In Layer 60, the atmosphere had changed completely.
Solaris stood surrounded by armored skeleton monsters, their rusted plates clanking as they moved in tight formations. Unlike the clumsy undead from earlier layers, these ones advanced with discipline—shields raised, blades steady, their hollow eyes glowing with eerie focus.
Their movements were significantly faster now. Coordinated. Calculated.
At first glance, they almost looked like proper soldiers marching into battle.
Solaris narrowed his cyan-blue eyes.
"So… finally."
The skeletons lunged all at once, swords flashing through the dim forest light.
Solaris moved.
A single swing.
Silver light cut across the battlefield like a crescent moon.
And just like that—many of armored skeletons split apart as if their bodies were made of fragile paper. Armor shattered, bones scattered, and the ground filled with collapsing echoes.
"Thank goodness," he thought, watching the remains fall apart. "At least now they're giving me something close to a challenge."
Solaris exhaled slowly, his sword lowering to his side.
"Still… I need to end this quickly," he muttered. "I came here for the high-rank trees. Not endless skeleton soldiers."
---
Suddenly—
three undead soldiers dropped from above, crashing down like falling shadows. Each one moved differently—one thrust forward with a precise stab, another swung wide with heavy force, while the third aimed straight for Solaris's blind spot.
Solaris reacted instantly.
His sword moved in smooth arcs, countering each attack perfectly. Steel clashed against rusted blades as he blocked, redirected, and stepped aside without wasting a single movement.
But the moment he pushed them back—
more came.
Dozens of armored undead soldiers emerged from the forest, marching in disciplined formation. Their movements were sharp, almost human.
Solaris's expression hardened.
"They're coordinating…"
He leapt backward, scanning the battlefield.
Then he saw it.
In the distance stood a giant soldier clad entirely in black armor, towering above the others. Its presence alone felt heavy, oppressive. A massive weapon rested at its side while it silently commanded the undead army, every movement precise and controlled.
The ordinary soldiers obeyed instantly.
Solaris gripped his sword tighter, the metal humming softly in his hand.
"…That's enough," he muttered.
His eyes narrowed, a hint of frustration mixing with determination.
"I didn't want to use this technique…"
A faint wind began to circle around him.
"…but I have no choice."
---
I raised my sword above my head in a familiar stance.
My muscles twisted and tightened. Veins pulsed beneath my skin as pressure built inside my body. Heat surged through me—generated purely from compressed strength and controlled force.
The air around the blade began to tremble.
"Wind Slash."
The moment the words left my mouth—
A blinding flash erupted from the edge of my sword.
The pressure exploded forward.
Not just wind—
It was a compressed storm.
A horizontal wave of invisible force tore through the battlefield. Trees bent violently. The ground cracked. The armored undead soldiers charging toward me didn't even have time to scream.
Half of them were cleanly sliced apart.
The rest were vaporized by the overwhelming pressure before the blade of wind even fully touched them.
Armor shattered.
Bones disintegrated.
Dust and fragments scattered like ashes in a hurricane.
And at the center of it all—
The giant black-armored commander reacted.
It raised its massive shield, digging its feet into the ground, pouring every ounce of its strength into defense.
For a split second—
It looked like it might hold.
But that hope was short-lived.
The Wind Slash didn't slow.
It passed through the shield as if it were thin paper.
The shield split in two.
Then the black armor.
Then the giant's entire body.
A perfect, clean line cut through it from shoulder to waist.
Silence followed.
A delayed tremor ran across the battlefield—
And the giant commander collapsed in two massive halves.
---
Without hesitation, I spun around and swung my sword with overwhelming force.
The blade cut diagonally through the air—
Another wind slash burst out, sharp and violent, slicing across the battlefield like a storm's fang.
The remaining undead soldiers froze for a single breath.
Then—clean lines appeared across their bodies.
One by one, they split perfectly in half, collapsing heavily onto the ground. Armor cracked, bones scattered, and within seconds their remains began to fade, dissolving into the air like dust carried away by the wind.
Silence returned.
Only things remained behind.
Are the Red Stones, glowing faintly among the ashes.
---
[ STATUS UPDATE ]
» Congratulations! You have advanced to B+ Rank.
System is recalibrating your status to match your rank.
---
Rank: B » B+ Exp: 4.27M / 4.096M
Strength: Unknown» Unknown / 10,000 » 20,000 Rank: B » B+
Speed: Unknown» Unknown / 10,000 » 20,000 Rank: B » B+
Stamina: Unknown» Unknown / 4,000 » 10,000 Rank: Elite C » B
Mana: Unknown» Unknown / 10,000 » 20,000 Rank: B » B+
Attribute: Fire
Lead: Fire
---
[ STATUS WINDOW ]
Name: Solaris Void
Class: Swordsman
Title: Master Swordsman
Rank: B+ Exp: 0.174M / 8.192M
Strength: Unknown / 20,000 Rank: B+
Speed: Unknown / 20,000 Rank: B+
Stamina: Unknown / 10,000 Rank: B
Mana: Unknown / 20,000 Rank: B+
Attribute: Fire
Lead: Fire
Suggestion:
→ Gain 8.018M EXP to advance from Rank B+ to Elite B
---
I stared at it for a moment—then glanced down at my sword.
The blade glowed an alarming lava-red.
Cracks spread along the metal, heat distorting the air around it.
"…Uh oh."
The weapon melted almost instantly, dripping like molten metal before losing its shape entirely.
I tossed the ruined sword aside with a sigh.
Then I began scanning the area again—
and suddenly the pain hit.
I hunched slightly, face twisting into exaggerated misery.
"Ouchy… ouchy… oww… that hurts!!"
I rubbed my shoulder dramatically, tears forming at the corners of my eyes like a child.
"Why does Father make this look so easy…?"
---
I kept rubbing my back, trying to calm the burning ache spreading through my muscles.
"Damn… that recoil is getting worse…"
The pressure from Wind Slash still lingered inside my veins like trapped lightning. My shoulders felt heavy, and my spine throbbed from the strain.
Then—
Out of nowhere—
A voice echoed inside my head.
High-pitched.
Annoyingly cheerful.
"Heeey~ Master! Long time no feed, huh? It's about time you give me something!"
I froze.
A vein popped on my forehead.
"…You again."