[You have completed all “Wrath Trials” and will now ascend to the top to meet with the “Guardian of the Tower of Wrath.”]
As soon as Alex stepped onto the main circular platform in the center of the colossal room, it lit up beneath his feet with a deep crimson glow, pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat.
The message appeared before him.
Around him, the three crimson-lit paths that had previously tested him all surged with energy once more, as if acknowledging the completion of the trials and transferring their essence back into the tower.
Crimson energy flowed through the translucent glass tunnels beneath the platform, channeling into the core and fueling what was to come.
The air thickened with anticipation.
Then…
[Ascension will now begin.]
Beep! RUMBLE!
The entire platform vibrated slightly, then, it began to rise, smoothly, without friction or resistance.
“Oh… so it’s an elevator,” Alex thought, watching the seamless ascent, “That’s why it kept mentioning an ascension. Makes sense now.”
The disk beneath his feet hovered upward, powered solely by the dense energy flowing beneath it.
There were no visible pulleys, gears, or even magic circles.
Alex lifted his gaze.
Far above, near the black portion of the massive yin-yang ceiling, was a barely visible hole, circular and just wide enough for the platform to pass through.
It was located squarely within the dark half, nearly impossible to see at first glance, blending into the void of the dark swirl.
The elevator continued its slow, deliberate rise, heading straight for the tiny aperture.
Wind began to swirl gently around him as the pressure changed.
And then…
[Please remain on the platform at all times. Do not fall. Maintain balance.]
[This is not officially a trial, but you can consider it one.]
“Huh?” Alex blinked, caught off guard by the sudden message.
But before he could fully process it,
FWOOOSH, BOOOOOOOM!!
Without warning, a violent explosion of crimson fire erupted from beneath the platform, blasting it upward at an unimaginable speed.
The entire structure was launched like a bullet, flames trailing behind it in a vortex of chaos and propulsion.
Alex’s eyes widened, but he kept his balance expertly, bending his knees just slightly and keeping his stance stable as the platform surged through the tower’s endless upper shaft.
Fwish, Fwish, Fwish!
Layer after layer of the tower’s upper architecture flew by, the speed far too great for him to properly observe anything.
The tower seemed endless, stretching upward for kilometers, and the elevator showed no signs of slowing.
Everything blurred together, the layers, the light, the roar of wind rushing past his ears.
It was as if he was ascending through a storm tunnel of fire and energy.
Until, at last,
Ding!
[You are about to arrive.]
The platform began to decelerate, gradually at first, and then more steadily as the top drew near.
Though he hadn’t stumbled even once during the violent ascent, Alex was still breathing heavily, the sheer force of it having pressed against him the entire time.
His heart beat not with fear, but anticipation.
He had reached the top. Another tower conquered.
And with it, one of the final pieces of this path was almost within reach.
Only one token would remain after this.
Just one more before the mysterious “Door of Destiny” would open.
The platform slowed even more.
And then… Light.
The ceiling above gave way, revealing the open sky.
It was a deep crimson, almost blood-red, with clouds swirling violently in a vortex pattern.
They spun around the top of the tower like a living storm, crackling with faint lightning and energy that licked the edges of the arena.
“Wow,” Alex muttered, quietly taking it in.
BUMP!
[You have arrived.]
The platform came to a full stop.
He stepped off, finding himself on a vast, open battlefield.
The top of the tower was enormous, easily several kilometers in diameter, and perfectly flat.
There was no ceiling, no further height to climb.
Only sky and space above, stretching endlessly.
The clouds hovered close enough to reach out and touch if one dared to step near the edge.
Alex narrowed his eyes.
There was no chance he’d be allowed to claim the token without one last confrontation.
This kind of battlefield screamed final boss.
And sure enough, the ground began to quake.
From the center of the tower, stone crumbled and reformed, shaking violently.
A throne emerged from the earth, colossal in size, rumbling upward from below like some ancient relic being unearthed.
And seated upon it, unmoving and quiet, was the one responsible for this tower.
[Level 2,000 – Malvir, Guardian of the Tower of Wrath]
A chill rolled through the air, but Alex’s gaze remained calm, unmoved.
Malvir was massive.
The guardian stood five meters tall even while seated.
A towering humanoid encased in jagged, ancient armor, dark steel with crimson markings etched across its plates like veins.
Its armor covered everything, chest, limbs, helmet.
A massive longsword rested in its right hand, the tip pressed against the floor like a scepter.
Its eyes, however, were the most striking feature.
Two glowing crimson orbs, peering through the narrow slit of the helmet.
They locked onto Alex with silent intensity.
The throne itself was decorated with countless skulls of every shape and size.
A graveyard’s worth of challengers had fallen before Malvir, their remains embedded into the throne as grim reminders of failure.
Alex didn’t flinch.
Without a word, he summoned his [Bleeding Dragon Claws], red energy swirling around his arm.
[I will kill it immediately,] the Crown of Calamity said from within.
“Hm…” Alex mumbled, gaze fixed on the guardian.
But then.
FWISH, ZAP!
A bolt of crimson lightning struck the top of the tower, splitting the air with a thunderous roar.
The clouds howled. The tension grew.
Malvir stood up slowly, deliberately, sword in hand.
“Here it comes,” Alex thought.
But instead of attacking, Malvir raised his left hand and snapped his fingers.
The sound of metal against metal rang out across the platform.
“You win,” Malvir said, his voice deep and layered, both calm and resigned.
“Huh?” Alex titled his head, confused.
ZAP, ZAP, ZAP!
Dozens of crimson lightning bolts struck the same spot on the ground just ahead of the throne, one after another.
The energy pulsed, forming a vortex of light.
And from the heart of that storm, something emerged.
Malvir lifted one armored leg and stomped the ground hard.
The resulting shockwave sent the small object flying into the air.
He reached out, caught it with ease, and slowly opened his hand.
Alex saw the glow before anything else.
A small, perfectly smooth token radiating a crimson light, its design sharp and etched with wrathful energy.
The [Token of Wrath].
“I’m not going to fight a battle I know I can’t win,” Malvir said, voice unwavering, “Kill me if you wish, but the token is yours either way.”
He dropped his sword.
It clanged against the stone with a dull thud.
And with a casual motion, he threw the token toward Alex.
Alex caught it without effort.
He hesitated for only a second.
It could’ve been a trick, a setup.
But even if it was, he wasn’t worried, he could always revive himself and return stronger.
Besides, he’d seen this kind of intelligence before.
Some enemies knew when they were outmatched.
And Malvir had clearly witnessed the brutal efficiency with which Alex had conquered all three Wrath Trials.
Ding!
[You have acquired the “Token of Wrath”]
[4 out of 5 tokens obtained. Only one remains before the “Door of Destiny” can be opened.]
This was real. It was over.
Crimson lightning continued to crackle in the distance as Alex stood silently, the token now in his possession.
Across from him, Malvir stood still, watching.
Two warriors, one victorious, the other conceding, both surrounded by energy and silence.
“Hm,” Alex muttered again, nodding, “Good choice.”
Rarely did beings in this world admit defeat. Even rarer was one who accepted it with dignity.
But the moment wasn’t over yet.
“But before I go,” Alex said, lowering his arms slightly but keeping his claws active, “I have a few questions.”
Malvir tilted his head.
“Ask away,” he said, shrugging with his massive shoulders, “Since your only reward here is the token… I suppose I owe you that much.”
Alex smirked.