A pillar of void energy erupted, engulfing Asher completely.
For a moment, everything went silent.
A massive explosion rocked the entire maze.
The force sent debris flying, the remnants of the shattered labyrinth crumbling into the abyss.
The Warden floated above the destruction, gazing at the spot where Asher had stood. Smoke and crimson mist swirled in the air.
Asher stood there, blood dripping from his lips, his crimson eyes glowing. His entire right arm was missing, burned away by the attack. But he still grinned.
"You almost got me there." His voice was hoarse but steady.
The Warden narrowed its gaze. "You should be dead."
Asher's smirk widened.
"Too bad I don't die that easily."
The severed limb regrew instantly, but not just as flesh—it was something more.
The new arm pulsed with pure Sanguine energy, crimson veins glowing like molten metal. His power had adapted, reshaping his body to survive.
Asher rolled his shoulders. The pain was still there, but he didn't care.
"Now then..." He raised his scythe, its edge gleaming with newfound power.
The final round began.
" Not on my watch" warden said slamming his foot on the ground, causing the walls to shift and Asher found himself in an different part of the Maze, " I will found you again" Asher said as the Dark creatures attacked him and he retaliated.
Asher's every movement was like a storm—swift, brutal, and relentless.
His scythe danced through the air, carving through shadows and illusions. Every time he struck down an enemy, another would rise from the darkness, stronger than before. The labyrinth seemed endless, twisting and shifting with each passing second, as if the Ruin itself was trying to break him.
But Asher didn't break.
Each clash, each wound, each near-death moment fueled something deep within him.
His instincts sharpened, his reflexes became faster, and—he felt it.
Something inside him was awakening.
He could feel the power gripping him, changing him. His Sanguine Supreme ability pulsed like a second heart, the energy flooding through his veins stronger than ever before.
The transformation began.
It started as a creeping sensation, like liquid fire crawling beneath his skin. His body pulsed, his blood burned, and suddenly—armor began forming.
A sleek, crimson exoskeleton spread across his body, molding itself to his frame like a second skin. The surface gleamed with a metallic sheen, jagged and predatory.
His fingers curled, and he saw them—razor-sharp claws.
He reached up and felt his face—no, a helmet. A part of the armor, smooth yet sharp at the edges, forming over his features. His ears became pointed, more sensitive than before.
And his hair— If you want to read more chapters, please visit Novel~Fire. (n)et
His once-short strands had turned a long blinding white, flowing wildly behind him like a ghostly flame.
His power had evolved.
This was his new form.
"Sanguine Form," Asher whispered, feeling the name settle deep into his bones.
The Warden of the Maze charged first.
It raised its staff, summoning a vortex of void energy, the power twisting into massive chains of darkness that lashed toward him.
But Asher didn't move.
The moment the chains touched his armor, they dissolved into nothing.
The Warden staggered back. "Impossible."
Asher lifted his gaze, his crimson eyes glowing brighter than ever. His power had ascended. He could feel it—his body had become a perfect vessel for destruction.
In a single instant, Asher vanished.
—Phantom Veil: Step Beyond.
He reappeared behind the Warden, his claws slicing through its back before it could react. The moment his hand touched the creature—blood surged from his palm, devouring the Warden's essence like a starving beast.
But Asher wasn't done.
Faster than before, stronger than before. He tore through the maze like a demon unleashed, leaving nothing but shredded remains of his enemies behind.
The monsters came in waves.
Ex-Rank Nightmares. Specters that had once been kings. Creatures of the abyss that devoured entire worlds.
He cut them all down.
His claws shredded through armor like paper. His scythe was a reaper of souls, cutting through existence itself. His new armor absorbed the blood of his fallen foes, making him stronger with every kill.
And yet—he wanted more.
He had never felt so alive.
As the final creature of the labyrinth—**a towering behemoth with six arms and void runes carved into its flesh—**collapsed at his feet, Asher let out a slow breath.
The battlefield was silent.
Nothing remained but the ruins of what once stood, the maze finally broken.
A glowing archway at the far end of the battlefield, pulsing with golden light.
Asher exhaled, his armor slowly receding, leaving only traces of crimson energy flickering around him. He glanced down at his hands.
The power was still there, waiting.
This Sanguine Form...
It was only the beginning.
Asher stepped into the golden portal, but instead of what he thought would be an exit, he found himself in an entirely different place.
"What is this?" he muttered, looking around as he found himself standing in the middle of a massive gladiator-style arena.
A vast colosseum stretched before him, its structure impossibly large, with towering obsidian walls reaching into an endless void. The ground beneath him was polished black stone, etched with ancient markings that pulsed in an eerie crimson hue.
Suddenly, a voice echoed across the arena.
[ Welcome, new challenger, to the Colosseum of Gods. ]
Asher's eyes narrowed as he scanned the arena, searching for the source of the voice—but there was no one.
It was as if the colosseum itself was speaking.
[ Here, you are granted the honor to fight… and to entertain the gods. ]
[ What an opportunity you've been given. ]
"Tsk, so much for that," Asher scoffed, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "I thought this was some sort of legacy ground, not an arena for the amusement of some so-called gods."
A heavy silence followed Asher's words. Then, the voice of the colosseum rumbled once more.
[ Amusement? No. This is a test. Only those who conquer the Colosseum of Gods may claim its rewards. Fail, and you become nothing more than dust beneath its arena. ]
The runes beneath Asher's feet flared ominously, and the obsidian gates around the arena began to tremble.
The first gate slammed open, revealing a hulking figure shrouded in black flames. Its four glowing eyes locked onto Asher as it stepped forward, dragging a colossal greatsword that left molten scars on the stone floor.
[ First Opponent: Infernal Warlord – Rank SS ]
A grin flickered across Asher's face. "Interesting."
Without hesitation, the Infernal Warlord charged, the weight of its sword splitting the air as it swung down with the force of a meteor.
The blade crashed into the ground where he stood, the impact shaking the entire arena. The moment the dust settled, Asher reappeared mid-air—above the Infernal Warlord.
With a flick of his wrist, blood tendrils erupted from his back, twisting like spears as they shot toward the warlord. The beast roared, flames surging from its body as it swung its greatsword, slicing through the tendrils.
Asher landed gracefully, rolling his shoulders.
"Tough one. But not enough."
The air around him shimmered as his Sanguine Supreme form activated. His body pulsed with power, his sleek red armor forming over his frame, claws lengthening into razor-sharp blades.
The warlord lunged again, its flames intensifying. Asher met the attack head-on, vanishing in a blur of red light and reappearing behind the monster in an instant.
A deep, jagged wound tore across the warlord's back.
The beast howled, but before it could retaliate, Asher's Phantom Veil ability activated—his form flickered like an illusion, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.
He reappeared directly in front of the warlord, his scythe materializing in his grip.
With a swift motion, he cleaved through its flaming chest.
Then, the Infernal Warlord's flames died out, its body collapsing into a heap of smoldering ash.
[ First Opponent: Defeated. ]
The colosseum trembled once more as another gate creaked open.
[ Next Opponent: Abyssal Executioner – Rank SS+ ]
Asher let out a breath, rolling his neck. "Not even a moment to rest? Fine, bring it on."
The second gate burst open, and a towering figure cloaked in abyssal energy emerged. Its body was wrapped in dark chains, and two glowing violet eyes pierced through the darkness like twin stars. In one hand, it wielded a massive executioner's axe, its edge dripping with a black mist that corroded the stone beneath it.
[ Next Opponent: Abyssal Executioner – Rank SS+ ]
A wicked grin spread across Asher's face as he cracked his knuckles. "Now this… this looks like fun."
The Abyssal Executioner moved without hesitation, vanishing in an instant.
A wave of force erupted between them as Asher barely managed to parry the incoming axe strike with his scythe. The sheer power behind the attack sent him skidding backward, carving a deep trench in the arena's obsidian floor.
The Executioner didn't stop. Chains shot out from its body, twisting and writhing like living serpents, aiming to bind Asher's limbs.