Tower Arc | Verdict of the Third Floor
Location: Core Chamber, Verdant Maze – Final Zone
The trio stood before a living gate.
It wasn't made of wood or stone—it was woven from vines, blood, and memory. Faces appeared within its folds: people they had seen die in the tower. Friends. Enemies. Even illusions.
Above the gate hovered a sigil—three interlocked rings. It pulsed once, then glowed white.
[Verdant Maze Floor Clearance Trial – Final Combat Phase Initiating]
Objective: Defeat the Warden of the Thornwood Pact.
Warning: Enemy adapts to the regrets in your heart.
💀 Boss Room: The Thornwood Warden
As they stepped through, the temperature dropped.
The chamber was massive—roots spiraled like ribs over a blackened battlefield. At its center stood a creature—ten feet tall, plated in crimson bark, with roots slithering like snakes from its spine. It had no eyes, only a mouth carved into a perpetual scream.
[Thornwood Warden – Tower Construct – Elite Class]
"Oathbreakers. Come. Let me feed on your doubt."
Kaido charged first. "We're not afraid of a glorified tree!"
He swung his warhammer with a battlecry—but the Warden's roots moved before the blow landed. A flash of prediction. It countered—striking Kaido in the ribs and sending him flying.
Riya snapped her fingers and sent a bolt of lightning at its flank—but the bark was too thick. It absorbed most of the damage.
Ankit didn't move yet.
"Regret," he whispered.
He closed his eyes.
He didn't have regrets.
He had guilt. He had grief. But not regrets.
His eyes flared with mana.
⚔️ Ankit's True Strike
"Riya, aim for the roots," he ordered. "Kaido, get its focus."
They moved like a unit. Riya blasted the floor with a static burst, stunning the base of the creature. Kaido charged again, but slower—this time timing the hammer for an overhead arc.
The Warden raised both arms to defend.
That's when Ankit appeared behind it—his movement blurred, enhanced by a surge of soul energy.
[Skill Proficiency: Twin Talwar – Flash Crescent – 84% Mastery]
He slashed upward.
A clean, X-shaped cut crossed its back. The creature roared—first in rage, then in pain. Real pain.
It bled.
🌿 Tower System Update
[Warden HP: 41%]
[Weak Point Exposed – Core Root Node: Left Rib]
[Synergy Attack Unlocked]
"Together!" Ankit shouted.
Kaido struck the core root node with brute force, cracking it. Riya overloaded it with a piercing surge. Ankit finished the combo by driving both swords into the broken node.
The Warden screamed—its bark peeled away, revealing a mass of light and sorrow.
[Boss Defeated – Floor 3 Cleared]
[You have earned the title: Thorn-Verdant Challenger]
[You have earned: +2 Stat Points | +1 Trait Point | 300 Soul XP]
🎖️ Post-Battle Rewards – Ankit's Panel Update
[Ankit Kumar – Soul Climber ID: 02117]
• Progression Level: 12
• Soul Weapon: Twin Talwar of Oaths – Growth Type
• Soulmark: Stable – Type: Oathbound
• Stat Distribution:
Strength: 18
Agility: 21
Vitality: 16
Perception: 14
Mana: 24
• Traits:
Oathbound Heart – (+15% Defense & Speed boost when protecting allies)
Tower Resistor (NEW) – (+10% resistance to mental-type illusions)
🕊️ Scene Transition – Tower Exit Chamber
The team emerged into the moonlit clearing at the top of Floor 3. A familiar glyph awaited them—the Return Gate to Earth.
[You have 1 month before you must re-enter the tower to continue climbing.]
[Do you wish to return now?]
Riya looked at Ankit. "What now, leader?"
Kaido grunted. "Back home. We need rest."
Ankit stared at the gate, thoughtful.
"No. We need more than rest."
He turned to them, eyes steady.
"We're founding our own guild. A place where trust isn't weakness—and where climbers don't die alone."