The scythe cleaved through the air with a scream.
Raze barely dodged the blow, his body jerking sideways as the obsidian blade cut through the ground where he had just been standing. The shockwave rippled through the air, sending debris flying and cracking the floating path beneath them.
The Gatekeeper was fast—inhumanly fast. Each of its movements felt like a dance of death, precise and devastating.
"Split formation!" Raze shouted. "Don't bunch up!"
Alira flickered to the right, her steps light and calculated. Kellen moved left, drawing the Gatekeeper's attention with a burst of lightning from his spear. Juno vanished into the mist, waiting for the right moment to strike from the shadows.
Raze rushed forward, blade glowing with [Void Resonance]. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed—his spectral blade against the Gatekeeper's scythe. The impact sent a jolt through Raze's arms, but he held firm.
The Gatekeeper didn't flinch. It moved with mechanical precision, each slash of its scythe forcing Raze back. But Raze wasn't just defending—he was analyzing.
Every motion. Every angle. Every weakness.
"You won't hold me back," he muttered.
Behind him, Alira hurled a barrage of energy blades, forcing the Gatekeeper to pivot. Kellen took the opportunity and lunged, his spear plunging into the creature's side—but it passed through like smoke.
"It's phasing!" Kellen shouted. "It's not fully solid!"
"Then we need to bind it!" Alira called.
Raze clenched his jaw. His system pulsed.
> [Skill Unlocked: Shadow Bind – Temporarily anchor non-corporeal entities to physical plane]
Perfect.
He activated the skill.
Black chains erupted from his shadow, wrapping around the Gatekeeper's legs and arms. The creature roared—not in pain, but in resistance. Its wings flared with dark flame as it struggled.
"NOW!" Raze screamed.
Juno appeared behind it, twin daggers flashing. He struck the creature's exposed back, piercing its armor. The Gatekeeper shrieked, swinging wildly—but Raze was already moving, his blade charging with all his stored energy.
"Sovereign's Wrath!"
He unleashed the skill in a devastating slash that cleaved through the Gatekeeper's chest. The blow exploded with light and shadow, ripping the creature apart in a cascade of dark energy.
The Gatekeeper fell to one knee.
Then it began to laugh—a deep, echoing sound.
"You are not yet ready," it whispered. "But the veil… opens for you."
The scythe dissolved.
The path ahead ignited with golden light, leading toward a colossal black tower floating in the distance.
The Gatekeeper crumbled into dust.
> [Trial Completed: Gatekeeper Defeated]
[New Area Unlocked: The Obsidian Tower]
[Skill Acquired: Phasebreak Slash – Can strike through dimensional defense for 3 seconds]
Breathing heavily, Raze turned to his team.
They were bruised, cut, and drained—but alive.
Alira approached and wiped blood from her chin. "We've passed the first test."
Kellen chuckled, exhausted. "If that was the first test, I'm terrified of the final one."
Raze looked toward the tower, its spires reaching into the bleeding sky.
"That was just the doorman."