Eren stepped forward cautiously, his boots crunching on the coarse ground beneath him. The air was heavy with tension, carrying an unshakable sense of foreboding. The vast cavern stretched endlessly into darkness, illuminated only by faint, pulsing veins of blue light running along the walls and ceiling. The rhythmic glow matched the steady pounding in his chest.
The Tower wasn't hiding its intentions anymore; this floor felt alive, aware, and eerily focused on him.
His breath steadied as he scanned his surroundings. The system interface flickered into view, displaying sparse information.
Floor Objective: Undefined
Hazard Level: Unknown
Status: Anomaly Monitoring Active
"Great," Eren muttered. "Undefined and unknown. Just how I like my odds."
The sound of shifting stone echoed from somewhere deep within the cavern, and Eren's eyes darted toward the source. He tightened his grip on his crafted dagger—a compact weapon reinforced with mana threads. While primitive compared to his workshop creations, it was effective enough to handle what the Tower had thrown at him so far.
A low growl resonated from the shadows.
Eren froze, his senses sharpening as a massive figure emerged from the darkness. It was a beast unlike any he'd seen before—a hulking amalgamation of stone and sinew, with crystalline growths jutting from its shoulders and back. Its eyes burned with a cold, unfeeling blue light, the same color as the veins in the cavern walls.
The system chimed.
Entity Identified: Crystal Golem Sentinel
Threat Level: High
Weakness: Unstable Core (Chest)
Eren didn't wait for more information. His feet shifted into a defensive stance as the golem roared, the sound reverberating through the cavern like a thunderclap. It lunged forward with surprising speed, its massive arm crashing down where Eren had been standing a moment earlier.
Rolling to the side, Eren activated the scanner he'd cobbled together in the Phantom Gate. The device sputtered but managed to display faint readings of energy surges within the golem's chest.
"Unstable core, huh?" Eren murmured, dodging another swipe. "Let's see how unstable."
He darted forward, weaving through the beast's attacks, his mind racing. The golem's movements were powerful but predictable, each strike leaving brief openings. With practiced precision, Eren hurled a mana-infused shard toward the creature's chest.
The shard struck true, embedding itself near the core. The golem staggered, its roar shifting to a metallic wail as cracks spiderwebbed across its crystalline torso.
But the fight was far from over. The golem adapted, its movements becoming more erratic as it charged Eren with unrelenting force.
Eren grimaced. "Of course you're learning."
He reached for his grappling device—a crude but reliable tool he'd salvaged from previous floors. With a flick of his wrist, the hook shot upward, latching onto an overhanging stalactite. Eren ascended quickly, evading the golem's wild swings.
From his vantage point, he spotted the core more clearly—a glowing sphere of unstable energy encased in crystalline armor. It pulsed erratically, matching the veins of light on the cavern walls.
Eren adjusted his grip on the grappling line and drew another shard. This time, he infused it with more mana, pushing the limits of his control. The shard glowed brightly, its edges shimmering with raw energy.
Timing his descent, Eren released the line and plunged toward the golem. With a forceful throw, he drove the shard directly into the core.
The reaction was immediate. The golem froze, its body trembling as energy surged through its form. The cracks widened, and with a deafening explosion, the creature shattered into fragments.
Eren landed hard, rolling to absorb the impact. He rose slowly, brushing dust from his coat as the system interface appeared once more.
Crystal Golem Sentinel Defeated
Tokens Earned: 10
Analyzing…
Before Eren could catch his breath, the cavern trembled. The veins of light along the walls brightened, pulsating faster. A new message appeared on the interface.
Warning: Flux Signature Detected. Initiating Lockdown Protocol.
Eren's eyes narrowed. "Lockdown?"
The ground beneath him shifted, and a massive gate materialized at the far end of the cavern. Its surface was etched with intricate runes, glowing faintly as if responding to his presence.
The Tower wasn't just testing him anymore—it was reacting to him.
Eren stepped toward the gate, his resolve hardening. Whatever lay beyond, he was ready to face it. The mysteries of the Tower wouldn't unravel themselves, and he wasn't about to back down now.
With a deep breath, he placed his hand on the gate. The runes flared to life, and the portal opened, bathing him in blinding light.
The next challenge awaited.