The effect was immediate and brutal. Seven giants slammed into the floor, bodies cracking under the multiplied weight. Their clubs shattered on impact, breaking like cheap wooden sticks.

Seven magazines, one per cyclops.

It was bloody, methodical work, and Mark did it with the same calmness someone used to clean their desk.

When the last giant turned to mist, the holographic display shimmered before him again.

[Floor 6 cleared. Proceed to Floor 7.]

A staircase unfolded once more.

Mark cracked his neck and exhaled. "If this is only Floor 6… I wonder how many more there are."

And with absolute confidence, he stepped upward.

*

By the time Mark reached the seventh staircase, he could feel the subtle fatigue in his shoulders.

It wasn't exhaustion in the normal sense; his body was far too strong for that, but his wrists and arms carried the faint vibration of firing hundreds of adamantine rounds in rapid succession.

Even with enhanced strength, adamantine bullets had a kick, and after six straight floors, the recoil was finally settling in.

Mark rolled his shoulders once, cracked his neck, and let out a slow breath. "Alright… let's go big," he muttered as he began climbing the stairs.

The moment he stepped onto Floor 7, heat washed over him in a suffocating wave. The scenery looked nothing like the icy walls of the earlier levels. Instead, jagged basalt pillars rose from the floor, glowing with faint magma veins. The entire chamber shimmered in red-gold light.

Hovering in the center was a massive beast, long, sleek, and beautiful in the most destructive way. A 12-circle monster, Fire Dragon. Its scales were crimson plates edged with molten gold, and every breath it took caused sparks to drip from its nostrils like falling embers.

And the dragon didn't wait to study him.

The moment its golden pupil locked onto Mark, it let out a roar that rattled the entire chamber, then immediately opened its jaws.

A vast sea of flame erupted outward, swallowing half the chamber in blinding, violent fire, hot enough to melt the basalt platforms under Mark's feet.

Mark's reaction, however, was instant.

"Energy Shield!"

A brilliant scarlet dome of ether snapped around him just as the inferno reached him. Flames battered the shield like a hurricane, pounding it with continuous force.

Mark felt his ether draining rapidly.

He clenched his jaw. "Damn, that's a lot hotter than I expected. At this rate, I can't maintain the reserves. The rate of discharge is far higher than recovery. Anyway, let's press it."

He dropped the shield the moment he saw the dragon inhale again.

And acted.

"Gravity Dome, 50000g, activate."

The invisible field snapped into existence, slamming the dragon down like a falling mountain.

The fire cut off mid-breath, as though someone had clamped its throat shut. Its wings slapped uselessly against the ground, sparks bursting from the impact. The massive beast writhed, screeching in fury as its bones strained under the crushing density.

Mark didn't rush.

Something flashed in his mind, a sudden, stupid, but intriguing idea.

"Taming Skill, Activate."

A glowing golden rope shot from his hand, wrapping around the dragon's neck and snout like a divine lasso. For a split second, Mark saw hope; maybe he could tame a fire dragon from a legendary founder's trial? That would be an insane gain.

But the rope disintegrated almost instantly.

[Notification: Target is not a real monster entity. Taming Skill does not apply.]

Mark sighed heavily, shoulders deflating. "Damn… that would've been cool."

Disappointment lasted one second.

Then he shrugged. "Oh well. Time for the big guns."

He summoned his soul weapon at last, the twin antimatter guns. The moment they formed in his hands, the dragon sensed danger and struggled harder, its wings beating in a frenzy, tail slamming uselessly into the floor. It managed to raise its head an inch under the crushing gravity, just enough to roar.

Mark raised both guns, aiming at it.

He fired.

The antimatter blasts struck the dragon's side like tiny suns colliding with flesh. Each impact triggered annihilation, erasing scales, flesh, and bone molecule by molecule. The dragon thrashed violently, its screams melting into static-like distortion as its body dissolved under the barrage.

Meanwhile, Mark kept a shield around himself to block the shockwaves and the Gamma rays. Explosions blossomed around him like miniature novas, each one lighting up the chamber.

He didn't stop until the dragon finally disintegrated completely, leaving behind nothing to see.

"Alright… Floor 7 down." Mark lowered his guns as the holographic screen appeared above him for the 7th time

[Floor 7 cleared. Proceed to Floor 8.]

Mark flexed his fingers once, then cracked his knuckles and sighed with a crooked smile.

"If Floor 7 gave me a dragon… what's waiting next?"

With confident steps, he walked toward the next staircase as the room dissolved behind him.

*

Mark expected the ninth floor to be harder. Maybe multiple dragons...

But Floor 8 has another single dragon, this time a white-scaled Ice Dragon that was breathing frigid storms. It wasn't as troublesome as the fire one. Mark had used the same method, gravity dome, antimatter shots, and patience, until the beast collapsed into frozen chunks scattered across the room. Efficient, clean, no drama.

Then, instead of rushing upward, Mark finally sat down on the cold floor. He let out a long exhale and leaned against the wall. His stamina was fine, but his mind needed a breather. Especially after using antimatter energy twice in a row.

He opened his inventory and pulled out a steaming bowl of noodles. He ate slowly, savoring the taste; the warmth spread through his body, soothing the last hints of fatigue.

After finishing the bowl and drinking the soup down to the last drop, he sat quietly for a few more minutes, letting his heartbeat normalize and recovering his ether reserves completely. The silence helped. The calm helped even more.

Finally, he stood up, brushed imaginary dust from his clothes, and murmured, "Alright. Floor 9. Let's see what's waiting."

He expected a powerful monster. He was even prepared to face a 14-circle monster, too.

But as he stepped onto the ninth floor, little did he expect to be frozen in surprise as he stared at the monster, his next opponent.

Standing in the center of the massive circular arena was a creature he had seen once before, in the real world, standing before his entire clan.

It was a majestic, silver-white creature, the size of a regular horse, with a long, luminous mane that drifted like clouds. Its hooves were crystalline, and every step left behind a brief ripple of frost. Its wings, large and elegant, folded neatly along its body.

Blizzard Pegasus.

Rank: 14-circle (peak stage)

Attribute: Divine/Primordial Ice

*

Mark's pupils shrank at the sight of the 14-circle being.

He subconsciously raised his guard… until the beast turned its head and spoke. "Hello there, Human."

Mark froze mid-step. His fingers twitched, but then he took a deep breath, "Uh… hello," he answered awkwardly, blinking rapidly. "You can talk?"

The pegasus snorted lightly, frost mist trailing from its nostrils. "Why is that surprising? Just because those mindless beasts on lower floors could not speak does not mean none of us can."

Mark cleared his throat. "Fair point."

The pegasus examined him slowly, sniffing the air once. Its expression shifted from curiosity to mild disbelief.

"I can sense it," the pegasus then murmured. "Your realm is only… transcendance. Not even the first stage. And yet you managed to reach here."

Mark rubbed his neck and muttered, "Well… I have tricks up my sleeve."

The Pegasus lowered its head slightly, nostrils flaring again. "Strange. Your body carries many elements. Fire, wind, lightning, earth… and something far more ancient. I also smell a familiar trace." The pegasus paused, then added calmly, "I smell my mother's bloodline inside you."

Mark blinked. His mouth opened slightly. "Your mother?"

The Pegasus nodded. "Yes. The Blizzard Pegasus Queen. You received her blessing, did you not? I can recognize her aura immediately."

Mark replied, "I received her blessing, but mostly inherited the bloodline from my ancestors."

The pegasus stared at him for a while longer, as if inspecting every inch of him. Then it asked, "What is your name, Human?"

Mark answered simply. "Lan Zhen."

The pegasus frowned immediately. "A lie."

Mark raised both eyebrows. "Uh… excuse me?"

"That is not your name," The divine beast insisted. "At least, that's what you believe."