The Flame of Transcendence

[[Location: D.M.U. Waiting Room]]

[[Elapsed Time Since Exiting the Seventh Floor: 00:05]]

Mark collapsed onto the cold floor, his breath ragged. His body felt heavy, worn from the trial he had just endured. Yet, beyond the exhaustion, a strange energy pulsed within him. He knew he had changed, but he still didn't understand how.

He opened his interface and navigated through the newly unlocked options.

[[New Features Unlocked]]

Accelerated Muscle Reinforcement

Custom Combat Simulations

In-Depth Evolution Analysis

His gaze locked onto the last option. Without hesitation, he selected In-Depth Evolution Analysis, hoping for answers.

— "Xi, what exactly is Chain Breaker?"

The system's mechanical voice responded with its usual neutral tone:

— "Chain Breaker is an evolutionary level structured into nine progressive stages. It represents a gradual release from biological and mental limitations. You are currently at the first stage."

Mark furrowed his brows. He had felt something different within him, but hearing it from the system gave him a clearer framework.

— "How can I progress? I don't even know how I unlocked the first stage."

— "Progression in Chain Breaker is cultivation-based. Each bloodline possesses a specific method to enhance its power. However, you have not yet discovered yours. The first stage was unlocked by chance, and without an appropriate cultivation method, your progression remains uncertain."

Mark clenched his fists. So, it wasn't just about gaining experience or fighting—it was a path that required understanding and mastery. He needed a method, a way unique to him.

Before he could delve further into this thought, an alert appeared in his interface.

[[Incoming Communication: Kilian]]

Mark accepted the call. Kilian's face appeared on the screen, worn with fatigue but showing a knowing smirk.

— "Still alive? I was starting to think that floor had finished you off."

— "I had my fair share of surprises."

Kilian nodded, looking thoughtful.

— "I can imagine. I've heard some floors push players to their absolute limits. Have you noticed anything… unusual?"

Mark hesitated. Should he mention Chain Breaker? After a moment, he chose to offer a half-truth.

— "My body changes after every fight. It's subtle, but I adapt faster."

— "Yeah… people are starting to talk about you. You better be careful. Those who stand out tend to attract unwanted attention."

Silence stretched between them. Kilian wasn't wrong.

— "I know. But I can't stop."

— "Then make sure you survive."

The call ended, leaving Mark alone with his thoughts. His mind kept circling back to Chain Breaker. He had to figure out how to advance. Fighting wasn't enough—he needed to discover his own cultivation method.

He activated the Advanced Combat Simulation and selected an unknown opponent. A massive silhouette materialized before him, its body clad in a shadowy armor. Mark steadied himself, sensing a new tension in his muscles.

The moment the first attack came, he realized his body was reacting differently. His breath was steadier, his reflexes sharper. He had no cultivation method… but his instincts told him that he had to keep forcing his body to adapt.

He dodged a strike and countered with a force he hadn't possessed before. His path was uncertain, but one thing was clear: he had to find his own way to break his limits.

He was ready to move forward.

But just as he prepared to launch another series of attacks, another alert flashed across his interface.

[[Detection of an Energy Anomaly]]

Mark immediately halted his movement, eyes fixed on the floating screen. An anomaly? He had never seen such a message before.

— "Xi, what is this anomaly?"

— "An unregistered energy fluctuation has been detected within your body. It is possible that this is linked to Chain Breaker. A deeper analysis is required."

He took a deep breath. If this was related to Chain Breaker, then this might be a clue to understanding how to advance.

He closed his eyes and focused on his own body. He tried to feel this energy, to trace its source. His breathing slowed, his mind opened… and suddenly, he sensed something. A strange warmth pulsing through his muscles, different from simple adrenaline or fatigue. It was raw, wild, but incredibly powerful.

A grin spread across his face.

— "Alright… Let's see how far I can go."

He reopened his eyes and assumed his stance again. This time, he wasn't just going to fight. He was going to experiment, pushing his body to harness this energy anomaly.

The spectral opponent attacked again, but Mark didn't just dodge. He absorbed the impact, allowed his body to adjust, then unleashed all the accumulated force in a single strike that made the shadowed figure stagger.

He could feel it—he was on the verge of something… a deeper understanding of Chain Breaker. He was no longer just surviving or fighting.

He was evolving.

[[Teleportation to the Next Floor Available.]]

Mark appeared in a vast desert of ruins, where towering stone pillars stood, broken and weathered by time. The air was thick with a faint mist, and a dry wind lifted specks of black sand. Despite the ominous atmosphere, he felt something familiar—this floor wasn't designed to annihilate him but rather to test his endurance and adaptability.

He cautiously moved through the rubble, activating his detection interface. Several hostile signatures quickly appeared on his radar.

Shadows emerged from the ruins. Bipedal lizard-like creatures, human-sized, with dark scales and sharp claws, crawled over the broken structures. Their glowing eyes fixed on Mark with primal instinct, but he immediately noticed their weakness: their movements were predictable, their attacks uncoordinated.

The first one leaped. Mark sidestepped effortlessly and delivered a powerful punch beneath its jaw, sending the creature crashing into a crumbling wall. Two others hesitated, circling him, but it only took a fraction of a second for him to assess their sluggish speed.

He struck the first one square in the chest, feeling the dry snap of ribs giving way under his force. The last one, sensing danger, attempted to retreat, but Mark didn't give it a chance. He lunged forward, his foot connecting with the creature's skull, smashing it into the dust. The three enemies were eliminated in mere seconds.

"Too easy..." he muttered.

His interface confirmed the victory, but Mark knew these creatures were just scouts.

As he prepared to advance, the ground trembled beneath him. A massive figure emerged from the wreckage—a towering animated statue, its massive arms etched with glowing runes. Its golden eyes burned with an eerie light, and a deep rumble escaped its stone throat.

Mark instinctively dodged the first attack, a titanic fist that pulverized the ground where he had stood just a moment before. The sentinel was slow but incredibly powerful.

"Xi, analysis."

— "Weakness detected: Joint articulations. Low regeneration speed."

A smirk formed on Mark's face. He leaped onto the colossus's shoulder, dodging another earth-shaking attack, and struck directly at one of its arm joints, creating a deep fracture. The sentinel groaned and attempted to shake him off, but Mark swiftly jumped back.

Another strike, then a third. Finally, the monster's arm snapped off, crashing heavily to the ground with a thunderous impact. Deprived of a limb, the creature lost its balance, allowing Mark to land a final precise blow to its neck.

The sentinel collapsed. Mini-boss defeated.

Approaching the inert golem, he examined its carvings. They still pulsed faintly, a sign that this creature was more than just a mere monster—it was a relic of an ancient time. He pried off a fragment, feeling an immediate warmth surge through his palm. A message appeared in his interface:

[[Runic Essence Fragment obtained – Increases resistance to magical attacks.]]

He stowed the item in his inventory before continuing forward.

A long corridor stretched before him, leading to the remnants of a collapsed temple. As soon as he stepped inside, he sensed a more ominous presence.

Three humanoid figures, their bodies clad in natural obsidian armor, stood waiting. They were far more intelligent than the previous lizards. Unlike other enemies, these elite warriors did not rush at him recklessly. They were waiting for a move.

Mark initiated the fight, striking first. His fist connected with the black carapace, but instead of a satisfying crack, a dull thud reverberated, barely making a dent.

"High resistance..." he thought.

The first guard immediately retaliated with a crude stone blade. Mark dodged fluidly and countered, targeting the unprotected areas—the joints in the armor. After several precise strikes, the first creature fell, leaving the other two to adjust their strategy.

They synchronized their movements. One feigned an attack to distract him while the other lunged from the side. Mark anticipated their coordination, ducked forward, and unleashed a powerful sweep kick that sent both adversaries staggering. Seizing the opportunity, he finished the second one with a devastating blow to its skull and shattered the last one's chest plate with a series of precisely placed strikes.

A violent tremor shook the temple. The walls partially crumbled, revealing an immense being of solidified lava, its veins glowing with molten heat. Its blazing eyes locked onto Mark, and a deep roar echoed through the ruins.

The Ashen Titan raised its massive arm, unleashing a shockwave that obliterated the remaining temple debris. Mark skillfully evaded, feeling the intense heat radiating from the colossus.

"Xi, analysis!"

— "Extreme thermal resistance. Reduced mobility. Weak points located at joint fissures in the lava plates."

Mark smirked. He knew exactly what to do.

He dashed toward the giant, dodging its slow but destructive strikes. With calculated agility, he climbed up its arm and struck directly at one of the weak points, causing a section of hardened rock to explode apart.

The Titan roared, trying to crush him, but Mark leaped onto its back, relentlessly hammering the exposed fissures. Each strike amplified the instability within the monster, until glowing cracks spread across its entire form.

With a final decisive blow to the base of its neck, Mark triggered an eruption of molten energy. The creature let out one last guttural bellow before collapsing in a cataclysmic explosion of lava and stone.

Silence settled.

A message flashed before Mark's eyes.

[[Final Boss Defeated – Rewards Unlocked.]]

He straightened slowly, gazing over the smoldering ruins.

The eighth floor was complete.