Lynn fixed his gaze on Elena. He knew words were useless now. He raised his hand and activated the Silverwrist Sword.
Doubt still churned in his chest, but he also knew hesitation here meant death.
"You won't be able to kill me, Elena."
Elena studied Lynn, who hovered in the air, and whispered:
"I never expected you to possess such a powerful arcane tool.
"But you've been an apprentice for barely half a year. You only advanced to Second-Rank a few days ago. You probably haven't even had the time to learn a single mid-tier zero-ring spell.
"One tool alone cannot bridge the gap between us.
"Your Golden Mist Form… how long can your mana sustain it? If you surrender, I can save you for last."
"Enough talk." Lynn's face hardened as he shot toward her.
At that, Elena's lips curved into a smile.
If Lynn had simply used Mist Form to flee, she would have found it troublesome.
But to attack her head-on…
"That's not a wise choice…" she whispered, layering herself with a Lamp Defense Field, a mid-tier zero-ring spell inherited from the Hossens School.
It generated a peculiar force field around her.
Any strike that entered it would sink into resistance, as though into a mire, unable to advance, unable to retreat.
And in that instant of pause, she would counterattack.
Swish!
Elena stood calmly as Lynn's thrust arrived at her chest in the blink of an eye.
The pale-blue field rippled, and arcane power gathered in her hands.
But in the next heartbeat, her expression changed.
Shhhkkk! Swish, swish, swish!
Lynn's strike was far stronger than she imagined. Countless razor currents erupted like blades, slicing the gelatinous defense apart in an instant!
Even back as a Third-Rank apprentice, his White Crow Sword Qi had reached the level of a mid-tier zero-ring spell.
Now, as a Second-Rank apprentice, he could infuse it with mana, raising its might to near top-tier zero-ring level. Shattering a mid-tier defense field was inevitable.
And in a fight for life and death, Lynn held nothing back.
The Silverwrist Sword tore through the crumbling barrier and plunged straight into Elena's chest. Residual White Crow energy exploded inside her frail body, blasting a gaping hole clean through.
Blood and torn flesh sprayed the air.
Elena looked down in shock at the wound, then, despite the pain, her expression turned strangely calm.
She lifted her eyes to Lynn. Her gaze dimmed, but her lips curved faintly.
"…You really are the same as me, Lynn."
Thud.
Her pale-green eyes turned gray. Her broken body collapsed like a sack, lifeless.
Lynn landed lightly, flicking the Silverwrist Sword to scatter the blood, his face silent and unreadable.
The fight was over far quicker than anyone might have imagined.
In just a heartbeat, Elena had fallen.
The result seemed absurd, yet even Lynn was surprised.
But on reflection, it made sense.
Elena had only advanced to Second Rank a few months before him.
Without his Insight Talent, even reaching instant-cast level with a mid-tier defense was already proof of her genius.
But she had never imagined that Lynn, newly advanced, could unleash such devastating force.
Given such an information gap, her defeat was inevitable.
And yet… Lynn frowned, remembering her last words.
He didn't believe she would die so easily.
Swish!
Maintaining Golden Mist Form, he added a Windshield for safety, then edged closer.
With a sharp motion, he drove his blade into her calf.
Pft.
The sword pierced cleanly. Blood welled out. Elena did not move. Her face was pallid, her eyes empty.
She was truly dead.
Lynn stood silently over her body, sword in hand.
Blood pooled from her corpse, spreading across the floor, creeping toward his feet.
After a long while, in the emptiness of the canteen, it seemed a sigh whispered faintly through the air.
...
Elsewhere, in a shadowed corridor
Saphiri clutched the Black Moon Authority, gasping for breath.
Before her lay the corpse of Radna, the First-Rank Serpent apprentice.
After a brutal battle, she had prevailed.
The Black Moon Legacy…
Her eyes burned with longing as she stared at the object in her grasp.
Tap… tap…
Footsteps approached. Saphiri stiffened, turning warily.
It was a Second-Rank Golden Shadow apprentice, an unremarkable middle-aged man.
"Lady Saphiri… what happened here?" he asked cautiously.
Saphiri did not answer. She simply rose to her feet and whispered:
"…Forgive me, Lord Aesad."
Saphiri stepped slowly toward the Second-Rank apprentice before her, power gathering in her hand.
"Wait, Lady Saphiri, don't kill me!
"I saw Lord Lynn and Lady Elena. They've found food and water. I can take you there!"
Food…
Saphiri hesitated. The importance of food and water needed no explanation.
She dispelled the magic she had been weaving and advanced on Aesad.
"Fine. Take me there, Aesad. But don't try any"
"Look out!"
Aesad's eyes darted to her left rear, widening as he shouted a warning.
"Such a childish trick, Aes..."
Her words cut off as her face changed. She spun around in alarm.
A shard of ice shot straight toward her.
At the last instant, she conjured an Iron Defense Armor.
The hastily-formed shell barely intercepted the spike, shattering under the impact.
She exhaled in relief
Shkk!
A short blade drove into her back.
Saphiri cried out, eyes blazing with disbelief.
"Aesad!"
The man's face was cold, lips twisted into a mocking smile. Blood dripped from the blade in his hand.
"Perhaps you should call me… Elena Ross, Lady Saphiri."
Aesad, or rather, Elena seized her shoulder, forcing her to meet her eyes.
In that moment of pain and shock, Saphiri stared into those pale-green irises.
And there, at their depths, a pinprick of strange crimson flared.
The red spread outward first the size of a needle's point, then swiftly flooding the entire eye, swallowing even the whites until nothing remained but blood-colored pupils.
Saphiri's gaze went vacant.
Moments later, scarlet ripples bloomed within her own eyes.
Her body slackened. The magic surging in her stilled.
Her knees buckled. She began to fall.
But the next instant, "Saphiri" stood again.
The blood-light faded from Aesad's eyes, replaced by awe and fanatical devotion.
He bowed his head, sending wordless submission through the psychic web: messages layered with meanings like "Only King", "Great One", and "Supreme Worm God."
Emerald Shadow was truly dead, but not by the fortress's defenses.
The defense system had only triggered its survival instinct.
It had tried to be reborn within Elena only to fail.
Emerald Shadow had underestimated Elena's will and overestimated its own broken state.
Elena had utterly destroyed it. And in doing so, she had inherited its power.
"Occupying a First-Rank apprentice's body is… still a strain," Elena muttered, flexing her new hands, familiarizing herself with the unfamiliar frame.
Though she wielded Emerald Shadow's alien power now, its source was not yet sufficient to dominate a First-Rank apprentice at will.
At first, she could only seize Third-Rank apprentices.
But by using several along the way, spreading chaos between the gate and the Administration Bureau, her strength had rapidly grown.
Now, she could barely command a First-Rank apprentice wracked by turmoil and weakened by battle.
She took two awkward steps, shaking her head at the strange feeling.
"…A pity. This body no longer matters to me. But that original vessel had been mine for years. I can't help but feel some regret…"
Turning toward the canteen, Elena whispered to herself:
"I didn't expect you to be hiding so much, Lynn.
"A talent for arrays was one thing… but to command such powerful sorcery as well…
"What secrets are you keeping?"
After a moment's thought, she turned and walked away.
"I'll deal with the other apprentices first. Then I'll come for you…"
Her earlier defeat had taught her caution. In her heart, she now ranked Lynn as an even greater threat than the surviving First-Rank apprentices. She would face him last.
...
Meanwhile
Lynn knelt over Elena's corpse, finishing his search.
He found several mana stones, two auxiliary arcane tools, and the notebook he had earlier passed to her, the one taken from the skeleton.
Now he studied it more carefully.
Before, to hide his knowledge, he had only skimmed it. He had assumed it was an ordinary journal.
But on picking it up again, he noticed something strange.
On the inside of the brown leather cover, a faint line of script read: Infuse with mana.
Curious, Lynn channeled energy into it.
Hum
A moment later, a miniature 3D map shimmered above the cover.
His eyes lit with delight.
A mapping artifact, this is invaluable now!
"Here's the canteen…"
After carefully studying the projection, Lynn quickly pinpointed his location.
*Outside, the apprentices are tearing each other apart for the illusion of a Black Moon inheritance… On the surface, the safest course would be to hide and wait.
*But in truth, no matter what happens, I must eventually escape this fortress and return to the Guern World. The best choice is to seek a true way out as soon as possible.
A fortress this vast must have other teleportation arrays.
He searched the map and soon spotted another teleportation square.
It was marked as Teleportation Square II, the nearest one besides Square I, not far from the canteen.
Whether it could return him to Guern was unknown. But it was certainly no worse than staying here.
As for the route…
The map suddenly shrank, a faint green trace marking a path leading straight to Square II.
That advanced?
Lynn raised an eyebrow. A little surprising, but then again, arcane cartographic tools were nothing compared to things he'd seen in his previous life.
He quietly stowed Elena's corpse, packed some food and water, and set out along the indicated path.
But he had barely taken a few steps when the map pulsed, and a red dot appeared ahead, right at the corner of the passage.
Before he could react, a Second-Class apprentice stumbled into view.
Both froze, eyes narrowing.
The apprentice's robe was soaked in blood. His pupils glowed faint red, and several mismatched pouches hung from his belt spoils, perhaps stolen from corpses.
"Lord Lynn…" the apprentice rasped, staring at him.
"Let's stay out of each other's way," Lynn said calmly, closing the notebook.
"Agreed." The apprentice nodded, but his gaze clung to the notebook, and he didn't move.
Neither did Lynn. He stood still, watching.
A few moments passed. Lynn sighed softly.
Shhhk! Swish
Silver-white sword light exploded. The corridor roared with turbulence.
Thud!
The apprentice collapsed, lifeless.
Lynn bent, unfastened the bloodied pouches from his belt, and reopened the notebook. His eyes flickered with surprise.
So this thing doesn't just navigate, it marks the positions of others in real time?
Such a feature had no place in a mere map artifact.
He frowned but couldn't unravel the reason.
The map flashed again with two new red dots.
Lynn slipped behind a corner. Moments later, two apprentices walked past, unaware.
Exhaling slowly, he pressed on toward Square II.
Whatever the artifact's origin, this function only benefited him.
He advanced steadily under its guidance.
But when a third of the route was behind him, his way was blocked by a sealed gate.
Lynn's heart sank. He thought of the identical barrier at the canteen's end and guessed the truth.
After the so-called blood trial began, the tower spirit sealed this whole section…
Just then, the map shimmered again, charting a new route.
Its destination read: Tower Spirit Chamber.
...
Elsewhere, in another corridor
"You think siding with that whore Saphiri will save you? When I'm dead, do you think she'll spare any of you?!"
The last surviving First-Class apprentice of the Golden Shadow Society raged at the circle of apprentices hemming him in, desperate to shake their resolve.
But their faces were blank, their steps inexorable.
A chill like falling into an ice cellar seized him.
"Saphiri! So this was all your scheme? That first attack, the spark that lit the chaos that was your hand, wasn't it?!"
"…Strictly speaking, not exactly. But you're not wrong."
Elena's laugh was soft, careless. She had no interest in explaining to him.
"Kill him." Her tone dropped like ice.
Arcane light burst in the passage. Screams tore the air, then silence fell once more.
A red gleam flickered in Elena's eyes.
"…Only you remain now, Lynn.
"Go, egg. Find him for me."
"By your will, my King."
Her enthralled spawn scattered through the corridors to hunt.
...
It didn't take long.
"There you are, Lynn."
Elena, still wearing Saphiri's face, stood smiling as her spawn encircled him at the sealed gate.
Lynn studied her in silence for a moment, then asked evenly:
"Should I call you Saphiri… or Emerald Shadow?"
"So you've guessed part of the truth." Her smile widened.
"But as I said, Emerald Shadow cannot control me. Call me Elena."
"All of this you've done it for the Black Moon legacy?"
"Of course." She nodded firmly.
"If you held power like mine, if you had the certainty of surviving to the end, you'd make the same choice, Lynn.
"You and I, we're the same kind."
The moment she gained Emerald Shadow's power and realized the Black Moon inheritance might exist, her choice was instant.
She would kill them all. She would claim the Black Moon's legacy.
The pursuit of truth was long and thorny. She knew this was an opportunity she could not miss.
But Lynn only chuckled, rising to his feet.
"And what if I told you the so-called inheritance doesn't exist at all?"
Her expression didn't waver. She shook her head slowly.
"You know such words can't shake me, Lynn."
"I can read the Black Moon script, Elena," Lynn said clearly.
"That's why I chose the right door before.
"First and Second Conquest Legions. Fortress Guard. Logistics Department. Administration Bureau…
"And the notebook. That skeleton wasn't some inheritor; it was just a wounded apprentice left behind. His 'journal' was a map artifact.
"And the Moon Blue Sand? Its bottle carried usage instructions right on the glass."
At first, Elena's face stayed calm.
But as the notebook's cover projected its glowing map, as Lynn recited the proper method of using Moon Blue Sand, her composure faltered.
For the first time, doubt rippled across her features.
She began to believe he truly could read the Black Moon language.
Silence stretched. She stared at him. Then her eyes flared crimson.
"Emerald Shadow couldn't control you… and you won't control me either, Elena."
Lynn spoke faintly, the Moonblue Sand at his brow rapidly burning away.
This precious treasure that strengthened the spirit also shielded it during the process.
Fortunately, Elena stopped her attempt after a brief struggle.
After a silence, she finally spoke, not to scold him for withholding the truth, not to regret having triggered so much slaughter. Such things were meaningless now.
Instead, she said quietly:
"If this isn't truly a trial, then there's no reason for us to be enemies.
"If we stand together, we'll be better prepared to face what's ahead… and far more likely to find our way back home.
"Yes, I struck at you. But you were unharmed, and in the end, it was I who died by your hand.
"I know that doesn't erase the wound I've dealt you…"
Her enthralled spawn shifted to the sides, making space as Elena stepped forward, meeting his gaze with a voice that almost sounded earnest.
"So ask anything of me, Lynn. Whatever you want, I'll do all I can to make it up to you."
Lynn sighed, his expression softening into something almost regretful.
"I should've told you sooner, Elena. Things wouldn't have turned out so badly."
"It doesn't matter," she replied gently. "There's still time."
Lynn let out a carefree laugh and nodded.
"You're right. There's no need for us to be at odds.
"Oh, by the way… where did you put the Black Moon Scepter?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Why ask that suddenly?"
"Because it's not a scepter," Lynn said evenly. "It's the key to this gate behind me."
Elena studied him, her expression unreadable.
For a moment, she hesitated, then gestured. A spawn hidden in the shadows scuttled out, bearing the Black Moon Scepter.
She took it in hand, then extended it toward him.
Lynn reached out, but found she hadn't let go.
He met her eyes calmly, then released his grip and said, "In that case, why don't you place it on the gate yourself, Elena?"
Her gaze flickered. "No. You do it."
Lynn said nothing, simply reached again.
This time, she released her hold.
And in that instant, the so-called Black Moon Scepter, truly a disposable Black Moon Oblivion Sphere, flared with blinding light.
Crack. Snap
Silver-white radiance burst forth, shattering the sphere into nine shards. Its black casing crumbled into particles of void, fusing with the nine streaming beams of light.
Those beams streaked toward Elena and her spawn like meteors.
Her expression shifted, but she had clearly anticipated this possibility, retreating swiftly as several spawn surged forward to shield her, while others scattered in every direction.
Lynn stood still, face cold and hard beneath the silver glow, watching.
The spawn lasted only moments before they burned to ash, consumed by the light.
Saphiri's body, the shell Elena had stolen, crumbled next.
The beams pressed on, hunting down the rest.
Realizing her thralls would not escape, Elena spun and poured every ounce of power into her defenses.
Spell after spell erupted in brilliant cascades.
At last, the nine beams dwindled, reduced to faint slivers of light, but her spawn were gone, every last one obliterated.
Lynn still hadn't moved. With a thought, he guided the surviving fragments toward a shadowed corner.
There, a blonde, green-eyed girl, Elena's final hidden thrall, stumbled into view.
She had prepared this fallback carefully. But the Tower Spirit had already marked every survivor on Lynn's map.
Her caution had been in vain.
The silver stream cut through her barriers, reducing her legs to ash.
Only then did Lynn step forward, closing the distance.
"Why, Lynn?" Elena whispered from where she had fallen, face pale.
"If this isn't truly a blood trial, then you don't have to kill me.
"Let me go… please?"
Her hands trembled as she tugged down her robe, baring her pale shoulders. More skin followed; she was offering herself in desperation.
The body was merely a host, but it resembled her true form enough to be striking, with blonde hair, green eyes, and refined features.
Lynn's gaze did not waver. His voice was soft, but implacable:
"This is the blood trial, Elena.
"Before, it was only a purge, 'eliminate all intruders.' Whoever remained would be destroyed by the Oblivion Sphere.
"But when the Tower Spirit realized I could read the Black Moon script, the rules shifted. The purge became a blood trial.
"Only when a single apprentice remains will this sector unseal.
"Not even the Tower Spirit can change that."
He looked at her steadily.
"That's why I waited here. It was always going to come down to just one of us… and it was always going to be me.
"If you killed me, the Sphere or something else would have destroyed you in turn."
These truths he had already pried from the Tower Spirit, once it was forced to reveal them.
Elena's eyes dimmed. For the first time, her face betrayed defeat.
She had believed her stolen power and her chance at inheritance meant destiny favored her. She had thought herself close to truth itself.
But her decisiveness, her caution, her resolve, none of it had mattered.
She lifted her head one last time, clothes in disarray, legs ruined, but her pale-green eyes still bright.
Her lips moved in a dreamlike murmur:
"Take it… for me…"
Lynn stepped closer.
Swish!
With a desperate cry, Elena lunged, ruined legs straining, body contorting, arms grotesquely swelling as she tried to drag him down.
But Lynn's form blurred into golden mist.
Shhhhk!
The silver-arm blade pierced her chest, jutting from her back. She clutched at him and found only air.
He withdrew the sword, drifting back.
She staggered, blood pouring, eyes red with fury as she tried once more to attack.
But Lynn's gaze was cold, his sword unwavering.
Again and again, steel struck flesh.
At last, Elena collapsed, her body broken, her strength gone.
She lay in a pool of blood, still straining to muster a spell, but her life force was nothing but a dying ember.
Lynn stood silently beside her.
Until, at last, her pale-green eyes went dark.
Elena was dead.
Even in her final moment, she had refused to yield. Her hunger for life, for truth, had been fiercer than anyone's.
Behind him, the sealed gate rumbled open.
"Descendant of the Black Moon Academy, enter, quickly!" the Tower Spirit's voice called.
Lynn did not answer.
He knelt by her broken body, his hardened face finally softening, a trace of sorrow glimmering in his grey eyes.
"No… we were never the same, Elena. But you did teach me something."
He exhaled slowly and, with a gentle hand, closed her lifeless eyes.
Then he rose. His expression hardened once more.
Sword in hand, he strode through the opening gate, toward the chamber of the Tower Spirit.
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