Chapter 353: 51th Floor Boss
The deeper Ethan traveled into the northern territory, the colder the atmosphere became.
The forest path gradually transformed into dark stone roads covered in cracks and dried bloodstains. Massive pillars stood along the path like remnants of an ancient kingdom.
At the end of the road, Ethan finally saw it.
A gigantic black castle stood atop a rocky cliff, surrounded by thick crimson fog.
The structure looked ancient and rotten, yet an overwhelming pressure radiated from within.
This was the Boss Castle. The gateway leading toward Floor 52.
Ethan slowly stepped forward, his hand resting on the handle of Bloodblade Ashura.
The moment he entered through the massive gates, the doors behind him slammed shut violently.
BOOM!
The sound echoed throughout the castle hall. Ethan narrowed his eyes.
The entire room was enormous, resembling a ruined throne chamber. Broken statues littered the surroundings while countless skeletons covered the floor.
Then—
HISSSSS!!
A horrifying screech echoed from above. Ethan immediately jumped backward.
CRASH!
Something massive crashed onto the floor where he had been standing moments earlier, shattering the stone ground instantly.
Dust and debris scattered everywhere. Ethan lifted his gaze slowly.
A gigantic three-headed serpent stood before him.
Its scales were dark crimson, nearly blending with the surrounding shadows.
Each head possessed glowing yellow eyes and rows of razor-sharp fangs dripping with venom.
The monster's body alone was large enough to crush several buildings. The pressure it released was monstrous.
Ethan could immediately tell this was far stronger than the Telmarian warriors below.
The serpent's three heads hissed simultaneously while staring directly at him.
"Floor Boss…" Ethan muttered.
The middle head suddenly lunged forward at terrifying speed. Ethan instantly sidestepped.
BOOM!
The serpent's jaws slammed into the stone floor, destroying it completely.
Without hesitation, Ethan drew Bloodblade Ashura and swung downward.
CLANG!
The blade struck the serpent's scales, producing sparks instead of blood.
"Tough bastard…"
The left head attacked immediately afterward, firing a stream of green venom toward him.
Ethan dashed sideways, narrowly avoiding the attack as the venom melted the castle floor upon contact.
"So poison too, huh?"
The right head suddenly came from the side. Ethan blocked with his sword.
BANG!
The sheer force sent him flying backward across the floor. He slid several meters before stopping himself.
The three-headed serpent gave him no time to recover. All three heads charged simultaneously.
Ethan's eyes sharpened.
"Crimson Slash!"
SWOOSH!
A massive crimson arc burst from Bloodblade Ashura and surged forward violently.
The attack collided directly against the serpent's heads.
BOOM!
An explosion shook the throne chamber.
The left head screeched painfully after losing several scales, but it was far from fatal.
The serpent remained alive. Ethan clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
The monster's durability was absurd. The serpent suddenly slammed its gigantic tail toward him.
Ethan jumped upward to avoid it before using the momentum to rush forward.
He landed directly on top of the serpent's massive body and sprinted across its scales.
One of the heads turned toward him aggressively. Ethan immediately thrust his sword downward repeatedly.
Several wounds finally opened across the serpent's neck area, causing dark blood to spray outward.
The monster roared furiously.
HISSSSS!!
The entire body began thrashing violently.
Ethan nearly lost balance as the serpent smashed through pillars and statues in an attempt to throw him off.
The middle head suddenly twisted backward and bit toward him. Ethan immediately jumped away.
CRUNCH!
The serpent accidentally bit its own neck instead. Ethan landed on the ground and rushed forward again.
"Crimson Slash!"
Another crimson wave exploded from his blade.
This time, the attack struck directly against the wounded neck Ethan created earlier.
One of the serpent's heads was severed completely. Dark blood rained across the castle floor.
The remaining two heads shrieked in rage. The entire throne chamber trembled violently.
Ethan breathed heavily.
His stamina was steadily decreasing, but the battle was finally turning in his favor.
The serpent suddenly opened both mouths simultaneously.
A dangerous amount of energy began gathering inside.
Ethan instantly realized what was happening.
"They're charging an attack."
The next second—
BOOOOOOM!!
Two massive blasts erupted toward him.
Ethan immediately sprinted forward instead of retreating.
The explosions destroyed everything behind him while he narrowly avoided the attacks by inches.
The moment he reached the serpent, Ethan leaped high into the air.
Bloodblade Ashura glowed crimson.
"Die."
He swung downward with all his strength.
"CRIMSON SLASH!"
The attack exploded directly onto the serpent's remaining necks.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact shook the entire castle.
The two remaining heads were torn apart violently, crashing onto the floor one after another.
The gigantic body convulsed briefly before finally collapsing.
Silence filled the throne chamber. Ethan stood amidst the destruction while breathing heavily.
The massive corpse slowly dissolved into crimson particles, leaving behind a glowing crystal floating in the air.
A Floor Core.
Ethan grabbed it without hesitation. At the same time, a bright light emerged beneath his feet.
The teleportation gate to the next floor had appeared. Floor 52.
Ethan glanced at the ruined throne chamber one last time before stepping into the light.
FLASH!
His surroundings instantly changed. Cold wind brushed against his face.
When Ethan opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in the middle of a vast forest.
No castles. No villages. No ruins.
Only endless trees stretching toward the horizon.
"…What kind of floor is this?"
The atmosphere here felt strangely empty. Unlike Floor 51, there were no signs of civilization whatsoever.
Ethan slowly walked forward, observing the surroundings carefully.
The forest was dense and dark, with towering trees blocking most of the sunlight above. Strange sounds occasionally echoed from deeper within the woods.
After several hours of wandering, Ethan still found nothing.
"No village…"
"No people…"
He clicked his tongue softly. The exhaustion from the boss battle was finally catching up to him.
He needed rest.
"A cave would be enough."
Ethan continued traveling through the forest while remaining alert.
Then—
A loud screech suddenly echoed from nearby bushes. Several gigantic centipede monsters burst out from the ground.
Their bodies were covered in black armor-like shells while hundreds of sharp legs moved rapidly across the dirt.
Each creature was over three meters long. Ethan immediately drew Bloodblade Ashura.
The first centipede lunged toward him aggressively.
SLASH!
Ethan cut its head cleanly in half with a single strike. Dark fluid splattered across the ground.
But the others continued charging. One of them attempted to wrap around Ethan's legs from behind.
Ethan jumped backward before swinging horizontally.
CRACK!
The attack split the centipede's body apart violently. Another monster came from above the trees.
Ethan reacted instantly.
"Crimson Slash!"
The crimson arc surged upward and exploded against the monster midair, shredding its armored shell into pieces.
The forest quickly became quiet again. Ethan exhaled slowly while wiping blood from his blade.
"These things are annoying."
He continued deeper into the forest afterward. Unfortunately, the centipedes kept appearing repeatedly throughout his journey.
Some attacked alone. Others attacked in groups.
Ethan fought continuously for hours, using a combination of swordsmanship, basic attacks, and Crimson Slash to survive.
Several monster corpses littered the forest behind him. As time passed, the sky gradually darkened.
Night had arrived.
The forest became far colder than before.
A chilling wind moved between the trees while strange monster cries echoed from distant areas.
Ethan finally discovered a small cave hidden behind thick vines near a rocky cliff. Without hesitation, he entered.
The inside was dark and damp, but it was enough for temporary shelter.
Ethan sat near the cave wall and placed Bloodblade Ashura beside him.
For the first time since arriving on Floor 52, he could finally rest.
The silence of the night slowly surrounded him.
No voices. No villages. No civilization.
Only darkness and distant monster sounds filling the endless forest outside.
Ethan quietly stared toward the cave entrance. The loneliness felt heavier here.
Much heavier.
Especially after everything that happened in Gor City.
The image of burning buildings and dying people still lingered in his mind. Ethan slowly lowered his gaze.
"…I'll kill them all."
The cold night wind continued blowing through the forest while Ethan sat alone inside the cave, surrounded only by silence and darkness.