A strange silence had settled over Floor 4.
Not the tense quiet before a battle, nor the aftermath of bloodshed—but a silence born from shifting power. Since the fall of Valen Draeg, three guilds had gone dark. One had vanished completely.
In that vacuum, Blackhunt stood taller than ever.
But the Tower wasn't done testing them.
🌒 Day One – Countdown to the Temple
Inside the newly fortified war room, glowing system runes hovered above the central table.
📢 [Temple Gate Countdown: 9 Days, 13 Hours]
🧭 Control Keys Activated: 1/3
📌 Required to Enter: 3 Guild-Controlled Strongholds (Non-Contested)
⚔️ Active Temple Keys: Crimson Vale (1), Blackhunt (1), Blazing Halo (0)
Toni traced the red arcs on the floating floor map.
"Crimson Vale's already taken a second stronghold to the west," he said. "If they get the third before we do, they'll gate the Temple trial before us. And lock us out."
"We won't let that happen," Ankit replied. "We take the eastern node before sunset."
Kaido grunted. "That's Blazing Halo territory."
"I know."
Raunak cracked his knuckles. "Good. Been waiting for payback since they torched our supplies."
🏰 The Temple of Blades – Legend Revealed
As the team prepped for battle, Asha studied the old runes still lingering on the tower floor after Valen's death. She gathered the others in the strategy chamber.
"These symbols… they're not just markings. They're trial triggers," she explained.
"Trial for what?" Riya asked.
Asha pointed toward the main crystal projection of the Tower.
"The Temple of Blades isn't just a floor-clearance gate. It's a legacy site."
Vikram narrowed his eyes. "You mean like hidden inheritance?"
"No," Asha said, her voice lowering. "Worse. It's the site of the last rebellion against the Tower's original creators."
Everyone fell quiet.
⚔️ Operation: Eastern Strike
By afternoon, Blackhunt's vanguard was already moving eastward.
Team Alpha (Toni, Riya, Vikram) would lead the vanguard and infiltration.
Team Bravo (Ankit, Kaido, Raunak) would act as the main assault force.
Support & Backup (Sana, Asha, Eshan, Raghav) would fortify supply lines and cover retreat if necessary.
Blazing Halo's eastern base was rumored to be built around a floating mana forge, once part of an ancient relic.
But now, it was their target.
🌪️ Assault on the Mana Forge
The fog didn't come this time. Just fire.
As Team Alpha approached, Toni spotted flame glyphs along the ridge walls. "They're using solar traps. Don't trigger them."
Too late.
One of the scouts misstepped—and the ground exploded in searing light.
[Flame Trap Activated – Solar Lancer Tier]
[Scout Eliminated: Azan – Blackhunt Subunit]
"Damn it!" Riya hissed.
"Accelerate," Toni barked.
Vikram vanished into shadows, disabling three glyphs as they moved. Riya froze a path through the trap field, and the squad charged ahead.
Far ahead, Kaido fired a volley of mana grenades into the outer wall.
BOOM. The first gate collapsed.
Ankit followed through the smoke like a predator. His twin Talwars gleamed as he dashed across the stone bridge, slicing two Blazing Halo sentries in one motion.
[Kills Confirmed. Soul Weapon Resonance: 82%]
"Raunak, flank!" Ankit shouted.
Raunak leapt into a spinning axe slam that shattered the second turret post.
Kaido set down a barricade turret, anchoring their advance.
The battle was brutal. Fire met steel. Explosions rattled the forge. But slowly—relentlessly—Blackhunt advanced.
🔥 Blazing Halo – The Commander Appears
From the forge's central platform, a figure in golden armor stepped forward. Her weapon burned with celestial flame.
Commander Mira, the Flame Warden of Blazing Halo.
Her presence warped the air. Every gust of her blade left trails of golden cinders that turned arrows to ash.
Toni narrowed his eyes. "That's their boss."
Ankit nodded. "I'll keep her busy. You take the forge."
"But—"
"I've handled worse."
⚔️ Duel: Ankit vs Commander Mira
The fight was not like Valen's.
Valen had been surgical. Cold. Clean.
Mira was a firestorm.
She hurled searing arcs that melted steel and ignited the bridge below their feet. Her strikes forced Ankit to switch styles—his twin blades worked in perfect unison, parrying flame, dispersing heat, slashing through light.
But Mira was no fool.
She activated her Soul Skill.
☀️ [Soul Art: Solar Bloom – Phase Two Activated]
🔥 Area-of-Effect Flame Dome: Burning Radiance Inflicts 2% HP/second
The battlefield exploded with solar flares.
Ankit's skin burned. His system warned him.
[Heat Resistance Surpassed. Proficiency Compensating…]
[Activating Aura Compression: Twin Talwars Mode – Limit Flow]
His aura condensed into a thin layer over his blades.
His next strike wasn't about power.
It was about piercing everything.
He dashed once. A flame wall blocked him. He vanished through it.
The next second, Mira coughed blood.
A shallow but clean wound crossed her chest.
"You…" she gasped.
"I don't need to burn brighter," Ankit whispered. "I just need to cut true."
🏴 Victory Declared
With Mira down, the rest of Blazing Halo's defenders fell back.
Riya raised the banner atop the forge.
📢 [System Notification – Stronghold Secured]
🏴☠️ Control Key Captured: Blackhunt (2/3)
Kaido activated a shield dome as Raunak escorted injured scouts to the healer line.
Toni, standing beside Ankit, let out a long breath.
"One more," he said.
Ankit looked toward the sky, where the Temple's form began to glow faintly in the clouds.
"And then we see what kind of climbers we really are."
💠 Interlude – Crimson Vale Moves
Deep within a forest stronghold, the Crimson Vale guildmaster sat beneath a blood-tree altar, watching a glowing screen.
He smiled.
"So the Blade of Defiance claims another key," he said. "But how far will he go when his heart is tested?"
Behind him, several cloaked warriors bowed.
"Shall we begin the counter-operation?"
He nodded slowly.
"Send them. Let's test if the fire in Blackhunt burns when the wind howls back."
⚠️ [SYSTEM UPDATE – TOWER WARNING]
🧭 Control Keys Activated: 2/3
🔓 Temple of Blades – Access to Inner Gate Begins in 5 Days
⚠️ System Alert: One Key Will Be Stolen Within 48 Hours
Be prepared.