Extra's Descent-Chapter 359: Timeless [7]

"Haaa….."

With every swing, pain shot up Brandon's arm. This was especially so, as his arm had already been injured after dealing with the minotaur's blows.

Swoosh—!

Brandon swung wide, no technique—pure raw destruction.

Amethyst flames flickered, igniting all around him.

RIIING—

But Brandon couldn't hear anything. His mind was a abuzz—a certain ringing sound flooding his thoughts as he continue hacking away.

Amethyst flames.

That was all he could see—reflecting in his eyes, a purple tanget that would streak past his peripheral vision—drowning out all the other colors.

"Ah."

Beautiful.

And,

"Akh…!"

Painful.

While things would be way easier if he had triggered his zone, it wasn't logical in the long–term.

Especially when it didn't seem like Raven would cultivate the seed enough so soon.

The hell was his problem?

If anything, he shouldn't have any prob—

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"Ah."

A sudden wave of realization panged his thoughts at that moment as he continued hacking away with no aim.

'Right.'

How could he forget?

Because he had realized they were the same person, he had forgotten that Raven Blackheart was an alternate version of him.

A version that lived…. a harsher life than him.

"Shit, now I feel bad."

Swoosh—!

Brandon had already given up.

[Time Remaining: 46:22s]

There was less than fifty minutes left on the timer, and Brandon felt like he had been doing this for way too long now.

So much so that his arms felt numb—the pain drowning.

'Wouldn't hurt to try it myself.'

They were going to fail the exam anyway.

After incinerating one of the withered creatures, Brandon pressed his fingers together and muttered.

"Zone."

At that moment, amethyst flames sprouted from the ground, distorting in to purple hyacinths.

The distance gradually spread around him, forming a circle, then expanding.

It was quite ironic.

His flowers against the flowers.

Narrowing his eyes, he focused on the visible pathways in his surroundings—pouring his mana—skillfully distorting the lingering magic in the air.

Sweat trickled down his face as he felt his mana core draining—exhausting him.

Until….

Voosh—!

The pathways became tangible, contorting into cursed—amethyst flames—burning in a fixed distant radius around him.

Brandon rushed ahead, sprinting towards Raven. The flames acted like a barrier, scorching any creature that got too close.

Despite the flames around him, Brandon felt the air growing cold—a sudden chill crawling all over him.

As he continued his sprint, he looked down at his hand.

"...."

It was white.

….Pale–white.

And his bangs obscured his peripheral vision slightly.

Ink–black.

"Ah."

He was under the effects of assimilation before he realized it.

But Brandon completely ignored his complexions.

"Step back."

Brandon muttered, crouching right beside Raven, who too looked pale. Frustration seemed to creep on his expressions as his brows raised.

"Brandon…. I…."

"I know. I don't care. This floor was designed for us to fail."

"...."

"Now move back."

Raven bit his lip and moved back. He looked around, only to find amethyst flowers spreading in the vast distance.

Furthermore, amethyst flames seemed to flare around them in a fixed radius.

"So this is…. your zone."

He whispered. There was not much he needed to do. The flames acted as a barrier, immediately scorching the creatures.

Brandon extended his hand forward, his other hand extending to the right—keeping both his focus on the flames—and the mana that was pouring into the seed.

Squench. Squench.

"...."

The seed immediately began to wither, even faster than when it was Raven.

Brandon's eyes narrowed as he tried to focus.

He poured his mana into the seed, attempting to control his emotions. But the amethyst flames surrounding them raged, mirroring his inner chaos.

Squench. Squench.

The tiny green tendrils shriveled, turning brown at an alarming rate.

"Haaa…"

Brandon exhaled, trying to calm his breath.

"...."

But the more he tried, the faster the seed deteriorated. His frustration grew, and so did the withering.

Right, there was no way they were going to pass this floor.

It just wasn't tuned to them. Raven, who's past was rather traumatic, and Brandon who had memories of three different lives.

The results were expected.

Time seemed to be at a standstill, as the ringing in his ears echoed.

But of course, the timer ticked down relentlessly.

[Time Remaining: 14:12s]

The seed was dying before their eyes, despite his efforts—his focus alternating between the seed—and the flames.

Raven watched, helpless, the color draining from his face.

"Brandon….. stop."

But Brandon could care less. They were going to fail. Then it was much better to fail faster than delay the inevitable.

[Time Remaining: [8:22s]

The seed had turned almost entirely black, brittle and lifeless.

[Time Remaining: 00:00]

[Objective Failed.]

The words appeared in blue, hanging in the air, as if it were mocking them.

Brandon's flames flickered, dimming until they vanished. He pulled his hand back, staring at the dead seed, his shoulders slumping.

Failure.

"...."

Raven stood speechless, his expressions frozen, complexions pale.

Brandon too felt exhausted. Indescribable pain flooded internally, but all he could do was grit his teeth.

"....?"

But as his attention returned to reality, he had come to realize that the creatures….

—Hieeeek!

They were still there.

And additionally,

[Return in 150d 23:59:59]

Of course, because once the highest floor ascended to had failed, the path to the higher floors closes—only opening after five months.

But furthermore, a question probed his mind.

"Why aren't we ejected yet?"

Ten seconds or so had passed.

But they were still here. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

He looked around. The withered grotesque creatures slowly returned to the ground.

However, there was a root–like vine connecting to the seed—connected to the creatures themselves.

"Raven."

"....What?"

"Run."

Brandon muttered.

He was aware. He had seen this in his memories before. The floor had failed in some progression ago, leading to the imminent death of the top guild, Incadescent Flames.

Why?

Squench Squench.

Because the flowers were all connected to the seed.

When the seed died, the flowers would return to it, revealing its true form—the floor's true nature.

Squench. Squench.

Raven, albeit confused by the sudden order, assisted Brandon up, lending his shoulder.

"What's going on? Why are we still here? Shouldn't we have failed the exam already?"

"I don't know how it's possible, but…."

Brandon bit his lower lip.

"We might be in the real tower."