CHAPTER 74: INTO THE 10TH FLOOR PART IV - THE STRUGGLES

Wave 3 — Arrival

The air grew heavy, charged with an ominous pulse.

A low rumble echoed through each arena — a warning.

From shadowed rifts in the ground, new enemies emerged — Twilight Revenants: ethereal warriors cloaked in dark mist, their eyes glowing cold blue, their weapons forged from corrupted mana.

—

My Arena

The Revenants moved with unnatural speed and coordination. Their attacks were precise, cutting through the air like whispers of death.

I braced, activating Blank Protocol, the familiar hum of cosmic essence swirling around me.

I shifted stance immediately, cycling through Crimson Recast’s Precision Flame — focusing on damage-over-time, planning to outlast their relentless strikes.

They struck in unison — a flurry of blade-like shadows aimed at my limbs and core.

I dodged with razor focus, retaliating with rapid strikes ignited by Emberfang Style.

Burn stacks flickered higher with every hit.

The Revenants hissed, but pressed their assault.

They telegraphed a deadly combined strike — a spinning slash aimed to break my guard.

I countered, stepping into the blow, turning their momentum against them.

Impact.

The energy rippled through my body, but I held firm.

The Revenants faltered, but did not break.

—

Astraia’s Arena

Her breathing was heavy, but her sword moved like liquid moonlight — each strike she cast searing through the Revenants’ ethereal forms.

She activated a burst of divine light, temporarily blinding her foes.

But the Revenants adapted, phasing in and out, avoiding her most lethal blows.

Her barrier flickered, and she gritted her teeth.

—

Noel’s Arena

Noel gritted his jaw, wielding his electrified sword with precise fury.

His lightning crackled fiercely, but the Revenants were nimble.

They closed in, their spectral blades aimed at weak points in his defenses.

He parried a dozen strikes, then rolled through a cleaving blow, countering with a charged punch that sent one Revenant flying.

But there were too many.

Sweat dripped down his brow.

—

Global Broadcast — Astral Community

@RiftWatcher"Wave 3 is brutal! Twilight Revenants are no joke. Even Astraia and Noel are pushed to the brink."

@AshenChronos"Blank is holding steady, but those Revenants don’t seem intimidated at all."

@GuildMasterLia"This is the true test. Many will fall here. Few will survive."

—

I narrowed my eyes as the Twilight Revenants closed in, their forms flickering like shadows caught between worlds. Their cold blue eyes locked onto me with eerie precision, as if sensing my every move before I made it.

The first Revenant lunged, a blade of corrupted mana slicing through the air with a hiss. I barely dodged, feeling the rush of wind graze my cheek.

Without hesitation, I countered, unleashing a rapid series of Emberfang Style strikes—each blow igniting flickers of flame along their ethereal bodies, stacking the burn with ruthless efficiency.

[Burn Stack: 1]

[Burn Stack: 2]

[Burn Stack: 3]

They hissed in pain but were relentless. Another swung from the side, a swift slash aimed for my ribs. I twisted sharply, avoiding the strike, and with a fluid motion swept my leg low, knocking the attacker off balance. As it stumbled, I drove a burning palm strike to its chest.

[Burn Stack: 4]

[Burn Stack: 5]

The Revenant reeled, the corrupted mana flickering under the pressure of my flames. Yet, from the corner of my eye, two others circled, attempting a coordinated pincer attack.

I pivoted, rolling forward to close the distance, and activated Blank Protocol, a faint cosmic shimmer pulsing around me, enhancing my reflexes and strength.

I shifted into the Explosive Ember stance, focusing on burst damage.

With a roar, I unleashed a rapid flurry of strikes—each punch and palm slam carrying the weight of gathered mana. Flames erupted from my fists, the air around crackling with heat.

[Burn Stack: 6]

[Burn Stack: 7]

[Burn Stack: 8]

[Burn Stack: 9]

One Revenant tried to block, but my strike shattered its corrupted armor like brittle glass, sending shards of mana scattering.

They retaliated, their blades slicing through the air in a deadly dance. One caught my shoulder, a searing chill unlike any normal wound. I gritted my teeth, feeling the mana drain from the wound, but I refused to falter.

I spun, igniting the ground beneath my feet in a circle of flames to block their advance.

Suddenly, two Revenants lunged together, aiming a synchronized stab. I dove backward, rolling under the deadly twin strikes, and launched a blazing uppercut that caught the second attacker in the jaw.

[Burn Stack: 10]

[Burn Stack: 11]

The impact sent it flying back, its form flickering violently. Only four left.

Heart pounding, breath sharp, I readied myself.

The leader of the Revenants—a larger, more solid figure—charged with a guttural howl.

I met its charge head-on, locking forearms in a brutal clash. Its corrupted energy pulsated wildly, but my Absolute Dissonance perk softened the blow, reducing the magical strain by thirty percent.

I pushed forward with all my strength, breaking the contact, then landed a succession of flaming strikes directly onto its core.

[Burn Stack: 12]

[Burn Stack: 13]

[Burn Stack: 14]

The Revenant staggered, its mana shield flickering.

I leapt, spinning mid-air and drove my burning fist down in a crushing blow to its nape.

[Burn Stack: 15 Reached]

[Target: Defense and Healing -30%]

The corrupted entity shuddered, its form cracking like scorched glass. Flames burst forth, engulfing it as I roared, channeling every last ember and ounce of mana through my strike.

The Revenant crumpled, dissolving into smoldering ash.

I dropped to one knee, sweat and blood mixing as the mana backlash burned beneath my skin.

Still, I was alive.

And the wave wasn’t over yet.

—

Astraia’s arena was a stark contrast—bathed in ethereal light that shimmered softly like dawn breaking through storm clouds. Her posture was resolute, every movement graceful yet lethal, as if she danced on the edge of a blade.

Her Astral Patron, a radiant divine entity known as the Sword Saint of the Celestial Dawn, infused her blade with holy light. With each swing, the air crackled softly, the pure energy burning away corruption and dark mana like a cleansing flame.

Into the 10th Floor Part V - Astaia’s Divine Skill

The Twilight Revenants surged forward, their spectral forms twisting against the brilliance that surrounded her. Astraia raised her sword, calling forth a Celestial Barrage—a rapid flurry of strikes infused with divine energy, each blow releasing arcs of radiant light that sliced through multiple enemies in a single motion.

Her sword hummed with power as she twirled, slashing horizontally, cleaving two Revenants in half, their forms scattering like smoke on the wind.

But the Revenants adapted quickly. One managed a glancing blow, a shadowy slash grazing her forearm, searing her skin with corrupted mana.

Her expression tightened.

She shifted stance, invoking Sanctified Veil, a defensive aura that shimmered like translucent silk around her, absorbing the lingering mana attacks and stabilizing her energy.

Astraia dashed forward, moving fluidly between enemies, her swordplay a masterful blend of speed and precision. Each strike was punctuated by bursts of divine light, the Sword Saint’s Blessing amplifying her physical prowess and mana regeneration.

Despite her strength, fatigue crept in.

The Revenants pressed harder, weaving intricate attack patterns designed to overwhelm.

She parried a spinning slash, countered with a piercing thrust, and then vaulted backward to create distance.

Her breathing quickened, but she remained focused.

The celestial energy surrounding her flared brightly as she prepared to unleash her ultimate technique — Radiant Crescendo — a sweeping arc of pure light capable of decimating anything caught within its path.

With a fierce battle cry, Astraia surged forward, sword tracing a blazing arc that tore through the Revenants, scattering them with divine fury.

Yet, even after the onslaught, a few Revenants staggered, their corrupted wills unbroken.

She steadied herself, sweat beading on her brow, and readied for the next strike.

Astraia’s breathing grew ragged as she watched the remaining Revenants regroup, shifting unnaturally across the cracked stone of her arena.

Their eyes glowed a deeper blue now—smarter, more aggressive. One of them screeched, and the others followed, charging again in synchronized formation.

Her blade trembled faintly in her grip—not from fear, but the strain of overextending.

"They’re learning too quickly. Adapting. I won’t make it to the boss if this keeps up."

She slid back a step, dodging a high slash that would’ve torn into her collarbone. Another Revenant lunged from her right—she parried, sparks of divine light exploding between their blades.

"If I use that skill, there’s no holding back. No turning back."

Her grip tightened.

"But I’m not here to fall short. I’m here to prove why I’m number one—why I deserve to fight beside him."

She pivoted, cutting down another with a quick Dawnpiercer Slash, but three more came from behind. Her cloak tore as a blade grazed her shoulder.

"Tch. That’s enough."

With a flare of holy energy, Astraia’s voice rang through her mind like a prayer and a promise.

"If I walk with the Sword Saint, then I will wield his judgment."

She planted her feet, sword lowered in front of her chest, two fingers resting along the flat of the blade. Light gathered around her form—blinding and golden, her hair lifting from the sheer force of her Patron’s blessing.

"Divine Style – Dawn Execution Form."

The Revenants hesitated. The air warped, humming as if in reverence.

Astraia’s body moved with practiced resolve, her steps gliding like flowing water. Her sword became a streak of light. She vanished in a flash—then reappeared behind the nearest enemy.

A clean slash tore through the Revenant. It froze, blade still raised—then collapsed in pieces, purified completely.

The others reacted, trying to encircle her again—but she was already in motion.

One by one, she struck with precise arcs, tracing lines of light across the battlefield. Each motion of her blade sang with celestial weight—a sentence passed, a judgment delivered.

"This ends here."

She landed in the center of the last cluster, drawing her sword back for one final move.

"Dawn’s Final Mercy."

A radiant pillar of divine light burst upward from beneath her, engulfing all remaining enemies in a vertical blast that pierced the clouds above the Labyrinth. The ground split from the force. The howls stopped.

Silence.

The Revenants were gone—disintegrated in golden ash.

Astraia staggered, lowering her sword, its edge cracked and glowing faintly.

"...I didn’t want to use that so soon," she thought, wiping blood from her cheek. "But I can’t afford to fall behind him. Not now."

She exhaled deeply, straightening her stance as the divine glow dimmed.

-

The moment Astraia’s Dawn’s Final Mercy erupted across her arena, the world watching outside the Labyrinth reacted like a tidal wave.

The system’s live broadcast was displayed across every major news outlet, Rift Hub, and even outdoor city screens. Davao’s streets slowed. Malls froze. Airport terminals echoed with gasps. The golden column of divine judgment tearing through the sky was impossible to ignore.

-

ASTRAL COMMUNITY — GLOBAL THREAD LOG

@VassalWatchOfficial

REPLAYING IN SLOW-MO

What in the actual divine hell did Astraia just do!? That was a unique skill, right? Some kind of fusion art??

[ 24,103 replies]

[108,004 likes]

@GuildSeer88

Her blade—did you see it crack after that? That wasn’t normal. She pushed it past its limit.

Blank isn’t the only monster in that arena. We’re witnessing something else now.

[12,905 replies]

@Nael_Glassblade (Guildmaster – Iron Valor)

Watching Astraia push that far... This isn’t just skill.

That’s a declaration.

To Blank.

To all of us.

[8,000+ reposts]

-

In the Skybound Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Manila, Guildmaster Renn Halvyr stood in silence beside a screen. Tall, gray-eyed, with streaks of white through his otherwise jet-black hair, he stared at the divine aftermath.

"She cracked the earth," he murmured.

Beside him, Guildmaster Tyrn Calderon—broad-shouldered and covered in scars—let out a low whistle. "You think that’s her final card?"

"No." Renn folded his arms. "But it confirms one thing."

"What?"

"She’s treating Blank not like a rival—" he glanced toward the screen showing Blank’s arena, aflame and rippling with erased mana "—but like a measure. A standard."

"Dangerous," Tyrn said.

Their third, Guildmaster Eris Velmara, the youngest of the three and a tactical genius known for her cruelty in the Labyrinth, smiled coldly. "No. That’s hopeful. Because I still think she’ll break before he does."