The throne room was frozen with tension as Liam, Kael, Elira, Nyx, and the littlest prince stood together before the Princess one last time. The crystal that had allowed her to wield terrible dark magic was gone, but she still vibrated within an overwhelmingly palpable aura of power.
"You think breaking the crystal has stopped me?" the Princess taunted, her voice ringing with fury. "You fools have only torn down the final barrier that kept me from unleashing possibilities of dimension."
Now her body began to crackle with dark energy, and spiraling tendrils of black matter curled around her - re-shaping her. And now, the Princess stood before them as a malformed megastructure of her former shape-a giant terrifying monster with twitched shadowy wings and molten red veins coursing inside her body.
"I will never capsize by insects like you!" she yelled, sending a flood of black flames toward them.
The Final Battle
As he raised his reforged blade swirling with Malrik's dark sword and deflected the flames, his arms were quaking as they bore the brunt of the impact. "Let's end this now," he growled.
"We shall create confusion for Her Royal Highness," shouted Kael and Nyx as they attempted to charge towards the Princess, narrowly avoiding her attacks and slashing her legs as they went for her to reduce her mobility.
However, the youngest prince's confidence began to swell, and he attacked in coordination with Liam. Together they moved toward the Princess and attacked her head-on by targeting her glowing veins of fiery reddish-hues that pulsed with unstable energy.
It was a long battle. Every single time she got hit, her form would regenerate, the dark energy gorging itself in a feeding frenzy on her rage. But the more and more one regenerated, the more she became unpredictable with her movements, as the power seemed to consume her from within.
At last, there was a window for Liam. The Princess turned her arms back to unleash another wave of sheer destruction, drawing down to her core, the largest vein in her chest, crimson in color, leaving it exposed.
"Now!" Liam yelled as he leapt into the air.
The youngest prince hurled his dagger at the core, and along with it, made a powerful downward slash with his sword, whose blade was glowing with combined energy of light and darkness.
The blade went straight to the core of the Princess, and a deafening boom shattered the silence while her body began to dissolve into shadow.
"You... cannot... stop the darkness," she hissed, her voice fading. "It will consume you... as it did me."
With one final burst of light, the Princess's form crumbled into nothingness, leaving a world bereft of sound.
Farewell and Victory
The group was now standing inside what remained of the throne room, as the gloom that had haunted the land since ages was finally dispersed.
He stepped forward toward the throne, his expression a mixture of sorrow and determination. "And it was never about the crown," he said softly. "It was about saving the whole kingdom. Thank you all—for everything." Kael now patted his shoulder. "You have earned this. Now lead your people with glory."
Elira smiled weakly while leaning on Nyx. "We will be watching from afar. Don't disappoint us."
Liam sheathed his sword and nodded at him. "This kingdom is yours now. But you must remember that it cost a sacrifice to get here."
The prince bowed down deeply before Liam and his companions. "I won't forget. I promise."
They were back to town together with his group into this 30th floor, with the familiar streets buzzing in warm light like a stark contrast to the chaos they had undergone.
For the first time in what seemed like forever, Liam would let himself be at leisure. He then visited the local blacksmith with the resources to reforge his sword and armor. The blacksmith marveled at the materials and created a custom blade and armor set infused with both light and dark properties. Nyx also received a new set of sleek armor, tailored for her agility and precision.
Next, he restocked on potions, artifacts, and supplies at the bustling market stalls traveling in different parts of the city. The lingering weight of recent battles still lay on his heart, but the vibe of the town gave him a brief break.
As Liam walked through the town square, a faint golden light emanated from his inventory. He pulled out the reward from the fallen Princess: a pair of broken boots.
"What is this?" he muttered, inspecting the tattered footwear. Although having experienced quite a lot of damage already, the boots still radiated an ancient energy.
A Part of the Ancient King's Set
Liam took the boots to the smith, who inspected them carefully. "This is no ordinary pair of boots," said the smith. "These are part of something very grand. But they are in terrible shape. If you want me to repair them, I will charge you."
Liam handed a portion of his gold immediately without a second thought. Using a special hammer and magical materials, the blacksmith began to restore the boots. Sparks danced as the hammer fell upon the boots, and gradually, their previous shape emerged.
When the repairs were done, a prompt appeared in front of Liam:
[Notification: You have received an item from the Ancient King's Set-"Boots of the Unyielding."]
Effect: Augments agility, brief air walking during combat. Completing the set will enable its ultimate potential.
Liam gawked at the boots with awe, suddenly understanding their value. "The Ancient King's Set... if I can collect all the parts, I might stand a chance against the higher floors."
Nyx nudged him in a teasing manner. "You're getting closer to being an unstoppable force."
Liam smirked. "One step at a time."
The Next Challenge
As Liam prepares to take his journey up to the 33rd floor, another message pops out on his screen.
[Warning: The Trials That Get Tested Will Presumably Not Be of Strength But of Mind. Prepare Accordingly.]
The words kept roaming in Liam's mind as he stepped across the portal into the floor that is yet to be. The level of the challenge kept on becoming more and more complicated, and the stakes were really high.
But for now, he allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. The princess was gone, the kingdom saved, and he'd taken another step in unearthing the tower—and his own destiny.
Having acquired the Ancient King's Boots, Liam continues his journey onward. What other new obstacles and truths await him on the 33rd floor? Time will tell.
To be continue...