Chapter 163: The Hollow Tower [16]

*THOOOOOOM*

The ground continued to shake in waves.

It rolled through the plaza in a second that made the ground lurch hard enough to throw people off balance.

Evelyne staggered, barely catching herself before she fell, her hand bracing against a nearby railing as her eyes snapped upward again.

The tears still clung to her lashes, blurring her vision, but even through that haze she could see it clearly now.

The Hollow Crown Tower… was shaking.

"…No way," someone whispered nearby.

*CRAAANK* A sharp crack split the air.

High above, one of the outer plates along the Tower's midsection fractured, and a jagged line of blue light flashed through it for a split second before the entire section sheared off and fell.

It tore free, dragging chunks of surrounding structure with it, and when it hit the ground, the impact sent up a violent plume of dust and debris that rolled across the lower levels of the plaza.

*THOOM*

Screams erupted.

"Move back!"

"Everyone get away from the base!"

Guild personnel stepped forward, forming barriers, dragging people away as fast as they could while the ground continued to shake beneath their feet.

Media drones scattered upward, trying to maintain stable footage while their feeds flickered with static as interference spiked wildly.

A massive section of the outer wall sheared off and tumbled downward, forcing the retreating crowd even farther back as emergency barriers flared and deflected the worst of the falling wreckage.

Through the dust and the collapsing outer layers, something became visible inside.

A colossal phantom spear.

With each strike the phantom spear smashed through internal supports, floor plates, and structural cores, accelerating the Tower's disintegration from the inside out.

People gasped in confusion "What is that?"

"Klein Faress... is still alive?"

"It's his spear phantom, right? I remember seeing it during his duel with Lady Yinran."

Her crimson eyes trembled as she stared up at the giant phantom weapon tearing the Hollow Crown Tower apart from within.

'Klein…'

The shape of the spear and the way the intent flowed along its length... there was no mistaking it.

The red "DECEASED" marker still glowed on the leaderboard, but the evidence rising above them in the form of that impossible spear told a different story.

He was alive. And he was destroying one of the continent's great Towers with his own hands.

"Back! Everyone get back now!" an man shouted as chunks of debris fell down.

Austin stood several meters away from the main crowd, staring at the collapse of the tower "What the hell is happening..."

"This… is being destroyed."

A shockwave burst outward from one of the upper levels, distorting the air as it expanded, and for a split second, something massive flickered within the Tower's silhouette... a towering, translucent figure raising a spear high before driving it down.

The image vanished almost instantly.

But it was enough.

"…What the hell was that?" one of the reporters breathed in a shaking voice.

Austin didn't answer.

His jaw tightened and his gaze stayed on the Tower as realization crept in.

*THOOM* Another tremor shook the ground which was stronger than before, and more sections of the Tower began to break apart, falling in waves of debris.

'…he's tearing it apart.'

---

Eleanor was lying stretched out on her bed, completely naked, with one leg resting high against the headboard while the other remained loosely extended.

The only light in the room came from the laptop screen beside her, casting a pale glow across her body and the curve of her breasts.

The live broadcast of the Hollow Crown Tower filled the display.

Eleanor watched it all with half-lidded eyes, her cheek resting against her pillow.

Days earlier, one of her fragmented glimpses of the future showed her the same tower breaking apart from the inside.

Her gaze condensed slightly 'Though I wonder about the dragon woman I saw in the same fragment...'

She let the thought dwell for a moment, then dismissed it. The future could wait.

She rolled onto her side, reached for the trackpad, and switched files. The live feed shrank into a corner window.

In its place a detailed photo of Klein appeared.

It was during his duel with Yinran and his shirt ripped apart, showing his abs.

The cold expression on his face made something in her stomach tighten.

Eleanor's hand slid down her stomach and between her legs.

Her fingers found her pussy and she rubbed slowly at first, tracing the soft folds, spreading the growing wetness.

Her eyes stayed fixed on the image of him as she pressed two fingers against her clit and began stroking in steady pace.

A soft breath left her lips.

She shifted her hips, spreading her legs wider against the mattress, and slid one finger inside herself, then a second.

"Haa… This won't do anymore. I need more materials."

"This is the right time since he is not in the dorm right nowow."

--- ℯℓ.

Cynthia was sitting cross-legged on the couch with a half-eaten snack in one hand, watching the live broadcast of the Hollow Crown Tower.

Arwen was beside her, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, as she watched the same feed with quiet focus.

The leaderboard update hit.

Klein Faress's name, still listed at the top with the 40th floor beside it, suddenly flickered.

A thin red line cut straight through it and the status beneath changed to a single word in red.

DECEASED

Cynthia's snack slipped from her fingers and hit the floor. Her lips parted and her eyes shrank in utter horror.

"…No."

Arwen was already on her feet. The remote fell from her hand and clattered against the table.

For a moment she simply stood there, breathing too fast "That's not possible," she whispered.

Then louder, "That's not possible!"

Cynthia scrambled up after her as she grabbed her jacket from the back of the couch with shaking hands.

"We're going. Right now. I don't care anymore; we're going to that Tower."

Arwen didn't argue. She was already moving toward the door as her body screamed to reach him before the word on the screen could become real.

Her hand was on the door handle when the sound from the television changed.

The camera feed shook hard enough that the image blurred, then stabilized again on the upper sections of the tower.

Entire floors were folding inward.

And through the dust, something enormous became visible inside the broken structure.

A colossal phantom spear.

Arwen froze with her hand still on the door.

"…That's him."

Cynthia turned back to the screen and watched as the phantom spear continued its relentless assault, tearing the Hollow Crown Tower apart from the inside.

Arwen's voice came out quieter despite the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

"He's still fighting..."

Cynthia stared at the screen for another long second, then slowly let go of her jacket.

*thud* Her legs gave out, and she fell back on the floor, clutching her chest. "He gave me a heart attack."

Arwen let out a deep breath, grabbing her temple in relief "The chip must have broken or something."