Chapter 310: Chapter 310; Gaming 3
Phantom Warden: voices like grinding stones "You are not worthy to claim the Vault."
Zhihao: snarls, fists sparking "We will see about that!"
The group unleashes its combined power:
Tang Fei’s wings blaze, blinding the Warden.
Zhihao slams lightning strikes into its armor.
Twilight darts between shadows, cutting its joints with precision.
Qin Xinyu channels divine energy, shattering its sword with a blast of holy fire.
The Warden staggers, howls, and falls into the abyss, consumed by the void.
The key drops into Tang Fei’s hands, glowing with sinister power.
Qin Xinyu: panting, eyes wide "We have the key... but using it may come at a cost. The abyss doesn’t give gifts for free."
Tang Fei: looks at the vault doors slowly creaking open "Then we will pay the price later. For now... we move forward."
The Vault doors open, revealing a staircase descending even deeper into darkness.
End of Level 3: Abyss Vault
Next stop: Level 4 – Skyforge Inferno (where they face molten skies and forge-born guardians).
Level 4: Skyforge Inferno
The screen flares into life, and the four characters step into a realm painted in molten red and burning gold. A colossal forge hangs in the sky, suspended on chains of fire, with rivers of magma flowing like veins beneath glowing bridges of obsidian. Metal hammers the size of mountains fall from above, striking anvils that send shockwaves through the air.
Game Narrator (system voice):
"Welcome to the Skyforge Inferno, the realm of eternal flame and endless forging. Here, weapons of the gods are born, and mortals are tested in fire. To advance, survive the Inferno Hammers, extinguish the Flame Wraiths, and claim the Ember Core guarded by the Infernal Sentinel."
Tang Fei (gripping her avatar’s dual blades): "This place feels like stepping into the heart of a volcano. Everyone, stay alert, the bridges look unstable."
Zhihao (his character cloaked in silver flame, smirking):
"Perfect. Just the right amount of danger. Let’s see how long we last before those hammers squash us flat."
Twilight (bow already drawn, eyes narrowed):
"Focus. The first hammer strike will hit soon, I can feel the tremor."
Qin Xinyu (shield glowing faintly): "Then let me lead. If the floor collapses, I’ll be the one to test it first."
Suddenly, the ground shudders. From the sky, a massive Inferno Hammer swings down, smashing into the bridge just ahead of them. Lava sprays upward, droplets of fire sizzling in midair.
Tang Fei (shouting):
"Move, move, MOVE!"
They dash forward just as the hammer retracts, leaving a crater in the obsidian. A swarm of glowing Flame Wraiths rises from the molten rivers, their bodies twisting embers shaped like screaming faces.
Twilight (letting an arrow fly):
"They are fast... don’t let them touch you!"
The arrow pierces through one wraith, scattering its ember body into sparks. But two others rush at Tang Fei.
Tang Fei (slashing her twin blades in an X-pattern):
"Not today!"
Her blades cut through their fiery forms, splitting them apart, though her health bar dips slightly from the heat backlash.
Zhihao (grinning, summoning silver flame around his fists):
"My turn."
He leaps high, soaring above the wraiths, before punching downward. A wave of silver fire explodes on the bridge, knocking three wraiths into the lava below.
"Ha! Who else wants a taste?"
Qin Xinyu (holding his shield steady as molten arrows rain from the forges above):
"Watch the sky!"
He raises his shield, deflecting the flaming projectiles. The obsidian under his cracks, glowing hot from the impact.
"This bridge won’t hold forever, we need to cross fast!"
The group rushes forward across twisting platforms that spiral upward toward the Inferno Anvil at the center of the forge. Heat waves blur their vision, and above it all, the Infernal Sentinel awakens, a towering suit of armor forged from living flame, its weapon a colossal sword glowing white-hot.
System Voice:
"Boss Fight: Infernal Sentinel. Destroy its Ember Core to claim victory."
Tang Fei (taking a stance, blades ready):
"I’ll distract it. Zhihao, aim for the joints when it swings. Twilight, cover me from range. Qin Xinyu, shield us from the heat blast."
Zhihao (rolling his shoulders):
"Finally, some real fun."
The Sentinel swings its flaming sword downward. Tang Fei dashes aside, sparks trailing her movement.
Twilight (sniping from a ledge):
"Left knee joint.. NOW!"
Zhihao (charging in with silver fire engulfing his fists):
"Got it!"
He slams into the Sentinel’s knee, staggering it.
Qin Xinyu (standing his ground as the Sentinel unleashes a heat wave):
"Stay behind me!"
His shield glows, creating a shimmering dome that absorbs the wave of fire, though cracks splinter across the surface.
"I can’t hold it much longer, make it count!"
Tang Fei (rushing up the Sentinel’s arm like a streak of light):
"This is it!"
She flips midair, stabbing both blades into its chest, piercing through until she reaches the glowing Ember Core.
"NOW, Zhihao!"
Zhihao (launching himself upward in a blazing spiral punch):
"With pleasure!"
His silver flame fist smashes into the Ember Core just as Tang Fei’s blades twist. The core shatters, exploding in a burst of fire and molten sparks.
The Sentinel collapses, its molten body dissolving into embers that rain like stars into the abyss.
System Voice:
"Victory. Level 4 Complete. The Ember Core is yours."
Twilight (lowering her bow, breathing heavy):
"That... was almost too close."
Qin Xinyu (smiling faintly, though his shield avatar is cracked):
"Almost. But we’re still standing."
Zhihao (laughing, flames fading around him):
"Ha! And we looked good doing it."
Tang Fei (gazing at the fading forge with quiet intensity):
"Let’s not celebrate too soon. If this was the forge... what’s waiting above will be worse."
The screen shifts, showing a swirling storm vortex opening in the skies above. Level 5 unlocks.
Level 5: The Mirror Spire (Halfway Mini-Climax)
Setting: A colossal floating tower made of black crystal, hovering between storm and starlight. The walls are reflective, bending reality. Inside, every step echoes like thunder. The Spire is alive, feeding on their fears.