Chapter 100: Chapter 95: The Road to the Central Tower
The golden eye remained open.
Watching.
Silent.
Patient.
It did not attack.
It did not speak.
It simply observed.
And somehow, that was worse.
The entire expedition stood frozen in the middle of the ancient street.
Even the Guardian Constructs had stopped moving.
The battlefield had become eerily quiet.
Broken stone covered the roads.
Destroyed constructs lay scattered across the ruins.
The bodies of Void Burrowers from previous battles still littered distant streets.
Yet none of that mattered.
Everyone’s attention remained fixed on the colossal tower.
And the golden light watching from its summit.
---
John narrowed his eyes.
The feeling hadn’t disappeared.
It was still there.
That strange sensation of familiarity.
As though something deep within him recognized the presence hidden inside the tower.
Which was impossible.
Or at least it should have been.
---
The system remained silent.
Unusually silent.
John hated that.
Whenever the system stopped providing information, it usually meant one of two things.
Either it didn’t know.
Or it knew something it wasn’t ready to tell him.
Neither option was comforting.
---
"John."
Sylvara’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.
The forest mage looked concerned.
"Are you alright?"
The dragon blinked.
"...Why?"
"You’ve been staring at that tower for almost five minutes."
Lythriel immediately grinned.
"Maybe he’s in love."
John turned his head slowly.
The elf warrior immediately raised both hands.
"Joking."
A pause.
"Mostly."
---
Aerion sighed.
"Can we focus on the ancient civilization capable of creating armies of Tier Nine monsters?"
"That’s significantly less fun."
"It isn’t supposed to be fun."
"Then you’re doing adventures wrong."
Aerion looked like he wanted to argue.
Then seemingly decided it wasn’t worth the effort.
John couldn’t blame him.
---
The voice echoed once more through the city.
"Defensive units standing down."
The constructs immediately lowered their weapons.
The entire expedition tensed.
Nobody trusted that announcement.
Not even slightly.
---
The voice continued.
"Visitors granted provisional access."
This time the reaction was confusion.
Several dwarves exchanged uncertain glances.
One of the clan leaders stepped forward.
"Access to what?"
No answer came.
---
Lythriel frowned.
"That’s not ominous at all."
Sylvara nodded.
"Not even a little."
---
The old dwarf Thargrum rubbed his beard thoughtfully.
"Perhaps the tower wishes to meet us."
"Or dissect us."
Lythriel suggested.
"Also possible."
Aerion replied.
---
Nobody laughed.
Because that genuinely felt possible.
---
John finally stood.
His massive body rose above the surrounding ruins.
The movement alone drew attention from every warrior present.
The dragon glanced toward the distant tower.
Then toward the expedition.
Finally toward Thargrum.
"We move."
The old dwarf nodded.
No arguments.
No hesitation.
Everyone understood.
The tower held answers.
And likely danger.
A lot of danger.
---
## The Ancient Highway
The journey resumed.
This time with a clear destination.
The central tower.
The heart of the forgotten civilization.
The place where all roads eventually led.
---
As they traveled deeper into the ancient metropolis, the scale of the city became increasingly apparent.
Entire districts stretched across the cavern.
Some appeared dedicated to research.
Others to industry.
A few seemed residential.
Despite the countless centuries that had passed, traces of the ancient inhabitants remained everywhere.
---
John paused beside a large plaza.
At its center stood a massive crystal sculpture.
Four-armed figures surrounded it.
Children.
Adults.
Elders.
All gazing upward.
---
Sylvara approached carefully.
Her eyes widened.
"These aren’t religious carvings."
The group looked toward her.
"What do you mean?" Aerion asked.
The mage studied the statues.
"Their expressions."
She pointed.
"They aren’t worshipping."
Lythriel tilted her head.
"Then what are they doing?"
Sylvara hesitated.
Then answered.
"They look hopeful."
---
The observation lingered in everyone’s mind.
Because she was right.
The ancient figures weren’t bowing.
They weren’t praying.
They were waiting.
As if expecting something.
Or someone.
---
John felt that strange sensation again.
Recognition.
Familiarity.
The feeling was becoming stronger the closer they approached the tower.
---
Several hours passed.
The expedition encountered no further attacks.
Which honestly made everyone more nervous.
---
"I preferred the monsters."
One dwarf muttered.
Another nodded.
"At least monsters make sense."
---
Nobody disagreed.
---
Eventually they reached a massive bridge spanning an underground abyss.
The structure stretched for miles.
Built from black stone reinforced with glowing silver runes.
Below it lay nothing but darkness.
An endless void disappearing into the depths of the world.
---
Lythriel peered over the edge.
Then immediately stepped back.
"Nope."
John raised an eyebrow.
"Afraid of heights?"
"No."
A pause.
"I’m afraid of falling from heights."
"That’s just heights."
"No, it’s the sudden stop at the end."
---
Several dwarves laughed.
Even Aerion looked mildly amused.
---
The group began crossing.
The bridge remained stable despite its age.
Which somehow felt even more unsettling.
---
Halfway across—
The attack came.
---
The bridge shook violently.
Stone cracked.
Warriors stumbled.
A deafening roar echoed from below.
---
Everyone froze.
---
The sound came again.
Louder.
Closer.
---
Then something enormous emerged from the darkness.
---
The creature burst upward alongside the bridge.
---
Gasps echoed through the expedition.
---
It was massive.
Far larger than the Stone Maw.
Far larger than the Void Burrowers.
Its body resembled a gigantic serpent composed entirely of black crystal.
Hundreds of meters long.
Glowing veins of blue energy pulsed beneath its armor.
Multiple eyes lined its head.
Each one burning with unnatural intelligence.
---
**[Analysis Initiated]**
Species: Abyss Guardian
Tier: 10
Threat Level: Extreme
---
The entire expedition went silent.
---
Tier 10.
---
The first confirmed Tier 10 creature they had ever encountered.
---
Lythriel’s grin vanished.
Aerion’s expression hardened.
Sylvara visibly paled.
Even Thargrum looked alarmed.
---
John stared at the notification.
Tier 10.
The same threshold he was approaching.
The next stage of evolution.
The level beyond Tier 9.
---
The creature opened its mouth.
Blue energy gathered between its jaws.
---
"Move!"
John roared.
---
The beam fired.
---
BOOOOOOOOM!
---
The bridge exploded.
Entire sections vanished instantly.
Dozens of dwarves barely escaped as the structure collapsed beneath them.
---
Chaos erupted.
---
## The First Tier 10 Battle
The Abyss Guardian lunged.
Its massive body smashed into the bridge.
Stone shattered.
Runes exploded.
The ancient structure trembled beneath the assault.
---
John launched himself forward.
Dark energy erupted around his claws.
---
CRASH!
---
The collision shook the entire cavern.
---
For the first time since becoming a dragon—
John was pushed backward.
---
The realization hit him immediately.
---
Strong.
Very strong.
---
The guardian hissed.
Its glowing eyes locked onto him.
Recognizing him as the greatest threat.
---
Good.
That made things simpler.
---
"Abyssal Lance!"
---
Dark energy compressed.
A beam erupted from John’s claws.
---
BOOM!
---
The attack struck the serpent directly.
Its armor cracked.
But didn’t break.
---
The guardian retaliated instantly.
A tail larger than entire buildings swept toward him.
---
John crossed his claws.
---
CRASH!
---
Pain exploded through his body.
---
The impact launched him across the bridge.
Stone shattered beneath him.
---
Several dwarves stared in disbelief.
---
The Stone Maw couldn’t do that.
The Void Burrowers couldn’t do that.
Nothing they’d fought before could do that.
---
This was Tier 10.
---
A completely different level.
---
## Fighting Together
The guardian lunged again.
---
Then a silver blur intercepted it.
---
Aerion.
---
The swordsman leaped directly toward the creature’s head.
Mana erupted around his blade.
For the first time since meeting him—
John saw Aerion release his full power.
---
Silver light engulfed the bridge.
---
"Moonfall."
---
The sword descended.
---
SLASH!
---
A massive wound opened across the guardian’s face.
Blue energy spilled outward.
---
The serpent roared.
---
Aerion was blown backward.
But smiling.
---
"Good."
He landed lightly.
"That worked."
---
Lythriel immediately followed.
---
"About time."
---
She launched herself skyward.
Higher.
Higher.
Even higher.
---
Mana gathered around her spear.
Far more than John had ever seen.
---
The weapon began glowing.
White.
Brilliant.
Dangerous.
---
"SKY PIERCER!"
---
The spear descended.
---
BOOOOOOM!
---
The attack struck the guardian’s neck.
---
Armor shattered.
---
The creature screamed.
---
For the first time—
Real damage.
---
The expedition erupted into action.
---
Dwarven artillery fired.
Runic weapons activated.
Magic exploded across the battlefield.
---
The bridge became a war zone.
---
Yet despite everything—
The guardian continued fighting.
---
Its wounds healed.
Its movements remained powerful.
Its energy never seemed to diminish.
---
John finally understood.
---
This wasn’t a normal creature.
---
It was another construct.
Another guardian.
Another weapon left behind by the ancient civilization.
---
Which meant—
---
Something created it.
---
Something stronger.
---
The realization made him look toward the tower.
---
And the golden eye.
---
It was still watching.
---
Still observing.
---
As if evaluating them.
---
Testing them.
---
## Breaking the Guardian
The battle continued for nearly twenty minutes.
---
Twenty brutal minutes.
---
The bridge was barely intact.
Everyone was exhausted.
---
The guardian remained standing.
---
Then the system chimed.
---
**[Weakness Identified]**
Core Location:
Base of Skull
---
John grinned.
Finally.
---
"Lythriel!"
---
She immediately understood.
---
"No way."
---
"Yes way."
---
The elf groaned.
---
"I hate your plans."
---
"Yet they work."
---
"...Fair."
---
Moments later she was climbing onto his back.
---
Several dwarves stared.
---
One blinked.
---
"Are they serious?"
---
Unfortunately—
Yes.
---
Very serious.
---
John spread his wings.
Dark energy erupted around him.
---
Then he launched himself forward.
---
The guardian roared.
---
The dragon accelerated.
---
Faster.
---
Faster.
---
Even faster.
---
The bridge blurred beneath them.
---
At the last second—
---
"NOW!"
---
Lythriel jumped.
---
Her spear glowed like a falling star.
---
The guardian opened its jaws.
Too late.
---
"SKY PIERCER!"
---
BOOOOOOOOM!
---
The spear struck the base of its skull.
---
Directly into the core.
---
Blue light erupted everywhere.
---
The guardian froze.
---
Its body convulsed.
---
Cracks spread across its armor.
---
Then—
---
CRAAAAAAAAAAACK!
---
The entire creature shattered.
---
Thousands of crystal fragments exploded outward.
---
The bridge shook violently.
---
Then silence returned.
---
The Abyss Guardian was dead.
---
For several seconds—
Nobody moved.
---
Nobody spoke.
---
Then cheers erupted.
---
Dwarves roared in triumph.
Weapons were raised.
Victorious laughter echoed through the cavern.
---
Even Aerion looked satisfied.
---
Lythriel landed beside John.
Breathing heavily.
---
"...That was ridiculous."
---
"It worked."
---
"I hate that it worked."
---
John laughed.
---
The system chimed.
---
**[Tier 10 Guardian Defeated]**
EXP Gained: 112,000
Evolution Progress: 89%
---
John’s eyes widened.
---
Eighty-nine percent.
---
Only eleven percent remaining.
---
The next evolution was closer than ever.
---
But before he could celebrate—
The voice returned.
---
"Trial Complete."
---
Everyone froze.
---
The ancient city lit up once more.
---
"Access Granted."
---
Far ahead—
The colossal tower began opening.
---
Massive gates slowly separated.
Ancient mechanisms awakened.
Golden light flooded the city.
---
And for the first time—
The path to the tower stood open.
---
The true heart of the ancient civilization awaited them.
---
And deep within that golden light—
Something was waiting for John.
Something that had been waiting for a very long time.
---
100 ps = 1 extra Chapter
200 ps = 2 Extra Chapter
1 Golden ticket = 3 Extra Chapter
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