"Terry's words hit the group hard. The sheer power of a human ability that could transform an entire building and kill thousands was terrifying. Facing someone with such a power was bound to carry grave risks.
'So, what now? We have no way to retreat, and going up against this person with unknown abilities doesn't bode well,' Max said, looking over at Henry. As the team leader, the final decision about their next moves rested with him. Henry understood what his close friend meant. After years of knowing Max, he knew that he wasn't afraid or cowardly; he just wanted to evaluate their options. Max was brave, but he wasn't reckless. Confronting such a deadly, unknown power without a solid plan first was a risk no one wanted to take.
'Alright. We can't back out, even if we wanted to. And I don't want to run, either. Whoever did this deserves to die. I have many friends in the tower, and I won't let him get away with it. Plus, we can't leave such a threat lingering amid all the chaos and battles. So, we move forward. The door at the end of the room likely leads us to the upper floors, so we'll keep going until we find whoever is behind this and eliminate them,' Henry declared with resolve.
He looked at the group as he spoke with confidence. After the fight they just had, he realized that these blood creatures didn't pose much of a threat to them. Besides, he couldn't bear to leave someone capable of mass murder loose in the university.
'I agree with you. But we need to stay on guard. I have a feeling that someone is watching us, so we have to be extra cautious,' Alex responded, aligning himself with Henry's resolve. He, too, didn't want to let a threat like this persist. It seemed that this person's abilities weren't yet powerful enough to be a serious danger to them, so Alex had made up his mind. He would kill the person behind this strange ability before they could grow stronger and become a greater threat.
'Alex, can you pinpoint who's watching us or where they are?' Henry asked, putting more trust in this mysterious ally. Alex's abilities and skills, proven in combat, made his strength clear.
'No, but I'm certain they've been observing us since the moment we entered the tower,' Alex replied. The group felt a wave of unease. There was a high chance that their observer was the very contract wielder they were pursuing. If he was watching them, then he could be studying their abilities. However, this didn't worry the team too much at the moment since they hadn't revealed any critical powers, aside from Max and Terry. Terry's complex ability was hard to decipher, so it wasn't an issue. Max's ability, however, had a visible limitation: the longer the fight, the more his stamina would wane. This was a problem because they all knew they would face many battles to reach the top.
'My ability is the simplest and easiest to figure out, so I'll handle getting rid of the lesser creatures. I'll leave the boss to you,' Max stated, realizing his own limitation. Unhesitant, he assumed a more supportive role in the mission. Avoiding complexity, he opted for the most logical option. Alex admired Max's decision, as it was the most effective strategy in their current situation. With no objections from the rest of the team, they all approached the door, joining hands. Max led at the front, covered in a full platinum-colored suit of armor reminiscent of medieval knights. He looked like a metallic warrior.
As they opened the door and stepped through, the scene changed abruptly. The group found themselves in a vast room, spanning hundreds of square meters and filled with blood-red stone columns. Upon their arrival, the pillars started to shake violently. Before anyone could react, the pillars transformed into stone creatures, each one the color of blood, numbering nearly a hundred.
Before the stone creatures could move, two figures sprang into action. Alex and Max dashed in opposite directions, each determined to strike first and reduce their numbers. They weren't foolish enough to let their enemies get fully organized.
Alex headed to the right. Once he was in front of one of the stone creatures, he extended his sword to two meters, slicing it cleanly at the waist before it could move. Each of these creatures was nearly two and a half meters tall, towering over any human. After dispatching the first, he swiftly took down five more before they began to respond. As he cut down the sixth, two stone creatures blocked his path. He swung his sword to cut through them, but one of the stone creatures did something unexpected—it caught his blade in its hands. When he tried to pull it free, a second creature grabbed the blade as well, holding it tightly. With no time to react, a third creature came up behind him, swinging a fist at his head.
Alex let go of the sword and leaped into the air, soaring up to a height of ten meters. From above, he looked down and extended his hand toward the blade. Using his blood manipulation ability, he transformed the sword into a razor-sharp disc. Freed from the creatures' grasp, the disc began spinning rapidly, breaking through the three stone creatures with ease.