The moon hung loosely in the desolate night skies, its rays casting a soft glow over the tranquil forest below. At the forest’s center lay a massive, serene lake, its pristine waters mirroring the crescent celestial body above. The hooting of owls and the chirping of crickets echoed in harmony with the rustling of tree branches swayed by the gentle night winds. But then, the tranquility was shattered—a portal opened above the lake, ejecting two bodies before swiftly closing.

Warning! You must return to Clacion within the next minute, or you will be purged!

A timer appeared above Scott and Zara’s heads as the duo plummeted toward the cold waters below. In that same instant, Zara wiggled her fingers, and strings shot out, latching onto a nearby tree, pulling them toward dry land.

They landed with a thud, their chests heaving from the harrowing encounter with the named calamity. Ignoring the system’s warning, Zara focused on Scott, her mind racing with conflicting emotions. It had only been a moment, but she had glimpsed countless portals when the voidweaver activated his domain—some led to places she recognized, while others were entirely alien to her. One portal, however, led to a towering structure in a dense forest, a place teeming with an otherworldly energy she couldn’t fully comprehend.

“You’re good, yeah?” Scott asked, rising to his feet as he surveyed their surroundings. If I remember correctly, this is the same pool I arrived in when I first unintentionally used the void bank, Scott thought, recalling the familiar scenery. This time, there was no naked elf to smother him with affection.

“What happens if we stay here past the time limit?” Zara asked, standing up as well, her gaze lingering on the flashing blue timer, which now had only forty seconds left.

“That’s not going to happen. We’re leaving now,” Scott said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. “Don’t let go,” he cautioned.

Zara nodded, her cheeks reddening slightly as she felt the warmth of his embrace. Scott activated his domain once more, and several spatial distortions appeared around them. But this time, he didn’t rush into the nearest portal. Instead, his gaze darted back and forth, searching for something—or someone. The timer continued its relentless countdown, the blue panel slowly shifting to red, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. Spatial distortions flickered in and out of existence within the chaotic voidscape, each revealing a myriad of locations both familiar and unfamiliar to Scott.

With only ten seconds left, the once-blue panel had turned blood red. A gigantic crack appeared in the sky, and a bloodthirsty eye peered through the shattered space.

“Scott… you need to hurry,” Zara urged, her eyes fixed on the colossal eyeball in the sky.

“I’m trying—the portals aren’t… there, found it.” With only five seconds remaining, Scott spotted the portal reflecting the shattered pathway they had fled from. The crack in the sky widened, and the form of a colossal entity, obscured by cosmic dust and chaotic energies, began to emerge. But before it could fully reveal itself, Scott and Zara leaped into the spatial distortion, disappearing with only two seconds left on the timer.

As they vanished, the spatial distortions closed, and the crack in the sky sealed itself, restoring calm to the once-tranquil forest.

Scott and Zara reappeared at the exact spot they had departed from earlier, crashing violently into the icy floor. The impact shattered the sturdy surface beneath them, but they quickly rose to their feet, scanning their surroundings. Apart from the wrecked wall and the massive hole in front of them, there was no sign of any other presence.

Zara exhaled deeply, massaging her temples. “Do you have any idea what that thing was?” she muttered softly.

“I honestly don’t want to know,” Scott replied, the vision of the colossus still burning in his memory. He didn’t want to imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t found the right portal in time. While the Calamity of Ice had been powerless against his domain, he had a primal understanding that it would be useless against an entity that seemed to embody the very essence of destruction.

“There are just too many powerful entities in this tower,” Zara said, sighing again. “We still have a long way to go.” Her tone carried a hint of resignation, but her eyes burned with determination. The prospect of becoming powerful enough to challenge and potentially topple beings as formidable as gods was a task she relished, no matter how absurd and daunting it might seem.

“We’re lucky there were no rules against us leaving the mission like in Infernia,” Zara added, cautiously approaching the edge of the massive hole.

Scott nodded. “I don’t know if it was an oversight by the gods, but we were really lucky there,” he said, taking a step forward. “We’ll have to avoid large-scale conflicts from now on. The last battle confirmed that calamities are drawn to them.”

Zara agreed with a silent nod and then turned to the voidweaver. “How good of a jumper are you?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, I won’t fall,” Scott assured her. “Let’s get to the exit before any more surprises show up.”

Without a word, Aga’dz’s strings manifested, latching onto the other side of the calamity-induced gorge. Zara’s form whirled through the air like a spinning top, landing gracefully on the other side. Scott, taking a cautionary step back, ran and jumped, landing firmly beside her.

The duo sprinted toward the exit, their boots pounding against the icy surface. Despite their speed, they remained vigilant, wary of any potential ambush. In a flash, they reached another area with a dome-shaped ceiling, and the entrance behind them sealed shut. This time, however, only one exit remained—barred by glistening runic patterns.

You have reached the second checkpoint!

The runes stirred as the system notification rang out, gradually losing their luster until they completely greyed out. A crack echoed through the chamber, and the barrier shattered. Scott and Zara exchanged glances and, without a word, marched forward, disappearing into the new pathway.

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Still shaken from their encounter with the unexpected calamity, the duo continued running. They knew all too well that there was no telling when the calamity might pivot back toward their location—or worse, when another might appear.

“Isn’t it strange there was no ‘defend your path’ message this time?” Zara suddenly remarked.

“It is,” Scott agreed. From his experience with the system, it wasn’t prone to deceit or unnecessary notifications.

“Do you think we’re close to the end?” Zara asked, still facing forward.

“I have no idea, but I hope so,” Scott replied. “Apart from that frozen wasteland, which was supposed to be a place for punishment, this is only the second layer. There’s no telling how absurd the other layers could be.”

“People used to tell me I was insane for wanting to climb the tower,” Zara said, changing the topic as she glanced at Scott. “And you know what? They were absolutely right. No one in their right mind should be doing this.”

Scott chuckled softly. He shared the same sentiment. To survive in a place teeming with lesser gods, maniacal entities, and power-drunk beings, one had to forgo every shard of sanity just to stay alive.

“Someone capable of maintaining any semblance of normalcy while climbing the tower has probably transcended into a level of insanity that rivals the almighty beings ruling the place. I definitely wouldn’t want to meet someone like that,” Zara added.

Though silent, Scott agreed wholeheartedly with her. His memories of a peaceful life on Earth were now fleeting, almost forgotten. His worst days back then were nothing compared to the relentless life-and-death struggles of the tower.

“We’re all doing this to prove our existence,” Scott said after a long pause. “It’s up to us to make sure our efforts aren’t wasted.” With that, the duo charged further down the path.

Two days passed, but there was still no exit in sight. The prisoners alternated between running, resting, and walking. They hadn’t received any further notifications or encountered any invaders.

“Alright, this is a tough one,” Zara said, as she munched on some rations. “If you could have literally any power, with no limitations whatsoever, what would you choose?”

Scott adopted a pensive look, his eyes darting as his thoughts raced. “If there are no limitations, then I might as well become an omnipotent god. That way, I can do anything and everything at once.”

Zara’s brows furrowed in realization. “Wait, no, that’s too easy. There are limitations. It’s no fun if you choose that right off the bat,” she said, her mouth half-full. “You can only have one ability, just one, okay?”

Scott chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ve always thought lightning-based powers were cool. So, if I had to choose, I’d probably go with something related to that. What about you?”

“I’d want to be able to read minds,” Zara declared with a mischievous smile.

Before Scott could ask why, she continued, “Just think about how many people you could blackmail. Plus, you’d get to hear all the latest gossip.” She paused, then added with a grin, “Either that, or the ability to turn anyone into a fish.”

Scott couldn’t help but cackle. No wonder she gets along so well with Slim. They both have the same weird sense of humor, he thought.

“I’m sure there’s some weird god out there who wouldn’t mind granting you—”

You are approaching the final checkpoint!

Scott and Zara halted, their eyes locking onto the new notification. They exchanged a glance before unleashing a burst of speed, their feet propelling them forward. In a flash, an exit revealed itself, and they intensified their pace. Suddenly, they burst into a beautifully designed room adorned with artistically carved stone pillars embedded with countless jewels.

You have reached the final checkpoint!

Ignoring the system’s message, Scott and Zara focused on the dozens of unfamiliar faces gathered in the room. Some stood in clusters, while others kept to themselves. Like Scott and Zara, the champions wore cautious expressions, sizing up the new arrivals. Scott’s and Zara’s eyes swept across the room, but they saw no one familiar.

“It doesn’t look like the others have arrived,” Zara whispered, glancing back at the entrance they had just emerged from. But the pathway had vanished, replaced by a solid stone wall. Scott frowned, realizing the wall was no illusion; it was real, standing in all its full splendor.

Scott was about to speak when footsteps echoed across the chamber. Everyone turned toward the eastern wall, where another pathway had opened, revealing a squad of masked shinobis. The group entered cautiously, their hands firmly on their weapons. As soon as the last shinobi stepped out, the pathway disappeared, heightening the group’s anxiety.

The leader, distinguished by a slightly golden mask, pointed his kunai at the surrounding champions. “What purpose does this place serve, creature?” he demanded, his voice smooth but tinged with age.

The ogres in the room casually observed the masked leader before looking away, dismissing his question. An incensed ninja hurled a shuriken in response, but the weapon simply vanished.

Fighting is prohibited!

The notification flashed before everyone in the room. The ninjas’ collective uneasiness dissipated, and they withdrew their weapons, retreating to a corner. But as they moved, they suddenly stopped, all eyes turning toward Scott and Zara. In a blur, the shinobis appeared in front of the duo, their bloodthirsty gazes fixed on them.

“You are covered with the scent of the whispering ash,” the leader began, his eyes reflecting the bloodlust in his heart. “You must have encountered Higashizono’s squad.” He paused, scanning the room but seeing no sign of any other ninja squad. “What happened to them?”

Zara was about to speak, but Scott cut her off. “We don’t know who Higashizono is, but if you mean the guys with those strange, horned masks—”

“Yes,” the ninja affirmed with a nod. “You saw them. What happened to—”

“They’re all dead,” Scott interjected coldly. “Every single one of them was brutally murdered.”

The ninjas’ glares intensified, and if looks could kill, Scott and Zara would have died a thousand deaths already. “You do realize what this means, right?” the leader hissed, his voice dripping with menace.

“I don’t care,” Scott retorted. “I’m sure as hell you wouldn’t care if they had killed us instead. Do you think this is some kind of picnic? Or are you delusional enough to believe that only your people deserve to survive?” Scott took a step forward, locking eyes with the ninja. “Believe me when I say this isn’t a fight you want.”

The ninja quickly averted his gaze, sensing an ominous presence from the flickering yellow sign in Scott’s eye.

“You’re right. You might have done what you had to for survival, but you’ll pay the price, no matter your justification,” the ninja vowed, raising his hand. As the group began to turn away, Scott’s cold voice cut through the air.

“You will die. Don’t mistake this for a threat—it’s a promise if you come for us.”

Zara stepped forward, her tone sharp. “If you’re so hellbent on revenge, you should go find the Calamity of Ice. It killed most of them, after all.”

This time, the ninjas and the other champions, who had been watching nonchalantly from the sidelines, all turned toward Scott and Zara, confusion written across their faces. Only Scott and Zara seemed to be aware of the calamities in the room.

“Regardless of who’s involved, they will all die!” the ninja hissed, retreating in silent fury. Scott and Zara chuckled, dismissing the ninja’s threats as nonsensical and ignorant.

Footsteps echoed through the room once more, drawing everyone’s attention. This time, a flicker of surprise crossed Scott’s and Zara’s faces as they watched a familiar figure enter the room, the pathway vanishing behind her.