Boundless Chronicles

Chapter 43: The Spires of Aethelgard, IV

The iron platform of the elevator conduit Shuddered as it ascended into the Central Shaft of the Third Spire.

Below them, the rotating gear-mechanisms of the Second Spire Shrank into tiny brass discs over the cloud layer. High above, the inner ceiling of the Third Spire was Shrouded in indigo mist, crackling with purple lightning.

"The air Pressure is dropping," Gideon said, leaning against his rapier hilt on the vibrating platform. "My solar ether is reacting strangely to the ambient mana in this shaft."

Lyra checked her ether-compass, her brows furrowed beneath her visor.

"It's not just mana Pressure. The Third Spire has an inverted gravity field. Look at the ledges."

Through the swirling indigo mist, thousands of inverted stone pillars hung from the ceiling like giant stalactites, pointing downward into the abyss. Winding staircases ran upside-down along vaulted arches.

Julian Falcrest gripped the railing, his knuckles white against his golden gauntlets.

"Upside-down staircases? How do we navigate an inverted Spire without flight spells?"

"The gravitational orientation shifts at the threshold line," Noël said, pointing toward a faint silver rune ring glowing twenty feet above the platform.

He opened his left eye.

His pupil burned with deep violet light as the Gyre Eye activated.

Through his vision, the threshold line was a Spatial Inversion Boundary, an old Aethelgard transit gate designed to invert physical mass coordinates upon entry.

According to the historical registries of the first timeline, entrants who crossed the boundary at a full sprint were hurled straight into the ceiling spikes by their own inverted momentum. To cross safely, they had to match the boundary's pulse frequency.

"When the platform reaches the silver ring, brace your legs," Noël instructed. "Do not jump."

Kuuuu-ng!

The platform hit the silver threshold.

A violent sensation of Spatial Distortion slammed through their bodies. The world flipped upside-down in a microsecond. The floor below became the ceiling, and the inverted stone stalactites became the ground beneath their boots.

Thump!

Their boots landed firmly on a wide, inverted marble courtyard.

Julian staggered, grabbing his helmet as his stomach churned.

"Ugh... my head..."

"Stabilize your breathing," Elara said, offering him a steadying hand while keeping her Radiant Lancer spear raised.

Before Julian could recover his footing, a sharp whistle echoed through the inverted courtyard.

Hwiiik!

Three heavy steel spears shot out from behind an inverted pillar, flying straight toward their flank.

Clang! Clang!

Gideon reacted instantly, his rapier blurring as he parried two incoming spears in a flash of white-gold light. Elara swept her spear shaft upward, Shattering the third iron tip midair.

"Ambush!" Gideon shouted, pivoting into a combat stance.

Standing forty paces ahead on an elevated stone dais were four warriors clad in dark purple plate armor. They were the elite Strike Team from the Royal Guard Academy, led by Senior Cadet Kaelen Sterling, the nephew of Marquess Sterling.

Kaelen Sterling held a massive two-handed executioner's broadsword, his eyes gleaming through his visor.

"Julian Falcrest," Kaelen sneered, his voice echoing off the inverted arches. "I saw your party claim the first two Seals using shortcuts. But there are no shortcuts in the Gravity Spire."

Julian drew his broadsword, his eyes widening.

"Kaelen Sterling... You entered under your family's secondary banner!"

"Marquess Sterling promised our squad full ownership of the trade leases if we deliver your head," Kaelen growled, raising his blade. "Take them down!"

The three Royal Guard cadets beside Kaelen lunged forward, their boots slamming against the floor as purple lightning enveloped their weapons.

"Elara, hold the left pillar," Noël ordered, drawing his Aethelgard combat blade. "Gideon, take the right flank with Julian."

"What about Kaelen?" Gideon asked, his rapier flaring with gold ether.

"He's mine."

Whooooosh!

The three Royal Guard cadets collided with Gideon and Elara in a flurry of sparks and steel. Gideon's rapier danced in sharp solar thrusts, keeping two broadsword-wielders at bay, while Elara's long spear range kept the third cadet locked in a defensive stance.

Julian gritted his teeth and joined Gideon's side, his golden broadsword locking blades with a Royal Guard mercenary.

Kaelen Sterling ignored his teammates and charged straight toward Noël, his heavy executioner's blade sweeping through the air in a horizontal arc.

"Die, commoner!" Kaelen roared.

The heavy blade whistled toward Noël's neck with enough force to cleave through steel armor.

Noël didn't attempt to parry the heavy blade with his combat knife.

With his Agility enhanced to Lv. 50, he dropped low beneath the whistling arc of the sword, feeling the rush of air brush against his trench coat.

'Void-Weaver's Tread.'

Pft!

His frame blurred, executing an instantaneous Spatial Leap that placed him directly inside Kaelen's guard before the heavy sword could complete its follow-through.

Kaelen's eyes widened behind his visor as Noël materialized inches from his chest.

Noël drove his right knee into the inner joint of Kaelen's front leg, breaking his balance, then slammed the pommel of his combat blade into his helmet visor.

Crack!

"Gah!"

Kaelen stumbled backward, blood leaking from his nose beneath his cracked visor.

He swung his gauntleted left fist toward Noël's jaw in a desperate counter.

Noël caught his wrist with his left hand, channeling a pulse of violet Gyre Ether through the gauntlet seam and into his nerve line.

Crackle!

"Aaaagh!"

Kaelen's left arm went completely numb.

Noël twisted his arm behind his back, Shoving him onto his knees, and pressed the tip of his Aethelgard combat blade against the exposed seal on his neck armor.

"Your movement is rigid," Noël said flatly. "You rely too much on heavy armor and high physical stats."

Kaelen froze, panting heavily as the blade rested against his throat.

"W-Wait... I yield!"

Tiiiing!

[Entrant 'Kaelen Sterling' has surrendered!]

[Entrant 'Kaelen Sterling' has been eliminated from the Trial!]

Kaelen's body dissolved into a flash of green teleportation light, leaving his broadsword clattering onto the inverted stone floor.

Seeing their leader eliminated, the three remaining Royal Guard cadets broke formation. They backed away in panic before surrendering to the System prompt one by one.

Flashes of green light filled the inverted courtyard as all three cadets vanished from the Trial.

Tiiiing!

[All Hostile Entrants Eliminated!]

[Loot Acquired: 18,000 Tribute Tokens]

[Current Tribute Balance: 83,900]

Julian lowered his broadsword, staring at the empty space where Kaelen had been kneeling.

"Kaelen Sterling was ranked fifth in the Capital Academy..."

"He was overconfident," Noël replied, wiping his combat blade on his coat sleeve before sheathing it.

Lyra walked up to the Central Pedestal on the inverted dais, where the Third Keystone Seal hovered, glowing with deep purple light.

"Noël, the third seal is ready."

Noël stepped up to the pedestal and pressed his palm against its surface.

Tiiiing!

[Third Keystone Seal Claimed!]

[Team 'House Falcrest Auxiliary' has secured 1st Place in the Third Spire!]

[Current Trial Ranking: 1st Place]

The purple seal dissolved into a pillar of violet light, opening the upper inverted archway leading toward the Fourth Spire.

Noël turned toward the archway, adjusting his trench coat collar as the inverted gravity field stabilized.

"Two spires remaining," he said. "Let's keep moving."