Kael clicked his tongue.
"How annoying."
Boss fights truly were in a league of their own.
Still, he didn’t have time to dwell on it. The threat of the detection beam remained ever present, and he knew better than to stay in one place for too long. The executioner was adapting as well. It moved strategically, using its knowledge of the arena and the lock-on effect of the lantern to capitalize on every movement Kael made.
Its attacks changed as well.
It was no longer swinging wildly in an attempt to overwhelm him.
Every strike now carried purpose.
Every swing was intended to seal his fate.
Silen swung again.
Kael narrowly avoided it, feeling the rush of displaced air tangle through his hair as the axe passed by. He immediately kicked off the ground and leapt onto a raised section of the central platform, gaining a better vantage point over the battlefield.
From above, he could see the entire arena unfold beneath him.
Calculations flashed through his mind.
Distances.
Attack angles.
Possible escape routes.
Meanwhile, Silen adjusted its stance below. The executioner slowly brought the lantern around, its pale glow flickering ominously as it prepared another attack.
"Here we go!"
Kael launched himself from the platform.
His body became a blur as he descended.
At almost the exact same moment, Silen’s axe crashed downward.
Boom!
The stone floor exploded apart.
Chunks of rock erupted into the air.
Kael landed behind the executioner just as the strike connected with the ground.
Without hesitation, he attacked.
His sword flashed.
Echo Strike activated.
Boom!
A violent burst of force detonated against Silen’s back, sending a shockwave racing across the arena.
The executioner stumbled forward.
Only a few step.
Then it resumed attacking as if nothing had happened.
Kael almost choked.
"What the hell is this thing made of?"
The boss was absurdly tanky.
He already understood this wasn’t a challenge designed around killing the enemy, but even then his attacks should have been accomplishing more than this.
The second Echo Strike felt weaker somehow.
Not because the skill itself had weakened.
Rather, Silen simply seemed less affected by it.
Kael didn’t waste time dwelling on the issue.
He rushed forward once more.
Sword raised high.
The next few moments became a whirlwind of steel.
Strike after strike descended upon the executioner.
Cuts, slashes and stabs.
Every attack was delivered with precision.
Every movement carried the full weight of his strength and agility.
His heart thundered inside his chest.
Battle intent surged through his veins.
Then he felt it.
The familiar buildup.
Another charge of Echo Strike had been accumulated.
A grin spread across his face as he moved to attack. But this time his target wasn’t the executioner’s body.
It was the lantern floating above it.
The reasoning behind his choice was simple.
If Silen’s body was built like an indestructible fortress, then perhaps he simply needed another angle of attack.
The lantern appeared detached from the body, yet Kael could tell there was some kind of connection between them.
Maybe damaging it would affect the executioner.
Maybe it wouldn’t.
There was only one way to find out.
Besides, years of gaming had taught him one universal lesson.
The weird glowing object attached to a boss was usually important.
Of course, real life wasn’t a video game.
And tower trials certainly weren’t video games either.
But there was no harm in testing the theory.
As for why he was so obsessed with killing the boss instead of simply surviving?
The answer was obvious.
Rewards.
The tower rewarded achievement.
And Kael had a feeling that accomplishing something beyond the trial’s requirements would dramatically improve his evaluation.
Whether that was true or not remained to be seen.
But he intended to find out.
His blade struck the lantern.
Boom!
The accumulated force of Echo Strike detonated instantly.
A powerful shockwave erupted outward.
The air itself trembled.
The floor beneath them exploded apart as debris flew in every direction.
Yet when the dust settled, Kael’s expression stiffened.
The lantern remained intact.
Not even a crack.
Not even a dent.
The thing had tanked the attack as if it were nothing.
Worse.
Now he could see them clearly.
The faces inside the lantern.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
Twisted faces pressed against the glass-like surface, their mouths open in silent screams.
Then they all turned toward him.
Every single one.
And began howling.
A chill ran down Kael’s spine.
"Okay... that’s creepy."
He immediately dashed forward again.
Unfortunately, Silen wasn’t about to give him another free opportunity.
The executioner moved.
Fast.
Far faster than before.
Its headless body twisted to the side, avoiding Kael’s attack before launching a counteroffensive.
A barrage of strikes descended upon him.
Axe swings, stomps and shoulder charges.
Everything came together into a relentless assault.
Kael found himself forced backward.
Then further backward.
Until his back nearly collided with one of the chamber walls.
"Damn."
That escalated quickly.
Still, he wasn’t finished yet.
Not even close.
Drawing upon every ounce of skill he possessed, Kael dodged and parried with incredible precision. His sword flashed repeatedly as he deflected incoming attacks while searching desperately for breathing room.
His heart pounded.
His blood boiled.
And strangely enough— He loved it.
This was the first time since awakening that he had been pushed this far in combat.
The pressure.
The danger.
The excitement.
Every second made his battle instincts burn hotter.
Soon enough, he managed to wrestle back some control over the flow of combat.
His movements became sharper.
His counters became more aggressive.
The momentum slowly began shifting back toward him.
Then Silen released a guttural roar.
The entire arena trembled.
And suddenly, its aura exploded outward.
Power surged from the executioner’s body.
The monster had entered the next phase.
A crazed executioner determined to complete its task at all costs.
The lantern ignited once more.
Its pale glow intensified until it resembled a miniature sun.
Kael’s heart raced. Not from fear but excitement.
Then Silen raised its axe toward the sky.
Crack!
The ground beneath it shattered.
A moment later, the sound of rattling chains echoed throughout the chamber.
Kael blinked.
"That doesn’t look good, right?"
As if answering his question, the detection beam activated again.
This time it was different.
The glow was brighter, sharper and more dangerous.
And then the chains moved.
They shot toward him from every direction.
Kael’s eyes widened.
He immediately broke line of sight and dashed away.
Chain after chain lashed through the air.
The arena became a deadly prison.
There was no choice.
He had to keep moving.
Had to remain unpredictable.
Because if those chains captured him... Something told him he wasn’t surviving what came next.
His sword flashed repeatedly.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The chains were severed one after another.
Yet more kept coming.
Kael pushed his agility to its limits.
His body moved like a phantom through the battlefield.
Adrenaline surged through him.
He vaulted over another wave of chains before landing atop a stone ledge.
A grin spread across his face.
"Let’s see what you’ve got, Silen!"
The executioner responded immediately.
It hurled its axe.
The massive weapon tore through the air with terrifying force.
Kael twisted aside.
The axe narrowly missed him.
At the same time, he retaliated.
His sword released a powerful slash aimed directly at Silen’s chest.
The executioner ignored it completely.
Instead, it charged forward while swinging another attack.
Kael immediately abandoned his offensive and retreated.
"That’s cheating."
He clicked his tongue.
Silen could afford to tank his attacks.
Kael couldn’t afford the same luxury.
The battle wasn’t progressing.
Nothing was changing.
And if nothing changed, eventually the boss would wear him down.
Which meant it was time to change the rules.
Kael inhaled slowly.
Then activated Interference.
Immediately the world shifted.
A familiar sensation washed over him.
Reality warped.
The arena flickered.
Countless threads suddenly appeared before his eyes.
They stretched across space like an endless web each one branching into countless others.
The sight was overwhelming.
Yet Kael ignored all of it.
His focus locked onto a single target.
Silen.
The instant he designated the executioner as his target, the countless threads snapped into focus.
Every weakness.
Every possibility.
Every mistake Silen could potentially make.
They all appeared before him as shimmering strands vibrating with tension.
Kael reached forward mentally.
And chose one.
"Now."
The moment he touched the thread, reality rippled.
The pressure around him intensified.
The laws of the world bent ever so slightly.
Silen paused.
Perhaps it sensed something.
Perhaps instinct warned it.
It didn’t matter.
Things had already been set into motion.
Within milliseconds, chaos erupted.
The executioner lunged.
Its massive axe swung toward Kael.
But then, it’s footing slipped.
Just slightly.
A tiny mistake.
One so small it should have been impossible.
The friction beneath its feet shifted at the exact wrong moment.
Its stance collapsed.
Its balance faltered.
And the attack missed.
Momentum carried the executioner forward uncontrollably.
The massive body slammed directly into the stone wall.
Boom!
The impact shook the entire chamber.
Cracks spread across the wall like spiderwebs as a thunderous reverberation echoed throughout the arena.
And for the first time since the battle began Silen looked vulnerable.
--
Here are some missions for readers to accomplish.
For every 100 Golden Tickets, a bonus Chapter is rewarded.
For every 500 power stones, two bonus Chapter is rewarded.
For every super gift (magic castle, spacecraft, golden gachapon), three bonus Chapters are rewarded.
Bonus Chapter would be released within a week time.