After several relentless days of navigating the forest—fighting, running, and enduring the unyielding pressure of Floor 29—we finally stumbled upon what felt like a miracle: a cave nestled deep in the corner of the forest, shielded by overgrown vines and jagged roots.
It was oddly quiet around it. No tracks. No howls. No monstrous mana signatures lingering in the air.
Almost like a safe zone.
My body was battered with exhaustion. The constant skirmishes had drained more than I cared to admit. Sleep had beco a luxury, usually interrupted by the howls of dire wolves or the rumble of territorial beasts. I'd barely managed more than a few hours of rest between each wave of combat. And even then, I'd slept with one eye open, my mana senses on high alert.
The cave was about the size of a modest living room. Tight but manageable. A perfect place to hole up—at least for a while. As soon as we stepped inside, I scanned every inch with mana detection. No lurking threats. No signs of beast activity. It felt… still.
Safe.
"Stay here," I told Lilith as I set down my pack. She gave no response, her eyes distant, but followed instructions as always.
I set up a small tent inside the cave and ignited a contained fire using dried bark and elental flint. Then, without delay, I stepped back outside into the encroaching dusk. I couldn't afford to be careless. I laced the surrounding trees and entrance path with mana-triggered traps that would burst with freezing mist or shadow spikes if anything crossed them. At the very least, they'd buy a few seconds of warning.
Later that night, we shared a quiet al—roasted mammoth at from one of the previous battles. The massive beast could feed us for over a year if preserved properly. Still, the flavor was nothing to write ho about. It was tough, gay, and filled with mana-rich fibers that made it difficult to chew. I never really enjoyed at to begin with. I always preferred vegetables, fresh herbs—anything green. But those had long since been exhausted from my storage ring.
We sat in silence. The fire crackled softly as shadows danced across the stone walls.
Lilith, as always, stared at nothing. She chewed automatically, without complaint or comnt. I watched her from across the fire, trying to catch even the smallest flicker of emotion. A twitch. A hesitation. A mory.
But there was nothing.
She was still there… but also not.
I finally had a mont to rest in peace—or sothing close to it. Though the cave seed like a haven, I knew better than to let my guard down entirely. This was still part of the forest. Still part of Floor 29.
Still part of the Tower.
I rested for a few days, rotating between light ditation and deeper recovery sleep. My mana reserves had been drained to dangerous levels, and even my nerves had begun to fray from the constant battle rhythm. Every sound echoed like a threat. Every silence begged for caution.
While I recovered, I also used the ti to plan.
I had been observing. Marking territories. Identifying patterns. I'd already scouted the leaders of several monster packs. And now that I was back to full strength, it was ti to end this part of the trial.
It was ti to take them out.
I ventured back into the dense forest alone, leaving Lilith to guard the cave. She wouldn't follow unless ordered—and I wanted her nowhere near what I was about to face.
The first target was the Crystal Mammoth Alpha—twice the size of the standard mammoths I had fought before. Its diamond tusks radiated energy, and every stomp it made left a crater in the earth. But it wasn't just its size—it had a defensive aura that caused my shadow slashes to evaporate mid-air. I adapted.
I conjured ice floor around its path, using my shadow art: shadow dance to hide, masking my presence. Then, I baited it with flickering movent, drawing it into a narrow glade. There, I unleashed a dual attack—icy Shadow Chains—binding its legs with frozen tendrils laced with shadow runes that exploded upon compression.
When it fell, I dashed in and struck its core with sword, the charged blade slicing through crystal bone in a single arc of light.
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This one didn't need strength to terrify—it was cunning. It never approached head-on. It stalked for two days, waiting for the perfect mont to pounce. It even sent its underlings in waves, trying to wear down before showing itself.
But I had been expecting that.
When it finally showed, leaping from the shadows in a flurry of black fur and crimson fangs, I was ready. I triggered an ice blizzard, freezing the area around in a wide radius while simultaneously shadow-stepping behind it. My mana manupulation allowed to move between the edges of the light and strike with precise, controlled bursts.
I parried its claws with ice Wall, countered with Shadow slashes, and then finished it with Frost Lance, impaling it through the ribs in mid-air.
One by one, I went through the remaining leaders: the War Hog Champion, the Sabertooth Monarch, and even a strange hybrid beast that led the vulture-like monsters. They were all fierce. They all pushed .
But none of them defeated .
What wore down wasn't the leaders themselves—but their followers. Each leader was surrounded by dozens of elite guards—each one nearly as strong as the leaders themselves. Clearing the path to reach them had taken everything I had.
I could have used the ancient dragons Wrath but it would end the fight with a single blow since the situation wasnt dire and the mana strain would leave in a dangerous spot.
hence I fought for a full week, using terrain, traps, and all the tactics I had trained for over the last year.
Day by day, I pressed forward—burning mana, rationing potions, bleeding into my armor—but never breaking.
By the ti I stood atop the high ridge where the final leader fell, my limbs trembled—not from pain, but fatigue. My body was uninjured. Not a scratch all thanks to ice embodint. But I felt hollowed out, like a candle that had burned at both ends.
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