The red haze didn't lift when Chris crossed into Floor Two. If anything, it thickened—clinging to his skin like the breath of something ancient. His boots crunched softly against dust that no longer looked like sand, but powdered rust.
He paused just past the invisible threshold, blinking against the subtle pressure that settled over his body.
[You have entered Floor 2]
[Environment: Quiet Basin – Adaptive Trial]
[Trial Type: Unknown]
[All enemies must be defeated before progression is unlocked]
Chris stood still, sword sheathed across his back, eyes scanning the terrain ahead.
The wasteland was gone.
In its place, a shallow basin stretched for what looked like miles, circled by steep rock walls. The earth here was darker—maroon and almost metallic. A dry fog drifted just above the ground. There was no wind. No sound. Not even the faint whisper of static from the system.
Only his own heartbeat.
No monsters. No signs of movement. No sky either, just a dim red light cast from nowhere.
He muttered, "This feels like the Tower's doing."
Chris took a step forward, hand brushing the hilt of his sword, but he didn't draw it. The silence here was different from Floor One. It wasn't threatening. Not directly. But it demanded caution.
"Too quiet," he said aloud. His voice came out small, like it had to fight through the air just to be heard.
No echo. Not even from his Echo Pulse, which made him stiffen.
He whispered again, "Can't feel anything…"
Another step.
Still no response from the system. Still no monsters. Just that eerie weight pushing down on his shoulders like invisible hands.
Chris's inner voice kicked in, louder than usual.
"I should've felt something by now. Pressure. Malice. This feels… blank."
"Or worse… waiting."
His hand hovered near his weapon again, instincts flaring. But it wasn't fear. Not really.
He realized that now—crossing into this new space, feeling the subtle way the Tower tested him.
"I don't feel fear the same way anymore."
"It's just a tool now. Like a pressure gauge in my gut. It warns me when something's off. That's all."
Chris stopped near a half-buried pillar of obsidian, one of several scattered across the basin.
He crouched and brushed some of the rust-colored dust away from its surface. Carvings. Faint, but there—etched like memories left behind.
He squinted, then activated a low-frequency Echo Pulse to vibrate through the stone. A soft shimmer of light glided across the carving.
[Data Fragment Retrieved]
[Translation: "They who conquer the sky do not kneel to the stars. Only one god may rule a universe. The first to claim it shall lock the others out."]
Chris blinked.
"A race."
"That's what this is. That's what Mars is."
"Claim a system. Build power. Become the ruling god. And once you reach that height, no one else can touch you."
"But the god of this world… is dead."
He stood, gaze trailing over the basin.
"So I'm not just climbing for power. I'm climbing for a throne."
Suddenly, the system buzzed faintly.
[Monsters Detected – 2 Remaining]
[Trial Updated: Combat Will Begin Upon Aggression]
Chris slowly turned.
Two figures had risen silently from the dust. Humanoid in shape, but malformed—no mouths, no eyes. Their skin glowed faintly like bloodlit glass. Weapons of bone jutted from their arms like natural blades.
[Worshipper Shades – Guardian Type]
Health: 560 / 560
They moved slowly. No charge. No growl. Just a steady walk forward.
Chris drew his sword, slowly.
His body felt heavier. Not from fatigue—but from the weight of what he was beginning to understand. This floor wasn't just about killing. It was about understanding.
The creatures represented something. Maybe gods long gone. Maybe worship twisted by silence.
He took a stance.
Echo hummed behind his ears, faint but steady now that enemies had revealed themselves.
"Time to test what I've learned."
He stepped forward, meeting the first shade head-on.
It parried.
Chris grunted as his blade skidded off the creature's bony weapon, sparks flying. He spun low, cutting upward, but the second monster moved in—a precise slash that nearly caught his side.
He twisted, backstepping just in time. Sweat beaded at his temples.
"Fast," he hissed. "Smarter than they look."
The first shade lunged again. This time, Chris met it with his own parry. The moment their weapons clashed, his Echo Pulse surged—amplifying the vibration between them.
[Parry Successful – Echo Detonation Triggered]
[Target Health: 470 / 560]
Chris smirked. "Now we're playing my game."
He pivoted, using the soundwave's disorientation to drive his sword through the first shade's midsection. A flicker of light erupted from the wound.
[Critical Strike]
+1 Lesser Soul
The second shade shrieked silently and charged.
Chris parried again—his timing tighter now. He danced backward, letting the creature overextend, then cleaved upward in a sharp arc.
[Worshipper Shade Defeated]
+1 Lesser Soul
[Loot Obtained: Silent Crystal, Bloodbone Fragment]
A bottle shimmered nearby.
[Potion Acquired: Minor Resonance Elixir]
He grabbed it and slipped it into his inventory.
Silence returned.
Chris exhaled slowly, sword dripping faint wisps of red mist.
[Floor Cleared]
[Time Limit Initiated – 2 Hours Remaining Until Reset]
He nodded.
"So that's how it works."
"Beat the floor. You have two hours to advance or the level resets—and gets harder."
He slung his blade across his back and stepped into the shadow of a nearby rock wall. He knelt, pulling out a small ration pack.
"Food first. Then the next floor."
His stomach growled as if in approval.
He chewed quietly, eyes fixed on the basin's edge.
Mars wasn't going to get easier.
But he was getting stronger.
He opened his status panel:
[Soul Consumption Upgrade – Active]
Souls Consumed: 446
Stats:
— Strength: 23
— Vitality: 57
— Agility: 19
— Perception: 21
— Echo Affinity: 16
— Intelligence: 18
— Dexterity: 17
— Divinity: 6
— Luck: ???
He grinned faintly.
Still not enough.
But close.
"Floor Three," he whispered. "I'm coming."