The beams never stopped.
White judgment energy tore through the forest again and again, erasing everything in its path. Trees vanished into nothing. Stones dissolved into dust. Even the air seemed to burn under the towers' relentless assault.
Kael ran straight toward them.
Not away.
Never away.
[Countdown: 8 Hours 57 Minutes Until Erasure]
His body screamed in pain with every step, ancient energy and system energy clashing violently inside him. The power he absorbed from the first tower was still unstable, still trying to tear him apart from the inside.
But Kael ignored it.
Pain meant he was alive.
Alive meant he could fight.
The second tower rotated, locking onto him instantly.
[Target Locked]
The beam fired.
Kael jumped to the side, rolling across the cracked ground as the white light erased a massive crater behind him. Heat burned across his skin, but he forced himself up and kept running.
Closer.
Closer.
The third tower fired at the same time.
Two beams crossed paths, forming a deadly grid of destruction.
Kael slid under one beam and leaped over another, barely avoiding being erased completely.
"…Annoying," he muttered.
The system responded coldly.
[Anomaly resistance detected]
[Increasing Judgment Output]
The towers began glowing brighter.
The beams grew thicker.
Stronger.
More precise.
Kael stopped for a brief moment and looked at the second tower carefully.
Unlike the first one, this tower was adapting.
Its symbols were shifting.
Changing.
Learning his movement patterns.
"…So you evolve too," Kael whispered.
The tower fired again.
But this time, the beam curved slightly.
Predicting his movement.
Kael's eyes widened.
The beam grazed his side, tearing flesh and burning deep into his ribs.
Blood spilled across the ground.
He dropped to one knee.
[Host Status: Critical]
[Ancient Energy Stabilization Required]
Kael coughed and laughed.
"You really want me dead."
The sky eye pulsed.
[Correct]
Kael wiped the blood from his mouth and slowly stood.
"Then stop holding back."
Ancient energy exploded from his body.
Dark and violent.
The ground beneath him cracked like glass.
Energy Devourer activated.
Rule Breaker activated.
System Sever activated.
The air distorted around him like reality itself was bending.
Kael stepped forward.
One step.
The towers fired again.
Kael didn't dodge.
Instead—
He ran straight through the beams.
The ancient energy wrapped around his body like armor, resisting the erasing light long enough for him to break through.
His skin burned.
His muscles tore.
But he kept moving.
Closer.
Closer.
The second tower fired one last time.
Kael jumped into the air and landed directly on its surface.
His hand slammed against the glowing structure.
"Let's finish this."
System Sever activated.
The tower shook violently.
[Warning: Structural Collapse Detected]
Energy surged into Kael's body again.
Stronger than before.
More violent.
More unstable.
The sky darkened.
The system spoke.
[Unauthorized destruction detected]
Kael grinned.
"Cry about it."
Energy Devourer pulled harder.
The tower cracked.
Light leaked through its structure.
[System Integrity: 33%… 30%… 27%…]
Kael roared as ancient energy and system energy clashed violently inside him.
"Break!"
The tower exploded.
A massive shockwave tore through the forest, flattening everything in a wide radius.
[Judgment Tower Destroyed]
Kael was thrown across the ground, crashing into broken stone and rolling several meters before stopping.
Silence followed.
Only one tower remained.
[Countdown: 8 Hours 21 Minutes Until Erasure]
Kael slowly pushed himself up, breathing heavily.
His body was barely holding together now.
Cracks of dark energy ran across his skin.
But he was still standing.
The sky eye pulsed violently.
The system spoke again.
This time—
It sounded angry.
[Anomaly threat level increased]
Kael laughed weakly.
"Now you're scared."
The final tower began charging.
But something changed.
It didn't fire.
Instead, the sky above it split open.
A massive circular portal formed in the clouds.
Dark.
Deep.
Endless.
Kael frowned.
"…That's not a tower attack."
The system spoke.
Cold.
Absolute.
[Final Judgment Agent Authorized]
The portal expanded.
Energy poured out of it like a storm.
The last tower powered down, as if making way for something greater.
Kael's instincts screamed louder than ever before.
Something dangerous was coming.
Something far stronger than the Hunters.
A figure slowly descended from the portal.
Floating.
Covered in white and black armor that looked like living metal.
Six glowing wings made of system energy spread behind its back.
In its hand rested a massive spear made of pure judgment light.
The air froze.
The forest trembled.
Even the sky eye dimmed slightly.
[Judgment Executor Deployed]
[Designation: Seraph Unit]
[Objective: Absolute Erasure]
Kael stared at the descending figure.
Then smiled.
"…Now this looks fun."
The Seraph opened its glowing eyes.
Emotionless.
Cold.
It raised its spear and pointed it at Kael.
[Anomaly confirmed]
[Erasure begins now]
The countdown continued.
[8 Hours 03 Minutes Remaining]
Kael stepped forward, ancient energy burning around him.
"Come on then."
Because now—
The real battle was about to begin.