Alex barely had time to process what was happening before everything around him shattered like a fragile mirror. The dungeon, the Manticore, and even the battlefield—all of it fragmented into nothingness.
And then—
THUD!
He hit the ground hard, his body convulsing the moment it made contact with the cold earth. A sharp, agonizing pain erupted through every fiber of his being, far worse than anything he had endured inside the dungeon.
"Guh—!" Alex groaned, his fingers clawing at the dirt as his body spasmed uncontrollably. His nerves burned, his muscles screamed, and his very bones felt like they were being crushed under an immense weight.
It was the backlash—his bloodline and physique clashing after prolonged use.
A flood of system notifications appeared in his vision, blinking rapidly with achievement messages, experience gains, and new skill acquisition.
[Congratulations! You have cleared the Seven-Star Red Tower's Seventh Floor!]
