The air changed the moment Daniel stepped through the shimmering space where the energy barrier had been.
The faint hum of the labyrinth faded, replaced by a near-silent, sterile coolness. He was inside the Primary Control Spire.
It didn't feel like the shifting, breathing stone maze anymore.
The walls here were smooth, seamless black material that seemed to drink the light, broken only by thin lines of pure white energy running like circuits across the floor, walls, and ceiling.
The architecture was sharp, geometric, clearly artificial and advanced. It felt less like a magical labyrinth and more like the inside of a futuristic, alien computer.
His Nexus Interface map updated again, confirming his location.
The Spire was tall, cylindrical, and the map showed multiple levels leading upwards towards the Central Hub, located near the very top.
The Omega Shard he'd acquired from the Gatekeeper pulsed faintly in his pouch, resonating slightly with the Spire's energy. It definitely belonged here.
He moved forward cautiously, [Ghoststeps+] active, making him a nearly invisible ripple in the dim, sterile environment.
His [Aura Sense+] reached out. The Spire felt… quiet. Too quiet. No humming pipes, no dripping goo, no skittering drones or clanking Golems.
Just the silent thrum of immense, contained power running through the white lines. He felt his own mana replenishing steadily thanks to [Energy Siphon], pulling from the clean energy permeating the Spire.
He ascended a ramp that spiraled gently upwards along the inner curve of the Spire wall.
The view opened up slightly, showing the vast, empty space in the center of the cylinder, crisscrossed by beams of white light connecting different levels far above.
It was strangely beautiful, but also felt like a trap waiting to spring.
Then, his senses screamed danger! Not from ahead, but from above and behind!
Two figures dropped silently from the shadowy ceiling near the ramp's entrance he'd just passed.
They didn't make a sound as they landed, their forms blurring for a split second as they materialized.
They looked like ninjas made of shadow and solidified light. Humanoid, clad in sleek, form-fitting black suits that seemed to absorb light, with masks covering their faces, leaving only glowing white slits for eyes.
Each carried two short swords, blades shimmering with the same white energy as the lines on the walls.
Daniel scanned them instantly.
[Spire Shadow-Guard]
Level: 4 (Elite)
Stats: Moderate Strength, Moderate Vitality, Extremely High Agility, High Spirit.
Abilities: [Shadow Blend (Stealth/Camouflage)], [Phase Jaunt (Short Teleport Dodge)], [Twin Light Blades (Energy Damage)], [Acrobatic Assault], [Silent Execution Protocol]
Threat Assessment: Elite Stealth Assassins. Extremely Fast and Agile. Utilize teleportation and stealth for surprise attacks.
Designed for silent elimination of intruders within the Spire. Exploit their reliance on stealth; disrupting their camouflage or predicting jaunts is key.
Level 4 Elites. Two of them. Faster than the Custodians, capable of short teleports, and masters of stealth.
This was bad. They had deliberately let him pass the entrance before ambushing him from behind.
Before Daniel could fully react to the scan, they attacked.
One Shadow-Guard blurred forward on the ground, faster than anything he'd faced before except maybe the Regulator, its twin light blades slashing in a blindingly fast cross pattern aimed at his legs.
The other ran straight up the curved wall beside the ramp, its movements defying gravity, preparing to drop down on him from above. Coordinated pincer attack, stealth edition.
Daniel's mind raced. He couldn't dodge both simultaneously in the conventional way. He needed to use the environment and his own agility advantage.
He activated [Ghoststeps+] burst.
"Boom!"
Instead of dodging back or sideways, he leaped upwards, kicking hard off the ramp's surface, twisting into a tight aerial somersault.
The ground Shadow-Guard's blades sliced through empty air beneath him. As he reached the peak of his flip, the wall-running Shadow-Guard launched itself off the wall, blades aimed at his descending body.
Perfect. While inverted in mid-air, Daniel fired his D+ bow, which he'd instinctively drawn the moment he sensed the ambush. He didn't aim a normal arrow.
He fired a [Kinetic Pulse] Arrow straight down at the ramp surface between the two Shadow-Guards.
Twang-WHUMP!
The kinetic explosion erupted outwards just as the wall-runner landed and the ground attacker turned.
The shockwave wasn't powerful enough to seriously injure the Elites, but it kicked up dust, distorted the air, and momentarily disrupted their perfect coordination and potentially their [Shadow Blend] camouflage!
Daniel landed silently from his flip a few meters away, dropping the bow instantly and drawing his C+ Twin Fang daggers.
He saw the faint shimmer around the Shadow-Guards flicker, the shockwave had briefly disrupted their stealth!
He didn't hesitate. He lunged towards the nearest one, the one that had run on the wall, before its camouflage could fully re-engage.
He slashed with both daggers, aiming for its arm joints.
Clang-Schwing!
The Shadow-Guard reacted with blinding speed, parrying one dagger with its own light blade and using also just enough so the second dagger only grazed its side, sending up white sparks but causing no real damage.
It counter-attacked instantly, its other light blade stabbing towards Daniel's throat.
Daniel twisted away, the blade whispering past his ear.
He felt the hum of his own newly upgraded [Energy Shield Manipulation] skill.
Instinctively, he threw up his left forearm, focusing his will, pushing mana into a shimmering distortion in the air just beside his arm.
Fwoosh!
A small, translucent shield, maybe the size of a dinner plate, flickered into existence for a split second!
The second Shadow-Guard, recovered from the shockwave, used this moment to attack Daniel's back, its blades silent and deadly.
But Daniel's [Aura Sense+] screamed a warning. Without looking, he dropped low into a crouch, letting the attack sail over him, while simultaneously kicking backwards with one leg, aiming his heel infused with kinetic energy ([Kinetic Hammer] impulse) towards the second attacker's knee.
Thwack!
The kick connected! The second Shadow-Guard stumbled, its silent advance broken!
Daniel spun out of the crouch, facing both opponents again. They circled him now, their movements fluid, blades held ready, faint shimmers indicating their [Phase Jaunt] ability was ready.
They were wary now, realizing he wasn't easy prey.
"Alright," Daniel breathed, adrenaline singing through him. "Round two."
He initiated the attack this time. He feinted left, then burst right with [Ghoststeps+], running three steps horizontally along the curved Spire wall himself, using the momentum to launch himself back towards the center of the ramp in a spinning aerial attack, daggers flashing.
One Shadow-Guard met his aerial attack with a flurry of parries, light blades clashing against his C+ daggers in a shower of white and metal sparks.
The other teleported behind him using [Phase Jaunt] mid-spin, attempting another backstab.
Daniel anticipated the teleport this time. Mid-spin, still airborne, he activated his projected [Energy Shield] behind him.
Fwoosh!
The small shield materialized just in time. The Shadow-Guard's light blades slammed into it!
CLANG-CRACKLE!
The shield held for a split second, absorbing most of the force before shattering!
The feedback jolted Daniel's arm, and his mana dipped from projecting the C-grade shield, but it completely blocked the attack!
He used the brief respite and the momentum of the block to complete his spin, landing facing the backstabber.
He slashed low with one dagger, forcing it to jump back, while simultaneously firing a [Mana Bolt+] from his free hand at the first Shadow-Guard he'd been engaging.
FZZZT!
The bolt slammed into the first one's chest, making it stagger. Its energy-based nature likely gave it some resistance, but a direct hit still hurt.
The fight descended into a dizzying blur of acrobatics and flashing blades.
Daniel flipped off walls, slid under sweeps, parried strikes that would have killed a lesser opponent instantly.
He used his projected shield defensively, blocking quick jabs or teleport attacks, though it drained his mana quickly.
He peppered them with Mana Bolts when he had an opening, and used Kinetic Hammer shockwaves whenever they got too close together, disrupting their phasing and coordination.
Nyx, perhaps sensing the intense fight or maybe just annoyed, let out another high-pitched discordant yelp from the pouch.
Again, both Shadow-Guards flinched, their stealth and phasing flickering violently for a crucial second!
"Thanks, Nyx!" Daniel yelled, seizing the opportunity.
He focused on the one he'd already hit with a mana bolt and kicked in the knee. It was slightly weaker.
He used [Ghoststeps+] burst to close the distance instantly, dodged a desperate slash, and drove both Twin Fang daggers deep into the Shadow-Guard's torso, right where its energy felt most concentrated.
SHUNK-CRACKLE-POP!
The Shadow-Guard convulsed, light sputtering from the wounds, then dissolved into fading black motes and white sparks.
[You have slain: Spire Shadow-Guard (Level 4 Elite)]
[EXP Gained: 180!]
[Level 4: 1376/1200 EXP]
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 5!]
[All Attributes +1]
[Free Attribute Points Gained: 5]
[Free Class Skill Point Gained: 1]
[Soul Assimilation Charges Fully Restored and Limit Increased!]
Level 5! Finally! The familiar, powerful surge washed over him, stronger than ever before.
Fatigue vanished, wounds knitted shut (even the burn on his back faded completely), mana and stamina fully restored.
He felt incredible, his senses sharper, his connection to his power deeper. He felt his charge limit increase, likely to 25 now. And a Class Skill Point? He'd have to check that later.
The remaining Shadow-Guard paused, its glowing white eye slits widening fractionally as it sensed the sudden surge of power from Daniel.
It seemed to hesitate, perhaps reassessing its chances against a newly empowered opponent.
Daniel didn't give it time to think or escape. Flush with new power, he moved.
He blurred forward, his Level 5 Agility making his previous speed seem sluggish. He was practically teleporting himself now.
He appeared right in front of the Shadow-Guard before it could even raise its blades.
He didn't use daggers. He didn't use magic. He simply channeled the raw power of his near 120 Strength and the force of [Kinetic Hammer] into a single, devastating straight punch aimed at the center of the Shadow-Guard's chest.
"BOOM!"
The impact was like a thunderclap in the silent Spire. The Shadow-Guard didn't even have time to fly backwards.
Its form simply disintegrated under the overwhelming force, shattering into fading motes just like the Core Sentinel.
[You have slain: Spire Shadow-Guard (Level 4 Elite)]
[EXP Gained: 180!]
[Level 5: 276/1800 EXP] (Level 5 needs a LOT more EXP!)
Silence returned to the ramp. Daniel stood there, fist still extended, feeling the immense power thrumming through his newly Level 5 body.
He quickly assimilated the fading essences of the Shadow-Guards.
[Soul Assimilation successful on Construct/Energy Being: Spire Shadow-Guard (Level 4 Elite).] x2
[Total Gain: Agility +20, Spirit +12, Adaptability +8]
[Acquired Skill Fragment: Phase Jaunt (Minor)]
[Assimilation Charges Consumed (23/25 Remaining).]
More Agility pushed him towards 180! The Phase Jaunt fragment was exciting, combine it with the Wall Adhesion fragment, and he might become a real ghost.
He looked up the ramp, towards the higher levels of the Spire. Level 5 felt good. Really good.
But if these Level 4 Elites were just standard security here, what awaited him at the Central Hub? He took a moment, flexing his hands, feeling the power, then continued his ascent, more cautious than ever, but undeniably stronger!