Chapter 579: Everything It Learned Was Wrong
Dark stone formed a wide circular arena beyond the gate. The Gatekeeper waited in the middle.
Its shape was humanoid, though far larger than any ordinary man, and seamless gray armor covered it from head to foot. One hand gripped a heavy blade. The helm had no eyes or face, only a smooth metal surface that turned toward Leon when he stepped inside.
The doors shut behind him as soon as he crossed the entrance. At the same time, the presence he had sensed through the gate stopped feeling distant and became a firm pressure in the arena.
Adaptive calibration had pushed the Gatekeeper's physical output into the lower range of Ethereal Lord territory. It still fell short of the fully anchored Hollow King, but it stood well above the Ethereal Initiates Leon could defeat without much trouble. Raw rank was not the only concern, either. Spatial Resistance and Technique Mimicry made the gap far more dangerous.
Leon began with a test.
