Chapter 1246: As Long As the Captain Keeps Climbing

Capítulo 1246: As Long As the Captain Keeps Climbing

Up on the Celestial Stairway, every member of the Fallen Star Squad was drenched. Their clothes were practically soaked through with sweat.

Fat drops kept sliding off their foreheads, splattering onto the stone.

By this point, none of them could even stay fully upright. Every time they forced themselves onto another step, it took everything they had. More than once, the pressure crushed them down to the ground—only for them to grit their teeth and claw their way back up again.

Step after step.

Below them, Vivian and the others watched their backs in stunned silence.

The Fallen Star Squad’s willpower hit them like a hammer.

Those unyielding silhouettes looked like the sky itself could fall and still not break them.

Especially Ethan at the very front.

Every step he took was brutal, but every step was also unwavering. As captain, he was the real deal. That straight spine—still refusing to bow—was like a steel stake driven into the ground, giving the entire squad a terrifying kind of confidence.

Even when some of them were clearly at their limit, not a single person chose to quit.

Finally, Ethan’s relentless pace stopped on step eighty-nine.

Ahead was step ninety—an even harsher wall.

Ethan drew a deep breath and stepped onto it.

“Boom—”

It was like a roar exploded beside his ears. For the first time, Ethan was forced down. His knees slammed into the stone, and both hands shot out, bracing hard against the ground.

Everyone stared at him, tense, waiting—praying—to see him stand again.

Seconds crawled by.

Chris, grinding his way up, finally reached step eighty-nine too.

Every vein in his body stood out. Blood streaked the corner of his mouth. His eyes were red, almost feral.

Behind him, no one looked any better. Most of them were moving on pure obsession at this point—one last thread of determination holding everything together.

Then Ethan moved.

Slowly—inch by inch—he forced himself up off the stone.

And once he was up, he stepped forward again.

A pressure even more terrifying slammed down, trying to deny him the next step.

Ethan got one foot up…

…but the other foot refused to follow. Like it was nailed to the stair.

Time was running.

Suddenly, Ethan bellowed—a raw, violent sound—and drove power through his leg, forcing his body forward.

He dragged himself up onto step ninety-one.

“Hiss…”

Down below, Vivian and the others went wide-eyed.

Even the Fallen Star Squad sucked in sharp breaths.

“Captain…” someone croaked, half laughing, half dying. “Your pace is getting a little hard to follow!”

They’d all assumed Ethan would stop at step ninety.

Nobody expected him to keep climbing.

And now, with Ethan pushing higher, the pressure on everyone behind him felt even heavier—like their captain was pulling them into a place they weren’t ready for.

Chris stared at Ethan’s back, inhaled hard, then made his decision.

He stepped onto step ninety.

“BOOM—!”

The pressure smashed him flat.

Chris hit the stone and didn’t even bounce. He couldn’t move—couldn’t even lift his head. It felt like his body was being ground into powder. His skull throbbed with agony, like his brain was about to burst.

“…So this is my limit,” Chris thought, eyes sliding shut.

The others understood immediately.

Chris was done climbing.

Now all he had to do was endure two minutes on this step and take the reward.

And if stopping on step ninety was already this insane…

No one could even imagine how massive his boost was about to be.

“Whoa…!”

Down below, Chloe suddenly cried out.

Everyone snapped their heads up—and saw it clearly.

Ethan had climbed another step.

“Holy shit! Captain’s insane!” the squad blurted out almost in unison.

Chris’ eyes, which had been squeezed shut in pain, flew open again. He stared at that unyielding figure ahead.

“Ethan…” he whispered, and something fierce reignited in his gaze.

Ethan was still fighting.

So what right did he have to give up?

While everyone’s attention was locked on Ethan, Chris’ body started to move—so slowly it was almost impossible to see. Inch by inch, he pushed himself up.

By the time they noticed, he was already standing again.

But he looked terrifying.

He was covered in blood, and beads of red were forcing their way out through his skin like the pressure was squeezing him from the inside.

Everyone’s faces changed.

“Chris! Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Henry shouted.

“Chris, staying on step ninety is enough!” someone yelled. “You’re already incredible—don’t push it! You’ll die!”

Chris only tugged his mouth into a crooked smile.

Then he stepped forward anyway.

Crack!

A sharp, sickening sound rang out—bone snapping under the strain. Chris’ body couldn’t handle the pressure of step ninety-one.

One foot made it up.

The other wouldn’t follow. It trembled, stuck on the lower step like it weighed a ton.

Seeing that, Henry—who had just reached step eighty-nine—made a decision instantly and forced himself up onto step ninety.

“Pff—”

Henry spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed flat. The soul-level pressure hit him so hard his vision swam, like he was about to black out.

But he didn’t care about himself.

He reached out with one hand and grabbed Chris’ leg—still stuck down on the lower step—and immediately started healing the broken bone.

“Henry… thanks,” Chris rasped.

Henry coughed, blood foaming at the corner of his lips. “Tch… between us… don’t be stupid…”

“Hang in there,” Henry forced out.

Then his eyes rolled back, and he passed out cold.

“Aaah—!”

Chris roared. He forced power into his body like he was trying to rip his own limits apart.

Thin裂 lines split across his skin. Blood seeped.

But his posture stayed stubbornly upright.

With a violent shove, he dragged that last foot up and planted it on step ninety-one.

“Pff—”

The moment he got both feet on it, Chris vomited blood. His eyes went dark, and he collapsed onto the stone.

Below, Chloe stared, eyes already wet.

“They’re… really risking everything.”

A girl beside her looked shaken and confused. “They’re already this strong. Why are they still pushing so hard? Just to climb one more step… even if it kills them?”

Grace let out a quiet breath. “Maybe that’s exactly why they’re this strong.”

Vivian’s face had gone completely still.

That earlier defiance—I won’t lose—was gone. Now there was only full, reluctant respect.

Before, she’d told herself the Fallen Star Squad was just lucky. That Ethan’s ability was the real reason they were so strong. That without him, she’d be stronger than them.

She didn’t believe that anymore.

People with willpower like this weren’t ordinary. Not even close.

Off to the side, Aurora fell into her own silence.

Maybe this is the real reason Dad wanted me with them, she thought.

Two minutes later, Chris and Henry were both pushed aside by that gentle force.

In the next breath, countless streams of energy slammed into their bodies.

Their realms shattered upward instantly—breaking into Stage C (Tier 12) in a blink.

But the energy didn’t stop. It kept flooding in, violently stacking power on top of power.

Stage C early…

Stage C mid…

Stage C peak…

Tier 13!

Their Tiers climbed like a runaway train, and even after hitting Tier 13, there was still no sign of slowing.

Tier 13 early…

Tier 13 mid…

Tier 13 peak…

Tier 14!

Henry’s surge finally settled at Tier 14.

But the energy around Chris kept pouring in, forcing him even higher—until he stopped at Tier 14 mid-stage.

Just one step of difference…

…yet it created an entire sub-realm gap.

And that was exactly why Chris had pushed so hard.

Because it didn’t just affect their current Tier—it would affect their absorption speed for mysterious energy from here on out, too.

They both woke during the energy infusion. Now they sat quietly on the ground, eyes unfocused—clearly inside that void space, choosing their new skills.