The air was different after the last kill.
Hotter.
Thicker.
Chris stood over the fading remains of the third Martian Spawn, steam hissing from its cracked flesh. The creature's bones had melted where his Echo Pulse struck deepest, its core fractured like glass left in fire. He had taken a few hits, but his Vitality had absorbed most of the shock, the soreness lingering like a warning rather than true damage.
He checked the system screen.
[Monsters Remaining: 0]
[You have cleared Floor 1 of the Mars Tower]
[You have two Earth hours to ascend. Failure to proceed will result in a forced restart of the floor under increased difficulty.]
Chris exhaled. "So that's the catch. I clear the floor, and I get a break—but not a long one."
His stomach growled in response.
He tapped open his inventory, scrolling through what little food he had: one dried ration, a fire-ward potion, and a small, pulsating chunk of meat wrapped in glowing sinew.
[Item: Martian Beast Flesh – Edible (Uncooked)]
Effect: Restores minor stamina and HP when cooked. Can be consumed raw, but results in minor debuff: [Indigestion – Agility -10% for 30 minutes]
"No thanks," he muttered, already eyeing the sloped cavern wall nearby. A shallow dip in the rock formed a windbreak. He could use that to build a small cookfire—if he had the materials.
A quick check confirmed it.
[Item: Heat Bark (Combustible)]
[Item: Bone Coal Shard]
[Item: Spark Core (Usable once)]
He knelt, building a makeshift fire pit with jagged stones. When the flame finally sparked to life, licking the Martian wind with reddish-orange tongues, Chris leaned back against the spire and let himself breathe.
It wasn't much—but it was his first warm meal since arriving.
The meat cooked fast. It hissed over the fire, dripping clear fluid that hissed and sizzled as it met the coal. Chris turned it with a broken sword tip, watching for the outer edges to blacken without burning.
When he took the first bite, the taste surprised him—smoky, bitter, but rich in a way survival food rarely was. His body accepted it gratefully, and a surge of warmth flowed through his limbs.
[Stamina +15%]
[Minor Regeneration Applied – 10 minutes]
As he ate, his system pulsed again.
[Soul Consumption: 89 Lesser Souls Available]
[Skill Upgrade Available – Choose One to Enhance (Cost: 25 Lesser Souls)]
— Echo Pulse
— Phantom Sword Art
— Vitality Surge
Chris's eyes flicked across the options. His sword art had carried him through the first fight, and Echo Pulse was his ace. But maybe…
He hesitated.
Then selected Echo Pulse.
[Upgrading Skill…]
[Echo Pulse has evolved: Echo Pulse (Extreme)]
— Cooldown reduced
— Area of effect increased
— Can now create sound-based disorientation
A chill ran down his spine as he felt the ability settle deeper into his body. His ears tingled with enhanced sensitivity, and when he exhaled, he could feel the pressure of sound around him—like waves waiting to break.
He stood, staring out across the crimson dunes once more.
[One hour and thirty-two minutes remaining until forced restart]
Time to move.
Chris collected what was left of the meat, bundled it into his inventory, and began walking toward the seal at the far end of the floor. He didn't rush—his instincts told him the Tower wasn't done with him yet.
And he was right.
Only a hundred meters from the exit, a new figure rose from the dust.
It wasn't like the others.
This one stood tall—bipedal, armored in black carapace that shimmered with crimson veins. It held a jagged halberd in both hands, and its face was wrapped in a metal mask with no eyes, only a narrow slit leaking smoke.
[Martian Enforcer – Gate Variant]
Health: 720/720
Type: Aggressive / Guard
Ability Detected: Infernal Swipe, Unbreakable Guard
Chris stopped cold.
"Of course there's a boss."
The creature charged, halberd raised high.
Chris drew his blade just in time to deflect the first swing. Sparks erupted as metal screeched against metal. The force sent him sliding backward through the sand.
The halberd came again—this time low. Chris leapt, spinning into a counterstrike, but the creature twisted impossibly fast and blocked with the haft of its weapon.
It's good. It's trained. And it hits like a tank.
Chris ducked under another swing and activated his new Echo Pulse (Extreme).
A ripple of sound exploded outward, distorting the air like heatwaves. The Enforcer staggered slightly, its balance momentarily off.
Chris lunged.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
[Critical Hit x2]
Health: 412/720
The Enforcer roared—a deep, metallic howl—and slammed its halberd into the ground. A ring of fire burst outward, catching Chris mid-step and tossing him back with a wave of heat.
[HP -27]
[Burn Status – 6 seconds]
He rolled, coughing smoke, and downed the Lesser Fire Ward Elixir.
Relief spread instantly through his chest as the burn faded.
"Alright. Let's dance."
He charged again, this time using his Phantom Sword Art to blur his position. Illusions of his movement darted left and right, throwing off the Enforcer's aim.
Chris slipped inside its guard and unleashed another Pulse—point-blank.
[Stunned – 2 seconds]
That was all he needed.
He roared and drove his blade upward through the armor joint beneath its chin.
The creature gurgled.
Collapsed.
[Martian Enforcer Defeated]
+3 Lesser Souls
[Loot Obtained: Enforcer Mask (Decorative), Infernal Core, Halberd Fragment]
Chris dropped to one knee, panting.
He didn't feel triumphant—he felt tested.
And Mars had only just begun.
[Floor Seal Unlocked]
[Ascend to Floor 2 – Time Remaining: 52 Minutes]
Chris turned to the red glow forming over the platform.
He stood slowly, cracked his neck, and muttered, "Let's see what other nightmares you've got."
Then he stepped forward—into fire, into stone, into the long road that would burn his name into the stars.