As the ghost of their deceased mother glared at the criminal who tornted her, Luna broke down in tears on the ground. These twenty years since her mother died, she was never alone. Her mother was always looking after her.
"My voice never stopped shouting all these years, screaming for injustice, until our king promised revenge," said the mother as she turned toward Arthur, tears falling from her eyes. "Please punish him as you see fit, my king."
"Marshal Stormblade, for the cris that you have committed against your loved ones and countless innocents trampled beneath your feet, I hereby sentence you to eternal sleep."
"My love… please… wait…" muttered Marshal Stormblade as he snapped out of his shock for seeing his wife. He crawled on the ground toward her, falling on all four as he began to beg. "Don't do this, dearest. I have been wrong, please spare . Please spare ."
Arthur stepped forward, standing between Marshal and his wife. His black dagger crackled with wrathful energy as he took a few steps toward him. In the anti, Dorian and Luna saw their mother turn toward them.
"You have grown so much, Dori, Luna," said their mother with tears in her eyes. "I apologize for not being here for you two. But everything is fine now, there will no longer be any pain."
Dorian and his sister cried without stop before they both bolted toward their mother, hugging her tightly. Their mother received them with open arms as her tears fell as well. The three reunited for a brief second, before Arthur made his move.
"Godslayer Art, Eternal Night."
Marshal flinched as he jumped from the ground, turned around, and began to run. Light disappeared from the world as did sound. Arthur leaned forward and bolted, cutting through the fleeing man without rcy.
For a single mont, the world was divided by a single black line that beheaded Marshal Stormblade. Black flas burst over his body, burning him to ashes. As he was beheaded, the burning man could not even issue a scream.
Dorian and Luna fell to the ground as their mother turned ethereal once more, disappearing from the world. They cried harder as they tried to hang on to her, but she gave them a smile before disappearing.
"Take care of each other."
As the voice faded from the world, Dorian and Luna were the only remaining mbers of their family. Luna cried for a long ti as Dorian held her tight, comforting his sister. Her cries ceased when Arthur returned to their side.
"In my training, I realized that every wrathful voice that drove insane had a story," said Arthur as he looked down at them. "Your mother felt nothing but love toward you two, and you should never forget that."
"Thank you for everything, Alexie," said Dorian with a smile as he stared at him. "I won't forget this debt, ever."
"There is no debt between friends," said Arthur as he turned toward the distance, spotting a carriage making its way toward them. "The last remaining lord is here, and the second floor will now be united."
As the carriage stopped close by, the crowd marveled at its rose engravings on the shiny wood. The doors were flung open as a man helped a woman get off, before the two walked like a pair toward them.
"Spring ca early for you, Joey," said Koby with a grin as he stared at the two holding hands and walking together. "You seem a lot calr than the last ti we t."
"And you look a lot more unhinged than the coward I once t," said Joey with a raised brow as he studied Koby, whose entire aura and appearance has changed. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. Armies barricade this place."
"They all answer to the young lord now," said the Lord of Crestview with a smile. "You two are the last remaining lords."
"And I ca here to fulfill my promise," said Lillian with a smile as she stared at Dorian. "I never thought you could achieve what you have promised. As promised… the Lordship is yours as long as I can govern it."
[Lordship of Rosewood has been transferred to Dorian Stormblade.]
The notification signaled the end of their plan and the war in the second floor. As the ten cities had one lord now, there will no longer be inequality or a need for war. Arthur smiled at Dorian, who was staring at his palm.
"Serve the citizens well, young lord," said Arthur with a smile as he walked toward Dorian. "My role in this floor is over now. Grant access to the third floor, and I will conquer this tower."
"You are leaving so soon?" muttered Dorian with surprise and turned toward the others. Seraphine, Whisker, Sarohan, and Ilia Perli nodded at him. It was ti for them to leave as well.
"We wasted enough ti in the second floor, but I don't regret eting you all here," said Arthur with a smile. "This is not the end of our friendship, but just a beginning."
"I feel the sa," said Dorian with a nod before he raised his hand. "As the lord of the ten cities in the second floor, I grant you access to the third…"
[Announcent!]
A notification appeared before their eyes, blinking with red lights. Dorian could not even finish his words before a large screen appeared before their eyes, transmitting the video of a cloaked figure sitting on the edge of a stairway. His body was leaning forward as half of his face was revealed.
[Greetings to all challengers.]
His voice was deep and mystical, echoing as it reached their ears. Everyone was confused about the identity of this young man and why he appeared out of nowhere now.
[I am the Immortal Sage, master of this tower,] said the man without any introductions, shocking the crowd. [Ever since I created this tower, I never revealed myself like this. You can say that I'm a little shy.]
"…"
No one could say a thing about his unexpected sentence, and the sage shrugged it off before he rose from his seat. Then, he placed his hands in his pocket as he leaned back with a grin.
[In any case, the second floor has been conquered for the first ti, and that is such a delightful surprise. Ever since the beginning, the second floor was about unification. The third was about trials, and the fourth about bravery. As for the fifth… it was about .]
"What does this man want?" asked Ilia Perli with a frown.
[The second floor has been conquered, so things will get far too easy for the challengers to reach the third. It would not be fair for all those who died in the upper floors, right?]
"Can it be…" muttered Dorian with realization.
[Thus, I shall connect the second floor to the third, unleashing the hordes of monsters and natural disasters upon its residents. Since the ten cities have been unified, then surviving should be a piece of cake.]
"Why are you doing this?" asked Arthur, drawing attention from the rest. So of them were confused since he was addressing the sage directly as if he could hear them. As his golden eyes stared at the screen, the sage paused.
[For the sa reason I created this tower, dear Demon King,] answered the Tower Master, shocking the crowd. [I am doing this for fun.]
"As I grow to understand this tower more, that is a lie," said Arthur with a thin smile. "You created this tower in hopes of finding you, so I presu you have so grudge against the gods. However, opening the path seems to be hardly the right choice here.]
[You know well, dear Demon King,] said the Immortal Sage with a grin as he spread his arms. [You are absolutely right. I am doing this because I want you to rush over and conquer the next two floors. If I plague your friends with calamities, then you will have no other choice but to seek !]
"I am already planning to do that," said Arthur with his lips pressed firmly together. "Don't be hasty about your death, tower master. Death is a cold fate to et."
[I look forward to it.]
That was the end of his ssage before the hologram disappeared. Silence descended on the group who stared at each other with confusion. However, the silence was broken by a distant rumbling and screams of monsters.
A brilliant light appeared in the sky above them, as The Red Path appeared like a tree above them. Then, the walls connecting them to the next floor shattered and monsters rushed into the second floor.
"My king, what should we do?!" shouted Sarohan with panic as he turned toward Arthur, who stared at the incoming waves of monsters with a blank face. However, a thin smile appeared on his lips as his golden eyes shone as bright as the sun.
"Nothing we can do but fight."
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