CHAPTER 129: CH 129: CLEARING THE BOSS- PART 1

The path to the seventh floor wasn’t hidden well—not to someone like Fenrir.

He stood on the edge of a wide plaza carved into the side of a steep hill, shadows concealing his presence behind an old vendor’s stall.

Ahead, at the far end of the stone courtyard, stood an archway brimming with faint blue light.

Unlike the open gate designs on earlier floors, this one pulsed with an eerie, contained pressure—a sealed boss room. The entrance to the next floor.

But what caught Fenrir’s attention more were the numbers.

Dozens of guards patrolled the area in tight formation. Some were posted near the entrance, others circled the perimeter.

All wore polished uniforms, eyes sharp and weapons ready. The presence of suppression towers nearby explained why his system still hadn’t responded since arriving.

Kael crouched behind a crate nearby, peeking around the edge.

"This is the entrance.But you’re not getting through this many guards without support. You still have time to turn back. Maybe even—"

He whispered, hesitating, then added.

"—maybe even embrace the rebellion. We could work together—"

Fenrir stopped listening halfway through.

Without a word, he stepped out of cover and into the open plaza.

Kael’s jaw dropped.

"Wait! Hey—are you serious?!"

He rushed to stop Fenrir, but it was too late.

The guards noticed him instantly.

"Hey! You—halt!"

"Unauthorized personnel near the portal!"

Their shouts were immediate, followed by a quick surge of movement.

Soldiers charged at him, blades drawn and guns raised. Clearly, they believed Fenrir was just another reckless rogue trying to breach a locked floor.

Especially since the system was down on this level, they assumed they’d have an easy time taking him down.

They couldn’t have been more wrong.

The wind shifted.

A gust swirled around Fenrir’s feet, then rose in a spiral as he took another step forward. With a cold breath, he activated Vortex of Wind.

The howling burst expanded outward in a sudden explosion, invisible tendrils of force ripping through the air.

The first wave of guards were hurled backward like ragdolls. Shields shattered, weapons scattered, and bodies crashed into walls and pillars.

Fenrir didn’t even break stride.

The second wave faltered, shocked by how easily their comrades were dealt with.

He raised a hand and casually flicked his fingers. Another sweeping pulse of compressed wind surged outward, knocking back the few brave—or foolish—enough to approach.

Kael, watching from the shadows, could only stare.

"He’s... insane."

Fenrir marched straight toward the glowing gate, dust swirling in his wake, cloak flapping behind him like a banner.

One of the guards stumbled to his feet, blood trickling down his temple.

"Wait—stop! You can’t open that gate!"

Fenrir paused, finally turning his head toward the man.

"If you force the door. It’ll overload the suppression towers! The system... the system will reboot and activate for everyone at once. People aren’t prepared for that—civilians, children—they’ll be exposed to monster aggro before they can adapt! Their systems will crash. They’ll die."

The guard gasped,

Fenrir looked down at his hand. Wind crackled faintly around his fingers.

The thought of the system coming back... of finally having access to his interface, stats, and tools again... was tempting. He could feel it just behind that door.

The guard, seeing him hesitate, stepped closer.

"Please. You understand, right? You’re a climber—you know how dangerous it is. If you open that gate forcibly, you’ll kill people who didn’t sign up for this. Innocent people."

Fenrir turned to face him fully, tilting his head. His voice was cold and steady.

"Why should that matter to me?"

The guard blinked, stunned.

"Wh—What?"

"I asked, why should that matter to me?"

Fenrir repeated.

"You’re... human, aren’t you? We’re all in this together. You can’t just—"

The man stammered.

"That’s not a reason. I don’t care about ’together.’ I’m not here to save your world. I’m not here to play hero."

Fenrir said simply.

Another guard, bruised but still conscious, shouted.

"Human lives are at risk!"

Fenrir’s eyes sharpened.

"So?"

Silence fell over the courtyard.

The words weren’t spoken with cruelty or malice—just indifference. A raw, hollow truth from someone who had been through too much to be moved by emotional pleas.

Kael stepped forward from the shadows, his expression tight.

"Fenrir..."

But the wind was rising again.

Guards braced themselves, but their hands trembled.

Fenrir raised one hand, fingers flexing slightly. The air responded instantly, vibrating with suppressed power.

"The only thing I care about is reclaiming what’s mine. You should all get out of the way."

He said,

And with that, he stepped toward the boss gate again—slow, inevitable.

Whether they stopped him or not was no longer up for discussion.

By now, both the guards and Kael had come to a stark realization—Fenrir wasn’t a hero. He wasn’t a rebel. He wasn’t a savior, or even a participant in their war for freedom or order.

He was simply... a force. One that cared for nothing but his own path.

The devastation left by his wind ability had made that clear enough.

Kael, still hidden behind a broken pillar, looked at the fallen soldiers groaning and scattered across the plaza.

His hands trembled—not from fear, but from the weight of disappointment.

"He really doesn’t care..."

He whispered.

The guards, still shaken but aware that direct force was hopeless, quickly reassessed their approach.

Their commander, a man with a silver sash and a bloody nose, stepped forward with both hands raised.

"You’re strong. We get that now. But strength doesn’t have to be reckless."

He said, his voice steady despite the ache in his bones.

Fenrir didn’t respond. He kept walking.

"If you agree to stop and not break the boss’s barrier, we’ll allow you to cross this floor—and even the next—without any restrictions. No interference. You’ll have full access to the gate."

The commander continued.

Fenrir stopped, just short of the glowing entrance.

Kael staggered up from his cover and shouted.

"Don’t trust them! It’s a trap! They’re trying to stall you, to trick you—!"

He didn’t get to finish his warning.

Two guards tackled him from behind, slamming him to the ground and pinning his arms. Kael shouted and struggled, glaring at Fenrir.

"They’re lying! You think they’ll just let you go? The system is everything to these people—!"

But the guards holding him down only smiled calmly.

The commander wiped blood from his mouth and turned back to Fenrir.

"Ignore him. We understand your type. You’re not here to play politics or pick a side. You just want to climb."

Fenrir’s expression didn’t change.

"To prove our sincerity, we’re willing to swear an oath to you. A binding vow. If you halt your attack and walk through the city without harming the system, we will personally ensure your safe passage to the seventh floor and beyond."

The commander continued,

Behind him, the remaining guards had already begun forming a respectful half-circle, weapons lowered, posture non-threatening.

"If you’d like, we can make the vow now. It’ll bind us fully—no tricks."

The commander added,

Kael, pinned to the ground, hissed out.

"Fenrir... don’t fall for this. Don’t make a deal with snakes."

Fenrir finally turned his head.

His eyes were calm. Cold.

He looked at the commander. Then the glowing gate.

______

Since the response for this story was not good, we’ll soon enter the last arc. I had fun writing this, but I won’t be able to write it anymore. there’ll be about 50ish more Chapters of this and then this story will conclude.