pain, the warmonger forced a laugh that turned into a pained cough. The fury in her eyes hadn¡¯t faltered. ¡°Really?¡± she coughed again. ¡°You know, of all people who could survive this hell. I never thought you too would thrive in this world.¡±

    ''Thrive isn''t the world I would use but I''ll take it.''

    Darkness narrowed her eyes. Then tried to make a fist to trust her strength. She didn¡¯t succeed but a small smile surfaced when she almost made a fist. She hadn''t come close to making one until now, "I managed to break beyond my previous level of mastery while fighting those rock bastards. I am a level 3 now¡­.can you imagine that?¡±

    ''I can see that as a possible outcome.''

    The shelter trembled after a loud boom resounded outside. The obsidian rock cracked but the line didn¡¯t spread, proving the massive creature¡¯s ability to withstand powerful attacks.

    ¡°By the way, how did you get to this world in the first place? The last thing I remember is you and Valentine heading back to the real world.¡±

    Luna shrugged and said tentatively. ¡°Well, I was transported to this floor with him. I landed in a frozen sea, dragged myself out of the water, and ran for my dear life while trying to escape the tentacles of a giant Kraken. I then found a coral building and the witch who owns it. Oh, and She helped kill the Kraken by the way¡­.she¡¯s very powerful. She has also taught me a lot, one could say she¡¯s my mentor.¡±

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    ¡°¡­¡±

    Darkness stared at her with a blank expression as she digested the summarized version of her experience.

    ¡®Oh yes. I hadn¡¯t told her of my journey.¡¯

    Luna hadn¡¯t yet told anyone that she had killed a cursed tyrant. Well, technically she did not deliver the final blow. It was a team effort and Luna was the assist.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯ve also had it rough hehe. I appeared on one of the peaks and had to fight my way down,¡± her breathing started to slow down as the pain in her chest finally reduced. Her gate was slowly returning to its original form. ¡°The monsters at the top¡­they all had crazy abilities. I never managed to kill even one of them. It was disappointing, I¡¯m still too weak for my own good.¡±

    She made a stifled laugh as she stared at the flames. Her sapphire eyes were like glowing crystals as they reflected their golden radiance.

    ¡°I need to open the fourth gate. I need to become a sorcerer.¡± Her voice was cold and determined.

    For Luna, those words carried less relevance now. There was a time when she thought there was nothing beyond the fourth gate. However, Storm Rider had changed her perspective completely. The Fire Keeper was proof that there was more to cultivation and the path of ascension.

    ¡°And then what?¡± Luna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I will try joining my House¡¯s sect at Goa Mountain and become its New Master, I heard the previous one is old and wants to retire. From there, I will hunt down whatever cursed creature I can while I try to advance to level 4 of mastery. Cultivating to that level won¡¯t be easy though.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Luna only smiled as she listened to the warmonger. The entire time they shared this conversation, Luna was curious to know what kind of creatures were strong enough to crush Darkness''s ego like this.

    ***

    The battle outside finally reached its end. The ground shook one last time before the ominous feeling of battle abandoned the world for now.

    After a long silence, Len walked in with her sword still in hand. The cuts on her body were closing themselves turning her back to her unharmed beautiful self. There was malice hidden in her cold grey eyes as she scanned the shelter as if it were unfamiliar territory.

    ¡°Gods! Using zenshi like this will destroy my second gate. A damn cursed soldier shouldn¡¯t be that strong!¡±

    She immediately lost the stoic look and slumped her shoulders. She moved and sat right next to Darkness and placed her hand on her shoulder. Then, pristine white flames moved from her hand and dissolved into Darkness.

    ¡°¡­I hope this helps.¡±

    Luna noticed the dullness in Darkness¡¯s eyes slightly disappear and the color returned to her complexion.

    ¡®She¡¯s transferring some of her zenshi. Incredible.¡¯

    Len awakened with a great pool of zenshi. Her first gate was wide and that¡¯s why she could even use her incorporeal state for lengthy periods. Now that she was at level three of mastery, that gate must have changed and her zenshi was even more purer than before. Its white color was a sign of that.

    Its purity could at least help speed up Darkness¡¯s recovery process.

    ¡°We¡¯ll soon be out of the mountains,¡± Len announced. ¡°Beyond this, we¡¯ll see the Walls around the ice kingdom. By the way, in case you didn¡¯t know, it¡¯s crawling with cursed creatures of all kinds. That¡¯s why we need to be in our top shapes.¡±

    ¡°It''s also where the others are¡­.¡± Luna added, remembering Storm Rider informing them of Snow and Gail¡¯s whereabouts.

    In fact, there was a high chance that the pair did land just outside the kingdom. They were both lucky and unlucky for this. Lucky because they didn''t have to move a lot to find the portal and unlucky because the place was crawling with powerful horrors according to Storm Rider.

    ¡®That¡¯s probably where Valentine might be.¡¯ Luna hoped in silence.

    Learning that they getting off this floor didn¡¯t bring any joy or relief to Luna. Sure, she was stronger than she was when she first stepped onto this level. Her strength was more accessible now and her overall skills had evolved. The difference between her and the woman she was before was as clear as day and night.

    She had changed a lot. Just like everyone who walked into this tower weeks ago.

    But what waited for her on the next floor left her with unease. She was still too weak compared to the likes of Lena and Darkness who were now Level 3 zenshi masters.

    ¡®Why am I not like them? Haven¡¯t I worked hard enough?¡¯ Luna felt bitter. Level 3 was something incredible. Lena and Darkness were now much stronger than most ascenders. And if they ever picked interest in things like enchanting, they wouldn¡¯t struggle to get to the top because their enchantments were going to be powerful.

    ¡®The purer the zenshi, the stronger the enchantment. Not many ascenders make it to level three. Those who make it to level three have a higher chance of cultivating up to the fourth gate.¡¯

    Luna observed her sister and Darkness. She was still feeding her ocean¡¯s worth of energy.

    She showed no sign of any struggle even after pouring so much zenshi into her comrade.

    ¡°I will head out for some air.¡±

    Luna walked out to avoid feeling like this.

    ¡°Lunaris!¡±

    As soon as she walked out Storm Rider quickly called her. She was standing outside, staring at the rocky landscape with a wistful gaze. Not so far from them, the creature¡¯s cascaras lay still on the path, frozen and lifeless after encountering Lena. Its body was transparent and Len¡¯s ice made it look like it was made of glass or a fancy ice sculpture.

    When Luna first saw it, she thought it was a jellyfish. But from her last memory, those things belonged in the water.

    ¡°My master told me a long time ago that the divine realm was once a very beautiful place. A place roaming with unique flora and fauna with unbelievable powers.¡±

    ¡°You had a master?¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m self-taught?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­yes.¡±

    Storm¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Well, I am not. All my knowledge was passed down to me by someone who was much more powerful than me. This place reminds me of her.¡±

    ¡°What happened to her?¡±

    Storm heaved out a sigh and answered. ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything about my master aside from her voice and a few things she told me. But I know she¡¯s alive because the old man found me after he met with her.¡±

    ¡®The old man?¡¯ Luna thought. ¡®What is she talking about?¡¯

    ¡°I hope the same doesn¡¯t happen to us.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t. I¡¯m not that powerful, unfortunately. I had to forget my master to maintain the Balance of things and get to where I am today.¡±

    ¡°What about the old man?¡± Luna asked. Her voice was clear since the wind wasn¡¯t so strong anymore.

    ¡°You will find out soon.¡±

    The orange light was no longer so far away. Beyond the steep rock protrusions, the tip of the tower was almost visible through the snow.

    The walls Lena mentioned earlier were like a solid curtain of white that stretched for miles horizontally. They were only able to see its tip now because the mountains themselves were raised.

    ''I will find out soon. What a typical response.''

 The Ice Wall

    After three more days of travel, the group finally crossed the mountains.

    As they approached the heart of the blizzard, Luna noticed two significant changes. First, the winds had weakened considerably. Second, the distant orange light that once seemed unreachable was now clearly visible¡ªalong with the massive tower that housed the supposed beacon.

    Soon they will be off this level and this tower.

    Storm Rider had agreed to take care of the guardian on the next floor, but that wasn¡¯t the only challenge. The Mildrith was protected by powerful divine creatures.

    Yes, Divine!

    ¡®How am I supposed to bypass actual divine creatures? And how exactly am I supposed to destroy the divine tree?¡¯

    If it siphoned energy like the tree back at the coral building, destroying it was going to be much more difficult than she initially thought. Her first guess was that the tree needed to be destroyed by powerful qi but that theory collapsed since Storm, a more powerful user of the original arts, couldn¡¯t do it.

    Her next guess was that the prisoner on the last floor held the key. He knew how to destroy the tree and the tower. However, to share that information, he needed her to be present.

    He wanted to share the truth.

    ¡®Yes, that had to be it.¡¯ A bulb went off in Luna¡¯s mind and she struck her palm with a fist in realization.

    She hadn¡¯t shared the details of the last floor with anyone yet. No one here was strong enough to go against a low-ranked deity. The gap between humans and divine beings was still too great, even against lesser divine beasts.

    Only sorcerers, with their full understanding of abilities, could put up a worthy fight against a deity. Ascenders of the second and third gates were still held back by incomplete control over their powers.

    ¡®Will they even allow me to continue to the next floor if I told them?¡¯ Luna wondered, trailing behind Lena and Darkness, who led the way with Storm Rider in the air.

    Luna scowled, lost in thought. Her mind swirled with countless speculations¡ªsome already confirmed, like the coming end of their world, the truth about ascension which she shared briefly with her sister, and the possibility that Everlight was the true orchestrator behind these events.

    Other questions remained unanswered of course. Questions like¡­

    What was the true origin of her blood?

    Who erased the truth about cultivation? Who created zenshi and why did it oppose the life essence? What led to the conflict of the divine realm?

    But most importantly¡ªwhat was the source of the curse that created the Forgotten?

    There had to be a reason why the world was unaware of people like Storm Rider, or why Yong Feng is a mystery to his own clan.

    Luna was afraid of going further, fearing the risk of getting cursed. She still didn¡¯t know what exactly triggered the hex in the first place, but she was certain it had to do with knowing too much information.

    That¡¯s what the hex did¡ªit attacked anyone who knew too much and either pulled them back into. Or banished their true name out of reality.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The forgotten one she had met on the train had given Luna their true name. They hadn¡¯t wanted her to remember it, likely to protect her from attracting unwanted attention from knowing too much.

    ¡°How frustrating,¡± she muttered under her breath, lost in thought as she walked.

    The stress was evident on her face, dark circles forming under her eyes. She had barely eaten in two days, and her appetite was lost to the weight of her thoughts.

    She halted and looked ahead. Her long hair flared in the wind as she raised her head to take in the massive sight before her.

    The bluish Ice wall stretched high from the frozen ground, towering over the landscape. It was even taller than the Great Wall of China and the tallest Fortress wall in the world¡ªappearing to nearly touch the sky.

    Beyond it stood an even more imposing structure¡ªthe Ivory Tower. It loomed like a colossal white blade piercing the heavens, an orange magical light glowing at its peak. Above the beacon, dark clouds churned, forming a vortex of raw elemental energy¡ªa swirling abyss of black and violet.

    Luna instinctively averted her gaze, her stomach twisting with unease when she felt the rogue energies.

    Storm Rider had warned her of the Vortex. It was a remnant of a mad deity¡¯s failed attempt to ascend and return to the Realms. She had almost succeeded. Almost. if Storm¡¯s Divine Flames didn¡¯t go supernova and killed the mad deity.

    ¡®This feeling¡­¡¯ Luna shuddered as dread curled around her spine. This feeling was similar to the one she felt when she saw the tower for the first time.¡®This isn¡¯t good.¡¯

    Her instincts screamed at her. Overwhelming fear clawed at her chest¡ªthe same fear she thought she had cast aside after all her previous battles.

    ¡°Luna!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    She gasped as Lena grabbed her by the shoulders.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Luna¡¯s concern was evident.

    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m alright.¡± Luna exhaled and rubbed her temples.

    ¡°Really? But you¡¯re sweating.¡± Len frowned and pressed a hand to Luna¡¯s forehead. ¡°You have a fever!¡±

    Luna batted her hand away. ¡°Haha don¡¯t be ridiculous at a time like this.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. You¡¯re heating up.¡±

    To check, Luna touched her forehead. Her eyes stretched open when she realized her sister was indeed right. Without hesitation, she scooped up handfuls of snow and pressed them to her face.

    Len shook her head and sighed. She placed her hand over Luna¡¯s chest. ¡°Let me get rid of the impurities in your body. Maybe some zenshi in your system can help.¡±

    ¡®Show off.¡¯

    Luna accepted the white flames, but then¡ª

    Tuak!

    A spark flared as an invisible force repelled Lena¡¯s energy. The flames didn¡¯t even last long before they were exorcised out of Luna¡¯s body.

    Both sisters staggered back, their eyes locked in shock.

    ¡°Heh?¡±

    ¡°Heh?¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    Luna clutched her chest and her breathing quickened. ¡°Did your zenshi just try to kill me right now!¡±

    Lena examined her hands in confusion. ¡°Did you just reject my zenshi? Wait¡­do you have divine energy now?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know! it just happened.¡±

    Luna stilled, her mind racing. The qi in her body had just resisted the zenshi Lena was trying to send into her body to help out with her fever just like how nanosuits send energy into a user¡¯s body to make them stronger.

    ¡®Wait! This means the essence has become more active and it has successfully resisted zenshi of level 3 quality

    ¡®My gods!¡¯ her jaw almost dropped when she realized this.

    A slow grin spread across her face before she burst into laughter as if she hadn''t been terrified seconds ago. ¡°Hahaha¡­.I can¡¯t believe this!¡± she collapsed into the snow, overwhelmed by exhilaration.

    Lena watched her in stunned silence. She was about to ask what just happened. But she already had an idea when she remembered her small test with the flames. Something similar took place then and now.

    ¡®It''s best to assume that Luna is following the same path as Lord Storm.'' Lena stared at a sister for a while. She bothered to sense for her life energy. However, before she could peek any further, she was blocked by an energy that made her flinch and withdraw right away.

    Her eyes widened with mad surprise. "Wow!"

    ***

    After her confusing celebration, the group pressed for a few more hours until made it to the ice wall. Once they arrived, they immediately began searching for a way inside.

    Storm Rider suggested that they climb because she couldn¡¯t burn a wall so thick. Also, her power and water didn¡¯t work well together.

    Lena tried to manipulate the structure but that only caused her a nosebleed and a heavy headache.

    ¡°We can¡¯t climb. It''s too slippery. Storm Rider can fly¡­¡± She wiped her blood away with a small cloth she tore from her tunic.

    ¡°I can¡¯t fly over this one.¡± Storm Rider admitted. ¡°It''s too close to the clouds.¡±

    Luna turned her serious gaze to the thick ice wall. She feared touching it because of the dense essence she felt coming from the structure.

    Here, it was only her and Storm that was aware that this structure was made by sorcerers.

    ¡°Our only option is the thick ice. I can make a path.¡± Darkness declared. She walked forward and analyzed the structure with a determined look. Most of herself had returned after days of meditating and boring energy from Lena. ¡°But I¡¯ll need my summon.¡±

    She then didn¡¯t wait for anyone¡¯s approval to call out her summon. She dove deep into her soul and unleashed her power all at once when she opened all three of her gates.

    Everyone else took deliberate steps back as the ground around Darkness collapsed within itself. The snow and ice melted away, revealing the earth beneath. At the same time, space started to disorient as light particles appeared and gathered at incredible speed.

    Then¡ª

    ROAAARR!

    A deadening roar tore through the landscape as Darkness¡¯s summon materialized.

    When the radiance faded, the group found themselves staring up at a massive creature. It was about the size of a small house. Its body was covered in black thick fur, and black flames crackled along its spine.

    It had a hulking build, a wide snout, and piercing dark eyes. Its fangs gleamed as it growled.

    ¡°It''s a bear!¡±

    Everyone was shocked when Storm Rider suddenly yelled. Her eyes were fuming with excitement when she saw the terrifying beast.

    ¡®She¡¯s right though. It does look like a bear.¡¯

    Darkness grinned and patted the giant bear¡¯s side. ¡°Guys, meet my wilder beast-type creature. She¡¯s a Grade 3 summon.¡±

    She rubbed its fur affectionately. ¡°Her name is Molly.¡±

 Chapter 112

    The large creature didn¡¯t seem to mind the Fire Keeper¡¯s excitement. It lowly growled as she rubbed its fur, tried to hug it, and called names like ¡°Big girl!¡±, ¡°Cutie¡±, ¡°Molly¡± and so much more.

    The Keeper''s personality had transformed to that of a child once she saw Darkness¡¯s soul beast. It was both magnificent and terrifying to look at. Its dark eyes were filled with calm malice. This was the reason why both Luna and Len kept away.

    When Storm Rider was done ogling over the beast and regained her composure, Darkness explained why they needed her summon to enter the kingdom.

    ¡°If none of you haven¡¯t noticed it yet. This isn¡¯t a normal ice wall. It''s faint¡­but I can feel its energy. If we are to go through it, we need to manipulate the structure itself. That¡¯s where my friend and I here come in.¡±

    Luna¡¯s eyes shone when her mind sparked. ¡°Mass manipulation!¡± she snapped her fingers in realization. ¡°The bear can manipulate the mass of most bodies.¡±

    ¡°Bingo! And by manipulating the structural mass on an atomic level, we won¡¯t trigger any enchantments if it has any. I can make a way through altering the structure. My second gate is still not stable but with her help, I can do it.¡±

    Luna exchanged confused looks with her sister.

    Storm Rider was staring at the wall. Her face was as calm as always.

    The two sisters sighed at the same time then nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Lena spoke first. ¡°But we need to be very careful. If anything happens as we cross I will do my best to hold it back as we retreat.¡±

    Darkness joined her hands with a clap. Then rubbed them together. "Trust me, I am very familiar with architecture."

    The large bear growled and turned away from them slowly. Its large feet left large prints in the snow as it followed Darkness to the wall. However, its body didn¡¯t cast a shadow under the faint light of its world.

    Shockingly, despite its size, the creature was about the size of a rat compared to the Ice. Darkness was even smaller--almost the size of an ant in comparison.

    When they were close enough to the wall. The beast lowered its head and she climbed atop the soul beast.

    ¡®Let¡¯s do this.¡¯ Darkness commanded it by heart. She opened her second gate and she was welcomed by a wave of pain that forced her to grit her teeth. She battled the pain by relaxing her mind. Then drew out more of her power. The zenshi in her body was still too pure and difficult to control but she getting a hang of it.

    She channeled that pure zenshi into the summon and its power instantly activated. She commanded it to move forward until it was only a few meters away from the wall.

    Darkness drew a sharp breath and shot it another mental command. The bear let out a low growl and charged straight into the ice wall with its head first.

    Boom!

    Both the earth and wall shook once the creature¡¯s head smashed into its surface.

    A second energy followed after the shockwave, sending several vibrations throw the awesome structure as though resonating with the bear¡¯s strike.

    The vibrations stopped after two minutes. Darkness then lifted her arm and put out her hand. She wore a concentrated look as she focused all the power from all her gates.

    ¡°Urgh¡­¡±

    By merging her ability with the Summon¡¯s. Darkness¡¯s power started to affect the density of the ice. Her Level of Mastery up so Darkness was more confident in her abilities to manipulate gravity.

    By focusing and visualizing the parts she wanted to affect, her gravity ability kept the wall stable while the mass manipulation weakened the ice by reducing the overall molecular density of the structure.

    This continued for a few more minutes before her eyes snapped open and a command left her mouth:

    ¡°Again!¡±

    Immediately, the bear slammed its head into the wall once again. This time, the ice cracked and shattered into smaller particles.

    When that happened, a sequence started and all the thick ice making the affected wall poured down like expensive glass and snow to create a tunnel large enough for the bear itself.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Good girl,¡± she smiled, patting its head. She studied its interior for a moment. This was by far the most thought she has ever put while using her powers. The only thing keeping the tunnel from collapsing was the reverse gravity trick she had pulled off, diverting the pressure for a few minutes.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t even know I could do such a thing.¡¯

    She turned to the group behind her. ¡°The gravitational force inside is a bit weird. You may experience some g-forces¡­.or whatever!¡±

    With that, she commanded the bear and it entered into the tower. The rest followed behind.

    Luna was hesitant about following. But after calming down, she trailed behind her sister. ¡®At least I have some interesting stories for my class when I go back.¡¯ She almost chuckled at the thought of explaining everything to her class.

    Also, on the side of good news, this was a confirmed promotion at the academy. A dungeon was a worthy high-level threat, right?

    The interior of the tunnel was something beautiful. The walls were white and the coldness in here was something that even the cloak she was wearing could fully push back.

    Lena was also shivering from the intense cold inside the tunnel.

    And if that wasn¡¯t enough, the gravitational forces keeping it stable were something Luna wasn¡¯t supposed to be walking through.

    After four minutes of walking, blood was already trickling down her nose. Her mundane body was already having trouble adjusting to the gravity.

    ¡®Ah¡­the pain of being inferior among your fellow race.¡¯ She cleaned the blood and continued moving.

    More minutes passed and Luna was already slowing down. To her, the world was spinning. She felt sick. Her breath was shallow, her heartbeat sluggish. Each step felt like sinking into quicksand. Black spots danced in her vision.

    Six minutes elapsed and Luna was finding it hard to her composure.

    Just how thick was this wall?

    Ten minutes elapsed. The end of the tunnel could be seen but it still appeared so far. It made Luna wonder if they were in some magical trap that messes with space.

    But then, after two more minutes, the group made it to the end of the tunnel. Sadly for Luna, the gravitational forces overwhelmed her and forced her into a state of absolute surrender.

    So for the rest of the journey, she was lying in Lena¡¯s arms like a princess.

    ¡°You can put me down now!¡± Her face was all red.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Lena shot her a mischievous grin and dropped her on the snow surface.

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s payback from earlier.¡±

    ¡°Rude.¡± Luna hissed. She lifted herself off the ground. Her body was quick to adjust back to the normal gravity. ¡°This is so much better.¡±

    ¡°You might be different now but it seems your body is still normal.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­Cough!.¡± Her response was cut off by a horrible cough. It was followed by the taste of blood. She ignored it and cleared her throat. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not an ascender. I have a great level of endurance. But it''s not the ¡®hit me with a metal pipe and it will bend type¡¯. It''s just better than my previous level.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Lena then turned her powerful gaze to what was left of the kingdom walled inside the ice walls.

    ¡°This place is much worse than Verge,¡± Luna remarked as she also stared at the remains of the kingdom.

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    Everything here was in ruins. The white corral buildings had been reduced to nothing. Some of them were in bits with black parts to show signs of fire while others were just scattered rubble.

    From where they stood, the kingdom looked more like a battlefield than a place that used to house thousands of people. There were no standing buildings aside from the tower and pristine white statues of five humans scattered across the small kingdom. Each statue was adorned in armor with a trident carved in the chest. And strangely, each one of them was looking up at the black hole looming over the kingdom.

    ¡®I wonder what happened to this world¡¯s people. Did they succumb to corruption too or die fighting cursed creatures?¡¯

    She noticed the frozen corpses of monsters scattered everywhere. There were also a few human corpses scattered around but each carcass now looked like a grey skeleton after being in the coldness for too long.

    She already knew that humans roamed the divine realm. However, these humans leaned more toward the divine and mystical side of things. They had magical abilities like ascenders. But when the end came, it wiped out all of them.

    ¡°Now only such places exist. Everything else about them was erased. How unfortunate. I would¡¯ve liked to learn the secrets of our worlds with their help.¡±

    Surrounded by the chaos, the Ivory Tower felt like a living thing. On top of it was the source of the light¡ªa single beautiful golden flame born from the purest life essence.

    Whenever the energies from the vortex tried to descend, they would be swallowed up by the flames. It''s like the single flame is what was holding back the black hole.

    The longer she stared at the flame, the more Luna felt a faint connection to it. One hand moved up to the runes on her forearm. She felt them itch.

    ¡®The Sun God¡¯s power.¡¯ Luna gulped.

    Darkness dismissed her summon and manifested a silver spear for herself.

    Lena called for her transparent blade. This time it didn¡¯t manifest like did before. This time, the forged weapon¡¯s energy hummed as pristine white flames grew out of her hand to create a sword that looked like pure glass with runes on the surface.

    The sword¡¯s entire presence had changed. It had evolved with its user!

    Storm Rider noticed the change on the sword. She stared at it for a while. Her gaze turned slightly familiar before she moved them away from the beautiful long sword.

    No one had seen this except Lena herself.

    The small group walked into the ruined kingdom with braced expressions. Nothing attacked them while on the way. This would¡¯ve been a good thing if Storm hadn¡¯t mentioned that this place was a red zone, meaning it was infested with cursed creatures of all kinds.

    This forced them to become even more alert as they walked through the ruins.

    The snow and rock crunched under Luna¡¯s feet. While she trailed behind, she bothered extending her senses, in hopes of locating Snow and Gail or Valentine. But nothing worked.

    They were either not in her range or something was messing with her senses because she received nothing no matter how far she tried.

    It was similar to standing in the abyss. The only difference was that she could see this time around.

    After walking for almost twenty minutes, Storm Rider halted sharply and said in an urgent tone. ¡°This place wasn¡¯t like this before. Something killed every monster I left here. There is too much death in the air. Its presence¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a shadow streaked across the sky. Darkness narrowed her eyes, her instincts screaming danger. Before she could think, she was already in motion. The ground shattered when she shot off into the sky.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    The figure in the sky stopped flying when it noticed her.

    At the same time, Darkness stopped mid-air and charged her spear with her Aura. There was a spark in her sapphire eyes as she launched the spear with a force that broke the sound barrier.

    ¡°Darkness wa¡­!¡±

    Her spiteful grin disappeared when a familiar voice hit her ears. Her eyes widened once she realized she had acted too fast.

    Luckily, the flying man stopped her spear when it was inches away from his chest. His breath trembled when he saw just how close he was to death if he hadn¡¯t stopped the weapon.

    Gail¡¯s hand was left trembling even after the spear disappeared. That¡¯s how powerful the gravity aura was.

    The woman who had just thrown the spear flew to him and stopped once she saw his face. Her sapphire eyes were a bit dull from the last time he saw them.

    ¡°For the Ares¡¯s sake Gail. Why didn¡¯t you say something?¡± Darkness yelled at him.

    ¡°I had to make sure¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you too, golden boy.¡± Darkness cut him off.

    A weak smile formed on his lips. He looked down and sighed, relieved to see everyone. ¡°You guys made it¡­I¡¯m glad.¡±

    ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all here, including Valentine. He helped us kill every cursed creature apart from one in these walls. Also, we need to leave before it notices us.¡±

    After the short reunion, Gail led everyone and Storm Rider to the shelter they had been living in for the past weeks.

    On the other hand, Luna was more relieved to hear that Valentine had also made it through the wasteland.

    She was glad they hadn¡¯t lost anyone to this floor.

 House Artemiss Plan

    Gail led Luna and the group to one of the collapsed buildings hidden in the ruined kingdom. The structure had collapsed within itself but its walls were still sturdy enough to protect everyone inside from the coldness of the outside world.

    When they first arrived, the three men combined their efforts to clear out the coral debris inside and create a roof and a space for themselves to rest. They had no sleeping bags so they just slept on the ground most of the time.

    The floor was something they had gotten used to since it was usually warm thanks to Gail''s energy ability.

    According to Gail¡¯s story, he and Snow happened to just crash land into the wall as soon as they arrived on the floor. They followed their instincts and crossed over the other side by flying over the wall. However, that was a mistake because they were attacked by creatures that killed Snow instantly. The poor guy used himself as a human shield to protect Gail from the creature¡¯s strike that sent them plummeting into a ruined kingdom crawling with monsters.

    They were taken aback even more when they discovered that Valentine was already surviving in this monster-infested territory.

    After a week of avoiding the fights and gathering strength, the group decided to hunt the cursed creatures for sustenance. Mind you there was no weak creature in these parts, all of them were above the rank of a cursed soldier and possessed an ability. But they managed to take down each one through tactical planning and utilizing Snow''s death ability.

    Everyone, including Storm Rider herself, was impressed. It''s not every day that you see a group of two ascenders and one human fight off the cursed creatures.

    Unfortunately, that¡¯s where the good news stopped. Because after they killed every cursed creature here, an even more powerful cursed creature appeared from the clouds. He described the creature as a giant bird of prey with feathers as white as snow and mad yellow eyes that could almost see everything. To make matters worse, the bird could turn invisible and control the snow.

    Those two abilities were why Gail was against flying around or staying in the air for too long. If they were out in the open for a long time, they would become easy prey for the creature.

    ***

    ¡°Strange¡­I¡¯ve never heard of a creature like that.¡± Storm Rider knitted her brows into a frown.

    ¡°Never?¡±

    Both Luna and Len turned to the Fire Keeper, surprised by her words. She was the oldest one here despite looking not a day older than Snow himself.

    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t know the Icebird existed.¡± Storm Rider repeated to make herself clear. She then shifted her gaze to Snow. He had been looking at it for some time and it was now getting uncomfortable.

    ¡°Is there something you want to say to me, death boy?¡± she hissed, her eyes glaring at him like they were swords.

    Snow nodded nervously. ¡°You¡¯re so full of life energy. It literally surrounds you. How?¡± he asked with the calmest tone he could muster at the moment. He wasn¡¯t usually the type to drift off topic but when this woman arrived with his fellow captains and Darkness. He found himself genuinely intrigued. He wasn¡¯t going to ask questions about her at first.

    But things changed when her presence messed with his own.

    Even the wraith was gone.

    Storm Rider scanned Snow for a moment and answered in a loud tone to make sure everyone heard her response.

    ¡°Because I am an immortal.¡± She no longer had reasons for hiding her true nature from these mortals because they would soon forget her once all of this ended. ¡°My life force is endless as one would expect from an immortal.¡±

    Just then, everyone, except the two sisters was struck by absolute shock.

    ¡°You¡¯re a goddess?¡±

    Storm shook her head as a response to Snow¡¯s confusion. ¡°Not really. I come from the same realm as all of you, only from a different epoch.¡±

    She stopped talking and turned her red eyes to Darkness, Valentine, and Gail. Then back to Snow who was silent and in shock. She was satisfied by their reactions.

    Snow quickly recovered and opened his mouth to speak. But, this time, a different voice and language left his tongue.

    Storm was of course slightly shocked that a mortal could use this ''language''. But she forced a weak smile and responded using the same language--starting their short exchange while everyone else remained silent and only listened. It was the only way they could share information without triggering the Hex accidentally. And because Snow already knew too much through Death, sharing what he knew with someone cursed wouldn''t have any consequences.

    Unfortunately, he couldn''t share what he knew. He could only give out clues if Death allowed it.

    Luna, on the other hand, was staring at the pair with intelligent eyes. She was trying to decipher what they were saying just like in the train. However, this time, it turned out fruitless. This was a language she was not familiar with at all.

    It didn¡¯t trigger anything nor cause any sort of deja vu, meaning no memory would surface this time around. She heaved out a defeated sigh and gave up.

    With that, she stood up and strolled up to the quiet Valentine. He was seated near a rock, staring at the pair with a serious expression. He didn¡¯t even notice Luna was next to him until she spoke.

    ¡°Any luck?¡± she asked.

    His eyelids fluttered and his serious expression collapsed. ¡°Barely. I think that''s god folk, how does he know god folk?¡±

    ''God folk is a language said to have been the language people of the divine realm used. It was the language that led to the creation of runes.'' Luna reminded herself of the small classes they held at the Sect.

    ¡°Snow¡¯s Aura is Death. I¡¯m sure he knows a lot of things about this world that he can''t tell. He knew about the undead king¡¯s life before succumbing to corruption.¡± Luna answered tiredly.

    Luna and Valentine hadn¡¯t spoken to each other since she got here. She was glad to see he wasn¡¯t dead like Lena said. Now that her mind was somehow relaxed, a lot of things were coming back to her. Especially the warning she received when she first arrived.

    ¡°How convenient for him.¡±

    ¡°You also know a lot of things, Valentine.¡± She turned to him and her cold expression returned. "Like how you knew about dangers in the frozen sea. Thank you, by the way, you gave me a head start.¡±

    Valentine scoffed with a smile that disappeared immediately. Then, he said:

    ¡°You¡¯re an observant one. I guess nothing gets past you.¡±

    ¡°Not really. I just have a habit of remembering important things. Now, cut to the chase¡­how did you know?¡±

    Valentine¡¯s dark eyes shifted away from the flames to Luna. She was giving him a very serious look that felt like a warning.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    There was a weird shift in Valentine''s eyes when he stared directly at her.

    Luna recognized this look right away. There was something different about Valentine.

    ¡°Haha, are you that curious Lunaris?¡± he asked. ¡°The humans of the old world like to say that curiosity killed the cat. Do you want to become our enemy?¡±

    ¡°I am already taking my chances with a deity,¡± Luna responded in her heart.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­fine then. Tell me Lunaris, have you ever heard of the Eternal Flame? Some cultures in the old world called it the Great Hearth sustained by the goddess Hestia. Of course that was Greek mythology, others knew her as Vesta, while in this era we refer to her as the moon goddess, heart goddess, the hunter goddess, the time goddess and so much more¡­¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­tell me something I don¡¯t know.¡± She said, ignoring everyone else in the shelter.

    Lena and Darkness were getting some rest after using so much energy. Gail was meditating while Snow and Storm Rider were having a serious conversation.

    If they kept their voice down, no one else would have to know what they were talking about.

    Valentine cleared his voice. ¡°You see, my house follows the Moon goddess Artemis because of a blessing my father acquired through a relic known as the Mark of Artemis. The Mark of Artemis was a unique God Relic said to have the lineage of a god stored in it. It also explains why my brothers and sisters are very powerful.¡± He started to explain. ¡°You see, my father inherited the Time Lineage of the moon goddess. To top it off, Lord Artemis acquired the single rare ability to travel to the divine realm on each full moon. So in other words, he''s like a miniature gateway and he can take people with him."

    "For the past ten or more years, House Artemis has been studying the divine realm in secrecy. So many people have died over the past decade, but the information gathered from the divine realm is nothing but revolutionary. We learned of the Blood Tower through murals left behind by the people of the Divine Realm.."

    Luna¡¯s calm expression didn¡¯t waver. She had questions for him of course. But as someone familiar with the dangers connecting to questions, Luna chose to stay quiet and listened.

    ¡°Are you a spy?¡±

    He shook his head and replied. ¡°I am not.¡±

    ¡°Then who are you?¡±

    ¡°Someone curious.¡±

    She moved her eyes away from him after glaring at him. Luna had hoped to read the young man¡¯s emotions. But unfortunately, he was a smart one and perfectly hid them under a mask of calm.

    ¡°Then where does the Eternal Flame come into all of this?¡± Luna withheld what she knew about the special flame meant to hold the divine realm. She perfectly feigned ignorance and curiosity, knowing very well that Valentine was a smart person.

    Valentine leaned back. His dark hair was tied back and his pale face was currently drowned in the warm orange light ahead. He almost resembled a model with his sharp features and dark eyes.

    He lingered for a few moments, then replied in a cold tone:

    ¡°My father is dead set on locating the Flame and using its power to build a settlement in the divine realm. Ever since he learned of its power, he''s been searching for a place like this. A clue connecting directly to what the gods left behind."

    Luna suddenly felt a bad premonition. She looked at Valentine and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean a settlement in the divine realm?¡±

    ¡°Lord Artemis sees no hope in humanity. As we all already know, the mortal realm is dying." He answered. ¡°It''s only a matter of time before the Black Ether spreads and turns what''s left into mindless creatures or more gates open up and more monsters walk into our world. My father gave up on the mortal realm and gave up even more when he finally found a solution. According to the research, the Eternal Flame gave birth to concepts like Fire¡­Light¡­and Destruction. It also played a part in the Creation of all the realms and the domains the gods rule over. With those facts, Lord Artemis believes that if someone acquires the flame, they would have a glimpse into the concept of..."

    ¡°Creation.¡± Luna¡¯s pupils thinned when she finished Valentine¡¯s sentence. The concept of Creation was nothing but a theory in the mortal realm. There were many concepts in the universe but the concept of creation was confirmed to be the most powerful of them all.

    ¡®Theoretically, it can''t exist among humans. But that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist.¡¯

    Valentine nodded. ¡° To find the clues leading to the flame, we have studied so much about the divine realm. That¡¯s how I knew about the frozen sea and its ruler. He was a sacred being before the curse of madness and protected the underwater kingdoms of the sea god. So when you said you were on a frozen water body, I just happened to remember the exploration files we¡¯ve been forced to read hundreds of times.¡±

    Luna listened but didn''t buy any of his explanations. She pretended to understand and moved on to the next question she had on her mind, ¡°Wait¡­how does your father intend to use this tower?"

    ¡°We are currently searching for the heart of this tower, the Midrith, also known as the last thing that was created with the concept of creation. At the heart lies a prisoner of our goddess, a prisoner so much hated by the gods that he was robbed of the mercy of death. We believe he might know where the flame is or at least have clues about it¡­¡±

    ¡®How do they know about this prisoner?¡¯ A terrifying question rang in Luna¡¯s mind. Only Storm Rider knew this tower''s purpose. If someone else knew about the prisoner, then there was someone in the world who could translate god folk or already knew about it.

    ''If they know about the prisoner, then my time has been cut even shorter. I need to meet with the diety and decide whether to destroy or leave the tower alone in the mortal realm. Gods...this is frustrating!'' She heaved out a trembling sigh as she thought.

    Both decisions were beneficial to humanity as a whole, especially the latter because the tower had proved to be a source of ancient sorcery and cultures from the divine realm. The secrets they would learn would change the course of their lives forever.

    But that would risk starting a turf war to claim the tower as a citadel. This was the first dungeon to ever appear. If this level of sorcery was replicated, the possibilities were endless.

    Pocket dimensions¡­would be accessible to mundane humans. That¡¯s if it lands in the right hands. In the wrong ones, however¡­

    Luna didn¡¯t want to think about it.

    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s what house Artemis is on. What I don¡¯t understand is why are you telling me all of this.¡± Luna asked cautiously.

    Valentine blinked. His lips then curled upwards into a mischievous smile. ¡°Because you¡¯re interesting, Lunaris,¡± he said. ¡°Did you know that there are currently only five humans with Generational Inheritance? And each one that managed to awaken acquires a powerful Aura, except you of course.¡±

    When he mentioned those final words, Luna was suddenly taken aback. Her being a generational inheritance was supposed to be one of the best-kept secrets in the world¡ªespecially in House Feng.

    Could the secret have gotten out? How many people knew of this? Was there a leak in the Clan?

    Luna''s mind was bombarded with all kinds of questions.

    ¡°How did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I can¡¯t tell you that. But please know that you are one of the five people to ever inherit such blood. The first one is Adam Ares, also known as the Titan. The second is Gail Silverman, the third is the Iron Gambit who is by the way the first person to ever display the power of the generational inheritance fifty years ago. It sucks that House Val locked her away for being a ¡®threat¡¯.¡± He made air quotations with his fingers. ¡°The fourth one is House Feng¡¯s very own Lunaris. And fifth one¡­.¡±

    He paused and scoffed to himself as if something funny had just crossed his mind. ¡°The fifth one is called The Two-Headed Sword.¡±

    Meanwhile, Luna had stopped listening when she heard Gail''s name. She now understood why the government was so secretive about his information. He was a whole generational inheritance.

    Did he even know he was one?

    Her best guess was probably no. Gail often appeared clueless about his significance. Generational Inheritances were very powerful as power holders. The AX blood trait was rare and so mysterious that no one had cracked how it was inherited in the first place. If you were from a clan and had this blood trait, the chances of you acquiring a powerful aura from your bloodline were usually very high (theoretically)

    But then what happens if you aren''t from a clan? Do you awaken a one-of-a-kind Aura?

    Adam, Darkness''s little brother awakened an Aura so powerful that he still doesn''t have full control over it. His father has a similar power. But apparently, Adam''s that and so much more.

    ¡®Also, who the hell is the Iron Gambit and the Two-Headed sword!¡¯ This was the first time Luna had heard of these two names.

    She wanted to ask what this blood actually meant. But disregarded the thought when she realized Valentine could just lie to her.

    ¡°By the way, do you think you can beat me?¡± he asked all of a sudden. ¡°I know your blood granted you superhuman strength.¡±

    "Is that common?"

    He shook his head. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure. We humans tend to think we understand all this mystical stuff. The gods died but their power still exists through relics. Humans plan to use that power to take over but devils exist. We¡¯re truly a pathetic race, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°For that, you might be right.¡± Luna sighed. Her philosophical views on the world were still on the weaker end.

    She was familiar with the general political and social views of the world. But she was a shut-in for two whole years. She never got out of the mansion to interact with normal humans and try to understand them.

    So, in simple terms, ignorance was probably her biggest enemy.

    ¡°My father is not a bad person. He understands that for survival to happen, sacrifices must be made. Not every human can live on, Lunaris.¡±

    He stared at the beautiful flames for a while. They illuminated the coral walls of this put-together shelter.

    Luna was silent. The shelter now felt like a closed space as they had this exchange. Valentine had revealed so much information to her. And with that revelation, he revealed his complicated personality.

    The Valentine she talked to in the red desert wasn¡¯t the same one she was talking to right now.

    ¡®What has changed?¡¯ Luna wondered.

    She opened her mouth but closed it again. She pursed her small lips and faced the floor. ¡°I know that saving everyone is impossible. But if we don¡¯t try to save our realm, what guarantee do you have that we¡¯ll survive the realm where these things come from.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need the Flame. With the concept of Creation, all sorcery will be revealed to mankind. All runes and their meanings. We could finally have the power to protect ourselves. We could be gods! And all that at the cost of a few mortal lives.¡±

    Slap!

    Luna stood up and sent her palm flying towards Valentine. His head only slightly moved but his mischievous smirk remained.

    ¡°A few mortal lives? Is more than a billion few to you?¡± Luna flew into a rage, ¡°Who the hell do you think you are to choose the fate of other humans? I was worried sick about you because you are mortal, just like me!¡±

    Her raised voice altered everyone in the shelter.

    Valentine stared at her with eyes as calm as the ocean. Her slap had barely caused any pain to him. He rubbed his cheek and sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lunaris, I overstepped. However, you need to stop living in this damn fantasy. This is your first subjugation and you think the world can be saved. Don¡¯t make me la¡­¡±

    Before he completed that sentence, a cold hand had already grasped him by the neck. He was carried off the ground and slammed into the coral wall like he was some doll.

    The coral wall behind shattered and collapsed right away, letting the outside world''s chilling breeze and howling noise into the shelter. The flame in the middle began to shake wildly as it fought to maintain its original shape in all this wind.

    ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t trust an Artemis. You and your twisted ideals are the true rot in the human race.¡±

    Valentine laughed even more and looked down at the owner of the hand. He could snap it right now but it was difficult to harm someone with an Ice Aura, especially in cold places.

    Len''s cold grey eyes were staring at him with pure malice.

    ¡°Twisted? Is that what you people call us?! You liars! Does she even know?¡± Valentine roared as the grip on Lena¡¯s hand tightened. Her cold hands were getting hot.

    ¡°It''s not of her concern. She¡¯s not an ascender.¡±

    ¡°Len, stop!¡±

    Len ignored her sister¡¯s demands and continued to squeeze Valentine¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Urgh¡­so what if she¡¯s not an ascender? She deserves to know about our world and the truth about Feng Zheng¡­¡±

    Crack!

    Ah!

    The armor on his neck cracked when she added more strength and Valentine started to show struggle on his face. He stopped talking as the pain got much worse.

    ¡°If you died inside this tower, no one would investigate because this is a whole new phenomenon. The son of the Mighty Krono Artemis can just die in a place like this and they can mark you as a hero, wouldn¡¯t you like that?¡±

    Len was about to snap his neck when a strong hand gripped her arm and stopped her. It was Darkness.

    ¡°Captain, you don¡¯t want to start a war between clans, do you?¡± Darkness reminded Lena of the consequences that came with killing someone of high status like Valentine.

    ¡°Tsk¡­¡± she pursed her lips in annoyance and dropped Valentine like he meant nothing.

    She shot a mean look at Luna then strolled away into the coldness without saying anything else.

    Luna, on the other hand, remained frozen after what she had witnessed. The wind had made it difficult for her to hear exactly what they were discussing.

    But from Len¡¯s reaction, Luna was smart enough to know it was something sensitive.

    Sensitive enough to mess with calm and collected older sister Luna was used to.

 The Plan

    After Lena returned from "Cooling off", Storm Rider repaired the coral wall with her sorcery. Her conversation with Snow had been cut short by the incident but that''s okay because Snow had shared with her so much information in that short exchange¡ªespecially about the mortal realm.

    Len losing her temper had caught everyone off guard. As someone trained to have better control over her emotions, it was shocking to see her break character and almost kill a Highblood. She was one step away from starting another war between clans and the possible death of thousands or millions of mortals like it did when House Night and Val were fighting for territory a few years ago.

    Since then, a neutral agreement was made to ensure that powerful forces like the Houses should never fight near settlements unless it is a subjugation.

    In other words, clans or Houses could only fight each other during subjugation.

    Anyway, to avoid something like that from ever happening Snow made the big decision and stripped away Len¡¯s title as Captain for this mission as a punishment.

    Then, he demanded everyone to focus on the current mission until further notice. They all agreed of course. And soon, the order had returned.

    The Cursed Creature was still soaring through the terrifying dark sky over the frozen terrain. It didn¡¯t fly over the Ivory Tower because of the magic hole. But flew around the tower while in search of its prey. Its horrific screeches could be heard from time to time and the sound of its large wings flapping echoed across the territory to act as a reminder of its existence whenever they thought it was gone.

    As of now, It was the only obstacle between them and the tower.

    Luna was confident in the group¡¯s ability to cross the Kingdom and make it to the Ivory Tower. However, the only two people that were capable of flying were too weak to fight off a high-end Tyrant.

    ¡®This means that the only person strong enough is¡­¡¯ her intelligent dark eyes traveled to the person with the strongest presence here.

    Storm noticed her gaze and sighed. ¡°Fine¡­I will do it.¡± Storm Rider cut the silence, her tone deep and balanced.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    ¡°I read your mind. No one here is strong enough to kill a cursed tyrant like this one. Fairly, at least. Also, the guardian on the next level might be stronger than me so I need you to all be in your best shape.¡±

    Darkness leaned back and stared at the flames. She didn¡¯t look very excited about this like she usually did when she heard fights. ¡°What kind of guardian is stronger than you?¡± she asked. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re the strongest person I¡¯ve ever met.¡±

    ¡°A Pantheon,¡± Luna replied instead of Storm Rider, ¡°a Pantheon guards the next floor. It''s a three-eyed lessor deity with unknown powers.¡±

    Lena growled and cursed. ¡°It''s a deity protecting the heart of this tower, of course. This is going to be a hard one."

    ¡°Wait--how is there an uncorrupted deity in this tower?¡± Gail suddenly asked. "Aren''t all divine beings corrupted by the madness or Ether?"

    Luna shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s simple. There is no corruption on the last floor of this tower,¡± Luna began to explain the observations she had made while in the tower. ¡°Over the past months of our journey, I made a series of unique observations; during our time in the Crimson Desert, I needed the suit¡¯s reactor active because the Black Ether readings were above average and concentrated. In other words, infection was very possible on the first floor, hence why I needed to be under a reactor¡¯s protection.

    "But when I got here, I noticed there was barely enough ether to corrupt a human. My armor has been off for weeks now and I¡¯m still here. It''s just an assumption but I think there is no Black Ether on the next floor because the black ether in the air drops at a phenomenal rate.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Luna had deducted all of this while in the coral building. She would go up to the balcony and record the Black Ether levels of this floor every time she got the chance to.

    ¡® I only did that because I was cautious and I didn¡¯t trust Storm¡¯s words at the time.¡¯

    Anyway, she was right about the ether here being too weak to affect a mortal. But that didn¡¯t mean a mortal would be safe in this world. The temperatures were dangerously low and creatures here carried Black Ether but that didn¡¯t spread into the air.

    It leaked off the bodies of these cursed creatures like the Kraken. It had infected the dark waters to a point where it was so concentrated that the reactor wouldn¡¯t save her if she was dragged any deeper by the cursed creature.

    ¡°No black ether, you say,¡± Snow cut in, sounding intrigued by Luna¡¯s theory.

    Luna nodded and replied in an even tone. ¡°I can¡¯t show you right now because my suit¡¯s on the verge of breaking apart.¡±

    The tiny reactor¡¯s remaining energy was currently being used to keep a few parts like arm bracelets, and a silver breastplate over her tunic for her protection. The enchanted cloak kept the rest of her body warm and its fabric could withstand almost everything.

    ¡°Alright. So we have an uncorrupted deity on the next floor¡­can we assume that the prisoner too isn¡¯t corrupted too?¡±

    Lena shifted her gaze to Luna.

    ¡°Yes, we have to be prepared for the worst.¡±

    ¡°What if there is a way we can avoid the fighting?¡± Valentine suddenly spoke and the shelter¡¯s atmosphere tensed. ¡°The goal is to destroy the tower. Isn¡¯t that what subjugation is? We can attack the heart and destroy it. We can split up into groups, one group fights the deity while the other goes for the heart.¡±

    ¡°And then what?¡± Snow asked the dark-haired man.

    Valentine shrugged and answered in his usual nonchalant tone. ¡°We win of course.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t win, Valentine! We free someone who was locked in this tower for a reason we don¡¯t know yet.¡± Snow stood up and continued, ¡°The next floor is the Moon goddess¡¯s domain according to our friend over there. The being in there isn¡¯t like The Undead King. He¡¯s similar to her¡­.¡±

    His eyes landed on Storm Rider who was staring at them with a somewhat devious expression. They had discussed how to bring this news down on the group. Everyone needed to know what kind of enemy they might have to go against to prepare.

    The pantheon was lesser diety but no one here was even a fraction of his strength. if they all attacked intending to kill him, they would all perish. So, they needed to proceed with absolute caution.

    ¡°This isn''t like the previous floors because the being imprisoned there is said to have committed a grave sin that even the gods were greatly against. I suggest we go to the next floor, avoid the deity guarding it, find shelter, and wait for reinforcements to arrive before doing anything rash like destroying the heart without knowing what it looks like. Storm Rider will take care of the ice bird as we make a run for the tower.¡±

    ¡°Aye Aye Captain.¡± Valentine lifted a thumb and forced a smile.

    ¡°I agree with the captain.¡± Luna jumped in. ¡°None of us is strong enough to fight against a deity. And if we could, we wouldn¡¯t walk away without casualties.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­it sucks to say this, but we should sit this one out. I¡¯ve almost lost my life to rock spiders¡­I can¡¯t be careless again,¡± said Darkness, sounding a bit ashamed about her decision.

    ¡°I also agree,¡± Gail raised his hand to remind everyone he was still with them.

    ¡°Me too, I guess. This sounds like the safest option.¡± Lena sighed heavily. She had calmed down but her mood said otherwise.

    They exchanged looks in silence. And once they were clear with each other, they faced their captain...Snow.

    He was standing next to the fire with a serious look. Aside from being the strongest mortal here, Snow was an official member of the Government army. Meaning he was more experienced than all of them combined. He was a strategist who knew how to respond to situations.

    This is why he was one of the top choices for Commanding Officers in the Hansho Division.

    Snow smiled weakly and summoned his weapon before signaling Storm Rider to move forward with the agreed-upon plan.

    Luna looked at the Fire Keeper. She was standing at the entrance, staring at them with the same wistful look in her eyes.

    She averted her eyes away from the team and stared directly at Luna while she mouthed a few words.

    ¡°From this point, you can¡¯t walk away.¡±

    Luna nodded when she understood what she meant. She had made her choice and accepted the consequences that would come with whatever she was going to do. Valentine was right, sacrifices needed to be made for the better. But in this case, she was the sacrifice not millions of people.

    ¡°I hope you all survive,¡± Storm Rider said with a voice full of vigor. ¡°You may be the most interesting humans I¡¯ve seen in a long time."

    With those words, she willed her life essence to her hand and called upon her forged weapon.

    ¡°Let me use you once again, " she said in her heart, focusing all her energy on her second Soul Gate. Her essence flowed, and the air around her right hand started to bend at will.

    Golden sparks appeared around her hand and strings of golden and red light grew from her forearm and merged in her palm. The energy cackled more as a golden lance manifested from the center of her palm.

    She stomped it down and a great pressure was released from it.

    The mortals in the room were already sweating after withstanding seconds of this great pressure.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ it''s different now.¡± Storm creased her eyebrows when she noticed the changes in her weapon. ¡°The last time I used this thing was when I was at my Third Gate.¡±

    During her era, humans were incapable of creating forged weapons since most knew only basic sorcery. The forged weapons they used in combat were usually picked up and restored after confirming their affinity.

    The Breaker of Heaven was one of those weapons her father managed to restore to its original state.

    ¡®With a name like Breaker of Heaven, I should have known that it would evolve alongside my progression. I should pass it on to someone else soon.¡¯

    With a heavy sigh, Storm Rider left the shelter and disappeared into the gathering snowstorm. It wasn¡¯t as strong but the snow always messed with her field of vision.

    She gathered all her energy and unleashed her godlike presence to let the cursed creature know of her presence.

    Immediately, the clouds above the ice kingdom were split by a blast of wind that added to the snowstorm.

    Storm Rider saw the massive shadow overhead. She almost regretted her decision. Killing a cursed creature like this¡ªwithout a summon¡ªwould be brutal.

    ¡®Maybe if I create more versions of myself¡­no, I need to save that energy for later.¡¯

    With her mind set up, Storm Rider¡¯s eyes turned pure red. The hair on her head attained a reddish¡ªgold glow when she let the power of her domain go all out. The snow blowing in her direction immediately melted and the snow she was stepping on sizzled and melted too.

    ¡°Make it out of this, Lunaris. Become our first strike at the True Celestials and their little allies."

    She said to herself before she shot off the ground like a powerful torpedo.

 Run!

    Inside the collapsed building, everyone else silently waited in anticipation as they all prepared for the run of their lives.

    The distance between them and the Ivory Tower wasn¡¯t great, but it was just enough for danger to close in fast. If they weren¡¯t quick enough, the chances of being snatched up by the giant bird were far too high.

    Lena extinguished her flame, and instantly, they were swallowed by a dim, shifting darkness.

    The group then silently slipped out of the building, their eyes locking onto the towering structure ahead. Storm Rider was nowhere to be seen. She was supposed to signal them the moment she located the Ice Bird.

    ''Come on.'' Luna¡¯s gaze darted toward the clouds, searching for any sign of her mentor. Storm was powerful¡ªalmost untouchable¡ªbut she was still human. She could bleed. She could suffer and even die. It was natural to feel worried.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The sky ruptured as a series of explosions tore through the clouds, splitting them apart like fragile silk.

    Luna¡¯s breath hitched as she caught sight of something above. Suspended in the sky, a massive floating ruin came into view¡ªits structure eerily similar to the Ivory Tower itself, only broken and scattered as if it had been ripped from another world.

    ¡°RUN!¡±

    Snow and Lena¡¯s voices jolted her back to reality.

    She turned sharply, eyes locking onto the tower ahead before pushing herself forward. Her boots sank into the snow with every step, but her weight made it easy to plow through. She wasn¡¯t slowing down.

    She risked glancing over her shoulder as they ran and saw something incredible. The clouds had thickened again, swirling around the ongoing battle. The Ice Bird clashed with Storm Rider at the base, sending powerful shockwaves through the world. However, despite the intensity of their battle, Storm hadn¡¯t summoned her armor yet¡ªa clear sign that, in her eyes, this enemy wasn¡¯t worth the effort.

    From this distance, the Fire Keeper was a radiant force. A golden glow coated her skin like a divine mantle, and her long hair floated upward as if pulled by unseen strings. She looked like what you would imagine a god to look like.

    Explosions shook the heavens, each blast followed by the Ice Bird¡¯s furious screeches. It was fully immersed in the fight, its power clashing against the Fire Keeper¡¯s in a spectacle of raw might.

    Flames and lightning carved through the sky extinguishing the twilight for brief moments.

    At the same time, the Ice Bird exerted its dominance, unleashing a storm of bitter cold. The winds howled, their strength rising, turning the kingdom beneath into a much worse wasteland.

    Fortunately, Darkness shielded them from being blown away by placing them in her gravity field, while Lena struggled to hold back the chilling winds. Even with her power boost, resisting the force of a Cursed Tyrant was no small feat--because she was still on her Second Gate.

    BOOMMMM!

    Another explosion shattered the air.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Luna barely had time to react before one of the fighters came plummeting down like a meteor, crashing into the kingdom below and sending a powerful tremor through the earth.

    ¡°Everyone, run past me!¡±

    Gail noticed and skidded to a halt. He hovered off the ground and let the others run past him as he raised a shimmering energy wall to block the blast. The barrier absorbed the brunt of the shockwave, shielding the group from the devastating impact that followed. But it immediately started cracking as he held it back.

    ¡®Crap Crap crap¡­.¡¯

    Luna cursed under her breath, forcing more strength into her legs as she sprinted forward. A quick glance over her shoulder sent a jolt of fear through her veins¡ªa roiling cloud of darkness was closing in fast.

    But then, the shadows were torn apart with a single, powerful gust. Two majestic silver wings flared wide, parting the gloom like a blade through the mist. From within the dissipating shroud, a monstrous head emerged.

    SCREEEE!!

    Its sleek ivory beak opened, and a piercing scream ripped through the air, rattling Luna¡¯s bones.

    In reaction to the scream, Luna covered both ears with her palm. But she cried out instead when she realized this wasn¡¯t a normal monster scream.

    Gail was the second to cry out before falling out of the sky and crashing in the snow. His energy barrier collapsed right away as he put his hands over his ears.

    Valentine halted too and cried from the pain he felt right now. Blood was already flowing out of both his ears and his bloodshot eyes as the Monster¡¯s cry continued.

    Luna found herself falling to her knees, trying to resist the high-pitched scream. This pain¡­this pain was something she had never felt before. Her entire body was burning as if someone had pierced hot needles into every nerve. The worst pain, however, was coming from her brain. If this kept on going on much longer, Luna would find herself trying to crack her skull open.

    She looked up at Lena and Snow. The pair had also stopped, but they were putting up a much greater fight while wearing tough looks.

    ¡°D¡­Darkness!¡±

    Snow let out a roar, signaling the ascender to act.

    The sapphire-eyed woman gathered her strength and manifested a silver spear in her right hand. With her might in hand, Darkness launched it with all the strength she had in her body. The sound barrier was broken after that throw and the wind split to give way.

    The spear struck the Ice Bird¡¯s wing, enhanced by gravity. And it burrowed deep, sending the massive creature thrashing through the frozen terrain.

    As soon as its screaming stopped, another figure emerged from the clouds, descending at an incredible speed.

    Storm Rider was holding a golden burning lance.

    Luna locked her eyes with her sister and quickly gathered her thoughts. The sound attack had stopped¡­but its effects were not done. She was still too dizzy to move. She was about to say something when she was hit by an intense pain in the chest. Her fingers dug into the snow as she endured with tears flowing down her pale face.

    Then, she retched and she vomited a pool of blood after her body gave up on enduring. The Qi in her body hadn¡¯t helped to stop this. But it had done its best to reduce the effects of an attack like that.

    ¡°Lu¡­¡±

    Luna put her hand up to stop her sister and coughed out some more blood. She was paler now after losing so much blood.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­I¡¯m fine. The primary goal is to leave this place. I can still run¡­¡±

    ¡®Gods. I need a vacation after this¡­¡¯

    With a deep, painful groan, Luna was back on her feet once again. Soon, she was running again despite the pain.

    Valentine and Gail were also running. Though they were much slower now because of the grave internal injuries they had just experienced.

    The world kept on roaring as the fighters behind them moved their battle to the ground. Debris flew and landed nearby, but the group didn¡¯t stop running for their lives.

    Luna was praying she made it to the tower alive because...bit by bit, she felt like she was dragging her body instead of running. Her mortal limitations were here to remind her of her weaknesses.

    Finally, after an eternity of running, the ivory tower was just a few meters away. But then, as they were still running, a sudden, sharp pain lanced through her chest. Luna staggered, gasping, her vision blurring. This pain¡­ she knew it. But how? She hadn''t even used any essence yet.

    Nevertheless, she continued running till they made it to the white stairs leading to the grand doors of the ivory tower.

    Snow and Lena quickly opened them with their zenshi.

    Once they were sure everyone had made it through, the pair closed the doors with more zenshi and sealed them immediately. The magnificent structure continued to tremble as the battle outside got more intense. The shockwaves alone made the entire kingdom of ice tremble.

    Luna dropped to her knees, gasping for breath, her mind momentarily blank from exhaustion. Once felt stable enough, she summoned the Sun Ember and gripped its hilt as if her life depended on it.

    She received the same shocked impressions from Snow, Gail, and Valentine.

    ¡°Did you?¡±

    Luna knew exactly what he meant. She answered in a very tired tone, ¡°Not really, cousin. This is simply a gift forced onto me.¡±

    Snow raised his left eyebrow and shook his head--deciding not to ask further questions. There were bigger things to worry about at the moment.

    ¡°Wait¡­how are you summoning that without zenshi?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the time for questions, Gail,¡± Darkness cut in right before Luna opened her mouth.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Gail muttered, clearly disappointed but not pressing further. His eyes lingered on the blade for a moment before he summoned his bow and followed Snow to the teleportation circle.

    They had no time to waste as they needed to go to the next floor before the battle outside reached them. When there, they could hide and wait for reinforcements as agreed upon.

    ¡°This is gonna be a drag.¡± Luna sighed when she felt the pain the backlash caused slowly subside. Surprisingly, the pain from the bird''s attack had also reduced to a point where it felt like it wasn''t there at all.

    When she noticed this, Luna realized why she experienced the instant backlash.

    She had used it up when she unknowingly healed herself.

 To the final floor

    Gail stared intently at the writings and runes sprawled across the floor, his expression tightening with concentration as he studied each marking. The symbols were intricate, and carved with purpose, yet time had eroded their clarity.

    Crouching down, he ran his fingers over the worn etchings, tracing their patterns in an attempt to find any resemblance to the runes of the mortal realm. But these weren¡¯t magical sigils¡ªno enchantments hummed beneath his touch. They were words. A message was left behind.

    Muttering under his breath, he pieced together what little he could decipher:

    "Lord of water¡­ no, seas. I¡¯ve come once again as I am descending¡­ madness. Forgive me, my humble master¡­ for I committed the greatest sin¡­"

    Beyond that, the rest was indecipherable. The runes, though deliberate, had deteriorated into jagged scratches, their meaning lost to time. Yet he was certain¡ªthis was an ancient tongue, far older than any he had encountered before.

    Maybe if Rita were here, translating these runes would''ve been much easier. Compared to her, Gail was nothing but an amateur.

    ¡°What sin?¡± Valentine asked, intrigued.

    ¡°I am not sure. The rest of the writings are unclear.¡± Gail answered as he moved to the next part of the magic circle.

    In all his years as an enchanter¡ªwhich were not many¡ªGail had never thought he would ever get to see magical mechanisms this complex and ancient. He found everything fascinating.

    Especially the spatial magic that transformed the blood tower into a dungeon.

    This infamous sort of sorcery could finally create a bridge between the Human Realm and the Divine Realm. If they learned any of this, humanity could travel beyond and put an end to this ongoing apocalypse.

    He stepped into the center of the room and looked up. The beacon''s light, glowing from the tower¡¯s peak, bathed the interior in a soft, ethereal radiance, casting long, shifting shadows. The illumination gave the space an almost angelic feel as if it existed between the heavens and the earth.

    Tall white pillars stretched toward the ceiling, their smooth surfaces reflecting the beacon¡¯s glow. Unlike the siege tower on the previous floor, this Tower had no staircase leading upward¡ªonly an empty expanse, as if daring those who entered to find another way forward.

    While he was in here, Gail could feel his two Soul Gates trembling from just the presence of this place¡ªas if he wasn¡¯t allowed to be here.

    The others must¡¯ve felt like this too, right?

    "Calm down, Silverman. It¡¯s nothing major. Humans aren¡¯t allowed in many places anyway."

    He brushed aside his frustration and steadied himself at the center of the circle, arms outstretched. Taking a slow breath, he closed his eyes and, with a mere thought, unlocked his first gate.

    At once, streams of pale blue flames flickered to life, flowing from his body like liquid energy. The ethereal fire coiled around him before cascading into the teleportation circle below, seeping into the intricate engravings like veins filling with blood. He guided the zenshi carefully, watching, waiting¡ªsearching for any sign of reaction.

    For a moment, nothing happened.

    Then¡ª

    "Urgh¡­"

    A sudden wave of nausea slammed into him. His stomach twisted as the circle greedily devoured his zenshi, drinking in the energy like a starved beast awakening from slumber. The familiar humming of mystical energy almost made Gail shiver now that he was aware of what was on the other side.

    Whether they lived or died didn¡¯t matter to him; as long as they push humanity further then they will never be forgotten.

    His reasons for doing all of this were simply because he was told to. The government leaders thought that this was a great way for him to improve his unique Aura and figure out his limits.

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    But as time passed, Gail learned that he was still too weak to even think of limitations. Everyone in this room was much stronger than him¡­especially Lunaris. He had his guesses before. And after seeing her call for a forged weapon, Gail was sure about Lunaris¡¯s hidden power.

    His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as the realization sank in¡ªhe was too weak to activate the teleportation circle alone.

    "Everyone... I need you to channel your energy into the circle. Mine isn¡¯t enough," he called out, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

    Without hesitation, Darkness, Snow, and Lena stepped forward, weaving their zenshi into the circle. Their combined power surged into the engravings, causing the entire formation to emit a ghostly silver glow.

    But instead of opening a portal, something else happened.

    Tendrils of silver light slithered from the circle, latching onto the hands of everyone feeding it energy. Gail¡¯s breath hitched as he watched the eerie strands wrap around him.

    Then¡ªshock!

    A sharp gasp tore from his throat as the tendrils connected with his skin, sending a pulse of energy rippling through his body¡ªstraight to his soul.

    They were searching for something.

    Deep within him, his two soul gates stirred, reacting to the foreign force scanning him, probing his very essence for answers.

    And when it was done¡ª

    The Ivory Tower vanished.

    ***

    Luna watched everyone who stepped into the magic circle disappear once they were touched by the silver tendrils.

    Her expression was bleak, hiding the mountain resolve she had built up until this moment. Valentine too joined the group and accepted the energy tendrils, leaving only Len and herself behind.

    Her sister was standing in the circle but the tendrils hadn¡¯t finished doing what they were supposed to do.

    ¡°Are you coming?¡± she offered her hand to Luna. But the small girl didn¡¯t take it.

    Instead, she sighed heavily and said, ¡°I am not coming with you. There is something I need to do on that floor.¡±

    Lena instinctively pulled her hand back, her thoughts scrambling for words. She was about to speak when something made her breath hitch.

    Her eyes widened. Her hands trembled.

    Luna!

    The color had returned to her face as if she hadn¡¯t been coughing up blood just minutes ago. The realization struck like a bolt of lightning, and Lena quickly pieced it together.

    "You¡¯re so full of life¡­ Qi." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the weight behind it was immense. Then, as if the truth had finally clicked into place, her lips parted in shock. "You can use Qi. Storm Rider can use Qi too. Oh my gods¡­"

    Luna let out a weak, breathy laugh, nodding slightly. ''Finally''

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything when we return to the real world," she said, her tone firm but tired. "Please, wait for reinforcements or Storm Rider. Don¡¯t do anything reckless¡­ please.¡±

    Lena sighed, exhaling the tension in her chest. Then, she smiled. "Don¡¯t die on me." As the older sister, she was worried sick, of course. But she had also seen enough to know that Luna was much tougher than she looked.

    Luna smirked faintly, despite her exhaustion. ¡°I¡¯ve survived too much in one subjugation. Do you really think I¡¯d die now?¡±

    Lena chuckled softly. ¡°Hehe¡­ If you do, I¡¯ll have to wear the mantle of ¡®worst older sister¡¯ for the rest of my life. And we won¡¯t have that strawberry cake moment we promised.¡±

    Luna¡¯s lips curled into a weak but sincere smile.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡±

    With that, the silver tendrils completed their mysterious work, pulsing one last time before Lena¡¯s form dissolved into a cascade of shimmering sparks.

    And then¡ªsilence.

    The only sound that remained was the soft, rhythmic hum of the teleportation circle, filling the emptiness like a distant whisper.

    In all honestly, Luna was afraid of what fate had in store for her. She had unknowingly healed herself just when she was at death''s door for the second time. Gods...if it hadn''t been for the fact that she was soon awakening, Luna would be a corpse right now.

    This thought made her worry for her fate after this. How will she protect herself as the anomaly?

    Sigh.

    ¡°Bittersweet goodbyes suck, don¡¯t you think?¡± Luna asked the figure standing behind her. It had appeared seconds after Lena was taken to the next floor.

    ¡°Maybe¡­but you will see her again,¡± replied Storm Rider whose body materialized as she walked into the light.

    ¡°Will they be fine?¡±

    ¡°Yes, all your comrades are powerful¡­even the powerless one. Something about him doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He leaves everyone with that impression. Anyway, let¡¯s get on with it, have you killed the cursed tyrant?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did, what do you take me for Lunaris?¡±

    Luna almost rolled her eyes, expecting the woman to brag about her powers. But, surprisingly, she didn¡¯t. Her fight against the cursed tyrant was just for show to hide the true magnitude of her powers from Valentine because of his random change in behavior¡ªwhich changed the way everyone viewed him.

    They had come up with the lie that Storm Rider¡¯s immortality is an effect caused by her Aura. Of course, Valentine was too smart to bye that.

    But¡­

    He wasn¡¯t as blessed as Luna in terms of sensing Life Essence. He wouldn''t identify Qi as powerful as Storm Rider''s.

    ¡°Where are they?¡± she asked while staring at the teleportation circle ahead.

    ¡°They¡¯ve entered Neptune. One of the ascenders can create portals. They just needed to replicate the runes behind the teleportation circle to create their own. Haha, humans of this era are so impressive.¡±

    She was referring to the "long-awaited" reinforcements. With Mao Feng leading them, traveling to the frozen kingdom would be a breeze. These were the advantages of having a sorcerer like her around.

    Ascenders able to command elements were always recognized as one of the strongest. And at a fourth gate, that ascender had total authority over that element¡­it was their domain.

    This ice wasteland was going to listen to Mao Feng because this was her domain.

    ¡°We¡¯re hidden from the clairvoyant, for now. Let¡¯s proceed to teleport.¡±

    Storm Rider then took more steps and stopped in the center of the circle. She unleashed her essence and the circle¡¯s hue changed from silver to a golden radiance.

    ¡°The tendrils are known as Aqua Threads they were created by the god of the seas. Aqua Threads look deep into a person¡¯s soul for impurity before they move on to Artemis¡¯s Garden. If you are found with impurity be it madness or corruption, the threads burn your very being and destroy you.¡±

    ¡®Why does everything the gods make sound so horrifying?¡¯ Luna argued while she listened.

    ¡°Aqua threads? Where does the water come from?¡±

    Storm Rider lingered for a moment then shrugged and answered:

    ¡°From the Twin Rivers of The Moon. Both rivers were born from the tears of the goddess of the Moon. One is born from her pain and sorrow while the other is born from her joy. The heart of the tower grows between those rivers.¡± Storm Rider did her best to explain. ¡°The Mildrith is said to be sustained by a goddess¡¯s tears.¡±

    ¡°And the prisoner?¡±

    ¡°Oh...he was imprisoned in the silent pond far from moonlight. Before I was discovered by the guardian, he would tell me tales of the gods and what led to the cataclysmic events that followed after the death of the gods. When you meet him, show no fear. I will come find you when I''m done here."

    Luna nodded and stepped into the glowing circle. The tendrils moved out and grabbed her. She felt a pulse in her chest and strengthened the grip she already had on her Jian.

    With that, Luna closed her eyes and let the golden tendrils spread into her body and then into her soul.

 Artemiséˆ¥æªš Garden

    Luna jolted awake, her eyes snapping open as fragmented memories of her last moments in the Ivory Tower flickered through her mind.

    Knowing her damn luck, Luna had expected pain or broken bones. But neither of that had happened so she was glad she didn''t have to fall from the sky like she did a while back.

    Ah...A weak groan escaped her lips as she pushed herself up, her body still weak with exhaustion. Slowly, she took a good look at her surroundings.

    The first thing she noticed was the ground beneath her¡ªsoft, rich soil, unlike the cold stone she had expected. Towering trees surrounded her, their trunks stretching impossibly high, their leaves a deep crimson that seemed to drink in the darkness. She couldn¡¯t see where they ended, only that they reached far beyond her sight.

    It was night time and the sky was devoid of stars like some endless void. However, a single celestial body hung in the night, glowing with an ethereal white brilliance. Its gentle radiance bathed everything in a warm, ghostly light.

    A moon!

    But it wasn''t just any moon.

    As Luna stepped into its glow, something within her stirred. Strength flooded her limbs, her exhaustion fading like mist under the morning sun,

    ¡®The light is life essence¡­pure essence,¡¯ Her eyes shimmered with realization. The life essence she had lost during her self-recovery was returning to her to her. It was pure and powerful to a point where she didn''t even need to refine it for herself.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I healed myself. I must be close to awakening then.¡± Luna sighed heavily, trying to recall what Storm Rider explained to her when they were training. The Fire Keeper had already explained that qi tends to follow the user¡¯s desires more than commands.

    Could it be that when the ice bird unleashed its sound attack, the Qi in her body listened to her desire to survive?

    If so, the damage must¡¯ve been worse than she had imagined¡­forcing the qi in her body to do the needful.

    ¡®Life essence tends to become more responsive when you¡¯re close to the First Gate.¡¯ Luna recalled Storm Rider¡¯s teachings, her mentor¡¯s voice echoing in her mind.

    "Alright¡­ I guess I¡¯m about two steps away from awakening."

    She glanced down at her hands, flexing her fingers as energy pulsed faintly beneath her skin. A thrill ran through her¡ªthis was more than just progress. It was proof.

    Proof that she was finally drawing closer to standing alongside her mother and sister as an Ascender. Proof that she would no longer be overlooked or dismissed. That one day, she would take the mantle of leadership¡ªnot as an underdog, not as an outcast, but as someone worthy of the Feng name.

    The world around her was unnervingly still. No rustling leaves, no distant calls of creatures¡ªjust silence, thick and suffocating. It felt like time itself had frozen.

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    But Luna knew better. Time was slipping away, and hesitation was a luxury she couldn¡¯t afford. With that thought, she picked up the Sun Ember and started moving, her senses on high alert.

    Her destination was the Silent Pond. But to find it, Luna needed to first locate the Two Rivers. If she found these rivers, finding the Silent Pond wouldn¡¯t be so hard because the pond was connected to the rivers.

    Storm Rider hadn''t dropped this important detail directly, of course. But she had carefully explained the origin of the rivers first and then mentioned the Silent Pond. Her mentor often skipped out important information when she wasn''t sure if it would activate the curse or not.

    This meant that the rivers were connected to the pond which was the prison. So, to find the prison, she needed to find the rivers and the Mildrith.

    On top of that, Luna needed to stay vigilant. This world was guarded¡ªpatrolled by creatures she had no intention of facing just yet. Avoiding them for now was the smart choice. The real battle would come later.

    ''I hope they¡¯re safe.'' The thought of her companions lingered in her mind, tightening her chest. But there was nothing she could do for them now, except survive long enough to reunite.

    She moved carefully through the silent woods, her steps muffled against the soft earth. She had no clear destination, no reliable sense of direction. Because here, everything was saturated with Qi.

    It pulsed through the air, the ground, the trees, thick and unending; making it impossible to pinpoint a path forward. No matter how far Luna extended her senses, it all felt the same, like standing on an endless flat plane with no distinct markers.

    She was blind to hidden dangers. Which meant she had to rely on her instincts.

    Hand resting on her sword, Luna pressed on, scanning her surroundings for the first sign of movement¡ªor anything that didn¡¯t belong to the stillness.

    ***

    Luna walked for what felt like an eternity to her. The night didn¡¯t grow any older and there were no signs of dawn.

    ¡°I guess I should expect something like from a place built by the actual Moon Goddess.¡±

    Artemis¡¯s Garden, that¡¯s what Storm Rider called it. To Luna, this means it''s the Moon goddess¡¯s garden since she wasn¡¯t particularly a follower of Greek Mythology.

    In modern society, it was revealed that the goddess of the moon was also the goddess of Time, Hunting, Beasts, and Forests. Before the fall, mythologies and beliefs were usually scattered across the world with every culture having its version of mythology following their gods. But after the catastrophic event and learning about the death of the gods, the mythologies started to make sense and soon they would fade with time.

    Of course as a legacy, Luna still knew a lot about these mythologies from the old world because it prepared her for situations like this.

    Also, Luna noticed that this floor was covered in a forest that flourished under the moonlight, which wasn¡¯t normal for most vegetation. This was also the only level of the Blood Tower with a real moon compared to the floors before which only had suns. The first floor had night and day, the second was stuck between night and day. While here, it was darkness and light.

    ''The darkness represents the god of death and the light is the moon goddess. Maybe Everlight has never been here because she''s not represented here as the Servant of the Sun god.'' This thought crossed her mind when she noticed how untouched this floor was. It wasn''t some put together mess like the previous floors, no. This Floor was purely the product of the moon goddess and the god of darkness.

    Luna quickly shook her head and jerked her mind back to reality. ¡°Not now, Lunaris.¡± She whispered to herself. ¡°I need to find the prison before I run out of time."

    After what felt like an hour of wandering, Luna finally heard something, something other than the soft crunch of dry twigs and leaves beneath her boots.

    A sound...

    Gentle. Steady. Flowing water.

    Her heart leaped in her chest. ''It¡¯s the rivers. It has to be.''

    Hope flared within her, pushing aside the unease that had settled in her bones. She quickened her pace, excitement fueling her movements as she sprinted toward the sound.

    Without hesitation, she dismissed her sword, allowing herself to move more freely. The trees blurred past her as she ran, her breath steady, her pulse thrumming with anticipation. Then, after a few minutes of running, Luna finally saw it...

    One of the Twin Rivers.

    Tucked deep within the forest, its waters glowed faintly under the moon¡¯s light, flowing in quiet defiance of the eerie stillness around it.

    Relief washed over Luna, and for the first time since arriving in this strange place, she allowed herself to smile

    The river was moving gracefully with a gentle type of flow, its surface shimmering with a silvery luminescence that mirrored the light of the moon above. Each ripple and wave was infused with a soft, ethereal glow, casting a serene light upon the surrounding trees and underbrush.

    The water itself is crystal clear, yet it sparkled with a faint, otherworldly iridescence that hinted at the divine sorrow that gave it life.

    As it flowed, the river seemed to hum with a gentle, melodic tune, a hauntingly beautiful song that soothed the soul and whispered secrets to those who listened closely.

    The air around it was cool and fragrant, filled with the delicate scent of the night¡ªblooming silver floors that rested on its banks along with the silver bark trees bearing white leaves that illuminated under the moonlight.

    ¡°Beautiful¡­¡± she murmured. Admiring the work of a real goddess. To some point, Luna could feel the goddess¡¯s sadness that created this half of the river.

    This was Artemis¡¯s pain and sorrow.