NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37: Breaking To Level 3!
When he reached Level 100 and became the Master of the Tower of Heaven, his bloodline infusion would be at one hundred percent.
Then Aleron would be free to explore the stars.
He was pleased at the thought. Since he had received the rewards, he calmly stepped into the next level of the Tower of Heaven.
The portal behind Aleron closed in silence, vanishing with a shimmer of silver light.
Before him stretched a battlefield.
The third level of the Tower was a vast stone plain, flat and cracked like the surface of a dried-up lake. The air here was colder, heavier, and thick with a sharp metallic tang. Every breath he drew was laced with the scent of rust, smoke, and blood.
A pale blue glow spilled from the floating crystals embedded high above, casting eerie shadows across the battlefield.
Aleron stepped forward slowly.
The earth trembled beneath his feet.
He paused, eyes narrowing, claws slightly unsheathing from his scaled fingers.
From the far end of the field came the sound of countless footsteps.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The sound grew louder. Heavier.
Hundreds of synchronized steps. The deep, guttural snarls of beasts preparing for war.
A sea of shapes emerged from the shadows.
Goblins. Thousands of them. Crude armor strapped to their torsos, jagged weapons raised high. Their black-green skin crawled with visible corruption.
Their faces had twisted into monstrous caricatures. Eyes glowed a faint, sinister yellow. Fangs bared. Breathing heavy.
Aleron's gaze swept across them with quiet scrutiny.
Their auras were uniform.
Each one had reached Level 2.
He raised his hand slightly, black scales shimmering faintly along his forearm.
A thousand goblins.
His expression remained calm.
"It seems this battle will be slightly tougher."
The goblins howled.
Then they charged.
Aleron's body moved before his thoughts caught up. His wings unfurled behind him, catching the cold air. His legs tensed. He launched into the sky like a released spear.
He rose high above the horde, flames rippling across his chest as his origin energy surged.
Then he dropped.
He crashed into the ground with crushing force, the stone beneath his feet exploding outward. Dozens of goblins were obliterated instantly, torn apart by the raw shockwave.
Blood splashed up his legs as he stood, surrounded by screeches and clawed weapons swinging toward him.
Aleron moved like a beast unchained.
He twisted, catching a blade mid-swing with his right claw, shattering it effortlessly. He dragged the goblin into the air and slammed it into the ground.
Crack.
He didn't stop.
His tail swept sideways, breaking spines and flinging rows of goblins into one another.
Aleron roared.
The sound rippled through the battlefield. The nearest goblins staggered, their knees trembling beneath the pressure of that primal scream.
Then he launched forward.
Every movement was calculated. He struck low, carving out legs. He turned and backhanded another goblin with enough force to cave in its skull. His left wing folded, then shot out sideways, impaling a goblin clean through the chest.
Blood sprayed in every direction.
He stepped on a corpse and leapt again.
This time, he landed in the center of a tightly packed group of nearly forty enemies.
He ripped through them like a storm.
Claws tore through necks. Jaws snapped open and shut. Goblins shrieked and stabbed wildly, but none could reach him.
His instincts sharpened. The faint pulse of the Arcane Star Bloodline flowed inside him like liquid fire. Every flicker of motion was caught by his eyes. Every change in momentum was predicted before it occurred.
The energy amplified his precision. His flow. His control.
He felt lighter. More fluid.
But not invincible.
A blade grazed his side. Another slammed into his back and bounced off his scaled shoulder.
Pain registered, but it felt distant. Secondary.
He grabbed the attacker's arm and yanked it forward, dislocating the joint. With a snarl, he slammed the creature face-first into the stone.
Crack.
He took three steps forward and swept his claws in a wide arc.
Five goblins fell, split in halves.
A notification flickered.
[You have slain a Level 2 corrupted fallen.]
[You have slain a Level 2 corrupted fallen.]
[Progress: 4,721 / 10,000]
Aleron spun, wings slicing the air.
The goblins were adapting.
A few captains bellowed orders. Crude phalanxes formed. Goblins lined up shoulder to shoulder, shields raised, spears drawn tight.
Aleron crouched low, gathering power, and then shot forward.
He crashed into the formation like a meteor, shoulder-first.
He didn't stop.
He ducked under a slash and rammed his fist into a goblin's chest. It exploded backward, crushing three others behind it.
He pivoted, grabbed a captain by the neck, and squeezed. The goblin screamed, then gurgled as Aleron crushed its throat and hurled the limp body into the crowd.
The goblins began to falter.
Even with numbers, even with power, they could not match his ferocity.
Dozens tried to flee, only to be trampled by their own kind.
Aleron moved faster.
Each kill fed his momentum.
His claws were coated in blood, sticky and hot. His body was covered in dozens of minor wounds, yet his expression never changed. He remained calm. Focused. Mechanical.
More notifications flashed across his vision.
[You have slain a Level 2 Abomination.]
[You have slain a Level 2 Abomination.]
[Progress: 4,803 / 10,000]
He fought through pain.
He fought through exhaustion.
Every movement came from instinct.
Another goblin struck his leg. He growled and kicked the creature skyward. Before it hit the ground, he impaled it mid-air with his tail.
He turned, catching a goblin captain's warhammer mid-swing.
He tightened his grip, ripped the weapon free, and swung it in a wide arc that crushed five skulls in one blow.
Crimson mist exploded outward.
Goblins screamed and scattered in terror.
Aleron gave chase.
He tore through a line of archers hiding near the edge of the battlefield, then broke into the final group clustered near the rear.
His foot landed on a corpse.
He turned once more.
Then he stopped.
The field was silent.
No more snarls. No more feet pounding toward him. No more blades clashing.
Only the faint crackle of dying flames. The stench of blood and death. His own breathing.
The battlefield was painted in red and green-black. Corpses lay in heaps, torn, crushed, and charred.
Aleron stood among them.
Chest heaving. Wings half-folded. Body slick with gore and sweat.
Then the system buzzed to life.
[You have slain 1,000 Level 2 Abominations.]
[You have gained 200,000 experience.]
[Progress: 5,721 / 10,000]
[Total Time: 58 seconds]
Aleron exhaled quietly and straightened his posture.
He raised his arm and examined the dark liquid dripping from his claws.
Still warm.
His body ached, and his breathing was shallow, but the star energy inside him continued to circulate.
It had helped.
Barely noticeable to others, but to him, it had made the difference.
Without it, he would have needed ten more seconds. Perhaps fifteen.
He stepped over a corpse and walked toward the glowing portal at the far end of the battlefield.
As he passed the center, he glanced back one final time.
One thousand enemies.
Not a single one remained.
He closed his eyes briefly.
A pale blue luminescent screen flared to life.
[Congratulations on completing the third level of the Tower of Heaven.]
[Do you wish to continue?]
[Yes / No]
He paused only for a second before selecting yes.
The system shimmered once again.
[Congratulations. You are the first to complete the third level within one minute.]
[Your rewards have been increased significantly.]
Aleron raised an eyebrow.
More words appeared.
[Achievement Unlocked: Butcher of the Third Floor]
[Continue completing all levels within a minute to earn greater rewards.]
[Note: Group levels are excluded from this.]
Suddenly, light descended upon him.
An intense wave of pain surged through his veins.
This time, however, the pain was more tolerable.
His previous experiences had hardened him.
Still, it hurt.
He clenched his teeth, refusing to cry out.
The pain dragged on for what felt like hours.
Finally, it faded.
Aleron collapsed to the ground, panting. The cold floor met his cheek, and for a moment he simply lay there in silence.
Then, slowly, he rose and looked at the system screen blinking before him.
[Congratulations. You have received one percent of the Arcane Star Bloodline.]
[Your skills and stats have increased significantly.]
[With this bloodline, you can absorb essence from stars to enhance your abilities and power.]
Aleron read it carefully.
"One percent again…"
At the same time, a faint thought surfaced in his mind. Since the Tower of Heaven was helping him, why hadn't it suffered from karmic backlash yet?
Aleron wanted to see if the Tower was strong enough to withstand the curse.
If so, then he could gauge the power he would need to destroy it himself.
Many thoughts spun in his mind as he glanced around at the Tower of Heaven.
Everything around him was calm. The Tower remained unaffected.
Aleron sighed and shook his head. Perhaps he was overthinking it.
With that, he moved forward again and stepped into the shimmering portal not too far from him.
Level Four was waiting.