As the second-floor arena dissolved into shimmering light, Rodensky and Emmanuel found themselves standing in a circular chamber, its walls lined with glowing runes that pulsed softly, casting faint shadows across the floor. In the center of the room stood a translucent blue portal, rippling like water in the moonlight.
"Congratulations, challengers," the system announced. "You have cleared the second floor. The third floor will begin in 10 minutes. Prepare yourselves."
The announcement was followed by a soft chime, and a glowing countdown timer appeared in the air: 10:00... 9:59... 9:58...
Rodensky leaned on his sword, catching his breath. His chest rose and fell as he felt the ache in his muscles—a clear reminder that he wasn't invincible, no matter his bloodline advantage.
"Ten minutes to rest?" he muttered. "That's new."
"About time," Emmanuel said, dropping to the ground with a loud sigh. He leaned back on his hands, his greatsword lying next to him. "That last fight was insane. Did you see the size of that thing? Almost like it was trying to bite my head off!"
Rodensky chuckled, though his eyes were already scanning the room. "It was tough, but we handled it. The next floor's going to be even harder, though. We can't get too comfortable."
Emmanuel shrugged. "We've got ten minutes. Might as well make the most of it."
---
Rest and Reflection
Rodensky sat cross-legged on the ground, focusing on the faint hum of energy around him. He'd noticed it during their climb—it wasn't just the monsters or the battles; the entire hall seemed alive, as though it were testing more than just their strength.
"Do you think there's a point to all this?" he asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
Emmanuel glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "A point? You mean besides leveling up and getting stronger?"
Rodensky nodded. "Yeah. It feels... deliberate, like this isn't just a random challenge. The system, the floors, the monsters—it's all too organized."
Emmanuel shrugged again, though his expression turned thoughtful. "I don't know. Maybe it's just a game trying to push us to our limits. Or maybe there's something bigger waiting at the top."
Rodensky didn't respond, his mind turning over the possibilities. The thought of a greater purpose both intrigued and unsettled him.
---
Gear Check and Strategy
With five minutes remaining, they began to inspect their weapons and armor. Rodensky's short sword was nicked and dull in places, the result of the relentless battles. Emmanuel's greatsword had fared better, but even it showed signs of wear.
"I hope there's a forge or something on the next floor," Emmanuel said, running a finger along the edge of his blade. "This thing's not going to last much longer."
"Same here," Rodensky said, examining his sword. "We'll have to rely on our skills more than ever. No room for mistakes."
The glowing timer reached 1:00, and the portal began to shimmer more brightly, its surface rippling like an agitated pond.
"Ready?" Rodensky asked, standing and gripping his sword tightly.
Emmanuel grinned, his fangs flashing. "Always."
---
The Third Floor: Trial of Shadows
As they stepped through the portal, the world around them shifted. The air grew cold, and a thick mist clung to the ground, obscuring their view. Towering trees loomed in the distance, their twisted branches forming eerie silhouettes against the dim, bluish light filtering through the fog.
"Welcome to the third floor," the system intoned. "Trial Difficulty: Advanced. Monster count: Unknown. Time limit: 30 minutes. Objective: Survive the Shadows."
Rodensky's heart sank. "Unknown monster count? Great."
"I like the sound of 'advanced,'" Emmanuel said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what this floor's got."
The ground beneath them began to tremble, and the mist swirled violently as shapes emerged from the darkness. They were humanoid figures, their bodies composed entirely of shifting shadows. Each one held a weapon—swords, axes, spears—that seemed to absorb the light around them.
The system chimed again. "Warning: The shadows cannot be harmed by ordinary weapons. Use your bloodline abilities to weaken them before striking."
Rodensky exchanged a look with Emmanuel. "Bloodline abilities? Guess we're about to see what we're really capable of."
---
The Battle Begins
The first shadow lunged at Rodensky, its spear aimed directly at his chest. He dodged to the side, his agility boosted by his Elf bloodline, and slashed at the creature with his sword. The blade passed through harmlessly, the shadow reforming instantly.
"Not good," he muttered, backing away.
Emmanuel was having similar trouble. His greatsword cleaved through one of the shadows, but it simply reformed, its hollow eyes fixed on him.
"Alright," Emmanuel said, raising his hand. "Time to get serious."
With a sharp motion, he sliced his palm, letting a drop of blood fall to the ground. The blood shimmered with dark energy before erupting into tendrils that lashed out at the nearest shadow. The creature recoiled, its form flickering as though struggling to hold itself together.
"That works," Emmanuel said with a grin, summoning more blood tendrils to attack the shadows.
Rodensky focused inward, tapping into his connection with the natural world. He could feel the trees around him, their ancient roots pulsing with life. Drawing on that energy, he extended his hand, and a wave of greenish light emanated from his palm. The shadows near him slowed, their movements becoming sluggish.
"Now's our chance!" he shouted.
Together, they moved with precision, Emmanuel's blood tendrils and Rodensky's spirit energy weakening the shadows before they struck with their weapons. Slowly but surely, they began to thin the horde.
---
A New Threat
Just as they thought they were gaining the upper hand, the ground shook violently, and a new shadow emerged. This one was massive, its form shifting constantly between a humanoid figure and a monstrous beast. Its eyes glowed an eerie white, and its weapon—a colossal scythe—radiated a dark energy that made the air around it crackle.
"Boss Shadow detected," the system announced. "Survive and eliminate to proceed."
Rodensky tightened his grip on his sword, his heart pounding. "Here we go again."
Emmanuel grinned, his blood tendrils writhing around him like living creatures. "Now this is more like it."
The shadow boss roared, its voice shaking the very air, and charged at them with terrifying speed.