Endless Ascension
Episode 7 – Blood Between the Gates
The arena gates are closed.
For the first time since stepping into World-Zero, there's no crowd, no blaring horn, no announcer's voice booming over the sand.
It should feel like peace.
It doesn't.
The air tastes wrong. Metallic. Heavy.
The System's voice is flat.
[Status: No active match detected.]
[Arena Protection: Inactive.]
That's when I understand.
I'm not safe.
⸻
The First Strike
The shadow moves faster than thought — a blade slicing toward my throat.
I catch it between my stars at the last second, sparks flying as steel grinds against celestial metal. The assassin's face is hidden behind a featureless black mask, but I can smell the killer's intent — cold, focused, absolute.
No announcement. No level tag. No warning.
"They finally sent cowards," I growl.
He disengages, vanishing into thin air. The faintest shimmer in the sand is all I get before he reappears behind me, driving the blade for my spine.
This time, I don't block. I split.
One star bursts into five spectral copies mid-turn, the outermost slicing his side open while the core blade takes his arm off at the elbow. Blood sprays in a thick, dark arc.
He doesn't scream. Professionals don't.
⸻
The System's Reluctance
Even though this isn't a sanctioned fight, the System still logs the kill.
[Level Up] → 71 → 76] (+5 levels)
*[Skill Unlocked] → Silent Recall: Returning stars make no sound.]
I feel the upgrade instantly — the hum of the recall vanishes, replaced by a deadly, silent pull. Perfect for hunting.
The Second Wave
The first assassin's body hasn't even cooled when more step from the shadows — six of them, each armed differently. Two with plasma glaives, two with rifles, two barehanded but moving like predators.
They fan out, forcing me to choose a direction. I don't.
I go through them.
The God-Tier stars split into ten spectral copies, arcing in a deadly spiral. The first glaive wielder loses both arms in a single pass. The second catches a blade to the throat, the ignition burning his head from the inside.
The riflemen open fire — but I'm already moving, Sandstride skill letting me glide over the loose terrain. Their shots tear the air where I was, hitting nothing but dust. Both go down seconds later, ribs shattered by concussive detonations.
The barehanded fighters close in, claws out. One slashes my cheek; the other tries to crush my windpipe. I slam a star into the first's chest and detonate, the blast throwing the second into the arena wall hard enough to crack stone.
Counting the Dead
The sand is slick with blood, some dark, some glowing faintly from alien biochemistry.
[Level Up] → 76 → 81] (+5 levels)
*[Weapon Upgrade] → Tier 10 Visual Mod – Death Spiral: Spectral copies can now curve mid-flight to track moving targets.]
The upgrade is lethal — my throws don't just spread; they hunt.
⸻
The Hunter in White
I'm still breathing hard when the real threat arrives.
From the far end of the arena, a single figure walks forward. No mask. No cloak. Just white armor laced with gold filigree, a long coat trailing in the dust.
His eyes are silver and cold. His weapon is a single blade so thin it looks like it could cut light.
The System finally tags him.
[Opponent: LVL 300 – Seraph Executioner]
[Designation: Unauthorized Combatant]
Unauthorized. Meaning he's not supposed to be here — meaning the Watchers either didn't send him… or don't want to admit they did.
The Duel
He doesn't rush. He moves, and suddenly he's in range, blade sweeping for my throat. I parry with one star, the force of the clash ringing through my bones.
The second star goes for his ribs — but his blade is there, faster than sight, knocking it aside.
We trade blows in a storm of sparks and steel, neither of us giving ground. His strikes are precise, aiming for my joints, my weapon grips, my eyes. My stars cut shallow wounds into his armor, but nothing fatal.
⸻
Breaking the Balance
I fake a stumble. He commits — lunging for my heart.
Both my stars split at once, the Death Spiral upgrade sending copies curving around his flanks. He blocks the first set, but the second comes from behind, carving deep into his back.
I ignite all at once.
The explosion rips his coat to shreds and sends him to one knee.
The Kill
I don't hesitate. I cross the distance, press a star to his neck, and whisper:
"You should've stayed in your world."
The detonation takes his head clean off.
[Level Up] → 81 → 86] (+5 levels)
*[Skill Unlocked] → Severance: Star strikes against humanoid targets have a 20% chance to disable limbs instantly.]
⸻
The Message
As his body falls, I look up at the Watchers' balcony. They're all gone.
But the portal above me opens — just for a second — long enough for a voice to cut through.
"If you survive the next seven days, you'll see the Hundred Gates. If you don't… no one will remember you existed."
The portal snaps shut.
I spin my stars once, their spectral copies shimmering like ghosts. My blood is still hot, my muscles still ready.
Seven days.
That's all they're giving me.
That's all I need.