The Juggernaut's arm came down like a mountain collapsing from the sky—heavy, violent, unstoppable.

The sheer force of the swing carved a tunnel of pressure through the air, howling like a banshee, making the cracked rooftop beneath them tremble as though even the city itself feared what was coming.

Sovaryn, the mighty [Sovereign Wolf], didn't flinch.

His paws dug in, claws scraping stone as he stood his ground. The blade in his mouth—blacker than night and humming with an unstable, chaotic pulse—flared as he swung.

CLANG!

A shockwave exploded outward as [Void Blade] met the Juggernaut's descending strike. The sound rang out like a divine hammer slamming against the gates of hell.

Energy rippled through the air, thick and dark, shimmering with bursts of star-like sparks that scattered across the rooftop like shattered embers from a dying sun.

The force of impact split the stone beneath Sovaryn's feet. Dust plumed upward, and cracks spidered outward in every direction.

But he held.

Karl, watching from nearby, could only stare.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

A level 25 spirit—his spirit—was actually holding back a level 50 monster.

Even if it was only for a few seconds, that alone was insane.

Sovaryn's limbs trembled from the pressure, muscles tensed to their limits, but he didn't fall.

The wolf's stance was low and stable, the blade clenched tightly in his jaws, resisting the Juggernaut's overwhelming brute force inch by inch.

It was now or never.

Karl raised his arm, aiming the [Spirit Gun] without hesitation. A burst of red light formed at the barrel's tip as he pulled the trigger—

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Five shots rang out in quick succession, each one draining a different spirit in his arsenal.

Raw, compressed spirit energy howled through the air like ghostly meteors, crashing into the Juggernaut's face with precise, targeted blows.

The result?

Barely a flicker.

The beams struck true—direct hits to the beast's thick, horned skull—but the damage evaporated instantly. No blood. No cracks. Not even a reaction.

Karl sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Right. Should've seen that coming…"

Ding!

A soft notification blinked across his vision.

[Your Shadow Assassin Lizard has gone past the 300-meter limit. It will now be sent back to the cemetery.]

He allowed himself a small nod. That meant Celeste was safe. She was on her way to the [Ascension Door] and wouldn't need backup anymore. One less thing weighing on his mind.

Now, all that was left… was this.

The Juggernaut wasn't slowing. Sovaryn, valiant as it was, had started to buckle. The [Void Blade] still shimmered with void energy, but cracks were starting to form along its edge.

The minotaur's monstrous arm was pressing down harder and harder, pushing the spirit wolf toward collapse with every passing moment.

They couldn't keep this up.

Karl narrowed his eyes. They didn't need to win. Just survive. Just make an opening.

FWISH!

He moved.

In a single burst, Karl exploded forward. [Spectral Blade] ignited in his hand, materializing into a gleaming, ghostly weapon as he dashed straight toward the towering form of the Juggernaut.

Sovaryn caught on instantly.

With a low snarl and a final surge of strength, the spirit wolf tilted his weight, parrying the Juggernaut's arm just slightly to the side—barely enough, but enough. Just enough for Karl to slip past.

He jumped.

Boots hit the minotaur's forearm. The momentum of the Juggernaut's attack launched Karl upward as he ran along its muscled arm like a collapsing bridge, dashing higher with each step.

Wind screamed past him. Below, Sovaryn's paws skidded as he backed off, preparing to assist again.

Karl saw it: the head. Towering. Massive. Its red eyes flared like furnaces, the minotaur's rage burning hotter than anything he'd ever seen. But even monsters had weaknesses.

And the fact it had no armor was perfect.

He leapt. And with a roar, Karl swung the blade.

SHLUNK!

The [Spectral Blade] pierced directly through the Juggernaut's left eye.

The blade sank in with a sickening sound, crimson energy erupting from the wound as the beast howled—a guttural, furious, primal bellow that sent a shiver through the ruined skyline.

"GRRAAAAAGHHHH!"

It reached for him immediately, its massive hand swiping upward like a giant trying to crush a fly.

But Karl was already moving.

He kicked off the creature's face, flipping backward as the hand missed him by inches. The wind from the swipe was enough to knock him off balance, but—

Sovaryn was there.

The wolf lunged up, caught Karl mid-air on his back, and twisted in mid-motion to absorb the momentum of the fall. They hit the rooftop hard, but stayed on their feet.

Karl pointed. "Now! Go! Head for the door!"

Sovaryn didn't hesitate. The spirit wolf turned and bolted, dashing across the debris-strewn streets as the city crumbled around them.

For a heartbeat, Karl thought it was over.

They'd done it. They had created the opening. They had escaped.

And then—

ROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR!

The Juggernaut's bellow tore through the world like thunder.

It wasn't rage anymore.

It was pure, mindless fury.

The beast stormed after them with terrifying speed, moving with wild, berserker strength that shattered buildings, pulverized walls, and reduced everything in its path to dust.

Rubble flew in every direction as the minotaur charged like a nightmare given form, the pain of its lost eye fueling a blind, bloodthirsty rampage.

The plaza was in sight. The [Ascension Door] stood tall at its center, pulsing with golden light.

Celeste was already there. Karl saw her, her silhouette bathed in radiant glow as she pressed her key into the lock. The portal's runes began to shift and pulse as it responded to her presence.

"BE CAREFUL!" she yelled.

BOOM! BOOM!

The Juggernaut tore through another set of buildings behind them, gaining ground.

Karl turned slightly, glancing back.

Every part of him screamed to fight. To stay. To finish it. He wanted the beast's power. Wanted its soul. Wanted its strength.

But this wasn't the time.

They had nothing left. Not enough power. Not enough time.

Fifty meters.

He turned forward again. The door was close.

Too close.

And so was the Juggernaut.

Karl's eyes widened. "DODGE!"

Sovaryn obeyed instantly.

The wolf twisted to the left as the Juggernaut's massive fist slammed into the ground where they had just been.

The impact created a crater that swallowed the surrounding stone, a shockwave roaring out in every direction.

Karl nearly fell but held on, his knuckles white.

Thirty meters.

Ding!

A panel appeared before his eyes.

[Ascension Key Detected…]

[Would you like to open the Ascension Door for yourself?]

"Yes!" Karl shouted.

The moment he spoke, the door responded. Golden light surged from its core, runes spinning in place as the giant structure began to creak open.

The portal split down the middle, revealing blinding white radiance behind it.

But the Juggernaut wasn't done.

"Horn Strike!"

The minotaur howled, pushing past all limits. Its body surged forward, and then—with a terrible leap—it hurled itself through the air.

The twin horns on its head glowed with infernal energy, and the moment they struck the ground—

BOOOOOOM!

The plaza erupted.

The explosion from the Horn Strike was massive, a shockwave of crushing force that raced across the entire square, lifting debris, toppling statues, and shaking the foundations of the ruins around them.

Karl didn't think.

He leapt.

Off Sovaryn's back, straight toward the white light.

The wolf followed, bounding with a final burst of speed and determination.

The shockwave ripped through the space behind them, inches from tearing them apart—

And then—

White light swallowed them whole.

Ding!

[You have completed the Fifth Floor – The Awakened City.]

[Your rewards will be calculated based on your performance.]

[You have unlocked "Fast Travel" – You may now enter the Tower of Trials from anywhere.]

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[You have unlocked multiple new features, which will become available upon reaching the Sixth Floor.]

Karl blinked.

He wasn't in the tower anymore.

He stood in the [Fifth Floor's Square], just outside its entrance, his body still trembling, his heart still hammering against his ribs like a war drum. Every breath burned. His limbs ached. His thoughts swirled.

But he had done it. They had made it out alive.

Karl immediately looked around, trying to find Celeste, and as expected, once he looked around, he saw her.

She was leaning against a tree among all the students that were celebrating after clearing the fifth floor.

Everyone was happy to have been able to clear the [Tower's Tutorial], especially after encountering something as scary.

Though, Karl didn't know if any of them had actually been face to face with the juggernaut.

He was confident that anyone that met this creature would have died, even he managing to escape by sheer luck and determination.

But regardless of that, he shook his head lightly and stepped forward toward Celeste.

"Karl!" she jumped into his arms out of sheer happiness, "I-It was insane!"

"Yeah," Karl nodded, "I managed to harm it a little and escape afterward."

"WHAT!" Celeste shouted, then quickly calmed down as some students gazed at her, "Y-You harmed that thing...?" she whispered

"Yeah," Karl repeated, "I was kind of forced to if I wanted to survive," he smiled gently.

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