Floor 10 was different.
It was a judgment trial.
DING!
[Special Floor: Trial of Truth]
[Each party member will face their inner demon]
[Survive to proceed]
[Warning: Failure results in corruption]
The party was separated.
Each person was pulled into their own isolated chamber.
Ethan found himself standing in darkness.
Then a figure appeared.
It was... himself.
But wearing black armor, covered in Malachar's runes.
The Shadow King. His past life self.
"So," the figure said. "You think you can change fate?"
"I already have," Ethan replied.
The Shadow King laughed.
"Have you? Sarah almost accepted. Marcus is wavering. Your friends WILL betray you again. It's inevitable."
"No."
"You can't save them," the Shadow King continued. "Because deep down, you know the truth. Some of them WANTED to betray you. They weren't forced. They chose power over friendship."
Ethan clenched his fists.
"Then I'll find out who. And I'll stop them before it happens."
"By killing them?"
Ethan hesitated.
"By... saving them."
The Shadow King smirked.
"Naive. You'll fail. Just like before."
DING!
[Defeat your shadow to proceed]
The battle began.
The Shadow King wielded all of Malachar's borrowed powers.
Dark magic. Gravity manipulation. Shadow summons.
Everything Ethan had in his previous life.
But Ethan had something his past self didn't.
Abyssal Authority. Power that wasn't borrowed.
"Graviton Meteor!"
BOOM!
"Void Step!"
FWOOSH!
The fight was brutal.
But eventually—
DING!
[Shadow defeated]
[Trial complete]
Ethan collapsed, breathing heavily.
He had passed.
But had the others?
One by one, his party members emerged from their trials.
Sarah. Derek. Lily. Jin.
All exhausted. But alive.
Then finally... Marcus appeared.
But something was wrong.
His eyes were vacant.
And on his forehead... a red mark.
"Marcus?" Ethan called out.
Marcus turned slowly.
When he spoke, his voice was hollow.
"I failed, Ethan. I couldn't defeat my shadow. And Malachar... he saved me. Gave me strength. Now I owe him."
Ethan's blood ran cold.
"No..."
Marcus raised his weapon.
"I'm sorry. But he demands payment."
"Marcus, fight it!"
"I can't."
Marcus charged.
And Ethan had to make a choice.
Kill his friend.
Or let himself be killed.
Ethan stared at Marcus as his corrupted friend charged toward him.
The red mark on Marcus's forehead pulsed with demonic energy.
[Marcus Chen - Corrupted]
[Level: 16]
[HP: 320/320]
[Status: Mind Controlled by Malachar]
'Damn it.'
Ethan had two options: kill Marcus, or find another way.
In his past life, he would have hesitated. Frozen. Let sentiment cloud his judgment.
Not this time.
Ethan activated Void Step.
FWOOSH!
He teleported behind Marcus, appearing in a blur of shadows.
"Forgive me," Ethan whispered.
He raised his hand toward the mark on Marcus's forehead.
"Abyssal Authority!"
BOOM!
Dark energy erupted from Ethan's palm, slamming directly into the demonic rune.
The mark cracked.
Marcus screamed, collapsing to his knees.
DING!
[Malachar's corruption is resisting!]
[Success chance: 40%]
'Not enough.'
Ethan gritted his teeth and poured more power into the attack.
His Abyssal Authority wasn't borrowed from Malachar—it was his own. That meant it could fight Malachar's influence directly.
But it was also draining.
[MP: 145/295]
[MP: 95/295]
[MP: 45/295]
The mark began to shatter.
Marcus's screams grew louder, his body convulsing.
"Hold on!" Ethan shouted. "Fight it!"
Finally—
CRACK!
The mark exploded into fragments of red light.
Marcus collapsed completely, unconscious but breathing.
DING!
[You have purified Marcus Chen]
[Malachar's corruption removed]
[Warning: Prolonged exposure may cause lasting mental damage]
Ethan fell to one knee, exhausted.
Sarah, Derek, Lily, and Jin rushed over.
"Is he okay?" Lily asked, her hands glowing with healing magic.
"He will be," Ethan said. "But we need to leave. Now."
DING!
[Floor 10 Cleared]
[Calculating Rewards...]
[Reward 1: Purification Talisman x3]
[Reward 2: Mental Resistance Ring (Rare)]
[Reward 3: 1,500 Credits]
[Reward 4: Trial Victor Title]
Ethan immediately equipped the ring.
[Mental Resistance Ring (Rare): +20 Intelligence, +30% resistance to mind control effects]
His stats jumped again.
[Name: Ethan Cross]
[Level: 22]
[HP: 450/450]
[MP: 45/295]
[Strength: 145]
[Agility: 92]
[Intelligence: 138]
[Vitality: 102]
[Combat Power: 912]
'Good. This will help protect against Malachar.'
But Ethan knew this was only a temporary solution.
Malachar was getting bolder. More aggressive.
'I need to get stronger. Fast.'