novelones Chapter 169: Proudness was Destruction
Chapter 169: Proudness was Destruction
BOOM.
The blood detonated.
Countless explosions erupted inside Zephiron’s body as the blood Adam had planted tore through flesh, mana channels, and divine pathways all at once.
Within a brief moment, crimson bursts covered the sky as the surrounding lightning became unstable.
The Storm Tyrant’s body trembled violently as cracks spread across his divine form.
Chunks of flesh were blasted apart while arcs of lightning escaped from his wounds. The gigantic figure that had dominated the battlefield finally began falling from the sky.
The sight left countless Stream Hunters stunned.
The being who had looked invincible moments ago was actually falling.
Adam did not pause with his attacks.
The instant Zephiron lost altitude, countless blood spears appeared around him.
SHHHK! SHHHK! SHHHK!
The crimson projectiles shot downward like a rainstorm.
Adam had no intention of giving Zephiron time to recover.
Every wound was targeted as the exposed weaknesses of Zephiron was attacked.
The blood spears continuously pierced through the Storm Tyrant’s body in an attempt to slow his regeneration and ensure his death.
Yet despite everything, Zephiron did not die.
The wounds continued repairing themselves.
Lightning replaced flesh and [Divinity] replaced the missing blood.
The damage was severe, but not enough especially against an existence such as him.
As he fell, Zephiron slowly raised his head and looked toward Adam.
There was no anger on his face and only disappointment.
"You truly believe these insignificant tricks can kill me?"
His voice echoed throughout the Seventh Floor.
"You rely on the gifts, powers, and protection of others."
Lightning gathered around his body once more.
"And yet you dare dream of reaching the summit?"
The Storm Tyrant was about to retaliate when a powerful feeling of suppression suddenly descended upon him.
Chains of authority wrapped around his existence.
Xel’Shaar raised his spear from below.
[Authority of Prisoner]
Due to the restraining power, Zephiron’s movements visibly slowed.
"Hehe, that’s what you get for speaking too much.."
Kareth Zul’s mocking voice rang out from within the spear.
At the same moment, Raiden’s voice echoed from the Northern Island.
"The essence of binding shall be strengthened."
The surrounding world responded immediately as the invisible force restraining Zephiron grew stronger.
The winds themselves resisted him while the air around him became heavy.
The Storm Tyrant’s expression darkened.
Then another figure appeared.
A small silhouette shot through the sky.
Black hair fluttered behind her as she gripped a wooden sword.
"Don’t touch my little brother, you damn bird!"
It was Miya.
Mana erupted around her body.
The distance between her and Zephiron vanished in an instant.
[Moon Splitter]
This was the first skill Miya had ever obtained as a Stream Hunter.
A simple slash represented by a simple crescent wave.
Yet after years of training and her understanding of the First Sword Style, that simple skill had evolved into something far more terrifying.
A crescent blade of compressed air tore through the sky.
It expanded continuously as it traveled forward, cutting apart clouds and scattering lightning in its path.
The attack slammed directly into Zephiron.
BOOOOM!
The explosion shook the heavens.
The Storm Tyrant was forced even lower.
Only after releasing the attack did Miya’s body finally slow, the strain was beginning to catch up to her.
Before she could fall, a crimson figure appeared beside her.
Adam caught her.
"I don’t appreciate you disrupting my fight..."
Adam spoke with a grumpy expression.
Miya rolled her eyes.
"Your fight?"
She flicked his forehead.
"No, idiot. It was never just your fight."
Adam remained silent.
Miya pointed toward the floating islands.
"The Seventh Floor isn’t meant to be cleared by one person."
She then pointed toward Zephiron.
"Even he understands that."
Her expression softened slightly.
"Just as he said, Adam. You are not special."
Adam frowned.
Miya continued before he could respond.
"But do you have to be? Who decided that only special people can reach the summit of the Tower?"
For a moment, Adam found himself speechless.
"My dear little brother."
Miya smiled.
"Stop trying to carry the burden of the entire world on your shoulders."
She gently poked his chest.
"That’s the job of us adults."
Adam’s expression became strange.
Ah.
That’s right.
She did not know about his regression...
To Miya, he was still just her younger brother... A teenager and someone she wanted to protect.
’I hope we do not fall out just like in our last lives, Miya.’
Before Adam could respond, Miya pushed herself away from him.
She shot downward once more.
This time, her speed was even greater than before.
Her sword rose into the air.
[The Third Swing]
The third swing carried longing.
The longing of every swordsman who had sought something beyond the blade.
The longing of those who wished to protect.
The longing of those who failed.
The longing of those who continued swinging despite knowing they could never reach perfection.
Within that short moment of time, countless invisible sword paths seemed to overlap behind Miya.
As though generations of swordsmen were standing with her.
Below, countless buffs from the Stream Hunters poured into her body.
Mana surged as her aura grew more powerful.
Her existence reached its peak.
Then she swung.
SLASH!
The heavens split apart.
Miya’s sword descended with unstoppable force, carrying the longing of countless sword paths behind it.
For a brief moment, even the thunder growing across the sky seemed to pause.
Then Zephiron’s body split in half.
A clean line appeared across his torso.
Lightning burst out from the wound as divine blood scattered through the air.
The Storm Tyrant’s upper and lower body separated completely.
Even with Adam’s [Authority of Disconnection], he could only scratch surface woulds on Zephiron, but his sister had thoroughly cleaved him in half!
His massive form crashed downward, falling from the sky like a dying star.
BOOOOM!
The dark waters beneath the floating islands erupted violently as his body plunged into them.
Gigantic waves spread outward. For a brief moment, silence covered the Seventh Floor.
The Stream Hunters stared in disbelief.
Had they actually done it?
Had they truly defeated the guardian of the Seventh Floor?
Adam did not share their optimism.
As he caught Miya before she collapsed completely, his eyes never left the dark waters below.
’The floor boss isn’t dead yet.’
He could feel it...
The connection between Zephiron and the Seventh Floor still existed. Not to mention, there was no notification from the system about their victory just yet.
Adam landed on one of the nearby islands.
Several healers immediately rushed toward him.
"Keep her safe and heal her."
His tone left no room for argument as the surrounding Stream Hunters quickly nodded.
Without wasting another second, Adam turned around and flew off the island.
His crimson wings cut through the air as he descended toward the dark ocean below.
The deeper he flew, the darker the waters became.
Eventually, he saw him.
Zephiron’s upper body floated upon the black sea.
Lightning continuously flickered around him.
His lower body had already begun reforming beneath the water.
Although less than five percent of his true power had been released, the difference in existence between them remained overwhelming.
An existence such as Zephiron could not be killed so easily.
Flesh regenerated constantly as his bones reformed.
Divine lightning stitched his body back together.
Adam stopped several meters above him.
The two remained silent for a moment.
Then Zephiron spoke.
"Finish me now."
His voice was calm.
"Once I regenerate, I will not hesitate to make you all fail the Seventh Floor."
The Storm Tyrant slowly lifted his gaze.
"No. Perhaps I will simply kill you immediately."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I doubt you have many hidden tricks remaining."
Adam looked at him without changing his expression.
"No. I have plenty."
The answer made Zephiron pause.
Adam continued.
"You will not win against me as long as the power you can exert remains limited to this level."
The Storm Tyrant stared at him quietly.
"Are you here to persuade me?"
"Yes."
The answer came immediately.
Adam folded his arms.
"I wish for you to accompany me to the summit."
The dark waters became still.
For several seconds, Zephiron said nothing.
Only the sound of distant thunder remained.
Finally, he spoke.
"Was it you who triggered my [True Body] status?"
Adam nodded.
Zephiron continued.
"Then you should know this world’s history... And my history as well."
"I do."
The Storm Tyrant closed his eyes.
"Then you should also know that I am not worthy of reaching the Summit."
Silence followed.
Adam already knew the story.
The endless ocean surrounding the floating islands...
The broken state of the Seventh Floor...
The reason only ten islands remained...
All of it traced back to Zephiron.
Long ago, before this universe became part of the Tower of Yxthar, Zephiron had stood at the peak of his world.
Due to the fact that he held all three of the authorities within his universe, he had believed himself invincible, and he had believed no challenge could defeat him.
After all, it was truly a rare feat that one existence could represent all three authorities within a universe.
Which meant no one could represent the three authorities better than Zephiron himself.
Driven by pride, he challenged the Tower itself.
He made a wager that was unknown by others.
If he won, his universe would gain privileges beyond imagination.
If he lost, the Tower could claim whatever it desired.
Zephiron lost and the price for losing was catastrophic.
The Authorities that sustained his universe were stripped away by the Tower of Yxthar.
Without those Authorities, reality itself began collapsing.
Continents drowned and skies fractured as his universe slowly died.
In the end, the only way to preserve what remained was for the universe to become part of the Tower itself.
Thus, the Seventh Floor was born.
Zephiron opened his eyes.
"My arrogance destroyed my world. There is no summit waiting for someone like me."
Adam listened quietly.
Then he shook his head.
"I, too, am a proud man."
His gaze remained steady.
"Perhaps I am not special among the endless possibilities of countless universes. And there are certainly countless people more talented than me."
"Perhaps even more worthy than me."
Adam looked directly into Zephiron’s eyes.
"But none of that matters. Because the people who reach the summit are not the ones who are worthy."
"They are the ones who continue climbing."
The dark waters rippled beneath them.
Adam slowly extended a hand.
"Your pride destroyed your world. So use that same pride to help save another."
"Climb again."
"Risk everything again."
"Bet everything again."
A faint smile appeared on Adam’s face.
"Zephiron."
"No..."
"The Storm Tyrant."
"I wish for you to reach the Summit with me."