The transition was instant.
Heat turned to humidity. Silence turned to chaos.
And just like before, the Earth’s skies lood over the Rift site—this ti swollen with more eyes, more drones, and more noise.
Crowds had tripled. The Astral Guild enforcers were lined up with scanning units, shouting commands. dia teams scread over each other. Broadcasters held up holograms of my previous feats.
"—Blank cleared the 8th Floor!"
"Confird!"
"Where is he?! Where is Blank?!"
They were ravenous for a glimpse, but I was already walking past them.
The mont I returned to earth, the Nullshade Set activated fully.
My aura didn’t ripple. My steps made no sound. Even the scanner drones passed right by without so much as a flicker.
In their eyes... I wasn’t even there.
It was as if Blank never returned.
And that’s exactly how I wanted it.
I weaved through the crowd—past a rchant selling instant Rift-stims, past a group of low-ranked Vassals arguing over floor tactics—and no one turned their head.
It felt like walking through fog.
Invisible. Untouchable.
-
I unlocked the door, stepped in, and let the weight of the day collapse over .
I tossed the Nullshade Veil on the kitchen table and peeled off the gloves. My fingers trembled—not from fear, but the aftermath of battle. Mana fatigue pulsed in my veins like aftershocks.
I leaned against the wall, slid down to the floor, and finally—finally exhaled.
I closed my eyes, letting the silence of my apartnt wrap around .
Not even the Labyrinth could steal this mont.
"...Just two more."
My voice was a whisper to no one.
-
The knock ca barely five minutes after I collapsed on the floor.
I didn’t move. I just called out, "It’s open."
The door creaked open. Noel stepped in, wide-eyed, holding a drink tray in one hand and a grimace on his face. "Bro—what the hell. You cleared the 8th already?"
I gave him a slow, tired nod. "Yep. Still warm from the fight."
He walked over, placed the tray on the counter, then pointed at with both hands. "You said I could enter after the 9th. You didn’t say you’d clear the 8th in a few hours!"
I smirked, rubbing my neck. "Plans changed."
Before he could reply, my comm crystal pulsed.
Astraia.
I sighed. "Again?"
Noel leaned over to glance. "She knows?"
"She knows." I tapped to accept, then held it up to my ear.
Her voice ca sharp and imdiate.
"You cleared the 8th Floor without even taking a full day off?! Are you trying to provoke the guild masters, or is this just so Vassal death wish?"
I chuckled under my breath. "Neither. Just keeping the promise to myself."
"You’re insane, Blank. The top guilds are rattled. There’s a betting pool going against you on when you’ll fall. Guess what? They’re losing a lot of credits."
"Good," I muttered, glancing at the city lights outside the window. "Let them bleed."
She paused—then added quietly,
"You’re going to make enemies you can’t avoid if you keep this up."
I didn’t reply. We both already knew that was the point.
-
Elsewhere – Astral Community Feed
The world has exploded again.
[CRIMSON UPDATE – FLOOR 8 CLEARED]
"BREAKING: ’Blank’ just cleared the 8th floor. Fastest solo clear ever recorded. Estimated ti: 1 Hour, 49 Minutes, 26 Seconds."
@AscendedDawn
HOW IS THIS GUY REAL?!
@StellarHuntress
If Astraia is Top 1, Blank is literally Top 0.
@GuildIntelCrow
Three Guild Masters were seen having a closed-door ergency eting. Coincidence?
@CharterOfTheWind
Proud doesn’t even cut it. He’s already doing what they said was impossible. Floor 9 is next. You’ll all see.
@TheBrokenChalice
Blank isn’t a player. He’s a warning.
@ManaWhisperer
If he’s not registered, and he’s stronger than Astraia, then he’s a ghost. A damn dangerous one.
The threads were endless. Analysis videos. Speculations. Fan theories. Leaks. Doomsayers.
But one thing echoed through all the noise:
Blank had changed the ga. Again.
And the world couldn’t stop watching.
-
Room 307 – Monts Later
Noel slumped into the single worn-out chair in the corner of the apartnt, arms crossed, brow furrowed.
"You’re telling ..." he began slowly, "that the eighth floor threw waves of magical beasts at you? Like so arena-style hell zone?"
I nodded while sipping the last of the healing potion. "Survival format. Couldn’t exit unless I cleared every single wave."
His eyes widened. "And they kept getting harder?"
"Yeah," I said, leaning back. "First wave was manageable. Just so mana-fused hyenas and serpents—burned through them quickly."
Noel raised an eyebrow. "Sounds easy enough."
"It was. Because I rembered the patterns from last ti," I said, then added with a bitter edge, "but then ca the second wave—less beasts, but smarter ones. Ambush tactics, coordinated attacks. I took a hit to the ribs. Still sore."
Noel blinked. "And you handled them?"
"Barely. Had to rotate between Precision Fla and Explosive Ember stances. Good thing I upgraded Emberfang Style—burn stacking gave the edge."
"Then what?" he asked, leaning in.
I exhaled slowly. "Wave three was a nightmare. A mana-warped basilisk leading the charge, cloaked wyverns acting as its aerial support. Took everything I had to ground them. And by wave five..."
I paused.
He saw the hesitation.
"What happened, Nile?"
I t his gaze. "One enemy. Titan-class construct. Copied my fighting style. Adapted to every move I made like it had studied its whole life."
Noel paled. "Wait... how did you win?"
"I didn’t," I said flatly. "It tried to self-destruct. Poured all the ambient mana into one final blast, thinking it would take down with it."
His jaw dropped. "But you’re here."
"I rushed it." My voice grew quieter. "Poured every ounce of mana, strength—everything—into stopping it. Spamd my entire arsenal. Barely survived."
Noel stared for a while, then leaned back with a long, low whistle.
"You’re not just clearing the Rift anymore. You’re speed running it!"
I smirked faintly. "Seems like soone up top agrees."
He raised a brow. "Ignil?"
I nodded once.
Noel let out a nervous chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "Damn, Nile. You really picked a fight with the Warden of the Abyss himself."
I tilted my head. "No. I challenged him."
A silence passed between us.
Then Noel stood and stretched, cracking his neck. "Guess I better start preparing for my turn. You promised to escort to Floor 10, right?"
"You’ll get there," I said, eyes narrowing. "But not yet. I clear Floor 9 first."
He grinned. "You’re insane."
"And still breathing," I replied.
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