I Ascend Alone-Chapter 34: Temporal Labyrinth Part II

As I ventured deeper into the labyrinth, the eerie silence weighed on me. The blue torches continued to flicker along the corridor walls, their dim light barely illuminating the path ahead. I kept Umbral Fang at the ready, my grip firm, my senses heightened.

The Wraithborn Guardian was just the beginning. If the system truly adjusted enemy difficulty based on my potential, then each battle would only grow more challenging.

I exhaled and pressed forward. But a sudden shift in the air made me stop.

The corridor ahead distorted, the stone walls stretching unnaturally as if warping under an unseen force. A deep, resonating hum filled the space, like the sound of vibrating metal.

Then, the system alerted me.

***

[ System Notice ]

Temporal Anomaly Detected.

The Labyrinth's structure is shifting. New pathways and hidden challenges may emerge.

***

Before I could react, the ground beneath me rumbled. The corridor behind me collapsed instantly, sealing off my previous path. Dust and debris clouded my vision for a moment before settling.

"Great," I muttered. "No turning back now."

The labyrinth was forcing me forward.

I advanced cautiously, my steps light and deliberate. Each footfall echoed against the cold stone. The corridor eventually opened into a wide chamber, far larger than any space I had encountered so far. The blue flames lining the walls intensified, casting long shadows across the floor.

***

[ System Notice ]

New Enemy Identified: Riftborn Executioner

Threat Level: Adaptive

A being forged from pure temporal instability, wielding a cursed blade that erases existence with each strike. It acts as both judge and executioner to those who trespass upon the depths of the labyrinth.

***

My pulse quickened.

The Riftborn Executioner was massive—easily over seven feet tall. Its form was partially obscured, flickering in and out of reality like a glitch in existence. It held an enormous curved blade, jagged and fractured at the edges, pulsating with dark energy that seemed to distort space itself.

Its hollow gaze settled on me.

Then, it moved.

Faster than anything I had fought before.

The Executioner blinked forward, its blade already mid-swing, aiming to cleave me in half.

I activated Phantom Dash at the last possible second, teleporting backward just as the cursed blade tore through the spot where I had been standing. The air rippled violently, and a deep gash in reality itself remained where the blade had passed.

I didn't get a chance to recover—it was already attacking again.

I barely dodged the second strike, rolling to the side as the Executioner's sword came crashing down. The impact shattered the stone beneath it.

I gripped Umbral Fang tighter, activating Shadow Infusion to strengthen my next strike. I waited—watching, analyzing. The Executioner's movements were aggressive but patterned.

It was fast. But not unpredictable.

The moment it lunged again, I sidestepped, using Phantom Dash to appear behind it. Phantom Rend activated—my dagger slashed at its exposed side.

The blade connected.

A harsh, static-like shriek erupted from the Executioner as my attack disrupted its unstable form.

But it wasn't done.

It retaliated instantly, twisting mid-air with unnatural speed.

I barely managed to dodge the counterstrike, feeling the distortion in space graze against my shoulder. Even a glancing hit from that blade burned through my defenses.

The air in the labyrinth grew heavy as the Riftborn Executioner took a step forward, its presence warping the space around it. The twisted armor of the being pulsed with eerie violet energy, its jagged greatsword humming with unstable power. Its hollow, glowing eyes locked onto me, analyzing my every move.

This wasn't an opponent I could take lightly.

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Without hesitation, I activated my summoning ability.

"Come forth, my warriors! "

Dark energy swirled around me as the ground trembled. From the shifting shadows, three massive figures emerged—Elite Orcs, each towering over most men, their bodies packed with hardened muscle and layered with tribal armor. Their crimson eyes gleamed with battle hunger as they brandished their weapons: a massive battle-axe, dual cleavers, and a spiked warhammer.

The Riftborn Executioner twitched, sensing the new presences, and raised its greatsword in a deliberate, slow motion, as if unfazed.

"Spread out and attack from all sides!" I commanded.

The orcs let out guttural roars and charged. The Executioner reacted instantly, its greatsword cleaving the air in a wide arc, distorting space itself. The sheer force of its swing sent shockwaves through the corridor, forcing the orcs to duck and weave, but their sheer endurance allowed them to press forward.

The first orc with the warhammer slammed its weapon down, aiming for the Executioner's shoulder. The strike connected with a resounding boom, but instead of shattering its armor, the energy surrounding it dispersed the force of impact. The Executioner retaliated with an upward slash, sending the orc crashing into the wall.

I clenched my fists. "Its defense is insane."

The dual-cleaver orc roared and leaped onto its back, slashing wildly at the Executioner's weak points, while the axe-wielding orc went for its legs. Their teamwork was excellent—but this thing wasn't just a brute; it was intelligent.

It twisted its body unnaturally, its joints bending at impossible angles to avoid the axe swing while grabbing the cleaver-wielding orc and hurling it against the stone wall with a sickening crunch.

I didn't have time to waste. Activating Phantom Dash, I blurred out of sight, appearing behind the Executioner in an instant. With Umbral Fang gripped tightly, I channeled Shadow Infusion, causing the blade to drink in the darkness around us.

The Executioner was too occupied dealing with my orcs to react fast enough.

"Die."

I lunged, aiming straight for the gap between its armored plates—one precise strike to sever its core.