CHAPTER 300: THE FIGURE IN THE SKY

Inside the Blood Tower, tensions rose everywhere, not just in Broken Dawn’s current floor.

The entire Tower had become a chaotic maze of guilds rushing through corridors, slaughtering blood creatures and trying to climb the ranking board before others overtook them. Every major group had something to prove, especially because Olympus had already cleared Floor 25 and secured the first major milestone.

Far away from Gabriel’s location, on Floor 19, the Adventurer Guild carved their way through another massive corridor filled with blood gargoyles.

Brunt swung his gigantic hammer again and smashed through the last of the stone-armored monsters, sending cracked pieces flying everywhere. Alice leaped forward, blades flashing as she finished off the two blood gargoyles in quick succession.

As for the vice guild leader, Scarlet, she simply slashed her sword through the air, releasing lines of silver energy that pushed back the next wave of monsters before they could even exit their alcoves.

Meanwhile, Lilly moved around the battle, casting healing spells on anyone who was injured.

Contrary to most expectations for the Adventurer Guild, even without Gabriel, they were holding their ground quite well.

"We have two routes to the next floor," Scarlet said calmly as she wiped some blood mist from her cheek. "The left passage leads to a small hunting chamber; the right passage leads to the supposed boss room of this floor."

Brunt grinned, almost excited. "Boss room. I’m sick of punching grunts."

Alice looked around the dim hall, sliding her pair of gold-rank daggers away.

With a frown on her face, she asked, "Does the monster count also multiply the higher we climb?"

Scarlet nodded lightly. "That seems to be the case."

She didn’t mention Gabriel or Broken Dawn, but everyone knew she had been watching the ranking board.

Earlier, Broken Dawn had shot through the floors and were currently just behind Olympus, the Holy Church, and Martial Palace.

That had demotivated many members at first, but they were slowly regaining their strides.

Although they were just behind Broken Dawn, she knew more guilds would soon be catching up.

If her guess was right, the reason for Broken Dawn’s jump was because they had gone through the no-break route.

Scarlet was seriously considering doing something similar, but she knew not many of her members could keep up.

’If my guess is right, before he gets to Floor 30 he would be extremely drained.’ She frowned slightly. ’However, knowing the kind of person he is, he won’t just blindly rush through the rankings like that... he must have a plan.’

"Olympus is too fast," one member complained as they advanced toward the boss room. "Floor 25 cleared already... they’re not holding back."

Scarlet didn’t reply. She simply quickened her pace.

Across the Tower, on Floor 22, another group—Martial Palace—was fighting in a narrow corridor choked with leech bats. Their front-liner Liang cut through them with clean, precise movements. The man hardly broke a sweat, each strike landing exactly where it needed to, no more and no less.

"Brother Liang, slow down!" one of his party members complained. "We can’t even keep up—"

"Then move better," Liang said flatly as he flicked blood off his blade.

Even so, he kept a careful eye on the board as well. The moment Olympus hit Floor 25, he clicked his tongue.

"Tch. They’re rushing again. Well, let them. The real competition starts at Floor 30."

At the same time, ChaosKnight Guild was... struggling. They were stuck in a hallway full of chain-wielding Blood Thralls. Their tank was getting yanked around like a toy.

"CAN SOMEONE CUT THESE CHAINS?!" the tank shouted while being pulled upside down.

"No promises!" their rogue yelled while attempting to cut one and missing entirely.

Their healer was yelling at everyone. "Stop fighting like idiots! If we die here, the forums will laugh at us forever!"

It was a mess, but in a weird way, it suited them.

IceQueen, who was watching all this, was seriously reconsidering her life choices. Only a handful of players were following orders; the rest were doing whatever they pleased.

"I shouldn’t have blindly recruited," she mumbled to herself. "I should have screened them just like Broken Dawn did."

In her haste to create the biggest and strongest player guild in Realm of Ascendency, she had rushed things, and now she was paying for it.

Meanwhile, White Flame members—minus their guild leader—were progressing slowly but steadily. Their vice leader had taken charge and was guiding the party through the Vampire Noble Quarter. They didn’t rush; instead, they methodically cleared the rooms.

"Stay focused," he said. "We already have enough eyes on us after the guild leader’s incident."

But of course, people talked.

One of the paladins asked quietly, "Vice leader... is it true? The Tower blocked Bryce Park?"

The vice leader frowned. "We’ve already said not to discuss this during combat."

"I know, but... everyone is speculating."

"Then let them," he replied calmly. "The guild leader will resolve it. For now, we climb."

But inside, even he was unsettled. The Tower rejecting a Hero Rank powerhouse made no sense, and the whispers that it was intentional only made more people nervous.

But the biggest disturbance wasn’t happening in any public corridor.

It was happening outside the Tower.

...

Outside the Tower, a red keep-off tape had been stretched in a wide circle around the entrance to control the growing crowd. Security units stood at intervals, making sure no one got too close to the swirling crimson portal.

The reporters, who had been talking over each other moments earlier, suddenly grew quiet.

The massive crowd around the Blood Tower instinctively paused—something in the air shifted, pressing down gently on their senses.

The sky above the Tower dimmed again, but slower this time, almost subtle. A lazy roll of clouds drifted across the horizon, covering half the sunlight. No lightning yet, no thunder—just a slight darkening, like dusk arriving too early.

Someone in the crowd whispered, "Uh... is the storm coming back?"

"No idea," another player muttered. "Weather’s been acting weird since the Tower dropped."

The reporters exchanged tense glances. Camera drones hovered silently, recording everything. Even the guards stationed around the perimeter stood still, hands resting lightly on their weapons, waiting.

Just as everyone was beginning to grow anxious, a figure appeared in the middle of the darkening sky.

The newcomer had golden hair and eyes of the same color, and he wielded a spear easily the size of an adult human.

He calmly swept his gaze across the crowd as if they were worthless ants before locking onto the portal leading directly into the Tower.

Suddenly, one of the reporters pointed shakily. "That... hold on— isn’t that Olympus’ guild leader... Ares Durnhold?"