Cursed Immortality

Jacob stepped into the fourth trial of the Tower of Leo, and as the doors behind him vanished, he found himself in a vast, empty, desolate plain. The terrain stretched endlessly in all directions, barren and devoid of life.

Cracked earth spread beneath his feet, and the sky above was strangely still—a dull, gray expanse that seemed to foretell the impending doom.

Unlike the blinding light and intense radiance of the earlier trials, this plain had an eerie quietness about it, as if the world itself was holding its breath. The horizon appeared to be drenched in twilight, with no discernible source of light except for a faint, sickly glow hanging far off in the sky.

Jacob knew this wasn't just another straightforward challenge as he opened the cursed immortality for more details.

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Tower of Leo Level Four: The Eclipse of Endurance

Challenge: A test of endurance, where you must survive an artificial eclipse. During the eclipse, all light will be consumed by ever-encroaching darkness, and you must maintain a source of light around yourself while facing shadowy creatures empowered by the eclipse!

Time: 59M:58S

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His eyes flickered coldly as he closed the cursed book and focused ahead. The cursed immortality had detailed the nature of this trial—he was about to face an artificial eclipse.

He could feel it in the air. The light in this world was already weak, but it would soon be consumed completely by an encroaching darkness, and he would need to endure the shadows that emerged from it.

Jacob's instincts flared to life, his Eyes of Judge scanning the desolate plains as he felt the pressure building in the atmosphere. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come.

Suddenly, the sky began to darken even further.

The first signs of the eclipse started with the gradual dimming of the faint light that hung in the sky. The air became heavier, and the temperature seemed to drop.

Above, Jacob saw a celestial event unfolding—the moon began to move across the sun, casting the land into deeper and deeper shadow. The eclipse wasn't natural. Its progress was swift and unnerving as if the world itself was eager for the darkness to arrive.

Soon, the advancing shadow swallowed the last vestiges of sunlight, leaving the plain bathed in an unnatural darkness. It was a total eclipse. The moment the last sliver of light was consumed, the change was immediate and terrifying.

A thick, oppressive blackness spread across the plain, a living darkness that seemed to swallow everything in its path. The temperature dropped even further, and from the pitch-black gloom, eerie figures began to emerge.

Shadowy creatures, amorphous and writhing, formed from the darkness of the eclipse. Their bodies were formless, shifting like liquid shadow, and their eyes glowed faintly with a crimson hue. They were drawn to Jacob, but not just because of his presence—they were attracted to light.

Jacob's task became apparent. To survive this trial, he needed to keep a source of light around him while these shadow creatures relentlessly attacked. Without light, they would overwhelm him. But the problem was obvious: the eclipse consumed all external sources of light.

Without wasting time, Jacob tapped into his fire mana core this time. Ethereal Green Flames erupted around him. The eerie, translucent green fire formed a protective barrier around Jacob, illuminating the space immediately around him and driving back the encroaching darkness. It was the only light source in the desolate plain now, and the shadow creatures reacted instantly.

But the first time Jacob tried to strike one of the creatures using his green fire mana, something unsettling happened. The shadow creature passed through the fire with only minimal resistance. It didn't burn. The creatures were unaffected by fire alone, feeding on the light but immune to its effects.

"Damn it," Jacob muttered.

He realized the problem almost instantly; in fact, he was already expecting it—these creatures weren't just physical. They were beings of pure shadow, and he would need more than just fire to hurt them—soul force.

Drawing on his vast pool of soul force, Jacob integrated it with his fire mana. The fusion of his invisible soul energy with the ethereal green flames transformed them into something far deadlier.

The moment his soul force wove into the green fire, it crackled with a new intensity, a force that could harm these shadowy creatures.

With a flick of his hand, Jacob sent out a blast of green flames fused with soul force, and this time, the effect was immediate. The shadow creature screeched as it was consumed by the fire, its dark form dissipating into nothingness. It worked.

But the trial wasn't over. The creatures began to swarm. From every corner of the desolate plain, more shadowy figures emerged, drawn to the light like moths to a flame.

Jacob launched attack after attack, sending waves of green, soul-infused fire at the shadows, destroying them one by one. Yet, the sheer number of creatures seemed endless.

Each time he killed one, two more appeared in its place, and Jacob realized the true nature of the trial. It wasn't just about fighting—this was a test of endurance.

Even with his immense power, Jacob couldn't keep up this pace forever. His soul force was being drained rapidly, and while his fire mana was still plentiful, the fusion required to harm the creatures was exhausting his reserves.

The weight of the trial started to take its toll. Every attack drained him more, and as the eclipse deepened, the shadow creatures only grew stronger, more relentless.

Jacob was forced to make a decision. He couldn't afford to exhaust his soul force entirely—he needed it for future trials. If he depleted it here, he would be vulnerable later on, and in the Tower of Leo, being vulnerable was equivalent to being dead.

Instead of continuing to fight head-on, Jacob switched tactics. He ran while using the incredible durability of his body to withstand the shadow creatures' attacks.

The creatures swarmed him, clawing at him, but their attacks barely penetrated his legendary bones. Pain surged through his body as they attacked, but Jacob gritted his teeth and endured it. The shadows couldn't truly harm him as long as he maintained his defense, and the key now was to survive the remaining time.

As the minutes dragged on, Jacob used his speed and instincts to dodge the more dangerous assaults while focusing on conserving his strength. The creatures were relentless, but Jacob was faster, tougher. The pain was sharp, but not enough to break him.

Gradually, though, his green fire began to weaken. The darkness of the eclipse seemed to absorb the fire, pulling the light from it and making it harder and harder for him to maintain the barrier.

The creatures pressed closer, and Jacob could feel the tension rising, knowing that the light was the only thing holding them back.

With the final minutes of the trial approaching, Jacob knew he had no choice. He unleashed the last of his fire mana, surrounding himself with an even more intense burst of green flames infused with the small amount of his soul force.

The creatures that touched the flames disintegrated instantly, giving him a final reprieve as the trial neared its end.

As the hour mark approached, the light of the eclipse slowly began to return. The darkness that had consumed the plain retreated, and the shadow creatures, sensing the shift, began to vanish back into the encroaching shadows.

The trial was over.

Breathing heavily, Jacob stood amidst the desolate plain, his body aching from the battle. He had used almost all of his fire mana and a significant portion of his soul force, but he had survived. Now, he would need to recover before the next trial, knowing that the worst was yet to come.

The Eclipse of Endurance had tested him to his limits, but Jacob was still standing tall.

But at this moment, the door to the next trial appeared. This time, there wasn't any time left on the timer, and Jacob didn't want to risk it, so he entered the door and headed to the fifth trial of the Tower of Leo, which was becoming increasingly deadly, unlike the Tower of Taurus!

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