The sound of Paul’s boots crunching against the debris-laden ground echoed in the silence as he and Lilith advanced toward the Crumbling Tower.

The sky around them was an angry swirl of storm clouds, punctuated by fiery streaks of falling stars that illuminated the devastation below.

They had both flown to the Tower at top speed.

It was an unprecedented feat given the obstacles on the way.

If anyone down currently looked up to the Crumbling Tower, they would think they were hallucinating given the two figures they saw.

After all, no one that had attempted to reach the Tower before now was alive. The debris and hailstone killed them before they could come close.

If they were close to the scene, they would be terrified at the aura and strength the bigger figure possessed and emanated.

There was the matter of the flying objects around too amidst the flying debris.

Drones.

The automatons worked like a single cell and fired at anything coming within their range effectively shielding them.

They also emitted light which made them see their surroundings better as the place was dark.

"Whew!" Lillith let out as she saw the area where they stood.

The whole place was littered with bone; human bones to be specific.

It was scattered haphazardly across the landscape, as if discarded by some careless, titanic hand.

Some of the skulls were still bearing the remnants of corroded helmets, leering up from the ground with empty eye sockets.

The rib cages, spines, and limb bones created a macabre scene that would have made many men quake in their boots.

There was no reaction though from either of them after their initial surprise.

They could as well be passing through a garden judging from their expression.

Their indifference stemmed from rational logical thinking not coldness of heart.

For one, no Gifted had succeeded in coming up to the Tower therefore the bones were fake.

They were just part of the features of the Tower and no doubt had come along with it.

The purpose of the grim scenario no doubt was to instill fear in anyone that made it to the Tower and weaken their resolve.

It appeared to have no effect on Paul and Lillith as their minds were otherwise occupied.

Paul appeared calm on the surface but inwardly, he was impatient. He wanted to get through with it and defeat the boss.

It was the main reason why he paid no mind to what he saw.

After all, the complete items he had Equipped on was nothing to scoff at.

<Hero’s Garb (Full Set)>

<Prime Regalia>

<Crown Of Victory>

<Personal Creations>

He was brimming with power and confidence.

His [Absolute focus] and [Instinct] skills were activated too.

"Stay close to me,"He said to Lillith, his voice steady despite the chaos he felt in his heart.

"We’ll need to protect ourselves from the debris. You’ll also need to watch your steps. The ground is unstable."

Lilith nodded quietly. It wasn’t anything that she didn’t already know.

She could already feel the intense energy emanating from the Tower despite how unstable it looked.

As they approached the base of the Tower, a gust of wind swept through, carrying with it a shower of dust and debris.

Paul activated a protective barrier around them, deflecting the smaller fragments that threatened to cut into their skin.

The automatons could only do so much against everything.

There was no gate in sight.

The entrance to the Tower was just a gaping maw of darkness, framed by crumbling stone.

Lillith suddenly felt apprehensive as she came within sight of the opening.

Despite not seeing anything or anyone, she had the feeling that she was being watched.

She fidgeted slightly and looked at Paul who was still calm and was about to step inside.

"At this point, only Jeremy can faze him."

Her mind was screaming at her to run away but she had no choice but to follow Paul’s lead as usual so she went in.

As they stepped inside, the temperature dropped sharply, and the oppressive weight of the Tower’s presence pressed down on them.

Despite the combined light of the drones, they couldn’t see more than a few metres.

It was a good thing that they had a protective barrier around them so nothing could sneak up on them.

The element of surprise attacks too was negated by the vigilant drones around them.

The darkness here was alive much like the kind they had encountered in one of the previous weeks.

Paul thought the same too and shook his head to ward off the thought. It was one of the memories he wished that he forgot.

The first level was eerily silent, the only sound being the distant rumble of collapsing stone.

They moved quickly, navigating the treacherous terrain with practiced ease.

Lilith’s eyes scanned their surroundings, her senses heightened for any sign of danger.

"Something’s not right," she whispered. "It’s too quiet."

Paul nodded in agreement but otherwise kept his cool. "Stay alert. There are traps to slow us down."

Nothing happened for a while as they waited so they moved on.

As they ascended the Tower, the structure became increasingly unstable.

Sections of the floor were missing, and they had to leap across wide gaps.

The average gifted would have barely made it across these gaps to the other side but they were anything but average.

They were the second and third ranked Gifted in the world currently so it was easy for them.

As they got to the next floor, they suddenly came across a small horde of demons.

The demons themselves were shocked but Paul knew that they would quickly get over it.

He appraised one of them in front and saw its stats.

[System Information]

- Name: Hell Kobold Spawn

- Level: 2

- Race: Demon (Lesser) - Grade: 1

- Age: 29 days

[Stats]

- HP: 12/30

- MP: - -

- Strenght: 9

- Agility: 30

- Vitality: 10

- Intelligence: 1

[Status Condition]

<Hunger>

- HP continues to decrease until the Demon feeds. Currently active.

A Level 2 demon was relatively weak to him but as a pack, they were strong enough to take him on.

It wasn’t anything he and Lillith couldn’t handle and he felt adrenaline course through his veins.

He brought out his war hammer just as they charged at him.