Chapter 46: The Tower’s Enforcer

The oppressive silence following the voice's proclamation sent a chill through the air. The mist that had settled around the Second Pillar churned violently as reality twisted. A jagged rift split open before Aric and Kaelith, crackling with an unnatural energy.

From the rift stepped a figure clad in obsidian armor, its form both humanoid and otherworldly. A flowing mantle of void energy trailed behind it, shifting like liquid shadow. Its face was obscured by a smooth, featureless mask, save for a single crimson sigil pulsing at its center.

The moment it appeared, Aric's instincts screamed in warning.

System Alert:

[Unknown Entity Detected.]

[Title: Tower's Enforcer – Arbiter of Order]

[Classification: Divine Executor]

[Danger Level: ???]

Kaelith's grip on her daggers tightened. "I don't like that question mark."

The Enforcer stood motionless for a heartbeat before taking a step forward. The space around it cracked, as if unable to contain its presence.

"You have defied the Tower's design," it intoned, its voice devoid of emotion. "Correction is required."

The Battle Begins

Aric smirked, raising his blade. "Correction? Sounds like you need a bug fix."

Without another word, the Enforcer moved.

It wasn't teleportation. It didn't flicker or blur. One moment it was meters away—then its spear was already thrusting toward Aric's heart.

Aric barely dodged, shifting his body at the last instant. The spear grazed his shoulder, but instead of a mere cut, reality itself tore around the wound, distorting space.

System Alert:

[Conceptual Damage Detected – Wound Severity Unknown]

Aric gritted his teeth. "So that's how it is."

Kaelith lunged from the side, aiming for the gaps in the Enforcer's armor. Her daggers struck true—only for her arms to seize up mid-motion.

System Alert:

[Cause and Effect Manipulation Detected – Attacks Nullified]

The Enforcer turned its faceless gaze toward her. With a mere flick of its hand, an invisible force sent her flying backward, skidding across the stone bridge.

She coughed, pushing herself up. "Okay. That's unfair."

Aric's mind raced. This thing wasn't just strong—it was bound to the Tower's laws in ways no normal being was. A direct fight wouldn't work.

Time to cheat.

Skill Activated: Phantom Mirage

A dozen clones of Aric appeared, each moving unpredictably. The Enforcer didn't hesitate. It raised its hand—and reality itself rewound.

In an instant, the clones vanished. As if they had never existed.

Aric's smirk faltered. "That's new."

The Enforcer raised its spear again. "Submission is the only outcome."

Breaking the System

Aric wasn't going to win this by conventional means. His gaze flicked to the Second Pillar, still radiating energy.

The Nexus Archive had given him something.

A loophole.

Skill Activated: Unshackled Evolution

Power surged through him as the hidden potential of his abilities awakened. The Tower's restrictions—the invisible chains dictating what could and couldn't be done—began to loosen.

Aric's blade shimmered, its very essence shifting.

The Enforcer hesitated.

That was all the confirmation he needed.

Aric dashed forward, faster than he ever had before. The Enforcer moved to counter, but this time, the rules were different.

Aric's blade met its spear—not as steel against steel, but as something beyond causality. The very foundation of the Enforcer's existence wavered.

Its crimson sigil pulsed wildly.

System Alert:

[WARNING: Irregular's Actions Have Breached System Protocols]

[Divine Enforcement Stability: 73%... 61%... 40%...]

Kaelith saw her chance. With a grin, she hurled a dagger—not at the Enforcer, but at the sigil on its mask.

The impact sent a shockwave through the air. The Enforcer staggered.

Aric seized the moment.

He drove his sword into the heart of the sigil.

For the first time, the Enforcer let out a sound—a distorted, fragmented echo of something that once was.

Its form cracked. Reality buckled.

Then, in a final flash of energy, it shattered.

The rift behind it sealed instantly. The unnatural pressure dissipated.

System Notification:

[Divine Enforcer Neutralized.]

[System Authority Weakened – Irregular Path Strengthened.]

Kaelith exhaled. "That… was the hardest thing we've fought yet."

Aric rolled his shoulder, feeling the last remnants of conceptual damage fading. "And it won't be the last."

Kaelith sighed. "Of course not."

Above them, unseen eyes continued to watch.

And far beyond, something stirred.

To Be Continued…