Chapter 70: The Enigmatic Tower

Running with all my might, I closed the distance to the tower. It only took me ten minutes to reach the outskirts, and there, standing before me, was the first man in black. Without hesitation, I swung my sword, aiming to strike him down. My plan was simple: charge forward until I arrived at the tower and uncover its mysteries. You may wonder why I didn't choose this direct approach from the beginning and instead resorted to sneaking in with my poor technique. The answer is simple—I hadn't considered it at first.

The reason behind my initial hesitation was the danger involved. With Jack's situation unknown, I prioritized my own safety and formulated a plan to infiltrate stealthily. But now, things were different. I was certain that Jack wouldn't obstruct me at least until I reached the tower. Until that time, I had the confidence to take out as many men in black as possible. And even if he appeared afterwards, I could swiftly retreat based on the situation.

As I slashed at the man in black before me, I managed to inflict an injury, but he remained mobile. As expected, although these men had lost their magic, they still possessed two formidable assets: experience and magical items. Their expertise far surpassed mine. Despite my physical advantage, they fought me in a way that vexed me. Though I had the confidence to defeat them all, doing so quickly was another matter. The longer the battle dragged on, the more reinforcements they would attract due to the commotion I had caused. In time, it would become a fight between me and a group of men in black. No matter how strong I was, I would be at a disadvantage in a group confrontation.

Determined not to prolong the fight, I raised my sword high and focused all my energy on it. I executed a perfected vertical strike, my own creation based on its frequent usage. Though this strike may have appeared vulnerable, it was anything but. I could immediately react to my opponents' actions with a single movement, finishing them off with precision.

"Swish!"

The man in front of me seemed to see through my imperfect strike, but his efforts were futile. I had the advantage of physical strength, rendering his resistance in vain. Finally, he fell beneath the weight of my strike.

Without delay, I pressed forward, advancing towards the tower. Since I had already alerted them, my path was filled with men in black. I had to contend with multiple enemies. Initially, they attacked me in groups, hoping to overwhelm me with numbers. But their efforts proved futile, as my physical superiority allowed me to handle one assailant while dealing with the other. Though I sustained significant injuries from this approach, I emerged victorious in each encounter.

Still, the men in black persisted with their tactics, showing no signs of adaptation. My charge was too swift for them to hinder significantly. It seemed as though they were sacrificing their own comrades' lives to slow me down or halt my progress.

As their tactics shifted toward suicidal attacks, the injuries I incurred multiplied dramatically. I focused all my attention on the fight, knowing that a single mistake could spell doom for me. Rather than becoming flustered by their self-destructive behavior, my focus sharpened with each passing moment. My movements—vertical slashes, sweeping strikes, thrusts, cleaves, and parries—were executed with unwavering concentration. It was the first time I had concentrated so intensely in battle, and it seemed to enhance the power of my attacks. Not only that, I felt my sword-wielding ability improve with each carefully executed move. A sense of joy washed over me, as I never expected to grow and improve even during combat.

This reminded me of my first life-and-death fight—the battle against the Armored Back Great Bear. I, too, had grown and improved during that encounter, although it was ultimately vanquished through the combined efforts of Anna, Thomas, and Sarah. Nevertheless, it remained a memorable fight that contributed to my development.

Recalling that battle, I realized that I should approach this fight in a similar manner. Silently, I channeled my inner energy, following the path laid out by the Supreme Warrior Scripture, and focused on it. As expected, a familiar phenomenon occurred. I could feel my sword art improving, my movements becoming smoother. In just a few minutes, the once arduous and grueling fight came to an end, with me emerging as the victor.

Having dispatched all the men in black, except for the ones guarding the tower, I faced my final obstacle—five individuals who remained motionless, unaffected by my presence. It was as if nothing could divert them from their post.

Perplexed by their lack of response, I approached one of them. As expected, their bodies were stiff, unyielding to any touch. Strangely, their feet seemed almost glued to the ground, defying any attempts to lift them.

"This is peculiar," I thought to myself, puzzled by their behavior. "Why is there no movement at all?"

Uncertain of what to do, I decided to make my way closer to the tower. The lack of reaction from these men in black was indeed strange, but dwelling on it wouldn't yield answers. Seizing the opportunity, I entered the tower, eager to finally uncover the enigma that had plagued my thoughts. I wondered what secrets this tower held, and soon, I would have the answers I sought.