Absolute Cheater
Chapter 389 389: Limit III

Asher spun the scythe around in a slow circle and slammed its butt into the ground.

A crimson wave burst out from the impact point—a controlled burst of Blood Reversal Field, weaker than what he used on the dragon, but enough for these enemies.

The zombie orcs froze.

Then spasmed.

Their own corrupted blood turned against them—tearing through their veins like blades. One by one, they collapsed, writhing until their bodies gave out.

Only the Tainted Orc remained.

Panting.

Bleeding.

Barely clinging to life.

Asher approached slowly.

It tried to crawl away.

He didn't let it.

One final swing of the scythe.

The creature's head was gone.

Its oversized body slumped forward and collapsed with a heavy thud, twitching once before going still.

The battlefield fell silent.

[ Floor 1462 Cleared. ]

[ Reward: Corpse Resin Gem – Can strengthen Reaper durability by binding them with corpse-shells from defeated entities. ]

A small glowing gem floated down in front of Asher. He picked it up and examined it.

"Not bad," he muttered. "Good for the Knight."

He pocketed the gem and glanced at the still-closed gate ahead.

He sighed and sat down on a flat piece of rock near the center of the ruined floor.

As soon as Asher's mana settled back to its peak, his body steady and his breath calm, he rose from the stone and dusted off his coat with one hand. His crimson eyes turned to the flickering gate ahead—Floor 1463.

He stepped through without hesitation.

There was no fanfare. No roaring enemies waiting.

Just heat.

The new floor opened into a broken volcanic basin, the air warped by rising waves of scorching pressure. Giant molten cracks laced the obsidian rock underfoot. Lava oozed in distant rivers, and far above, jagged red clouds twisted like they were alive.

Then it struck.

A creature leapt out from a pool of magma—a humanoid infernal being, towering and red-skinned, its body made of forged rock and liquid flame. Its four arms each held a different weapon: a serrated axe, a bladed whip, a spiked flail, and a jagged scimitar. Its eyes were glowing coals. Its mouth did not open when it roared—its chest did.

[ Floor 1463 Boss: Ashen Ravager, Wielder of the Four Volcanic Laws ]

[ Estimated Combat Class: Mid Star Rank ]

Asher blinked.

"So you're another musclehead with fire tricks," he muttered.

The beast lunged with inhuman speed. It spun its weapons, the whip shooting out first, coated in molten flame. It aimed straight for Asher's chest.

He ducked.

The whip missed by a hair.

The flail came next, crashing down with a volcanic blast. Asher stepped forward instead of away, and the weapon smashed into the ground behind him.

He was already under the beast's reach.

With a smooth step and pivot, he spun the Blood Rose Scythe upward in a tight vertical arc, slashing across the creature's ribs.

A geyser of lava burst from the wound—but Asher had already leapt back, his coat untouched by the spray.

The Ravager screamed.

It struck with its scimitar, embedding volcanic laws into the cut.

But Asher swung his scythe in a wide, low sweep—deflecting the incoming blade with the metal haft. Sparks and fragments of heat burst out, but his stance never broke.

He dashed in again, feet gliding across scorched stone. His movements now faster—sharper.

The Ravager brought its axe down in a brutal two-handed cleave.

Asher sidestepped.

Then in the same breath, reversed his scythe in one smooth grip and stabbed it into the beast's exposed chest—the very mouth that had roared.

"Swallow this," he muttered.

The Blood Rose Scythe flared crimson as it penetrated deep into the creature's burning heart. The energy of Blood Reversal Field activated again—not on spilled blood, but on magma.

The creature convulsed violently.

Its inner core turned against itself.

The weapons in its hands dropped, its arms flailing in panic as the lava inside it began to overheat and rupture from within.

Then—

Boom.

The Ravager's body cracked like an overcooked shell. Chunks of molten rock burst outward. Asher pulled the scythe free and leapt back just as the beast exploded in a fountain of internal pressure and scorched fragments.

The floor trembled… and then fell still.

Only Asher remained standing in the broken crater, his clothes slightly singed but his face calm as ever.

[ Floor 1463 Cleared. ]

[ Reward: Law Crystal – Fragment of Volcanic Law Essence ]

[ Useable: Can be absorbed to unlock resistance or partial affinity to volcanic-type attacks. ]

The reward floated toward him—a bright red crystal, burning faintly with the same type of energy he'd just faced.

Asher caught it, twirled it once between his fingers, then absorbed it directly into his palm.

A rush of heat flowed through him, then settled into a manageable warmth. His skin shimmered faintly, absorbing the volcanic law. It wasn't a massive power-up—but it was practical.

"Useful," he said. "Not flashy, but good."

He turned to the next gate, already active.

Now that his Reapers were resting, he wasn't just being tested.

He was being refined.

And he welcomed it.

Asher rolled his shoulders once, flicked the blood and molten ash from his scythe, and walked toward Floor 1464.

No fear.

No hesitation.

Just the path forward.

The battles came faster now, one after the other. Each floor opened with a new challenge—no time wasted on introductions.

On Floor 1464, he fought a Titan Wraith, a ghost bound to the corpse of a mountain giant. It attacked by using gravitational fields to fold space and throw boulders that hit like comets. But Asher had already absorbed volcanic resistance—his movement didn't falter under pressure. With a single upward sweep of his scythe, he cleaved through the wraith's soul anchor, ending it instantly.

On Floor 1466, the enemy was a Blight Widow, a corrupted spider beast that used plague spores and stitched dead beasts into armor. It tried to cover the field with rot and webs, but Asher simply spun once—his scythe's wind pressure clearing the whole zone. He didn't slow his steps even as her venom melted rock around him.

Floor 1470 featured The Echoed Knight, a warrior who duplicated himself every time he was hit. Most would've been overwhelmed. But Asher smiled as he used his Scythe's memory-ignition ability. He struck once, then waited.

Seconds later, every clone flared up and exploded in sync—collapsing the whole wave.