---
When Arthur came out of the black gate this time, there was no stone ground or normal walls.
Everything was… ash.
A grey cracked ground, a thick layer of dust covering the surface, and distant walls made from layers of compressed ash, as if thousands of corpses were burned here and their ash poured into this place.
Arthur inhaled the air… then quickly held his breath.
"Even the air here is heavy."
The system appeared immediately:
---
[Environment analysis…]
Third floor — The Fallen Cell
Main enemy type: Living Ash Monsters (4 stars, 5 stars)
Properties:
• They reshape their bodies from the surrounding ash.
• Their life centers are hidden inside "Ash Hearts."
• Surface wounds are almost useless.
---
Arthur opened his lifespan interface for a moment:
---
[Remaining lifespan:] 168.6 hours (≈ 7.03 days)
---
He whispered to himself:
"Still little… but I can work with it."
Then he summoned his sword, and reviewed in his mind what he obtained.
A small list appeared in the corner of his vision:
---
Items:
• High-quality healing potion ×1
[Restores a huge amount of physical health and stops internal bleeding]
---
The system said with unusual seriousness:
[I recommend keeping the potion only for critical situations.
This type of resource… is not given twice easily.]
Arthur smiled lightly while waving the sword:
"If you are worried… that means this floor won't be boring."
The ground moved first.
The ash in front of him rose like small waves, then gathered into a point, as if something below pushed it upward.
Only seconds… and a long hardened-charred arm came out, grabbing the ground's edge and pulling itself out.
Then a head…
a chest…
and a full body.
The monster was tall, its skin made of hardened ash layers, pieces falling from it every time it moved.
Its face had almost no features, except for a long cracked mouth and black teeth like coal.
It opened its mouth, and a broken voice came out:
[Hu… man… warm… breath…]
A small system window appeared:
---
[Target: Living Ash Monster — 4 stars]
[Note: Do not kill the body… kill the "Ash Heart."]
---
Arthur raised his sword and whispered:
"Alright… let's see where your hearts hide."
The monster rushed with unexpected speed, ash claws scratching the ground and leaving deep lines behind it.
Arthur moved with a short lightning step, disappeared from its path and appeared beside it, striking its arm with a sharp blow.
The arm flew in the air…
then turned into ash; the particles went back and wrapped around its shoulder, reforming the arm again.
The system said coldly:
[As expected. The body is only a temporary shape.]
"The heart then."
Arthur used another lightning step, this time appearing in front of the monster's chest directly.
He stabbed his sword strongly into the middle of its chest… but hit something solid under the first layer.
The Ash Heart.
He pulled his sword out before it got stuck, then retreated backward, avoiding another claw that almost cut his neck.
The monster attacked again, its movement heavier a bit… but its body kept welding itself with every step.
The system said:
[The Ash Heart is protected by a double layer. You need accumulated damage in the same point.]
Arthur said jokingly:
"Excellent analysis, partner, so let's hit more."
The system replied with theatrical disbelief:
[Did you just… praise me?]
Arthur didn't answer; he dashed forward and began attacking the chest with focused strikes.
One strike…
two…
three…
Each time he felt metallic vibration under his sword.
And on the fourth—
Crack!
Something broke.
The monster's body shook violently, then collapsed completely into a pile of old ash that crumbled under the heavy wind.
---
[Ravenous Devour — Partial Activation]
[Partial Ash Essence absorbed]
[+0.02 Strength]
[+0.01 Endurance]
[+0.01 Mana]
[Lifespan extraction: +4.7 hours]
---
Strength: 42.55% → 42.57%
Endurance: 41.59% → 41.60%
Mana: 35.94% → 35.95%
Arthur exhaled:
"One…"
But the ground didn't wait for him to continue.
This time, four different points of the ground rose at the same moment.
Four large ash bodies, all similar in shape but moving differently:
One moving bent forward, fast like a wolf.
Another heavy, dragging its feet violently, as if one strike is enough to break bones.
The third walking with strange calm, its grey eyes following him without blinking.
The fourth moving on the wall, not caring about gravity.
The system said:
[Pack formation.]
[Suggestion: Don't allow them to surround you. Even Berserk Mode won't save you if they attack from all sides.]
"So I won't give them this chance."
The monster on the wall jumped first, falling from above, claws open as if wanting to tear him in half.
Arthur bent forward, and the monster passed above him, but falling ash entered Arthur's eyes, blurring his vision for a moment.
And in that moment—
The heavy monster hit him from the side.
DOOM!
It felt like a huge rock hit his ribs.
He was thrown two meters away and hit hardened ash that was harder than it looked.
A red warning screen appeared:
---
[Warning: A hairline fracture recorded in two ribs, with slight internal bleeding.]
---
"…Annoying."
Arthur stood breathing heavily, the pain burning in his chest with each breath.
But the monsters didn't stop.
Two from the front, one from the side, and the fourth preparing to jump again from above.
This time—
dodging alone wasn't enough.
Arthur activated lightning step for attack, not escape.
He dashed toward the closest monster and hit its chest three times in the same point, using lightning speed to reduce the time between strikes.
In the final hit, the Ash Heart broke, and the body collapsed.
---
[+0.01 Strength]
[+0.02 Endurance]
[Lifespan extraction: +5.1 hours]
---
But another monster had already reached him.
Its claws hit Arthur's shoulder, ripping flesh and blood, and pushed him backward again.
This time, he didn't just fall…
he vomited a little blood.
The system spoke with real worry:
[Be careful, Arthur. Your body is approaching the critical limit.
Continuing combat like this will cause permanent damage.]
"I know…"
He wiped the blood from his mouth and raised his head at the remaining monsters.
"But I will not die on the third floor."
The three monsters stood in front of him at medium distance, as if they decided to attack together at once.
One positioned low, the other two on right and left, spaced by three steps.
The system said:
[Clear pack attack.
Any wrong turn means tearing you from three sides at the same time.]
Arthur smiled shortly…
and raised his sword, then passed his fingers on the blade's edge.
This time, he didn't ask the flame to come out fully.
He only whispered inside:
"Just a little… we need to eat."
A thin black-purple flame ignited on the blade's edge, its light not like fire… but like a hole swallowing light.
The system exploded with warning messages:
---
[Warning!!]
Flame of Ruin — Max
Interacts with the host's intent.
• Any extra activation may cause loss of control.
• This flame does not distinguish between enemy and friend.
---
"I am my only friend here… don't worry."
The first monster attacked from the front; Arthur met it with a slanted strike.
The strike didn't cut its body…
it shattered the area into black ash, destroying the heart too.
The other two stepped back half a step instinctively.
But Arthur didn't give them time.
A short lightning step—
he appeared in front of the second and struck its chest straight.
The flame didn't stop at the heart… it began eating the surrounding ash too.
Arthur forced the flame off before it spread more.
The third monster tried to attack from behind, claws aiming for his spine.
Arthur turned his body at the last moment, taking the strike on his arm instead of his back, feeling the bone vibrate dangerously.
He used the close distance—
and stabbed the monster's chest, this time without the flame, but directly into the Ash Heart.
The collapse took two moments… then it fell.
---
[Ravenous Devour — Group absorption]
Total from the three monsters:
[+0.03 Strength]
[+0.03 Endurance]
[+0.02 Mana]
[+0.01 Magic Power]
[Lifespan extraction: +15.3 hours]
---
Strength: 42.57% → 42.60%
Endurance: 41.60% → 41.63%
Mana: 35.95% → 35.97%
Magic Power: 35.93% → 35.94%
Arthur's sword lowered slightly as his trembling arm weakened.
The system said in a low voice:
[The Flame of Ruin reacted very fast.
This time I strongly recommend not using it except in critical moments.]
"I won't… unless I'm forced."
But it seemed—
the third floor wasn't over yet.
This time the ground didn't rise as a single body…
but many ash masses gathered into one point, as if the whole place was breathing toward one direction.
A huge ash pillar rose, then formed a body bigger than all previous monsters.
This wasn't a normal ash monster.
This was the floor's core.
Ding
New mission:
[Target: Ash Guardian — 5 stars]
[Note: Has an Ash Heart protected by multiple layers.]
[Danger: Very high.]
[Reward: Medium healing potion.]
The guardian raised its head, and a clearer voice came out:
[Human… corrupted human who can eat us?]
The system said quickly:
[Arthur… your physical condition is not suitable for a long fight.
The injured ribs, damaged shoulder, and harmed arm… all reduce your performance.]
Arthur exhaled harshly, feeling pain in his chest:
"I knew that… before your lecture."
Then he stood straight despite the pain:
"I have no choice. If I don't kill it… I won't get out of here."
The guardian moved with one step only, but it was enough.
It hit the ground with its arm, and a wave of compressed ash flew like a moving wall; if Arthur didn't dodge, he would be crushed.
He used a side lightning step, but his chest protested with sharp pain.
"Damn…"
The guardian rushed again, its hand turning into a huge hardened ash block, like a stone rod smashing down on Arthur.
Arthur raised his sword to block—
DOOM!!
Even with the block…
the impact transferred fully into his body.
He retreated several steps, his shoulder wound opening more, blood pouring strongly.
The system screamed:
[Red warning!
Your body is close to collapse!
Continuing the fight like this = real death.]
In the next strike, he couldn't dodge everything.
A compressed-ash arm shot like a spear, pierced the side of his body below the ribs, and came out the other side like a stone skewer.
Time froze.
Arthur felt air being sucked from his lungs.
Then—
His body was pulled off the spear, and he fell to his knees, his hand pressing the wound that turned his clothes into dark red.
"What… this pain, why is it so horrible…?"
The system spoke in a tone Arthur never heard before:
[This is death, Arthur.
If you don't move now… everything ends.]
Arthur's bloody trembling hand opened the items interface.
The healing potion appeared:
---
[High-quality healing potion]
Description:
• Restores a huge amount of health.
• Stops internal bleeding.
• Does not fix deep spiritual damage.
---
"I hated the idea of using it now…"
He lifted the bottle to his mouth and drank it in one go.
A strong heat spread inside his body, as if something was stitching his insides together.
The pain didn't disappear, but went from "fatal" to "bearable."
The wound began closing fast, and the bleeding stopped.
After seconds, the system said:
[Your physical condition has been stabilized.
You are no longer dying… but this doesn't mean you're fine.]
Arthur stood slowly, his sword resting on the ground.
"Now… we can continue talking."
The guardian didn't wait.
It rushed again.
But this time, Arthur didn't receive it head-on.
He activated lightning step with maximum force allowed by his current body, dashed left, then jumped upward using a hardened ash piece as a platform.
Now he was slightly above the monster's chest level.
He raised his sword… and didn't summon the full Flame of Ruin, only allowed a very small spark to wrap around the blade.
A thin purple line… not enough to lose control, but enough for one thing:
Melting the last layer.
Arthur whispered:
"Break…"
And struck the chest center.
Once… twice… three times.
Each strike cracked the layer covering the Ash Heart, and the thin flame ate part of it.
On the fourth—
he saw the heart itself for a moment, a grey mass with faint white light in the darkness.
On the fifth—
his sword pierced its center.
Everything stopped.
Then the guardian exploded into a massive ash cloud that swept the entire hall, as if the floor breathed its last breath.
Arthur stuck his sword into the ground so he wouldn't fall, staying standing even though his knees trembled.
---
[Ravenous Devour — Activation]
[Ash Guardian essence absorbed]
[+0.03 Strength]
[+0.02 Endurance]
[+0.01 Mana]
[+0.01 Magic Power]
[Lifespan extraction: +9.6 hours]
---
[Total lifespan extracted on Floor 3:]
• +4.7 hours
• +5.1 hours
• +15.3 hours
• +9.6 hours
Total: +34.7 hours
---
[Previous lifespan:] 168.6 hours (≈ 7.03 days)
[Current lifespan:] 203.3 hours (≈ 8.47 days)
---
[Updated Stats:]
Strength: 42.55% → 42.63% (E)
Endurance: 41.59% → 41.65% (E)
Mana: 35.94% → 35.99% (-E)
Magic Power: 35.93% → 35.96% (E)
---
The potion interface faded from the items list.
It was no longer there.
The system said quietly this time:
[The potion was used.
From now on… any miscalculated mistake will not be forgiven.]
Arthur let out a short, tired laugh as he lifted his head toward the new gate forming at the end of the hall, a faint sound like whispering coming from its depths.
"It's fine…"
He tightened his grip on the sword.
"I wasn't planning on dying here anyway."
Then he walked toward the gate, his heart preparing for the next floor.
---