The wind along the Northern Ridge stung like tiny blades.
Not from cold. But from the pressure.
This was where the Vale's core elite resided—those who had withstood every floor, every trial, and still climbed higher. The stronghold at the ridge wasn't just their base.
It was their throne.
And now, Blackhunt had come to topple it.
🌒 Night Before the Storm – Operation Eclipse Begins
Inside Blackhunt's war camp, the tension was a coiled serpent. Dozens of climbers polished weapons, tightened armor, or knelt in meditation. No laughter. No fear. Just silence.
In the command tent, Toni stood over a battle map, drawing runes midair.
Ankit walked in.
"We ready?" he asked.
Toni's eyes didn't leave the map. "Not quite. The last scout hasn't returned."
As if summoned, Vikram entered. "No movement on the east slope. But the mist's thickened."
Kaido frowned. "That means they're activating full perimeter lockdown. No teleporters. No backup. If we go in—"
"We either win," Toni said, "or we die."
⚔️ Strike Formation – Three Teams
The plan was insane. But it was all they had.
Team Alpha – Core Assault
Ankit, Kaido, Vikram
Objective: Strike the heart of the fortress and disable the key seal
Team Beta – Disruption Unit
Toni, Riya, Raunak
Objective: Sabotage defenses, lure out commander-class elites
Team Gamma – Support and Reinforcement
Asha, Raghav, Sana, and reserve climbers
Objective: Medical support, sniping, and barrier reinforcement
"Remember," Toni said, locking eyes with each of them. "This is their fortress. They'll fight like wolves. But wolves bleed."
🌫️ Mistfall – Entering the Northern Ridge
The moment they crossed the boundary, everything changed.
No sounds. No light. Just endless grey, swirling and shifting. Mist clung to their skin like oil. Even breathing felt heavier.
[System Effect: Fog of Dominion Active]
⚠️ -40% Vision
🧠 Mind Fortitude Check Required
☠️ Mental Collapse Threshold: Low for Inexperienced Climbers
Kaido activated a magnetic field emitter, pulsing waves outward. "We've got movement. Two hundred meters, ten signatures."
Vikram vanished into shadows.
A second later, gurgling.
Then silence.
He returned, wiping blood from his blade.
"Ten less now."
💥 Core Assault – Inner Fortress Breach
They reached the outer gate—a twenty-foot wall of black obsidian guarded by a trio of masked Crimson Vale elites. All bore Cursed Seals, visible as glowing tattoos down their arms.
Ankit didn't waste words.
He dashed, blades out.
One Talwar met a scythe. Sparks. The second struck true, slicing through the enemy's abdomen with a clean arc.
Kaido launched two magnetic grenades. The shockwave disabled the right sentinel's aura shield, letting Vikram finish him with a throat slash.
Only the last guard remained.
He roared, slamming a soul-spear down in a shockwave that blasted Ankit back five meters.
[Enemy Class: Crimson Reaper – Tier A+]
Skill: Death Pulse — Explodes enemy aura from inside after tagging
"Don't let him touch you!" Kaido shouted.
But Ankit was already moving.
He let the spear pass an inch from his side and twisted under it, slicing upward.
A heartbeat later, the Reaper's head hit the ground.
💬 Toni's Front – The Wolf Draws Blood
Elsewhere in the mist, Toni stood atop a ruined pillar, watching the horizon. His cloak fluttered like a flag.
Riya and Raunak stood below him, protecting the field generator keeping the group visible.
A low rumble began beneath their feet.
Then, with no warning, the ridge cracked.
Out stepped a massive figure clad in layered armor of volcanic obsidian. His eyes glowed red, and his weapon—a chain-linked hammer—dragged behind him like a guillotine.
[Elite Enemy Detected – Balor of the Vale]
Rank: Commander-Class
Power: Mist Domination + Gravity Anchor Aura
Toni nocked an arrow.
Riya whispered, "That thing… it's a monster."
Raunak grinned. "Then let's kill a monster."
⚔️ Duel: Toni vs Balor
Balor struck first, slamming his hammer down in a wave that cratered the ground and shattered the terrain. Gravity warped around his strikes, pulling weapons off-course.
Toni jumped, using wind-runes to stabilize.
[Soul Art: Spectral Overdraw – Activated]
Effect: Fires five phantom arrows in a fan that loop and return for second hit
The arrows shot forward, tearing through mist, piercing armor—but Balor kept moving.
He lifted the hammer and hurled it.
A meteor.
Toni's aura flared.
[Passive Skill – Tactician's Anchor: Predictive Shift]
Avoids unavoidable attack once per battle by rewinding position by 2 seconds.
The hammer hit the illusion.
Toni stood behind Balor now, arrow drawn at the back of his head.
He whispered, "Checkmate."
One shot. Straight through the eye.
🔐 Key Room – Ankit's Final Duel
Inside the stronghold's inner sanctum, Ankit faced the final line of defense:
A knight clad in ethereal silver, his Soul Weapon a mirror lance that reflected attacks back twice as strong.
[Final Guardian – Lucien of the Vale]
Trait: Reflective Judgement
Weapon: Mirror Lance of Aether
Ankit's first strike was parried.
The second redirected.
His arm bled.
Kaido called from the edge. "You can't win in frontal engagement!"
Ankit stood tall, breathing slow. "I'm not planning to."
He lowered his guard. Inviting an attack.
Lucien charged.
And Ankit dropped both swords—then caught them backwards, letting them trail his arms.
Lucien stabbed—
But Ankit stepped past the lance and struck with the backside of the blade.
No reflection.
Just steel.
The knight staggered, stunned.
Ankit spun once, cutting deep.
The second strike shattered the mirror lance.
🏴 The Final Key – Claimed
📢 [System Notification]
✅ Temple Key Claimed: 3/3 – Blackhunt
🏆 All conditions fulfilled
📜 Temple of Blades opens in 24 hours
⚠️ Final Floor Event Triggered: "He Who Holds the Blades"
💬 Final Campfire Before the Temple
That night, Blackhunt made camp just outside the Temple's massive obsidian gates, which now glowed with golden veins of light.
No attacks came.
No monsters. No spies.
Only silence.
Riya handed Toni a warm cup of tea. "Can't believe we made it."
"Don't say that until we walk out of the Temple," he replied.
Raunak laughed. "Or until the Temple walks out of us."
Asha sat beside Ankit, her hand resting near the edge of his blade. "You okay?"
Ankit nodded.
Then looked up.
Beyond the ridge, the sky shimmered. The Temple was waking.