The timer for Blood Surge had dropped below three minutes.
The Apostle tapped its spear against the floor—
Once.
Twice.
A third time.
Each tap echoed louder than the last.
Then—
[Skill "Anima Summoning" Activated]
[Due to the Blessings of Terravahn, only Earth-Based Spirits are Summoned]
Shapes materialized around me—sand constructs and drifting earth wisps. Some mirrored the one I had faced in the 24th Ordeal, while others resembled the Sentinel after its evolution—figures sculpted from sand, their forms refined but lacking the same overwhelming presence.
And I realized something.
I hadn't fought these spirits myself this entire time.
I'd relied on Veyren.
The Earthen Apostle advanced with full confidence, convinced I had nothing left.
It had felt fear from me earlier.
…Time to remind it why.
I activated Restriction.
[Target's Mobility Has Been Restricted for 15 Seconds]
Both of the Apostle's legs locked. It toppled face-first into the stone floor with a heavy thud, releasing a guttural wail as its summoned spirits closed in.
I swapped my black steel bastard sword for my white steel rapier and sprinted toward them.
A Sand Spirit struck first—its form dispersing into a stinging dust storm. Grit scraped against my eyes, but compared to the Sentinel Variant, these things were nothing.
Using Alpha's Instinct, I spotted the core within the swirling sand.
One thrust—shattered.
Another Spirit lunged.
Another core shattered.
Fifteen seconds. Five spirits down.
The Apostle was pushing itself upright by then.
I dashed back toward Veyren and knelt beside him, pulling a potion from my inventory. His breathing was shallow; his wounds still bleeding. But as the potion took effect, the bleeding slowed. He was still unconscious, but healing.
The Apostle's shadow loomed. It had fully risen.
No more holding back.
I re-equipped my bastard sword and charged. The Apostle thrust its spear in a straight line, trying to skewer me. I deflected, stepping into its space—and immediately earthen spikes erupted around us, trying to force me back.
I used Dash, slipping past them before they fully formed.
I slashed its right leg, leaving a deep cut—
But when I swung for the left, its skin hardened mid-strike. Stone armor.
My blade bounced off uselessly.
Before I could reset my stance, the reinforced leg snapped forward and kicked—
BAM
Pain exploded across my ribs as I slammed into the temple wall.
My HP plunged below 30%.
The world slowed.
[Predator's Rampage is Active]
Perfect.
One more hit like that and I was done.
The Goblin's stone armor remained active. It wasn't dropping it—meaning it had grown cautious.
Blood Surge had less than a minute remaining.
My entire body trembled from the kick. This wasn't like the Sentinel—one wound localized. No. Everything hurt.
But this was the last Ordeal I'd challenge. I didn't have room for failure.
I launched forward with Dash.
[Restriction]
[Target's Sight Has Been Sealed for 30 Seconds]
I leapt high—eye-level with the giant goblin—and drove my sword straight into its eye socket.
The Apostle screeched, a sound so sharp the temple trembled. As its hands swung up to swat me away, I released the sword and dropped, letting its own motion shove the blade even deeper.
Another scream ripped out of it.
Then—
[Skill "Earth Wraith" Is Active]
[You Are the Target of the Wraith]
The floor convulsed.
Potholes opened under my feet.
Spikes burst upward.
Stone projectiles shot toward me.
I grabbed my enchanted long sword and deflected each flying spike while weaving across the unstable ground, moving whenever I felt the slightest tremor beneath me.
The Apostle regained vision in its remaining eye.
The sword embedded in the other hadn't killed it.
Fine.
Then I'd push it over the edge myself.
I dashed again, unleashing:
[Astra Shard ×10]
Micro-explosions peppered its stone armor, sending dust flying and opening thin cracks along its body.
The cracks began closing almost immediately.
Not fast enough.
I drove the long sword into the largest crack—
CRACK
—only for the blade to snap, leaving half of it lodged beneath the stone skin.
The Apostle swung its spear blindly, searching for me in the dust. When the haze cleared, its one good eye locked on my position.
It charged with a roar—
I used Restriction again.
[Target's Mobility Has Been Restricted for 15 Seconds]
The Apostle crashed to the floor.
I swapped weapons mid-dash, drawing the white steel rapier.
It roared, and another notification appeared:
[Skill "Anima Summoning" Activated]
[Due to the Blessings of Terravahn only Earth-Based Spirits are Summoned]
More spirits materialized around it.
It was trying to stall.
Trying to run out the clock on its restriction.
Then—movement.
A familiar silhouette.
Veyren.
He was awake.
Weak, but awake.
Snarling silently, he lunged past me and collided with the nearest spirit, tearing through it. Another spirit fell. Then another.
He had my back again.
I vaulted onto the Apostle's back and drove the rapier into the same damaged spot—where the broken sword piece remained.
The blade met resistance.
I triggered the injector.
It hummed, vibrated—
Then stopped.
[Injector Drained]
I pressed my thumb against the injector.
[Injector Connected]
[Nether / Essence]
I selected Essence.
[Amount of Essence: 50]
The rapier glowed gold.
And began to sink deeper.
It punched straight through—the blade's tip erupting out the Apostle's abdomen in a spray of blood and light from the rapier.
The strength drained from my limbs all at once.
[Blood Surge] finally broke.
And the Apostle… was still rising.
Its legs trembled, barely able to hold it up, but it was forcing itself upright.
This might be the end. I had nothing left. Not enough strength to push the blade even an inch deeper.
Then—
[Arcane Echo]
[Blood Surge] — 0:45
Power slammed back into my body like a second heartbeat.
Strength surged through my arms. I could finish this.
Veyren crashed into the Apostle's side, knocking the creature off balance and sending it sprawling again.
I seized the moment.
I dragged the blade upward—
From its lower back…
All the way to its neck.
The Apostle convulsed.
Bones cracked.
Its form shuddered once—twice—and then collapsed completely.
[+1800 Essence]
The final Ordeal… was over.