Chapter 23: First Ascension

The ascent begins with a silence so thick I can hear my own heartbeat drumming in my ears. Each step forward feels heavier, as if the air grows denser the higher I climb. The stairwell behind me echoes faintly with the sounds of my boots striking metal, and it feels like the deeper into this place I go, the more suffocating it becomes. The walls close in, colder than before, like the darkness itself is seeping into my skin.

I glance at the map again, its crumpled paper still damp from the blood on my hands. Forty floors. I've just crossed into the first of many dangerous territories, and it's clear that the worst is yet to come. The map shows multiple paths ahead, but none are marked as safe. Each one twists like a snare, paths entangled in traps designed to crush, suffocate, or rip apart anyone who dares to climb.

No choice now but to press forward. My body still aches from the fight on the lower level, but the energy I've consumed from the last fusion is enough to keep me moving, for now.

I move through a narrow corridor, my hand brushing against the cold metal wall. The air here smells stale, mixed with something else—something toxic. I stop in my tracks as the walls ahead shift slightly, and then, with a soft hiss, vents embedded in the ceiling release thick, green gas. I freeze, my eyes tracking the slow-moving clouds as they begin to fill the room ahead of me. The smell is sharp, almost chemical, and I don't need to breathe it in to know it's poison.

The gas spreads quickly, filling the hallway with a sickly green hue. I backpedal, but the vents overhead continue spewing the toxic cloud, leaving me with only one option—forward. I pull a piece of cloth from my scavenged clothes, wrapping it around my mouth and nose to block the fumes as best as I can. It's not much, but it'll buy me time.

I glance around, scanning the walls, ceiling, and floor for any kind of mechanism. These traps are deliberate. There must be something controlling them, something that can be manipulated or destroyed.

I edge forward, careful to stay just ahead of the encroaching gas, and spot the first sign of hope. A series of small, blinking lights embedded in the wall at chest level. I press myself against the opposite wall, peering closer. The lights are linked to a panel, wires trailing down and disappearing into the floor. I trace them with my eyes, noting the small pressure plates scattered across the ground.

Pressure plates. They're everywhere. The entire floor is littered with them, some barely visible, others hidden beneath layers of dust and debris. This hallway is a death trap.

I step carefully, avoiding the plates as best I can, but my movements are slow. Too slow. The gas is catching up to me, its acrid stench burning the inside of my nose even through the cloth. My vision swims slightly, but I shake it off, focusing on the task at hand.

Suddenly, a click echoes through the room.

I freeze.

A panel in the ceiling slides open, and a pair of long, mechanical claws extend downward, their pincers snapping menacingly in the air. They swing toward me, fast and precise, aiming for my head. I duck just in time, the claws narrowly missing my skull as they scrape against the wall with a shriek of metal.

I dive forward, rolling across the floor and narrowly avoiding a second set of claws that shoots out from the other wall. They're coordinated, working in tandem, and they're faster than I expected. My heart pounds in my chest as I rise to my feet, the mechanical arms retracting slightly before lunging at me again.

This isn't just a gas trap. This entire hallway is a gauntlet.

Just as I regain my footing, I hear another sound—distant, but growing louder. It's not the mechanical whirr of the traps. It's something else.

Footsteps.

Fast, irregular footsteps, accompanied by low growls and the faint clinking of claws against metal. I turn toward the far end of the corridor, my heart sinking as a swarm of smaller, fast-moving fusion monsters bursts into view. There must be at least a dozen of them, their bodies twisting and contorting in grotesque ways as they sprint toward me.

They're all different. Some are hunched low, running on all fours like rabid animals. Others stand upright, their elongated limbs ending in sharp, jagged claws. Their eyes glow faintly in the dim light, and their mouths hang open, revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth. These aren't mindless beasts—they're coordinated, moving together as if driven by some unseen force.

I grit my teeth, my hands tightening around the metal rod I've been using as a weapon. There's no time to think. No time to plan. They're too fast, too close.

I charge toward the first one, my weapon swinging in a wide arc. The rod connects with the creature's head, the force of the blow sending it sprawling to the ground. But before I can follow up, another one leaps at me from the side, its claws raking across my arm.

I stumble back, blood dripping from the fresh wound, but I don't have time to register the pain. The others are closing in fast, surrounding me, their growls filling the narrow hallway.

I swing the rod again, slamming it into the chest of another creature, but their attacks are relentless. They move faster than I can keep up, their claws tearing into my flesh, their teeth snapping at my neck. I can't take them all on at once.

I need to be smarter.

I dodge another attack, my back slamming against the wall as I try to catch my breath. Blood drips from my wounds, but my mind is racing. I can't overpower them—not like this. But I can outthink them. They're fast, but they're predictable. They attack in the same patterns, lunging forward, retreating, then striking again.

I take a step back, watching as one of the creatures leaps toward me. I sidestep at the last moment, swinging the rod down on its back as it passes by. The creature crashes to the ground, its body twitching as it tries to rise.

Another one charges, but this time I'm ready. I duck low, grabbing a broken piece of debris from the floor and hurling it toward the nearest pressure plate. It lands with a soft thud, and immediately, the walls shift. The mechanical claws shoot out, grabbing the creature and pinning it against the wall.

I don't hesitate. I sprint forward, swinging the rod at the remaining creatures. They're fast, but now that I've learned their patterns, I can anticipate their moves. I lead them toward the pressure plates, watching as the traps do my work for me. One by one, the creatures are grabbed by the mechanical arms, their bodies crushed or ripped apart as the traps activate.

But it's not over yet.

As the last of the smaller creatures is caught in the trap, I pause to catch my breath. My body is trembling, my muscles burning from the exertion. Blood drips from my wounds, staining the floor beneath me, but I force myself to stay on my feet.

And then, I hear it.

A low, rumbling growl, deeper than any of the creatures I've faced so far.

I turn slowly, my heart pounding in my chest, and my eyes widen at the sight before me. From the shadows at the far end of the corridor, a massive figure emerges. It's at least three times the size of the smaller creatures, its body hunched low, its arms ending in massive, clawed hands. Its skin is a mottled mix of metal and flesh, and its eyes glow with a sickly green light.

This isn't a swarm. This is a boss.

The creature lets out a deafening roar, its claws scraping against the walls as it charges toward me with terrifying speed. I barely have time to react, diving to the side as its massive fist slams into the ground where I was standing. The impact sends a shockwave through the floor, and I'm thrown backward, my body crashing into the wall.

I groan, pain lancing through my body as I struggle to stand. My vision swims, but I force myself to focus. I can't let this thing kill me. Not after I've come this far.

The creature charges again, and this time, I'm ready. I leap to the side, avoiding its attack, but the force of its blow cracks the floor, sending debris flying in all directions. My weapon is gone, lost somewhere in the chaos, and I'm left with nothing but my instincts.

I have to be strategic. I have to use the traps.

I glance around the corridor, my mind racing. The pressure plates, the mechanical arms—this place is a deathtrap, and if I'm going to survive, I'll have to use it to my advantage.

I lead the creature toward the center of the room, carefully avoiding the pressure plates as I move. The creature is relentless, its massive form barreling toward me with every step. But it's not as smart as the smaller creatures. It doesn't notice the traps.

With a quick turn, I dive to the side, slamming my hand against a pressure plate.

Immediately, the walls shift, and a pair of mechanical claws shoot out, grabbing at the creature. But it's strong—stronger than the traps—and with a deafening roar, it rips the claws from the walls, snapping them like twigs.

I grit my teeth, frustration and fear bubbling up inside me. This thing is too strong. Too fast. I can't beat it head-on.

But then, I notice something. One of the walls has a series of vents embedded in it, each one connected to a pipe that leads upward. The gas—the same poison that filled the hallway earlier. If I can trigger it, I might be able to slow the creature down.

I sprint toward the wall, dodging the creature's attacks as it barrels toward me. My fingers fumble for the panel, and with a desperate yank, I pull the lever.

The gas vents hiss, and within seconds, the room is filled with the thick, toxic cloud. The creature roars in anger, its movements growing sluggish as the poison seeps into its skin. It stumbles, its massive claws swiping blindly through the air, but it's too late.

With one final surge of strength, I grab a piece of debris from the floor—a jagged shard of metal—and hurl it toward the creature's exposed throat. The metal pierces its flesh, and with a deafening roar, the creature collapses, its body convulsing violently before falling still.

---

### **Scene 7: Victory and Exhaustion**

For a moment, I stand there, gasping for breath, my body trembling with exhaustion. The gas lingers in the air, burning my throat, but I force myself to breathe through the pain. The creature lies motionless on the floor, its massive body twitching as the last of its life drains away.

I stagger toward it, my legs barely holding me up, and with shaking hands, I tear into its flesh. The taste is vile, bitter and metallic, but I don't care. I devour the creature piece by piece, feeling its strength flood into my veins, my wounds slowly healing as I consume its power.

But even as my body mends, the exhaustion remains. This place—this labyrinth of death and traps—it's taking its toll. Each fight, each trap, is wearing me down. But I can't stop now. I can't let myself be defeated.

There are still so many floors left to climb.