Chapter 4: The Trial of Strength
The interior of the Tower of Eternity was unlike anything he had ever seen. He felt an otherworldly strength surging through the walls. The air was thick with an ancient, oppressive aura. The staircase before him stretched upward into darkness.
He took a deep breath and began climbing. The System’s notifications flashed in his vision:
[Floor 1: Trial of Strength.]
[Task: Defeat the Guardian of the First Floor.]
[Reward: 50 System Points, Skill: Enhanced Reflexes (Rare)]
“Alright,” he muttered, gripping Eclipse’s Fang tightly. “Let’s see what this Guardian’s made of.”
He thought he would be facing too many monsters as he was inside the Tower of Eternity. But to his surprise, he faced none.
As he reached the top of the staircase, the environment shifted. The dark corridor opened into a massive arena. The floor of the arena was glowing with runes. At the center stood a towering figure clad in armor. Its eyes glowed with a fierce, golden light.
[Guardian of the First Floor: Level 5]
[Class: Warrior]
[Skills: Crushing Blow, Shield Bash]
He swallowed hard. The Guardian was massive, its sword alone taller than he was. But there was no turning back now.
“Level 5, huh? This is gonna be fun.”
The Guardian raised its sword and charged. Its footsteps shook the ground. He barely had time to react. He made a dive to the side as the sword slammed into the ground where he’d been standing. The impact sent shockwaves through the arena, knocking him off his feet.
“Okay,” he muttered, scrambling to his feet. “This is not going to be easy.”
He activated Shadow Step. Teleported behind the Guardian and landed a quick strike with Eclipse’s Fang. The blade clashed against the Guardian’s armor and left only a faint scratch.
“Tough guy,” he said, dodging a retaliatory swing.
The Guardian roared and swung its sword in a wide arc. He tried to dodge, but the attack grazed his side, sending him flying.
[Health -20%]
He groaned, clutching his side. “System, I could really use some help here!”
The System responded with a notification:
[Skill Unlocked: Enhanced Reflexes (Rare)]
[Cost: 50 System Points]
He didn’t hesitate. “Unlock it!”
[Enhanced Reflexes (Rare): Increases reaction speed by 50%.]
“Let’s see how you handle this.”
The Guardian charged again, its sword raised high. This time, Kai’s movements were faster and more precise. He dodged the attack by a hair’s breadth and countered with a flurry of strikes. Every strike chipped away at the Guardian’s health.
But the Guardian was relentless. It activated Shield Bash and slammed its massive shield into Kai, which sent him skidding across the arena.
[Health -30%]
He coughed up blood. His vision blurred, but he forced himself to stand. “Not… done yet.”
The Guardian lunged again, its sword aimed straight at Kai’s chest. Kai activated Shadow Step and teleported behind the Guardian. He landed a desperate strike with Phantom Strike. The attack phased through the Guardian’s defenses and cracked its armor.
[Critical Hit]
[Guardian Health: 50%]
But the effort took its toll. His body screamed in pain, and his movements grew sluggish. The Guardian, enraged, unleashed a devastating Crushing Blow, its sword slamming into the ground and sending shockwaves through the arena.
He tried to dodge, but he wasn’t fast enough. The shockwave hit him full force and sent him crashing into the wall.
[Health -40%]
[Warning: Health Critical.]
His vision swam as he struggled to stand. His body felt like it was on fire, and every movement was agony. But he couldn’t give up—not now.
“Come on, System,” he muttered, his voice barely a whisper. “Give me something.”
The System responded:
[Emergency Skill Unlocked: Last Stand (Epic)]
[Effect: Temporarily increases strength and speed by 100% when health is below 10%. Duration: 1 minute.]
Kai grinned through the pain. “That’s what I’m talking about.” With Last Stand activated, he felt a surge of energy. His pain faded, replaced by a pumping adrenaline. He charged at the Guardian. His movements were a blur.
The Guardian swung its sword, but he dodged with ease. His enhanced reflexes and speed made him untouchable.
[Achievement Unlocked: Dodged 10 Attacks in a Row.]
[Reward: 10 System Points]
[Achievement Unlocked: Taunted a Guardian.]
[Reward: 10 System Points]
He laughed. “Taunted a Guardian? I didn’t even say anything!”
[Taunt Successful!]
[System Points +5]
“You’re a weird one, System. But I like you.”
He charged and landed strike after strike. Every strike cracked the Guardian’s armor and drove it back.
The Guardian lunged again, but this time, Kai’s movements were faster and more precise.
Finally, with a roar, Kai unleashed Phantom Strike. His sword glowed as it phased through the Guardian’s defenses. The attack landed, and the Guardian staggered. Its armor shattered as it collapsed to the ground.
He stood over it, breathing heavily but grinning from ear to ear.
[Guardian Defeated!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[…]
[You are now Level 5!]
[Reward: 50 System Points, Skill: Enhanced Reflexes (Rare)]
Kai stood over the Guardian, breathing heavily. His body ached, and his vision was still blurry, but he’d done it. He’d won. The system’s notification flashed:
[Floor 1 Cleared!]
[Main Quest Updated: Reach the 10th Floor.]
[Reward: 300 System Points, Skill: Celestial Aura (Legendary)]
As the Guardian’s body dissolved into light, a small, glowing orb remained. He picked it up, and the System identified it:
[Memory Shard: Guardian’s Echo.]
[Effect: Reveals a fragment of the Tower’s history.]
He focused on the shard, and a vision flashed before his eyes. He saw his brother, Ren, standing in the same arena, facing the same Guardian. But Ren wasn’t alone—eight other figures accompanied him. Each of them radiated immense power—the Nine Celestial Sovereigns.
The vision ended as quickly as it began. It left him with more questions than answers. What was his brother’s connection to the Sovereigns? And why had the System chosen him?
He pocketed the Memory Shard and turned toward the portal leading to the next floor.
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