The Tower groaned around Cain Velstra like a dying god.
"Boss is charging," Lucis called out. His voice was calm, even as stone trembled beneath their feet.
Cain narrowed his eyes as the ogre erupted from the shadows ahead—twelve feet of bulging muscle, iron armor cracked and fused to its flesh, steam hissing from the gaps in its shoulders. Its club was a slab of fused obsidian and bone, etched with glowing runes that pulsed in time with its heaving breath.
Tower Floor 69's boss: Gorath the Gatebreaker.
"Arin, ice him! Mira, circle left! Lucis, hold center!" Cain shouted.
Lucis slammed his shield into the ground with a golden burst of light. A rune-ring expanded outward, anchoring his position.
"On it," Arin muttered, already weaving mana through his fingers. A trio of sigils blazed into existence before him. A frozen lance tore through the air and struck Gorath in the thigh, encasing it in a sheet of frost.
The ogre roared. It tore free in seconds, muscles steaming as frost exploded off its skin.
"That pissed him off," Mira said sweetly as she vanished into shadow.
Cain moved.
No hesitation.
No fear.
He was already sprinting before Gorath finished its next step. A crimson skill glyph lit up under his boots:
[Bloodline Skill Activated: Lunge – Bloodline Variant]
He streaked forward like a blade unleashed—
—and smashed his sword into Gorath's ribs.
It barely flinched.
The ogre roared and twisted, its club lashing out with a burst of fire-etched energy. Cain ducked low, letting the wind of the strike tear past his hair—
—but Lucis wasn't so lucky.
The club caught him across the chest with a shattering crunch.
Lucis's shield splintered. His body lit up with a death glyph. A moment later, he disintegrated into golden shards of light, armor and all.
[Lucis – Deceased. Respawn Pending… 00:01:30]
Cain didn't break stride.
Lucis would be back.
He slammed into Gorath again, this time driving his sword toward the boss's shoulder joint. Sparks flew as steel scraped bone-fused plating.
Lucis's respawn timer ticked down as Arin unleashed a chain of lightning into Gorath's face, temporarily blinding it.
"Now!" Cain roared.
Mira burst from stealth behind the ogre, twin daggers glowing. She vaulted up the ogre's back, stabbed both blades into its spine, and kicked off before it could reach her.
"Arin!"
The mage snarled, thrusting his hand forward.
[Spell Cast: Cascade Flare]
Three fireballs slammed into Gorath's open chest wound. It reeled.
Cain didn't wait.
He climbed.
Boots hit kneecap, thigh, shoulder. One fluid motion.
His sword lit red with a low hum. A Bloodline skill—something no one else in the Tower had.
He reached the ogre's throat and drove the blade straight through.
Gorath stiffened.
Cain twisted.
Black-red ichor exploded across him as the ogre toppled.
[Boss Defeated — +48,900 XP]
[Vitality Surge: +5%]
He stood atop the corpse, chest heaving, sword still humming. Steam rose off his shoulders. Blood dripped from his armor.
A burst of light flared behind him as Lucis respawned.
[Lucis – Respawn Complete. System Sync: 98%]
Lucis stretched his neck with a crack and picked up the remains of his shattered shield.
"Ugh. Hate the cooldown lag."
Cain turned to him. "Could've gone faster if someone hadn't face-tanked the slam."
Lucis groaned. "That was one hit. I got staggered."
"You also got vaporized. That was a full death, my guy."
"Quit dying and you won't have to deal with it," Mira said, smirking.
"Next time, you tank."
"Next time, don't be in the way."
Cain laughed. He felt alive.
The Tower shuddered—deep and low, like the belly of the world grumbling. Above them, the next floor's gate began to glow.
Floor 69, cleared.
Only death waited above.
Cain welcomed it with open arms.