The golden light above the tower gleamed like a beacon, casting a hushed silence over the gathered crowd. Then, the murmurs began.
"Gold… that's the eighth floor!"
"It's been so long… Could this be the one to finally reach the the final floor?"
Speculation spread like wildfire. Who was inside? A hidden powerhouse? The idea that the tower might finally be conquered sent a wave of excitement through the spectators.
The atmosphere shifted again when six figures in gleaming armor stood in the air above the yard. The Elf Guard. Their very presence commanded respect. Each one was a saint-level warrior, an elite among elites. To join their ranks was an impossible feat for most, requiring talent, unwavering loyalty, and years of dedication.
The people admired them with awe, but their attention soon turned to what followed a floating luxurious cart moving above the tower yard, its presence overwhelming. Whispers filled the air.
"The Elf Guard only escorts royalty…"
"Is it the king himself?"
"Maybe the first prince… or the second?"
Eyes locked onto the cart, waiting, wondering.
Meanwhile, deep within the palace, the Elven King sat upon his throne, a rare smile forming as he listened to the latest report. Someone had reached the eighth floor.
"Finally," he mused. "After all these years, the Holy Cup will return."
His voice carried confidence. It didn't matter if the challenger succeeded or failed. If they failed, they would try again in a month. But if they succeeded…
He leaned forward slightly, giving his command. "Bring them to me. No matter the outcome."
-------
Axel stood in the battlefield, staring at the thousands of monsters before him. His muscles ached, his mind still sluggish from the illusion trial. He took a deep breath, exhaling in frustration.
"What the…!!?" He muttered. "Am I supposed to fight that?"
The ground trembled as a voice echoed from above.
"I am Sepheroth!" A tall, humanoid figure with blood-red wings stood atop a massive stone statue, looking down at him. His voice was filled with authority. "I advise you to bow down. Only if you can defeat my army, do you have the right to challenge me."
Axel didn't react the way the demon expected. He didn't take a battle stance. He didn't prepare his scythe. Instead, he sat down cross legged, looking completely unbothered.
Sepheroth's smirk twitched, confusion flashing in his dark eyes. "What…?"
"Bow down to you?" Axel scoffed. "Hmph, I'm tired, my body hurts, and now seeing you just gave me a headache. I'm not fighting you this time."
Murmurs spread through the monster army. Their leader had given an overwhelming display of power, and yet… this challenger wasn't reacting at all.
Sepheroth's wings stretched wide. "It's not like you have a choice."
Axel sighed and waved a hand lazily. "Is there a way we can settle this without fighting?"
Silence.
Then BOOM!
Sepheroth threw his head back and let out a thunderous laugh, his entire body trembling on top of the statue. His voice shook the battlefield, making some of his own monsters shudder in confusion.
Then, suddenly, he stopped. His face turned dead serious.
"No. There's no way."
Axel sighed again. "Alright, then. Give me a minute."
Sepheroth narrowed his eyes before smirking. Then, in an act no one expected, he sat down as well, crossing his arms.
"Fine. I'll wait."
Meanwhile, Axel in the one side of the battlefield. He reached for his Soul Guide, the familiar, worn edges of the book a small comfort in the chaos around him. His fingers brushed over the pages.
Name: Axel
Race: Human
Level: Protector
Age 18
Class: necromancer
He continued to flip through the pages, skimming over the list of his minions. some were at the guardian level but each had unique abilities that Axel would need to rely on, and Claus was half step into the protecor level and the church priests. one of them is already in the initial protecor level.
...
He murmured"Even if reach the peak of the level my minions will not advance until I breakthrough. But with those minions, it's possible to defeat this army. Even the demon might be defeated by minions without me even trying to help, even if a paladin challenges this level, the monsters will then be at guardian level and the demon at paladin level, same difficulty ".
Axel stared at the list for a moment longer, then let out a deep sigh, This battle would be a long one, but with his minions and his own abilities, he had a chance.
----
Axel closed the Soul Guide, placing his left hand on his left knee as he leaned back slightly. With a swift motion of his right hand, he made a gesture as if lifting something.
Suddenly, several dark golden magic circles appeared in front of him, one after another. Each circle released a summoned creature as they emerged into the battlefield.
Minions:
Undead Ape,Undead Goblin Shaman
Undead Monstrous Goblin,Undead Goblin Champion
Undead Wilde Boar King
Assassin Claus, the Mage
Three Church Priests , Four Giant Trolls
All of them bowed down in unison.
"Master," they said together.
The demon looked on in surprise. "You... You're a summoner?" His voice took on a mocking tone. "Hahaha, I thought you'd be something unique, but you're exactly what I expected. Otherwise, there's no way you would have made it this far."
He continued, shaking his head. "The last person to reach this level was also a summoner. He killed all my army. Now, all I have is this fake army given to me by this tower."
Axel's eyes widened. "You mean someone was here?"
The demon nodded. "Yes, but I defeated him in the end, at first he died at the hands of my army and came back several times but when I killed him myself he just didn't come back it took me a while to understand why . He could summon elemental spirits, killing large numbers with a single blow. But he was far inferior to me in the end. Still, I admired his courage."
Axel's mind raced. "So, I'm killed by the army I can leave but if I'm killed by this demon I'm dead and can't go back to the real world?, if this level has been challenged before… maybe that's why the monsters are fake and turn into wisps of air. Because the original was defeated. But this demon, never defeated... it's real. Not fake, I f it kills me, I'm dead for real"
Axel gathered his thoughts and asked, "What brought you here?"
The demon's expression darkened, pride mixed with bitterness. "I was imprisoned during the war." He paused, his eyes clouding with regret as if recalling painful memories of betrayal. "I did everything for my race, yet here I am, betrayed by my own, in chains to serve others. The tower was made by the one who imprisoned me, and he put me here. Once the tower is completed... I'm dead. So, today we both die. Because I know there's no way you can beat me. I fought against the lords at my peak grand emperor level."
Axel's heart raced. The realization hit him hard—he was facing an opponent who had fought at a level higher than his own, someone beyond ordinary. He could feel the weight of the gap between them.
he also remembered how he was in the same situation of despair the amount of mental strength needed to live in a world with no real love or loyalty, weakness and eventually death.
Suddenly, Claus, the assassin, spoke up. "Master, allow me to silence him."
Axel turned to him, shaking his head. "No, your job is to clear the battlefield first."
The plan stays the same he tension between them remained thick, but Axel focused. The fight ahead would be more difficult than anything he had encountered before.
------
The battlefield erupted in chaos. Axel stood at the edge, watching as his minions charged headlong into the enemy horde. His hand waved through the air as if commanding a simple chess move, but the effects were devastating. The ground trembled under the weight of his creatures and the countless monsters.
His minions fought like a well-oiled machine. The Undead Ape grew in size, its massive hammer crushing anything in its path.
The Undead Goblin Shaman was off to the side, weaving spells of protection, buffing his allies from afar.
The Undead Monstrous Goblin darted around, claws tearing through anything it could reach, and the Undead Goblin Champion swung his bat with brutal force, knocking monsters aside as if they were mere toys.
The Undead Wilde Boar King, though a towering beast, charged with the Goblin Champion, trampling monsters beneath its massive hooves.
Assassin Claus was a shadow, flitting in and out of sight, striking from the darkness with deadly precision.
The Mage stood at a distance, casting firestorms, lightning bolts, and blizzards that scorched anything in their path. The Three Church Priests were a bastion of support two erecting barriers and sealing magic, while the third fought with chains, binding enemies before delivering lethal blows with brutal martial arts. And the Four Giant Trolls were an unstoppable force, stomping through the battlefield, tearing apart anything in their way.
Axel stood to the side, his arms crossed, watching as the monsters fell one by one. But he was calm. The battle was nothing more than a game. A waiting game.
Sepheroth, perched above on a stone statue, watched with growing amusement. His wings fluttered as he observed the fight below, his expression twisted with disdain.
"I must admit, your army is impressive," Sepheroth's voice boomed, carrying across the battlefield like a thunderclap. "I expected no less from someone who managed to make it this far. But it's all for nothing. Do you truly believe you can defeat me?"
Axel didn't even look up. His gaze remained fixed on the carnage below. "is it impossible? This should be enough to make things interesting, don't you think?"
Sepheroth's wings twitched. "Interesting? Don't delude yourself. It doesn't matter how many of my monsters you defeat, you will never be able to defeat me."
Axel's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable. I'm excited to see...what if I told you there was a way out? To see the world again?"
Sepheroth scoffed. "Escape? You truly believe that? You think you can just waltz out of here as if you're some conqueror?"
Axel leaned back casually, still watching his forces tear through the enemy. "hahaha, yes , I'm not a fun of dancing but I believe I can waltz out, You've been trapped here for so long, and you're telling me you've never considered the possibility of leaving? To see the world again?"
Sepheroth's expression darkened, and for a moment, Axel saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. "You think you understand? It's wishful thinking. The Lords sealed me here, trapped me in this place. Even if a grand emperor or Lord try to bypass the trial, the spell will break, and the tower will vanish and me with it. Don't you understand what that means?. I can't escape."
Axel's voice remained calm, even as his minions fought fiercely below. The Undead Wilde Boar King was killed, falling under a barrage of magic from the flying monsters. The Giant Trolls were still stomping through the horde, but their numbers were starting to dwindle. One of the Church Priests fell, crushed beneath the weight of a giant's attack. Axel's minions were taking damage, but they were holding strong.
"I get it," Axel said. "The trials were never meant to be completed. But here's the thing we're both stuck, aren't we? You're trapped, and so am I. We've got no choice in the matter, so why not make the best of it?"
Sepheroth's wings twitched in irritation. His eyes flickered with growing frustration as his forces began to fall. Axel's calm, calculated approach seemed to infuriate him. "You're a fool," he growled. "Do you think you can win me like this?"
Axel smirked, unphased. "Let's enjoy our last fight then. It's the only thing we can control."
The battle raged on, Axel's forces fighting with relentless precision. The Undead Goblin Champion swung his bat, obliterating monsters in his path. Assassin Claus remained a shadow, silently eliminating the enemy's commanders. The Undead Goblin Shaman continued to bolster his allies with powerful enchantments. Mage sent torrents of elemental spells across the battlefield, raining destruction from a safe distance.
But Sepheroth's forces were starting to collapse. One by one, they fell before Axel's minions. The Undead Wilde Boar King was destroyed by a crushing blow from a flying monster. The Giant Trolls were being overwhelmed, their massive forms slowly falling under a barrage of magic and claws.
Axel turned to Sepheroth, speaking casually as if they were just discussing strategy. "Impressive, isn't it? Your army isn't holding up too well against mine."
Sepheroth's eyes flashed with anger, but his wings drooped slightly, his form sagging with weariness. "You think you've won?" he growled. " At my peak you wouldn't dare to even think about challenging me. You're still playing into my hand."
But as he spoke, Axel saw a flicker of doubt in Sepheroth's eyes. The demon's composure was cracking. Axel seized the moment. " interesting how fate changes suddenly ."
Assassin Claus struck from the shadows again, his swift movements taking down another of Sepheroth's high-ranking monsters. The Undead Goblin Shaman continued to provide support, casting his protective spells to keep Axel's minions in fighting shape.
In no time the battlefield was cleared, looking at the soul guide, the three destroyed minions are under a count down of 1 day before they can be summoned again.
"I bet it's probably almost night time outside. I have to make this quick".