November 16, 2026, Dark Tower Trial. Seventh Level.

What started as seven groups of people entering the iron gate towards a dead city now remains one person standing in the remains of his comrades. A trickle of blood flowed down his face.

Pete. Blake. Rosalie. Jayson. Anton. Nico. Xyris.

Xyris’ hugged him tightly. She whispered ‘You must live’ before the scorpion tail of a six foot monster struck her on the left side of her back where her heart is located. She died instantly.

Her warm blood flowed on his hands. Pooled on his feet just like everybody else. Cayden closed his eyes. Unbearable grief struck his chest but he can’t show any weakness now.

Before him an army raised from the dead is walking sluggishly toward him. In front is a group of what used to be humans. On his right are the group of dead manticores. On his left are the dead orcs. On his back are the group of dead echidnas slithering their tails in the darkness.

At the center of the group of dead humans, a throne made of skull stood in the middle. His face bears no skin, only skull. His hands no longer had flesh on them. No skin, no blood. This being is a moving skeleton.

His black cloak covered him from chest down. The red scepter in his hands luminate the whole ground. Stirring all the dead army of beasts and humans in the ground to attack Cayden.

Cayden caressed the vambrace on his wrist and the shiny sharp blade sprang out. There are two vambraces on his forearm. The zombies in front got ready and growled at him. Their teeth have flesh stuck inside. Their mouths are dripping with fresh blood.

Some of it belong to his comrades. Cayden gritted his teeth. He took out his shield card and activate it. A five meter radius invisible circle engulf the dead bodies of his comrades. He take one last look at Xyris’ face before springing back to action.

His facial expression is deathly cold. His complexion pale. Most of his energy is drained. They have been fighting for almost seven days straight now. No rest. No sleep.

Fatigue grip his muscles. He was tempted to surrender. To come with Xyris to the afterlife. Probably no one can pass this trial. Probably no one can beat the Dark Tower.

He does not want to survive alone. He can’t survive without Xyris. He can’t imagine a world without his Xyris and his comrades.

‘You have to live.’

His expression grew stern. Xyris’ last wish is for him to survive. He will survive. He look ahead and saw one zombie at the back feasted on a corpse. There was a pool of fresh blood on their feet.

The smell of flesh was intoxicating. More and more zombies scrambling around for the corpse. They tore its inner organs, chewing on skin, flesh, and blood. Devouring hungrily. The sound of chewing made Cayden’s heart waver and he look back hastily.

His comrades are safe. It was not them eaten and feasted upon by this group of zombies. Cayden took out his two energy guns and fired them at a close distance.

At once, two zombies are shot in the head. He continued firing aggressively. More and more zombies are down. It attracted some zombies to the sound of fire guns, at the new sign of living and rush toward him. Cayden did not hesitate to blast their heads and splatter their brains on the ground.

The sound of gunfire broke the momentary silence of the city.

The strangest sight of all this is that the group of dead manticore, dead orcs and dead echidna make no obvious move towards Cayden. Only the zombies are alerted and attack what seems to be the last surviving prey in this city.

It was at this moment that Cayden broke the cage of hell. Within a few seconds, more zombies appeared in all directions. Not just on the front, they attack from the ranks of manticore, orcs, and echidnas.

In Cayden’s ears, Blake’s hoarse voice screamed at him.

“Around you! Go! Go!”

Gunshots erupt one after another, resonating throughout the dead city. A figure suddenly emerge in the ranks of zombies. It was a woman. She look human enough with her terrified expression.

She ran towards Cayden as if he were her savior. Cayden raised his forearm.

“Help me!” She was able to scream. Cayden faltered.

A human is still here? Not eaten? How could that be? A few steps away from him, it was too late for Cayden to realize it was only an illusion. The woman suddenly transformed from a normal looking human being into an ugly vicious zombie. Her teeth sank on his vambrace.

The woman pushed and forced Cayden to retreat. She’s strong. He flick the vambrace on his left and struck the woman straight to her face. Instantly, blood sprayed on Cayden. Her brain matters, as well as her body, collapsed into the floor.

Cayden felt like his comrades are still fighting with him here. His hand quickly move and shoot at the advancing zombies. His ears floated Xyris’ voice. He can feel a hand guiding his firing arm and pointing at the zombies in his blind spots.

Explosion after explosion erupted close to Cayden’s ears. In a blink of an eye, everywhere around him is densely covered with zombies. There’s no longer an escape route.

He doesn’t need one anyway. Xyris is here with him. He was sure of it. He went back to the protective circle and fetch a grenade from Blake’s pocket. He also took Xyris’ black sword.

This was important to her. His energy bullets are running out. He can’t hold out anymore with bullets and vambrace alone. He swipe the switch and throw the grenade toward the Licht.

The grenade was caught in the hands of the Orc. Cayden watch the Orc bring it to his flock. One. Two. Three.

A large explosion caused the ground to shake violently. The Licht appeared to be surprised. All the ranks in the Orc are instantly disintegrated to ashes. What’s left are the manticores, echidnas and the zombies.

One army down. Cayden let out a short chuckle. “Thank you, Blake.” A voice answered, “If you’re thankful, survive! Don’t dawdle and kill them!”

Cayden did not hesitate to rush forward. More and more zombies crowd him. Fighting just to get a piece of his flesh. Cayden swung Xyris’ sword left and right. It cut flesh after flesh.

Bloody corpses went down and littered all over the ground. Cayden did not pay any attention to what he stepped on and continued to rush to where the Lich is. He forcedly open a bloody path.

Xyris’ sword is special. It was not meant to be possessed by humans. But Xyris manage to lay claims on it. The sword belongs to the Plague monster. The monster Xyris single handedly kill. Cayden did not know how she killed the monster, but it was obvious this sword can kill any living things or any dead things supported by artificial life.

“Xyris is still with me.” He murmured. His voice is low and inaudible. It sound so unsure and broken that he does not know who he’s trying to convince.

Cayden leap to one of the cargo ships in the right. What he did not expect, is when he took the first step above, a group of echidna was waiting for him. They swing their tails and slap him squarely.

The strength in their tail is massive. Being hit equals being hit by a car. Two tails wrapped around both his wrists. One wrap around his waist. Two wrap around his legs. And they pulled simultaneously. Trying to rip his limbs apart. He struggled against their grip. His ears drowned at the shouts of a name. His name. Someone is desperately calling him. It was Xyris. Her eyes which used to be empty and emotionless are now looking down at him, aggrieved.

“Please don’t make that face.” Cayden murmured. “Please, I – I can’t take it.” He pleads.

“You must live.” He heard her say. “Don’t give up.”

“I can’t….” his voice broke into a sob. “I want to you alive. I want you with me.” Cayden held her hand tightly. Securing it within his palm.

“Please,” he bit down his lips. “Don’t leave me.”

A hand pushed the black obsidian sword on his hands. “Take it.” Xyris said. “Continue fighting.”

Her finger pointed at the Licht sitting majestically on his throne of skulls.

“You still have something to do.” Xyris’ hand pressed on his affectionately.

“Please. For all of us. You must finish this.”

When Cayden opened his eyes, Echidnas’ tails still wrapped him up. The black obsidian sword still dangling in his hands. No tails wrapped around the blade but the tail encasing his right hand kept forcing his fingers to let go.

Cayden gritted his teeth. He doesn’t want to let go.