Chapter 137: **Void Walker Kassadin**
After dispatching the two Void Creatures, Tina crossed her legs, settling into a meditative position to absorb the residual energy left by the creatures.
Two minutes passed, and Tina's eyes opened slowly.
"How do you feel?" Su Yu asked, using [Insight] to check Tina's stats. Despite her efforts, she remained at level 50 without a visible upgrade.
Tina took a deep breath, her gaze focused. "I can feel the power within me consolidating," she explained, a look of determination in her eyes. "Because of my bloodline, I jumped from first rank directly to third, but it left me with a shaky foundation. That's why fighting someone of the same rank, like Margaret, was such a challenge, let alone opponents of higher levels."
Su Yu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. *Margaret*, the unicorn instructor, was one of the strongest within her rank. For Tina, a newcomer to the third rank, to even match her was quite an achievement. *And she's worried?* he thought, amused.
Tina continued, her confidence growing. "But now that I've absorbed this energy, I can feel my strength solidifying. My foundation's strengthening, and I'll be able to unleash even greater power soon."
She clenched her fists, brimming with newfound resolve. "If I can keep absorbing the energy here and further stabilize my foundation, I'm confident that not just one but *two* instructors like Margaret wouldn't stand a chance against me!"
"Alright, then," Su Yu chuckled, wiping away a bead of sweat. "Let's take down as many creatures as possible to help you build that foundation." *It looks like Margaret has become our unit of measurement.*
"Yes!" Tina punched the air, her fighting spirit undeterred.
---
**Meanwhile, outside the portal of the Advanced Secret Realm...**
The fourth-floor trial grounds, once dark and desolate, were now brightly lit and bustling with people.
"Margaret, did Tina truly enter the portal?" Gracie, Commander of the Unicorn Army, stared at the shimmering blue portal, a deep frown etched on her face.
Several instructors stood behind Gracie, each with different reactions—some watched with curiosity, others with pity, while a few seemed more concerned about their next meal.
Yet, on the surface, they all kept their eyes on Margaret, exerting a collective pressure.
"I'm sorry, Commander," Margaret replied, her head lowered as she recounted every detail of what had just transpired, especially emphasizing the mistaken guidance that led Tina's knight attendant to escort her into the portal.
"A male knight attendant for Tina?" Gracie mused aloud, sounding intrigued. "Could he be… 'The Nemesis'?"
"Yes! But, how did you know?" Margaret blinked, astonished. She hadn't mentioned the knight's name. *Could Commander Gracie read minds?*
"I had a guess. I've encountered him before." Gracie swept a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes distant.
Her memory wandered to last night, when her squire, Xiong DeAndre, informed her about a goblin merchant, [Navi Black Gold], who was apparently on the brink of bankruptcy. The reason? A duel between Tina and her rival Er, which cost Navi a fortune due to a bet. His losses pushed him into a gambler's spiral, and now he was in debt, cursing "The Nemesis" for ruining him.
In addition, Gracie had seen Tina's mysterious attendant before due to Tima's quest, so she recognized him. She hadn't expected, however, that he would actually become Tina's knight attendant.
"Cough," Gracie cleared her throat, pulling herself back to the present. "Margaret, though the situation wasn't entirely your fault, some responsibility does fall on you."
"I understand, Commander," Margaret said, bowing her head even lower.
"Then, here's your consequence: if Tina returns alive, you'll face no penalty. But if she doesn't…" Gracie's expression turned steely. "You'll be fined a full year's salary, as per legion regulations. Understood?"
A wave of relief crossed Margaret's face. "Yes, Commander. I understand."
Gracie gave a brief nod, her eyes turning back to the portal, her expression complex.
*Tina, you must survive! The last prophecy from the great astrologer Sturm said that you are the Empire's final hope. If we lose you, I'll bear the guilt of a lifetime.*
---
**Back in the Secret Realm...**
This particular realm was a grueling dungeon, with the path to completion fraught with danger.
Three mini-bosses—[Spiritual Prophet], [Void Colossus], and [Spell-Breaking Mask]—all possessed numerous powerful abilities. Each boss also came with a cadre of underlings, making the fights especially challenging.
Thankfully, the layout of this dungeon wasn't linear like most. Paths branched off, allowing Su Yu and Tina to clear the peripheral mobs first, helping Tina strengthen herself gradually.
Once they'd defeated all the minor creatures, they moved toward the mini-bosses one by one.
…
While this trial realm offered no experience points, each of the three mini-bosses dropped a [Void Stone] upon being defeated.
> **[Void Stone (Common)]:** Enchant equipment with a 3% chance for attacks and skills to deal 30% true damage based on attack and spell power.
Upgrading it to epic quality raised the chance to 12%, with 120% true damage. When further upgraded to legendary quality, it added a 3% chance to cast [Void Imprisonment].
These stones were excellent for enchanting weapons, especially effective for multi-hit spells like [Rain of Fire] and [Lenzhu Fireball].
After methodically working through the mobs and bosses, Su Yu and Tina finally reached the dungeon's final boss—[Voidwalker Kassadin].
A towering 20-meter Void entity, Kassadin held a dark purple lightsaber, his armor matching in hue. A blood-red cloak billowed from his shoulders, making it clear this would not be an easy fight.
Of course, this was merely a projection of Kassadin, just as the [Desert Emperor Azir] they faced in Amumu's Death instance was a projection.
"Tina, let's do as we did before," Su Yu instructed.
"Got it!" Tina nodded, planting herself firmly to begin channeling her power.
Su Yu gathered his own magic, drawing upon the energy for his multi-cast spell, [Lightning Strike].
Once his magic was fully charged, he gave Tina a nod.
Understanding the signal, Tina leapt forward like a bolt of lightning, quickly returning with the massive boss hot on her heels.
As soon as Kassadin was within range, Su Yu unleashed his spell.
*Crack!*
A massive lightning bolt descended, striking Kassadin. The boss's health immediately dropped by 10%.
*What insane health! Or maybe his magic resistance is absurdly high?* Su Yu's expression turned serious. Against the mini-bosses, his [Lightning Strike] had consistently drained about 40% of their health, but against Kassadin, it barely scratched the surface. This boss was clearly on another level.
Kassadin's attention immediately focused on Su Yu. Raising his sword, he unleashed a massive, purple-black orb that shot toward Su Yu.
The orb moved at an alarming speed, closing in almost instantly. Su Yu barely had time to react, hurriedly casting [Blink] to dodge to the side.
But the orb, defying expectations, curved sharply midair, resuming its path straight toward him.
"Are you kidding me? Homing attacks?!"
Left with no other options, Su Yu activated his [Lightning Shield] and braced himself for impact.
*Whooom…*
The purple-black orb collided with Su Yu, enveloping him in the infinite darkness of the Void.