Chapter 177: New talent! Floor 28!

The blade sank into the beast’s shoulder joint. The Minotaur howled in agony, swinging wildly and knocking Rambo back.

“Found his weak point!” Ethan yelled. “Right shoulder!”

The Princess flew in, unleashing a barrage of elemental spears. Ice, fire, lightning—all targeted the breach. Rambo added pressure with corrosive blood, his unique blood-fire skill mixture eating away at exposed muscle.

The Minotaur dropped to one knee.

The defensive barrier had finally crumbled.

Ethan activated his final burst.

He surged forward in a streak of white and black. His sword split into twin illusions, representing balance and destruction. He struck twice in a single motion.

Once with light—burning energy.

Once with shadow—consuming all resistance.

The slash cut through the Minotaur’s neck like it wasn’t even there.

For a moment, time froze.

Then the Minotaur’s head hit the floor with a seismic thud.

[FLOOR 26 CLEARED]

[RECORD TIME: 00:01:19]

[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED – Titan Slayer]

[DOUBLED REWARD: Talent Orb (A+)]

Ethan stepped over the fallen Minotaur, breathing evenly. His eyes scanned the reward interface with satisfaction.

He did not use the talent orb, he wanted to keep it for his friends back in the other world.

The orb was basically kess useful than his devouring, considering that he gained stats alongside talents.

He didn’t worry too much and store it inside.

<+600 Vitality>

<Your talent Bronze skin(A) has evolved to Titanium Skin(S-)>

<+300 Vitality>

The upgrade hit like a wave—he felt his muscles condense, skin harden, and bones grow heavier with dense internal layering. It wasn’t full S+ defense like the Minotaur had, but it was close.

Then Ethan walked towards the salamanders and devoured them too.

<+650 Intelligence>

<+650 Intelligence >

Then he devoured the cores.

<+250 Intelligence >

<+250 Intelligence >

Then ethan checked his status:

<Human: Ethan Brandon>

<Rank: Low-Saint>

<Talents: Elemental Manipulation (S),Yin-yang (S+), Archery(S-), Super Sonic (A), Titanium Skin(S-), Mental Enhancement (A), Regeneration (B+), Dagger Wield (F-), >

<Transformations: Minotaur(High-Saint), Elven Princess(High-Saint), Sky Luminary(Low-Saint), Balor(Low-Saint) ,Minotaur(Low-Saint), Dark Crocodile(Peak-Diamond),Imp(High-Diamond),Basilisk(Mid-Diamond), Hydrant(Mid-Diamond)>

<Level 15>

<Health Points: 59000> <Mana Points:75000>

<Strength: 5000 (+490)> <Agility:5450 (+450)>

<Intelligence: 7500 (+510)> <Vitality: 5900 (+500)>

<Free Attributes: 53>

<Skills: Advanced Stone Heart(Novice – 5%), Mid Fast Steps (Apprentice- 70%), Basic Swordsmanship (Perfection), Basic Mana control (Perfection)>

He closed the window with a flick of thought.

He didn’t know how long had passed in the real world—hours? Days? Time was slippery inside the Tower. But his momentum was solid. He could feel it.

“I’ll stop at Floor Thirty,” he told himself, stepping forward.

And with that, he walked through the glowing portal to Floor 27.

[Welcome to Floor 27]

[Goblin Ancestor (High-Saint)]

[Subordinates: Goblin Elite x15 (Low-Saint)]

Ethan blinked.

“A goblin? Higher than the Elven Princess?”

He didn’t doubt the Tower’s logic, but it was… unusual. Goblins were low-level fodder in most dimensions. But this one… this Goblin Ancestor had made it to High-Saint.

That meant it wasn’t just some brutish upgrade—it was intelligent. Dangerous.

And worse, it commanded an army.

Across the marsh, the enemy emerged.

Fifteen elite goblins, each with jagged gear and twisted mana signatures, surrounded their leader—a towering goblin, hunched but bulky, with glowing green tattoos carved across his chest. His eyes burned with cunning. He wielded a crooked staff crackling with necrotic lightning.

The moment Ethan stepped into range, the Goblin Ancestor pointed his staff forward and hissed.

“Kill.”

The fight exploded instantly.

The fifteen Low-Saint goblins launched like bullets. They didn’t charge mindlessly—they flanked, circled, and layered their spells. Acid arrows, poison nets, spikes.

Ethan moved faster.

He tapped into Super Sonic (A) and blurred across the field, slicing through the first goblin’s chest before it could raise a shield.

<Enemy Defeated: Goblin Elite – Low-Saint>

To his right, Rambo unleashed a hurricane of blood flame, roasting two more goblins into ash. His massive wings created a sonic shockwave that scattered the group’s formation.

From behind, the Elven Princess entered the fray. Her Elemental Manipulation (S) flared—ice and lightning merging into a devastating beam that vaporized three goblins in a single shot.

Eight remained.

They regrouped quickly, launching a volley of dark magic. One spell clipped Ethan’s shoulder, corroding his sleeve and biting into his skin.

His Titanium Skin (S-) held.

He retaliated by blinking behind two goblins and executing a double decapitation with a single arcing slash.

Six left.

The Princess weaved through them like a phantom, slicing tendons and casting spells. Rambo’s tail crushed another. Ethan spun low, swept a goblin off its feet, then impaled it midair.

Three remained. They panicked. One tried to flee.

Ethan raised his palm. He no longer needed a bow to attack, his arm and elemental manipulation talent were enough.

<Archery (S-): Mana Arrow – Multi-Pierce>

Three arrows launched in a blink—silent, glowing, perfect. All three goblins fell.

The battlefield cleared. But the real fight was just beginning.

The Goblin Ancestor began to laugh—deep, guttural, and echoing.

“You are strong, but I am old. You will not break me like them.”

He raised his staff and slammed it down.

A green shockwave exploded outward, and the corpses of the fallen goblins twitched… and then stood.

[Skill Activated: Ancestral Rebirth – Soul Chain Necromancy]

[Fifteen Goblin Elites Revived – Controlled State (Undead)]

Ethan cursed.

He dove sideways as the risen goblins surged forward again—this time faster, unafraid of pain or death.

“Focus the Ancestor!” he ordered.

Rambo and the Princess nodded.

The dragon took to the skies, raining acidic blood bombs onto the crowd while the Princess launched earth arrows, pinning goblins down.

Ethan made his move.

He sprinted straight at the Goblin Ancestor, ducking under spells and parrying death bolts. The goblin conjured a bone spear, aiming it at Ethan’s heart.

Too slow.

Ethan blinked beside him and unleashed a combo.

One. Slash to the leg.

Two. Feint upward.

Three. Knee to the gut.

Four. Blade to the ribs.

Five. Palm to the skull.

Six. Reverse grip stab—straight into the throat.

The Goblin Ancestor staggered, coughing black blood.

But he wasn’t done.

He roared, body bulging. The tattoos on his skin ignited.

[Transformation Triggered: Goblin Ancestral Overdrive]

“Great,” Ethan muttered.

The Ancestor grew to ten feet tall. His arms split into four. His staff became a dual-blade. His power soared.

Then he charged.

The two clashed mid-field in a dance of raw speed and strength. Ethan blocked a flurry of blows, felt his ribs creak under a massive punch. He countered with a Yin blast, staggering the goblin, but took a slice to the leg.

The Princess returned, using one of the boades Arthur had given her. Rambo slammed into his side. Still, the Goblin Ancestor endured.

“YOU… DIE… HERE!” he howled, unleashing a death nova.

Ethan made his decision.

“Time to end this.”

<Transformation: Elven Princess (High-Saint)>

His body shifted. Elven grace merged with his power. He floated above the goblin, conjuring twelve spears—each infused with a different element.

“Let’s see you tank this.”

He dropped them all.

They struck like thunder.

Ethan landed.

He walked up and finished it—one clean slice across the neck.

The goblin’s eyes widened in disbelief. Then, silence.

[FLOOR 27 CLEARED]

[Record Broken! Doubled Rewards!]

[REWARDS: Soulbound Katana (Tier 9)]

After devouring the goblins, his strength directly skyrocketed!

He had gained so many attributes from those goblins that he had automatically reached 18,500. Make him enter the Mid-Saint rank. He had entered the mid saint rank at 10,000 points. And high saint seemed closer to 20,000 points

During the devouring, Ethan had gained the S- rank talent, undead. He was able to revive any dead people for a short period of time and use them as his soldiers. Very convienent skill.

With the Undead talent, he could now field elite corpses in battle, disrupting enemy numbers and battlefield control without spending too much mana.

He didn’t even break stride.

“Next.”

[Welcome to Floor 28]

[Night Monarch Bat (High-Saint)]

[Bat Swarm x5 (Mid-Saint)]

“More swarm tactics,” Ethan muttered.

He could hear the flap of massive wings high above in the cavern’s dome. Shadows danced. Five mid-sized bats zipped through the darkness like razors, while one enormous bat—a creature the size of a van—hung inverted from the ceiling.

The Night Monarch.

Its crimson eyes glowed with intelligence.

It screeched, and the smaller bats spiraled into formation. They began to circle Ethan like vultures, each one pulsing with sonic magic.

The Princess and Rambo stood ready.

The five mid-saint bats struck first—sonic blasts screamed through the cavern, bouncing off the stone and converging from every direction.

Ethan spun once and slammed his foot into the ground.

The air shimmered around him. Soundwaves bent. The attacks diffused across his enhanced body, vibrating his bones but failing to rupture his tissues.

Then he moved.

Fast.

With Super Sonic (A) engaged alongside his other talents, Ethan appeared before them.

he blurred through the cavern like a phantom.

He appeared above the first bat, slicing downward with a mana-forged blade, cutting one of its wings clean off.

The creature howled and crashed.

The others retaliated—biting, clawing, shrieking.

Ethan blinked out again, appearing behind the second.

He raised both hands.

Five arrows launched mid-air in a seamless curve, each one finding a heart. The second and third bats fell together, flapping helplessly before disintegrating.

The fourth came at him in a blur of wings and claws.

He spun midair, absorbing the impact with his arm, and sank his blade into its chest.

The fifth tried to escape.

Ethan snapped his fingers, a huge smirk on his face as he activated his new talent.

<Undead (S–): Raise>

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