Drayk lay in the center of the room, where he had just defeated an Ancient Spirit. He stared at the ceiling, contemplating everything that had happened to him since his reincarnation.
After a few minutes of reflection and rest, he stood up, shook the dust off his body, and continued forward, determined to reach the end of the dungeon.
On the next floors, Drayk advanced without much difficulty. He felt that the dungeon could no longer contribute to his power growth.
When he reached the 30th floor, after defeating all the creatures and finding the king of that level, he realized that this was the last Ancient Spirit he needed to defeat to complete the mission.
Unlike the ones he had faced so far, this one was the spirit of a corrupted primordial dragon.
"I remember how much I suffered to defeat the first primordial dragon... I don't think this one will be easy."
The Ancient Spirit roared, and the dungeon trembled. Its spectral form wavered like black smoke, but its eyes gleamed with a corrupted golden hue. The chains of darkness around it shattered, unleashing its oppressive aura.
Drayk was the first to move. His body burst forward with speed, and in the blink of an eye, he was already in front of the entity, his fist covered in golden flames.
BAM!
The punch struck directly, dispersing part of the spirit's body. But the creature did not retreat. On the contrary—it instantly reformed itself and, in response, unleashed a wave of dark energy that engulfed Drayk.
BOOOOM!
The impact sent him crashing against the wall, cracking the stone around him. But he wasted no time. Before even hitting the ground, he activated Vek'thor, opening a portal behind him to avoid the fall and reappearing above his enemy.
"You won't regenerate forever..."
With a swift motion, he drew his sword and swung down in a vertical slash. The golden fire tore through the spirit, making it scream in agony. The sacred light burned its cursed essence.
But instead of falling, the Ancient Spirit responded with brutality. Dozens of black spears materialized around it and shot forward like lightning.
Drayk dodged most of them, but one pierced his shoulder. Ice coursed through his veins, draining his strength.
"Tsk..."
He yanked the spear out forcefully and crushed it. His primordial blood glowed, burning away the corruption before it could spread.
The spirit charged forward, the shadows around it forming into a massive claw that descended toward him. Drayk crossed his arms, activating Draconic Suppression. The impact cracked the floor beneath them, but he stood firm, his feet sinking into the stone.
"Enough of this."
He took a deep breath and let his instincts take over. His body shone intensely—Primordial Blood: Activate.
Golden flames erupted from within him, forcing the spirit backward. With his enhanced speed, Drayk vanished from sight and reappeared behind his enemy.
His fist tore through the creature, destroying part of its essence. But he didn't stop there. He spun his sword in a swift arc, unleashing a Cross of Primordial Flames that cleaved the spirit in two.
This time, it couldn't regenerate. Its form gradually disintegrated as it roared in despair.
Drayk simply watched, resting Solaris Ignis on his shoulder.
"Mission complete."
The spirit vanished into fragments of light, and a notification flashed in his mind.
[You have obtained a Fragment of Ascension!][1/10]
"So this is how I advance now?"—he could feel the energy fusing into his body. The fragment wasn't a physical item. It was something beyond that, an essential part of his very existence being rebuilt.
With the king of that floor defeated, the young warrior was ready to continue his journey—except for one small problem. The portal to the next floor had yet to appear.
"I thought I had defeated everyone..."—Drayk murmured, frowning.
With no other option, he began searching the area again, looking for any clues or creatures he might have missed.
It didn't take long. Soon, he sensed something—a monster that had gone unnoticed until now.
"The invisible creature of the 30th floor... I forgot about you."
The beast was camouflaged on the dungeon ceiling, silently observing him, waiting for the perfect opening to strike.
But Drayk would not be caught off guard. The instant the creature blinked, he was already in front of it.
For the monster, time seemed to slow down. It watched in slow motion as the young warrior appeared before it, his silhouette moving like a blur. Drayk leaped, and in the next moment, he landed softly on the ground.
Something was wrong. The creature's eyes followed him... but its body did not.
As both touched the floor, the monster saw its own head rolling to the side—and then it realized. Its body was still stuck to the ceiling, severed.
"No fragment... It looks like my evolution will be more complicated. However, I expect great leaps, just like the first one."
...
In Valnark, chaos had taken hold. After the actions of the rebel group, food supplies were running low. The lords prioritized providing rations to soldiers and mercenaries, leaving the population discontent.
In Lord Darius' castle, he and Lady Sylren were discussing their next moves.
"How could your soldiers be so incompetent as to let our stockpiles be destroyed?" — Lady Sylren complained, her voice filled with irritation.
"The attack happened during the night, my Lady. The group seemed highly trained in stealth techniques."
She crossed her arms, impatient.
"We need to accelerate this war. The Order doesn't want to wait any longer."
"But, my Lady, we are on the brink of a civil war in Valnark... If this happens during the conflict against the Drakhors, we'll have serious problems."
Lady Sylren looked at him with disdain.
"Lord Darius, I couldn't care less. The Order desires the fall of those people. If sacrificing this mediocre city is necessary, so be it."
Darius clenched his fists under the table but maintained his formal posture.
"Understood, my Lady... We just need two or three more days. At least let me try to calm the population."
She stood up, casting a cold glance.
"You have three days."
Without another word, she left the hall. Lord Darius remained seated, swallowing her ultimatum.
Meanwhile, the rebel group gathered with Kaelon in the ruins of Drakhal.
"I have a new mission for you!" — Kaelon announced, his expression determined.
Zinoe, one of the rebel leaders, spoke up.
"Alright, but first, I need to inform you that after our actions, the army has started moving strangely. I think they might be speeding up the attack."
"That was expected," — Kaelon replied. "That's why we're going to incite an internal war. Our village is sending several tons of food for you to distribute among the population."
Zinoe widened his eyes.
"This will definitely make people rethink what they've been told..."
Kaelon nodded.
"Exactly. That's the plan. We're going to show them that the church has been lying. I need you to make it clear that the food was provided by the Drakhors."
"Leave it to us."
The following hours were hectic. Orzoth opened a portal linking the mountain village to the ruins. One by one, the Drakhors crossed, carrying tons of supplies. Piles of food were left there, ready to be distributed throughout Valnark.