I ascended the stairs in front of me.
It was already the 29th stairway up, and officially, the last stairway.
'I've finally made it.'
The 30th floor.
The last floor that was shared on the screen.
Therefore, it was known as the final floor.
The scenery that greeted me was a gloomy green landscape.
All sorts of plants and moss were growing everywhere, making it hard to believe it was inside a tower.
In the center stood a massive tree.
'Gloomwood Glaesir.'
The boss of the 30th floor.
It was larger than the 20th-floor boss, Grani.
Given its enormous size, defeating it swiftly wasn't easy. The optimal approach was to follow a strategy and attack it methodically.
'Following the strategy will take too long.'
If it took too much time, variables would increase.
Following a strategy wasn't always the safest option.
Knowing this, I had come prepared from outside.
'The single-use catalysts I made while creating Lucia's antidote.'
Though they were stored in potion bottles, they were actually catalysts used for creating magic circles.
Despite being catalysts, they weren't that different from potions, so I easily crafted nearly 100 bottles with my prodigious potion-making talent. Estimating the size of the magic circle, I made quite a few just in case.
Shuffle.
Glaesir, who had detected the intruder, began to stir from its deep slumber and raised its body.
-Oooh…
A giant tree trunk, but with a human-like head, Glaesir's low voice indicated its awakening. At the same time, its numerous roots extending in all directions seemed to be preparing to launch an attack.
I opened the lid of the prepared potion bottle, sprinkled the catalysts on the ground around Glaesir, and began circling around it.
Swish!
Swoosh!
The roots flew towards me like whips, attempting to strike me.
Without stopping my movement, I blocked the attacks with my sword and continued spreading the catalysts on the ground.
Whip!
Swish!
The volume of flying roots increased, but I kept igniting fire magic, incinerating the roots.
After spilling a total of eight catalysts, I finally completed a full circle around the outer perimeter.
The outer perimeter was manageable, but the real challenge lay ahead.
'The closer I get to Glaesir, the sharper the difficulty curve becomes. However, I need to enter the inner area to draw the magic circle.'
At the same time, completing the magic circle guaranteed victory.
Originally, after discovering this strategy in the game, I had continued to use it, and it had proven effective.
Furthermore, if all else failed, I could always resort to the method of wearing it down traditionally.
Having both magic and a sword at my disposal meant I had more than one option.
Bang! Bang!
As I began to approach the inner area, there was a bursting sound, and monsters started spawning from Glaesir's body. These monster spawns were like pollen, and once they attached themselves, they turned into annoying creatures.
"Sigh."
Kwaaang!
I combined my swordplay with the Wind Cutter technique and struck out.
The powerful gust from my sword swept through the airborne pollen monsters.
I couldn't kill them all, so a few of them managed to escape, crawling towards me on the ground. Their movement was slow, but their numbers weren't insignificant. I moved diligently to avoid them.
'About a quarter done now?'
Even at this pace, I was making good progress.
I wanted to speed up a bit more, but Glaesir's resistance was putting quite a damper on that.
Whoosh! Thud! Kwaaang!
Whoosh! Thud!
As I got closer, Glaesir's movements became more intense, and dozens of roots brushed past me. I evaded most of the attacks by running and occasionally blocking with my sword, all while making my way towards Glaesir's main trunk.
-Kiririk
New monsters began emerging slowly.
These green creatures were about the size of goblins, but they had a more plant-like appearance. They came right up to me and began detonating themselves.
Kwaaang!
I had anticipated this, so I quickly summoned an Earth Shield to block the explosion. However, seeing the suicide-bombers constantly spawning near Glaesir, I frowned.
'I might need to push it a bit.'
Dealing with pollen monsters alone was already troublesome, but when suicide-bombers joined the mix, things got chaotic.
What's more, if a little more time passed, new monsters would start appearing as well. I had to complete the magic circle before that happened.
'As soon as it's complete, I'll breeze through Phase 2 and 3 and head straight into the final phase.'
The final phase wouldn't be overly long either.
A few sword strikes, a few spells, and it should be done.
Of course, I needed to be cautious.
-Oooh…
Glaesir let out a low growl.
It sounded almost questioning, which was odd.
In Glaesir's eyes, all it could see was me circling its outer area, pouring a strange liquid onto the ground.
Perhaps that was why its root attacks were gradually weakening.
'I didn't expect this.'
Unexpected in a good way, of course.
In the game, the longer time passed, the fiercer the attacks became, regardless of my actions. But in reality, it seemed that this strategy could lead to complacency.
The magic circle was now two-thirds complete.
The upcoming phase would be the most challenging as I had to stick close to Glaesir's main body.
-Uwoooo.
As I drew closer, even Glaesir, who seemed complacent, tensed up once again. It swung massive branches that looked like human arms, which it hadn't used until now.
Whoosh.
I maneuvered like an acrobat, sometimes leaping over obstacles and other times deflecting with Galakshur, all the while continuing to create the magic circle.
My mind was racing so much that it felt like my soul was slipping away, but I focused with all my might, knowing that even the slightest mistake would lead to failure.
Kirik!
Kwaaang!
Whoosh! Thud!
I overcame all sorts of obstacles and finally completed the magic circle.
However, my success had solely depended on evasion and blocking. If I had to attack Glaesir while executing this strategy, I wouldn't have been able to manage it.
'Now I need to retreat outside.'
The activation of the magic circle had to occur outside the circle.
That was a given, but if I activated the circle from inside, I would be dragged into the magic's effects and effectively commit suicide.
Retreating was simple; a straight sprint was all it took.
-Uwooooo!
Seeing me finally close in on its main body and then fleeing, Glaesir let out a puzzled cry.
Don't worry, I'll get you all fired up soon enough.
Stepping back from the magic circle, I was just a hair's breadth away from being touched by Glaesir's roots.
I lightly ignited the roots with a fire-infused aura and pressed my hand onto the ground where the magic circle was drawn.
'It's a bit bigger than the ones I've practiced outside, but it's fine.'
My preparations hadn't been limited to just researching potions. I had also been thoroughly preparing for the Modras Tower.
I had drawn all the magic circles, but arranging the mana was another issue entirely.
While it was possible to deal with inscriptions using magic circles, a large circle like this required careful mana arrangement.
Whoosh!
A root came flying at me, barely scratching my cheek as I turned my head just in time.
While arranging the mana, I couldn't move, which left me vulnerable.
Even though sporadic root attacks continued, they were now manageable, and the magic circle finally started to glow.
Wiiiiing.
Activating the magic circle happened in an instant.
Glaesir, observing the sparkling floor with an odd gaze, suddenly sensed an ominous surge of magical energy and shook its body fiercely, attempting to move.
But it was too late.
The magic circle that covered most of the 30th floor created a simple yet enormous pillar of flames.
Kwaaaang!
Fshhhhhh!
Uwoooooo!
Glaesir's scream of agony reverberated throughout the space, and the still-potent magic circle continued to spew forth pillars of flames.
'The operating time of the magic circle is 30 seconds.'
28, 27... 3, 2, 1.
Thud.
As soon as the column of fire vanished, I ran forward.
Attacking Glaesir now while it was at its weakest was the best way to make clearing this stage even slightly easier.
'I've already won since the point I activated the magic circle.'
However, I didn't let my guard down due to the possibility of unexpected variables.
It was a rule of mine not to relax until the goal was achieved.
Glaesir, now charred and with its demeanor changed, hadn't even noticed me approaching. It was writhing in agony and calling out in pain. It remained unaware that I was climbing up its body.
Swiftly ascending, I reached the top of its head and stepped onto it, and put aura on the blade.
'I'll take it down in one strike.'
The aura of the Galakshur started to change.
It was reminiscent of something my master had shown me before.
'An exploding sword.'
Although I hadn't yet attempted to execute the technique like my master did with sword winds, I could still stab and detonate it.
Crunch!
The sword pierced Glaesir's charred head.
Only then did Glaesir realize I was on its head. It thrashed about and extended its branches toward me, but it was already too late.
Kwaaang!
A tremendous explosion followed by a shockwave erupted.
The explosion was so massive that even I, the user, was affected by the recoil.
I was blasted away by the explosion's force, but just in time, I managed to stop myself from plummeting by embedding the sword into Glaesir's body.
Looking upward, I could see the half-destroyed remains of Glaesir's head, shattered by the explosion of the transformed sword.
Thanks to the magic circle, its head had become brittle and crumbled easily.
Glaesir's final groan was cut short, silenced after a single sound.
I wiped my blood-stained face clean and descended.
I saw the stairs.
'I did it.'
I had taken on the challenge in a state where my stats were higher than ever before, so naturally, I was confident. But unlike in games, where a single mistake might be forgiven, here, even one mistake was unacceptable. That's why I had been on edge.
I consumed the remaining potions and applied ointment to my wounded body.
There was no time to waste.
I immediately stepped onto the stairs leading to the 31st floor.
.
.
.
.
"He did it..."
"Well, what do you know? Did he clear Modras Tower?"
"That's impossible."
Rather than cheers of triumph, the open space in front of the tower resounded with murmurs. There was more of a buzz than outright celebration. At this point, there were no more astonishing powers left to reveal. To those who had initially believed that they couldn't even pass the 20th floor, the current situation was nearly unbelievable.
With each floor they had climbed from the 20th onward, they had expressed amazement. But now, well, it was almost a peculiar phenomenon that didn't even stir their emotions.
"Not bad," Greita Mohaim, the younger sister of Mynus, commented with an intrigued look as she watched the screen.
Although she hadn't wanted to come and was in a somewhat sour mood for being dragged here against her will by her brother, she seemed to understand why her brother had forced her to join him.
"Still, I prefer someone with a bit more substance."
"Just say something for now. I'm not forcing you to like him."
Greita nodded in response to Mynus' words.
The true monster, Maximen, known as the unparalleled being, had reached only the 25th floor.
So if Adrias had conquered up to the 30th floor, it was only natural to be excited about how much further he would grow.
As Mynus looked around, he noticed the emperor's subordinates who had hurried over, the underlings of the Duke, and various scouters from different organizations.
'Old Bart is here, but it seems Mr. Sinclair hasn't arrived yet.'
He had heard that envoys from foreign countries were also planning to visit. By now, there would probably be some kind of conclusion.
Even without the others, Mynus himself had no intention of letting Adrias slip away.
"But why hasn't he come out yet?"
Someone among the students voiced their confusion.
It was only now that people were realizing that Adrias, who had cleared up to the 30th floor, hadn't emerged from the tower yet.
And this realization sparked various assumptions in the minds of many.
"Could it be... the 30th floor isn't... the end?"