Cayden flick his sword and struck the tail of Echidna. Theoretically, Echidna’s tails are as hard as steel. But faced with the mystical sword of plague, the tail feels like mush. Cayden did not pierce the blade into one woman’s mouth.

She screeched and wailed at the top of her lungs. Cayden pushed the blade deeper. The flesh tore and her tongue gouged out. Killing her instantly. One down, five more to go.

Cayden rushed to the next one. His sword glinting in the darkness, aiming for the Echidna’s throat. The round of zombies is recovering from the bombing and is closely approaching his location. The manticores are too.

Tongues after tongues are severed. He took a severed piece and shove it directly into the incoming zombies below the cargo. The tongues of Echidna are poisonous – not by touch, but when ingested.

Cayden celebrated his victory when the zombies took a bite and tasted their own death of destruction. There are still more. He check the energy guns and saw that the charge is about to complete.

He slides and shoot the zombie looming behind him. When the zombie was down, the manticores’ scorpion tail sprang up and almost struck him in the chest.

‘Avoid the manticores’ tail spikes through echidna’s tongue.’

He moved out of the way at the last minute. Flipping backward while picking up another tongue he ripped.

‘They are dead. Hence their invincible strength, when they are alive, is greatly reduced to three fourth.’

Cayden let the scorpion tail struck the tongue. Green oozy liquid ooze out and is directly absorbed by the manticore.

‘Let the echidna’s poison be absorbed by the manticore.’

Cayden used the moment of surprise from the manticore to climb on his back and struck the plague sword into its nape. The manticore shrieked horribly. Its roar shook Cayden’s eardrums.

Fresh blood flowed out from its open wide eyes. The hazy white eyes of the manticore instantly dried up. It’s features stiffen and a wave of grey color climb on its body, instantly turning the manticore into stone.

‘When you face the manticore and I am unable to help you, take my sword.’ Cayden remembered Xyris said.

‘Theoretically, it’s impossible to defeat one. Their strength is exceptional, their skin is as hard as steel. No weapons nor energy bullets can penetrate it. But you can kill one using my sword. Remember to take it by surprise from behind and strike at its most vulnerable part, the nape. Then the manticore will instantly turn into stone, whether being a dead puppet or alive.’

Cayden roll down under the cargo and shoot at the zombies crawling to get him. It happened so fast, nothing is registered in Cayden’s mind. There was only Xyris’s voice. Her instruction on how to eliminate the echidnas using her sword. How to bait the manticores with the echidna’s tongue. How to creep up and take the manticore through a surprise attack. Blood was sprayed everywhere. Cayden did not stop.

Not when the energy bullets run out of energy.

‘To fight the mob of thousand enemies, swing your sword with immense speed and agility that can take down many people at once. Connect each swing to make a continuous rapid flow. Create a flexible stance with your feet. Anticipate your opponent’s movements and strike with precision.’

In Cayden’s eyes the zombies slowed down in split seconds. He can see holes in their attacks. Too much openings and loopholes. He swing the black sword and cut the zombie’s necks and chest. Not leaving one alive as he fight through the mob.

The Licht, who’s been silently watching this scene from the sideline, looked alarmed. He raised his scepter and command the dead to get up. The scepter illuminates a dangerous glow. Commanding the dead beings to come back from the grave and fight for him.

But not one dead thing responds. The dead Echidnas and manticores that Cayden defeated stayed dead. The zombies with disembodied bodies stayed lifeless. The Licht had a bad feeling about this.

The scepter glowed stronger and the remaining zombies grew vicious.

Two scratch Cayden’s arms but his precision wasn’t affected. He cut them off like they are tree trunks swaying because of the harsh storm. His hearing is at its highest peak. His eyesight is scary good. Bottled anger drive his arms to move forward.

All his exhaustion evaporated instantly….

The Licht watch with chattering teeth as the human smack his skull throne into destruction. The obsidian black sword glint with cold killing intent. It’s sharp blade pointed at the Licht’s neck.

A prompt suddenly appeared in Cayden’s mind.

[Congratulations! You successfully passed the Dark Tower’s seventh trial.]

Cayden’s eyes slid through the protective barrier he placed to protect the dead bodies of his comrades.

“There was a rumor.” He remembered someone said. “That after the seventh trial extreme level is passed, it will grant you passage to the Treasure Hall. Each item is SSS – Class rare. It can grant you a wish. It can give you the power of a god. It can grant you control of the Dark Tower. Can you imagine possessing such unimaginable powers?

Cayden pursed his lips. “I wish to open the Seventh Extreme Level Trial.”

[The Dark Tower is processing your request.]

[Data loading….]

[Challenger 7’s data is saved and loaded.]

[Congratulations! You are halfway through passing the Seventh Extreme Level Trial! Killing the Licht and stealing his powers shall grant you clearance of this trial.]

Cayden did not blink when he heard these words. He raised Xyris’s sword and aim to disembody the monster who killed everyone he rendered as important. At the moment he was about to strike, a gun shoot at his back.

Followed by another bullet. Energy guns entered his body. Causing his internal organs to hurt. His hands are shivering. His face was extremely pale despite being covered in blood.

Energy guns….? It can’t be….

He looked over his shoulder. There was someone standing a few meters away from him. That someone has long hair tied in a ponytail. Her azure blue eyes are now hazy and blind. Blue and dark vein throbbed on the side of her cheeks and forehead. Disintegrating her pale delicate features. In her hand is the long energy gun that belong to him.

“Xyris….” His eyes could not believe what he was seeing. She’s alive…? As a zombie?

“Hahahahaha! This is your lover isn’t it?! Look, she’s alive! Aren’t you happy?!” The Licht said mockingly. His hollow eyes full of glee.

Cayden’s eyes are suddenly blinded with rage. He turned to the Licht and rip the skeleton of his legs.

“Aaaaaahhhh!!!!!!” Assault after assault. Licht suffered greatly in the hands of Cayden. All the bones that made up his body are cut into pieces. Whenever Cayden spotted joints of his limbs, he will cut them into two and pulverize the bone into powder.

Behind him, Xyris continued firing his gun. He was hit mostly on his back, on his leg, but no bullets faze him. His eyes turned red in anger. He will not forgive this monster. His fist crunch the bones of the Licht on the ground. Never. His feet found the Licht’s face and stomp on it heavily.

Never forgive. Never forgive. Never. Never. Never.

“Sp – spare me.” The Licht could not stand his assault anymore and pleaded for mercy.

“I was wrong. It was wrong. Lo – Look, I let go of my control over her.”

But Cayden did not stop. The side of the Licht skull cracked. He shriek in pain. Cayden shifted from his shoes to his fist.

“Wa – *bam* *bam* *bam* Wait! I *bam* I can give you what you want!” The Licht screeched with his hoarse voice. Cayden paused for a moment. He thought he has Cayden’s attention.

But Cayden struck again. This time, the side of his skull had chipped away, leaving a horrid hole on his scalp.

“You want to bring them back right?! There’s a way! There’s a way! Listen to me!”

Cayden did not pause when he said coldly, “Xyris wants to bring back someone.” He paused as another bone breaking punch crack the Licht’s skull.

“She told me once. But the plague monster said no monster nor entity can bring back the dead to the living. Not even the Dark Tower.”

The crack of the Licht’s skull has torn apart his left eye, snap his nose in half and teeth.

“The Anchor clock! If you steal the regression clock from the Treasure Hall, you can convert it into one of your ability cards, therefore activating the Anchor Clock! Not only will it bring you back in time, it can also let you redo the trials and games you failed to complete before! You already know about the hidden rewards in killing boss monsters right?”

Cayden stop his beatings with the Licht completely. His thoughts wandered to the regression clock. Is this information true?

He pointed his black obsidian sword to the only eye of the Licht.

“How can I be sure your words are true?”

The Licht groan. “You don’t. All I know is that the Ruler of Time is pretty strict about his clock’s handiworks. He won’t let anyone have it.”

“Why?”

“Because of the Law of Universal Casualty. Look, not every power comes free. The more powerful the item you steal has, the more severe the Law of Universal Casualty it cause.”

Cayden thought about it. “Is the Ruler of Time inside the Treasure Hall?”

The Licht open its half destroyed teeth, before closing again. “If I tell you, will you spare me?”

“Depends.” Cayden shrugged.

“Then I won’t tell you. You can watch your beloved’s body rot in this horrid field without ever seeing her again!”