The tenth floor… the end of the tower, or so it was supposed to be. But as I stood in that dark hall, I knew that the hardest trial had yet to begin.
The throne stood before me, pulsating with a mysterious energy, as if something was waiting for me. Then, as if the darkness itself took shape, a man completely shrouded in black appeared before me, his eyes glowing with a deep crimson hue.
"You've finally arrived."
His voice was low, yet it pierced deep into me as if he were speaking directly to my soul.
I gripped the hilt of my sword, ready. "You're the final guardian, aren't you?"
"I am not just a guardian."
He raised his hand, and the darkness around him twisted into a raging storm. I felt it press against my chest, against every muscle in my body, against my very soul.
"I am the master of this tower."
"And I am the one who will destroy you."
First Battle – The Burden of Darkness
Before I could even react, he moved.
There was no signal, no shift in energy, no warning… suddenly, he was right in front of me, his fist driving straight toward my stomach. I barely managed to raise my sword to block, but the force that struck me was immense.
"Gah!!"
I was sent flying backward, my body cutting through the air before crashing into the ground with enough force to shatter the stone beneath me.
But there was no time to rest.
Before I could even process what had happened, he was already above me, his shadows twisting around his hand, forming a black blade, which he brought down toward me.
"Hunter's Eye!"
Sensing the attack, I used Shadow Step to teleport backward, barely avoiding the strike at the last second. The ground where I had been standing split in two, as if space itself had been torn apart.
"Is this all your strength? After all your struggles, this is your level?"
I didn't respond. I was gasping for breath, trying to collect myself. Just the first strike had been enough to crack my ribs, and I could feel the heat of pain spreading through my body.
But there was no time to recover.
The guardian raised his hand, and the darkness around him began to shift like an ocean of nothingness, spiraling into the air, forming deadly blades, shadow swords that launched toward me at terrifying speed.
I focused, trying to dodge as best as I could, but their speed was terrifying.
One… two… the third pierced my shoulder.
"Ahh!!"
I dropped to my knees, blood dripping from the wound, pain searing through my nerves. But it wasn't over yet—the shadows around me started moving, wrapping around my limbs, pulling me toward the ground.
"I have seen many before you."
His voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
"They all tried, they all fought, and they all failed."
I struggled to move, but the shadows were draining my strength, slowly siphoning my energy away. My body felt heavier, as if I were sinking into the abyss itself.
For a moment, fear crept into my heart.
Was this… going to be my end?