The silence broke with a single step.
Lu Chen closed the distance in an instant, his blade rushing toward Elias's neck.
It wasn't just a casual strike, it was a technique, sharp and practiced, honed by century of relentless training.
[ Skill: Flowing Steel – First Movement: Wind-Cleaving Step ]
A blink. A blur. A breath from death.
Elias twisted away by instinct alone. A bloody line drawn across his cheek.
A fraction slower and his head would've rolled.
[ COSPLAY ACTIVATED: JACK THE RIPPER ]
Duration: 15:00
His breath steadied. Focus narrowed.
Elias became the shadows between the light, he was silent and formless, seeking for an opening.
He moved like air, weightless and without resistance. His blades flashed, surgical and precise, carving toward veins, arteries, tendons. Each strike carried intent, calculated and brutal.
Lu Chen grunted.
"You've grown more elusive young man."
Then his sword began to glow, dimly at first, then brighter, releasing pressure.
[ Skill: Flowing Steel – Third Movement: Pale Flower ]
The slashes came at him like falling petals, it was beautiful yet deadly. They danced mid-air, unnatural in their movement, as if the blade moved independently of its wielder.
Elias slipped between each strike, just barely.
The steel grazed past his skin. One cut along his rib, another along his thigh.
The pain spread throughout his body, but he endured it.
He spun beneath a high slash and struck out. His blade bit into Lu Chen's side. Blood welled. The old man exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing.
"You're quick," he rasped, low and gravelly. "But you're still pulling your punches."
Elias grinned, not a smile, but a show of teeth. A killer's grin.
They clashed again. Sparks flew. Blades sang. Footsteps echoed in rhythm.
[ COSPLAY ENDED – COOLDOWN INITIATED ]
Cooldown: 5:00
The shadows fell away. The edge dulled.
Elias stumbled back, arms trembling. Precision faded into exhaustion.
Lu Chen gave him no time.
[ Skill: Flowing Steel – Fifth Movement:Earth-Splitting Fang ]
A downward cleave shattered the floor. The impact cracked the stone, sending debris flying. The shockwave launched Elias backward like a ragdoll. He slammed into the far wall, coughing up blood.
Dust filled the air.
But even through the haze, Elias moved. He rolled aside, pulled something from his coat.
A flashbomb.
Light exploded, searing Lu Chen's eyes.
Gunfire followed. It Pierced through the dust.
Lu Chen blurred into motion, zigzagging with grace. Most bullets missed, but one struck His shoulder. And blood dripped.
Yet he didn't flinch.
"What an interesting set of tools," he remarked, voice even. "What more will you show me young lad."
Elias reloaded, his fingers shaking. He felt the sweat clinging to his skin, the throb of open wounds. He needed more time
He just had to survive till the Cooldown.
"Cosplay: Sherlock Holmes!"
[ COSPLAY ACTIVATED: SHERLOCK HOLMES ]
Duration: 15:00
A slow exhale. Calm washed over him like a cold tide.
He breathe, and everything changed.
The battlefield wasn't chaos anymore. It was a map. A riddle. A calculated problem waiting to be solved.
Every twitch in Lu Chen's muscles, every fractional shift in weight, readable. Predictable.
Elias moved with mechanical precision. He deflected a strike, stepped into an opening, redirected a second slash with ease.
Lu Chen's eyes flickered.
"…Now you look different," he murmured. "Tell me, who are you really?"
[ Skill: Flowing Steel – Sixth Movement: Mirror Reversal ]
He vanished, appearing behind Elias like a phantom.
But Elias had already ducked.
"How utterly predictable," he muttered, his voice clipped and cold.
He swept his leg low, nearly catching Lu Chen's footing.
Almost.
The old man twisted mid-air, flipping gracefully, while striking downward.
Steel clashed and sparks appeared.
"You're slower now," Lu Chen noted between blows. "But somehow sharper. Your blade screams of logic and strategy, but. That won't be enough."
[ Skill: Flowing Steel – Eighth Movement: Execution Waltz ]
Four strikes in a single motion, each a ghost of the last. Afterimages layered with afterimages.
Elias bent at impossible angles. Every step, every shift was precise. A shallow gash opened along his back, but he lived.
He survived.
[ COSPLAY ENDED – COOLDOWN INITIATED ]
Cooldown: 5:00
Then, the clarity shattered like glass.
His mind blurred. Thoughts scattered. Fatigue roared back in.
Elias stumbled away, dropping a smoke grenade. It burst open, cloaking the field in grey fog.
His body screamed at him. Every breath a struggle. He loaded another bullet. Pulled a wire trap. Fumbled for another tool.
He just needed more time.
From the haze, Lu Chen stepped forward, calm and deliberate.
"Is that all, young man?" the old swordsman asked, his tone unreadable. "If this is your limit… then I am deeply disappointed."
A bullet aimed for his leg.
Lu Chen faltered, but did not fall.
"No," Elias rasped, spitting blood onto the stone. "Just… buying time."
"Cosplay: Immortal Regin!"
[ COSPLAY ACTIVATED: IMMORTAL REGIN ]
Duration: 15:00
The pain faded.
His breath steadied. Bones realigned. Flesh brought itself back together in seconds.
Elias rose from the ground, as an immovable force.
Lu Chen's eyes narrowed, his gaze intense.
"I see, So… you're a monster too."
He stepped forward. Slower this time.
Elias didn't move.
The blade carved into his chest, blood spurted.
And then the wound closed.
Another swing tore through his shoulder.
It healed in no time.
Elias advanced, undeterred. Like death meant nothing to him.
A revenant, covered in human skin.
Lu Chen came to a stop. His breathing shallow. He lowered his blade.
Then, slowly, reverently, he closed his eyes.
"Let us finish this properly, child."
[ Skill: Flowing Steel – Final Movement: Ninefold Burial ]
The very air trembled.
Then like calm after the storm.
With a single breath.
Lu Chen moved.
Faster. Stronger. Each strike carrying not just force, but the will of a master.
The first blow shattered Elias's ribs.
The second carved into his collarbone.
The third and fourth slammed into him like thunder, tearing through muscle, tearing through his resolve.
He coughed blood.
But stayed on his feet.
Lu Chen turned, spinning.
The fifth, sixth, and seventh ripped through his side, neck and leg.
Yet he was still standing.
The eighth hurled him to the floor like a doll.
Lu Chen raised his sword high.
The ninth strike descended, like judgment incarnate.
And Elias.
He reached up.
And caught the blade.
His palm bled as it tore open, but he held it.
And with his other hand, he drove a dagger into Lu Chen's chest.
It didn't go deep.
But it didn't need to.
Lu Chen's breath hitched. His knees gave out.
He fell, sword slipping from his grip.
Blood pooled between them, quiet and slow.
"…I see," he murmured, lips trembling. "You were a worthy opponent… You weren't... bad."
Elias didn't speak.
He just stood, bathed in blood, bathed in silence, his chest rising and falling. A man still alive.
[ COSPLAY ENDED – COOLDOWN INITIATED ]
Cooldown: 5:00
---
[ TRIAL COMPLETE – FLOOR 2 CLEARED ]
Rank: A-
Reward: 300 Tower Credits
Bonus: 1x Rare Trait Selection Ticket
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Title acquired - Unyielding Soul | God in Human Skin |
Level Up!
You are now level 29.
New Skill Unlocked:
Orchestra - Conduct a symphony of personas. The stage is yours, and the spotlight follows your will.
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