The sounds of fighting pulled Adam down a hallway to the western stairwell. He'd eliminated six Statue Elementals on the way here. The ones he'd aggroed earlier had all returned to their original spots, which made it quite easy to deal with them. Unfortunately, he was unable to extract any of their glass cores intact. He had however summoned two wraiths with their deaths, but they were gone now.

He walked past the statues lining the walls. Several empty plinths indicated that the ones lying in wait here had already been triggered. It was no doubt the ones the blonde guy was fighting in the adjoining chamber.

< < Stage Alert > >

< Player Shirong Zhang has claimed the Altar >

Adam picked up the pace.

I'll have to get there as fast as I can to stop him from winning, but I need to deal with blondie first, otherwise he'll sneak up behind me…

He frowned to himself at his lazy justification for murder.

It would be easier if I could just be delusional and convince myself I was doing this for their sake. Perhaps if I knew I could get to the Divine Relic, then I'd feel better about killing someone like this.

Adam came out of the tunnel and into a rectangular chamber with a stone coffin on a raised dais in the middle. The blonde guy stood atop it, wildly swinging two axes to try and kill the three statues in front of him. The remains of three others lay around him.

He wore the Purple Slime Glove like Emelia had said, as well as the Forlorn Cuirass and Tainted Helmet. Adam was surprised Emelia had missed such an obvious sign of an affliction build, but as he continued watching from afar, it was clear that she hadn't mentioned the helmet because the guy didn't seem to have a good strategy for using it. That being said, his strikes did leave black tainted slashes across the enemies, indicative of the Taint affliction.

He's got a terrible setup… The Cuirass slows him down by 30% and makes his head take double damage. Not to mention, the Helmet significantly reduces the healing effects he receives.

I wonder if he could take off his Relics and shed the detrimental effects or not, since Emelia said that it wasn't possible with the Queen's Pendant. I'm guessing he can't, even though it was possible with the Fiendbarb.

The Berserker's weapons had what looked like the engraving of a wolf's head on the pommels, and the axe-heads themselves had metal claws on the sides of the blades.

Adam brought the fused barrier out in front of him and folded it into the thin needle shape. Although he wanted to learn more about the blonde guy's weapons, he was on a strict timer.

The Berserker used his Slime Glove to send a purple spike through the chest of a Statue Elemental and killed it. As it died, a soul essence flew back to Adam, and something black and tainted jumped to the other two statues, likely the affliction-spreading effect of the Tainted Helmet.

Then the guy did something bizarre.

He slashed widely to knock back the two remaining enemies before letting out a terrifying howl like a demented wolf. His eyes suddenly glowed with a malevolent yellow light and a strange haze surrounded him, giving off the impression of flowing fur rising from his arms and back, as well as the outline of a wolf's head around his head.

What the hell?

With a sudden spike in movement speed and damage, the Berserker tore into the two statues, his axes carving through their stone flesh despite having been unable to do so just a second prior. Their essences flew back towards Adam and the blonde guy traced them to him.

Oh shit!

Adam shot his barrier forward as the wolf-possessed Berserker spotted him. Despite the Cuirass slowing him down, the guy still moved pretty fast.

But even with his powerful buff, he was no match for the speed of Adam's fused barrier.

It tore through his head, leaving a hole where his eye had been. The wound was immediately cauterised by the burning effect imbued by the True Flame crown.

But, disturbingly, the Berserker did not stop even though there was now a piece of his brain missing.

He's still alive!?

With a forceful tug, he pulled the barrier back, piercing the Berserker from behind and breaking open his ribcage as it burst out through the front of his body.

The guy faceplanted the stone floor, sliding a metre before coming to a stop and leaving a red smear in his wake.

This time he was completely dead.

That was too close, Adam scolded himself.

He must've had the Hobgoblin Pendant that allows the wearer to survive a fatal hit, he realised.

Adam had been careless because he'd relied on Emelia's simple description of the guy, assuming he wouldn't be a threat.

But no one who makes it to Stage Five is a complete pushover.

"What weapon evolution was he using?" Adam asked the Eye floating next to him.

[I cannot say.]

Shame, it seemed pretty cool.

I'm guessing that buff must've had a long cooldown or something, since he wasn't using it until now.

"Loot."

< < Loot ­— Eric Tornquist > >

< Tainted Helmet (Epic) >

< Purple Slime Glove (Rare) >

< Forlorn Cuirass (Rare) >

It seemed like this guy had used all his Points on expensive Relics.

No potions? I wonder if he used them all. They would've been ineffective with the Tainted Helmet though.

A shame I couldn't kill him without destroying the Epic-rarity pendant, Adam thought, before immediately feeling guilty about it.

Adam looted the Relics and stuffed them inside his bulging Spidersilk Sack.

It had become too cumbersome to continue lugging around.

I'll have to leave this somewhere.

< < Stage Alert > >

< Player Zaria Lewis has claimed the Altar >

Adam was in the middle of unfolding his barrier into the flying sled when the announcement hit him.

That's gotta be the Crusader!

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Based on the last name, she is obviously related to the Assassin I killed.

That must be why they normally team up.

I doubt she'll be happy to know I killed her family member, but maybe I can use it to make her drop her guard.

Adam sighed.

These horrible thoughts are coming to me so easily now…

Regardless, it should be down to just us two, unless Shirong fled with his life intact.

Adam lifted the heavy sack up onto the front of his barrier before climbing on himself. He took a moment to remember the best route to the Altar, picking the one that would bring him past the eyeless statue that could be triggered with the Skyblue Pearl.

I need to keep an eye out for traps, he thought to himself as he took off.

Several Statue Elementals were hot on his trail when Adam reached the oval chamber wherein the eyeless statue was supposed to be located. He quickly scanned the walls until he spotted it. Aside from the hole where its left eye should've been, it looked just like all the rest.

He didn't have time to activate it now, so he dropped the Spidersilk Sack in front of it and continued through the tunnel at the far end. It snaked around and eventually linked up with a triangular chamber that'd already been cleared. In the centre of the room was an open chest. He had no idea what had been looted from it nor what kind of Relics were available in the Stage.

If she's picked up a Stone Mask like me, I need to make sure to strike her twice to kill her. Maybe even three times if she has a Hobgoblin Pendant as well.

Adam climbed off his flying sled and shaped it into the needle while cautiously moving through the hallway that led out of the triangular chamber. From what Emelia had told him, it would now be a straight shot to the cavern holding the Altar within.

Behind him came the sounds of stone feet slapping the hard floor. Fortunately, the statues weren't that fast.

Maybe I should slow down and let one of the statues catch up. I just need one more kill to trigger the Wraith Lantern.

He paused for a second.

Hold on…

I needed four essences to fill it before I fought the Berserker, but I only got three from that fight.

Adam pulled up the description.

< < Relic > >

< Wraith Lantern (Rare) — When an enemy is slain nearby, their Soul Essence is absorbed | When the Relic is fully charged with sufficient Soul Essence, a Winter Wraith is summoned >

Ahh… It's only 'enemies'.

Weird that Players don't count for that, even though it's a Player-vs-Player Stage.

Wait, is that supposed to be a clue?

Is the answer to saving everyone that we have to work together?

Bit late to try now, of course, and I might also just be reading too much into this…

Adam checked his setup just to make sure he was fully prepared. There was only one more bend in the tunnel before he'd reach the cavern.

Let's see, I have my True Flame's Icon crown, Stone Mask, Slothling Fur Coat, two First Strike Earrings, Captain's Cape, Cruel Summoner's Gauntlets, the Potion Belt with two small healing potions, the Affliction Ward, and my Wraith Lantern.

He paused.

Shit, I should've swapped the Ward with the Fetish of Sloth!

Oh well, I think I'll still be fine.

Adam continued moving.

[3 minutes remaining until the Altar is claimed by Player Zaria Lewis.]

He didn't let the Eye goad him into panicking.

She couldn't have left the Altar if she was claiming it, so there was no way for her to hide from him. It was more important that he didn't fall into any traps.

Unlike the other tunnels, hallways, and chambers, the stone walls of the snaking tunnel leading to the Altar were absolutely covered in hieroglyphic scribbles. It was almost like looking at a mural produced by a madman, given how none of it made any sense to his eyes. There were no actual words, just a bunch of symbols, such as a crown, an eye, a strawberry on a branch, a jagged stone, an open book, a swirling vortex, a moon, and other iconography that he couldn't make sense of, but which seemed to be depictions of deities.

Maybe if I study these I can pick up clues about the Absolutes that can be worshipped?

He shook his head.

Focus.

The tunnel curved left and then just immediately transitioned from hand-worked sand-coloured stone to the rough dark-grey rock of the cavern he'd seen with the Orb of Insight. Stalactites jutted down from the ceiling like monstrous teeth and water dripped from their tips and down to the floor, leaving puddles. There weren't any stalagmites rising up from below, which seemed strange to Adam, given that this place had to be many thousands of years old and the stalactites continually dripped water down, which should've created deposits over time.

It was a straight shot to the Altar from the mouth of the tunnel and Adam saw the Crusader standing there in the centre of the fifteen plinths almost 20 metres away. She had something metal around her neck and wore the Forlorn Cuirass just like Eric. There was also a bracer on each of her arms, the Slothling Claw and the Parry one. She didn't have any special boots, just normal sneakers, and in her hands was a mace and a medium-sized shield. He couldn't tell if she wore any rings or special gloves from this distance. The rosary hung from her right hip on her belt.

Adam attacked first and immediately shot his needle barrier at her, but since his effective range was only 14 metres, he moved forward with his spell.

She lifted something in her shield hand and aimed it at him. Violet light manifested in front of her and took the shape of a Slothling Imp. It crouched down and leapt for Adam with its claws raised. A second light followed, before an identical copy appeared behind it and surged for him as well.

Two imps!?

Adam quickly swung his right hand to the left, shifting the trajectory of the needle so that it slipped through the first imp's head mid-air, before weaving through the neck of the second. The first demon flipped and struck the cavern floor on its back, and the second one just face-planted the rocky ground and stopped. Then they broke apart into violet light that retreated back to the Crusader's Relic. From where they'd died appeared two soul essences which flowed into the Wraith Lantern.

Adam curved the needle around the side of the Crusader, but she flung her shield out and managed to just barely clip the thin barrier, since it was quite long. The bracer on her arm exploded into fragments and he lost all control of the spell as it was flung across the cavern and embedded in the ceiling like a dart.

She parried it!?

In the same moment, the shrieks of two wraiths manifested in front of Adam. They instantly flew towards Zania with their sharp nails extended and ready to attack.

Adam hadn't realised that he'd lose control of the barrier if it was parried by a Player, but fortunately she wouldn't be able to repeat the trick.

He resummoned the barriers while the wraiths went wild, both already turned red following their opening attacks, thanks to the Last Stand's Fervour. Their claws tore up the Crusader's Armour Relic, leaving red-glowing frosty tears in the metal with every attack. It seemed weird that the Winter Wraiths' inherent frost attack was not negated by the fire damage from the crown.

Zania triggered her other bracer and released a slash of two claws that tore through the wraith on her right, but had no effect. The bracer immediately exploded.

Clearly desperate, she then used a blood magic spell which put holes into both of them, but they were invulnerable to the damage, even though it could affect them.

Then the next hit from the left ghost destroyed her armour. From one moment to the next, the Forlorn Cuirass turned into bits of scrap that fell away from the Crusader's torso, revealing the orange blouse she wore beneath.

Adam was busy slamming his barriers into the rocky ground until they cracked and triggered Fervour. Then he quickly fused them together and shaped them into a narrow cone that he spun up like the head of a drill.

The moment that the wraiths died and released an explosion of ice, freezing Zania's body, Adam shot his barrier forwards.

She had no way to defend herself since she was encased in ice, so the projectile just tore through her torso, leaving a large hole where her heart should've been. She collapsed in a heap, instantly dead.

The barrier exploded a moment later as the Fervour expired, sending shards of magical glass plinking across the cavern.

Adam stumbled towards the Altar, but made sure not to step onto its round platform.

He swallowed at the sight of the woman.

Why was that so easy…?

Even though these Players had made it this far, he'd been able to defeat three of them without taking a single hit.

He summoned two new barriers and used them to pull the Crusader's body towards him.

"Loot."

< < Loot ­— Zania Lewis > >

< Blood Fist Ring (Rare) >

< Fetish of Sloth (Rare) >

< Committed Attack Ring (Uncommon) >

< Glutton Collar (Uncommon) >

She didn't drop the rosary, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised since it's bound to the Priest's weapon.

I really underestimated the Committed Attack Ring, he realised. If I'd gotten too close, she would've instantly killed me with the Blood Fist Ring. I wonder how past me survived that, unless the Potion Belt can be used to guard against blood magic.

He looked around and quickly spotted a body that lay behind the four large plinths in the back of the Altar. Unsurprisingly, it was Shirong Zhang, the first guy to claim the Altar. He had two holes in his torso, making it clear that Zania had killed him with a double-activated Blood Fist.

Adam pulled off his Cruel Summoner's Gauntlets and dropped them to the floor, then he looted all of the Crusader's items, pulling the rings into his hand and dropping the rest at his feet.

"Equip Committed Attack Ring and Blood Fist Ring."

[Understood.]

He brought up their descriptions.

< < Relics > >

< Blood Fist Ring (Rare) — Charge a powerful punch that shoots a blood spike through the target on impact. 45-second cooldown >

< Committed Attack Ring (Uncommon) — All Cooldown-based Relics gain a second use that can be triggered within 10 seconds of the first activation, but the cooldown is tripled >

I should probably put on the Glutton Collar as well, he realised, since he had two potions in the Belt Relic on his arm.

< < Relic > >

< Glutton Collar (Uncommon) — Consume two potions within 10 seconds of each other without incurring toxic backlash, but toxicity build-up is tripled >

Adam stooped down and picked it up from the pile of Relics.

"Is the cooldown inherent to the Relic?" he asked the Eye as he contemplated swapping his Affliction Ward for the Fetish of Sloth that the Crusader had dropped.

[Yes.]

"Is there still a cooldown on the Blood Ring then?"

[Yes. It has 127 seconds remaining before it can be activated again. Additionally, the Fetish of Sloth at your feet has a cooldown of 3 Stages. Both have had their cooldowns extended because of the effect of the Committed Attack Ring you are currently wearing.]

Adam blinked.

Okay, I won't be using it with the Fetish then…

So much for spawning four imps at once.

He equipped the Glutton Collar and returned from where he'd come, heading for the Spidersilk Sack he had discarded and the eyeless statue he'd left it by.

"How much time is remaining?"

[16 minutes.]

More than enough.

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