**Origin of the Infinite Worlds**
**Chapter 17 – The Climb of Destiny**
Inside the Tower, time holds no meaning.
The moment Zerion stepped onto the Fourth Floor, he realized—this place was different from all the previous floors. Here, there was no city, no arena, and no illusion. There was only—an endless staircase.
Rising upward.
Without end.
He just had to keep climbing.
He didn't pause for even a second.
He started walking directly.
First slowly—then at a steady pace.
Every step was heavy, but manageable.
After a little while—
He realized—
This wasn't a normal climb.
The pressure was increasing with every step.
His body was growing heavy.
Breathing was becoming difficult.
"…gravity…?"
No—
This wasn't gravity.
This was—
Power pressure.
The Tower itself was testing him.
Zerion didn't stop.
He kept moving forward.
Slowly, gradually—
The pressure intensified.
His legs were trembling.
But—
He refused to stop.
"…keep moving…"
A voice echoed inside his head.
He kept climbing.
Further…
Further…
Suddenly—
A figure stood before him.
Zerion stopped.
It was—
Himself.
Except—
Different.
This version was quiet.
Calm.
And his aura—
Completely stable.
"…another test…"
Clone Zerion said softly—
"…you still rely on force."
Silence.
Zerion replied—
"…and you?"
The clone answered—
"…I rely on control."
A single moment—
Then—
The fight began.
The clone moved—
Smooth, effortless.
Zerion blocked—
But—
He was pushed back.
"…too clean…"
The clone kept attacking.
Every single move of his was perfect.
No waste of energy.
Zerion understood—
This couldn't be won with brute force.
He took a deep breath.
Stabilized his energy.
Creation…
Destruction…
Chaos…
This time—
No explosion.
Flow.
He stepped forward once again.
This time—
His movements were calm.
The clone attacked—
Zerion dodged.
Perfect timing.
He countered—
THUD!
The clone took a step back.
The first hit.
Zerion didn't stop.
He was following the flow.
The clone attacked again—
Zerion anticipated it this time.
CRASH!
Another hit.
The clone stopped.
A faint smile in his eyes.
"…good…"
Zerion stepped forward.
The final strike—
BOOM!
The clone shattered.
Silence.
The staircase was clear once more.
Zerion stood tall.
His breath was heavy.
"…control…"
He resumed his walk.
Deep below in the Tower—
Having cleared the Second Floor, Void Walker had entered the Third Floor.
Before him lay the illusion of Dhaka.
He stopped.
There was no emotion in his eyes.
"…memory test?"
A scene materialized.
A world was being destroyed.
Void Walker stood watching.
However—
He did nothing.
He only watched.
"…past is irrelevant…"
The scene shattered.
The trial was instantly cleared.
A voice spoke—
"…accepted…"
Void Walker smiled.
"…too easy…"
He ascended to the Fourth Floor.
Luna stood on the Third Floor.
Dhaka was before her as well.
But—
Her scene was different.
She saw herself—
At a moment—
When she had panicked and run away.
"…I ran…"
Her eyes trembled.
The scene repeated.
This time—
She stood her ground.
She stepped forward.
"…not again…"
She fought back.
The scene shattered.
"…accepted…"
Luna took a slow breath.
She moved onward.
Inside the Tower—
Zerion was climbing.
Void Walker was climbing.
Luna was climbing.
The three of them—
On the same path.
Yet—
Not the same destination.
At the very top of the Tower—
A shadow stood.
Gazing down below.
"…they're climbing fast…"
Its eyes burned with light.
"…good…"
"…let them come…"
The Tower trembled.
The trials would grow harder still.
And—
In the end—
Only one would reach the top.
To Be Continued…
**Origin of the Infinite Worlds**
**Chapter 17 – The Climb of Destiny (Part 2)**
The endless staircase of the Fourth Floor couldn't stop Zerion—but it slowed him down. The pressure increased with every step, and now it wasn't just physical—it weighed on his mind, his thoughts, and his very existence. It felt as though the Tower was trying to force its way inside him and break him apart.
Zerion didn't stop. His breath was heavy, but his gaze was steady. He understood now—this wasn't just a climb, it was a test of resistance.
Then, suddenly—he stopped.
Because—
The stairs ended before him.
A massive door.
Black.
Silent.
Strange symbols covered the surface—ones he had never seen before, yet somehow understood.
"…Threshold…"
Zerion stepped slowly toward the door.
He raised his hand—
The door opened on its own.
Inside—
It was neither darkness.
Nor light.
A space—
Where everything stood still.
In the center—
A floating platform.
And standing upon it—
A single figure.
Zerion stopped.
"…again…"
The figure stared back.
However—
This wasn't the previous shadow.
This one was clear.
Solid.
His body was a blend of light and darkness.
"…Gatekeeper…"
The figure said softly—
"…you reached the threshold."
Silence.
Zerion stepped forward.
"…then move."
The Gatekeeper smiled faintly.
"…only if you can."
A single moment—
Then—
BOOM!!!
A massive wave of pressure spread in all directions.
Zerion dropped to one knee.
"…strong…"
The Gatekeeper stepped forward.
"…this is the line between those who climb…"
"…and those who fall."
Gritting his teeth, Zerion pushed himself back to his feet.
"…I don't fall…"
He stepped forward again.
The Gatekeeper attacked.
This time—
With unimaginable speed.
Zerion barely managed to block.
He was forced backward.
At that exact moment, Void Walker arrived on the Fourth Floor.
He stopped, taking in the scene.
A smile touched his lips.
"…so this is the real test…"
He moved forward.
The Gatekeeper looked toward him.
"…another one…"
Void Walker said—
"…don't mind me."
He launched a direct attack.
CRASH!!!
Their powers clashed.
This time, the Gatekeeper was pushed back.
Zerion seized the opportunity.
He stepped forward.
The two of them were fighting together now.
Their coordination—
Felt natural.
Zerion applied pressure from the front.
Void Walker exploited the gaps.
The Gatekeeper defended—
But—
This time, he was forced to move.
"…interesting…"
He suddenly disappeared.
Zerion's eyes widened.
"…where—"
CRASH!!!
He took a hit from behind.
Void Walker countered—
But—
The Gatekeeper had already moved.
"…too slow…"
Silence.
Zerion stood still.
He closed his eyes.
His senses expanded outward.
This time—
He wasn't just tracking movement—
He was sensing presence.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes.
"…left!"
Void Walker reacted instantly.
He struck—
THUD!
The Gatekeeper took the hit.
For the first time—
A clean, direct hit.
He took a step back.
Interest flickered in his eyes.
"…you're learning…"
Zerion said—
"…still not enough…"
He stepped forward.
The battle grew intense once more.
This time—
Pure speed paired with control.
Zerion was adapting.
Void Walker was unpredictable.
The Gatekeeper applied pressure—
But—
He could no longer completely dominate.
Right at that moment—
Luna arrived on the Fourth Floor.
She stopped upon seeing the scene.
"…they're already fighting…"
Zerion shouted—
"…stay back!"
Too late—
The Gatekeeper turned his gaze toward Luna.
"…the third one…"
He raised his hand.
An attack shot toward her.
Luna froze in place.
Zerion's eyes widened in horror.
"…Luna!"
He dashed forward.
Void Walker moved as well.
Together, they intercepted the attack.
BOOM!!!
The impact shook the entire space.
Silence.
As the dust cleared—
All three of them stood together.
The Gatekeeper stood before them.
His eyes burned brightly.
"…then come together…"
He spoke.
"…show me your limit."
Zerion, Void Walker, and Luna—
Stood side by side.
This time—
A true team battle.
The Tower trembled.
The Threshold fight had begun.
And—
This clash would decide—
Who rises…
And who falls.
**Origin of the Infinite Worlds**
**Chapter 17 – The Climb of Destiny (Part 3)**
The strange space inside the Threshold was no longer calm—Zerion, Void Walker, and Luna stood together, facing the Gatekeeper. There were no physical walls, but the pressure was so intense that the entire area felt as though it was contracting. The air was heavy, movement difficult—the very environment was against them.
The Gatekeeper stepped forward slowly, his gaze sweeping over the three of them—"Three climbers… but only those who transcend can pass." There was no anger in his voice, only a quiet certainty—as if he already knew the outcome.
Zerion took a step forward, his aura steady—"Then watch carefully." Balance energy began to radiate from his body, but it wasn't wild like before—it was calm, compressed, and deadly.
Void Walker smiled faintly, stepping to his side—"Let's not drag this." Void energy swirled around him, distorting the space nearby.
Luna stood slightly behind, but this time she didn't hesitate—fear lingered in her eyes, but her determination outweighed it. She focused her energy, and streams of light began to flow around her.
A single moment—
Then—
All of them moved at once.
Zerion engaged directly from the front, drawing the Gatekeeper's attention. Void Walker slipped in from the complete opposite angle to flank him, while Luna provided support from a distance—delivering timed bursts to disrupt the Gatekeeper's movement.
BOOM!
The very first clash shook the space. Zerion's strike was blocked by the Gatekeeper, but the exact moment it happened, Void Walker slashed from the side—forcing the Gatekeeper to slightly shift his stance. Luna capitalized on that gap, firing an energy burst straight at him—
CRACK!
For the first time, the Gatekeeper couldn't fully defend.
"…coordination improved…" he said calmly, but his movement changed instantly—he was no longer reactive, but proactive.
He disappeared in a blink.
Zerion closed his eyes, focusing for a single second—his senses expanding outward—"…right side!"
Void Walker had already moved—he struck—
THUD!
However, the Gatekeeper had laid a trap—he countered instantly. Void Walker took the hit, stumbling back a few paces.
Luna gasped—"Void!"
At that exact moment, the Gatekeeper turned toward Luna—
"…weak link…"
He raised his hand—a condensed attack formed instantly.
Zerion didn't waste a split second—he rushed forward and blocked the assault—
BOOM!
The impact drove his boots deep into the ground, but he held his ground.
"…she's not weak…" Zerion said in a low voice.
Void Walker recovered, a grin returning to his face—"Yeah… don't underestimate support."
The strategy shifted.
Zerion took on the full front pressure—engaging the Gatekeeper in a direct clash, exchanging strike after strike. Void Walker made his movements entirely random—impossible to predict. He vanished and reappeared at whim, now in front, now behind.
Luna was no longer just providing support—she was controlling the timing. Her light bursts weren't just dealing damage anymore; they momentarily slowed the Gatekeeper's reactions.
The battle intensity escalated rapidly.
The Gatekeeper was fully serious now. Dark-light energy poured from his body, distorting space with every blow. Zerion took a direct hit—his body shuddered, but he refused to stop.
"…focus…" he muttered to himself.
He slipped back into the flow—stabilizing his Balance energy—harmonizing Creation, Destruction, and Chaos all at once.
His movements changed once more—it was no longer a fight, but a dance.
The Gatekeeper attacked—Zerion evaded—countered—Void Walker slipped into the opening to deliver a deeper strike—and Luna synchronized a burst to slow the Gatekeeper's recovery.
A perfect chain.
CRASH!
The Gatekeeper was forced back several meters for the very first time.
Silence fell for a single second.
Then—
He lifted his head.
No more mild interest in his eyes—only pure intensity.
"…you are approaching the line…"
He raised his hand slowly—the surrounding space compressed. The pressure multiplied instantly.
Luna dropped to one knee—"I… can't move…"
Void Walker stood his ground, though his face tightened—"…this is new…"
Zerion remained standing—but every breath was a struggle.
The Gatekeeper spoke—"…this is transcendence pressure…"
"…cross it… or break."
Zerion gritted his teeth and stood firm. His body trembled, but he forced himself to move.
One step.
Another step.
He moved forward.
Void Walker let out a strained chuckle—"…you're crazy…" but he moved as well.
Luna forced herself back to her feet—"…I'm not staying behind…"
The three of them stepped forward together.
This time, they weren't just attacking—they were pushing back.
Against the pressure.
Against their limits.
The Gatekeeper watched them—this time, he didn't move.
He was observing.
Testing them.
Zerion raised his hand slowly—his energy stopped exploding and began to compress—concentrating into a single point.
"…break…"
He struck forward—
Void Walker unleashed a simultaneous void slash—
Luna amplified it with a brilliant light burst—
BOOOOOOM!!!
A massive shockwave rattled the entire space.
The pressure shattered.
Silence.
Dust settled across the platform.
The Gatekeeper stood—but this time, he wasn't completely still.
A crack formed beneath his boots.
He spoke softly—
"…you crossed it…"
Zerion breathed heavily, standing tall—"…not yet…"
The Gatekeeper looked at them—respect flickering in his eyes for the first time.
"…then take the next step…"
Behind him—
A new door opened.
A Higher Floor.
The path of the final climb.
Zerion, Void Walker, and Luna—stood side by side.
They had passed—
Yet the Tower was far from over.
This merely meant they were accepted.
At the top of the Tower—
The shadow figure stood in the stillness.
A faint smile touched its lips—
The game was progressing.
And—
The end was still far away.
**Origin of the Infinite Worlds**
**Chapter 17 – The Climb of Destiny (Part 4)**
Even after the Threshold shattered, the space didn't fully calm down—instead, it grew even more peculiar. The Gatekeeper attacked no longer, yet his presence still lingered all around them. Zerion, Void Walker, and Luna stood side by side—their breaths heavy, bodies exhausted, but their eyes burning with that same fiery resolve. Before them, the open doorway glowed softly—a new floor, higher up, reaching deeper into the unknown.
The Gatekeeper looked toward them slowly—his voice no longer rigid, though heavy with consequence—"You have crossed the threshold… but don't mistake this for victory." His gaze fixed on Zerion for a single moment—"Beyond this point… the Tower does not test you… it reveals you."
Zerion said nothing. He simply stared at the doorway. Something inside him was shifting—it was no longer just a raw desire for power, but a hunger for understanding. The Tower wasn't merely making him stronger—it was stripping away the unnecessary, making him clear.
Void Walker gave a light laugh—"Enough talking… we go up." But a subtle seriousness laced his tone—he understood that this climb was no longer simple.
Luna stepped forward slowly, though her body was still recovering from the crushing pressure—"We're going together… right?"
Zerion glanced at her for a second, then nodded—"Until the top."
Together, all three stepped through the door.
The moment their boots touched the ground—everything changed.
There was no floor this time, no structured arena—only a massive floating pathway suspended in the sky, composed of countless fractured platforms drifting in an endless void. Bridges of pure light occasionally linked them, while other gaps bridged into absolute nothingness. Looking down revealed nothing. Only infinite darkness.
"Fifth Floor…" a voice echoed through the space—"…The Path of Choice."
Zerion scanned his surroundings—this place was entirely unpredictable. There was no fixed route. Every single step was a decision.
Void Walker looked ahead and smiled—"Finally… something interesting."
Luna paused slightly, her expression tense—"One wrong step… and we fall…"
Zerion said firmly—"Then don't take the wrong step."
He leaped onto the first platform.
The platform remained steady—but the moment he landed, another platform materialized ahead, while the one behind him slowly began to crumble and dissolve.
"…so it forces movement…" Zerion muttered under his breath.
Void Walker caught on instantly—bounding forward from platform to platform with increasing speed. Platforms formed beneath his feet and vanished moments later.
Luna moved with greater care—timing her leaps carefully.
Then—
Suddenly—
A platform failed to appear.
Zerion was mid-air—
"…!"
There was nothing beneath him.
Void Walker narrowed his eyes—"Trap."
Without a second to lose, Zerion channeled his energy—creating a temporary foothold of compressed force mid-air, before launching himself onto a solid platform to his side.
He glanced down into the endless abyss below.
"…not just movement… a decision test…"
The platforms ahead were no longer random—they were weaving illusions. Some were solid, while others were clever fakes.
Void Walker miscalculated a landing on one of the platforms—stepping a fraction of a second too late.
It collapsed beneath him.
As he began to fall into the abyss, a grin spread across his face—"…nice try."
He lashed out with a surge of void energy, tethering himself to a nearby stable surface and pulling himself right back up.
Then, Luna made a mistake.
She stepped onto a false platform—
It shattered instantly beneath her weight.
"…Zerion!"
She plunged downward into the empty air.
Zerion didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second.
He threw himself off the edge—
Reaching out and grabbing Luna's hand mid-air.
However—
Now both of them were falling together.
Void Walker looked down, shaking his head—
"…seriously…"
He raised his hand—extending a stream of void energy—
Forging a powerful gravitational pull.
Zerion, holding tightly onto Luna, caught the pull—
WHOOSH!
All three of them hurtled back onto a solid platform.
Silence hung in the air.
Luna panted heavily—"…thanks…"
Zerion commanded—"…focus."
Void Walker chuckled lightly—"…don't slow us down."
Luna gritted her teeth, determination flaring in her eyes—"…I won't."
From that moment on, the three of them moved in absolute synchronization.
Zerion took the lead, analyzing the path ahead—differentiating the real from the illusory.
Void Walker used his blistering speed to take the riskier routes, triggering and clearing traps ahead of time.
Luna controlled the pacing, utilizing brilliant bursts of light to illuminate hidden platforms and stabilize their footing.
Slowly—
They carved their way across the treacherous path.
At last—
A massive platform loomed ahead.
Still.
Solid.
Zerion landed upon it firmly.
Void Walker and Luna followed closely behind, touching down safely.
Nothing was crumbling here.
Nothing was shifting.
"…end?" Luna asked, catching her breath.
Zerion shook his head—"…no…"
Right at that second—
The platform trembled.
A massive structure rose slowly from the center.
An ancient altar.
And resting atop it—
A glowing object.
A fragment.
Void Walker's eyes narrowed dangerously—"…one of them…"
Zerion stepped forward slowly.
He raised his hand—
Just as his fingers neared the object—
BOOM!!!
A violent shockwave blasted him backward.
Blinding radiance flooded the space.
From within the light—
A new figure emerged.
Unlike anything they had faced before.
Its body was made of pure, piercing light.
Its eyes—swirling voids of absolute darkness.
"…you are not worthy…"
Silence descended.
Void Walker smirked, though his posture tightened—"…another one?"
Zerion stood tall.
His gaze was steady.
"…no…"
He spoke, his voice cutting through the hum of energy—
"…this is the next level."
The figure raised its hand.
The platform shuddered violently beneath them.
"…prove it."
Zerion, Void Walker, and Luna—
Stepped into their stances once more.
This time—
There were no trials left.
This was a direct challenge.
For the Fragment.
For the ultimate power.
And—
For the true secrets of the Tower.
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