Ascension Gates: Rise of the Beast Monarch-Chapter 51: Convergence of the Final Four

The chamber remained silent after the ancient voice finished speaking.

"Remaining challengers detected."

"Four."

The echo of the words lingered faintly across the stone walls before slowly fading away. The glowing runes carved across the floor dimmed one by one until only faint traces of light remained. The ancient mechanism that had spoken seemed to fall back into dormancy, as if waiting for the challengers to continue moving.

Aether stood still for a moment.

His calm gaze drifted across the chamber as he considered the meaning behind the announcement.

Four.

That number confirmed something important.

Six challengers had originally entered the deeper section of the ruins after passing the earlier trials. The labyrinth had separated them and forced each of them to face different dangers. Guardians, beasts, traps, and even other challengers had been part of the process.

Now the number had been reduced.

Two challengers had already fallen.

Lucien had eliminated one earlier during his encounter in the labyrinth. Aether had seen the aftermath through the scattered traces of battle left behind.

The other challenger had likely been defeated somewhere else in the maze of corridors.

Whether by a guardian or another beast of the ruins, it no longer mattered.

The labyrinth had done its work.

Now only four remained.

Aether.

Rylan.

Lucien.

And one final challenger whose identity remained unknown to him.

The ruins had begun guiding them toward the final stage.

Aether stepped onto one of the glowing stone pathways that stretched outward from the chamber.

The moment his foot touched the carved runes beneath him, the symbols pulsed softly with golden light before stabilizing into a steady glow.

The Flame Sovereign Pup walked beside him quietly, its crimson flames illuminating the path ahead.

The corridor extended forward like a glowing road through ancient stone.

Whatever waited ahead—

It was meant for the last survivors.

The Labyrinth’s Final Shift

Far away in another section of the labyrinth—

Rylan stared at the glowing symbols appearing across the floor of the corridor beneath his feet.

"Well... that’s new."

The faint blue light reflected across the polished scales of his serpent as it slithered quietly beside him. The creature’s tongue flicked through the air, sensing the shifting energy spreading through the ruins.

Then the labyrinth trembled.

Deep rumbling echoed through the massive underground structure. Stone walls shifted across the entire labyrinth.

Ancient mechanisms hidden within the ruins began moving once again. Corridors that had existed only moments earlier collapsed with grinding crashes. Entire pathways sealed themselves with thick slabs of stone.

But at the same time—

New corridors opened.

New passages formed.

Rylan frowned as he watched the transformation happening around him. This time the movement felt different.

Earlier the labyrinth had been chaotic, constantly shifting in ways that confused the challengers and forced them to wander deeper. But now the movements were precise.

Controlled.

Purposeful.

The labyrinth was no longer trying to trap them.

It was guiding them.

Rylan noticed the glowing pathway stretching ahead of him through the newly formed corridor.

"Well," he said with a grin as he cracked his neck.

"I guess that’s the invitation to the final boss room."

His serpent hissed quietly as if agreeing.

Rylan started walking along the glowing path without hesitation.

"Let’s see who else survived."

---

Meanwhile, the fourth challenger walked carefully through a dim stone corridor in another part of the labyrinth.

It was the silver-armored woman who had earlier fought against the Ancient Rune Guardian.

Her armor bore clear marks of damage from the battle. Several deep scratches cut across the silver plating, and dried blood stained one section near her shoulder.

Beside her walked her stone panther.

The beast moved silently despite its heavy body, its glowing amber eyes scanning the corridor ahead.

Both tamer and beast carried visible injuries from their earlier fight.

But they were still standing.

Still moving.

Which meant they were still part of the trial.

The woman stopped when glowing symbols suddenly appeared beneath her feet.

A pathway of light formed across the stone floor.

"So it’s finally happening."

Her voice echoed softly through the corridor.

The ruins had chosen the remaining challengers.

The final trial was approaching.

Her panther growled quietly as it sensed something far ahead.

Other challengers.

Powerful ones.

She took a slow breath to steady herself before beginning to walk along the glowing path.

---

Elsewhere in the labyrinth—

Lucien walked calmly through the shifting stone corridors as if the changing environment meant nothing to him.

His silver wolf padded silently behind him, its fur glowing faintly under the dim purple light of the ruins.

The glowing pathway had appeared beneath Lucien’s feet as well.

The symbols formed a clear road through the maze of corridors.

Lucien smirked faintly as he studied the runes beneath him.

"So only four remain."

He wasn’t surprised.

As he is the one, that now only four challengers are remained. He already beheaded two out of six. And others will be continued if they came between his goal.

Those who lacked strength, intelligence, or determination would never survive long enough to reach the deeper levels.

Only the strongest candidates could reach the inner sanctum.

But one name still lingered in his thoughts.

Aether.

The quiet boy who had somehow defeated the Elite Guardians.

Lucien’s eyes narrowed slightly as he remembered that report.

Few challengers in the history of the ruins had managed to accomplish something like that.

Which meant eventually—

Their paths would cross.

Lucien continued walking along the glowing pathway.

"Let’s see if you’re worth the trouble."

---

The glowing corridor eventually opened into another chamber.

This room was smaller than the previous halls Aether had encountered.

At its center stood a tall stone pillar covered from top to bottom in ancient runic inscriptions.

The moment Aether stepped into the chamber—

The pillar reacted.

Golden light spread across the stone surface as the runes activated.

Energy flowed through the carvings like rivers of fire.

Then a projection appeared above the pillar.

Another ancient memory.

Aether watched silently as the image formed.

The projection showed four warriors standing together.

Each of them wore armor that resembled relics from a forgotten era. Their expressions were calm but resolute.

Beside each warrior stood a powerful beast.

A dragon surrounded by lightning.

A massive horned lion burning with golden fire.

A shadow serpent whose body blended with darkness.

And a towering stone guardian that resembled a living mountain.

The four warriors stood before a massive sealed gate deep within the ruins.

The meaning of the memory was clear.

Only four challengers were meant to reach the final stage.

The labyrinth had not changed.

It had simply returned to its original design.

Aether watched until the projection slowly faded away.

The chamber door on the opposite side opened with a heavy grinding sound.

The path ahead was clear once again.

The Flame Sovereign Pup walked forward confidently.

Its flames burned brighter than before.

Both of them could feel it.

The final trial was close.

---

Rylan eventually reached a wide stone bridge that connected two massive sections of the ruins.

The glowing pathway led directly across it.

But he stopped halfway.

Because someone else had arrived from the opposite side.

The silver-armored woman stepped cautiously onto the bridge.

Her stone panther followed closely beside her.

For a brief moment, the two challengers simply stared at each other across the ancient structure.

Rylan raised an eyebrow.

"Well... looks like we both survived."

The woman studied him carefully.

"You were with the fire beast tamer earlier."

"Yep," Rylan replied casually.

"He’s still alive too."

The woman nodded slightly.

"Then that makes four."

Rylan smiled faintly.

"Guess the ruins are calling us to the final round."

Neither of them attacked.

There was no reason to.

The ruins had already selected the remaining candidates.

And the final stage awaited all of them.

So both challengers continued walking across the bridge.

Not as allies.

But not as enemies either.

Not yet.

---

### The Gathering Chamber

Deep within the ruins—

A massive circular hall slowly awakened.

Ancient runes carved across the floor lit up one by one, spreading glowing patterns across the enormous chamber.

Four glowing pathways extended from the outer walls toward the center.

Each pathway connected to a separate entrance.

This was the **Convergence Chamber**.

The final meeting point before the inner sanctum.

The ancient systems of the ruins had fully activated.

Stone doors across the chamber began opening slowly.

One by one—

The remaining challengers would arrive.

---

### Watching from the Depths

Far beneath the ruins...

Inside the sealed hidden chamber...

The mysterious observer watched the floating projections carefully.

Four challengers remained.

Exactly as the ruins had originally intended.

The trials had succeeded.

The weak had been eliminated.

Only the strongest remained.

But the observer’s attention remained fixed on one particular projection.

Aether.

The strange golden energy surrounding him continued interfering with the ruins’ ancient systems.

Even now, the runes near him flickered occasionally.

That energy...

It was becoming stronger.

More noticeable.

The observer leaned slightly closer to the projection.

Curiosity had slowly turned into genuine interest.

Soon the challengers would gather in the convergence chamber.

Then they would approach the **Inner Sanctum Gate**.

The place where the final trial waited.

And beyond that gate—

The deepest secret of the ruins.

For now, the observer simply continued watching.

Waiting patiently.

---

Aether eventually reached a massive stone doorway.

Ancient carvings covered its entire surface.

Four glowing symbols rested at its center.

The moment Aether stepped closer—

One of the symbols ignited with golden light.

The door began to open slowly.

Beyond it—

A vast circular chamber stretched into darkness.

Three other entrances stood along the walls.

Empty.

But not for long.

The ruins had summoned the final candidates.

Soon—

All four challengers would stand together in the same place.

The final stage of the ruins was about to begin.