The 34th Floor was a treacherous labyrinth of floating islands, suspended in a sea of dense shinsu currents. The islands, connected by fragile bridges and overgrown vines, were shrouded in an eerie mist that made visibility difficult. The constant hum of shinsu in the air created an oppressive silence, broken only by the occasional creak of unstable wood beneath hurried footsteps.
A group of Regulars moved quickly across one of the larger islands, their movements calculated but tense. At their lead was a young man with silver hair streaked with pale lavender, his sword secured at his waist. His eyes, pale and piercing, swept across the misty expanse, catching every movement and shadow. Arie Karean , Their leader and the one who bore the greatest burden of their shared curse.
"Split into pairs," Karean ordered, his voice cutting through the quiet. "Fan out and secure the bridges. They'll try to corner us."
A tall man with dark skin and a jagged scar across his cheek frowned. "And what happens if we meet them head-on? They're Rankers, Karean , This isn't just another test."
Karean's gaze didn't waver. "We don't meet them head-on. We control the terrain. They're here to test us, not kill us."
The man scoffed but obeyed, moving toward one of the eastern bridges. Around Karean , the other members of his team scattered, each taking their positions. They were all anomalies, marked by the volatile and uncontrollable nature of their abilities. But Karean's unyielding presence gave them something to rally around—a sense of purpose in their defiance of the Tower's expectations.
Karean stepped onto a crumbling stone outcrop, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword as he felt the shinsu currents shift. His pale eyes narrowed.
"They're here," he muttered to himself.
---
High above the islands, a lone figure stood at the edge of a craggy cliff. The Ranker's long black coat fluttered in the shinsu-filled wind, and his silver mask gleamed faintly in the mist. He surveyed the labyrinth below, his posture relaxed yet predatory.
His pocket hovered beside him, glowing faintly. A voice crackled through the connection.
"Target group located. They've taken positions near the central island. Orders?"
The Ranker spoke slowly, his tone laced with quiet authority.
"Observe for now. This isn't an extermination. They need to understand their place, not be destroyed."
There was a pause before the voice on the other end asked hesitantly, "And if they resist?"
The Ranker's masked face tilted slightly, as if in amusement.
"They will. But we'll show them restraint. For now."
Closing the connection, he leaped from the cliff. The dense shinsu currents caught him mid-air, carrying him effortlessly across the chasm. He moved like a shadow, silent and deliberate, as he descended toward the central island.
---
Karean stood at the edge of the bridge, watching the swirling mist. Behind him, one of his teammates approached—a young woman with fiery red hair and eyes that glowed like molten lava. Her arms crackled with unstable shinsu, arcs of energy dancing along her fingertips.
"Are we really doing this?" she asked, her voice brimming with frustration. "They'll crush us, Karean , This isn't a fair fight."
Karean didn't turn to face her. "It's never been about fairness, Lira , The Tower doesn't care about fair."
She clenched her fists, her shinsu flaring wildly. "If we lose here—"
"We won't," Karean interrupted, his tone calm but firm. "Not if you keep your power in check. Stay in formation."
Lira glared at him but took a step back, the energy around her dimming slightly.
Before Karean could say more, a low hum reverberated through the mist. The sound grew louder, a deep, oppressive vibration that sent ripples through the shinsu-filled air.
"Contact," Karean said sharply.
From the mist emerged three figures, each one exuding the unmistakable presence of Rankers. They moved with a predatory grace, their expressions calm yet laced with disdain. The leader, a tall man clad in a flowing black coat, stepped forward. His mask, featureless and silver, reflected the faint glow of shinsu around him.
"Arie Karean," the Ranker said, his voice resonating through the mist. "And the rest of the Defects. You've climbed far enough."
Karean didn't respond immediately. He drew his sword slowly, the blade humming faintly with untamed energy. Behind him, his team tensed, their powers sparking to life.
The Ranker tilted his head slightly. "We're not here to kill you. Consider this a… lesson. A reminder of where you stand in the Tower's hierarchy."
Karean stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"If this is a lesson, you should've brought more teachers."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, the Ranker's laughter echoed across the misty expanse, cold and humorless.
"So be it."
The mist erupted into chaos as the Rankers attacked, their movements precise and overwhelming. The Defects fought back with a mixture of raw power and desperation, their abilities flaring unpredictably. Karean's sword cut through the air, its blade trailing arcs of wild shinsu.
---
Far above, beyond the reach of the battle, a Figure watched through the glowing screen of his pocket. His sharp blue eyes reflected the chaos unfolding below, their light cold and calculating.
"The Defects are more resilient than expected," a voice commented from the pocket.
The figure leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "Resilience doesn't equal survival. Let the Rankers test them. If they falter, then they've proven the Great Families right."
"And if they don't?"
A faint smirk touched the man's lips, though his eyes remained unreadable.
"Then they've earned their place. For now."
With a faint chime, the pocket's screen faded, leaving the room once again in darkness.
-----
The battle unfolded in a blur of violent motions. Karean's blade moved with precise grace, cleaving through the air as his shinsu formed a shield around his body. Beside him, Lira unleashed wild bursts of flame, her uncontrolled energy crackling through the mist like an unchained storm.
The three Rankers moved with terrifying synchronicity, each one using their immense power to force the Defects into defensive positions. The Ranker in black, the apparent leader, was at the forefront, effortlessly dodging Karean's strikes with a fluidity that betrayed his experience.
"Your movements are slow, Karean," the Ranker mocked, his voice laced with contempt. He flicked his hand, and a wave of shinsu erupted, sending Lira and another member of Karean's team sprawling backward. "Is this the best the 'Defects' can muster?"
Karean's lips twitched into a grim smile. "Don't let their words get to you," he muttered to his team, his voice steady as he parried a deadly strike aimed at his torso. "Focus. We're not here to win—we're here to survive."
The Ranker's mocking tone turned sharper, and with a single fluid motion, he sent a surge of shinsu toward Karean. The air around him cracked, and the blow was so fast that it nearly reached Karean's chest before he could react. But Karean was faster. He twisted his body, deflecting the strike with the edge of his blade, though he could feel the weight of the energy vibrating through him.
"Impressive," the Ranker said, his voice still devoid of emotion. "But you're already out of your depth."
Suddenly, the mist around them grew thicker, as if the air itself had thickened to match the tension of the encounter. Karean's team regrouped, each member bracing for the next wave of attacks.
"Get ready!" Karean shouted, his voice cutting through the dense air.
Lira, her eyes glowing with fierce intensity, summoned a massive burst of fire. "Let's turn the tide," she growled, her energy surging out of control. The flames licked the edges of the mist, briefly illuminating the battlefield in a fiery glow.
Karean stepped forward. "No. Control your power. Don't let it consume you."
But before she could respond, the Ranker leader waved his hand, creating a vortex of shinsu that absorbed the fire as if it were nothing. The vortex sucked the flames away, and Lira's breath caught in her throat.
"You cannot hope to overwhelm me with such petty tricks," the Ranker said coldly. "Your powers are nothing but unstable elements trying to control themselves."
Karean's eyes flashed with a cold determination. He stepped forward again, this time moving faster than before, the blade in his hand glowing with the wild shinsu he had barely mastered. The air around them crackled in anticipation.
"We'll see about that," Karean muttered, launching himself at the Ranker leader.
---
The clash of their energies reverberated through the islands, an explosion of light and shinsu that threw dust and debris into the air. Karean's blade barely missed the Ranker's torso, cutting through the air with an almost supernatural grace. However, the Ranker's speed and power were far superior. In a quick motion, he redirected Karean's strike, sending the young leader flying backward into the ground with a force that cracked the earth beneath him.
"Pathetic," the Ranker said, standing over him. His mask gleamed under the dim light, its surface unyielding to the chaos around them.
Karean groaned, pushing himself back to his feet, blood dripping from his mouth. "Not yet…" He barely managed to speak before coughing up more blood.
Behind him, Lira struggled to rise to her feet, her limbs shaking from the strain of holding back her power. The rest of Karean's team was faring little better, but they had managed to hold their ground, their combined efforts keeping the Rankers at bay for the moment.
The Ranker in black glanced over at his companions, who were dealing with the others. "Enough," he said coldly. "It's clear they're not worth our full effort. They're just tools for their families, playing their parts in a game that doesn't concern us."
A faint but deliberate pause. The words echoed in Karean's ears, seething with contempt.
"But still," the Ranker continued, "it would be a waste to let you die so easily."
With a flick of his hand, the mist around them thickened further, and the pressure in the air seemed to intensify. Karean staggered to his feet, his eyes narrowing. "What are you—"
The Ranker made a gesture, and the shinsu in the air shifted. A massive force slammed into Karean chest, sending him crashing to his knees. His vision blurred, but he refused to give in. He had led these people this far—he couldn't fail them now.
"You're a disgrace to your name, Arie Karean," the Ranker sneered. "No one has ever broken through to the 36th Floor without first proving their worth. You should have stayed in the shadows."
But before Karean could respond, a voice broke through the tension like a thunderclap.
"That's enough."
The Ranker turned, and for the first time since the battle began, his composure faltered. Emerging from the mist was another figure—tall, cloaked, and radiating an almost oppressive sense of presence. His eyes were glowing with a quiet intensity, cold and calculating.
"We're not here to slaughter them," the newcomer said, his voice chillingly calm. "Let them survive. For now."
The Ranker leader's expression darkened. "And who are you to—"
"I'm the one who gave the orders. We're not to be too harsh on them. The 'Defects' might be broken, but they're still valuable," the figure interrupted.
Karean looked up, still gasping for air, trying to make sense of the scene unfolding before him. The newcomer turned his gaze toward him, his cold blue eyes locking with Kaelion's.
"Karean." he said, his tone carrying an unsettling weight. "You may yet be useful. But first, you'll have to prove it."
---
Far above the islands, in a room bathed in the pale glow of artificial lights, the same blue-eyed man sat, his hand resting on his pocket. His fingers brushed the device, and the screen flared to life. A voice crackled from the other side.
"You saw it, then?" the voice asked, its tone both respectful and cautious.
"Yes," the blue-eyed man replied. "The 'Defects' are far more resilient than anticipated. But they still have much to learn."
"Shall I tell the Rankers to finish the task?"
"No." The blue-eyed man's voice was calm but firm. "Let them be. The Tower's game is far from over, and these anomalies… They're far more interesting than I thought."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he leaned back in his chair, his glowing eyes filled with cold calculation. "We'll see just how far they can go."
----
The island fell into an eerie silence as the Rankers retreated, their figures disappearing into the mist as quickly as they had arrived. The oppressive atmosphere of shinsu lifted, leaving the Defects battered but alive.
Karean remained kneeling on the ground, his breath ragged and his fingers trembling against the hilt of his sword. Around him, his team slowly began to regroup, each one bearing the marks of the brutal encounter.
"That… could have gone worse," Lira muttered, slumping to the ground and wiping blood from her lip. Her flames flickered weakly around her hands before extinguishing completely.
Karean pushed himself to his feet, wincing as pain shot through his ribs. "They weren't trying to kill us. If they had been…"
Lira shot him a sharp glare. "What's the point of a fight if they're not aiming to kill? That was humiliation."
"They were testing us," Karean said, his tone colder than before. He sheathed his blade, ignoring the faint hum of shinsu that still resonated from it. "Whoever sent them wanted to see how far we could go."
The rest of the team exchanged uneasy glances. A younger member, Jane , stepped forward, clutching his injured arm. "Testing us? Why? Who even cares about a bunch of rejects like us?"
Karean's jaw tightened. He looked toward the spot where the Rankers had vanished, his pale eyes narrowing. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that they know we're here. And they won't stop at this."
Lira scoffed. "Great. First, we're 'Defects.' Now we're targets. Wonderful."
Karean turned to face his team, his gaze steady despite the exhaustion that pulled at him. "This isn't the time for complaints. If we don't get stronger, they'll crush us the next time. No hesitation. No mercy."
The weight of his words settled over the group. Even Lira fell silent, her earlier frustration giving way to a grim understanding.
----
In the shadowed halls of a hidden stronghold, the air was thick with tension. A group of F.U.G. members gathered around a circular table, their expressions grim.
At the head of the table sat a woman shrouded in black, her crimson eyes gleaming like embers in the darkness. She was one of F.U.G.'s Elders, a figure whose authority was rarely questioned.
"So," she began, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade, "the Defects survived."
A man on her left sneered. "Barely. Reports say they were completely outclassed. If not for the intervention, they would've been wiped out."
The woman's fingers drummed against the table. "That's irrelevant. What matters is that they're still climbing. And the Tower is beginning to notice."
Another voice spoke up from the far side of the table, softer but no less dangerous. "The Tower always notices anomalies. It's only a matter of time before they're either destroyed or assimilated into something more… useful."
The woman leaned forward, her crimson eyes narrowing. "The question is, do we let them burn out on their own, or do we intervene?"
A tense silence followed her words. Finally, another member broke it. "They could be valuable to us. Tools, if nothing else. Former members of the 10 Great Families bring a certain… weight to their existence, even if they are broken."
"Then keep watching them," the woman ordered. "Let them climb. But ensure they know the Tower isn't a place for those who can't control their power."
"Banji Did Go There though But he hasn't returned yet" A Last Voice Echoed through the room
---
Back in the darkened room, Khun Lian sat in silence, his glowing blue eyes fixed on the holographic display projected infront of him . A map of the 34th Floor shimmered before him, marked with the location of the battle.
A faint chime sounded, and a new voice crackled through the device.
"Report," Lian Said without looking away from the map.
"The Rankers engaged as instructed," the voice replied. "The Defects held their ground longer than anticipated, but it was a clear mismatch. They won't last long if faced with another encounter of this level , Though A Unknown Person Appeared Who forced Eunsaek To Leave"
Lian's Lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes remained cold. "Interesting. And the intervention?"
"It worked as planned. They're rattled, but not broken. They'll keep climbing, for now."
"Good." Lian leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. "Let them struggle. The Tower was built on struggle, after all. If they can't rise above it, they'll be erased like all the other anomalies."
"And if they do rise?"
Lian's smile widened. "Then they'll become something worth watching."
The call ended, and the room fell silent once more. Illian sat there for a moment, his mind already racing through possibilities. The game was just beginning, and the Defects were nothing more than pawns on the board.
But every pawn had the potential to become something greater.
---
On the edge of the island, Karean stood alone, staring out at the endless expanse of mist and shinsu that surrounded the 34th Floor. The others were tending to their wounds or resting, but Karean couldn't bring himself to sit still.
The words of the Rankers echoed in his mind: "You're a disgrace to your name, Arie Karean."
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He had long since stopped caring about his family's expectations, but the weight of his heritage was something he could never fully escape.
"Karean."
He turned to see Lira approaching, her fiery hair glowing faintly in the dim light. She crossed her arms, her expression unreadable.
"We're still alive," she said. "That counts for something, right?"
Karean didn't reply immediately. Instead, he looked back out at the mist. "It's not enough."
Lira frowned. "What do you mean?"
"If we don't get stronger," Karean said, his voice quiet but firm, "then surviving won't matter. The Tower will crush us, just like it crushes everyone who doesn't belong."
Lira hesitated, then nodded. "Then we'll get stronger. Together."
Karean turned to face her, a faint glimmer of determination returning to his pale eyes. "Together," he echoed.
The two of them stood there in silence, the weight of their resolve settling between them like an unspoken promise.
Here's a standalone scene introducing a mysterious red-eyed man at the Defects' place.
---
The ruins of the Defects' temporary base on the 34th Floor were quiet, save for the faint crackle of dying shinsu embers and the occasional creak of fractured stone. The recent battle had left the area in shambles—scorched earth, crumbled walls, and broken weapons strewn across the ground.
Despite the destruction, a sense of eerie calm hung in the air. The island's mist thickened as if cloaking the place in secrecy.
In the center of the wreckage, where the Defects had last regrouped, a figure sat casually on a broken pillar. His crimson eyes burned faintly in the dim light, glowing with an unnatural intensity. The faint hum of concentrated shinsu surrounded him, distorting the air like a predator's aura.
The man leaned back, his movements unhurried as he observed the chaos around him. His dark, flowing coat billowed faintly in the breeze, and his sharp features were framed by long, unruly black hair. A small, amused smile played on his lips.
"Quite the mess," he muttered to himself, his voice low and smooth. He plucked a shard of broken stone from the ground, turning it over in his fingers as if studying its history.
Footsteps echoed faintly from the distance. The man didn't move, but his red eyes flicked toward the sound. A group of scouts from the local Floor approached cautiously, their weapons drawn.
"You there!" one of them called, his voice trembling slightly. "This area is off-limits. State your name and reason for being here!"
The man tilted his head, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly. For a moment, he said nothing, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably. Then, he tossed the stone shard aside and stood, his full height imposing in the faint light.
"State my name?" he said softly, his smile widening. "Now, why would I do that?"
The scouts exchanged nervous glances, their hands tightening on their weapons. "This is your last warning," another scout said, though his voice wavered. "Leave immediately, or we'll—"
Before he could finish, the man disappeared. In an instant, he reappeared in front of the group, his crimson eyes glowing brighter than before. The air seemed to grow heavier, crushing them with an invisible force.
One by one, the scouts collapsed to their knees, gasping for breath. The man crouched before the leader, his smile now razor-sharp. "Do you know what happens to those who step where they shouldn't?" he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.
The scout could only gasp, his body frozen in fear.
The red-eyed man chuckled softly. "Don't worry. I'm not here for you." He straightened and stepped back, the pressure easing as he turned his attention to the ruins once more.
As the scouts scrambled to retreat, the man's voice followed them, calm and chilling. "Tell your superiors that the Defects' time isn't over. Not yet , I'll keep them in check"
The last thing the scouts saw as they fled was the man's glowing red eyes watching them, unblinking, from the shadows of the ruins.
When they were gone, the man let out a soft sigh and sat back down on the pillar. His fingers traced a faint pattern in the stone as he murmured to himself.
"A broken sword… shattered will… Such fragile little flames." He closed his eyes briefly, as if savoring a thought. "Let's see how long they can burn."
The mist thickened around him, swallowing his figure in the haze until all that remained was the faint glow of his crimson eyes, like embers in the darkness.
( There won't be too many POV Switches from the next ch sorry If it's confusing , also a pretty big ch so enjoy , Ask me if there's any confusion )