CHAPTER 290: HE IS AWAKE [2]

If you read the Chapter "Visitors" before now please read again, I accidentally uploaded a rough Chapter instead with Logan and Damien presents when they were not even present in the scene. It have been fixed now. Sigh, Writing while being sick is such a hard thing

...

While they fought in the safe room, the outside world continued its own storm.

Doodle Brambleton was still on screen, leaning forward with wild eyes.

"Let me repeat this for anyone just tuning in," he shouted. "White Flame’s guild leader, Bryce Park, still cannot enter the Blood Tower! Olympus has cleared Floor 10 and is leading the record board, but White Flame’s top seat is stuck outside!"

His cohost nodded slowly, tone more controlled. "We received official clarification from an Association analyst. They say the restriction is ’individual-specific,’ not guild-wide."

"That means," Doodle said, "Bryce himself is blocked, but his people can go in."

"And many already have," the cohost added. "But here’s the weird part — the restriction message doesn’t match common ban templates. It looks... custom. Like the Tower is running its own script around him."

"So we go back to the earlier theory," Doodle said. "Either he’s too strong — out of the Tower’s balancing range — or the Blood Tower has personal beef with him..."

He added that last part with a soft chuckle.

The cohost offered another angle. "There’s also a theory going around that this Tower iteration has a hidden ’dark equilibrium’ condition. Too much pure light in its core could destabilize the scenario. So it’s blocking extreme outliers that fit that category."

After the Holy Church, the purest guild known for righteous activity was White Flame. That’s because White Flame used to be part of the Holy Church before they broke away and formed their own guild.

Although they no longer lived under the false pretense of holiness like the Church tried to project, many still believed they were saintly — and the guild leader, Bryce Park, being a powerful paladin, only reinforced that image.

Doodle frowned. "But that’s still weird when you consider the High Cardinal of the Holy Church entered just fine. He’s also extremely strong."

"That’s the tricky part," the cohost said, his frown deepening.

"I’d say let’s go with the latter — being too strong," Doodle spoke up. "I heard from an intel tag that Olympus’s guild leader, Ares Durnhold, will also attempt the Tower soon. If he gets in, it’ll confirm our theory of a ’strength restriction.’ But if he doesn’t..."

Chat spammed nonstop.

tower is an edgelord confirmed

no paladins allowed

what if the tower itself is a corrupted god

or maybe bryce triggered something in a previous event and this is punishment

Doodle rubbed his forehead. "Whatever the reason, the bottom line is simple. One of the top guild leaders is locked out, Olympus has pulled ahead, and in the middle of all this, a small guild called Broken Dawn is making their mark in this event."

His cohost slid another panel on screen. "Speaking of them... tracking shows Broken Dawn is currently on Floor 10’s upper level. Their signal’s been sitting in one spot for a while now."

Doodle peered at the map. "Rest chamber?"

"Likely."

"Or something else?" he added dramatically.

The broadcast rolled on.

None of it helped the people inside the Tower.

---

In Gabriel’s head...

He watched the staircase with a serious gaze. This wasn’t the first time he had been inside a memory fragment, so he knew what to do.

This place wasn’t real — but it came with a downside. Even though he wasn’t in control of the body he inhabited, he could vividly feel pain.

His expression darkened. Even with all his strength, he had great distaste for pain.

Exhaling, he took the first step. As expected, it was solid — just like a normal staircase.

Unhurriedly, he began to climb.

With each step, scenes flickered around him like echo images.

He saw floors he hadn’t reached yet — vampires holding court, blood armies marching, rooms filled with floating coffins.

He saw branching paths.

He saw doors he couldn’t open.

Gabriel wanted to check those doors. Maybe they hid information that could give him an edge — or better yet, rare vampire treasures. That would’ve been great.

Unfortunately, this body wasn’t under his control.

The staircase twisted.

He climbed higher.

Then the view shifted.

He saw the top.

It wasn’t detailed — not through the vampire’s eyes, at least — but he could make out its outline.

A huge throne platform stood at the very peak of the Tower. A massive black crystal hung overhead, chained by streams of blood connecting it to the figure seated on the throne.

He couldn’t see the face clearly, only long crimson hair that flowed freely. But one thing was certain — this wasn’t an ordinary vampire.

The aura was different.

If other vampires projected bloodlust, then this one radiated something else entirely — something ancient and commanding.

Merely being in its presence made the vampire body tremble, as if it should kneel and worship the figure.

The scene changed again.

He caught a glimpse of three silhouettes standing at the edge of the throne room, holding weapons that glowed with a strange, sterile light.

They appeared to be guards serving the entity on the throne. If Gabriel’s guess was right, even the weakest among them was at least Hero Rank — maybe higher.

The orb’s stored information had reached its limit.

The red mist around him began to thin.

Gabriel took one last look at the half-formed throne at the top.

’So that’s the final boss line,’ he thought. ’And those are their personal guards or knights?’

The staircase under his feet crumbled.

His consciousness snapped back.

The first thing he heard was the sound of metal striking stone.

The second — Sophie’s strained breathing.

His body still lay on the ground, but his mind was awake.

He didn’t move yet.

He let his senses adjust.

He heard Ragnarok curse as another punch from Garth smashed into his guard.

He heard Cassie chanting weak buff spells under suppression.

He heard Samantha whispering, "Again... again..." as she forced unstable necrotic blasts from her staff.

He caught Anna’s footsteps circling, always looking for a gap.

Then came a new voice — unfamiliar, calm, faintly annoyed.

"This would’ve been easier if he stayed asleep," Andrew said.

Gabriel opened his eyes.