n Pator POV]


    I ran through the forest, trying to escape the horde of Jiangshi behind me.


    [The Supreme Dragon of Suleras urges you to escape the forest.]


    Suleras said.


    ''I know!''


    I screamed in my head. I could handle these Jiangshi but the problem was I was not confident enough to take them on without sustaining even a single injury.


    Every Jiangshi we''re is a formidable martial artist.


    [Shadow infection rate:4%]


    And to make matters worse…this thing increased again.


    This is increasing even though I haven''t been touched at all…damn it.


    [Supreme Dragon of frostnesha urges you to pay attention to your surroundings.]


    I moved my head to dodge a metal arrow. It cut a few strands of my hair but fortunately, I was able to avoid an injury.


    "Damn it"


    I cursed.


    I ran further ahead, without caring for the trees. I made the mana around me denser so I would breathe through.


    [Heavenly Sky Spear]


    [Heavenly thrust!]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Thankfully, the spear proved effective against Jiangshi.


    [Supreme Dragon of Lanesha urges you to pay attention to your surroundings! Think of another way besides running!]


    [Shadow Infection rate 5%.]


    OK, calm down. I need to listen to Lanesha and Suleras!


    [Draconic Transformation is being activated.]


    I transformed into a Frost draconian and flew high up, I destroyed the trees and soared high into the skies.


    But things didn''t go ording to n.


    Thousands of aura shes came at me, I conjured up a shield of Ice to protect myself.


    [Frost Shield has been activated.]


    However, there were just too many. The aura shes bombarded the Frost Shield and Slowly by slowly cracks were formed.


    ''Hmmm….''


    As I saw the shield breaking, I prepared to cast a few ciers and rain a frozen hell upon the Jiangshi but…


    Something coiled around my foot.


    As I looked down to see what it was…I found it out to be a vine.


    ''Eh?''


    Before I could process anything, I was dragged towards the forest.


    [Supreme Dragon of chaos Suleras says he told you to pay attention!]


    "Could you maybe shut up?!"


    I used the skill [Chaotic Vigor] possessed by my armor and fired a Chaos st downwards. Towards the source of the vine.


    Arge explosion lit up the dark world.


    But I was not done.


    Another.


    Another.


    Another!


    I fired multiple chaos sts till the entire forest beneath was decimated! Arge cratery beneath me.


    I descended into the crater when I saw multiple other vines reaching for me.


    When I descended, they retreated away and the jiangshi appeared once again.


    ''So they attack only if I am away from the forest.''


    I thought. At first, I was wondering why the infection rate was increasing despite my not havinge into contact with Jiangshi…


    Only now did I realize it was because the entire forest was a shadow being…


    The infection rate was increasing because of that.


    [Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha warns you to be careful.]


    "I know."


    I unleashed all of the Ice mana I had into the surroundings.


    [GLACIER has been activated.]


    It would be too much to use cial copse here…so this is better.


    Multiple ciers fell from the sky and formed a circle around me. Acting like a kind of wall.


    I controlled the ice mana in the surroundings and cast even more skills.


    ''The objective is to survive…''


    I muttered as I nned to create arge dome around me. One that would hold for as long as I wanted.


    [Frost shields have been activated.]


    I closed the dome off with multiple shields of frost, eachyered on top of another.


    ''Now…only one thing remains.''


    I set up a gravity field andpressed the Ice as much as I could, making it tougher.


    Now, it could truly be called an imprable defense.


    The space inside the dome is devoid of Shadow mana, so the infection rate wouldn''t increase.


    I enforced the same further with my mana.


    I don''t know how many attacks areing from the outside…but damn is the dome shaking.


    "Hooo…."


    Most escaped from my mouth as I dered.


    "I can do this…I just have to endure."


    Endure until the time limit ends, and I pass this floor.


    I just have to endure.


    ********


    [Wall of me has been activated.]


    [Fire storm has been activated.]


    [Hellfire has been activated.]


    Elijah activated all sorts of skills of the Element of Fire and created a fiery hell around him.


    He was constantly firing off any wide-area skill he could use!


    [Supreme Dragon of Fire Agri tells you to keep it like this.]


    Advised Agri, Elijah yelled at him.


    "I know!"


    He was panicking currently, he didn''t have any skills that could create a solid barrier that he could use to fend off the Jiangshi, all he could do was fire any skills he had! Continuously.


    "How long do I have to do this?!"


    He questioned, And the tower responded.


    [Until the time limit ends.]


    "Fuck you!"


    Elijah cursed the tower.


    [Fire breath has been activated.]


    [Fire Lance has been activated.]


    [Fire Physique has been activated.]


    The Jiangshi were endless, but Elijah still dodged the aura shes that made it past the Roaring mes.


    [Shadow Infection rate: 6%]


    Goddamnit!


    He cursed in his mind.


    He took in a deep breath, his chest puffed up and his neck glowed red.


    [DRAGON FIRE has been used.]


    Elijah used one of the strongest skills he had and decimated the ranks of the Jiangshi. Half of the Forest was gone due to the effects of Dragon Fire!


    It surged forth like aser beam and burnt everything to ash. Thousands of jiangshi were burnt to a crisp…


    But tens of thousands remained.


    "damn it!"


    Elijah cursed as he took out an item from his inventory.


    A ring made entirely of gold.


    Elijah hurriedly inputted his mana inside the ring and it glowed with an intense light.


    [Empire''s Call has been used.]


    [The ck Tortoise Battalion has been summoned!]


    Multiple knights, each wearing a set of extremely heavy armor and bulky shields, stepped out from portals created by the ring. These were all fueled by Elijah''s mana.


    This was Elijah:a reward for clearing the 20th floor. A ring that could call the forces of the Empire for help.


    The ck Tortoise knights formed a circle around him and made a shield formation.


    "Endure for as long as possible!"


    Ordered Elijah, as he prepared himself for the worst.


    He yelled once again, trying to motivate the knights.


    "Endure only for a while!"


    He hoped his mana wouldst long enough…lest he be devoured by the Jiangshi.