The doorway behind him sealed with a low, thunderous hum. Chris stood alone on Floor Two of the Martian Tower, his boots crunching against a field of pale ash that coated the ground like snow. But this wasn't snow. It was too dry. Too dense. It clung to his boots, filled his nose with the bitter scent of scorched minerals and ancient decay.
A crimson fog drifted low across the horizon, swirling between shattered obelisks and skeletal remains of something long dead. The air shimmered faintly—not with heat, but with pressure. Like the floor itself was watching him. Judging his steps.
The system pinged.
[Floor Two – Status: Active]
Objective: Cleanse the floor. Monsters Remaining: 13
Trial Type: Suppression
Environment Hazard: Ash-Lung (Mild respiratory weakening over time)
Passive Debuff: -5% Stamina Regen
Chris exhaled, already feeling the subtle drag in his lungs. "This place is trying to bleed me out slowly."
He pulled a cloth from his inventory and tied it around his face. It would not stop the debuff, but it dulled the sensation of breathing in dead air.
Movement.
To his right, something stirred in the ash. He stilled, dropping low behind a jagged rock. The dust trembled as a hound-like creature emerged—its body gaunt and skeletal, wrapped in strips of molten flesh. Its ribcage hissed with faint fire. A Martian Emberbeast.
[Martian Emberbeast – Lvl 11]
HP: 480 / 480
Trait: Flame Tether – Explodes upon death unless killed with precision strike.
Weak Point: Rear spine
Chris's eyes narrowed. "Precision it is, then."
He approached low, slow. The creature sniffed the air but didn't turn. He waited until its front paw stepped forward, exposing the weak point.
Then he lunged.
Steel flashed. His sword curved like lightning into its exposed spine. The beast shrieked, twitching violently, then collapsed with a hiss. No explosion.
[Emberbeast Defeated – Soul Acquired (x1)]
[You have gained: Molten Claw Shard, Charred Beast Hide]
[Total Souls: 456]
The materials dropped cleanly into his inventory. Chris grinned beneath the cloth. "Getting better."
He spent the next hour methodically clearing the floor. The ash played tricks on him—hiding bodies, warping sound, dulling movement—but he adapted. Used his Echo Pulse to sense vibrations, marked locations of creatures based on how the sound danced back to him.
His parry training paid off, too.
A Martian Splitfang leapt from beneath a stone cluster—fangs dripping with venom—but Chris activated Reactive Parry just in time. His blade met the beast's fangs with a clang, redirecting its strike mid-air. His counter ripped through its side before it hit the ground.
[Martian Splitfang – Lvl 10]
[HP: 0/410]
[Reactive Parry (Lesser) EXP +10%]
[You have gained: Venom Core, Split Fang Hide, Minor Healing Potion]
Chris popped the potion immediately. "Thanks for the refill."
As he moved deeper into the ash field, something caught his attention.
Not a monster.
A monolith.
Buried halfway in the dust stood a slab of stone carved with Martian runes. Chris approached, brushing ash away from its surface. His system translated slowly.
"This world once belonged to He Who Sang With Suns.
The red god who burned too bright.
His death birthed silence. His silence birthed rebellion.
We climbed the towers not for glory,
But to escape the collapse of divine order."
Chris touched the stone. A faint warmth lingered there. Old magic.
[Lore Fragment Acquired – Martian Godfall I]
1/5 Collected
He whispered under his breath, "So Mars had a god… and it died."
Another line etched itself beneath the others:
"Only through conquest may a new god rise."
The message chilled him more than the ash ever could.
Suddenly, a shriek tore through the silence. Two Emberbeasts charged from the ruins.
Chris spun, throwing his weight behind a sweeping strike. The first went down clean—but the second leapt over the body, fangs aiming for his throat.
He activated Echo Pulse, and time slowed.
He saw the trajectory.
His sword adjusted a fraction mid-swing—just enough to redirect the bite.
Parry. Counter. Cleave.
[Enemies Defeated – Floor Status: Cleared]
[You have gained: Soul x2, Emberbeast Core, High-Grade Ash Ore]
[Crafting Potential: Enhanced Heat Resistance Gear Available]
[Trial Completion Bonus: +1 Lesser Soul, +1 Stat Point]
Chris took a deep breath. The fog began to clear. A new path etched itself into the earth ahead—pulsing gently with red light.
[Access Granted: Floor Three]
Before he stepped through, he opened his menu and dumped points into Vitality. The Ash-Lung debuff had reminded him that attrition would be the real killer here.
The air shifted around him.
Behind, the ash blew away.
Ahead, flame-tinted winds beckoned.
Chris walked forward—step by step—into the next challenge.