CHAPTER 79: INTO THE 10TH FLOOR PART IX - THE LAST RESORT

As I parried a crushing blow from Korr’Thal’s massive claw, I caught my breath and sent a quick message to Astraia and Noel through the communicator, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest.

"Listen up — this thing is a Tri-Soul Behemoth, right? Three heads, three arenas, but it only has one health bar. That means every hit we land — no matter where we are — chips away at the same core."

I dodged another swipe and struck back with a fiery punch, feeling the surge of mana burning in my veins.

"We don’t have to wait for each other. Don’t hold back or play safe — every bit of damage counts. Hit hard, hit fast, and keep it on the defensive. This fight isn’t about splitting damage; it’s about overwhelming it from all sides."

The creature roared in frustration, its third head snapping furiously in my direction, but my words were already reaching them, syncing our resolve.

"We finish this together. No mercy."

-

Noel’s voice crackled through the communicator, strained but fierce.

"I’m not holding back anymore!"

Suddenly, a burst of electric energy erupted around him as his body glowed with a fierce blue light. His eyes shone like storm clouds, and lightning crackled along his arms and legs.

-

[Skill Activated: Astral Overdrive — Gethos the Storm Bringer][Duration: 3 minutes][Base Stats x5 Amplification]

At the same time, Astraia’s aura flared with brilliant golden light, illuminating her entire arena like a radiant sun. Her movements became fluid and unstoppable, her sword glowing with divine fire.

[Skill Activated: Divine Ascendance — Astraia’s Sacred Form][Duration: 3 minutes][Massive boost to attack speed, defense, and mana regeneration]

-

I stood firm as the first soul in my arena shifted form—a swirling tempest of shadow and ember, its eyes burning like coals. It moved with eerie grace, flowing like smoke, but every strike hit like molten steel.

My fists ignited with Emberfang Style, flames licking my knuckles as I launched a barrage of punches. Each hit forced the creature back, but it retaliated with savage claws that scorched the air.

’It’s fast. Faster than any enemy before.’

I narrowly dodged a swipe that singed my side.

’I can’t let my guard down. If I slip even once, this ends.’

With a sudden burst, I closed the distance, driving a flaming uppercut into its jaw. The beast snarled, recoil rippling through its form like a volcanic eruption.

’No time to waste. Astraia and Noel are counting on me.’

I pushed forward, chaining strikes with blistering speed, each blow stacking burn effects. Yet the soul countered with tendrils of dark smoke, trying to ensnare me, to choke my mana flow.

I clenched my fists harder, activating a flicker of Emberfang’s Precision Flame stance to outmaneuver the attacks.

"Keep the pressure. Don’t give it breathing room."

—

In another arena, Astraia danced amid a field of radiant light, the second soul standing tall before her—a colossal warrior forged from pure divine energy, sword blazing with celestial fire. The air buzzed with tension as she parried a devastating overhead strike, the impact shaking the ground beneath her feet.

"This power... it’s overwhelming." She bit back a grunt, feeling the fatigue creeping in like an icy hand.

The soul’s sword glowed brighter, slashing through the air in a deadly arc. Astraia rolled aside, countering with a surge of her own divine energy, the blade’s glow dimming slightly.

"I have to keep pushing. If I falter, the whole team falls."

Her body ached, but she drew deep on her patron’s divine essence, igniting her sword in a brilliant holy blaze. She launched forward, a whirlwind of strikes that drove the soul back inch by inch.

’Every hit has to count. No holding back.’

—

Meanwhile, Noel faced the third soul—an electrifying tempest of energy, crackling wildly with lightning and thunder. The form was humanoid but fractured, arcs of energy jumping between multiple ghostly copies that flickered and reformed.

’They’re not just powerful—they’re smart.’ Noel’s eyes narrowed. ’Mimicking coordinated attacks, trying to overwhelm me.’

He gripped his electrified sword with one hand while his other crackled with storm energy. The sky above roared as he dashed forward, lightning trailing his movements. His strikes were sharp, precise, infused with the fury of his patron’s storm.

A clone lunged, swinging a crackling fist, but Noel vanished in a blur, reappearing behind it. He slammed his sword through the ephemeral body, electric sparks bursting as it disintegrated.

"Can’t let them divide my focus. One strike, one chance."

He gritted his teeth, feeling the burn of exhaustion but pushing harder, using every ounce of mana and skill to chip away at the tempest’s core.

—

Though miles apart in these isolated arenas, our minds were linked by the communicator — every strike, every dodge, every breath synced. I could hear Astraia’s sharp exhales, Noel’s steady grunts, our silent conversations flowing like an unbreakable chain.

"Keep your distance, Astraia. Don’t let it close." I urged through the comm.

"Understood. Keep hitting hard," she replied, voice strained but steady.

"Noel, focus on the openings—time your Overdrive," I added.

His voice was steady but fierce: "Ready to unleash when you say."

—

Back in my arena, the shadow-ember soul twisted, its attacks growing more erratic, dangerous. I danced between strikes, weaving flames and mana to keep it off balance. My skin burned from mana backlash, but adrenaline pushed me beyond pain.

A massive claw swiped, and I barely dodged, feeling the wind tear past. I countered with a spinning flame punch to its chest, hearing a crack as runes etched across its form flickered.

I’m breaking it. Slowly.

—

Astraia screamed as her divine sword was nearly knocked away by the celestial warrior’s hammer-like strike. She dropped to one knee, pain flashing across her face, but the patron’s light surged within her veins.

"Astraia, Now!"

Golden wings erupted behind her as she rose, holy fire blazing across her armor. Her strikes became a blur—holy fury unleashed. The radiant warrior staggered, its blade wavering.

"Don’t stop. The boss can’t survive all of us hitting it together."

—

Noel growled as he parried a lightning spear. The tempest soul’s clones multiplied, overwhelming his peripheral vision. He clenched his jaw, summoning the last of his Astral Overdrive’s energy.

A crackling aura burst around him, lightning arcs dancing wildly. He unleashed a devastating series of electrified blows, scattering the clones like leaves in a storm.

"You won’t wear me down."