Eternal Art Online

The mage's face twisted in panic as he shouted, "Damn it all! I'm about to bite the dust!"

Before the words even finished echoing through the forest, a dazzling flash of white light tore through the mist. In the blink of an eye, there was a sickening thud as the beam of light pierced straight through the Azure Wolf Guard's mouth, bursting out the back of its skull in a shower of blood.

"1848!"

A clean critical hit!

That was Kiriya's Blade Wave, launched at the perfect moment—swift and lethal, slicing through the half-blooded Azure Wolf Guard in a single strike.

The nearby players, still shaken by the sudden ambush, turned toward the source of the light. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wait a sec—isn't that the ranking Kiriya Noir?!"

Kiriya lowered his obsidian blade and stood calmly, the faintest smile on his lips. "Just got lucky with leveling, that's all. But… what happened to you guys? Monsters in the Whispering Grove shouldn't be this dangerous, right?"

One of the berserkers spat angrily to the side. "How the hell should we know? We were just exploring the forest as a team when we spotted a deep ravine. We figured there might be something interesting inside, so we went in to check it out. Turns out there's this huge tower buried in the gorge. The moment we stepped in, we were swarmed by these Azure Wolf Guards. We started with over ten people, and now there's only five of us left…"

Kiriya's brows lifted slightly, a flicker of intrigue in his eyes. "A tower, you say? Are you sure your map doesn't mark it as the General's Tomb?"

"Nope—it says Haunted Pagoda - First Floor," the berserker replied.

Kiriya's eyes lit up instantly.

—That's it.

Legend had it that the General's Tomb was made up of seven layers, and the very first was named Haunted Pagoda - First Floor, leading all the way up to the seventh, the true heart of the tomb, said to be the final resting place of a heroic figure from the Lightborn clan's ancient age.

Kiriya paused for a moment in thought, then asked, "Can you take me there? I'd like to see the tower for myself."

The berserker looked slightly taken aback but forced a smile. "A top-tier player like you could probably stroll through a place like that solo… But us? We're barely hanging on."

He hesitated, the concern on his face obvious. But Kiriya read him easily.

With a faint chuckle, he offered, "How about this—we go in together. If any leather armor drops, it's mine. The rest of the loot, you divide among yourselves. Fair?"

The berserker's eyes lit up. "Deal! Hell yes!"

He immediately sent Kiriya a party invite, which Kiriya accepted without hesitation.

He wasn't expecting a short run. The Haunted Pagoda was known to contain monsters as high as level 60, far beyond what any small team could take on easily.

It would be a long-term grinding zone, no doubt about it. But for now, what Kiriya needed most was to pinpoint the pagoda's exact location.

Having five level-24 teammates—complete with a priest and two berserkers—wasn't such a bad deal. At the very least, it made for a safer entry.

The berserker hefted his battleaxe and charged forward into the trees. The others followed. Kiriya walked calmly at the rear, obsidian blade in hand, gaze steady.

A thick mist blanketed the forest, and the damp air clung to their skin. Monsters in the 25-level range darted through the fog, but none posed a threat to Kiriya.

With his high attack power—ranging from 195 to 250—each enemy was felled in no more than two clean strikes. His black blade moved like a phantom serpent, slashing through the air with silent precision.

To his teammates, it was as though death itself had taken up a sword beside them. The ghostly arcs of steel left behind glowing trails in the mist, making their jaws drop.

"Now that's a true master…"

After roughly ten minutes of weaving through the dense woods, the group pushed aside a thick patch of leaves. Just beyond it, cloaked in layers of shifting fog, stood a massive, ancient tower.

It loomed silently in the heart of the forest, a monument of forgotten ages. Towering and cold, like a slumbering deity watching from the trees.

Strangely, despite standing right in front of it, the tower had been completely invisible from afar. Likely a trick of the dense forest mist—but enough to keep the uninvited at bay.

The berserker pointed toward the ancient temple with a grin. "We've arrived! How about you go in first?"

Kiriya furrowed his brow, a flicker of displeasure crossing his mind. Damn, berserker—he was trying to shirk responsibility, trying to make Kiriya the cannon fodder. Did he think Kiriya was some fool to be used?

Still, Kiriya said nothing. He steadied his steps and strode directly into the temple.

After all, it was just a level 28 monster. Its attack might reach 240, but with his full gear, Kiriya boasted 200 defense and over 1060 health points. Even if he took the hits head-on, there was no way he'd be one-shot.

Surrounding the temple were rows of stone lions, standing like silent sentinels guarding a long-forgotten secret. The heavy, solemn aura weaving through the statues only deepened the temple's air of mystery.

The massive bronze doors were tightly shut, tarnished and corroded with verdigris—a testament to the passage of time.

Kiriya pressed his palm against the door and tried to push it open. The weight was immense. Gritting his teeth, he summoned every ounce of strength, finally forcing the heavy bronze door to groan open with a rumbling sound.

No sooner had the door opened than a savage, violent aura surged out, and before him appeared three glaring Azure Wolf Guards.

A simultaneous roar erupted from the beasts as they lunged forward, razor-sharp claws slicing through the air aimed straight at his chest.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Three brutal strikes crashed against him. Kiriya felt a sharp sting in his chest as over four hundred health points drained in an instant.

It wasn't fatal, though—the priest behind him immediately cast a healing spell, while the mages began chanting protective incantations.

Kiriya swiftly stepped back, his sword flashing as he unleashed two consecutive strikes, cleanly cutting down one of the Azure Wolf Guards.

Glancing back, he noticed the two berserkers standing frozen, unwilling to step forward.

"Damn it, these bastards!"

A cold curse formed in Kiriya's heart as realization dawned. This was a trap. The berserkers weren't afraid to die—they were waiting for his health to drop to zero so they could finish him off and snatch his gear.

Equipment dropped by a top-three ranked player would surely be valuable beyond measure.

Drawing a deep breath, Kiriya's gaze hardened with icy resolve. After saving them, this was the thanks he got—such treachery chilled him to the bone.

Worse still, the priest had stopped healing him, and the mages' fireballs were half-hearted, clearly waiting to see how he'd handle the fight alone.

Kiriya sneered. "Think I'm an easy mark?"

Fueled by sudden fury, he moved swiftly. His sword danced through the air, slashing down two more Azure Wolf Guards with ruthless efficiency. Circling, he stopped beside a distant stone lion and shouted, "Hey! Your turn to work!"

Just as he predicted, the distance broke the Azure Wolf Guards' aggro on him, redirecting their fury toward the other five.

The two berserkers were immediately overwhelmed, barely holding on to life as the beasts tore at them.

Kiriya struck again, unleashing a sweeping Blade Wave that forced the monsters back and saved his teammates.

This wasn't mercy—it was pragmatism. They were still used to him. Since they wanted to exploit him, he would exploit them in return.

After the fight, the mages sat down to regain mana, and the berserkers guzzled health potions frantically.

Kiriya gripped his sword tightly and stepped back into the dark, foreboding temple alone once more.

The moment Kiriya stepped through the main gate of the ancient temple, he paused, slightly taken aback.

Earlier, the urgency of battle had prevented him from observing his surroundings.

Still, now, as he took a closer look, he couldn't help but draw a sharp breath before him stretched a bleak expanse of gray — a maze of iron-barred cages that segmented the first floor of the Ghost shade Temple into countless compartments.

Down the center ran a wide stone-paved path, while within each ten-meter square cage, varying numbers of Azure Wolf Guards were imprisoned — some cages held just a handful, others teemed with dozens.

Worse still, many of the cages had already been broken open.

Rampaging Azure Wolf Guards roamed freely across the stone paths, dragging pitch-black broadswords as they tore apart any intruder who dared to set foot inside.

Kiriya's gaze swept eastward, where the bodies of numerous wolf-like beasts lay scattered across the ground in chaotic heaps.

His brows furrowed slightly, and he murmured under his breath, "...Someone's already been through here?"

Behind him, one of the berserker teammates let out a low chuckle. "Nope. Those are from our previous run. We cleared out that path earlier… but then something went wrong. We got swarmed and had to retreat."

Kiriya nodded lightly without pressing for details. He raised his hand and gave a calm, decisive order. "You two go first. Keep pushing forward."

The two berserkers froze for a moment, clearly not expecting such direct instruction. A short silence followed until Kiriya let out a cold laugh, his voice firm and unmistakably sharp:

"What's the matter? Aren't berserkers supposed to lead the charge? If you're too scared, feel free to teleport back to town. I don't need dead weight in my party."

His words struck with the weight of iron. The two exchanged an awkward glance, then forced out some dry laughter. "Come on, now—of course we'll tank. Leave it to us."

But as their eyes met, a faint glint of cold calculation flickered between them.

Kiriya saw it. He caught everything, yet chose not to expose them.

He still had use for them, at least for now.

And so, the two berserkers moved forward as vanguard, while Kiriya followed closely behind, sword in hand, taking the role of primary damage dealer.

This way, he could conserve potions and stamina, all while keeping himself relatively safe.

Bit by bit, they pushed their way through. After nearly half an hour of steady combat, their six-man squad finally carved a path deeper into the ruins.

Ahead loomed a massive circular iron structure — like a gladiatorial arena forged in shadows. It was unmistakably the core of the temple's first floor.

Just then, Kiriya noticed something off. The two berserkers at the front exchanged a glance — subtle, yet deliberate — as if readying themselves for something.

But before Kiriya could react, the world went black.

BOOM!

The arena gate shattered with a thunderous roar. Something dark streaked from within, moving at blinding speed, and slammed directly into him.

Crash!

Kiriya felt a crushing force slam into his chest. His body was flung backward and smashed against the stone wall, pain exploding at the base of his skull.

"Urgh…"

Before he could recover, a soft fragrance drifted to his senses.

He looked down and saw a girl.

Her skin was pale as moonlight, her body warm and delicate against his. She had crashed straight into him, toppling him over and landing sprawled across his chest.

Her soft curves pressed against him, her breath warm, her silver hair brushing against his face, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine.

"Ow… that hurts…"

The girl clutched her arm and whimpered, slowly lifting herself from his chest.

But when her gaze met Kiriya's, she froze.

Her lips parted slightly, her eyes wide with shock. A flush drained from her cheeks, replaced by a pale confusion, as though she'd just seen a ghost.

"D-dummy…?" she whispered the word as if pulled from the depths of long-buried memory.

At that moment, a chorus of furious voices erupted behind them:

"That's the brat who got our leader killed! If it weren't for her, the boss would've been dead by now! Kiriya Noir — take her out! Kill her!"