Chapter 10 — The Ten-Second King
1379 Words
The chamber trembled.
Kael stood at the center of the ruined city, the Infinity Edge glowing with blue and gold energy.
Above him, the Null Angel — Ascended Form spread eight enormous wings.
Its white eyes had turned blue.
Its body was covered in black armor threaded with glowing Infinity symbols.
The system remained before Kael.
---
[INFINITY DOMAIN]
Duration: 10 seconds
Tower Authority: 21%
Effect: Greatly increases control over Tower energy.
---
Kael stared at the timer.
10...
"Ten seconds."
Lyra stood beside him.
"Can you do it?"
Kael smiled.
"I don't know."
Raven raised his spear.
"Then you'd better figure it out."
9...
The Null Angel disappeared.
Kael's eyes widened.
"Above!"
Lyra shouted.
The Angel descended.
Kael raised his sword.
CLANG!
The impact shattered the ground beneath him.
Kael's knees buckled.
8...
He pushed upward.
The Infinity Edge began absorbing the energy around him.
For the first time, Kael could feel the Tower itself.
Every wall.
Every stone.
Every creature.
Every magical current.
It was all connected.
The Tower was not merely a structure.
It was a gigantic living system.
And Kael could touch it.
7...
Kael moved.
The ground beneath his feet exploded upward.
A pillar of stone struck the Angel.
It dodged.
Kael smiled.
"So that's what Tower Authority means."
He raised his hand.
The air twisted.
Dozens of glowing chains appeared.
The Angel sliced through them.
Kael wasn't surprised.
He had already expected it.
"Lyra!"
She understood.
Golden magic erupted around the Angel.
Its movements slowed.
Kael vanished.
6...
He appeared behind it.
Infinity Sever!
The Angel blocked.
Kael attacked again.
The Angel blocked.
Again.
Again.
Each strike became faster.
The Angel began losing ground.
5...
Raven threw his spear.
Astral Pierce!
The weapon struck the Angel's wing.
It staggered.
Lyra followed with a golden beam.
Celestial Judgment!
BOOM!
The Angel was driven into the ground.
Kael raised his sword.
4...
The Infinity Edge began changing.
Blue light disappeared.
Gold disappeared.
The blade became completely black.
A single white line appeared along its edge.
The system flashed.
---
[Tower energy synchronization: 100%]
[Temporary authority threshold reached.]
[Forbidden technique available.]
INFINITY NULL
Description: Temporarily erases the target's connection to the Tower.
Warning: Extreme backlash.
Warning: Technique may affect the user.
---
Kael stared.
"May affect me?"
Raven shouted:
"Don't use it!"
Kael looked at the Angel.
It was getting back up.
Its wings spread.
The entire chamber began filling with dark energy.
If he didn't act—
everyone would die.
Kael tightened his grip.
"Sorry."
He looked at Lyra.
"I have to."
Lyra understood immediately.
She grabbed his arm.
"Then don't do it alone."
Golden light flowed into him.
Kael felt her soul synchronize with his.
The Infinity Domain expanded.
3...
The Tower shook.
The Null Angel raised its sword.
2...
Kael stepped forward.
His entire body became surrounded by blue, gold, and black energy.
1...
The world stopped.
Kael whispered:
"Infinity Null."
---
Silence
There was no explosion.
No flash.
No sound.
The Null Angel simply stopped.
Its wings froze.
Its sword fell from its hand.
The Infinity symbols across its body disappeared.
The Tower's energy connection was severed.
For one second—
the Angel became completely ordinary.
Kael walked toward it.
The Angel looked at him.
For the first time, it spoke.
Its voice was surprisingly human.
"Why?"
Kael stopped.
"Why what?"
"Why did you spare me?"
Kael lowered his sword.
"Because you're not the Tower."
The Angel looked at him.
"You don't know that."
"Maybe not."
Kael smiled.
"But I know what it's like to be controlled."
The Angel's blue eyes flickered.
Then—
it began to c***k.
Not from damage.
From freedom.
The black armor fell away.
The eight wings disappeared.
The creature became a young woman.
She had pale skin, silver-white hair, and blue eyes.
She collapsed.
Kael caught her.
Lyra stared.
"What happened?"
Kael looked at the woman.
The system appeared.
---
[Divine Entity transformed.]
[Null Angel classification removed.]
[New entity detected.]
Name: Seris
Former Title: Null Angel
Current Status: Free
Level: 75
Class: Unknown
Contract: None
---
Kael blinked.
"You were a person?"
Seris slowly opened her eyes.
"I don't remember."
Kael looked at the system.
"Can she recover?"
A message appeared.
---
[Memory restoration possible.]
[Required authority: 25%]
[Current authority: 21%]
---
Kael sighed.
"Of course."
Raven approached.
"Then we need to reach the next floor."
Seraphina shook her head.
"Not yet."
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed toward the center of the chamber.
The remains of the Infinity Key were floating in the air.
Two pieces had appeared.
One blue.
One gold.
They slowly moved toward each other.
Then—
they fused.
A brilliant symbol appeared.
The Infinity Key.
Kael stepped toward it.
The system displayed:
---
[INFINITY KEY COMPLETED.]
[Function unlocked.]
FINAL FLOOR ACCESS
Requirements:
Infinity Authority — 100%
Two compatible souls — 100% synchronization
Final Guardian — Alive
Memory Restoration — 100%
---
Kael frowned.
"Final Guardian?"
Seraphina nodded.
"Your father."
Kael looked toward the ceiling.
"So he's still alive."
"Yes."
"Then I'll find him."
Seraphina's expression became sad.
"You may not want to."
Kael looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because the man guarding the final floor is no longer completely human."
Kael's grip tightened.
"Neither am I, apparently."
---
The Lost City's Secret
The entire city began shaking.
Buildings started disappearing.
The sky cracked.
Seraphina looked alarmed.
"The Lost City is collapsing."
Raven looked around.
"Why?"
Seraphina answered:
"Because the Null Angel was the final stabilizer."
Kael looked at Seris.
"Then we need to leave."
Seris stood slowly.
"I can help."
Kael looked at her.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
"I don't want to be a weapon anymore."
Kael smiled.
"Then come with us."
Seris looked surprised.
"You would accept me?"
Kael shrugged.
"You were forced to fight."
He turned toward the exit.
"So was I."
Seris followed.
---
The Ascension Gate
The group ran through the collapsing city.
Buildings fell around them.
Golden bridges shattered.
The sky turned black.
Kael used his Tower Authority to create a path.
Every time a wall collapsed, he moved it.
Every time the ground cracked, he created a bridge.
His control was becoming stronger.
22%.
23%.
24%.
Then—
25%.
The system appeared.
---
[Tower Authority: 25%]
[New function unlocked.]
TOWER SUMMON
Description: Summon one bound entity to assist the user.
Available Entities:
Titan of Infinity
Seris — Former Null Angel
---
Kael smiled.
"That's useful."
They reached the Ascension Gate.
But it was different.
Instead of gold—
it was black.
A giant number appeared above it.
FLOOR 2
Kael placed his hand against the gate.
It opened.
A freezing wind rushed out.
Beyond it was a massive frozen landscape.
Snow covered mountains.
Ice castles rose from the horizon.
And in the distance—
a gigantic red moon hung in the sky.
Lyra looked at it.
"This doesn't look like a normal floor."
Raven shook his head.
"It isn't."
Seris stared into the distance.
"I know this place."
Kael looked at her.
"How?"
Her expression became troubled.
"Because this was where the Tower taught me how to kill."
Silence.
Kael stepped through the gate.
The system appeared.
---
FLOOR 2
THE FROZEN KINGDOM
Environment: Extreme Cold
Recommended Level: 25
Primary Objective: Reach the Ice Citadel
Secondary Objective: Unknown
Floor Guardian: Unknown
Survival Probability: 11%
---
Kael looked at the frozen horizon.
Then the system displayed one final message.
---
[Special Warning.]
[A familiar soul has been detected on Floor 2.]
[Identity: Elara Ardyn]
[Status: Alive]
---
Kael stopped.
His heart began pounding.
"My mother..."
Lyra looked at him.
"She's here."
Kael stared at the Ice Citadel.
The woman he had believed dead for sixteen years was waiting somewhere beyond the frozen kingdom.
He tightened his grip on the Infinity Edge.
"Then we're going to find her."
Far away, inside the Ice Citadel, a woman with silver hair opened her eyes.
She looked toward the distant gate.
A single tear ran down her face.
"He's here."
Behind her stood a gigantic figure covered in black armor.
The figure spoke.
"Do you want me to bring him to you?"
Elara shook her head.
"No."
She looked toward the approaching storm.
"Let him come."
Her eyes glowed blue.
"He's not ready to know the final truth."
TO BE CONTINUED.
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