《Villain With The Strongest System》


 Chapter 1: Pilot

    <h4>Chapter 1: Pilot</h4>


    3...2...1... Happy New Year!!!!


    The date was January 1st, 2024, and the world found itself in a grip of tension unlike any typical New Year''s celebration.


    Normally, the start of a new year was a time for joy, parties, and looking forward to the future. But this wasn''t any normal year; it was a leap year, and in this world, that meant trouble.


    Leap years hade to be dreaded because they were the signal that it was time for the next big monster outbreak.


    The idea of a leap year as just an extra day in February had almost been forgotten. Now, most people didn''t even call it a leap year and Riva seemed to be the only person who remembered the old meaning.


    To everyone else, a leap year was known as the ''Year of Death'' or ''The Year of the Grim Reaper'' because, throughout history, the scariest and most dangerous monster outbreaks from the Tower Of Ascension always happened during leap years.


    This pattern was something everyone knew and feared. It had been this way for as long as people could remember and ever since the first records of humans and monsters existed.


    The history of this parallel Earth differed greatly from the history of modern Earth as Riva remembered it, however, one day seemingly out of nowhere, the world around her, its history, themon vocabry and many such things changed overnight with her being the only individual who still remembered the world order of the old.


    At first she questioned whether or not she had gone insane, whether she was hallucinating about the past that never was, or whether she had been transmigrated to another world?


    However, the answers to all those questions were unfortunately a resounding ''No''.


    She had been chosen by one of the most powerful gods of the tower of ascension, the great god ''Gemini'' to be his champion and although she did not know why and she did not know how, there seemed to be a dormant voice inside of her that seemed to be counting down to 0.


    "Show system screen" Riva said as a blue countdown screen disyed itself before her.


    [ Time until the system sessfully binds itself to the host 00y:23h:59m:56s ]


    The first time she got it, this notification was set for a 10 years long countdown, however, now the dashboard was down to a mere 23 hours 59 minutes, which meant that by this time tomorrow Riva would have sessfully bound herself with the system.


    "One day left..." Riva said as she let out a deep sigh, before she closed down her system screen and opened her mobile screen instead.


    "Hey, Gaia, please call Rocky" Riva instructed her mobile phone''s A.I. as it recognised her voice and connected a call to her brother''s mobile phone.


    *Brrrr*


    *Brrrr*


    The dialer tone rang for a few seconds, but nobody picked up as Riva could not help but feel worried about her brother.


    In this world, the most famous individuals who were respected world-wide were not the sportsmen or actors.


    In this world the people who went on to be politicians or policymakers were not rich merchants or social workers.


    In this world, every child''s first dream was not to be an astronaut, it was instead to be chosen by the Tower Of Ascension, for everyone wanted to be a ''Climber''.


    A climber was a celebrity in this world, a first rate citizen while everyone else was second ss.


    A climber was the title given to those who were chosen by the Tower Of Ascension as beings who were eligible to enter its grounds and challenge its various dungeons.


    While for women they were chosen between ages 16-20, for men the age bracket was 18-22.


    Till this day, nobody understood how the tower selected a climber, however, everyone wanted to be one as even the weakest climber usually went on to be an individual with unimaginable wealth, supreme strength and better health whenpared to an average human.


    Unfortunately, only one in ten individuals were chosen to be a climber, meaning most kids who dreamed to be one never actually did.


    Rocky seemed to be obsessed with bing one and since he wasing of age soon, his time to be chosen or not chosen as a climber was approaching.


    1st January 2024 was his Birthday and at around midday today Rocky was officially going to turn 18, which was a big deal for him since most climbers who were chosen by the tower were usually chosen the very first day they turned of age.


    Riva was also one such climber.


    Currently 20, she wasbeled the ''Brightest prospect of GenZ'' and had managed to raise herself up to the position of ''Core member'' within the True Elites guild.


    She had unbelievable fame, unheard talent and millions of fans worldwide, however, for her none of that mattered, for it was vengeance on a certain someone that she seeked the most.


    *Brrr*


    *Brrr*


    "Hello?" Rocky said from the other side of the phone as Riva immediately sighed in relief.


    "Hello-, Rocky, are you okay?" Riva asked as she bit her lower lip, knowing full well that her fame made her brother a target of unwanted attention.


    "Yeah, I''m okay, what would happen to me?" Rocky answered back sounding annoyed as Riva could hear the news channels monitoring the tower outbreak ying on the TV in his background.


    "Why are you not home yet? You know that your curfew is at 12, don''t you? Do you want me to ground you?" Riva said in an angry voice as in the absence of their dead parents it was her who had taken up the mantle of raising her orphaned little brother.


    "Jeez, chill out, you''re 20-, it''s new years, get a boyfriend and open a bottle of wine. Also, I have legally turned 18 today, so you are no longer my guardian. I will do whatever pleases me from this day forward" Rocky said in a condescending tone as he actedpletely like the spoiled brat that he was.


    "Oh no, you''re not talking back to me young man, I want you back within this house in 15 minutes or you shall have it!


    You understand Rocky?


    H-


    How did you get in here? Who the hell are you?" Riva said over the phone as her voice turned from angry to nervous in an instant as Rocky who heard it all over the phone panicked as well.


    *Crash*


    The phone dropped from Riva''s hand, hitting the ground below as Rocky heard her screaming and struggling in the background.


    " RIVA! SISTER, ARE YOU OKAY? HELLO? HELLO?" Rocky screamed over the phone as he dashed out of the friends house that he was currently at and ran barefoot towards his apartment.


    His heart rate shot through the roof as he panicked that something unfortunate might be happening to his sister.


    He was only a five minutes walk away from his house and since he was sprinting back, the time he would take to reach back was bound to be even lesser.


    However, right as he entered the vicinity of his home a loud explosion over the phone made him identally drop his mobile.


    *KABOOM*


    Rocky watched in horror as his apartment went up in mes, with ss shattering and fire enveloping everything within.


    "NOOOO-" Rocky shouted, as he feared for his sister''s life.

 Chapter 2: Abduction

    <h4>Chapter 2: Abduction</h4>


    (True Elite Guild Headquarters, The Upside)


    Rocky shivered uncontrobly as he could not get a grip on his emotions.


    First responders had arrived pretty quickly at the st site, and so had some climbers from the True Elite Guild that his sister was a part of.


    The firefighters did not let Rocky near the ming apartment; however, they searched everyst room of the apartment for any sign of Riva or her dead body but found no traces of life.


    Whether it be unfortunately or fortunately, they found no signs of any dead body within the apartment, as Riva was dered to be missing.


    The climbers from the True Elite Guild, who were apparently Riva''s team members, juniors, and superiors, searched the house for any sign of forced entry or struggle. However, despite using detection spells and advanced tower technology, the st seemed to have reduced the entire apartment to ashes, and even if there were signs left behind by the intruder, they seemed to be incinerated by the fire.


    Among the climbers that hade to the st site, Rocky knew one ''Uncle Joe'' really well as he was the second inmand in Riva''s raid party and was someone whom his sister trusted a lot.


    It was to this Uncle Joe to whom Rocky revealed everything he knew about today''s ident, and it was he who escorted Rocky from the st site to the True Elite Guild headquarters for his own safety.


    Although Rocky protested a lot, saying that he wished to search for his sister on his own, Joe firmly denied his demands and forcefully brought him to the guild headquarters for a meeting with the guildmaster.


    *********


    (The guildmaster''s office)


    Rocky shivered as he constantly worried about the state that his sister was in as although he did not vocally express it much, his sister actually meant the world to him.


    Their parents were normal middle-ss people who were not chosen to be climbers.


    Their father was a financial consultant, and their mother was an orthopaedic doctor as the Yadav family of four was a small and happy unit.


    Two years ago, just a day or two after Riva turned 18, their mother and father died suddenly in a car ident as Rocky and Riva were orphaned overnight.


    It was on this very day when Riva got the news that their parents had died, that she awakened as a climber and the life of the brother and sister suddenly changed overnight.


    After their parents'' untimely death, Riva took up the financial mantle of the family and looked after Rocky''s every need while also making a name for herself as a rookie climber.


    She was a prodigy, a rising star, and someone who uplifted the Yadav family from middle ss to urban elite in a short time.


    For Rocky, she was his only family still alive, and Rocky was ready to go to hell and back if it meant that he could save her. However, unfortunately, the incident surrounding Riva was climber rted, and he was not qualified enough yet to interfere.


    "Man, Joe, I told Riva to move into the upside, man. We have an apartment for her here.


    It would have been safer for her here, man, however, just because she did not want her little brother to go through a stressful high school change, she kept declining the apartment.


    Fuck, man."


    "Hey, bunny, keep your voice down, man. That kid is sitting right inside the guildmaster''s office; he may hear you," Joe said as Rocky heard everything the two talked about outside.


    Rocky and Riva used to live on the 42nd floor of a high-end luxurious apartment, and the area they lived in was by no means a district full of crime or problems.


    They lived amongst really wealthy families who had a considerable influence over the local administration; however, the upside was undoubtedly in a league of its own.


    A fortified mini-township where only mega billionaires and the most important climbers of the country lived, the upside was a residential area where buying a house needed more than just mere money.


    It was Rocky''s dream to buy a house there someday after he became a climber; however, he had no idea that his sister had already gotten an offer to buy an apartment there.


    The fact that she declined a life of luxury just because he would not have to go through the stress of changing schools made Rocky feel even more emotional as he was reminded of just how kind and noble his sister was.


    *SWOOSH*


    Rocky was surprised when the office door suddenly flung open, and a tall and handsome man walked into the room with a deep frown on his face.


    Rocky did not even need to take a good look at his face to recognize him as he was arguably one of the most famous and influential humans on Earth at the moment.


    Hailed as one of the three strongest climbers and the leader of the undisputed strongest climber guild of them all, he was guildmaster Karna, a ranker who had managed to cross the threshold of being a mere human by ascending to floor 51 of the tower. His presence itself was suffocating, his aura intense. No matter what room he walked into, it was assured that he would be the centre of attraction in that room.


    As he sat across from Rocky, he looked into Rocky''s eyes and let out a deep sigh before extending his hand as if offering it for a handshake.


    For a moment, Rocky was perplexed; he did not expect the guildmaster of the prestigious True Elite Guild to shake his hand. However, after leaving him hanging for a few seconds, Rocky finally responded as he shook his hand.


    Up to this point, Rocky trembled constantly. However, as soon as he shook Karna''s hand, he felt a sense of warmth washing over him as his nerves calmed down, and he stopped trembling.


    "Rocky Yadav, let me first offer my sincere apologies for thispse in security from the True Elite Guild.


    We were supposed to be protecting your sister, but we failed. I don''t know how to softly tell you this, but I reckon you would not want anything less than the absolute truth regarding this subject, so I''ll not mince my words.


    It looks like agents of Olympus gods have kidnapped your sister," Karna said as Rocky suddenly felt his heart rate spike and his vision double after hearing this sentence.


    *Crash*


    He slipped awkwardly from the chair he was sitting on and hit the floor below as his body began shivering as if it was going into epileptic shock.


    "AMELIA, AMELIA, SOMEONE SEND THE HEALER HERE, THE BOY''S UNDERGOING AN AWAKENING. AMELIA-"


    Rocky heard guildmaster Karna shouting before his visionpletely cked out, and he lost consciousness.

 Chapter 3: Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 3: Awakening</h4>


    When the tower first selected someone to be a Climber, they underwent a painful process which was poprly known as the ''First Awakening''.


    Originally, every human, animal and insect was endowed with three essential elements at birth, namely- the body, the soul, and the mana pathway.


    Upon their arrival into the world, each individual received a physical form, or body, which they soon learned to master.


    This early mastery of their physical form was crucial for their survival and interaction with their immediate environment, however, the time it took for various species to master their bodies varied greatly from species to species.


    Parallel to the physicalwork of veins and capiries within the body, there also existed a metaphysical conduit known as the mana pathway or mana circuit.


    Unlike the visible circtory system, this mana pathway was a metaphysicalwork, invisible to the naked eye yet essential for channeling the mystical energy known as mana which was essential to perform extraordinary deeds and magic.


    For humans, this conduit remained sealed and inactive until maturity like a dormant channel lying in wait until the tower deemed them worthy to ascend as a Climber.


    Till date, the criteria for this selection by the tower remained a mystery, sparking curiosity and spection among those who yearned to be chosen.


    The act of being selected and undergoing the First Awakening was a transformative experience, as it initiated the unsealing of the mana circuit.


    With the unsealing of the mana circuit, an individual encountered the world''s natural mana for the very first time, often leading to their body copsing from shock¡ªa process that, in severe cases, could result in the awakener''s death.


    The dormant mana circuits of the awakeners, never before activated, suddenly surged with mana, inundating the neer with sensations entirely new and overwhelming, as mana flowed through their body for the first time.


    Despite the variability of experiences among individuals, amon and notable aspect of the first awakening was the intense pain apanying the process. This pain was apanied by the expulsion of a foul-smelling, consolidated ck gel-like substance from the pores, as the world''s natural mana fortified and purified the climber''s body.


    The expulsion of more ck gel signified a more thorough cleansing of the body, removing unwanted impurities and enhancing the climber''s future potential.


    However, this ck gel was highly toxic and required expert handling by trained professionals. Contact with this substance during a climber''s first awakening could nearly guarantee a serious infection for an ordinary human.


    In the secondary and higher secondary schools of Earth, it was mandatory for the schools to teach all students what to do when a friend or colleague underwent their first awakening, as every kid was educated and taught that they needed to stay away from the awakener and immediately call the climbers association at 922 for assistance.


    Usually, the climbers association dispatched a healer to whatever location the awakening call came from, however, since Rocky was within the True Elites Guild when he underwent his awakening, there was no need to call for a climber''s association healer as the True Elites guild already had in-house healers who were well trained to perform this task.


    "Guildmaster, I''ve never seen someone eject so much ck goo before, it''s almost never ending.


    He has already ejected 2.5kgs and is showing no signs of slowing down" The True Elite healer, Cassian, said in astonishment as even Karna looked surprised at this phenomenon.


    " The cleaner his mana pathways get from the start, the easier it will be for him to learn spells.


    He''s bound to have a bright future like his sister...." Joe said with an undertone of jealousy as he watched Rocky undergo his first awakening with envy.


    " It''s too early to decide his potential, also talent is not everything in this world, temperament matters equally or perhaps even more than talent " Amelia the guild secretary said, as although she was a mere mortal, her standing within the True Elites guild was second only to Karna and the vice guildmaster.


    A few more minutes passed and Rocky ejected yet another half a kilo of ck goo before finally showing signs of slowing down as the healer Cassian could finally catch his breath from constantly wiping and healing Rocky''s body.


    " His heart rate is stable, but I think he will be out till morning with how much weight he just lost.


    Damn, the kid went from having an undefined body to a chiseled body in minutes" Cassian said, as he rubbed his cleaning cloth over Rocky''s newly formed six pack abbs.


    " Comeon Cassian, the kid was already in pretty good shape.


    Although the awakening improved his physique, you''re exaggerating its importance" Amelia said as she noticed Rocky transform before her very own eyes and noted that although it was a decent transformation, it wasn''t as pronounced as Cassian made it to be.


    " Alright, let''s let the kid sleep for tonight. He has already been through a lot.


    Cassian keep checking on him from time to time throughout the night and Amelia bring him to meet me when he wakes up tomorrow morning" Karna said, as he dispersed the group once Rocky''s awakening waspleted.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile, within Rocky''s subconscious )


    Rocky found himself walking in a pure white space that seemed to stretch till infinity.


    For as far as he could see, there was nothing but just pure white walls as he wondered if this was a dream or was it an borate illusion?


    " Rocky Yadav...we meet atst " a deep voice said from behind Rocky as he turned and found himself staring at a handsome man with deep blue eyes and pure white angel wings.


    The appearance of the man was a bit nostalgic for Rocky as he looked like the perfect copy of what his school books depicted as ''Shakuni'', one of the most powerful gods of the tower, and one half of the most followed godly pair on Earth, the Gemini brothers.


    "You look like Shakuni the Terrifying" Rocky bbered without thinking as the man before him smiled as he said "I am Shakuni".

 Chapter 4: Not the champion I chose

    <h4>Chapter 4: Not the champion I chose</h4>


    "I am Shakuni-"


    Rocky''s jaw fell open when he heard what the man in front of him said as he was convinced at this point that he was absolutely hallucinating.


    Shakuni was one half of the Gemini brothers, the most revered gods of the Tower Of Ascension.


    They were the patron gods of the True Elite Guild, the number one guild on Earth and were considered to be strongest patrons to worship amongst all other religions.


    Amongst the two brothers, ording to folklore, Shakuni was the elder brother and the strategist, with him being revered and feared highly for his brains and intellect by all other deities.


    There was a popr saying that if it was Shakuni making a war n, then the battle was over before it even started as he was hailed as the invincible god who had never lost a war in his entire existence.


    The younger brother Ravan was given the tag ''War God'' and was worshiped as the ultimate warrior.


    In ancient lore, he was depicted as a bloodthirsty beast who thrived on a bloody battlefield, with the lore saying that he had the unique ability to manipte blood to his will.


    Throughout history, there were only two confirmed cases of him fighting a battle personally and it was said that dozens of gods died every time he snapped his fingers, forcing entire armies of immortals quake and retreat when he joined the battlefield.


    Individually, both Shakuni and Ravan were fearsome enough to have a strong cult following, however, together they became the Gemini brothers, who were simply unstoppable.


    On Earth, one could find a Gemini worship temple every five streets, with people worshiping Shakuni by offering milk over his idol, while they offeredmb or goat blood to appease Ravan.


    The ardent followers of the cult disyed an unwavering devotion to the Gemini brothers with their faith being so intense that they would readily sacrifice an arm and a leg for just a fleeting five-second encounter with these beings.


    This extreme devotion was precisely why Rocky found it difficult to ept that he was actually in the presence of one of the Gemini brothers, as it was nothing short of a miracle or a dreame true.


    "Glory to Gemini" Rocky said reverently as he fell to his knees and kowtowed before Shakuni byying t on the ground.


    "At ease" Shakuni replied as he patiently waited for Rocky toe back to his feet.


    "I know what you''re thinking, you don''t believe this is real and you''re not wrong. This isn''t actually real and you''re not really in my presence.


    If this were my actual body, you would be incinerated from my aura alone, so be d this is not real" Shakuni said as he affirmed Rocky''s belief that this was not a real meeting, but rather his mind ying tricks on him.


    "But, it might as well be real, as what I''m about to tell you is very much real," Shakuni said as Rocky felt confused as to what the supreme god really wished to convey.


    " You might not be aware of this, as she kept it a secret from everyone including you, however, your sister was my chosen champion and I had blessed her with a cheat code that would more or less ensure that she became a powerhouse in the future, however, a few hours before that incredible power could truly be hers, someone kidnapped her and tried to forcefully absorb the powers I endowed to her- " Shakuni said, as Rocky''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Riva was your champion? Do you know where she is? Do you know what happened to her?" Rocky asked in a hurry with panic evident in his voice as he disyed his concern for his sister''s well-being.


    s, he was asking these questions to the wrong being as Shakuni shook his head in annoyance.


    Naturally, he too wished that he had the answers to these questions but unfortunately he did not.


    "Like I said, this is not my real body and the knowledge this portion of my consciousness possesses is really limited.


    So unfortunately, I don''t have the answer to your questions" Shakuni said, as Rocky felt extremely disappointed.


    " The power that I passed onto her as my champion was such that before it fully became hers, If someone sessfully killed her, then it would be automatically passed onto them.


    Now fortunately, the people who kidnapped her, did not actually kill her but tried to perform a forceful takeover of her body by manipting her soul, which was why they broke the seal binding my power to her, giving me a unique opportunity that was not a part of my initial n" Shakuni said as a soft smile spread on his face.


    " Your sister was my first choice for bing my champion, the first champion I''ve chosen in the history of the universe as in my opinion she had every quality needed to be a great individual.


    Unfortunately, circumstances have forced me to alter my n, however, before this piece of my consciousness parted ways with Riva, she requested that this power be passed down to you, as in her opinion if this great strength could not be hers then you were the next best choice I could make" Shakuni said as he softly spread his wings and levitated into the sky.


    " Rocky Yadav, you were not the champion I wished to choose, but you shall now be endowed with the power which was originally meant for your sister.


    Use it right and perhaps you will be able to save her from her grim fate, fail and you will probably end up hunted and captured just like her.


    Because of the unexpected interference, it will take time for the system I''m passing onto you to reach its full glory, however, it should improve in function and capabilities as you progress as a warrior.


    With you being my champion, your life won''t be peaceful or easy. However, it will help you attain the power you need, to protect those you love-" Shakuni said as his floating body began to glow brightly, blinding Rocky by blending perfectly into the surroundings as a streak of pure white light.


    *GAHHHH*


    Rocky woke up with a start, drenched in sweat from head to toe as a blue screen lit up in front of him.


    [ 3...2....1.... Integration Complete, Strongest System is now online ]

 Chapter 5: System Features

    <h4>Chapter 5: System Features</h4>


    [ 3...2....1.... Integration Complete, Strongest System is now online ]


    Rocky stared at the blue screen in front of his eyes in shock.


    If not for the screen, Rocky would have genuinely doubted if his conversation with Shakuni was even real? However, the system screen in front of him was the irrefutable proof that it indeed happened.


    [ Strongest System - Level 1.


    Features :-


    1) Guidance- The strongest system will provide the host with daily missions and quests to shape the hosts early foundation.


    2) Storage- The strongest system will provide the host with 1m3 of spatial storage that is essible at will.


    3) Appraisal- The strongest system will help the host appraise the quality of items and weapons.


    4) Rewards- The strongest system will provide the host with various small andrge rewards for sessfulpletion of system missions which will further help the host grow.


    5) Live Health Status- The strongest system will alert the host should they be poisoned or suffer a life threatening injury.


    6) Knowledge- The strongest system may or may not provide the host with important knowledge about the tower and the various powers that exist when needed.


    ¡ª> To know more about system features, please click (here)


    ¡ª> Please reach level 20 of the tower to upgrade the system to level2 and unlock more features! ]


    Rocky read the system features with great attention as he proceeded to click on the (here) option under the list to get an even more in-depth exnation of the system features.


    More or less, the system in its current state had six main features with the highlight being the daily missions and rewards that the system would give out to shape Rocky''s foundation.


    It was a lot for Rocky to take in at once, he had lost his sister, met a mythical god, awakened as a climber and received a system in less than 24 hours as his life had quite literally been turned upside down in an instant.


    He would be lying if he did not feel great about having awakened as a climber, as ever since he was a kid that was the only thing that he could ever dream of.


    The only reason why he was not at home and was at his friend''s ce for new years was because, coincidentally new years was also the same day as he turned 18 and since most climbers were chosen the same day that they turned of age, Rocky was incredibly nervous of whether he would be chosen or not.


    Since he did not wish to run around the house with nerves, showing a vulnerable and nervous side of himself to Riva, he decided to crash at his friend''s where he could be anxious at ease.


    Little did he know that in his absence their house woulde under attack by unknown assants and his sister would be kidnapped.


    It was unfortunate, but like Shakuni said, he no longer had a choice in this mess.


    Riva had chosen Rocky to inherit the system that she could not and now it was his best shot to save his sister from whatever mess she was entangled in.


    "This is so fucked up-" Rocky said as he ced his head in his palms, with his voice prompting Amelia who was sitting just outside the medical ward, toe in and check on Rocky.


    " Look who woke up! Good Morning-" she said in the most formal sounding voice ever as Rocky looked at Amelia in a daze.


    Judging by the position of the sun outside, it seemed to be early morning which meant that Rocky had been out for several hours at least.


    A quick nce at the wall clock suggested that it was 7 in the morning, yet even at such an early hour, Amelia was dressed immactely in a medium length formal office skirt and a wrinkle free shirt and matching zer.


    She had light make-up applied on her face and her hair perfectly done as Rocky could not find a single w with how she looked.


    "Ugh, teens" Amelia said in disgust as sheined and rolled her eyes but soon smiled.


    It took a lot of discipline and dedication to always look so tardy and she appreciated that people apparently did take the time to notice her efforts.


    "Sorry, I''ve just never seen someone dressed so immactely before who still manages to look so stunning" Rocky said honestly as the light blush on Amelia''s face deepened a little.


    "My my, Riva''s younger brother has a glib tongue.


    Became a charmer after awakening?" Amelia asked as Rocky was about to say something but Amelia cut him off saying "Zip it yboy, I''m out of your league".


    Rocky opened and closed his mouth a few times, contemting whether or not to say something but chose to remain silent in the end.


    "If you''re feeling okay-, follow me, the guildmaster wants to see you.


    Thankfully you have woken up at great time, he should being in for work any minute now and with his first meeting of the day scheduled for 7:15, I can squeeze you in without disturbing his schedule" Amelia said as Rocky silently followed Amelia through the massive True Elites headquarters.


    Although it was just 7:05, the True Elites headquarters was bustling with activity at such an early hour, as Rocky passed by many famous climbers in the guild halls, apparently returning from breakfast, training or a meeting.


    ''Oh my god that''s Scott the wall breaker''


    ''Oh my god that''s Scarlet the pyromancer''


    ''Holy crap that''s Voodoo Vaugn, crap I just made eye contact with him''


    Rocky gawked and observed every single adventurer walking through the guild halls as he felt absolutely star struck to see them in the flesh.


    Growing up, he had only seen them on television as they live casted their legendary raids and difficult floor master fights, however, observing them for real felt surreal.


    However, what was more important than watching them was observing the behavior of all the adventurers when Amelia passed by, as even the bulkiest and strongest adventurers moved out of her way and greeted her good morning when she passed by.


    Despite being a non-climber and clearly a weak mortal, Amelia was the big bully within the True Elites guild and Rocky was awestruck to observe her in her natural element.


    "Has Karna shown up for work yet?" Amelia asked the clerk at reception who affirmed that he had just walked in a minute ago, as Amelia led Rocky straight to his cabin where she barged in unannounced.


    "The kid woke up" she said, before leaving Karna''s office as the poor guildmaster who had just entered his office and was yet to even take his seat felt slightly awkward to have a visitor before he had even settled in.


    " Right.... You could have told that to me alongside a good morning sir? Couldn''t you?" Karnained as Amelia reopened the guildmaster''s cabin, poked her head in, red at the strongest adventurer on Earth and said " WORK STARTS 7:00 SHARP.


    CHECK YOUR CLOCK" before mming the door shut once more.


    Rocky had shivers all over his body, as this was the exact tone that Riva and his mother used when they were pissed and apparently Karna had some too as he seemed genuinely scared for his life in front of a harmless secretary.


    " Women..." he muttered under his breath softly as although he retaliated, he did so in a way that his voice did not carry outside the office and fall into the sensitive ears of his secretary outside.

 Chapter 6: No Progress

    <h4>Chapter 6: No Progress</h4>


    Karna observed the mana flow within Rocky''s body and although he did not let any emotion appear on his face, he was secretly impressed by Rocky''s post awakening mana flow.


    It was unregted and flowing haphazardly through his body, however, the flow seemed smooth and his body seemed naturally attuned to circting mana which was rare in new awakeners.


    "So, guildmaster, did you find any clues regarding my sister?" Rocky asked, as he looked towards Karna with hopeful eyes, however, Karna only grit his teeth and remained silent.


    " To be honest Rocky, we have no credible leads.


    Our top investigator Bo suspects that it''s the work of Olympus agents, but we''re not sure.


    I''ve been personally looking for any clues that could help us find her for the past 20 hours, but it''s aplete ghost job.


    We have no hot trails.


    We have no information about her condition.


    We have no information on what the enemy wants from her.


    The guild information agents have been notified within the tower and are actively trying to dig up information regarding this hit, however, it will take time....." Karna said begrudgingly as Rocky felt his hope being crushed.


    " I will not leave any leaf unturned in mymitment to find her and even if we have to enter into a war with another tower faction over her. I will not hesitate.


    We here at the True Elites have a motto we live by


    ''One for all and all for one''


    Since Riva is one of us, we will never let her be harmed" Karna said as he expressed his genuine desire to locate and save Riva at any cost necessary.


    " I understand guildmaster..... thank you for all your efforts" Rocky said with a deted voice as he understood just how much Karna was doing for Riva, however, he was sad that it bore no tangible results.


    " In your sister''s absence, I feel responsible towards your upbringing and I''m putting Amelia in-charge of you.


    If I understand correctly, you still have to finish your normal high school whichsts till this March and only then shall you be allowed to enter the tower as per the associationws.


    Am I right?" Karna asked as Rocky nodded in response.


    Although he had been selected as a Climber, ording to associationws, nobody was granted a climbers permit without having at least a high school degree and hence it was mandatory for Rocky to finish school which ended in March.


    " It''s just three months, finish school and get your license, depending on what field you''re talented in, the guild will then help you select an appropriate university within the tower.


    Although we can''t rece your sister, think of this guild as your extended family while she''s not around.


    We will be here for you" Karna said as Rocky felt moved by his words.


    How could a man of his stature, who was so strong, also be so calm, reasonable andpassionate?


    Rocky did not understand why teen girls fawned all over Karna in his school before, however, he understood why they did now.


    Karna was just so charismatic that anyone would have a crush on him and today Rocky became a fanboy as well.


    "Thank you guildmaster, I really appreciate your support.


    If I can in any way help out with the investigation or anything else in general, please let me know" Rocky said as Karna nodded his head in approval.


    Karna was d that Rocky did not make unreasonable demands such as being put on the investigation team himself or throw a tantrum at theck of progress.


    He fully expected a guy his age to behave immaturely, but Rocky handled it really well.


    As Rocky left the guildmaster cabin, he saw Joe loitering right outside, as once he saw Rocky he signaled him toe closer.


    " What did the guildmaster say? Was there any progress in the investigation?" Joe asked in a hushed voice as he put his arm around Rocky''s shoulder, however, Rocky felt really awkward as to why Joe was asking him this question when he was a part of the investigation unit himself.


    "Nothing much" Rocky replied as at that moment Amelia walked into the hall prompting Joe to release him.


    " Take care boy. If you need anything, always know that Uncle Joe is here for you-" he said loudly as he patted twice on Rocky''s back before nodding towards Amelia and walking away.


    Amelia squinted her eyes monitoring the exchange but said nothing.


    " Miss Amelia, guildmaster told me that you will be taking care of me, I have no clue what that''s supposed to mean" Rocky said when he saw Amelia as the secretory let out a deep sigh.


    " Rocky, don''t ever tell anyone what the guildmaster tells you okay? Especially nothing about the case of your sister.


    Just consider this topic to be sensitive and not to be discussed in public.


    Also yes, I''ve been given additional duty of being your caretaker and I must warn you I''m a very disciplined aunt.


    You will be temporarily living with me until your school ends and I will not let you ck off.


    Whether it''s studies, nutrition, sleep or fitness, I will expect you to perform adequately, you understand?" Amelia said as she sternly looked towards Rocky.


    " I understand...." Rocky replied as although he had a thousand different questions, he did not voice them at the moment since he did not wish to be an annoyance.

 Chapter 7: First Daily Mission

    <h4>Chapter 7: First Daily Mission</h4>


    Rocky was moved to a new apartment within the Upside and was temporarily supposed to live in the guest room of Amelia''s house.


    Since most of his stuff was burnt when his old apartment exploded, Amelia arranged a temporary closet of clothes and some other essentials for him as well as a chauffeur and an armed convoy of three bulletproof cars to take him to and from school.


    She also made a list of house rules that Rocky was supposed to follow and strict appointments where she would check in on his daily progress, as Amelia turned this supervising a kid job into a proper corporate role.


    It was impressive that she managed to do so much while still managing the guild as Rocky began to realize why she was respected so highly within the True Elites guild even though she was not a climber.


    Another big event that took ce was the official press release regarding Riva''s kidnapping as although the guild tried to suppress the news, the abduction of the rising star was not something that they could conceal for too long.


    Guildmaster Karna personally gave the press and the world a briefing of the incident and it was instantly a global hit piece as social media and news forums began buzzing non-stop.


    The True Elites guild issued a bounty of 10 Million dors to anyone who could provide any credible lead about Riva''s kidnapping and a whopping 100 million reward if they could rescue her.


    Calls from friends and acquaintances who knew that Rocky was Riva''s brother poured in on Rocky''s cell, but he did not pick up any.


    Rocky did not wish to aimlessly gossip about his missing sister and he already knew that he was in for a rough day at school when he went tomorrow anyways, which was why he did not feel it necessary to pick any calls.


    [ Strongest System Daily Mission Generated! ]


    Suddenly a mechanical voice in his head startled Rocky as he saw the system screen pop up in front of him.


    [ 90 Day Hard Challenge-


    Currentpletion status 0/90.


    ( Physical Component )


    ?Run Five Miles Daily (0/5 ran today)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 25 basic push ups (0/10)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 25 archer push ups (0/10)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 25 Decline push ups (0/10)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 20 Bodyweight squats(0/10)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 15 pull-ups (0/10)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 20 lunges per leg (0/10)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 15 inverted rows with t rod weighing not more than 10kg(0/10)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 30-second nks (0/10)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 25 Russian twists (0/10)


    ?Perform 10 sets of 20 calf raises (0/10)


    ( Mental Component )


    ?Read at least 50 pages of ''The History Of The Tower'' by DyZasta (0/50)


    ?Read at least 50 pages of ''The life of a climber university student'' by Amine_Elm (0/50)


    ( Social Component )


    ?Vlog your entire day and upload to MeTube with suitable edits (0/1)


    ?Reply to at least 5ments everyday (0/5)


    ¡ª> Daily Completion Reward :- One refreshment potion ]


    Rocky read the system notification and felt his heart jump out to his mouth.


    The system had gone absolutely insane and wanted for him to train like a professional athlete, read like a nerd and vlog like a MeTuber all at the same time.


    "What the fuck? What happens if I don''tplete all the missions everyday?" Rocky asked himself as immediately another system prompt removed hesitation that Rocky had towards notpleting this challenge.


    [ Failure Penalty:-


    ?First Failure - Your pants will drop at a random time in public, embarrassing you in front of all.


    ?Second Failure - Personal nudes will be sent to women you don''t like, including Amelia, with a high probability of entering legal trouble and facing sexual harassment charges.


    ?Third Failure - Exposed to the world as a drug addict, pedophile, reputation shall be tarnished forever ]


    Rocky looked at the failure penalty once, immediately looking at the clock next before putting on his shoes, activating his phone''s selfie camera and going out for a jog.


    He had absolutely no idea why God Shakuni had designed such a destructive system, or whether he had designed it or not, however, just ncing at the failure penalty once he knew that he was never going to fail it no matter what.


    Even if his legs broke and he could not physically move them. He would stillplete the challenge as the failure penalties were just that horrifying.


    "Hey guy''s, this is day one of my 90 day hard challenge to be a better version of myself and I''m starting off with a 5 mile run.


    I''m not a professional runner and like any normal person I''ve never tried running 5 miles before, so let''s hope I can do it.... Or at least half of it in one go" Rocky said as although he had never done vlogging before, he had consumed so much content on social media that the script came naturally to him.


    It was already 11 am when he started with the challenge and Rocky had a feeling that today was going to be a very long day as he explored just how long it took for him toplete all the tasks on the list.

 Chapter 8: Hellish Training

    <h4>Chapter 8: Hellish Training</h4>


    Trying to run five miles ended up being much tougher for Rocky than he first thought it would be.


    As a teenager, Rocky wasn''t just sitting around ying video games all day as he sometimes yed sports and worked out too, considering himself to be in fairly good shape as he looked lean and handsome in the mirror.


    However, having a good aesthetic shape didn''t necessarily mean his lungs were up for a long run as when he tried to keep running for more than a few minutes, he quickly started to feel dizzy with his chest hurting, especially after hitting the one-mile mark.


    Very soon, he found himself needing to stop for a five-minute break after each mile that he ran, just to breathe properly again.


    At this pace, it took him a whole hour to finish the five-mile run at the end of which his new clothes werepletely drenched in sweat, and he felt totally drained, like his body had run out of sugar and electrolytes.


    Almost as soon as he returned to his apartment, he found himself really craving something refreshing to drink, like lemonade that could replenish the lost electrolytes and sugars in his body.


    Inparison, the muscle based exercises felt much easier to perform as Rocky did not struggle much toplete a set, however, what did get him was the sheer number of repetitions.


    He was supposed to perform roughly ten to fifteen sets of every exercise with ten to twenty five repetitions in each set and while his body could perform the first two sets easily, the third one became a difficult challenge toplete.


    After performing just the first two sets of regr pushups, Rocky realized that the journey topleting 10 sets of regr push-ups was a long road and that the journey topleting the rest of the workout was even longer.


    By the time he hit the 100th pushup, which was just his fourth set, he could feel his muscles throbbing and revolting, which was not a good sign and from there on things only went downhill as Rocky was forced to do 5 pushups and rest for 20 seconds and continue doing 5 more.


    By the time he hit the 150 mark, tears started to drop down his eyes with the mental frustration kicking in, aspleting the workout felt like an impossible job.


    Fortunately or unfortunately, his ego and vain male pride was so strong that it would not allow for his honor to be sullied in public which was why although he hit his mental barrier of fatigue, he kept pushing through as after a gruesome 25 minutes, hepleted his 250 pushups.


    As Rocky moved on from regr push-ups to the other exercises listed by the system, each new task seemed to mock his dwindling reserves of strength and will.


    The archer''s push-ups demanded a precision and bnce that his trembling arms could barely muster, each repetition being a battle against his body''s plea for mercy.


    Next came the decline push-ups, turning his world upside down, literally and metaphorically. With every push against gravity prompting his shoulders to scream in protest.


    The bodyweight squats that followed were no reprieve for his legs that were already rubbery from the run, as they wobbled beneath him, threatening to copse from under him with each descent.


    The pull-ups were a fresh hell. Every lift of his body felt like hauling a mountain. His fingers gripping the bar with a desperation born of the fear of failing this insane challenge.


    The lunges were a relentless torture on his already sore legs, each step forward feeling like an herculean effort, however, out of all the excercises that Rocky did, they felt the least taxing mentally.


    Inverted rows and calf raises blurred into a continuum of pain and sweat. The nks and Russian twists added a cruel twist of core agony to his full-body torment with every setpleted being a minor victory, bought with tears and sheer stubbornness.


    s, the celebrations were always short-lived, swallowed by the dread of the next set as slowly the hours dragged on with the sun beginning its descent and casting long shadows that mirrored the darkening of Rocky''s resolve. Yet, against the odds he persisted, driven by the horrifying penalties for failure more than any desire for sess.


    By the time hepleted thest of his exercises, the sky was a canvas of deep purples and oranges with night ready to im its time as it was around this point that the books that the system prompted him to read, that he ordered earlier in the day were delivered by the courier giving Rocky the next task for the day.


    By the time he took the books and sat on his soft bed to read, his body felt so utterly exhausted that after reading just a few lines from the book, Rocky felt his eyes dropping as the exhaustion kicked in.


    The sheer determination it took him toplete 50 pages of both books was absolutely unreal and by the time hepleted it the hour clock reflected that it was already 9:30 pm, giving him only 2.5 hours toplete thest task of the day which was to trim, edit andpile the struggles of day one and upload them to MeTube.


    Having very limited editing skills, his first edited video was aplete mess that was a broken mixture of abrupt transitions and awkward looking fast forwards, however, at this point Rocky was beyond giving a fuck as he uploaded the video after making a creator ount.


    It was 11:30 by the time Rocky finished all the tasks for the day, barelypleting day1 of this 90 day long hell.

 Chapter 9: Running from one’s own demons

    <h4>Chapter 9: Running from one''s own demons</h4>


    [ Strongest System Notification:- Congrattions forpleting all your tasks for the day, you have received one revitalization potion ]


    Rocky received a system notification and as soon as he read it, he felt a bottle magically appear in his hands.


    "Woah" Rocky felt shocked as he observed the bottle and it felt like a very real object that had a ss like texture from the outside and a thick jiggly liquid on the inside.


    Rocky did not understand the physics behind how an object could appear in his hands from seemingly nowhere, but he was too tired to think too deeply about it.


    At this point Rocky just epted the fact that either he had gone insane and was seeing things that were not real, or that the system was an omnipotent force which transcended the rules that he understood.


    Opening the bottle cap with a satisfying *POP* Sound, Rocky took a whiff of the potion and tried to associate the smell with things that he knew.


    The potion gave a unique metallic smell that smelled like a mixture of blood and sweat, however, Rocky could not clearly identify what it was with the smell and texture of the liquid being unlike anything that he had ever seen or smelt before.


    *GULP*


    Drinking it in a single gulp, Rocky emptied the contents of the potion bottle into his mouth and drank it like it was medicine.


    The thick liquid was slightly hard to swallow and Rocky could feel it going down his throat as every inch of his throat burnt when the liquid passed through, giving him a vivid sensation as it made its way down his esophagus and into his stomach.


    Almost instantly, he felt his brain be more active as he felt his alertness of thought and action returning.


    When he drank the potion, he was literally on the verge of copsing from fatigue, however, within a minute of drinking it he felt significantly better as he felt energy returning to his body.


    As the potion made its way into his stomach, making him feel as if his stomach was on fire, he began to sweat profusely as Rocky felt his body temperature rising rapidly.


    Soon, Rocky began feeling ufortable from the heat and with no better solution, Rocky rushed to the shower and turned it to the coldest possible temperature as he stood underneath trying to regte his body heat.


    After five minutes, Rocky felt as if all his fatigue had been washed away with the burning sensation in his stomach fading away as the potion was fully absorbed into his body.


    Surprisingly, not a single inch of his body felt in pain anymore when just a few minutes ago it hurt him to even touch his sore muscles superficially.


    "Wow-"


    Rocky could not help but feel astonished by the potency of the revitalization potion as the respect he had for the system increased significantly.


    At first he had assumed that the system was a lecherous and dangerous entity that was designed by some pervert, however, now that he enjoyed its revitalization potion, his assessment of it improved.


    Rocky now felt that the system was a magical entity that was harsh but fair as the reward for the day''s hard work was an equally magical medicine that removed built up fatiguepletely.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    While Rocky was thinking all this, he suddenly heard a knock on the bathroom door, prompting him to shut the shower as he answered "Yeah?"


    " I''m home and I''ve noticed that you haven''t had your dinner yet...." A feminine voice said from the other end of the door as Rocky realized that Amelia was finally home.


    It was already 5 minutes past 12 and Amelia was only returning from work at thiste hour.


    " Be out in a minute" Rocky said as he quickly dried himself and got dressed before walking out as he found Amelia setting up the dinner tes and heating the food.


    " What did I say, young man? I want you to eat healthy and on time.... Why have you not had dinner? You should be in bed by now-" Amelia said as she scolded Rocky for not having dinner yet, however, Rocky was also smooth with it as he replied " I was waiting on you aunt Amelia, back at the Yadav house, we never have meals alone".


    For a moment Amelia was taken aback by his reply.... Eating together as a family? It was something Amelia had not experienced in years as somehow she could not bring herself to scold Rocky for having such a sentiment.


    Although she knew that Rocky was only being slick with his reply, she let it slide as she brought the heated food to the table and served herself some.


    Rocky followed suit and filled his te as well, as for a few minutes the two ate inplete silence.


    "You worked hard today.... I saw your vlog, first live through the house camera and then on your channel" Amelia said eventually, breaking the silence.


    " Yeah-" Rocky replied, surprised to find out that Amelia had already seen his vlog when it had not even been up for more than 30 minutes.


    "Is this your way of coping with your sister''s absence? Totally draining yourself of all your energy?" Amelia asked in a slightly concerned voice, as she had some experience following this method, having gotten through the worst phase in her life by doing the same.


    Although she could notmunicate it well, Amelia knew perfectly well how it felt to exhaust oneself to the point of cking out, just so that you could go to sleep without having to face your own demons.


    It was a good strategy to adopt for a day or two, however, she knew very well that one could not run forever and that sooner orter the demons always caught up.


    "I''m trying to be a better version of myself.


    It''s for self growth" Rocky replied, as Amelia looked straight into his eyes but said nothing.


    She wanted to give Rocky some valuable advice, however, did not believe that she was appropriately close to Rocky to give advice so sentimental and hence refrained from saying anything.


    " Once you''re done eating, wash the dishes and go straight to bed.


    I''ll probably be gone for work by the time you wake up, but the chauffeur will be here to take you to school-" Amelia said as she stood up from the dinner table having finished her meal before Rocky.


    " Will do" Rocky said, as he patiently finished his dinner and headed off to bed although he did not feel the need to sleep at all.

 Chapter 10: Climber Registration

    <h4>Chapter 10: Climber Registration</h4>


    Before going to sleep, Rocky decided to scroll through his phone and immediately noticed a slew of missed calls and text messages inquiring about his sister''s disappearance.


    He scrolled through the notifications without opening the actual messages, purposefully keeping them unseen.


    Additionally, his channel,unched just an hour earlier, had already attracted 50 subscribers, with fivements on his first vlog which was unusually quick growth for a new channel which he had put no effort into promoting.


    Apparently, his sister''s disappearance was trending online, and sharing the same surname drove organic traffic to his channel which was fuelling this growth.


    Among thements, three were inquiries about his rtion to Riva and her whereabouts, while two praised his content, looking forward to his next update.


    After quickly absorbing the online chatter, Rocky set his phone aside to organize his thoughts. With school scheduled from 8 am to 2 pm the next day, he realized just how constrained he was for time and understood the importance of managing it properly.


    Given his current workload,pleting his routine would take about 8-9 hours, making the bnce between this and his schoolmitments a significant challenge.


    After carefully thinking everything through, Rocky decided toplete half his workout before going to bed and decided toplete the book reading tasks during school hours itself.


    Since filming would not be possible in school, he decided to just reshoot him reading the bookter, but since he would only be acting then, it would not take more than five minutes.


    If everything went as nned, he couldplete the rest of his workout and editing between 3-7 in the afternoon giving him a buffer time toplete any tasks should things go wrong and also leave time for schoolwork.


    Although living like this would make his life extremely hectic, Rocky wasmitted topleting the system mission daily for the full duration of the 90 day challenge.


    As nned, he began with his workout, putting in a good two hours of effort to tire himself out so that he could finally hit the bed.


    ***********


    ( Next day, Commodore High-school, City X )


    Just as Rocky expected, from the second he walked into his high school, people began swarming him and asking him about his sister.


    Some gave him looks of pity, some took joy in his misery while most just found his situation to be interesting as they craved for some drama.


    Since he had awakened yesterday, protocol mandated that Rocky inform his high school at once that he was now a climber, which was why instead of attending his homeroom ss, Rocky headed straight towards the principal''s office to inform her of his awakening.


    "Rocky, my boy, I''m so sad to hear about your sister, are you okay my child?" The principal asked Rocky when he showed up in front of her office, however, Rocky showed no emotion before her.


    "I''m okay.... Thankyou for asking ma''am" he said, as he concealed his true emotions perfectly.


    There were some people who wore their lives on their sleeves as one could just look at their faces and understand everything about their life, however, Rocky was not one of those people.


    Ever since he was a child, Rocky rarely showed emotions to outsiders and was fake and cold to most, however, ever since he lost his parents, his personality became even colder as he only gave measured and calm responses to everyone.


    " One mistake-, one mistake is all it takes to lose everything in this world for middle ss people like us Rocky. Always remember my words.


    One mistake is all it takes-" his father would repeatedly tell him as a child, as he taught Rocky the importance of always being in control of his emotions.


    One wrong tweet that hurt someone''s sentiment.


    One wrong slur spoken out of anger


    One wrong street fight picked against a thug


    One wrong insult to someone in power


    These were small things that could catch a man off-guard, however, had the power to ruin their entire life and Rocky''s father always reminded Rocky to never slip for such pitfalls.


    While as a kid, Rocky could not understand the gravity of his father''s words, as he matured and saw the ugly side of the world, he realized that disying emotion was perceived as nothing but weakness and hence he learnt how to conceal his true thoughts well.


    Even though he was agonizing internally, feeling angry, frustrated and on the brink of a mental breakdown, he maintained hisposure in public and acted his usual self while interacting with everyone.


    " How can I help you today, my child?" Mrs Alka, the principal, said as Rocky informed her about his awakening.


    " I''m here to register as a climber. My birthday was on 1st January where I turned 18 and also underwent my awakening" Rocky said as Mrs Alka gasped in disbelief.


    " The same day as your sister got kidnapped?


    Isn''t this what happened to Riva as well? Awakening the same day as experiencing the tragedy of losing your parents?" Mrs Alka said as she tried to form a pattern between tragedy and awakenings.


    Rocky said nothing regarding her hypothesis and chatted politely with her while she registered him as a climber andpleted the necessary procedure.


    Since Rocky was not a trouble child, the principal gave him the '' No Objection Certificate'' to be a climber on the spot, however, had he been a notorious troublemaker then the school was supposed to give him disciplinary sses before sending him to behavioral analysis bureau who would determine if the student was eligible to enter the tower or not.


    This was only a rule applied recently as cases of climbers bing criminals were on the rise and the government wished to curb any early signs of dissent to eliminate future criminals from attaining power.


    However, all that did not affect Rocky as his registration went smoothly, which meant that as long as he graduated, he would attain his license to be a climber and enter the tower.

 Chapter 11: Tough Day At School

    <h4>Chapter 11: Tough Day At School</h4>


    News spread like wildfire within the school that Rocky had awakened as a climber.


    Having good looks and being the younger brother of the rising star Riva, Rocky was already a pretty popr figure in school albeit being famously cold and unapproachable.


    He maintained a very close circle of two male friends and never disyed much attention towards the girls in ss which was why despite his good looks he was still single at 18, however, with the news of him awakening as a climber, his status within the school elevated dramatically as many surprising events took ce at once.


    Belle Lita, the ss beauty who had previously shown only lukewarm interest in Rocky and was famously involved with someone else, openly dered her longstanding affection for him during lunch break, bing the focal point of even more chatter and sensational drama.


    Meanwhile, Rocky also found his desk filled with three love letters from other ssmates, evidence of sudden, burgeoning interest that he had not enjoyed just a couple of days ago.


    With his elevation to a chosen of the tower, Rocky was now on a path to attain fame and fortune beyond the wildest dreams of ordinary humans and those eager to bask in the glow of his impending sess wasted no time trying to ingratiate themselves with him, hoping to secure their own fortunes before he ascended beyond their reach.


    ''Fucking disgraceful-'' Rocky thought internally as he felt repulsed by the hollow attention that his elevated status brought as although he did not express it, he felt disgusted by those who were trying to get closer to him just because he was now a climber.


    Externally, Rocky preserved his cool and distant demeanor, gracefully declining the school belle''s advances and shredding the love letters unread, signaling his disinterest in the flurry of sudden affections.


    He remained courteous, avoiding rudeness, yet unmistakably clear in his rejections as he turned down post-school hangout offers from peers and romantic overtures with equal indifference, refusing to indulge in their superficial games.


    "Bloody hell, mate, Big Bust Lita threw herself at you!" Taylor, his childhood friend, eximed, yfully hitting Rocky in the chest.


    "Hey, Taylor, cut it out, man. Rocky''s sister got kidnapped just two days ago. Look at him¡ªdo you really think now''s the time for your crap jokes?" Adam interjected, causing Taylor''s joviality to morph into remorse as he scrambled to apologize.


    "Pfft, haha, of course, it''s the perfect time, Taylor, look at your face. It''s not every day Big Bust Lita deres her ''undying love'' for someone... Hahaha," Adam continued, teasing Taylor for his gullibility.


    Rocky couldn''t help but let out augh at his friends'' banter. Among all those vying for a spot in his life, only Taylor and Adam truly belonged in his inner circle, being utterly indifferent to his climber status..


    Having been inseparable since kindergarten, Taylor, Adam, and Rocky shared a bond akin to family, allowing Rocky to be his genuine self with them, in stark contrast to the reserved facade he presented to the rest of the world.


    "You guys know I don''t give a fuck about Big Busts, I''m more of a petite lover myself-" Rocky said as he shrugged his shoulders, prompting both Adam and Taylor to p their faces in disappointment.


    "I don''t get it man, I just don''t.... What sort of a straight man prefers small boobs over big ones. It makes no sense!


    It''s like saying I prefer being shorter, or that I prefer having a smaller dick....


    It''s unnatural yo-" Taylor said as Adam agreed and chimed in as well.


    "He''s right man, you got to be able to hold it.


    Get a grip on those pom poms...." Adam said as he gestured gripping those pom poms and made a lewd face full of satisfaction as he imagined gripping them.


    "Spoken like true virgins" Rocky argued as he hit his friends where it hurted the most, at the fact that all three of them were grade A virgins.


    "Ouch-"


    "Like you''re any better!"


    The two of them protested as they shared a friendly banter for a while.


    Just like Rocky, Adam and Taylor were hoping to be climbers as well, as all three of them hoped to be great warriors together.


    With Adam''s birthday in February and Taylor''s in March, they were going to find out soon whether they would be climbers or not, but if they did, it was a given that the three would attend university together within the tower.


    Just like that, with his two friends as his shield, a bit of drama and a lot of poprity gain, Rocky managed to get through his super active school day somehow, with him returning to his system assigned daily task once school ended.


    By the time he uploaded his second vlog, his subscriber base had increased to 2500! With there being over 200ments on his first vlog.


    Apparently, someone from school had discovered his vlog and had shared it within school groups which was why Rocky was gaining followers fast, as everyone wanted to follow the life of the man who was currently the talk of the town.

 Chapter 12: An invite

    <h4>Chapter 12: An invite</h4>


    ( One monthter )


    Rocky hit an astonishing 1 million subscriber count by the time he reached day 30 of his 90 day hard challenge on MeTube.


    Over thest 30 days, his physique had improved by leaps and bounds and the exercises that once left him in heaps and exhausted, were now more tolerable as he could at least reach the 6-7th set for each exercise without his muscles feeling the need to revolt.


    His aesthetics improved rapidly as the challenge progressed, with his body looking much more toned and athletic on day 30,pared to when he first started the challenge.


    Although working hard and eating right could improve the physique of anyone, Rocky''s growth within one month was akin to what non-climbers achieved with 1-2 years of consistent efforts, as he benefited greatly from the after-effects of his awakening.


    For climbers, the first awakening was like a deep body cleanse. An event that opened their mana pathways and improved their innate constitution, however, to make the most of it, one needed to train their body hard in the days following the first awakening to build a solid foundation.


    While humans of Earth were not too aware of this benefit, there were many other races across the cosmos who were also connected to the tower that understood the importance of building a solid physical foundation.


    Rocky''s system, which already had ess to this information, issued missions to Rocky to guide him on the right path, even though he himself did not understand the real logic behind it.


    For Rocky, the benefits did not end at just the aesthetic and strength improvement, though as with 1 million subscribers under his belt, Rocky had officially be a real life influencer.


    Thousands tried out his workout and lifestyle routine across the globe, trying and failing to keep up as they realized just how hard the challenge that Rocky was performing really was.


    The few that did manage to follow his routine past day7, became cult loyalists who heaped mountains of praise on Rocky as they were secretly convinced that Rocky was in a world of pain after the disappearance of his sister and that he was doing all this to forget about his pain as in their understanding, no-one in their sane minds could consistently do what Rocky was going, if they did not have some sort of clear goal to train for.


    Rocky''s usually aloof attitude, coupled with some viral interviews of his ssmates and teachers narrating tales of how indifferent he was to everything, mixed with his pitiful circumstances made him an inte sensation with a cult following as he had all the ingredients to be an inte sensation.


    Girls drooled over his body.


    Guys respected his work ethic.


    NEETs appreciated his indifference to the world around him


    And Critics could not help but appreciate his role in starting a youth fitness trend instead of uploading cringe content.


    At this point in time, Rocky could do no wrong and any hatement under his post was usually met with fierce opposition from his loyalists.


    However, the best viins often started out as spotless heroes who could do no wrong, as the higher the pedestal they were ced on, the greater was their fall.


    [ Strongest System Notification :- You have a new event quest!


    The popr TV show ''Dinnertime With Sunny'' has invited you to be a guest on their show as a result of your increasing poprity.


    ept this invitation and follow the live system script while answering questions on the show.


    Time Limit :- 42 hours.


    Rewards :- 5x Body Strengthening Potion.


    Failure penalty :- Your next vlog video will identally be switched to a porn video featuring a prominent actress, resulting in your ount being banned and you being sucked into a whirlpool of controversy.


    Note- Not epting the quest, not following the system script, not delivering the system script convincingly will all be deemed as failure ]


    Rocky had received many invitations from popr podcasts and news channels over the month, once his MeTube channel started to explode, however, the system did not seem to react to any of those invitations uptil today.


    ''Dinnertime With Sunny'' was by far one of the most popr shows in country X and all over the world, with almost every prominent climber having featured on it at least once.


    It was a big deal to be invited to such a show, however, if not for the system coercing him into going, Rocky would have politely declined the invite if it were left to his discretion.


    He did not like getting unnecessary attention, however, with the system giving almost inhumane failure penalties, Rocky had no choice but to y ball as under duress, he epted the proposal to feature on the show.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile, on floor 92 of the tower )


    "Themb is fattening up well, don''t you think so brother?" Ravan, the younger of the Gemini brothers said as he looked down on Rocky''s life with his omniscient eyes.


    "He needs to get much fatter brother.... A few million followers won''t be enough.


    He needs to be the most famous man on Earth for him to be of any real use to us.


    This is but the start" Shakuni replied, as Ravanughed heartily listening to his response.


    Since it was his brother pulling the strings from the shadows, the uing events were sure to be extremely entertaining.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - Hey guys! I have some excellent news to share.


    The novel has just gotten contracted today with the tform! So it''s here to stay as an exclusive work.


    Cheers to us all, because it''s probably the fastest book to be contracted of all my previous works! ///

 Chapter 13: TV Show

    <h4>Chapter 13: TV Show</h4>


    ( The next day )


    Rocky was absolutely pissed that despite being forced to go on a TV show and waste half his day, the system still expected him toplete the ongoing daily mission, as it did not cut him any ck at all.


    Not wanting to have his pants drop off on national TV, Rocky had to pull an all-nighter with his workout and had to skip school just so that he could amodate the TV shoot.


    Amelia was not very thrilled that Rocky had chosen to skip school and wished to take the chauffeur to the film vige where the set for the ''Dinnertime With Sunny'' TV show was, as it wasn''t the safest area to visit.


    However, she acknowledged his hardwork and determination over the past month and viewed him as a good kid, which was why she allowed him to take just this one day off, so close to his end semester exams.


    As Rocky reached the film vige, he was guided to the set for Dinnertime With Sunny and greeted there by Sunny''s assistant who quickly took Rocky to the vanity van to fix his looks.


    Rocky, who was already pretty handsome, was given a fresh haircut that made him look sleek and clean.


    His eyebrows were shaped, some make-up was applied and after a two hour long vanity project, Rocky was turned from just another handsome teenager to a dashing looking youngster who could easily steal the hearts of young women with just a smile and a wink.


    Finally, after all the preparation and touch-up, Rocky was invited backstage and exined about his cue to enter the stage and also briefed about what he could and could not say on the show.


    Since Rocky was not an established big star with a huge PR management team backing him, he was not given a script about what Sunny would ask him on the show as the segment was scripted to be candid and natural.


    However, Rocky was given the assurance that he would not be asked anything too wild and that they nned to portray him as positively as possible.


    Since it was not a live TV show, they also promised to bleep out any idental use of cuss words and maybe even edit it out of the final print altogether if it bothered Rocky.


    s, it was not the idental cuss word that Rocky was afraid of in the first ce as what bothered him really was the script that the system would force him to follow in the interview ahead.


    Uptil now, Rocky had mixed feelings regarding the system, however, he did not trust itpletely. Especially not for his public image as it seemed to be hell-bent on spoiling it as much as possible.


    However, without there being a proven history of its nefarious intent, Rocky decided to trust the system just this once, as the alternative to not going along with its scheme seemed to be equally bad as well.


    ***********


    ( Live taping of the show )


    *Cheers* *Laughter*


    " Hahaha, with that being said, let''s wee a young guest to the show, someone who is revolutionizing the fitness trend on social media.


    Our very own country X''s rrrr...Rocky yadavvvv" Sunny said, rolling her tongue to exaggerate the r and the v, introducing Rocky with enthusiasm and gusto.


    *Cheers*


    *Apuse*


    *Whistles*


    The audience weed Rocky with a thunderous apuse, as he walked onto the set while waving to the crowd as instructed.


    "Wee to the show" Sunny said as she shook hands with Rocky and gestured for him to take the seat across from her, as the interview finally started.


    " Wow- doesn''t someone look dashing today!


    Ladies, how do we feel about Rocky''s good looks?" Sunnyplemented, as a huge cheer erupted from the women in the crowd, prompting Rocky to blush as he looked down to hide his face.


    " A, look at you getting all shy, so cute" Sunny marked as soft chuckles reverberated through the audience who werepletely in love with the shy teenager that Rocky was.


    "So Rocky, first things first..... have you really awakened as a climber? There are some rumors going around that you have, but I wish to confirm it from your own mouth about whether you have or have not awakened" Sunny asked as Rocky looked at her and then towards the audience, but what he was really doing was looking for the system text prompt, but there was none showing up as of yet.


    "Yes, I turned 18 on the first of January, and I also underwent awakening that very same day" Rocky said as slowly as he could as he put some pressure behind every word that he spoke.


    Unlike Sunny who spoke very fast and tried to keep things flowing and fast, Rocky''s style of speaking was much different, but it helped him garner everyone''s attention as his tempo and tone made it seem like he was speaking something very important.


    "So it''s true.... Rocky is a climber just like his sister!" Sunny said as the big screen behind where Rocky was seated suddenly lit up with a picture of himself and Riva side by side, which was taken from Riva''s social media ount.


    It was at this moment that the atmosphere within the room started to change as the jovial atmosphere died down and a more gloomier atmosphere kicked in.


    "As you must already know, before you I had the good fortune of interviewing the rising star of generation Z, your elder sister Riva, about 6 months ago on this very show.


    She was a terrific youngdy and I must admit that the news about her kidnapping really rattled me and millions across the world.


    I understand it''s a sensitive issue to talk about for you, but can you please shed some light on the events that lead to her kidnapping?" Sunny asked in a gloomy voice as pin-drop silence spread across the TV set.


    Rocky thought about the question for a second, and just as he was about to answer, the system finally booted up and disyed a wall of text before his eyes as the script he was meant to follow had finally arrived.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - I''m speechless guys. The support you have shown to this novel is literally overwhelming.


    The entire author''s server is in uproar on how amazing of a fanbase I have and I can''t refute those ims one bit.


    I might have the best fanbase on this tform and I''m blessed for it to be this way.


    Naturally, I wish to repay the kindness through actions rather than words, which is why I''m nning to give 5 bonus chapters on top of giving one bonus for each gift received for a total of 8 chapters. Cheers!///

 Chapter 14: The interview

    <h4>Chapter 14: The interview</h4>


    "I understand it''s a sensitive issue to talk about for you, but can you please shed some light on the events that lead to her kidnapping?"


    Rocky heard the question and then saw the system panel appear before his eyes.


    Having never seen the system panel popping up before in public, Rocky was a little worried if others could see it too, however, from Sunny and the audience''s reaction it seemed like no-one beside him could.


    However, as soon as he read the text disyed on the system screen, he realized that he was worried about the wrong thing, as what he should worry about was the system text.


    [ "I was on the phone with my sister, I had gone to my friend''s for new years and she was worried about why I had not returned home although it was past my curfew time.


    We were on the phone when she was suddenly startled by someone entering the house as she said


    ''It''s you? How did you enter the house?''


    She seemed to clearly know the individual who entered the house, however, unfortunately I could not hear a name.


    Then, suddenly she dropped the phone, I could hear distant noises of two people fighting and struggling as I shouted over the phone, calling desperately for my sister as I took off barefooted from my friends home and towards my own apartment, and being only five minutes away I felt like I could reach it pretty quickly.


    s, right as I was around my apartment''s street corner, I heard a loud explosion as I saw the ss windows of my apartment burst open, as me engulfed it all.


    My mind nked out for a second, I feared my sister was dead, however, theyter confirmed that there were no traces of her being killed in the explosion and that she was kidnapped" ]


    Rocky narrated quite calmly, as he heard sympathetic gasps from the audience.


    On the surface, this tale sounded urate enough to what the media had reported, however, only Rocky understood that it was not entirely true.


    Riva had never said the line ''It''s you? How did you enter the house'', neither did her actions reflect that she knew who the attacker was.


    The system was making Rocky bluff on a critical point and he understood the dangers of lying about such a sensitive case all too well.


    "I''m so sorry to hear this, are you okay?" Sunny asked sympathetically as she reached out and ced her palm over Rocky''s hand in show of her solidarity.


    "I''m okay-" Rocky affirmed as he disyed the same cold indifference that he was famous for, showing a full control over his range of emotions.


    " I''m terribly sorry for prying more into this topic, however, from your statement it seems like you doubt that there might be someone close to your sister who must have betrayed her...." Sunny said in an unsure voice, as the system screen before Rocky changed.


    [ *Nod solemnly*


    "Yes, there are many things fishy with the incident when I think about it and I do fear it to be an inside job.


    I have no hard proof to back my belief, however, there are things that just won''t add up in my mind.


    The True Elites guild was supposed to be protecting my sister, there was meant to be a guild member looking after her 24x7, however, there was a 3 minute window between when she was attacked and when the apartment exploded where no-one came to her aid.


    It''s almost been a month since then and the progress about finding her whereabouts is non-existent.


    The guildmaster Karna personally assured me that the guild is working hard on this topic and that they would not hesitate to go on a war for Riva, however, I just don''t see it.


    The best guild in the entire world making 0 progress while investigating using all its avable resources doesn''t make any sense to me.


    The guild member who was assigned to my sister''s security detail, not showing up in her time of need is not normal.


    My gut tells me there''s someone within the guild torpedoing the flow of essential information..... that someone Riva trusted has a big hand in betraying her" ] Rocky said, as he felt sweat form on his back as he uttered these words with conviction.


    There was no turning back now, he had officially bit the hand that was feeding him, as the mad system had made him go after the integrity of thergest and most sessful guild in the history of humanity.


    "Wow.... Those are some very serious usation''s young man" Sunny said, as her tone while addressing Rocky shifted significantly after he openly criticized the True Elites.


    In this world, where monster outbreaks ured every four years and climbers were forced to risk their lives to defend the normal citizens, it was beyond taboo to criticize a guild.


    However, the True Elites was not just another guild and was thergest and most sessful one in the history of humanity.


    Karna was akin to humanity''s chosen son, and even insinuating a hint of criticism towards him was akin tomitting sacrilege.


    To make matters even worse, Rocky had chosen to push the narrative that there was someone within the guild who had betrayed Riva when the True Elites famously had the slogan "One for all and all for one" which signified their unity and integrity.


    All of humanity knew just how tight knit and pure the guild environment was, by throwing around such usations, Rocky was throwing mud at white walls that had never seen stains before.


    Rocky could sense the shift in atmosphere very well, every member in the audience had their burrows furrowed now and they looked at Rocky with a hint of hostility.


    He had to tread very carefully about what he wished to say next.


    [ "I know very well what I''m saying and what the consequences of my words might be.


    But I choose to say it regardless.


    People keep asking me under my vlogs about why do I train as hard as I do?


    What demons am I fighting?


    Well, I''ve never said it before, but I''ll say it here.


    I''m training so hard, because I swear to bring the culprits who kidnapped my sister to justice.


    I''m too weak now, and anyone who can kidnap my sister is clearly a very strong climber as my sister was incredibly strong herself.


    Agents of Olympus? Church of cowards? Someone she knew and trusted?


    It doesn''t matter who did it...


    It doesn''t even matter if it turns out that the entire True Elites guild iscent of the crime.


    If they hurt my sister, I''ll fight them all" ] Rocky said with conviction, as although it was the system who offered him the words, the emotion with which he delivered it was very real.


    Rocky did actually feel this way, and if it turned out that the entire guild wasplicit in kidnapping his sister, Rocky would actually fight them all, however, it was not a wise thing to say on national TV, as this statement was what marked him as the ''Viin''.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron allcat_gaming, please thank him in thements for this one ///

 Chapter 15: Anxiety

    <h4>Chapter 15: Anxiety</h4>


    Since the interview was not live, there was no immediate bacsh for Rocky as it would be a week until it aired on national TV, however, after the things Rocky said on that interview, he felt genuinely afraid to head back home.


    On the bright side, he had received 5 body strengthening potions that would help improve his physique by leaps and bounds, however, on the downside he now had to face Amelia and exin to her as to how after all the kindness she and the guildmaster had shown Rocky, he proceeded to stab them in the back on national TV.


    On his way back home, Rocky felt genuinely restless and anxious, as he did not feel too good about the things that he said, he had difficulty sitting in one spot and was constantly shuffling on his seat as he racked his brains about how to exin this situation to Amelia.


    He knew better than to reveal the presence of the system to anyone, as he realized that whoever came after his sister might alsoe after him if they found out that it was him who possessed her treasure now, however, without introducing the system in his story, Rocky could not think of any other excuse that would sound convincing enough.


    Deep down in his heart he knew that he truly did believe every word that he said and that if someone from the Elites did turn out to be a backstabbing serpent in hiding, Rocky would take him on, even if it meant taking on the whole True Elites guild, but, having no proof of this heavy usation that he made, Rocky felt like shit as for all he knew, this could cause unnecessary rift inside the guild and lead to Karna and Amelia hating him.


    ''Stupid system making me do things I don''t want! I knew they called the great god Shakuni a mastermind strategist, however, isn''t this too much?'' Rocky wondered, as he silently cursed the system in his head,


    Soon, he was driven back home by the chauffeur as he entered Amelia''s apartment with a heavy conscience.


    Once back home, Rocky wondered if packing his things up and running away was a smart choice?


    Rather than facing Amelia and confronting her with what happened, Rocky felt that it was easier to just run away, however, running away was what a coward would do and Rocky was no believer of that stupid cult.


    His father always taught him to face problems with a straight spine and hence Rocky decided to be upfront about this incident and talk it out with Amelia once she returned from work,ter in the night.


    To pass time, Rocky decided toplete his pending tasks for the day trying hard to keep his mind upied, however, the anxiety of the impending confrontation did not allow him to fully focus on any task at hand, as he felt stressed and restless all through the day, until Amelia eventually returned home,te at night.


    "Rocky, how many times have I told you to not wait for me to have dinner?


    It''s not good for a young kid like you to eat your dinner sote, it doesn''t give your digestive system enough time to break down the food" Ameliained as soon as she returned home and saw that yet again Rocky had not eaten dinner, waiting for Amelia to return.


    Although sheined about it everyday, secretly Amelia was very happy that Rocky waited up on her on a daily basis as it made her feel like family.


    "Aunt Amelia, I have something to confess-" Rocky said shakily, as he wasted no time once Amelia returned in pleasantries and cut right to the chase.


    Amelia raised an eyebrow and picked up the food from the dinner table to re-heat it while gesturing to Rocky to go on.


    "Today at the interview, I kind of criticized the guildmaster and the guild, I insinuated that someone from within the guild was torpedoing the investigation rted to my sister and that I was training hard to bring the guild down should it be proven true" Rocky said as he fit everything wrong that he spoke into two-three lines.


    "Hahaha, of course I''ve already seen your interview Rocky, Sunny''s staff has already sent me the uncut version..... I''m the secretary of the biggest guild in the world. Do you really think anyone can air the guild''s criticism without my approval?


    What you said was quite brave and I like your guts to be willing to fight a guild like the Elites for your sister, however, I''m not sure you fully understand just how much bacsh you will get for this interview.


    While guildmaster Karna is not afraid of a child''s criticism, nor is the guild, themoners and other climbers within the guild won''t see it that way.


    I don''t know why you lied in the interview, iming that your sister knew her assant, when you''ve told the guild that she did not.


    But you''re ying with fire here Rocky and if I were you, I''d be careful not to burn myself" Amelia said, as she seemed very casual about what Rocky said in the interview, as if it did not matter to her at all.


    " I.... I, don''t care about the bacsh from the people. I just don''t want you to misunderstand me.


    I''m very grateful for everything you do for me.


    I know how busy you are, howte youe home from work and how early you leave, yet every night after dinner, you cook a lunch for me to carry to school and refrigerate the dinner.


    I don''t show it, but it means a lot to me" Rocky said sheepishly as he felt relieved that the thing that he was so anxious about was no big deal to Amelia.


    A soft smile broke on Amelia''s face, as she felt her heart warm a little when Rocky revealed his true feelings and she found it cute that her opinion mattered so much to the kid.


    In reality, even she and the guildmaster suspected that someone from within the guild was involved in Riva''s kidnapping, however, uptil now they had no proof to back this belief.


    Rocky''s interview was a wee relief to them as it was bound to stir up trouble within the guild that could provide an opportunity to breakthrough, however, she could not reveal these ns to the kid.


    All she could do was share a warm dinner meal with him while assuring that she was not mad at him as she knew very well that Rocky was in for a world of trouble in itself when the interview aired a weekter.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Cervantez91, please thank him in thements for the same ///

 Chapter 16: Social Issues

    <h4>Chapter 16: Social Issues</h4>


    (One week earlier)


    As soon as Rocky''s interview was broadcast nationwide, the digital world erupted into chaos.


    His allegations against the True Elites guild ignited a firestorm of outrage on social media, as many refused to ept any defamation of these highly regarded figures.


    In this world where monster tides originating from the tower, threatened to sweep the to extinction every four years.


    Hundreds of thousands of climbers engaged in a crucial battle to contain the beasts within the tower''s vicinity and safeguard the.


    Criticizing climber guilds was seen as denouncing the very heroes who had risked their lives for humanity''s survival and was considered to be the worst form of social taboo.


    The reverence for climbers and the staunch defense of their honor stemmed from a cultural evolution over thest three centuries.


    Approximately 300 years earlier, climbers hade to recognize their unique position that their sacrifices for humanity''s sake were not obligatory but were choices made out of valor and a deep sense of duty.


    Taking part in this perilous struggle against the monster tide, climbers voluntarily risked their lives to repel the invasion, making this decision out of free will rather than anypulsion.


    Should the climbers'' association ever decide to abstain from battling the monster tide, the repercussions of that decision was not something that the climbers had to face directly.


    Instead, ordinary people would have to suffer the dire consequences with countless settlements turning into ruins, and potentially millions, if not billions, of lives lost.


    Thus, in a parallel to deities desiring unwavering devotion from mortals, climbers sought fame, love, and support from humanity in exchange for their indispensable services, binding the two in an unspoken pact of mutual dependence and respect.


    By insinuating that one of Earth''s own climbers would behave with nefarious intentions and cause harm to one of Earth''s own rising stars, Rocky had thrown mud at a wall thatmoners worshiped daily, and the bacsh of such an action was severe, giving birth to a huge digital campaign once Rocky''s interview was aired.


    As the digital tempest swirled around Rocky''s usations, the onlinemunity found itself cleaved into two fervent factions, each wielding their convictions like banners in a storm.


    On one side, a chorus of voices called for unwavering ountability. "We can''t turn a blind eye just because they''re heroes!" a tweet dered, capturing the essence of this group''s demand for transparency and justice. Forums buzzed with detailed discussions, urging a thorough and unbiased investigation into Rocky''s ims. "Even heroes must answer to the truth," a popr blog post argued, resonating with those who believed in the importance of integrity above all else. This segment of themunity, though respectful of the climbers'' sacrifices, insisted that no one, not even the most esteemed climber guilds, should be exempt from scrutiny.


    Conversely, a vehement bacsh against Rocky''s narrative emerged, fortified by unwavering loyalty to the True Elites. "Rocky''s usations are a disgrace to the climbers who protect us!" an incensedizen posted, reflecting a sentiment of betrayal felt by many. These supporters rallied around the guild, dismissing Rocky''s ims as nderous and unfounded. "#TrueElitesHonor" trended, as fans shared stories of climbers'' bravery and sacrifices, painting Rocky as a viin undermining the heroes of humanity. "Without proof, these are just words meant to tarnish the brave," a highly shared videomentary opined, calling into question Rocky''s motives and character.


    Amidst this prizedndscape, social media became an arena for heated debates. Comment sections turned into battlegrounds, where arguments were exchanged with the rapidity and intensity of arrows in medieval warfare. Blind supporters shed with those advocating for ountability, neither willing to cede ground. "Our climbers have earned our trust through blood and sacrifice!" one side argued, viewing any usation as a direct assault on the very fabric of their society. "But truth and justice must prevail, no matter who stands used," countered the other, steadfast in their belief that righteousness should guide their judgment.


    This division extended beyond mere opinions, evolving into a reflection of deeper societal values: the weight of hero worship against the principles of justice and ountability. Rocky''s allegations had unwittingly tapped into a cultural vein, unleashing a torrent of emotions and revealing theplex rtionship between heroes and those they protect. Some saw Rocky as a lone voice daring to speak truth to power, while others perceived him as a traitor, casting unwarranted aspersions on revered protectors.


    As the debate raged on, the significance of Rocky''s usations transcended their immediate implications, catalyzing a broader societal introspection.


    This was not merely about the veracity of his ims, but about sparking a necessary dialogue on the ideals of heroism, ountability, and the intricate bnce between the two.


    The fervent online discussions revealed deep-seated beliefs about trust, honor, and justice, showcasing themunity''s capacity for critical reflection. Rocky''s words, whether proven true or false, had already started to achieve a profound effect where they had prompted a collective examination of what it meant to be a hero in a society that desperately relied on them, and how that society choose to paint these severely wed beings as seconding of gods, when in reality they were far from ideal.


    In a society, where people wore tshirts with the tags ''Proud to die for my climbers pride'' the question of whether the climbers were even worthy of such admiration was a tough one.


    Criticize them too much and they would be disintevized to protect humanity.


    Turn a blind eye to their misdeeds and the message that would be sent would be that regardless of what they would do, humans would worship them like dogs because they were dependent on them for their survival.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron RippiN, please thank him in thements for the same ///

 Chapter 17: Whirlpool of hate

    <h4>Chapter 17: Whirlpool of hate</h4>


    Rocky''s life changed drastically after the interview aired on national TV.


    He was branded as a ''Rebel'' and became a prizing figure wherever he went.


    At school, he was given hell by his fellow ssmates whose dream was to be a climber one day.


    For them, who were indoctrinated as a child to be thankful towards climbers, Rocky''s views were sphemous and hence they relentlessly harassed him for it.


    His desk was stuffed with dog-shit, his water bottle had piss inside of it instead of water and some more rowdy fellows even went as far as to spit on him as he walked through the halls.


    ''Ungrateful cunt''


    ''Attention seeking whore''


    ''Dickless bitch''


    These were some of the insults that the men of his ss hurled at him, with even Adam and Taylor receiving the short end of the stick for being friends with him.


    The women he rejected now scoffed at him, spreading nasty rumors about his personality that were simply not true.


    His reputation which was untouchable just a few days ago, became unsalvageable now, as he became the center of hatred and conspiracies.


    Some wondered if Rocky had sold his conscience and had joined the Agents Of Olympus to betray his own sister.


    Some found the fact that he was not celebrating new years at his own home and was at his friends to be a convenient excuse.


    Nheless, despite all the hatred, and all the taunting, Rocky kept his calm.


    One recess, he just went to the school yground and bent the side iron pole of the volleyball with his bare hands as although he did not scream at anyone in the school, nor did he threaten or physically hurt anyone, with the entire school watching, he bent iron like it was rubber, leaving everyone scrambling in fear.


    Rocky had not even entered the tower yet and hence, he should technically not have the strength of a climber, however, after consuming the five body strengthening potions that the system had given Rocky as reward forpleting the interview, Rocky''s innate strength had increased by leaps and bounds as he became capable enough of bending iron with his bare hands.


    This event sent shockwaves across the school as from that point onwards Rocky became the lion of the Savannah that the herbivores scrambled upon seeing.


    As they mocked him from afar, however, no-one dared toe close to him or spit on his face anymore as they feared for their life.


    Thankfully, all this drama only ured after Rocky had received his no objection certificate from the schools principal, as she absolutely lost it after Rocky bent the volleyball pole.


    Fined 2000$ and suspended for a week, the principal really wished she could rescind Rocky''s no objection certificate at this point, however, unfortunately she could not do it.


    From the second she submitted it, she had lost her hold over Rocky, as once submitted the application could not be rescinded.


    She, just like most students, was a blind believer in the magnanimity and grandeur of the climbers and believed that questioning their morales was a crime.


    She had hence turned a blind eye to all the bullying that Rocky was facing as deep down she believed that Rocky deserved it, however, when the tables turned she immediately went ahead and suspended Rocky.


    However, the bullying at school was nothingpared to the bullying online as Rocky had be public enemy number one.


    Religious figures from the Church Of Gemini, the patron god of the True Elites guild, dered Rocky to be a sphemous traitor demanding for there to be a heretical inquisition to question his intentions, however, with Rocky not yet being a part of the Climber Association and being just a normal citizen, they had no jurisdiction over him.


    Rocky''s life turned into a whirlpool of chaos and all of it just went to show how wed the current human society was as a whole.


    using the morals of climbers, who were no different from mortal men gripped with desires, ambitions and vices was dered to be sphemy, the concept of free speech did not seem to apply to them and Rocky found this entire situation to bepletely bullshit.


    Although he had not wished to ce himself in the middle of this shit-storm, now that he found himself within it, he had no regrets.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile Karna )


    Using Rocky''s interview as an excuse, Karnaunched a desperate internal probe into Riva''s team to check whether or not it had a traitor.


    He provided different information about the investigation to different members and tried to bait out the traitor by spreading false rumors that he had gained evidence that someone within the guild had indeed betrayed Riva.


    For a week, he yed the game of cat and mouse with Riva''s team members, cing a tail on all of them and monitoring their every activity as eventually he received the news that Joe had managed to shrug off his tail and was missing sincest morning.


    A search of his apartment suggested that he had left in a hurry with clothes and valuables thrown hastily across the room as he only took the things most valuable to him while discarding everything else.


    Him fleeing was the irrefutable proof that he was indeed involved with Riva''s disappearance and the fact that he was Riva''s scout for the night, responsible for her safety when she was kidnapped, made Karna even more sure of his hypothesis.


    ------


    /// A/N - My apologies, I''m feeling under the weather and am unable to provide the bonus chapters scheduled for today.


    I will surely give them once I feel a bit better.///

 Chapter 18: The culprit

    <h4>Chapter 18: The culprit</h4>


    [True Elites Headquarters, The Upside]


    *Camera Shutters*


    *shes*


    "It fills me with profound sorrow to convene this press briefing. Today, we at True Elites grapple with a crisis of unparalleled scale.


    Joe Jones, a key figure in squad 16 and a recognized member of our guild, has been implicated in collusion with the Agents of Olympus, suspected of ying a pivotal role in the abduction of his team leader, the rising star Riva Yadav.


    On the day of the incident, Joe, tasked with Riva''s security, was the initial responder to the explosion at her apartment and is suspected of wiping away any useful evidence that could have been collected, torpedoing the reconnaissance efforts.


    Currently, Joe has vanished from his home and wasst observed entering the tower solo.


    Our intelligence points to his presence on floor 21, a known stronghold of the Olympians, further casting doubt on his allegiance in Riva''s disappearance.


    This incident marks the first instance of a human, a fellow member of our society,mitting such a stark betrayal against ourmunity, and it pains me to acknowledge the emergence of such a traitor from within our ranks.


    Going forward, one of the guilds foremost priority shall be to apprehend Joe and make him stand trial for his crimes, right here on Earth and to aid this purpose, we the Elites issue a massive bounty of One Million Tower Gold for his capture alive and a hundred thousand if dead.


    Despite this adversity, we the True Elites remain unwavering in ourmitment to secure Riva''s safe return, whatever the cost so may the Gemini Gods extend their blessings and give us strength, amen" dered Karna in a global press statement with his words causing a far reaching ripple effect.


    For an Earth climber, a devotee of Gemini, to forsake their gods for Olympus and collude with extraterrestrials to kidnap an Earthling represents an egregious vition.


    Historically, Earth''s climbers had been known for their steadfast devotion to their guardian deities and fellow humans. By forsaking both, Joe had now not only be a renegade of faith but also the''s foremost adversary.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Rocky watched the press conference live and felt his bloode to a boil when he found out that uncle Joe, the same man who he and his sister trusted so much, was the snake that betrayed her.


    "Uncle Joe.... No..... Bastard Joe you will pay for this, I swear!" Rocky said seething, as he resolved to make Joe pay for this betrayal.


    [ Strongest System Notification:- You have a new quest!


    Quest Title- Punish the traitor.


    Quest Description- Joe, a man your sister trusted so deeply has been revealed to be the one who betrayed her.


    Avenge your sister by capturing Joe and turning him over to authorities on Earth.


    Time limit - None


    Failure Penalty - None


    Rewards - ???? ]


    A new system notification issued Rocky his first mission without any penalties.


    Without a time constraint on it either, the system was very lenient with this quest, however, the rewards forpleting the quest remained a mystery.


    With or without the quest, Rocky had resolved himself to bring Joe to justice anyways, and hence even if the reward for this quest was nothing at all, Rocky still would not care.


    However, while Rocky seethed in anger, a new wave of support began emerging for him and his previous statement on social media, as his public image took yet another major shift once his baseless allegations were proven true.


    The same people who were cursing him just a couple of days ago, began to change their tone and sing his praises as theymended Rocky on his bravery to call things as he saw them, even if it went beyond social conformities.


    From a positive figure to a hated viin to a visionary, Rocky''s image took violent turns, however, as a result of all the controversy around him, he became a household name that gained global poprity.


    In the week following Karna''s interview, Rocky went from having about one and a half million subscribers on his channel to over 15 million as he observed explosive growth unlike anything one could have imagined.


    Brands came knocking to make Rocky their brand ambassador, promoters lined up with thick stacks of money for Rocky to give a shoutout of their products in his vlog and other popr influencers begged Rocky to make a coboration video.


    He also got invited to ''Dinnertime With Sunny'' for the second time in the same month, however, Rocky rejected all offers.


    Focusing solely on his system workout routine and his uing final exams, Rocky bided his time until he could officially enter the tower as he was now burning with ambition to begin his climber journey and bring his sister''s kidnappers to justice.

 Chapter 19: Graduation

    <h4>Chapter 19: Graduation</h4>


    Good news came for Rocky in the form that both his friends Taylor and Adam underwent their first awakenings on their birthday week itself.


    From their entire batch, it was only the three of them and a nerdy girl named La who underwent first awakening around their birthdays as the rest were either waiting to turn 18 or had not undergone awakening at least in their first few months of turning 18.


    While technically one could still undergo awakening between ages 18-21, the longer it took for one to awaken the lesser their potential generally was and such talents were mostly undesirable to major guilds.


    It was around this time that children began to realize that not everyone was created equal as the power dynamics began subtly shifting for the first time in their life.


    Uptil now, everyone wore a uniform, everyone received the same education, everyone yed the same games together and were more or less friendly with one another, however, all that was going to change starting now.


    The climbers would go onto join the tower, join the climber university and be warrior''s or craftsmen while the non-climbers would be forced to prepare for rigorous entrance exams and a difficult job market, which would on average pay 1/10th of what a level10 climber would earn a year.


    While the climbers would go on to improve their physical strength, their appearance, their lifespan.


    Drive fancy cars, date beautiful women/men.... The non-climbers would live a normal life and cower every time the year of death came around praying that their heroes and saviors managed to fend off the monster tide.


    Jealousy, disbelief, desperation.... This was the first time that the young adults had to feel these emotions as intensely as they did and it drove them crazy.


    While Rocky, Taylor and Adamughed and giggled about their uing climber life, the rest could only grit their teeth and secretly search on the inte about shady ways to forcefully undergo awakening, following unproven superstitions and drinking unlicensed medicine in hope of having a life that was never meant for them.


    Not all humans were born equal. This was a tough concept to swallow for most, however, in this world where the tower existed.


    Only the Climbers were the first ss citizens.


    While non-climbers were second rate, and the fact that this distinction was not made at birth, but rather after individuals matured and had hope of bing climbers, made this process even more painful and cruel than it should have ideally been.


    Just like that, soon the final exam season rolled around and Rocky, alongside both his friends, managed to pass out with flying colors.


    All three having received their no objection certificates from the school, they could now enter the tower and join a climber academy after officially registering with the climber association.


    **************


    ( Graduation night, Amelia''s house )


    For Rocky, his graduation day coincided with thest and final day of his 90 day hard challenge as after receiving the result and going out for lunch with his best friends, Rocky returned home toplete hisst workout routine as he observed a massive difference between hisst workout session aspared to his first.


    On hisst day, Rocky couldplete all ten sets of his exercises with rtive ease as he needed hardly 60 minutes toplete the full workout routine that once took him half a day toplete.


    His 5 mile running time had dropped down to just over 20 minutes and his lung capacity became better than ever.


    He had gained a lot of knowledge about the tower, its history and the various factions within it, including a thorough understanding of which factions controlled what floors and which gods were friendly with which gods.


    His Me Tube channel had grown to 22 million subscribers in just 90 days and he was currently riding a wave of explosive growth and adding hundreds of thousands of subscribers to his channel everyday.


    Overall, it all felt like a dream to Rocky, however, he could not enjoy it in peace as the absence of his sister kept pricking him constantly.


    Since him graduating also meant that he would soon be moving out of Amelia''s apartment, afterpleting his workout and drinking his refreshment potion, Rocky decided to do something grand for Amelia as a thankyou gesture.


    Instead of getting hammered on booze like the rest of his ss for his graduation party, Rocky hand cooked dinner for Amelia, ordered her expensive gifts from the money that he received from his MeTube channel and decorated the house as best as he could with flowers and candles.


    It was almost like a date, although it was not-


    Despite how it looked, Rocky only wanted to make a nice gesture which was why he did all that he could to convey his heartfelt gratitude.


    Later at night, as Amelia returned from work, she was surprised and thrilled to see what Rocky had nned for her, as watching the beautifully decorated dinner table and the young and handsome Rocky waiting for her in a suit, she could not help but chuckle and blush as she graciously epted his arrangement.


    Although the food that Rocky cooked was not really that good, Amelia felt really moved by his effort as just for one evening she dropped her stern attitude andughed and enjoyed alongside Rocky, celebrating his graduation.


    During dinner, for the first time in her life Amelia wondered if she had an actual boyfriend, would she be treated to such special evenings more often?


    She questioned whether she was missing out on the quality of life and it''s little joys because she was basically married to her work? However, she quickly shrug these thoughts off as she knew that while a rtionship had its highs, the lowssted longer and were worse and that she did not need such drama in her life.


    "So, when are you nning to move out? Also what university are you nning to enroll into?" Amelia asked, once their dinner wasplete and the two washed the dishes.


    "Hopefully the day after tomorrow, I''m going to register myself as a climber tomorrow at the association and move onto enrolling into a climber university at floor zero, while the new session is yet to begin" Rocky replied as Amelia nodded her head and approved of Rocky''s n.


    If Rocky was fast, he could still enroll before the next university sessionmenced andplete his introductory training to be a climber.


    "I''ll miss you, kid. You''re a problem child, but a good child.


    Although I might not show it, I''m quite fond of you and should you run into any trouble, you can always count on Aunt Amelia to help you out.


    Since the guildmaster has promised you a letter of rmendation, you can rest assured that any B grade university will ept you, even if you have the worst evaluation at the association.


    With a half decent talent you can enroll into an A grade university, however, if you wish to aim for the top four universities, you will need to have more than just the guild master''s rmendation letter to make the cut.


    My suggestion will be to go for the university for nourishment of young talents as your first choice.....


    The best warrior''s are always once who have been mentored by that crazy principal" Amelia said as she conveyed her true emotions in the most formal way possible as Rocky smiled and gave her a tight hug, taking her by surprise.


    For a second, Amelia was stunned, but she then smiled and returned Rocky''s embrace feeling warmth in her heart.


    -----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter 1/5.


    I''ll try toplete the bonus series by tomorrow or day after bytest. ///

 Chapter 20: Talent

    <h4>Chapter 20: Talent</h4>


    The climbers association was the organization that acted as the regtory control body for climbers.


    It was a global body, with branches in every major town and city across the world and its importance trumped that of any other body on Earth.


    The association exerted a degree of control over every single guild and even held influence over individual climbers regardless of their affiliation.


    The reason behind why the association was so powerful was because it controlled the key aspects of one bing a sessful climber.


    Firstly, it was the body with thergest reserve of Tower Gold Coins on the entire which it used to fund the education of new climbers and procurement of key defensive weapons.


    Acting as a customs agent which checked everything that was taken into the tower and brought back on Earth, the association served the dual purpose of safeguarding Earth from dangerous substances and unknown diseases and also collected a tariff fee which helped it grow into the economic powerhouse that it was.


    With this money, it bought and operated various talent testing centers, which helped determine the innate potential of newly awakened individuals.


    What element did one show a natural affinity towards?


    How naturally well tuned their mana pathways were?


    How robust was their physical body?


    How good were their reflexes?


    It tested an individual on a total of 64 different criteria and graded them on a score of 1 to 10 for each criteria.


    After all the testing was done, they gave one a talent grade which represented how much of a potential they had and the maximum tier they were likely to reach in their lifetime if they worked hard enough.


    The talent grades went from F- to SSS+, however, 99.99% candidates fell between the F- to B- range.


    A ''D'' grade talent meant that the individual was most likely to be unable to progress beyond floor 30 of the tower and would spend his life being a below average climber.


    A ''B'' grade talent meant that the climber could potentially reach upto floor 50, however, the path to reaching such heights was extremely difficult.


    Such talents were highly valuable in any guilds and ended up bing either core members or team captains should they progress beyond floor 40.


    Rarely ever did a talent above B+ grade pop up and these were the talents that were considered a cut above the rest and could bebeled as the ''Elite'' climbers of the world.


    These were the climbers that had the potential to perhaps transcend the infamous floor 60 and achieve a lifespan of thousands of years, bing a lesser god.


    These talents were rare and out of a 1000 who had such a potential, perhaps only a single one out of them was able to achieve it, however, all of them showed a smooth ascension until at least floor 40 and were highly sought after talents that upied the top positions in any guild.


    The guildmaster, vice guildmaster, legionmanders, guild elders of any major guild were talents that were ranked A- or more, however, while extremely valuable on Earth, in the entire tower, across thousands ofs, there were still millions of talents ranked A- or more, which was why the true rare ranks that constituted the real talents, were those who belonged to the fabled ''S'' ss.


    The true heights that an S ss could reach was considered immeasurable and about 1 in every 10 talents who was ranked as an S ss, ended up bing a lesser god someday.


    Riva, was one such talent, ranked S+ in her evaluation, which was one of the highest evaluations ever witnessed in over 20 years, and the highest ever in 200+ years if one discarded the evaluations of the two monsters of the True Elites Guild, Neatwit and Karna.


    Ranked SS- , Neatwit was a generational talent, the likes of which Earth had never seen and was the wild card of the True Elites Guild who only appeared in major tower runs and never seemed to be involved in the guilds day to day affairs.


    An ascension freak, his love for ughtering monsters was legendary as it was rumored that unless he killed at least 1000 monsters a day, he didn''t even have a drop of water.


    However, while a SS- rank seemed impossible to beat, Karna, the True Elites guildmaster was a step higher at SS rating, bing the highest ranked individual in the history of the Climbers Association since its inception 250 years ago.


    Not just Earth, but the entire universe was in uproar when Neatwit and Karna were evaluated so highly in the difference of just one month from each other, as Earth had witnessed the birth of their two brightest stars.


    In just 20 short years, the duo climbed a whopping 50 floors together, infamously having never failed a tower run even once.


    The guild that they created, became the number one guild on the within a decade with every aspiring new talent joining their ranks in hopes of ascending fast alongside their bright stars.


    The duo, were repeatedly approached by bigger tower organisations that operated beyond the scope of Earth as they tried to poach them into leaving the tiny, however, Karna and Neatwit did not abandon their home, participating in four dangerous monster outbreaks and heroically saving millions of lives.


    They were a part of the reason behind why humans were such fanatics when it came to climbers as nobody on Earth had the guts to criticize Karna or Neatwit after all they had done for the.


    However, while SS was good, it was still not the best evaluation as SS+, SSS-,SSS and the legendary SSS+ still remained.


    A potential of SS signified that one could climb up to the 80th floor, bing a legendary figure that was only a few steps beneath the True Gods, however, a potential of SSS suggested that one had the potential to be a True God themself!


    It was a heaven defying talent, one that was only talked about in myths and legends, however, in thest 500 years, not a single SSS talent had popped up in the entire universe.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Mass release chapter 2 of 5, I''m feelings much better and am confident of being able to finish all the bonuses today!///

 Chapter 21: The scam

    <h4>Chapter 21: The scam</h4>


    ( The day after graduation, country X )


    Rocky, Taylor and Adam approached their local Climber''s Association headquarters in Country X and excitedly discussed future prospects amongst themselves.


    "Man this is a massive scam, no matter how I look at it.


    Non-climber families like ours are not allowed to possess more than 1 tower gold coins.


    The fees for any good university on floor 0 is at least 5-7,000 TG a semester, so there is no way in hell that you can pay that amount yourself if your parents are not already climbers....." Adam mumbled in annoyance as Taylor picked up from where he left off and continued " and the only ce where you can borrow 7000 TG is the Climbers Association, the same ce where you test your talent.


    However, for lending that money, they make you sign a bond which forces you to provide at least one year of mandatory service to the association and you swear to protect humanity in at least two uing raids by serving on the front lines.


    So effectively what they do is that they don''t let you earn TG, force you into fighting for humanity, and then leech a % of your ie until you pay back the principal with a 7% rate of interest"


    *ps*


    The three friends sarcastically pped for the brutal business practices that the climbers association followed as a monopoly, however, they also understood that it was because of these said policies that Earth remained the safe haven that it was.


    "What university are you nning for?" Rocky eventually asked the two friends as they waited in line for their turn to be tested.


    " I''m going to go for the university of basic elements if my talent is atleast a C.


    It has great alumni, a good campus and a great education program, what about you two?" Taylor replied


    " I''m more interested in the university for nonbatants.


    I want to be like the great forger Ksh, he''s paid in millions, he''s more respected than guildmaster Karna at times.


    He''s living the life" Adam said, as he turned towards Rocky, awaiting his answer.


    " I''m aiming for the university for nourishment of young talents.... But let''s see" Rocky said as both Adam and Taylor instantly cracked up at his choice.


    " Hahahaha! The number one ranked university on floor 0, of course you want that one" Taylor said,ughing out loud.


    " Brother the fee is around 100,000 gold a semester.


    You will drown in debt I''m telling you, D-R-O-W-N" Adam said as he slit his finger across his throat, showing Rocky that he would be a dead man if he made that choice.


    "Do you really think you will be ranked A or higher in the talent evaluation? They don''t even take in A- you know, the university for nourishment of young talents is a brutal ce-" Taylor said, reminding Rocky that even if he ignored the economics of it, he would still be unable to enter the ce without sufficient talent.


    "Man, their principal is infamously crazy! Even your sister avoided that university although she could have enrolled into it" Adam said as Rocky shrugged his shoulder and smiled nonchntly.


    He did not care what others said, he had already made up his mind that if the university for nourishment of young talents was ready to have him, Rocky was ready to go there, regardless of what others told him.


    "Alright, wish me luck boys, looks like I''m up next" Taylor said as the disy monitor showed his name and Taylor was asked to enter the talent testing chamber.


    Rocky and Adam wished him the best of luck and eagerly waited for his result as they stared at the monitor outside.


    ¡ª--------


    Examinee - Taylor Hudson


    Elemental Affinity - Water, Earth.


    Close Combat Talent - Below Average.


    Suggested Path - Mage.


    Overall Grade - C


    ¡ª--------


    The key areas of Taylor''s evaluation were disyed on the screen, once he was tested as Rocky and Adam pped enthusiastically at his result.


    C was a pretty good result and Taylor could easily live a great life with such a talent as it seemed like he was suited to be a mage!


    ¡ª--------


    Next Candidate - Adam Wilfred, please enter


    ¡ª---------


    The screen disyed Adam''s name next, as Rocky pped him on the back and gave him some encouragement.


    At this moment, Rocky felt even his heart starting to beat louder as he realized that it was him who was going to be tested next.


    ¡ª--------


    Examinee - Adam Wilfred


    Elemental Affinity - Fire


    Close Combat Talent - Below Average


    Suggested Path - Non Combatant / Forger


    Overall Grade - C-


    ¡ª---------


    Rocky nced at the screen and nodded in approval over Adam''s grading, as it seemed like both his friends had sufficient talent to pursue the path that they wished for.


    ¡ª-------


    Next Examinee - Rocky Yadav, please enter


    ¡ª------


    The screen disyed, as Rocky took a deep breath and walked into the testing room.


    ********


    /// A/N - Mass release chapter 3/5. ///

 Chapter 22: Disbelief

    <h4>Chapter 22: Disbelief</h4>


    ¡ª-------


    Next Examinee - Rocky Yadav, please enter


    ¡ª-------


    Rocky entered the room with a soft smile on his face.


    He was feeling nervous, but also excited!


    Somehow, he did not feel worried about what his talent grade came out to be, as regardless of what it came out to be, Rocky knew that he would persevere and be as strong as he needed to be to save his sister.


    As he took a few steps into the room, he could see the test operator looking at him as Rocky offered him a confident smile.


    The test operator was impressed, as most candidates who entered had a super nervous expression on their face before grading and confident ones like Rocky were far and few.


    The testing room itself was something Rocky had seen countless times in popr movies and TV series, as every child on Earth knew precisely what it looked like.


    The room itself was pure gray in color, however, it was gray that leaned more towards a bluish hue rather than a ckish one.


    On one end of the room was the test operator, who stood behind a giant counter and controlled the mana stone output sent to the testing area.


    Beside him, was a medical official who stood on stand-by as there were several cases of climbers with impure bodies who felt nauseous and vomited after undertaking the test as their bodies could not ept the flow of pure mana.


    The testing arena itself was a stage that was created in between several carefully crafted runic patterns.


    It was a set-up that cost several million TG to build and was considered to be one of Earth''s most valuable assets.


    The way the test worked was that the examinee stood in the middle of the runic formation on the white stone in the middle and then he was bombarded with pure stream of mana which flowed throughout one''s mana circuit.


    The elemental affinity was discovered by the color of mist that came out of one''s body during this process and judging by the depth of the mist color one determined as to how strong the elemental affinity was.


    The other 63 parameters judged were done so in a more nuanced way and its results were calcted autonomously.


    The worst possible oue for an individual was F- and the best possible oue was a perfect score with SSS+ rating, however, there was also a hidden criteria that no-one had ever unlocked before, and hence hadpletely faded from public memory.


    As Rocky approached the white centerpiece, he could see the faint off-white text written on it.


    ''Hail Gemini''


    The text read, as Rocky chuckled and stood on the centerpiece.


    The pose while having one''s talent tested was fixed, one needed to stand straight with their arms straight by their side and a straight looking neck posture.


    Rocky, taking the infamous pose, readied himself for the test as once he was in position, the test operator began slowly bombarding him with mana.


    Initially, Rocky felt nothing, but a few seconds passed and he felt a tingling sensation starting to pass all over his body.


    The tingling sensation while mild at first and spread evenly over his body, slowly began to concentrate on his back as he felt every inch of his back heating up like never before.


    Blood Red, Luminous White, Sea Blue, and Forest Green mist formed around his body, signifying perfect affinity for all four talents, as even the operator felt excited by Rocky''s potential.


    Usually, with the machine output being around 30-40%, the test waspleted, however, for Rocky it remained iplete as the operator slowly increased the output to 50%.


    Rocky''s breathing became heavier.


    He felt like his back was on fire and it really was, as his cotton t shirt that he wore into the test burned away like a sheet of paper, exposing his bare chest.


    "ARGHHH"


    Rocky screamed in agony as even the operator began to sweat wondering what was wrong as although he was no longer operating the machine, it seemed to be increasing the output all by itself as it increased to 70%.... 80% ..... 90%!


    *EMERGENCY SIRENS*


    The operator pressed the emergency kill switch, he wished to terminate the operation, however, the kill switch would not work either as the machine seemed to have developed a mind of its own.


    *THUD*


    Rocky dropped to his knees, fatigue enveloped his body and his mind nked out as all he could see as he closed his eyes was a symbol that was being carved into his flesh by forces that were beyond his control.


    *FSSSSSHHHH*


    *TRRRR*


    The operator pressed the emergency switch for the water sprinklers to be active as a downpour of water flooded the test arena.


    The medic rushed towards Rocky who was panting on the floor, however, as he approached closer to Rocky and got a glimpse of the tattoo on his back, he dropped his medical supply bag and faltered in his step as he dropped down to his knees in disbelief.


    " Ha... ha.... Ha...." He took deep breaths pointing towards Rocky''s back, before cking out and passing out unconscious as he could not believe his own eyes.


    Output - 100%.


    Examinee Talent - SSS.


    The operator saw the screen and felt his vision doubling as he rolled his eyes and checked the screen again.


    " This can''t be true.... This.... This...." He too felt his heart rate shoot out of his chest as he could not believe his eyes as mming against the test room wall he slid onto the ground below, praising the great lord Gemini.


    *BANG*


    " What happened! What''s going on?"


    Soon, other association members rushed into the room as the emergency sirens rmed everyone. However, the scene that they witnessed after entering the room was something that they would not forget for as long as they lived.


    A passed out Rocky, on the test floor, a passed out medic near him, and a test operator in disbelief, all soaked wet amongst some of the most expensive apparatus on Earth.


    However, it was a scene that would be recreated in several movies and immortalized forever in the memory of humanity as the birth of the first champion!


    ---------


    /// A/N - Mass release chapter 4/5 ///

 Chapter 23: Birth Of A Champion

    <h4>Chapter 23: Birth Of A Champion</h4>


    As the climber association members approached Rocky, they got to take a good look at his back with the sizzling tattoo being the first thing that they noticed.


    It was a massive tattoo, one that every human could recognise even in their sleep, as it was the mark of their patron god, Gemini.


    "Hey, hey, hey, are you seeing this too or am I hallucinating?" One climber association official asked the other, as everyone seemed to be questioning the authenticity of the scene before their eyes.


    A ck tattoo, covered Rocky''s entire back from the tip of his shoulders to his hips, created in extreme detail with godly symmetry and precision.


    A humanoid figure with two angel wings and a devil for a face was the main depiction, however, while the rest of the tattoo was pitch ck, the blood that dripped from the devil''s face was red as it seemed to fall down to the smaller feminine figure, seemingly bathing her in blood.


    The legend of this woman was covered in mystery and nobody really knew who she was with certainty, however, popr stories referred to her as ''The Queen'' and mythologically she was said to be the greatest servant of the Gemini brothers.


    Apart from the red blood dripping from the devil''s mouth, the only other part of the tattoo that was colored were the eyes of the devil, which had the dual colors of blood red and omniscient blue with the right eye being blood red and the left one being omniscient blue.


    Overall, this tattoo was the mural that depicted the mark of the Gemini brothers that was found in every church, every religious pendant across Earth and was a symbol that every earthling could easily recognise.


    However, while the symbol itself was special, its sudden appearance during talent testing on Rocky''s back, was an even more shocking event.


    For almost as long as the religion of Gemini existed, there existed a hymn that was a part of folklore.


    <strong><i>[ In the shadowed hours, when peril unfolds, </i></strong>


    <strong><i>A hero emerges, as prophecy told. </i></strong>


    <strong><i>Marked by the divine, with might and grace, </i></strong>


    <strong><i>Heavenly prowess in battle, none can face. </i></strong>


    <strong><i>An epoch he''ll carve, in the annals of time, </i></strong>


    <strong><i>A throne overturned, in his climb. </i></strong>


    <strong><i>With cunning that dances, like Shakuni''s schemes, </i></strong>


    <strong><i>And prowess that rivals, Ravan''s dreams. </i></strong>


    <strong><i>A warrior of legends, in stories untold, </i></strong>


    <strong><i>With heart of a lion, and spirit bold. </i></strong>


    <strong><i>In darkness, he''ll shine, a guiding light, </i></strong>


    <strong><i>A beacon of hope, in the fiercest fight. </i></strong>


    <strong><i>A warrior of legends, in tales yet spun,</i></strong>


    <strong><i>With courage that rivals the zing sun.</i></strong>


    <strong><i>Yet in his wake, shadows whisper and weave,</i></strong>


    <strong><i>A hero or viin? In which will you believe? ] </i></strong>


    It was a poem that was taught to every child when they were young as the priests in the church of Gemini always imed that ONE day, there will be a warrior who would receive the blessings of the Gemini Gods and shall be marked by their symbol.


    That the man who would be marked by the gods, would be the champion that they chose and his arrival would mark the advent of humanity''s darkest hour, as in the years to follow great tragedies were bound to unfold.


    Should the champion prevail, he would be the beacon of light that would usher humanity into a new era!


    Should he fail, he would be the reason behind why Humanity would perish.


    Some waited for decades to hopefully see the champion be born in their lifetime.


    Some discarded it as just an ominous folklore.


    However, now that the champion of Gemini had finally appeared for real, one thing that was sure was that his talent and arrival was going to send shockwaves throughout the universe.


    Not just Earth, but every that worshiped Gemini would be desperate to meet the champion.


    While, every individual that did not believe in the Gemini Gods, would try to hunt Rocky and gain favor of their patron gods for having killed the champion of Gemini.


    " Hail Gemini....*sob*.... Hail my great lord and savior.....ALL HAIL GEMINI" The climber association official began to cry like a little baby as he banged his fists on the floor and acted like a fanatic.


    For him, witnessing this event live was like watching the birth of a new god as there was no containing his euphoria.


    Rocky''s marking as the champion was irrefutable proof that the lord had not abandoned Earth. That he still favored earthlings and heard their prayers.


    It was a day of great celebration for all earthlings, as what had just transpired was simply an event of historic proportions.


    Today, The Gemini Gods had chosen their first champion!


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - mass release chapter 5/5.


    Hey guys! I''ll be sharing a picture of the tattoo in thements below this chapter, so it can help you visualize it better.


    Also yes, it''s the same tattoo as the cover of the novel- ///

 Chapter 24: Reactions

    <h4>Chapter 24: Reactions</h4>


    In the chaotic moments following Rocky''s branding as the champion, urgent measures were taken to ensure his safety and well-being.


    He was promptly rushed to the nearest medical center, his condition closely monitored by a team of specialists, who were bewildered by the phenomenon they were witnessing.


    Concurrently, the Climber Association, recognizing the gravity of the event, acted swiftly, sending the test result footage to key global entities.


    This distribution list included the foremost guilds and, crucially, the Church of Gemini, the bastion of faith that had long heralded the emergence of a divine champion.


    The Climber Association''s intent behind sharing the footage was to inform and prepare the institutions most deeply intertwined with the lore and prophecy of the Gemini for the emergence of the champion.


    However, the modern world''s intricate web of digitalmunication did not work in ways that they intended, as the critical tape that was meant to be protected as top secret was leaked to the open web for all to see.


    Despite all intentions for a controlled release, with the video escaping into the wild expanse of the inte, one could only specte that the breach was made by a devout insider who must have feltpelled to share the miraculous urrence or the cunning work of digital activists determined to expose this groundbreaking event to the masses to promote chaos.


    Naturally, The leak ignited a wildfire of public attention, sparking a massive uproar across digital tforms worldwide, buzzing with an electrifying intensity unmatched by any previous event.


    News of the marked champion, the first ever to bear the divine tattoo of Gemini, cascaded through social media tforms, discussion forums, and news outlets with viral ferocity.


    Within minutes of the announcement, #GeminiChampion and #Rocky''sMark surged to the top of global trending topics.


    Images of the sizzling tattoo, captured in the moments following the test, were shared and re-shared, each iteration apanied by captions ranging from awe-struck veneration to skeptical analysis.


    Memes proliferated, some hailing Rocky as the messiah of the digital age, others humorously juxtaposing his situation with pop culture references, yet all contributing to the digital tapestry of a world captivated by a single event.


    On one popr tform, a thread titled "The Dawn of the Gemini Champion: Fact or Fiction?" attracted thousands ofments within the first hour. "This is what we''ve been waiting for," wrote one user, their message echoing the sentiments of countless others who believed in the ancient prophecies.


    Skeptics pushed back, questioning the authenticity of the tattoo and the circumstances surrounding its revtion. "CGI hase a long way," a doubter posted, only to be met with counter arguments detailing the credibility of the Climber Association and the integrity of the testing process.


    Streaming tforms saw an unprecedented spike in viewership as influencers and content creators went live to discuss the news. Experts in mythology, religion, and science were invited to weigh in, offering their perspectives on the implications of Rocky''s emergence.


    Some saw it as a beacon of hope, a sign that humanity was on the cusp of a new era. Others warned of the potential for conflict, citing historical instances where divine intervention was interpreted as a call to arms.


    The religiousmunities across the globe entered a state of fervent activity.


    Services were hastily organized, with leaders of the Gemini faith leading congregations in prayers of thanks and devotion.


    The symbol of Gemini, already an extremely unique emblem, found new reverence among the faithful with pilgrimages to sites deemed sacred in the lore of the Gemini brothers witnessing a sharp increase in attendees with each individual seeking to draw nearer to the divine in the wake of Rocky''s branding.


    Among the global reactions, perhaps the most poignant were those from the youth. Schools and universities became arenas for animated discussions, with students debating not just the implications of Rocky''s marking but also what it meant for their future. For many young people, the champion''s emergence was not just a religious or cultural milestone; it was a sign that their generation was destined for greatness, that they too could be part of a story far greater than themselves.


    As the digital sphere continued to pulse with activity, it became clear that Rocky''s awakening was more than just a singr event; it was a catalyst for a global renaissance of thought, belief, and possibility.


    The world had been irrevocably changed, and at the heart of this transformation was a young man who remained unconscious under the care of the best healers of country X.


    Yet, amid the celebration of digital voices, a more sinister undercurrent also began to emerge. Conspiracy theorists and doomsday predictorstched onto the narrative, spinning tales of impending disaster and maniption by unseen forces. Their dark predictions spread through the underbelly of the inte, gaining traction among those inclined towards distrust and fear.


    As the sun set on a day that would be etched in history, the worldy in anticipation. Rocky''s awakening had opened the floodgates to a sea of potential futures, each more uncertain than thest.


    The digital sphere, having yed its part in broadcasting this moment to every corner of the Earth, now waited, along with the rest of humanity, for Rocky to awake and his story taking the next turn.


    As of yet, only the video of him being branded as the champion was making the rounds, however, the news of his talent rating was still a secret.


    Only Gemini knew what chaos would brew across the world, if only his SSS talent was also revealed.

 Chapter 25: Important People

    <h4>Chapter 25: Important People</h4>


    Rocky woke up with the most severe headache, feeling dizzy and disoriented.


    He found himself in a premium medical room with some very recognisable figures sitting around him.


    Across his bed, near the edge of the room where the window was, sat guildmaster Karna hunching over his knees.


    To his right was Amelia, dressed as impably as ever and to his left was a figure one seldom ever saw outside the tower in the form of the Vice guild master of the True Elites Guild and yet another one of Earth''s top 3 talents, Neatwit.


    All of them were seated on the left side to his bed, however, there was an equally impressive line-up to his right as well.


    On the other edge of the room, sitting in arge luxurious chair was Mr.Cole Davis, the pope of the church of Gemini and the religious leader of Earth.


    He wore loose drapes that had the symbol of Gemini printed all over it again and again, as anyone could spot from a million miles away that he was a religious individual.


    Beside him was the Leader of the Climber Association, Mr. Cody North, dressed impably in a tidy suit and between himself and the pope, there was palpable tension in the air.


    *Cough*


    Rocky coughed involuntarily, alerting everyone that he had woken up as immediately all eyes turned to him.


    "Inform the healers, the boy has woken up" Neatwit said authoritatively, but he then took a nce across the room and realized that none of the individuals present inside were small fries that he could order around.


    To save face for the vice guildmaster, Amelia got up and went out to inform the healers that Rocky had woken up as Neatwit''s face flushed slightly red for having made such a silly mistake.


    " Bless Gemini! The champion has awoken!


    Your eminence, your lowly servant Cole is extremely pleased to meet you" The pope said, as he got up from his chair and kowtowed on the ground below, scaring the living crap out of Rocky, who did not expect such treatment at all.


    " Have some semnce of pride in yourself Cole, you''re a floor 54 climber yourself.


    Yet you bow to a boy who has not even ascended to the first floor?


    Shame-" The leader of the climber''s association Cody said, as he criticized Cole for his behavior.


    " Forgive his insolence, great Gemini, this man doesn''t know how to differentiate apples from oranges.


    He''s a fool" The pope said, as he looked towards the heavens and prayed for the gods to forgive Cody.


    " What''s going on?" Rocky enquired as Karna got up from the lounge he was sitting on and walked calmly towards Rocky with a phone in hand.


    " What happened is this mark showed up on your back while you were awakening" Karna said, as he showed Rocky a picture of the tattoo that mystically appeared on his back, jolting some memories.


    Rocky remembered being in the test hall and having suffered a ckout due to intense pain on his back as he felt like it had caught on fire.


    " Right.... My talent assessment-" Rocky murmured as Cody was the first one to respond.


    "Your talent evaluation came back as a very high ''S'', you''re one in a billion, kid" Cody said, as immediately Cole argued against it.


    " BLASPHEMY! YOU SHALL NOT LIE TO THE CHAMPION!


    By the grace of Gemini, you great champion, have been blessed by SSS talent!


    The talent to be a True God!


    Don''t listen to any of these liars" Cole shouted vehemently as Cody pped his own face.


    " How hard is it for you to understand you religious zealot, that if his talent is made public, not just Earthlings but the UNIVERSE will be after his life!


    He will die you idiot-" Cody cursed, as Cole stood up and bashed his forehead against that of Cody and got into his face.


    " The champion of Gemini cannot be targeted by anyone!


    Lord Shakuni weaves his fate.


    No-one, not even you, can interfere with his mandate" Cole said passionately, as the environment within the room became incredibly tense once more.


    *THUD*


    Thankfully, Amelia came back with the healers at the right time, as the presence of unqualified personnel prompted both Cody and Cole to back off, as they maintained the semnce of decency in front of outsiders.


    "Are you okay? Do you feel any pain?" The chief healer asked Rocky, as he checked his arm for pulse, while his assistants cast a lesser heal spell on Rocky''s body.


    " I''m fine, just a small headache" Rocky said honestly, as the doctor nodded and checked his vitals.


    " He looks to be fine, should recover his strength in a day or two. No signs of mana poisoning or his mana pathways being injured.


    No internal bleeding or trauma.


    He''s fine" The chief healer affirmed as Karna thanked him and walked him out the door.


    Uptil now, Rocky had no idea as to where exactly he was or what was going on, however, whatever it was seemed to be very serious as the most important people on Earth had gathered around him to discuss it.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - This chapter is sponsored by patron Allcat_Gaming, please thank him in thements for the same ///

 Chapter 26: The Divide

    <h4>Chapter 26: The Divide</h4>


    The reason behind the divide between the pope and the leader of the climbers association was because they were divided on a fundamental issue regarding Rocky.


    To Cody, the most sensible choice seemed to be that the information around Rocky be restricted and the hype around him be killed.


    The leaked video of Rocky was making rounds on the inte and by this point almost every man, woman and child on Earth had seen or heard about his branding as the champion although it had not even been a full 16 hours since the incident first took ce.


    Cody wanted to take him off the limelight as much as possible and hide information even from himself, to keep him safe.


    Being the leader of the climber''s association, he saw Rocky as an asset of Earth first and a champion of Geminiter.


    His n was to only reveal Rocky to be a S ranked talent to the universe, allow him to go into the tower and grow without the universal attention being centered on him and use him as an Earth''s asset as and when needed.


    He wanted to bury Rocky in university debt and force him to fight for Earth where he could be protected until he was sufficiently mature and ready


    Cody knew that Rocky''s presence could be a big morale boost for Earth''s forces, especially during the year of death and Cody wished to control his image in a way that benefited everyone.


    On the other hand, Cole, the pope, was having none of Cody''s ideas.


    He would not even listen to the reason behind the proposal of controlling the champions life as he boldly dered that


    "His life is in the hands of Gemini, not trash like you-"


    When it came to funding his education, Cole dered that he would bankrupt the Church rather than see the champion drown in petty debt and threatened to mobilize all religious men and Guildmasters against the association, should Cody try to enforce his judgment on Rocky.


    It was a particrly difficult spot for Cody as well, as he could not deny the threat and Influence that Colemanded.


    Currently, Earth was more or less united under onew and the bnce of power was even.


    However, there was no denying that the Church of Gemini was THE biggest yer with there being millions of religious fanatics who would not hesitate a second toy their lives for Gemini.


    For Cody to reign in Rocky, the support of the Church was crucial, however, Cole simply refused to take part in it.


    The negotiations between the two broke down so spectacrly that Karna had to be brought in to mediate between the two, however since both Cody and Cole were incredibly strong climbers themselves, Karna had to bring Neatwit with him to keep matters calm.


    Finally, out of the five people in the room, Amelia was the only one who had tagged along because she was genuinely worried for Rocky''s health, as her presence in the room ensured that the other powerful climbers did not expose their aura.


    That was how Rocky woke up to the tense atmosphere while being surrounded by some of the most important people on Earth, however, he did not understand the nuances and power struggles going on behind his back.


    ''SSS talent? Huh'' Rocky thought to himself as he felt quite proud to be evaluated so highly.


    He walked in with 0 expectations and underwent a groundbreaking event that would most likely go into the history books, however, just because Rocky had a SSS talent did not give him the assurance that he would be a god, as he knew all too well that only a few of those who possessed talent ever lived up to their potential.


    Not letting his evaluation get to his head, Rocky remained calm and unfazed as he focused on the situation at hand.


    "Rocky..... did you receive some revtion of any sort while undergoing the branding?" Cole asked politely with the expression of a devout as Rocky felt confused on how to reply to him.


    He had not received any revtions while being branded, however, just looking into the hopeful eyes of the pope, Rocky could not bring himself to say ''No'' as he made up a very slight lie.


    "I don''t remember, but I think I met someone who looked like Lord Shakuni from the books. In a white space" Rocky said as Cole began to burst out tears of joy as he banged his head on the wall in joy.


    " He saw the lord!


    He saw the lord!" he kept repeating while banging his head as at this point Rocky felt genuinely worried about the mental sanity of this man.


    " This is an absolute disgrace, it''s like he''s possessed.


    Karna talk some sense into him, I can''t even get through his thick skull.


    He''s the leader of a religious organization and one of Earth''s strongest climbers, yet he''s behaving like those conmen who beg on the streets in the name of god" Codyined as even Karna felt powerless in this situation.


    Religion and faith was a topic where logic and rules did not apply.


    There was no reasoning with a man who had surrendered himself to God as then he was not afraid of anyone and not bound to anything anymore.

 Chapter 27: Choice

    <h4>Chapter 27: Choice</h4>


    Rocky was presented with two choices.


    A)To go to the university for nourishment of young talents with his real talent hidden and his profile as the champion of Gemini suppressed.


    Going down this route would see him have his image on Earth tarnished, with the viral video of his branding being deemed a deep-fake and his status as a champion being denied.


    If he decided to go down this road, He was to be given membership of the True Elites Guild and protected as a high priority individual on Earth and within the tower.


    A core team would always be assigned to his protection detail and the truth about his true talent and status was to remain hidden until Rocky felt that he was prepared for the responsibility it brought and was strong enough to fend for himself on the universal stage.


    This was the road Karna and Cody suggested that Rocky take as in their opinion it was the most practical approach.


    While Cody also wanted to change Rocky''s identity entirely and bury him in debt to exert more control, Karna convinced him to ditch the more extreme points, as he convinced him to take a more moderate approach.


    B) The second choice for Rocky was to align with the church and reveal himself as the champion.


    If he chose this path, Karna warned Rocky that his life would be fraught with needless challenges, the likes of which Rocky would not even have imagined.


    Of Course the threat to his life was the most obvious drawback. Nefarious factions would always be after his life and Rocky would face a perpetual struggle for survival.


    However, even if he ignored that, Karna warned Rocky from personal experience that once his talent and status was revealed he would be a target for various social conspiracies that he was not prepared for.


    Karna exined how once his talent was revealed, men and women tried their hardest to genuinely please him and get closer to him, however, all of them did so with the hopes of getting closer to a rising star and how Karna could trust no-one because of his status.


    He exined to Rocky how living a normal life would no longer be possible for him and how overnight his life would observe a drastic shift, however, after exining all this, he finally let Rocky choose between the two choices, as in the end it was his own life at stake and nobody had the right to coerce him into doing something that he did not wish to do himself.


    "So what will it be? Will you be sensible and patient? Or vain and dead?" Cody asked, as Rocky was tempted to say that he chose the first path.


    Rocky was not a glory chaser. He wanted to make a big name for himself as a sessful climber, but he wanted to do it for ''Himself'' and not as the champion of anyone.


    He did not care about the prestige that his position as the champion brought and he did not wish to tackle more trouble than he could handle, however, before he could mutter the words "I choose the first choice", the system screen lit up.


    [ Strongest System Notification:- Lord Shakuni wishes to inform you that choosing the second path will help you rescue your sister faster- ]


    A system notification popped up out of nowhere and informed Rocky that choosing the second path would help him save Riva faster, as the moment he read it, all other hesitation was removed from his mind as he answered confidently "I choose the second option-"


    Karna and Neatwit let out and audible sigh together, while Cody bit his finger in frustration.


    " CHILDISH CHOICE. FOOL! THE CHAMPION OF THE GODS IS AN IMMATURE FOOL" Cody shouted in anger as he stomped his feet, causing the entire medical facility to tremble because of his power.


    " That''s enough Cody, the champion has spoken.


    The will of the champion is the will of the gods and I will not see the will of Gemini be disrespected.


    You''ve done all you can. From here on out, let us handle the upbringing of the champion" Pope Cole said as he escorted everyone else out of Rocky''s room.


    While just a few days ago, the Bishop of the Church of Gemini wished to interrogate Rocky for being a heretic, now it''s leader became a puppet in Rocky''s hands.


    Life was truly a mystery that way, as never in his wildest dreams could Rocky have ever imagined that his biggest backing would someday be the Church of Gemini.


    " Please rest well, Champion, I will handle the imbeciles from here on out.


    Also don''t worry about the fees for your university education.


    Everything shall be arranged" The pope assured Rocky as he closed the door to Rocky''s room to give him some space.


    **********


    A few hourster, the church of Gemini made the earth shattering announcement regarding the verification of the champion and his connection to the divine and revealed Rocky to be a SSS talent that has never been seen in the history of mankind before.


    This news was like petrol on fire for the media that was already aze with Rocky''s content, as within hours a new sensation was born.


    A picture of Rocky working out with the text


    "Earth''s First son.


    Gemini''s Champion.


    Rocky Yadav"


    Went viral on social media, as the name "First Son Of Earth" stuck alongside Rocky forever.

 Chapter 28: Faith

    <h4>Chapter 28: Faith</h4>


    Karna had warned Rocky that if he chose toe out as the champion, his entire life would turn upside down, however, Rocky could have never anticipated just how much it was going to change, until he experienced it himself.


    He was kept in observation for one full day after he woke up at the medical facility before being granted discharge, however, in this past one day, after the pope Sir Cole confirmed him to be the champion of Gemini, his life was altered forever.


    He had already experienced fame as an influencer, so initially Rocky questioned just how much of a change could it be?


    While at the influencer stage he had millions of followers who shared a love-hate rtionship with him, the biggest reaction he saw to someone seeing him in public was to approach him with their face turning euphoric as they rushed to click a selfie.


    '' I like your content-''


    Or


    '' You motivate me to be better''


    Was the bestpliments that Rocky received, while


    '' I hate you-, you''re a phony'' were the worst sort ofments someone had said to his face.


    After being dered as the champion, Rocky expected that all this would be amplified by ten times or maybe even a hundred times, however, never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined the sheer magnitude of emotions that his mere presence stirred in the eyes of believers.


    *AUDIBLE HYMNS*


    The ss of his medical room reverberated by the hymns of the believers who sang the praises of Gemini outside the facility.


    Verse 1:


    In the shadow of fate, under the gaze of the night,


    Shakuni plots our path, with wisdom and might.


    His strategies woven in the stars above,


    Guiding us forth with his foresight and love.


    Chorus:


    Hail, Gemini, two faces of the divine,


    In your bnce, our destinies entwine.


    Shakuni the nner, Ravan the brave,


    Lead us from cradle, to triumph, to grave.


    Verse 2:


    Ravan, fierce warrior, in the moon''s pale light,


    Your prowess unmatched, your spirit takes flight.


    Blood is your domain, the battlefield your shrine,


    In your strength, we find the courage to fight, to shine.


    Chorus:


    Hail, Gemini, two faces of the divine,


    In your bnce, our destinies entwine.


    Shakuni the nner, Ravan the brave,


    Lead us from cradle, to triumph, to grave.


    Bridge:


    Together as one, yet distinct as the day,


    In your duality, our faith shall stay.


    From Shakuni''s mind to Ravan''s fierce hand,


    Under your guidance, united we stand.


    Final Chorus:


    Hail, Gemini, two faces of the divine,


    In your bnce, our destinies entwine.


    From the heavens above to the earth we crave,


    Guide us, protect us, mighty and brave.


    The religious men and women sang the hymn of Gemini non-stop outside the medical facility, their voicesced with hope and their eyes full of tears of joy.


    Initially Rocky questioned whether this had anything to do with him, as simr chants could be heard inside the church of Gemini at any day of the year, however, the moment he took a single step outside the medical facility and appeared in public sight, all his illusions were broken.


    As Rocky stepped out, he was immediately enveloped by an entirely different world than the one he left behind in the medical facility.


    Before him stretched a meticulously enforced quarantine zone, a clear buffer of several dozen meters that separated him and the amassed crowd by at least a few dozen feet and there being countless high level climbers enforcing the distance and keeping the crowd at bay.


    However, while Rocky could notice the start of the crowd, he could literally see no end, as for as long as the eye could see, humans had gathered to catch a glimpse of the champion emerging, as the second he walked out of the medical facility, the hymn chanting stopped and an unprecedented roar erupted from the crowd.


    "He''s here- Rocky''s here! THE CHAMPION HAS EMERGED"


    The crowd shouted as Rocky could feel the energy behind their voices which prompted those at the back to shout as well, as soon the entire crowd erupted into cheers.


    This was no ordinary gathering; it was a melting pot of humanity, drawn together by a singr, momentous asion.


    Among the sea of faces were individuals from all walks of lifemoners, believers, skeptics, and clergy alike, all united in their desire to witness the emergence of the champion of Gemini.


    " MY SON! HE IS FIVE AND COULD NOT WALK, YESTERDAY HE TOOK HIS FIRST STEPS WHEN HE SAW YOU BEING DISPLAYED ON THE TELEVISION.


    HAIL GEMINI!


    HAIL THE CHAMPION ROCKY" Rocky heard a particrly loud fanatic shouting this over the voice of the crowd, as Rocky felt goosebumps all over his spine when he heard him say this.


    Rocky was sure that he had absolutely no role in helping his son whatsoever, however, the tears in the eyes of that man and his fervent passion told Rocky that he was a firm believer that this miracle was performed by him and that even if Rocky asked him to take his own life for salvation, he would do it without a second doubt.


    Camera''s shed, security officials escorted him to the chopper that was pre-arranged to take him out of this ce, as it was only at this moment that Rocky began to realize the magnitude of the situation he was in.


    As he looked at the crowd, he could see their hands reaching out to him, not in demand but in supplication, as if merely touching the hem of his garment would bring blessing, healing, or even a fragment of the divine favor that rested upon him.


    Faces, young and old, were lifted to him, eyes shining with a mixture of awe, hope, and unspoken prayers.


    The sheer depth of belief, the unfiltered emotion directed at him, was unlike anything he had experienced. This was not the adtion of fans; it was devotion, a collective outpouring of faith in what he represented.


    ''Just what have I gotten myself into?'' was what Rocky thought as he sat inside the chopper and it took off.


    As he went airborne, he saw the full size of the crowd that had gathered below and the sheer scale of people that had came to see him walk out of the medical facility made him feel dizzy as there were hundreds of thousands, if not a million people who had gathered outside his medical facility, as a sea of humans stretched for at least a few miles on all directions.

 Chapter 29: The plot thickens.

    <h4>Chapter 29: The plot thickens.</h4>


    A new home had been prepared for Rocky, a massive mansion worth hundreds of millions of dors, right beside the Church Of Gemini within the Upside.


    Initially, it housed over 20 clergymen who resided there together. However, once Rocky''s amodation needs arose, they voluntarily evacuated the church-owned property, relinquishing it for the Champion.


    Private security,prising a dozen elite climbers who had ascended beyond floor 40, and enchanted runic barriers, were among the extensive security measures at the private residence, as the church and Pope Cole spared no effort to ensure Rocky''s safety.


    "This is too much... What will I do with such arge mansion? I''m off to university tomorrow. Give it back to the clergymen. Just give me a small apartment somewhere, damn it," Rocky protested. However, after the incident involving Riva, Pope Cole refused to acquiesce to his demands.


    Despite Rocky''s protests, it was clear that the champion''s security was his paramount concern.


    The good news for Rocky was that the application submitted on his behalf by the Earth branch of the Church Of Gemini to the university for the nourishment of young talents was epted almost immediately upon review of his talent and credentials by the admissions office.


    In an unprecedented move, they even awarded Rocky a full schrship for all semesters, a development that took even Pope Cole by surprise.


    "Praise Gemini¡ªYou have been blessed with a full schrship," he said with a smile, yet Rocky could only frown at his words.


    He had been receiving too much ''special'' attentiontely, and with the memory of the crowd outside the medical facility still fresh, Rocky longed for an end to any further special treatment.


    Unfortunately, from the moment he had stepped forward as the champion, he had relinquished his right to privacy and normalcy.


    As the champion of Gemini, he was never going to be treated ordinarily, regardless of whom he met or where he went.


    " Unfortunately, The university has refused our request to send you to the campus grounds with additional security, however, they have assured us that you will be protected at all times.


    In my understanding, you should be safe there, however, in case you ever find yourself in a perilous situation, just break this charm for support" Pope Cole said as he ced a green pendant over Rocky''s neck that seemed to be made out of fragile crystal.


    " Thank you, I appreciate your concern," Rocky said, as Sir Coleughed at his choice of words.


    "Praise Gemini-, the champion is such a kind man. May your wisdom guide us all-" he said, smiling towards the heavens as Rocky realized that Sir Cole was just like all of those believers that had gathered outside the medical facility just to catch a glimpse of Rocky.


    His eyes carried the same reverence, the same form of blind faith when he looked towards Rocky.


    The kind of eyes that made Rocky feel like he was far too unworthy for that sort of reverence, making him feel awkward.


    " Please rest today, Champion, for tomorrow you shall enter the tower for the first time" Pope Cole said, as he left Rocky to enjoy his massive mansion alone, however, all it did was make Rocky feel even more insecure as the same question kept rising in his head.


    This attention? Was he even worthy of it? Afterall, he wasn''t even the first choice of the gods to be their champion, he was only ast moment recement-


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile, somewhere on floor 21 of the Tower Of Ascension )


    Joe shuddered in fear as he looked into the eyes of Perseus who looked like a deranged man on the brink of insanity.


    " Joe...Joe...Joe....." He said, his voice bing deeper with each subsequent ''Joe'' that he said.


    " You told us that Riva had confided in you that she CONFIDENTLY remembered this universe in a different way.


    That to her this ce was like a dream that she did not belong to.


    That she felt a divine connection to Gemini-" Perseus said, as he slowly unsheathed his sword.


    "It''s true..... she told me all this in confidence during a dungeon raid, we were the best of friends! She would never lie to me" Joe scrambled to exin, as he swore that whatever he had previously imed was the truth.


    " THEN EXPLAIN TO ME, HOW HIS LITTLE BROTHER IS THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN BRANDED AS THE CHAMPION OF GEMINI!


    DO YOU THINK WE ARE STUPID? HOW DARE YOU MAKE US CHASE AFTER THE WRONG TARGET" Perseus screamed in anger as he kicked Joe off his feet, knocking him to the ground and mming his sword right beside his ear, drawing a trickle of blood.


    " What? This is the first time I''m hearing of this? Rocky is Gemini''s champion? B-but Gemini has never imed a champion in the history of the tower!


    All the other gods have had several champions roam the tower, but never Gemini-" Joe said, as Perseus judged his expression and realized that Joe was truly as unaware as he pretended to be, but that only fuelled his anger.


    " Rocky Yadav, is Gemini''s Champion and we had the opportunity to nab him.


    UGHHH, MOTHERFUCKING SHAKUNI, He fooled you. That snake is plotting something from the top of the tower.


    I should''ve known....


    I should''ve known...


    Shakuni''s ns never go wrong, we are all but dancing at his palms" Perseus groaned in frustration as he felt stupid for nabbing Riva when their real target should have been Rocky.


    " Perhaps, you can release Riva and nab Rocky, now that you know that she''s not the possessor of the power your father seeks, perhaps you can let her go?" Joe suggested, as deep down he did feel slightly guilty for betraying his friend, however, Perseus onlyughed at his words.


    " Let her go? She is the only bargaining chip we have over Rocky. We will never let her go.


    We will either break her mind and turn her into our obedient ve, or we will hold her hostage for when the time is ripe for negotiation.


    However, we shall never let her go-" Perseus said as he found Joe''s ideas to be ridiculous.


    ----------


    /// A/N - We hit the PS targetst week, so bonus soon!


    Also, if you could spare a moment of your time and drop a review for this book and how you are enjoying the story so far, it will help me a long way! Cheers! ///

 Chapter 30: The tower of ascension

    <h4>Chapter 30: The tower of ascension</h4>


    The Tower of Ascension was physically located in country S, on the African sub-continent.


    It was a monumental structure, whose construction methods went beyond the scope of modern engineering.


    The base of the tower covered tens of kilometers in width, and it stretched nearly a hundred kilometers into the sky.


    However, as the climbers that entered its grounds already knew, the tower''s true expanse was not limited to its physical appearance and that there was a physical tower of the same dimension on every housing life across the universe.


    The materials used in its construction when tested by scientists, appeared to be of unfamiliar origins, suggesting the use of techniques and resources not known to current mankind as the elements used in its construction seemed to be outside the scope of the periodic table entirely.


    It was truly a mystical structure, and the only thing that was confirmed about it was the fact that the tower existed since before the first sentient lifeform was born in the universe.


    Not just on Earth, but on every across the universe, the lore of the tower remained the same that it existed on their since the first sentient beings roamed.


    Existing as it is, since time immemorial.


    ********


    While the tower only physically existed in Country S, there were several dimensional portals across the world which connected various major cities to the entrance of the tower.


    These portals proved to be fast ess points for climbers across the world to reach the tower, however, all the known portals in the world were guarded and monopolized by the Climber''s Association, who restricted the entry of non-climbers inside the portal.


    Today, as Rocky entered the tower for the first time ever, he was escorted by Pope Cole and a security team of several dozen climbers to the nearest portal in country X, where after having his documents verified, Rocky was given his climbers pass.


    ¡ª------


    Name - Rocky Yadav.


    Age - 18


    Talent - SSS


    Floor - 0


    Freight Limit - None ( Special )


    ¡ª------


    Usually, new climbers were given a white pass while they were newbies who had been a climber for less than one year.


    This pass had a freight limit of 5kg for bringing luggage outside the tower, over which weight limit if one was carrying an artifact they needed to pay customs in TG.


    Even if they were carrying freight under 5kg, if the value of goods carried was over 1000 TG, they still needed to pay customs, which was a great source of revenue for the Climber''s Association.


    Rocky, however, was issued a pink pass, the one that was usually reserved for Church personnel with an unlimited freight limit.


    Usually, the church only gave this pass to their highest ranking officials such as bishops and archbishops, however, Pope Cole had specially instructed the Climbers Association to make one for Rocky as well.


    It not only had no freight limit, but also had the privilege of the bearer paying no duty for goods valued under 100,000 TG, which was a big benefit for a new climber like Rocky.


    " Gee, thanks Pope Cole" Rocky said looking at the pass, as tears welled up in Pope Cole''s eyes for beingplimented.


    " Bless Gemini, the champion is such a kind soul. He thanks me for every small thing" Pope Cole said, as his voice started to break from bing too emotional.


    Rocky cringed listening to his response as to him it seemed like the Pope was bing more and more emotional as days passed with his current rate of decline being such that he would soon begin crying whenever Rocky took a breath.


    ''Bless Gemini, the champion took a breath-''


    Rocky could imagine him saying these words, as just the thought of it made him feel suffocated as he silently vowed to neverplement the Pope again.


    The duo then proceeded to walk through severalyers of security, finally reaching the innermost room where the portal was located.


    " Tower of ascension, here Ie-" Rocky said, as with a deep breath he took a step into the portal, closely followed by Pope Cole and the security team as they were instantly teleported to Country S, where they walked out at yet another Climber Association facility.


    [ Wee To Ground Zero ]


    A big banner informed Rocky that he was at the most famous point on Earth, the singr location where all the various portals across Earth converged to create the biggest operational hub for the Climber''s Association.


    "It''s him! It''s the champion! The champion is here!" someone shouted almost instantly, as the second that Rocky walked out on ground zero, he was greeted with a flurry of camera shes and devout climbers.


    " Nobodyes close to the Champion! Move, move! " His security team shouted, as they created a human shield around Rocky and escorted him outside the ground zero facility, as for the few minutes that it took for him to escape the crowd of climbers, Pope Cole beside him maintained a murderous aura of focus, as he was ready to cut-down anything that moved, unlike his usual calm demeanor.


    Rocky entering that tower was a historic event for mankind and anticipation about his visit to ground zero had been building for days, which was why press spotted him the second he arrived.


    While normal press could not ess ground zero, there were still climber press who although smaller in number had the privilege to ess ground zero and the battlefield of blood and cover all news regarding it.


    This climber press had been awaiting Rocky''s entrance for over 24 hours now, ever since he stepped foot outside the medical facility, as they waited to capture the historic event of his first entrance to the tower.


    If not for his security, Rocky would have found it really hard to tackle this press, however he did not dare thank Pope Cole for it, fearing another emotional breakdown if he did.


    ---------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target! Good job everyone!


    For this week, the target is one bonus for every 100 GT and 300 PS///

 Chapter 31: Entering The Tower

    <h4>Chapter 31: Entering The Tower</h4>


    The distance between ground zero and the Tower Of Ascension was roughly 10 kilometers.


    And these 10 kilometers were easily the most heavily militarized zone on the entire.


    Magical turrets, giant crossbows, mythical cannons, modern missileunchers, modern machine guns, if it was a weapon that could kill, it was sure to be present on thisnd which was deemed as the battlefield of blood.


    Since ancient times, the battle between climbers of Earth and the monsters of the tower ured on this soil whose sands had now been permanently dyed red with the bloodshed that it had witnessed over thest dozens of centuries.


    Labeled as ''Battlefield of Blood'', it was thend where the climbers of Earth fought back against the monsters every four years when the year of death rolled around and the monster tide emerged.


    From ground zero, after every 100 meters, there was a deep trench and defensive position built to fight the onught of monsters, with climbers manning the trenches 24x7 whenever the year of death rolled around.


    As Rocky passed by all these defensive encampments in his armored vehicle, he could feel a sense of reverence for the hero''s of mankind who were ready toy down their lives to contain the monsters within the battlefield of blood.


    ''Someday soon, I''ll join their ranks'' Rocky thought, as he resolved to join their ranks someday when his services were needed.


    Only one single road led from ground zero to the tower of ascension and this area was guarded so heavily that any climber that was not supposed to reach the tower could never hope to reach it, as without the permission of the climbers association, smuggling anyone into the tower was impossible.


    Multiple checkpoints confirmed that only authorized individuals were allowed near the tower, as after a rough 20 minutes drive, Rocky finally reached the '' Bridge Of Hope'' as he found himself at the base of the legendary Tower.


    A deep trench spanning for 500 meters in length and 1000 feet in depth had been dug by humans all around the tower of ascension as the first and most effective line of defense against any monster tide, with a flimsy wooden bridge being the only connection to the tower''s entrance.


    In-case of a monster tide, it was protocol to burn the bridge of hope first. Removing the onlynd link to the tower.


    However, except for the monster raid, it served as the iconic passage that led a climber to the tower of ascension as walking down it made Rocky feel excited, as he had often seen clips of famous climbers and movie stars walking down this same bridge in an iconic scene.


    " Your first time entering the tower might be a little rough, Champion, the sudden shift in mana concentration may make you feel dizzy, however, don''t feel rmed, it''s very normal to feel this way when you first enter" Pope Cole said to Rocky, as he tried to prepare Rocky for what was toe next.


    " Vorithra Sylithen"


    " Vorithra Sylithen"


    " Vorithra Sylithen"


    Rocky heard the wind whispering something in his ears when he approached the tower, however, he could not understand the meaning of the words that it was whispering.


    " Vorithra Sylithen"


    " Hey, Pope Cole, do you hear this?" Rocky asked Pope Cole, who looked at him in surprise as he said " Hear what?"


    Rocky looked around and it seemed like his security detail also did not seem to hear the wind whispering anything, however, Rocky himself was sure that he was hearing a distinct chant.


    As he got closer to the tower, the chants only kept getting louder and louder as his tattoo, which had not pained ever since he woke up in the medical facility, began to sting once again.


    " VORITHRA SYLITHEN"


    " VORITHRA SYLITHEN"


    Rocky heard someone almost screaming in his ears uptil the point that he arrived at the entrance of the tower after which the voice magically vanished.


    '' What the fuck was that?'' Rocky wondered, as he had no idea what to make of this bizarre incident, however, since he hadpany alongside him who he did not wish to keep waiting, he decided to think about thister as he took a step through the magical entrance of the tower, which only allowed it''s chosen climbers to enter.


    ***************


    "Pah" Rocky fell to his knees almost instantly after crossing the tower''s entry threshold, as he felt every sense in his body going into overdrive.


    It was as if he had been living and perceiving the world at 20% his real capacity and the second he stepped into the tower, it got boosted to 100%.


    The colors he perceived became sharper and clearer than ever, the sound he could hear became crisp and detailed while he could pick up smells from his own body that he could not perceive just a moment ago.


    He could distinctly smell the bacteria in his underarms, the perfume masking it, while also smelling the leather of his shoes and the detergent used tounder his jeans.


    He could do all this, while feeling the subtle air currents around him, the pulsing blood in his veins and the thrumming beat of his heart against his chest, as all his senses seemed to have reached a hyperdrive that he had never experienced before.


    " Breathe, just breathe. What you''re feeling is your senses being enhanced by mana, it''s okay. Just breathe, you will soon learn how to dampen your senses to the usual levels" Pope Cole said as he stroked Rocky''s back in support, waiting patiently for him to regain hisposure.


    --------


    /// A/N - Chapter 1/3 for the day, two more to go! ///

 Chapter 32: Floor Zero

    <h4>Chapter 32: Floor Zero</h4>


    " I feel like I''m on drugs, '''' Rocky said, as he got back up on his feet and finally managed to take a look around the zeroth floor of the tower of ascension.


    Just like him, he could see many new climbers falling on their knees and struggling with the sudden change in mana concentration as he could see all sorts of non-humans in his vicinity.


    A giant 9 feet tall minotaur, A cold and elegant vampire with pale skin and red eyes, A group of elves with pointy ears and sharp facial features, Hobgoblins with their green skins and Orcs with their iconic teeth that reached beyond their noses.


    Just one look around his surroundings and Rocky could already observe a myriad of non-human species, giving him the realization that he was no longer on Earth.


    " Wee, Climber, I sense that you have arrived here for the first time ever-" A spirit soon approached Rocky, as before he could say anything, Pope Cole responded for him as he said "Go away, leecher, this child is under my protection".


    "So rudeeee...." The ghost said, as it drifted away, looking for another clueless climber to offer its services to.


    Rocky had heard about leechers, the infamous spirits that guided the first time entrants of the tower to their destination on floor zero, however, they charged half an ounce of blood for the guidance.


    For new climbers who had no-one else to rely on, trusting leechers was a good idea as although they sucked on one''s blood, they never broke their word and never misguided a climber, proving to be a better alternative to trusting other climbers that might scam one for more than their blood.


    Thankfully Rocky already had Pope Cole and his security team to drop him off at the university for nourishment of young talents, which was why he did not need to rely on leechers.


    '' Thankyou Pope cole-'' Rocky almost blurted, however, estimating his exaggerated reaction, he swallowed the words, as he did not wish to create another scene inside the tower entrance.


    " Are you okay? Ch-" Pope Cole was about to say, however, Rocky cut him off as he said


    " Chimpanzee? It''s rude for you to call a modern human and ape. But yes, I''m okay, I''m ready to move" Rocky said, as he red straight into Pope Cole''s eyes, warning him against calling him ''Champion'' in public.


    " Yes, yes, my bad- I should not disy such racist behavior.


    Forgive me Lord Gemini, but I must praise you as well, this child is such a smart cha-"


    " Brrrblerrrr grrrr" Rocky scrambled, as Pope Cole bit his tongue.


    It was almost like he had no control over himself, as even in this situation he was going to end his sentence by praising Gemini for choosing such a smart champion.


    " Let''s go-" Rocky said, shaking his head in dismay as Pope Cole led him to the nearest transportation gate.


    Floor Zero of the tower of ascension was argued by climbers to be thergest floor to exist in terms ofnd-size.


    Spanning an area that was 10,000,000 timesrger than the totalnd area on Earth, Floor Zero of the tower was a safe haven where entire climber cities flourished and trade andmerce between all species of climbers took ce.


    It was the most happening ce in the entire tower as every climber regardless of their talent and their aplishments could ess this floor, which was unlike the higher floors where only the worthy could reach.


    Byw, killing was prohibited on floor zero with anyone breaking thew being hunted by all the righteous forces that controlled the floor, however, murders still happened inside, just like they would in anywfully governed city on Earth.


    Floor Zero was also the home to some of the most important climber universities, the schools which prepared new climbers for the dangers of the tower and prepared them mentally that climbing the tower was a game of life and death and not something to be taken casually.


    The university for nourishment of young talents was also located on Floor Zero, however, it was located quite deep into floor Zero and reaching it from Milky Way universe''s spawn point by foot would easily take over five decades, which was why teleportation was the only proper way to reach the desired location.


    For first time climbers, reaching the nearest teleportation gate could prove to be a challenge, however, under the guidance of Pope Cole, Rocky was able to reach the nearest teleportation gate without a hitch, as his identity within the tower seemed to be much more subtle whenpared to his insane poprity on Earth.


    " Goodluck, my chimpanzee, may Gemini watch over you.


    I''m afraid our paths must diverge here as after paying the authorities inside with one silver TG, you will be teleported to your destination.


    Please stay safe, and if you ever feel like your life is in danger break the charm I have given you-" Pope Cole said as Rocky nodded his head and extended his palm for Pope Cole to shake.


    " Thankyou for all your help, Pope Cole, I hope that the next time we meet, I can perhaps be a sliver of the man you hope I can be" Rocky said honestly as Pope Cole instantly burst into tears.


    Ignoring his outburst, Rocky rushed into the teleportation center, as he paid the teleportation fees from the spare money that the pope had given him and headed straight for the academy.


    ¡ª---------


    /// A/N - Chapter ? for the day. This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Cervantez91, please thank him in thements for the same ///

 Chapter 33: Sisterly Love

    <h4>Chapter 33: Sisterly Love</h4>


    ( Floor 21 of the tower, Perseus)


    " My source back on Earth has confirmed that Rocky will head off to the university for nourishment of young talents for his climber induction..." Joe reported to Perseus who fiddled with the de of a sharp dagger as he raced his finger around its edge.


    " The university for nourishment of young talents....... Isn''t that the academy headed by ''That'' madman? Hmm..... this just became trickier than I expected" Perseus said as he delved into deep thought on what his next move should be.


    "Let me go join the university brother! Let me prove my worth! I have to be inducted anyways, so why not alongside the champion of Gemini?" A feminine voice suddenly said, as Perseus turned to see his sister entering the room, as his eyes visibly softened.


    "I appreciate your concern, but the champion of Gemini is a force that is very hard to tame, with Shakuni pulling the strings, he''s not someone we can easily mess with" Perseus said as he tried to politely reject her idea.


    "If he''s the champion of Gemini, then I too am the champion of Poseidon!


    Not only is he the god that we worship, but his divine blood also flows through our veins.


    If not me, trust our bloodline brother, but please give me a chance to make the family proud" Sophia said, as he tried to make a solid case for her deployment.


    " It''s not that I don''t trust you, sister, it''s just that I adore you too much.


    I can''t stand the thought of you being around someone as vile as the champion of Gemini, who knows what he may do to you?" Perseus said as he ced the dagger that he was ying with back in its sheath and stood up to get closer to Sophia.


    Sophia was Perseus''s little sister and the grand-daughter of the god Poseidon.


    While Perseus was the floor guardian of floor 21 and his father, the demi-god, was a floor guardian higher up in the tower, Sophia was the champion of Poseidon, who was branded by their ancestor just a few days ago.


    "It''s not fair brother, I can''t forever be sheltered by you, I''m already 18. It''s time you give me more freedom" Sophia protested as Perseus ced his hands over her shoulders lovingly.


    " Do you really wish to do this?" He asked in a serious tone, as Sophia stared back into his sea green eyes and said "Yes"


    Letting out a deep sigh, Perseus began to pace around the room as he clutched his head.


    On one hand, he felt like his sister might not be safe alongside the champion of Gemini, as he believed that Shakuni would end up making her one of his pawns, and on the other hand he did not wish to trample upon the enthusiasm of his little sister as well.


    Feeling stuck between a rock and a hard ce, Perseus decided to finally relent, as he gave Sophia the freedom she seeked.


    " Alright, you give it a shot, however, be careful as to never believe a word thates out of the mouth of the champion of Gemini.


    He''s sure to be a master maniptor just like his patron god" Perseus warned as Sophia smirked in response.


    "Don''t worry brother, he''s a man in the end. Slowly, but surely, it''ll be me who bewitches him, instead of the other way around" Sophia imed as Perseus felt regret about giving her permission instantly.


    Just the thought of his sister bing intimate with the champion of Gemini repulsed him, as he tried to not think too hard about such unfavorable scenarios.


    " Stay safe, and focus on learning some useful things as well- " Perseus said, but by this point Sophia was already skipping in joy out of the room as she did not hear a wording out of Perseus''s mouth.


    " Sister''s, what can we do about them, eh Joe?" Perseus said in mirth, as Joe made the mistake of smiling slightly at thisment.


    " What eh? You think this is a joke Joe? Are youughing at my sister?" Perseus asked aggressively, as Joe began trembling as he defended himself.


    "No, no, not at all" he said as Perseus clicked his tongue and left the room as well.


    **************


    ( At the university for nourishment of young talents )


    As Rocky emerged on the other side of the Teleportation gate, he found himself inside the university''s teleportation portal, which read in capital letters


    '' WELCOME TO UFNOYT''


    Around him were students from myriad races, all having a confident gaze about them as everyone who enrolled into this university were the best of the best.


    Since it was the newbie arrival season, there were several instruction banners ced at the Teleportation hall, that gave detailed instructions on what new students needed to first do after arriving.


    1.They needed to go to the admissions office, pay their fees in full and then recieve their aodation, uniform and towermunication device


    2. They then had 2 days to fraternize and tour the campus as on day 3 they needed to finalize the choice of subjects they were availing for the year and lock them down.


    3. Finally, they needed to form a team of 3 students for the team evaluation subjects by the end of the first week.


    " University life! Here Ie" Rocky said, after reading all instructions carefully, as he felt excited for his future.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - Chapter 3/3 for the day, bonus for hitting the GT Target! Good job everyone and thankyou so much for the support///

 Chapter 34: First Room Mate

    <h4>Chapter 34: First Room Mate</h4>


    The admissions office clerk looked at Rocky and his approval form and frowned deeply.


    He was a goblin by race and goblins in general had a reputation for being a race that was obsessed with wealth.


    While not all goblins were the same, the admissions clerk was certainly someone who loved money more than anything in his life.


    "You don''t have to pay money? What garbage is this? This has never happened in the history of the university-" The clerk protested as he felt the urge to tear up Rocky''s eptance letter.


    "This can''t be.... I must check with my superiors" he said, mumbling to himself as he left his post and ran off on his tiny legs to a superior''s office, leaving Rocky waiting for his robes and dorm key.


    " Hey, puny human, where did the admission clerk run off to?" Asked the guy waiting in line behind him, as Rocky turned to face him.


    Behind him stood an orc, easily over 9 feet in height and five feet in width, looking like a mammoth figure with two golden rings encasing his tusks that extended out of his lower lips and went beyond his nose.


    "I have no idea, giant orc" Rocky replied with the same level of disrespect as the orc showed him, however, instead of being offended the orc seemed to shy off as he began pumping his muscles.


    "You think I''m giant? Thank You puny human, I work out hard" The orc said, as Rocky pped his forehead remembering the fact that orcs were a very literal species who did not understand sarcasm.


    As the orc pumped his muscles in front of Rocky, Rocky could not help but chuckle as he saw the spitting image of a gym freak in the orc, who kept hitting pose after pose in the mirror after a good pump session.


    " I''m Buhara, the son of the great orc chieftain Duhara. Who are you?" Buhara said, extending his giant right hand towards Rocky, who shook it and tried to apply the maximum force that he could to squeeze it.


    " I''m Rocky, Rocky Yadav. Younger brother of Riva Yadav" Rocky said as Buhara flinched slightly as he felt Rocky''s strength.


    "Grrrrrrr" Buhara squeezed back, as while he did not understand sarcasm, he understood when a warrior was challenging him, as he squeezed Rocky''s palm right back with all his strength.


    " Rocky is much stronger than he looks. Buhara respects it" he eventually said, as the two left each other''s hands, both feeling the pain and having their palms redden.


    " You''re not too bad yourself" Rocky said, as he acknowledged Buhara''s brute strength which was equal to that of his.


    If Rocky was merely a normal human, he would have had his bones crushed by Buhara''s grip strength, however, after working out diligently and consuming three body strengthening potions, Rocky was much stronger than an average human, which allowed him to withstand Buhara''s grip and stand his ground.


    " This is ridiculous.... How is this even allowed? What about workers like us? I''m already working on a 0.1%mission basis, isn''t this a loss for me?...." The goblin clerk muttered as he walked back angrily to his post on his small two feet, prompting Rocky to ignore Buhara and turn his attention to the clerk.


    " So...?" Rocky asked, as the grumpy expression on the face of the clerk already told him the full story.


    " Yes, you don''t have to pay a fee, your full schrship has been approved by the institute.


    Here are your four sets of robes, an identity badge, a team membership form, a course selection form and keys to your dormitory.


    You have been given a triple sharing room and shall have two roommates.


    No VIP rooms for you!" The Goblin clerk grumpily said as he stamped Rocky''s form and handed him his stuff.


    " Ridiculous.... Two champions of gods in the same semester? To think I need to approve one more free form this year.... Unfair...truly unfair" he grumbled, as Rocky picked up on his words before he left.


    ''There is yet another champion of God in this same school?'' Rocky wondered, as for a moment he felt his heart flutter with excitement.


    If it were a champion of some friendly god to Gemini, such as one of Enel or Junfred, Rocky could be best friends with the guy/girl who shared the same destiny as him.


    " I really hope it''s a friendly champion...." He muttered as he walked towards his triple sharing dormitory room numbered C-54 to settle in and ce his luggage.


    ********


    ( Dorm room C-54 )


    As Rocky reached the room, he saw a very decent living quarters that had three distinct divisions within it and onemon seating/ studying area.


    It wasn''tvish, but it was by no means average either, as it was just the right amount of luxury for an Elite student to enjoy.


    He seemed to be the first one to enter his room, with no-roommates in sight, but he expected them to arrive soon enough.


    Shamelessly iming thest chamber which was the furthest into the room as his own because it offered maximum privacy, Rocky began settling in when he heard the familiar "Grrr....." sound.


    " Puny human? It seems like we are roommates!" Said Buhara who seemed to be very happy with this oue.

 Chapter 35: The second Roommate

    <h4>Chapter 35: The second Roommate</h4>


    " Grrrrr..." Buhara growled as he put his luggage in the middlepartment of the three in the room.


    The bed was 9 feet long and quite spacious, however, Buhara seemed to barely fit into it as heined about it being ufortable.


    " Rocky human! Come help Buhara, I''m stuck in the bed frame" Buhara shouted, as Rocky was forced to pull Buhara out of the perilous situation he was in.


    "Buhahahahara" said Buhara as he lifted the entire bed frame to a side and ced the bedsheet on the t ground below as heid on it in satisfaction.


    "Bedsheet smells nice, Buhara is happy" said Buhara, as Rocky felt his right eye flutter looking at the uncivilized orc.


    ''I''m going to live with this cartoon all year long?'' wondered Rocky, as he secretly hoped that his second roommate would at least be more normal and that the two of them would be able to handle Buhara.


    Unfortunately, normal and Rocky were two words that were never going to have a connection as Rocky was fated to meet the most unique and abnormal people in the universe.


    "C-54, is this my future abode?" A gentle voice said as Rocky and Buhara''s third room-mate entered the dorm.


    He looked to be a human with Blonde hair, fair spotless skin, beautiful gray eyes and no facial hair whatsoever.


    He had no muscle definition about him, his figure was like that of an individual who had never worked out once in their entire life and his body was shaped a little oddly.


    Slightly wide at the hips with slender waist, the guy could almost be mistaken for a girl, as with not a speck of hair on his body and face, and voice thin like that of a woman he looked about 80% like one.


    The only redeeming quality about him, which indicated that he was a guy was the way he dressed, wearing skinny jeans and white t-shirt.


    "She is a beauty" Buhara said, as the blonde guy giggled and replied "I''m a he, and no you''re the strong looking guy".


    Rocky felt his spine tingle when the guy giggled instead ofughing as rm bells began to ring in his head.


    " BUHAHAHARA-" Said Buhara, as he began flexing and posing his muscles after being called ''Strong''


    " My name is Erin, nice to meet you both, I''ll be in your care from now on" said Erin as he extended his hand for Buhara to Shake.


    " I''m Buhara, son of the great chieftain Duhara" said Buhara as he gripped Erin''s hands too tightly after being ustomed to Rocky.


    " Ouch! My palms" said Erin, as tears formed in his eyes as he immediately rescinded his palm.


    Buhara looked at Erin and then his palm and wondered how that guy even got injured with such less strength?


    " Buhara you idiot, control your damn strength you musclehead" Rocky said as he gave Buhara a light kick on his calves.


    " I''m Rocky, nice to meet you" Rocky said as he extended his palm, to which Erin only gently grabbed his index finger.


    " You sir, have nice hair" said Erin as Rocky subconsciously adjusted them as he said " Thanx, you have nice hair too" as a form of general courtesy.


    " No you sir, have a wonderful voice" said Erin almost instantly, as finally a light bulb went off in Rocky''s head.


    The way Erin dressed, the way he spoke, theck of muscles on his body, it all added up to one thing and one thing only!


    " Erin, are you by chance a follower of the Church Of Vanity?" Asked Rocky as Erin''s eyes brightened at the question.


    " You sir, are very intelligent, I''m indeed a believer of the Church of Vanity" said Erin as Rocky wished he could faint right at that moment.


    The church of vanity was a cult where their followers practiced one of the most terrifying form of curse spellcraft known to the universe.


    They only gaveplements to everyone they conversed with, giving oneplement minimum in every human to human interaction they had, improving the strength of their curse, for when they eventually unleashed it.


    A normal conversation between two church of vanity followers sounded like this


    "You sir are so handsome"


    " No, YOU sir are more handsome"


    " No, your voice sounds better"


    " No your nails look better"


    However, when the time came to fight, and they finally spoke a demeaning curse like


    " Your swordsmanship is trash"


    Even veteran swordsmen tended to forget how to hold their swords, making them easy targets.


    The longer a practitioner went without using the power of a curse, the stronger it became, however, because of this extreme form of improving its strength, church of vanity believers were very hard to talk to while having a serious conversation.


    '' Why do I have to be stuck with not one but TWO cartoon characters?'' wondered Rocky, as he silently cursed the heavens, but little did he know that these two cartoon characters would eventually be his best friends in life.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target! Good job everyone!


    Also,e let''s have fun by pretending in the chat below that we are all church of vanity believers.


    Should be funny ///

 Chapter 36: Future Ambitions

    <h4>Chapter 36: Future Ambitions</h4>


    ( Dorm C-54 )


    Rocky sat awkwardly with his two roommates in themon hall of the dorm after helping Erin get settled.


    Buhara, after making the mistake of squishing Erin''s hand, was keeping his distance from the dude, as he felt visibly guilty for hurting him.


    " Rocky, human, Buhara did not want to hurt Erin, Buhara had no idea Erin is a small baby, please apologize for Buhara" Buhara said to Rocky, as he apologized to Erin on Buhara''s behalf.


    "It''s okay! It''s quite impressive that you have such strong hands, Buhara" said Erin, epting Buhara''s apology, as thankfully he seemed to be an easy going guy who did not take unintended mistakes to heart.


    " So, what are you guys nning to major in?" Asked Rocky to break the awkward silence as Erin was the first to answer.


    "I want to primarily be a curse mage, I want to excel in the art of supportivebat and wish to pursue it as my major" said Erin as Rocky nodded in understanding.


    He had expected as much from Erin since he was a follower of the church of vanity who were known to be excellent curse magic mages.


    " It''s a very sensible goal, and judging by how well you practice the word curse, I''d say you''re well suited for it" Rocky said honestly, as Erin blushed and said " No you sir Rocky, are too kind with your assessment, I''m not that special".


    Rolling his eyes, Rocky chose to ignore the typical church of vanity reply as he pped Buhara on his rock hard biceps.


    *TAP*


    *TAP*


    " And what about you big guy? What sort ofbat major are you going to choose?" Asked Rocky, fully expecting Buhara to choose a major in bing a berserker, tank or a frontlinebat job.


    But contrary to his expectations, Buhara said "Buhara wishes to be an elemental mage. Buhara is blessed with affinity for all four elements. He has decided to be a mage"


    Rocky looked at Buhara, then his massive nine feet tall body with rippling muscles and then at his choice of wanting to be a mage, as for a moment words just would not form in his mouth.


    " I think it''s a great choice! It''s admirable that strong orc Buhara has affinity for all four elements, I''m most impressed" Erin said as Buhara began tough out loud like an orc.


    " Buhahahahara"


    Orcs were generally not very blessed with the maniption of mana, which was why rarely did an orc ever choose to be a mage.


    Approximately, only one in ten thousand orc children had any real talent in magic with those children usually bing the Shaman Orcs of the tribe, responsible for healing and curse removal.


    A purely elemental orc mage was almost unheard of, which was why Rocky found Buhara''s choice to be odd.


    " Buhara, have you thought about maybe bing a Berserker?


    Axe in both hands, ughtering puny elves, humans and vampires in your way?


    I think that''s a better path for you-" Rocky said, as he hoped to steer Buhara in the right direction with his counseling, however, Buhara''s reply stumped Rocky once more.


    " Buhara''s father is the great chieftain Duhara.


    In his entire life, chieftain Duhara never lost a fight.


    But one day, a magee to Duhara''s n, defeat everyone including Duhara.


    That day Duhara decide


    His son Buhara will be mage" Buhara said emotionally, as Rocky could not even decide how to refute that logic.


    *Sigh*


    Sighing deeply, Rocky decided to let it be, as he just epted the fact that his roommates were as weird as weird got.


    " What about you? Sir Rocky? What do you wish to major in?" Asked Erin as Rocky clutched his palm and excitedly said "I''ll be a swordsman"


    "Not just a single sword wielder either, I shall be a dual sword wielder"


    " Oooo, you do seem like the heroic type sir Rocky, what an admirable choice" said Erin, while Buhara pped his back hard and gave him a thumbs up sign.


    "Dual wielding is the sign of a True Male! More female will wish to copte with you" Buhara said, as Rocky awkwardly smiled at his assessment.


    " Ooo ooo, I know what we should do, great roommates, we should go in as this semester''s three man team together!


    One curse/ support mage


    One assault mage


    One swordsman.


    Seems like a very well bnced group to me" suggested Erin, as his eyes sparkled with excitement.


    " Buhara will be honored to fight alongside the blonde baby and man Rocky" said Buhara as both turned their heads towards Rocky.


    Truth be told, Rocky did not wish to go in as a team with these two, and he was not afraid to offend them either by telling them ''no'' to their face.


    However, he remembered Karna''s words about how he could never be sure about the intentions of other people trying to get closer to him once his identity as a champion was revealed, and since these two were this friendly to him without knowing his background, Rocky felt like he could trust these two guys at the least.


    Since he had no idea for how long his identity in this university would remain hidden, he did not want to take the risk of fraternizing and looking for teammates that could potentially be with him only for his status and for this sole reason alone, he decided to say ''Yes''.


    And in this way, the roommates became teammates for the semester.

 Chapter 37: Enemy in sight

    <h4>Chapter 37: Enemy in sight</h4>


    Rocky enjoyed the rest of his first day at the university by just lurking aimlessly alongside Buhara and Erin as they toured the campus grounds together.


    The orientation was supposed to be the next day and there was not much to do at the academy on the first day.


    It was indeed a very different cepared to Earth and a slight culture shock for Rocky who was not ustomed to being around a myriad different species.


    Apparently -


    Werewolves hated vampires


    Beastmen hated Fishmen


    Dwarves hated Goblins


    Goblins hated Orcs


    Elves hated everyone


    And humans were considered too weak to be hated.


    There was a heavy racial stigma on campus grounds and apart from a handful of mixed race trios, it seemed like most had chosen to form a team with their racial matespared to roommates.


    There was some fraternizing going around amongst different groups as well, however, nobody approached Rocky''s team for holding a talk.


    With the 9 foot tall Buhara standing behind Erin and Rocky, nobody really dared to approach the group, as Buhara scared everyone off.


    This was the way both Rocky and Erin prefered it to be as they did not wish to idoly fraternize either.


    Rocky still felt a little ufortable under the enhanced sensory effect of the tower''s ambient mana, however, he was feeling much betterpared to when he first entered the tower.


    It was almost like his body had automatically learnt how to get attuned with the ambient mana in the surroundings, and apart from a mild headache, Rocky felt fine as a bird.


    The trio visited the university''s grand arena, the various special lecture halls, the swordsmanship hall, the library, the canteen and many other important ces as they took a thorough survey of the campus grounds feeling awed by its grandeur.


    The university for nourishment of young talents, was most definitely the best university to enroll in and its environment matched its reputation.


    The students here walked with their noses held high and with a spirit under their step as looking at them one could easily determine that everyone here was brimming with confidence and not shy of fighting at all.


    If one made idental eye contact with another student, then the eye contact was not broken for a long time as both would smirk and try to intimidate the other, trying to establish their dominance early before the true geniuses left the normal ones in the dust.


    Rocky too often faced a staredown while he was touring the campus, however, heughed the fools off instead of humoring them.


    In a way, he was more mature than teenagers his age were supposed to be.


    He was not easy to agitate or taunt, however, on the other hand, he was his own worst enemy.


    The amount of time he took to reflect upon his own actions and future was not healthy, underneath the facade of confidence that he maintained, he was a fragile child who was far from bing a man.


    However, unlike him, Buhara did not shy away from any staredowns, in fact he initiated most of them.


    Also, unlike him, when Buhara stared someone down they flinched and looked away, as noone wanted to mess with that beast.


    Amongst all the other orcs in the academy, Buhara was by far thergest and most ripped looking one as apart from a handful of Hobgoblins and Minataurs, nobody was even close to his size.


    And almost aplete opposite to Buhara, Erin did not even look up into the eyes of other people as he kept to himself and kept staring at the ground below.


    If someone made a mean face at him, he hid behind Rocky, as Rocky quickly realized that Erin was going to be the pampered princess of the group.


    **********


    While the trio were almost approaching the end of their tour. They noticed arge crowd having gathered at one spot, crowding over someone or something.


    There seemed to be some excited chatter going around as Rocky''s interest was piqued as to what might be going on?


    "Hey brother, what''s going on? Why is everyone gathered here?" Rocky asked a fellow human who seemed to be heading out of the crowd with shock evident on his face.


    " Oh? A champion of gods has appeared! She''s showing off her mark! It''s really cool" Said the human, as a smile immediately popped up on Rocky''s face as he pushed through the crowd to take a look at the champion.


    As he reached the front of the crowd, he saw a beautiful woman with sea green eyes, standing with a dazzling smile and an exposed arm.


    She appeared to be very gentle, and Rocky was almost captivated by her charm for a second, until he noticed the exposed tattoo on her arm.


    A mermaid holding a trident, the mark of the Olympian God Poseidon.


    Almost instantly, Rocky pushed back away from the crowd, dark thoughts entering his mind as he walked furiously back towards his room.


    " Rocky?"


    " Puny human?"


    Buhara and Erin called out to him, but he ignored them as he kept walking without a response.


    He was excited to meet the champion when he heard there was another from the admissions clerk, however, never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that it would turn out to be a champion of the Olympian Gods.


    Someone destined to be his foe.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron allcat_gaming, please thank him in thements for the same///

 Chapter 38: No funny business

    <h4>Chapter 38: No funny business</h4>


    Complicated thoughts clouded Rocky''s mind after he caught a glimpse of Sophia''s tattoo.


    He wondered if kidnapping Sophia to barter with her patron god for the release of Riva was a sensible idea?


    He wondered if kidnapping a fellow student from the University was possible or not?


    He wondered if she had any involvement with the disappearance of his sister at all, or was he hating on someone innocent?


    "Damn it, damn it, damn it-" Rocky cursed as he paced around his dorm room with no control over his emotions as somehow the presence of Sophia itself riled Rocky to a point which Rocky could never have expected.


    Usually, Rocky was a calm andposed individual, however, at this moment he felt anxious as he could sense that something was amiss.


    Could her presence in the university at the same time as Rocky be coincidental?


    Was this some sort of a high level game being yed between gods?


    Rocky had no idea as to what the answer to these questions was, however, his guts told him that the champion of Olympian gods being at the same university as him could not be a coincidence.


    " Puny human! What happened? Why did you be so upset?" Asked Buhara as he and Erin also reached their dorm room, chasing after Rocky who left them in the dust.


    " Sir Rocky? Are you okay? You don''t seem like a gentleman who would be riled up easily, would you perhaps like to share what happened? Orc Buhara seems like a good listener" said Erin as he calmly gestured Rocky to take a seat, as the presence of others around him prompted Rocky to regain hisposure as he let out a deep sigh and smiled once again.


    " I''m okay! I just felt nauseous from the crowd. Felt like returning to the dorm fast" Rocky lied, as Erin picked up on his lie immediately but chose to remain silent.


    " Puny human became nauseous? Puny human truly puny. Orcs like Buhara never be nauseous, Orcs strong" Buhara said, as Rocky''s lie wentpletely over his head as he believed it to be true.


    " It''s okay sir Rocky, it happens to the best of us" Erin said,forting Rocky as he did not press for answers that Rocky did not wish to share.


    Nodding affirmatively towards Erin, Rocky thanked him silently for letting the matter go, as he returned to his normal state of mind.


    His gut told him that the Champion of Poseidon being here could not be a coincidence and that he needed to beware of her, which was why Rocky decided to take a cautious approach while interacting with her in the future.


    ************


    Sophia had already seen a photo of Rocky beforeing to the university for nourishment of young talents, so she already knew who he was.


    As Rocky made his way from amidst the crowd, Sophia recognised him in an instant, as she noticed his facial expressions in extreme detail as he gazed upon her.


    His expression changed from one of awe at being mesmerized by her beauty to that of disgust as he observed her tattoo as he immediately pushed back and left the crowd once he realized the patron god supporting her.


    ''What a cutie'' thought Sophia as judging by his reactions she could already make out that Rocky would not be amiable to conversing with her directly.


    Should he be mesmerized by her beauty, being influenced by the charm artifact that she wore, Sophia would have tried a more proactive approach to entering his good books, but after judging his reaction today, she realized that a direct approach would fail miserably.


    Rocky was wary of her and to break into his good books under these circumstances needed more nuanced ''coincidences''.


    ''Hmmm, this should be fun-'' she thought, as with a soft smile she plotted her future n of action.


    ************


    ( Meanwhile, somewhere on the academy grounds )


    A humble man with curly hair, a long entangled beard and a monocle walked through the academy grounds with his hands behind his back and a slight hunch forward.


    *mamsbxjsmss*


    He seemed to be mumbling something imperceptible under his breath as by his cadence and demeanor, it seemed like he was extremely angry.


    " Revealing her identity so soon? How narcissistic does one have to be to do this..... this is not good, not good" he mumbled to himself as he clutched his hands and grit his teeth.


    " I don''t care about gods. I don''t care about your internal fights. This university is MY domain and I am it''s sole operator" he murmured to the heavens, seemingly taunting the gods to test his wrath if they dared.


    " Gigolo, Pigolo" he said, as two ghosts materialized themselves beside the man, awaiting his instructions.


    "Keep an eye on the two champions. Knock them out unconscious the second they try something funny.


    I will not tolerate any funny business in my university" he said as gigolo and pigolo vanished from his sight, fading into the air as if they never existed.


    While the students were yet to meet him, the man ordering the ghosts was none other than the principal of the university and the madman who was feared throughout the first fifty floors of the tower.


    The Ghost Whisperer, Liam Hartley

 Chapter 39: Unexpected Call Up

    <h4>Chapter 39: Unexpected Call Up</h4>


    ( The next day )


    The next morning, both Rocky and Erin woke up with red eyes.


    One look at each other''s face and they understood that they had both suffered the same horrible fate of listening to Buhara''s snoring all night long.


    " Buha...Buha....buharararararara"


    That orc literally snored his own name at night, making it extremely difficult for Rocky and Erin to sleep who were not ustomed to such sounds.


    Not wishing to be a nuisance, they tolerated it all night long, however, the effects of sleep deprivation were visible on their faces the next morning.


    "I wish I still had a refreshment potion. That would''ve helped" Rocky said, looking into Erin''s eyes, as thetter reached into his belongings and brought out a vial of cheap grade refreshment potion.


    " Here, I''ve bought this to prepare for examination nights, but I guess we can share one on this beautiful morning" Erin said as Rocky opened the vial and drank half, before passing it to Erin who drank the other half.


    Although not as potent as the potion the system gave Rocky, it still helped him get over the fatigue and drowsiness, as he felt ready to tackle the day ahead.


    ***********


    ( The grand orientation hall, UFNOYT )


    Early in the morning, all the newly enrolled students gathered in the grand orientation hall, for the mandatory student orientation.


    It was only today and thest day of University, which was graduation that all students mandatorily gathered under one hall, as one could witness the full strength of the batch.


    Rocky sat alongside Buhara and Erin, with Rocky sitting furthest to the right, then Buhara sitting on three chairs at once, with Erin sitting to the furthest left, as for two rows behind Buhara, no other student dared to sit, leaving the space empty as to not block their own vision.


    Overall, the entire hall was jam-packed and there was an atmosphere of visible excitement and ambition.


    Towards the very end, near the stage, some teachers stood in front of the first row, who would be the instructors teaching the students the various subjects and on the stage stood the principal of the university, the infamous ghost whisperer, Liam Hartley.


    Currently he stood on the stage wearing his monocle in peace, however, he was only waiting for everyone to settle down before starting his speech.


    About 90% of the students had arrived before time and already settled down, however there were a few who were still entering, while a few were moring around Sophia, who just like yesterday was the center of attention.


    She was sitting a few rows below Rocky, and Rocky had his eyes trained directly at her.


    He observed her every move, every action, however, as of now, she only appeared to be a very amiable and gentledy.


    "Alright, it''s 9 am, Close the doors" said the principal as his voice boomed throughout the hall and all the entry doors to the grand hall, closed automatically.


    He paused for a moment, as everyone took their seats, and although there were over 5000 students in the hall, within seconds there was pin-drop silence as the principal''s reputation preceded him.


    " I am Liam Hartley, the founder and principal of this prestigious academy that has produced some of the finest climbers that the tower has ever seen.


    I founded this university because my younger brother was chosen as a climber, but because of inadequate training before challenging the floors, he lost his life.


    I won''t go into the details, I''m sure it''s a story you all must have heard, but that day, I vowed to create a proper institute to train as many as climbers as I could, as nicely as I could, so that what happened to my brother would not happen to anyone else" The principal said in stone cold voice, as even on a sensitive topic like losing his brother, his voice did not show any emotional fluctuations.


    "In this university, there is only one thing that I do not tolerate and that isck of effort.


    Every week, I personally read the progress report of all you 5000+ newly enrolled students and those amongst you who do not work as hard as I expect you to, face the wrath of my ghosts in your nightmares" Liam said, as he candidly admitted to torture like practises.


    " My motto is simple. I will beat you into the best version of yourself, even if you don''t wish to be one yourself" He said, as Rocky had goosebumps run all over his spine when he heard the conviction with which the principal spoke such tricky words.


    " The teachers here are top ss, the best instructors, paid the highest sries all across the tower, and they are all here for one reason and one reason only, which is to shape you all into the best version of yourself.


    Regardless of what path you choose for yourself. The end goal is excellence.


    Which is why we only admit excellent students and only graduate excellent students as well" He said with pride as a soft smile broke out on his face.


    " Now. Before I carry on, I must say that amongst us today, are two distinct individuals who might think themselves to be a little more ''special''pared to the rest of us.....


    These two individuals have made history by being the first two individuals to ever join the university on full schrship, so let us wee to the stage amongst thunderous apuse.


    The champion of Poseidon Sophia


    And


    The champion of Gemini Rocky" Liam said, as the entire university broke into thunderous apuse.


    Rocky, who had no idea why he was exposed like this, stayed rooted to his seat inplete silence, while Sophia stood up with an evident frown on her face.


    Apparently, she did not expect this turn of events either.


    --------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 40: The mad principal

    <h4>Chapter 40: The mad principal</h4>


    Sophia did not like being called out like this by the principal, this was totally out of her expectations.


    Initially she wanted to pretend not knowing who the Champion of Gemini was as unlike her Rocky had note forward, however, now because of the principal she could no longer use that excuse.


    '' The champion of Gemini? Since when did Gemini choose champions?''


    '' I''ve never heard of a Champion of Gemini, this has to be the first one ever!''


    '' The Gemini brothers are the strongest! I can''t believe we are in the same batch as their Champion!''


    '' Two champions in one batch? Isn''t this too much?''


    '' But who is the Champion of Gemini? What race does he belong to? Who is Rocky?''


    '' Don''t the Gemini brothers have a feud with the Olympians? This should be fun''


    Chatter broke out amongst the crowd, as the shocking revtion of the Champion of Gemini also being in their midst made the conversations amongst students turn spicy.


    Buhara and Erin stared at Rocky with eyes wide open, as while the crowd did not know anyone named Rocky, they did, however, never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that their roommate would turn out to be the champion of one of the strongest tower gods.


    ''Take a deep breath Rocky, calm down'' Rocky said to himself as he calmly stood up and started walking towards the stage with the indifference of a superior being.


    Not once did he pause to take a look at the crowd around him.


    Not once did he pay attention to the chatter of those he passed by.


    With an indifferent gaze that seemed befitting of a champion, he strode towards the stage with confidence.


    Internally, Rocky was a mess.


    Having experienced the fanaticism of Earthlings already, Rocky wanted to stay anonymous in the university for as long as possible.


    He knew it was impossible to stay anonymous forever, however, he did not think he would be exposed like this before the semester ever began.


    Nheless, he did not let his doubts reflect on his face as he climbed the stage and stood before the principal, who gazed straight into Rocky''s eyes with indifference.


    "Come stand here" he said as he gestured for Rocky and Sophia to stand in front of him, facing the crowd.


    As the two stepped before the principal as instructed, they formally made eye- contact for the first time ever, as both stared into each other''s eyes with gazes full of pride.


    *CHEEERS*


    The crowd went nuts, when Rocky stared into Sophia''s eyes, as some began chanting the name ''Poseidon'' while the others chanted ''Gemini''.


    Unlike the first time when Rocky looked into Sophia''s eyes, this time he did not find them to be beautiful as he looked into them with nothing but animosity and indifference.


    If she was a coborator in kidnapping his sister, Rocky would personally make her pay, if she was not, Rocky would still never prefer to be on friendly terms with her.


    Sophia too, did not show any signs of kindness towards Rocky, as she knew that being fake here would ruin her future chances of entrapping Rocky, as she too gazed back into his eyes with the same intensity without backing down.


    *Whistles*


    Apart from the religious supporters, some began to whistle and ship the two as a couple as the orientation took apletely different turn that nobody had expected.


    "Exciting isn''t it?" Principal Liam said with an amiable smile as he stepped between the two champions and put his arms behind both their backs.


    " To be around champions of gods! To be around warrior''s that may define our era?


    I''m sure many of you might be thinking...


    Let''s make friends with Rocky or Sophia, be part of their inner circle and glory would surely follow us for the rest of our lives!


    I don''t me you, I can see these thoughts stered on many of your faces and I understand it''s natural.


    Afterall.... Who doesn''t like fame


    Who doesn''t like supporting envoys of gods? " Liam said as he once again held the attention of the crowd on the palm of his fingers.


    " I''m sure Professor Derek here must be ecstatic about these two entrants, seeing how he personally sponsored their tuition. Providing them with full schrships!


    I don''t me him for it either, afterall he''s the teacher of religious history in this institute, an important core subject for all to study.


    Champions are a great part of his fascination.


    However, let me tell you one thing about gods....." Principal Liam said, as his expression changed from that of an amiable smiling principal to one of a madman as he took his hand and chopped both Sophia and Rocky on the neck to knock them unconscious.


    " I don''t give a fuck about the gods!"


    *THUD*


    *THUD*


    Both Rocky and Sophia fell face first onto the stage unconscious, as chaos gripped the entire hall.


    '' What the fuck? Did he just attack a student?''


    '' How dare hey a hand on Miss Sophia, this is not fair!''


    '' I will write about this on the tower media! This is simply uneptable!''


    The crowd went bonkers, as someughed while others could not believe what they just witnessed.


    Such brazzen disrespect of the deities?


    Only a madman could do this.


    "SILENCEEEE!" Liam shouted, as the light in the room dimmed by several units and the entire hall turned near pitch dark.


    Ghosts began popping out as the temperature of the hall dropped drastically, to below the freezing point of water.


    " Like you just saw, I don''t care about your origins, your affiliations nor your religion.


    Within this university, everyone is just a student for me and that is exactly how all of you shall behave.


    The champions need to be treated the same way as all of you talented children and I forbid associating with them for personal gains.


    Be overly friendly with them and my ghosts will torment you in your dreams.


    The gods maybe all mighty in the tower, but within these campus grounds the only god you must fear is me.


    DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND?" Liam asked, as he left the entire hall of freshmen trembling in fear.

 Chapter 41: True Madman

    <h4>Chapter 41: True Madman</h4>


    Rocky woke up at the university infirmary questioning his whole life.


    ''Just how many times a week do I have to visit the infirmary? I don''t think I''ve had as many visits to the infirmary in thest 18 years as I have had in thisst week'' He thought as he struggled to sit and gather his thoughts.


    Lying beside him, out cold as well was Sophia, the champion of Poseidon, who just like him had been knocked out cold by principal Liam.


    ''She''s so vulnerable right now.... Should I just kill her here by suffocating her throat?'' wondered Rocky, as he contemted killing Sophia as if he were some deranged murderer.


    Of Course he never acted on his intrusive thoughts as it was sidelined almost as fast as it arrived in his head.


    " Awake already?" Said a male voice as Rocky turned his head to find the principal squatting on the open infirmary window like he was ready to leap into the room at any moment, but did not.


    "Why did you knock me out?" Rocky asked, not impressed at all by the principal''s antics, as only now did he jump into the room with a slight *Thud* sound upon impact.


    "Oh that..." The principal said as he adjusted his monocle and reached out into his coat pocket to bring out a smallb.


    " Do you want an honest answer?" He asked, as he beganbing his extremely tangled beard, breaking more strands of hair than those he straightened, as the entire process looked very painful.


    "Yes" Rocky said, feeling distracted by the grooming that the principal was doing in his presence.


    " Well, the honest answer is, it''s because you were getting more attention than me.... And nobody gets more attention than me, this is my stage" He said, as his tone did not even sound a little bit apologetic


    " But more importantly, I did it because I don''t want to divide the university into factions.


    The champion of Gemini alongside the champion of Poseidon is trouble.


    I had to warn all the students against treating you two like god incarnates.


    I can''t have that in this university" Liam said, as Rocky felt as if he could respect that thought.


    In the first ce he did not want any special treatment anyways as unlike Sophia he did not feelfortable with the attention.


    The spotlight felt suffocating to him, like his every action was always being scrutinized and that psychological pressure did not allow him to rx even for a second.


    "Ummpfgh...."


    A soft moan entered Rocky''s ears, as his eyes shifted towards Sophia who started to regain consciousness as well.


    Just like him, she too was dazed and disoriented for a second, before regaining her focus, as she stared at the principal with visible hatred.


    " You! Do you know who I am? My grandfather is the God Poseidon! I''m not a lowly human like you.... I''m a demi-human! How dare youy your hands on me!" Sophia shouted, venting her anger on Liam who let herplete her rant, before moving closer to her and looking straight into her eyes.


    "Do you think I should have not touched you just because your grandfather is divine?" He asked Sophia, pausing as if waiting for her to answer.


    " Yes ofc-"


    *SLAP*


    Before Sophia could evenplete her sentence, a resounding p could be heard echoing throughout the room as principal Liam pped her without a shred of hesitation.


    " I don''t give a fuck about what you think!" He said, as he answered his own question like a madman.


    " HOW DAR-"


    *SLAP*


    As if doing it once was not enough, the second Sophia opened her mouth again he gave her another tight p as Rocky could not believe what he was witnessing.


    " I''ll kill you!" Eximed Sophia as she lunged at the principal, however, with a snap of his fingers Liam bound her with his servants.


    " Gigolo, Pigolo, bind her" he instructed as two ghosts pinned Sophia down, without any room for her to move.


    " This is harassment! This is-"


    " Figolo, apply noise cancetion" He said as a third ghost appeared and magically canceled out all soundsing out of Sophia''s mouth without suffocating her for air.


    " So yes, where was I?" He asked himself, as hebed his beard for a moment and then looked towards Sophia who has a tear rolling down her right eye.


    " So yes, I was about to say, I''m sorry for knocking you out youngdy, It was just that you were getting more attention than me and no-one gets more attention than me.


    Nothing personal" Liam said, as Rocky felt his right eye flutter looking at this exchange.


    Rocky was 99% sure that Sophia was never pped in her entire life as the tear rolling down her eye was a sign that she was raised in a sheltered environment.


    It was not a tear of pain at being pped, but rather a tear stemming from humiliation that she felt at the hands of a madman that just did not care about her identity.


    " As I was just exining to this fine young man, don''t flex your identities around this campus, if you do I''ll p the taste out of your mouths personally.


    Be a nice student, learn a few things and do your best to excel.


    I''m sure your live''s are going to be hard as it is, but there is no reason why your university life should be too....


    Also, since I knocked you out for no reason, feel free to approach me in my cabin all semester, I''ll ept you as walk-ins as my form of apology" Liam said, as he snapped his fingers once more, to make Gigolo, Pigolo and Figolo disappear.


    Free''d and pped, not a single word came out of Sophia''s mouth as she kept staring at the principal in hatred.


    Undeterred however, Liam walked back to the window he came in from and jumped out as he felt as if his business there was concluded.


    ''Yep, he''s a madman'' thought Rocky, as he got a first-hand understanding of the enigma that their principal was.

 Chapter 42: The new normal

    <h4>Chapter 42: The new normal</h4>


    Once the madman left, Rocky raised his eyebrows as he looked towards Sophia who was trying very hard to regain herposure.


    She did not wish to look weak in front of Rocky, however, the humiliation she just experienced made it hard for her to keep a straight face.


    "Don''t spread this incident, please" she said, her voice cracking, as she pursed her lips and tried suppressing more tears from dropping.


    "Nah, don''t worry, I''m not the gossiping kind" said Rocky, as he was truly least concerned with what sort of image Sophia maintained in public.


    Getting up to his feet, Rocky began stretching his body, trying to see if he felt good enough to leave as he turned his back on Sophia, giving her some space to wipe her tears.


    Rocky wanted to keep an eye on Sophia and this incident did not change anything for him, however, seeing her pped this hard twice, Rocky could not help but feel slightly giddy internally as those ps oddly felt extremely satisfying to him.


    Of course he would never gossip about it to a third person, however, those ps and tears would be images that Rocky would remember forever, as every time from here onwards that he would look at Sophia, those teary eyes would be what Rocky would be reminded of first.


    "Alright I''m off, cyater!" Rocky said, as once he felt that everything worked okay in his body, he headed for the infirmaries exit.


    "Wait!" Sophia shouted from behind, as Rocky turned to look towards her.


    "Just because our patron gods are at odds, doesn''t mean we need to be at odds too...I at least am my own person, capable of making my own choices" Sophia said, as she subtly tried to y the ego card. Trying to insinuate that if Rocky did not feel the same way, then perhaps he was a ve to his patron god and not a free individual.


    "Yeah, alright-" Rocky said with a soft smile as he waved her good-bye and kept walking.


    Did he believe a single wording out of her mouth?


    Absolutely not!


    Did he then think he should have called her out?


    Absolutely not!


    Rocky had no problems being fake and cordial with someone while hiding his true intentions.


    Since the other party wished to not be enemies, he wasn''t going to be thick headed and pick a fight for no reason, however, unless she gained his trust slowly through her actions over time, Rocky was never going to believe a single wording out of her mouth.


    The weight of words was only as much as the person speaking them and Rocky was never going to put any weight behind words spoken by his potential opponent.


    ***********


    ( Back at the dormitory )


    Rocky felt pissed on his way back from the infirmary to his dormitory.


    ''Champion of Gemini''


    ''Look, it''s him! That''s him!''


    ''Woah, he looks so ferocious, I wouldn''t mess with that guy''


    Wherever he passed by, everyone instantly recognised him, as his anonymitysted a grand total of one day within the university.


    On the bright side, no-one dared to approach him, as the fear of the mad principal made everyone reluctant to crowd Rocky, as soon Rocky epted this as the best possible oue he could have hoped for.


    Once again, the spotlight was concentrated on him, as his every movement and every action was scrutinized, however, at least now Rocky did not have to worry about his identity being exposed identally, as the worst had alreadye to pass.


    Once he was back to his room, Buhara and Erin looked at him weird, as there was palpable awkwardness between the three.


    "Puny human is Champion of the great god Ravan? Buhara loves Ravan..... respects Shakuni even more.... Buhara''s father always say, if Shakuni points, orcs fight-" Buhara said, as he tried to break the awkward atmosphere.


    "The church of vanity doesn''t dislike the Gemini Gods either. It''s so cool that Sir Rocky is a champion of Gemini, I''m honored to be your roommate" Erin said as he bowed slightly in front of Rocky, who immediately stopped him.


    "Guys no.... I''m going to be selfish here and I''m going to ask you both for a favor, but this one time you have to agree...." Rocky said as he patted Erin on his shoulder as he faced Buhara.


    "My life is hard as is outside this dorm, I don''t want to be treated as a champion within it as well.


    The three of us are roommates and teammates. This is as close to making friends that I''ll ever get in this academy, so it''s really only you two that I can ever ask for this favor.


    Don''t treat me as the champion, I''m just Rocky here" Rocky said, as Buhara and Erin looked at each other and smiled.


    "Sure, Sir Rocky is odd for not wanting more attention, but it just goes to show how humble you are" Erin said, as being a church of vanity follower he did not understand why Rocky would not want more attention and respect, but he epted his request anyways.


    "Buhara will never give you respect ever again, Buhara promises. For Buhara you shall remain a puny human, Buhara will do you the favor you ask for" Buhara said, as Rocky nodded in appreciation.


    He was d that he had formed a team with these two early on and not fished for better teammates as things would have gotten troublesome if he did.


    If nothing else, Rocky could feel that both Buhara and Erin did not have malice in their heart and that they were reliable people to trust.


    "We have brought an extra course registration form for you, the deadline to post it is at the end of the day.


    Since you were knocked out cold for the rest of the orientation, do you want me to summarize what the professors said and what courses we should take?" Erin asked as Rocky''s eyes brightened at this question.


    " Ofcourse, Erin, you''re a lifesaver, I almost forgot that sses start tomorrow" Rocky said as Erin blushed and instantly replied "No...no, I''m nothing muchpared to you and Sir Buhara, you guys are the real deal".


    "Hahaha, yes Buhara is the real deal, Buhara filled all the mage sses! Buhara is going to be the strongest mage of them all! Buhahahahahara" said Buhara, who did not realize that givingpliments was a conditional reflex for Erin and thought that he really meant it.


    Shaking his head, Rocky smiled, this room was probably as normal as his life could get.

 Chapter 43: Subject Selection

    <h4>Chapter 43: Subject Selection</h4>


    Subject selection at the university for nourishment of young talents was extremely free, however, there was still a basic framework that one needed to follow.


    A student needed to choose 6 subjects/ semester with each subject having 2 sses/ week + Team exercise on Sundays.


    A ss was roughly 2 hours long and there were two sses scheduled per day, between 9-11 and 2-4.


    Except for these hours, one was free to train and do self-study throughout the day with extremely approachable professors, assistant professors and world ss facilities.


    Subject selection itself was divided into a wide pool of choices, however, it could be broadly categorized as -


    1)Mandatory/Core Subjects


    2)Non Combative Subjects


    3)Elective Subjects


    Mandatory subjects were the two sses which all students needed to take, which were the only subjects everyone was forced to take together without exception.


    Mandatory subjects included -


    1)The power dynamics and history of the tower.


    2)Practical survival inside the tower.


    With thetter taken by the mad principal Liam himself.


    These two were the most important subjects for a climber''s survival and were taught to all students without exception.


    However, the choice in the nonbative subjects and electives was much more free.


    Nonbative subjects offered choices amongst topics such as:-


    1) Battlefield strategies and leadership


    2) Craftsmanship and Economy


    3) Monsters and their Weakness


    4) Racial Evolution and Bloodlines


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    25) Gods and Religion


    There were a total of 25 choices of different topics to study from that ranged from issues such as economics, to religion, politics, strategy, craftsmanship and many more.


    Finally, there were the elective subjects that one chose to progress in the specific path they desired.


    Choices like:-


    1)Practical Combat


    2)Mage Combat


    3)Swordsmanship


    4)cksmithing


    5)Support Magic


    6)Scouting and Tracking


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    33)Curses and Runic Inscription


    A total of 33 choices were avable under elective subjects and students were free to choose the ss they wished which they felt best suited their future.


    Erin exined to Rocky as best as he could about all these choices from what he picked up from the orientation, as Rocky fell into deep contemtion about what subjects to choose.


    Both Buhara and Erin had chosen the sses ''Monsters and their Weaknesses'' and ''Battlefield Strategy and Leadership'' as their nonbative subjects, as just like Rocky, they too came from a where monster tides originating from the tower were a big threat.


    Since Rocky too saw the value in understanding these principles, with Earth suffering from the same issue, he chose the same two subjects for his nonbative choices, with his only regret being that he could not choose ''Gods and Religion'', which he swore to learn supplementarily.


    For Elective subjects, the choice was easier as he went for ''Practical Combat'' and ''Swordsmanship'' as his two choices, since he expected to fight and to fight with swords in the future.


    Buhara had gone with ''Mage Combat'' and ''Spellcraft'' for his choices whereas Erin had chosen ''Support Magic'' with ''Curses and Runic Inscription'' as his.


    As things stood, the three room-mates were scheduled to take four sses together, as well as the team-exercises on Sunday, meaning that their lives would be pretty much joined to the hip from here onwards.


    ******************


    ( The next day )


    Day three inside the university marked the first day of the academic activities officially beginning, with Rocky''s first ss being the elective subject ''Practical Combat''.


    As an Earthling, Rocky did not have much knowledge about fighting andbat, as unlike many other races, the young ones on Earth were not taught how to fight, putting Rocky at a slight disadvantage when joining the sspared to his peers.


    The ss was taken by Professor Mave, a martial arts expert who had climbed up to floor 59 within the tower, being just one step away from achieving lesser godhood.


    He was a well renowned expert throughout the tower and was regarded as one of the best instructors in the academy.


    A staggering total of 430 students had decided to enroll for his ss, which was held at the university training grounds on every Monday and Thursday.


    Almost as soon as Rocky reached the training grounds for the lecture, he became the center of gossip for all those around him, however, a hovering ghost over the training grounds deterred anyone from approaching him.


    To his surprise, Sophia had also chosen practicalbat as her elective and was present for the first lecture as her arrival caused an even bigger stir than his did, since she was the second one to arrive.


    ''Both champions in the same ss? This will be fun''


    Was the general sentiment of everyone present, asparisons between the two started to be made from the very first day.


    Just like him, who sat alone without anyone daring to enter within a two meter radius, she sat alone too, as the two of them felt like drops of oil in water which repelled everyone away from themselves.


    For a moment after she entered, their eyes met, reminding Rocky of the tears he saw in them just a day ago, prompting him to smile slightly, however, both him and Sophia looked away almost instantly after making eye contact as they did not wish to be seen keeping an eye on the other.


    "Alright children, I''m Professor Mave, this is my assistant Mr Lobo, and we will be conducting this ss for this semester" said a ripped and muscr man, sharp at 9 am as he garnered everyone''s attention with his loud authoritative voice.


    "Before starting the first lecture, let me make something very clear for all..." he said as he scanned the crowd and made sure everyone soaked in his words.


    "I don''t care what the other teachers demand from you, but the four hours a week allotted to me are by no means enough.


    Every morning sharp at 5am, I expect you all to be here doing conditioning training from 5 am to 7 am alongside me as we beat your unworked bodies intobat shape" he said, as without even taking the first ss, he began talking about taking extra sses, much to the dismay of the general crowd.


    "My assessment of you will be based on a continuous evaluation pattern, with each morning session, each lecture being evaluated towards your final grade" he said as he made it clear from day one that doing one''s best in every training session was an absolute must.


    "At the end of the year, as all of you must already be aware, will be the university games, where students from the top10 universities shallpete for the pride of their institutions.


    This ss has 8 reserved spots for that tournament and only the 8 best amongst you will get them, so work hard to be chosen.


    That being said, the two minutes I spent talking are two horrible minutes wasted, so let''s waste no more time and start training" He said as instantly as he stopped his speech, his assistant Lobo began to scream " STUDENTS, GET INTO LINES OF THREE, WE START SPRINTING NOW!"


    -----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target yesterday! Good Job everyone!


    The goal for this week is the same asst ///

 Chapter 44: Salvaging Reputation

    <h4>Chapter 44: Salvaging Reputation</h4>


    After sprinting daily for 90 days, Rocky''s cardiovascr capacity had improved significantlypared to an average human, allowing him to be able to keep up with the pace that Professor Mave set for the pack by leading from front.


    He gave no instructions about how long one was supposed to run for, as he kept takingps of the giant training ground again and again, with assistant Mave weeding out the people that fell too far behind the pack, noting down their names and adding the time it took for them to fall-out beside it.


    For about the first sixps, which was roughly about 1.2 kilometers, everyone more or less maintained the jogging pace that professor Mave set, but it was after him increasing the pacing from the seventhp to a stride that people began to fall out of the pack.


    Lap 7 about 10% dropped out at once.


    Lap 8 about 10% more dropped out with many others audibly gasping for air, as by Lap 12 about 50% of the candidates were weeded out, leaving only 200 or so left running.


    Rocky was more or less fine even after twelveps, feeling only slightly winded while Sophia, who was running in front of him, seemed like she had not even broken a sweat.


    After Lap12, professor Mave reduced his pace to a slow jog, as he allowed the remaining participants to get some wind back in their lungs, before resuming his original pace for 6 moreps, turning into 6 moreps of fast strides thereafter.


    After his second round of running, the 200 remaining students dropped down to 130, and it was at this point that the second cool-downp came with professor Mave jogging slowly.


    At this point, Rocky started feeling slightly light headed as while he could feel his strength returning because of the slowp, he knew that theing rounds were bound to be hell and just as he anticipated, once the slowp was over, the principal went into an all-out sprint, prompting everyone to run at their full speeds.


    Elves, Goblins, Vampires and Beastmen race members remarkably gapped the masses, following closely behind the professor as they were able to match his pace through significant effort.


    Their racial advantage around higher inherent agility was on full disy as they did not struggle as much as orcs, trolls, humans, dwarves and the other races.


    Sophia, with her demi-human bloodline also managed to keep-up, while Rocky was purely ego-running at this point as he knew he was way out of his depth, running at an unsustainable speed that his body could not support.


    Students began dropping like flies in this round, eliminated for being too slow or stumbling as they lost their bnce, eating the training ground dirt in the process.


    130 candidates dropped to just 20 within twops, as Rocky felt his head-spinning and his muscles not being under full control at this point.


    "WE HAVE OUR TOP 20" Assistant Mave shouted at some point, as the professor began slowing down his pace a little, saving Rocky from the humiliation of dropping out, just before he would have called it quits.


    *HUFFFF*


    *HUFFFF*


    *HUFFFFFFFFFF*


    Gasping in an ugly fashion, Rocky stumbled to his knees as he felt every vein in his body pulsating from the effort, as he seemed to be the only person amongst the top20 who was reduced to such a sorry state, as the other 19 remained standing and appeared to be only slightly out of breath.


    "You okay? You lookedpletely washed" said Sophia to Rocky as she offered him a hand to stand up, as unlike him, she lookedpletely fine with not a single sweat molecule appearing on her forehead.


    ''Oh fuck you...'' thought Rocky internally, however, he did not say it, as suppressing the shortness of breath that he felt, he stood up without taking her hand, as he put on a brave face.


    "I''m fine, thanks" he said, walking away from Sophia, as he left her extended hand hanging.


    ''OOOOO''.


    Cheers could be heard from the spectators who had been weeded out early, as Rocky and Sophia remained to be the focal points of everyone''s attention even in this training.


    Thankfully, Rocky managed to make it to top20 through sheer effort, as if he did not, the new gossip headlines of the university would have been about how the Champion of Gemini was weakerpared to the Champion of Poseidon, as Rocky was saved today only by his system training and the body strengthening potions that he drank.


    "Alright, seeing as you 20 are the cream of the crop in this batch in terms of cardiovascr endurance, you 20 will have a friendly spar today for me to determine the general level of your ss.


    The ss will still go on for 90 minutes more, whoever amongst you 20 wishes to earn some bragging rights on the very first day,e forward and challenge an opponent of your choosing" Professor Mave said, as a female Elf immediately stepped forward and issued the first challenge.


    "Professor, I wish to issue the first challenge if that''s okay-" she said, as professor Mave nodded, giving her the right to choose first.


    Rocky flinched when she began scanning the crowd, praying that she did not choose him as her opponent as he did not wish to embarrass himself on day one of university life.


    Having no experience inbat, he was sure that he would be beaten ck and blue inbat, which was why he wished to avoid it if possible.


    And fortunately, he was not the first opponent to be chosen, as the female elf chose a female vampire to fight against.


    Sighing, Rocky took a seat where assistant Lobo guided him to sit, enjoying the ensuing duel alongside the rowdy practicalbat crowd, however, the fear of being called out in subsequent fights still persisted in his head.

 Chapter 45: Unexpected Quest

    <h4>Chapter 45: Unexpected Quest</h4>


    "Let this be clear: this sparring match is not a duel to the death or a ticket to the infirmary. I expect none of you to leave this arena in such states." Professor Mave said powerfully, as he drove the point of not injuring the opponent home.


    "You can engage inbat with the provided blunt wooden weaponry or use your bare hands with victory being achieved through a critical strike or surrender.


    You must obey my directives unfailingly, and under no circumstances should you aim to fracture bones," dered Professor Mave, while assistant Lobo wheeled in a selection of wooden arms for the picking.


    The assortment included an array of weapons such as wooden swords, spears, and bows with t-tipped arrows, all readily avable for selection.


    Facing off, the elf naturally gravitated towards the bow and arrows, while the vampire opted for a wooden spear, each choosing their weapon in alignment with their nature.


    "I heard Gise approached Wendy to join her team, however, Wendy rejected the approach and mocked Gise to think that she would ever team up with an elf like her, I think that''s the reason behind their beef with each other today-"


    Rocky heard someone murmur behind him, as he realized that the challenge between the female elf Gise and the female vampire Wendy was not issued randomly and had some backstory to it.


    "Vampires and their vain pride, man, I''m telling you... if she doesn''t want to team up with her, then it''s clearly her loss. I mean, who wouldn''t want an archer in their team? Also quite a beautiful archer at that" said a male voice behind Rocky, as the other guys snickered and passed lewdments, giving Rocky a glimpse of how men remained men, despite universal boundaries and cultural differences.


    As the murmurs and chuckles subsided, Professor Mave''s voice sliced through the tension,manding silence with an authoritative "Begin!", as both Gise and Wendy took their battle stance.


    Gise, with a quiver slung over her shoulder and bow in hand, took a cautious step back, eyeing Wendy with visible hatred.


    If looks could kill, Wendy would already be dead, as Gise seemed to hate that woman with all her essence.


    Wendy, gripping her wooden spear with a novice''s uncertainty, mirrored Gise''s cautious stance. It was evident that neither had extensive training as both their movements were hesitant and their strategies were unrefined.


    With a deep breath, Gise nocked an arrow, her fingers trembling slightly. The arrow, released with more hope than precision, whistled through the air, veering wide of Wendy and thudding harmlessly into the dirt of the arena as a murmur of amusement rose from the onlooking students.


    "An elf who can''t shoot arrows? Now that''s a first, hahahaha"


    "Of Course she doesn''t want to be your teammate if your aim is so shitty! Who even allowed you to join this university?"


    Meanments were thrown at Gise left and right, but impressively she did not let it waver her focus.


    Wendy, not wishing to stay docile for long, charged with a boldness that mirrored her inexperience.


    Closing the gap between herself and her opponent who was nocking another arrow onto the bow, she thrust her spear towards her abdomen, however, it was a slow and clumsy thrust that was easily sidestepped by Gise, who managed a half-hearted attempt at a counter with her bow, trying to use it like a staff.


    The two circled each other, exchanging a series of inept attacks and dodges with Wendy''s spear asionally jabbing at the air near Gise, who retaliated with arrows that mostly found new homes in the ground or the wooden barriers of the arena.


    The climax came not as a dramatic knockout as the crowd hoped for, but in the most awkward way possible as in her zeal, Wendy overextended a thrust, leaving herself off-bnce. Gise, seizing the opportunity, dropped her bow and tackled Wendy in a move that was more desperation than technique as they tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs and wooden weapons.


    Professor Mave, seeing that the spar had devolved into a scrappy wrestle, stepped in. "Enough!" he dered, pulling the two apart with ease as both students were left panting, covered in dust, with minor scrapes marking their first foray intobat.


    "You call this shit sparring? Disgrace both of you.... My four year old daughter fights better than you both" he said, humiliating the two fighters as the crowd roared intoughter.


    "Go back, have some rest..." he said, his voice softening as he shook his head and scanned the crowd for fighters that looked promising, but since he did not know the nature and willingness of students to participate in this spar he eventually decided on making the next fight via a public vote.


    "Alright, I''ll ask you, themon crowd as to who amongst the top twenty do you wish to see sparring with each other?" Professor Mave asked, as immediately chants of "Rocky! Rocky! Sophia! Sophia!" broke out.


    The vote was almost instantaneous and unanimous, as professor Mave looked towards Rocky and Sophia, knowing full well about their real identity.


    "The champion of Gemini against the champion of Poseidon on the very first day of ss?" he said, rubbing his chin, as he seemed to entertain that idea.


    Initially, he wanted to do that fight at the end of the year, but seeing the reaction of the crowd he felt like, doing it on the first andst day would help epass the their individual progress better.


    "Very well, the crowd has spoken,e forward Rocky and Sophia" he said, as Sophia got up with a spring to her step and immediately went ahead and took a bare knuckle fighting stance.


    Rocky, feeling as if his worst nightmare had just came true, stood up in a trance, as he felt the gaze of hundreds of students piercing his back.


    He really did not want to fight, he was aplete novice who was bound to be humiliated by Sophia, however, the environment did not seem like it cared for his opinion.


    ''Should I just yell ''I surrender'' when the bout starts and save myself some humiliation?'' he wondered as just as he thought this, the system screen popped up infront of his eyes.


    [ Strongest System Notification :- A new ''quest'' has been created.


    Quest Title - Defeat the champion of Poseidon.


    Quest Description - Defeat the champion of Poseidon in this uing spar, establishing your superiority as a fighter.


    Quest Reward - Immediately attain, (basic) sword and martial arts mastery.


    Failure Penalty - The strongest system will be unavable for use, for the next three months ]


    Rocky''s eyes widened in shock as he looked at the system screen! The stakes of this spar just became much bigger than just losing some face.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 46 First Duel

    Chapter 46 First Duel


    Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!


    Sophia!Sophia!Sophia!


    The crowd erupted into cheers as Rocky and Sophia walked onto the martial arena.


    Unlike Sophia who looked confident and assumed a proper fighting stance from the start, Rocky stood more freely as he looked towards the heavens as if praying.


    He had no idea on how to fight properly, however, if he failed to defeat Sophia here, his most important cheat, the strongest system threatened to go offline for three full months.


    By now, Rocky knew that the system was slightly evil, however, there was no denying its strength, as despite its disposition to put him in awkward situations, Rocky did not wish to have it deactivated.


    ''I can''t throw this match away, I need to do my best¡­. But how?'' he wondered as he tried to steady his breath as he closed his eyes.


    To Professor Mave and the rest of the crowd, it looked like Rocky waspletely rxed and taking his time to get into the mindset of a fighter, as many admired hisposure and were excited to see what he would produce.


    On the other hand, Sophia was stretching her muscles and moving lightly on her feet, ready to start the fight at the professor''s signal.


    As Rocky opened his eyes, he knew he was drawing empty in the ideas department as he had no clue whatsoever on how he could defeat Sophia.


    "May the better fighter win" Sophia said with a grin as she spoke those words with confidence, yet not arrogance.


    Rocky said no words of encouragement to his opponent as he put one arm behind his back and pointed the other one at her as he said "Come".


    The crowd went absolutely wild, thinking Rocky was nning to fight with one arm behind his back as loud cheers erupted from the stands.


    Uptil now, no-one except Professor Mave really noticed that Rocky''s fighting stance was absolutely shit, as the only one not happy with Rocky''s stance was him.


    Since Rocky could not think of any good strategy to win, his entire n was simple, which was to not make a single sound and look tough throughout the fight, no matter how badly she beat him.


    He prayed for there to be some form of divine intervention to help him miraculously win, however, in his heart he knew that it was highly unlikely that anything like that could take ce.


    "Hey! Don''t break each other''s bones, don''t cause intentional harm, I want this to be a nice clean fight! You both understand?" Professor Mave said as both Sophia and Rocky nodded in acknowledgement. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "BEGIN!" He said after a few nerve wrecking seconds as his loud voice cut through the chatter of the crowd.


    ***************


    As the word "BEGIN!" echoed through the arena, the crowd''s excitement reached a fever pitch.


    Sophia, with the grace of a seasoned fighter despite her novice status, wasted no time as she closed the distance between herself and Rocky with quick, measured steps, her eyes locked on Rocky''s, reading his posture andck of experience like an open book.


    Rocky, on the other hand, stood frozen for a split second, the gravity of the situation finally dawning on him, however, without anybat experience, he could only observe his opponent without taking any appropriate measures to counter her offense.


    As she came within striking distance of him, his feet suddenly moved as he began taking a step back gradually with his heart racing wildly, his mind nked out and his base survival instincts kicking in.


    "You''re wide open!"


    Sophia said,unching a series of feints and jabs, testing Rocky''s defenses, which were practically non-existent.


    Cheers went up from the crowd as unlike the previous match where the action ended before it ever properly began, this fight seemed much more high caliber.


    With one hand still behind his back, Rocky made clumsy attempts at dodging Sophia''s attacks, as he was visibly stiff while moving, looking like an absolute amateur as he barely avoided being hit by Sophia.


    "The champion of Gemini is a joke! The very basic of fighting is to stay quick on your feet, what the fuck is that clumsy foot movement?"


    "I thought looking at hisposure that he knows what he''s doing, but apparently not"


    "Oh boy, this is going to get ugly real soon-"


    The supporters of Sophia and Poseidon seemed to be having fun as they got excited by Rocky''s clumsy disy, however, the supporters of Rocky still bore hope that maybe this was all a part of his n to misguide Sophia into making a mistake.


    To the neutral one''s watching who did not favor anyone, it was abundantly clear that Sophia was the superior fighter, her moves were fluid and precise and seemed to give a testament to her demi-god strength and her training.


    However, fate, it seemed, had a different n.


    Realizing that he was making a fool out of himself, Rocky decided to make a bold move, as he realized that simply dodging was never going to let him win anyways.


    He feigned a direct charge, hoping to catch Sophia off guard, however, Sophia, watching his movements like a hawk, sidestepped easily with the intention of countering.


    However, as Rocky advanced, his foot caught on some uneven patch of ground, as he awkwardly lost bnce and stumbled forward, contrary to the movement he initially wished to execute.


    ''Shit'' he thought, as he felt the very real fear of hitting the ground face first.


    Stumbling forward, Rocky''s initial panic turned into action as he iled his arms, desperately trying to grip anything that he could get his hands on to try and stabilize.


    By sheer happenstance, his hand gripped Sophia''s arm, pulling her slightly off bnce. Instinctively, Rocky''s other arm wrapped around her waist belt in a desperate bid to correct his fall.


    Instead of crashing to the ground as everyone expected, Rocky''s stumble transformed into a moment of unexpected advantage.


    With abination of momentum, surprise, and perhaps a touch of unintended skill, Rocky managed to lift Sophia off her feet. In a fluid motion that seemed more luck than design as he executed a move that resembled an overhead body m, using Sophia''s own forward momentum against her.


    *BAM*


    nting her on the ground with a loud *THUD*, Rocky found himself in an advantageous position over her, as he saw the opportunity to hit her face which was wide open and took it without hesitation.


    *POW*


    *POW*


    Punching with sheer power rather than technique, Rocky nted two nasty punches on Sophia''s face, as Professor Mave instantly stepped in and pulled the two fighters apart.


    The crowd gasped, then erupted into cheers as Sophia hit the ground with a thud, the impact echoing through the arena.


    For a moment, everything went still. Rocky, as surprised as anyone by what had just urred, stood over Sophia, his expression a mix of disbelief and happiness as professor Mave pulled him away from his defeated opponent.


    "Winner! Rocky!" Professor Mave eventually said as he raised his arm to the energetic crowd, while Sophia watched in pure horror.


    To her, this event did not feel like a fluke. Since Rocky''s patron god was Shakuni, she thought he had deliberately pretended to be weak at the start to get Sophia to lower her defenses and when she did, he immediately pounced on that opportunity and defeated her.


    As she stood back up, blood dripping down her face, she pped for Rocky with grace as she said "It seems like you are the better fighter amongst us both".


    Internally, she was mad as hell for losing, however, externally she maintained her prideful image, as with her praising Rocky, half the rumors that would have been generated in the university the next day, were already put to bed.


    Rocky, epting theplement from his rival, smiled politely and nodded, once again not responding to her kind words at all, as he let her believe in the myth that all this was intentional.


    " NAH NAH NAH, HOW ARE YOU ALL SO DUMB AS TO CHEER THIS? THIS WAS CLEARLY SOME CRAZY FLUKE" said a tall and strong tiger Beastman, who seemed to have taken offense to Rocky winning.


    "If you have any honor as a man, admit to the fact that this was sheer dumb luck! I bet the whole fur on my body that you can''t do it twice" said the beastman, as Boos rained down on him from the crowd.


    "It was clearly a strategy! Hahaha, fools like you can never understand what level the Champion of Gemini fights at"


    "Hahaha, Sophia admits that he''s better, but her kitty can''t handle it"


    "If you''re so confident it''s fluke, why don''t you go and fight him! Do you have the balls?"


    The crowd began arguing about Rocky''s win after the Beastmans shout, however, Rocky did not care.


    [ Strongest System Notification -


    You have sessfully defeated Sophia andpleted the system quest!


    You have obtained, (Basic) martial arts mastery.


    You have obtained, (Basic) Swordsmanship mastery. ]


    Closing his eyes, he felt all the knowledge about martial arts and swordsmanship flowing from the system to his brain as within seconds he went from an absolute fighting novice to someone who had the same level of martial arts understanding as Sophia who had been training since she was a child.


    "We still have time in this lecture, Rocky, Do you wish to fight the next challenger?" Professor Mave asked as Rocky turned his head to face him.


    Professor Mave, who was also one of the very few people skeptical of Rocky''s win, wanted to see if it was really a fluke or was Rocky just that genius of a strategist, as he personally hoped that Rocky epted the fight.


    "Sure professor, I''ll fight the Beastman" Rocky said with a confident smile now, as he put one arm behind his back and pointed towards the beastman as he said "Come".

 Chapter 47 Fate

    Chapter 47 Fate


    ( Meanwhile on floor 92 )


    "Yooo, big brother. Hahaha" Ravan said as he watched Rocky''s win over Sophia.


    While mortals inside the tower would never understand concepts as nuanced as ''Fate'' and ''Luck'', Ravan knew that they were just tangible concepts which needed extreme understanding of thews of the universe to manipte.


    While things like randomly tripping over, crashing into someone, forgetting something important could happen to anyone.


    These events could also be influenced by fate and it just happened to be that ''Fate'' was one of the many variables that danced on the palm of his elder brother Shakuni.


    "How did this y out in front of you?" Ravan asked curiously, as Shakuni smiled and indulged his little brother''s curiosity.


    "In 998/1000 fights, Rocky lost. In one oue he tripped and hit his face. In another he did what you just witnessed.


    I just ensured that he tripped at the right moment, eliminating the 998 other oues as it came down to a 50-50 chance of him either winning or falling face first" Shakuni said, as Ravan chuckled. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    His brother had always been a great strategist, however, ever since he had gained the ability to manipte fate itself, he had be unstoppable.


    From creating circumstances that led to the death of rival champions of gods, to purposefully creating bad-luck for mortals that annoyed him. Shakuni was aplete menace with his fate manipting powers and Ravan loved every second of it.


    Ever since he and Shakuni had be gods, there was not much to do, however, with them interfering in lives of mortals and making the lives of other gods difficult, the two brothers found a way to keep themselves entertained as their notoriety kept increasing with each passing year.


    ************


    ( Floor 0, Rocky''s POV )


    "Come-" Rocky said as the entire crowd erupted into cheers once again.


    "YEAH! ROCKY! SHOW HIM WHO''S THE BOSS"


    "SHOW HIM NO MERCY!"


    "HAHAHA, SHOW HIM THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIM AND A CHAMPION"


    Rocky''s supporters who were emboldened by his previous win shouted slogans in his support.


    Sophia, having lost, walked off the training ground and back towards the stands as she felt her jaw sting from the punches Rockynded on them.


    She wanted to get some immediate medical attention. However, she was more interested in seeing Rocky''s next fight and hence decided to stay back and watch despite the pain.


    "It was just a fluke Floyd, that guy is clearly bluffing"


    "He''s a puny human who is not even a full 200 pounds. You can crush him Floyde on"


    Said Rocky''s critics from the crowd, however, their voices were much more hushedpared to before as they were notpletely sure if Rocky''s win was a fluke or not.


    "Floyd¡­. Is that your name?" Rocky asked the beastman who growled at the question.


    "Grrr ....Call me ''Master'' Floyd," he said as Rocky chuckled at his ignorance.


    "Hahaha, Master Floyd, consider it fate we met today-" Rocky said as he once again assumed a rxed stance as Professor Mave guided Floyd to his starting spot and gave him the same instructions he had given to Sophia and Rocky before their fight.


    "Fate? I don''t believe in such garbage, your god? I don''t believe in his powers" Said Floyd as he pointed his sharp ws towards Rocky who just shook his head in disappointment.


    "BEGIN-" a loud voice signaled as Floyd charged towards Rocky on all fours like a beast.


    "You''re mine" he said, as he pounced straight on Rocky, his towering 7 feet tall furry body making Rocky look tiny inparison.


    Yet, for all his ferocity and might, Floyd found himself grappling with shadows.


    Rocky calmly let him get extremely close to his body. Before pivoting on one of his feet as he crouched ever so slightly to dodge the attack as Floyd went sailing over his head and crashing onto the floor behind him.


    *SLIDE*


    Sliding, Floyd steadied himself as he turned and pounced towards Rocky again, who Booped his nose and evaded his ws like a fluid fish swimming in water.


    *ACHEW*


    Floyd sneezed as he felt confused as to what Rocky was doing as instead of punching him in the face, like he could have, he decided to Boop his nose as if he were a kitten.


    *HAHAHAHA*


    *Yayyy*


    *ps*


    The crowd began to enjoy this bout now, as looking at Rocky''s rxed demeanor they realized that he did not consider this fight or his opponent seriously at all.


    "Grrrr" Floyd growled as he got up on his two feet and began trying to tear Rocky''s face off with his swipes, however, not a single hit of his came even close to scratching Rocky.


    If his footwork in the fight before was clumsy, his footwork now was exquisite as Professor Maven''s eyes sparkled with admiration.


    ''It seems I was wrong about him, perhaps the previous fight was all a part of his strategy.


    His acting and novice footwork previously was so good that it even had me fooled, however, it''s clear that he has a solid foundation in martial arts. What a monster!!'' Professor Mave thought, as he could already see how this fight was going to end.


    The crowd, which was initially tense with anticipation, soon began to take the spar as a joke the longer it progressed.


    Rocky''s movements were not just about avoidance; they were a dance, a mocking testament to Floyd''s inability tond a single hit as with every dodge and weave, Rocky''s confidence seemed to grow, and so did the amusement of the spectators.


    In a moment that seemed straight out of a yful spar rather than a serious fight, Rocky found himself behind Floyd with the beastman''s defenses being wide open.


    Yet, instead of capitalizing on this with a punishing blow, Rocky chose to further insult to injury in the most literal sense.


    *CLAP*


    A quick, mocking p to Floyd''s rear sent a ripple ofughter through the stands, transforming the training arena from a battlefield into a stage for Rocky''s performance.


    "NO WAY HE SMACKED HIS BOOTY"


    " HAHAHA, CALL ME MASTER? MORE LIKE CALL ME BITCH!"


    The crowd absolutelyid into Floyd once Rocky did that, as jokes and insults came pouring down from all corners.


    Floyd, red with rage and humiliation, bellowed, "Stop jumping around like a monkey and fight me seriously!"


    By this point even he had realized that Rocky''s skills were the real deal, however, he could not stop now, as his pride was quite literally on the line.


    Enraged, his attacks became the wild swings of a creature driven by instinct rather than strategy, making it even easier for Rocky to predict and avoid them.


    As the fight dragged on, Floyd''s desperation became palpable. His attacks, once fearsome, now seemed like the iling of a cub rather than the strikes of a warrior as it was only then that Rocky decided to end the farce.


    With a precision that disyed the sheer ss of his newly acquired skills, he stepped into Floyd''s charge, grabbing the beastman by the waist as with a judo move that seemed too sophisticated for his novice status, flipped Floyd over his shoulder.


    *THUD*


    The impact of Floyd''s body hitting the ground echoed through the arena, a definitive full stop to the chaotic sentence that had been his assault.


    For a moment, there was silence, a collective intake of breath from the audience as they processed the beauty of Rocky''s technique, as Rocky stood over the beastman, his fist curled as he was ready to put him to sleep this moment if the fight was not called to an end.


    "Enough!" said Professor Maven as he once again pulled Rocky off his defeated opponent, as chants of Rocky!Rocky!Rocky! Rocked throughout the training arena.


    "Winner, Rocky" the professor dered as Rocky with his arms spread wide, embraced the cheers of the crowd as he politely gave them a bow before walking towards the stands.


    ''Yep, it''s just like I thought, he''s too good'' thought Sophia who strongly believed that Rocky was a cunning snake like his patron god Shakuni, as his recent performance confirmed her suspicions that he was indeed a seasoned fighter.


    To top it off, hisposure and strategy were also top notch, as despite being only 18, he had the mentality of a 40 year old veteran.


    ''What a monster-'' is what she thought as well, as she recalibrated her future ns.

 Chapter 48: Stop Friendly Fire

    News about Rocky''s dominant performance as a fighter spread like wildfire throughout the university once the lecture came to an end.


    Tales of his heroics became exaggerated to the extreme and just like the game of Chinese whisper, it became utterly ridiculous by the time it changed a few ears.


    ''Cunning like Shakuni''


    ''Dominant like Ravan''


    Became the adjectives that students used to describe Rocky''s performance as the fact that the champion of Gemini was stronger than the champion of Poseidon became the day''s headlines with every student being made aware of the results within an hour.


    On the bright side, Rocky was viewed as a fearsome guy and nobody tried to pick on him. However, on the worse side, the spotlight on him seemed to have gotten even brighter, increasing the expectations resting on his shoulders.


    **************


    Rocky reunited with Buhara and Erin once his ss ended and the three of them headed off to have lunch together at the mess.


    Without Rocky having to say anything, the two already had heard about all the juicy details of his fight, as both seemed extremely psyched by the results.


    "Puny human is a formidable fighter? Buhara is impressed" said Buhara as he pped Rocky on the back with joy.


    "Sir Rocky, I always had full faith in you, there is no way a strong and stable headed individual like you can''t win a fight" Erin said, as if Rocky did not know any better, he would assume Erin was trying to lick his boots, but it was just how he talked.


    " Thanks guys" Rocky said as he served his te with the food on the day''s menu and found a spot to sit.


    The cuisine served at the university was way different whenpared to Earth and the items on the menu were dishes that he had never seen or heard of.


    Yet he took a bit of everything to try, as he did not wish to write anything off without trying.


    After sitting down, Rocky eyed his te with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.


    The alien cuisine was a riot of colors and textures that seemedpletely unfamiliar to the culinary practices of Earth.


    Among the dishes was a pulsating gtinous cube that shimmered with a rainbow sheen, emitting a mild, enticing aroma reminiscent of freshly cut grass mixed with tropical fruits.


    Beside ity a serving of what appeared to be crispy tendrils, coated in a dust that sparkled under the mess hall''s lights.


    While the final section of his te was upied by a small, steaming mound of grains that seemed to subtly change colors, from deep blues to vibrant reds, as if alive and responding to his gaze.


    Buhara, noticing Rocky''s hesitation, encouraged him with a heartyugh, "Eat, puny human! Buhara''s favorite is the shimmer cube. Makes mind feel... zingy!"


    Erin, who seemed to have filled his te with the tenders said "The Crystalline Tendrils are a delicacy on my. They are known to enhance cognitive functions and provide a unique sensory experience. Please do try them, Sir Rocky."


    Taking their encouragement to heart, Rocky started with the gtinous cube. As he chewed, the cube released bursts of vor that danced across his pte - sweet, then sour, followed by a hint of spice that was not overwhelming but pleasantly warming.


    The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced; it was as if the cube was engaging all his senses simultaneously, leaving him feeling invigorated and slightly euphoric.


    "Zingy¡­" said Rocky after tasting it, as Buharaughed loudly and banged his fists on the table, drawing attention of the entire mess on them.


    Next, Rocky tried the crispy tendrils that Erin suggested.


    The first bite into it was like a sensation he never felt. The sparkling dust that coated the tendrils exploded into a burst of vors that tingled his taste buds and sent a gentle electric buzz through his body, making his skin tingle pleasantly.


    It was a texture and sensation he had never found in earthly food before, as Rocky felt like a small child who was getting to eat things he never knew existed.


    Finally, he tried the changing grains, which offered a more familiar texture, simr to rice, but instead of a constant vor each grain seemed to burst with its own unique vor, some sweet, some savory, creating a symphony of tastes thatplemented each other perfectly.


    As Rocky ate, he felt a range of emotions and sensations. The food not only satisfied his hunger but also yed with his emotions, making him feel a mix of joy, surprise, and a newfound appreciation for the culinary diversity of the universe.


    By the end of the meal, Rocky felt more than just full. He felt energized with his mood being lifted by the exhrating vors and the unique properties of the alien cuisine.


    ''Life is beautiful'' is what he felt like as despite the challenges that the spotlight on him brought, Rocky felt like he was enjoying university and its little pleasures like unique cuisine.


    ''I wonder what they will serve tomorrow?'' Rocky wondered at the end of the meal, as he really looked forward to the next day.


    *************


    ( The grand assembly hall )


    After lunch, the second lecture of the day was the mandatory ss ''Survival Training'' taken by the one and only principal Liam.


    Since it was a mandatory ss, it was held in the grand assembly hall, since it was the only hall that could hold the entire batch at once.


    As usual, Rocky, Buhara and Erin sat at the same spot where they did for the orientation, with Buhara covering 3 seats and being a menace for all sitting behind him.


    Sharp, at 2 pm, the assembly gates mmed shut, as a tiny man with terrible posture, tangled beard and serious ego issues walked onto the stage.


    "Wee all, to my first ss, Survival Training In The Tower" he said calmly, as despite his voice being soft and low, it carried throughout the hall which was eerily silent as no one even dared to breathe too loud with the mad principal around.


    "In this course, I will teach you all the basics of how to survive in the tower, so at least you won''t die before reaching floor 21 and won''t be aplete embarrassment to your respective bloodlines"


    "The course will be graded on practical activities as well as attendance, with there being only two grades for my ss.


    Pass or Fail" he said as from the very first day he made the objective of the course extremely clear.


    " Millions of climbers die in the tower every year. Millions dying before they even reach floor 21, because of the most stupid reasons" Principal Liam said as he began pacing around the stage tearing off strands off his beard.


    " Some don''t prepare enough supplies for a floor raid. Die of thirst or because they ate an unidentified fruit¡­. Basically the idiots dying an idiots death" said Liam with audible anger in his voice.


    "Some die because they are oversmart. They try to do oversmart things such as explore trails that are unexplored, looking for secrets nobody has ever tried to discover.


    Getting killed in the process...


    These sort of people I call the Fools, who die a foolish death"


    "Some die because of nefarious forces.


    The only safe floor on the tower where killing is banned is floor zero, but everywhere else you can be robbed, killed, raped, enved, bought, sold, kidnapped¡­.


    Pretty much anything can happen, and for many people, anything does happen, which is why we build a team at the university and focus on team exercises as research shows that groups of 3 or more are 70% less likely to be attacked by nefarious forces" Said principal Liam as he seemed to be very proud of how the university conducted their teaching.


    " But the maximum number of people die because of enmity.


    Bounties, scores to settle, family feuds.


    This sort of petty hate crime is the number one reason why people lose lives between floor one to twenty which are the non-god floors where no godly bases have been made.


    Unfortunately, it''s also the number one reason why students from our university die.


    So I''ll tell you all, the same thing I told all my previous students.


    Don''t kill your ssmates! Please¡­.." he said as he made an earnest request to everyone to heed his words.


    " However, if you domit that crime of killing a ssmate.


    Then know this¡­.. regardless of who you are. Or where you hide. This mad principal will hunt you down and make you one of his ghosts" principal Liam said, as he unleashed all the thousands of ghosts under hismand into the grand hall, that were once students just like them, but dared to kill another student because of enmity inside the tower.


    ----------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Allcat_Gaming, please thank him in thements for the same ///

 Chapter 49: Survival Class

    Actions spoke louder than words, Rocky always knew that this age-old idiom was true.


    However, this belief was strongly confirmed when Principal Liam released his ghosts across the hall.


    Seeing the ghosts, who were once students, everyone felt goosebumps running down their spines, as they deeply understood the gravity of Principal Liam''s warning.


    The Tower was a tough ce, full of dangers at every step. But it was the urge to retaliate for even the slightest offenses that posed the greatest danger.


    Liam''s disy today, at the very first lecture of the survival ss was to hammer home the point that, should they sumb to the desire of exacting vengeance on a fellow student, then they themselves would suffer a fate much worse than death.


    He could have just sent a chilling warning with words, however, because he unleashed the ghosts, the entire feeling behind his warning changed, as every student realized the dangers of exacting revenge on one another.


    "Very well, now for the first lecture itself. Today we will talk about how to prepare supplies for a tower floor raid-" Liam said, as he retracted the ghosts and transformed into a regr professor.


    He ced an orb on the stage, which worked like a magical projector as it cast a white image behind him, on the stage wall.


    "If your expected floor raid duration is 5 days, prepare food and water for 20. Wasted money can be recovered, but life can''t..." Principal Liam began, his tone shifting to one of a seasoned educator from the grim harbinger of warnings. The ghosts had vanished, but their lingering presence reinforced the gravity of his words.


    He paced the stage, while pulling at his beard, as he continued, "In the Tower, unpredictability is the only certainty. A path that seems clear today might be fraught with danger tomorrow. A storm might trap you, or you may find a hidden chamber that requires more time to explore safely. Over Preparing is your only defense."


    Liam turned to the holographic disy behind him, where lists of essential supplies began to materialize. "Water, food, medical supplies, and tools for navigation and defense are the cornerstones of any raid preparation. However, choosing what exactly to bring requires understanding both the environment of the floor that you''re going to raid and your own capabilities."


    He highlighted an image of apact, high-energy ration. "These rations are designed to be lightweight, nutrient-dense, and have a long shelf life. Perfect for extended expeditions. However, relying solely on them without proper hydration could lead to decreased physical performance and cognitive function."


    "The academy has created a suggested rations bag for each race, that can sustain one for a day. You can ess that in the university library at any time¡­." He said, as he highlighted the fact that not all race needed the same sort of supplies.


    Some races could not digest some foods, while some races like vampires needed to drink blood from time to time to maintain their strength.


    In such cases, the required supply kit was bound to vary from race to race, but the university had already factored that in and created a catalog.


    Next, Principal Liam showcased a variety of water purification tools, alongside their price in TG, as Rocky saw some models up there that were popr even on Earth, as almost all climber''s carried one.


    "Never assume any source of water within the Tower is safe to drink without proper treatment. These devices can mean the difference between life and death for you so don''t be shy to buy them.


    The aquas 5000 especially is something I would rmend, as it can literally refine the thick poisonous goo like jelly thates when we kill a Tarzenpine Lizard into drinkable sap, so buy one before you head into the tower."Liam said as his  gaze swept across the students, ensuring his message was resonating.


    "Your backpack should be a bnce of necessity and survivability. Every extra ounce might slow you down, but every omitted item could cost you dearly. Always prepare for the worst." He reminded as he then pulled out a storage ring from his finger and showed the ability to store and retrieve items from it.


    "Unless you hail from a prominent family. You won''t be able to afford one of these unless you reach floor 40 of the tower. Worth several hundred thousand gold coins at least to several billion gold coins at most, this is a storage ring.


    Mine has about 2 meter cube of storage capacity and is one of the finest rings out there. But I did not start my journey with a ring. Just like most of you. I carried a backpack till I became a well paid climber as well.


    So trust me when I say this. Always pack more, carrying more weight is fine, dying is not-" Liam said, as the students could understand from his voice that the principal really gave a damn about whether they lived or not, as he did not need to exaggerate these things, but he did.


    "As for medical supplies, do not just pack them¡ªlearn to use them. A well-stocked first aid kit is useless if you don''t know how to treat a wound or counteract a poison.


    In our next ss, I''ll be demonstrating and teaching you how to apply first-aid, but you all should read and learn about it from your side as well.


    There is nothing like wasted knowledge, so go to the library, pick a book and read when you can-" He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.


    "And finally, remember this: teamwork is often your greatest asset. Share the burden of supplies,plement each other''s skills, and protect one another. Istion may seem like a way to conserve resources, but in the long run, solidarity is what keeps you alive."


    "Today''s lesson goes beyond mere survival; it''s about making smart, calcted decisions. It''s not just about fighting what''s in front of you, but also preparing for the unseen and the unexpected."


    With that, Liam concluded the first lecture, leaving the students with a lot to ponder.


    Not only had they been given a practical guide to preparing for a raid, but they had also been reminded of the importance of foresight, preparedness, and unity in the face of the Tower''s myriad dangers as almost everyone left the lecture with newfound respect for Principal Liam.


    He was a little wack, no doubt about it, but he did care about his students and it showed, which was a warm feeling to have in its own way.


    ************


    After the lecture, Rocky and Erin felt so inspired by Liam''s words that the two of them decided to head to the library and study more about the points that the principal highlighted today.


    Not wanting to die early, they took his subject seriously, however, Buhara felt differently to the two of them.


    Instead of studying in the library, he wanted to focus on practicing his spells and bing a mage as he headed towards the mage training hall where he wanted to practice the fireball spell scroll that he had just received in his first lecture in the morning.

 Chapter 50: Tough Decisions

    ( Perseus''s POV )


    Perseus received a report from Sophia after the first day of ss.


    In her report she gave him details about life at the academy, about how much she hated the principal and wanted Perseus to kill him if possible and finally and most importantly about Rocky.


    "The champion of Gemini is very cunning, extremely strong and very cold to talk to.


    He is not easily influenced by charm or beauty and has the mature demeanor of a seasoned fighter"


    Was how Sophia described Rocky, as Perseus frowned reading this part of the letter.


    He knew for a fact that his sister was extremely beautiful, however, for her to fail in seducing him and to say that she could not beat him inbat, spoke volumes about hispetency as a Champion.


    "It seems like the champion of Gemini is a more troublesome entitypared to his elder sister.


    Hmmm¡­. Sophia will need to work hard to get in his good graces" He said, as he continued reading the letter.


    " Brother, I have thought about an borate n to make him trust me, but you will need to arrange forpetent assassin''s to infiltrate the university for it to be sessful.


    I''m going to pretend to be fatally injured after being attacked by assassin''s and faint exactly at the champion of Gemini''s feet as I utter the words ''Uncle Zeus did it''.


    I want him to think that there is a rift inside Olympus and use my injury as a means to gain his trust.


    I know it''s a dangerous n, one where there is no margin for error, but I''m willing to take this risk to break through his defenses, as unless a groundbreaking event takes ce, I don''t see how I may get into his good books" Sophia wrote as Perseus looked at her suggestion and shook his head.


    "I dislike my sister''s naivety sometimes, she knows nothing about how the real world works-" Perseus said in frustration, as the letter written by Sophia showed him exactly how naive she was.


    There was a reason behind why the university for nourishment of young talents was ranked number one on floor zero.


    There was a reason behind why despite hisck of faith towards any god and his hate speech, no god or their apostles came knocking for revenge on him.


    The mad principal Liam was not a man one could easily mess with and his university was not a ce where assassins could enter freely.


    For Sophia to request something like this was simple, however, Perseus had to think about the consequences of going through with such a n as if any loose end tied him to the crime, then the Olympians hold over floor 21 might end that very day.


    "I knew she wasn''t ready for this mission¡­. Should not have sent her" Perseus said, as he sighed deeply.


    On one hand, he loved her too much to reject her request, as he wished to support her as much as possible, however, on the other hand, he did not wish to jeopardize the position of Olympus by making any rash decisions.


    "I guess I''ll forward this to father. He will know what to do-" Perseus eventually decided, as he sealed the letter that Sophia sent him and then wrote another one on top as he posted them both to his father.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile, On Earth, the True Elites Guild )


    "Guildmaster Karna, we have received confirmed reports that Joe is on floor 21.


    Although we have not confirmed if Riva is being held hostage there or not, we have enough proof to say with certainty that Joe is being sheltered by Olympian forces.


    If you give the order, the entire guild is ready to take the floor down andunch a war against Olympus" Chief of scouts, Bunny said, as he presented the proof of the scouting team''s investigation into Joe.


    Karna viewed the file with absolute focus and was soon satisfied with the scouting leader''s findings that Joe was on floor21. However, he was not rash while deciding whether he wanted to dere war on Olympus or not.


    "I''m satisfied with your findings, Bunny, good work" he said, as he dismissed his chief scout, however, Bunny stubbornly refused to leave his office as he clutched his palms tightly.


    "Guildmaster, are we going to war or not?" He asked in an emotional voice as his tone fluctuated sharply.


    Karna, sensing his emotional state, replied with calmness as he said " I need more time to decide, Bunny, I can''t rush it".


    Gritting his teeth, Bunny looked at Karna and then towards the door to leave his office, as he decided to not leave and express what was on his mind for once.


    "I mean no disrespect guildmaster, but I thought when we say ''One for all, All for one'' we actually meant it.


    I treat this guild as my family and I genuinely believe that if any of us is ever in trouble the guild will go to war for them.


    One of us is in trouble guildmaster, and one of our own betrayed us.


    If we don''t act now, our guild''s motto would be for nothing-" Bunny said, as his words made a lot of impact on Karna when he spoke so emotionally.


    He was not wrong, if it were not up to Karna to decide and if there was someone else leading the guild who ordered him to fight, Karna believed he would already be on floor 21 right now, undergoing a killing spree.


    However, he was the guildmaster now, and he had a lot of considerations to make before dering a war.


    Even if he did not consider the consequences of this war such as the political bacsh, or the economic sanctions and the loss of guild members'' lives- There was still a bigger concern on his mind that could not be ignored.


    " Bunny, trust me. I want to fight as badly as you, and ofcourse we mean it when we say ''One for all, All for one''. However, I can''t guarantee a swift victory in this fight.


    And this is a year of death.


    What happens if a monster outbreak happens just as we are engaged in war with the Olympians on floor 21?


    What will Earth do without its strongest guild under such circumstances?


    What happens if millions of non climbers die on our home while we are busy fighting some war?


    Even if I want to be hot-blooded and rash, I can''t. There''s too much responsibility on this guild and on me to make decisions haphazardly.


    Please have some patience and faith in me. I won''t let Joe go unpunished, nor will I let Riva suffer for long.


    I promise-" Karna said, as Bunny found no words to protest against Karna''s logic.


    It was true that a monster outbreak could happen anytime this year and that the True Elites could not afford a war during such a sensitive time.


    Of Course it felt frustrating, however, there was nothing they could do about it.


    "I understand, guildmaster, and yes I have faith in you¡­." Bunny said as he left Karna''s office, dejected.


    ----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 51: Power Dynamics Class

    Like the inte on Earth, there was a seperatework within the tower called the ''Climber Net''.


    The amount of floors you have climbed in the tower, determined how many chat rooms you had ess to, however, since Rocky was only a floor 0 student right now, he could only ess the general chat of the Climber Net.


    It was extremely cluttered, hard to make sense of and sort of useless, as Rocky knew that unless he ascended a few floors and became a part of more refined chat groups, the tower chat was going to be worthless.


    The only reason he kept checking it however, was because the towermunication device given to him by Pope Cole was his only contact to Earth and Earthlings.


    If a monster outbreak started on Earth, he would not even find out about it unless he was active on the tower and subscribed to the Earth chat group, where information about Earth and Earth''s guilds was updated.


    As of now, no monster outbreaks had urred and hence Rocky could continue with his student life in peace.


    ************


    ( The next day )


    On the second day of sses, Rocky had the lectures ''Swordsmanship'' and ''Power Dynamics and the history of the tower''. With thetter being the first lecture of the day.


    Being the second mandatory subject offered in the university, the importance of the subject was immense and it was rumored that the professor exining this subject was an extremely well respected schr.


    Just like survival ss, the lecture about power dynamics of the tower was also held in the grand hall, however, the atmosphere of the ss was definitely less suffocating than when Principal Liam held one.


    There was something about the mad principal that demanded absolute obedience, however, Professor Feynord did not have such a stifling aura, as he seemed to be a knowledgeable and kind man.


    "Good morning children. Today is our first lecture together, so let me take a moment to introduce myself and the subject and why it''s a mandatory subject for you all-"


    "Basically, climbing the tower is not a straightforward affair once you reach floor 21.


    From floor 21, every tower floor is like a world of its own with the path to climbing forward being through one of three ways.


    You can either ask for a quest from the floor administrator to advance.


    You can either defeat the floor boss inbat.


    Or


    You can forcefully take over the entire floor, bing the new floor master" Professor Feynord said in a soft voice.


    "The terms floor administrator, floor master and floor boss are not to be confused with one another.


    A floor administrator is a tower assigned deity, someone not under the influence of the gods who gives challenges/ quests to climbers,pleting which allows the climber to move a floor above.


    All floors within the tower from 1-80 have floor administrators, with most of them being small pixie fairies, but there are some other species too.


    For nonbattants/ craftsmen. Completing quests is the best way to climb the tower and the floor administrators are your best friends" Professor Feynord exined, as Rocky listened intently to his lecture.


    " A floor boss! Is a monster. It''s like the end of level boss that needs to be defeated to ascend to the next floor and defeating a floor boss is usually howbatants climb the tower.


    Floor bosses are usually very strong and defeating them is not an easy task at all with a very real threat of losing one''s life if things go south.


    So never approach a floor boss fight casually" Professor Feynord warned as his eyes swept across the room.


    "Finally, a floor master is someone who has imed the floor and its immense resources for himself/ his organization.


    Like I said, each floor is like a world of its own, so every floor has some unique resources, some unique monster life that''s only avable on that particr floor and hence the floor masters are beings who control these resources and monsters.


    Capturing a floor is like ascending to the heavens, as a full blown floor raid is a fight between the forces of the floor master and the forces of the challenger, where the floor master can call upon every single monster of the world to take part in the fight, making it next to impossible for one to capture a floor without possessing significant backing.


    As of today, there is not a single floor which is imed by independent forces. The floors are either unimed or imed by forces of tower gods, the only beings who can assert control over a floor.


    For you to survive in the tower, you must learn about which floors are controlled by which organizations and how they can make your life difficult if you are not aligned with them.


    This holds especially true for our In-house champions Rocky and Sophia, as while Olympus controls floor 21, Gemini Controls floor 40" Professor Feynord said as all eyes turned towards Rocky and Sophia, who understood the sheer importance of the words spoken by their teacher better than anyone.


    " While technically a floor master can''t  outright stop a climber from ascending to the next stage-


    With their control over the monsters on the floor, they surely can make the life of any climber they dislike difficult as the difficulty of ascending can be many times harder or easier depending on how the floor master views you.


    It''s unfortunate, but the reality of being a climber is that unless you be strong enough, you have to y power politics very carefully as your future will quite literally be determined by who favors you and who does not.


    This subject is taught to you all so that you can understand these subtle power ys and while I cannot save the champion of Gemini from the ire of Olympus or vice versa, I can at least help the rest of you understand which gods you cannot dare offend and what would be the consequences of your actions" Professor Feynord said as he threw and apologetic look towards Rocky and Sophia before continuing with his lecture.


    In his very first lecture, he covered very important parts such as which floors were important for alchemy unions, which floors were important for ores and how if one wished to be a craftsman they needed unrestricted ess to these floors to further develop themselves.


    He briefly touched upon the topic of which gods disliked which gods and which gods were allies with which gods as although he did not go in-depth, he tried to give a brief introduction to the power bnce within the tower as for the first time since leaving school, Rocky felt like he was sitting in a proper theoretical lecture that hurt his brains.


    Thankfully, he was sitting beside Buhara, who was banging his head on the desk 20 minutes into the lecture as his brain had shot a fuse from all the difficulty theory.


    It was because of his constant fiddling and weird antics that Rocky was able to survive the lecture with ease, while Erin seemed to beser focused on the studies and seemed to follow every word that the professor said.


    "That''s it for today students, let''s continue two days from now when our next lecture is scheduled" Professor Feynord eventually said, as the two hours allocated to him for teaching came to an end.


    It was at this moment that the rest of the ss rushed outside to take a breather, while Rocky walked towards the professor as he had a curious question in his mind.


    " Agh, Rocky! My boy- how can I help you?" The professor asked as Rocky approached him, as Rocky felt a little surprised as to how he knew his name and face although they were technically meeting for the first time ever.


    "Professor, in your lecture you said to beware of Shakuni, that of all the gods in the tower, he''s the one who you would never prefer offending even in your dreams... may I ask why you think so?" Rocky asked curiously, as Feynord chuckled.


    "Why else but because fate itself dances on his palms¡­. If your patron god has nned something, nobody can disrupt his scheme" Feynord replied honestly as Rocky frowned at his response.


    "With all due respect professor, I don''t think any god can be omnipotent can they? I mean, ns of gods go wrong all the time don''t they?" Rocky asked, as he could not digest the professor''s belief of Shakuni being almighty, afterall, Shakuni never intended for him to be his champion, but here he was.


    " Well, that''s debatable. I don''t think you are wrong as gods indeed have their ns fail time and time again. However, Shakuni is a weird one if you study history.


    He will often lose a battle to win the war as therger picture never emerges until he wishes to unveil it.


    He''s called Shakuni the terrifying in ancient books, but his initial title was Shakuni the undefeated.


    The only being to climb floor 0 to floor 90 without ever losing a battle.


    I''d say, if something doesn''t seem to be going his way, then it''s most likely a part of his n, that''s what I make of him" Feynord replied as Rocky was left with a lot of conflicted feelings by his answers.


    Was his sister''s kidnapping all a part of Shakuni''s grand scheme?


    Was he really the second choice as Gemini''s champion?


    Did he even have a free will? Or was he only dancing to the rhythm of the gods and their system?


    Just what did the future hold for him?


    These were questions that gnawed his mind once Professor Feynord projected absolute trust in Shakuni.

 Chapter 52: Sword Training

    (Sword Training Arena)


    "She''s here as well," Rocky whispered under his breath, as his eyes caught Sophia''s presence in the sword training hall.


    Their paths had seemingly intertwined once more, both having opted for the electives of practicalbat and swordsmanship.


    "This is going to be such a hassle," Rocky exhaled in resignation, realizing that, akin to practicalbat,parisons between him and Sophia would inevitably arise throughout the year in the swordsmanship ss as wellparisons Rocky wished to evade at all costs if possible.


    Since the ss had not yet started, Rocky took a moment to soak in the environment of the sword training hall, which was slightly different in orientation whenpared to the practicalbat hall.


    Though simr in dimensions, the sword training arena was strewn with practice dummies for slicing,plemented by an array of swords differing in weight, length, and design for trainees to select from.


    A pile of broken wooden swords was collected in one corner of the hall, the sheer size of the heap being a testament to the sheer dedication with which students trained here.


    "Good Afternoon, young warriors. I am Instructor Mae, and I will be guiding you through the swordsmanship ss this year.


    The essence of this course is to hone your foundational sword skills and impart practical techniques that will aid you on your ascent as a climber," dered a lean female instructor, her appearance catching Rocky off guard as the ss officially started.


    "The grading for this course is simple. I need you to perform some tests for me.


    Part one - Foundational technique test, which will be me judging your sword basics such as thrust, sh and block.


    Part two - Practical cutting test, where you will have to slice through boulders and real obstacles with your sword.


    Part three - Sword Skill test, where you have to attain intermediate mastery in at least 3 skill scrolls of (rare) grade or higher.


    Part four - Sword Duel, which we will hold at the end of the year in a knockout style tournament.


    Eachponent I mentioned has 25% weightage, with there being bonus marks for anyone who can consolidate their sword intent" Instructor Mae said, as excitement washed over the ss.


    Unlike other courses, attendance did not seem to be a factor here as the only thing instructor Mae seemed to care about was results.


    "Since this is the first ss, I want you all to pick up a sword that you feel slightly heavy for yourfort and practice the foundational techniques with them.


    There are only two foundational offensive techniques in swordsmanship.


    The sh and the thrust, if you master them then you be a formidable swordsman.


    But don''t be mistaken, offense is but a small part of swordsmanship.


    I see many new kids believing that offense is all that a swordsman should do, as they chase domineering strength without understanding the fundamentals that make a good swordsman.


    A real swordsman should be not only great at offense, but also defensive moves such as block and parry, should have excellent footwork to support their offense/ defense, utilize body mechanics, have a subconscious grip over distance and timing¡­.


    Etc" Instructor Mae said, as she picked up a blunt wooden sword and moved towards an iron dummy that seemed to be made of a thin iron te on the surface and wood underneath.


    "Pay close attention as I demonstrate the two basic moves of swordsmanship. This is what I expect you to practice today-" Mae said, as she slowly exined everything right from the basics.


    " Look at my palms, the grip I''m showing you now is for a one handed swordsman, who uses a light sword that focuses on agility.


    In this posture, your hand should grip the hilt firmly but not too tightly, allowing for flexibility in your wrist movements. This grip enables quick, agile strikes and precise control over the de," Instructor Mae continued, demonstrating the subtleties of her grip and stance.


    " For a long sword/great sword, the dominant hands needs to be ced below the weaker hand which presses against the hilt, while for a dual swordsman, they should utilize the same grip as a normal swordsman, but only grip it more angrly" Mae said, as she demonstrated all forms of grips, before returning to the basic.


    "For the sh, it''s not just about swinging your arm. Engage your whole body. Start the motion from your legs, channel it through your core, and let it explode out through your arm and the sword. This way, your sh carries the weight of your entire body, not just the strength of your arm," she exined, her de whistling through the air as it sliced effortlessly through a demonstration dummy.


    "And for the thrust, precision and timing are key. Step forward, extend your arm, and push the de straight ahead with force. Aim for vulnerable points. It''s a piercing move, designed to prate armor or flesh with minimal effort but maximum effect," Mae added, demonstrating a thrust that punctured another dummy with startling uracy.


    From start to finish, she made the whole process look so easy that Rocky almost believed that swordsmanship could be done by even a child, but then he saw the dull wooden de in her hand and gulped in awe.


    " We have about 110 minutes left for this ss, so hurry up and start practicing.


    I will be doing rounds and guiding those who need it. Go! Go! Go!" She said as all the swordsmanship students rushed towards the sword selection section, as they tried on different swords which suited their strength.


    Sophia chose a giant greatsword. It was approximately 5 feet long and weighed at least a good 30 kilograms, however, she picked it up effortlessly.


    Most students were awed by her disy and tried to replicate her by choosing arge sword, but failed miserably.


    Rocky, firm in his belief of wanting to be a dual sword wielder, chose two normal weight swords which as the instructor suggested were slightly ufortable to hold, being on the heavy end.


    Both his swords weighed approximately 7.5 kilograms each, as his choice was slightly above average in terms of weight, but having chosen two, he was one of the very few dual wielders in the ss.


    As the training started, everyone began hacking and thrusting at their practice dummies, however, unlike how easy Instructor Mae made it seem, most were unable to even scratch it.


    Rocky could see it as clear as day as students of all races hacked at the dummies with poor form.


    There were a few who did better than the rest, but even they were far from demonstrating the kind of proficiency that Instructor Mae expected from them, failing to make a clean slice through.


    Of Course however, Sophia was the exception.


    That glory hunter demonstrated perfect stance and perfect grasp over her foundation as she effortlessly shed through the training dummy before doing the same with another with a picture perfect thrust.


    "Wow-, looks like we have a talented student in our mix who has already perfected the fundamentals of swordsmanship. Bravo-" Instructor Mae said, as she pped in appreciation for Sophia while the other students joined.


    "Thankyou-, if you would permit me, I would like to take the boulder shing test today itself professor" said Sophia, as the crowd cheered and encouraged her to take the test for the next stage on day one itself.


    "Umm, I don''t know if holding the test for stage two on the very first day, for only one student is a good idea¡­" Instructor Mae said, as the sound of another training dummy hitting the floor distracted her.


    As she looked across the training hall, she noticed Rocky standing over a training dummy after dissecting it into four equal parts that had the cleanest edge to them.


    "Oooo another student with great technique-" Professor Mae said excitedly, as Rocky moved on to the next dummy and performed a perfect double thrust.


    "BRAVO!" She eximed, her eyes sparkling at the sight of Rocky''s perfect footwork and bodyweight utilization as he performed those thrusts.


    Having already received knowledge about (Basic) swordsmanship from the system, Rocky, just like Sophia was perfectly proficient in tasks such as Thrust, sh, Block and Parry, as although he did not wish to intentionallypete with her, it seemed like the two of them stood out from the rest of the crowd once more.


    "Would you like to proceed to the next stage as well? Student?" Instructor Mae asked Rocky, who nodded, as themon crowd erupted in cheers.


    " Wow, 6 years I''ve been a teacher, but I''ve never conducted second round tests so soon¡­." She murmured, as she instructed her assistant to arrange for two practise boulders.

 Chapter 53: Unprecedented Talent

    In an unprecedented move, two boulders were brought into the swordsmanship training hall on the very first day of ss, since there were two students that already possessed aplete understanding of basic swordsmanship.


    One nce was enough for instructor Mae to determine that both Rocky and Sophia did indeed have excellent technique as the cuts they left in the practice dummies were clean from edge to edge.


    To her it was clear that they were not achieved through possessing brute strength or a great de, but because of perfect technique, which qualified them to move onto the next stage of assessment, the boulder sh.


    The boulder that was brought in was about 10 meters tall and four meters wide, being taller than both Sophia and Rocky, making it challenging for them to slicepletely through it since they could not use an overhead strike.


    To sh apart a boulder this size they needed to have truly exceptional understanding of the sword as generally without the use of a special sword skill, achieving the level of mastery required to split apart a boulder was quite high.


    "Start whenever you want, don''t worry about failure since I don''t expect you to seed on the very first day of ss, but still try and give it your best shot" Instructor Mae said, as she signaled for Rocky and Sophia to begin.


    Sophia looked at Rocky, who politely signaled her to make the attempt first as he said "Ladies first¡­." With a fake smile.


    " Alright-" Sophia said with a confident smile on her face as she stepped a feet away from the boulder and took a perfect shing stance.


    Taking in a deep breath, she gathered her strength as she focused sharply on the target she wished to hit.


    ''Sophia! Sophia! Sophia!''


    Chants of her name could be heard in the background as she gathered the attention of the entire ss as usual with her brilliance.


    ''Please make a fool of yourself and fail-'' Rocky thought internally, as he hoped that Sophia suffered a crushing defeat, however, contrary to his prayers she seeded and quite spectacrly at that.


    "HAIIIIIYAAHHH"


    She shouted, as she shed the Rock from the center using an overhead sh technique that seemed to extend her swords area of effect to several times the swords size.


    Although it was just for a moment, Rocky could almost visualize arger sword ovepping with her actual sword as she sliced the boulder as perfectly as she sliced the practice dummy.


    *THUD*


    *CHEERS*


    As the two pieces of boulders hit the ground below with a loud THUD, the entire ss erupted in cheers as Sophia cemented herself as a swordsman who was miles above the rest.


    "BRAVO!" Shouted instructor Mae as she threw herself into a hug towards Sophia.


    "I''ve never had a student as talented as you, I''m excited to train a seasoned student for once on things beyond just in old swordsmanship" Instructor Mae said happily, as shepletely disregarded the feelings of the rest of the ss while praising Sophia.


    " It''s nothing much ma''am, I''m sure Rocky will be better than me, afterall he''s the one I''m aspiring to be" Sophia said, as instructor Mae''s gaze turned towards Rocky whose left eye twitched from the unnecessary expectations that Sophia just nted on him.


    "My my, not just one, but two exceptional kids? This is my lucky day!" Instructor Mae eximed as Rocky felt the pressure to perform mounting on him.


    " That''s right! Rocky even defeated Sophia in practicalbat! He must be able to sh through the boulder too-"


    "Wohoo, go Rocky!"


    The students began hyping Rocky up as well, as while the words they said were not sincere, there were many who wanted to suck up to Rocky if they could and they tried their best to y that role.


    " Whenever you''re ready¡­." Instructor Mae said, as Rocky stood before the boulder as well and began cracking his neck and loosening his muscles.


    Unlike Sophia who stood just a feet away from the boulder and made a stationary strike, Rocky stood a few feet away and adopted a running stance.


    With the knowledge of swordsmanship imparted to him by the strongest system, he understood how to split the rock by concentrating all his strength along one single fault line as contrary to what most people believed, cutting through a rock did not require actually shing it in half, but rather just striking it with enough power to force it to break into two.


    *SLAM*


    Attempting a double overhead sh such that his second sword mmed against his first one to create double the force, Rocky aimed to split the Rock from the center, as with his decent strength that surpassed that of a normal human and his excellent technique that was twice enforced with the dual wielding, he managed to also achieve a clean break at the center of the rock as it fell with a loud THUD.


    *CHEERS*


    Cheers broke out amongst the students once more as once again it seemed like both the chosen champion of gods seemed to be a cut above the rest and equal inparison.


    While instructor Mae observed the clever trick Rocky pulled off, she only smiled about it as being clever was also a part of the warrior''s skill and the challenge never specified how exactly one was supposed to cleave through a boulder.


    "Bravo-" she said, pping politely for Rocky as well, however, unlike Sophia she did not take him into a hug, nor was she dazzled by his swordsmanship.


    Nheless, she did acknowledge his sess and deemed the challenge to be fulfilled perfectly.


    " Wow, it seems like I''ll need to hold special sses for the two of you while the rest of the ss catches up, haha, I''ve never had anyone clear the first two stages within the first two months of academy.


    This is new for me as well-" Instructor Mae admitted candidly as the students who fell behind now felt a small degree of jealousy towards Rocky and Sophia.


    While some attributed their sess to their position as a Champion, there were many more who cursed their inferior background and upbringing for theck of progress as they hacked away at their practice dummies with increased determination.


    ''I haven''te all the way to this academy after paying so much gold to fall behind the rankers on day one. I must catch up, I must to better-''


    ''So what if they''re champions, I refuse tog behind while they receive special tution widening their gap between them and me! I will definitely clear the first two stages within a week as well''


    Rocky and Sophia''s sess, sparked the inferiorityplex in many and created an urgent need inside them to improve, which was audible through the intensity with which they began hacking at their dummies which was notably louder than before.


    ''Oh this is not bad at all, at this rate we will progress much faster than I expected'' Instructor Mae thought as she looked at the ss, feeling happy at seeing thepetitive spirit that Rocky and Sophia ignited in everyone''s hearts.


    " Perfect as always, good job!" Sophia said, as she smiled and extended a hand for Rocky to shake, as she continued with her act of being friendly


    And Rocky, who had perfected the art of being fake on the surface, took it with a smile as well as he replied "I look forward to learning more about swords from you-"


    ----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone.


    The goal this week is one bonus for every 200 PS, This is first as we have already hit 200, but I need more! Come on guys ///

 Chapter 54: The ploy

    ( Buhara''s POV )


    While Rocky underwent swordsmanship training, Buhara had to attend the spellcraft ss.


    In the entire spellcraft ss there were a total of 72 students, of which Buhara was one of the only four students who had a quadra- elemental affinity for all the basic elements.


    While the other students were mostly hailing from mana blessed species such as elves, humans or vampires, Buhara stood out as the only Orc in the ss as he towered above all the other mages.


    While he wasn''t exactly an eye-sore, his presence irked many as most expected the likes of him to be a brute barbarian or a front line fighter, however, by choosing to be a mage, Buhara was breaking racial traditions.


    In the very first ss, he achieved a basic mastery over the spell ( Fireball ), impressing his instructor and shunning many rumors that suggested that Buhara would be quitting the ss soon once he realized how delusional his hopes of bing a mage were.


    As if determined to shine as a talented mage, Buhara also took the practical application of his spell very seriously as he hit his target from a 10, 20 and 30 meter range urately every single time while using the fireball.


    "BUHAHAHAHARA-"


    Hisughter covered the entire spellcraft ss as heughed jovially every time he hit his target as on the very first day itself he established the fact that although he was an orc, he knew what he was getting himself into and that he was serious about bing a mage.


    ***************


    ( Meanwhile Erin )


    Erin had the ''Study Of Curses'' ss while Rocky learnt swordsmanship and he too excelled at his field, making a mark on the very first day.


    On the first day, the ss was exined the basics of imbuing a simple curse on any object that zapped the next person to touch it with a small electric shock and Erin managed to learn and perform the curse the fastest, being praised heavily by his teacher.


    " Erin, you managed to learn this curse in under 10 minutes? Some students fail to learn it after the full first ss. I''ve had a case where it took a student a full week to learn it, but nobody has ever done it as fast as you¡­" Teacher Rodri said, as unfortunately he did not understand Erin''s true nature.


    Blushing, Erin immediately replied "No no no, teacher Rodri, it''s not me, it''s obviously because you teach so well that I grasped it so fast. I would not have learnt it so fast without a great teacher like you-"


    While his words were a conditional reflex, Professor Rodri was moved immensely by them as Erin entered his good books from that very moment.


    "Such a good kid¡­. Appreciating his teacher" Rodri murmured as Erin immediately replied "No you are a great teacher sir. I''m nothing much".


    ***********


    Just like that, day two of ss also ended in a sh and as per tradition, Rocky and Sophia became the highlights of the evening news as their feat of clearing the first two evaluations of the swordsmanship ss on the very first day became known throughout the university.


    Apparently it seemed as if Rocky and Sophia could not stay out of the headlines even for a day as whether it was lunch or dinner, conversation of almost all the groups in the university mess hall, centered around those two.


    By now, Rocky had adjusted well to his new surroundings and was slowly gettingfortable around Erin and Buhara as the three started to form a deeper bond the longer they stayed around each other.


    While initially Rocky had his reservations, the longer he stayed with the two and talked with them, the more he realized how simple yet vibrant the two were as he started to be slightly less fake when he talked with them and began to say what he felt in the most appropriate way that he could.


    While his road to bing frank with them like he was with Adam and Taylor was long, there was progress being made as Rocky felt that with enough time spent together they could reach that level of intimacy.


    Rocky also liked the university a lot as everyday he felt like he learned something new and grew stronger as he could feel his dream of preparing to be a climber finallying true.


    If there was one thing he did not like about university life, it was Sophia, her presence made things unnecessarilyplicated for him, however, he wasn''t able to detect any obvious malice from her towards him as well.


    While she held apetitive spirit, she seemed like a pretty chill individual overall, as after spending some time with her, Rocky could not bring himself to ''Hate'' her, as while he ''Disliked'' her, he could still stand being around her.


    ************


    ( Perseus''s Pov )


    Perseus had sent a letter forwarding Sophia''s request to their father as he could not take such a risky decision himself.


    Today, he got a reply to the letter he sent his father as its contents surprised him slightly.


    [Dear Son,


    I have perused theprehensive report you forwarded and subsequently deliberated on your concerns with my advisors.


    It fills me with pride to observe the level ofposure you have disyed that is very befitting your position, and your prudence in refraining from hastily approving Sophia''s request without fully considering its ramifications.


    Nheless, I find myself in agreement with your sister''s analysis that the Champion of Gemini is unlikely to be swayed unless a significant event urs.


    Should we take your sister''s assessment of his shrewd nature at face value, it bes evident that only a faultless execution of her proposed strategy will suffice to earn the Champion of Gemini''s trust. However, it is imperative that the university not serve as the venue for this event.


    We must tread carefully around Principal Liam, given his possession of ''That'' item, making it unwise to provoke his displeasure.


    The mission, however, may proceed as originally outlined, coinciding with the university''s initiative to lead its students on a raid of the first floor of the tower as part of their inaugural team mission at this week''s end, in four days.


    In preparation, I will dispatch a contingent of skilled assassins, each having ascended to floor 50 or higher, to your location shortly.


    In the interim, you are to officially endorse the mission andpose a letter to your sister, instructing her to ready herself for what lies ahead.


    To lend credibility to our scheme, we must propagate rumors of a rift between Father Poseidon and Uncle Zeus.


    It is crucial that this misinformation reaches the Champion at the opportune moment as he is unlikely to buy into Sophia''s plight otherwise.


    As it stands, deceiving the Champion of Gemini into cing his trust in Sophia is our paramount objective and I trust you will dedicate the requisite diligence to the task that I have entrusted to you.


    -From


    Ocean''s Ruler]


    His father gave the green g to Sophia''s n, only changing the location of the event from the university grounds to floor one of the tower which he already had prior knowledge about as to it being the training ground for the first team mission for the university students at the end of the week.


    ¡ª-----------


    /// A/N - Chapter 1 of 3 for the day, Moreing back to back soon///

 Chapter 55: Complete Education

    ( Day 3 of University )


    The third day of University saw Rocky waking up at 5 am as he reported to practicalbat ss for the morning training.


    Somehow, his body had grown ustomed to training hard everyday and when he broke this routine, his muscles went into a sort of workout withdrawal where he received a weird itch that made him feel ufortable until he worked out.


    Professor Mave went in hard with his morning training for the students as well as he covered everything from running, to stretching and power poses that were sure to engage all the muscles in one''s body and help build physical strength.


    Then, he made all the students repeatedly hit their shins and elbows against a semi-hard rock to improve bone strength of these vital areas.


    By the time the ss ended, everyone walked out with swollen shins and elbows as they headed over to the breakfast hall to officially begin their days.


    *********


    The breakfast hall was where the practicalbat students regrouped with the rest of the batch who had just woken up as after a light and nourishing meal, everyone headed for their sses for the day, which just happened to be the monster weakness ss for Rocky, Buhara and Erin.


    The monster weakness ss was taken by Professor Deril who on the first day exined the course structure, the grading method and how there would be a final written paper for this subject at the end of the year.


    He then went on to exin the popr monsters found on floor one to floor three of the tower and their weaknesses, as apparently his method of teaching was to cover fighting monsters on a case by case basis.


    Professor Deril began the ss by highlighting the weaknesses of Slime Creatures, amon nuisance on the first floor of the tower.


    These gtinous beings were known for their amorphous shapes and ability to absorb physical blows, making conventional attacks nearly ineffective. "However," he pointed out, "their weakness lies in their susceptibility to cold temperatures. Freezing spells or icy weapons can cause them to solidify and shatter."


    " But, because I know that most of you won''t spend money to deal with mere slimes, so the other elements that they are weak against are fire spells, water spells and a direct blow to their slime core which will kill them instantly".


    Next, he moved on to Dire Wolves, menacing predators found lurking on the second floor of the tower.


    These creatures wererger and far more formidable than their ordinary wolf counterparts, with razor-sharp teeth and a pack mentality that makes them dangerous opponents. "Dire Wolves," he said, "rely on their sense of smell and hearing more than sight, making them formidable in the dark. However, their reliance on these senses is also their downfall.


    Strong, pungent scents can overwhelm their sense of smell, and high-pitched sounds can disorient their hearing, creating opportunities for attacks."


    He exined how adventurers could use alchemical bombs that released a strong odor or magical instruments that emitted high-frequency sounds to gain an advantage over Dire Wolves. "Furthermore," Professor Deril added, "while Dire Wolves are fast and powerful, they are not the most agile creatures.


    Quick, nimble fighters can outmaneuver them, especially in terrain that restricts their movement", he exined as he disyed some useful videos on how to fight direwolves, which the students found most informative.


    Finally, the ss was introduced to the Skeletal Warriors that haunted the third floor.


    These undead soldiers, animated by dark magic, were immune to poison and fatigue. "But," Professor Deril exined, "being devoid of flesh, they are particrly vulnerable to bludgeoning weapons. Hammers, clubs, or any heavy object can shatter their bones easily."


    As he concluded the discussion on low-level monsters, Professor Deril emphasized the importance of strategy over brute strength. "Understanding your enemy''s weakness is key to defeating them," he reminded the ss.


    "Always observe and adapt; what works on one creature may be ineffective on another" he emphasized as the students scribbled notes fervently, knowing that this knowledge would be vital for their survival and sess in the tower as well as for scoring well in their final exams.


    *********


    " Puny humans, I, Buhara, like the monster weakness ss much more than the Power dynamics ss.


    This ss does not bore Buhara" said Buhara as both Rocky and Erin agreed.


    When one could sense that the knowledge being imparted to them was actually useful for their lives, they naturally listened to it intently and it made the learning process that much more enjoyable.


    Since they already knew that they were bound to face these creatures sooner orter, studying about them and their weaknesses helped them gain confidence to someday face them in reality.


    "I certainly hope that battlefield strategy ss will also be as fun as this one, it''s thest course we have yet to explore-" Erin said, as the trio headed to the library together to study more about monsters before lunch.


    **********


    Post lunch, the group headed towards thest ss they had yet to attend which was the ''Battlefield strategies and leadership'' ss taken by Professor Beach.


    Unlike the other professors, she had a veryid back personality and with her ss having only 20 students total, the atmosphere was also very intimate and one on onepared to the other sses.


    Professor Beach, began the ''Battlefield Strategies and Leadership'' ss by outlining the core objective which was to teach the students not just about the tactics of war, but about the leadership qualities necessary to inspire and directrades effectively in the heat of battle.


    "Leadership on the battlefield," she started, "isn''t just about giving orders. It''s about understanding your environment, your enemy, and most importantly, your team. It''s about making decisions under pressure that could mean life or death" she exined as she looked into the eyes of each of her students with a smile.


    She moved on to discuss historical battles, drawing parallels to the strategies employed by famousmanders and how they could be applied to battles against monsters or in the tower and used abination of interactive holograms and real-life anecdotes to bring these scenarios to life, makingplex tactics essible and engaging.


    "Consider the Battle of the Narrow Pass," she proposed, projecting a detailed map of a hypothetical narrow pass simr to ones found in the tower. "The key to victory here is control. By utilizing the terrain, a smaller force can potentially hold off arger enemy.


    Trap cement, archer positions, and the timing of a counter-attack can turn the tide of battle" she exined as she took one of the most historical battles of the God Shakuni, and broke down the strategy used by him to defeat an army of 100,000 men with only 1,000 soldiers.


    Next, Professor Beach divided the ss into small groups, assigning each a different scenario where they had toe up with a strategy to ovee a superior enemy force.


    Rocky, Buhara, and Erin found themselves tasked with defending a vige from a horde of Dire Wolves using only a limited number of fighters.


    The exercise forced them to apply what they had learned about the wolves'' weaknesses and the principles of leadership.


    They debated the merits of using scent traps to disorient the wolves and positioning their strongest fighters in key chokepoints to protect the vigers, as about 20 minutes into the discussion it became clear to Erin and Buhara that Rocky''s insight into understanding a battle far outssed their own as Rocky seemed naturally inclined for the role of a leader.


    "We need to make use of the wall, it''s foolish to fight outside the vige areas when we can first dwindle their strength using traps and archers while being behind the safety of a wall" Rocky said, as most of his tactics and suggestions went over Buhara''s head who was used to a very simple way of fighting which was to attack when the chief yelled ''attack''.


    While not as bad as Buhara, Erin struggled to think as creatively as Rocky as in the end it became a session of Rocky exining his thoughts to his two friends who just nodded along.


    As each group presented their strategy, Professor Beach offered insights and critiques, highlighting the importance of flexibility and adaptability in leadership.


    She praised Rocky and his n dering his team to be the winner of this round of discussions as she was most satisfied with the n that Rocky proposed, albeit it not being perfect and having some areas where he could still improve.


    The ss ended with a discussion on the moral responsibilities of a leader, touching on the weight of decision-making and the impact of loss of life.


    Professor Beach''s approach to teaching battlefield strategies as a blend of tactics, psychology, and ethics left asting impression on the students, making it clear that leadership in battle was about much more than just fighting.


    As they left the ss, Rocky, Buhara, and Erin felt a new sense of respect for theplexities of leadership and strategy.


    They had initially thought that the subject would be slightly rigid and definite just like monster weakness, however, after just the first ss they understood that there was no ''one'' standard solution when it came to strategizing.


    Every situation needed a unique solution and with enough thinking one could alwayse up with a unique and better solution and hence the subject revolved around critique and expanding one''s line of thought rather than rigid knowledge.


    After only the first lecture, the trio realized that the knowledge gained here was sure to be crucial not only in their future battles within the tower but also in any leadership roles they might assume in their careers, whether it was as an orc chieftain, a guildmaster, or a messiah.


    ¡ª----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter 2 of 3 for the day. This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Cervantez91, please thank him in thements for the same! ///

 Chapter 56: First Floor Run Begins

    In the blink of an eye, a week passed by at the university as Sunday rolled around and it was time for the first ever team exercise.


    By now Rocky had settled in nicely within the university life and had taken a liking to the subjects being taught.


    All six subjects that he had selected had great faculties and teaching methods as Rocky felt like he could not have asked for a better environment to grow and that the university for nourishment of young talents really lived up to its reputation as the best university on floor zero.


    There was a lot of buzz surrounding the first team activity, as nobody was sure as to who was conducting the first team activity or what they were supposed to do except for the fact that principal Liam was the one who was going to be supervising the ss.


    ording to the popr rumors that seemed slightly reliable, the team activities conducted by the university changed every week and presented lots of fun games and challenges.


    For the first week, the team of Rocky, Buhara and Erin were absolutely ready to crush all other students and take the first spot in whatever challenge they were presented as thepetitive spirit amongst the three was pretty high.


    "Ahem, alright. Good Morning students, be silent now or I''ll personally p the taste out of your mouths-" said Principal Liam, as the second his voice rang through the ears of students, pin-drop silence was immediately achieved.


    "I know you are all excited to show off the power of friendship. I can already see it in your eyes ....


    Especially in the eyes of that Hobgoblin over there who has his hands thrown over both his teammates.


    Calm down mate


    Calm down...


    No need to be so physical, give them space" Principal Liam said as he bashed a Hobgoblin student for no reason whatsoever in typical Liam fashion.


    " Sorry to burst your bubble, but for your first week there will not be anypetitive exercise, but a tower run.


    Today, you students enter the tower for the first time.


    Your goal is to request a quest from the floor one administrator andplete it within six hours.


    There are no points assigned to this exercise exceptpletion points and since it''s the very first floor I don''t expect any of you to fail.


    But I will expel you if you do¡­. Because, how the hell do you even fail on the first floor?


    Despite that, we will give all students a bracelet to press incase of emergencies as regardless of where you are, if you press that bracelet one of the faculty members wille for your protection within two minutes time, so try not die within 120 seconds.


    Other than that, enjoy your first tower run, I hope to call you all floor one climbers by tonight" Principal Liam said, as Rocky''s eyes widened in surprise at his sudden deration.


    Rocky knew that the university helped every student climb from floor 0 uptil floor 10 within its academic calendar, however, he did not expect the principal to throw them onto the first floor on the very first week.


    ''Is this it? My first tower run?'' Rocky wondered, as his heart beat slightly quicker and a big smile spread over his face.


    "Buhahahara! Floor one? Here wee!" said Buhara as he pped Rocky hard on his back, while politely tapping on Erin''s shoulders with a single finger.


    "Should be fun!" Said Erin, as he lookedpletely fired up and ready to go as well.


    "Follow me to the university teleportation center, the moment you walk through the Teleportation gate, you will be teleported to a random starting point on floor one.


    Once you are there, you can not leave the floor unless you have a return token or you have alreadypleted the floor run!


    Remember this¡­..


    There is no abandoning a floor run through the middle ever!


    And while the teachers at this university have lots of return tokens for floor zero, the higher the floor, the lesser the return tokens avable.


    Since it''s your first run, I''ve already personally prepared supplies for all of you, but from the second run you have to prepare such bags yourself.


    So collect the bags with your tag on it, collect the emergency contact bracelet and hop onto the teleportation portal in teams of three for your first tower run!


    Once inside, just scream the words ''Contact Administrator'' and you will find him.


    Goodluck" Principal Liam said, as everyone excitedly picked up their backpacks and their emergency bracelets as they enthusiastically headed towards the teleportation center.


    From the backpacks alone, one could understand the level of care that principal Liam had for each student as not only did each backpack fit everyone perfectly, with the backpack for Rocky being slightly bigger than one for Erin and much smaller than one for Buhara, but the supplies in it were personalized as well.


    For Buhara there was orc food, mana potion, basic health potion andmon grade fist clubs, while for Rocky it was human food, stamina potion, health potion and twomon grade swords.


    Not only did Liam take into ount ones race, but also their specializations as he made the perfect kit for all students for their first tower run.


    " Thankyou-" Rocky said with a smile as he passed principal Liam, who frowned at his polite gesture.


    " Take extra care, you. Of everyone, the safety of you and the girl worries me the most" Liam said, as Rocky nodded in acknowledgement.


    It was moments like this that made Rocky realize that although Liam was slightly unstable mentally, he did genuinely care for his students and was sort of the best principal one could ever ask for.


    Once the gate was refreshed, Rocky, Erin and Buhara stepped into the teleportation gate as a group and were teleported to a random spot on the first floor of the tower as their first ever adventure as a climber began.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Sophia )


    Sophia was feeling nervous as Sunday approached, as although she had prepared the trap extensively, the sess or failure of her scheme depended on the skill of the assassin''s harming her and her belief in her own vitality to weather the attack.


    She was nning to genuinely injure herself to the brink of death just to fool one man into believing that there was a rift between Olympus gods, such was her dedication towards the family, however, she could not help but feel nervous.


    No matter how courageous she was, the idea of voluntarily taking a dagger to her chest made her ufortable as she felt nervous and jittery the closer she came to the time of execution.


    ''He won''t be an absolute douche and abandon me to die right? I mean nobody can be that heartless right?'' she wondered as all sorts of doubts creeped into her mind, however, soon she was able to regain herposure.


    It had to work¡­..


    There was no other choice but for it to work as this was the only way for her to gain acknowledgement in her family.


    Despite her being the champion of Poseidon, ever since she was young she was always looked over by her father in favor of Percy who was the perfect son in his opinion.


    Ever since she was young she thirsted for his approval and this was finally her chance to get it.


    ''I can''t mess this up, not at all-'' she thought as she looked towards her two female teammates that were unfortunately going to be killed today and stepped into the teleportation portal as well.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Chapter 3/3 for the day. This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Cervantez91, please thank him in thements for the same! ///

 Chapter 57: Locals

    ( The Tower, Floor One )


    The moment Rocky stepped through the teleportation gate, he found himself inside the first floor of the tower of ascension, finally beginning his journey as a climber.


    He was teleported in a random grassy field, with there not being anything much in the nearby vicinity, except ankle high lush green grass with a ssh of weeds growing in between patches.


    Looking around, he immediately spotted a small vige that seemed to be roughly 1 kilometer away.


    There was smoke rising from within the vige walls indicating it was an active settlement, however, there were no loud noises or bustle of big citiesing out of the area.


    Overall the atmosphere was perfectly serene, with the sun shining brightly over his head and gentle breeze blowing past him, as Rocky smiled slightly at this pretty sight.


    " The ambient mana here is slightly strongerpared to floor one, although the change is very slight, I feel like I can see and hear sharper on this floorpared to floor zero. Must be because of the higher mana purity" Erin said, as he keenly observed the changes in his body upon entering the floor.


    Rocky felt it too, the subtle increase in mana concentration as while the shift was not as remarkable as that of Earth and the tower, the difference between two floors was still very slightly noticeable.


    " This scenery reminds Buhara of his vige. It certainly feels like home" Buhara said, as the serene green fields and small settlement enclosed within wooden walls  reminded him of back home, which looked somewhat simr.


    The trio took in a moment to soak in its natural beauty, but after a while, Rocky broke the silence as he said "Ready to start the quest boys?"


    To which Buhara replied "He was born ready" while Erin nodded with a smile.


    "Contact administrator" Rocky said, as he repeated the words instructed to him by Principal Liam as immediately a floating screen opened up above the trio''s head.


    A goat beastman with a long goatee and triangr face shape looked down on the trio through the screen and said in apletely emotionless voice "Team runs are allowed upto three climbers on this floor. Do you wish to attempt a floor run individually or together?"


    "Together-" Rocky replied as although he had spoken, the administrator kept staring at the trio without blinking even once.


    "Together?"


    "Together!"


    Erin and Buhara repeated, as only after all three of them had confirmed did he proceed with the promotion quest.


    " Alright, here is your promotion quest. It''s a pass or fail test that is supposed to bepleted in under 5 hours.


    There will be no grading for the quest" He said, in the same emotionless voice as before as his image disappeared from the screen and was reced by arge floating bunch of text.


    [ Floor One Team Quest #2431 :-


    Quest Title - Wall reconstruction.


    Quest Description - The mandolin vige''s wall has been damaged due to natural weather forces over the years.


    Help the vige chief repair the wall free of cost, to reinforce vige defenses.


    Time Limit - 5 hours.


    Rewards - Promotion to floor two.


    Failure Penalty - No floor one reruns for next week ]


    Rocky read the text carefully and then looked at the size of the vige as he instantly panicked.


    "Guys, this quest may not be as easy as it seems. We need to hurry up and get to work if we want to finish on time. This wall looks pretty big to me, there''s no saying how many logs within it needs to be reced due to damage-" Rocky said, a sense of urgency behind his voice as the group instantly started jogging towards the mandolin vige.


    Floor one quests were generally known to be pretty easy and straightforward, however, one could notze off whilepleting it as they were notoriously time constrictive.


    ********


    ( Within the vige )


    Mandolin vige was apparently a kobold settlement hence when the odd pairing of Rocky, Buhara and Erin showed up to the gates, many vigers were instantly scared by Buhara''s brutal appearance.


    " Intruders¡­ intruders ¡­aghhhh-" shouted a female kobold, as Rocky instantly threw his hands in the air as he spoke as calmly as he could "Please do not worry. We are only humble climbers given a quest to assist this vige.


    Please redirect us to the vige chief so that we can inform him about our assigned task"


    His calm demeanor and his friendly smile, helped the nearby kobolds calm down as one of them rushed to fetch the vige chief, who was an old kobold with a burnt eye.


    " The floor administrator finally epted our request to help with the rebuilding of the wall? Well this day is certainly joyous!" Said the vige chief, as he immediately understood that the reason behind why Rocky, Erin and Buhara had shown up to the kobold vige was because of the request he had put in with the floor administrator regarding his vige being in need of some repairs.


    " Are you permanent residents of this floor?" Asked Rocky curiously as the Vige Chief smiled and nodded.


    " It seems like you are climbers from outside the tower .... Am I right?" He asked as Rocky, Buhara and Erin nodded.


    " Well just like there is a world outside the tower. There is a world inside the tower as well.


    On every floor, there is unique terrain and unique local life forms that have made that floor their permanent residence, just like you have on your homes.


    Just like you, children born within the tower are also selected uponing of age whether they can be climbers or not.


    If they are chosen, they have to start their journey as a climber from floor 0 onwards, however, they have a permanent floor return pass to their home floor, which they can ess at any time.


    Such people are called ''Local Climber''s''.


    However, if you are not chosen by the tower, then you can never exit the floor where you were born as you live and die in the same ce" The kobold chief exined, as Rocky felt enlightened by his words.


    " My ancestors probably came to this floor roughly 200 years ago. They had seven children who inbred amongst one another and now after 200 years we are a small vige of 250 members.


    All local to this hometown, all non-climbers" The kobold chief exined, as Rocky realized how the tower became popted.


    While thes outside the tower did not have a supply of ambient mana, those born inside the tower did, which meant that even if they were not chosen as a climber, they had the chance to be a decent fighter as a local.


    " This makes so much sense. I always wondered how people like Sophiae from floor 21 but need to take the floor one promotion test. But now I understand that she was probably born there and has a permanent floor return token-" Erin said, as with the help of the kobold chiefs exnation, many things that did not make sense to him before started to make sense now.


    " No time for stories. We have to work first-" Buhara eventually said, as both Rocky and Erin snapped out of their daze and recalled that they had an urgent quest toplete.

 Chapter 58: Choreography

    Being someone who thought quickly on his feet, Rocky knew that putting in blind effort into clearing the quest was going to yield no results, as they needed information and a solid strategy to clear the floor one quest with the highest efficiency.


    " Vige chief, does the vige already have a reserve of some chopped wood that we can use to mend the wall?" Rocky asked, as the vige chief shook his head in dismay, replying "No, all the wood within the vige is finely chopped and is used to cook dinner. It won''t be helpful for rebuilding the vige walls"


    " I see¡­. If you don''t mind, can you tell me what sort of monsters you are most wary of?" Rocky asked, as depending on his answer he intended to formte an appropriate strategy.


    "There are rarely anyrge predators in these parts. The most danger we face is from monsters like Earth Slimes or Poison Slimes, that corrode our vige walls by their highly corrosive gtinous bodies.


    While it''s not hard to deal with them, we like to have a good night''s sleep knowing that there won''t be random slimes showing up in the vige" The vige chief answered as Rocky nodded his head and asked him onest question " You use wood as a fuel to cook, but I only see grassy fields nearby, so where exactly is the wooding from?"


    "About 2 kilometers north of here is the Abandoned forest, we mostly get the required wood from there" The vige chief answered as Rocky finally understood exactly what he needed to do for this mission.


    Turning towards Erin and Buhara, he said "Buhara, you need to go and chop as many trees for us as you can.


    Me and Erin will survey the vige in the meanwhile, marking spots that need repairs and prepare a list of roughly what size of wood we would need for which repair.


    Then we wille join you and help you carry the wood back to the vige" Rocky said as Buhara borrowed some wood chopping axes from the vigers and headed off towards the abandoned forest.


    Meanwhile, Erin and Rocky began surveying the vige walls, marking the spots where the wood had either rotten or had been corroded by Earth Slimes, as after 40 minutes theypleted their inspection, identifying 15 spots that needed repair.


    The viges defenses were made from a series of interconnected wooden pikes, sort of like a fence and about 8 of them needed a full recement as they had considerable structural damage, while the other 7 only needed minor repairs that could be done superficially.


    "We should not need more than two trees worth of wood toplete all the repairs.


    If we measure the size of the full sized pikes, maybe we can size the wood near the abandoned forest and only carry the finished product here, " Rocky suggested, as Erin readily agreed to his n.


    Thanks to Rocky''s structured approach to the quest, the trio did not waste any unnecessary time in deciding the best approach to the quest, as they only followed Rocky''s n wholeheartedly.


    Borrowing two more axes from the vigers, Rocky and Erin made their way towards the abandoned forest to meet-up with Buhara, as they were brimming with focus and energy toplete the quest.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Sophia )


    Sophia was teleported within the abandoned forest and she received a quest to collect Five Blue Lily Flowers from within the forest alongside her teammates.


    It was a rather easy quest, with the trio finding the first two flowers within the first 30 minutes of the quest starting, however, they went on a dry spell afterwards as no matter how much they walked around, they found no more Blue Lily flowers.


    " I''m kind of frustrated that we haven''t found a single flower in thest half hour, however, I''m just so happy to be able to do a quest alongside the Champion Of Poseidon, that the pleasure of yourpany far outweighs the frustration" Sain Erina, one of Sophia''s two teammates.


    " I know right! I thought that the Champion Of Poseidon would have an attitude of superiority around her. But no¡­. Sophia, you''re so humble!" Said Christina, as the two girls heaped praises on Sophia.


    " Haha, you girls praise me too much, so what if I''m the Champion of Poseidon? I''m just a fresher like you both as well" Sophia said, keeping up her fake persona as although she pretended to be humble, she did not mean a single wording out of her mouth.


    She did not view her teammates as equals, in fact she was not even worried that they were going to die very soon, as all her attention was focused on herself being stabbed, as very soon she was going to take a big blow to her chest.


    " Oh look, a third flower!" Christina said, as she rushed over towards the third flower that she just spotted, causing Erina to yelp in excitement.


    " Yayy! A third flower-" Erina said, as she jumped up and down in joy, as thest sight that she saw before her death was the image of Christina plucking a Blue Lily Flower, as soon after she felt her vision going ck as she lost control over her muscles as she fainted.


    *THUD*


    *THUD*


    One after another, both Erina and Christina hit the floor unconscious as both of them had a poison dart sticking out of their backs.


    "Took you long enough-" said Sophia as she looked at how much time had passed since they had gotten to floor one and frowned because the assassin''s were slightlyte.


    " Apologies miss Sophia. But our starting point was too further away from your location. Unfortunately it took us a while to get here" One of the hooded assassin''s said, as he spoke in a raspy and crisp voice.


    "You have poisoned these two, but the moment they die the principal would be alerted. I hope you have set the dosage appropriately" Sophia said, as she knew for a fact that if the girls died before their mission waspleted, Principal Liam would rush to this spot and their mission would turn out to be a failure.


    "Don''t worry Miss Sophia, they won''t die for another five hours, we have set the dosage very carefully.


    We will definitely not let this mission fail" Said the same assassin as before as Sophia nodded in approval.


    " Okay, prepare the crime scene, it should look like I tried to fight you guys off but failed. Make it as realistic as you can-" Sophia said as the group of assassin''s nted a fake dart in the soil below where Sophia was standing, setting the crime scene up in a way that it looked like they wanted to poison her as well, but she dodged reflexively.


    They then choreographed the surroundings to make it look like Sophia had a skirmish with them before running for her life as in the process of fleeing, her backpack was torn apart by an chasing assassin''s dagger as she lost all the contents in her bag including her emergency button, only barely clinging on to life.


    " We have located the Champion Of Gemini to be roughly 3 kilometers from here, please run towards him in a way that makes it seem like we fought all the way from here till you reach him" The lead assassin said, as Sophia nodded and yed her part in this y to perfection as she began a fake chase scene.

 Chapter 59: Twist

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    Rocky always knew Buhara had superhuman strength, however, when he saw Buhara chopping down wood the size of his body and splitting it down the middle with ease, Rocky realized just how strong that orc was.


    By the time, Erin and Rocky had rejoined with him, he had single handedly chopped down three trees and pruned off the branches as Rocky was left awestruck by his technique and efficiency.


    " Wow, Sir Buhara, your technique is amazing!" Erin eximed, as Buharaughed out loud after receiving thepliment and began flexing his muscles.


    " BUHAHAHAHARA, Back in my vige, I''ve chopped wood since I was a kid. The trees here are soft and weak. The trees in my home town are strong like Buhara" he said as he proved his point by pruning off an arm sized branch off the tree he chopped down like he was swatting a fly.


    "Alright, I think we can make three pikes with each tree at least, so as long as we finish within the next two hours, we should be able tofortablyplete this quest.


    Erin, you draw the outline along which we should chop the wood down and me and Buhara will follow it to the T" Rocky instructed, as Erin began notching a rough path for Buhara and Rocky to follow with his axe, while Rocky and Buhara did the heavy cutting as they began manufacturing the recement parts for the vige wall.


    Everything seemed to be going smoothly, there was smooth breeze flowing, friendship fostering, sweat pouring, however, never in his wildest dreams could Rocky have imagined that this perfect day was about to go majorly south-hill from here.


    *Crush*


    *Crackle*


    The sound of twigs snapping alerted Rocky as he turned towards the source of the sound where for a moment he saw nothing.


    The trio were pruning trees right at the edge of the abandoned forest, in a clearing that demarcated the ins from the forest, however, they were still very close to the forest tree-line.


    "Did you guys hear that as well?" Rocky asked Erin and Buhara, who were ncing in the same direction as him, as they too heard the sound.


    *SHUA*


    *SHUA*


    Two poison darts flew across Rocky''s face, missing him by mere millimeters, as goosebumps ran all over Rocky''s spine.


    *THUD*


    *THUD*


    Erin and Buhara copsed to the ground, darts sticking out of their necks, as rm bells began ringing in Rocky''s head as he instantly became alert.


    "RUNNNNN-"


    A voice shouted, as from within the tree line emerged a bruised and bleeding Sophia, who dashed straight towards Rocky, a grim expression on her face.


    "RUNNNNN-"


    She repeated as she moved towards him as following her were four men dressed in pitch ck robes, with a garment covering their hair and face, revealing only their eyes.


    ''Assassins-'' thought Rocky as he unsheathed his sword and crushed the green pendant that Pope Cole had given him to use incase of emergencies.


    " They''re too strong for you, run dammit" Sophia said, as she tugged at Rocky''s arm upon reaching his location, however, Rocky refused to budge, as he said "


    I don''t know what''s going on, but I don''t trust you-


    Also, Erin and Buhara are here, I would run if they could do so as well, but I''m never leaving a fallenrade behind"


    "FOOLISH, YOU''LL GET US BOTH KILLED" Cursed Sophia, as the assassin''s made the most of her slowing down, as they began to circle around the duo, cutting off a path of retreat.


    Everything was happening too fast for Rocky to properly process.


    His backpack was ced near his feet, he had taken it off because it was a hindrance to him while chopping wood¡­.. and the emergency token given by the principal was inside it, as he could not ess it without opening the bag and reaching into it, which looked dangerous to do at the moment.


    Sophia was injured, she looked to be the main target that these assassins were chasing, however, Rocky suspected that it could be a trap as well as he refused to tag along with Sophia who was urging him to run.


    The green pendant, given to him by Pope Cole that he had crushed, seemed to do nothing significant at the moment as although Rocky had crushed it, he could see nor feel any major physical change.


    Finally, his opponent''s that were chasing Sophia. The group of assassin''s, seemed to circle the two champions, blocking off any escape routes, as they had sharp daggers in their hands.


    ''FUCK-'' Thought Rocky, as he cursed his own carelessness for not cing the emergency token in his pocket or system inventory and rather cing it in his bagpack.


    Nheless, despite his fears for his own life, he stood with a strong grip on his sword as he did not let his fear of mortality show on his face as he stared down at the assassin''s daring to make eye contact with him.


    " Who are these people?" Rocky asked Sophia, who seemed to be trembling.


    She had no weapon in hand, and had taken a flimsy battle stance, however, she seemed to be really shook as her body trembled violently.


    As Rocky looked towards her, he could make out that Sophia was not pretending and that by the horrified expression on her face it was clear that whoever these people were, she was scared of them too.


    " The crest on their chest ¡­.. These are agents of Olympus. Someone from my own family has ordered a strike on me-" Sophia said, her voice breaking as Rocky observed the crest made on the assassin''s robes that looked like Mount Olympus.


    '' What?'' thought Rocky, as he moved two steps away from Sophia, bing even more suspicious of her, as he could not believe that the agents of Olympus would hunt down their own Champion.


    *SHUA*


    One of the assassin''s, threw a dagger towards Sophia, who barely deflected the attack, but in the moment that Rocky and Sophia were focused on him, the other three assassin''s moved in towards them, reaching their location in a heartbeat.


    *Block*


    "Aiiighhh" Sophia blocked one of the assassin''s, who were trying to plunge a dagger into her throat, but because she was fighting him bare handed, the dagger pierced her palms, leaving a bloody and nasty gash in her flesh.


    The other assassin, who tried to attack Rocky, was surprisingly repelled away by an invisible barrier at thest second as although Rocky himself did nothing, the gash that he would have received if the assassin manager tond his attack, was magically returned to him as a deep wound opened up in his chest, with blood spurting out.


    *AGGHHHHHHH*


    The assassin screamed, as Rocky finally realized the nature of the protective spell that Pope Cole had gifted him with!


    An invisible barrier protection spell that returned the damage of any attack with twice the efficiency.


    A God level protective artifact! One that would ensure Rocky''s safety in dangerous situations.


    However, while Rocky himself sighed in relief for having been saved, the brutal fight between Sophia and the two assassin''s trying to kill her was a sight that was imprinted deep into his own memory.


    A bleeding, struggling Sophia tried her best to save her own life, but she was no match for the stronger, faster opponents who inflicted several small wounds across her vital veins, before finally plunging a dagger into her chest, as Sophia copsed onto her knees, staring straight into Rocky''s eyes with a desperate expression on her face.


    " Save me-" she mouthed, before falling out unconscious, as Rocky felt the world spinning under his feet as he could absolutely not make any sense of this situation.

 Chapter 60: Blacking Out

    "Save me-"


    She said it so low it wasn''t even audible.


    Perhaps it was only the movement of her lips that Rocky read, as he felt absolutely bewildered at this turn of events.


    " Leader, there''s one of them alive-" said one of the three remaining assassin''s in a raspy voice, as the fourth one who had tried to attack Rocky before, was now dead because of the bacsh.


    " I think he''s within a high level safety field, it will be tricky to fight him" said another Assassin who first hand witnessed Rocky''s incredible defense field and was hesitant to approach him.


    "Doesn''t matter, our mission here is alreadyplete, the target is dead. Time to run away" said another Assassin, who Rocky assumed was their group leader as the trio began running back towards the woods, leaving Rocky alone amongst a pile of bodies.


    " Fuck, fuck, fuck" Rocky said, as the second he realised they were safe, he rushed over to his backpack and with trembling fingers quickly opened it as he pressed the emergency button.


    Moving over to Sophia first, as she seemed to be the most critical, Rocky put a finger on her neck to check for pulse as to his relief he felt a faint pulse stilling out of her neck.


    " Fuck¡­ she''s alive" Rocky said, as he felt a heap of blood dripping down from her chest from where she had been attacked, as Rocky immediately opened the emergency first aid kit out of his backpack and brought out the clotting gauze.


    "Oye,oye, oye, stay strong, don''t die on me Sophia" he said, as although Sophia could not hear anything after having passed out unconscious, Rocky did his best to keep her alive.


    He tore off her top, as her bare breasts came into disy for him to watch, as somewhere between her two breasts she had a dagger sticking out from the center of her chest.


    "Two minutes¡­.. a university teacher will be here within two minutes" Rocky murmured to himself as he ced the gauze around her wound, not removing the dagger out of her chest as he knew that doing so would only increase the bleeding.


    Applying pressure both on the front and the back end of her wound, Rocky took Sophia in a sort of body to body hug, as he breathed rapidly and did his best to stop her blood-flow.


    Adrenaline was still pumping strong in his body.


    He was scared, he did not know what to believe or what to do, however, he earnestly tried to save Sophia, who she believed now without a shadow of a doubt to be a victim of this incident.


    ''A divide within Olympus?'' Rocky wondered, as it seemed like either Poseidon had a falling out with Zeus or that Sophia was not favored by her family.


    As only one of these two reasons could perhaps lead to someone trying to kill Sophia.


    ''It could also be a third party trying to kill her and pin the me on Olympus? Wearing an assassin''s robe that has Olympus badge proves nothing'' Rocky thought, as his thoughts moved away from what Sophia''s intentions were to what the ones who harmed her were nning, as at this moment Rocky absolved her of all me.


    He could not even think that Sophia willingly did this to herself, risking her very life to fool him, as at this moment, his rock hard mental defense that was suspicious of everything she did finally shattered, as instead of letting her die, he did his best to protect her.


    " What the hell happened here!" Screamed a feminine voice as she rushed over towards where Rocky was sitting pulling out countless bottles of potion from her backpack.


    Rocky did not recognise the instructor in front of him, however, since she was in university robes, Rocky exined the situation briefly to her, as clearly as he could.


    "She''s critical, lost a lot of blood, needs immediate medical care, I have no idea what the condition of my other two friends is, but they seem to be breathing as for now" Rocky replied, as the instructor looked at Rocky and gripped the blood soaked gauze piece that Rocky was holding at Sophia''s back, allowing him to free a hand.


    " When I instruct you to¡­. Remove the dagger from her chest in one swift motion okay?


    I will immediately pour a tissue regeneration potion over her wound, which should stop the horrendous bleeding" The teacher said calmly, as despite the horrendous situation, she seemed to hold her wits.


    Nodding, Rocky waited until she opened the potion bottle, as he extracted the dagger sticking out of her chest in one swift motion, allowing the teacher to pour in the tissue regeneration potion.


    *Sizzle*


    *Sizzle*


    The moment the potion was poured into her body cavity, Sophia''s blood vessels and damaged tissue began regenerating at a rate visible to the naked eye as her wound started to close up rapidly.


    " She has lost a lot of blood, it''s a miracle she''s even alive ... must be because of the strong vitality thates with being a demi-human, a normal individual would be long dead" the teachermented, as her words only reinforced Rocky''s belief that someone had genuinely targeted Sophia here and that someone seriously wanted her dead.


    " You did well to keep her alive for so long. But she still needs urgent attention" the teacher said, as she opened yet another potion, which this time was a health potion, as she opened Sophia''s mouth and poured it in.


    " Will she be okay?" Rocky asked, once the teacher was done pouring the potion as she shook her head and refused toment.


    "Here, two return tokens, ce one in her hand, ce one in yours, then break both.


    The moment you return to the university, rush to the infirmary. I''ll go and check on your friends in the meanwhile" The teacher said, as she handed Rocky two return tokens.


    Throwing onest nce towards the unconscious Buhara and Erin, Rocky did as the instructor said, crushing both his token and one by closing Sophia''s fist, as immediately the two were teleported out of the first floor of the tower and back within academy grounds.


    The second they were back, Rocky picked up Sophia in his arms princess style and sprinted with all his might towards the infirmary.


    "PATIENT¡­. CRITICAL PATIENT, HELP-" He shouted at the top of his lungs, as by the time he reached the infirmary, a few teachers and the healers were already on the ready as the second Rocky ced her on the nursing bed, the chief healer got to work.


    [ Greater Heal ]


    [ Vitality''s Embrace ]


    Using two powerful healing spells one after another, she did her best to stabilize Sophia''s condition, even going as far as to suffering from mana deficiency, however, even then her condition did not stabilize.


    " POISON!! POISONED STUDENTS-" Screamed the teacher who responded to Rocky''s emergency signal as she burst into the infirmary with Rocky and Buhara ced over her two shoulders.


    " The orc will live, someone save the human¡­.. I don''t think he can make it much longer-" the teacher shouted in panic, as a team of healers diverted their attention from Sophia to Erin, as Rocky watched on in horror.


    ''What''s going on? Who did this to my friends?'' he wondered, as he once again felt the world spinning under his feet.


    As he nced towards Erin, his usually fair and beautiful skin seemed to have turned into an ugly shade of purple as Rocky could not fathom seeing him in such a state.


    *Stumble*


    *Crash*


    "BLURFGHHHH"


    Rocky stumbled to the infirmary window, puking his guts out, as the moment he saw Erin, he could not hold it in anymore and finally his facade of calmness and strength broke.


    He began to tremble, his mind went nk as the concept of mortality gave him a reality check.


    Images of his own apartments explosion shed by in his mind as he found his heart racing out of his chest and his lungs failing hismand.


    Although he gasped for air, no air seemed to enter his body as he felt dizzy and disoriented.


    ''Champion¡­.Champion¡­.''


    ''My son can walk now! My son walked for the first time because of you-''


    ''Hey, I''m Sophia, nice to meet you-''


    ''Buhahahahara-''


    ''No you, Sir Rocky! Are the best''


    ''Juste home, it''s past your curfew time''.


    ''You are not the champion I wanted''


    *KABOOM* *ss Shattering*


    Rocky saw his life shing before him, the dam of emotions he had been holding shut was finally broken apart, as overwhelmed he felt darkness clouding over his eyes.


    " Oh not you as well¡­.. someone check on that kid, he''s having a panic attack-" he heard someone say, but before he could make out who, Rocky cked out.


    ---------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone!


    I apologise that my upload rate currently is slightly below par, but I''m definitely working on it, and expect to fix it by April.


    Also, the chapters of this book are approximately 30-50% longer than the chapters on vampire god. So although my release rate is slightly low, the content I''m giving per chapter is more. ///

 Chapter 61: Death

    ( Principal Liam''s POV )


    The atmosphere within the academy infirmary reached a boiling point when principal Liam reached the scene and found four of his students passed out on the beds.


    Usually, the principal only had an air of unpredictability around him, however, today, he had the aura of a berserker on him, as he seemed ready to start an indiscriminate ughter.


    With his killing intent leaking, he listened to Madam Forum''s report on what she found out as she responded to the emergency distress signal and the developments after.


    " So, when you reached the students, you found Rocky hugging Sophia, desperately trying to save her life by clotting her blood¡­.. while the orc and the golden haired boy were out unconscious with darts sticking out of their necks" Principal Liam asked instructor Forum who nodded earnestly.


    " It certainly looked like Rocky was trying his best to keep the Champion of Poseidon alive, he was also very shook when he saw his friends being brought in for treatment and passed out from shock-" Instructor Forum reported, as Liam stomped his feet in anger.


    "WEAKLING! HOW DISGRACEFUL IT IS FOR YOU TO PASS OUT LIKE A FUCKING CHILD.


    WAKE THAT BASTARD UP SO I CAN SLAP HIM UNCONSCIOUS MYSELF.


    THERE ARE TWO STUDENTS STILL MISSING DAMN IT" Liam shouted in anger, as he seemed ready to lunge atop Rocky''s bed and smack him to consciousness as he had to be held back by Professor Maven.


    " He''s still a child, he''s still a child¡­." Professor Maven said desperately, as he hoped that his words would calm the mad Liam down, who was starting to lose his sanity.


    " How dare anyone attack my students! How dare they put them in such miserable states.


    It seems the tower has forgotten who I am. It seems like it''s time to bring the weapon out-" Liam said, a maniacal expression on his face, as everyone in the room panicked when Liam suggested bringing out ''That'' item.


    " Calm down principal Liam, I''m sure Professor Powell will be back after finding the two missing students soon-" Professor Maven said, as Liam grunted and began pacing around the room.


    A few minutester, Rocky regained consciousness as the first thing that he saw was principal Liam staring into his eyes.


    " Huh?" He said as for a moment he could not recollect where he was, but then the memories flooded back in.


    "Erin¡­. Is Erin okay?" Rocky said, as he sat up straight, looking around the infirmary as his breathing quickened.


    Beside him was Erin and Buhara who did not look as bad as before.


    Erin''s skin had regained its usual color, while Buhara seemed like he was just in deep sleep.


    On the first bed, the furthest away from himy Sophia, who thankfully was breathing as well.


    " Hey, I don''t care that you have just woken up ¡­.. I don''t care if you''re traumatized.


    All three of those on the bed here will survive, but there are two more missing¡­. Tell me now, what the hell happened-" Professor Liam demanded as Rocky felt his soul shudder when he came into contact with Liam''s invisible killing intent that was leaking heavily.


    His legs began to quake, his heart began to beat faster, as his entire being entered a fight or flight mode as his body defied the order of his conscious brain.


    " Liam, for the hundredth time, he''s just a kid, GIVE HIM SOME ROOM AND LAY OFF-" Screamed Professor Maven, who pulled Liam off Rocky''s bed, and stared straight into his eyes.


    "Don''t touch me like that Maven, else the first soul I''ll collect will be yours-" Liam said as he pointed a finger to Maven''s chest, with it looking like the two were ready toe to blows at any second.


    " Principal Liam¡­." Rocky said, at that moment, as he gathered his wits¡­.. his voice breaking their fight.


    " We were chopping wood just outside the abandoned forest in a clearing.


    Me, Erin and Buhara, when we heard the sound of a twig snapping.


    We looked in that direction, but saw nothing, then suddenly from our blind spot, three poison darts suddenly came out flying.


    They hit Erin and Buhara in the neck, but the one aimed for me missed by mere millimeters.


    I don''t think I dodged it consciously, so either the assassin missed or I dodged without my knowledge-" Rocky said, as he began narrating his tale.


    " Erin and Buhara passed out almost immediately and then, a bruised and injured Sophia ran out of the clearing, yelling ''Run'' towards me¡­."


    " She was being chased by four assassin''s, their strength unfathomable to someone like me, as they were adorned in ck assassin robes with the seal of Olympus on their chest.


    Immediately, I broke the safety seal given to me by Pope Cole of Earth as I knew this situation was tricky, but I could not press the emergency button as it was in my backpack which I had removed before chopping wood" Rocky said, as Principal Liam grit his teeth.


    " I didn''t know what the charm I broke did, but apparently it created a high level invisible barrier that returned twice the damage that one wanted me to receive and that''s how the assassin that attacked me died.


    On the other hand, Sophia, who was their main target, was stabbed in the chest¡­" Rocky said as Liam and the other professors stared at him emotionlessly.


    " They deemed me too troublesome to deal with because of my barrier and left because they thought Sophia would surely die, but because she was breathing I tried my best to save her and pressed the emergency button immediately after they left.


    I don''t know who they are, or what they wanted, but my assumption would be that if Sophia''s teammates are missing they should be inside the abandoned forest-" Rocky said, as principal Liam let out a deep sigh.


    "This is absurd, why would agents of Olympus target their own Champion?" Professor Maven questioned, as Liam cut him off " Everything the boy said is true, although absurd, he''s not lying. Everything happened exactly as he imed it did.


    My Lie detection skill would''ve told me if he was lying, but he''s not¡­"


    Since Principal Liam realized that Rocky was not the one behind harming Sophia and that this was not an internal squabble between rival gods, his gaze towards Rocky softened, however his overall anger did not subside at all.


    Infact, it only increased when Professor Powell returned to the infirmary with two dead corpses over his shoulder.


    " I''m sorry¡­. The kids died in transit while I wasing here. I was a few minutes toote" Professor Powell said, as he put both the kids down on infirmary beds.


    Their bodies ckened beyond recognition, they seemed to have died a horrible death where their internal temperatures cooked their organs to failure.


    As Rocky looked at their dead bodies, he felt slightly dizzy again as he realized that this would be the same fate that Erin and Buhara would have suffered should they not have been brought to the infirmary in time.


    "Ho¡­.hohohohoho" Principal Liamughed, him having finally lost his mind as he jumped out of the infirmary window and disappeared into the wind.


    " Maven stop him, he will bring that cursed thing out¡­." Professor Powell said, however, Professor Maven only shook his head and said nothing.


    He already knew there was no stopping Liam anymore¡­..


    Two of his students had died.


    The only way he stopped now would be after rivers of blood had already been shed and the perpetrators were wiped out.

 Chapter 62: Liams Backstory

    There was a reason behind why Liam was called the mad principal, why despite his entricities and direct challenges made to the major powers within the tower, no major power tried to seek revenge on him.


    The various religious orders and even tier 6 lesser gods spoke of him in hushed tones, not just out of fear for the wrath he could unleash but also because of how cruel the nature of his hidden power was¡ªa power that seemed to defy the natural order of life and death itself.


    Long ago, before his name evoked terror and awe, Liam was a schr, driven by an insatiable curiosity about the world and its mysteries.


    His quest for knowledge led him down many paths, but none aspelling as the study of life''s ethereal counterpart¡ªdeath, as ever since he lost his brother to the tower, he tried his best to bring him back, going down many questionable routes to try and revive him, as returning him to life became his only goal.


    He read countless tomes, studied countless ancient texts, and learnt many lostnguages. However, most of what he learnt seemed to be written by either phony necromancers or cult activists that believed in absolute gibberish.


    Regardless, in hopes of reviving his brother, he explored every path and left no trail untrekked if it offered even the slimmest hopes of sess.


    It was during his time as such an explorer that he found an excavation site in an ancient, forsaken temple on floor 52.


    It was a temple not found on one of the explored trails of the floor and hence it was extremely dangerous to explore it, yet, confident of the ancient manuscripts he had uncovered, Liam felt sure that the temple contained an ancient artifact that held the secrets of life and death.


    It was inside that temple that Liam stumbled upon the Spectre''s Locket, an artifact so sinister, yet so captivating that it seemed to call to him from the shadows.


    Crafted during a lunar eclipse by a cult long erased from the annals of history, the locket was said to hold the power to bridge the living world with that of the dead.


    It was a thing of beauty and terror, made of a dark metal that seemed to swallow light, with a gemstone that pulsed with an otherworldly glow.


    Liam, with his vast knowledge of ancient lore, recognized the symbols carved into its surface. They spoke of the underworld, of spirits unrested, and of power untold.


    The moment Liam sped the locket in his hands, his fate was sealed. The locket bound to him and he began hearing constant ravings of the dead whenever he was in physical contact with the locket.


    The power it offered was intoxicating. With the opening of the locket, a mist, thick and cold, seeped into the world of the living, a mist that made him near immortal when he stood within it, as although he was not a god, when he stood within that mist, not even gods with their mighty weapons could hurt him.


    It was then that he discovered the locket''s true ability¡ªto convert the living into specters bound to his will. These specters, once people of flesh and blood, became ethereal shadows, extensions of Liam''s burgeoning power, as the more he used the power of the locket, the more it seemed to consume his mind, demanding that he consumed even more souls.


    Although Liam did not understand it, the object in his possession was imbued with a unique treasure of the tower called a ''Seed Of Power'' with the seed inside the locket being the ''Seed Of Death''.


    At its full strength, the seed of death could even enve a floor 80 monarch, however, the mental bacsh and insanity that the use of its powers brought made it a double edged sword such that not many wished to endure.


    Although the craftsmanship of the locket was insanely good, limiting its negative effects to a high degree as opposed to wielding the power of the raw seed, for a mortal it was still too much to handle as with extended use, its drawbacks became evident.


    Liam was not always the entric individual that he now became as once upon a time he was a stable headed schr, however, as he began exacting justice using the power of the locket and converting the living into his specters, he simultaneously began losing pieces of his sanity, slowly but surely turning more difficult to be around.


    As his army of specters grew, so did his reputation. He became known as the ghost controller, a title that barely scratched the surface of the dread he instilled in the hearts of those who knew of him. But it wasn''t just the living who feared Liam. The gods themselves, guardians of the bnce between life and death, watched him with wary eyes.


    His actions were a challenge to their authority, a defiance of the natural order they were sworn to uphold.


    Yet, Liam cared little for the consequences of his actions. The locket had changed him, not just in power but in spirit. His thirst for knowledge turned into an obsession with power, his once noble pursuits darkened by the allure of the locket''s promise. It whispered to him, promises of godhood, of a world reshaped in his image¡ªa world where death was but a ything in his hands.


    However, what stopped him from turning insane was his passion for teaching.


    After founding a university, he began using his power for good, to ensure that what happened to his brother would not happen to other climbers as he became a respected principal and the founder of the number one institution in floor zero.


    With reliable friends in the professors, he was convinced of sealing the locket away when he did not need it, as after spending a few months away from the locket, his insanity symptoms improved and he did not behave as entrically as he did when he was in contact with the locket.


    The other professors always hoped that the day that Liam took up the locket again, never came, however, from time to time there were incidents that drove Liam angry enough to bring out the locket and today''s incident was one such moment.


    From the second he jumped out of the university window, Maven knew that he had gone to unseal his treasure, and the moment he ced it around his neck, he was bound to be a crazy ghostmancer, the kind that would not stop until he brought those that troubled his students to justice.


    ****************


    *CLANG*


    *CLANG*


    *CLANG*


    Liam mmed down the concrete pavement of his university quarters as he tried to unseal his buried treasure.


    The bloodlust had already clouded his mind, the image of two dead students floating in there constantly, as his frustrations were visible with every hammer strike that he made.


    Finally, as his strikes hit an inscripted wooden box, he paused, taking the wooden box out carefully as from within it he retrieved his precious spectral locket.


    The moment he touched it, the ravings of the dead began moring in his ears as he shouted "QUIET-" to demand their silence.


    The color of his pupils markedly darkened as he adorned the pendant, its powers coursing through his veins as he became the master of death once more.

 Chapter 63: Turning Point

    Once Principal Liam left, the other professors too began leaving the infirmary one after another, as some went off to inform the dead rtives of the two students of the unfortunate incident, while some headed back to their jobs to deal with more important things.


    With the other students in recovery, there was no point in them lingering inside the infirmary anymore and hence except the chief healer, everyone else left the room, giving Rocky some time to think in sce.


    '' I''m pathetic-'' is what Rocky felt the second he was left alone, as despite his public image as a champion and a genius, Rocky understood that at his core he was a pathetic nobody.


    His image as a great warrior was not backed by his own skills and no matter how calm or cool he pretended to be, when things went outside his control, he was left exposed as the fraud that he was.


    ''I fainted just from seeing Erin turn purple¡­. Let alone surviving a gore battlefield, I''m not even mentally strong enough to see a poisoned patient.


    So much for being the champion of Gemini-'' Rocky thought self-deprecatingly as he felt immense embarrassment for not having control over his emotions.


    ''I''m a fraud¡­. A pathetic fraud'' Rocky thought as he bit his tongue hard in anger, reflecting upon how there was nothing that he had achieved by himself.


    His martial arts were bestowed on him by the system alongside his sword skills, while his own aplishments were next to nothing.


    In the entire fight against the assassin''s, he was able to do nothing at all but pathetically stand motionless as Sophia got stabbed in the chest.


    If he did not have the bracelet at that moment, then Rocky would have most likely died right there, jeopardizing the lives of Sophia, Erin and Buhara as well.


    ''Once again, I did not survive on my own strength¡­. I only survived because Pope Cole gave me a very powerful artifact,'' Rocky thought as at this moment all his arrogance that he had built over the past few days from feeling invincible within the academy went down the drain.


    He was a nobody.


    He was not the first choice of the Gemini gods to be a champion.


    He was not the genius that his batchmates viewed him to be.


    He was not the leader that Erin and Buhara hoped he was.


    And he was most certainly not the brother that Riva deserved.


    ''Huh- what was I even bing arrogant for? What have I even aplished? SSS talent? Powers that are not mine? Is that even something to be conceited over?'' Rocky wondered, as the more he thought about it, the more disgusted he became with himself as he realized just how delusional and narcissistic he really was.


    '' I need to work harder, I need to gain power that''s mine. Not the system''s power, not the power granted by an artifact. I need to be the man I pretend I am, and the only way to do so is by working hard-'' Rocky thought, as he clenched his fists and looked towards the unconscious Erin and Buhara.


    While it was Sophia who attracted the trouble this time and not him, the fact of the matter remained that whoever was close to champions of gods, was bound to be the target of many big organizations, who were going to try their best to suppress them at a young age.


    Perhaps revealing his identity under such circumstances was not the best choice that he had made, however, since he could not go back in time and reverse it, the only thing he could do now was to keep his head low and grow.


    " I dragged Erin and Buhara into this mess¡­. By just being around me, they will always be in danger.


    I can''t be so pathetic that I can''t protect them.


    If they''re in trouble because of me, the least I can do is be strong enough to protect them-" Rocky murmured out loud, as he resolved to himself that what happened to Riva, he would not let it happen to Erin or Buhara.


    As for Sophia and the identity of the true perpetrators behind this event, that question baffled Rocky a lot, as this event had shattered his world view.


    Before this event, he was of the opinion that Sophia was a sly bitch who was hiding her true self.


    That she was definitely involved in the kidnapping of his sister, if not directly then indirectly and Rocky wanted to eliminate her at the first chance that presented itself.


    However, after today his opinion changed.


    He now doubted if there was an internal conflict inside Olympus and perhaps Sophia was not an enemy but a victim.


    If her innocence could be established then Sophia could potentially turn into an ally for Rocky as he could team up with her to take down the Olympian faction that was holding his sister.


    ''Foolish thoughts once again Rocky, you can''t kill an ant with your current strength, let alone take on Olympian factions.


    First fucking be capable of stepping into the tower, then think about things like saving Riva or bringing Olympian factions to justice-'' Rocky thought as he mmed his own train of thought that suggested him to investigate this incident and ally with Sophia if it could be done.


    [ Strongest System Notification - The strongest system has detected that the ''Host'' has reached an important point in self reflection and has decided to help the host build confidence in his own skills.


    It has been decided that, from this day till hosts university graduation, the strongest system will not impart any direct skills upon the host and shall allow the host to develop by himself ]


    [ Strongest System Quest Notification - A new system quest has been issued.


    Quest Title - Reach First Rank In The University For Nourishment Of Young Talents and be the Valedictorian.


    Quest Description - Train hard and excel with your own merits within the academy for the uing semester to im the top spot.


    Quest Rewards - Crucial Hint about the kidnapping of your sister, +?????


    Failure Penalty - ???? ]


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - There will be a second chapterter tonight. ///

 Chapter 64: Time-Lapse

    ( A few hourster )


    Buhara was the first one to wake up after the incident amongst him, Sophia and Erin, and he felt absolutely confused on what was going on after regaining consciousness.


    All he remembered was cutting trees on floor one and then passing out as he had neither seen the assassin''s, nor did he have any idea about what happened after.


    " Where am I? Why is puny Erin and stinky Sophia on the bed beside me?" Buhara said after waking up, as he felt thoroughly confused about his situation.


    " Buhara''s neck hurts-" he said, cing a hand over his neck from where the venom had been extracted.


    Rocky had already been moved out of the infirmary once he made some recovery and was isted from Buhara and Erin, because Professor Maven instructed the medical staff to do so.


    The first thing that Buhara underwent after waking up was a round of questioning as Professor Maven inquired him about the incident and his memory, trying to match it with Rocky''s story.


    Thankfully, their stories matched up perfectly since it was the truth, as only then did Professor Maven believe that it wasn''t Rocky who had called the hit on Sophia.


    While nobody wanted to doubt Rocky, the fact that both thepanions of the Champion of Poseidon were dead, while he was the sole witness of the event involving Sophia''s stabbing, made him look like the chief suspect.


    The animosity between the two parties was no secret and hence it would not be weird if Rocky was indeed the mastermind behind this incident.


    Although Principal Liam had verified that Rocky was indeed telling the truth with his lie detection skill, Professor Maven still did his own due diligence of the situation as well, only to realize that Rocky was indeed innocent in this incident.


    " Stay here for a while. After you recover enough, you can meet Rocky who will exin what all happened-" professor Maven said, leaving the room once more as he left Buhara alone with Erin and Sophia in the infirmary.


    **********


    A full day after the incident, the news about the death of two students and the Champion of Poseidon battling for her life inside the infirmary spread far and wide within the university.


    Since nobody had a clear idea of what happened, wild conspiracy theories began to develop, with most assuming it was one of Gemini''s schemes, however, when Instructor Forum revealed that it was Rocky who had saved Sophia''s life, things became even more convoluted.


    The conspiracy theories became even wilder, suggesting a possible coboration between Olympus and Gemini, while some even went as far as to ship Rocky and Sophia as secret lovers.


    There were a few who still believed that this was one of Gemini''s ys because of the notorious reputation of Shakuni as being a mastermind fate maniptor, however, such people were few in number, as trying to predict the strategies of Shakuni was a futile affair.


    Overall, the atmosphere of the university took a tense turn as it was revealed that Principal Liam had lost his mind over the incident and was now out in the tower for revenge.


    ************


    Two days after the incident, Rocky and Buhara returned to normal sses, with Rocky having already narrated the full tale of what happened to Buhara.


    Wherever the duo went, eyes and questions followed, as the more hopeful the gazes of ssmates were, the more Rocky felt as a fraud, as instead of his supporters, he began to levitate towards his haters more as at least they saw him for the fraud that he was.


    Rocky''s self esteem at this point was at an all time low, as the only thought revolving in his head 24X7 was about how to improve, as for thest two days, Rocky had stopped resting/ sleeping for more than 4 hours, as he was either training his physical body, at the library seeking knowledge, or honing his sword art.


    He trained like a possessed maniac, as he resolved to get the first position in the university by the end of the year on his own merits and was ready to give this dream his all to achieve it.


    ********


    Four days after the incident, news broke out throughout the university that Principal Liam had started an indiscriminate ughter in one of the Olympian Assassin strongholds, having single handedly killed over 25,000 men and had imed the souls of over 200 of their leaders! Turning them into his specters.


    The incident took ce on floor 21 of the tower, right under the nose of Perseus, Sophia''s brother, however, he did not dare interfere in the business of Liam the mad Ghostmancer, as he feared for his own soul while facing him.


    While Liam did return to the university after this ughter, burying his secret weapon once more, his behavior had became even more erratic after the incident, as in his next lecture he seemed more unstable than ever before.


    If before he pulled at his tangled beard hair as if it was an itch, he now pulled them out by the bunch, often bleeding through the brutal pulling of his hair, as despite the pain he seemed to be unfazed.


    He stuttered more while speaking, his narcissisticplex had gotten worse and there was an aura of death around him that made it hard for an average student to breathe should hee and stand near them.


    Nobody dared to take their eyes off him when he spoke and nobody tried to do anything funny as his lectures went on in pin-drop silence with every student absorbing every wording out of his mouth.


    After the death of two ssmates on floor zero, everyone took the survival ss extremely seriously as even without Principal Liam''s intimidating presence, the importance of the course itself seemed to be instilled within all students.


    *********


    A full seven dayster, Erin regained consciousness feeling severely weakened as his body felt sore everywhere.


    He too was interrogated after regaining consciousness by Professor Maven and narrated the same tale as Buhara which confirmed Rocky''s story.


    Asked to rest, he was kept under observation for a full day more as he was fed several potions to regain his usual strength.


    While not back to 100%, Erin was discharged upon his request as after he learnt that he had already missed a weeks worth of lectures, Erin no longer wanted to miss anything anymore.


    Reunited with Rocky and Buhara, Erin hugged Rocky tightly upon their reunion as he profusely thanked Rocky for saving his life.


    Rocky tried to exin how all this was actually his fault and that he was sorry, however, the way Erin saw this incident was that if Rocky had not called for instructor Forum in time and carried him to the infirmary, he could have died on floor one.


    He did not me Rocky for the incident, neither did he hold any animosity towards Sophia, instead he too realized how weak he was to drop unconscious without even realizing it and resolved to grow stronger.


    Joining Rocky in his physical training during early mornings, Erin tried to ovee his biggest weakness of having a weak body as well, as the atmosphere within the dorm of the three friends shifted significantly on week two of universitypared to week one, as after the incident all three seemed to have understood the importance of life and power, and how to stay alive they needed to grow stronger fast.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone!


    We definitely need more PS, so this support is much much appreciated! ///

 Chapter 65: A sad past

    ( Sophia''s POV )


    A full two weeks after the incident, Sophia finally regained consciousness in the university infirmary.


    For a moment, she could not believe that she was still alive, as in herst moments before cking out, she could remember the words ''Save Me''ing out of her mouth as she desperately looked to Rocky for help.


    That expression, that feeling, it wasn''t fake¡­.. at that moment as a dagger was mercilessly plunged into her chest, she indeed felt the desperate need for Rocky to save her.


    Not from death, not from the pain, but from her own family, as she came to terms with how toxic it was.


    Ever since she was a child who could understand words, she realized that her and Perseus''s father did not view them both as equal siblings.


    Their father was a misogynistic jerk, who thought women could never be as powerful as men and hence from a very early age, starved Sophia of his love and attention as he saw her as a lesser child amongst Perseus and herself.


    His hatred for women stemmed from his own experience in life with Goddesses like Hera, submissive women like their mother and disappointing female generals he had once ced his hopes in, who wereter wooed by other men and betrayed him for love.


    Those events turned him bitter and slowly caused him to lower his opinion of women as a gender, as he began viewing them as lesser beingspared to men.


    He was not an outright bad father, he did not hate Sophia for being born and it wasn''t as if he showed her any obvious disgust.


    In Fact, He would still allow Sophia to call him father, y with her, buy her gifts, however, he never loved her the way he loved Perseus who was his heart and soul.


    Whatever Perseus aplished in life it was never enough for their father, who always expected more from him, as he kept pushing him to aim for higher heights, however, when it came to Sophia he had almost no expectations.


    Whether Sophia showed brilliance in sword arts or in craftsmanship, it made no difference to him, as all his hopes for his legacy to continue were pinned on Perseus.


    At one point, her desire to win her father''s approval became so profound in Sophia''s heart, that she only started to do things that their father liked or approved of, bing a model child, stifling her own individuality and yet, it still wasn''t enough!


    No matter what she did, she was never enough, until one day, when she became of age and was chosen as a climber, she received the blessing of her grandfather Poseidon, who chose her as his Champion!


    That was the first day when their father showed interest in Sophia.


    The first time heplimented her.


    The first time, he truly disyed some affection.


    And it was around this time that his n of kidnapping the Champion Of Gemini had failed, having kidnapped the wrong individual because of faulty intelligence and hence, identifying the opportunity to further distinguish herself after being drunk on the feeling of receiving his praise, Sophia suggested doing some dumb and stupid things for the family, going to the extreme lengths of taking a dagger in her chest, just to win his approval.


    *Sob*


    Sophia sobbed after waking up, she had realized the moment she took the dagger in her chest that she regretted going through with that n very much.


    She knew how wrong it was for a child to yearn for the love of their parents, she knew how wrong it was for any form of love to be conditional on sess or gender.


    If given a choice, she really did not want it-


    And yet, she knew that she would do it again if asked to, by her father.


    Why?


    Because she was just that much of a sucker for his attention that her own life did notpare in value.


    "Head Healer, sir, the patient has regained consciousness, please check up on her-"


    A voice interrupted Sophia''s thoughts, as she struggled to get into a seated position, looking around her surroundings with a nk and mundane expression on her face.


    Soon the head healer rushed into the infirmary with a tray full of potions, as he made idle talk and encouraged Sophia to gulp them all down.


    A few momentster, Professor Maven followed, as he entered the room and interrogated her about the incident.


    Thankfully, the n seemed to have worked perfectly as when she narrated her side of the story, it fit perfectly with how Rocky and the others narrated it, absolving her of all suspicion.


    " Well, you need rest so I won''t disturb you, but I have to sadly inform you, that while you survived, your two teammates did not make it and died in the woods from poisoning-" Professor Maven said in a solemn voice as a tear streaked down Sophia''s cheek.


    " I''m so sorry for your loss-" he said, assuming that Sophia was regretful about their deaths, while in reality she did not give a solitary fuck about them-, and was instead shocked to find out that she had been out for 14 full days.


    " Professor? Did anyonee visit me in the past 14 days? Do I have any letters?" Sophia asked, hopeful that perhaps in thesest 14 days either her brother, or her mother might have visited, even holding a slimmer of hope that her father might have made a surprise visit, but deep down in her heart she knew it was unlikely.


    " While we did inform your family about the incident, I''m afraid no-one came to visit you in the past 14 days from your family, however, you were visited daily by the Champion of Gemini.


    He brought you fresh flowers everyday and seemed genuinely concerned for your well being.


    Goodd that one-" Professor Maven said, as Sophia slightly nodded her head, ncing at the fresh flowers ced in a vase beside her bed.


    ''Pretty-'' she thought, as a soft smile came to her face, however, it was quickly reced by self pity as she realized that the only one who really cared about her was her enemy.


    " As for letters, I''m not sure, but I don''t think there have been any sent. But I will double check¡­.. you please rest in the meanwhile-" Professor Maven said as he left the infirmary, leaving Sophia to her own thoughts.


    14 days without a visit?


    This was a new low even for her family, as if she had any doubt in her head before, she had it no more that she was nothing more than a mere tool.


    She was a mere tool growing up and she was a slightly more useful tool after she had be a champion, but to their father she was still a tool.


    When Perseus was hurt during a floor raid, he refused to leave his bed-side for 30 days while he recovered.


    He personally decimated the forces that hurt him and seemed genuinely worried for Perseus even after the doctors said he would survive.


    And yet, when she was battling for life and death for 14 days, not once did he even bother checking up on her, nor did he bother with sending a substitute.


    ''Well at least it seems I have won the trust of the champion of Gemini¡­. Maybe if I help father steal his aspect of divinity, maybe then he will acknowledge me?'' Sophia questioned self deprecatingly as she slumped back on her recovery bed once more.

 Chapter 66: Failure Not An Option

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    After a hard day of training, Rocky was on his way to the infirmary to check on Sophia, as had be his ritual, when just outside the infirmary one of the medical staff recognised him and greeted him with a big smile.


    "She''s already awake, go meet her-" he said as Rocky entered the room with his eyebrows raised.


    "Hey-" Sophia said weakly when she saw Rocky walking into the room with flowers as she tried and sat up while tidying her medical robes.


    "Hey-" Rocky replied, handing over the flowers he brought to her, as Sophia held them and took in a nice whiff.


    " They smell like grass¡­. What even is this flower?" She asked, as Rocky scratched his head and coughed.


    " Ahem¡­ that? Yeah, they''re the flowers I found growing in the university, no idea what it is-" he confessed honestly as Sophia chuckled and reced the fresh flowers he handed her with the one he brought yesterday, in the vase beside her.


    " Well they are not smelly and they are beautiful, perfect to give someone in the infirmary" she said, to cheer him up, as Rocky smiled and took a seat beside her bed.


    " Thankyou for saving my life¡­" Sophia said, looking straight into Rocky''s eyes, who carefully studied her expression.


    " Well of course, I wouldn''t leave a wounded ssmate alone-" Rocky said, putting on a brave face as he reassured Sophia that he would have done it for anyone.


    " Ha-" Sophia chuckled in sarcasm at his reply, "I thought you hated me¡­ we are enemies after all, maybe your patron god would be happier if I died" she said as Rocky gauged the weight of her words.


    It was true, by nature they were meant to be enemies, however, it was only if Sophia was favored by those who kidnapped his sister, if not, then there was no need for them to be at odds.


    "No, I had to save you, but what baffled me was why the assassin''s chasing you wore the robes of Olympus? Like are you not the Champion of Poseidon?" Rocky asked, as this was the one question that was eating away at his mind ever since the incident took ce.


    He had doubted that it would be some other factions doing, that someone was surely trying to misdirect the eyes of the world, however, he had to hear it from Sophia.


    " Unfortunately no¡­. They were most likely really the agents of Olympus.


    There is a feud on-going between my father and my uncle and....


    No, I should probably not talk about family politics here" Sophia said with a gloomy smile on her face as Rocky found no mistakes in her acting.


    Hepletely bought her story, especially after what Principal Liam told him after his two days long rampage on floor 21.


    Apparently, the information that Principal Liam had found out, also indicated that there was a major rift between Poseidon and Zeus and that Sophia was a target of internal conflict.


    With Sophia now confirming the same, Rocky felt convinced about the story behind her attack, as he sympathetically ced his hand over hers.


    " It''ll be alright, you don''t have to tell me what you don''t want to share, but going forward just know that I won''t consider you as my enemy, even if our patron gods don''t align.


    You''ve lost your roommates and teammates in this attack, so if you need anyone to talk to, just know I''ll be there for you" Rocky said, as he expressed his sincerity in bing Sophia''s friend, who smiled at his kind words.


    At this moment, she had aplished her mission, the champion of Gemini had been sessfully deceived by her, yet, it did not bring her the joy she thought it would.


    When she looked into Rocky''s sincere eyes and the flowers beside her bed, it made her feel weird, and as if he was giving her the kind of intimate attention she always craved for and hence she felt a small amount of guilt in deceiving him.


    " Alright, I''ll keep your words in mind, you charmer-" Sophia said, as Rocky blushed and pulled his hand away from her.


    In the first ce, Rocky did find Sophia to be pretty attractive, his first reaction to seeing her was one of admiration, however, it was only after witnessing her champion''s brand that his feelings towards her changed.


    Now that he needed to win over her as an ally, Rocky no longer felt repulsed by her looks, as he became an admirer once more.


    "So, what did I miss while I was out?" Sophia asked, to break the ice, as Rocky took a deep breath and began sharing all the notes he was making on her behalf ever since she had passed out.


    The duo chatted for two hours as Rocky gave her a rough summary of everything that happened in thest two weeks as Sophia felt utterly shocked at how meticulous Rocky had been.


    Not only did he make important lecture notes for her, but he also helped her with some assignment work that she would be expected to do once she got back, reducing her future load by arge margin.


    This sort of care was something Sophia never expected from her best friends, let alone and enemy like Rocky, which is why her mood cheered up significantly over the two hours that they talked.


    She noticed a lot of things about Rocky in these two hours as well.


    While he was sarcastic and cold to outsiders, once he started to warm up to someone, he was funny, cute and energetic as while he talked for two hours non-stop, he cracked many jokes and made everything sounds lessplicated than it really was.


    He even respected her privacy and did not pry into matters regarding her family much as he allowed her to recuperate in peace.


    Finally, as he took his leave for the night, he wished Sophia a speedy recovery and that he would return with more notes and flowers tomorrow, as oddly, Sophia looked forward to his return.


    ************


    ( A few hourster, Floor 21, Perseus''s POV )


    " It is with great pleasure that I inform you brother that I have indeed broken through the champion of Gemini''s defenses, he has warmed up to me and haspletely bought the story.


    It seems like Principal Liam also believes that there is a rift in Olympus and everything has gone perfectly as nned, while I''m also making a speedy recovery.


    As I await further directions, I request that either you or father visit me while I''m recovering as I do feel lonely, but even if you can''t, I will understand¡­.


    Love, Sophia"


    Perseus read Sophia''s letter and scoffed in arrogance.


    " My lovely sister, while I''m so happy that you have used your charms to fool the champion of Gemini, I don''t understand why you make stupid requests like me visiting you.


    Principal Liam has a truth detection skill, I''ll be bust the moment I enter the university while father and that unpredictable man cannot be ced in the same room.


    When will you learn to grow up and see the bigger picture? *Sigh*


    Well, you are just a kid, so hopefully soon enough-" Perseus said to himself as he paced around the room with his hands behind his back.


    Olympus had sacrificed a lot for this n to work, so he was happy that it was working.


    Principal Liam had nearly demolished 50% of his elite forces in his raid on floor 21 and it would have been worse if not for the careful cues they nted, suggesting an internal rift.


    If this n did not bore fruit now, all those lost lives would be for nothing, while the ire of the madman was hard to predict.


    From this point onwards, failure was really not an option anymore.


    -----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 67: Improved Mindset

    [ Keep up the good work Sophia. Our family is very proud of you and is d that you are safe.


    Father has instructed me to tell you that you must increase your closeness with the Champion of Gemini over theing year, winning over his trustpletely as you two hopefully ascend the tower together.


    As of now, father intends to make a y when you and Rocky reach floor 21 together as it would be then that we shall make a big move, so until then focus on your own personal improvement and increasing your affection with the Champion Of Gemini.


    Unfortunately, none of us can make a visit to your university at the moment, not because we don''t wish to, but because nobody wishes to face Principal Liam at the moment.


    Hopefully you understand,


    -  With love,


    Perseus. ]


    Sophia read the letter sent by his brother and crumpled it in an instant.


    Although it was a nice letter overall, it did not have the level of praise that she expected to experience nor did it bring the good news of announcing their visit.


    Sophia once again felt as if because it was her achievement, everyone was down ying it, whereas if it were Perseus who would have achieved the same then it would be big news all across the Olympian family.


    ''Focus on the semester ahead they said? Ha-'' Sophia scoffed as she dunked her brother''s letter into the flower vase beside her bed, feeling angry and frustrated at the response she had received.


    In the end, it seemed to her as if, even taking a dagger in her chest for the family, was not enough for her father, as even after performing so well, her standing in the family had not improved at all.


    "Sophia, you have been cleared to return to your dormitory, but the head healer has advised that you do not partake in strenuous physical activities until you feelpletely fine" An assistant healer said, as he walked into the infirmary looking into his notepad.


    It had been three days since Sophia regained consciousness and she had been wishing for a discharge for quite a while now, but her request was rejected by the head healer who insisted that she stay in the infirmary longer.


    But now that she was cleared to leave, Sophia sighed in relief as she was quite tired of the infirmary clothes and desperately wanted to stretch her body out in the open.


    Thanking the assistant healer, she took her leave as she headed towards her dormitory.


    ************


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Rocky, Erin and Buhara had been working hard for the past two weeks as they found a new resolve to grow stronger.


    Approximately after a week of their floor one raid failure, the trio re-took their attempt after their initial failure penalty passed away and this time managed to sessfully clear floor one.


    The subsequent week, the university group activity was focused around team attacks and how to perform tactical retreat as even in that activity the trio managed to rank within the top10 teams for the week.


    On an individual level, Rocky steadily improved his physical conditioning alongside Professor Maven and improved his swordsmanship under Instructor Mae.


    He learnt how to use his first sword skill, called [ Dual sh ] which was a twin sword move capable of easily shing through a boulder, via a skill scroll and even picked up the importance of stance and movement.


    Like a sponge, Rocky absorbed everything that the teachers at the academy had to tell him, whether it was academic or non-academic, whether it was through observation or practical lessons, as the only thing he seemed to be obsessed with was self improvement.


    Although he did not notice it himself, his attitude was like a big source of motivation for his peers as looking at how he trained non-stop, pushing himself to his limits every single day, the others began to follow suit as well, as if even the Champion of Gemini worked hard, what excuse did they have to not do the same?


    Although it was not an immediate process, his consistent efforts did bear fruit as he was improving at a rapid pace, building a foundation as a warrior that he previouslycked.


    Having already faced a life and death situation so early, Rocky now understood the importance of staying cautious and always being prepared for a floor raid, as now before taking part in any team mission or floor raid, he researched it thoroughly beforehand.


    Gradually transitioning from a go getter, to a cautious thinker, Rocky was maturing within the academy as he gained more practical experiences in life.


    Humbled, driven, and hard working, Rocky truly began to live up to his image as a Champion of Gods, as he was the model individual at this point, where everyone from teachers, students and peers acknowledged his presence.


    Alongside him, Erin and Buhara also showed signs of massive improvement, with Erin gaining weight and bing slightly less obsessed with his looks and Buhara learning defensive spells alongside offensive ones.


    As the horrific incident on floor one faded from the memories of everyone involved, the most important take away was the personality development that Rocky and his friends experienced as a result, as their whole outlook on life became altered.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile, On Floor 92 )


    "Husband, I think your new champion is developing nicely now, he certainly has that fire in his eyes that he wascking before-" Mira, the destructive ck dragon queen said as she lovingly fed her husband Ravan grapes.


    "Well yes, he''s been having it too easy in life until this point, it was about time that he faced a set-back, but even then I''d say he got off too light, a few broken bones and a few dead friends might have been better motivator for him" Ravan said, enjoying the grapes that Mira fed him, as the two watched Rocky train in real time.


    " Aren''t you bing too cruel these days, dear husband? Losing friends can be heartbreaking for anyone, can''t you be morepassionate?" Mira said as she fed Ravan another grape while stroking his hair.


    "Cruel? No-, I''m not the cruel one here my dear wife, the tower is.


    If being motivated and working hard for a year or two was all it took to be a lesser god then every Tom, Dick and Harry would be one.


    For Rocky to reach where we want him to reach, he will need to get much stronger.


    As for whether he does it with setbacks or whether it will be smooth sailing, I don''t involve myself with such decisions. That is brothers department" Ravan said as he retorted against his wife''s rhetoric that he was bing too heartless as ofte, as he felt that it was simply not true.


    "What is your department in this then?" Mira said, teasingly as a wide grin spread over his face.


    "Let''s just say, someone dared kill our Champion and I could link them to a True God, then the fight that happens next¡­. That''s my department" Ravan said as he felt his palms twitching to pick up his beloved sword again.


    A sword that he had not picked up for ages now. Because, nobody had dared challenge him.

 Chapter 68: An offer

    ( Principal Liam''s Office )


    A few weeks after the incident, life had returned to normal for Rocky and Sophia, when the duo received a sudden summon from Principal Liam to his cabin.


    Ever since the assassination attempt on Sophia and the subsequent massacre that Principal Liam took part in, his personality had taken a turn for the worse, however, at the same time, his concern for the students still remained paramount.


    Increasing the security for Rocky and Sophia when they went out to do floor quests in the tower, Principal Liam either sent a senior professor as their escort or performed the duty himself from time to time.


    As of now, both Rocky and Sophia had cleared Floor Three of the tower, progressing steadily as the weeks passed.


    Since Sophia had lost both her team members, she was ced in Rocky''s team upon her own request, making the initial trio a group of four, however, having a different dormitory, she did not mix as well as the other three within the group but was making an active effort to do so.


    She hung out with the three, ate lunch together and sometimes even apanied Rocky or Erin to the library for group studies, as her rtionship with Rocky improved significantly over the weeks.


    "Any idea why he''s only called the two of us here today?" Sophia asked Rocky, who frowned and shrugged his shoulders.


    Rocky had no idea why the two of them were called to his office alone, however, he had an ominous gut feeling about this meeting.


    The duo had been waiting for over 10 minutes for Principal Liam to enter his own cabin, however, he seemed to be runningte.


    "Have youpleted the third volume of monster anatomy?" Sophia asked Rocky to kill time, as Rocky nodded in response.


    "I have, why?"


    "Well, I found something interesting in that book, firstly it''s funny how the author ssified primordial vampires as no better than monsters driven by bloodlust-


    But, what''s more funny is how modern vampires are so much weaker but better than primordial vampires at the same time" Sophia said, her eyes shining in excitement as Rocky understood the point she was trying to make.


    While primordial vampires were a ss above modern vampires in terms of battle IQ, strength, speed and abilities, they were less intelligent, driven by instincts rather than conscious thought and were weak to sunlight.


    A well trained unit of modern vampires could take down a group of primordial vampires anyday, however, this was a very controversial debate.


    "Well, it''s all theoretical, I don''t think we can ssify sentient bipedal species as stronger or weaker than the other so easily" Rocky said, expressing his frank opinion on the matter as Sophia clicked her tongue


    Tch.


    "No silly, what I''m getting at is. While primordial vampires are strong and while modern vampires have less obvious ws, there is a third species of vampire that was only briefly mentioned in the book in one line, that seemed extremely interesting to me" Sophia said, smiling as she looked into Rocky''s eyes with excitement.


    " Oh? What?" Rocky asked, as he did not remember reading about a third vampire species in the book.


    " Enhanced Vampires! They are apparently the best of both worlds, born with great strength and bloodline abilities without any debuffs.


    They are the vampires originating directly from Lord Ravan''s bloodline.


    The demi-gods of the vampire world" Sophia said in awe, as Rocky raised an eyebrow.


    He did recall hearing about it once that Lord Ravan''s first son Kremeth, was a different sort of vampire, but he had no idea that his bloodline created a new species entirely.


    "Interesting¡­." Rocky said, as he was impressed by how thoroughly Sophia studied a book, as even minor lines that Rocky nced over were read in detail by her.


    Just then, the door to the cabin opened and Principal Liam walked into the cabin with his hands behind his back as he looked as frantic as ever.


    Instinctively, Rocky and Sophia sat up straight and stopped breathing loudly, as their brains went into lecture mode where they dared not make a loud sound.


    Sitting across the desk from them, Principal Liam ced his feet on the table and began scratching his patchy beard as he looked at them.


    " Champions¡­.." he said, alternating his gaze between Rocky and Sophia as he took a long pause.


    " To be honest, I don''t like the fact that you both enrolled in my university. Both of you are too much of a headache.


    But you are good kids, who work twice as hard as normal children, so I can''t evenin much.


    I''ve been watching you both closely and have felt that you both wish to improve a lot and fast, but while the facilities at the university are enough for most students to support their growth rates, it''se under my attention that you two are growing abnormally fast-" Principal Liam said, as Rocky could not make out if he was praising them or cursing them.


    "Both of you already train in the 3x gravity chamber room which even makes dwarves feel dizzy and I have no doubt that you both shall be training in a 10x gravity chamber in 3 months time.


    However, while we respect Professor Maven and his methods, I''m not convinced it''s enough for you both" Principal Liam said, as he pulled his legs down and leaned in towards Rocky and Sophia.


    " 17... that''s how many spies my spectres have caught trying to sneak into the academy.


    15 more than I''ve ever had to deal with in the history of the university-and not even 2 full months have passed!" Principal Liam said, banging his palm on his desk, as both Rocky and Sophia pulled their chairs away from him, together.


    " These spies, I know they''re interested in only you two, and their persistence tells me all I need to know about how your future is going to look like.


    For the first fucking time in my life, I''m feeling like my academy course won''t be enough to prepare you two fools for the life that''s ahead and hence I''ve thought of something else.


    My gut says, you both will never be safe unless you''re strong enough to look after yourselves on your own, and seeing your drive to improve in daily training, I want to offer you both an incredible opportunity to grow stronger, but it won''t be easy" Principal Liam said, as Rocky felt intrigued by his offer.


    " What is the opportunity?" Sophia asked before he could, as Principal Liamid back in his chair and stroked his patchy beard.


    " There is a certain goddess who owes me some debt.


    I can send you both to her abode for three months and if you can make the most of it then you will have strength akin to a floor 20 climber as a newbie.


    It''s an opportunity that will give you incredible powers that you need, but it will deprive you of your sanity.


    You can''t go to her with a weak mind, or else it''s game over. But it''s the only way I see you both getting stronger in a short time.


    As for your courses and team activity, I''m sure we can help you both cover up during the rest of the semester, however, I think this is too good of an opportunity to pass.


    If you two have faith in me, you must go-" Liam said, as Rocky and Sophia felt a moral dilemma hearing his offer.

 Chapter 69: Different Choices

    "If you two have faith in me, you must go," Liam said, as Rocky and Sophia faced a moral dilemma upon hearing his offer.


    It wasn''t that Rocky did not trust Principal Liam outright, but when Liam began discussing sanity while exining his offer, it made Rocky very hesitant.


    On one hand, he truly wanted to be stronger than he currently was, and the idea of having the strength of a floor 20 climber while only on floor three seemed like a fantastic proposition. However, Rocky still felt a nagging hesitation as he waited to hear what Sophia had to say.


    Ever since the first day of university, when Principal Liam pped the arrogance out of Sophia, she harbored some hatred towards him.


    It was one of her ambitions to one day seek revenge upon him for the humiliation he had put her through, however, she was suppressing these desires until the time was right.


    At Least until she was a student and much weaker than Liam, she could not actually act upon it, as for now she needed to swallow her grievances like a bitter pill.


    "Can you exin a little more about this offer? Principal Liam? It''s not that we do not trust you, but it''s more like, we want some more information before we decide-" Sophia said as she nced towards Rocky who nodded at her words.


    "Ho-, the champion''s are in cahoots, building a bond and understanding amongst each other... nice, nice" Liammented, noticing the interaction between the couple as he smiled in sarcasm.


    "More exnation¡­.." he said, appearing to think deeply about what he was about to say next, as Rocky and Sophia patiently awaited his next words.


    "No more exnation¡­.. I''ve said all I wanted to say, now the choice is yours, inform me what you want to do by the days end, the offer expires tomorrow-" Principal Liam said as he pointed his finger towards Rocky first, holding it there for a while as he made eye contact, and then pointed it towards Sophia as he smiled sarcastically.


    "That''s it, get out of my office now, shoo, skkrrr, tch, tch" he said, behaving as if he was sending out a stray animal rather than humans.


    Nheless, Rocky and Sophia did get out without a single protest as they expected such entrics from the principal.


    Once outside, Rocky looked at Sophia as he seriously contemted Principal Liam''s offer, while Sophia outright said "No-".


    "I think it might be a good opportunity Sophia, I know you don''t like him, but I don''t think he ever wants harm to befall his students" Rocky said, as he made a case for Principal Liam.


    "No, Rocky, without more details I''m not trusting that madman, you can ept his offer if you want to, but I''m definitely not going anywhere blindly.


    I''ve definitely made my decision, but you''re free to make yours" Sophia said, as she began walking back towards her dormitory, ncing back from time to time as she expected Rocky to follow.


    Rocky too took a few steps away from Principal Liam''s office, however, his gut strongly told him to ept Principal Liam''s offer and he could feel that if he rejected it he would probably regret it a lotter and hence Rocky did not feel right in just walking away.


    At this point, he was working really hard in the university, he was enhancing his knowledge, the mana was nourishing his body and he was steadily growing stronger, however, ifpared to his peers, he was only probably 10-20% better than the above average students.


    He was by no means the best in terms of handling the gravity chamber, or running the fastest.


    Nor was he the most intelligent, as despite all his hard work, it wasn''t that he was a ss apart from the rest.


    His achievements were very much stillparable and this bothered Rocky.


    Now that he had tasted power, now that he had created the image that he was a cut above the rest, he could not ept that image crumbling, as internally he was more driven than anyone to improve.


    "Hey, are youing or not?" Sophia asked after a while, almost shouting from down the hall as Rocky was walking too slowly.


    At that moment Rocky looked up, his mind already made as he said "No you carry on, I''ll be back in a while-"


    Turning, Rocky jogged back to Principal Liam''s cabin, as he knocked on the door, much to Sophia''s surprise.


    At this point she knew Rocky was going to ept the principal''s offer, as for a moment she too reconsidered her decision, but then felt that not going was probably the right choice for her.


    "Come in-" Liam said, as Rocky opened the door and walked in with his hands behind his back as he looked into the principal''s eyes and said "I''m willing to go, wherever you send me".


    Liam smiled, but did not say anything as he waited for Sophia to show up as well, but she never did.


    After a while, he shook his head and said "Alright, at least one of you both has the guts to challenge the unknown" as he waved Rocky off once more, having already taken note of his choice.


    "Be ready, we leave tomorrow morning-" he said as Rocky was about to close the door, as he gave Rocky only a few hours notice to prepare.


    Having no clue where he was going or what he should pack, Rocky packed a survival backpack with all his essential items, some food, clothes and two swords, while also informing Erin and Buhara of his future absence.


    While both of them did ask Rocky a few questions about where he was going and what exactly was he expecting to learn from this trip, when they realized that Rocky himself had no knowledge about it, they stopped asking.


    Wishing him luck, the duo said their goodbyes to Rocky, as they had no idea whether they would have the chance to talk again in the morning or not.

 Chapter 70: Meeting Nagini

    The next morning, Principal Liam was at Rocky''s door at 4am in the morning, banging on it without any regard for Buhara or Erin''s sleep.


    *Knock* *Knock* *Knock*


    "You, boy, time to go,e out-" he said, as Rocky who had barely slept four hours ago rolled over from his bed, picked up his packed supplies kit and groggily moved out.


    "Goodluck puny human, averaeushh *yawn*"


    "Goodluck Sir Rocky, may the *yawn* be with you-"


    Buhara and Erin said, as they wished Rocky good-bye.


    "Where are we going?" Rocky asked Principal Liam, who handed over a floor token to him with the number 54 on it.


    "Crush it," Principal Liam instructed as Rocky crushed the token in his palms, teleporting to floor 54 alongside the Principal.


    ************


    Upon reappearing, Rocky instantly found himself faltering to his knees, experiencing a feeling akin to his initial venture into the tower, where the sheer intensity of undiluted mana sent his senses into an overdrive.


    By this point, Rocky had grasped the truth that - ascending higher within the tower steadily improved the quality of mana, evident in the fact that spells cast on the first floor gained about 20% more potency by the time one reached the 40th floor, attributable to the enhanced quality of mana.


    The change in mana quality between floor zero where he usually stayed and floor fifty four where currently was, became too overwhelming for Rocky as for a solid minute after arriving he puked his guts out, expelling some impure mana from his body in the process.


    "Disgusting,e on boy, you''re embarrassing me here" Liam said, as he moved a little away from Rocky so that sshes of his vomit did not ruin his shoes.


    "Liam-, what brings you to my castle today? And with a weakling at that?" A feminine voice said, as it was only then that Rocky began surveying his surroundings.


    He seemed to be in a massive throne room, with marble flooring, high ceilings adorned with intricate paintings and expensive materials.


    Before him stood a snake-woman, with a massive stone embedded in her forehead and a crown over her head as she exuded an aura of regality and grandeur.


    "Nagini, I''m here to cash-in on that favor you owe me" Principal Liam said, as the snake woman immediately hissed.


    *HISSSS*


    "How dare you assume that I owe you anything? I owe you nothing ghostmancer, our debts were settled the moment I spared your life, when you entered this room" Nagini said, as Principal Liam scoffed at her words.


    "Spare who? I can make your soul my eternal ve within a minute-" Liam said, not backing down at all, as both entities flexed their auras.


    Rocky felt a suffocating pressure cover him as the two parties tried to intimidate each other with their auras, and while he was not even being directly targeted, he still felt like he would die should he be subjected to this power for too long.


    "Let me re-introduce the boy behind me, Nagini. That''s Rocky Yadav, Champion of Gemini" Liam said, as the moment he said those words Nagini receded her pressure.


    "Him?" She asked, sounding surprised as Principal Liam nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    "Gemini''s first known champion in centuries and it''s him?" Nagini reiterated as she sent an inspection spell over to Rocky, getting a grasp of his strength.


    " A SSS talent, quadra-elemental. Hard workingd" Liam said, as Nagini brought her reptilian tongue out in curiosity.


    Wriggling slowly towards Rocky, she paused right before him as it was only then that Rocky realized how massive she waspared to him.


    10 feet tall? Maybe 12, she was a giantpared to the tiny him-


    "Fear, anxiety, cowardice- hmmm, that''s all I see in his eyes" She said, looking into Rocky as Principal Liam moved behind Rocky and ced a hand over his shoulders.


    "He has too much attention on him, and no skills to back it up.


    Left alone he won''t survive a week within the tower, that''s why I need you to send him to your n''s holy chamber" Principal Liam said as before Rocky could even notice her movement, he found himself flying towards the wall as Nagini held Liam by his neck.


    *SLAM*


    Rocky felt the wind knocking out of his chest as his heightened senses suddenly numbed.


    "You think I would really send an outsider to our n''s holy chamber Liam? Have you absolutely lost your mind? If it were someone else suggesting this, he would have already lost his head-" Nagini said, sounding absolutely furious as she seemed ready to kill Liam at the slightest provocation.


    As Rocky tried to get back up, he felt the marble floor beneath him freeze up as the temperature in the room suddenly dropped.


    "Oh no-" Rocky said, as he knew exactly what this cold depicted-


    ''Specters'' Rocky thought, as thousands of ghosts covered every inch of the throne room as Liam faced off against Nagini.


    "I haven''t lost my mind Nagini. This is a deal which is profitable to you" principal Liam said boldly, as despite his neck being in the hands of a fearsome snake, he did not seem bothered at all.


    "Help him and I''ll consider our debt settled, reject it and I''ll run amok on your home turf.


    Help him and Shakuni will take notice of you, reject him and he won''t.


    Help him and you can perhaps beg Kartikeya to give you back the Snakemen gem, reject him and he won''t ever let you cross that floor.


    This is your shot Nagini, your shot to make it to the big leagues" Principal Liam said, as Nagini loosened the grip on his neck.


    She looked at Liam, then Rocky, then the floating specters within the room as she contemted the pros and cons of the deal that Liam proposed.


    Sophia was right, Liam was an absolute madman to have barged into someone''s home without even having a solid n, however, he had the guts to back his insanity up.


    Even in this situation he threatened to run amok on her floor if she refused to help him, as although Rocky felt like he was insane, he could not help but respect him as well.


    " The gains inside that chamber are not fixed and the strain it puts on the mind is too much for someone as weak as him. Even if I put him in, he won''t be able to make the most of it" Nagini said, as she understood the dangers of her family''s chamber, however, Liam remained adamant.


    "What he gains or doesn''t gain is his fortune, not something we should specte over, however, I personally think, this is the best time for him to enter, as if he makes the most of this opportunity, he can have a foundation that transcends everyone else" Liam said, as Nagini fell into deep thought.


    The snake-men were currently at odds with the Gemini Gods, however, going against Gemini was not something they could afford.


    It was true that helping their champion was a way to improve ties, and improving ties with Gemini was one of their main goals for the decade, however, it was still a big risk.


    Even if Nagini helped Rocky, Kartikeya might not give her back her ancestral jewel, and Nagini might suffer a double loss.


    This decision was definitely not easy for her to make-


    ---------


    /// A/N - There will be roughly 8 chapters uploaded tomorrow, but they will all be sent to privilege, expanding it from 2 to 10.


    The upload will be done in two batches, so please don''t be surprised when all chapters go into privilege, and enjoy the mass release ?? ///

 Chapter 71: Secret of the snake-men

    "So what''s it going to be Nagini? Peace or War?" Liam asked, presenting the floor 54 master with an ultimatum.


    *Hisss*


    "You really have a foul mouth on you Liam, it''s a wonder to me how someone hasn''t already buried you 6 feet under" Nagini said as Liam shrugged his shoulders and pointed at the specters floating around the room.


    "It''s not like people haven''t tried¡­.." he said, as Nagini chuckled at his response.


    "You- Champion Of Gemini, tell me something¡­" Nagini said, turning her attention towards Rocky.


    "If Floor Master Kartikeya doesn''t help me, will you swear on your honor to retrieve our family jewel when you are in a position to barter with him?" Nagini asked, as she decided to put her faith behind Rocky and his honor.


    " If you don''t mind, your highness, can you please borate on what''s going on? I-I actually have no idea.


    I was sleeping a few moments ago, now I''m here, I don''t know why at all ...." Rocky said, as he threw Principal Liam a nervous nce.


    "Oh?...." Nagini said, as she alternated her gaze between Liam and Rocky and understood the whole situation within a few seconds.


    *Sigh*


    Looking at the expressionless Liam, Nagini felt the urge to smack him, but she knew it was useless.


    That man had truly lost his mind just as the rumors suggested.


    "Do you know the purpose behind the Tower Of Ascension?" Nagini asked Rocky, who shook his head in denial.


    "Well, everyone climbs the tower for the same reason. Longer life, more power, eternal youth, etc.


    Roughly climbing every 10 floors can be considered as improving by one major realm. We, the snakemen, like to call it a tier.


    You, right now are a tier0 weakling, a trash at the bottom of the climber hierarchy, however, if you pass floor10 you will be a tier1 trash.


    Passing floor twenty means you will have surpassed your racial limits, bing stronger than anyone ever born naturally on your.


    Passing floor forty means you are no longer a human, but a demi-human, a one man army that can alter the terrain of entires.


    Climbing beyond floor sixty means you be a lesser god, your aging process stops dramatically and you can destroys on your own, bing a true powerhouse.


    Climbing beyond floor eighty means you be a monarch, a being that can decimate entire sr systems when enraged and at that level you be an individual strong enough to shake up the entire tower.


    Climbing beyond floor 90, makes you a True God, at that level you be as strong as Gemini brothers or Zeus, wielding the power to eliminate entire races with a sneeze and at this stage you stop aging forever, bing an immortal in the true sense.


    However, the end goal of every True God is to reach floor 101, the floor of wishes, where the true reward lies-


    It''s what this tower is created for" Nagini exined as Rocky listened with rapt attention.


    " What is the reward on floor 101?" He asked curiously, as Nagini smiled.


    "Anything you wish for. Anything at all-" she said as Rocky felt his heart flutter at the idea.


    "Has anyone ever reached floor 101?" Rocky asked, wondering if any True God ever made it to that promised floor as Nagini smiled with pride and replied "Only two have ever reached there.


    The snakemen progenitor and the dragon progenitor"


    Rocky''s eyes widened in surprise when he heard this, as he half expected nobody to ever have reached that stage, but apparently someone had.


    " While we don''t know what he wished for, what we do know is he made it there and because you can''t return to the lower floors once you reach floor 101, the snakemen god disappeared from the tower forever" Nagini said, with a bittersweet expression as she took a moment to gather her feelings.


    " When such an event urs, that god''s religion is left weak and defenseless as with the True God gone, the protection of the believers disappears.


    It''s a moment of great joy. But also great difficulty, as with the True God gone, everything they once protected is up for grabs"


    Rocky felt the severity of her words weighing down on him. Without Gemini existing, he would perhaps already be killed by several people, as without the presence of true gods, their believers were defenseless against the wrath of other religions.


    "To counter this phenomenon, whenever a True God makes it over to floor 101, the tower itself rewards its religion with a priceless treasure, a secret resource that can give them a chance to rebuild their foundation and fend off the wolves" Nagini said as her eyes glistened with pride.


    "When our ancestor crossed over, all the rest of our champions, monarchs and lesser gods were ughtered by other religions in a bloody war, however, they could not eliminate our roots.


    We survived because of the treasure and are now a formidable force once again-" Nagini said as she raised in stature a bit while speaking these words.


    "Liam has brought you here today for a chance to try out that treasure, which is honestly quite bold of him-


    But I''m considering his offer, because of how desperate we are to grow" Nagini admitted, as Rocky finally understood the full picture.


    "Is the treasure really that magical?" He asked, wondering just how strong it could be, as Naginiughed hysterically at his question.


    "Is it really that magical? Hahahahaha, Liam, do you really not educate your students at the university at all?" Nagini said, as Liam frowned at the jab.


    "A warrior''s potential is limited by factors like birth race and talent, however, the treasure of the snake-men race allows you to transcend those limits.


    Imagine that you have one square meter ofnd to build a tower, the constraints are decided by factors like your birth race, your hardwork, etc etc.


    Just how high do you think that tower can go?


    At some point you will run out of space and won''t be able to build higher, however, if you could widen the base to two meters, you can probably now build it up much higher.


    What the snake-men treasure does is that it widens the base for you, giving you power akin to a tier2/ floor 21 climber while being tier0, making your future potential much better than it is at birth.


    Magical is an understatement to describe it.


    It''s literally a treasure that can make mortals lesser gods and lesser gods monarchs.


    Basically, it''s the single greatest thing to exist within the tower" Liam said as Rocky felt like his jaw was about to hit the floor.


    Liam really brought him to try something this magical? And Sophia actually missed out on this?


    This was quite literally a chance of a lifetime for him as although he had no idea of who Kartikeya was or when he would be in a position to barter with him, Rocky decided to do whatever it took to get this chance today.


    "Your highness, I swear on my honor, to help you regain your family jewel whenever I have the chance.


    You have my word" Rocky said as he felt something mystical constricting around his heart.


    "Break that word boy and you die-" Nagini said, as she ced a seal of honor around Rocky''s heart.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Mass Release Chapter 1 of 8, it begins! ///

 Chapter 72: Warning

    "Alright, take care Rocky, I''ll see you in three months time then" Principal Liam said as after it was decided that Nagini was going to take Rocky in, he wished him the best and took his leave.


    Rocky felt very awkward, standing in silence with the tall snake-men leader after that, however, he patiently waited for her to instruct him.


    "Follow me-" she said eventually, as she wriggled ahead with Rocky in tow.


    "Listen to me carefully boy, and don''t take my criticism to heart, because I''m only warning you-" Nagini said in a kind voice as she talked to Rocky without looking towards him.


    "Usually we send more mature Snake-Men into that chamber. One''s that have a firm mind as the weaker ones go insane" Nagini said, as she repeated the warning that Liam gave Rocky in his chamber.


    "For Liam to send you in a ce so dangerous, he clearly has high hopes from you, so I won''t belittle you, however, I must express once more that it surely won''t be easy-" Nagini said, as she ensured to drive home the point that it''s not a field trip where rewards were guaranteed.


    "The snake-men treasure is a chamber, where you get punished and tortured, but in return gain something youck.


    Say your biggest weakness is being overweight, then perhaps if you enter the chamber, you will be presented with an opportunity to reach an optimal physique, however, in return you may be punished with hellish nightmares every time you close your eyes.


    At first you might not think it''s too much, but overtime it will corrode your will, you won''t be able to sleep and your entire personality will change.


    It''s a bnce between risk and reward, but with your sanity on the line.


    How much you can gain, depends solely on how much you can endure, but while everyone feels they have strong minds, I''ve seen the chamber break the minds of even the strongest over the years" Nagini said, as she gave Rocky an overview of the ce he was about to enter.


    "One can only enter the chamber for 3 months at maximum and are given the opportunity to remove 6 ws.


    Every 15 days, you can take one additional penalty for one additional w removal, however, you can decide not to torture yourself more and decline additional penalty if you feel you can''t take it.


    Most survive having removed 2 penalties, but even then some don''t.


    The highest one has survived is having removed 4 penalties without losing their mind, but nobody has ever returned sane after taking on more.


    My advice would be to not overdo it, even having a single w removed will be a great help to you, so just do as much as you can ande back sane.


    If you don''t, it will unfortunately be me who will have to kill you when you emerge" Nagini said, as Rocky gulped nervously listening to her words.


    Unlike what he first imagined, the Snake-men treasure was not a warm pool soaking into which would help him gain massive advantages, but rather a dangerous chamber where risk and reward went hand in hand.


    "Based on our past experience, warriors who enter below tier 2 are usually offered an immediate strength boost as their first reward, which is the most crucial.


    But it may be the second or third reward as well depending on whether or not you have any other evident ws that need to be worked on.


    Even if youe out having received that reward and nothing else, it will be still immensely helpful, however, if you can''t bear it, you can quit midway to walk out without any rewards whatsoever.


    Remember my words Rocky, walking out sane, is more important than some vain pride you have for quitting mid-way.


    So don''t overdo it" Nagini said, as she gave Rocky some earnest advice.


    "I''ll keep that in mind your highness, thank you for the warning" Rocky said, as he did take Nagini''s words to heart, feeling slightly relieved knowing that he could quit if things got too tough.


    "While only 3 months will pass in the outside world, to you it will feel much longer within the chamber as personal experiences varyrgely on how much time one feels has passed inside.


    For most, 15 days feels like 3 months, so you will feel like you have spent 1.5 years inside the chamber although you would not actually be inside that long" Nagini said, as Rocky felt fear rise in his heart the more he heard about this chamber.


    After what felt like walking for an eternity, the duo moved through countless hallways within the pce, passing many snake-men guards, before entering a basement where a huge sealed gate stood.


    "You won''t be needing your backpack, leave it outside" Nagini instructed, as Rocky dropped his backpack on the ground and took in a deep breath.


    "Please don''t make me kill you when youe out. I really don''t want to get into more trouble with your religion than I already am" Nagini requested, as she ced the jewel embedded in her forehead on the center of the gem-slot on the massive door, as the gates opened the moment that piece clicked in ce.


    "May Gemini''s grace be with you boy. Good luck" Nagini said, as Rocky walked into the secret chamber not knowing what future this mystical ce had in store for him.


    Would he return sane?


    Would he lose his mind?


    Would he remove his ws?


    Would he falter?


    Did he have the guts to see this through?


    Such questions clouded Rocky''s mind as he walked in, with the only way to find the answers being to see this opportunity through to the end.


    He had always felt that he had no achievements to his name; that he had nothing to be proud of, nothing that he ever did being worth mentioning.


    While he was unsure of how far he could go, Rocky knew that through this opportunity, he would finally get to find out just how deep his roots ran.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Mass Release Chapter 2/8, hope you guys liked it! ///

 Chapter 73: Puppet Dance

    As Rocky entered the ancestral chambers of the snake-men n, he felt a weird sense of  Deja-Vu; his surroundings looked and felt the same as the one where he met Shakuni in his vision, as he could almost imagine seeing him before his eyes here, as if that moment was about to recreate itself.


    There were nothing but white objects within the space, as the floor beneath his feet was white, the walls in the distance were white and even the sky above was pure white.


    His colorful university robes that he walked into the chamber with, slowly lost color before his very eyes, turning pure white without a spec of color on them.


    "Wee champion of Gemini-" a gentle voice said as Rocky looked around but did not find out where the sound came from in this white space.


    "Woah-"


    Rocky said, startled as a beautiful snake-woman suddenly appeared before him out of nowhere.


    "Hello, I''m Nubi, the guide" said the snake-woman as she wiggled her tongue infront of Rocky rather cutely.


    "Hello. I''m Rocky" said Rocky, as Nubi began smelling Rocky''s scent like a pet beast.


    Although Rocky felt ufortable by her behaviour he endured the intimate sniffing session for as long as he could, however, when she began sniffing his privates, Rocky felt too flushed to let her continue as he took a step back.


    "Alright, that''s enough sniffing" Rocky said, as Nubi smiled and tilted her head from side to side.


    "It smells like Sir Rocky doesn''t use his esteemed sword that often, has it ever felt the warmth of a womb?" Nubi inquired rather shamelessly as Rocky was left red faced.


    This was not the kind of conversation he had expected to engage in at all when entering the chamber as Nubi''s behaviour gave him a weird ick.


    " Ahem, I''d rather not talk about it-" Rocky said, avoiding the topic as he tried his best to calm down his fast beating heart.


    "Umm, so how to begin?"


    Rocky inquired curiously as he was eager to begin, however Nubi did not reply to his question at all as she kept tilting her head from side to side.


    "Why are you here?" She said, looking at someone behind Rocky as when Rocky turned to see who Nabi was referring to, he was shocked to find his own sister standing behind him.


    "Riva?" Rocky said in shock, as for a moment his heartbeat quickened and he forgot how to breathe.


    "Sister, is it really you?" Rocky said in an emotional voice as tears formed in his eyes. Rushing towards her to give her a hug, Rocky forgot about where he was standing at the moment as he waspletely overwhelmed by the emotions of reuniting with his sister.


    *p*


    As Rocky moved towards Riva, instead of hugging him she gave him a tight p as Rocky could not understand what was going on?


    *p*


    *p*


    *p*


    A series of psnded across Rocky''s face as Rocky felt confused as to why his sister was hitting him.


    "Do you even know what I''m going through right now? Do you even know where I am?


    Do you know whether they have kept me alive and conscious? Whether they have me drugged or tied down?


    Do you know if my virginity is still intact or whether I''ve been raped over and over?


    Did you really try your hardest to find me? Or do you eat good food at the academy and sleep in peace, giving yourself the excuse that there is nothing you can do to save me right now?


    WHEN WILL YOU SAVE ME ROCKY? WHEN? WILL THERE BE ANYTHING LEFT TO SAVE WHEN YOU DO COME FOR ME? OR WILL I NO LONGER BE THE SISTER YOU REMEMBER?" Riva said as she held Rocky by his robes and shook him violently.


    "I¡­I¡­." Rocky was tongue tied as Riva shook him, as these were not questions that the real Riva was asking him, but rather the doubts buried at the bottom of his heart surfacing.


    Rocky had no idea what condition was Riva in at the moment and whether it was already toote to save her or not?


    It was a question that haunted his heart and mind, a question that often kept him up at night.


    By the time Rocky snapped out of his stupor, Riva disappeared from before him as when Rocky turned he realized that even Nubi was no longer behind him.


    "Riva? Nubi?" Rocky called out, but no-one replied, as instead of those two Rocky saw a human man and a small boy walking towards him with smiles on their faces.


    "Look, son, it''s the champion of Gemini, the light of humanity!" The father said to the son, as the little boy looked at Rocky with literal stars in his eyes.


    "Father, father, will I ever be like Sir Rocky? Will I ever be as strong as him?" The son asked the father as the manughed at the question.


    "As strong as him? My son, the power of the champion of Gemini isn''t his own, it''s borrowed from the divine.


    If Gemini smiles on you, even you can be as strong as Rocky, No¡­. You can be even better.


    It is not him who is special, it''s only the divine that sees over him that makes him special" The father said as the son''s gaze turned from that of reverence to that of condescension when he looked towards Rocky.


    "Oh, so he''s just a puppet-" The son said, as the father and son duo beganughing, pointing towards Rocky for being a puppet.


    "Hey, hey, hey, who are you calling a puppet? I''m a man of my own-" Rocky said as he tried to point towards the small kid, however, realized that he could not move his arm at all.


    Strings were suddenly attached all over his body as against his will Rocky began dancing to the pull off those strings as he performed a clown dance for the father-son duo to enjoy.


    "What''s going on here? Just who is controlling me?" Rocky said out loud, however, received no reply.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Mass Release Chapter 3 of 8 //

 Chapter 74: First Penalty

    "What''s going on? Who is controlling me?" Rocky said out loud in panic as he could not understand why he was suddenly dancing on strings.


    Suddenly, the world around him changed, the littleughing boy and his father disappeared as Rocky found himself staring at his own reflection in a giant mirror that seemed to stretch till eternity.


    Inside the mirror, he saw a giant version of himself making his smaller body dance using strings, as the giant version of him had a very evil smile stered on his face.


    "What? What is this space? What''s going on?" Rocky wondered, as finally his constraints disappeared and the giant above him dissolved, giving him the freedom to move at will once more.


    "The biggest w you have, Rocky Yadav, is your own perception of yourself. You want to believe that this universe revolves around you, that everything that happens here, happens because of you.


    But you''re wrong, you are too small, too insignificant to be the focal point of the universe" a voice that Rocky recognised to be his own said, as Rocky stared in horror as his reflection through the giant mirror talked back to him.


    "I will help you ovee this w, I will help you fix the toxic mindset that you have, however, the price I demand to fix it¡­.. is your eyes.


    For 3 months, I will take away your vision¡­. blinding you! so that you may look within yourself rather than looking outside" his reflection said, as Rocky was given his first reward and first penalty.


    "Do you ept?" The entity beyond the mirror asked as it extended its hand towards Rocky as if asking for a handshake.


    "I ept," Rocky said, as almost immediately his vision turned dark.


    His once ck iris turned dull white as Rocky became a blind man.


    "HAHAHAHAHAHA-"


    *ss Shattering*


    *ss Shattering*


    *ss Shattering*


    Rocky heard the entity beyond the mirrorughing like a maniac as he heard sounds of the mirror crashing all around him, as he flinched and braced for debris to fall all over him, but it never did.


    Converted into a blind man, Rocky was left utterly lost and clueless within an empty space, as he did not even have any idea as to where he was supposed to go from here.


    "Hello?"


    "Hello?"


    Rocky said, desperately calling for someone to help him as with the loss of his vision, he struggled to maintain his sense of bnce and direction as the world felt spinning under his feet for no particr reason.


    *Stumble*


    Stumbling to his knees, Rocky fell over as he felt a soft hand holding him from behind his back.


    "Who is it?" Rocky said in panic, his vision loss making him paranoid as his heart rate shot through the roof.


    "It''s me, your guide, Nubi" Said the snake-woman, as she wrapped her hand around Rocky''s shoulders and slowly guided him to the residence hall.


    "So you sacrificed your vision huh? Must be a rough w to remove" Nubi said, as she tried to normally make conversation with Rocky whose breathing had be haggard following the loss of his main sense.


    "Yes" Rocky replied curtly, not having gathered his wits as he still tried toe to terms with the situation he now found himself in.


    "Well, since you''ve lost your eyes I guess you will be mostly dependent on me to take you from ce to ce for a while.


    Have you already been briefed about how you have to spend your life here within this chamber?" Nubi asked, as Rocky slowly replied "N-No"


    "Well, you have to mandatorily climb on the bed from 12 in the midnight till 8am in the morning¡­. It''s funny that we call it midnight, when it''s actually just the same brightness all around, but it is what it is.


    From 8am to 10am, you have to perform your mandatory weapons training or craftsmanship training, so whatever your primary weapon is, you have to train using it.


    From 10am to 10:30 you have breakfast, which is just usually bread soaked in water, but depending on what sort of penalty you have taken the meal can taste very different.


    From 10:30 to 12 we have the penance session, where you have to stare at the sky above while being in a prayer position on your knees.


    From 12 to 1:30 you have your first punishment session.


    It depends from day to day but it may include things like mercilessly whipping the flesh off your back or making you walk on live burning charcoal.


    You have lunch then for an hour till 2:30, which is bread again, but served with a ss of water instead of being soaked in it.


    Finally from 2:30 till 5 you have the final session of the day which is dedicated to personal training, such as martial arts and then you are free till 12 am, when you must go to bed" Nubi said cheerfully, as Rocky felt his guts wrench inside his stomach when he heard her routine.


    What the fuck was this routine?


    Why were there literal torture sessions involved in it?


    "You will be here to guide and help me right?" Rocky asked Nubi as she patted him on the back and tried to calm him down.


    "Everyone who enters the ancestral hall has me to guide them for 24 hours, after that they''re on their own" she said as Rocky realized that he waspletely fucked.


    Soon after a few minutes of walking, Nubi made Rocky pause as she said "Start counting your steps with me from here, this is the entrance to the main chambers"


    " One¡­.two¡­" Nubi said, as Rocky felt the texture ofnd he was walking on change slightly the moment he entered the main hall.


    Now a blind man, Rocky was going to have to map out this ce in his head as after 24 hours, Nubi was not going to be around anymore to help him.


    Principal Liam and Leader Nagini had warned him about the dangers of this ce, however, Rocky had still taken the dare to enter.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Mass Release Chapter 4/8, halfway there ///

 Chapter 75: Struggling

    It was already past 5pm when Rocky entered the main premises which was why he was not supposed to partake in any activities for the day.


    Through talking with Nubi, he realized that there were 4 other individuals in here with him right now, however, only one of them was a snake-men.


    Apparently, to save the n fromplete extinction after the snake-men ancestor ascended beyond the tower, the previous snake-men n leader had made alliances with various religions to use their ancestral hall once in a while in return for a defense agreement.


    Despite owning the hall, the snake-men could only send 5 of their young ones inside every year as all the other slots were pledged away to various forces, which was why Nagini giving away one position to Rocky was that big of a deal.


    She had prioritized giving him a slot over the promising young of her n and had done so with no immediate benefit in sight.


    It was a decision that was sure to be unpopr with the elders of the n, however, it was a bet that Nagini had taken on a gut-shot.


    For the first five hours after his arrival, all that Rocky did was to learn how to make his way around the house without using his eyes and identify certain markers that would help him find where he was should he ever get lost.


    Through Nubi''s guided lessons, he learnt how to move within his room, how to move to the bathroom to relieve himself, how to change his clothes and more.


    He also learnt how to move from his room to the sword training hall, from the sword training hall to the breakfast hall and basically every other ce in the main premises, counting the steps to reach each area andmitting it to memory.


    He got an idea of the generalyout in his head and with Nubi''s help he even learnt how to tell the time of the day by listening to the clock sound that permeated throughout the house, which had a specific tone for every hour change and half hour change.


    Whoever designed the main house had definitely made it so that it was incredibly friendly to blind people as there were no steps within the house at all!


    The entire main premise had only slopes with railings avable on both sides for movement and there were many recognisable markers that one could feel to find their way.


    Although daunting, Rocky got a good grasp on how to move within the house in the first seven hours he was there, however, he was forced to quit his practice a few moments before it struck midnight as he was mandatorily required to go to bed after it.


    "Quick question before you go Nubi, what happens to me if I don''t follow the routine? Like what if I''m not in bed by 12? Or not at the sword training hall in time?" Rocky said, as he wondered what the penalty for missing the schedule was.


    "You have a 5 minute window of grace to make it from one hall to another once the clock bell rings.


    If you make it, you are safe, but if not you will be grabbed by your ankles and taken to the punishment hall by a mean red demon with horns, who will torture you till 5pm on the dot.


    It''s the same punishment if you do not perform any tasks seriously.


    If you don''t finish your breakfast


    Don''t train hard enough


    Don''t sleep on time.


    The devil will get you-" Nubi said in a chilly tone as Rocky felt goosebumps run all over his spine.


    Just what sort of a ce had he entered? While this sounded like a masochist heaven, he was not one of them.


    "You''re making a very funny face right now Rocky¡­" Nubi said, barely containing herughter as Rocky frowned even deeper hearing thisment.


    "You may think it''s hard, but most people do survive the three months taking one or two penalties, but don''t go for more than four. You will go insane if you do-" Nubi warned as Rocky nodded his head.


    He quite liked his sanity, and did not intend on taking more penalties than he could handle.


    "Anyways, goodnight. We won''t be meeting again until it''s time for your half monthly evaluation 15 dayster. Take care until then" Nubi said in a sweet voice as Rocky replied with a "Goodnight" of his own.


    Thankfully, Rocky could not see what happened next as if he did he would have probably been scared out of his mind.


    The moment the clock turned 12:05, Nubi transformed from a sweet snake-men girl to a red horned devil as she walked out of Rocky''s room and went into the dorms of other individuals staying here.


    *********


    Once Nubi left, Rocky was left to his own thoughts as despite his best efforts all he could see with his eyes closed were various colors dancing before him like a kaleidoscope.


    Having lost his vision, Rocky''s mind kept ying tricks on him, trying to remind him how color looked, as even Rocky took the names of a few colors and tried to remember how they looked to ensure he did not forget their appearance.


    "Red"


    "Blue"


    "Orange"


    He thought, focusing on projecting the color as he was satisfied for having a good memory and still being able to remember them perfectly.


    "So my biggest w is my own perception of myself huh? Why am I not surprised" Rocky murmured to himself as he chuckled.


    Ever since he was young he had a main character syndrome as he tried to find relevance in everything that happened around him.


    His best friend Taylor got good grades?


    It was because Rocky lended him his notebook.


    Adam got a girlfriend?


    It''s because he encouraged him to talk to her.


    Riva was in a good mood?


    It was because he cleaned her room for her.


    This was basically how Rocky''s mind worked and while it was not a ringly obvious problem likeck of strength, it was a much more deep rooted problem that definitely needed solving.


    -------


    /// A/N - Chapter 5/8 ///

 Chapter 76: Blind Sword Training

    Being blind was much harder than Rocky initially thought it would be.


    As per his usual habit, he had woken up before the bed-time was over when he heard the clock strike 6, however, was forced to stay on the bed till 8am, since bedtime was a must.


    Upon waking, there was a brief moment of panic when he couldn''t see anything, momentarily forgetting about his blindness. But as the reality of his situation settled in, he was able to regain hisposure.


    ''That''s right, I''m blind now-'' Rocky thought, as he felt the edges of his bed''s boundaries and sat straight face up, staring at the ceiling he could not see.


    Being idle with one''s mind was also a form of torture if one could not be true to themselves and that was precisely the situation Rocky found himself in as memories of the previous day shed in his mind.


    "Riva¡­." Rocky murmured as he clutched his fists tight.


    Yesterday he had seen a projection of her sister, but he now knew it wasn''t real. Instead of the real Riva, it was the Riva that Rocky feared the most, the Riva that would me him for not saving her in time.


    Just as the chamber administrator had determined Rocky''s biggest fault was indeed his narcissism and personality as he took everything way too personally.


    It was one thing for him to have the strength to save Riva but do nothing, but another to not have the strength and still keep thinking that he should be doing more as at that point he was in delusional.


    He liked to think of himself as an almighty God, someone that could right all wrongs, however, he wasn''t one, and the first step to improving his personality was epting the fact that there were going to be things in life that may be out of his control.


    That maybe he tried his best to get stronger, maybe he fought with several enemies to save Riva, but maybe by the time he got there his sister was not the same.


    The thing he could control was trying his best, however, if he did not focus on the things he could control and keep worrying about things he could not, then Rocky was only inting his delusion bubble which would pop big time on him someday.


    Life was tough, and hard work was not the solution to everything.


    Rocky needed to ept this fact and realize that he wasn''t god.


    That even after trying his hardest, he could fail, but learn to try regardless.


    *Dong*


    *Dong*


    .


    .


    .


    .


    *Dong*


    "8 dongs¡­. It''s 8 am" Rocky murmured to himself, as he got up and got out of his bed.


    After quickly freshening up, he carefully made his way along the walls to the swordsmanship training hall that he hadmitted to memory.


    Walking as a blind man had its challenges for sure as Rocky bumped his elbow against unnecessary objects all the time on his way to the swordsmanship hall.


    *Slursh*


    He knew he had made it to the swordsmanship training hall when the marble tiles ended and the soft grainy texture of sand began as it was a tricky 10 steps to the front and 4 steps to the left after it to reach the rack where the swords were kept.


    One¡­.Two¡­


    Rocky slowly made his way to the swords rack as practiced when he tripped and fell on his shoulders because the ground under his feet was uneven.


    *BANG*


    "Motherf-"


    Rocky cursed as he rolled down on the ground below before slowly getting back up on his feet.


    Because of his slip, he wasn''t sure anymore on how many steps he had yet to traverse as he slowly made his way towards the direction he thought was right, however, he knew he fucked up bad when he took 12 steps towards it but still found no sword rack.


    ''I''m facing the wrong direction'' is what Rocky thought, as he carefully took 12 steps back,ing back to the position where he started as he tried to figure out which was the right direction to go.


    Never in his life had Rocky faced such a difficulty as only after losing vision did he appreciate just how important vision was for survival.


    It took him 15 minutes to recalibrate himself and find the sword rack as without his vision he was a lost cat.


    Once he grabbed both his swords, he knew that the training dummy was 20 side-steps to the right and then 10 more steps to the right.


    Putting every foot cautiously he slowly reached the training dummy, where he confirmed its presence by feeling it with his sword.


    "Alright let''s do this-" Rocky said, as despite losing vision he tried to envision the dummy before him and after taking an appropriate distance from the dummy, he began slowly hacking away at it, like he would have been should he be at the university.


    As Rocky''s des met the air and the dummy with precise, controlled movements, he experienced swordsmanship in a manner entirely new to him.


    Deprived of his vision, his other senses heightened, allowing him to perceive his environment and actions with an acute sensitivity he had never known. Each movement of his sword through the air, every shift in his stance, was felt more deeply, more intimately by him than ever before.


    Without the distraction of sight, Rocky''s awareness of his body in space¡ªhis distance perception¡ªwas amplified. He could sense the alignment of his body, the cement of his feet, and the angle of his arms with a rity that sight had never afforded him.


    This heightened sense brought with it a revtion: he could now detect the subtleties and ws in his sword flow that had previously eluded him.


    The rhythm of his swings, the bnce between his strikes, and the distribution of his weight wereid bare to him in this state of heightened awareness. Where his eyes might have missed a slight overreach or a momentary imbnce, his body now registered these imperfections vividly.


    It was as though he had been granted a new lens through which to critique and refine his technique, one that prioritized feeling and instinct over visual assessment.


    This newfound perception allowed Rocky to correct these ws in real-time, adjusting his posture and swings with a mindfulness that transformed his practice.


    Each correction made his movements smoother, more efficient, and his strikes more potent. The dummy, a silent witness to his evolution, bore the marks of his improving skill¡ªa testament to his growing connection with his craft.


    Moreover, Rocky discovered a deeper connection with his swords, feeling their weight, their bnce, and the air resistance against their des as if they were extensions of his own body. This connection was not merely physical but something that could just be experienced and not exined.


    This experience was revtory for Rocky.


    He realized that while blindness had taken away one mode of perception, it had opened the door to another¡­.. allowing him to gain a deeper understanding of his swordsmanship art, as soon he became so engrossed in his training that hepletely forgot about having gone blind.


    Swordsmanship, for Rocky, had always been a gift from the system, something that he had not inherently developed an understanding towards but rather something that was taught to him, but now it became a dance of intuition and something that Rocky could understand himself.


    In this darkness of sight, he found not limitation but liberation, a way to transcend the boundaries of his previous self and step into a realm where every movement, every breath, and every strike was a note in a symphony of unseen beauty.


    *Dong*


    *Dong*


    .


    .


    .


    .


    *Dong*


    Soon, it was 10am, and regretfully Rocky was forced to cut his training short. However, he knew that should he keep training like this over the next 3 months, he would soon gain an understanding of swordsmanship that couldpletely transcend his previous self.


    ---------


    /// A/N - Chapter 6/8 ///

 Chapter 77: Breakfast Problems

    Rocky''s good mood from training waspletely ruined when he reached the breakfast hall and was surrounded by people who seemed on the verge of mental instability.


    "There''s a new kid here, hahaha, one more hase here to suffer, one more is fooled by the promise of power, what did they take from you handsome boy? What do you evenck?" A rough voice said as Rocky ignored him.


    "Leave him alone Gerald, for all we know he can be deaf right now" Another male voice that was slightly less deep than the one before said as Rocky felt incredibly suffocated for not having the ability to see them.


    Unfortunately, his noise perception was not yet great.


    He could determine the general direction from where sound wasing from, however, he could not determine how far away or close the person speaking it was.


    "Oh fuck off Leonard, look at him, with such good looks I would make Mia fall in love with me in an instant. That hoe, all she cares about is good looks.


    I am the mudgong champion, my father is a legendary tier7 god but does she care about that?


    No-


    All that hoe cares about is Qin, and how handsome that bastard is¡­" Leonard ranted, as Rocky sensed some serious jealousying from that man.


    Rocky carefully decided not to engage in conversation with him and instead focus on eating the food bread soaked in water for his breakfast meal.


    The absence of sight transformed what should have been a simple meal into a challenging ordeal. Without his vision to guide him, even the basic act of scooping his food with a spoon and bringing it to his mouth felt hard as the food slipped from his grip time and time again, until eventually he gave up on the spoon entirely and began eating with his hands like a barbarian.


    The bread soaked in water, a meal that once might have seemed merely in, now became an unpleasant mush against his pte. The texture, which he could not avoid or ignore, seemed to amplify in his mouth, bing a constant, unwee reminder of his new limitations.


    Theck of visual cues stripped him of the ability to prepare mentally for each bite, turning each mouthful into a guesswork of texture and size.


    Moreover, the sounds of the hall, previously a background apaniment to his meals, now overwhelmed him. The tter of utensils, the murmurs of conversation, and the asional loud remarks from individuals like Leonard created a ruckus that made concentrating on his meal difficult.


    This auditory overload,bined with his inability to judge the distance and direction of these sounds urately, added ayer of istion and frustration to his experience as surrounded by voices that he usually ignored, he felt alone in a bubble of sensory confusion.


    "Nooooo¨C nooooooooo" someone shouted, as Rocky could hear some solid sobbing soundsing from his right.


    "Oh for god''s sake Naya, we know you''ve lost your taste buds and now everything you eat you wish to throw out because of gag reflex, but can you please not ruin our meals for us? Do you have to cry everyday?"  Leonard said as Rocky realized that the woman crying to his right was called Naya and she had lost her sense of taste.


    "Hey you, new kid¡­ nod if you''ve lost your vision" Gerald said, as Rocky nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    "Fuck, we have a blind guy in the group, I thought so too by how messily he was eating, but damn, that''s a brutal penalty for a first timer" Leonard said, as he talked non-stop during the meal, being aplete nuisance to Rocky.


    As if the sounds did not annoy him enough, the smells of the hall, too, were overwhelming for Rocky to take.


    Without sight to contextualize them, the mingling aromas around him became disorienting.


    Whether he was hallucinating or whether the others were served meals different to him, Rocky was not sure as what might have been appetizing with the benefit of vision now teased and confused him, offering promises of vors that his simple meal did not contain.


    It heightened his sense of loss, a reminder of the variety and pleasure that sight had once brought to his dining experiences.


    Eating without seeing, Rocky realized, was less about savoring and more about survival. It underscored his dependency in a way that nothing else had so far. Each fumbled attempt to bring food to his mouth was a stark reminder of the autonomy he had lost, the simplicity of life before his blindness now felt like a great way to existpared to now.


    In this new reality, even the most mundane tasks were tinged with frustration and a sense of inadequacy. The act of eating, once a straightforward, often enjoyable part of his day, had transformed into a source of daily struggle, a constant reminder of the limitations his blindness imposed on him.


    *Dong*


    *Dong*


    .


    .


    .


    *Ding*


    Ending with a *Ding* signified half n hour had passed, which meant that meal time was over and Rocky was supposed to head to the penance hall, however, unexpectedly, as he stood up, he heard the others screaming beside him as he heard faint footsteps walking towards him.


    *SWOOSH*


    He was grabbed rather violently from his ankle and before he could even retaliate he was picked up off the ground such that his head was facing the ground and his foot was facing the ceiling.


    "The red devil got him! We forgot to inform the poor guy that finishing his food was a must, even if he spilled some over. Now the devil got him!" Rocky heard someone screaming in the background as he felt frustrated that the idiot who said these words now did not inform him about this beforehand.


    His ankle hurt from how strongly the devil gripped him, however, Rocky did not grunt in pain as he endured it silently.


    Unfortunately, he had no idea about the world of pain he was about to be subjected to.


    ----------


    /// A/N - Chapter 7/8 ///

 Chapter 78: Torture Chamber

    Rocky was dragged by the devil into a space that felt charged with thick and ominous energy.


    Though he could not see, his senses painted a vivid picture of a chamber pulsating with malevolence. The air around him was heavy, smelling humid and metallic as Rocky''s mind immediately drew a picture of an underground damp torture chamber for him.


    He was handled roughly by the devil, bound by chains and left suspended in the air, as Rocky put no resistance at all to his treatment, perhaps because he had already epted his fate that¨C he was going to be punished, no matter how hard he tried to escape.


    "Do you know why you are here?" The devil asked, as Rocky nodded his head and replied "I failed to finish my food"


    "Indeed" the devil replied as it picked up some tool from a table that made a soft sound.


    "Your punishment is 30 minutes of regenerating muscle torture, you will feel your muscles melt away painfully, only to regenerate-" the devil said calmly as Rocky felt goosebumps go up all over his skin.


    He did not wish to be subjected to such gruesome torture, but he did not have the option to decline it either.


    "Remember, in this house, finishing your food is a must- don''t make this offense again" The devil said as it attached a clip like device to Rocky''s toes and thumbs and began his torture.


    Electric current like sensation passed through Rocky''s body for extended periods of time, as the moment the machine was set to on, he felt like his muscles were melting away in real time, as if someone was ripping them off and boiling them at the same time, only for a warm sensation to pass over himter which signaled the regeneration of his cells.


    Rocky was to endure a cycle of suffering, where wounds healed only to be inflicted anew, testing not just his body but his spirit for a whole 30 minutes, but while it seemed like raw torture, it also came with the added benefit of improving muscle quality and strength which was not specified by the devil.


    Rocky''s pain filled screams filled the torture chamber, as assionally the devilughed at his suffering, mocking him as it described in great detail how pitiful Rocky looked while undergoing this torture.


    "Life is unfair, sometimes it zaps you, sometimes peopleugh at you, the question is, what shall you do about it?" The devil questioned as itughed at Rocky, giving him an important question to ponder about while he underwent torture.


    The snake-men ancestral chamber, while being a difficult ce to survive, was not designed to be cruel by nature.


    Rocky losing his vision while a great loss was also an opportunity, as after spending enough time with his vision lost he could improve his reliance on his other senses and sharpen them.


    In sword training, the stance and flow mistakes that he usually would not notice would now be more evident as losing his sight could be considered a blessing when looked at this way, however, it was not how Rocky felt it to be.


    Even this chamber, it was improving him through suffering while Nubi as the devil was only helping him get rid of his inherent ws, however, to Rocky who was on the other end of the torture, it only felt mentally taxing as the point he drove home was to never not finish eating his food again.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile the Gemini Brothers )


    "Brother, will Earth really be okay? This year because of the champion being chosen from that, won''t the monster tide that''s about toe be much worse?" Ravan asked Shakuni, who was enjoying watching Rocky being tortured.


    "Hm? There''s still time before Earth faces a monster tide, at least 4 months, why are you worrying about it now?" Shakuni asked Ravan who shook his head in dismay at his brother''s nonchnt attitude.


    "Earth is one of our most significant religious bases brother, the karmic energy we have been receiving from it ever since Rocky came out as the champion has been insane.


    I don''t want anything bad to happen to that, it''s sort of our home as well" Ravan reminded Shakuni as the elder brother smiled at this remark.


    "What do you want me to do, younger brother, you know I can''t weave the fates of a few billion people at once" Shakuni said, reminding Ravan that although they were said to be True Gods, their skills were not limitless as their followers believed them to be.


    "We both know that you don''t need to weave the fates of billions of people brother to alter the fate of Earth, also, I think looking at the poprity of Rocky it should not be a bad idea to make him a potential savior of humanity as his debut job" Ravan said, as Shakuni grinned at his brother''sments.


    "So what you''re trying to say brother is that you want to make the monster event this year to be harder, only for Rocky to save the day so that people of Earth be even more pious?


    Since when did my brother be such a maniptor?" Shakuni asked, as Ravan blushed and coughed.


    "That''s an odd way of putting it brother, the monster tide is going to be harder this year anyways and I don''t see any harm in Rocky helping to reduce casualties. That''s all I want you to do, nothing of the sort you suggest" Ravan said, as Shakuni chuckled.


    His brother rarely requested him to alter the fate threads of a mortal in a specific way, however, since he had done so today, Shakuni could not help but ept his request.


    "Alright, brother, I''ll do as you say-" he said, as he altered the threads of fate surrounding Rocky ever so slightly.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - Mass Release Chapter 8/8, that''s it from my side.


    Honestly this is the most difficult chapter run I''ve done, approximately 15 chapters across both my new books in a day, which is why I''mte, but I''m really doing my best///

 Chapter 79: Second Penalty

    ( One weekter )


    After one week of living his life within the snake-men ancestral chamber, Rocky finally developed a few symptoms of mental instability.


    He had begun talking to himself out loud as dialogues that previously happened inside his brain, now became open for all to hear.


    It was a gradual process, one that he did not realize himself, however, after a week of staying within the chamber as a blind man, he had be a bber mouth that spoke his intrusive thoughts out loud.


    Just like Jerome, who would bash Naya for chewing too loud on the breakfast table, Rocky now fought and bashed everyone at the slightest inconvenience as his patience level had gone down to zero.


    Every morning during the penance session, he would look at the sky and bber about things that he was sorry for, stating every small crime he had evermitted throughout his life and how regretful he was about it, as strangely he found confessing a very liberating feeling.


    Overtime, this habit had gotten worse as by day 7 he lost his speech filterpletely, bing a very different version to the Rocky that entered.


    On the other hand, his sensory skills saw major improvements, as he began to walk much better, listen much better and his swordsmanship improved my leaps and bounds.


    While he could not see it because he was blind, on day 7 his understanding of swordsmanship reached such a high level that sometimes there were spots of sword intent forming on his de while he practiced as his attacks became much stronger than before, showing great progress in his art.


    The penance chamber was a special zone where training for a day yielded results akin to training for a week and hence Rocky was able to progress rapidly within, however, he was oblivious to this progress.


    To him, the only thought clouding his mind was how to survive in this hellhole for 83 more days, as by day 7 Rocky already felt like he could not take living as a blind man for much longer.


    "I hate it¡­. I hate this ce, however, I hate being weak even more. Fuck-" Rocky murmured to himself as he hacked his sword against the dummy with even more strength than before.


    "I want my vision back, but what I want even more is power. I want to be the hero that everyone views me as, and for that goal, I will persevere.


    Sophia? I will make her regret not joining me here, by the time I go back, I''ll be so strong that everyone will be blown away" Rocky said as he painted himself the beautiful dream of shocking everyone with his progress when he returned.


    " La,, damn my voice is so bad¡­.. why is it so bad? It''s the only thing I have left now, why do I hate it so much" Rocky wondered, as his out loud ramblings were a clear sign that he was slowly starting to lose it.


    **********


    ( 15 dayster )


    After the first fifteen days inside the chamber Rocky had lost his sanity and gained it back in a full cycle.


    On day8 he had a mental breakdown and was on the verge of quitting, when a particrly difficult torture session with the devil knocked him out cold.


    On day9 he struggled toplete his martial arts routine, but realized that he was able to circte mana within his body to increase muscle strength, as he stumbled upon the concept of the skill move [ Mana Reinforcement ] on his own and slowly began mastering it.


    On day10 he snapped out of his depression as he truly got a grip on his new style of life and was able to spend a full day without being tortured by the devil.


    On day13 he was finallypletely ustomed to his new form of life and even his ramblings to himself lessened as he felt like he had the strength to continue with the challenge and would be able to make it to the end.


    On day14 he began feeling brave, giving himself the hype talk, he decided to take another penalty the following day as he convinced himself that living this way was not too bad and that he could take it.


    Finally as day15 rolled around and Nubi came to take him for his evaluation, Rocky gave her a big hug and told her how much she meant to him, although she really did not.


    He happily followed her outside the main chamber, to the evaluation chamber, where once again he heard his own voice speaking to him.


    "Your second biggest w is your unused body potential.


    The human genes you have inherited are way too weak and do not express nearly what the human race is capable of.


    If you can survive the next 75 days having sacrificed your sense of touch, I will unlock the full potential of your body for you.


    Do you ept my offer?" The other Rocky said, as Rocky contemted the offer seriously.


    As per his understanding there were widely three types of human races:- namely humans, Enhanced Humans and Demi Humans.


    He was a normal human from Earth whose natural strength and stature was not too impressive whenpared to other races, however, intelligence wasparatively very high.


    Inparison Enhanced Humans were taller, had better strength and immunity and had bodies that naturally healed faster, however, they too had the same level of intelligence as normal humans.


    Finally, Demi-humans had all the advantages of an enhanced human, but also had a massive mana pool and innate talent that gave them an edge over normal humans by birth.


    Sophia was one such Demi-Human.


    However, it wasn''t impossible for a normal human to surpass both the other types of humans across the spectrum if they trained hard enough, which was why Rocky was not sure if this opportunity was worth taking or not.


    "Ha, an enhanced human or even a demi human is still far from reaching the true peak of your race''s potential.


    What I''m offering is beyond that stage" The other Rocky said, as if reading Rocky''s mind.


    "An enhanced human is still far from what the race is capable of?" Rocky muttered in disbelief as he finally grasped the allure of the offer being presented before him.


    "Living without touch huh?" He said out loud instead of thinking in his head, as he had unfortunately lost that filter slightly with time spent inside the chamber.


    He contemted on how bad living without touch could be and knew that it would get pretty rough for him.


    Having already lost his vision, his touch meant everything to him now as it was his means of navigation, his means ofmunication and his means of survival.


    "How will I survive without feeling? I will literally be unable to move anymore?" Rocky expressed his concern as the entity against him responded to his doubts.


    "I will temporarily grant you the ability of echolocation so that you can travel using sound.


    Will this punishment be eptable to you now?" The other Rocky said, as after deep contemtion Rocky epted the offer.


    " I ept-" he said as the fake Rockyughed like a maniac once more as his sense of touch and feel was taken away from him.

 Chapter 80: Sophias Failures

    "Rocky, hey, are you okay?" Nubi said, putting her arm around the blind Rocky''s shoulder, however, Rocky did not feel her at all.


    "Nubi?" Rocky asked, feeling confused as he could hear her, however, simply all sensation had been deleted from his body.


    His current self was so pitiful that he could not even feel himself standing, as even the sensation of weight bearing down on his feet waspletely gone.


    He felt like he was weightlessly floating in space and having no vision to neutralize that feeling, Rocky really did feel like he was suspended freely into the air.


    "Oh no¡­ oh no, please tell me you did not lose your sense of touch?" Nubi said in a voice filled with panic, however, Rocky only nodded his head in response, or at least he thought he did as without any sort of sensory response reaching his brain he wasn''t really sure anymore.


    "Did the hall administrator provide you with echolocation at least?" Nubi asked, as Rocky once again nodded his head and said "Yes''''


    "Okay, try making guttural sounds from your throat, think you''re a cricket and make weird noises from your throat" Nubi instructed as Rocky made weird noises from his throat.


    *Grrrrr*


    *GRRR*


    *BRRRR*


    It took him a while, however, once he figured out the right frequency, he suddenly gained a new form of vision as he could sense his surroundings through echolocation.


    It was like a built-in sonar had been nted in his head and when he made those weird noises he could clearly understand the outline of objects around him as while he could not see faces or features, he could still make out shapes!


    "I think I''ve gotten the hang of it, you can let me go" Rocky said, as Nubi sighed in relief and let Rocky go.


    Thankfully the ancestral hall administrator had not been too cruel and having taken Rocky''s vision and touch, granted him temporary echolocation ability so that he did not be aplete charity case.


    "Hang in there Rocky, you''reing days are about to get a lot more difficult and I think you will be forced to go to the torture chamber a lot, however, the worst part is you won''t even feel it" Nubi said, as she began guiding Rocky back to his dorm.


    "How is that a bad thing for me to not be able to feel it though? Haha, it''s sort of the best thing-" Rocky said thinking that he had just found a way to beat the system, however, unfortunately he was thinking wrongly.


    "Since you can''t feel, you will be subjected to torture of the mind. A form of torture that''s much worse than the physical one" Nubi said as now Rocky finally felt frightened.


    He still had to survive in this hell-hole for 75 more days and life was about to get even worse now that he had lost his sense of touch.


    ********


    ( Meanwhile back at the university )


    Rocky''s absence was sharply felt by the entire university.


    He was one of the focal points of all the sses he was a part of and a regr for talks over the lunch table.


    Since nobody except Erin, Buhara and Sophia really knew that Rocky was taken to some special training camp by principal Liam, the theories of his absence became pretty wild.


    Some believed that he was performing some urgent mission for the Gemini gods, while the others doubted that he was killed and reced by Sophia who was now a member of his team.


    Students who supported Rocky over Sophia often harassed her during sses regarding questions about Rocky, however, Sophia never gratified them with a response.


    She herself was trying to figure out where he had disappeared to as his family was very pissed off that she did not follow him to wherever Liam wanted to send them.


    Sophia thought she had made the right choice, but her brother and father disagreed and expressed their strong disappointment in Sophia for leaving Rocky''s side.


    Unfortunately for her, no matter how many times she tried to ask principal Liam about where he sent Rocky, the madman refused to answer as even after 15 days had passed she had no information as to where he could be.


    "I''m so pissed, the principal won''t tell me where Rocky is. This is ridiculous, what if he is in some big trouble?" Sophia said angrily as she munched down on her food alongside Buhara and Erin.


    "Well, with respect ma''am Sophia, Rocky will be fine. We should only worry about him after 3 months if he still does not show up.


    Since the principal says he will be back before the big midterm raid, we should patiently wait till then" Erin said as Sophia grit her teeth at his response.


    Over the past few days Sophia had realized that no matter how hard she tried, while he could be really close friends with Buhara, she could not do the same with Erin.


    He wasn''t awkward to talk to like the first time they met. However, even after being teammates for two months, he kept his distance from her.


    The difference in his treatment when he talked to Rocky and Buhara was evidentpared to when he talked to her, as it was almost like he was wary of her, despite her having never done anything wrong or suspicious to him.


    "I know¡­. I''m just worried for Rocky, that''s it¡­" Sophia said, agreeing begrudgingly to Erin''s words as somehow he felt like the same kind of man like her father and brother to Sophia.


    The kind of man that was hard to please, which was why she had this unconscious need to win his approval.


    "I like puny Sophia, she is a very caring girl, whoever boinks her in the future will get a good wife. Buhara approves" said Buhara as Erinughed out loud to hisment while Sophia turned red.


    "Buhara it''s impolite to talk about shaboinkin in front of a woman. A gentleorc wouldn''t do it" said Erin as Buhara made an ''O'' expression with his lips as if feeling enlightened.


    "Buhara had no idea! Buhara thanks Erin for teaching him this, it seems like gentle Erin is a true gentle orc" Buhara said as heplimented Erin who immediately turned red.


    "No¡­ no, it''s all nothing much, you on the other hand Buhara are a very strong orc! I''m sure your future mate will be very happy with you" said Erin as hepulsively returned thepliment with another.


    "Buhahahara- yes, I will marry Brise, she will make for a good matriarch! She has those wide hips all orcs want" said Buhara as he made obscene gestures with his hand that made Sophia feel flushed.


    ''Why do I even hang out with these dudes?'' she wondered as she looked around the lunch hall in embarrassment, hoping that no-one was looking at their table and thankfully no-one really was.


    "Brise and Buhara sitting on a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G" Sophia singed softly, trying to get in on the fun, however, her joke went over Buhara''s head.


    "The branch would break if Buhara and Brise sit on it together, we are not small like puny humans" said Buhara, as Erin burst outughing listening to his retort as Sophia choked on her food.


    Her humor was really wasted here.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Cervantez91, please thank him in thements for the same ///

 Chapter 81: Life Without Touch

    Since losing his sight fifteen days ago, Rocky had been using the sensation of holding his sword and the feel of his body to enhance his swordsmanship.


    Yet, this method needed a re-evaluation as he found himself deprived not only of his vision but also of his ability to feel and touch.


    At first, Rocky fully expected to stagnate in his sword training because of this handicap, however, surprisingly he found a new parameter to focus on after having lost both his sense of touch and vision.


    ''Sound''.


    Rocky focused on improving the sound of his sword shes as he cut through the air as somehow when he used echolocation and focused on the different types of air currents his sword caused with every sh, he was able to detect ws in his shing technique that he never perceived before.


    "Oh-, this is interesting" Rocky murmured to himself as once the idea began to birth in his head he began tirelessly exploring all the avenues, converting his training into an entirely auditory experience.


    *Shua*


    *SHUA*


    *SWUUA*


    *SWA*


    *SRRA*


    He started to differentiate the subtle changes in the sound waves that bounced back to him as he swung his sword.


    The high-pitched whine of a swift, urate sh contrasted with the muffled thud of a poorly executed movement. It was these nuances in sound that guided Rocky to refine his technique further.


    He also began to experiment with different types of swords, noting how the material and weight affected the sound of each sh, although he could not feel the weapon in his hands or its weight distribution as he held each sword almost as hard as he could and swung them using muscle memory, the sound helped him realize if he was being too stiff or whether the sword he was swinging was not the right match for him.


    A lighter sword produced a sharper, quicker sound, while a heavier de resulted in a deeper, more resonant echo.


    This insight led him to choose his weaponry not by feel or sight, as he once would have, but by the auditory feedback each provided.


    Rocky''s journey took another turn as he delved deeper into understanding the air currents his sword created.


    He noticed that certain shes produced more turbulent currents than others and by paying attention to these variations, Rocky began to grasp the efficiency of his movements.


    A clean, precise sh resulted in a streamlined flow of air, barely disturbing the space around it, while a clumsy or imprecise movement caused chaotic whorls and eddies. This insight became his guide to refining his technique further, striving for the former with each practice swing.


    He worked tirelessly for a few minutes, focusing on the nuances of his movements and the sounds they produced as soon he entered a state of enlightenment and enjoyment.


    Rocky learned to adjust his grip, the angle of his attacks, and the timing of his movements to minimize the air disturbance.


    This pursuit of perfection was not just about reducing noise but about achieving a level of precision and efficiency that was previously beyond his grasp.


    "What a beast¡­. What a fucking natural genius" is what Nubi murmured to herself in her devil form as she witnessed Rocky''s training from afar.


    Had he stagnated after losing his sense of touch, Nubi would not have been too surprised, however, instead of stagnating, his progress seemed to have increased tenfold as what started as normal experimentation of sound, soon developed into full blown sword qi technique.


    Rocky''s mastery over air currents naturally led Rocky to the next level of  swordsmanship: which was to project a sword sh beyond the physical de, a revered andplex technique known as "manifesting the sword qi."


    This technique was the end point of the swordsmanship training course that the university wanted to teach its students, however, Rocky mastered it within 16 days of his arrival at the snake-men ancestral chambers and that too without having vision or touch.


    Rocky did not know it yet, since he never trained seriously with swords before, however, his naturalprehension of the sword arts was insanely high.


    While even the biggest geniuses would have stagnated without the guidance of a teacher if put in the situation that Rocky found himself in, Rocky sailed through these restrictions as if they meant nothing to him.


    Him having unlocked sword-qi was something he was not even aware of, as he was only trying to reduce the noise interference so that his sword sh could travel the longest, never realizing that in this pursuit, he had unlocked something truly mesmerizing.


    Unlocking sword qi, required not just physical control but a deep, intuitive understanding of the sword''s path and the air it disced.


    While his unlocked sword qi was not strong enough to slice through the practice dummy in the very first session, Nubi could see him achieving it in under a week''s time at the rate he was progressing.


    ***********


    While Rocky''s swordsmanship lessons were enjoyable, everything else felt like a mess to him.


    Having lost his sense of touch, he had to constantly make guttural sounds out of his throat to locate his food and eat it, as his noise irritated everyone else at the dining hall, with Leonard even picking a fight with him.


    The longer everyone stayed in here, the more insane everyone seemed to be as nobody had anypassion for Rocky having lost his touch and were instead ready to beat him down should he irritate them enough.


    The funny part was, Rocky did not even feel anything when Leonard punched him for making too much noise, however, Leonard was taken by his leg by the devil for attacking another resident.


    Penance sessions also felt increasingly difficult while physical training and martial arts sessions became impossible to bear.


    Rocky could not reject the hollow void his brain constantly felt for having the sense of touch as having had touch ever since he was born, losing it suddenly felt very difficult.


    It was like an itch that refused to subside and no matter how much Rocky ran, no matter how hard he punched an object, without any response or stimulus to his brain even if he broke it, or even if his stamina hit rock bottom, he could not feel it which bothered Rocky to death.


    He purely dedicated all his mental energy to swordsmanship training, spending even his extra time from 5 to 12 on it as that was the only time in the day where he felt mentally sane and productive, improving his shing technique with each subsequent training session.


    However, living this way had its limits as well.


    A couple of days after losing his sense of touch, Rocky felt insane withdrawal symptoms as theck of stimuli made his brain go insane.


    Rocky never even knew how much feedback the body fed the brain on a daily basis via touch, and having lost that stimuli Rocky felt like his brain had started to rot, as his sanity took a hit.


    ''Quit¡­.. get out of here, even pigs can''t survive the way we are living¡­.. you tried your best, but nobody can survive this'' Rocky''s inner consciousness told him, however, he wasn''t ready to kick the bucket just yet, as Rocky stubbornly refused to give in to the temptation of quitting midway.

 Chapter 82: Down The Rabbit Hole

    ( Day 20 of entering the Snake-Men Ancestral Chamber )


    On day 20, Rocky experienced his first serious mental breakdown.


    It was day five of him losing his sense of touch and finally theck of physical sensation got to him as he suffered a breakdown.


    Since he constantly felt like he was floating in the air weightlessly, the world seemed infinitely distant and ufortably close to him at the same time.


    One moment his mind told him that he was floating aimlessly in the sky, while at the other he felt trapped in a small box, unable to breathe as he suffered from insane ustrophobia.


    If not for the faint sound of his breaths, Rocky questioned if he was still breathing or not as living this way for extended periods of time drove him to the verge of  insanity.


    He wanted to run outside, he wanted to stand under the open sky and assure himself that he was not trapped in a small box, however, he also did not wish to be dragged by the devil to the torture chamber for leaving his bed during sleep hours.


    Having already undergone 3 sessions of mental torture in the past five days, Rocky now understood firsthand just how terrifying, mental torture was.


    The devil, intent on punishing Rocky for breaching house rules, subjected him to a harrowing ordeal designed to torment both his mind and spirit.


    He was mercilessly plunged into the depths of his most traumatic memories, reliving the anguish of his parents'' untimely deaths and the horror of Riva''s devastating explosion. Each scene was revisited with a visceral intensity, forcing him to endure the pain and sorrow all over again.


    But the torment did not end with the past; it extended cruelly into visions of a bleak future as well.


    Rocky was shown harrowing glimpses of potential realities such as Buhara''s tragic demise, the Earth''s catastrophic destruction, and the disdainful rejection from the followers of Gemini, who scorned him as a weakling.


    These visions of despair were not just threats of what mighte but also psychological weapons aimed at breaking his resolve and spirit.


    Compared to physical torture, these sessions were way more difficult to endure and left Rocky quaking everytime he went through one.


    While it seemed brutally cruel to him, Nubi only ever subjected him to torture that he could endure and never to a point that could break him.


    Before walking into this chamber, Rocky was like a teenage child from Earth who had no idea about how cruel the tower really was, which was why this form of cruel mental training was extremely important for him.


    By facing his worst memories, by facing his future fears, Rocky was being groomed to have a strong mind and a resilient personality as if he did not go insane after surviving the 90 days inside this chamber, Rocky would undoubtedly be a formidable force to be reckoned with.


    Usually, life would have been the one to put him down time and time again before he was subjected to this sort of mental pain and anguish, however, within this chamber he was maturing extremely fast and within a safe environment.


    Though brutal, this training was designed to turn him into the best possible version of himself, however, the question remained as to whether or not he could endure it.


    **********


    ( Day 25 of entering the Snake-Men Ancestral Chamber )


    By day 25, Rocky''s sword qi became strong enough to slice through the practice dummy from a distance of 10 meters.


    While the other students in his ss still practiced on how to slice the dummy in half cleanly using a physical sword and the elite students learned about some sword skills that needed mana infusion to perform, Rocky advanced to the level of slicing through dummies through pure sword qi projection, leaving his peers far behind in the dust.


    He reached this stage without the help of the system and without having a teacher to guide him, as he understood the fundamentals of swordsmanship from the very basics by developing his ownprehension, giving him a robust base unlike any other.


    For him to now add mana to his sword qi shes and make them exponentially stronger than they already were was no big deal as while his friends learned moves like [ Boulder Splitting sh ] Rocky could now create moves of his own from the basics.


    ''Sword Genius''


    If anyone within the tower was ever worthy of being given such praise, it was Rocky, as having his senses being taken away from him probably benefited him the most when it came to his sword arts.


    "Hahaha, only focusing on swordsmanship 24x7 is the best way to survive this hell hole.


    Thank God I can still train with the sword to keep my mind upied, without this I''d go insane already, hahaha" Rocky said out loudughing like a madman, as although he did not think he had gone insane, he was already no longerpletely stable.


    **********


    ( Day 30 )


    As day30 rolled around, Nubi came looking for Rocky once more as she guided him outside the living chambers and towards the evaluation hall.


    Leonard had quit yesterday having been inside the chamber for 75 days as he faltered at the veryst phase after taking a new penalty that he could not endure anymore.


    "Don''t do it Rocky, don''t take new penalties between day 30-75, if you n on taking three penalties take one only during thest 15 days. y it smart-" was hisst advice to Rocky before he left, as those words kept echoing in Rocky''s mind continuously the night before.


    A big part of Rocky''s brain told him not to take another penalty, however, the other part kept reminding him of how powerless he was during events of the past and how he would continue to be powerless for events in the future if he quit here.


    The other part of his brain argued strongly that the visions that the devil showed him woulde true if Rocky did not actively change them as eventually it was this part which won the debate in Rocky''s head.


    His fear of losing people he cared for was greater than his fear of whatever penalty this chamber gave him and hence, Rocky decided to ept whatever penalty the chamber wished to give him here today.


    "Your third biggest w is your mana capacity and mana control.


    Although you are not a mage, ack of mana control and reserve will hinder your future growth.


    If you sacrifice your swordsmanship and your right to practice the sword for next 60 days, I will fix your mana capacity and control problem" the chamber god, speaking in his own voice said, as Rocky felt his brain crashing at this offer.


    Swordsmanship was the only thing keeping him sane, it was the only thing he thought about whenever his mind was empty and they wanted to take it away?


    "You can curse me all you want, you can cry and beg for leniency too, but my offer won''t change.


    So what will it be Champion of Gemini, do you ept this trade or not?" The chamber god said in his voice as Rocky grit his teeth and suppressed his desire to curse.


    "I ept-"


    -----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 83: Edge Of Insanity

    Rocky lost his soul when he lost his ability to perform swordsmanship.


    Surviving the chamber was hard enough for him already, however, with him having the option of pouring his heart and mind into swordsmanship, Rocky was able to pass his time, however, with swordsmanship taken away from him, his life finally became purposeless.


    Neither physical training, nor penance could fill the void in his mind as once Rocky lost a goal to strive for, every second felt like it stretched on for eternity as Rocky''s idol mind turned into his worst enemy.


    As the hours melded into an indistinguishable blur, Rocky found himself trapped in a silent, dark world.


    Deprived of vision and touch, and now his only sce¡ªswordsmanship¡ªhis mind began to fray at the edges.


    Rocky''s once disciplined mind, an asset he was so proud of, began to wander down dark, untrodden paths, as finally Rocky became a true madman.


    He would catch himself inflicting self harm to his own flesh, pulling away at hair that he could no longer feel.


    His voice, once firm and confident, now echoed off the stone walls with a hollow desperation, as there was a raspy sadness behind him, which echoed the state of his existence.


    Sound, his only reliable sense, became his new tormentor; the drip of water somewhere in the darkness was like the ticking of a clock, each drop representing a drop of sanity slipping away.


    It got so bad for Rocky, that he could not stand the presence of others around him, bing holed up in his room whenever he was not forced to partake in some daily task, as his continued istion gave birth to paranoia.


    The absence of touch meant he could no longer confirm the reality of his surroundings, as things got so bad for him that the whispers of his own voice began to sound foreign, as if someone else was in the chamber with him.


    Often, he found himself pausing, holding his breath to listen for another presence, but there was only the echo of his own madness.


    Rocky''s mind, once his greatest ally, began to betray him. Memories of the past tormented him¡ªvisions of holding a de, the feel of a perfect strike, the camaraderie of chopping trees with Erin and Buhara¡ªall painfully out of reach, as he sobbed like a little child when he thought of such sensitive topics.


    In desperation, he sought out new ways to fill the silence and darkness. He created stories in his mind, narratives filled with color and light, epic battles, and triumphant victories. But as his grasp on reality weakened, these fantasies became indistinguishable from memories, the line between past and present, real and imagined, blurring irrevocably.


    "Red!"


    "Why can''t I remember red- why can''t I remember for sure what Buhara looked like? Why am I not sure if he had two tusksing out of his mouth or four?"


    "I''m going insane¡­.. I can''t discern true from false anymore-" Rocky shouted out loud as he got scared by his own voice and then became paranoid that the devil was there to get him.


    Eventually, Rocky stopped speaking, his voice lost in the void as if he feared disturbing the phantoms his mind had conjured. He sat for hours, motionless, in a silence so profound that it became a presence in itself, a dark entity that fed on his despair.


    In his istion, Rocky''s sense of self began to unravel. He could no longer remember a time before the darkness, before the silence. His identity as a strong driven individual, once the core of his personality, seemed like a distant dream, as if it were a story told by someone else about someone else.


    Without his vision, touch, and swordsmanship, who was he? The question echoed in his mind, unanswered, as he finally reached the point that the chamber god wished he would.


    With everything superficial stripped away, at day 40 Rocky finally touched upon the question that was most important.


    Who was he?


    What was his purpose in this world?


    What did he want to achieve?


    Why was he going through this suffering?


    Once he reached this point, he began undergoing his final descent into madness as he quietly surrendered control, slipping away into the depths of his mind, where reality was what he decided it to be.


    In this delirious state, Rocky lived in a world of his own making, where he could see the sun, feel the weight of a sword in his hand, and hear the cheers of citizens of the universe.


    It was a world where he was god, where everything yed out exactly how he wished it would y out and it was in this world that he found the answers of what he was looking for.


    Yes he wanted fame, he wanted adoration of the masses and although he pretended to be cool and aloof, he really cared a lot about what others thought about him.


    In his ideal world, he wanted everyone to view him as the ideal individual, not as the Champion of Gemini, but as Rocky Yadav, the epitome of what a human could be!


    He wanted to fight great wars and leave behind him a giant legacy of epic moments.


    He wanted to protect those he cared for and have the power to punish those he did not like.


    He wanted to be a disruptor, someone who could challenge the heavens and climb to the 101st floor of the tower, having his legacy immortalized as the strongest climber.


    But these visions of bliss were fleeting and  were soon shattered by the cruel return to his true existence as he realized that the world around him could never change, however, what could change was how he viewed it.


    As his mind reached the absolute bottom of insanity, he realized that he could never control the perception of others no matter how hard he tried.


    That he could never make everyone adore him, nor could he create a perfect society as there could never be perfect society.


    Once he realized this, his goals changed, his visions changed as from controlling his environment Rocky turned his focus towards controlling himself.


    How did he view himself?


    What did he want to achieve?


    How was he going to achieve it?


    His dreams turned from idolistic to realistic as his personality underwent a massive change.


    In his state of insanity, he began to find a kind of peace, the peace of oblivion, where the pain of loss could no longer touch him, and the darkness was no longer an enemy, but apanion in his eternal dance with madness.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - I have never written a character''s descent into madness so this is new for me as well.


    Hope you like this, I know that this mini arc is slightly rough to read for casual binging, but it''s kind of important to the story. ///

 Chapter 84: Fourth Penalty

    ( Day 45 )


    Day 45 was the halfway point for Rocky''s journey within the ancestral chamber and he had already gone through the worst.


    On day 40, once he realized that he could never control certain aspects of his life, the delusion washed away and rity returned to his mind.


    Instead of obsessing over why he had lost the right to holding a sword or why he was going through this, he began focusing on why he needed toplete this challenge and what awaited him afterwards.


    By the time he would get out of this chamber, he would be apletely new version of himself.


    A new race, a new mindset, a different mana capacity-


    He would hit the ground running and could build on-top of these advantages at the academy to clinch the top spot.


    As the top graduate, not only could he receive a decent amount of rewards from the university, but he could also secure his spot in the inter-university tournament, where iparable treasures and opportunities would be ced on the line against the pride of institutions.


    Securing those treasures and opportunities would catalyze his growth, propelling him to reach the 40th level of the tower in potentially less than two years time if everything went his way.


    With his mind idle, Rocky nned every aspect of his future.


    What books did he need to read at the academy library?


    What doubts he needed to clear with the help of faculties?


    What skills were a must learn for him?


    What were the aspects that he was stillcking on and could improve with hard work?


    As questions like these swirled through Rocky''s mind, he found himself feeling more grounded and focused than ever, achieving a state of true indifference towards the things beyond his control¡ªa stark departure from his earlier pretense of detachment that was fake.


    With day 45 drawing to a close, Nubi, responsible for his bi-monthly assessment, arrived to transport Rocky from his quarters to the evaluation hall.


    As they made their way to the hall, Nubi couldn''t help but notice the remarkable transformation Rocky had undergone.


    Unlike many candidates who tended to be more difficult to manage after each session, Rocky exhibited an exceptional calmness this time around, as his aura did not seem to be agitated at all.


    He walked patiently, replied mirthfully and seemed to be faring well overall.


    After just three evaluations, he had managed to find a serene state of mind that not only set him apart from his peers but also indicated significant personal growth.


    The funny part was that he was moreposed this time around aspared to even his first evaluation as it was almost like he was ready to take on his fourth penalty with a mindset stronger than when he was taking his first.


    ***********


    "Your next biggest w is yourck of belief in the divine. The Gemini Gods are your biggest allies, yet you have no idea on how to leverage off their divinity.


    You consider yourself to be a pawn dancing to their tunes and hold suspicion towards their intentions.


    ?-§Ô§à§è?§ß%§ä*-@?#?*-@§å?¦Ô%-&§Ó-§å#-@


    In this cruel universe, you must learn to differentiate between friend and foe and learn the importance of trusting your back to your friends and protecting your back from your foes.


    If you agree to sacrifice your mobility for the next 45 days, I will grant you a skill that will help you identify friend from foe and what they feel towards you as long as the power difference between you two is not toorge.


    So what will it be?" The deity of the ancestral hall presented Rocky with yet another trade, which, instead of eliciting immediate disdain, prompted Rocky to thoughtfully consider its advantages this time.


    Having a skill that could help him distinguish friend from foe was an incredibly useful ability.


    If he had such a skill under his belt, he would no longer need to be suspicious of people or their intentions and would not need to second guess their every move.


    What happened with him mistrusting Sophia, would not be repeated, while he would also have more information to judge an individual and the prospect of allying with them in the future.


    It was undeniably a very useful ability and to get it, he just needed to sacrifice his mobility for 45 days.


    "Without mobility, how would I even take part in the activities for the day? Would I not be constantly thrust into the torture chamber without it?" Rocky asked, just to cover his bases as the hall god replied in Rocky''s very own voice.


    "You will no longer be required to take part in daily tasks and will be fed meals by Nubi from time to time.


    So what will it be?"


    " I ept-" Rocky said, as he took on a fourth penalty, losing his ability to move.


    "Great choice climber, I wish you the best" the hall god said, as Rocky was surprised to see it notugh this time around.


    While Rocky did not understand the nuances of this hall, it really wasn''t as nefarious as he thought it to be.


    When Rocky himself had an unstable mind, the hall god mirrored his internal state. However, now that Rocky had stabilized, so had the hall god''s attitude towards him.


    Nheless, his surprise at the hall god''s attitude did not save him from the humiliation of being carried like a sack of potatoes on Nubi''s back, as after losing his mobility, Rocky became reliant on Nubi to transport him from ce to ce.


    "So, I''ve be your nanny for 45 days huh? This is a first¡­.." Nubi said, as she had never heard of the hall gods give out such a penalty before.


    She was incharge of cleaning him and feeding him for the 45 days that Rocky had turned into a vegetable.


    He could not longer feel his arms or legs anyways, so having lost his sense of movement he truly became like a paralysis patient having lost all senses from the neck down, alongside his vision.


    He was literally existing in darkness now, yet despite his grim life, Rocky was happy for what he would gain out of this instead of being sad for what he was suffering at the moment.


    For him this penalty was more of a boon than a curse as not only did it mean that he would not be dragged into the torture chamber anymore, but it also meant that Nubi woulde and check on him twice or thrice a day.


    Rocky preferred talking to Nubi, the gentle and kind snake-womanpared to all the other crazies within the hall as to him this situation was an unexpected gain.


    Sure, he had lost his ability to move, however, to him there was not much purpose behind moving anyways.


    Although he was slightly embarrassed at having Nubi handle him, seeing him at his unmanly worst, he did not have any schemes of wooing her or fighting for her love, so it was okay.


    Trying his best to crack jokes and be funny whenever she was around, Rocky tried his best to lively up her day alongside his own, as he epted this new penalty with grace and joy, unlike all his previous ones.

 Chapter 85: Fifth Penalty

    ( Day 55 )


    Rocky was about 60% done with his stay within the chamber on day 55 and was still holding strong mentally although he had four penalties having been ced on himself.


    Once his perspective on life changed, he realized that although this situation that he was in was bad, it could be much worse too.


    In here, he knew he was only going to have to suffer this fate for 90 days. That after 90 days he would have his senses returned to him alongside the rewards, however, if he was captured by some nefarious enemy and locked up in a cold dungeon, he may suffer all the same penalties but without any rewards.


    He could be blinded, chained up, have his tongue carved out, have his balls castrated and be forced to live in such conditions for years, without any end to that suffering in sight.


    Throughout history, there were countless criminals who had been subjected to such level of torture but still managed to get free someday and seek revenge upon their enemies, so Rocky felt confident that he could endure this too.


    Being rewarded while undergoing training and transformation was a boon and not a curse and hence Rocky felt blessed for his time within the chamber.


    Although Nubi was not technically supposed to, after spending time with Rocky and his bright personality, she couldn''t help but develop a slight liking for him as everyday as she came to feed Rocky, she would use her muscle torture technique on him, helping him enhance his physique and muscle quality without him having to feel the pain of the process.


    Although Rocky was bound to a bed with nothing but his mind active, Rocky was still improving faster in terms of physical attributes than his peers as Nubi made the most of hisck of sensation and pushed all his muscles to the limits every single day, which if Rocky could feel, would have felt like torture of the highest degree.


    ***********


    ( Day 60 )


    When day 60 came around, all that Rocky could remember was the warnings of Nagini and Nubi when he first entered the chamber to not go beyond taking 4 penalties.


    Apparently being too greedy and taking on too many penalties led to sure shot mental instability, however, Rocky felt confident in himself to be able to endure one more penalty still.


    "Are you thinking of enduring still another penalty?" Nubi asked Rocky, as she carried him over her shoulders like a potato sack to the evaluation hall.


    "I am, I think I can take it, but what would you suggest?" Rocky said, sounding humble in his reply as Nubi let out a big sigh.


    "Well usually I do not rmend anyone taking a fifth penalty but you are different. I''ve never seen anyone with four penalties being as rational as you are, so if it''s you, depending on what the reward is worth you can consider taking on another penalty" Nubi said, as a soft smile spread on Rocky''s face when he heard this.


    If Nubi felt confident in his ability to take another penalty, Rocky could push through with the idea doubt free as he entered the evaluation hall, with the full intention of receiving yet another penalty.


    ************


    "Your fifth biggest w is yourck of anonymity.


    Your life is too shy, anything you achieve is publicized and exaggerated, which gives a boost to your reputation but also makes you a predictable opponent.


    Often a battle is decided by hidden cards, by skills that your opponent never anticipates you to have¡­. but you do.


    Such skills are the cornerstone ofunching a surprise attack and youck them entirely.


    If you sacrifice to me your ability to speak for the next 30 days, I will help you obtain a hidden card. A skill that can help you turn the tide of a battle at the critical moment.


    So what do you say, Rocky, do you ept?" The hall god said, offering Rocky yet another penalty for another reward as Rocky seriously contemted his offer.


    "Can you not reveal the details of the skill you will pass down to me beforehand? The ambiguity is concerning" Rocky said, requesting that the details of the skill be revealed beforehand, however, his request was rejected.


    "I cannot reveal the specifics of your hidden reward¡­.. it is a risk you must take on your part and be content with what you may receive at the end" The hall god said as Rocky felt wondered what he should do. MVLeMpYr-original-content


    "No voice for 30 days? I think I can live with that... I ept"


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile back at the university )


    Life at the university progressed quickly.


    Between sses, training, team activities and homework, nobody even knew where two months flew by as everything seemed to be happening in the blink of an eye.


    Most teams had managed to clear floor seven of the tower uptil now and were on track to reach floor 10 before the mid-semester.


    Compared to the inexperienced fledglings that most students were when they entered the university, after spending nearly five months within it, they had started to transform into proper amateur warrior''s.


    No matter what sses they chose or what specialization they were pursuing, everyone had made notable progress during this period and their results spoke for themselves.


    Erin, as a curse mage, could now ce simple curses on items, individuals and monsters.


    He could also dispel curses and apply pretty decent debuff spells on his opponent''s.


    Compared to him only having his voice curse ability, he was a much more formidable support fighter than before and was developing as a valuable asset to any team that he was a part of.


    On the other hand Buhara was now proving his haters wrong by being an excellent battle mage despite his race as an orc.


    Not only could he cast all four basic elements with ease, he could also cast thunder spells and was on the verge of learning dual spell casting which was the level that the university wanted it''s students to reach by the end of the semester.


    He was a genius that learnt through practical repetitions rather than indulging in boring theory, however, he did not take theory lightly either.


    Putting in his hours at the library, he also umted enough knowledge to pass all his written exams with merit, although not scoring the highest grades within them.


    Finally, Sophia was still the leader in the practicalbat and swordsmanship ss in Rocky''s absence, however, her gap to the rest of the ss was shrinking rapidly.


    While she practiced improving her skill by dueling with professors, she did not grow at the same pace that her colleagues did, the best of whom had already crossed the boulder splitting stage and had moved on to learn practical sword skills, being only a step behind Sophia.


    Sophia''s slower growth was mainly because of her family situation, which kept urging her to collect information on Rocky''s whereabouts, as her repeated failure on this matter seemed to frustrate her elder brother to no end.


    Instead of practicing in her free time, Sophia was forced to dig for information, however, her attempts to find what Rocky was up to werergely unsessful as apart from the principal nobody really knew where he was and Liam would not open his mouth no matter how much Sophia tried.

 Chapter 86: Traitor Caught

    Losing his voice was supposed to make Rocky''s life harder, but to him it did not make much of a difference at all.


    He has started to grow tired of his own voice anyways and hence rarely spoke while alone.


    While he did miss trying to make Nubiugh, it wasn''t extremely bad either.


    She still chatted to him as if he could talk back and most times she understood what he wanted to say without him having to say anything, so their conversations, although one-sided, were still fun.


    After his fifth penalty, Rocky was reduced to an even more useless donut than he already was before as he became a borderlinea patient.


    Without his voice and movement, he no longer had any means tomunicate with the outside world anymore as he had essentially be a nt.


    While he was still alive, could still think and hear, he was no longer able to show any form of response to his surroundings, as just like a nt he existed by being stationary in one ce.


    Without his voice, he could no longer use the gluttotal voice skill given to him by the hall gods which helped him determine his own position using echolocation, as he became a nt that no longer had any idea where he was sleeping.


    From Nubi''s words, he believed he was on his room''s bed. However, even if he wasn''t, even if he was on the floor or the bathroom, or the yground, he would still be unable to tell the difference as without his senses, all these ces felt the same to him.


    He ate when fed and listened when called to, but apart from it his only friend was his mind as he kept thinking about his goals and what he needed to achieve once he got out of this ce.


    Even with five penalties, his mental state had not reached a breaking point and although he felt paranoid once in a while, overall, he was prepared to see this punishment through to the end.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile, Back On Earth )


    There was unprecedentedmotion within the usually calm True Elites Guild as something unexpected hade to pass.


    The event was so grand and shocking, that vice guild master Neatwit, who was on a floor raid was recalled urgently mid-way, while guildmaster Karna canceled all his high profile meetings for the day, including one with the prime minister of country X as he returned to the guild at once.


    Someone had unexpectedly infiltrated the guild headquartersst night and had managed to tie up a man on the guild entrance, with a note spelling ''Traitor'' hanging from his chest.


    The True Elites Guild headquarters was one of the safest locations on Earth, being patrolled and protected by the strongest climbers of Earth, yet a man who the surveince tapes indicated could walk through walls, came in with a rucksack over his shoulders, took his time to unpack a living man out of it, hung him near the entrance and put a note around his neck for good measure, before walking out as if he was never here.


    The man he delivered was none other than Joe, the most wanted criminal of the whole human race currently, who the True Elites Guild was hunting for months.


    Yet despite therge bounty on his head, the man who surrendered him did not even seem to care about the rewards as he seemed very casual about the whole thing as if it was but child''s y for him.


    For 20 whole minutes after he left, nobody noticed the hanging man at the entrance, until someone suddenly did and upon closer inspection of the hanging man, they realized that it was none other than Joe!


    Joe the traitor had finally been apprehended!


    **********


    ( The conference room, True Elites Guild )


    The conference room of the True Elites Guild had been transformed into an ad hoc interrogation chamber. The blinds were drawn tightly, casting shadows across the rearranged furniture, now set to craft a space that was both isting and imposing.


    Joe, bound securely to a chair, found himself the focal point of this meticulously engineered atmosphere. Opposite him, at a deliberate distance of two meters, stood Neatwit, Amelia, and Karna. Their gazes bore into him, unrelenting and sharp.


    The air between them was charged with a palpable sense of foreboding. Despite the physical space separating them, the intensity of Karna and Neatwit''s silent threats was suffocating,pelling Joe to lose hisposure utterly¡ªevidenced by the two distinct asions he had involuntarily soiled himself since his confinement began, and all before a single question had been posed.


    Karna, observing Joe''s contorted expressions, read them like an open book. The fear etched on Joe''s face, his eyes darting and desperate, spoke volumes to Karna. It was clear¡ªJoe''s involvement in the crime of Riva''s abduction wasn''t a product of coercion but a path he had chosen willingly. His guilt was as unmistakable as his terror, revealing a man whollyplicit in his actions.


    "Please forgive me guildmaster¡­.. water, I need water! I''m thirsty" said Joe eventually, trying to break the awkward atmosphere as he could not longer tolerate the silence he was being subjected to.


    "Water? This guy wants water Karna, can you believe it? Alright. I''ll give you water, but first tell me, IS RIVA BEING GIVEN WATER?" Neatwit said, stomping his feet in anger as his killing intent surged.


    Pee dripped down Joe''s legs once more as he began crying like a little girl.


    "No-no please don''t kill me, please I''m sorry¡­" Joe said, as by this point Karna was sure that Joe was beyond redeemable, that he was scum who deserved death.


    "Where is Riva?" Karna asked calmly, as he waited patiently for Joe''s hysteria to calm down and for him to answer Karna rationally.


    "I-I can''t tell you, guildmaster, they ced a soul oath on me! If I tell you, I''ll die" Joe said, looking towards his heart as he tried to desperately exin his situation.


    "Well, it''s not like we''ll let you live if you don''t speak. So what will it be?" Amelia said boldly, as she cocked a revolver and pointed it towards Joe.


    "W-what? You can''t do it! I am a human too! I have rights! You can''t just kill me, you need to submit me to the courts, I want a proper criminal trial!" Joe said, sounding insanely afraid as he stared down the barrel of Amanda''s gun.


    If it were a normal gun, Joe would not be too worried, afterall his climber body could probably take a hit or two from such a mortal weapon, however, the gun Amelia carried was a special weapon from the tower that shot mana bullets.


    One hit from that weapon would pulverize monsters and humans to dust. It was truly a dangerous item and Joe had witnessed it''s might first-hand since he was in Riva''s party when they procured it.


    "Human rights? Trial? Hahaha, well I''ve heard enough¡­." Karna eventually said, as he stood up from his chair and slowly walked towards Joe.


    "I don''t need you to tell me anything Joe, I could have candice read your mind for all the information I need.


    I did not do it because I wanted to give you a chance to exin yourself. To tell me something that would make me believe you were not a criminal, but unfortunately, my hopes about you were wrong.


    You are nothing but a piece of trash and are not worthy of being called an Elite" Karna said as he pped Joe hard on his face, before walking out of the room.

 Chapter 87: Exposed Ploy

    ( The guildmaster''s office )


    Candice stood in Karna''s office with her whole body trembling as she tried to make sense of the memories she extracted from Joe.


    That man was scum¡­..No he was beneath scum, as once Candice uncovered his motive behind betraying the guild and Riva, it made her sick to her stomach.


    Candice was a mind mage, she specialized in casting illusion spells and reading as well as altering memories.


    Usually, such techniques were reserved for monsters or enemies of humanity, however, for the first time she had to use her skills on an ex-guild mate and her discoveries made her heart fill with sorrow.


    "Joe voluntarily made contact with the Olympians, offering them information regarding Riva in return for power and riches.


    The reason behind his betrayal is simple greed and overconfidence.


    I tried to look for another reason, however, there was none.


    He never believed in the guild''s notion of ''one for all and all for one'', he never saw us as a family and never felt especially loyal towards us¡­.." Candice said, as it was this part that seemed to be bothering her the most.


    The True Elites Guild was like a tight knit family, every member of the guild was ready toy down their lives for one another, which was why the betrayal of Joe affected the guild more than any external attack ever could.


    The guild members truly believed that they were above the base nature of humans filled with treachery and betrayal, however, Joe broke that idealistic myth.


    "He wanted to be bigger than you, guildmaster, he wanted the fame you and Riva had, he wanted the attention, the adoration... but also knew that his natural talent was not enough for him to get it, so he made a deal with the Olympians to make his life better.


    He sold out Riva as potentially being the Champion of Gemini, which she was not¡­.


    And became the cause behind her kidnapping" wee-to-MVLeMpYr


    "He orchestrated the kidnapping bycing Riva''s apartment with explosives and teaming up with Perseus, the floor master of floor21 of the tower to have her kidnapped.


    Should she have turned out to be the Champion of Gemini, Joe was set to receive innumerable rewards, however, their ns went sour when it turned out that Riva wasn''t the chosen one.


    What''s more is that apparently Perseus''s father, the lesser god, is the one who is in possession of Riva right now and we don''t know what state she is in" Candice reported as Karna felt his blood boiling, listening to this report, however, he kept hisposure.


    "As for why she has not been released yet, Joe thought it''s because the Olympians wish to use her as bait to lure Rocky, however, they are waiting for certain conditions to be fulfilled before they make this offer.


    Apparently, Perseus''s little sister and Champion of Poseidon is involved in this as well, as a read into Joe''s memories suggested that she was deployed to the same university Rocky attends to either befriend or seduce him"


    "While Joe was not respected particrly within the Olympian faction as well, they did ce him under high security, which makes his kidnapping even more bizarre.


    Unless the man who delivered him to us was a monarch level entity, I don''t see how he could disable all those defenses and safety barriers that they ced Joe within as easily as he did" Candice reported, as Karna fell into deep contemtion after listening to her report.


    The fact that Joe was delivered to them safe and sound also needed to be viewed with scrutiny, there was no guarantee that his memories were not tampered with or that him being delivered to Earth was to start a war.


    However, Karna felt in his gut that whoever delivered Joe was definitely not harboring any malicious intentions towards the guild.


    "Amelia, first and foremost, write a letter to Rocky, warn him to not trust the sister of Perseus-" Karna said as he instructed Amelia to inform Rocky about this information before it was toote.


    "Candice, you have done a good job, rest now, let us handle the rest" Karna said, discharging Candice after a job well done, however, before she left, Candice looked back towards Karna with tears in her eyes as she said "Guildmaster we will save Riva right?"


    Candice, like everyone else in the guild who considered this organization to be extended family, was extremely worried for Riva.


    Ever since her disappearance many guild members were voluntarily searching for her trail, trying to pay for information using their own money on ck markets and do whatever they could to help, however, it wasrgely unsessful.


    "Of course we will, after the monster tide is over, even if it costs me my life, I''ll personally save Riva wherever she is," Karna said with conviction as he had long made up his mind to save Riva once he was no longer bound by his duty to Earth.


    ********


    ( Meanwhile Sir Jhonny )


    Sir Jhonny was the man who had kidnapped Joe from the heart of the Olympian stronghold, executing the with the ease of taking a stroll.


    In terms of strength, Jhonny was a floor 88 climber, one step away from bing a true god, however, he himself held no ambitions of bing one.


    He was the representative of Shakuni on the lower levels of the tower and was his ultimate soldier for carrying out his will.


    Had Shakuni instructed him to save Riva from the clutches of Perseus''s father, he had the capability of doing that as well, however, his lord only instructed him to kidnap and deliver Joe to Earth.


    "I havepleted the mission as you instructed me to, Rudra my boy" Sir Jhonny said, looking towards the sky as he called Shakuni by a name that was forgotten by the history of the tower.


    A name that he used before he became the deity that he was. A name from back when he was a mortal.


    "Thankyou Sir Jhonny, the execution was perfect as always¡­.." A voice belonging to Shakuni whispered in his ears as Jhonny smiled at the praise.


    Of every believer of Gemini who wished to speak directly to the gods, he was one of the only four people in the tower who could actually do so without any restrictions.


    *Sigh*


    Letting out a deep sigh, Sir Jhonny observed the night sky above his head as he reminisced about the good old times.


    Long back, when this universe and this reality did not exist, he was a member of the True Elites Guild as well and kids like Karna and Neatwit were hisrades.


    Back then he had no idea about what sort of a life he was destined to live, however, looking back now, he could proudly say that those were the best times of his life.


    Ever since he stopped aging and became a lesser god, life had be dull and boring.


    There were hardly any challengers to fight and even less interesting things to be involved with.


    While Shakuni did keep plotting things once in a while, Sir Jhonny missed the good old days where he fought massive wars every three months with kids he really liked.

 Chapter 88: The final stretch

    ( Rocky''s POV, Day 75 )


    By Day 75, Rocky had firmly concluded that enough was enough. He had umted a lot of penalties and was determined not to invite any more trouble.


    He felt satisfied with the progress he could potentially make by reaching Day 90, believing that five penalties were plenty and that it was unwise to push his luck further.


    Despite his reluctance, participation in the uing evaluation was non-negotiable. So, when Nubi gently informed him it was time to head to the ancestral hall, Rocky resigned himself to his destiny. He whimsically envisioned being hoisted onto Nubi''s shoulders for the journey to the grand hall.


    Unfortunately, Rocky''s loss of echolocation ability and touch sensitivity meant he was detached from his surroundings. Unable to discern his location at any moment, the journey to the hall¡ªor even if he had left his bedroom¡ªremained indistinguishable to him, blurring the lines between reality and imagination in his sensory-deprived world.


    It was only when he heard the hall god talking to him in his own voice and in a chiding tone, that he realized that he was in the evaluation chamber, as he intently heard as to what the hall god had to say.


    "I know that you cannot speak anymore and that you have no way to physicallymunicate with me, however, fret not for I can sense your will-" The hall god said, as surprisingly his voice sounded very kind and calm today, although it was spoken in a chiding tone.


    "For yourst reward, I will not offer you something that you need but will instead offer you something that you desire.


    If you choose to fast by drinking nothing but water for the next 15 days, depriving your body and mind of nourishment, I will in return reward you with critical information regarding your sister''s kidnapping-" The hall god said, as for a minute Rocky felt electric currents run all over his mind as this was something he never expected.


    "I sense your determination; you came into this chamber with your mind already set against epting another penalty. I''ll honor your decision if, after learning of the reward, you still choose not to face this final challenge.


    Yet, now that you''re aware I can offer you details about your sister''s abduction¡ªinformation that might be key to saving her¡ªare you prepared to endure onest penalty for a mere fifteen days?" the hall god inquired, causing a stir in Rocky''s resolve.


    This was a very evil offer by the hall god, as an omnipotent entity, it already knew that Rocky was never going to reject a chance to learn about Riva or how to save her, which is why he offered him this reward when his mind was already made about not epting another penalty.


    ''Fifteen days without food, for me to survive only on water?'' Rocky wondered, as he understood the consequences of epting such a penalty.


    He could already not feel his body, which meant that most likely he needed much less energy to stay alive than he would be needing should he be physically active, however, if he did not consume food for prolonged periods it could lead his active mind to have delusions and hallucinations, jeopardizing his sanity at the veryst stage.


    To ept or to not ept?


    What could Rocky do in this situation, as on one hand he would risk his sanity if he did not have enough energy to keep his brain functioning properly, however, if he did not take this risk he could potentially lose key information that could help him save Riva.


    Although it was a choice, the hall god and Rocky both knew he did not really have one, as if it was for Riva, Rocky was ready to sacrifice his sanity anyday if it meant he could save her.


    ''I ept-'' he thought firmly, as the hall god acknowledged his will.


    "Very well, I wish you the best Rocky Yadav. May you fare well with thisst penalty" the hall god said, as from this moment onwards Rocky was barred from consuming nourishing foods.


    *********


    For the first few days after receiving the penalty of not consuming any food, Rocky did not feel much of a difference.


    His body was not consuming too many calories and even though he was only being fed water, Rocky felt the same level of energy as before.


    On day 79 he finally began feeling fatigued, he slept more and felt lethargic in general as the effects of not eating anything for the past four days began to kick in.


    Day 80 was the worst, the nightmares began to return and Rocky did not feel like he could hold his sanity intact.


    One moment he felt like he was drowning while being bound by heavy rocks, unable to breathe, unable to move and on another, he felt like he was floating around at the speed of light, that his body had no anchor and his shape had been stretched to infinity by a ckhole.


    He had faced all these delusions before and had tackled them too, however, this time around they returned to be stronger than ever before and Rocky was unable to shake that feeling off.


    Day 81, Rocky''s body finally hit ketosis.


    His body began burning its fat stores and broke down muscle to support Rocky''s mind, as the delusions reduced and Rocky felt mentally stable once more.


    However, Rocky had very few reserves of fat in the first ce as his lean and athletic physique meant that he had a very low body fat percentage to begin with.


    Day 83 was like the calm before the storm, Rocky knew he was inching closer to the finish line, however at this point he had been fasting for 8 straight days and his fat stores had begun to dwindle.


    Day 84, this was the day where the fat stores depletedpletely for Rocky and he entered his worst mental phase ever.


    The hormonal bnce in his body went absolutely wild and Rocky felt like he was on severe drugs.


    One moment, a vivid kaleidoscope of colors danced through his mind, swirling in vibrant patterns. But in the next, they would fade to pitch darkness, leaving him unable to conjure even a single hue, regardless of his efforts.


    He began hearing sounds like he was in the middle of a rainforest when he was actually in his bed alone, as his sanity began to be tested to its limits.


    It was the final stretch to his trial, however, Rocky could no longer bear it.


    On day 85, Rocky felt like he was on the verge of quitting. He could no longer take this torture as he had constant suicidal thoughts. chapter-hosted-on-MVLeMpYr


    There were moments where he tried to kill himself by holding his breath for as long as he could, however, all that he could achieve with such attempts was to either ck out or feel breathless after a while.


    Tears would not stop flowing down his cheeks on this day, as even Nubi felt her heart stir looking at him suffer.


    Never before had any candidate taken on 6 penalties and still managed to stay sane as what Rocky was attempting was absolutely unprecedented.


    Nubi still believed that Rocky taking on the 6th penalty was unnecessary and stupid, however, once he had chosen to walk down that path, there was no turning back for him anymore.


    Quit now and he would lose everything, but should he not quit, he risked losing his sanity forever.

 Chapter 89: Completing the challenge

    ''I can''t quit here¡­.. I can''t fail my sister. I can''t fail myself. If I fall here, it will be all over. I will never be able to respect myself for having quit here. I need to make it to the end, I need to survive-''


    Rocky kept repeating these words in his head as he tried to push himself to the finish line.


    With only four days to go and the effects of nourishment deprivation reaching its peak, Rocky faced his hardest mental challenge yet. However, despite a part of his brain constantly urging him to quit, since if he did not, he would ''die'', Rocky tried his best to conquer that feeling and push past it.


    Survival instinct was something ingrained deeply into one''s mind.


    It was the base desire of any race, ingrained into them through millennia of evolution.


    It was the desire that told one that they were thirsty when their body was running low on water and the instinct that triggered the fight or flight reflex when one faced mortal danger.


    Currently, Rocky faced the full might of this instinct as his body urged him to quit this challenge and have some food for the sake of survival and used every trick in the book to make sure that Rocky did as he was instructed.


    His mind whispered to him questions like ''what if the challenge would not end in four days? What if he was scammed by principal Liam, Nagini and Nubi and that this was all a facade, a ce where Rocky was being tortured willingly?''


    Once doubts like these creeped in, it became very hard for Rocky to stay focused and patient, as the urge to quit became stronger.


    Nheless, Rocky did not quit.


    He did not quit because the current him feared losing respect for himself more than it feared death.


    Through the course of the past 3 months, Rocky discovered a lot about himself and one of the core things that he discovered about his personality was the fact that he took his own pride, his own word, extremely seriously. the-ce-MVLeMpYr


    The reason behind why he sought public approval, the reason behind why he behaved in a cool and calm manner was because that is the image he wanted to project outwards, the kind of man he eventually wished to be.


    For him to be such a man, he needed to pull through moments like these when it was hard, as Rocky knew that even if he made it out of this ce with his sanity intact. If he quit mid-way, especially so close to the end, he would never regain the pride he would lose.


    Self-respect and confidence were important to Rocky, almost as important as not failing the expectations of those who believed in him and hence he could not quit.


    *************


    ( Day 89 )


    Uptil day 88, the thoughts of quitting and giving up persisted, however, all those doubts disappeared instantly when Rocky reached day 89, thest day of his suffering.


    "It''s yourst day here, you''re almost at the end, Sir Rocky¡­.." Nubi said sweetly in his ears as she fed him water, giving Rocky the butterflies in his stomach.


    Rocky had never felt time moving as slowly as he felt that day, as just the thought of his senses returning to him felt like enough of a reward for him to get out of this hellish experience.


    On this day, he no longer had any thoughts about quitting anymore as although his mental state was slightly delirious, he had weathered through the worst and was now going toplete this challenge with his sanity intact.


    **********


    ( Day 90 )


    Thest day of his suffering was a sort of joyous asion for Rocky as tears of joy kept streaking down his chin.


    ''I did it¡­.. I made it till the end!''


    ''I did it on my own, without anyone''s aid. I''m not as useless as I thought I was''


    Such were the thoughts that Rocky had revolving in his head as he felt his self confidence improve by leaps and bounds.


    Although he had to wait half a day, until 5 pm where his challenge was officially going to get over, day90 was a day of celebration for Rocky as he achieved the impossible and made history on this day.


    **********


    Finally, as Nubi carried Rocky on her back towards the evaluation hall to receive his final rewards, Rocky felt his brain releasing a crazy amount of dopamine as he felt like he was in the ninth heaven.


    Never before in his life had Rocky felt as satisfied and happy as he did here, as he received his final verdict from the chamber god.


    "Congrattions Sir Rocky, for havingpleted your penance within the chamber.


    Not only have you endured the maximum penalty possible, but you have done so in a manner that is mostmendable.


    Before we talk more, allow me to return the senses I have deprived you of, so that you can stand and talk to me as an equal" The hall god said as Rocky felt all his senses being returned to him.


    The moment he felt the cold sensation of the floor on his skin, Rocky felt tears gush out of his eyes as he felt overwhelmed with joy.


    The white world around him, now seemed to be so vivid and beautiful although it was only a monotonous white, as after losing his vision for 90 days, Rocky became more thankful than ever before for having his eyesight back.


    As he got back to his feet, he felt incredibly weak as his body had grown slightly weak after not having been fed nourishment for the past 15 days, however, despite his weakness Rocky felt like he was standing tall as the pride in his aplishment gave him the strength to stand with a straight spine.


    "Thank you for returning my senses-" Rocky said, speaking for the first time in a while as he enjoyed the sound of his own voice, which sounded sweeter than ever before today.


    Rocky had a mental image that the hall-god here was a mysterious entity that took the shape and voice of whoever it was interacting with, however, today, the hall god stood before him in a solid form.


    A snake-man, the hall god looked a lot like Nubi if she were a male as Rocky looked towards him expectantly, waiting for his rewards.


    " Usually, I never reveal my true form to anyone. However, I''ve made an exception today for you-" The hall god said as he transformed from looking like a male god, to looking like Nubi to looking like the devil and back.


    " I''m the guide here, I''m the devil and I''m the god as well. I punish, I heal, I nourish and I reward¡­." The hall god said as Rocky felt dumbfounded by this revtion.


    " This hall has been established for over 1200 years now. Yet you are the first individual in this timeframe to have endured all six penalties that I have imposed.


    The requirements to enter this hall are quite stringent and dependent on age and strength.


    If you are too old and have a mature mind you cannot enter and the same goes if you are a floor 25 or higher climber.


    Most individuals entering this hall have a weak mind that has not opened to the realities of the tower.


    Most cannot even suffer for six months in return for exceptional rewards that can alter their entire life¡­.. However, you are different¡­" The hall god said as he appreciated Rocky and his mental fortitude.


    " The nature of penalties that I impose depends on the nature of the individual receiving the penalty.


    My intention is to steer them in the right direction so that they can grow from their misfortune, but most can''t do so.


    The reason behind why I apud your stay here is because apart from enduring the penalties, you have grown here as a swordsman, as an individual and as a champion.


    Achieving growth, that''s not linked to your final rewards at all" The hall god said as Rocky bowed politely at hispliments.


    "Since you have aplished your end of the bargain. It''s now time for me to fulfill mine.


    Since the rewards I have promised require me to perform a gene unlock procedure and mana sea expansion, I will have to knock you unconscious to make it painless.


    I understand your desire to leave this hall immediately, however, you will need to stay here for a few more hours to receive all your rewards¡­." The hall god said as Rocky nodded his head in understanding.


    "I''m not impatient anymore, please take your time, I understand" Rocky said, as the Hall God snapped his fingers and Rocky fell unconscious on the spot.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile back at the university )


    "The mid-term evaluation for the survival ss will start this Sunday. This is an individual exercise and will affect your final grades.


    You are supposed to prepare your own bags for this event, so prepare thoroughly-" Principal Liam instructed before dismissing his ss.


    Once all the students left, the only ones left within his lecture hall were Sophia, Erin and Buhara as today''s lecture marked 3 months of Rocky''s absence, which was the promised date of his return.


    "What? What do you three want?" Asked Liam sounding annoyed as while Erin and Buhara were here for the first time, Sophia had been pestering him about the same thing again and again for the past three months.


    "Where is Rocky? It''s been three months now, just where is he?" Sophia asked rather aggressively as Liam broke into a dangerous smile.


    "Well, if he''s not here yet, he will be here tomorrow, hahaha, that brat''s done it!!¡­.. I wonder just how much he has changed in three months¡­.. should be fun-" Liam said, as he did not respond to Sophia''s questions directly but rather gave an ominous response.

 Chapter 90: Rewards (1)

    ( The snake-men ancestral chamber, the rewards room )


    After Rocky was knocked out cold, Nubi in her hall god form carried Rocky to the rewards room where she ced him on an intricately carved mana table and connected various ancient devices to every major nerve in his body.


    "A pure blooded human¡­. What a lucky boy, what ridiculous odds for him to be pure even after the tower has been on his for thousands of years" Nubi murmured to herself as she began the process of unlocking Rocky''stent DNA potential.


    Rocky was a pure blood human. Having only human DNA in his ancestry, which was extremely rare in the modern day and age.


    In this universe where the tower existed since the beginning of time, all the myriad different races interacted with each other since time immemorial and the concept of pure bloodlines had be blurred since ages.


    Across the cosmos, every species naturally underwent the processes of evolution and mutation, each at its own pace.


    This variability in evolutionary rates wasrgely dictated by environmental conditions and the species'' ability to adapt and thrive within their respective habitats.


    Among these varied life forms, humans were widely recognized as a single species, yet they disyed significant gic diversity.


    Even on Earth, while everyone looked like a normal human, if tested for gic make-up.


    Rocky''s best friend Adam would be 0.2% Elven, while Taylor would be 0.3% beastman.


    This diversity stemmed from geographical origins and the presence of mixed ancestry, yet despite these variations, humans shared fundamental characteristics with other bipedal species, including having two legs, two arms, two eyes, one mouth, and a highly evolved brain.


    These traits weremon across bipedal beings such as elves, orcs, goblins, and humans, highlighting a shared biological heritage.


    In the modern era, these hybrid ancestries blurred traditional racial boundaries. Some appeared distinctly different from any recognized major race, while others blended in seamlessly, making racial distinctions increasingly difficult to define.


    Rocky, standing as a pure-blood human in an era dominated by mixed ancestries, represented a unique gic blueprint in modern times.


    His 100% human gic makeup, devoid of any interspecies traits, positioned him as a rarity and highlighted a distinct path of evolutionary potential inherent within the human genome.


    "With not a lot of different racial DNA to take care of, his body can be unlocked to its full potential...¡­ I was right to offer this reward for him¡­.. he''s the perfect recipient" Nubi said to herself as she began the genome unlock procedure.


    Human DNA, in its pure form, had considerable room for evolutionary advancement.


    The rtively short evolutionary history of humans,pared to other species, suggested that the human genome was far from reaching its developmental zenith.


    This untapped gic potential had the most visible improvement in areas such as:-


    1. [ Enhanced Cognitive Abilities ]


    The human brain, alreadyplex and capable of remarkable feats, was capable of evolving to have even greater processing power, memory retention, and problem-solving capabilities.


    For Rocky, this meant that he could have a near perfect recall from now onwards, being able to memorize everything written on a piece of paper even if he nced at it even once.


    2. [ Superior Vision ]


    Genome Evolution could refine human eyesight beyond its current limitations, potentially including the ability to see a broader spectrum of light.


    For Rocky, this meant that he had improved night vision, improved color contrast distinction and a stronger eye muscle that would not be strained even if used to focus on a very tiny object for extended periods of time.


    3. [ Increased Physical Strength and Endurance ]


    The Human muscle and bone density had room to evolve and be much stronger, allowing for greater physical feats of strength and endurance.


    For Rocky, this meant that the racial limit of strength was blown apart for him.


    If before training for two hours increased the strength of his muscles from being able to lift 2 kg to 2.2kg, the same amount of training would now give him the improvement of going from 2 to 2.4 kg in strength.


    Not only could he add on muscle faster, but the muscle quality and character had been improved as well.


    4. [ Enhanced Resistance to Poisons ]


    The human race was too weak against poisons and had no natural protections against them, however, after undergoing evolution, Rocky had a robust natural defense to poisons.


    5. [ Longevity and Aging ]


    Just like vampires who could live a healthy life for 250-300 years and Elves who could live for up to 400.


    Humans also had the untapped potential to live a longer and healthier life even if they never reached godhood.


    For Rocky, after undergoing genome enhancement, his natural speed of aging reduced drastically, allowing him to mention his looks and bodily prime for longer.


    6. [ Environmental Adaptability ] :


    Rocky after undergoing the genome enhancement had the ability to now tolerate extreme temperatures or breathe in lower oxygen conditions.


    7. [ Enhanced Mana Sensitivity ]


    The human race''s sensitivity to mana was pretty trash.


    Sensing the flow of mana within one''s body was hard for humans but it came naturally to more evolved species like angels and elves.


    For Rocky, this sense was now enhanced as with his newfound sensitivity he could understand spells and the mana around him with more precision.


    8. [ Enhanced sensory sensitivity ]


    Everything, from the sense of taste, sound, spatial awareness was enhanced for Rocky, with his ears bing as keep as that of a dog, his pte improving, being able to discern every ingredient of a dish he ate and his spatial awareness using sound also receiving a major upgrade.


    ¡ª-------


    While these seemed like minor changes when viewed immediately, the most important change for Rocky was having his ceiling of growth removed.


    A tier4 average human would always be weaker than a tier4 average dragon because of racial factors, however, that would no longer be true for Rocky.


    After undergoing this procedure Rocky was poised to improve his constitution dramatically as he trained and gained strength.


    His skin could now potentially be as hard as dragon scales, his vitality could surpass that of angels while his muscle quality could be such that at tier4 he could have strength akin to that of tier6 normal human gods.


    Evolved from his base form to bing a [ Perfected Human ] Rocky now possessed the potential to reach the pinnacle of the human race.


    While whether or not he could reach it remained up to him, he now had the chance to transcend beyond his limiters and be faster, stronger and more intelligent than any human in the history of the tower.


    "Phew- , that''s one reward having been distributed, time to improve his mana circuit and mana pool next-" Nubimented as afterpleting his genome enhancement procedure, she immediately moved onwards to the next reward, trying to give Rocky a massive mana pool that was not supposed to be found in a floor 4 climber like himself.


    ¡ª----------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Cervantez91, please thank him in thements for the same.


    Also, if you''re enjoying this book, please take a moment and drop a review, it will really help me out a lot if you can do so- ///

 Chapter 91: Rewards (2)

    When Rocky woke back up, he found himself lying on a weird operation table as his entire body felt extremely sore. MVLeMpYr-reader


    "You have woken up? Good-" Nubi said in her womanly form as Rocky groggily got back up to his feet.


    Although he was feeling sore all over his body, he was also feeling much differentpared to before.


    His height seemed to have increased by a few inches and his body shape had changed considerably.


    His shoulders were much widerpared to before and his waist had widened too but not nearly as much as his shoulders.


    He had defined abbs on the front, however, he even had the devil''s abbs on his back as every single muscle in his body seemed to be bulging out and pronounced.


    Although he felt fatigued, Rocky could sense the enhanced strength within his muscles as well as the improved cognitive abilities of his brain and senses.


    He could hear sounds much more clearly than before, he could see colors and depth of colors that he previously could not while his sense of smell and taste were also much more exaggerated than before.


    "Is this my new unlocked body?" Rocky wondered as he took a moment to appreciate the changes he had undergone.


    Since he lost his vision, Rocky spent a lot of time exploring his body, the flow of mana within it and the myriad different senses that he could feel until he lost his sense of touch.


    Immediately Rocky could make out his increased touch sensitivity as whether it was the flow of blood in his veins or the flow of mana in his mana circuit he could feel them both much more acutelypared to before as he seemed to have gained a different level of sensitivity and precision over his senses aspared to before.


    "What is this feeling? Why do I feel so¡­. Alive?" Rocky wondered as Nubi smiled standing in the far corner as she allowed Rocky to explore the changes in his own body himself.


    As of now, Nubi had distributed Rocky two of his six promised rewards.


    The increased mana pool and sensitivity and his racial unlock.


    Just by these two enhancements alone Rocky was poised to be one of the fastest growing talents in the entire tower, however, this wasn''t all, as there were still many more important rewards for Rocky to im.


    "Can you please tell me more about this new body? It''s amazing" Rocky said, as he looked towards Nubi for some answers as the snake-woman smiled kindly at the question.


    "Everything is improved in your body, down to thest cell.


    Your red blood cells can now carry more oxygen, your muscles now produce lowerctic acid, increasing stamina, your vitality has improved, poison immunity improved, bone structure improved, muscle quality improved, sensory enhancements, memory enhancements¡­.. everything is better" Nubi said, as Rocky found his jaw dropping open at this revtion.


    He could feel that his body was much differentpared to before, however, he never thought the change would be so pronounced.


    "Wow-" he said in awe as he thanked Nubi with a grateful nod.


    "The body of yours is like that of a newborn. Imagine the difference in strength between your newborn self and your current self, that''s the kind of difference this body is capable of bridging with nothing but normal training.


    Even if you don''t climb more floors and just train at the university, you can get much stronger through natural training alone.


    So don''t think your current form is it, it''s just a starting point while the ceiling is the sky" Nubi exined as although Rocky had experienced improvements across the board, this was far from his true potential.


    When Rocky heard Nubi say this was like a newborns form, that was when he was truly blown away as if this was just the starting point then he could not even imagine what his body would be like when it matured fully.


    "Now for your other rewards¡­.." Nubi said, as she brought out a tray with three distinct items ced on it.


    "First pick up the skill scroll I''ve brought for you and read it" Nubi instructed as Rocky opened the scroll first.


    ¡ª----


    [ Aura Eyes ] ( Lost Art ) - A lost art of the snake-men progenitor that allowed him to notice the aura of individuals around him.


    Different aura colors represent different feelings, the full knowledge is given below-


    ¡ª-----


    As Rocky opened the skill scroll, he learnt the skill move Aura Eyes, which was a lost art in this day and age.


    The scroll transferred all the relevant knowledge into Rocky''s brain before burning off as it also ced a seal in Rocky''s brain to prevent him from sharing the knowledge of this art to others.


    "With this reward you can now notice what other people truly feel towards you.


    Unless the gap between yourself and your target is toorge, this skill won''t fail you, as although one may lie to you when interacting with you, if you can read their aura, you won''t ever be misguided.


    In this world where choosing your allies is difficult, this skill will be the most useful for you" Nubi said as Rocky activated the skill and tried to observe his own and Nubi''s aura.


    While his own aura seemed like a white hue, he could not notice any auraing from Nubi''s body at all as the strength difference between them was toorge.


    Nheless, Rocky was extremely grateful for this reward as with this he could at least discern what colleagues his age truly felt for him.


    "While you won''t be able to read the aura of Gemini Gods with this skill, my advice for you would be to trust them more Rocky, in this world, they need you more than you need them, they won''t sabotage your growth no matter what" Nubi said as Rocky felt weird when she said that the Gemini Gods needed him more than he needed them, however, he decided to trust her words.


    "Next pick up the pendant" Nubi instructed as Rocky picked up the pendant ced in the tray.


    ¡ª-----


    [ rity Pendant ] (????) - No matter the situation, this pendant will help the user maintain a clear state of mind.


    -Eliminates all probability of being immobilized by fear.


    -Eliminates all probability of falling under illusion magic under tier6.


    ¡ª------


    Rocky equipped the pendant and immediately felt his state of mind improve as his line of thought became much more focused and linear.


    If before his thoughts were haphazard and random, Rocky now felt them bing more stable and linear as he felt like he was in a perpetual state of post nut rity.


    "My initial promise to you was to fix your personality ws, however, over the past 90 days you have rectified them yourself, so I''m instead giving you this pendant that will help you maintain a clear head.


    It''s an invaluable treasure, so don''t trade it for any amount of money because the benefits it brings you are more than what any amount of money can buy.


    Also, maintaining a clear sense of mind doesn''t mean you won''t feel emotional fluctuations, you still would, however, you won''t be swept away with your emotions and will always maintain your ability to make rational choices" Nubi said as Rocky immediately understood the importance of this pendant.


    It was indeed a priceless treasure, one that would help him always make the best choice possible in whatever scenario he found himself in.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Today will be a 4 chapters mass release day, for all the gifts that have been showered by esteemed patrons.


    This is chapter 1 of 4 ////

 Chapter 92: Rewards (3)

    "Now open the envelope I''m going to present you with-" Nubi said as she presented Rocky with an envelope containing information about Riva.


    As Rocky opened the envelope, instead of looking at letters like he expected he would, he was instead teleported inside the envelope, dragged to witness a scene that looked like the future.


    ************


    Rocky found himself staring at a battlefield, where a future image of him stood alongside Erin, Buhara, Sophia and the True Elite Guild members as the group seemed to be fighting against a beast tide.


    "No mercy¡­.. they are holding Riva within that castle, today we burn down that damned castle and Perseus alongside it.


    Today we bring back our own!" Karna shouted as the elites cheered and charged headfirst into the beast-tide.


    ¡ª----- scene change ¡ª------


    The scenery around Rocky shifted and he found himself inside the castle walls with death and destruction all around him.


    It seemed to be the aftermath of that same battle as it seemed as if the elites had managed to infiltrate into the castle and were on the verge of defeating the Olympian forces.


    *Shing*


    *Shing*


    *Shing*


    Perseus was locked in a two versus one battle against Neatwit and Karna, however, he did not seem to be pushed back at all.


    Holding his ground firmly he was fighting against two of humanity''s strongest warriors alone.


    "Rocky no!!!" A scream entered Rocky''s ears as his attention was drawn towards Riva.


    She was being held captive, d in iron chains and guarded by hooded men, as although she was physically present in the battlefield, it seemed as if she was only present there as bait.


    She seemed to be okay, a little frail in health but okay as she cried tears as she looked towards her brother on the battlefield.


    As Rocky followed her line of sight, he found himself bleeding profusely on the battlefield as hooded men, like those that guarded Sophia, seemed to carry him on their shoulders.


    Erin, Buhara and Sophia were nowhere to be found on the battlefield and despite the best efforts of the Elites around Rocky to save him, they couldn''t stop Rocky from being kidnapped as well.


    "We have the champion, time to teleport out-" said one of the hooded men, as after bringing Rocky alongside Sophia, the hooded men activated a mass teleportation spell and bailed out of the battlefield.


    "My lord, it''s time to run-" said one of Perseus''s underlings as a wicked smile spread on Perseus''s face.


    With substitute fighters filling in for him, Perseus began his escape as thest thing Rocky saw in the vision was a massive asteroid the size of fifty football fields descending upon the battlefield with only the elites and the struggling forces of the Olympian left on the ground.


    ************


    *GASP*


    Rocky gasped heavily as he felt the scorching heat of the asteroid still burning his face, as he felt his heart go cold at the scene he witnessed.


    "This was a fate envelope, whatever you witnessed inside was for you and you alone, so don''t tell me or anyone anything about it.


    If you speak about what you witnessed, it can alter fate big-time, so don''t take such a risk" Nubi warned seriously, as Rocky nodded his head.


    While the future he witnessed was extremely disturbing, he did not intend on revealing it to anyone.


    "For your final reward, the ace in your hole, now that you have witnessed the future, I''ll allow you to pick one of these three skills" Nubi said as she presented Rocky with a choice of three skill scrolls for his final reward.


    ¡ª------


    [ Space Lock ] - Prevents any spatial teleportation spells from manifesting within a certain range.


    Can be used to prevent enemy escape.


    ¡ª------


    [ Blink ] - Instant Teleportation skill that allows you to traverse a distance of up to 20 meters once every 10 minutes.


    ¡ª-------


    [ Damage Reversal ] - Reverse all damage and wounds received to you during the skill active duration on to your opponent.


    Activation time - 5 seconds.


    Skill Active time - 15 seconds.


    Maximum possible damage transfer - 80% of total HP.


    ¡ª------


    Nubi presented Rocky with three very good skill moves that could be his hidden ace in the future.


    All three moves, if used correctly, could help him get out of a tough jam, however, Rocky could only choose one of the three.


    Had he not witnessed the vision that he just did, Rocky would have undoubtedly chosen [ Blink ] as his move choice.


    Not only could he use the move multiple times during a prolonged battle, it had a lot more practical usepared to [ Damage Reversal ] and [ Space Lock ], however, because he had seen the vision of the decisive floor battle on floor 21, Rocky went with a different choice.


    "I want to learn space lock-" Rocky dered as Nubi handed over the space lock scroll to him and allowed Rocky to memorize that move.


    Once Rocky opened the skill scrolls all the knowledge of that move was passed down to Rocky as with it his rewards distribution waspleted.


    "Myst piece of advice for you is to keep your hidden move hidden until the opportune moment.


    The element of surprise only works once-" Nubi advised as Rocky nodded his head and thanked her for everything.


    "With this, I havepleted my end of the bargain, you are now free to leave this ancestral hall, Sir Rocky, Champion Of Gemini" Nubi said with a smile on her face as Rocky walked over to her and gave her a tight hug in a move that surprised Nubi.


    "Thankyou for everything, especially for feeding me and taking care of me. In this dark ce, you were the light that helped keep me going" Rocky said in a sincere voice as Nubi was taken aback by this sudden disy of emotion.


    For a moment she stood still but eventually she smiled and hugged Rocky back.


    "While I won''t be able to track your journey, I do hope that you do seed in life" Nubi said, as Rocky gave her a confident smile and waved her goodbye.


    **********


    ( Outside the ancestral chamber )


    As Rocky walked outside the ancestral chamber, Nagini stood there alongside a few snake-men guards with their weapons drawn.


    "Who are you? State your name and favorite food" Nagini said sternly as Rocky threw his hands in the air and said "I''m Rocky, Champion Of Gemini and my favorite food is instant ramen"


    Rocky''s voice was calm and his eyes looked rational as Nagini drew the conclusion that Rocky had walked out with a sane mind.


    "Lower your weapons" she ordered her men as the snake-men around her sheathed their swords.


    *Sigh*


    Letting out a deep sigh, Nagini smiled softly.


    "Thankgod you''re sane, Floor Master Kartikeya threatened to kill me if you did not walk out with your sanity intact, hahaha" Naginiughed as Rocky did not find this threat funny at all.


    "So he gave you what you wanted?" Rocky asked as Nagini shook her head.


    "Not yet, but we have a verbal deal in ce. Now that you walked out sane, I think I''ll get what I wanted" Nagini replied as things seemed to have worked well for her as well.


    "So, how was the experience inside?" Nagini asked, hoping to hear Rocky rant, however, Rocky only smiled cheerfully as he made an O.K. sign with his hand.


    "Excellent-" he said, as his cheerful response shocked both Nagini and the guards around her.


    Usually everyone who emerged from the ancestral chamber even if they were saneined a lot about how tough it was, however, Rocky was different.


    "You''re indeed that mad guy''s student. No question about it" Nagini said with a smile, as she felt truly happy that things ended on such a positive note.


    ¡ª-----------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Allcat_Gaming, please thank him in thements for the same.


    Mass release chapter 2/4 for the day! ///

 Chapter 93: The letter

    ( Saturday, After sses )


    "Alright, this is it, I''ve had enough of the idiot principal and his excuses. Today is day 91 of Rocky''s absence, but he''s still not here yet¡­." Sophia said, sounding rtively angry.


    "Well, we should wait till dinner time today, we already pestered Principal Liam after ss yesterday, I don''t think it''s wise to bother him again" Erin said as he opposed the idea of getting on the bad side of the unstable principal.


    "Ohe on Erin, grow a spine¡­. Isn''t Rocky your best friend?" Sophia said angrily as she had enough of Erin and his cold attitude towards her.


    "What do you think, Sir Buhara? What should we do?" asked Erin as both Sophia and Erin looked towards him expectantly.


    Buhara did not have the quickest of wits, he was an honest guy who could feel emotions as well as humans, however, when it came to higher intellect, Buhara struggled slightly in that area.


    Leaving decisions to him wasn''t the optimal choice in any situation, however, stuck between Erin and Sophia, he was the only one with the power to mediate.


    "Buhara has to pack bags for tomorrow''s mid semester. Buhara abstains from voting" said Buhara as his decision shocked both Erin and Sophia.


    Surprisingly Buhara had taken the smart way out of this situation, however, whether it was by design or whether it was just an idental choice remained unknown.


    "Well I should help you I guess and we should also collectively pack a bag for Sir Rocky in case he returns tonight" Erin said, as Sophia sighed in exasperation.


    The family''s pressure to locate Rocky''s whereabouts had now gone over her head so much so that her failure to locate him was negating all the merits she had built up by taking a dagger to her chest.


    In thest letter she received, her brother openly stated his frustrations with Sophia and urged her to do better.


    "I can''t believe you guys, I''m going to go confront principal Liam, with or without you guys" Sophia said as she mmed the bench she was sitting on and stood up from her seat in anger.


    "Don''t bother me you mad woman, Rocky Yadav is back already" said a familiar voice as when Sophia turned she saw a frowning principal Liam walking towards her with Rocky in tow.


    "Sir Rocky!"


    "Puny human?"


    "Rocky-"


    Said Erin, Buhara and Sophia as the three were shocked to see the change in Rocky''s physique.


    Rocky was taller now, his legs were thicker, his muscles were rippling and he looked more like a barbarian than a human.


    Buhara was confused on whether or not he could call Rocky a puny human anymore as Rocky''s height had surpassed the seven feet mark, allowing him to tower above the group just like Buhara.


    While not fully orc size yet, Rocky was not small like most humans either which was why Buhara felt confused as to what he should call him.


    "Wow Sir Rocky, you look much more handsome and strong than before" Erin said as heplimented Rocky with a heartyugh.


    "No Erin, you seem to have undergone more changes than me- by Gemini, you definitely seem like you have been working out hard" Rocky said as Erin seemed to have undergone a huge transformation himself.


    The first time that Rocky met Erin, he was indistinguishable from a flower girl with not an ounce of muscle visible on his body.


    However, something seemed to have changed in the past three months as Erin seemed to have put on some real muscle as he looked more like a proper adolescent boy now.


    "Haha, no, no I''m nothingpared to you, YOU Sir Rocky are the real deal" he said while blushing like a red tomato, as although he had grown stronger, his personality did not seem to have changed at all.


    "What the hell happened to you?" Sophia asked, looking at Rocky''s body in awe as Rocky smiled softly at her.


    "Nothing much, I underwent some secret training thanks to principal Liam" Rocky said as principal Liam clicked his tongue in regret.


    "I don''t understand why he''s so calm, I fully expected him to return as a whiny bit**, he''spletely ruined my fun" Liamined as he did not even try to hide the fact that he was disappointed that Rocky did note back slightly insane.


    "So where have you been all these days?" Sophia asked as Rocky looked into her eyes and for a moment paused calmly.


    "Like I said, I''ve been at a secret ce training¡­..does it matter tho? I''m back now ain''t I?" Rocky said as Sophia grit her teeth hard, trying to prevent herself from frowning.


    chapter-hosted-on-MVLeMpYr


    First principal Liam would not tell her anything and now Rocky did the same.


    She was beyond frustrated by this duo.


    "Sir Rocky, are you hungry? There is good food today at the canteen¡­." Erin suggested, as Rocky perked up at the idea.


    "Oh you have no idea how hungry I am Erin, I''m practically starving, hahaha" Rocky said as he put his arm around Erin''s shoulder and Buhara''s waist, dragging the duo to the canteen as Sophia begrudgingly followed from behind.


    ************


    ( A few moments ago )


    Before meeting up with Erin, Buhara and Sophia, Rocky first showed up at the school teleportation centre and went to principal Liam''s office to report to him that he was back.


    "There is a letter for you, student Rocky, please collect it before you go-" the teleportation hall clerk told Rocky as he received the letter sent to him by guildmaster Karna.


    [ Dear Rocky,


    We have apprehended Joe with the help of an unknown individual and have discovered a piece of very concerning news through his interrogation.


    It appears as if Sophia, Sister of floor master Perseus and Champion of Poseidon has been sent to the university of nourishment for young talents to attend the same batch as you and win over your trust.


    Her intentions may appear pure, but we can assure you they are everything but pure.


    Please beware of her


    From the True Elite Guild,


    Written on behalf of guildmaster, by your aunt Amelia. ]


    Rocky''s smile on having returned to the university immediately turned into a frown as he read this letter.


    On one hand he received the good news of traitor Joe having been apprehended, however, on the other hand he received the news of Sophia potentially deceiving him.


    While he did not wish to jump to conclusions yet, since he witnessed Sophia being stabbed before his very own eyes, Rocky did not take this warning lightly either.


    Having gained the ability to see through an individual''s aura, Rocky wanted to verify what Sophia felt towards him personally as he walked towards the principal''s cabin with a rity of mind on what he wanted to do next.


    ************


    ( Present moment )


    Rocky observed the aura of Erin, Buhara and Sophia towards him, upon his return.


    Buhara and Erin had a dark green aura when they saw him, which signified friendship and positivity.


    They weren''t faking their joy, those two were genuinely happy to see him and genuinely happy that he had grown stronger.


    Sophia on the other hand had the jealous yellow aura when she first saw Rocky return which turned to blood red when he refused to answer her query.


    ''Red¡­. The colour of murderous intent'' Rocky thought as he shook his head and wrapped his arms around his two friends.


    There was no reason for him to show hostility to Sophia now, since she was convinced of their friendship.


    However, now that Rocky knew about her true intentions, he was not going to fall into her tricks in the future.


    Instead, he was going to be the one manipting her now¡­. From today, he was going to be the one who would y the game.


    ¡ª---------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Rippin, please thank him in thements for the same.


    Bonus Chapter 3 of 4 for the day! Let''s go- ///

 Chapter 94: Rockys Return

    ( The university cafeteria )


    From the moment Rocky entered the university cafeteria all eyes were immediately drawn to him.


    The crowd''s eyes were trained on him not only because of his improved physique and stature, but his overall aura.


    He did everything too calmly. Whether it was moving, whether it was talking. There was not one wasted movement about him, not one frantic gesture.


    He waspletely inmand of himself and the energy around him and this captivated the attention of all those around him.


    In this university where everyone was anxious, where everyone was self conscious, Rocky somehow seemed aloof, as if he was above these basic things.


    "So what did I miss?" Rocky asked his friends as he began slowly biting into the delicious food in front of him.


    ''Mmhmm ....Food¡­. This tastes great'', Rocky thought internally as he enjoyed the sensation of having his belly filled with warm food again as he relished every bite that he took.


    "Oh boy, where even to start-" Erin said excitedly as he began narrating all the important events that took ce at the university during Rocky''s absence.


    Erin started by giving Rocky a rough recap of every ss and what had been covered so far.


    In the monster weakness ss, they had learnt weaknesses of monsters that could show up uptil floor 30 and were now starting to learn about the weaknesses of moreplex monster types such as poisoned archaic spiders and undead bone dragons.


    In the battle strategy and leadership ss they had learnt about many historical battles and many group battle strategies.


    They had learnt some popr defensive strategies for groups of 3¡­4¡­5 uptil 10 and had even learnt about mass strategies and war.


    Recently they had started to explore the use of traps, curses and inscriptions in making strategies and the lectures had gotten very interesting.


    In the power dynamics and history of the tower ss, they had learnt about all the various prominent factions present in the tower and what floors were controlled by what factions.


    The most important point was how certain treasures and resources could only be found on certain floors of the tower and hence were monopolised resources that were not avable on the open market.


    This was the reason behind some alchemical potions having sky high prices and why controlling floors and resources was important for every faction.


    In the survival ss, principal Liam had taught them many things about what sorts of fruits to eat in the wild, what sorts of monsters to avoid, how to apply first aid and more.


    ording to Erin his sses were the best nned amongst all other professors and was the lecture that he did not dare miss even once.


    Finally, Sophia revealed to Rocky the progress of the practicalbat ss and the swordsmanship ss, as once Rocky soaked in all the information, he felt that he was still a little ahead of the masses in these two courses, while he had a lot of catching up to do for the rest.


    "Most importantly Sir Rocky, everyone has climbed uptil floor 9 and after the mid-term survival test starting tomorrow, everyone will try their first major floor run" Erin revealed, as Rocky''s eyes widened in surprise at this piece of news.


    "Everyone''s already climbed uptil floor 9? Also what mid term survival test?" Rocky asked in surprise, as Erin began to exin what it was.


    From tomorrow for uptil a week, all students were going to be taken to an unknown ce on floor zero and would be forced to survive in the wild for 7 days.


    There were points for survival, finding water, finding food, finding shelter as well as killing monsters.


    This was going to be a majorponent of the annual evaluation and everyone had to mandatorily participate.


    "Although we are not sure if you are going to be forced to participate as well or not, we were nning to pack a survival bag for you, just in case you came" Erin said, as Rocky rubbed his chin and nodded.


    "Yeah, I don''t think I''m going to receive any more special treatment from Principal Liam, I''m definitely going to have to participate as well" Rocky said as heposedly epted his fate of being thrust into a survival situation a few hours after his return to civilization.


    "What is the expected difficulty level? And what are the rewards for getting first prize?" Rocky asked curiously and Sophia was the one to answer.


    "The expected difficulty level is not much, they definitely don''t want students to die, also the reward for getting first prize is getting a weapon of your choice being forged by a master craftsman or interning with one for a week depending on your choice" Sophia said as Rocky nodded his head and smiled amiably towards her.


    "Although the expected difficulty is not much, you must prepare well¡­.Sophia.


    You never know who would target you, so, I hope you prepare life saving treasures in advance.


    Also I think you should stick close to myself, Erin and Buhara¡­.. that way you can be assured that we have your back" Rocky said as Sophia blushed slightly at his charming smile and disy of concern.


    ''He''s worried about me¡­'' she thought, feeling her heart flutter slightly as some of her anger towards Rocky subsided.


    "That doesn''t seem like a bad idea¡­" she said, as in the first ce she too wanted to stick close to Rocky herself. experience-NovelFire-content


    "Alright then, it''s settled, we prepare for the mid-term assessment and we try to stick together during it" Rocky said as all three of his friends nodded their heads in agreement.


    "Although it''s an individual evaluation, I don''t think sticking together will be too bad either, we can always share the kills" Erin added as a consensus seemed to have been reached.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Rippin, please thank him in thements for the same.


    Mass release chapter - 4 of 4, that''s it from my side. ///

 Chapter 95: Rockys new mentality

    ( The university teleportation hall, Sunday )


    As instructed by Principal Liam, every student gathered near the teleportation area of the university at 6am sharp in the morning.


    Everyone seemed to have prepared their survival backpacks and seemed to be ready for the uing mid-term evaluation.


    *Murmurs*


    *Whispers*


    *Gazes*


    Rocky, and his group seemed to be the centre of everyone''s attention as although they stood in an isted corner, everyone kept murmuring about them and turning their gazes towards Rocky.


    Because of his prolonged absence, some expected Rocky to be admonished by the professors upon his return, while many assumed that he had been kicked out all together.


    However, seeing him return and standing ever so calmly, gave rise to many conspiracy theories which were the hot topic of discussion this morning.


    (Jealous)


    (Happy)


    (Angry)


    (Hatred)


    (Crush)


    (Neutral)


    (Happy)


    (Jealous)


    (Neutral)


    Scanning the crowd using his aura skill, Rocky could immediately tell what everyone was feeling towards him.


    He did not need to judge their facial expressions, he did not need to guess what they were talking about in hushed voices, as reading the colour of their aura alone, Rocky could understand what they felt towards him.


    ''Hmmm¡­''


    A soft smile spread on Rocky''s face as instead of worrying about why so many people disliked him, or why so many people had deep set hatred towards him, Rocky chose to smile calmly.


    During his istion he hade to realise that public opinion was not something he could control and was hence something he had no point worrying about.


    Could their hatred kill him?


    If they acted on it, yes¡­..


    However, the best Rocky could do was to be guard against such people and not trust them, but he couldn''t forcefully change them.


    Rocky understood that if he went about trying to change the hate inside people, he would truly risk losing his sanity as regardless of what he did, there were always going to be people who disliked him.


    What he felt surprised about was that there were a few people in the crowd, roughly 10-15%, who were genuinely happy to see him return.


    While Rocky was not sure as to why they liked him-, he was happy to know that there were at least a few people who liked him for his personality.


    A majority of the crowd, however, felt indifferent towards Rocky.


    They were either jealous of his talents or did not have any strong feelings towards him, as these people constituted nearly 60-70% of the crowd.


    While they gazed towards him and talked about him, they weren''t really emotionally connected or invested in him as it was only after using this skill that Rocky realised that he wasn''t as big of a deal as he thought he was.


    He was popr because he was the Champion of Gemini, however, not everyone was obsessed with every move he made. Arge portion of the crowd just did not care about him, and it was only today that he realised this fact.


    ''Hahaha, I was truly naive before, everyone has their own lives to live. Not everything is about me 24x7'' Rocky thought as his soft smile widened and he nodded.


    ''Nubi was right, the biggest w in the previous me was indeed my conceited personality.


    exclusive-to-NovelFire


    Spending time within the chamber has shifted my mentality big time'' Rocky thought as he silently enjoyed this new worldview he had developed.


    Shaking his head, Rocky couldn''t help butpare his current self to the person he was before his disappearance. He remembered times when the slightest hint of disapproval or jealousy would set him on edge, leading to sleepless nights filled with doubt and self-criticism.


    However, he now viewed those whispered judgments and envious stares not as personal attacks, but as reflections of the insecurities and challenges his peers faced in their own lives.


    This shift in perspective allowed him to feel a deeper sense ofpassion towards them, even those who harboured negativity in their hearts leading to his smile deepening, not out of ignorance, but from a profound understanding that true strength lies in empathy and the ability to remain unwavering in the face of adversity.


    Would he befriend such people?


    No-


    However, would he take them seriously?


    Absolutely not!


    "Human, why are youughing to yourself, it looks very disturbing to Buhara" said Buhara as Rocky immediately checked his wide grin and returned towards maintaining a poker face.


    "Human, your expressionless face is more ugly than your smiling face, I change my decision, you should smile more-" said Buhara as Erin tried to hit him in the abdomen using his elbow.


    "Ouch" Erin groaned as in trying to hurt Buhara the only thing Erin did was hurt his own elbow as Buhara remained unaffected by his puny attack.


    "Are you trying to tickle me, little human?" Buhara asked Erin who made a helpless face towards Rocky, begging for his help.


    However, before Rocky had the chance to intervene, it was Principal Liam who addressed the ss.


    "Alright students, may I have your attention?" He asked in a rather groggy voice as it seemed like amand more than a request.


    "Do well on your mid-term evaluation, do your best to survive, do your best to kill monsters and put all the knowledge you have been learning to use.


    Life within the tower will get harder and harder the higher you climb so even though you might feel like learning these basics are useless, someday you will thank me for them.


    That said¡­.. try not to die under any circumstances, use the emergency teleport button to reach the university grounds immediately.


    Floor zero is usually very safe and even the monsters you will face should not exceed the danger level of floor 7.


    If in spite of all this, anyone of you does end up dead, do understand that I''ll torment your soul forever¡­.. that is my promise" Liam said, as he issued a rather chilling warning for all students.


    On his first day at the university, Rocky felt like Professor Liam was slightly entric, however, the more he got to know him, the more he realised that this man was not just entric but he was literally on the verge of losing his sanity.


    Professor Liam did not choose to be this way, and although he seemed heartless, Rocky understood better than anyone the sort of demons he must be battling for his personality to have be such.


    "Alright, into the teleportation portal you go!


    Go- go- go-


    Also remember, this is an individual evaluation, so kill points will only be given to one student even if you hunt in groups!


    So be greedy... the reward this time is pretty good if you ask me!" Liam said as the teleportation gate roared to life.


    "Alright, let''s head in-" Rocky said, as he joined the queue alongside his friends to enter, while nodding politely at Principal Liam when he passed him.


    "You especially, don''t die¡­.. while floor zero is safe for everyone else, I''m not so sure about you and her" Principal Liam said as Rocky shed him the emergency escape token and smiled.


    "I''ve learnt my lesson principal, escape tokens should always be on me¡­. Never in the bag" Rocky said as Principal Liam nodded in acknowledgement.


    Rocky had indeed improved since hisst outing roughly 4.5 months ago.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Apologies for uploading only a single chapter today although a bonus is pending.


    But I''ll make it up tomorrow morning early for sure! ///

 Chapter 96: Lack Of Information

    ( The mid-term survival test, Unknown forest area, Floor Zero )


    As Rocky stepped out of the teleportation gate, he emerged with his peers into a small clearing, encircled by dense forests.


    Unlike the rest of his batch, who promptly began their quest for gathering evaluation points, Rocky hesitated, absorbing the new environment, when Sophia approached him with an inquiry.


    "So, what''s the n, Rocky?" she asked and in response, Rocky offered a nomittal shrug and gestured towards Erin and Buhara, indicating that they should contribute their thoughts.


    Admitting his recent absence from their training, Rocky openly addressed his friends, "I''ve been out of the loop for months, while you all have kept up with the sses. Given our current predicament, what do you think our next move should be?"


    Despite Rocky''s recent absence from team activities, Erin and Buhara continued to regard him as their de facto leader.


    The power dynamic that the three had established in the first month of university still seemed to hold strong, as despite Sophia joining the team, Rocky''s position remained immovable.


    Although Rocky''s influence remained undiminished, he chose not to impose any decisions, understanding the value of deferring to the more informed opinions of his peers.


    This shift from his former, more autocratic leadership style to a more coborative approach marked a significant evolution in his character.


    "Well," Erin began, " as per Principal Liam in a survival scenario, securing a water source precedes all else, followed by the construction of shelter. Our ideal target would be ake or river with potable water, around which we can build individual shelters. Though amunal shelter could be simpler, our project''s guidelines rmend individual constructions to maximise point potential."


    "Once we''ve established our base and secured a water source, we can then focus on hunting monsters and gathering food," Erin concluded,ying out aprehensive n of action.


    Rocky, nodding his head, thought this n made sense, but he waited for either Sophia or Buhara to add anything to this n if they wished to.


    "Sounds good to me-"


    "Buhara is fine with anything"


    The two said as Rocky concluded that the group would go with Erin''s suggestion.


    "So how does one go about finding a water source? Do we just randomly search till we find one or, do we have a n?" Rocky asked as while finding a water source seemed like a good n, it was not specific enough.


    "Well, ording to what Principal Liam has taught us Sir Rocky, there are two ways to find a water source.


    First is to locate a high vantage point and scale it to get a perspective of your nearby surroundings.


    But looking around us, all I see is a dense forest and no clear high vantage point to ess, so we need to take the second method" Erin said, as Rocky listened intently.


    "The second method involves understanding the natural indicators that hint at underground water currents. This method, although less straightforward than observing from a high vantage point, can be remarkably effective if we pay close attention to the environment."


    Rocky leaned in, intrigued by the prospect of applying this nuanced knowledge as Erin borated, "First, we look for certain types of vegetation that thrive only in moist soil, indicating a potential underground water source nearby. Willow trees, reeds, and cattails are prime examples. Their presence is a subtle nod from nature about what lies beneath."


    He paused, allowing the information to sink in, then added, "Next, observe the direction in which thend slopes. Water moves downhill, even underground, so valleys and other low-lying areas are more likely to house streams beneath the surface. Also, look for areas where animals congregate or trails converge. Animals have an instinct for finding water, and their paths often lead to it."


    "Finally, if you continue on the trail of these indicators you should either hear a rivers roar or ake should eventuallye in sight, so we should start looking for such indicators to find water" Erin said, as Rocky patted him on the back for a job well done.


    "I''m d at least one of us has been paying attention to the sses" Rocky said, as while he did not mention Buhara or Sophia, judging by their ashamed expressions Rocky understood that they had not grasped this concept of finding water as well as Erin had.


    "Alright, lead the way Erin, make us proud by finding water" Rocky said as Erin turned flush red from thepliments and the back pats.


    "It''s nothing much, if Sir Rocky was attending the sses we would have already found a water source by now-" Erin said, as he habitually diverted thepliment he received. always-on-NovelFire


    Leading the way, he began looking for signs that could potentially suggest the presence of a water source, as the rest followed behind, learning the knowledge Erin passed on to them.


    ***************


    ( Meanwhile Perseus, floor 21 )


    [ Dear brother,


    Rocky Yadav has returned from his secret training and looks to have changed significantly.


    He is taller, stronger and has an unnatural aura of calmness around him that is most disturbing.


    While I don''t know what exactly he has been up to, I''m going on a mid-term survival assessment alongside him tomorrow and will have the chance to learn more about it then.


    With love,


    Sophia ]


    As Perseus read this letter he felt anger rise through his chest.


    "Father was right, this girl isn''t useful for anything¡­ we were too immature to send her out into the world, she''s clearly not ready" Perseus sighed as he grit his teeth.


    Recently, someone had kidnapped the human Joe who was given sanctuary by him, straight out of the heavily guarded pce.


    The incident caused a major set-back for Perseus as his father admonished him for failing to provide adequate security to a critical asset.


    He had been unable to confirm as to which party took him although it had been weeks since he was kidnapped and with him knowing a lot about their ns, his disappearance put a lot of their future ns in some serious jeopardy.


    "If information about our future ns has beenpromised then we need to pull out our assets and rethink our approach, however, so far we have no knowledge on who kidnapped Joe or who has it" Perseus muttered to himself as he tried to think about who it could have been?


    The True Elites Guild were his prime suspects, those guys wanted Joe more badly than anyone else, however, they did not have a single fighter amongst their ranks who was capable of smuggling Joe from within floor 21 pce undetected.


    Also, if they did have Joe, they were eerily quiet which made Perseus doubt that they had him.


    If they had confirmation of the Olympian ns, they would have dered war by now, which was why Perseus remained in the dark as to who else could have a motive to kidnap Joe?


    "We need more information¡­.. which is why it''s important that we know what Rocky Rajput has been upto and who he''s been in contact with.


    If not the elites, there is only him who could have requested the help of a higher power to kidnap Joe, however, the idiot sister of mine won''t find out the information I need...¡­" Perseus said in exasperation as his guts told him that Rocky was somehow involved with Joe''s kidnapping.


    "This won''t do¡­. I need to send someone other than my sister to get the information I need.


    Mid term survival evaluation she said? Hmm¡­." Perseus muttered as he began brewing his next n.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by patron Cervantez91, please thank him in thements for the same.


    Also, there will be one regr and one more bonus chapter today. ///

 Chapter 97: Deceiving Sophia

    "Water is down that way-, but the path seems to be overrun by thorns and bushes, can one of you three carve the way out for us?" Erin asked as before Buhara or Sophia could respond to his request, Rocky pulled out his dual swords and began hacking his way through.


    He swung his sword effortlessly, chopping down the tall thorny vines and thick bushes that blocked their way as everyone who followed him couldn''t help but be in awe of how skillfully he had managed to clear the path in front of them.


    Remarkably, Rocky''s sword seemed to cut through the air without making a sound, his movements demonstrating an efficient, minimal effort that belied the effectiveness of his strikes.


    The only noises breaking the silence were the sounds of the nts thudding to the ground after being cut and the heavy, rhythmic thumping of Buhara''s feet as he walked.


    "Whoa¡­ What happened to you in thest three months? Your swordsmanship looks way sharper than it used to. Did you secretly practise?" Sophia couldn''t help but ask, seizing an opportunity to finally learn what Rocky had been up to. The transformation in his technique was undeniable, and she was eager to understand the story behind this refinement.


    In the intimate setting of their isted surroundings, Sophia knew that Rocky was sure to find it difficult to sidestep her question withouting across as dismissive and hence she hoped that the intimacy of the moment would encourage him to open up, providing her with the insights that she sought about his recent activities and improvements in his swordsmanship.


    "Well you really wanna know? Alright since it''s only you three guys here that I trust, I''ll tell you what I''ve been up to" Rocky said, as he continued hacking down the bushes and kept his focus solely on the path ahead, but still narrated a story.


    "I was sent by Principal Liam to a grand pce as a sweeper" Rocky started his story as he began cooking an borate lie.


    "A sweeper?" Asked Sophia as she felt like this was a weird role to send a student in.


    "Yes, even I had no idea why he sent me as a sweeper initially, however, there was more to the ce than what met my eye" Rocky said as he drew in the curiosity of all his friends.


    "I was sent to a Shaolin monk order as a sweeper.


    -official


    There, I was treated as an outer hall student and was forced to do all sorts of difficult physicalbour chores 24 X 7.


    Wet the floor, wipe the floor, wet the floor, wipe the floor and repeat.


    Day after day after day¡­." Rocky said as he hacked the nts ahead of him with an increased intensity.


    "Sometimes the head monk would check on me, stick needles into my back in the name of acupuncture and next day I would wake up slightly taller and have my constitution altered" Rocky said, as Sophia immediately understood what ce he was referring to.


    ''The Wushang n! This has to be the Wushang n'' Sophia thought as she mistook Rocky''s fake story for a real ce.


    The Wushang n was known for its secret acupuncture techniques that could unlock the hidden potential of one''s physique and Rocky''s tale seemed to be consistent with the reputation of that ce.


    "The broom I used to sweep the floor weighed almost as much as Buhara at 200-250 kilograms. It was very difficult to move, but I had to sweep massive halls with it-" Rocky said as he now began narrating the plotline of a popr story from Earth called ''Karate Kid''.


    "Finally a month after sweeping the halls, I snapped, asking my supervisor as to why I was being treated like a servant?


    Which is when the hall instructor beat the living crap out of me, but also demonstrated how much I had improved in the past month-" Rocky said as he even winced at this part, as if he still remembered the beating, making his acting seem ultra realistic.


    "Sweeping the halls and doing the chores has made my body more durable and improved my core strength.


    When they finally promoted me to learn martial arts, because of my improved core strength, I learnt the techniques much faster than I would have otherwise and it''s through this training that I improved a lot both physically and in the sword domain" Rocky said, as he concluded his story.


    "Wow, Human Rocky has gone through a lot it seems-" said Buhara as he shared a rare moment of solidarity with Rocky.


    "So that''s what you were up to, you were at the Wushang n!" Sophia said, as although Rocky heard this name for the first time ever, he acted surprised and gasped.


    "How do you know that name, I thought it was a hiddenmunity" Rocky said in surprise as Sophia raised her nose in pride.


    "Well, I''m the Champion of Poseidon, my family knows stuff" Sophia said proudly, as she seemed to havepletely gobbled up Rocky''s fake story.


    "Wow, Sir Rocky is so cool! I could have neverpleted such training¡­ you must have gone through a lot-" Erin said as his eyes sparkled when he looked towards Rocky.


    In his mind, he believed Rocky had endured significant hardships, yet what he envisioned barely scratched the surface of the true trials Rocky had faced.


    Although Rocky had no desire to deceive Erin and Buhara, the presence of Sophia left him no choice but to do so.


    He harboured deep mistrust towards Sophia, and the only strategy to mislead her into thinking he trusted her was by keeping her close and acting as if she were a dear friend.


    *Trickle*


    *Trickle*


    "Do you guys hear that?" Rocky asked, as his ears caught on to the soft sound of water flowing from nearby as the pace of him hacking through the shrubs increased.


    Soon, the others began to hear the sound as well as everyone became excited at reaching their desired destination.


    "Sounds like water, Erin you''re a genius"plimented Sophia.


    "No it''s not me, anyone could have found this" replied Erin as soon the river came into full view.

 Chapter 98: Revelation

    "Well, that''s the first team to find the river-" Professor Maven muttered to himself as he secretly tracked Rocky''s squad from a distance and graded them.


    Principal Liam had specially dispatched him to look after Rocky and Sophia from a distance as although the two were supposed to be safe in this forest area that was isted from the outside world using a magic barrier, Liam wanted to take no risks whatsoever.


    Since he was looking after them, he was also supposed to grade them as he ryed his findings to the evaluation team via amunication device.


    "Students, Erin, Buhara, Rocky and Sophia have found the river.


    I repeat, they have found the river" Professor Maven said, as the evaluation officials acknowledged the message and graded them ordingly.


    *******


    While Sophia refilled her water canteen and Buhara tried to catch fish, Rocky pulled Erin to a side for a private talk.


    "What happened Sir Rocky, why are you pulling me aside?" Erin asked as he noticed the seriousness in Rocky''s eyes and understood that something was amiss.


    "The story about me being in a Shaolin pce that I told before, it''s all a lie-" Rocky said in a hushed voice as he judged Erin''s reaction to this revtion.


    Erin seemed surprised by this revtion but not by too much as he nodded his head and signalled for Rocky to go on.


    " I don''t trust Sophia, Erin, but I don''t want her to know that I don''t trust her. My intention was never to deceive you or Buhara but due to the circumstances I had to lie to you both as well" Rocky said, as Erin immediately understood the gravity of this situation and began speaking in a hushed voice as well.


    "I don''t have a good feeling about that girl either, Sir Rocky, don''t worry, I fully understand your reasons" Erin said, as he expressed his support for Rocky.


    "From now on, if you ever hear me identally *sneeze* during a conversation, know that I''m lying¡­." Rocky said, as he set-up a codenguage between himself and Erin to make sure that the other party knew when he was lying.


    "Alright, I''ll do the same when needed then" Erin said as Rocky nodded his head.


    He had expected Erin to grow closer to Sophia in his absence however, after returning he realised that while Buhara had warmed up nicely to Sophia, Erin had not, which was why Rocky decided to let him in on his n.


    Just as he had expected, Erin did not question Rocky much on why he did not trust Sophia and immediately agreed to his schemes.


    "For obvious reasons I won''t be telling this to Buhara yet¡­.. it''s not because I don''t trust him, it''s just because it will break his heart and it''s hard for him to behave deceitfully" Rocky said as Erin nodded his head in understanding.


    Unlike himself and Rocky, Buhara was a genuine orc, who wore his heart on his chest and spoke only what he meant.


    Buhara did not mince his words and did not aim at deceiving others.


    While Erin and Rocky could continue pretending like nothing happened, if they told Buhara that they suspected Sophia of being a traitor, his behaviour towards her would immediately shift and Sophia would suspect that something was amiss.


    "What are you two humans talking about in private? Are you talking about how handsome Buhara looks while catching fish?" Buhara asked as he shouted loudly towards Erin and Rocky.


    "Hahaha, no Sir Buhara, we were talking about where to set up camp and whether to set it up on the ground or on tree branches¡­." Erin said, lying through his teeth as both Sophia and Buhara seemed to have bought his lie.


    Nodding his head Rocky ced his hand over Erin''s shoulder in a show of support.


    This was exactly the kind of lying Erin would need to do from now on, in order to keep Sophia in the dark about their true intentions.


    ************


    ( Meanwhile Neatwit )


    Neatwit was on floor 55 of the tower, which was controlled by the Angels.


    The angels were a unique race within the tower who were considered to be one of the strongest races in existence with some of the most unique powers.


    Amongst the angel race, the most unique power had to be that of the ''Prophet'' , who was an angel that could peer through the fog of fate and look into the future.


    Individuals from all across the tower came to seek her counsel, however, the price for her counselling was not cheap at all.


    "I have brought the payment you requested¡­. Can I receive the prophets revtion now?" Neatwit asked, as he handed over a significant sum of tower gold and mana stones to the angel cashier.


    "You have requested information on when the monster outbreak would begin on Earth¡­.. is that correct?" The angel cashier asked, as she verified the question that Neatwit wanted to ask the prophet after verifying the fees that were paid.


    "Yes" Neatwit confirmed as the cashier wrote his question on a slip, stamped it and passed it to another angel behind her.


    "Please wait for 15 minutes-" She said politely, as Neatwit took a seat in the waiting area.


    It was the end of June already on Earth and there were no signs of the monster outbreak taking ce which was why the Climber Association tasked Neatwit with the request of approaching the angel prophet.


    15 minutester, the angel helper returned with an answer written on a stamped paper, as opening it Neatwit felt his eyes ready to pop out.


    "7-9 days" the answer said, as immediately Neatwit began hurriedly making his way back to Earth.


    Usually, before a monster outbreak began, the tower began giving off signs of an uing attack such as trembling, or a few weaker monsters surfacing, as these signs usually started showing 15-20 days before the actual attack.


    Once these signs started to show, all climbers of Earth were recalled to fight for their and all guild missions were temporarily paused.


    With only 7-9 days left, Earth was already behind on its schedule to prepare for this year''s outbreak, which was why Neatwit hurried back home with the utmost urgency.


    ¡ª----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 99: Dangerous Faith

    ( Earth, The Climber''s Association )


    There was palpable tension within the room, as the most prominent guild masters, fighters and factions of Earth had gathered at the climber''s association headquarters.


    Sir Cody, sat at the head of the table, surrounded by Pope Cole on the left and Karna to his immediate right.


    Neatwit stood behind Karna and the other major guildmasters upied the rest of the seats on the table.


    This was the assembly of Earth''s mightiest warrior''s and yet everyone seemed to be tense and covered in sweat.


    "Are you sure Sir Neatwit, are you absolutely sure that the prophet predicted a monster outbreak to happen within the next 7-9 days?" asked Guildmaster Andy, the leader of the Scarlet Fire guild.


    "I''m sure¡­. I have already submitted the answer paper with the prophets stamp to the climbers association, there is no doubt about it, a monster outbreak will start in 7-9 days" Neatwit replied, as everyone within the room clutched their hands tightly.


    "Undead Outbreak¡­.. there can be no doubt about it, this is an undead outbreak" said Pope Cole as his words sent chills down the spines of all those present.


    Usually, 14-16 days before the actual monster outbreak, the tower started to show signs of disturbance.


    Small monsters would emerge on ground zero and would be quickly neutralized by those patrolling.


    The tower would quake unnaturally and cause minor earthquakes.


    However, this year there had been no such sign yet.


    Although it wasn''t a given, every monster outbreak followed a kind of ''Theme''.


    Eight years ago there was an outbreak of winged beasts and judging by the early signs of monsters emerging, the climbers association began its preparation for what was toe next by buying anti-flight weapons in bulk and creating temporary archer corps.


    Four years ago, it was the outbreak of ming beasts, so the monsters that emerged were of the fire element such as hell hounds, ming lions, ming rabbits etc.


    To counter this wave, the climbers association dug water trenches and prepared adequate water supplies/ antifire measures and more.


    Whenever it was a beast monster outbreak, there was a general theme that was followed and the outbreakcked proper structure and leadership.


    Every monster acted as an individual rather than a collective and hence were easy to beat back.


    However, ording to legends, theck of a sign two weeks before a monster outbreak usually signified that the next monster outbreak was going to be an undead themed one.


    Unlike mindless beasts, undeads had a proper military structure amongst them.


    discover stories mv-l,e-mp _yr


    At the base of the undead army''s structure were the skeletal troops. Despitecking flesh and blood, they possessed a menacing determination, driven by dark magic to serve their masters tirelessly.


    Each group of ten skeletal troops or more was overseen by a Skeletal Champion or a Skeletal Horseman.


    These higher-ranked skeletons were distinguished by their worn armor and weapons, while the Skeletal Horsemen, mounted on skeletal steeds, provided swift mobility to the undead ranks, allowing for rapid deployment or withdrawal, making them unpredictable on the battlefield.


    Above the skeletal soldiers and their champions stood the formidable Durahal. These towering skeletal figures wielded magic and immense physical strength, acting as elite guards for the more precious assets of the undead army. Their presence on the battlefield was a harbinger of despair, as they could decimate entire squads with their dark sorceries and brute force.


    Commanding these forces were the Undead Commanders, beings who had retained their tactical acumen and leadership abilities beyond death.


    They were the orchestrators of the undead''s military strategies, capable of adapting their tactics as the battle unfolded.


    At the pinnacle of this dark hierarchy resided the Lich, a powerful spellcaster who had willingly embraced undeath to gain immortality. These beings were the architects of the undead outbreaks, their vast magical knowledge allowing them to summon and control vast armies of the dead.


    Because of the undead possessing such aplex hierarchy, they became formidable enemies that could fight using proper tactics and adapt to situations.


    Theck of no monsters emerging, the eerie silence as the outbreak drew near were products of the undead''s discipline.


    Not one skeletal soldier acted upon their own free will and tried to break out early, as they waited for the monster gate to open fully before charging out.


    "If it''s an undead raid then Earth is doomed. If a Lich leads them then that Lich would be as powerful as a floor 60 climber.


    No offense to any fighter here, but Earth has no lesser gods in our ranks.


    Yes, guildmaster Karna is strong, but even he can''t bring down a Lich" Mark, the leader of the rangers guild said as he expressed how ill-prepared Earth was to face such a threat.


    Karna frowned at thisment, he was currently considered as one of Earth''s top three strongest fighters, however, none of them had sessfully attained lesser god-hood.


    Ascending past floor 60 was not an easy task at all and Karna disliked this jibe by Mark for that exact reason.


    He would attempt the floor 60 raid, however, he just needed more time to do so.


    "I agree with Pope Cole''s analysis, if we look at the deadliest outbreaks throughout history, in the 1600''s there was an undead outbreak and it wiped off 25% of our civilian poption.


    ording to records, the tower showed no signs of an outbreak happening that time as well, so his hypothesis may be right" Cody said as everyone clutched their fists harder.


    "So what do we do now? We can''t just quit fighting because the opponent may be stronger than us?


    The civilians depend on us for safety!


    If the undead appear, they appear-, the question now is, how to stop them!" Said guildmaster Andy as he tried to steer the conversation in a positive direction.


    "I agree with your viewpoint, however, I genuinely think that if we all agree that the next raid might be an undead themed one, then the first thing we need to do is to recruit the help of a lesser god.


    Doesn''t matter how much we pay him, we need to bring him to our side to deal with this problem¡­..


    Only if the Lich is defeated can the rest of the army be defeated, that''s the rule of any undead raid" Mark said, as his words resonated within all the guildmaster''s within the room.


    "We should also not forget the fact that we  have the Champion Of Gemini amongst us now-" said Sir Patrik, Chief pdin of the Church Of Gemini, Earth branch.


    "You seriously don''t expect a kid to solve our problems for us do you? He has not even graduated from his university yet, he''s not even a proper climber, much less an individual capable of taking on a lich" Mark said, as Karna secretly agreed with his words.


    "It might not be possible for you, but he''s not you, he''s the champion of a True God. Chosen by the heavens.


    If it''s him leading us on the battlefield, victory is all but assured for Earth" Patrik said devotedly, as his dangerously delusional faith began to shine through.


    "Did he really just say what I think he said?" Asked Guildmaster Mark in disbelief, as he tried to double check if his brain was not tricking him into hearing the wrong words.

 Chapter 100: The need for the champion

    "Did he really just say what I think he did? Are you asking a kid who has been a climber for not even 200 days to fight a Lich? Have you lost your mind Sir Patrik?" Asked Guildmaster Mark, as he tried to knock some sense into the pdin.


    "Whether he can defeat him or can''t defeat him, whether Earth lives or dies, whether humans are supposed to suffer or thrive, it is not you, or me, who decides it.


    It is Lord Gemini who does.


    If he wishes to save us, no Lich or Elder Lich or Ancestral Lich can touch us.


    If he wishes to punish us, no-one can save us" Pdin Patrik said with absolute conviction.


    "Why fight then? Why spend resources? Why build the ground zero facility? We should all just gather and pray at the church, if Gemini wants to save us-"


    "SAY ''LORD'' GEMINI... THEY ARE NOT YOUR DRINKING BUDDY FOR YOU TO CALL THEM CASUALLY.


    YOU WILL NOT DISRESPECT THE LORD IN MY PRESENCE" Patrik said in an angry voice which made even Mark shudder.


    "You-" Mark began to retort, however, before he could say anything association leader Cody cut him short.


    "Alright enough-" Cody said, as he tried to restore order within the council.


    "We will leave no leaf unturned. I agree with guildmaster Mark''s proposal that we need to recruit external help for this fight.


    But I will also not discard the church''s viewpoint.


    We will recall the Champion Of Gemini for this battle.


    Even if he does not personally participate, his presence on the battlefield alone will serve as a motivation for the masses.


    What Pdin Patrik feels is a representation of the broader sentiment. We can all be Earth''s mightiest heroes, however, the kind of confidence the Champion Of Gemini can inspire amongst the troops, none of us can.


    Even if he just stands there, it will be a symbol that Gemini is with us and that will be a big morale booster for our troops.


    As for the recruitment of external help, the Climber''s Association is willing to foot the entire bill, so guildmaster Mark, please rally a trustable ally to our side" Association leader Cody said, as he found a middle ground between the church''s fanaticism and guildmaster Mark''s rational.


    "Pope Cole, you will bring back the Champion Of Gemini in time for the fight right?" Cody asked Cole, who nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    "If the Champion wishes to be here, he will be here" Pope Cole replied as Cody rolled his eyes at this answer.


    The Church Of Gemini was the only religion on Earth and every single climber/ non-climber believed strongly in them.


    In a war against the undead where morale could be the key between victory and defeat, the presence of the Champion could be the ''X'' factor for victory.


    "It''s okay Sir Cody, I know Rocky, he won''t cower in Earth''s time of need. If the message reaches him, he will return" Karna said confidently as Cody sighed and nodded his head.


    "Alright, keeping this matter aside, let''s move on to what preparations we need to do before the raid? What resources need to be bought? How to organize the front and back lines?


    We only have 7 days, we need to finalize the n of attack fast" Cody said, as he flipped his hand and a holographic model of the tower and the ground zero facility around it came into view.


    "I''m open to any and all suggestions¡­.. how do we handle this mess?" Cody asked, as the discussion on the actual war n began.


    *************


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Back inside the forest, Rocky was putting his newfound swordsmanship insights to full use.


    Once they found the river and built their individual shelters on-top of nearby trees, everyone decided to hunt monsters and gather points on their own.


    The group split up for this part and Rocky ventured off into the forest on his own to try and put his skills to the test.


    Having learnt a new form of swordsmanship without using eyes, Rocky had unlocked some core secrets of the sword, such as the sword projection and sword intent.


    Before, he could not see the results of those moves, however, now, Rocky could see how a thin blue hue covered his sword whenever he used sword intent and how a white visible gush of wind projected outwards from his sword when he performed a sword sh.


    Against low level monsters, Rocky could effortlessly slice their bodies in half, however, if he really pushed himself hard he could now slice through two thick trees back to back and damage a third with his full powered sword sh.


    Slimes, horned rabbits, rooster chickens, silver foxes, Rocky hunted them all with ease, as by the time it was nightfall and time for him to return back to the base, he had hunted a total of 114 monsters, an astronomical numberpared to Sophia who could hunt 35, Buhara who could hunt 27 and Erin who could hunt 14.


    Even Professor Maven, who was watching Rocky from afar, felt goosebumps down his spine when he saw Rocky''s effortless technique to kill monsters, as to him Rocky''s way of the sword was simply ''beautiful''.


    In life, he had seen countless warrior''s wield the sword.


    Some tensed up the entire muscles on their arms as theyunched a full power strike, some put their full body''s force behind a sword projection, however, Rocky was different.


    Every action he made seemed casual yet perfect as his mastery of sword appeared to be deeper than most and was a pure joy to watch.


    It was almost an intangible feeling, like watching a really talented sports yer, however, as Maven watched Rocky he could feel it in his guts that someday Rocky would be a great swordsman.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile, Riyan )


    Riyan was a dark elf under the service of Perseus.


    He belonged to the elite spy corps of the Olympian guild and was tasked with the mission to spy on Rocky Yadav and find out his recent affiliations.


    In under half a day, he found out the location of the isted forest where the mid-term evaluation of the university for nourishment of young talents was taking ce and was sessful in breaching it''s isted barrier for entry without raising any rms.


    ''The total test area is around 10 square kilometers, but if I only search near water sources, I can find out where Rocky Yadav might be in another half a day or so'' Riyan thought to himself as he began his search for Rocky.


    The brief he had received from Perseus regarding this mission was such that it did not outline any extra challenges that Riyan needed to be wary of, however, unknowingly he had entered the mad principal''s trap the moment that he entered the isted barrier.


    From the start, Liam always knew that it was impossible for the barrier spell to hold out high level assassin''s/ spies which was why the spell he kept his eyes on was a tracker spell that kept a track of how many individuals were present within the isted area.


    The moment that number spiked by one, Liam knew someone had intruded the isted space, as while Riyan hunted Rocky, Liam began hunting for Riyan, who had no idea what sort of a mess he had inadvertently walked into.


    -----


    /// A/N - We have finally hit the first milestone! Chapter 100! Let''s go!!!!


    The story is only starting, and things will heat up nicely in the chapters toe ///

 Chapter 101: Professors in action

    Riyan trekked upstream, his gaze sweeping over the children in the vicinity, searching for Rocky or anyone associated with him, however, despite his efforts, he recognized none for a while.


    ''Hmm, isn''t that Miss Sophia?'' he thought, as he spotted Sophia near the river after almost an hour of trekking.


    Pausing, he began to go off-stream to search the nearby forest as he looked for any signs of Rocky.


    ''That''s the blonde human-''


    ''That''s the orc mage-''


    Riyan thought as he spotted Rocky''s known affiliates in the surrounding forest, feeling confident that he was closing down on Rocky''s location.


    Finally, near nightfall, he saw a swordsman effortlessly killing a group of small foxes and that was when he knew that he had sessfully located his target.


    ''Rocky Yadav¡­. Champion of Gemini, *Scoff*''


    Scoffing in his mind, Riyan prepared a tranquilizer dart, with the intention to sedate and knock out Rocky.


    Once Rocky was knocked out, he nned on taking him to a safe spot nearby for interrogation, where using various truth serums, he intended to extract the information Perseus wanted.


    *Shua*


    Riyan carefully loaded a dart into a bamboo tube, and then took a deep breath. With pinpoint precision and a forceful exhale, he propelled the dart through the bamboo, sending it hurtling towards Rocky at an astonishing velocity.


    Unaware of the lurking danger and with his back turned, Rocky remained oblivious to the dart''s silent yet swift approach.


    *Block*


    Instinctively, without any forewarning of the iing dart, Rocky managed to intercept it, demonstrating a reflex that bordered on the superhuman.


    "He blocked it? Impossible," Riyan thought, his astonishment mirroring Rocky''s own. The fact that Rocky had managed to intercept the dart left Riyanpletely taken aback.


    Rocky stood there, momentarily stunned, staring at the dart that had inexplicably appeared and was now nted into the ground below after he somehow blocked it with his sword.


    Confusion etched across his face; he hadn''t seen iting, hadn''t even sensed an impending threat until it was almost toote.


    It was as if his body had acted independently, governed by a deeper, unseen force. This perplexing moment reminded him almost of the instinctual reaction one had when they inadvertently touched something hot¡ªa hand retracting before the brain fully processes the pain.


    There was no need for thought, no conscious decision-making; the body simply knew to move away from harm.


    This inexplicable reflex in Rocky hinted at a profound, albeit unrecognized, sixth sense¡ªan instinctual awareness that operated outside the realm of conscious thought.


    Like the spontaneous recoil from a scorching surface, his body had responded to the danger with immediate action, bypassing the slower pathways of conscious thought.


    A protective mechanism that was unlocked when he evolved from being just a human to a perfected human, but he wasn''t aware about it.


    "Ambush-" Rocky murmured to himself softly, as instead of panicking, heposed himself and turned towards the direction where the dart came from and stared straight through the bushes and the distractions into Riyaan''s eyes who was at least 20 meters away from Rocky.


    Riyan''s shock was palpable, a shiver of goosebumps crawling down his spine as Rocky''s intense stare met his.


    "How is this possible?" he thought, bewildered. "I''ve conquered the tower up to floor 50; who is this kid? Why does his gaze weigh on me like a mountain?"


    Before Riyan could grapple further with the mystery, a sudden force barreled towards him. A man, with a bald head and thick beard, burst into the clearing, his approach being silent yet devastating.


    "Fist arts, First Style, Tiger Punch!" he announced, his fist connecting with a force that could carve pathways through mountains.


    *Boom*


    Riyan was sent hurtling backward, crashing through branches before mming into a tree trunk.


    "How dare you assault a student of our esteemed university during midterms. This is a sanctuary for nurturing young talents, not for trash like you!" Professor Maven bellowed, stepping forward with big gauntlets adorning his fists.


    He had been discreetly assigned by the Principal to safeguard Rocky and Sophia. Initially, he had questioned the Principal''s concerns, deeming them overly cautious. ''Surely, no one would be audacious enough tounch an attack during midterms'' He thought, Yet, the brazen assault on Rocky had proven him sorely mistaken.


    Riyan, staggering to his feet, wiped the blood from his lips. "A guard, huh?" he sneered, eyeing the professor with newfound caution.


    *Shua*


    Unsheathing his short sword, Riyan pointed it towards Maven, ready to face whatever threat Maven posed to his mission.


    Professor Maven, unfazed, stood tall, his fists ready, gauntlets gleaming with a faint, magical glow. "You''ve made a grave mistake, attacking a student under my watch," he dered, his voice carrying the weight of his resolve.


    With no further words, Riyan lunged forward, his sword aimed with lethal precision. But Maven was no ordinary opponent. With a swift sidestep, he dodged the attack, closing the gap between them. "Second Style, Earthquake m!" he roared, his fist mming into the ground with such force that it dislodged a piece of the ground below, sending shockwaves because of the impact.


    Riyan, caught off guard, was thrown into the air by the impact. But he was quick to recover, flipping mid-air to regain his bnce as he descended with his de directed downwards, aiming to strike Maven from above.


    However, Maven was ready. With a quick pivot, he caught Riyan''s wrist mid-strike, halting the attack. "Third Style, Whirlwind Throw!" he eximed, using Riyan''s momentum against him, spinning him around and hurling him towards a nearby tree.


    *Crash*


    The impact was thunderous, leaving Riyan dazed and struggling to stand. It was clear now that he was outmatched, his opponent''s mastery over fist arts far exceeding his expectations.


    Breathing heavily, Riyan nced up at Maven, realizing the futility of furtherbat. "Who... are you?" he managed to gasp, the fight draining from his voice.


    Maven approached, his presence imposing yet not hostile. "Who am I? I''m simply the guy who keeps you here till the death reaper arrives" he said in a chilling voice, "I''m afraid, your suffering won''t be as simple as being physically tortured. Your very soul is bound to be tortured for eternity for the transgression of attacking a student of Liam"


    After Maven''s warning, Riyan abandoned all hopes ofpleting this mission as even he did not wish to cross the mad ghostmancer Liam. Discover worlds on m _v _lempy _r.


    Rocky, who watched the battle between professor Maven and Riyan unfold, was simply stunned by the level of the fight.


    While he could see their figures move, the brief exchange that they had was almost too fast for him to process.


    ''Professor Maven¡­.. he was watching over me?'' Rocky wondered, as he jogged to his side just in case he needed any back-up, although it looked like he did not need any.


    "Stay back Rocky, he''s almost here¡­. The only thing we need to do now is prevent this man from escaping for a few more seconds" Professor Maven said as he told Rocky to not interfere in this battle.


    Recognizing the dire urgency of his situation, Riyan felt the walls of fate closing in. In a moment of sheer desperation, he decided to make a daring move, a sort ofst ditch effort to escape as he lunged towards Rocky, hoping to throw Maven off his game and escape.


    However, once again, Rocky showed reflexes far beyond what a human of his strength should be able to show as he twisted his body and jumped out of Riyaan''s way.


    Ofcourse, his speed was much slower than his opponents, however, just the fact that he was able to react at all was a big achievement, as because of his slight twist, he was able to avoid his opponents attack, who was bodied mid-way by professor Maven, who mmed his shoulders in his path.


    *Tumble*


    *Tumble*


    *Roll*


    Because of Maven''s strong shoulder push, Riyan rolled on the forest floor as at that moment the ground began to freeze and the temperature around him began to drop rapidly.


    "Ha-hahaha-hahaha" a voice ominously lingered in the surroundings, as specters filled the entire space around them.


    Professor Maven walked into the clearing, his face bearing an even more crazed expression than usual as ck wisps of smoke rose around him and his usually white pupils turned ck.


    "Good job keeping this insolent bastard here, Maven, I knew you were the right man for this job" Principal Liamplemented as his voice seemed raspier than usual.


    "Let''s go, Rocky, what happens next is not something a child like you should witness" Maven said in a hushed voice as he pulled away at Rocky''s arm.


    For a moment Rocky hesitated, his eyes lingering at Riyan who seemed to turn white when facing Professor Liam, however, he turned away at the right time and did not witness the process of turning a living man into a spectre.


    "Arghhhh"


    "Arghhhh-"


    Horrifying screams filled the forest as Liam toyed with his prey, slowly but surely stripping him away of his soul.


    "Ha...haha....hahahhaa"


    asionally, between the screams of his victim, Liam''s loud maniacalughter was also audible, as students and monsters akin, shuddered in fear at the very sound.


    "Onest extraction and you will lose your consciousness forever....do you understand?" Liam asked Riyan, who was bleeding at this point from all his orfices.


    "P-please spare me" Riyan mumbled, almost iprehensibly as Liam kneeled beside him and looked into hisckluster eyes.


    "Who sent you? Tell me and I may spare you-" Liam said authoritatively as Riyan spared no time in giving Perseus up.


    "Perseus.... Floor master Perseus" he said as the moment he revealed the name, Liam imed his soul forever.

 Chapter 102: Private Interrogation

    Liam was livid once the name of Perseus was revealed in the assassin''s interrogation as this signified interference by the Olympian faction in school activities.


    Dramatically pulling both Sophia and Rocky out of mid-term evaluation, Liam brought them both back to the university office where he positioned them silently before him in his cabin, subjecting them to a prating scrutiny that felt as if he were boring into their very beings.


    For a long while, Liam dissected their performance, looking into their eyes, their bodynguage and their expressions, leaving no room for excuses or evasion.


    "What''s happening here? Why did you suddenly pull us out of the mid-term evaluation?" Sophia asked after almost half an hour of bone chilling silence, as she could not take it anymore.


    "I don''t know? You tell me-" Liam said, as he was having none of Sophia''s act today.


    While not all-knowing, Liam was very good at reading human psychology and although Sophia did not seem extremely worried, she did show signs of excessive nervousness that made Liam suspicious.


    "What do I tell you though? What do you even want to know?" Asked Sophia, as she nced over at Rocky for support, however, Rocky only shrugged his shoulders in response.


    Even she had heard the shrill screams of a man and the wildughter of professor Liam within the forest, however, unlike Rocky who had seen it unfold before his own eyes, Sophia was clueless as to what actually went down.


    "Arise-"


    Liam said, as the temperature in the room dropped and a specter arose.


    Instantly Sophia recognised the man, it was Riyan! One of her brother''s most trusted information gathering agents.


    "Recognise him?" Asked Liam, his voice modting sharply as he noticed the dtion of Sophia''s pupils upon gazing at the specter.


    "No-" Sophia said, lying through her teeth as Liam began tough maniacally.


    "Hahahaha-" Liamughed and covered his eyes, as although he wasughing, his killing intent began to leak, which made Sophia shudder involuntarily.


    She nced at Rocky beside him, however, unlike her, he did not seem to be struggling under Liam''s pressure.


    Rocky''s indifference was because of two main reasons.


    Firstly, his improved body and artifact to regte his state of mind helped him stay calm.


    Secondly, he wasn''t the main target of Liam''s interrogation and hence did not cower in his presence as much as Sophia did.


    "Alright, I''ll hold my tongue for now and give you another chance toe clean,  since you are my student," Liam said, as he seemed to have regained some of his conscious thought and ability to reason, however, one look in his eyes was enough for anyone to determine that he was on hisst straw.


    "I have a skill, my child, that detects lies¡­.." Liam said, rather difficultly, as the madness was visibly creeping outside.


    "And right now¡­. YOU ARE LYING" Liam said loudly, as Sophia shuddered.


    Trembling, she seemed to try hard to contain her tears, however, just like the first time when Liam pped her, she could not hold them in, as the tears began dripping down her cheeks.


    "Yes, yes I know him¡­. He''s one of our top agents, however, I have no idea why you are showing him to me, or if he was sent to the forest, I have no idea why" Sophia confessed, as Liam frowned at her answer.


    Leaning back in his chair, Liam covered his face as he could not understand what was going on, however, his killing aura receded.


    "It seems like you are telling the truth" Liam said, in a half relieved voice as he seemed to be happy that Sophia was not involved in the attack on Rocky.


    "So you have no idea why the Assassin was there?" Liam asked to reconfirm as Sophia vehemently shook her head in denial.


    Rocky, looking at this scene unfold, smiled to himself, as he already knew the whole picture.


    Although Sophia might not be involved in this particr incident, she was surely the one to inform her brother about the mid term exams, prompting him to take this action.


    However, not wanting a chance like this to go to waste, Rocky ced his hand over Sophia''s shoulders, trying tofort her in her vulnerable state of mind.


    "Agh-" feeling touched, Sophia looked towards Rocky with teary eyes as Rocky gave her shoulders a few good squeezes and smiled.


    "Don''t worry, I trust you-" Rocky said, as Sophia began crying a river of tears.


    At that moment, Sophia felt immensely relieved that all her previous sacrifices did note undone because of this unexpected incident.


    "Alright then, if you don''t know you don''t know" Liam said, returning to his calm state of mind as he dispelled his doubts surrounding Sophia for now.


    Liam knew that she wasn''t as innocent as she portrayed herself to be and that she had an unhealthy obsession with Rocky, however, he decided to give her a pass for now, mostly because he was biased as a teacher.


    Had Sophia not been one of her students, Liam would not have treated her with such kindness, however, because she was, he was willing to overlook some transgressions.


    "What about our mid-term evaluations, Professor?" Rocky asked, breaking the awkward silence as Liam pinched his forehead in frustration.


    "Both of you pass¡­. Your performance was good in the time you were inside and both of your life in itself feels like a survival assessment.


    You won''t get the rewards, but you don''t need to go back in either.


    Just stay within the university¡­." Liam said, as he seemed to be extremely pissed about this turn of events.


    In his entire teaching career, this was the first time that he felt that he could not provide adequate security for two of his children as he deemed it too dangerous for them to return to the forest.


    "Just to inform you, young miss, your brother was named in this incident, so I will most likely be scheduling an unpleasant meeting with him¡­." Liam warned as Sophia almost choked at the information.


    She had no idea as to why her brother sent Riyan to the forest, however, she felt betrayed because of theck of information.

 Chapter 103: Meeting and old friend

    As Rocky walked out of the principal''s office, he found a smiling middle aged man waiting outside for him, as for a moment Rocky''s face beamed with joy.


    "Pope Cole!" Rocky said, sounding exhrated as he chuckled and rushed up to greet the man.


    The red eyed Sophia, who followed Rocky out of Liam''s cabin, felt confused by Rocky''s reaction, as she warily noticed Rocky''s interaction with the man from a distance.


    "Oh bless the Gemini Gods, you look so strong! It''s only been a few months since Ist saw you" Pope Cole said, as tears of joy began flowing down his cheeks upon noticing Rocky''s transformation.


    Rocky was much taller and stronger than Pope Colest saw him, so his astonishment upon seeing him again was justified, however, Rocky felt embarrassed by his exaggerated reaction when he began crying non-stop.


    "Jeez Pope Cole, you can''t embarrass me here, it''s campus grounds, also look behind me, the Champion Of Poseidon is watching on, is this the face you wish to show her?" Rocky asked, as upon the mention of Sophia''s presence, Pope Cole''s demeanor saw an instant shift.


    His tears dried up, his chin pointed upwards as he gazed down upon Sophia with a stern look in his eyes.


    "I was wondering why it smelled like a sea of rotten fishes¡­.. now I know why-" Pope Cole said, as even Rocky was left mouth agape by this insult.


    Sophia, feeling as if this was just not her day, decided to not retort against this cheap shot, as she waved at Rocky and took her leave, but not before ring back at Pope Cole once.


    "If you give me the order, I shall execute that woman for you right here, right now-" Pope Cole said, as Rocky chuckled and shook his head in dismissal.


    "Let her be, haha, principal Liam will turn you into a specter if you dare touch her" Rocky said jokingly, as Pope Cole tried to say that he did not care about the consequences, however, held his tongue.


    "So Pope, why are you here? Is everything okay back home?" Rocky asked, as he knew that unless there were special circumstances, the university did not allow visitors within its campus grounds. chapter hosted on m,vle-mpyr


    "Yes¡­. The monster outbreak¡­. It''s finally about to begin" Pope Cole said, as Rocky paused in his tracks, his heart skipping a beat.


    Rocky was no stranger to monster outbreaks. As a kid, those used to be the most stressful times where all the normal human families gathered together and watched the climber''s fight against the beast tides.


    He still remembered the days when he and Riva would hug their mom and dad while watching the climbers fight on the TV.


    He also distinctly remembered how their dad would keep a shot-gun rifle loaded and ready that day, in case the climbers failed in their duty and the fight against the monsters reached the masses.


    "What''s it going to be this year Pope? What kind of monsters are we expecting to fight?" Rocky asked, as Pope Cole smiled at the choice of words Rocky used.


    He said ''We'' instead of ''You'', indicating his intention to join in this fight.


    "This year we expect a difficult challenge. An undead themed tide seems most likely, the kind that devastated us in the 1600''s" Pope Cole said, as Rocky winced at this piece of news.


    The undead were the most difficult type of monsters to face in a tide, because they were organized as an army and had no obvious weakness apart from life magic which was not widely adopted.


    On the entire Earth, there would be less than 20 mages capable of performing life magic ( also called holy magic ), which was not enough to turn the tide of the war on a grand scale.


    "We are thinking about recruiting external help for this year''s monster outbreak, hoping to recruit a lesser god for our cause" Pope Cole said, as he dutifully reported the internal discussions of the War Council to Rocky.


    "Oh? That''s not a bad idea at all-" Rocky admitted as Pope Cole smiled at his far-sightedness.


    "But we the church hope that you can perhaps return to Earth for this monster tide, taking a break from your semester activities if you can.


    Of course it''s not mandatory and we shall understand if the champion has other things to attend to, however, I personally feel as if your presence itself on the battlefield will help motivate the soldiers" Pope Cole said embarrassedly as Rocky frowned at his choice of words.


    "Of course I''m returning with you Pope, what are you even saying?


    I''m not a strong warrior, nor am I an experienced fighter.


    However, I am an Earthling" Rocky said, as he dismissed Pope Cole''s unnecessary concerns.


    "The university does allow students to take a leave in case their home is under attack and even if they did not have such a facility, I''d still be returning.


    Earth is my home and of course I will contribute however much I can in its defense" Rocky said as Pope Cole once again began crying tears of joy.


    "Oh lord Gemini, what a noble champion you have chosen¡­.. you are truly the stream of consciousness for the unthinking fools.


    I cannot evenprehend what you n, my noble master" Pope Cole rumbled as he broke down into a prayer right down in the middle of the university campus.


    At first, Rocky found the Pope''s illogically religious behavior to be slightly irritating, however, over time he had started to view it differently.


    When he had lost everything within the snake-men chamber. There was a moment when he did nothing but frantically pray to Gemini gods to give him the strength to pull through the difficult times that he was facing.


    Before, he could not understand it. However, he could see it now.


    Religion provided an anchor for men that were lost.


    Living life by certain rules, following a moral code, having faith in an entity, all these things helped channel one''s internal energy in a positive direction and prevented one from feeling as if their existence was purposeless.


    "Praise Gemini-" Rocky murmured under his breath, as he too joined Pope Cole in his prayer.


    ***********


    ( Back On Earth )


    The man who was the most happy with Rocky''s return was not Pope Cole, but rather Climber Association Leader Cody, as he half expected Rocky to not return.


    Unlike other climbers who had a financial bond with the climbers association and were forced to contribute to the defense of the, Rocky had none.


    When it was time to pay his university fees, first Pope Cole decided to step-up and then the university decided to waive off his semester fees, because one of the teachers was kind enough to offer Rocky a schrship.


    Under such circumstances, where Rocky had nopulsion to return to Earth and risk his life fighting for it, Cody did not expect him to return, however, he was d that Rocky did.


    When Rocky first decided toe out as the Champion of Gemini and made his talent results public, Cody thought he was an immature brat hungry for attention, however, that opinion changed slightly today.


    ----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 104: A natural strategist

    Rocky''s return to Earth was a massive deal as in the six months absence that he was away from Earth, his poprity seemed to have reached the sky.


    His face was stered on absolutely random ces such as coffee mugs, gym wall papers, light poles and more.


    Pope Cole had a photo of him working out from one of his Vlogs as his screensaver and somehow Rocky felt in his guts that the same photo was bound to be the screensaver of many teenage girls as well.


    Just on his way from Ground Zero to Country X, he found illegal use of his image rights in 13 different locations, however, there was absolutely nothing that he could do about it.


    "All of Earth will rejoice at the news of your return, Sir Rocky, especially the soldiers, they would all have a huge surge in morale" Pope Cole told him, however, Rocky felt unsure if this would really be the case.


    Rocky knew that people of Earth were fanatics regarding the Gemini gods, however, he did not think that any man with half a brain would have much hope from him in the uing war.


    He had not even been in a serious sparring duel yet, let alone a war and although he had returned home, he was unsure of the kind of role he was to y in the uing monster tide.


    *********


    ( Climber''s Association Headquarters, Country X )


    Instead of going to the upside, Rocky first went to the Climber''s Association Headquarters alongside Pope Cole, where he was scheduled to meet with Association Leader Cody, Guildmaster Karna and more important people.


    "Greetings Champion-"


    "Greetings-"


    "Thank you foring back-"


    "Bless Gemini"


    From the second Rocky walked into the climbers association headquarters, human staff and veteran climbers alike began bowing and greeting him.


    Their eyes seemed to be filled with devotion and their aura when seen through his aura skill appeared to be incredibly thick green in color, as for a moment Rocky felt ufortable being on the receiving end of such genuine devotion.


    Smiling and waving at all of them, Rocky kept hisposure, however, his VIP treatment did not end there.


    The moment he stepped into the lift with Pope Cole, the lift operator, who was trying his best to hold his tears, could no longer do so, as he began crying out loud as the lift began to ascend.


    "Please Lord, bless this despicable human¡­.. if you bless me, I''ll surely live a long and fruitful life" The lift operator said, as he piously bowed to touch Rocky''s feet.


    For a split-second, Rocky felt like receding his feet, as he did not wish for a man elder to him touching his feet, however, he did not wish to deny the man''s sentiments either.


    Standing calmly, he let the man touch his feet as he ced his hand over his head and said "May The Gemini Gods Bless You"


    Listening to those words, the man wiped his tears and looked towards Rocky with the brightest smile on his face, as he seemed to haveplete faith that with this one blessing from Rocky, his life was about to changepletely.


    *Ting*


    As the lift reached the intended floor, the doors opened automatically and Rocky walked out of the lift without looking back.


    Behind him was Pope Cole who walked with a soft smile on his face, as he personally enjoyed the kind of character growth that Rocky was undergoing.


    He could see the reluctance in Rocky''s actions when someone treated him like a Messiah, however, while 6 months ago Rocky would have shrugged away from his role, the Rocky now was at least doing his best to y his part, albeit ufortably.


    As the duo reached the war strategy room, everyone paused whatever they were doing, as for a moment all eyes turned to Rocky.


    "What a mountain of a man you have be¡­. " Complemented Neatwit, as he was the first one to notice the change in Rocky''s body structure and stature.


    "Wee To Earth" said Association Leader Cody, as his voice and facial expression seemed to be slightly softer than usual today.


    "Hello¡­" Rocky said awkwardly, as everyone chuckled at his response but weed him within the room.


    While Rocky could not read the aura of anyone present in the room, he could make-out that there were some people in the room that were happy with his presence, while some that thought that he did not belong here.


    Scattered across the room were important war documents andary secrets as everyone seemed to be super busy preparing for the uing monster tide.


    "Come, sit with me-" said Karna, as he tried to get Rocky to sit beside him and get him to speed on what was going on.


    As Rocky sat beside Karna, the guildmaster of the elites did not talk about Joe, or Riva or ask what Rocky was up to, as he solely talked about the uing monster raid and what the major Earthen Guilds were nning in defense.


    Karna knew that the only thing that mattered right now was the uing monster wave, as everything else could wait till after that was resolved.


    "You have read about undeads in your university right?" Karna asked, as Rocky nodded his head.


    "Well here is a list of their known weaknesses, if you have anything to add to this list or any strategy that you feel will be useful, just jot it down" Karna said, as he handed Rocky two sheets of paper.


    Just like that, Rocky was given a seat at the highest war council of the and was asked to contribute towards the war effort, even though he was a newbie.


    Naturally, there were many who frowned at Karna''s actions of asking a newbie to strategize, however, with Pope Cole present in the room, everyone held their tongues in fear.


    At first, Rocky studied the document of already prepared counter-measures carefully and only after a while did he start jotting down points that came to his mind.


    The expectations from Rocky were low. While themon people viewed him as some messiah, the guildmasters and the organization leaders of Earth only viewed him as a paper figure. .


    He was yet to prove his worth as a warrior and hence they saw him more like a mascot and did not have any high hopes from him.


    However, when Rockypleted writing his suggestions and submitted them back to Karna, the guildmaster of the elites felt sweat trickle down the side of his neck.


    "Y-you just thought about this on the fly?" Karna asked Rocky in shock, as Rocky nodded his head calmly.


    "Hey, Neatwit, take a look at this-" Karna said, as he passed the paper with Rocky''s suggestions to Neatwit, who studied it for a while and then beamed "THIS IS GENIUS"


    By this point, all the room''s attention had been diverted to Neatwit and Karna, as the rest of the room wondered as to what the two were talking about.


    "What is genius? I thought you both were just trying to keep the kid busy, do you really expect us to take his advice seriously?" Asked Guildmaster Mark as Neatwit shook his head and passed the paper to Mark.


    "Here, take a look for yourself and decide" Neatwit said, as Mark snatched the paper from Neatwit rather arrogantly, before studying it in depth.


    At first, Mark did not want to admit it, however, after a while even he started to have sweat trickle down his neck, as he had never seen such a thorough and lethal n.


    "This¡­.this is good" Mark admitted, as now the curiosity of the room reached its peak.


    "What''s good? What''s going on?" Asked Cody, as Karna gestured for Rocky to speak up.


    "Basically, I think we are not using the terrain of ground zero fully to our advantage in my opinion.


    We have massive pits built near the tower, however, we are not using those pits as a trap but rather as a speed-breaker, which is not optimal in my opinion.


    Alternatively, We can fill the ground zero pit with an artificial/hollow base and allow the undead army to cross over initially.


    Then, as we feel that the area above the false base had been filled fully with undead, we detonate the base and have the undead fall into the pits where we can have fire inscriptions built into the walls.


    Not only can we cut the first undead tide in half using this strategy, once the undead fall inside the fire pits, they will incinerate to ashes in such a way that their regeneration would be impossible.


    Not only that, but we will also have cut off their first wave, and the undead that have crossed initially would be without backend support and easy to deal with.


    This way, we can kill more undead and still have the pit serve as a speed breaker, but my n also modifies it as a trap" Rocky exined crudely, as all the guildmasters present in the room were dumbfounded listening to his n.


    "Shakuni¡­. This is the great god Shakuni speaking through him. This strategy¡­. It''s too good! "said Pdin Patrik, as tears of joy began streaking down his chin.


    "Hey, Rocky,e sit here with me, have a look at what I''m nning too¡­."


    "Once you''re done with it,e have a look at my strategy too, tell me if I can make any adjustments"


    Once Rocky showed a glimpse of hispetency, the more moderate elements of the room instantly asked for his counsel, while even the more extreme ones found themselves smiling.


    Although they did not ept Rocky as a warrior, at least as a strategist, he seemed to be a natural.

 Chapter 105: A sit down with the guildmaster

    The Climbers Association tacitly broke the news that the monster raid was going to happen in the next 4-6 days with a social media post of Rocky and the guildmasters working in the war room.


    In the post, they omitted the crucial detail that they had only be aware of the monster wave a day prior, instead projecting an image of having everything under control.


    The post caption, titled ''A new member in this year''s monster raid nning,'' was strategically crafted to spotlight Rocky''s inclusion in the war council, subtly diverting attention from the imminent fact that the monster raid was scheduled to ur in less than a week.


    The post broke all social media records and became viral instantly, as news about Rocky''s return and the next monster raid became trending.


    However, because of the climber association''s careful maniption, the overall atmosphere and public morale was high, as everyone bought into the lie that Earth was going to be prepared for this year''s raid as well.


    "Rocky in the war council? Yes sir-"


    "They seriously let a kid inside the war council? May the god Gemini help us"


    "What is Rocky''s role in the war council? Does he fill the other guildmaster''s water bottles?"


    Thements beneath the post varied widely, but as long as the emphasis remained on Rocky rather than the impending monster wave, the Climber''s Association remained indifferent. For them, sessfully diverting public attention ahead of a significant raid offered a sense of relief, and Cody was particrly grateful for Rocky''s poprity during such critical times.


    **********


    After his first hard day of work, consulting various guild masters in formting strategies, Rocky became extremely popr within the upper echelons of Earth''s strongest warrior''s.


    He was like the intern that everyone wanted in their team as he was able to provide fresh insights that others did not possess.


    At the end of the day, Karna took him out for a well deserved dinner break, with the True Elite guildmaster wanting to talk about a few things in private with Rocky.


    Doing things in style, Karna asked Amelia to book the entire restaurant for privacy, as the Elite guildmaster and Rocky found themselvespletely alone in a massive restaurant that could service 150-200 people at once.


    "This ce has good steamed dumplings and noodles. One of my favorite spots" Karna said, as he rmended some of his favorite dishes to Rocky to help him finalize his food order.


    Being the patient gentleman that he was, Karna let the food arrive and Rocky get a few bites before beginning the conversation that he wished to really have.


    "So, I see you have undergone a race change¡­..what is the name of your new race?" Karna asked, as Rocky felt surprised by Karna''s deduction.


    "How did you know?" Rocky asked as Karna smiled softly.


    "The flow of mana in your body is not like any human I know. It''s much different to the first time we met too.


    Such drastic changes in the mana pathways and physical build usually only happens when one undergoes a race change. However, I don''t see any obvious signs of vampirification or draconification on you, so I have no idea what race you have be" Karna said, as he shared with Rocky the basis of his assumption.


    "You''re not wrong, but you''re slightly wrong¡­." Rocky said, piquing Karna''s interest.


    "I haven''t changed my race, I''m still a human, however, I''m not the same human as you" Rocky said, as Karna paused from slurping the noodles he was enjoying and bit it off from the middle.


    "Oh..?" He said, gesturing for Rocky to carry on.


    "I''m a perfected human, it''s like the peak potential of the human race. To be honest, I don''t get it myself, but apparently I''m what our species will be maybe 100,000 years down the line?" Rocky said, sounding unsure about the timeline as to when natural evolution will make humans evolve into perfect humans.


    "Sounds interesting¡­" Karna said, as he continued slurping his noodles.


    "About your sister¡­.." Karna said after a few seconds, as the moment he touched this subject, he could feel a subtle shift in Rocky with his eyes turning serious.


    "Once this floor raid is over, I promise to save her, with the full force of the guild¡­" Karna said, as Rocky epted his words as truth and nodded his head.


    "I understand guildmaster, you have your reasons to wait so long, but I don''t me you" Rocky said understandingly, as he already knew that Karna was going tounch a raid on floor21 based on his vision that he received in the snake-men ancestral chamber.


    "I hope you don''t detest me for this decision, it''s not that I don''t want to save your sister at the earliest, I really do, but the safety of Earthes first" Karna said as Rocky nodded in understanding.


    "What are you nning to do with Joe?" Rocky asked, as Karna let out a deep sigh hearing his name.


    "Honestly that''s a tough one. I''ve handed him over to the Climber''s Association to face trial for treason, however, if you want to give him two good ps then I''m sure that can be arranged" Karna said, assuming that Rocky wanted to get his revenge.


    "Nah, I''m sure the legal system will do me justice" Rocky said, disying maturity as he did not chase petty revenge.


    Impressed Karna gave him a thumbs up sign as the two continued with their amiable dinner. Discover stories on m _v _le _mp _yr.


    "What do you think my role in this war would be?" Rocky asked eventually, as Karna seemed to contemte the answer to this question for a long time.


    "If things work out smoothly, I think Cody will give you a lot of credit. That''s just the kind of man he is. However, as for the actual fighting, I don''t think Pope Cole will risk you being injured" Karna said, as his words mirrored Rocky''s own thoughts.


    Despite him helping all the guildmasters in the room above, not one of them invited him to join their party on ground, because everyone knew exactly which party Rocky was going to join eventually.


    "So I''m just a mascot in the end huh?" Rocky murmured, as Karna smiled and waved his fork in Rocky''s face.


    "Everyone can be a soldier Rocky, not everyone can be a mascot. Also, who knows, they may let you get on the battlefield and have some fun.


    I think you will be heavily guarded, but if you want you can enter the battlefield, it''s good experience" Karna said, as he shrugged his shoulders.


    "Is it hard? Participating in a war?" Rocky asked, as Karna looked from side to side and then contemted his answer.


    "To be honest¡­." Karna said in a hushed voice, as his face turned energetic. " I love wars¡­. I feel alive in wars. You know those background music that y behind short videos?


    That''s the kind of music that ys in my head when I ughter wave after wave of monsters.


    Makes you feel like a true man!"


    Although Rocky did not know why, somehow Karna''s response made him smile, as the passion with which he described a war, made it feel less gloomy than what Rocky envisioned it to be.

 Chapter 106: War Preperation

    (3 dayster)


    For the three days after Rocky''s return to Earth, he was lucky enough to see the mobilization of the entirety of Earth''s Climbers near ground zero.


    Almost every climber belonging to Earth, regardless of what guild they belonged to or what important mission they were a part of within the tower, returned home for this monster wave.


    Traps were set up, supplies were distributed, front lines were in position and at the ready, while medic camps were set up at strategic locations across the battlefield, ensuring swift medical attention could be given to the wounded. .


    The skies were monitored round the clock by teams of scouts, their eyes sharp for any sign of the advancing wave. Communication lines were established, utilizing both modern technology and arcane methods, to ensure seamless coordination across the vast battlefield.


    Earth''s mages, regardless of their guild affiliation gathered, pooling their magical resources to erect barriers and enchantments that shimmered with potent energy, ready to repulse the monstrous tide.


    Artisans and engineers worked tirelessly, creating single use weapons such as arrowheads and bombs, while also reinforcing defensive structures that would serve as the first line of defense.


    The air buzzed with a mixture of apprehension and determination. Every able bodied climber had been enlisted to lend their strength in one way or another and despite the increased difficulty of the monster wave this time around, morale seemed high.


    Training camps sprang up overnight, where experienced fighters shared their knowledge and skills with the neers, ensuring everyone was prepared for the battle ahead.


    Especially first timers and students who had no idea what to expect in this war were given some critical survival tips, on how to hold formations, how to listen to their superiors orders, how to protect themselves from death and what not to do when surrounded by enemies.


    Rocky, who was also a newbie in this regard was coached about the same issues, however, unlike the others he was coached privately by Pope Cole.


    "Rocky, fighting a war is very different from fighting a single opponent, as in a war you can be attacked at any time from any angle," Pope Cole began as he began jabbing a sword against imaginary shadow opponents as demonstration.


    "You must be perpetually aware of your surroundings, always ready to change your stance and adapt your strategy at a moment''s notice." Pope Cole said as he quickly shifted his stances a couple of times, to show Rocky how such moves could be executed.


    "In a war, there is nothing such as an absolute win. You maye off scratchless when facing 5 opponents, however, lose your focus on the sixth and you lose your life.


    It''s not a single duel to death, so never stretch yourself thin, never execute moves that will make you run out of mana and always fight at a constant pace that you can maintain" Pope Cole said, as Rocky nodded at his words.


    "The most dangerous spot to be in any battlefield is the front lines. Those who fight there have my utmost respect, but it''s also where the most casualties happen.


    I''m sure someday, you can be the guy who will open up enemy lines and cut them in half, however, for your first war I''m not letting you go nowhere near the front line" Pope Cole said, as Rocky scratched his nose at these words.


    As a child, he always wanted to feel the rush of fighting at the front lines, however, he also understood that he was nowhere near ready to do so now.


    "You will fight alongside a pdin unit and under amander that will keep you safe, so let''s only focus on your role there" Pope Cole said, as he signaled for a few other pdins to join his demonstration as he jumped into formation with them.


    "In battle, holding your line is paramount. You and yourrades form a barrier against the enemy. Stand shoulder to shoulder, never allow gaps to form in your ranks. An enemy will exploit even the smallest opening."


    He gestured for Rocky to adjust his stance to mirror his behind him, "When wielding dual swords, your ability to adapt is key. Use one for defense, parrying and blocking, while the other strikes. This way, you maintain a bnce between offense and defense, essential for holding your line."


    "As for charging," Pope Cole continued, "it''s a powerful tactic but risky. Never charge too far ahead of your allies. A warrior alone is easily surrounded and overwhelmed. Charge as one, a unified force that can break through enemy lines without bing isted."


    He looked directly at Rocky, ensuring his next words were clearly understood. "Retreat is not a sign of cowardice, but a strategic necessity. Learn to read the battle. If the line begins to falter, or if you see an overwhelming force approaching, signal a retreat. It''s better to regroup and strategize than to be ughtered in disarray."


    "Lastly," he added, munication is your lifeline. Keep in constant contact with your unit. A well-timed call to advance or retreat can turn the tide of battle. And always listen to yourmanders; their perspective of the battlefield is broader than what you see in the fray."


    Rocky absorbed Pope Cole''s advice, recognizing the depth of experience behind each word.


    These were not just lessons in warfare, but survival tactics honed through countless battles. He nodded and silently vowed to put all this advice to use.


    "Remember Rocky, while winning is important in the war, your survival is even more important.


    No matter what, you must survive alright? Because, if the Champion of Gemini dies, but Earth survives, then I for one will not be able to live with myself" Pope Cole said, as Rocky grasped the seriousness behind those words.


    He did not explicitly say it, however, Pope Cole vowed to kill himself if Rocky did not survive this war.


    "Don''t worry Pope Cole, while I''m not a seasoned fighter, I''m more than capable of holding my own" Rocky said, as he assured that he wasn''t intending on losing his life in this next monster tide.


    *************


    ( Meanwhile On Floor 92 )


    "Rocky, Paper, Scissors Shoot!"


    "Hahaha, that''s 1 each now brother. I win this one" Ravan said, as Shakuni frowned at the oue of losing the second round.


    The two brothers were ying Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide which one of them was going to have an image of themselves descend on Earth in theing monster tide, however, with both gods wanting to personally go down, they decided to settle the matter using a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.


    "You''re not even a double sword wielder brother, I feel like you''re being stubborn with this one, I''m clearly the better choice to go down" Shakuniined, however, Ravan shook his head and refused to heed to his brother''s words.


    "They call me the God Of War though, brother, also, while I agree that my swordsmanship is not as good as you, it''s more than enough to teach Rocky how to fight" Ravan countered, as he insisted on settling the matter with the final round of Rock, Paper, Scissors.


    "Rock, Paper, Scissors¡­.Shoot"


    ----------


    /// A/N - Yes, one of our two resident gods will finally sort of return to action soon- ///

 Chapter 107: Earths Defence Arrangements

    ( One day before the monster wave )


    One day before the monster wave, the warning signs of monsters emerging finally began to show. Join the adventure on m,vlemp _y,r.


    A cold breeze capable of freezing room temperature water within 5-10 minutes blew from the tower outwards to the men holding the front lines, as they had to cover themselves in warm nkets and jackets to withstand the sudden drop in  temperature.


    "The chill of the dead¡­. There is definitely an undead army on the other side" the front line soldiers talked amongst themselves, as the climbers association arranged for small bonfires to be created near the front lines.


    There was still no sighting of the first wave of monsters emerging, however, everyone seemed to be prepared to fight at any given time now.


    Theyout of the human defenses was such that at the heart of the defensive formation was the Tower Of Ascension.


    Originally a portal bridging worlds, its purpose would dramatically shift once the onset of the monster raid would begin.


    No longer serving as a gateway to distant realms, it would morph into a sinister conduit, allowing hordes of monstrous entities to spill into Earth. A transformation that would mark the beginning of the onught.


    Surrounding the tower was a meticulously crafted ditch trap, a stroke of tactical genius suggested by Rocky.


    The ditch which was initially only to be used as a physical barrier was now devised in a way that would maximize strategic exploitation of the terrain, turning the naturalndscape into an ally in their defense.


    The ditch, wide and deep, had been designed to slow the advance of the enemy, dropping them into predetermined kill zones where the mages had alreadyced the walls with the most devastating fire spells.


    After the ditch, theyout of the battlefield could be understood via imagining concentric circles around it.


    The first zone outside the ditch was the minefield. Here, the ground itself had been weaponized. Traditional explosives had been secretly nted alongside arcane traps, each meticulously ced to unleash devastation upon the unsuspecting foe.


    Just crossing this zone alone, the climbers association expected 90% of the first monster wave to be neutralized.


    After the minefield, the second concentric circle was deemed as the ''st Zone''.


    This area was the culmination of their defensive strategy, a meticulously nned kill zone where the full might of Earth''s wide arsenal of weapons was to be unleashed.


    From the relentless pounding of mortars to the ceaseless storms of arrows raining down from above, every weapon in their arsenal had been trained on this deadly expanse.


    Powerful mages were also asked to direct their devastating area-of-effect spells to this zone, as this was the area where the climbers association did not expect any friendly fighters to be present, till the very end of the raid.


    This zone was the anvil upon which the enemy was to be broken. It was here that humanity was expecting to deal crippling blows to the invading forces, exploiting the advantage of superior positioning and firepower.


    Beyond this zoneid the buffer zone, the area about 100 meters wide where there were no human lines initially, however, were free to charge if themanders felt like charging was an option.


    And after the buffer zone was the actual front line, the first human wave of defense and the area where the most difficult fighting was expected to take ce.


    The front line was mostlyposed of experienced parties from the guilds and new climbers from the climbers association who were merged with the guild parties to make make-shift units.


    Most of Earth''s strongest fighters fought from the front line, including Guild Master Karna, Vice Guild Master Neatwit, Pope Cole, etc.


    The ss of the fighters deployed on the front lines was mostly suited for one on one confrontations, hence tanks, swordsmen, knight''s, and berserkers made up this unit.


    Behind the Front Lines were the reinforcement lines, this was the line where a majority of the new inexperienced fighters were deployed alongside experienced mages, archers and other long ranged fighters.


    They were there for tactical support and to fill in the gaps in the front lines, should any section fall.


    Finally, behind the Reinforcement Lines were the Back Lines. Thest line of defense for humanity and the unitposed of veteran fighters who were ready toy down their lives to give a chance for the youth to retreat and escape, should everything else fail.


    Association leader Cody was a part of the back lines, being one of the few who did not have retreat- as an option.


    He was to either thwart the monster wave, or die trying, however, he was never going to abandon ground zero and run from the battlefield with his life intact.


    While all guild masters were allowed to retreat, the climber association leader was not, and that was why the position of association leader, althoughing with immense power and influence, was not a post that many sought to take up.


    Rocky, alongside a pdin unit of the church, was deployed in the reinforcement lines, with clear orders from the Pope to not go into the front lines if any other  alternative was avable.


    Overall, this concentric formation around the tower was like a siege of death and regardless of what force emerged outside the tower, against such a well set up formation they were sure to lose, however, the problem this year was the undead lich, a being that could keep regenerating his army using necromancy, as although humanity could destroy his army once, if it kept raising back up from the dead again and again, then even if they had a well set up formation, nobody could withstand monster waves forever.


    To counter this problem, Earth had recruited the help of a lesser god, by offering him an enormous sum of 600 million tower gold and 100 thousand high grade mana crystals.


    The mage god ''Caspian''. A neutral god without any religious or factional association and one who was known for his rational temper.


    He was the ace in human defense arrangements this year and the individual that Earth hoped would deal with any emerging enemy lich.

 Chapter 108: Nerves

    ( A few hours before the monster wave )


    The entire Earth waited with bated breaths when the sun shone over the horizon, marking the start of a new day.


    Today was the day where the monster wave was expected to start, however, since the start time wasn''t definite, there was a possibility of the raid starting anytime in the next 48 hours, however, the defending forces had to be alert nheless.


    The bonfires from the night before were extinguished, the morning meals eaten quickly and battle armor equipped.


    The atmosphere was tense, war songs were being sung to keep morale high, while authorized personnel from the ground zero media began their live coverage of the monster raid.


    Schools, Colleges, Offices, shops, etc were shut across the world, as on this day, all non-climbers gathered in eithermunity shelters or the safety of their homes, praying to Gemini Gods for an easy wave.


    With the TV screen on, they watched the raid develop live, cheering for the heroes that defended them from afar.


    *******


    "Forgive me for meddling my Lord, but that''s not how you tighten your armor" Pdin Patrik said, as he saw Rocky struggling with putting on a full body armor and could not help but meddle.


    "Oh? I have never actually fought in full gear before, even at the university¡­.. I actually have no idea what I''m doing here" Rocky admitted candidly as Pdin Patrik moved over to him and started to tighten the armor straps around him.


    While the majority of fighters were given standard issue armors, Rocky was given an (Epic) grade piece of equipment that was usually reserved for pdins of the Church.


    Initially, Pope Cole was insistent on giving Rocky his own semi-legendary armor, however, it was a custom fitted piece that was too small for Rocky''s frame.


    Thankfully, they had a standard issue piece of enchanted armor for the pdins that did fit Rocky as that was the armor Rocky tried wearing today.


    The armor had 7 distinct enchantedponents that greatly helped protect one against both magical and physical attacks.


    The mainponent was the chest piece, which was tightened using straps around the back such that it fit one''s frame perfectly without leaving any gaps.


    While there were strapless variants of chestpiece avable, unless it was a custom fitting, they usually fitted one like a rattling box and were not optimal gear choices.


    Rocky, who had never worn a full armor before, let alone a strapped armor, had no idea on how to equip it and hence, Pdin Patrik helped prepare him.


    Putting on the chest piece first, he then put on the shoulder pads, the neck guard and the helmet.


    Then he ced arm guard around Rocky''s arms, shin guard around his feet and helpedce Rocky''s boots.


    A total of 7 distinct defense equipment were tightened and secured against his body, as Rocky felt the armor to be stuffy and suffocating once he was fully geared up.


    "Wow, this thing weighs like 15 kilograms on its own," Rockymented, as Pdin Patrik chuckled at hisment.


    "Well it''s designed for us pdins. It''s a piece of equipment for floor 40 climbers and above, so yeah, it will feel heavy for you. But at our level we don''t feel this much weight at all" Pdin Patrik said, as Rocky nodded at his words.


    It wasn''t that the equipment was heavy, it was just that he wasn''t strong enough yet to wear such powerful equipment, however, he did not have the option not to wear it.


    Pope Cole insisted that he must wear it for self protection and hence although it restricted his movements and felt heavy, Rocky was forced to equip the heavy armor.


    Shuffling his feet and trying some jabs, Rocky tried to get a feel for the gear and his movement within it. novel hosted m,vle mpyr


    He felt like his peak speed was reduced by around 10% because of the added weight, but he wasn''tpletely incapacitated either and was able to move his joints pretty freely and perform all the moves that he wanted to.


    ''Sacrificing a bit of speed for improved defense? I''d say that''s a fair trade-'' Rocky thought, as the armor grew on him as time passed.


    Rocky''s unit consisted of mostly experienced pdins from the church.


    Apart from Sir Patrik and another Pdin named Neesham, who were actually pdin ss fighters, all others were either holy mages, archers or ranged fighters that were given the honorary post of a ''Pdin''.


    Being from the Church, they all adored and loved Rocky thoroughly and there seemed to be an unspoken understanding amongst all members that regardless of what happened in the war, they were going to protect Rocky at all costs.


    With Rocky, they were a total of 12 members and they were directly answerable to Pope Cole and him only in military hierarchy.


    Apart from Pope Cole, nobody had the authority to order their unit around, with Pdin Patrik having the final say, which was unlike all other units that were answerable to the Climbers Association in the chain ofmand regardless of their guild affiliation.


    Since Rocky was a part of the group, The cameras from reporters often focused on their party and especially Rocky, who seemedposed and ready for the fight, with two gleaming swords around his waist.


    Despite the serious atmosphere, there were many viewers back at home who hoped to see a glimpse of Rocky in action, to see what the skills of the Champion of Gemini and a SSS talent looked like.


    For now however, Rocky was only patiently waiting, just like the rest of Earth''s climbers, holding his nerves until the enemies emerged.


    A few hours passed, and the sun reached its peak height above everyone''s head, when Rocky finally understood the mental fatigue of an impending war.


    Since he was focused and at the ready since morning, although he had not made any physical movements, he felt fatigued because of the mental pressure building.


    In such an environment, it was important to keep one''s nerves calm and joke around, as if one got tired before the fight even began, then it was sure to be a disaster.


    Rocky noticed that the groups of the front lines were constantly singing songs and engaging in small fun games, however, his group was eerily silent and hence he decided to lighten the mood by cracking a joke.


    "Pdin Patrik¡­..guys-" Rocky said, scratching his nose as he felt embarrassed to make such a silly joke.


    "Yes my lord?" The pdin replied, wondering why Rocky called him.


    "Why do dwarves not y football?" Rocky asked in all seriousness, as Pdin Patrik frowned at the question.


    "Why do dwarves not y football?" He wondered, as Rocky smiled and said "Because the grass tickles their balls"


    For a moment, Sir Patrik looked at Rocky in confusion, before he and everyone else in the party burst outughing.


    "Hahahahaha¡­.. balls-"


    Everyone chuckled at the impromptu joke, as Rocky felt proud of having lightened the tense atmosphere.


    However, little did he know that this small joke that he made was caught by the cameras and had made not only his team, but everyone across the globe crack a smile.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 109: Start Of The Monster Wave

    As the afternoon sun dipped toward the horizon, marking the transition into evening, the front line climbers allowed themselves a moment of respite.


    Several shedyers of their heavy armor, seeking relief from its confining embrace, while others abandoned their posts in favor of an early dinner, eager for a brief escape from the tension that filled the air, while a few found solitude on the periphery, engaging in the humble task of digging holes in the earth to attend to nature''s call.


    Despite their preparations, the anticipated monster raid had yet to materialize, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the camp.


    Maybe the raid began tonight, maybe it did not, however, the wait was definitely taking its toll on everyone.


    "Alright, it''s already 6pm, we can make a quick rotation of everyone getting four hours of sleep if we start now. Who wants to go first?" Pdin Patrik asked, as he found two men within his party of twelve who were ready to sleep early and granted them the luxury to sleep early while the other 10 kept up.


    After two hours, Patrik Pdin was hoping to send two more of his party members to sleep, however, from 10pm onwards he was looking to cycle it out with the first two of the batch waking up.


    Rocky, not feeling sleepy, did not go to bed early, but instead soaked in the tense atmosphere and experienced the nervous wait before a fight.


    A lot of different questions ran through his mind, including the possibility of his death in the uing fight, however, somehow because he had already seen the vision of himself reaching Riva on floor 21, he felt like he wasn''t fated to die here.


    Of Course a vision was never a certainty and many things could change between now and then, however, somehow, he just knew deep down in his bones that he was going to make it out of this mess alive.


    Unlike other first time climbers who were praying to the Gemini Gods right now for their own survival, the only thing Rocky prayed for was the survival of Earth''s Strongest Climbers.


    It had been centuries now since Earth had a lesser god of its own, however, Karna and Neatwit had a real shot of reaching that realm and Rocky hoped that after this monster raid was concluded the two of them were alive and able to reach that zenith.


    *RUMBLE*


    Just as Rocky was wondering about how things could be, there was a loud rumble from within the tower of ascension as the entry point to the tower changed from looking like a gate into it to a portal out of it.


    Once again, a wave of chilly air passed through the battlefield causing all men to instantly return to their battle stations and prepare for war.


    *t t t*


    The sound of bones cracking could be heard as the first group of skeletal warrior''s wearing rag-tag armor walked out of the tower.


    "ENEMY SPOTTED¡­.. ENEMY SPOTTED, UNDEAD SKELETON"


    The scouts responsible for seeing through illusion magic, confirmed that the monsters marching out were indeed skeletal warrior''s, confirming that this was going to be an undead themed raid just as Earth had presumed.


    "ALL MEN TO ARMS, PREPARE FOR BATTLE"


    *WAR HORN*


    The front line generals screamed at the top of their lungs, urging all men to quickly gather their wits and get to their positions, while the official war horn was blown, signaling the start of the monster raid.


    The time on the clock was 2 minutes past 7pm and the party members that had fallen asleep had been woken up and asked to get ready by Pdin Patrik.


    For a second, Rocky felt his heartbeat increase as he saw the horde of undead slowly pouring out of that tower, however, it returned to its usual calm pretty quickly.


    "So it begins¡­.." Rocky murmured to himself as he tightened his grip on his two swords and put on his war helmet.


    **********


    ( Karna''s POV )


    Karna was leading the front line force that was directly in front of the emerging undead, in what was the most important spot for leading the defensive charge.


    This was his third monster raid on the front lines, having experienced two beast themed raids before this one.


    At his first raid, he was but a newbie who was mixed with another guilds party, but by his second he was the guildmaster of the elites.


    This time, he was still the guildmaster of the elites, however, he had also be one of the strongest warriors of Earth on whose shoulders the hopes of billions of Earthlings rested.


    "Tch¡­. Fucking undead-" he cursed as he felt a genuine sense of fear watching them march out of the tower in such a tight formation.


    Unlike beast waves which were haphazard andcking proper direction, this attack was on a whole another level as the emerging skeletal soldiers did not seem to be breaking rank for even a split second.


    *Thud*


    *Thud*


    *Thud*


    *Thud*


    The armies spread out into wide lines once emerging out of that tower and seemed to hold their ranks until more of their forces emerged outside.


    *Neighhh*


    Soon, undead horsemen began emerging out of the portal, joining the ranks of the foot soldiers as they cautiously marched onwards.


    "Come on suckers ¡­..e to papa" Neatwit muttered under his breath as he saw how a concentrated chunk of their army slowly marched on the makeshift tform that the Earthlings had created to cover the big ditch.


    At the speed they were marching, they were sure to lose a 100,000 undead or more to the pits when Rocky''s n was eventually put into action.


    "Calm¡­. Stay calm boys. Let them approach us. Deep breaths¡­..


    Remember, these fuckers are already dead, we just burying them 6 feet under".


    "Nobody amongst team 16 is going to show fear today, this is a chance for us to attain evesting glory.


    Today we fight with such ferocity that all the other divisions within the True Elites Guild should say, we fought well, but those demons on team 16¡­. Those guys were simply unstoppable-


    DO YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND?"


    "YES SIR!"


    "NO FEAR-"


    "YES SIR!"


    "WHAT IS DEATH?"


    "OUR BITCH SIR-"


    Every team leader psyched up their units in their own ways as the undead armies slowly crossed over the ditch and entered the minefield.


    "Command room to front lines¡­. Command room to front lines, do you copy?" Cody said, as Karna picked up his walkie talkie and replied "Oh yeah, we copy"


    "Blowing up the explosives is your call guildmaster Karna¡­.. give us themand and we will blow open the ditch" Cody reminded as Karna observed the weak skeletal soldiers that were marching out and decided to not kill them yet.


    "These are cannon fodders Cody. Undead having the strength less than that of a floor10 climber.


    The attack is wasted on them.


    Yes they march in formation, but we don''t need to take them seriously, let''s wait till a bigger threat emerges" Karna responded, as despite the tense atmosphere he maintained his sense of rity and cool judgment.


    The sight of hundreds of thousands of undead pouring out of the tower was an intimidating one, however, Karna was not a novicemander either.


    He knew that forces so weak were never going to make it past the artillery st zone in any case and hence he did not feel like wasting the ditch trap on them was a good idea.


    *BOOM*


    *BOOM*


    *BOOM*


    The mines nted in the minefield zone began to be triggered as the undead vanguard reached those areas, with the human climbers cheering every explosion and every death of the enemy.


    For a few minutes, without a single Earthling doing anything, the enemy front lines were decimated through traps alone as the undead vanguard lost a few thousand troops just to the minefield zone alone.


    *GAHHHHHH*


    A gluttoral roar tore through the battlefield as from within the tower emerged the undead giants and the undead champions.


    Troops that seemed like the main force of the undead army as their presence alone sent chills down the spine of first time climbers who quaked in their boots seeing them emerge.


    "Front line tomand station, front line tomand station-" Karna spoke in hismunication device, as Cody immediately responded with "Go ahead-"


    "Tell the artillery to be prepared for the volley, we will not activate the ditch trap until these undead giants cover the full area of the ditch trap" Karna informed, as he decided to activate their first line of defense superte and allow even more troops to pass through in the first wave.


    It was a risky move, since not blowing up the ditch was allowing the undead toe out of the tower way too quickly and March in tight formations that was minimizing loss of life.


    Once the ditch was blown apart, they were sure to struggle to do the same, however, Karna was sure in his mind to y itte.


    Trusting his judgment, Cody informed the artillery corps to be ready to rain fire upon the enemy once they crossed over into the artillery zone as within seconds the orders reached to Pdin Patrik and his corps as well, as Pdin Patrik informed the mages and archers within his party to be ready to engage.


    "Hahaha, this is fun¡­." Rocky murmured to himself, analyzing the situation, as while themon soldiers had no idea as to what the climber''s association had nned, Rocky knew about the ditch trap and was feeling fascinated on how guildmaster Karna was refraining from using it to cause maximum damage.

 Chapter 110: Undead Wave (1)

    The heart of the human defense effort against the monsters was undoubtedly the st zone.


    A one-kilometer expanse meticulously engineered to unleash havoc and shatter anything or anyone brave enough to venture within its bounds.


    The first time that Rocky witnessed it in action, he realized just how formidable the zone was as within seconds it decimated thousands of undead skeletons.


    Arrows, mortar, spells, bombs, heavy artillery.


    Every form of long range AOE attack was all concentrated in one stretch ofnd, obliterating any army brave enough to walk into it.


    From the first wave of opponents, not a single undead skeleton was able to cross even half-way through the st zone, as within seconds, the undead were reduced to a pile of bones and ashes.


    "Alright, hold your fire-" Pdin Patrikmanded, as the archers and mages in his unit paused their fire when it seemed like the enemy waspletely decimated.


    "Guildmaster Karna was right to wait longer, the first wave of undead were indeed too weak. Saving the ditch trap for stronger opponents was a wise choice" Rocky murmured to himself as he observed the battle develop.


    The decimation of the front lines of the undead, created a noticeable gap between the front lines and the next line of emerging troops, as the stronger undead giants and skeletal champions made their way to the front.


    Up till now, the outpour of monsters from the tower was relentless, every second a few thousand new monsters emerged outwards with their strength and quality slowly but steadily improving, hence, although humans were demolishing their front line forces, the overall number of enemy troops were only going up every second.


    **************


    "Hey Karna, I think it''s time¡­." Neatwit eventually said as he noticed that the entire ditch radius waspletely filled with undead horsemen level troops or higher.


    "Just a little more¡­." Karna said in response, as he let the enemy troops approach with ice in his veins, drawing even more to his death trap.


    "Hey, we also need to slow down their progress. They''re marching too fast. We need the ditch" Neatwit reminded, as Karna pointed his palm towards Neatwit, urging him to stay calm.


    For a full two nerve-wrecking minutes, Karna only observed the enemy''s march, as more troops crossed the minefield and reached the st zone.


    For a second time, the arrows, mortar and spells rained down on the enemy troops, forcing them to face significant troubles, however, even then, Karna did not set off the ditch trap.


    At this point, even Cody who was back at themand center began feeling nervous, however, despite the pressure mounting from all sides, Karna kept his calm.


    *ROARRRRRR*


    A Gluttoral roar epassed the entire battlefield as another wave of chilly air swept outwards from the tower.


    Out came a legion of skeletal rhinoceros warrior''s, as they rushed straight out of the tower gate at full speed.


    *Thud* *thud* *thud*


    Even a few kilometers away, Karna could feel the ground beneath his feet rumbling as the rhinoceros legion marched out and it was only when the rhinecores legion was half-way across the ditch trap, that Karna finally decided to activate it.


    *KABOOM*


    Arge explosion that caused a mini earthquake took the battlefield by storm.


    All the thousands of explosives ced underneath the make-shift surface blew up at once, blowing apart the fake surface and causing hundreds of thousands of troops to fall to a 100 feet drop of death.


    To make matters worse, the walls of the ditch were inscribed with the highest level of fire spells and hence once the troops fell a hundred feet, they were then subjected to an inferno like heat, that reduced the survival chance of any undead to zero.


    *CHEERS*


    Maddening cheers went up throughout the front lines as hundreds of thousands of strong undead were plunged to their deaths, as even Neatwit lost his mind at the scene.


    To make matters worse for the undead army, the undead rhinecores who were running out of the portal at top speed were unable to stop themselves in time to not fall into the ditch even after it blew up, as one after another they kept jumping into their fiery deaths.


    "What a master-stroke! Absolute genius-" Neatwitplemented Karna, pping him tightly on the back, as at that moment even Karna let out a rare smile, feeling goosebumps go up and down his spine.


    "Rocky''s strategy was brilliant. That kid has a promising future as a tactician" Karna said in excitement, as although he wasn''t speaking these words to anyone in particr, the recording cameras that were focused on him still picked it up.


    As the undead rhinecores kept jumping to their deaths one after another, the cheers amongst Earth''s troops began growing louder and louder as for a second time, they managed to cut the undead tide in half.


    With the front-lines decimated under the st zone and the backlines falling into the ditch trap, it was a battlefield wide route for the enemy, as so far, without losing a single soldier, humans became sessful in pushing back the undead wave.


    Although they had used up all of their traps and their minefield zone had now been rendered useless, humans had been sessful in extracting the maximum value out of those traps for sure, giving them a great start to this monster wave.


    ************


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Rocky cheered alongside the masses when the ditch trap went up, as the site of hundreds of thousands of undead falling to their deaths was one that Rocky was probably never going to forget in his entire life.


    Adrenaline coursed through his veins, making him feel hyped for no reason, as he became unable to understand as to why war and carnage felt so appealing to him.


    Having tasted the sweet feeling of strategically destroying enemy forces once, Rocky craved for feeling it again, as he felt the urge to jump into the heat of the battle right this moment and take control of a unit as a captain.


    Unfortunately however, he was forced to show restraint, as Patrik Pdin was not letting him go anywhere near the front lines for now.

 Chapter 111: Undead Wave (2)

    ( Taylor and Adam''s family''s POV )


    Because Adam, Taylor and Rocky were such good friends since childhood, over the years their parents formed a friendly connection with one another as well.


    Today, as the monstrous wave officially began, they had congregated under a single roof, seeking sce and safety in unity.


    Together, they watched the unfolding battle with their hearts heavy with concern for both of their children who were bravely participating in the conflict.


    "The worst part about being the parents of a climber is when they go to war¡­." Adam''s mother emotionally said when she saw the undead tide emerge over the TV.


    "Don''t worry, La dear, Rocky won''t let anything happen to our children, those three are best friends since childhood, he would surely look after them" Taylor''s mother Ang said, as she assured Adam''s mother La that nothing bad would happen to their children.


    Whenever the broadcasters covered a shot of Rocky, this group of parents smiled and cheered as they felt happy to see the child safe.


    Although Rocky was not alongside Adam or Taylor''s unit in this war, the parents had no idea about this and thought that because Rocky was the Champion Of Gemini, he was bound to have special privileges that would allow him to save people he cared for.


    The mothers especially believed this, however the father''s were not that delusional and had some idea about how the world really worked.


    They understood that it was every man for himself in this war and while they were happy to see Rocky safe, their focus still remained on the war ying out as a whole.


    *CHEERS*


    Eventually, as the ditch trap went off and the TV cameras caught the shot of hundreds of thousands of enemies being decimated at once, everyone watching at home cheered loudly as for them this was the greatest thing ever.


    "Guildmaster Karna is a genius¡­. This strategy was brilliant-" Adam''s father George said, as he pped at the action, however, just then the camera caught a shot of Karna giving the credit of this strategy to Rocky as he seemed to be lost in thought.


    "Ehhhh? Rocky came up with this strategy?" Wondered La outloud, as she wasn''t the only one who was shocked by this news.


    Throughout the globe, every viewer watching felt surprised to find out that this brilliant strategy was nned by Rocky, as pious worship to the Gemini gods increased tenfold after this revtion.


    "This is the blessing of Lord Shakuni. Rocky is following in his footsteps".


    "So young yet so terrifying? Indeed a man worthy of bing the Champion Of Gemini"


    These were the sorts ofments that were passed when referencing Rocky, as when the camera cut to him next, showing him overlooking the battlefield with swords tightly clutched in hands, a cheer almost as loud as the one before spread throughout Earth once more.


    Rocky''s fandom seemed to grow regardless of what he did by the day, as desperate earthlings waiting for a messiah kept cing his image higher and higher in their minds.


    ************


    ( Back on ground zero )


    After the ditch trap decimated the undead forces was when the real fight began.


    Undead mages, shamans and the true elites of the undead army marched out with their legions, as these forces exerted a pressure that waspletely unlike their predecessors.


    [ Mud Block ]


    [ Earth Mover ]


    [ Terraform ]


    Using Earth elemental spells to fill the ditch and create a path for the undead armies to move forward, the undead mages created passageways and bridges that could carry their forces safely to the other side.


    "Target the bridge, don''t let them cross easily-" Pdin Patrik instructed, as the backlines over extended their usual attack range and shot long attacks to damage the make-shift bridge.


    [ Wind Block ]


    [ Protective Veil ]


    The enemy undead mages, sensing the impending danger, blocked the rain of long ranged attacks using spells of their own, equalizing the ying field.


    With their entry, the tide of the war became more even as they could provide nominal protection to their advancing troops against long range attacks of humans.


    Slowly but steadily, the undead forces marched past the ditch, through the minefields and into the st zone, where the skills of the undead mages were put to the real test.


    Sessfully protecting a few of their legion and unable to protect a few, the undead mages advanced slowly and to the best of their abilities under the heavy fire by the humans.


    Nheless, with about 40% of their legion intact, they did make it past the st zone and into the buffer zone as the first undeads finally broke past the human attack barrage and rushed towards the actual front lines.


    "ELITES! PREPARE FOR BATTLE-" Karna shouted, as all the True Elites troops, hidden behind well established ditches and spikes, prepared to physically fight the iing undead tide.


    *SCREEECH*


    *SCREEECH*


    At this moment, out of nowhere, undead wyverns and two massive bone dragons emerged from the tower portal as a massive new threat emerged.


    [ Dragon''s Fear ]


    All those troops, especially the news ones that nced towards the bone dragons, felt paralyzed in fear, as the newbies on the front lines became incapacitated to fight their approaching enemies.


    "Eyes on the opponent, eyes on the opponent, don''t gaze at the sky" Karna shouted, trying to prevent new kids from making the mistake of falling into dragon''s fear, however, he was toote to give this call.


    Curiosity got the best of most kids, who got frozen in fear and became easy pickings for the undead.


    *sh*


    *sh*


    *Crash*


    Some newbies died, some veteran killed the approaching opponents, however, despite being dug-into positions, the human front lines faltered at the critical moment as the enemy was able to find a breaking point right from the get-go.


    " Single de style, ck sword, [ Angel''s kiss ]" Dered Neatwit, as with a single sword strike, he alone took down the entire wave of undead that had broken past the front lines.


    "HOLD THE LINES, ELITES, DON''T LET THEM PASS EVEN OVER YOUR DEAD BODIES '''' He shouted, as he scrambled to cover the breach.


    -------


    /// A/N - Hey guys, I identally uploaded a chapter of terra nova into this book. Which is the chapter after this


    It has been corrected since, but if you are still seeing the wrong chapter, please try removing the book from library and adding again as that should fix it


    Sorry for the inconvenience. ///

 Chapter 112: A Surprise Return

    /// A/N - This is now the corrected chapter. If you''re seeing this, feel free to unlock this chapter. ///


    ( Rocky''s POV )


    Unlike other newbies, Rocky was unaffected by dragon''s fear as he gazed upon the flying beast undeterred.


    Of all the myriad species present within the tower, Rocky was the most curious abouting face to face with the dragon species one day.


    As the two bone dragons emerged out of the tower and took to the sky. Rocky realized that the size of each bone dragon was like that of a ten storey building as those things were absolutely massive.


    *SCREECH*


    Instead of a true dragon''s roar, a visceral shout that could induce fear in those who heard it through voice alone, the bone dragons could only produce ear numbing screeches at best, however, even those screeches made many climbers go white with fear.


    On-top of the two bone dragons were dragon riders. High level undead troops whose strength was equivalent to a floor 50 climber.


    Coupled with their formidable mount, they were entities that could destroy entire armies alone.


    *Prrrrrr*


    Unfortunately, the two bone dragons were not the only worrying thing for earthlings as apart from the dragons, there were countless small bone wyverns in the air, which were equal parts as dangerous.


    Without wasting any time, from the moment this air-borne legion emerged they had their sights fixed on the long range weaponry of the Earthen army.


    The mortars, the arch ballistae, the crossbows.


    Basically, all the massive machinery that was converting the st zone into a constant kill zone was the infrastructure they wished to target, as flying over the front lines, they immediately headed towards the machinery.


    "INCOMING-" Rocky heard someone scream behind him, as the entire aerial unit skipped the front and reserve lines and began attacking the Earthen back lines.


    "Not good¡­. Not good at all-" muttered Pdin Patrik under his breath as he understood that Earth was very ill-equipped to deal with aerial threats in this raid.


    While they did have capable archers and mages in the backlines, the fight against the massive dragons was surely not going to be easy.


    For a few minutes, the war intensified on all ends.


    The front line fighters kept fighting against the ground troops with all the might that they had.


    The back line fighters kept taking down as many wyverns as they could and tried to protect the heavy attack machinery, however, slowly but surely, the dragons were breaking them down.


    As a trickle down effect, Rocky could see how the st zone became more and more ineffective with the loss of heavy attack machinery and how the fighting at the front lines kept intensifying.


    At this rate, unless someone took down the bone dragons quickly, the situation would continue to degrade for Earth''s forces, as the momentum seemed to have shifted from being in their favor to being in the favor of the enemy.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile, Cody )


    Association Leader Cody understood the importance of defeating the Bone Dragons immediately, but also understood that Earth had no mage powerful enough to take them down alone.


    The best fighters that Earth had were already deployed on the front lines and while he could try and stall one dragon. He couldn''t stop both by himself.


    "God Cassius. I understand our contract was only for you to take down the enemy Lich when he appeared, but if you can deal with the bone dragons too, we would be immensely grateful" Cody said, as he turned towards lesser God Cassius, the foreign entity that Earth had recruited for this fight.


    "Bone dragons? What fascinating creatures" God Cassius said, as he looked at them swooping above his head, but showed no intentions of fighting them.


    Sitting peacefully with two beautiful naked women from Earth in his arms, Cassius enjoyed being fed grapes like a king, without caring for Earth or how many of its climbers were dying a meaningless death because of his inaction.


    "Please Lord, we beg you for your help¡­" Cody said in desperation as he trembled and fell to his knees.


    If it were only a matter of his own life, Cody would never have knelt, however, since the life of innocent Earthlings were at stake, he swallowed his pride and knelt to appease the god in front of him.


    "Please don''t beg Cody, I don''t need it¡­" Cassius said, feeling slightly guilty for making a man like Cody kneel in front of himself.


    "I''m reserving my strength for the Lich, but if you want I can help you take them down. However, I''ll need to bepensated ordingly at the end of all this" Cassius said as Cody bit his lips when he heard Cassius''s demands.


    The climber''s association was already paying exorbitant fees for his services, however, the greedy man wanted even more.


    Although Cody did not wish to pay him anymore money, he understood that under the circumstances he did not have any other choice as bowing his head he begrudgingly epted these conditions.


    "Even if it bankrupts my association, we will pay you for your help, Lord Cassius" Cody said, as Cassius lightly tapped on the hips of the twodies in his arms, signaling them to stand up.


    "Very well then my friend, I''ll handle this problem for you-" Cassius said with a smile on his face as he flew out to engage the bone dragons.


    In terms of attitude, Cassius wasn''t too bad. He was just a lustful and greedy god however he was not impolite to talk to.


    However, what Earth needed now was not the best natured god, but rather someone who could make a difference on the battlefield, with all eyes now being on what this hired lesser god could do.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    ''Five minutes¡­.''


    Rocky thought, as he looked at the constantly thinning front line and the struggling back line.


    Rocky could see that Earth had roughly a five minute window to turn this around before their ranks broke and this raid turned into a massacre.


    Currently stuck between a rock and a hard ce, Rocky, just like Pdin Patrik did not understand whether he should rush to help the front lines or should he help the back lines, as being stuck in the middle without a clear leadership, he just felt like he could not decide upon the best course of action.


    [ Strongest System Notification - You have been issued a new quest! ]


    [ Quest Notification -


    Quest Title - Birth Of A Hero.


    Quest Description - Climbers of Earth find themselves in a perilous situation, can an unlikely savior save the day?


    Quest Duration - Until the undead wave ends.


    Quest rewards - ????? ( Given immediately upon epting the quest )


    Failure Penalty - None


    Do you wish to ept it?


    Yes


    No]


    Suddenly a quest window popped in front of Rocky, taking him by surprise.


    "Huh, the strongest system awakened at such a time?" Rocky muttered under his breath, as he read the quest description and raised an eyebrow at the rewards.


    This was the first time that the system was going to give him a reward for just epting the quest and without any failure penalties at that.


    "Almost too good to be true¡­." Rocky murmured, however, having faith in the system he decided to ept the quest.


    [ Strongest System Notification - The quest ''Birth Of A Hero'' has been epted, distributing rewards ]


    Rocky saw the system panel change from the quest menu to a message that said distributing rewards, however, even after a few seconds passing, Rocky felt or saw no visible change in his body.


    "Where is the reward?" Rocky wondered as he looked around, until suddenly seemingly out of nowhere, a man with blood red eyes appeared in front of him.


    "Whoa-" Rocky muttered in panic, swinging his sword at the sudden intruder, however, his sword passed straight through the red eyed man, as if he were just an illusion.


    The man smiled, being ever so calm as he let Rocky calmly assess his facial features.


    Long ck hair, blood red eyes, pale white skin, a scar across his right eye....


    "Y-y-you are¡­." Rocky said, almost choking on his own words as his heart beat wildly out of his own chest.


    "No way¡­. No¡­. Really?" Rocky muttered in disbelief, as despite the essory around his neck that helped him maintain rational thought, Rocky could notpose himself in the presence of this God.


    "Hahaha¡­.yes it''s me¡­ Ravan" the red eyed man said, as Rocky stared at him jaw agape.


    The war god!


    The progenitor of enhanced vampires!


    The destroyer of worlds!


    The strongest vampire in the history of the tower!


    One half of the Gemini brothers, Ravan The Blood Monarch was standing in front of him!


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - My sincerest apologies if you had any inconvenience in reading this chapter.


    I made a mistake in my uploads and web novel doesn''t allow us to delete premium chapters.


    It''s very unprofessional of me and I''m sincerely sorry. ///

 Chapter 113: Lessons In War

    "Lord Ravan-" Rocky said most piously, falling to his knees as he kowtowed to the great being before him.


    He expected Ravan''s presence to cause a huge stir in the battlefield, especially in the eyes of Pdin Patrik and the other religious fanatics, however, to his surprise, apart from him, nobody seemed to be kneeling down to the Vampire Monarch.


    "Hey, get up, it''s quite un-warriorly to kow-tow in an active battlefield, you represent the Gemini brand now, can''t have you looking like a bitch" Ravan said, as Rocky immediately got back to his feet and scanned his surroundings.


    While Pdin Patrik was giving him an odd look, nobody else seemed to be focused on him or what he was doing, as surprisingly nobody seemed to be looking in the direction where Lord Ravan was standing.


    "Is it that no one else can see you, my lord?" Rocky inquired, his voice tinged with caution. After giving it some thought, he concluded that the only exnation for everyone else''s calm demeanor was that they couldn''t see him at all.


    "Indeed, Nobody else can see me, because I''m technically not here at all-" Ravan said with a big smile on his face, as Rocky nodded in understanding.


    "I''m like a system panel, something that only you can see. However, just like how the system panel doesn''t have an actual physical presence, I don''t either.


    I''m just a live projection" Ravan further exined as he walked over to a nearby pdin and passed his hands through his body to demonstrate.


    "My lord please help Earth win this battle, as things stand, our situation doesn''t look very good" Rocky pleaded, as Ravan smiled in response.


    "In this bloody battlefield, if my real body descended, I could settle this war with a snap of my finger.


    However, that''s not my job.


    You humans often confuse what we gods are supposed to do for you. But while you want us to protect you. That''s your wish and not something we are obligated to do.


    Think of it as an ant praying to you to protect it from other ants in its colony.


    The ant may believe that because she prays piously to you, you should help her in her time of need.


    However, should you help her, Rocky?


    Do you care enough?" Ravan asked, his blood red eyes gleaming with a murderous aura which sent shivers down Rocky''s spine even though he wasn''t physically present here and wasn''t influencing the aura at all.


    "No-" Rocky responded honestly, as if he did put himself in that position, he wouldn''t even know that an ant is praying to him, much less care for it.


    But even if he did, he would most likely never interfere in internal matters of the ant colony unless the ant praying to him was somehow really precious and important to him.


    "Exactly¡­. Saving these people here is not my job. But showing you how to fight wars is¡­." Ravan said with a smile on his face as a projection of two swords magically appeared in his hands.


    "Beware Rocky, just projection swords, not real ones. I''ve sworn not to pick up real weapons for my beloved wives.


    A few True Gods might stop existing the day I finally pick up a weapon-" Ravan said casually, as although he was saying these words casually, Rocky could see the intent behind them.


    While he did say it as a joke, he wasn''t joking at all. If he wanted to, several True Gods would die at his feet, however, Ravan just chose not to create unnecessary trouble.


    "While my elder brother is more of a twin de fighter. I think I''m a better warrior overall.


    Today is your lucky day, because I''ll be the training simtion you need to just copy¡­. So follow closely behind me and fight like I teach you.


    It''s time for you to stop wondering what impact you can make on this war and start behaving like you are the Champion Of Gemini" Ravan said, as Rocky felt his mouth go agape.


    "My lord?" He questioned, as he still could not wrap his head around the scenario where he would be receiving a one on one training session with the greatest war god ever!


    "Come on, chop chop, you were not my choice for a champion so this is your chance to impress me.


    Show me what my brother sees in you. Afterall, you carry both of our names with you" Ravan said, as he urged Rocky to snap out of his stupor and get on with it.


    "I''m right behind you, my lord" Rocky said with a confident smile on his face, as he stopped second guessing himself.


    At this moment Rocky felt like a kid in Disnend as he understood that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.


    He was going to learn how to fight in wars with the war god Ravan himself! This was undoubtedly the greatest opportunity ever for a beginner like him.


    ***********


    "Alright, first step is to rally your men around you.


    When you be a strong enough fighter, you won''t need additional support, however, for now you do need people to cover for you" Ravan instructed as his whole demeanor changed.


    "Pdin Patrik! How strong is your faith in Gemini?" Ravan said authoritatively, pointing his right sword towards Pdin Patrik, as Rocky mirrored his stance and his tone.


    "Pdin Patrik! How strong is your faith in Gemini?" Rocky asked, as momentarily Pdin Patrik was taken aback by this sudden question.


    "Why the sudden question my lord?" Pdin Patrik asked sounding surprised as Rocky waited for Ravan''s response.


    "It''s a time for answers Pdin Patrik, not questions" Rocky said, mirroring Ravan''s words as Pdin Patrik fell into deep contemtion.


    "My faith for Gemini is deeper than the deepest oceans. Even if you ask for me to forfeit my life now, this Pdin won''t hesitate" Pdin Patrik said emotionally, as he picked up his sword and pointed it towards his chest.


    "Haha. Your life is too cheap Pdin Patrik, what I need is your support. I''m heading into this war¡­.. now it''s up to you and your men to support me" Rocky said in an extremely arrogant tone as after saying those words he began charging towards the frontlines without looking behind him.


    "My lord please wait-" Pdin Patrik requested, as he felt conflicted on what to do next, as before the war began, he had been given explicit instructions by Pope Cole to not endanger Rocky''s life.


    Unfortunately for the Pope however, Rocky did not stop after saying those words as he jogged towards the front lines with a unteral resolve.


    Soon, Pdin Patrik and the rest of the unit jogged alongside him, as they seemed to have decided to put their faith in the Champion Of Gemini.


    "Lesson one on how to fight a war-" Ravan said, jogging infront of Rocky as he began giving his invaluable insights.


    "Is how to carve open the front lines. The goal is to create space between yourself and the next opponent. However, it''s difficult to do so at the front lines where everything is so packed together and hence you always start with a big move... to carve space and enter the war safely" Ravan instructed as he he began swinging his arms wildly, producing thick sword shes that only Rocky could see.


    *sh*


    *sh*


    *sh*


    *sh*


    *sh*


    Mirroring Ravan to the best of his abilities, Rocky ran while wildly swinging his sword.


    He swung with such power and intensity that he could feel his arms ready to fall off, however, he did so regardless as massive sword shes emerged out of his sword damaging a few undead skeletal warrior''s that were 20 meters ahead of him.


    "My lord, you have unlocked sword projection?" Pdin Patrik asked in surprise as he joined Rocky and unleashed a massive sword sh of his own.


    Unlike Rocky who could only damage one skeleton at once, his sword sh cleaned house it caused dozens of skeletal warrior''s to disintegrate.


    "Lesson, two. Read the battlefield" Ravan said, as he leaped into the air and seemed to pass through a durahal, aiming at its neck.


    *Jump*


    Mirroring his movements, Rocky jumped into the air as well,ing crashing down upon a skeletal horseman who was unable to stop Rocky''s downwards momentum.


    *Crunch*


    Once the skeletal horseman lost his head, his limp body fell off the horse as it slowly disintegrated to ashes.


    "Notice how the few skeletal warrior''s around you have became less organised the second their captain is down.


    The simple rule of fighting a war is to pick off the generals first, so that the underlings be easy pickings" Ravan instructed, as he continued to simte fighting skeletal warrior''s with ease as Rocky continued to massacre as projected.


    "Is that the lords first ever war? He''s such an excellent fighter" Pdin Patrik noted as he and the entire unit was surprised to see Rocky fighting so casually.


    There was not an ounce of hesitation on him¡­. All his movements seemedpletely natural, as if war was his natural environment.


    "Reading the battlefield is most important¡­. Currently as I read it, the humans about 200 meters to your left are struggling in holding their line.


    They can''t take out the undead champion that''s fighting them and if not helped soon, they will wiped out.


    Let''s start from there, let''s help them take out the undead champion, so that without the leader, the rest of the troops be easier to pick off.


    The goal is to turn the tide, one area at a time" Ravan said, as he dedicatedly began carving open a path to rescue the unit that was 200 meters away from them.

 Chapter 114: The Lich Arrives

    When the camera cut to Rocky fighting, for a moment, the whole Earth was mesmerized by his fighting style.


    Since they could not see God Ravan simting the fight for Rocky, to earthlings it seemed like Rocky was moving on his own instincts and were awestruck by how beautifully he moved.


    Chopping up one undead before transitioning to kill another in what seemed like an effortless movement.


    Whether it was dodging, counter attacking or pacing his attacks, Rocky did not seem to miss a beat as every action he took seemed to be important and leading to the death of an enemy or a chance to kill another enemy.


    Officially Rocky was not even a Floor10 climber. He was a floor 4 climber with strength estimated to be barely better than an average human.


    However, with his racial enhancement, his strength was akin to a peak floor 29 climber, but it was all in the form of untapped potential.


    Rocky still did not understand how to make the most of his strength, nor did he have any experience on how to fight against hordes of enemies.


    For him, this learning opportunity was invaluable, as the war God Ravan opened his eyes to what his true potential was.


    "When fighting an opponent bigger than you, close the gap between yourselves and them.


    Imagine trying to stab someone who is just 1 inch away from you¡­. You won''t be able to with any real force, because our joints are not made that way.


    The goal is to find the sweet spot where you can attack therger opponent easily, however, therger opponent can''t hurt you" Ravan instructed as he demonstrated how to take on an undead champion, a monstrous 12 feet skeleton warrior, draped in heavy armor, with strength akin to a peak floor 39 climber.


    Technically it should be impossible for someone like Rocky to take down a behemoth like that as the strength difference was simply toorge. However, under Ravan''s guidance Rocky sessfully killed the undead champion as if it were not a big challenge as he perfectly exploited the gaps in its defenses.


    "What the fuck am I witnessing? Did Rocky just take down an undead champion on his own? Even the three of usbined can''t take down a champion and we are veterans of war" Commented Diana, one of the Pdin archers in Pdin Patrik''s unit, as she witnessed Rocky take down an undead champion with her own eyes.


    "That guy is a freak! How many undead has he killed uptil now? 150-160?" Commented Troy, another party member.


    While they were only chatting nonchntly, their words were being recorded and broadcasted world-wide, as Rocky''s fight gave hope to the citizens during desperate times.


    The camera men were doing their best to focus on the good part of the human battle against the monsters, however, in the current situation only Guildmaster Karna and Rocky appeared like bright spots on the battlefield, with Earth''s fighters struggling everywhere else.


    Nheless, Rocky''s unexpected performance, caused Earthlings faith in the Gemini Gods to increase several fold as within Rocky, they began to see the avatar of the God Of War Ravan.


    "Strategizes like Shakuni and fights like Ravan, he is indeed the Champion Of Gemini"


    " It''s been less than 10 months since he officially became a climber, yet this kid is taking down undead champions like it''s nothing.


    There are many veteran climbers that would fail to do the same.


    Is this the difference between SSS talent and someone with D ranked talent?"


    "If we survive this monster wave then I can see Earth being in safe hands. If we give four more years for this kid to develop, he''s going to grow monumentally stronger"


    Rocky''s performance inspired confidence amongst the masses, and thankfully, just as Rocky was battling well on the front lines, The Lesser God Cassius began taking care of the bone dragons at the backlines.


    **********


    When viewed from the battlefield below, the battle between Cassius and the bone dragons seemed like an epic scene straight out of a movie.


    Cassius, a mage by profession, hovered above the ground, his robes fluttering in an unseen wind, his hands aze with divine  energy.


    The moment he took to the sky, the bone dragons ignored the battle machines of Earth and redirected their focus to him, as their skeletal riders deemed him to be a bigger threat.


    As the first bone dragon swooped down upon him, its skeletal jaws opened wide to unleash a devastating dragon''s breath, Cassius calmly extended his hand, palm outstretched.


    A brilliant orb of pulsating light emerged, growing rapidly before shooting forth a beam of concentrated divine magical energy.


    [ Holy Lance ]


    It struck the dragon squarely in its chest, shattering bones and scattering them like leaves in a storm. The dragon''s form disintegrated before it could even reach the ground, its essence absorbed back into the dark ether from which it came.


    The second dragon, undeterred by the swift demise of its ally, unleashed a gale of necrotic fire from its gaping maw. However, Cassius, with a mere flick of his wrist, summoned a swirling vortex of wind that enveloped the mes, neutralizing them into harmless sparks.


    "Too easy ¡­." He muttered under his breath, as Cody did not understand whether he shouldugh or cry at this scene.


    On one Cody was happy that dealing with the Bone Dragons was easy for Cassius, however, on the other he felt scammed for promising Cassius the entire coffers of the climber''s association for a job that was easy for him.


    With a thunderous incantation, Cassius proceeded to conjure a quiver full of thunderbolts, each glowing with a deadly luminescence.


    Picking them up one at a time as if he were Zeus, Cassius bombarded its skeletal frame with relentless force.


    The bone dragon attempted to retaliate, its tail sweeping through the air to knock Cassius from the sky, but the mage''s form blurred, revealing a mere mirage created by his formidable illusion magic.


    Finally, Cassius raised both hands high, gathering the ambient magical energy of the battlefield into a single, devastating strike.


    [ Rainbow Strike ]


    A column of blinding light descended from the heavens, enveloping the bone dragon and incinerating it from within. As the light receded, nothing remained of the beast but a pile of ash carried away by the wind.


    The undead riders with their mounts destroyed, vanished into nothingness, their presence no longer tethered to the mortal ne.


    "Mission aplished" Cassius said, as he slowly descended to the ground below, thinking about taking a rest once more, however, just as he descended down below he felt the aura of a sinister being emerging from the portal.


    Immediately ncing across, Cassius noticed the arrival of the enemy Lich before anyone else as he once again took to the sky and prepared to face the adversary he was hired to take down in the first ce.


    *snap*


    The first thing that the lich did upon its arrival was to snap its fingers, as within an instant all the fallen humans that had died on the battlefield since the raid started, rose up once more, however, now as undead.


    "He''s here, the Lich is here-" Karna shouted, alerting everyone on the front lines that the boss monster of this raid had finally made its appearance.

 Chapter 115: Cassius Versus The Lich

    "He''s here, the Lich is finally here-"


    As these words fell into Rocky''s ears he paused his battle for a moment and threw a nce towards the tower entrance.


    There, amidst a swirling vortex of dark energy, stood the Lich, a figure of terror and death.


    d in tattered robes that seemed to absorb the light around them, the Lich''s skeletal frame was partially visible, with bright green runes glowing ominously across its bones.


    Its eyes, deep and hollow, burned with a malevolent green fire, casting an eerie glow that illuminated its surroundings.


    In its hand, it wielded a staff topped with a crystal that pulsed with necrotic energy, mirroring the rhythm of the dark magic at itsmand.


    The air around the Lich crackled with power, and a cold, suffocating presence filled the battlefield, which felt like life itself was being drained from every living fighter on the battlefield.


    Despite its seemingly fragile appearance, the aura of ancient wisdom and untold power that radiated from the Lich left no doubt about the immense threat it posed.


    "Focus on your own fight boy, in this battlefield there is no room for distractions" Ravan said, as he reprimanded Rocky for being distracted mid battle.


    "Sorry-" Rocky said, apologizing for his distraction as he returned to fighting the opponent at hand.


    Suddenly, Rocky felt like the speed and the strength of the skeletal warrior he was facing had been increased by 10-20% as it''s movements became noticeably sharper and quicker than before.


    "Whoa¡­why has it suddenly became quicker and stronger?" Rocky wondered, as Ravan answered his doubt.


    "It''s quicker because the Lich finally made his appearance.


    The presence of necromantic energy makes the undead stronger.


    This is why ces like graveyards give a natural buff to death type monsters.


    However, if the Lich is defeated then the strength of the undead will be even lower than its usual state, so it''s a double edged sword" Ravan exined, as Rocky absorbed every wording out of the war god''s mouth.


    "Right on time¡­." Ravan said, as he reached the unit he had noticed was in trouble long back and was trying to reach for thest 10 minutes.


    In an almost magical turn of events, the struggling unit which was on the verge of death saw Rocky suddenly appearing out of nowhere and killing two undead soldiers, as Pdin Patrik and the rest of the Church''s unit appeared as reinforcements.


    "He''s here! The Gemini Gods answered our prayers. The Champion of Gemini is here to save us-" the soldiers yelled in joy, as tears of genuine faith began flowing out of their eyes when they witnessed Rocky fighting for them.


    Words could not describe the kind of gratitude they felt towards Rocky, as without him they were sure to face aplete route in the next two minutes, however, his arrival changed the tidepletely.


    From being the one pushed back, to bing the ones pushing, their war effort saw a big turn after Rocky''s arrival as Rocky took down the undead champion leading the group, making it easier for everyone else to take down its unit members.


    "Did you see it? He did it again! He took down a champion again!"


    "That''s it. I no longer have any doubt in my mind, I was born to follow the champion into battle! We have been fighting on the front lines for 15 minutes now, and I have killed more monsters in these 15 minutes than I have in my entire life! This feels amazing"


    "He''s blessed by the gods. There is no question about the fact that he''s blessed by the gods, otherwise it''s impossible for a young kid like him to take down undead champions"


    Slowly but surely, Rocky changed the morale of all the troops around him as what started as him fighting alongside Patrik Pdins unit, began to grow into arger group now epassing close to a 100 fighters.


    Rocky did not even mean for it to happen, however, as he followed Ravan''s instructions on how to fight in wars, he not only carved open a path for himself but also for his followers who performed visibly better under his lead.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile Cassius )


    Meanwhile on the other end of the battlefield, Cassius flew into the heart of enemy territory and began challenging the Lich as an epic battle between two lesser god level figures began.


    [ Light Bullet Barrage ]


    Compressing light into small bullet like particles, Cassius made the first move by open firing towards the Lich, however, the Lich simply created a barrier made of dark energy and easily deflected the bulletsing it''s way.


    [ Dark Orb ]


    Countering with the move [ Dark Orb ], The Lich unleashed a devastating attack of its own towards Cassius.


    The orb, a sphere of pure darkness that seemed to swallow light whole, surged towards Cassius with terrifying speed. Yet, Cassius, with a wave of his hand, conjured a mirror of radiant energy that reflected the orb, sending it careening back towards the Lich.


    The Lich, showing a hint of surprise, absorbed the orb into its staff, the runes upon its bones ring brighter for a moment.


    Not one to relent, Cassius summoned forth a series of light chains, aiming to bind and restrict the Lich''s movements.


    The chains, glowing with celestial light, snaked through the air, but the Lich, with a disdainful flick of its wrist, shattered them into motes of light, as it beganughing  a chillingugh that echoed through the battlefield, a sound that seemed to freeze the very air.


    "hahahahaha"


    The Lichughed, as the runes on its bones began glowing brighter and brighter every passing second and the aura of death around it became thicker.


    "Shit, it''s nning to unleash a divine attack" Cassius murmured to himself, as he began gathering his divine essence as well, hoping to counter the iing attack in time.


    ¡ª----------


    /// A/N - This is a bonus chapter for hitting the Power Stones targetst week. Good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 116: Cassius Versus The Lich (2)

    Cassius waited eagerly for the Lich''s attack to materialize, as he gathered his own Divine Essence in response.


    Divine Essence was a magical force that could be only wielded by lesser gods and beings stronger than lesser gods.


    It was like mana in terms of its constitution, but much more potent in use, as a normal spell powered using divine essence instead of normal mana was at least 1000 times more powerful.


    Not only could mortals not handle divine essence, as having divine essence flowing through one''s mana pathway could lead to permanent damage.


    Their bodies were not receptive to the flow of divine essence either as mortals did not have the ability to naturally tap into the flow of divine essence.


    When one transcended from bing a mortal to bing a lesser god. They developed a special organ called the sea of consciousness that could tap into the flow of divine essence in the universe and store it as small droplets within the organ.


    When in battle, it was this store of divine essence that a lesser god quickly burnt off to power their spells.


    *Rumble*


    When the Lich finally gathered enough power for his attack, the ground beneath his feet began to rumble causing shockwaves to run throughout the battlefield.


    [ Divine Move : Hell''s Gate ]


    The Lich spoke in a raspy voice that was inhumane to listen to as he unleashed a devastating attack.


    The air around the battlefield suddenly grew colder, the sky darkening as if the sun itself shied away from the impending doom.


    From the ground, a swirling vortex of shadow and malice formed, a ck portal ringed with eldritch runes that pulsed with a sinister light. Chains, dark as night and thick with wicked barbs, shot out from the portal with terrifying speed. They writhed like serpents, seeking, searching for anything¡ªor anyone¡ªto drag back into the abyss.


    Cassius narrowed his eyes when looking at this attack as he could feel the malicious intent behind each chain as they sliced through the air towards him.


    The chains seemed to be hungry for a strong soul like him, wishing to drag it into the deepest depths of hell.


    The Hell''s Gate spell was not merely a spell but a gateway to despair, designed to ensnare and pull the souls of its victims into a realm of endless torment.


    If one was caught by the attack and dragged into the dark portal, their life would be immediately forfeit and hence the most important part of neutralizing hell''s gate was to avoid being bound and dragged by the chains.


    As Cassius prepared to counter with his own divine power, he knew that even if he missed a single chain, it could lead to him facing devastating consequences as he absolutely had to neutralize all the dark chainsing to bind him.


    Pushing his palm towards the iing chains, he allowed his prepared divine essence to flow through his mana circuit as he conjured a divine spell of his own.


    [ Divine Move : Sr Beam ]


    Speaking these words with a calm face, Cassius unleashed a extremely strong sr attack that seemed to st away all the chainsing towards him, in an epic confrontation.


    *KABOOM*


    As divine attack, met with divine attack, the resulting shockwaves caused the entire battlefield to tremble.


    For a second, undead and humans alike lost their footing as the ground beneath their feet trembled violently and a loud beam of light captured everyone''s attention.


    Initially it seemed like Cassius''s Sr Beam was the stronger of the two attacks as it neutralized all of the chainsing out of hell''s gate and mmed against the portal itself, gradually cracking it with its power.


    However, a few seconds passed and the Hell''s Gate spell did not breakpletely, but did manage to absorb the Sr Beam in full.


    At this moment, a wicked smile spread on the Lich''s face as it could smell the death of a god.


    Waving the necromantic stick in his hands, he reinforced his Hell''s Gate spell with more dark energy as two more dark chains shot out of it, moving towards the God Cassius.


    "Shit-" Cassius cursed, as he hadpletely ran out of divine essence to block this iing move now and had to resort to desperate measures like trying to run away to save his life.


    Flying off, Cassius tried to get out of the attack''s range, however, the chains of darkness were faster than him as one of the two chains managed totch on to his ankle.


    *Snap*


    The second the first chain bound itself to Cassius, he immediately felt the vitality of his body being sapped as he faced a curse of debuff.


    Like a paralyzed prey, he could not longer maintain his usual speed as he limped and allowed the second chain to attach to his second ankle.


    *Snap*


    At this moment, the lesser Gods strength reduced by nearly 50% as he became almost powerless to fight off the chains binding him.


    "Help! Help! Somebody Help!" Cassius yelled loudly as he desperately fought off the chains from dragging him into the dark portal, however, could not fully stop them.


    Little by little, the chains dragged Cassius towards Hell''s Gate, as Cassius screamed and cried for help, hoping for what could only be a certain miracle to save his life.


    Once Cassius was within a 100 meters range of the Hell''s Gate, the Lich personally began pulling on the chains with his hands as he felt eager to im the soul of a god.


    However, just when it seemed like there was no hope for the lesser god Cassius to survive, Karna came crashing down from the sky as he sliced through one of the two chains binding Cassius.


    *sh*.


    *GROWWLLLLL*


    The Lich growled like a beast, it was not at all impressed by Karna''s antics, however, with one of the two chains snapping, Cassius was able to regain some of his strength as he began preparing a counter spell to break off thest chain binding him.

 Chapter 117: Guildmaster Karna

    ( Karna''s POV )


    When Karna genuinely got serious, his fighting style was unlike that of any traditional swordsman.


    While the mostmon type of swordsman was a single sword wielder, in the modern day and age, dual wielders focusing purely on offense were not too rare either.


    Since Karna was a guild master, often needing to yellmands in battle, in a vast majority of his fights, he only used the dual wielding style, however, on rare asions, when he actually got serious about a fight, he preferred going beyond the two sword fighting style and adding a third sword to it.


    Biting into a mouth sword, made with a custom handle ording to his teeth shape, Karna transitioned from being a dual sword wielder to a triple sword one, only when he was ready to put his life on the line.


    Neatwit and the other core guild members understood that once Karna took up his third sword, he was ready to break ranks and that from that moment onwards, Neatwit was to step in as the acting guild master.


    Back when Karna and Neatwit were only starting the guild, Karna had promised Neatwit that he would only ever go three-sword style in the most desperate situations, however, today as he saw the God Cassius screaming and begging for his life, Karna knew that he had to step in.


    Earth had no hope of defeating the Lich if the God Cassius died, however, crossing past the front lines, through the buffer zone, the minefield and into the heart of enemy forces alone was nothing short of suicidal.


    Karna knew that once he jumped into the fray to help Cassius, the chances of himing back out alive were slim to none, which was why he bit into the third sword and decided to give thisst fight his all.


    ************


    ( Present moment )


    The moment the Lich screamed in frustration at Karna snapping one of Cassius''s chains, hordes of undead champions, durahals and other strong undead rushed towards his location with the intention to kill him.


    "Hold them off, I need a few more seconds to deal with this damn chain" Cassius said to Karna, in a voice that seemed more like a desperate plea than amand as Karna said nothing in response, but chose to focus on the fight at hand.


    The undead surged forward in waves, a relentless torrent of bone and decay. But Karna responded equally ferociously, turning into a whirlwind of steel and fury.


    As the first of the undead reached him, Karna''s swords shed brilliantly. The de in his right hand swept horizontally, cleaving through the brittle bones of a durahal, scattering its remains like dust in the wind.


    Simultaneously, his left sword plunged forward, piercing through the chest of a ghoulish champion, its deathly wail silenced as the sword''s tip exited its back. Yet it was the sword held in his mouth that truly terrified the enemy as with a ferocious turn of his head, Karna decapitated another approaching undead, its head flying off into the darkening sky.


    His movements were fluid yet brutally efficient as with each twist and turn of his body, Karna dered his unwillingness to yield and showcased his raw battle talent.


    Soon, the ground around him became littered with the remnants of the undead, but they kepting at him endlessly as if driven by some unholy will.


    Karna moved through the hordes with an almost ethereal grace, his three swords slicing through the air, each strike bringing down multiple enemies, as he covered for not only himself, but for Cassius as well who was taking his sweet time in preparing the spell that could finally free him.


    [ Holy Lance ]


    Cassius eventually casted a tier5 spell, as a beam of light shot out of his palms and broke thest chain dragging him, as he finally became free from the effects of Hell''s Gate.


    *SCREEEECH*


    The Lich, looking on from a distance, screeched in anger when his Hell''s Gate was neutralized, as his voice was like a sonic attack that made weaker humans feel dizzy and disoriented a kilometer away.


    "It''s done! I''m free-" Cassius said in joy, as he threw a nce towards Karna who had been protecting him against endless hordes of enemies for thest 80 seconds.


    Breathing heavily and covered in light scratches throughout his body, Karna looked like an extremely ferocious fighter at the moment as the second Cassius gazed into his eyes, he could see nothing except for pure bloodlust.


    "How dare you dirty undead darey a hand on my savior" Cassius said, as he raised both his hands towards the sky and casted yet another powerful spell.


    [ ming Vortex ]


    Originating from his palms, a vortex of mes slowly covered the area beside himself and Karna as slowly but surely it''s range of attack spread, turning all the undead unlucky enough toe in its path to dust.


    In just a moment, Cassius wiped out the battlefield for a 50 meter radius around himself and Karna as he achieved what Karna could not in the past 80 seconds in just five.


    ''So this is the difference between a mortal and a lesser god¡­.'' Karna wondered in his head as this was the first time he got to witness the gap between himself and a lesser god in a practicalbat scenario.


    ''I want this power¡­.. I want this power so bad'' Karna muttered in his head as his grip over his third sword tightened.


    He had been stuck on floor 56 for over three months now and although floor 60 was not that far away, climbing each floor now seemed like a difficult job.


    ''I was toozy ¡­.. if I had unterally focused on getting stronger, I could have gotten it by now.


    No more... I need to survive here today and correct my mistakes'' Karna resolved as he decapitated yet another undead rushing his way.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 118: Change Of Plans

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    Rocky noticed the loud noiseing from the tower entrance.


    With all the bright attacks and strong shockwaves, it was hard to miss. But he couldn''t let himself get too distracted as he had to mirror the God Ravan, which was his top priority.


    "Quick revision boy, what was the second rule?" Ravan asked Rocky, as without missing a beat Rocky replied "Battlefield Awareness".


    Grinning, Ravan threw him a thumbs up sign as he was happy with Rocky''s response.


    This was the first time that Ravan was interacting with Rocky and although he was only demonstrating and restricting his movements to a fighting style that Rocky could mirror, he also acknowledged the fact that Rocky was doing a good job keeping up with the pace he set for him.


    9999999/10000000 warrior''s would have failed to keep up with the pace War God Ravan set for them, however, Rocky was special.


    Having spent a few minutes with him, Ravan began to feel as if choosing him as a champion wasn''t all that bad of a choice either.


    "Correct! And ording to your current battlefield assessment, what do you think needs our most attention?" Ravan asked Rocky, who looked around for a bit before fixing his eyes towards the area where Karna and Cassius were fighting hordes of undead alone.


    "Guildmaster Karna won''t make it out alive without our help. I think he''s the one who needs our help the most" Rocky said as Ravan smiled and gave him the double thumbs up sign.


    "You''re a quick learner¡­. That''s a correct assessment! The one who needs our help the most right now is Karna" Ravan said, as he looked towards Karna and calcted a path through to him.


    "Well Rocky, if you want to earn your name as the Champion Of Gemini, this is your chance.


    Pope Cole is fighting to our left and the True Elites are not too far off either.


    Holding the front lines will achieve nothing, this fight only ends when the Lich dies. However, breaking ranks now and pushing forward will be risky.


    Do you have the charisma required to rally men to Karna''s support?


    Do you have what it takes to win this war for Earth?" Ravan asked in a teasing voice, as Rocky took his words as a challenge.


    In Ravan''s point of view, whoever made Earth''s Defense strategy was clearly a fool as Earth''s n was seriously wed when it came to ending the fight.


    The victory or defeat of the undead army was solely dependent on the life and death of themanding Lich, which was why ording to Ravan, the main focus of Earth''s forces once the Lich appeared should have been on taking him down.


    In his infinite wisdom, Ravan could even recognise the Lich''s weakness from a single nce.


    The jewel on the top of his staff wasn''t a normal necromantic essory but his very own necromancy heart.


    While neither Cassius nor anyone from Earth seemed to have recognised that the life of the Lich was not in his own body but inside the staff he carried, Ravan saw through it in one nce.


    No matter how many times Cassius destroyed the Lich''s body, the Lich was sure to regenerate and recover, however,  should a single attacknd on his staff, he could die forever.


    Despite knowing this fact, Ravan said nothing to Rocky as he only smiled looking at Rocky rushing towards the area where Pope Cole was fighting.


    "Pope Cole! Pope Cole!" Rocky shouted at the top of his lungs as he tried to catch the Pope''s attention.


    After mirroring Ravan''s movements for so long, Rocky felt naturally attuned to what sort of movements he was supposed to make, as although he was no longer mirroring Ravan, he could continue ughtering undead at the same pace.


    "Pope Cole!" Rocky said,ing very close to him, as the Pope finally took notice of a desperate Rocky waving to him.


    "My Lord?" Pope Cole asked in surprise as he saw a tired and winded Pdin Patrik chasing behind Rocky.


    "Patrik! Why are you on the front lines, it''s not safe here!" Pope Cole reprimanded his most trusted man, as he could not believe that Patrik brought Rocky to such a dangerous battlefield.


    "It wasn''t me Pope Cole, the Champion decided to take the lead from me. He is the unit leader now" Patrik Pdin confessed as Pope Cole felt frustrated by this development.


    "How many times have i-"


    Before the Pope could continue his sentence Rocky let out a sword sh that narrowly missed the Pope''s hair to draw his attention towards him.


    "Not now Pope Cole, the only question I have for you now is whether or not your trust in Gemini is absolute?" Rocky asked sincerely as Pope Cole was taken aback by this sudden question.


    As the Pope looked into Rocky''s eyes, he saw a burning passion that made his gut wrench.


    The moment he saw that look, the Pope immediately understood that Rocky meant business as he knelt on the floor and said "My faith in Gemini is absolute, if the Champion demands it, I will give you my head now".


    Pope Cole repeated the same words as Pdin Patrik before him, and this time Rocky knew exactly what to say.


    Pointing towards him, Rocky spoke with the same passion and tone as Ravan taught him, as he said "Your life is too cheap for me Pope, what I want is your support".


    The moment these words entered Pope Cole''s ears, he felt a chill run down his spine as he immediately swore fealty to Rocky.


    "My strength is yours tomand-" Pope Cole said respectfully as Ravan pped from a distance looking at this performance.


    "Alright then, please be ready to charge at my signal" Rocky said, as he began cutting a new path forward towards the area where the True Elites Guild''s main force was fighting.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Neatwit )


    The moment Karna bit into the third sword and charged off on his own, Neatwit understood that he was now the acting guildmaster.


    Usually, Karna was the only one involved in day to day guild operations as Neatwit rarely ever showed up to fulfill his duties.


    Today however, Neatwit had to step in and fill Karna''s shoes, and although he did a good job leading the guild, he simultaneously felt extremely suffocated on the inside.


    If he had his way, he would have handed off the guild''s responsibilities to someone else and rushed to join Karna in his battle against the Lich.


    However, the guild needed him and he could not abandon his duties as the Vice Guildmaster when Karna was absent.


    "Hey, Faizer fall back, you''ve pushed on too much.


    Rex, cover him. That idiot will get himself killed.


    Hey, Mohsin, if your sword is broken then throw it, pick a new one from the ground, there are plenty lying below" Neatwit screamed as he tried to coordinate the troops around him.


    However, even though he was focused on leading the guild, his eyes darted towards what Karna was doing constantly, as the stuffy feeling in his chest kept growingrger andrger.


    ''Damn I wish I could help Karna, he lookspletely surrounded by undead-'' Neatwit thought, as he gulped a mouthful of saliva in his dry throat.


    He wanted to go help Karna desperately, however, hecked the courage to defy central orders and change attack strategy on his own.


    ''Ha- I am so useless¡­..'' Neatwit thought, as heughed a self-deprecatingugh, however, just as he was having these self doubts, a voice cut through the bustle of the battlefield and entered his ears.


    " VICE GUILD MASTER NEATWIT¡­.. VICE GUILDMASTER..." A kid seemed to be shouting, as looking behind, Neatwit was surprised to see Rocky approaching.

 Chapter 119: Convincing Neatwit

    "VICE GUILD MASTER NEATWIT¡­.. VICE GUILDMASTER..." A kid seemed to be shouting, as looking behind, Neatwit was surprised to see Rocky approaching.


    "Rocky?" Neatwit said, sounding confused, as he did not understand why Rocky was alone in the middle of such a dangerous battlefield.


    For a moment he wondered if Rocky was running away from undead, trying to find a new party to stay with, however, when he saw him carving open a path and killing dozens of undead on his way towards him, Neatwit understood that Rocky was not running away from anyone but rather approaching him deliberately.


    "What happened? Why are you shouting? Where is your party?" Neatwit asked, sounding pissed as he felt like he had many more important duties to fulfill right now rather than pandering to a kid.


    Neatwit was about to dismiss Rocky, but before he could, he noticed an out of breath and panting Pdin Patrik following Rocky from behind, covering his rear.


    "Pdin Patrik? Why is Rocky here? He should be with your unit! Don''t you know it''s dangerous for him to roam around alone?" Neatwit reprimanded Patrik, as once again Pdin Patrik made a long face, feeling ashamed of himself.


    "I''m no longer the unit leader, myself and Pope Cole have swore allegiance to the Champion. The entire church and its forces serve him now-" Pdin Patrik said as Neatwit felt surprised at this revtion.


    "What do you mean you changed your allegiance? this is an ongoing war¡­.. not aedy club! What are you guys even doing?" Neatwit asked in an angry voice as he could not believe what his ears were listening to.


    Swearing allegiance to a kid who had never been in a proper war before? What was the Church of Gemini thinking?


    Neatwit knew they were all religious zealots, however, this was definitely pushing the line.


    "Vice guildmaster¡­. Shame on you" Rocky said in a rather arrogant voice, as Neatwit frowned when he heard him say that.


    "What?" Neatwit asked in fury, wondering if he identally heard it wrong.


    "I said¡­ SHAME¡­ ON ¡­. YOU-" Rocky said again, even more loudly so that the troops around Neatwit heard it as well.


    "You have some pair of balls to say this to me in the middle of an on-going conflict¡­. I''ll give you one chance to exin yourself boy, else I''m knocking you out cold here myself" Neatwit said, as his aura surged, causing both Rocky and Pdin Patrik to inadvertently shiver.


    "One for all, all for one, go elites go! That''s the guild''s slogan right?" Rocky said, swallowing a mouthful of saliva as he gathered the courage to say what he was about to say next.


    "You say the guild is one family and that you will never leave a single member of your guild behind, yet I see your guild''s master, Karna, fighting for his life alone, surrounded by hordes of undead.


    Don''t you feel ashamed of yourself for not trying to go save him?" Rocky asked, as his question hurt Neatwit exactly where it hurt.


    Yes, Neatwit did feel embarrassed. In fact before Rocky came, it was exactly what was going on in his mind.


    "Of course I''m ashamed! If the front lines would not fall with the elites pushing ahead, I would have charged forward already" Neatwit said, gritting his teeth in frustration.


    "Very well then Vice Guildmaster, you can stay here ashamed, but I''m going to take the Church and save Guild Master Karna with or without your help.


    The rest is up to you". Rocky said as he turned and began jogging backwards without waiting for Neatwit''s response.


    *************


    "That was a good speech. I rate it as a solid 6.5/10" Ravan said, pping politely for Rocky.


    "I''m trusting you with this Lord Ravan. Is pushing forward really our only option?" Rocky asked, as Ravan grinned but did not reply.


    "Signal Pope Cole to follow you, we are going to carve open a path towards Karna-" Ravan said, as Rocky turned towards Pope Cole and signaled him to prepare the troops to follow him.


    **************


    ( Meanwhile Neatwit )


    When Neatwit finally saw the Church Of Gemini soldiers to his right breaking rank and charging forward in the arrowhead formation by the thousands, he felt his heart sink to the bottom of his guts as he felt the immediate urge to join them.


    "What are you waiting for vice guildmaster? The champion of Gemini is not wrong! Fuck the Earth, our Guild Master is in danger.


    What good is our one for all, all for one slogan if we don''t put it to practice when it matters the most?" Said Rex as he reprimanded Neatwit for hesitating.


    "Give us the order to charge the vice-guildmaster! We won''t fail you, let us save the guild master!"


    "We will send the undead and the Lich, straight back to hell they came from!


    Please have faith in us"


    The true elites guild members begged Neatwit to reconsider, as at that moment Neatwit decided that he had reached his breaking point and was going to break ranks and join Rocky in his charge from now onwards.


    "ALRIGHT FUCK IT. WE ARE GOING TO GO SAVE THE GUILD MASTER, JOIN BEHIND THE CHURCH OF GEMINI! PUSH!!! PUSH! PUSH!" Neatwit screamed, as he felt the cold blood in his bodying back to a steamy hot boil once more.


    Gripping his ck de, Neatwit started to run wild as he led the guild''s charge forwards.


    Although saving Karna was a task much more difficult to achieve in practice than when talking, Neatwit felt happier with himself in trying to save him whenpared to just holding the undead line.


    Even though him breaking ranks and charging forward could lead to many problems for other people fighting on the front lines/ back lines. Neatwit decided to worry about the consequences of his actionster and first do what his heart told him to.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - This is a bonus chapter for hitting the power stones target, good job everyone.


    Thank you so much for your consistent support. ///

 Chapter 120: A tough call for Cody

    ( Cody''s POV )


    Cody was having a mini heart attack looking at the situation on the battlefield.


    With about 60% of their long range weapons destroyed by the bone dragons, the st zone was not as effective as it used to be and it was leading to a lot of stress forming on the front lines.


    For as far as Cody could see, the humans were barely hanging on to their assigned battle lines and if the situation continued this way, he had no doubt in his mind that humans were fighting a losing war.


    In his mind, he had already begun contemting on giving the order to retreat slowly, however, he was waiting for God Cassius to perform a miracle and defeat the Lich, as he nged on-to the hope that the situation would change once the Lich died.


    Unfortunately however, instead of the Lich dying, Cassius seemed to be outmatched by his opponent and Guildmaster Karna had to get involved in his fight to bnce the odds.


    From the moment Karna left his post to help the God Cassius, Cody began contemting the safest path to retreat and regroup as he wanted to reorganize the frontlines in a way that gave the fighters on the front the maximum chance of survival.


    However, just as he was about to give the order for the backlines to charge and front lines to slowly start falling back, an unexpected situation arose on the front lines as the forces of the Church Of Gemini, and the True Elites Guild began to break rank and charge forwards.


    "Guild master Maven to Command station¡­. This is Guild Master Maven to themand station¡­." A voice said over Cody''smunication device as Cody answered immediately.


    "This is Cody speaking¡­."


    "Association leader what the fuck is going on? Why is the champion of Gemini leading the forces of the Church and Elites into a death match? This isn''t part of the n, them charging forwards puts unnecessary pressure on us ...."


    "Command center! This is Guild master Andy speaking¡­."


    "Command center, this is guild master Gary speaking¡­."


    "Command center¡­."


    "Command center¡­."


    Cody was overwhelmed with front line guildmasters giving him a call, as even he had no idea as to what Neatwit or Cole were thinking, or why Rocky was leading them into the heart of enemy territory.


    "Fuck¡­.." muttered Cody, as sweat began dripping down his forehead.


    As per their current trajectory, Rocky and his forces had crossed the Buffer zone and were going to enter the st zone soon.


    If Cody did not do anything, there was a real possibility of them being hit by the projectiles in a friendly fire, however, if he stopped the heavy machinery from firing, then the pressure on the front lines was sure to intensify several fold.


    He had no idea what the Elites or the Church was thinking, however, he had a very small window to decide on the future course of action.


    Under pressure, Cody took a deep breath and assessed the situation, before deciding to bet it all on whatever Rocky wished to achieve.


    "Deactivate the weapons and tell the backlines and the support line to rush to the front.


    We hold the front line for as long as we can. Fill in the shoes of those who are charging" Cody said calmly, as he ryed his orders over themunication device to everyone.


    "Command center this is not part of the n¡­.. what the fuck is going on?" Asked guild master Gary, however, the answer he got wasn''t what he was hoping for at all.


    "I have no idea what is going on myself, however, I''m adapting to the situation as best as I can.


    All of you can notice that the war isn''t going as we hoped it would for us, so I''m hoping that whatever those guys are trying to do will help us win it.


    So for once, let''s stop arguing and have faith in the champion of Gemini, just like billions at home have too- " Cody said as he decided to bet it big on Rocky based on a simple gut-shot.


    If he was wrong, it could lead to millions of climbers losing their life, however, at this point Cody was desperate to win the war anyway he could.


    Trusting an eighteen year old climber was an utterly ridiculous concept, one that Cody himself would not have entertained had the situation been better, however, right now he felt like he had exhausted all other options and all he could do was hope for a miracle.


    Since whatever Rocky was nning to do, he had the support of Pope Cole and Neatwit with him, Cody just decided to trust their better judgment and sincerely hope that it did not spell doom for Earth.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile, Rocky )


    "My lord, if we keep advancing at this pace, we will be caught by friendly fire once we enter the st zone" Pope Cole said, as he worried that they would lose some of their own men if they charged headfirst into the st zone.


    "Tell him you won''t¡­. The machines will be deactivated" Ravan replied, as Rocky listened to his words and spoke with confidence that they won''t be hit.


    For a moment Pope Cole was skeptical as he wished to suggest that they slow down andmunicate with the backlines first, however, just as Rocky assured him that they wouldn''t be hit, the fire from the backlines miraculously stopped.


    "Oh? The artillery fire stopped?" Pope Cole said in surprise as he felt awestruck by his lord''s foresight and judgment.


    While he trusted Rocky because he was the Champion of Gemini, Cole did not respect him yet as a fighter and a leader.


    Hence although he was ready to follow Rocky, he was slightly hesitant in following him without any questions, however, as he noticed Rocky leading them through the weakest of enemy patches and making superb judgment, his trust in him as a leader gradually increased.


    A soft smile spread on his face¡­. As Cole silently began viewing Rocky as the next God Of War.

 Chapter 121: Tearing Through

    "When you are trying to look for weak spots to lead your army through, don''t necessarily look for the area where you see that the monsters are most thinly spread.


    If you try to lead your army through the area that looks the most thinly spread then they will face the risk of being encircled by surrounding enemies and heckled non-stop.


    You will lose a lot of your men and your charge forward will be fast but unsafe.


    Instead, charge through areas adjacent to sparsely popted areas as you will run a lesser risk of being surrounded" Ravan instructed as he guided Rocky through the safest possible patches to charge through.


    Although they were fighting a high stakes,  high speed battle where Rocky had to constantly kill one monster after another without having the time to think about anything else or take a moment to think and regroup.


    By following Ravan and absorbing his teachings, Rocky grew at an unprecedented pace and gained invaluable practical war knowledge.


    "The other thing you need to focus on while being on a charge is breaking enemy shape and formation.


    The undead fight in a tight formation and usually that makes running straight through them difficult.


    However, if you cut through them diagonally in a zig-zag pattern, you can open up gaps in their ranks and help your army cut through them.


    Of course this won''t work for all types of formations and you need to study the different types of war formations and how to counter them to adopt the best possible strategy, however, the general idea is the same.


    When on charge - Disrupt their shape and exploit the gaps that appear" Ravan instructed as he made cutting through tight undead formations seem so easy that it made Rocky wonder if charging through enemy lines was actually difficult at all?


    Behind him, Pope Cole and Neatwit covered his rear and sides as although they said nothing to Rocky and let him set the pace on the front, they understood the terrifying job he was doing, without him having to exin anything.


    While amon soldier would be unable to understand how masterfully Rocky was leading their arrowhead formation to make way through enemy ranks unharmed, Neatwit and Pope Cole did.


    They weren''t sure if they themselves could have done a better job, as the way Rocky led the army made them feel as if they were following a veteran war god rather than a newbie.


    A silent smile spread on their lips as both men enjoyed the way their rescue mission was progressing so far.


    What shocked Neatwit in particr was how Rocky was handling opponents much stronger than his level.


    He was cutting off the legs of undead horsemen and slicing the heads off their riders in two fluent moves that looked nothing like the swordsmanship of a newbie.


    Even when he let out a sword sh which was a move that no swordsman under floor 20 should be able to master, he did it with such perfection that there wasn''t a single sound of his de cutting through the air as he seemed to be able to transfer 100% of his energy behind each strike to the manifesting sword projection without wasting any energy to air resistance.


    Such pure swordsmanship talent was not something Neatwit had witnessed ever in his lifetime as the more he observed Rocky the more he felt as if the kid was beyond special as slowly but surely he became a believer in his potential as a future figure that would shake up the entire tower.


    ''Not only Karna¡­. I must protect this kid at all costs. He''s the future of our¡­.'' Neatwit thought, as although he wasn''t a religious fanatic like Pope Cole, at this moment he also felt like even if he had to trade his life for Rocky''s it would be a worthy trade, as Rocky was much more important to the future of Earth than an old dog like him.


    "My lord¡­. We are soon going to reach the mud bridge that the Lich has made, crossing it will be dangerous as it''s being defended by countless Durahals.


    Please let this old man take the lead now and let him open a path-" Pope Cole said as they crossed the mine-field zone and reached the ditch area, where the only way to cross towards the main tower zone where Karna and Cassius were fighting, was therge mud bridge that the Lich had made for his army to cross.


    It was a highly protected zone with an army of strong Durahals protecting it and hence Pope Cole requested Rocky to take the lead here as he felt like carving open a path now would be beyond Rocky''s capabilities even if he was a genius.


    "Ho¡­. He''s underestimating me¡­ Since when can''t the god of war open up a bridge guarded by some puny Durahals" Ravan said, as he felt an intense itch to continue, however, as he threw a nce towards the panting Rocky behind him,  who seemed to be at his limit, he begrudgingly relented.


    "Alright, let him do his best¡­." Ravan said, as Rocky gestured for Pope Cole to take the lead.


    [ Hidden Move - Destructive Dragon sh ]


    Pope Cole said as he concentrated arge amount of mana within his sword and let out a powerful sword strike that took the form of a wingless dragon upon unleashing.


    It tore through at least a dozen Durahals before fading, as although it achieved a good result it failed in carving open a path.


    "Huh, so weak Pope Cole, let me show you how it''s done-" Neatwit said as he rushed into the opening that Pope Cole had created and unleashed a powerful attack of his own.


    [ Dark Move - ck Death ]


    Unleashing a powerful sword strike that covered a 270¡ã area, Neatwit sted aside all the Durahals in the area, reducing a few to ashes while pushing the others off the edge of the bridge and into the ditch below.


    "See¡­. That¡­. Pope¡­. Cole¡­. *Pant* *Pant* *Pant*, that''s how¡­. It''s done" Neatwit said, putting on a brave face although he wobbled around with his footing.


    It was obvious that the previous attack took out a lot from him, however, it seeded in its objective of clearing a path for the army to charge through.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 122: Rescue

    ( Karna''s POV )


    Karna had epted the likelihood of death when he decided to assist the god Cassius, mentally preparing himself for the possibility of losing his life on this battlefield.


    He knew that his chances of safely retreating when surrounded by relentless swarms of undead were slim. Nevertheless, Karna resolved to fight fiercely until hisst breath, determined to vanquish as many of the undead as possible.


    His situation was so bad, that let alone looking towards the wider battlefield and trying to figure out what was going on at the front lines, Karna could not even focus on how Cassius was faring beside him as the only thing he could focus on were the hordes of enemies closing down on him.


    At first, Karna moved with a fluidity that belied the direness of his situation, his des slicing through decayed flesh and brittle bone of the undead enemies charging towards him, however, as a few minutes passed and more enemies took a shot at him, Karna finally began to umte injuries.


    When a group of undead ghouls lunged at him with gnarled ws, Karna''s des met them with precision, severing limbs and heads with each pass.


    Yet, with the undead shamans chanting in the background, he kept being caught up by troublesome magic like dark vines gripping his feet and restricting his movement, or random curses taking effect on his body that debuffed his physical stats, making him vulnerable against even weaker opponents.


    At first the hits that they managed tond on him were only bruises, as Karna kept pushing through the stamina deficit and kept slicing at top speed, however, after over 20 minutes of fighting in a frenzy, he finally started to run out of breath.


    Soon, he made his first major mistake and picked up a serious injury as an undead champion''s mace crashed against his side.


    The force of the blow was so strong that it dented his armor and bruised his ribs, causing his tongue to taste the vor of blood for the first time in this fight.


    Pain red, but Karna''s resolve did not waver as he retaliated with a high kick, sending the champion staggering back and then finished him with a swift decapitation.


    As the fight wore on, a ghoul managed a lucky swipe, its filthy ws raking across Karna''s thigh, causing his legs to buckle, sending a sharp sting of agony searing through him, yet he continued the fight while limping, adjusting his stance to rely more on his upper body strength.


    Durahals, towering over the rest of the undead troops on their mounts, with their massive great swords in hand, swung their weapons with such brutal force that forced  Karna duck and weave to stay alive.


    Yet with his movements slower now after the thigh injury and fatigue etching lines into his face, Karna could not dodge every sh and was forced to parry a few.


    He parried their attacks with his triple swords, sparks flying as steel met cursed iron. However, as he defended against a particrly heavy blow, he made a slight slip up leading to his third sword slightly slipping between his teeth.


    Although he adjusted it hastily, ignoring the taste of his own blood as the de cut into his cheek, this injury added with the rest slowly took its toll on Karna''s body as he inched closer and closer to death.


    Each enemy that he killed was reced instantly by two more, as Karna fought an almost endless tide of rot and malice alone.


    Soon, his vision began to blur as his body screamed in protest, but his spirit still kept burning fiercely¡ª like a beacon of defiance against encroaching darkness. As he killed yet  another ghoul and swung his sword to block a de that looked hazy in his vision, suddenly he heard a familiar voice fall in his ears.


    "Hey yo, Karna, I''m not letting you die here brother. I''m not ready to be the guildmaster yet¨C"


    Almost immediately a wide smile spread on Karna''s lips as familiar figures charged past him.


    Master Of Chaos, Neatwit, Rex, Rhino, his oldest teammates covered him, as Elsa ced a healing hand behind his back.


    "Please rest for a while Guildmaster, allow me to heal your injuries and replenish some of your lost mana" Elsa said, as warm currents began flowing through Karna''s body as he regained some of his lost strength.


    Dropping his weapons, Karna reached into his interdimensional ring and brought out a stamina potion which he drank with trembling hands.


    The potion alongside Elsa''s healing, helped his vision clear up fast, as only then did he get a grasp of his surroundings.


    Apparently the entire guild was here beside him! Taking on the undead head on.


    Beside his guild, there were pdins from the Church Of Gemini, as Karna saw the very odd scene of Rocky leading them all.


    "Huh?" Karna wondered in confusion as he did not understand why Rocky was leading this corps or why Neatwit broke rank toe save him, however, he knew that this was not the time to ask such questions.


    The moment the gash on his legs closed up thanks to Elsa''s healing, Karna stood back up and gripped his three swords once more as he rejoined the battle against the undead with his men.


    In their attempt toe save him, hundreds were sure to lose their lives which was a truly unfair cost to pay, however, since that decision had been made by his guild members, Karna only hoped to mitigate the losses now as much as possible.


    "Wooser buyz iineer" Karna said behind his sword as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Neatwit, as although his sentence might have seemed incoherent to someone else, to Neatwit his words were loud and clear.


    ''Loser buys dinner-''


    Was what Karna said as he intended to start a kill contest with Neatwit on who killed more undead from this moment onwards.


    "Bring it on washed up boy, ain''t no way you''re killing more than me" Neatwit said as he chuckled out loud, his fatigue that had build-up until now washing away with this one simple statement.


    "You don''t know me son¨C" Karna replied as a wide grin spread on his face as well.


    After this short dialogue, the two best friends burst into action, killing swarms of undead while covering a 180¡ã range shoulder to shoulder.


    Behaving like an unstoppable battle machine, the duo shed and hacked at their opponents with such fury that the two of them alone, produced an outputparable to the next 50 best True Elites fightersbined.


    "Twenty One¡­.Twenty Two¡­.."


    "Neen¡­..Twenty¡­."


    Counting their kills while fighting, they maintained the spirit of healthypetition as the duo went wild with their attacks for the first time in a long time.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Cassius )


    After Karna''s brave intervention saved him, Cassius felt a deep pang of guilt. When he left Karna behind to battle the Lich alone. Nheless, he proceeded with his decision.


    Cassius understood that allowing the Lich to cast spells from afar while both he and Karna engaged his minions would result in certain, gruesome deaths for them both.


    Thus, making the calcted choice to confront the Lich directly, Cassius left Karna to hold off the lesser foes while he ventured to engage the Lich in closebat.


    Since both himself and the Lich were not adept in closebat, with him being a mage and the Lich being a necromancer, their closebat fight was aedy fest of slowly casted spells and weak punches.


    This spectacle of clumsy blows and awkward spellcasting continued for some time, with neitherbatant able to gain a clear advantage.


    Cassius, usually morefortable wielding his arcane arts from a distance, had to adapt quickly, casting protective barriers and low level spells like fireballs  just moments before the Lich''s dark spells could hit him, however, the Lich was not faring much better either.


    At times the Lich would randomly throw a roundhouse kick, or a wind gush spell that was the most basic wind spell to counter Cassius''s threat, as the battle between two godly beings looked anything but a divine battle.


    The breaking point, however, came when Rocky, Pope Cole and Pdin Patrik joined the Fray alongside Cassius against the Lich, as with the arrival of additional help the Lich was finally forced on the backfoot.


    "I''ll counter his spells, you three keep him busy-" Cassiusmanded as Patrik and Pope Cole did their best to keep the Lich tied up and unable to cast anything except defensive spells.


    Ironically, the strength of attacks that Pope Cole and Pdin Patrik could conjure were not strong enough to break through the Lich''s protective barrier, as although the two of them were vastly stronger fighterspared to Rocky, in the end the three of them were equally useless in trying tond a hit on the Lich.


    However, for them, hitting the Lich was never the goal, as the goal was to buy enough time for God Cassius to cast a major spell, which they aplished sessfully.

 Chapter 123: What it takes to become a True God

    ( A few moments ago, Rocky''s POV )


    Rocky felt really out of ce when God Ravan began to duck and weave through stronger opponents and guide him closer and closer to the Lich.


    Ravan made him shout orders to Pope Cole and Pdin Patrik to help God Cassius fight the Lich, however, while those two could withstand the Lich''s aura and still move freely under it, the closer Rocky got to the Lich, the more his body protested.


    His muscles trembled, his breathing became ragged and his heart felt as if it was on the verge of exploding.


    The closer he got to the Lich, the more severe these symptoms became as while the artifact around his neck, that he got from the snake-men ancestral chamber helped neutralize the paralysis effects caused by a gods fear, allowing Rocky to move, it could not neutralize the suffocating suppression that Rocky felt under it.


    "You''re moving too slow, you need to keep up with me¡­. The undead around these parts are not opponents you can take lightly, one mistake and you''re dead" Ravan said, as he tried to remind Rocky of the importance of keeping up with him, especially on a difficult battlefield like this one.


    Rocky''s movements had be too sluggish the closer the two came to the Lich and that was proving to be a real problem.


    "I''ll die, Lord Ravan¡­. I can barely grip my sword at this point, I''m unsure if I can go any further" Rocky said, being well aware of his own limits.


    His own stamina had long hit rock bottom and although he had not sustained any major injury in this war yet, thanks to Lord Ravan guiding him, he was undeniably way past his physical best.


    "Listen to me Rocky, I''ll tell this to you one time and one time only-" Ravan said, in a tone that sounded like the one his father would use while imparting profound knowledge to him.


    "In life, you will often find yourself at your limits.


    Moments where the rational side of your brain would say that you need to stop! That taking any more risk can lead to you losing it all.


    However, these are the exact moments where you must NOT stop, as these are those rare moments, where you have shot at defying the norm and bing a legend.


    Maybe you will fail¡­. Maybe you will die. But even in death you will be immortalized if you died trying to achieve the impossible.


    Bing a True God is not for everyone. You need to have talent, you need to have luck and you need to have guts to achieve the impossible.


    It''s not the act of the Lich dying that''s legendary.


    If Cassius there kills the Lich, nobody is going to remember it as a legend, because people expect him to aplish it. That''s what you all hired him for-


    However, if you, a climber that has not even crossed floor 10 can kill a Lich, a feat so unbelievable that it would make people lose their minds, then that will be YOUR legend.


    Regardless of whether or not you live to be a True God someday, that legend you leave behind will be immortal.


    And while nobody here understands the path beyond floor 80 into floor 90, let me tell you a secret.....


    One of the criteria of bing a True God is to have enough believers.


    Believers that can only be umted through your legend.


    You''re still young, so I''m going to let the hesitation I see on your face slide once. However, this is your chance to make-up your mind on just how far you wish to go?


    If you decide that you want to walk on the path of reaching the tower''s summit, the 101st floor someday, then you must show courage from day one and push past your limits.


    So choose now boy¡­..


    Do you want to be the hero of earth? The cautious crybaby? Or a man on the path to be a True God?" Ravan said as he gave Rocky the chance to decide his future.


    For a split-second, Rocky hesitated. He did want to be a True God someday, of course he did!


    Just like every other climber that ever entered the first floor of the tower, Rocky too wished to someday reach its summit, however, for a moment he coulde to  terms with the kind of insanity it required on his part to achieve that dream.


    What Ravan was asking of him, was not something any sane man would agree to.


    However, if it was cautionless foolhardiness that could perhaps set him on the path to bing a True God someday, then Rocky was ready to walk down that path as well.


    With a determined gaze, Rocky nodded towards Ravan, signaling his intent to continue as he forced his trembling body to charge towards the Lich and join the fight against the terrifying leader of the undead forces alongside God Cassius, Pope Cole and Pdin Patrik.


    From the very first attack that he unleashed that could not even scratch the Lich''s protective veil, Rocky knew that he was far outside his league as while Pope Cole and Pdin Patrik unleashed attacks that could destroy entire mountains, Rocky could barely produce attacks strong enough to slice through boulders.


    When not even Pope Cole or Pdin Patrik with their considerably stronger attacks could hurt the Lich, Rocky knew that it was just wishful thinking on his part that he would, however, since God Ravan demonstrated him to fight a certain way, Rocky put his faith in him and tried his best to imitate.


    "Get down! Move to the side, I''m ready with my attack spell-" Cassius warned as Pope Cole tackled Rocky and pushed him to a side, while Pdin Patrik crunched on the ground below and raised his shield for protection.


    "Get up- this precisely is your chance-" Rocky heard Ravan scream from the side, as nting both his swords into the ground below, Rocky staggered back to his feet.

 Chapter 124: Grim Reality

    Cassius raised his hands skyward, his voice echoing across the dangerous battlefield.


    [ Divine Move - Sr Cataclysm ]


    Golden runes ignited around him, spinning into a vortex of blinding light as the spell drew on divine energy, the only force that could obliterate the embodiment of darkness and decay that the Lich was.


    Meanwhile, the Lich, sensing that his life was in danger, extended its skeletal hands and reinforced his already present protective veil with yet another protective spell as a purple barrier soon formed around him.


    [ Soul Shield ]


    The barrier shimmered with a ghastly glow, a stark contrast to the purity of Cassius''s spell. It was a desperate, ethereal fortress, woven from the souls that the Lich had devoured.


    As the Sr Cataclysm descended, a sunburst of radiant heat and piercing light collided with the Lich''s barrier.


    The sh sent shockwaves through the ground, instantly causing first degree burns to Rocky''s skin as he could not withstand the power of the spell in such close proximity.


    "Hold strong boy- cover your face" Ravan instructed Rocky. Asking him to duck his face behind his armor ted hand, so that he could withstand the heat for a while longer.


    *Sizzle*


    *Sizzle*


    *Sizzle*


    The heat was so intense, that the metal armor that Rocky wore turned into a red hot metal on the outside, as internally Rocky felt as if he was being cooked alive by being dipped into boiling hot water.


    The degree of pain he felt was absolutely insane, however, he desperately powered through.


    At first, the Lich''s barrier held strong,  pulsating with every hit as it absorbed the Sr Cataclysm.


    However, soon, the relentless onught of divine power began to crack the purple shield, veins of light fracturing its surface.


    With one final, ear-shattering roar, the barrier shattered into shadowy wisps. The unleashed energy surging forward and engulfing the Lich.


    "That''s it! DIE YOU UNDEAD BITCH" Cassius screamed in fury, as the upper half of the undead creature vaporized under the intense heat, leaving only its lower half and a cloud of ash floating in the wake of the spell''s path.


    Cassius stood firm, watching as the remnants of his foe scattered in the wind, his spell seemingly having imed victory over the dark entity.


    "It''s over-" Cassius said, raising his hand towards the sky victoriously, as he genuinely believed that the job was fully done.


    However, little did Cassius know that the Lich''s undead heart was not in his body but in the staff that he carried alongside him instead, as the moment his upper half incinerated, the staff began glowing with dark mana as the Lich''s body began to regenerate.


    "What? Impossible-" Cassius said, as he staggered backwards in shock and lost his footing.


    This second divine attack had taken every ounce of his strength to be unleashed and he had managed to destroy over 60% of his enemy''s body with it.


    If even after such a terrifying attack, he failed to kill his opponent, then Cassius had no idea how to kill him at all!


    "Run ....we must run¡­.. this Lich can''t be killed" Cassius said as he staggered back to his feet and began to run like a coward away from the body of the regenerating Lich.


    Although it reflected on him extremely badly as a lesser god, Cassius decided to prioritize saving his life over fighting for Earth, as unlike earthlings he had no moral obligation towards saving them.


    Sr Cataclysm was his strongest move! But if the Lich could not be killed even with Sr Cataclysm, then Cassius did not believe that he had any other attack in his arsenal that could kill him and hence he believed that running away was the only option left for him.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Earthlings )


    Across the globe, screens flickered with the brutal conflict between Cassius and the Lich, capturing every detail in real time.


    When Cassius unleashed the Sr Cataclysm and the upper half of the Lich disintegrated, deafening cheers erupted from viewers.


    Homes, public shelters, and safe houses filled with the triumphant roars of countless spectators who believed they were witnessing the end of a nightmare.


    "Finally! It''s over!"


    "He did it! He really did it!"


    "I knew hiring outside help was the right decision! Only a god can kill another god! Nobody else could have done this job but God Cassius-"


    Throughout the broadcast, rarely did themoners ever have the chance to truly cheer for something as the monster wave this time had not been kind to Earth''s climbers.


    With the death of the Lich, it finally seemed as if the tide of battle was on the verge of turning, however, before people could even process the joy of the Lich''s death properly, its staff began to glow and its body started to regenerate.


    The atmosphere shifted palpably. What was a collective celebration turned into a scene of disbelief and horror as within a couple of seconds, the cheers died down to a pin-drop silence.


    "No way... It can''t be!"


    The joy morphed into confusion and dread. People clutched at each other, their faces pale, eyes wide with fear. Whispers of disbelief circted as the crowd struggled toprehend the Lich''s resurgence.


    "It''s not possible... How can it still be alive?"


    "This is bad, really bad, we''re all going to die, the Lich can''t be killed-"


    Themoners panicked, just like Cassius, they couldn''t believe that the Lich did not die after receiving such a terrifying attack either.


    The dread set in deeper as Cassius, their hired help, chose to flee. Disappointment and fear swept through the crowds as they watched their mercenary god retreat, the harsh reality dawning on them that without his help, they would truly be helpless.


    "What do we do now? How can anyone else stop it if he couldn''t?"


    Desperation and a sense of helplessness washed over the global audience as they grappled with the grim prospect of an unstoppable enemy.


    ¡ª---------


    /// A/N - This is a bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 125: Birth Of A Hero

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    The moment the Lich''s barrier broke, Ravan sprang into immediate action.


    "Boy,e follow me quickly, you must mirror my movements exactly now¡­.." Ravan said with a sense of urgency behind his voice, however, that sense of urgency seemed to be paired with palpable excitement.


    *Sizzle*


    *Sizzle*


    Feeling like he were a boiled potato, Rocky took his first step trying to follow behind Ravan, however, just as he moved ever so slightly, the nerve endings on his burnt skin protested, sending waves of pain through his body.


    Apparently, it wasn''t just his exposed lips and face that had suffered severe burns, but even the rest of his body was cooked, with every inch of his skin suffering some form of burn damage or the other.


    Despite the pain, Rocky gave following behind Lord Ravan his all as he did not even bother looking towards the Lich or what happened to it under Cassius''s attack, keeping all of his focus unterally concentrated on the God Of War in front of him.


    Circling behind the Lich, Rocky saw its grotesque lower body still standing on its two feet, whereas its upper body was utterly annihted, as the God Cassius seemed to be celebrating his victory.


    "We did it- the lich is dead¡­." Rocky murmured under his breath, feeling happy that the Lich had died, however, at that moment Ravan said with a sharp smile on his face " Oh, it''s not over yet¡­."


    Feeling confused, Rocky clutched his dual swords tighter as the War God in front of him began cracking his neck and jumping on his toes, as if hyping himself up for the next attack.


    For a moment, Rocky just like Cassius truly believed that the Lich could not possibly survive such an attack, however, just like Cassius and the billions watching world-wide, Rocky was stunned as well when the Lich''s body began regenerating before his very eyes.


    "Run¡­. We must run" Cassius said, as the moment it seemed like the Lich was not dead and was going to regenerate himself, Cassius decided to run like a coward.


    "Stop you coward! Your opponent is not dead yet-" Rocky shouted, his frustration level reaching its peak as his pain and fatigue lowered his filter of speech.


    Nheless, The God Cassius did not seem to care for his words, flying straight out of Earth''s atmosphere, he escaped like there was no tomorrow, leaving Earthlings to deal with the regenerating Lich themselves.


    "No! How can he just run away like this?" Rocky said in pure anger, as Ravan looked towards him and signaled for him to calm down.


    "Shhh¡­I''m sure this is brother''s doing, he must be influencing the threads of fate to save Earth a fortune in paying Cassius what he''s owed.


    Gosh, he''s really biased towards Earth to go this far¡­..


    If I know him correctly, he has already maximised the probability of you seeding in what we are going to do next" Ravan said, as Rocky felt like he was being given information that he was not really meant to know.


    Threads of fate?


    Maximizing probability?


    He had no idea what the great god Shakuni was nning behind the scenes, however, he got the premonition that something big was about to go down.


    ************


    ( Meanwhile the global audience )


    For a moment, the hearts of Earthlings sank, and their dreams seemed shattered as the war camera captured their hired mercenary god, Cassius, fleeing for his life.


    Tears streamed down the faces of many as the crushing inevitability of defeat loomedrge.


    If even the lesser god Cassius could not vanquish the Lich, who else could possibly stand a chance?


    Despair gripped the citizens of Earth, leaving them feeling utterly hopeless.


    Then as the camera angle cut back towards the regenerating Lich, the first people that the camera noticed, were Pope Cole and Pdin Patrik, who were staggering back to their feet, having their armors sizzling with heat.


    In the background, arge human seemed to be standing, however, with his face burnt and the situation so grim, not many realised that it was Rocky.


    "We must stop it from regenerating¡­. Patrik, unleash your strongest attack" Pope Cole said, as he stumbled around on his feet trying to regain bnce, but failing.


    "Yes, Pope Cole" said Patrik, as he struggled to stand straight as well but focused all his remaining mana into his sword.


    [ Justice sh ]


    Patrik said, as he unleashed the strongest move he was capable of unleashing under the circumstances, however, the Lich whose upper body had regenerated uptil it''s shoulders, flicked the iing sword sh aside like it were nothing, although it did not have a head.


    "You''re useless Patrik, watch me-" Pope Cole said, as he unleashed his dragon strike, trying his best to bring down the Lich as well, however, just like Patrik, his attack was swatted aside by the Lich as well, who sessfully regenerated its head.


    "It''s over¡­.. it''s all over-"


    "If even Pope Cole can''t scratch him, then I don''t think Earth has any other fighter left who can¡­.. we are doomed"


    "Should we start running away? Get as far away from ground zero as possible to hope live another day?"


    Themoners said, feeling depressed as to them this fight seemed futile now.


    However, just as discussions on fleeing broke out and everyone began to panic, there was one man who pointed at the TV screen in doubt.


    "Is that the Champion Of Gemini charging towards the Lich from his back?" The man asked, as everyone''s eyes suddenly turned towards the TV screen.


    ***********


    A god''s senses differed significantly from those of a mortal warrior, especially in perceiving threats. Just as it was difficult for a cat to sneak up on a human due to its noticeable presence, unlike a mosquito, which was small and perceived as less of a threat, gods had an enhanced awareness that prioritized dangers differently from humans.


    While neither Pdin Patrik, nor Pope Cole could have ever ever hope to sneak up on the Lich because their presence was too strong for it to not notice, Rocky was still far too weak for the Lich to actively perceive him.


    Still 9 out of 10 times, if the situation was fair, Rocky would have failed in his attempt to get close to the Lich, however, following Lord Ravan''s expert guidance to stay perfectly in its blind spot.


    Then waiting for it to deal with Patrik and Cole''s attacks to get even closer,bined with Shakuni skewing the odds in their favor, Rocky managed to achieve the impossible when he snuck up on the Lich''s back undetected.


    "The heart of the Lich is in it''s staff, but you will only have one shot of breaking it, so swing with all your strength and follow my movements precisely with all your speed" Ravan instructed Rocky, as he fake stabbed the Lich, stopping a few inches before his sword actually plunged into the Lich''s body, before rolling sideways on the ground and swinging his sword hard towards a specific point in the air.


    From start to finish, Rocky could only see this sequence of moves once, however, he was expected to repeat it with absolute perfection.


    Thankfully, his perfected human race had picture perfect memory that allowed him to clone the War Gods movements precisely, as with even the slightest of slip-up Rocky would have undoubtedly died.


    The second he tried to plunge his sword towards the Lich, the lesser gods reflexes immediately kicked in as it turned with its staff in hand, hoping to smack Rocky in the head with the weapon.


    Unfortunately for it however, Ravan had already studied it''s dominant hand and knew that the Lich was going to turn towards Rocky counterclockwise, which was why he stopped before plunging his sword into the Lich''s back by a few inches and rolled to the side in his demonstration.


    As Rocky followed those movements precisely, he evaded the Lich''s blow by the thinnest of margins, not because he had seen iting or because his reflexes kicked in at the right time, but because the War God Ravan had been perfect in his estimate.


    As Rocky rolled through and mmed his sword into an overhead sh containing all the strength in his body towards the exact point in air that Lord Ravan demonstrated, his sword seemed to collide against some sort of a gem as a loud screech covered the entire battlefield.


    *SCREEECH*


    For a moment, Rocky felt like he had lost his sense of hearing, as all the sounds in the world went mute, however, he did not even care about his ears at the moment, as his eyes were solely focused on the scene unfolding before him.


    As the purple gem on-top of the Lich''s specter broke into small pieces, the Lich''s godly aura began dissipating fast as it''s body began disintegrating into pitch ck ash.


    In itsst moments, the Lich''s hollow eyes seemed to stare into Rocky''s soul in disbelief, wondering how a being like it fell to a puny mortal like Rocky as it seemed disappointed with its own death.


    True to its nature, the Lich tried to take out Rocky with it even when dying as he extended its bone arm towards Rocky,  trying to crush his head, however, before it''s arm could reach Rocky, it turned into ash, just like the rest of his body.


    Still in disbelief, Rocky stared at the ashes of his opponent as the projection of War God Ravanughed heartily at the side.


    "And that Rocky...is how Hero''s are made" he said before slowly fading away just like all system notifications did.

 Chapter 126: Aftermath

    "And that Rocky...is how Heroes are made" That''s what Ravan said before disappearing, however, all Rocky saw were the God''s lips moving as his sense of hearing was still in shambles.


    For a moment he kept staring at his hands and the spot where his opponent had stood just moments ago as even he himself could not believe what had just transpired?


    Did he, a tier-less fighter who had not even ascended past the floor 10 of the tower, just kill a lesser god?


    Rocky could absolutely not believe it, as he kept blinking in disbelief.


    "My lord! My lord! My lord!" Pope Cole said like a broken tape recorder as he jumped on to Rocky''s feet, kissing them as if they were the most divine thing in the universe.


    The Lich had been vanquished! Not by the great mage god Cassius. Not by the supposed strongest fighters of Earth, but by the Champion Of Gemini, the same guy whose role people questioned within the war council just a few days ago.


    In this universe, everytime as one killed a beast or an opponent they umted corresponding Karma for that kill that strengthened one''s soul.


    To keep progressing through floors, it was rmended for a climber to kill as many beasts as they could, as often killing more beasts even if they were lower leveled, helped one gain more soul strength and eventually be strong enough to clear higher floors.


    It was said that the greater the distance was between the strength of the individual being killed and the individual killing them, the more benefits one received, however, Rocky never experienced this phenomenon as profoundly as he did today.


    After killing the Lich, Rocky felt something intangible within him change.


    It was like energy was rapidly being delivered to every single cell in his body as his wounds and burns regenerated at an frightening pace.


    [ Strongest System Notification - Warning! Warning! Warning!


    EXP absorb patch is a system level 2 feature! The hosts current level is insufficient to absorb this volume of soul energy ]


    [ Strongest System Notification - Quest cleared ''Birth Of A Hero'', distributing one time additional rewards-


    Single Use EXP Absorption token ]


    [ Strongest System Notification - Single Use EXP Absorption token is automatically used to absorb as much of the Lich''s soul energy as possible before dissipation ]


    A slew of notifications filled Rocky''s visions, as he read them with utmost curiosity.


    Just as he read the third notification, he felt his entire body being enveloped in a bright golden light, as the rate of soul energy absorption increased rapidly.


    Suddenly, Rocky felt as if warm currents of energy were flowing through every corner of his body as he felt his muscles and his bones being refined and improved in real time.


    Instead of the 40-60% soul energy that would have gone to waste without the system helping him properly absorb it, Rocky could now absorb all of the Lich''s dissipating soul energy as he gained immense benefits from the same.


    By the time the glow around him faded and he could notice the battlefield around him again.


    His hearing seemed to have returned, burn marks gone and his staminapletely replenished.


    He felt like he was at-least thrice as strong as he felt before starting this war as his body seemed to have undergone a huge qualitative improvement.


    But apart from the internal changes in his body, there were also many big external changes around him as well.


    Pdin Patrik had also joined Pope Cole in his embarrassing worship and was now kissing his left foot while Pope Cole kissed his right.


    Both were crying as if their wives had just died, however, instead of painful sobs between their tears they experienced joyousughs.


    On the other side, over a quarter of the undead army that was directly resurrected/ created by the Lich vanished on the spot, while all other undead troops experienced a heavy strength debuff of 20-50% for their leader dying.


    Suddenly, the climbers of Earth that were struggling to hold their lines before, finally felt like they could push their opponents back instead, as a genuine counterattack, started to organically take ce, turning the tide of the war on its head.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Cody )


    Cody harbored doubts about Rocky''s intentions as he watched him charge through the undead army with the Church of Gemini and the True Elites at his side.


    Though Codycked faith in Rocky himself, he had faith in the discerning judgment of Pope Cole and Neatwit. As he called for a ceasefire in the st zone, hoping fervently that they sessfully achieved whatever they were nning.


    Seeing God Cassius retreat from the battlefield twisted Cody''s stomach with despair, convincing him that humanity''sst chance had evaporated.


    Yet, when Rocky achieved the impossible by defeating the Lich¡ªa feat even Cassius had failed to aplish¡ªCody felt as though he was witnessing a true miracle unfolding.


    At that moment, Cody gripped his own grey hair and shook his head in disbelief as he had to rub his eyes thrice and pinch his own skin just to make sure he was not hallucinating.


    "He did it¡­.. Rocky¡­. No! The champion of Gemini really did it¡­.. HAHAHAHA" Codyughed like a madman, as that moment he too felt an intense urge to jump towards Rocky''s feet and kiss them just like Pdin Patrik and Pope Cole were doing.


    He was by no means a religious man who believed in miracles, yet as he saw Rocky killing the Lich with his own eyes, he suddenly felt as if the Gemini gods were truly looking over Earth.


    While Cassius betrayed them, the Gemini Gods refused to abandon their devout believers in their time of need, sending their champion to vanquish a foe that could have destroyed their.


    "Praise Gemini¡­.. Praise Lord Ravan, Praise Lord Shakuni!..... I will never doubt your grace again-" Cody said as genuine tears of joy flowed down his cheeks.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 127: Global Reactions

    ( Meanwhile on the television screens within the safety shelters and homes worldwide )


    As the heart jewel of the Lich''s staff shattered under Rocky''s precise assault, televisions across the world disyed the precise moment that the Lich began to crumble and disintegrate.


    Inside every safety shelter and locked homes, eyes were glued to the TV screen which was broadcasting the war which many feared could have been the war that ended humanity.


    The immediate reaction of everyone watching was stunned silence.


    Families, friends, and neighbors, gathered in small, crowded living rooms or public shelters, watched on in disbelief as the staff''s light extinguished and the undeadmander fell to pieces.


    For a moment nobody celebrated as the Lich had regenerated from certain death not too long ago, however, as seconds passed and the Lich did not seem to be resurrecting, the hopes within the hearts of themoners grew.


    It took a few more  moments for the reality to set in, moments filled with nothing but the low hum of the broadcast.


    "Did he... did he really do it?" a voice broke the silence, sounding almost hesitant to believe.


    "He did, he really did!" another quickly responded, the volume of voices rising as the shock gave way to tion.


    The scenes on the screens shifted from the disintegrating Lich to Rocky, bathed in the golden light of victory as this visual sparked spontaneous apuse and cheers in shelters and homes worldwide, with people hugging each other, their faces lit by smiles and tears alike.


    "There''s no way I thought we''d see something like this," an elderly man said, his voice cracking with emotion. "To witness our champion fight like this, it''s a blessing, truly a blessing from the Gemini gods."


    For religious old people like him, who had never thought they would witness a champion being born in their lifetimes, just the existence of Rocky was like a blessing, however, witnessing him produce miracles, they felt as if their lives had just becameplete, for they could witness the glory of the gods and their chosen champion.


    Within the rich urban residentialplex ''Upside'', a famous sculptor named ''Dalle'' watched intently from her studio within her home, her mind already racing with the image of Rocky''s victorious stance.


    Quickly pulling out her materials, with hands eager to mold the y into the form of the hero who saved their, she began sculpting a statue as she had an intense desire within her heart to immortalize this moment.


    This sculpture, she decided, would not just be a statue, but a beacon of hope and bravery for future generations.


    Across the globe, themon sentiment was overwhelming gratitude and pride.


    "Mom mom, when I grow up I want to be like him! I want to be like Rocky- " a young boy dered to his family, his eyes shining with admiration and dreams of heroism, as millions of kids  across the globe hoped that they could recreate the feat that Rocky achieved today when eventually they became a climber.


    In another house, an elderly couple watched the celebrations unfold on screen, holding each other''s hands tightly. "To think, after all these hours of fearing what mighte, we are here, safe because of him," the woman whispered, a tear trailing down her cheek.


    The channels continued to rey Rocky''s defining moment, each broadcast strengthening the legend that was already beginning to form.


    Meanwhile, the decrease in the undead army''s numbers was reported, showing aerial views of the battlefield now tipping in favor of the humans.


    "I never thought we''d push them back, not after everything, especially after God Cassius ran away, I thought it was surely all over"mented a middle-aged man as he watched the undead falter and retreat.


    "Look at them run!" cheered a group of teenagers, theirughter mingling with the collective relief that washed over their shelter.


    As night fell, the discussions didn''t cease. Instead, they grew into spirited debates and hopeful conversations about the future.


    Themoners, once resigned to a fate dictated by dark forces, now spoke of ns and possibilities, their spirits lifted by the Champion of Gemini''s undeniable proof that miracles were more than just tales.


    "Praise Gemini, praise Lord Ravan, praise Lord Shakuni! I will never doubt their grace again," echoed through the halls and homes, amon vow renewed with fervor.


    The day ended with a sense of victory and theforting belief that the Gemini gods had indeed been looking over Earth, as many believed that Rocky was a champion sent by the Gemini Gods to vanquish a foe that could have destroyed their world.


    With the war being close to conclusion and the human forces edging closer to securing aplete route of enemy forces, many began preparing for grand celebrations.


    ***********


    (Meanwhile Ravan and Shakuni, Floor 92)


    "Do you feel this brother? The influx of prayers today is crazy¡­." Ravan said, feeling his divinity be stronger and stronger the more mortals prayed to him.


    "Of course it is¡­. I wrote the perfect script" Shakuni said with a wide grin on his face as he felt satisfied with how things turned out to be.


    Although he had made a n that would put Rocky in the position of being able to defeat the Lich, fate was an unpredictable force, with sess being only a probability and not a certainty.


    "So what did you think of the boy?" Shakuni asked Ravan who shrugged his shoulders and shook his palm from side to side indicating a ''50-50'' verdict.


    "He has guts. Talent and tenacity. But hecks experience.


    He can be a good champion if he someday crosses the floor 60 threshold, but until then he will remain a risky investment" Ravan concluded as Shakuni agreed with his assessment.


    Rocky did have potential, however, he was still very far from the kind of warrior Ravan and Shakuni needed him to be.


    ¡ª------ XXX ¡ª---------


    END OF VOLUME 1


    ¡ª------ XXX ¡ª----------


    /// A/N - Alright guys, that''s it for the introductory volume, I hope you all like it.


    The book is only going to get more action packed and mysterious from here on out, so stick around for more! ///

 Chapter 128: New Beginnings

    ( The next morning )


    By sunrise next morning, the undead army had been nearlypletely annihted.


    Except for a few stragglers that were being toyed with and ganged up by countless humans, everyone else had been wiped out and the injured had been called back to the healing stations.


    Rocky killing the Lich was the turning point in the war after which casualties on the human side were minimal.


    With the undead losing their strength and their tightly-knitted defensive shape, it was only a matter of time before their army crumbled, however, to minimize loss of life, the various guildmasters and experienced human leaders on the front lines, did not push like crazy and instead opted for a more moderate approach where they methodically dwindled enemy numbers while prioritizing human survival.


    Even Though Rocky had made the biggest contribution in the war by leading the army that saved Karna and also defeating the Lich, he still continued to fight until the morning as he helped wherever his help was needed and did not stop fighting until he absolutely did not need to.


    Covered in mud, grime, dark blood and all sorts of disgusting bodily fluids, Rocky looked like a battered war veteran, however, despite his appearance, he was hailed as a majestic hero wherever he went.


    The news had spread fast amongst the fighting climbers that it was none other than the Champion Of Gemini who had defeated the Lich when the Mage God Cassius had fled Earth and hence wherever Rocky went to fight, he was weed with a raucous of cheers and admiration.


    Finally, as the sun rose above the horizon and thest of the undead lost their life, the portal preventing entry into the tower of ascension dissipated, turning once again into a normal entry gate-way, signaling the end of this year''s monster wave.


    "IT''S OVER! WE WON! WE HAVE SURVIVED THE UNDEAD WAVE BY THE GRACE OF GEMINI" Shouted Pope Cole in tion as a guttural roar of joy spread across ground zero.


    Swords were banged against shields, soldiers hugged their brothers with whom they fought on the front lines and wolf-like howls of joy were made.


    The battlefield, once thick with the stench of decay and fear, now vibrated with an electric surge of victory.


    Witnessing this moment, Rocky finally dropped his swords and dropped to his knees in joy, as he wished for nothing more than finding a soft bed to sleep on at the moment.


    However, instead of getting his well deserved rest, he was swarmed by the soldiers of the Church Of Gemini, as they voluntarily hoisted him above their shoulders and paraded with him above their heads.


    This spontaneous act wasn''t just a gesture of celebration but a symbol of their faith and appreciation for Rocky and the Gemini gods, who they believed helped them win this decisive war.


    Above the heads of the weary yet exhrated soldiers, Rocky was raised as if he were the mast of a ship that had weathered a fearsome storm.


    Faces, smeared with dirt and blood, lifted towards him, their expressions transforming from the taut lines of battle-readiness to the open joy of survivors.


    These were the faces of men and women who had stared down an unimaginable horror, knowing they might never see another sunrise. Yet, here they were, beneath that sunrise, not just alive but victorious.


    The cheers that erupted around Rocky were more than sounds of celebration; they were cathartic releases of pent-up fears, hopes, and the raw adrenaline ofbat.


    Each shout, each p on the back, each tearfulugh was a shared acknowledgment of their collective ordeal and triumph.


    Pope Cole, being the de facto leader of the Church''s forces and a fanatic Gemini believer, led the crowd in a booming cheer. "For Rocky! For the Champion of Gemini! For our savior!" He said, as the chant was picked up, echoing across the now-sacred ground of their struggle.


    As Rocky was paraded around, the weight of his responsibility and the magnitude of his impact began to truly register.


    These people saw him as a hero, a beacon of strength and hope and somehow Rocky did not feel repulsed by this view.


    While before this war, their venerant gazes towards him felt like a burden, since he had not done anything to deserve it, today he felt a profound connection to each looking towards him with those same gazes, understanding that their lives and his were forever intertwined by what had transpired on this battlefield here today.


    In that moment, amidst the mor of celebration, Rocky''s eyes met those of Guild Master Karna and Association Leader Cody.


    Just like him, they were also hoisted by their own faction over their shoulders, as in the entire battlefield, only the three of them enjoyed this special treatment.


    No words were needed; their shared nces and grand smiles filled with relief, were enough tomunicate with one another.


    This was a grand victory for Earth, however, it did note without cost.


    While the majority of soldiers celebrated, there were a few who werementing the loss of fallen brothers, while some were battling for their lives in the infirmary after having picked up life threatening injuries.


    Although the main fighting in this war had been concluded, there was still a lot of work to do.


    **********


    ( Later that day, After War Press Conference, Ground Zero )


    A makeshift stage had been erected at Ground Zero, a ce that had seen the worst battles of human history.


    The wooden nks of the stage creaked under the weight of the moment as Association Leader Cody North approached the podium.


    Despite his bandaged appearance, with his right arm in a sling and a patch over one eye, his stance was resolute. Beside him stood Pope Cole, with his religious robes being the only clean part of his body, while his skin remained marked by dust and patches of dried blood.


    The assembled crowd of warriors, journalists, and dignitaries fell into a respectful silence, their eyes fixed on Cody as camera shutters clicked intermittently, capturing this historic moment.


    Behind them, a banner fluttered gently in the breeze, bearing the emblem of the Climbers'' Association alongside the symbols of the various guilds.


    Cody cleared his throat, his voice carrying across the crowd with a calm authority that belied his injuries. "Today, we stand on a battlefield that has tested the limits of our courage and the depths of our resolve," he began, his gaze sweeping over the faces before him. "The cost was high¡ªthe lives of our brothers and sisters, the blood of our wounded.


    Every fighter who stood their ground has written their own story of sacrifice."


    He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "But amidst this solemn remembrance, we also find cause for profound gratitude. Thanks to the valor of heroes like Rocky and the strategic acumen of our guildmasters, we have turned what seemed like an inevitable defeat into a resounding victory."


    Cody''s voice grew stronger and more passionate as he continued. "This war was not won by the might of one, but by the unity of many. The Champion of Gemini, Rocky, stood where others might have fled. Killing the Lich bravely when our hired help shamelessly fled.


    With him, our guild masters, who orchestrated our defenses, ensured that not one more life was wasted than necessary."


    The crowd listened, rapt, as Cody shifted his tone to one of hope and forward-thinking. "As we heal, let us also strengthen¡ªnot just our bodies, but our bonds with each other.


    Let us build not just our defenses but also our spirits such that in the next monster raid, four years from now, the losses on the human side can be reduced to a minimum"


    He concluded with a lifting of his voice, a rallying cry that resonated with every heart present. "And let us always remember, by the grace of Gemini, by the strength of our will, and by the courage of our fallen, that we have survived, that in the end it''s we who have triumphed!


    So let us hail Gemini, hail Earth''s climbers, and hail each of you who contributed towards making this defense a sess, as to all of you I convey my deepest thanks and undying respect."


    An immediate apuse broke out, thunderous and heartfelt, echoing across the scarredndscape as Cody stepped back, his speech marking not just the closure of the war, but a rion call for future hope and unity.


    After he finished his speech, it was Pope Cole who stepped to the podium, and while his speech also included a gratitude message to all of Earth''s climbers who participated in the war and condolences for the fallen, he focused more on how everyone had witnessed a miracle today and how important of a role faith yed in one''s life.


    He encouraged the masses to participate in more prayers and lead a more pious life, using today''s miracle as justification.


    Throughout this time, Rocky was noticeably missing from the public eye, as Karna and Neatwit dragged him from the battlefield back to the True Elites Guild Office.


    Since the monster raid was now over, Karna did not wish to waste a second more for nning the uing rescue mission to save Riva.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - That''s it for the month of April from my side, thank you so much for all your support.


    For the massive number of GT contributed throughout this month, I shall be starting next month with a 5 chapter mass release to show my gratitude for this support. ///

 Chapter 129: A sweet confession

    ( The True Elites Guild Headquarters, The Upside )


    As soon as Rocky walked into the True Elites Guild headquarters, he was tackled by Amelia into a bear hug as she buried her face in Rocky''s chest.


    It was an unexpected event for Rocky, as with all the Climbers still being at Ground Zero for the after-war celebrations and the Guild Office officially shut, he did not expect anyone to be at the Guild Headquarters today.


    What was even more surprising to him was that instead of Neatwit and Karna, Amelia decided to hug him first, as although Rocky embraced her gently, he could not discern the reason behind this show of emotion.


    *Sob*


    *Sob*


    Eventually, Amelia began sobbing, as although she did not say a word, she began soiling Rocky''s fresh pair of clothes as she poured her heart out.


    Gently stroking her hair, Rocky waited for her to calm down, while Neatwit and Karna looked towards the ceiling of the guild, suddenly noticing its fine details.


    "Rocky¡­." Amelia said weakly, as she looked up towards him with teary eyes.


    "Yes, big sister¡­." Rocky said, with a gentle smile on his face as he tried his best to look upbeat, although he felt dead tired on the inside.


    "Thank you for leading the armies that saved Karna¡­.." Amelia said, as Rocky could barely contain hisugh as he threw a nce towards Karna who began blushing red.


    "I don''t know why that fool jumped into a sea of undead alone, however, when I saw him fighting there all alone over the screen, I felt my heart breaking to pieces ... .I-I, thought we would lose him¡­" Amelia said, as she once again began sobbing and buried her face into Rocky''s chest.


    "It''s okay, big sister, I only did what vice guild master was already nning to do. He wouldn''t have let Guildmaster Karna die anyways" Rocky said, as Neatwit coughed, while Karna began noticing the intricate details on the floor joints below his feet, his ears blood red from this conversation.


    "Only¡­. Only after Neatwit and the others came to his aid, and I saw the guild rally around him did I breathe a sigh of relief.


    I-I wouldn''t know what I would do without him.


    I''m just so happy he''s safe¡­.. as I promised to the Gemini Gods that if he returns to me alive after this war, the first thing I''m doing is thanking you and the second thing I''ll do is telling him how I really feel about him-" Amelia said, as she pushed away from Rocky a bit and wiped her tears.


    "Oh? When did you grow so tall? Haha, you look so big and handsome now-" Amelia said, as Rocky flexed both his biceps to Amelia, butter gestured to her to go talk with Karna, which was the second point on her agenda.


    Already red with shame, the same Guild Master who was fighting with three swords in the battlefield ying undead after undead now became utterly helpless, as he awaited the scolding of a lifetime.


    "Karna¡­. You always ask me why I work this shitty job in this guild right? Why do I work 18, sometimes 20 hours a day here like a maniac, instead of hiring more people to make my job easier?" Amelia asked, as she walked closer to Karna, and pulled on the tape that was bandaging his chest and bruised ribs.


    Karna winced, the tape being pulled made his ribs hurt, however, he still bowed lower and let himself be pulled so that he could be eye to eye with Amelia.


    "I work this shitty job, only because of you! Because I love you¡­.." Amelia confessed as Karna''s face turned redder than a tomato.


    "Your memory is like that of a goldfish. Without me constantly taking care of you and micromanaging your life, you can''t do anything right, however, I still do it with joy, because I love you...


    I do love this guild, however, most people here, especially that asshole Neatwit who never shows up is insufferable.


    I''m not a climber, I''m not as strong as you guys, maybe I''m not even worthy of bing the girlfriend of Earth''s strongest warrior, but I don''t care about all of it anymore.


    Today, as I thought I might lose you, I realized that my life would be too empty without you-


    That I can''t live without you.


    So I''m confessing my love to you today¡­. Do whatever you want with it now" Amelia said, rather aggressively, as she let go of Karna''s tape and began sniveling like a helpless rabbit.


    Taking her into a solid hug, Karna embraced her. Whispering sweet words in her ears, as he happily epted her love.


    He too had solid feelings for Amelia, but because of the professional boundaries that their posts demanded, he never made his move.


    However, today as Amelia confessed first, he felt extremely happy and relieved by this revtion as he epted her love with joy.


    As the duo''s hug broke out into shameless kissing, Neatwit slinged his arm around Rocky and dragged him away to give the two space.


    "Oh Rocky? Have you seen the ce where the guild stores potions? My god, it''s such a cool room with lots of refreshment potions.


    Come let''s drink one or two, I''m sure some of us are tired¡­." Neatwit said, as Rocky chuckled and followed him, giving the couple space.


    Although this was not an event that Rocky had expected at all, somehow watching Karna and Amelia end up as a couple, he felt incredibly warm and fuzzy from within.


    On a personal level, he liked them both and genuinely hoped that they would have a great future ahead as a true power couple.


    "Fuck me¡­. Even Karna got a girl now, I''m the only one left in the bachelor gang now¡­." Neatwit murmured to himself as he seemed more pissed by the fact that Karna was not single anymore, rather than the fact that Amelia tantly called him an insufferable asshole during her confession.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter 1 of 5 for the day. Hope you enjoyed it. ///

 Chapter 130: The Love Of War

    Rocky felt much better after drinking a few refreshment potions alongside Neatwit, straight out of the Guild Storage.


    Somehow, the way Neatwit treated him nowpared to before the war felt very different to Rocky, as although the Vice Guild Master of the Elites was always kind to him, he did not seem to respect Rocky before today, however, that dynamic seemed to have shifted after the war.


    Although he did not bring up Rocky''s killing of the Lich, or behaved like a religious fanatic, he did seem to enjoy Rocky''spany now more than before as he viewed him as an equal, rather than a talented kid.


    "Aghhh, that hits the spot for sure!" Neatwit said, as he drank the fourth consecutive low grade refreshment potion and felt all his pent up fatigue slowly melting away.


    Wiping his lips, he began massaging his sore spots as he closed his eyes and lost himself to thought.


    "Men are born for war, Rocky. I have no question in my mind about it¡­.. although I''m sad whenever we lose a guild member in a war. I can''t deny the fact that I love the thrill of wars.


    Not knowing which moment will be yourst?


    Not knowing which foe will take your life?


    The battlefield makes me feel alive, like no other experience ever can" Neatwit said, as although Rocky did not fully agree with the veterans perception, he could not outright dismiss it either.


    In this war, he was only shadowing the movements of War God Ravan and had not faced the difficulties of a war on his own. However, maybe because he fought the war on Easy Mode, he too somehow found it very appealing and addictive.


    With his eyes still closed, Neatwit smiled softly as he continued, his voice taking on a reverent tone, reflecting the depths of his emotions tied to the battlefield.


    "The chaos, the unpredictability¡ªit''s all a game of skill and wit, Rocky. When you''re out there, surrounded by the sh of steel and the cries of the fallen, something primal awakens within you. It''s as if every sense is heightened, every decision bes a matter of life and death. And that''s the beauty of it," Neatwit mused, his expression distant yet intensely focused.


    He shifted slightly, opening his eyes as he pped Rocky on the shoulder with a firm grip. "Out there, in the thick of it, you''re not just fighting for survival; you''re living in the moment. Each maneuver, each tactical decision¡ª it''s exhrating. You feel like you''re crafting your destiny with every move you make."


    "The battlefield, Rocky, it''s the ultimate test of your mettle. It''s where heroes are made, where legends are born. Sure, it''s brutal, and it scars you, changes you in ways that nothing else can. But it also teaches you¡ªabout your limits, about your strengths, about the essence of what it really means to be alive."


    "There''s a raw truth tobat. It''s direct, it''s absolute. In those moments, d in armor, sword in hand, you''re not just a soldier; you''re a hunter, a survivor. And that pure focus¡ªit''s addictive." He said, as Rocky saw his eyes bordering on the edge of insanity.


    This was a look that he hadn''t seen within the Vice Guildmaster ever before and it felt slightly disturbing to Rocky.


    "However, Rocky, you can only feel this way as long as you fight without any burdens, any strings.


    Once you get a girl. Have kids waiting for you back home or obligations like protecting your guild, it''s not as fun anymore.


    Those things truly slow down a man" Neatwit saidmenting, as he took an indirect shot at Karna.


    "While we may have lost Karna today, in the future me and you can perhaps be a great team!" Neatwit said brightly, as Rocky chuckled and waved the proposal off.


    Today, Rocky realized just how intense the Vice Guild Master really was. Yet, he felt relieved that Neatwit was surrounded by the True Elites Guild and friends like Karna.


    With a temperament like his, there was no telling what Neatwit''s life might have been without their steadying presence, as it seemed like they were the only things keeping him centered and focused, preventing him from turning into an absolute war maniac.


    "However many potions the two of you have consumed, they areing out of your sry Neatwit¡­." A voice suddenly interrupted, as Karna walked into the storage room, interrupting the moment between Neatwit and Rocky.


    He seemed to have regained hisposure after all that kissing, however, Neatwit could not help but make fun of him still.


    "Oh, Karna, there''s some pink lipstick on your lips¡­" Neatwit said, as Karna immediately tried wiping it off, only to realize there wasn''t anything on there in the first ce.


    "Hahahaha"


    Both Neatwit and Rocky burst outughing, as Karna gave them both a nk look.


    "Real mature guys¡­. Real mature!" He said, before cracking into a smile himself.


    Picking a few bottles of refreshment potions himself, he leaned against the storage wall and began drinking them with his eyes closed, as he waited for the potion to reduce the fatigue he felt.


    "One war done¡­. One more to go-" he said, as the moment these words escaped his mouth, the rxed expressions on the faces of all three men shifted immediately.


    "A lot of the guild''s forces are injured. Plus we need to start gathering resources and formting a n.


    We also need to confirm whether or not Riva is still inside floor21 or not" Neatwit said, as Karna nodded his head and opened his eyes to look into Rocky''s.


    "I''m sorry you had to wait so long Rocky¡­. However, now that our obligations with the monster wave have beenpleted, theplete focus of the True Elites Guild in theing days will be on rescuing Riva.


    We have let one of our own suffer for too long. But we definitely won''t let her suffer no more" Karna promised, as Rocky acknowledged his resolve.


    ---------


    /// A/N - Mass Release Chapter 2 of 5 ///

 Chapter 131: Returning To The University

    After discussing future ns about saving Riva and establishing a roadmap, Rocky took his leave from within the True Elites Guild and made his way back towards the tower as he hoped to return to university for nourishment of young talents.


    Refusing all offers for interviews and public appearances, Rocky requested Association Leader Cody for a quick departure from Earth, as although Cody was not keen on letting Rocky go without him getting the proper appreciation that he deserved, when Rocky insisted that he absolutely had to return back to the university as soon as possible, Cody helped arrange a covert convoy for Rocky to return.


    " Vorithra Sylithen"


    " Vorithra Sylithen"


    " Vorithra Sylithen"


    Once more, as Rocky prepared to enter the tower and approached its vicinity, he heard the same chant as he did the first time he entered the tower as for a moment Rocky paused, looking around as he wondered where the sound wasing from?


    Although his sense of hearing had improved several fold after his time within the Snake-men ancestral chamber and his racial improvement, Rocky could still not make-out as to where this sound was originating from as it seemed toe from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.


    If he took a few steps away from the tower, the voice suddenly disappeared, however, as soon as he was within a 5 meter range of the tower entrance, the chants kept ringing in his head non-stop.


    ''Vorithra Sylithen'' Rocky murmured within his head, memorizing the word as he decided to research more about it once he went back to the university, as he ignored the noise for now and entered the tower.


    ************


    ( The university for nourishment of young talents, Floor Zero )


    As Rocky returned back to the university, his timing perfectly coincided with the end of midterms, as Erin and Buhara also seemed to be standing just outside the teleportation center.


    "Erin! Buhara!" Rocky said in joy, as he rushed up to his friends who were equally ted to see him.


    "Sir Rocky!"


    "Puny Human!"


    The two said, grinning widely as the three friends reunited after almost a week.


    "Puny Human, Buhara conquered the number one spot in mid-terms! He will now have a worthy weapon forged for himself" Buhara said proudly, as Rocky softly pped for his friend.


    "I ced seventh, Sir Rocky! Received a perfect grade as well-" Erin said, as he eagerly awaited for Rocky to praise him.


    "Oh? Good job guy! Way to go-" Rocky said, feeling genuinely happy for his friends as he gave Buhara a strong fist bump and softly patted Erin on his shoulders.


    " I also have good news, Earth managed to repel this year''s monster raid safely! So my home is not going to be destroyed at least for the next four years" Rocky said, as Erin and Buhara stared at him with mouths agape.


    "Sir Rocky, are you perhaps just returning from a Monster Wave?" Erin inquired as Rocky nodded his head and chuckled, wondering how his friends would react if he told them just how crazy an adventure he had been on.


    "How was it? Is participating in a war as scary and dangerous as they say it is?" Erin asked, as before Rocky could answer the question, Sophia arrived near the teleportation center.


    "Oh Rocky? You''re back as well?" The Champion Of Poseidon said, as a frown almost immediately spread on Erin''s face when he heard that woman''s voice.


    "Let''s talk about warster guys¡­." Rocky said, cutting off the topic as he did not wish to discuss the events that had transpired on Earth in front of Sophia.


    "Beautiful human! I, the great future chieftain Buhara, have ced number one in the mid term evaluation! Buhahahara" said Buhara, as Sophia covered her mouth to hide her grin as she controlled the urge tough out loud.


    "You only won because me and Rocky had to be pulled out early because of security concerns.


    If the two of us would be there then there is no way anyone else from the academy was getting that first spot" Sophia said, belittling Buhara instead of encouraging him, as she could not resist the urge to point out that, except Rocky, she considered all other ssmates inferior to them both.


    Not liking her attitude one bit, Rocky threw her a dirty nce, which made Sophia shrug her shoulders in protest.


    "Hey¡­ what? I''m only pointing out the truth-" Sophia said, puffing her cheeks as she pretended to be mad that Rocky was giving her the angry look.


    In the entire group, it was only Buhara who treated her like a true friend anyways, yet Sophia could not even feel joy for his aplishments.


    "No offense, Lady Sophia, but if Sir Rocky was participating, even you had no chance of winning whenpared to him-" Erin said, as he used her own logic to beat her at her own game.


    "Well, I don''t agree¡­. While Rocky was indeed much stronger than me when we entered the university and won the first spar we had against each other. Many months have passed since and while Rocky has been constantly missing sses, I''ve been the ace student in all of them.


    I do genuinely believe that if we were to spar now, I woulde out slightly stronger than Rocky, but only because he has been unable to train like I have" Sophia said, as Rocky internally rolled his eyes.


    He did not even feel like dignifying this with a response as he ced his hand on Erin''s shoulder to stop him from arguing anymore as he said "You''re right Sophia, I haven''t been attending sses for months.


    You definitely should have the advantage against me now-"


    Grinning widely, Sophia epted thepliment and began encouraging Rocky and promising him that she would help him catch up in no time, as Rocky yed along cheerfully, fooling Sophia into thinking he was still as weak as the first time that they spar''d.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Mass Release chapter 3 of 5, enjoy! ///

 Chapter 132: Swordsmanship Class

    ( The next day )


    The next morning, Rocky joined Professor Mave in the Practical Combat morning exercise session for the first time in a long time and everyone had their eyes fixated on the Champion Of Gemini''s performance, after he had been missing in action for months.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, Rocky returned fitter than ever before as while he seemed to struggle slightly during the morning training sessions before, in the first session after his return, Rocky did not even break a sweat as he matched Professor Maven''s training intensity without missing a beat.


    While everyone else, including Sophia waspletely exhausted by the end of morning training, Rocky told professor Maven ''Thank You for the warm-up'' , as he did not seem to have taken the morning session seriously at all.


    Somehow, after the system helped him absorb the soul essence of the necromancer god, Rocky felt like his body had improved several fold as his stamina felt nearly bottomless and his muscles and bones felt stronger than ever.


    **********


    ( The swordsmanship training ss )


    There was a lot of buzz in the first swordsmanship training ss after midterms as Professor Mae had promised to start a new curriculum following the mid-term exams.


    As Rocky observed the techniques of his peers and their proficiency with the sword, everyone seemed to have improved immenselypared to the first day of the university, as everyone could perform the boulder splitting sh now and many had managed to learn some very impressive sword moves.


    On his first day back, Rocky was issued with many swordsmanship sparring challenges, however, he politely declined them all as he did not wish to break the morale of the ss by disying his vastly superior skills, while the rest of them had been working so hard for months.


    "Okay children, as promised, we will be starting a new training activity following today which will be to understand how to fight on a crowded battlefield as a solo-swordsman" Professor Mae said, as loud cheers erupted from the students.


    While figuring out how to fight against a single opponent was easy, learning things like crowd control was difficult.


    The students had been begging Professor Mae for months to teach them about the basics of crowd warfare, however, Professor Mae insisted that they must all wait until the midterms were over to learn this topic as she wanted them all to focus on the fundamentals of the sword until then.


    As the cheers subsided, Professor Mae called for quiet and began the day''s lesson with an intensity that matched the students'' eagerness. "Today, we will break down theplexity of fighting solo on a crowded battlefield into manageableponents. This skill is vital in wars where you find yourself isted or when a situation forces you to go against numerous foes. So pay close attention- "


    She pointed towards the center of the arena where several training dummies and obstacles had been arranged.


    "Let''s imagine this setup as your battlefield. Enemies surround you, each armed and dangerous. Your goal is not just to survive, but to eliminate all of them efficiently." She said, as she unsheathed her sword and took a fighting stance.


    " First and foremost, what you need is situational awareness- "She said, as she pressed her sword against a practise dummy holding a sword, and then moved her head from side to side to demonstrate scanning one''s surroundings.


    "Always be aware of your surroundings. This means constantly scanning the environment not just for enemies, but for possible escape routes and advantageous positions," She said, as she stepped back from the dummy she was fighting against and threw a quick nce backwards to potentially prepare for an escape route if she ever needed one.


    Seeing this disy, Rocky smiled softly, as ironically he had just been through a major war and couldpletely rte to the advice that Professor Mae was giving.


    "Never fixate on one opponent for too long, and always prioritize your opponents and the order you want to kill them in before engaging them" Professor Mae narrated, as she pointed towards thergest dummies and exined how she would personally pick whom to kill first and why.


    "Assess which opponents pose the greatest threat, but remember that this isn''t always about who is closest, but who can harm you the most," she exined, as Rocky nodded his head when listening to her words.


    While her teaching was not at the level of War God Ravan, her tips did make a lot of sense.


    "Movement is life on the battlefield," Professor Mae continued. "Keep moving, but do so with purpose. Use the terrain to your advantage if you can, but if you can''t, just make sure that you keep your back safe as if an opponent circles behind you, the chances of you surviving the fight will be reduced drastically."


    "Once you finally decide to engage, it should be swift and decisive. Strike where it counts and move on before they can counterattack." She said as she began hacking the dummies in half at incredible speed, but she did so in a safe way that did notpromise her safety at all.


    " Finally, you might feel invincible, at the start, especially if your enemies are weaker to you, but conserving energy is crucial.


    Quick, efficient strikes and movements conserve energy and keep you fighting longer under stressful conditions. So remember to not run out of steam mid battle" She said, sheathing her sword as she looked at the ss and smiled looking at their gazes full of admiration.


    "Okay, any questions?" Professor Mae asked, as a few students asked a few specific doubts that she cleared quickly.


    "Remember, the essence of solo fighting in a crowd isn''t about taking on everyone at once; it''s about controlling the flow of battle, making strategic decisions quickly, and using your environment to your advantage." Professor Mae concluded, as Rocky began softly pping for her demonstration.


    The students, joining the ps by Rocky under mob effect, soon began to shower Professor Mae with a thunderous round of  apuse as she epted thepliments with grace.


    "Alright, since nobody has any doubts anymore, let''s do some practical testing and have lots of fun¡­.." Professor Mae said, pping her hands, as her assistant rolled in a cart full of water filled jackets in the ss.


    "Everyone put on the water jackets, let''s have a mock war!" Professor Mae said, as the students all excitedly rushed to pick up a jacket.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Mass Release chapter 4 of 5, Almost done for the day! ///

 Chapter 133: Cocky As Ever

    The cart brimmed with jackets in a vibrant array of colors¡ªred, blue, green, yellow¡ªeach hue designating the team the wearer would fight for.


    While it wasn''t exactly a solo battle against a multitude, this exercise was the closest approximation for practice, igniting a wave of excitement among the students. After six months of only engaging in one-on-one sparring or practicing against inert dummies, the chance to participate in this more dynamic activity was a wee change, infusing the atmosphere with a palpable sense of anticipation.


    Eagerly, each student selected a jacket. Friends gravitated towards the same colors to align themselves, while rivals deliberately chose opposing hues to underscore theirpetitive spirit.


    To ensure fairness and a bnced challenge, Professor Mae strategically assigned specific colors to certain students, crafting as even a ying field as possible before the exercisemenced.


    "What color are you picking Rocky? I suggest you choose Red, I''ll cover your back and together we can take down everyone else-" Sophia suggested as she hoped that Rocky would pick the same color as her, however, Rocky had apletely different n in mind.


    Picking a colorless ck jacket from the bottom of the pile, Rocky chose a color that no other student was wearing as he boldly decided to enter this activity solo.


    "Student Rocky, have you identally chosen the wrong jacket color? That''s a professor''s jacket ¡­ not meant for students to wear" Professor Mae said, as she gave Rocky a chance to change his jacket color, however, Rocky refused to do so.


    " I''m fine professor, I''m willing to go into this activity solo. Use it as a learning experience, if you permit it" Rocky said, as his unique choice irked many students.


    "Hahaha, I don''t mind permitting it, however, I don''t think you will survive even 30 seconds without a team.


    All the other teams have at-least 17-20 members each, are you sure you''re willing to take on 80 enemies alone?" Professor Mae joked, hoping that Rocky would notice the stupidity of his decision, however, Rocky only shrugged his shoulders and said "Sure-"


    "Oye oye oye, Champion Of Gemini! Don''t underestimate us you cocky bastard. Agreed, you and Sophia were the best students in the ss at the start, but while you were missing doing God knows what, we have been working our assess off to catch up.


    Don''t look down on us!" Said a very angry student as Rocky only chuckled and decided to ignore hisments.


    "Gosh, what a prick. Let''s all agree to eliminate him first!".


    "What a show-off, BOO!"


    "This is your first ss back! Don''t be too arrogant-"


    "I have mastered the sword technique Triple sh! Do you even know how powerful it is? I can sh through three boulders at once! Can you even sh through two?"


    Once the first student took a jibe at Rocky, it was as if the flood gates had opened as everyone began to take jibes at him.


    All the students admitted into the university of nourishment for young talents were proudly some of the best talents on their homes and possibly the top 0.1%s inside the entire tower.


    Yet Rocky viewed them as nothing much, which pissed them off.


    "Alright students! Silence-" Professor Mae said, as she threw Rocky onest unsure look but then decided to go ahead with the activity anyways.


    "We will fight using wooden swords only! There will be absolutely no injuring or maiming other students and hitting anywhere except the water jackets area is absolutely prohibited" Professor Mae said as she picked up a red jacket from the cart and pricked it with a wooden sword.


    "There is colored water filled within the water jacket, whose membrane is pretty easy to rupture.


    Once the membrane ruptures, all students must stop fighting immediately and exit the battlefield and no cheating in this regard shall be tolerated-" Professor Mae said, throwing nces towards some specific students who were notorious rule breakers.


    "Finally, the team who can survive till the end will win thispetition and shall be given a chance to earn 1 bonus point in my subject!" Professor Mae said, introducing a stake for everyone to fight for, making the game even more interesting.


    "Go pick your weapons quickly and stand in far corners of the swordsmanship arena based on jacket color.


    Rocky, since you chose ck you will stand at the center. Perfectly equidistant from all other teams" Professor Mae instructed, as she pped her hands and signaled for the assistant to bring in the wooden sword cart.


    Everyone excitedly chattered amongst one another as they chose the wooden sword that felt like a decent weight in their hands and then rushed to their specific team corners.


    Rocky chose the two swords that had identical weight and a good grip as the second he held two swords and began to warm up his muscles, the very aura around him changed.


    An imperceivable pressure surrounded him as he stood at the center of the arena as although he was not flexing his aura or expressing his sword intent, there was an aura of superiority and confidence around him that made everyone else nervous of approaching him.


    All four teams seemed to have made a unanimous decision in targeting Rocky first as thepetition started, as although his demeanor was surprisingly calm, nobody liked his cocky attitude of going solo into this activity.


    From the second Professor Mae yelled "Start"


    Hordes of students rushed towards Rocky from all sides, as he quickly scanned the speed and trajectory of the front runners and prioritized an initial kill sequence.


    A confident smile spreading on his face, Rocky closed his eyes and almost envisioned Lord Ravan giving him tips on crowd control, as after fighting against hordes of high level undead and learning from the literal God Of War, Rocky felt the challenge of fighting children almost too easy at his level.


    ¡ª---------


    /// A/N - Mass Release Chapter 5/5. I hope you enjoyed the mass release!


    Thank You so much for your GT support thisst month, as with your help we managed to reach rank 27 at the end, for which I''m very grateful.


    PS- Doing mass release for two books on the same day is too hard, I''mpletely drained. ///

 Chapter 134: A dominating performance

    Rocky studied his surroundings carefully as the first wave of opponents neared his location.


    Despite the frenzy of attackers from different teams surrounding him, each d in jackets of red, blue, green, and yellow, there was no coordination among them¡ªonly a shared intent to overwhelm the lone figure standing calm at the center, as in the face of such an un-coordinated assault, Rocky did not feel fazed at all.


    Rocky had already marked a sequence to eliminate them and it was now only a matter of executing his predetermined kill sequence to seize control of the battlefield.


    "COCKY BASTARD! YOU''RE MINE-" Screamed a Bull-Beastman wearing a red jacket, as he was the first one to engage with Rocky.


    Running at full speed towards Rocky, with his sword swinging in his hands in a natural running motion, there was only the sword thrust movement that he could have performed naturally as to change his stance and perform a sh, he would have needed to slow down his speed first, which he did not seem likely to do based off his current trajectory.


    Understanding and calcting this, Rocky''s mind mapped out his opponent''s movements in advance. His eyes flickering from one attacker to the next, as he did not just calcte the next step, but the next five steps in advance.


    Taking the angles of approach from multiple opponent''s into consideration and calcting the likely trajectory of their swings, Rocky came up with the perfect fight n, as he too jumped into action.


    As the bull beast man reached him in the red jacket, thrusting with a heavy, double armed strike.


    Rocky sidestepped, his movement minimal but precise as he dropped his shoulder and shifted ever so slightly out of his opponents path.


    As he moved, dodging the iing attack he also simultaneously used his right sword to lightly tap the opponent''s jacket, causing a ssh of red colored water to erupt out of the jacket marking his defeat.


    Almost simultaneously, two attackers¡ªone from the blue team and one from the yellow¡ªtried to nk him.


    Rocky pivoted, turning the movement into an advantage as his left sword deflected an iing blow from the yellow jacket while his right sword reached out to tap the blue jacket''s side, sending another burst of color into the air and following it up with an attack on yellow jacket as well.


    "WHAT?"


    "WHAT?"


    "WHAT?"


    All three of the opponents that had just been dispatched said in surprise, as from start to finish they could hardly trace Rocky''s movements at all.


    It wasn''t that Rocky was moving too fast that their eyes could not even see, but it was rather the very opposite where Rocky  seemed to be moving at a very leisurely pace, however, somehow he still managed to eliminate all three of them.


    But while his opponents were stunned, for Rocky himself, the chaos around him didn''t falter; if anything, it intensified, as more and more students reached his location and attacked him with their best strikes.


    A green jacketed vampire tried to use a fake strike skill called [ Feint ] on Rocky.


    Pretending to go for his legs, the vampire actually aimed for his jacket as he hoped that Rocky would use his sword to mount a low defence, being fooled by his feint which would then open up his abdomen for a counterattack.


    However instead of blocking low, Rocky jumped into the air and backflipped behind him, evading his strike, but as hended, his sword came down on the vampires shoulder, adding another ssh of color to the ground.


    "Woah!" Professor Mae said from a distance, as she watched Rocky fight off against multiple opponents with ease.


    When Rocky picked up the ck jacket initially, Mae thought that the kid had a huge egoplex and was just looking for new ways to stand out in the ss, however, once the fight started she realised that he was the real deal.


    Whether it was situational awareness or picking the right opponent, Rocky had both as despite being surrounded by enemies on all sides without any allies to support him, he fought in a way that did not expose his back at all, never putting him in the risk of being blindsided.


    "Ma''am, are we witnessing the birth of a Prodigy?" Asked the swordsmanship ss''s teacher''s assistant, who was just watching Rocky fight with his mouth agape.


    "I think so-" Instructor Mae said, as a soft smile spread on her face.


    The barrage that Rocky faced was relentless as wave after wave of students attempted to breach his defenses. Yet, each attack only served to highlight his superior skills and the strategic depth as while every single one of his attackers lost their jacket fluid, Rocky himself remained unharmed.


    Transitioning smoothly between attack and defence, Rocky fought like a master toying with children as it was clear that nobody on the battlefield was his match.


    "GUYS WHAT ARE WE DOING? HE''S JUST ONE GUY, WE ARE FOUR TEAMS, SOMEONE GET HIM"


    "THIS BITCH SOPHIA IS CAUSING FRIENDLY FIRE, SHE KILLED ME FOR NO REASON"


    "GRRR! I''M ELIMINATED! HOW? I COULD NOT EVEN SEE THE STRIKE"


    "LEFT- I''M GOING IN FROM THE LEFT, SOMEONE COVER ROCKY''S OTHER SIDE"


    The students shouted desperately, as soon the fight shifted from a group battle to every group battling just one guy, as apart from a few individuals like Sophia and others who fought other students, everyone else only focused on Rocky.


    17¡­.18¡­19¡­.20!


    Rocky eliminated a whole group worth of students just in the first initial wave of attacks as at that point the others around him started to get wary.


    The initial assault was over almost as quickly as it had begun, but Rocky remained standing unmarked andposed.


    At that point the students around him began to realise that them attacking him in a frenzy was not going to work at all as they psychologically moved away from him, forming a five meter circle around him where nobody dared to approach any closer.


    With his two swords in hand, Rocky projected incredible pressure, creating an almost palpable tension that encircled him like an aura.


    The other students, momentarily halted by this unexpected force, hesitated. Their movements faltering as they sensed the sheer confidence andmand emanating from Rocky, making them question their own capabilities inparison.


    "How can he be so calm? We have himpletely surrounded" one muttered.


    "It''s like he''s not even trying," another said, their voice tinged with frustration and a hint of fear.


    "I know I''m looking at a human, however, it''s as if I''m staring at an ancient demon! The pressure he exerts is so intense" A third said, as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva.


    Then, Rocky suddenly swung his des without any warning.


    Although he did not move from his position at all, a total of 8 students had their jackets sliced open as colorful water burst from within.


    "Huh, I got eliminated?"


    "What?"


    "How?"


    The first row students said in confusion, as they could not even notice the strike that cut them open.


    "SWORD PROJECTION! IT''S SWORD PROJECTION¡­.. ROCKY HAS SURPASSED THE REALM OF SWORD INTENT, HE ALREADY KNOWS SWORD PROJECTION" Someone said, as this revtion caused pandemonium amongst the other kids.


    "What sword projection? But that''s impossible, not even veteran swordsmen have the guarantee of unlocking it, it''s not even a part of our curriculum!"


    "If he knows sword projection, then we are not even worthy of being practise opponents against him! He''s on a whole another level"


    "I refused to believe it, it''s only been six months since we started with our university lessons, how could he have unlocked sword projection already?"


    The students said, as they discussed the possibility of Rocky having learnt sword projection, as they subconsciously stepped away from him, erging the circle around him from 5 to 15 meters.


    Professor Mae, watching this situation develop from the sidelines, had her eyes widen with a mix of professional admiration and genuine surprise.


    She knew Rocky had only been studying swordsmanship under her for six months, yet hismand of the de and the battlefield was something she''d expect from veteran fighters like university professors or C ranked adventurers, if not higher.


    ''He''s reading them like a book, inducing fear and controlling the rhythm of the battle'' she thought to herself, impressed by how Rocky anticipated and countered every move with such precision and calm.


    It was as if he was choreographing the entire fight, making seasoned decisions that belied his limited formal training in the art.


    Rocky''s prowess on the battlefield was a lesson in both swordsmanship and psychological warfare.


    The remaining students, once eager to prove themselves against him, now held back, their eyes darting not just to him but to each other, uncertain and shaken.


    The psychological barrier Rocky had built with his initial disy of skill and calm now acted as a shield as much as his swords did.


    However, when everyone else refused to fight him, Sophia finally decided to step up as she walked into the empty space that Rocky had created between himself and the others, as she approached him with a confident smile on her face.


    "I knew it! I did not expect any of these fools to be able to scratch you! But if they did, I''d have been really disappointed.


    Guess in the end, us champions are really a cut above the rest-" she said, putting herself in the same category as Rocky as she insulted the crowd around her without any fear of retribution.

 Chapter 135: Humbled Sophia

    Sophia approached Rocky with a cocky smile on her face, her eyes glinting with the thrill of the anticipated duel.


    She thought that while Rocky making short work of the rest of the students was expected, the two of them would have an epic battle as she considered herself to be equally as good, if not better than Rocky.


    "Hope you saved some energy for me, Rocky. This won''t be as easy as the others," she teased, twirling her sword with practiced ir.


    "I don''t want you to make the excuse that you were tired from fighting these loserster. This is a fair fight¡­." She said, as she continued with her mockery of the crowd.


    Rocky simply nodded, his expression unreadable while his stance remained loose yet undeniably confident. "We''ll see," he replied, his voice low and steady.


    As the match began, Sophiaunched a series of aggressive strikes aimed to test Rocky''s defense.


    [ Barrage Thrust ]


    Making over 16 sword thrusts in just under three seconds, sheunched a flurry of attacks towards Rocky with each thrust and jab being  executed with precise skill, intended to push Rocky to his limits.


    In her mind, she crafted a narrative of a battle hard-fought and won, as she nned on finding the weakness in Rocky''s defenses with her high paced strikes and then exploiting them to burst his jacket.


    With her victory to help determine her position as his equal or better.


    But to her shock, Rocky countered with minimal effort, his movements sharp and decisive as his de met hers not with force, but with a precision that redirected her momentum, throwing her off bnce.


    *OOOH*


    The crowd gasped, as Sophia stumbled a few steps to regain her bnce, while Rocky did not finish her off despite her having an exposed back.


    Sophia''s smile faltered as confusion and a spike of fear pierced her confidence. ''He''s not even trying... How?'' she thought frantically, her internal monologue racing as she struggled toprehend the ease with which Rocky handled her fast moves.


    It wasn''t like he was swinging his sword frantically, or matching her pace of attacks with equally fast defensive maneuvers, but was rather fighting so leisurely that Sophia could not evenprehend how he blocked her moves?


    Regaining her footing, she attacked again, this time with a mix of feints and powerful strikes, hoping to overwhelm him. "Don''t underestimate me!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the silent swordsmanship arena.


    Rocky''s only response was a slight arch of his eyebrow as he sidestepped her fiercest blow, the skill move [ Piercing Sword Thrust ], with his counter being a mere flick of his wrist that sent a shock through Sophia''s sword, numbing her arms.


    "It''s not about underestimating, you''re just not on my level-" Rocky said calmly, almost conversationally, as he effortlessly tapped her shoulder with the t of his de, marking a ssh of color from her red jacket.


    "Better luck next time" he said, as he utterly humiliated her in front of the whole ss.


    Shocked! Sophia''s breath heaved as she stepped back, her mind reeling. Each move she made, Rocky seemed to have anticipated in advance and countered as if he had scripted the entire fight.


    The realization that she was not the protagonist of this epic battle, but rather an outmatched challenger in Rocky''s story, dawned on her, chilling her previously heated ambition.


    "Sophia, you''re out, move to the side-" shouted Professor Mae, as Sophia was forced to disgracefully leave the fighters arena, amongst snickers and jeers of her ssmates.


    While nobody really liked Rocky dominating the entire ss solo, nobody appreciated Sophia''s increasingly narcissistic attitude either, where she referred to herself as someone superior than the rest of them.


    "Guys, but if even Sophia could not stop this beast, who else can?" One of the students said, as although they hadn''t realized it, after watching the fight between Sophia and Rocky unfold, the initially 15 meters long circle around Rocky had now unconsciously expanded to 20.


    "We have to admit, that one on one, none of us have a chance to beat him, so our only chance is to take him out together!


    Let''s all rush towards him ¡­ whatever happens happens-" one blue team member suggested, as everyone around him agreed and nodded.


    *GAHHHHH*


    As a second wave of students charged towards him, Rocky decided to stop holding back anymore as he began using sword projection mixed with sword intent to its fullest potential.


    With his wooden sword beginning to glow and be covered with sword intent, Rocky unleashed very powerful sword projections that burst through the jackets of several enemies approaching him.


    If before, Rocky was picking his fights strategically and was fighting sensibly, now, he resorted to indiscriminate ughter as he eliminated students by the dozens.


    16 seconds!


    That was all that it took him to eliminate the remaining 46 students who had all charged towards him at once, as once everything was said and done, the single man in ck jacket eliminated the entire swordsmanship batch without breaking a sweat.


    Shock and disbelief was etched into the faces of all candidates.


    Everyone who had made it to the university for nourishment of young talents considered themselves to be one of the elite prodigies of the universe, yet today, they once again received a unfortunate reality check, that while all of them were geniuses on their ons, in front of freaks like Rocky, they were simply nobodies.


    "How could one guy eliminate the entire batch? Did anyone even manage to force him to take a step back?" asked a student in a busted yellow jacket, as not a single student could even seem to im that they had forced Rocky to take a step back.


    "Winner of this training event - from ck team! Rocky!" Professor Mae said enthusiastically as she pped wholeheartedly for Rocky, appreciating the beautiful swordsmanship talent he had just disyed.


    "Hahaha, feels good to be back" Rocky said, as he dropped his swords and exhaled some air, epting his victory almost as nonchntly as he picked the ck jacket before the fight.


    It was as if winning was as natural as breathing for him and even after this dominant disy, he couldn''t really care about gloating about his own victory.

 Chapter 136: Fooling Sophia

    ( After the swordsmanship ss )


    Sophia could not ept her loss with grace, as the ease with which Rocky defeated her and the subsequent gazes she received from the crowd made her feel extremely ufortable.


    In life she had been brought up in an environment where she only received love from her family when she showed talent and sess, and hence, Sophia inherently did not take defeats too well as it made her feel afraid that everyone around her would start seeing her like an inferior being and detest her.


    In her mind, the entire basis of her friendship with Rocky was that one incident where he saved her from certain death. However, she genuinely believed that the two of them were in a group together, because Rocky respected her strength as a warrior.


    After losing to him so pitifully, the first thing that Sophia felt afraid of, was losing his trust and respect, as she felt worried that Rocky would not remain friends with her in the future if the gap between the two of them as fighters widened too much.


    "Hey! Good fight-" she said, walking up to him after the ss, as her voice carried an audible trace of nervousness.


    "Oh? Haha, thank you" Rocky said, shaking his head as he dismissed herpliment as being nothing much.


    Rocky himself had also undergone a massive shift in personality aftering out of the snake-men ancestral chamber and the war to save Earth, as after these two life changing experiences Rocky had started to grown numb to things like people''s perception of him, as today, he did not decide to take on the ck jacket to show-off his skills in front of the ss, but rather because he genuinely wanted to see where exactly he stood amongst his peers.


    Neither did humiliating Sophia matter to him, nor did the extra course point awarded to him by Professor Mae, as the only thing that Rocky was really concerned about was his own growth and the mistakes he made in today''s fight that could be improved upon before the next one.


    "Did you mean what you said? Do you really think I''m nowhere near your level?" Sophia asked nervously, as Rocky looked at her and smiled kindly.


    It was a very fake smile, as Rocky had no ''kind'' feelings towards Sophia in reality, however, recently he had became very good in masking his emotions and after his discussion with Karna and Neatwit back on Earth, where a big part of their rescue n for Riva depended on Sophia thinking that she had Rocky''s full trust.


    Rocky was now actively looking for ways to fool Sophia into believing that the two of them were something more than friends.


    "Of course not. I don''t think you are inferior to me at all, however, I was disappointed in your performance today.


    Us champions, you and me, we need to be much better than the rest of these ssmates, because if we''re not, they''ll put us down at the first chance they get-" Rocky said, as he tactically diverted the topic and made Sophia feel as if he was looking out for her when he was humiliating her in front of the ss.


    "Oh? You think so too?" Sophia asked, feeling surprised that Rocky felt the same way as her, as the words that Rocky said at this moment were exactly what Sophia felt like everyday.


    "Yep, I think so-" Rocky said reaffirming his stance, as a bright smile spread on Sophia''s face.


    "In the end, the only one who can understand me the best is you¡­. Hahaha, I''ve missed you thoroughly" Sophia said, as she only made a passingment, however, Rocky clung onto it.


    In a shock move, he slipped his hands into Sophia''s, as he continued to look forward with a silent smile on his face.


    For a second, Sophia was taken aback and wanted to pull away, however, when she realized that this closeness was favorable for her future mission, she epted his touch, as a soft smile spread on her face too.


    "I''ve missed you a lot as well¡­.*sigh* you have no idea how much-" Rocky said in a heavy voice, as his words made Sophia blush from ear to ear.


    For a moment, Sophia felt like a teenager in love as she did not know whether she should take Rocky''s cute words seriously, or should she stay focused on her mission.


    "Cough, so bold, so shameless" she said, blushing, as Rocky covered his smile with his other hand and tightened his grip around the one holding Sophia''s hand as if to signify that he was indeed shameless.


    However, beneath the surface, Rocky''s mind was far from the sentimental disy he portrayed. His thoughts were tactical and focused on the broader implications of their interaction.


    As he felt Sophia''s grip tighten slightly, he knew his act was working, creating the perfect facade of mutual trust and reliance.


    "Sophia, we need to keep pushing each other," Rocky said, his voice soft yet carrying a firm undertone.


    "If we''re going to be worthy champions, we can''t afford to be anything less than exceptional. So going forward let''s train together to sharpen our skills. What do you say?" he asked, as he looked directly into Sophia''s eyes.


    Nodding eagerly, Sophia replied "Yes, I''d like that. Let''s train hard together and show everyone what we''re capable of¡­. And why us champions are different from them.


    Let''s train together, every single day after ss!" as she fell silly for Rocky''s schemes.


    "Hahaha, sounds perfect Sophia! I knew I could count on you to help me catch up with things I''ve missed and also pick up new skills¡­.. afterall, in this entire university you are the only one I can trust wholeheartedly-" Rocky said, spreading his bait even wider which the unassuming Sophia never even realized was being set up.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - This is a bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target! Good job everyone! Thank You for all the votes- ///

 Chapter 137: Erins Growth

    While Rocky''s feat of soloing the entire swordsmanship ss on his first day back to sses became the talk of the town, it overshadowed the exceptional performances of his friends Erin and Buhara in the midterms.


    However, although Rocky stole their limelight, the progress that those two had achieved in his absence could definitely not be overlooked.


    The growth Erin experienced in the past six months as a support and curse type mage was especially worth noting, as he was developing to be a support type mage that could bebeled a rare generational talent.


    The two specialized subjects that Erin chose at the start of the semester were ''Support Magic'' and ''Curses and Runic Inscriptions'' and after 6 months, he had be the best student in his batch in both these subjects.


    In the support magic casting ss, Erin began as an average student. His early performances werepetent but unremarkable, blending into the middle tier of his peers.


    Yet, this mediocrity was not a true measure of his potential and as the semester progressed and Erin began working on his physical shape and limitations, while also spending more and more time within the library doing self research, Erin''s understanding and skill developed at a startling pace.


    His true moment of distinction came during a high-stakes ss exercise that simted a battlefield environment.


    Tasked with defending his team against a barrage of iing AOE elemental attacks, Erin managed to multicast and conjured a series of barriers.


    Not only did these barriers protect his allies, but they also cleverly repelled and redirected the attacks against their originators.


    This ingenious application of support magic earned him an ovation from his teammates and a nod of rare approval from his instructor, who marked his performance as beyond exemry.


    Within the tower of ascension,petent support magician''s were as rare as a phoenix''s feather and were highly sought after by every major organization.


    While most traditional support fighters could only perform basic strength reinforcement and healing spells, Erin trained himself to be more valuable than that.


    Instead of a purely defensive and support type mage, he learnt the art of counterattacking too, trying to be a support mage that could hold his own on a battlefield.


    Meanwhile, Erin''s natural prowess with curses made him shine brightly in the Curses and Runic Inscription ss as well, where he was quickly recognized as a prodigy.


    The intricate art of crafting runes that could bind, weaken, or control enemies was second nature to him, as he could perform masterful inscriptions into both weapons and terrain, bing proficient in both trap magic and enforcement magic.


    While his ssmates struggled to imbue their runes with a sufficient level of potency, Erin excelled without apparent effort.


    One particr session where his exceptional talent was highlighted was when the ss was challenged to create a curse that could silently incapacitate an opponent upon stepping on it and while most students achieved a mild disorientation effect at best, Erin''s rune induced a profound yet controlled paralysis, demonstrating a mastery that surpassed even the advanced expectations of the course.


    Bypletely incapacitating a floor 35 beast with his rune, Erin disyed skill far beyond what was expected of a mage having only learnt curse magic for six months, earning him the respect and admiration of many.


    Master Dorian, the head of the department and a notoriously tough critic, was particrly impressed as he took an interest in Erin''s ability to infuse supportive magic concepts into his curse work, enhancing their effectiveness and versatility.


    This unique approach allowed Erin not only to enhance but also to improve the runic structures he was drawing, as he performed his runic inscriptions with a free approach that was not exactly text-book like.


    By the end of midterms Erin had managed to be a recognised figure amongst his batch to the point where he was no longer called ''Rocky''sckey'' or ''The blonde guy who is therge orcs Pet'' but was rather known as ''Prince Of Curses'' and was extremely feared amongst peers, as rumors began to spread regarding his n''s voice curse magic, which Erin had been practicing for years now.


    Ever since the teacher picked up the topic of the curse magic practiced by the Church Of Vanity and exined how terrifying it was in application, students began to be more and more wary of Erin who only ever spoke sweet words.


    At first everyone believed it to be a part of his personality, however, once they realized that Erin was only improving the potency of his curse, they were all shaken to their core.


    There was no doubt in anyone''s mind that the moment Erin finally cursed someone, belittling them, he could potentially unleash curse magic so powerful that it could evenmand a floor 40 or higher climber''s heart to stop in an instant.


    ording to Erin, he had been practicing restraint of words for over 6 years now, with thest time he cursed someone being 2 years ago.


    Under such circumstances, the power of his curses could not even be estimated as nobody dared to look at him as a weak and easy to bully individual, once the news of his abilities became public.


    Feared and Revered, Erin''s perception in the eyes of the public changed from that of ackey andp dog of Rocky to someone that was a genuine genius of their batch and someone that was worthy of being a member of the Champion Of Gemini''s party.


    No longer mocked for hisdy-like looks or hit on by men with slightly weird fetishes, Erin had managed to shed his old personapletely, however, his transformation although remarkable was still slightlyckluster whenpared to Buhara.


    As the number one student in the midterms having killed a total of 7440 monsters over the course of 7 days, Buhara was a brute with the ss mage, as he was beginning to evolve into a fighter that no-one expected him to be.

 Chapter 138: Buharas Growth

    In the world of mages where critical thinking and magic theory were often considered more important than elemental affinity, orcs, known for their lesser intelligence, were often prejudiced against as being unfit to be top tier mages.


    Hence, Buhara''s choice to pursue his career in mage specialization initially drew a lot of skepticism from ssmates as a towering orc with brawny limbs that seemed more apt for the shing of swords than the weaving of spells, irked many.


    During the first week of sses, his presence in the mage sses was met with whispered doubts and open ridicule. However, the past six months had not only silenced his detractors but had also cemented his ce as one of the most formidable talents in the university.


    The two subjects that Buhara had chosen for his specialization were ''Mage Combat'' and ''Spellcraft'' which were both highly theoretical subjects needing intense self-study and constant practice to improve.


    Buhara''s journey in the Mage Combat ss was nothing short of meteoric.


    Known for its rigorous demands on both mental acuity and magical dexterity, the ss tested the limits of its students, with many facing mental breakdowns after a month or two of witnessing zero growth.


    In such a demanding ss, Buhara, with his affinity for quadra-element casting, showcased a prodigious ability to blend fire, water, earth, and air, while his ssmates struggled to dual cast even two elements.


    Born with a natural understanding of mana that was unrted to textbooks and theory, Buhara followed his instincts to guide him on casting spells and chose such difficult spells to master that were usually not chosen by university students who feared failing to learn them and their poor performance affecting their university evaluation.


    Buhara however, not fearing such failures, chose to master spells like [ Elemental Tempest ] which involved summoning a massive cyclone infused with all four elements.


    This spell, categorized as a Level 5 difficulty within the university¡ªthe highest in academic magebat ss¡ªcould dismantle magical barriers, disrupt enemy formations, and cause elemental chaos amongst adversaries.


    A spell usually used by climbers having advanced well beyond floor 30, this spell needed immense amounts of mana and precise control to be casted.


    During a critical inter-ss tournament around month four of sses, Buhara demonstrated "Elemental Tempest" against a seasoned group of assistant professors.


    As the cyclone tore across the arena, it shifted forms¡ªzing with fire, then turning to solid ice, crackling with sparks of electricity, and finally, erupting with earthen spikes.


    The spell not only incapacitated his opponents who were all floor 30 or higher strength mages, but also reshaped parts of the arena, illustrating its potential to alter battlendscapes decisively.


    This disy, alongside his now recent ranking as the number one student in mid-terms not only silenced any remaining skeptics but also secured Buhara a chance to get a new top weapon cast by a master forger, which was sure to improve his magic abilities even more.


    In the subject of Spellcraft, Buhara''s innovative approach became even more apparent, as it was a subject that focused on fusing two or more spells to create new spells with better practical applications.


    While the other students studied magic diagrams and worried about the synergy of spells, Buhara improved viamitting practical errors as while sometimes he faced spectacr failures, with his spells blowing up and causing him to suffer severe burns and broken bones, his approach of actually casting and fusing spells to learn, rather than theorizing about them behind note-books, taught him more than any textbook ever could.


    By month five, he started to excel at creatingplex, multiyered spells thatbined defensive and offensive capabilities with his groundbreaking creation being the "Quadra Shield," a spell that rotated between four elemental shields¡ªeach capable of not just blocking but also reflecting specific types of magical attacks.


    Everyone knew that Fire shield was useful against wind attacks, Windshield was useful against earth attacks and water shield was useful against fire attacks, however, nobody thought about an alternating shield that could not only block but also reflect attacks, like Buhara did.


    Another notable achievement in spellcraft for Buhara was his mastery of the spell [ Cataclysmic Conflux ].


    While it was not a spell he created himself, it was a spell that was notorious to master and could channel ambient elemental energies into a concentrated burst of raw magical force.


    Designed forrge-scale battles, this spell could theoreticallyy waste to entire battalions, altering the oue of conflicts with its sheer power and versatility and it was this exact spell that he used during midterms to st a colony of bat type monsters and reduce them to ashes, securing thousands of kills at once.


    As the sixth month of his magical education concluded, Buhara had not only disproven every stereotype about his supposed unsuitability for magecraft but had also risen as a beacon of innovation and strength.


    His prowess as a quadra-element caster left many in awe, and his humble yet unyielding spirit earned him the respect of both peers and professors alike.


    No longer seen as merely a physically imposing orc out of his depth, Buhara was now revered as a Shaman Orc, a respected mage who was more than deserving of being a party member of the Champion Of Gemini.


    Upon the guidance of the university professor''s, Buhara also learnt hand to handbat, training with thebat mages at times as although his chosen subjects were rted to destructive andrge scale magic, he also learnt enough hand to handbat magic that could help him utilize his natural strength to his advantage.


    In dire situations where he could not cast mana pping, AOE magic and was forced to fight a foe in close range, it was this magic that could potentially save his life and hence upon the insistence of the professor''s, Buhara also learnt it simultaneously with other courses, developing into one of the most promising talents of the university.


    After 6 months, now as the two champions and Erin, Buhara walked together in the campus grounds, everyone watched them as a power team that was a cut above the rest and feared what they could achieve in the team exercises now that Rocky was back once again.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 139: An ominous warning

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    On the second day after his return to the university, Rocky visited the expansive university library in search of deeper insight into the mysterious phrase "Vorithra Sylithen."


    The enigmatic and somewhat ominous chant had been resonating in his mind ever since he entered the tower of ascension for the second time.


    Initially, while he had dismissed hearing the chant as a mere coincidence during his first entry into the tower, its recurrence confirmed to him that there was undoubtedly some significant meaning behind it.


    Motivated by a blend of curiosity and a sense of impending importance, he decided to search more about the phrase, hoping to uncover any clue that could exin its importance.


    Having even talked to Erin and Buhara about it the previous night, Rocky had already tried to see if anyone had heard about the weird phrase, or experienced the same phenomenon as he did, however, Erin and Buhara seemed as clueless about this phrase as Rocky was himself.


    **********


    As Rocky reached the university library, he approached the old librarian on his desk, hoping to ask him for some guidance since he had no idea where to even begin looking for something as absurd as a phrase.


    "Good afternoon¡­." Rocky greeted, as the old university librarian who seemed like he had been taking care of the university books for decades now, looked towards him through his tiny sses that sat at a considerable distance to his eyes, on the very edge of his nose.


    "Agh, The infamous champion of Gemini, this is the first time you have approached me directly, although I have seen youe to study here a couple of times during the first month with your friends¡­." The old man said, as he seemed disappointed that Rocky did note to the library more often.


    "Reading is important, young man, knowledge will definitely carry you forward in life-" He said, as Rocky wondered whether or not he should exin that he had hardly been within the university for the past few months, but in the end decided not to.


    Nodding his head, Rocky gave the old man a reassuring smile as he said "Will do".


    "What a good kid-" the old librarian said with a satisfied smile on his face, as he felt happy that Rocky took his advice seriously and did not argue with him like most brats did these days.


    "Anyways, how can I help you?" The librarian said, as he wondered if Rocky wanted to put a formal request to carry some book back to his dorm, however, noticing his empty hands, he wondered if it might be something else.


    "I''m looking for any book that mentions the phrase ''Vorithra Slyithen''. I have no idea what it means, I have no idea from where the word has originated, however, I wish to know everything about it-" Rocky said, as the old librarian felt like he was having a deja-vu.


    In the very first year that this university was established by a young Liam, there was a student in the first batch, who hade up to him asking about the phrase ''Vorithra Slyithen''.


    Just like Rocky, he too seemed to have no idea about the origin of the phrase, or what it meant, however, was desperate to know everything about it.


    Initially, he could not find any mentions about the phrase in any of the university books, which saddened the librarian, however, one day that boy cheerfully said that he had indeed found a mention of the phrase in a book called ''The memoir of Champions'', a book that was apiled autobiography of some of the tower''s most famous Champions'' of Gods.


    "You''re in luck boy, because I''m probably the only librarian alive who knows exactly where to find a book mentioning this phrase¡­." The old man said, as he stood up from his seat very slowly and began walking towards the autobiography section.


    "Oh yes¡­. If I think about it more, the boy who came looking for this book decades ago was also a very special child. Probably the most talented kid this university has ever seen before you¡­." The librarian said, as Rocky''s curiosity was piqued by his choice of words.


    ''Was there someone who searched for this before me? So I''m not the only one looking for it?'' Rocky wondered, as he felt happy to know that he wasn''t the only one delirious enough to hear those sounds and that someone before him had heard them too.


    Picking up the book, which contained the mention of the phrase ''Vorithra Slyithen'', the librarian gently dusted it off with his dusting tool, although it was already clean, before handing it to Rocky.


    "This is a very rare book, so you''re not allowed to take it back to your dorm.


    Go read it in a quiet corner and put it back here after you''re done-" The librarian instructed as Rocky nodded in understanding and took a seat in the corner, while gently handling the book.


    The moment he opened the first page of the book, instead of the actual book published with ink. He found a handwritten note in dirty handwriting, which he assumed was left by his senior who read this book years ago.


    "If you''re an underssman reading this book, because you hear the phrase ''Vorithra Slyithen'' everytime youe near a tower''s entrance.


    Let me warn you now. Quit being a climber and just live your life as a normal happy individual.


    Your life is in critical danger, and while you think that you''re ready for what is toe next, let me assure you, you''re not-"


    The very start of the note was ominous and although it did not mention the reason behind why one should quit being a climber, the warning itself gave Rocky goosebumps, as his gut instincts told him that this note was not written to scare him off, but was a genuine warning to save his life.


    Gulping, Rocky continued to read, as he read the next line of the note-

 Chapter 140: Warnings

    " If you''re hearing this sound every time you enter the tower, it''s probably because you have been chosen as the Champion Of A True God.


    If you''re lucky and have a good patron god, they would have bothered with informing you that you''re their chosen warrior. However, most likely, if you have a shit patron like me, he/she wouldn''t have told you jackshit, and let you suffer, because all True Gods are sadistic bastards" The note continued, as Rocky now felt his gut wrench reading this part.


    He had long wondered as to why the truly powerful beings like Gemini Gods even needed Champion''s?


    If they wished to exert influence over the universe or gain more followers, they could directly buy the loyalty of powerful beings such as Floor 80 monarchs, or Bless heads of religious groups with small benefits in exchange for their loyalty.


    If the only purpose that Champions'' served was to help gain more followers for the Patron God, then they would not be such valuable pawns to True Gods anyways, as the value they brought was easily receable.


    However, looking at how True God''s truly treasured their champions and went to great lengths to ensure that they developed properly, there had to be some big reward in it for them as well, as without a proper reason, no True God was ever going to invest in the development of a mortal.


    "The reason behind why True God''s need Champion''s is because their own ascension depends on it.


    Beyond floor 90, you cannot just challenge the next tower floor at will and need to earn every opportunity to proceed.


    For True Gods, this opportunity is only given when their chosen Champion crosses a major floor.


    I.E.


    For a True God to gain the chance to challenge floor 91, their chosen Champion must cross floor 10.


    For them to challenge floor 92, their champion must cross floor 20 and so on.


    Hence, for a True God to ever hope to reach the final floor of the tower, challenging floor 100. Their chosen Champion must be a True God on their own, as only when a Champion clears floor 90, bing a True God themselves, can their host god challenge the final floor of the tower" The note read, as Rocky felt enlightened listening to this information.


    His entire perspective about true gods shifted once he realized that they needed their champions as much as their champions needed them, as without the champions progressing, they had no hope of progressing further on their own.


    This was definitely invaluable information not known by many, as never had Rocky seen mortals discussing as to why Gods needed champions to grow stronger.


    Turning the first page, Rocky looked at the back, and thankfully there were more handwritten notes scribbled upon it too.


    "The floor challenges in the tower are not as simple as it seems.


    Not at least for Champions.


    It will not be as evident when you''re only climbing the lower floors, or climbing uptil floors that your patron god has already ascended beyond, however, once you cross the threshold of where your patron god needs you, the tower itself will start to plot against you.


    The tower of ascension does not want anyone to reach the floor 100 and hence hidden events, unseen dungeons, life-threatening incidents will randomly start happening on floors you''re raiding, as the tower will deliberately plot against you, trying to kill you harder with every floor that you ascend" The note warned, as Rocky shuddered reading this warning.


    Currently the tower of ascension was a very predictablendscape, with manuals on how to clear most floors already being avable as public knowledge.


    Rarely did one ever encounter hidden events or dungeons during their floor raid, however, apparently ording to the person who left behind this message, Champion''s seemed to receive apletely different experience of the tower,pared to normal climbers.


    "If you think you are ready to face whatever dangers the tower throws at you, let me assure you, you''re wrong.


    I''m writing this message after barely surviving floor 16 and I''ve already came close to losing my life 18 times in the past 3 floor raids, surviving only by the breath of a hair.


    My patron god is an asshole whose previous Champion only cleared floor10 barely, before dying on floor11, so my share of difficulties started from floor 11 itself, which is much worse than what other Champion''s in this book faced" The man warned, as Rocky now understood the reason behind why the man warned him to not continue pursuing his life as a climber and instead live life as amoner outside the tower.


    That way, he could at least have a shot at living a long happy life, as the tower would not let him survive otherwise.


    "However, the worst dangers lurk not on the normal floors, but on the ascension floors. 10-20-30.


    These floors provide a special promotion test for Champions, which arepletely different to what any other climber experiences, with three to ten times the difficulty.


    The term ''Vorithra Slyithen'' refers to the special pocket dimensions that test the Champion''s on ascension floors.


    It''s an ancientnguage that has been long forgotten, however, this is what I''ve been able to understand¨C"


    The message cut off after the words, this is what I''ve been able to understand, as Rocky flipped the page hoping to continue reading what the man said, however, noticed that the next page was torn.


    Someone has deliberately torn off the second page of this book, cutting off the man''s warning, as atleast someone seemed to have picked this book over the years, except Rocky and the individual who wrote it.


    Flipping the pages of the book quickly, and checking at the back, Rocky tried to see if there were any more handwritten notes within the book, however, to his dismay he could not find anything more.


    ''I need to find this guy if he''s still alive¡­. I need to find out more about ''Vorithra Slyithen'' and the dangers it poses'' Rocky thought, as he walked over to the old librarian with this book in hand, hoping to ask him about the identity of the man who picked this book up to read before him.


    ---------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 141: A tale of a despicable bastard

    "Oh you''re back here already? I told you, I''m not going to let you issue this book to your dormitory, it''s a very valuable book, just take your time and read it here-" The old librarian said, as Rocky shook his head in denial.


    "I''m not here to issue this book, I''m just here to ask you about the identity of the guy who issued this book before me. The one you were talking about, the guy in the first batch who was looking desperately for it-" Rocky exined, as the Librarian''s usual calm and happy demeanor turned solemn.


    "That¡­ hmm¡­. History hasn''t been kind to that boy, he was a promising talent 20 years ago, but now he''s one of the most notorious criminals of the Tower" The old librarian said, as Rocky''s curiosity only increased after hearing these words.


    "Oh? Can you still tell me his name?" Rocky requested, as the old librarian contemted his request for a while.


    "Officially, I''m not allowed to tell you his name. It''s been ouwed at the university by Professor Liam, after he killed the Crimson Monarch and assumed control of floor 24" The old librarian said, as Rocky''s eyes widened in disbelief when he heard these words.


    Rocky knew all about the killing of the Crimson Monarch, it was the biggest thing that happenedst year! An event so grand that it shook the entire universe as a newly ascended floor60 lesser god managed to kill a genuine floor80 monarch via trickery.


    Although Rocky wasn''t even a climber back then, apparently it was all that the entirety of Earth talked about, as he remembered having lengthy chats with Adam and Taylor about this topic during the school recess.


    "No way- are you talking about dimir Stanev? The onebeled as the most despicable bastard to have ever graced the tower?" Rocky asked in shock, as he never expected that one of the most notorious and infamous figures in the history of the tower was an ex-student of professor Liam.


    Standing frozen, Rocky blinked in confusion towards the old librarian who sighed and pped his own face.


    dimir Stanev, the notorious criminal who had once been a student at the University for Nourishment of Young Talents, had killed the Crimson Monarch through trickery and assumed control of floor 24. The weight of this revtion sank into Rocky''s chest like a stone, as his voice almost came out as a whisper, "dimir Stanev was a student here?"


    The old librarian gave him a solemn nod, as he realized that by saying that he was the one to have killed the Crimson Monarch, the librarian had already given the hint about the identity of the man.


    "Indeed, he was once one of the brightest minds to ever walk these halls. But his ambition consumed him, turning his thirst for power into an obsession." The old man said, as Rocky felt utterly confused and could no longer make sense of this situation.


    If dimir Stanev was a Champion like he expressed himself to be within the book, should he not keep striving to climb higher?


    By bing a floor administrator and assuming control of floor24, he was tying his future to a stationary ce, which would most likely anger his patron god who would want for him to ascend higher so that he/she could get more chances to challenge even more floor raids.


    "What¡­ what exactly happened?" Rocky pressed, his curiosity undeterred despite the librarian''s warning expression.


    The librarian nced around the quiet library as though checking for listening ears before leaning in close as he said "This is no tale for the faint of heart. Listen well, for I will only say this once-"


    Sighing deeply, he began recounting the story of dimir and how he became the most infamous bastard in the history of the tower.


    The Crimson Monarch, a being of unimaginable power, had ruled over floor 80 with an iron grip, unchallenged and seemingly invincible for thest 400 years.


    Despite being unaffiliated with any religious gods, he managed to fend off any challenges to his floor, as through the years the control of the Crimson Monarch over floor 24 was epted as an unchangeable fact.


    His mastery over me magic was unrivaled, as he had a notorious reputation of burning through his enemies in an instant.


    But dimir had discovered the Monarch''s singr w: his overconfidence.


    Feigning allegiance, dimir infiltrated the Crimson Monarch''s court as a minor advisor roughly three years ago. Over the years, he gained the Monarch''s trust, rising through the ranks until he became a trusted confidant.


    The Monarch, blind to dimir''s true intentions, never suspected betrayal, as his act of serving him was just too perfect.


    One night,st year at a grand feast, dimir finally struck.


    He had secretlyced the Monarch''s wine with a peculiar poison derived from a rare albino phoenix, whichpletely neutralized one''s ability to conjure mes for a few hours after consumption.


    The poison, undetected via taste and unaffecting over one''s mana, managed to poison the Monarch without him having the slightest hint, as once he was intoxicated and incapable of using his true strength, dimir finally showed his true colors.


    In the midst of the feast, acting all cute and chummy, dimir challenged the Crimson Monarch to a "friendly" duel before the entire court.


    He made a fool of himself leading up to the battle and made the Crimson Monarch swear upon his honor that if dimir identally ended up killing him in this friendly duel, all administrative rights of the 24th floor would be transferred to him after his death.


    Of course, he did this in the cutest manner possible, acting all innocent and fearful of hurting the Monarch, while the rest of the courtiersughed at him for trying to think he could even scratch the Crimson Monarch.


    Amused and assured of his victory, the Monarch epted, stepping into the ring with dimir, as several other courtiers swore upon their souls that they would wholeheartedly serve dimir as their True Lord, if he managed to defeat the Crimson Monarch in the spar.


    The atmosphere overall was all smiles andughter up till the second that the spar started, as the moment it did, the drunk and goofy dimir suddenly sobered up and rushed towards the Crimson Monarch with all his strength.


    As usual, with a confident smile on his face, the Crimson Monarch tried to conjure his trusted mes, however, to his extreme surprise, no mes formed out of his hand.


    The spell that he had used all his life refused to materialize and before he could recover from that shock, dimir unleashed his well rehearsed and most powerful attack that cleaved the unarmoured and unprepared Crimson Monarch''s body in half.


    As if killing him was not enough, after splitting his body in half, dimir summoned a sphere of chaotic energy that shattered the Monarch''s natural indestructible skin and burned through his weakened body, leaving nothing but ashes behind.


    At that moment, the entire royal court was thrown into chaos, but by the time the confusion settled, dimir had already established himself as the new ruler of floor 24 and 7 of the 10 strongestmanders of the Crimson Monarch were now soul-oath bound to serve him.


    "My subordinates, kill those who show the slightest killing intent towards me¡­" Hemanded, as not only did he kill the Crimson Monarch, he also used the Monarch''s own subordinates to wipe out those most loyal to the dead monarch.


    Although the 7manders loathed him for this, branding him as a despicable bastard, dimir did not care about these insults as he quickly established his iron-d control over floor24 by implementing a series of well thought measures he was preparing for years.


    Rocky, listening intently to this story, nodded his head in understanding.


    It was exactly how he remembered it to be and although he has heard this story several times on Earth, it still shocked him as to how something like this could be aplished?


    As he finished his tale, the librarian''s gaze softened as he looked at Rocky, looking straight into his eyes, the old man said "Ambition can be a powerful force, my boy. It can lift you to the stars or drag you to the depths. dimir''s ambition was twisted by his lust for power, but you don''t be like him.


    Always be moderate and kind. Otherwise your legacy no matter how great will be forever tainted and marked with controversy"


    "Is it true he was once virtuous?" Rocky asked, as the librarian sighed and replied "Very much so. But virtue alone isn''t enough to stave off corruption."


    Looking back towards the book in his hands, now with doubts regarding the authenticity of its contents, Rocky wondered if dimir could be trusted with what he wrote in here, or was this another one of his schemes?


    "Don''t be like him, Rocky, and don''t ever utter his name in the university¡­.. Principal Liam is still salty over that kid, he loved him like his own son-" The librarian warned, as Rocky nodded his head and  walked away from the librarian''s desk with almost as many questions in his head as he walked towards him with.


    Could the informationing from dimir be trusted?


    What could have prompted a Champion to be a floor master?


    Why was the second page in the book torn?


    These were all questions that gued Rocky''s mind. Questions that he felt were important for his own future.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - Today''s the birthday of one of the books long term readers CraftyProgamer05. So let''s all wish him a very happy happy birthday, and since his birthday request is for me to issue a bonus chapter, I''ll be doing it tonight- ///

 Chapter 142: Book Of Champions

    Going back to his seat, Rocky opened the Book of Champions and began to absorb the contents with his photographic memory.


    The book contained autobiographical life stories of three Champions of Gods, two of whom were already dead, while the third still roamed the world. The pages unfolded the tales of their lives, revealing triumphs, tragedies, and mysteries.


    The first champion that the book covered was Borik, a champion of the nature God Junfred.


    However, on the first page where the author of the book was giving an introduction of Borik, it seemed like dimir had written a note saying ''Useless'', as he tried to warn any new readers that this part of the book was useless.


    Curious, Rocky still nced through it quickly as he tried to discern for himself as to whether or not Borik''s tale was really useless.


    As he read the book, Rocky found out that Borik''s early years were marked by struggle and toil.


    Born as an ugly and brutish miner in the northern iron hills, he had nothing but raw strength and a knack for brawling. He was feared among his peers but had little else.


    He had never experienced intimacy with women before and was rejected by his childhood crush.


    His fortunes changed, however, when Junfred, God of nature, chose him to be his Champion.


    Borik awoke one day as a Climber with a golden glow emanating from his skin, the unmistakable mark of Junfred''s blessing.


    Word spread quickly, and Borik became a sensation overnight. Commoners flocked to see him, enchanted by his presence despite his coarse manners as he basked in the new found glory, indulging in debauchery, riches, and the affections of many who believed they would win favor with the gods through him.


    He indulged himself inrge orgies after every sessful floor raid and narrated a few very disturbing scenes about how he broke his childhood crush that rejected him and killed her husband.


    It was a very cruel and uneasy read, however, some things that Borik said made sense to Rocky as he was a Champion too.


    The way Borik exined the revenant gazes of mortals and how they treated him for being a Champion, Rocky could recall his own experiences on Earth, as he could rte with much of what he was saying.


    Although Borik was undoubtedly a viin, the cult-like devotion of his followers blinded them to Borik''s vices.


    He wielded his power recklessly, seeking battle for the thrill and exploiting his fame to satisfy every desire.


    The more his followers adored him, the more he pushed the boundaries of cruelty and excess. But when the fever of fame finally waned, Borik met a violent end at the hands of an ex lover, a girl she thought was harmless, but actually managed to poison him and hack his body into bits beyond recognition.


    "Sigh¡­. What a truly useless fellow-" Rocky said, as he made a mental note to never use his poprity to be an asshole as it could very welle back to bite him when he least expected it.


    ************


    The second part of the book covered the story of Elenion, Champion of God Ellivor and this section was marked by dimir with thebel ''Vorithra Slyithen'' and he had drawn two snake emojis beside it.


    Since he was indeed correct about the first section being useless, Rocky decided to trust his judgment this second time as he read about the story of Elenion a bit more seriously.


    Elenion''s journey was a stark contrast to Borik''s. An Elf of noble birth, he had honed his magic and swordsmanship to perfection even before bing the Champion of Ellivor, The Elven God of Wisdom and Valor.


    He established and led a guild of adventurers known for their bravery and unwavering loyalty to each other, who he called the ''Band Of Brothers'' a guild that still existed today, even after 300 years of his death.


    Initially, The guild thrived under his leadership, earning victories against hidden dungeons in floor raids and by obtaining rare objects never seen before, however, the moment Elenion crossed past the point of ''Vorithra Slyithen'', disaster soon followed.


    On their expeditions, Elenion''srades began to fall, one after another, to traps, curses, and wounds that festered beyond healing.


    Each death weighed heavily on Elenion''s mind. He med himself and sought sce in a mysterious phrase, "Vorithra Slyithen," which he believed was a divine prophecy warning him of betrayal.


    Despite his attempts to find rity, his grief deepened until he could no longer distinguish ally from enemy. He became withdrawn recluse, a shadow of his former self, and was ultimately struck down by an old teammate who med him for the death of his lover within the guild.


    ording to the author of the book, Elenion''sst words were the cryptic phrase "Vorithra Slyithen." However, the author himself had no idea what it meant.


    *************


    The final section of the book covered the tale of the dragon champion Syrax, and was marked as ''IMPORTANT'' by dimir for some reason.


    Syrax, the dragon champion of Vcirca, became known as a formidable force in the realm.


    Vcirca, the True Dragon God, was a primordial entity worshiped by ancient cults as the strongest creature to have ever existed in the history of the tower.


    Syrax, who was a stout believer of Vcirca as a young ck dragon was chosen for his unwavering loyalty and fierce nature, traits Vcirca recognized as ideal for a protector of his ancient dominion.


    Syrax was granted power over the primordial me by Vcirca, and through the years he became powerful enough to incinerate armies in an instant with his breath.


    Being the only champion of the three mentioned in the book to still be alive, Syrax only answered very few questions for this book. However, the question that piqued Rocky''s attention was when the author asked Syrax the secret behind his sess and Syrax ominously smiled, replying "Vorithra Slyithen".


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter to celebrate reader CraftyProgamer05''s birthday.


    Please wish him in thements for the same ///

 Chapter 143: Warning Signs

    After memorizing the full contents of the Book Of Champions, Rocky decided to head out of the library with his mind filled with doubts.


    He had to start ascending the tower fast to catch-up to his peers before the final evaluation, however, with the threat of ''Vorithra Slyithen'', Rocky was unsure if ascending fast was a good idea?


    ording to dimir''s notes, while just the presence of the Champion was enough to trigger unexpected dungeon raids and events, this danger was more pronounced on special floors such as floor 10-20-30 and so on.


    As the Champion matured and tried to climb higher, the threat he faced from the mysterious phenomenon ''Vorithra Slyithen'' also increased, as if there was anything that Rocky realized from reading about Elenion''s life, it was how much he regretted losing his teammates to floor raids which became increasingly difficult as time went on.


    To ascend the tower, Rocky definitely needed a strong party around him as nobody could climb the full length of the tower alone.


    The concept of forming a ''Champion''s party'' had only originated because there were limits to the capability of a Champion alone, however, Rocky seriously doubted if he could maintain his usual demeanor and not break down mentally, should he lose all of his closest friends and allies one by one to mysterious phenomena.


    If any floor raid that he would be a part of would automatically be 3-5 times more dangerous than a normal raid, then just climbing the tower for someone like him would be a sure-fire mess.


    In life one could get lucky and evade death once, maybe twice, however, if one yed with death on a regr basis, it was bound to catch up to them sooner orter.


    ''dimir Stanev¡­..'' Rocky mused, as he decided to meet the man at the first opportunity avable.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Sophia )


    Sophia was very happy as she wrote a letter to her father and brother detailing how she was slowly but surely seeding in winning over Rocky''s trust and heartpletely.


    Singing a happy tune, Sophia read the contents of the letter she had just written in satisfaction.


    "Dear Brother Perseus,


    I hope this letter finds you in good spirits and health. I have wonderful news to share with you about my progress with Rocky. Slowly but surely, I''ve managed to win his trust and affection. He''s begun to open up to me more, and we''ve been spending some quality time together after sses. Our sparring sessions have be a regr urrence, and through them, we''ve grown closer.


    It''s almost amusing how much he enjoys our time together, whether we''re practicing swordsmanship or sharing stories from our pasts. He''s surprisingly earnest and trusting, often looking to me for advice and support. Our bond has grown stronger by the day as he confides in me, and I make sure to be thepassionate and understanding friend he needs.


    Of course, this has only served to make my task easier. If things continue like this, I''m confident I can manipte him into walking right into a carefullyid trap. Once captured, Father will finally have the opportunity to extract the power in Rocky''s soul that he''s craved for so long. The energy hidden within will grant our family untold strength.


    I''m savoring the anticipation of it all, Brother. Rocky has no idea what awaits him, and his fate will soon be sealed.


    With love,


    Sophia"


    She felt extremely proud of the text and fantasized about the kinds of praises she would receive once her brother read this letter in joy.


    ''I will definitely be praised a lot, no?''


    Giggling, she sealed the letter and posted it, feeling hopeful about the reply filled with praises for her good work and acknowledgement about herpetency.


    ************


    ( Meanwhile Perseus )


    Unlike what Sophia expected, the second Perseus received her letter, sweat began dripping from his forehead as he feared for the safety of their ns.


    Instead of having full faith in his sister''s abilities, Perseus instead felt like this was definitely one of Shakuni''s schemes as he refused to believe that someone like Rocky, who was missing in action for months, could suddenlye back, face an assassination attempt during midterms that had now been linked back to Olympus and still try and get closer to Sophia.


    " I hope that in the process of trying to get to know him, that foolish sister of mine doesn''t spill the secrets of our family to him instead¡­." Perseus said, clutching his head, as he already expected the worst toe pass.


    Pacing back and forth in his dimly lit office room, Perseus clutched Sophia''s letter tightly. He was filled with apprehension as the letter, which Sophia intended to assure him of her progress, did the exact opposite.


    "She thinks she has Rocky wrapped around her finger," he muttered, "but she might be walking right into his trap instead." Perseus mused, as he shook his head and tried to understand the reason behind why he was feeling so uneasy.


    His instincts forewarned him about an uing disaster. He had never fully trusted his sister''s abilities in this mission. Although Sophia was cunning and persuasive, he feared her blind confidence would lead her to underestimate Rocky.


    His disappearance for months before his return still raised suspicions within Perseus''s mind, and he couldn''t shake the feeling that Rocky''s intentions weren''t as clear-cut as Sophia believed.


    Clenching the letter, Perseus''s gaze hardened. "Father will be furious if this n falls apart because of her carelessness."


    The stakes were too high to rely on Sophia alone. If she slipped up and inadvertently revealed their family''s intentions or any crucial information to Rocky, the consequences would be dire. Perseus knew that Rocky could exploit any sign of weakness or treachery to turn the tables on them, jeopardizing their ns.


    "Sophia might not see it, but Rocky is no fool, he''s the champion of Gemini, there''s no way he falls prey to the seduction of a childish hoe" Perseus muttered to himself as he took this letter and Rocky''s behavior in trying to befriend Sophia as a big red g.


    "I have to act quickly to mitigate any potential fallout" he said to himself as he determined that a new strategy was required on urgent basis, one that didn''t rely solely on Sophia''s ability to manipte Rocky.

 Chapter 144: Catching up with studies(1)

    Weeks started to pass by quickly for Rocky as he slowly slid back into afortable routine.


    sses, Training, Knowledge Gathering and Tower climbing became the only aspects he was focused on, as albeit briefly, he once again felt like a proper university student again, doing normal stuff and living a normal life rather than taking part in some crazy adventure.


    There was a lot of catching-up for him to do with him having missed nearly 3 months worth of sses, however, with his new and improved photographic memory, Rocky was able to quickly grasp the topics that he had missed, being able to cover everything taught in the subjects in the past three months in just under three weeks.


    His speed of learning was abnormal, leaving Erin and Sophiapletely shocked, as they had to only exin any concept to Rocky only once and he was still able to understand it and learn how to apply it to practical scenarios himself.


    This freakish pace of learning made Erin all fan-boy over Rocky with pride, however, made Sophia feel extremely ufortable, as although both of them were champions, she was not nearly as smart as Rocky.


    Thankfully, Rocky ensured that she did not feel too inferior, by constantly flirting with her at every chance possible and hyping her up, as although he did not try his own speed of progress, he made sure to not let Sophia feel threatened either.


    In the Monsters and their Weakness''s ss, Professor Deril had covered a myriad different monsters uptil floor 45.


    Since there was not much clear information avable on monsters beyond floor 60, the subject was nearingpletion with the professor now teaching moreplex topics such as how to y dragons, which Rocky was d to be attending live.


    In the Power Dynamics ss, which was the most theoretical subject in the university, Professor Feynord had covered nearly 80% of the subject course, with the most important highlight being his characterization of True Gods.


    Although the precise age of when True Gods ascended beyond floor 90 was unknown, as records of True Gods and their past varied in every corner of the universe, after thorough research, Professor Feynord and many other historians managed to ssify them broadly into four time periods.


    1)The Old Age Gods - These were the gods whose records coincided with the birth of the universe itself. There were a total of 6 Gods in this time period, who can be considered to have all ascended True Godhood in about 500-1000 years time gap of one another.


    The Snake-Man ancestor belonged to this era and so did the First Dragon God Vcirca.


    While some of the gods of this age have been rumored to reach the zenith of the tower at floor 101, no history book could confirm this for a fact.


    2) Second Generation Gods - These were the 6 gods who history books could confirm were either once believers of the old generation gods, or were born at least 5000 years after their ascension as per the history of the universe.


    The Elf God Ellivor was a second generation god and was a confirmed believer of Vcirca as per the history books uptil his ascension to True Godhood himself.


    The second generation gods were also often referred to as the Middle Generation by historians with most being still active with arge follower base till date.


    3) The Olympian Generation - Labeled as the most Disruptive generation of Gods the Olympians were a group of 8 True Gods who all behaved like they were a tightly knit family.


    Led by the True God Zeus and his brother Poseidon, the Olympians were more like a faction than individuals as they openly picked fights with other True Gods and were the singr reason behind the tense power dynamics of the tower.


    Strong and United, they had the strength to back up their arrogance as they controlled over 14 floors in the tower between floor 20 and 60, bing the most influential block in the tower.


    4) Finally the New Generation Gods were the True Gods that emerged after the dominant era of the Olympians roughly 5000 years from present day.


    Including Gods like the Gemini brothers, Enel, Junfred, Rahim and others, they were a group of 12 True Gods who were all individually at odds with the Olympians one way or another.


    Although not under a united umbre like the Olympians. All New Generation Gods enjoyed a level of understanding with one another, as between the 12 of them, they controlled a total of 13 floors, just one less than the Olympians.


    While understanding the nuanced dynamics between each faction was aplex task, with this simple distinction, it became very easy for Rocky to understand how to characterize the rtionship between the various True Gods.


    Overall there were 32 known religions in the tower with 32 individuals having ascended beyond floor 90 for sure, however, of those 32 True Gods, 4 were currently inactive, either having ascended beyond floor 100, or being killed in inter True God wars, leaving only 28 active True Gods in the current age.


    While there were no official strength rankings amongst True Gods, Vricia was called the ''Strongest Creature'' and seemed to enjoy neutrality from gods of all ages.


    Simrly, Zeus was hailed as the ''Strongest God'', having a history of killing a True God who dared go up against him in arms.


    While the Gemini Brothers were called ''The Most Fearsome Duo'', with the God Shakuni called the greatest mastermind to ever exist and the God Ravan being hailed as the God Of War.


    Overall, the three of them were unofficially considered the strongest trio, as seldom did any faction pick fights with these three Gods or their religions.


    However, this peace was achieved through a fear of mutual destruction rather than respect, as the second that either one of these three felt that they were strong enough to root out the other without suffering significant losses, a massive war was sure to break out.


    ----------


    /// A/N - Mass Release chapter 1/3 for the day, enjoy! ///

 Chapter 145: Catching up with studies (2)

    Apart from the more theoretical subjects, the others were pretty easy for Rocky to catch up-to.


    Battle Strategies and Leadership was a subject that relied 20% on studying history, tactics and past mistakes made by strategist''s and 80% on natural charisma and creativity of the individual studying it, and thankfully for Rocky, natural charisma and creativity were both qualities that he had in abundance.


    Having experienced a war first-hand and being mentored by the Gods Of War, Ravan, himself. Rocky now had a grasp on how to view a battlefield and how to strategize, as although notpletely conventional in his approach, he found creative solutions to every problem his army was put in, during mock practice sessions.


    Within a week, with the help of his photographic memory, Rocky managed to memorize all the major battle formations and how they were historically used to fight major wars and afterpleting and submitting pending assignments, Rocky managed to easily catch-up to the ss, being able to actively engage in strategy discussions with unique insights.


    Another thing he noted was that as soon as team activities started in the Battle Formations and Strategies ss, he resumed the role of being a group leader right from the get-go albeit his long absence.


    Although he was gone while it seemed like the dynamic between him, Buhara and Erin remained the same, as he remained the de-facto group leader, while his two friends relied on him and trusted his judgment when it came to formting strategies.


    While Erin and Buhara had grown a lot in the past few months when Rocky was absent from the university, each having undergone a massive transformation of their own, they still paled inparison to Rocky himself, who had grown at a pace even faster than them.


    Overall, he still remained the most knowledgeable, powerful and charismatic member of the trio, which was why he naturally assumed the role of the group leader.


    *************


    While Rocky had to do some catching up for the more theoretical non-bat rted subjects, he had little to no catching up to do in thebat subjects such as the Practical Combat ss and  Swordsmanship ss.


    In the Practical Combat ss, Rocky''s natural technique was already superior to what Professor Maven wished other students to reach by the end of the course, while in the Swordsmanship ss, Rocky was already at the point where he could solo the whole batch.


    Hence, in these subjects Rocky only focused on learning better skill moves, increasing battle sharpness and awareness and improving body conditioning, as he was already ready to graduate from these courses without having attended much sses at all.


    That left him with the final two courses that needed to bepleted in the form of Team Battles and Practical Survival, which both fell under the purview of Professor Liam.


    While the courses themselves were not very hard, Rocky had indeed fallen fairly behind his peers in these sses, as while the majority of the ss had already cleared floor 9 of the tower, Rocky was only at floor 4.


    In theing weeks, every team was supposed to attempt a floor raid every Sunday, going from floor 10-20 in the second half of university, however, Rocky wasgging majorly behind schedule on this front.


    Instead of attending Liam''s lectures during the week, he was sent to clear tower floors solo as he experienced a new adventure every other day in having to clear some unique quest.


    On floor five, Rocky was given the quest to subjugate a pack of Forest Wolves that had been terrorizing nearby viges.


    With his academy issued dual swords and basic enchantments made for him by Erin, he ventured fearlessly into the den of wolves alone and swiftly defeated them without so much as a scratch on his body, securing peace for the surroundingmunities.


    On floor six, Rocky was given the quest to gather a rare medicinal herb called Moonshade Bloom from the shimmeringkeside by local herbalists.


    There he had to navigate through thick mist and avoid being bit territorial water serpents as he collected the delicate flowers, using them to fulfill his mission and earn gratitude from the local herbalists.


    On floor seven, Rocky was given the quest to defeat a Stone Golem guarding a crystal mine deep within a maze-like canyon.


    It had been apparently identally unleashed as the miners tried to expand the mining cave recently and it had greatly hindered the mining operations since.


    With the knowledge about golems he had obtained from the monster Weakness''s ss and by using his agility and excellent swordsmanship to his advantage, Rocky managed to outmaneuver the golem, finding weak points in its rocky armor and delivering precise strikes to bring it down, as he cleared floor seven with ease.


    On floor eight, Rocky was tasked with collecting elemental essence from Fire Sprits living in a volcanic crater.


    This was a slightlyplicated quest as Rocky had to first understand the process of how to collect elemental fire essence from the locals and then practice it in a controlled environment before undertaking the quest.


    The process of extracting elemental essence from spirits needed Rocky to  keep them alive as dead spirits, unlike normal monsters, did not have a physical body and dissolved into environmental mana immediately upon death.


    By managing to lure the spirits away from their fiery nests and into stone traps, Rocky managed to capture their essence without harming them,pleting his quest on floor 8.


    Finally, On floor nine, Rocky was given the quest to y a Giant Venom Spider that had infested an ancient ruin.


    Armed with anti-venom potions and a device for trap detection, he located the creature''sir and fought through its webbedbyrinth to reach the heart of the ruin, where he delivered a decisive final blow to its head, decapitating it and purging the remains to restore safety to the ruins as he cleared this floor with a perfect evaluation as well.


    ¡ª-------


    /// Mass release chapter 2 of 3 for the day. Enjoy! ///

 Chapter 146: Floor 10.

    While clearing floors 5 to 9 was a breeze for Rocky, the horror of the mysterious phenomenon ''Vorithra Slyithen'' finally caught up to him as he stepped into the first evaluation floor of his Climber journey, Floor 10.


    Rocky had been nervous heading into floor 10, as after reading about dimir''s warnings and the experiences of the champions of the past, he knew that the floor evaluation test that he would be receiving would bepletely differentpared to what other climbers would, as for the normal climbers, a floor 10 evaluation usually revolved around them participating in a test of basic qualities such as speed, intelligence, strength etc.


    If the climber was considered as above the par standard, he/she was allowed to move past floor 10, while if they failed in 3 of the six basic tests, they were barred from climbing further until they improved.


    Erin and Buhara had both appeared for the floor 10 promotion less than a week ago, having sessfullypleted theirs with a ''S'' and ''SS'' evaluation respectively, however, curiously, Sophia had not attempted her floor10 promotion yet, suddenly pretending to fall sick on the day that the entire ss was supposed to take it.


    Rocky suspected that she definitely knew something about Vorithra Sylithen that he did not, as while she did not seem to know about the exact term or its meaning, she seemed to know the fact that ascension tests were different for other climbers and Champion''s.


    Rocky tried his best to probe her regarding this topic, however, failed to get anything significant as her own knowledge regarding the topic seemed redundant as she was only told as much as she was needed to know by her brother and father and not shown the full picture, making the limited knowledge that she did possess useless for Rocky.


    Taking a gamble, Rocky decided to enter floor 10 anyways as he desperately wished to catch up to the rest of the ss, before their weekly trips through the tower from floor 11-20 began.


    *************


    Through a nervous heart, Rocky stepped into floor 10, as he immediately sensed that something was wrong.


    Usually, ascending the tower or reaching a new floor felt just like teleportation, where one just went from a lower concentration of mana to a higher density mana environment, however, overall the experience of jumping between floors felt the same.


    However, as Rocky tried to enter floor 10, the chants of Vorithra Sylithen immediately echoed in the air around him as instead of experiencing teleportation, Rocky felt like he had jumped into a warp portal where his body was being constantly stretched and sucked forcefully, as he entered a domain that was forbidden for others.


    The Gemini tattoo on his back, that had not caused him any pain since the first time it seared onto his back, began to burn once again, as Rocky felt waves of pain crashing through his body.


    For a full five minutes, he felt as if he was spinning in a limbo while also being stretched, as he started to feel extremely sick with his bodily functions thrown into disarray.


    Then, as he was finally thrown onto solidnd, with his body intact, he was immediately washed over by high concentration of mana, as despite his racial enhancement, he was no longer able to take the punishment, buckling over to his knees.


    The air around him shimmered with an ethereal purple glow, as there seemed to be neon purple vapor rising from his body, or from the tattoo on his back to be more precise as he was covered in a purple bubble of smoke.


    The immense pressure of the mana density hit him hard, as although he had moved from floor 0 to floor 54 before to meet Nagini alongside principal Liam, even that jump did not make him feel as powerless as this one, as although this was only floor 10, the concentration of mana in this ce was richer than anything he ever experienced before.


    With his body buckled to the ground. His knees scraped against the cold, barren earth, as his stomach churned violently in protest from all the damage he had taken while being teleported to this space.


    *BLURGHH*


    Vomiting violently on the ground, letting out food, blood and bile, Rocky felt as if  the world around him was swimming, as disembodied chants of "Vorithra Sylithen" rang around him from every direction possible, whispering a single phrase in chilling unison.


    His vision blurred and his head spun, but he forced himself to stand as clutching his chest as he steadied his breathing.


    He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took in his surroundings¡ª which looked like a barren yet majestdscape stretching before him.


    ck and Gray jagged peaks loomed ominously around him, and in the far distance, atop a solitary tall mountain, stood a towering castle cloaked in mist with its spires glistening in the faint twilight that covered the entire sky.


    As Rocky looked around to check for any signs of life or monsters, he found none and instead, a figure materialized before him, stepping out from a dark portal which undoubtedly looked like an extremely high leveled spell.


    ''A three eyed demon?'' Rocky wondered as he looked at its appearance.


    The three-eyed demon was unmistakably female, standing at a staggering height of over seven feet.


    Her crimson skin shimmered under the ethereal purple glow that enveloped the entire domain, while three piercing eyes adorned her face, with the third positioned squarely on her forehead.


    Her three eyes unmistakably radiated a predatory yellow light, fixating on Rocky with an unwavering and almost unsettling intensity.


    Her hair, as ck as night, cascaded down her shoulders in thick, curling waves, framing her angr features, while sharp cheekbones entuated a sinister smile, revealing rows of gleaming, dagger-like teeth as two twisted horns jutted from her temples, curving backward like a crown of darkness.


    Her physique was formidable yet elegant, with lean, corded muscles visible beneath the intricate armor that adorned her form.


    The armor itself seemed crafted from some ancient metal, shaped into swirling patterns and adorned with arcane symbols that glowed faintly in the eerie twilight.


    She stood alone confidently in this barrenndscape with her long, barbed tail swaying gently behind her as she spoke in a voice bothmanding and melodic, "Wee to the origin realm, Champion of Gemini."


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Mass Release chapter 3/3 ///

 Chapter 147: The Origin Realm

    "Wee to the origin realm, Champion of Gemini." The three eyed demon said, as the only thing going on in Rocky''s mind, was how three eyed demon''s were supposed to be long extinct.


    He still remembered studying about it clearly in the Monsters and their Weakness''s ss, just a couple of days ago, that one of the races in the universe that had gone extinct due to evolution were the ''Three Eyed Demon''s''.


    Having an incredibly low sess rate of reproduction, with the women only being able to conceive children for 1 day in every three years, the Three Eyed Demon''s were a race that had been wiped out from the Tower, after the Olympian Generation.


    There had not been a single Three Eyed Demon spotted over thest 6000 years and they had been officially dered as an extinct race.


    To see such a being now alive in front of him, Rocky understood that the ce he was in was nothing simple, as apart from the freaky atmosphere charged with mana, even the inhabitants of this ce were extremely special individuals.


    "Origin realm you say¡­." Rocky murmured, repeating what the demon said, as he looked around, trying to understand why this ce was given a name as grand as ''Origin Realm''.


    "You''re much calmer than I expected. Is your mind already attuned to primal chaos at such a young age? Usually tier0 champions would start hallucinating by this point" The ancient demon said in awe, as Rocky frowned deeply hearing her words.


    Although he felt greatly ufortable with his back sizzling and emitting purple smoke, he did not feel like his cognitive and critical thinking abilities were affected, as despite being dizzy due to shift in mana concentration, he was feeling rather sharp overall.


    "Have you perhaps undergone some severe mental training that has driven you to the edge of insanity several times? Because that''s the only exnation I can think of as to why you might not be affected by the thick chaos energy surrounding you-" The three eyed demon asked curiously, as Rocky''s frown deepened.


    The purple smoke covering him was chaos energy?


    He thought that because it was originating from his tattoo, it was bound to be a good thing, however, it now seemed like something dangerous instead.


    He had indeed been driven to the edge of insanity several times, during his time inside the snake-men ancestral chamber, where he was tortured and mentally broken down every single day.


    After surviving that experience, his mental fortitude was unlike anymon person, as although he was only a floor 9 climber, he was stronger than most floor 20 climbers in physical and mental strength.


    "Are you my test administrator?" Asked Rocky, as the ancient demon smiled.


    He had decided to conveniently ignore the demon''s doubts regarding him and had instead countered her with a question of his own.


    "No, I''m only a guide here. Who ispleting a quest necessary for my own promotion.


    I''d have been kind to you had you indulged me and my doubts, however, since you''re one of the more rude Champions Of True Gods, one''s that think that the whole universe revolves around their feet, I''ll reciprocate in kind and only tell you the bare minimum that''s required of me" The ancient demon said, as she tried to y mind games with Rocky, trying to make him feel guilty for being so rude to ady.


    Unfortunately for her however, her guilt tactics fell t on Rocky, who did not believe he had lost anything major by her not being kind to him.


    He did not trust her enough to give him the right information, much less extra information and hence regardless of what she told him, he would remain skeptical and cautious.


    "How did you know, I''m the Champion Of Gemini, I don''t think we have met before-" Rocky asked, as he looked squarely into the third eye of the demon,pletely ignoring her rant.


    "What an impudent little runt. I could kill you without even lifting a finger if I wanted to, however, it''s the fear of my own death after doing it that''s preventing me from killing you-" The demon replied, as she stared into Rocky''s background and smiled widely at what she saw.


    Although Rocky could not watch Divine Essence currents yet, the Three Eyed Demon was a lesser god who could.


    From the second Rocky stepped into this origin realm, the divine aura of Gemini formed strong currents behind his body, taking the shape of a massive dual faced knight, wielding two swords.


    The pressure that the knight exerted on the Three Eyed Demon was so intense that she could barely manifest any aura of her own at all, as although Rocky himself was extremely weak, his patron gods were one of the three strongest gods in the universe, making him a figure she could absolutely not mess with under any circumstances.


    While she did not answer Rocky''s question, internally, she only smiled looking at the dual faced knight behind him, who seemed prepared to chop the demondy down the second she tried to mess with Rocky.


    "Ha- what fearsome patrons you have-" she said shaking her head, as had Rocky been the Champion of a weaker god, she could have gotten away with intimidating him, however, nobody in their right minds would mess with the Gemini brothers.


    It was a well known fact throughout the universe that the Big3 were not to be underestimated and hence their Champion''s also received better treatment when entering ''Vorithra Slyithen'' a.k.a (The Origin Realm ).


    Tilting his head Rocky wondered as to why the woman was staring into the distance behind him, however, by this point he understood that the conversation between the two of them was most likely going to remain formal.


    Neither was he willing to indulge her with additional information, nor was she willing to do the same for him.


    Hence, shaking his head Rocky relented.


    "Alright, tell me what you must tell me then, and let''s be done with it-" he said, as the three eyed demon smiled evilly.


    "Wee to the origin realm, the exact birthce of the universe-" The demon said, as she spread her hands wide in tion.


    "Only the chosen may enter these sacred grounds and only the chosen may proceed to try to conquer the Originators Castle, the fabled Floor 100, test" she said, pointing towards the castle far into the distance, which looked like an imposing structure standing proud against the twilight sky.


    "This ce is the heart of the tower, the birthce of the originator. Thend where the first lifeforms were born, and only those who have either ascended beyond floor 80 and have been acknowledged by the tower as worthy.


    Or the Champion''s Of True Gods, may enter thisnd¡­." The demon said, as she seemed proud of the fact that although she was not a Champion, she was acknowledged as a worthy monarch by the tower to be able to enter this histord.


    "Unlike the other climbers, who face evaluation tests on the special floors, you shall instead walk on the Originators Path.


    A journey that will see you slowly get closer and closer to the Originators Castle, where you shall either perish or flourish with all your dreamsing true" The demon said longingly, as she smacked her lips just dreaming about the promise of having any wish one hade true, when one reached the legendary floor 101.


    "For your first test, you will have to take a plunge into the cleansing pool and survive in there for 30 minutes.


    If you survive the test, you will earn the right to walk down the Originator''s path, however, if you fail, you shall lose your soul to thisnd and your divinity shall be consumed by it. Weakening your patron gods significantly" The demon said, smacking her lips with joy, as she desperately hoped for such a scenario toe pass.


    "Follow me to your first test, Champion Of Gemini, for I''ve been given the quest to be this realms guide for the next 400 years.


    I think we shall be seeing more of each other over the years" The demoness said, as she slowly began leading Rocky towards the forest in the distance.


    Rocky followed her very cautiously, his hands tightly gripped around his dual swords, as he tried to make sense of the information just dumped onto him.


    The origin realm?


    The Originator''s Path?


    The castle of the Originator?


    The heart of the Tower? The spot where first life was born?


    These were all groundbreaking revtions, one that most factions across the tower would pay their entire fortunes to secure, however, even if they were privy to the knowledge of this ce, it seemed like only a chosen few actually had the qualification to enter it.


    While all other climbers faced a promotion test where their basic abilities were tested, Rocky was instead supposed to survive a plunge into some cleansing pool.


    A test that seemed extremely suspicious to him.


    As he followed the three eyed demon, she slowly led him into a thick forest, where under a clearing not very far from the initial tree-line was a clear waterke that sparkled under the twilight sky.


    Looking like the most clear spring with the most ethereal waters, theke looked calm and devoid of any fish or lifeforms, as standing before it, the female demon gestured for Rocky to take the plunge.


    "May the Gemini Gods be with you-" she said with a sarcastic smile on her face, as she once again stared into the distance behind him.

 Chapter 148: The Soul Pool

    "So I''m just supposed to fully immerse myself into the pool, there''s no other catch?" Rocky asked, wondering if the promotion test was supposed to be so simple?


    "Yes, you only have to slowly immerse yourself into the water up till your neck and survive for the next 30 minutes. It is really as simple as it sounds-" The three eyed demon said, however, the way she said it with a sinister smile on her face, made Rocky feel like there was definitely more to this challenge than what met his eye.


    ording to the book of champions, the challenges that one faced in the Origin Realm, ''Vorithra Slyithen'', were much more dangerous than the normal promotion exams faced by other climbers, so although this pool of water seemed innocent and harmless, Rocky was sure that it most definitely hid untold dangers.


    However, with no better option than to try, Rocky eventually took a deep breath and decided to wade into theke water.


    As he stepped into the water, the cold of theke sent shivers through his body as he realized immediately that thiske water was barely a degree above freezing point.


    "Will I get hypothermia if I stay inside thiske for too long?" Rocky murmured to himself, unsure if he could survive such biting cold for 30 minutes, however, he still continued going deeper.


    As he cautiously waded deeper, each step that he took made him increasingly aware of the temperature biting into his skin, as while when he took the first step, the temperature of the water seemed barely above freezing point, the deeper he entered, the colder the temperature became as by the time he was knee deep into the water, he could feel the temperature difference between the top and the loweryers acutely.


    Somehow, thiske water did not obey thews of physics as the water in the deeperyers felt much cooler than the top, as the water below felt wayy under freezing point to Rocky.


    With every inch that he further took into theke water, his nerves tingled, and he felt the icy embrace slowly creeping up his body.


    Although the surface of theke was calm, reflecting the twilight sky above, beneath the clear waters, he sensed a concealed threat, as once the water rose above his hips, he felt his toes going numb and bing unresponsive to hismands.


    Looking back at the three eyed demon who was still smiling sinisterly, Rocky realized that whatever the real threat was, it had not materialized yet, as although the cold in itself seemed like a major problem, it was not the real thing.


    As he waded deeper, reaching a neck deep level into theke, he suddenly felt ufortable as his body began trembling violently.


    Despite his nerves, Rocky held his ground, remaining vignt and wary. However, it was to no avail. The cold of theke numbed his limbs as he felt the air around him suddenly thicken, making each breath a struggle.


    Suddenly, his vision began to blur and rm bells started to ring in his head as he attempted to swim back, but unfortunately, found himself unable to move.


    Darkness swirled around him, and his limbs grew impossibly heavy. Panic wed at him as he tried to will his body to break free, but it was as though he was paralyzed.


    Little by little, his consciousness faded, making his head spin and his vision dim out, as he found himself cking out.


    ********


    When Rocky came back to his senses, he found himself floating in a void stretching into infinity.


    At the center of this darkness glowed a bright ball of light inside a transparent vessel.


    The ball of light was purple in color, and looked like a floating me, whereas the container around it looked like a ss vessel.


    As Rocky tilted his head, he saw his own reflection in the ss, as he was surprised to see himself within it¡ªnot as his usual adult self, but as a helpless newborn.


    ''What? What just happened to me?'' Rocky wondered as he tried moving his limbs, however, just like a newborn who did not even have enough control to roll over to their belly, Rocky could hardly control movements.


    He struggled hard to move his small limbs, but coordination eluded him, leaving him unable to sense his surroundings as well as he should.


    It was like the nervous connections required to create movement were missing from his body. While he could see and think, he could not do pretty much anything else.


    *SWOOOSH*


    *SWOOSH*


    Suddenly, spectral shapes swirled around him, as Rocky could not understand what was going on or where he was.


    Usually, climbers below floor 50 were never supposed to enter this special space, until they learnt how to control their bodies in here, however, Rocky after stepping into the soulke was transported into the fabled Soul Realm.


    In this realm, the spectral shapes that swirled around him were the ghostly remnants of champions who had failed at this very step of ascension, being unable to survive the soulke and having been consumed by its powers.


    Their twisted forms circled Rocky''s vessel, eyes glinting with greed as they pounded against its surface, determined to break through and push Rocky''s soul out of its vessel and im that empty space as their own.


    From time to time, his soul vessel did send out small shockwaves of energy that repelled the ghosts clinging to his soul vessel away.


    As although Rocky himself did nothing consciously, his own soul fought tooth and nail for its life and managed to damage and diminish the brightness of the spectral souls trying to attack his soul vessel with every repent wave that it produced.


    While for a few seconds, Rocky could not understand what was going on, after his purple soul sent out a third repellent wave, destroying a few enemy souls while weakening many more, he finally realized that this was a battle of attrition.


    His own soul was also slowly losing its luster with every attack wave that it sent out, diminishing its brightness slightly.

 Chapter 149: Its all a part of the plan

    ( The three eyed demonesses POV )


    The Three Eyed Demoness was called ''Epita'' and she was thest surviving member of her race.


    Ever since she was selected by the tower to enter the Origin Realm upon reaching the rank of Floor 89 Monarch some 6,200 years ago, she had been tasked with serving as a guide in the Origin Realm for 6,666 years in order to ascend to Floor 90.


    In her absence, her kingdom crumbled swiftly. A mere 200 years after her departure, the already diminished poption of the Three-Eyed Demons was driven to extinction, with her bing thest surviving member of her tribe.


    Although she did check about the well-being of her tribe by chatting with iing Champion''s from time to time, once she realized that everyone she cared for was long dead, she became cold, detached and evil. With her only purpose in life being to ascend to floor 90 and be a True God.


    It was impossible for her with her measly talent to clear the floor90 promotion test in her own and taking a quest was the only way she had any hopes of someday making it, albeit that someday was 6666 years away.


    As a Monarch her life span was long, however, she had already lived for over 9500 years now and with a Monarch''s lifespan being only about 10,000 years on average, she was finally starting to observe some signs of aging.


    Her peak power was on decline, and she could not maintain her full strength constantly as that put a drain on her old body.


    She was now at a phase where she doubted if she could survive for the remaining 400+ years as a Monarch or would she lose her natural strength and fall prey to a passerby champion wishing to exact revenge on her?


    She had tricked many Champion''s into losing their lives and today she yed a simr trick on Rocky as well.


    While there were a total of 10 different pools for him to choose from, pools of varying difficulty from E ss to SSS, she purposefully led him only to the maximum difficulty pool that was notorious for iming the lives of several previous champions.


    Not offering him a choice and not exining to him the situation that he found himself in, she tricked Rocky into walking into the maximum difficulty pool that he was unlikely to walk out of alive.


    ''The soul pool'' was a pool that tested one''s soul strength or imed their life forever turning them into a vengeful specter.


    For climbers like Rocky, whocked the proper training to control their bodies within the soul realm, any Champion sent to that ominous realm inevitably ended up losing their life.


    In the past 6,200 years, this grim pattern held true as no Champion that Epita sent to the soul pool had ever emerged alive.


    Secretly she was extremely envious of Champions'' of gods and only needed the slightest excuse to send them to their deaths which Rocky provided by not indulging her curiosity.


    In life, she had not been chosen as a favored champion of a god and instead had to earn her right to enter the Origin Realm through hardwork, which made her extremely envious of the chosen ones who got to enjoy the benefits of this realm from the start.


    Unlike normal promotion tests, which only gave a climber limited growth as a reward, the reward forpleting a promotion test within the origin realm was 5-10 times better.


    For the tier1 promotion, one was given the reward of maximizing their body potential if they sessfullypleted the promotion test from the SSS soul pool.


    This meant that regardless of what limits their mortal body was capable of reaching at the peak, in terms of peak muscle density, peak body fat percentage, peak bone density, peak oxygen capacity, they were all reached instantly without the need for extra training.


    Under normal circumstances, a person only built muscle and improved muscle quality through a gradual process known as hypertrophy.


    This involved consistent resistance training that gradually increased muscle strength and size, and even for Rocky who was a perfected human, he still had a lot of room for improving his muscles through training as he was far from reaching the peak of what his body was capable of.


    However, if he somehow survived his plunge into the soul pool for 30 minutes, his full potential was to be realized instantly.


    If Rocky could survive the plunge, He could gain strength akin to a peak floor 39 climber as a mere floor 10 climber, providing him with a foundation far superior to a normal climber.


    In this way, although the origin realm was harsh it was also fair as it gave the Champion''s of Gods a chance to change their life and take control of their destiny should they be able to survive the challenges of the origin realm.


    "You are never going to make it¡­. So what if you were chosen as the Champion of Gemini, in the end, this is all your life is going to amount to-" Epita said, as she felt assured that Rocky was going to die for sure.


    ************


    ( Meanwhile Shakuni )


    Shakuni merelyughed at Epita and her line of thinking as he watched Rocky''s promotion test progress with great interest.


    The fact that Epita really believed that she could trick the Champion Of Gemini out of his life, amused Shakuni, as to him it seemed like this demoness clearly did not take him and his powers as a fate maniptor seriously.


    While to the rest of the tower, small events surrounding Rocky might seem as things that were random and unrted, however, in reality they were  all linked to Shakuni''s master n.


    Having already absorbed the soul remnants of the dying Lich, Rocky''s soul was abnormally strong for a tier0 climber.


    Possessing strength that the likes of Epita could never even fathom imagining.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 150: Jealousy

    ( Rocky''s POV, The Soul Realm )


    Epita had underestimated the strength of Rocky''s soul.


    After absorbing the remnants of the dying Lich with the help of the Strongest System, Rocky''s soul was almost 8 times stronger than a normal climber at his floor level.


    Strengthening the soul was not an easy process and it was not a process that was supposed to start in climbers before they reached the tier4 stage, where their mortal bodies gradually transformed into bing a demi-god body.


    At his level, unless Rocky practiced dark arts, strengthening his soul to this degree was impossible, however, as fate would have it, Rocky defied all norms ofmon sense and had a soul strong enough to stave off all the attacks of the Soul Pool with its own strength.


    Although Rocky could not move a muscle on his own within the soul realm, iling like a helpless newborn, his soul fought fiercely for the integrity of its vessel and decimated waves after waves of enemies by sending out powerful projections of attacks.


    This was a phenomenon orchestrated by none other than Shakuni, as everything from Epita''s trickery, to the strength of Rocky''s soul was carefully manipted by him.


    At this phase of Rocky''s life, there were a lot of aspects of his growth that were being carefully controlled by the Gemini Gods, as although Rocky himself did not realize it, the Gemini gods were a big reason behind his smooth growth so far.


    While it would not always be a smooth ride from here on out, as once he ascended beyond floor 20, the influence that the Gemini Gods wielded over his fate would diminish, for now at least, they did their best to give Rocky the greatest foundation possible.


    More than 74 Champion''s had lost their life to the first ascension test over the past 6000 years and all of them desperately tried to take over Rocky''s soul vessel, to try gain one more shot at life, however, unfortunately for them, none had the strength to break through Rocky''s soul defenses as slowly but surely, all were reduced to nothingness.


    After what seemed like a battle fought over several minutes, thest soul trying to break Rocky''s vessel finally perished as suddenly his dark surroundings experienced a massive change.


    The soul energy expended by his soul, plus the energy of the dead souls all shined brightly all around Rocky and started to make its way towards Rocky''s soul vessel in a beam of concentrated energy.


    Rocky watched on curiously as his purple soul absorbed this wave of energy growing bigger and brighter, as once again he started to lose consciousness as his body was thrown out of the soul realm.


    **********


    ( The origin realm )


    Epita gasped in disbelief, when the clear and serene soulke began to light up with a burst of energy.


    Stumbling backwards, she shook her head from side to side, unable toprehend how Rocky cleared his ascension test and was able to get the clear rewards?


    "It''s impossible, no matter how talented you are, it''s impossible for a climber this young to know how to control his body within the soul realm, and regardless of how strong his soul is, it cannot fight off so many vengeful spirits alone.


    This is impossible¡­. How did that boy clear this test?" Epita said in disbelief, as her hands began to tremble.


    She contemted if killing Rocky right here before he grew to be a monstrous talent was a good idea?


    However, as she saw the massive form of the twin ded knight looming over his body, Epita knew that if she even attempted to kill Rocky, she would be diced to pieces before she could even scratch him.


    ''Fuck you, Gemini, what an abnormal beast you''re raising...'' Epita thought, as she grind her teeth with visible hatred, however, refrained from taking any action.


    The potential of Rocky''s perfected human body was immense.


    Had he gone down the traditional route of maximizing his body potential, it would have taken him years of disciplined training and consumption of invaluable elixirs to reach the zenith, however, now because of Gemini''s schemes he reached that zenith instantly.


    The energy within the Soul Pool rushed into his body, reconstructing his fibers and granting him the clearance reward, as Epita could do nothing but watch in envy.


    Getting this reward meant that Rocky no longer needed to work on his body until he became a Demi-God by ascending beyond floor 40.


    Granting him a peak physique that he may or may not have achieved over the years on his journey to floor 39 instantly.


    It was a cheat code, a jump in strength sorge that the Rocky who went into the promotion test and the Rocky that was going to emerge from it would be iparable.


    Invaluable time that would have instead been wasted on training his body, could now be used to improve the foundation of his skills and profession, as between now and until bing a demi-god, his skills would be the only thing that mattered for Rocky from now on.


    As Epita watched the chaos energy from the surroundings alongside the ancient ambient mana circling into Rocky''s unconscious body, she couldn''t help but feel extremely envious of the perfect vessel that was being crafted.


    "Just how much mana can his puny body amodate? Why the hell can he absorb such a monstrous quantity?" Epita questioned, as she had no idea that Rocky had his mana capacity and mana pathways enhanced in the snake-men ancestral chambers as one of his rewards.


    While the potential of the perfected human race itself was huge, with the enhancements that Rocky had received, it became something beyond the realm ofmon sense, as his newly ascended tier1 body had the mana density akin to a normal tier4 climber which made Epita green with envy.


    "This is unfair¡­. Why does a climber like him receive so many benefits when I received nothing in life?


    With a foundation like that he''s bound to seed in life.


    How is it fair to the peers around him?" Epitained, however, there was no one around her to listen to her rant, as the only individual observing her right now was Shakuni, who was thoroughly enjoying her frustration.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile, Perseus )


    [ Dear brother, Rocky has gone into the Origin Realm to attempt his promotion test today.


    He doesn''t seem to have knowledge on which pool to choose and I ensured that he doesn''t get his hands on that information as you instructed me to.


    While I find it unlikely that he will die within the realm, if he does end up dying, I will definitely retrieve his soul essence for father as instructed.


    Also, how do you feel about my performance so far? Am I performing beyond the expectations of the family, or did you expect me to be this good? ]


    As Perseus read this letter from his sister, he had the urge to smack her on the back of her head and hard.


    He hated this attitude of his sister, who was always fishing forpliments as she seemed to thrive on other people''spliments alone.


    "When will this kid grow up and start taking things more seriously? When will I finally be able to rely on her as father relies on me?


    Is it because she''s a woman that she constantly craves attention?


    Not once have I ever written a letter to father where I asked for his praise.


    But she''s openly begging for it now" Perseus muttered, as he pinched the top of his nose and shook his head in disappointment.


    Ignoring Sophia''s antics, he decided to focus on the other part of the letter which was Rocky finally attempting the first ascension test.


    Although Perseus himself had no idea what the origin realm looked like, he knew about the special nature of it and the tests contained within.


    The Olympian family had lost several champions to the Origin Realm and the treacherous guide Epita, as over the years the family created a manual which guided the Champion''s to avoid falling into the three eyed demoness''s schemes.


    Since Sophia was deemed unworthy of knowing the full information contained within the book,beled as an information threat, she was only briefed about the parts she needed to know, while not being given ess to other information.


    Perseus felt extremely bitter when he received the report that Rocky had started to enquire about Vorithra Sylithen on his own, as unlike Sophia who seemed to be clueless and focused on the wrong things in life, the Champion Of Gemini proved hispetence every passing day.


    While Sophia showed no curiosity towards Vorithra Sylithen or why she was not being given the full information about that world, Rocky seemed persistent in finding the truth of that realm, although he did not have ess to the same information that the Olympians did.


    "I wonder why grandfather chose my sister as his Champion and not me. Just what does that dumb girl possess that I don''t?


    Was it truly his own decision or was he forced or deceived into making it?" Perseus wondered, as secretly he was extremely jealous of Sophia''s position as the Champion Of Poseidon, as while he could feel superior around her with his  father''s favor and support, the truth of the matter was that her overall standing within the Olympian family was far higher than his own.


    A fact that made Perseus feel extremely jealous.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Congrattions to us all for finally hitting the 150 chapter mark! Many more toe- ///

 Chapter 151: Massive Improvement

    (Rocky''s POV)


    *GASPPP*


    As Rocky finally woke up from his slumber, he looked around and realized that he was still floating within that icy coldke.


    *Waddle*


    *Waddle*


    Swimming towards the shore, Rocky used all the strength in his body to make it to the shore, as he dragged his exhausted body out of the water.


    *Cough*


    *Cough*


    Spitting out a mouthful of water, Rocky removed all the water from the soulke that he had identally consumed while he was unconscious, as he slowly regained his wits.


    The ordeal he had undergone within the soul realm was undoubtedly a dangerous and unforgettable experience, however, the benefits he had received from it were immeasurable.


    As Rocky gasped for air, he felt an unprecedented vigor coursing through his veins.


    His body, though battered from the ordeal in the Soul Realm, thrummed with a new kind of energy¡ªa powerful, pulsing presence that filled him with both awe and an acute sense of capability, as although his mind was not used to his new strength, it seemed like his body had improved beyond leaps and bounds.


    As he clutched onto a small twig on the ground, he unconsciously turned it into powder, as he did not even snap or crush the twig into small fragments but rather turned it into literal sawdust with his improved grip strength.


    For a moment, he felt confused as to what was going on, however, once he began introspecting his body condition, he noticed that he had undergone some massive changes.


    He noticed an undeniable improvement in the mana concentration within him; it was as if his body had be a well-tuned conduit for magical energies, capable of holding and channeling far more mana than before.


    As he tentatively flexed his muscles, he noticed that his physical form had improved dramatically, beyond the normal limits of human conditioning.


    It was as if every muscle and fiber within his body was optimized, almost like his body had reached what could only be described as its peak potential¡ªsomething that should have taken years of rigorous training and the consumption of rare elixirs.


    As he stood there, soaking wet yet undeniably stronger, Epita appeared beside him, her expression a mix of  visible hatred and jealousy.


    "You lucky bastard," she muttered under her breath, her eyes wide as they took in the sight of Rocky''s transformed physique.


    Her tone was a mix of envy and a twisted form of congrattions, recognizing the extraordinary leap in strength he had achieved.


    Rocky''s body was already incredible, he had wide shoulders, great bone density, great explosive muscle strength and great circtory system.


    If he stood shirtless, his physique already looked sculpted by a sculptor with well defined abs, well defined chest and a great body overall.


    However, if it was great before, it was simply perfect now, as every muscle, every vein in his body now stood out against his skin, as if he was a living walking anatomy diagram instead of a fitness model.


    When he contracted a muscle now, he could visibly see it moving under his skin, as even the movement of the smaller muscles responsible for non-obvious movements were now clearly visible to Rocky.


    Let alone muscle contractions, if he focused enough, he could even notice the vasoconstriction and vasodtion movement of his veins as he could literally notice the movement of his blood to his body parts.


    "What you have achieved isn''t just a small step; you''ve vaulted across stages that would bog down even the most dedicated climbers," Epita said, as she feltpelled to exin to Rocky just how great the reward that he received was.


    "You won''t need to train physically for a day in your life now until you be a tier4 climber and your body''s inherent capacity expands.


    This will give you countless hours to focus on skill development alone as training your body any more will be simply useless for you.


    Once you get ustomed to your new strength, you will be able to go toe to toe with even the strongest tier3 climbers, as in terms of speed, strength and endurance, you won''t lose out to any other species, even if your opponent is an angel or a dragon.


    As for how your mana capacity has expanded to this degree, which is beyond what even dragons of the third tier possess is beyond me, however, it can potentially be your biggest asset.


    While your opponents can only use a handful of big skill moves that drain heavily on their mana pools, you can use such onught almost non-stop.


    It''s like your body didn''t just improve¡ªit evolved into something else entirely." Epita said, as she listed out all the benefits of Rocky''s new body while turning green with envy.


    Rocky, still catching his breath, could only nod in agreement, as he still did not realize that Epita had tried to trick and kill him.


    Having no idea about the other pools that he could have chosen for his promotion test, Rocky currently believed that what he achieved was only normal, which was why he did not show any animosity towards Epita.


    Focusing on the strength inside his body instead, Rocky tried to get a feel for the new found power that he possessed.


    The sensation was undeniable. The dense mana that now filled him didn''t just increase in quantity but in quality as well. It surged through him like a torrential river, yet perfectly controlled, as if each wave knew exactly where to flow.


    Although the increase in strength was sudden, he found himself inplete control of his body as after opening and closing his palm a few times, Rocky felt himself bing limated with his new strength at a rapid pace.


    "Your business here is done. I''m sending you back to floor zero, Champion Of Gemini, let''s meet here once again when youe to attempt your floor 20 promotion test-" Epita said, as with a snap of her finger she threw Rocky out of the Origin Realm.


    *************


    ( Back on floor zero, The University For Nourishment Of Young Talents )


    As Rocky found himself back on the grounds of University For Nourishment Of Young Talents, the first thing he did was to rush back to his room as he wanted to take a better look at his body.


    While he did perform some preliminary examinations of his body, right there inside the Origin Realm, he wished to do some detailed tests in privacy, for which he ignored the gazes of everyone staring at him and rushed straight back into his room.


    As he opened the door to his dorm, to his surprise, he found Sophia sitting near the entrance reading a book. As while Erin and Buhara were both also attempting their tier promotion test at the same time as Rocky and were absent from the room, Sophia had seemingly seized the chance and snuck into his room.


    "Sophia? Why are you in our room?" Rocky asked in surprise, as Sophia''s face turned visibly red to see Rocky arrive back much sooner than she had expected.


    Looking around the room sheepishly, she tried to think of some excuse, however, her dim-witted brain failed her at this crucial moment, as she could note up with a credible excuse on the fly.


    Since Rocky and Erin both did not allow Sophia to enter their boys dorm room and limited their interaction with her to the universitymon areas, Sophia had developed a sense of curiosity of what the trio were hiding in their room, as in her head she had developed wild conspiracy theories of the trio hiding some precious treasure.


    Since today, all three of them had gone out of the room at the same time. Sophia identified this moment as an opportunity to snoop around their room, as she wanted to verify her suspicions herself.


    While she could ept Rocky''s explosive growth, she could not understand the reason behind why Erin and Buhara were growing so rapidly as well, as recently looking at their performance in team battles, Sophia began to doubt if she was even the second strongest in the group anymore?


    Even Erin, whom she considered the weakest member of the group, had started to show some remarkable abilities, which made Sophia question if the three of them had some hidden secret.


    Unfortunately, the fairy tale she was cooking in her head was false, as there was nothing worthwhile to find within the trio''s stinky room, as apart from Buhara''s smelly underwear and a cute photo of Rocky with his sister Riva, Sophia did not find anything noteworthy within their room.


    "I- umm, I- , was waiting for you-" Sophia said nervously, avoiding eye contact with Rocky, as Rocky used his aura observation skill to discern her aura color.


    ''ck¡­. She''s lying-'' Rocky thought, as he immediately discerned that Sophia was lying as usual, however, chose to ignore it for the moment.


    "Well, I need to change, can you please move out?" He requested politely, as Sophia immediately rushed out of the room with a red face.


    It wasn''t until she was out of the room, that she registered the change in Rocky''s appearance and the fact that he had returned alive from the tier promotion test, which prompted her to turn back and try get back inside the room, however, Rocky had locked it from the inside by then, leaving her stranded.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Good news guys! The initial character artwork for the book has finally beenpleted, and should be up on the novel page in about an hour. So do check it out if you want to see it- ///

 Chapter 152: Hiding Strength

    Being naturally cautious, Rocky took his time thoroughly inspecting the room for any suspicious elements or hidden threats that Sophia might have nted.


    He thoroughly checked the room and the mattresses of their beds to inspect for poison darts or some other ploy, however, thankfully it seemed like Sophia had notpletely lost her mind and was at least not trying to assassinate them.


    Only after Rocky felt assured that there was nothing wrong with the room itself, did he let the matter go and started to focus on his new improved physical body, as he spent almost an hour trying to figure out the changes that he had undergone.


    He wasn''t fullyfortable with expressing his full strength yet, as his body moved faster than his brain could anticipate it to.


    The speed of his own reflexes shocked him, as he could now jump further and move faster than his own brain could anticipate, putting him in a weird spot where he could notpletely control his power.


    Metaphorically, it was like standing across a puddle, however, feeling unsure if you could easily jump across it or not?


    While Rocky thought he could jump 2 meters using full strength, his body could actually jump 6 meters now, leading to awkward situations where he did not know exactly what to expect from his increased strength, or just how much he was capable of.


    It wasn''t like he could not control his strength, because his brain did have full control over his body and it''s movements, however, it was just a matter of understanding this body''s limits and it''s response speed, as his brain was still not sure of just how much the body was capable of.


    "I need to keep this improvement hidden, the difference between the current me and the previous me is like heaven and Earth and I was already a ss apart from the rest of the batch.


    If I suddenly start taking down Professor Mae inbat now, that would surely brand me as a crazy maniac and g me as an abnormal threat.


    With Sophia watching closely, I should not reveal any more of my strength before the showdown on floor21" Rocky murmured to himself as he decided to keep his current increase in strength a secret from the rest of the batch.


    As much as he liked flexing his powers, he knew when to draw a line and this was the point where he decided to not show off what he was really capable of, because the previous him was already too strong for people to fathom.


    "I''ll slowly focus on limatizing to this body, trying to understand its limits and what I''m capable of for now.


    If what the demoness said about me having reached my peak physical potential is true, then the only natural course of action for me to follow now, is to fine tunebat skills and the special moves under my belt, to be an even stronger warrior than I already am¡­.." Rocky said to himself as he prepared a clear course of action in his mind.


    *Unlock*


    Unlocking his door, as Rocky took a step outside his room, he found Sophia waiting outside his room still, as she looked at him with her sea green eyes and a shy smile.


    "Hey- I just wanted to apologize, you seemed mad that I was waiting for you in your room-" Sophia said, lying through her teeth as she had thought of a nice excuse to say in the few hours that she was thrown out of Rocky''s room.


    "It''s okay. I was just surprised more than anything, it''s not like you''re unwee in our room, but just that I needed privacy to change and all-" Rocky said, also lying through his teeth, as he smiled kindly, prompting Sophia to sigh in relief.


    Rocky was ying a dangerous game. He knew that Sophia thought that his acting was genuine, which meant that she trusted his words and actions, however, despite his best efforts to make her fall in love with him silly, it did not seem like the Champion Of Poseidon had any real interest in dating Rocky romantically.


    She was wisely always on her guard when Rocky asked her something sensitive, giving him vague replies instead of firm answers, which meant that Rocky could not extract the full value of her knowledge out of her.


    Under such circumstances, keeping her close to him, when he knew she was nning to screw him over was a dangerous gamble, however, Rocky decided to y it regardless as he continued with the facade of being a sweet and innocent friend.


    "Thank you so much for forgiving me! I was very embarrassed to be caught in your room like that, haha.


    Also, if you don''t mind, can you not tell this to Erin and Buhara? I don''t want them to think I''m a creep" Sophia requested, as Rocky closed his eyes and then rolled his eyeballs in a way that Sophia could not see.


    "Sure¡­" he replied, showing no cracks in his expression as he continued with his wless acting.


    "Thanks once again- you''re the sweetest Rocky! Really-" Sophia said, biting her lips as she checked out Rocky''s new physique.


    "By the way, what happened in your promotion test¡­. You look different and stronger¡­.. mind telling me how it went? Cause I''m nning to attempt mine tomorrow" Sophia said, as she spoke the lines she had rehearsed several times.


    Trying to sound curious without sounding overly curious, Sophia hoped that Rocky would tell her about his promotion test in detail, so that Sophia could write about it in her report to her brother tonight.


    She especially wanted to figure out what tier pool did he choose to appear for the test in, however, admitting that she knew about the pools and ''Vorithra Sylithen'' would be akin to admitting that she knew about the Origin Realm but she still deliberately hid information from Rocky.


    Under such circumstances, she could only y dumb and hope Rocky came clean about everything.

 Chapter 153: Rivas Fate

    Rocky found himself in a tough spot, when Sophia asked him about his promotion test.


    ording to his knowledge, all Champion''s of Gods were bound to give promotion tests in the origin realm instead of the normal tests, which meant that lying to Sophia about having a normal test was not going to work.


    However, he also did not wish to give away information regarding the type of improvement he had experienced and hence Sophia''s question really put him in a difficult spot.


    Keeping up with his act of being friendly, Rocky decided to tell her about the details that he knew she was bound to find out, however, decided to deliberately leave out the important bits that could reveal the degree of improvement he had experienced.


    "My promotion test was weird¡­.." Rocky said scratching his head, as he tried to act all natural and confused.


    "It wasn''t like the test that the university told us it would be, where our individual attributes were tested, but rather a test in a destend, that felt life threatening ish" Rocky continued, as Sophia listened to him in rapt attention.


    "I think us Champion''s Of Gods, are tested in a special realm where our promotion tests differ greatly from normal climbers.


    The test I was given was to dip myself in ake for 30 minutes where I was supposed to survive the icy cold, and to be honest I almost got hypothermia after a few minutes and was on the verge of losing my consciousness..." Rocky said, mixing the truth about the origin realm with some lies, as Sophia nodded her head in understanding.


    ''So he went in the icy cold pool huh¡­. The ''A'' ranked promotion test. A rank below what brother Perseus suggested I take¡­.'' Sophia thought, as she knew about the icy cold pool, which was supposedly the ''A''  ranked difficulty pool.


    It wasn''t an easy pool to pass by any means and greatly improved one''s constitution and physique uponpletion. However, the rewards were not as good as the S or higher ranked pools either.


    "Oh, a special realm for us Champion''s? My family did mention something like that ¡­." Sophia said, trying to y dumb, however, Rocky, who could observe her ck aura, knew instantly that she was not being truthful.


    Nheless he ignored her deceit and warned her to the best of her abilities about the challenges that she might face when attempting the promotion challenge.


    ************


    ( Meanwhile Riva )


    Saliva mixed with blood dripped constantly from Riva''s mouth, as her usually radiant and intelligent eyes seemed hollow.


    Being given shot after shot of brain altering drugs and hallucinogens. She had now been subjected to months of mental and psychological torture as the Olympians tried to break her psyche and train her into bing a perfect puppet.


    Showing strong resistance to their schemes for months, Riva tried her best to cling on to her sanity, however,tely, undef effects of hallucinogens she no longer realized what was real and what wasn''t anymore, as she finally began behaving like a lunatic.


    Initially, the Olympians kidnapped her under the suspicion that she was the hidden Champion Of Gemini.


    However, their frustration was boundless when they realized that she wasn''t who they thought she was and that she had not been entrusted with Gemini''s fragment of divinity.


    For a lesser gods and Monarch''s, a fragment of divinity was priceless, as having one allowed them to enter the Origin Realm, giving them an opportunity to hunt the strong monsters and attempt the fabled floor 90 promotion test, which was impossible to attempt by Monarch''s not chosen by the tower.


    For those individuals, who were deemed unworthy of promotion by the tower, stealing a fragment of divinity was the only way they could move forward and hence for Perseus and Sophia''s father, Escanor, getting his hands on one such fragment was top priority.


    He was the mastermind behind Riva''s kidnapping and her subsequent detaining, however, while he could not extract a fragment of divinity from her, in her delirious state of mind, Riva began mumbling about a time and a world that differedpletely from what Escanor knew about the universe, as at that moment he found out a truth about this universe that nobody apart from him knew.


    Sigma, Omega, The universal queen, the perfect warrior, a time before the tower¡­.. Riva mumbled tit-bits about such interesting yet vivid tales, that made Escanor realize that although she wasn''t the asset he wanted, she was much more valuable than anything he could ever imagine.


    By nature, Riva was an extremely strong willed individual.


    She was the first choice for the Gemini gods to be made Champion and showed excellent mental fortitude, had high intelligence and a high degree of self esteem.


    She showed no fear towards permanent amputation or physical pain, with the only thing she truly feared being the loss of her chastity.


    Since the loss of her virginity was the only leverage that Escanor had over her, he never let anyone touch or rape Riva as once that leverage was gone and she lost her only fear, he would be unable to control her anymore, which would stop her from giving him the important information that she gave him daily to trade for her safety.


    Up till now, the tales she narrated were vague and measured, however, as the dosage of her neuro-altering drugs increased and her control over mind finally started to loosen, she finally started to slip and give him tit-bits of information that could potentially harm Gemini.


    "So Ravan has four wives huh? All of them being a different race¡­.. it seems like the god of war is a trophy wife collector too. Makes you wonder if one of them is her soulmancer... but would he even choose a woman as the protector of his soul?" Escanor wondered, as he ran his fingers across Riva''s face.


    ¡ª---------


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by Patron Allcat_Gaming, please thank him in thements for the same!


    Also, I''ve decided that for the month of May only, I shall be giving two bonus chapters instead of one for super gifts. So there will be a second bonus chapter for the same tonight. ///

 Chapter 154: Intelligence Report

    "Time for today''s dosage of neuro-enhancers¡­. Don''t worry, it won''t hurt at all-" Escanor said, as he wickedly smacked the hallucigen serum, preparing to inject a shot into Riva''s body.


    Riva''s body inadvertently shivered once she heard that she was going to get another shot of neuro-hallucinogen as for a moment she sucked up the drooling out of her mouth and lifted her head to look towards Escanor.


    When she had first fallen into his clutches, she would re at him with immense hatred and rebellion. She did not wish to yield to his wishes at all, however, as she looked towards him today, her gaze was confused.


    It did not project hatred, it did not project any reluctance to being given another hallucigen shot, as at this point her body had started to be addicted to the drugs.


    She began experiencing withdrawal symptoms, including vomiting blood when she was not given the drug for too long and having her drool mixed with blood was already a symptom that she was on the edge.


    As Escanor injected the drug into her veins, Riva experienced momentary relief as lots of dopamine was released into her bloodstream to give her momentary pleasure.


    "Mmmmfff" a slight moan escaped her lips, as she threw a thankful gaze towards Escanor.


    "You''ve been a good girl yesterday, enjoy your rewards my dear¡­.." Escanor said, as he slowlypleted the drug injection and gave Riva a slight kiss on her cheeks.


    "Be a good girl today too, and prepare a good story to tell me tomorrow¡­.. I''ll see you soon" He said, before leaving her cell, where his top intelligence officer was waiting for him.


    "My Lord, I have an urgent report you must look over-" his information head said, as he handed Escanor a five page top secret document.


    "What is it?" Escanor said, sounding annoyed as he opened the document and began reading it in haste.


    "Hmmm¡­.."


    After reading the first few lines hastily, Escanor realized that this document was extremely urgent and critical, as he stopped reading it haste and glossed over every minor detail.


    "So those pesky Earthlings have finally decided to make their move andunch a floor raid... How interesting-" Escanor said, as he finished reading the report.


    "Yes, my lord, our sources tracking them have noticed a massive increase in purchase of siege weapons and single use explosives by the True Elites Guild. It seems like they have begun their preparations forunching a floor raid in the next 3-6 months" The intelligence officer reported, as Escanor stroked his chin.


    "Has a report been sent to my son regarding this?" He inquired, as the information head nodded in acknowledgement.


    "Yes, my Lord, the young Lord has also received a copy" the information head said, as Escanor smiled evilly.


    "Instruct my son to disrupt their procurement strategies.


    Advise him to establish fictitious merchants and distribute defective products to them. Interfere with their shipments to dy their military schedule by several weeks.


    Additionally, direct him to begin preparations for a siege¡ªamass supplies, gather personnel, and fortify our defenses in anticipation of holding floor 21." Escanor said, as the information head noted his instructions fervently.


    "I think I should be done with breaking this girl''s mindpletely in two months. Making her worthless for me, so tell Perseus to prepare to hold her properly and not lose her like he lost Joe.


    She will be instrumental if we want to capture Rocky and needs to be presented as a sane and able-bodied target when theye to save her" Escanor said, as he smiled evilly thinking about the games that he would y with the enemy''s mind.


    "Those foolish Gemini believers dare eye the floor controlled by the blood of Poseidon? They will surely pay for their foolishness-"  Escanor said, as he began to narcissisticallyugh as he walked away from Riva''s cell.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Perseus )


    Perseus received two very concerning reports at once.


    The first was from his sister, who had sent him a letter informing him that Rocky had sessfullypleted the floor10 promotion test, presumably from the ''A'' ranked icy cold testing pool.


    This meant that he was alive and stronger than ever before and had returned with unknown knowledge of the Origin Realm.


    For the next few days, every move that he made would need to be carefully monitored, as if history taught the Olympians a lesson, it was that a Champion returning from the Origin Realm, always became unpredictable for a few months.


    However, while the first report he received was only slightly worrisome, the second one that he received from his father was far more critical and demanded immediate action.


    It detailed a preemptive strike strategy against the True Elites Guild, outlining specific tactics to disrupt their operations.


    He was informed about the True Elites gathering supplies in what could only mean them preparing for war, and to counter that his father hadmanded him to interfere with their logistics by establishing fictitious merchants and selling them defective products, which would dy their military activities by weeks.


    Additionally, he was to prepare for a potential siege on floor 21 by amassing supplies and bolstering their defenses.


    As Perseus read through the strategy with a practiced eye, absorbing every detail, he couldn''t help but feel as if the pressure was mounting on him from all sides.


    He was not only responsible to keep Rocky and Sophia in check, run and administer floor 21, but had to now also deal with additional headaches, putting too much on his te at once.


    Although his father''s n was cunning, as he nned to exploit the enemy''s supply chains and try sowing chaos and confusion within their ranks, it needed a lot of preparation on his part and wless execution to bring to life.


    While any sess would be attributed to his father''s genius strategy, any failure would be med on his sloppy execution, putting him in a tough lose-lose situation.


    "It''s too much. I''m not even the Champion Of Poseidon, but I''m given the most responsibilities and the least thank-you''s" Perseusined as he began strategizing about how to bring his father''s schemes to life.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - This is a bonus chapter sponsored by Patron Allcat_Gaming, via supergift.


    Please thank him in thements for the same ///

 Chapter 155: The Champions Party

    ( Erin''s POV )


    Erin felt a lot stronger afterpleting his floor10 promotion, as his body no longer felt dizzy when he performed sudden movements.


    Throughout his life, Erin had been suffering from a mild case of Vertigo, which made his head spin a bit from sudden movements, which was why he could never jump out of bed after 8 hours of sleeping and always needed to get up slowly.


    When he began physically training his body after joining the university, his condition did get a bit better, however, only to the point where it was still just a minor difort, but still mildly noticeable.


    However, after his tier 1 promotion, Erin no longer felt any physical difort from sudden movements, while the flow of mana through his body also felt a lot  smoother.


    Although the benefits that he received from his promotion were not as spectacr as what Rocky experienced, he was still very happy with how things turned out, as he finally understood why clearing the ascension floors was such a big deal for climbers.


    Going past these major floors gave climbers a massive power boost, instantly setting them a ss apart from the climbers just a couple floors beneath them.


    Officially, only those individuals who had gone past floor10 were given the tag ''Climber'', so Erin could finally call himself one after this promotion.


    "Sir Rocky, I''ve sessfullypleted my first promotion-" Erin said excitedly upon his return, as he felt surprised to see Rocky already being in the room, having returned before him.


    "Oh? Good job Erin, I have alsopleted mine-" Rocky replied with a soft smile on his face as Erin beamed brightly.


    "I''ve got an S grade evaluation on my promotion, I''m not nning to tell anyone else, but I''m so happy with it that I''m telling you, Sir Rocky-" Erin said, as he giggled, causing Rocky to break out into a wide grin.


    Securing an S ranked evaluation was not an easy task, especially for someone like Erin who seriouslycked basic physical abilities and was more specialized towards curses and mana maniption.


    "Great job, buddy, S grade is a big deal-" Rocky said, praising Erin as he gave his friend a few head pats.


    "No, no, I''m sure Sir Rocky will have achieved an even better evaluation than me in his test. I''m sure I''m just beating my own small horn in front of a giant trumpet" Erin said, as Rocky shook his head in amusement.


    His friend really did not know how to take apliment and had apulsive need to redirect everypliment he received back to the one whoplimented him.


    While Rocky was ufortable with Erin''s antics at the start. He had grown used to it by now.


    "BUHAHAHAHAHARA-"


    Suddenly a signatureughter interrupted the bromance between Rocky and Erin, as Buhara entered the dorm.


    "Buhara just got a SS+ ranked evaluation. Isn''t Buhara the best?" Said Buhara as he began flexing his chest muscles and his biceps.


    "Woah! SS+, Sir Buhara is soo cool-" said Erin, as his words only made Buhara swell up even more with pride as he beganughing non-stop.


    Rocky observed both Erin and Buhara with a third person''s eye and noticed how both of their aura''s had grown stronger.


    Buhara had more pronounced muscle definition now, as after the promotion he seemed to have improved his physical condition and his mana flow as well.


    Rocky was pleasantly surprised that he managed to receive a SS+ ranked promotion result, as although he had no physical defect like Erin. Buhara didckmon sense and IQ, which was sometimes even more important than physical attributes.


    "Good job Buhara-" Rocky said as he shook the orc''s hand, as Buhara tried to flex his new-found strength on Rocky, by trying to crush his hand.


    There was a spark in his eyes as he initially tried to be mischievous, however, when Rocky did not even flinch and instead turned the tables on him, squeezing his hand so hard that he was forced to wince in pain, Buhara realized that he had picked on the wrong human.


    "Puny human is so strong. Although Buhara is feeling much stronger than yesterday, the puny human is still much stronger-" Buharamented as he blew cool air over his swollen hand, which was now throbbing in pain.


    "Hahaha, of course. Humans are not as weak as you think my friend" Rocky said, as Buhara first looked at Rocky and then Erin and then decided to disregard Rocky''s statement.


    Other than Rocky, all the humans that Buhara had met seemed frail and weak to him, however, Rocky was different.


    Tall, strong and built like an orc, Rocky was the ideal candidate to be an Orc Chief in his head, as if the two of them were back in his vige, then Buhara would have already fought a traditional muggang to secure the right to make Rocky his Chieftain.


    Currently, he saw Rocky more like an elder brother than a friend, which was also why he was subservient and epting of his role as a group leader.


    "Well, Buhara, Erin, guys, I have to ask you both a very important question?" Rocky said, his expression turning dead serious, as both Erin and Buhara looked at him with their eyebrows raised.


    "I''ve been considering this for a while now, and I think I''vee to a conclusion-" Rocky said as he looked individually into the eyes of both his friends, giving them a pleading look.


    "We have been room-mates and team-mates in this university and although we haven''t been together for too long. I feel confident enough in your character that I can trust my back to you-"


    "I know that all three of us have the same goal, which is to safeguard our homes and climb the tower to the very peak.


    So I was wondering, if the two of you would like to officially join me, as a part of my Champion''s Party once university ends?" Rocky asked earnestly, as he waited for their reply.

 Chapter 156: The Champions Party

    Joining a Champion''s Party was never an easy choice.


    It was a well-known fact that Champions of the Gods and their party faced a tougher challenge whenpared to normal climber groups as they ascended the tower.


    Joining a Champion''s Party meant putting one''s own life on the line, as the journey to the top was fraught with more obstacles and dangers than usual.


    As the Champion''s group ascended, they frequently encountered unexpected difficulties. They had to deal with not only the challenges of the tower but also all the extra nuisance caused by internal political strife.


    Followers of other gods and rival factions were constantly plotting against them, often resulting in these adversaries setting cheap traps andunching surprise attacks, aiming to derail the Champions'' progress at every turn.


    This made the ascent through the tower not only physically demanding but also mentally taxing.


    Every step forward required caution and constant vignce, turning what should have been a straightforward climb into a perilous adventure.


    For those who joined a Champion''s Party, the journey was as much about surviving these external threats as it was about oveing the tower''s inherent challenges, which was why joining a Champion''s Party was never simple choice.


    However, on the flip side, joining a Champion''s Party gave one the opportunity to grow stronger beyond one''s wildest expectations.


    The constant life-death situations forged one into a strong fighter, as if somehow one could survive the journey alongside a Champion, they usually became an extremely strong Lesser God themselves at the least.


    Fame, Fortune and rare encounters usually apanied those who decided to join a Champion''s Party, giving one the opportunity to go down in the history books and leave a legacy of their own in the history of the tower.


    The allure of immortal legacy and fame was a powerful motivator for many. The prospect of etching one''s name into the annals of history, to be remembered as more than just another climber, was enticing and being part of a Champion''s Party not only promised unparalleled adventures but also the chance to be a part of epic tales told across generations.


    The rewards, while corresponding in size with the risks, were not just about personal power. Climbers in these elite groups often found themselves at the heart of significant historical events, shaping the very fabric of the tower''s legacy.


    Their deeds and decisions often influenced the rise or fall of gods and reshaped the politicalndscape of the tower''s realms.


    Moreover, the connections and alliances forged during such arduous journeys were invaluable. Members of a Champion''s Party, having faced near-death experiences together, often emerged with bonds as strong as steel, with these rtionships often leading to future alliances and opportunities that were otherwise unreachable.


    Thus, despite the daunting challenges, the promise of achieving legendary status, influencing great events, and leaving asting mark on the world made the perilous path of a Champion''s Party a path worth taking for those daring enough to dream big.


    "Before I give my answer, Sir Rocky, if you don''t mind me asking. Will Sophia be a part of this group?" Erin asked, after thinking about Rocky''s question for a while, as Rocky shook his head in denial.


    "No, she''s a Champion herself, so she cannot be a part of my party.


    As the two of you already know, a Champion''s Party consists of 5 members alongside the Champion.


    Five, who will climb the tower together and take on every challenge that the tower and the universe has to throw at us, from floor 21 till 59.


    While I haven''t finalized all five members of my party, I know for sure that Sophia won''t be one-" Rocky said, as he dispelled Erin''s doubts.


    "So once we graduate, we won''t have anything to do with that woman, correct?" Erin asked, as Rocky nodded his head in confirmation.


    "We won''t have anything to do with her as a team-mate" He said, as Erin let out a deep sigh and nodded his head.


    "Then I ept-" he said with a soft smile on his face, as Rocky felt a wave of relief wash over him.


    Rocky wasn''t blind. He could notice the potential that both Erin and Buhara possessed and had only asked them to join his party, not only because he trusted them as friends, but also because he had faith in their skills as a climber.


    "Buhara does not mind joining Rocky. Because Buhara already sees Rocky as his brother. However, Buhara does not approve of leaving Sophia behind.


    Friends don''t abandon each other, so if puny Erin goes with human Rocky, then Buhara will go with Sophia" said Buhara, as his answer made both Erin and Rocky feel like pping their faces.


    On one hand, his answer was exactly what Rocky would have expected from him, as Buhara was a genuine and pure hearted orc who did not understand how maniptive the universe could be.


    However, on the other hand, his dense nature made situations like these awkward, as it became a pain to exin to Buhara that he was making a mistake.


    "Will you do the honors, or should I?" Erin asked, ncing at Rocky with a roll of his eyes.


    Rocky chuckled in response. "Together," he suggested, and they both turned to Buhara.


    Together, they began to exin the intricacies and stakes of joining a Champion''s party, and why it was important for Sophia to form her own group¡ªone that she truly feltfortable with, and how it wasn''t up to Buhara to decide if he wanted to join her party or not.


    After nearly two hours of thorough discussion, covering basics such as the heightened risks of joining a Champion''s Party and the absolute necessity of trusting one''s party members, Buhara finally understood why he could not join Sophia''s group.


    He realized the fundamental reasons behind why joining Sophia''s group might not be the best choice for him and why teaming up with Rocky for the climb made more sense.


    In the end, although Buhara did end up agreeing to join Rocky''s party, he felt extremely guilty about abandoning Sophia and hence decided to apologize to her personallyter over dinner.

 Chapter 157: Future Plans

    Rocky felt quite reassured that both Erin and Buhara had decided to join his party for the future.


    For him recruiting them now was important, because, in a few weeks from now, various adventurer groups, guilds and climber parties were sure to approach the to-be graduates of the University For Nourishment Of Young Talents, to recruit them under their fold.


    Under such circumstances, if Rocky would have waited for too long, he might have ended up losing either one, or both of his friends to other employment opportunities, and hence, he was happy with recruiting them now, although he had no idea as to who the other two members of his party might be.


    The tower of Ascension was designed in a way that one could challenge for each floor in odd group multiples.


    A party challenging a floor could be anywhere from a group of 3 to 17 people, however, always in odd multiples.


    This form held true from floor 21-59, as from floor 61 and onwards every floor was a solo-raid floor bypulsion.


    However, while a party size could be any number, it wasmon knowledge that the preferred party size was only 5 members, as throughout the history of the tower, it was always the 5 member teams that had managed to achieve the most sess.


    For Rocky, forming a trustable party was paramount, as he intended to challenge all the floors from floor21 uptil 59 with these same people, growing at a constant pace as his teammates.


    Ideally, he needed to make a party where the strength of his partyplemented each other, so they could cover for each other''s weaknesses and make the most of each other''s strength.


    Since he himself was an assault type warrior, he was bound to y the role of lead damage dealer.


    Buhara, being a battle mage, was the group''s AOE damage dealer.


    Erin was a curse magician and a support type mage, putting him in the role of backline support.


    This meant that Rocky still ideally needed a trustable ranger/ archer and a tank/pdin/guardian, to form the best party synergy.


    However, more important than the ss of the warrior joining him, was the personality, as Rocky was much more keen on adding a warrior to his party who was loyal, rather than a stronger warrior who could stab him and the others in the back.


    After his tier 1 promotion, Rocky could finally see a clear path to his future, as future events that once seemed like distant problems, were now finally within his reach.


    To tackle these events, Rocky knew exactly what he needed to work on, as he understood his strengths and ws, and there was no question in his mind on how he needed to allocate his time in theing months to improve as a warrior.


    He had also sessfully formted an intricate strategy on how he could manipte Sophia into helping him save Riva, as for him it felt like their rtionship and the act that he was developing was reaching its natural conclusion.


    Rocky also realized the important role that Erin and Buhara yed in his future ns and realized the need to mentor them into learning skills that would help them survive the difficult war due to unfold on floor 21.


    Finally, after returning from the Origin Realm, Rocky also understood that he needed to somehow secure a meeting with dimir, as of all the Champion''s that he was aware about, only dimir seemed like an odd-ball, who could warn him about the real dangers of living the life of a Champion.


    In the next three months, Rocky knew that he was supposed to challenge a floor raid every week, climbing from floor 11 to 20 to graduate from the university, and hence he realized that his life was about to get very hectic.


    From the moment that he would step out of the university, Rocky knew that his life was going to be a maelstrom of chaos, however, he finally felt prepared for it, as in his mind every small puzzle piece was finally falling into ce.


    While the Elites prepared for the floor raid on their end, Rocky had toplete the system quest to be ced number one in his batch on his end, while also reaching floor20 so that his Strongest System finally got its much needed system update.


    "I guess there won''t be any rest for me, from now on-" Rocky murmured to himself as he began walking towards the university library, to research about the best-dual sword skills that he could learn to sharpen his fighting skills.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Principal Liam )


    "You have to resign Liam, you have to resign and retreat to an isted ce until you regain control of your mind-" Professor Maven requested, as he confronted Liam about his deteriorating mental state.


    "It''s not my fault Maven¡­.. it''s those damn Olympians, how dare they send three assassin''s to MY UNIVERSITY? thinking I wouldn''t find out?


    I need to destroy them¡­.. I need to destroy them all-" Maven said, his insanity evident through his voice, which sounded like a human for most part, but turned into the raspy voice of an undead Lich at times.


    "Admitting Rocky and Sophia to this university was a bad idea. You clearly can''t handle the stress those two children bring.


    Have you even looked at yourself today Liam? You look like a rotting corpse more than a dignified principal and your killing intent was leaking around students.


    2 students are in the infirmary because of you, passed out cold under your pressure while one shat himself-


    You''re no longer safe to be around children Liam" Maven said, as Liam clutched his hands and banged his desk in anger.


    Over the past four weeks, there had been constant infiltration attempts into the university via Olympian spies, as Liam was forced to use the seed of death and deal with them time and time again.


    Unfortunately, this was taking an immense toll on his mind and body, as his insanity was only growing stronger after each prolonged use of the artifact, making Liam a threat to be around children anymore.


    "Let me finish this semester Maven¡­. I''ll temporarily resign before the next one, but I must see this semester through to the end.


    There are still topics I haven''t taught those kids. Topics that they need to survive in the tower-" Liam said, as his eyes seemed dazed and unfocused, making Maven feel extreme pity for his long time friend.


    It was clear that Liam loved his students more than anything in the world, however, as fate would have it, he was also a ticking time bomb who was a threat to the same students he worked so hard to protect.


    Pinching his nose, Maven thought about Liam''s proposal for a while as he wondered if he should let Liam continue or not.


    In the entire university, he was the only one who knew exactly about Liam''s condition and what triggered it and it was Liam himself who had asked Maven to banish him or put him down, if he ever became a threat to the safety of the kids, which was why Maven felt conflicted taking this decision today.


    "Fine, I''ll let you stay Liam. But if you have a single episode in the next few months of losing control, I''m banishing you at that very instant, do you understand?" Maven said, as Liam painstakingly nodded his head.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 158: The Champion Of Buddha

    ( Sophia''s POV )


    Sophia did not like Epita at all!


    From the moment she entered the origin realm for the first time and felt dizzy due to the effects of change in mana concentration, Epita showed up and began bugging her with questions that she did not wish to answer.


    Having been given instructions by her elder brother, to probe Epita on which exact pool Rocky entered, Sophia tried to reverse talk Epita into giving her what she wanted, however, the three eyed demoness refused to y her game for free and demanded sensitive information about the Olympian n to trade for Rocky''s results.


    "That boys results are something that can shake up the whole Olympian n, if you want more information on his potential, then you have to give me what I want-" Epita said, as Sophia rolled her eyes in disapproval.


    " Lady, I know how this scam works, I''m Rocky''s friend. I know exactly how good his potential is, but let''s both be honest it''s nothing tower shaking.


    So if you think you can scam me out of some valuable n information in return for Rocky''s results then you can forget about it.


    The most you get from me is a thank you and a smile" Sophia said, as it was Epita''s turn now to roll her eyes.


    Epita pitied people like Sophia who thought that they were too smart for their own good.


    She had no idea if Rocky was genuinely friends with this backstabbing fool, however, since she wanted to y a smartass with her, Epita nned on conning her hard.


    "Fine, you win, Rocky actually entered the lowest ranking pool, the D rank pool, not because he wanted to, but because I wanted to sabotage his bright future-" Epita said, as Sophia sucked in a breath of cold air at this revtion.


    "But the D ranked pool is not even that cold¡­..then what was Rocky talking about?" Sophia wondered as ording to her knowledge the D ranked pool was the ming hot pool, one that felt like an extra-extra hot warm bath.


    "Don''t lie to me, evil demon, I already know Rocky walked into the cold pool¡­. It has to be the A ranked pool yeah?" Sophia asked, as Epita did not know whether tough or cry at this girl''s delusion.


    "Yes, yes, you''re absolutely right, I was indeed trying to scam you, however, you caught me-" Epita said, as Sophia raised her head a bit higher in pride.


    "I knew it! Brother is just doubting me for now reason, I already knew Rocky entered the A ranked pool-" Sophia said, as she self-reinforced her own delusion.


    " *Sigh*, So what pool are you looking to enter? Champion Of Poseidon?" Epita asked, seemingly fed up with Sophia as she could not believe how this dumb girl was chosen as a god''s champion.


    "A step above Rocky, so the S ranked pool please-" she said, as Epita turned around and silently began walking towards the S ranked pool.


    Her pity for Sophia was so strong that she did not even try to mislead her to enter the wrong pool, as in her mind, Sophia was already bound to either die or be imprisoned by her own n for being a security threat soon enough.


    "Here, good luck on your first promotion test sweety-" Epita said, as she gestured for Sophia to enter the S ranked test pool, which she did.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile Rocky''s POV )


    Rocky was sitting with Erin in the cafeteria, while Buhara was still in the mage training field, trying out his new mage staff that he had forged alongside a master forger.


    It was his reward for cing first in the mid semester test, and today as the weapon was finally ready for him to try, he was giving it a swing in the mage testing field.


    "Erin, there''s something I need to warn you about-" Rocky said, while the two of them were alone, as there was something that Rocky wished to tell Erin that he could not say in front of Buhara.


    "Oh? What is it Sir Rocky? Erin asked curiously, as Rocky looked around and replied in a low voice.


    "I''m nning to betray Sophia on floor21 and although I do not wish to drag you and Buhara into this mess, my current n will never work without the help of both of you.


    I thought I''d let you know in advance. So if you''re ufortable with it, you can tell me now. Giving me adequate time to rethink my strategy" Rocky said, as Erin''s expression turned somber when hearing this.


    "Is it rted to saving your sister?" Erin asked, as Rocky nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    "Well, then I''m in. I don''t mind betraying Sophia and joining a conflict that''s not mine if it''s for saving your family.


    I think a good friend should do at least this much for each other¡­.. and it''s not like I care much about Sophia either" Erin said, epting Rocky''s schemes easily as he consented to be a part of it.


    "My good brother-" Rocky said, grabbing Erin by the back of his neck as he smiled gratifyingly towards him.


    "MAKE SPACE, BUHARA IS HERE-" Suddenly a voice said, reverberating throughout the dining hall, as Buhara entered the room with his massive stature and equally massive mage staff.


    "Puny humans. Have you gazed at Buhara''s new weapon?" Buhara said excitedly, as he showed off his staff to both Rocky and Erin.


    Buhara''s mage staff, masterfully crafted tobine bothbat and magical utility, was a distinctive blend of traditional and battle-ready elements.


    The staff itself was nearly six feet tall and was intricately carved from the resilient wood of the ancient Thunderwood tree, renowned for its exceptional conductive properties for magical energies.


    Predominantly a mage''s tool, the staff was designed to enhance Buhara''s ability to channel and amplify his spells. However, it featured a clever modification: the reverse handle of the staff was fashioned into a rugged ax de, enabling it to be used as a battle ax when necessary.


    This dual-function design allowed Buhara to seamlessly switch between casting devastating spells and engaging in close-quartersbat, making it an invaluable weapon in both areas.


    "Whoa! Looks so cool-" said Erin, as Buhara tossed the staff for him to inspect, as Erin became nearly buried under its weight.


    As Rocky inspected it with a smile on his face, he noticed how it was the perfect weapon for someone like Buhara as although it was a staff, it coupled as an axe, giving Buhara the ability to swing hard and make use of his natural strength when needed.


    As the three friends sat down and happily chatted about Buhara''s new weapon. Rocky relished this normalcy in their attitude, as he knew that rxed days like these were going to be extremely numbered going forward.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile, in the Shaolin Monk University, Floor Zero )


    The list of candidates appearing for the customary inter- university tournament was finally out and surprisingly, the name Rocky Yadav was not mentioned in the candidates list of the University For Nourishment Of Young Talents.


    "Brother Zhi, it looks like your rival is not entering this tournament. Your hardwork over the past one year might be for naught-" A young Shaolin Monk with snot running down his nose said to his elder brother, who seemed to be shaken by the news that Rocky Yadav was not entering the university tournament.


    "But this makes no sense? Do the rumors not say that he soloed the entire swordsmanship ss alone? That during the monster wave on his home, he yed an instrumental role in killing a lesser god?


    Although I find those rumors over-exaggerated I still believe he is the best fighter that the university for nourishment has to offer.


    His absence is the most perplexing" Zhi Cook said, as he stopped meditating while bncing his weight on a single toe of his body, and got back down on both feet.


    "In this entire generation, he is the only worthy opponent that I wished to face" Zhi said, as he looked towards the stars and wondered if he was not fated to fight with the legendary Champion Of Gemini.


    "What is the reason behind the university for nourishment to not nominate Rocky?" Zhi asked his younger martial brother, who quickly read the instructions letter in his hand, but found no mention of the reason behind why Rocky was not chosen to represent his school.


    "There is nothing mentioned here, brother Zhi, but maybe the elder knows" his younger martial brother said, as Zhi Cook began walking towards the elders residence at once.


    Zhi, was the Champion Of Buddha, one of the 6 first generation gods, and the day that he was endowed with the power of Buddha, he was also told by the patron god, that he must try and always stay a step ahead of Rocky Yadav, if he ever wished to be a legendary champion.


    With Rocky as his goal, Zhi trained day and night, dreaming about their first encounter with each other being at the university tournament, however, for some reason it seemed as if Rocky had not been nominated as a contestant in the tournament from his university.


    It could either be his own choice to not join the university tournament, or a calcted decision by Principal Liam, however, Zhi felt discontent with this matter nheless.


    For him, fighting Rocky was a must on his martial path to the top of the tower, as he yearned to feel, what the battle with the best of his generation would feel like?

 Chapter 159: A challenge

    ( Back at the university )


    The individual that was most surprised that Sophia somehow managed to clear the S ranked promotion test was none other than Epita.


    Looking at Sophia''s IQ, she seriously doubted if the girl would be able to survive something as intense as the S ranked pool, however, it seemed like fate was on her side.


    Somehow, she did manage toplete the promotion test and emerged out of the pool stronger than ever before.


    After a bit of self gloating, she returned to the university, wishing to flex her new-found strength in front of Rocky, however, before she could do so, she was interrupted by Buhara.


    "Yooo, pretty woman! Look at this big staff, it''s Buhara''s new weapon! Isn''t it legendary-" Buhara said happily, as he showed his new staff to Sophia who was the least interested in how happy Buhara was.


    She inspected the grade of the weapon and was satisfied to see that it was a (Legendary) grade weapon, which meant that it couldst Buhara from now up till he reached lesser God-Hood without much problems.


    "Great weapon Buhara, good for you-" she said, scoffing internally, as she thought about how once she handed Rocky to her father, he would most likely bestow her with a semi-divine or divine weapon that would out-ss Buhara''s by miles.


    In her head, the only reason behind why Buhara got this massive staff in the first ce was because herself and Rocky had to be pulled out of the mid-semester exams for security reasons.


    '' Rocky was slightly stronger than mest month, however, now that I''ve undergone a higher promotion than him, I think I might be stronger than him again-'' Sophia thought, as even as Buhara swung his battle ax/staff in front of her happily, all her thoughts were focused on her powerparison with Rocky.


    "Also, green eyed human, this Orc Buhara, wishes to express his deepest apologies to you-" Buhara said, his expression turning grim as he put his staff down and bowed his head solemnly.


    "Apology? Why?" Sophia asked, as she could not understand why Buhara would want to apologize to her, especially since he had not offended her in the first ce.


    "Buhara has decided to join Rocky in his Champion''s party. So after university, Buhara will no longer be your team-mate.


    However, Buhara will still be your good friend for life-" Buhara said, as Sophia furrowed her brows at thisment.


    "Rocky has already started to recruit his Champion''s party? Who else has he invited?" She asked, sounding genuinely surprised, as Buhara looked up and started to think about it for a bit.


    "Rocky has invited puny Erin to the group as well-" Buhara said, as Sophia almost burst outughing listening to his words.


    ''Erin and Buhara? What is he trying to make, a team of retards and losers?


    Erin is a scaredy cat, he will run like a wimp when blood stters on his face in an actual battle.


    And Buhara? That guy''s an ORC trying to be a MAGE. Although he''s currently performing well in the university, it doesn''t mean he will have a sessful career as a mage.


    At some point he will have to delve into the research side of magic and he doesn''t have the brains for it.


    I did not take Rocky for the sentimental kind¡­.. although they are his room mates, he went too far trying to pick them as Champion''s party member Sophia thought, as she tapped Buhara on his shoulder and walked past him.


    "It''s  okay, Buhara, I wanted to form a different party of my own after university anyways¡­.." Sophia said, as Buhara sighed in relief when he heard those words.


    To him, it really mattered that he did not upset Sophia who was his dear friend and hence, this apology was actually serious for him.


    Now that Sophia had forgave him for joining Rocky''s team, Buhara felt extremely happy and as if a rock had been lifted off his chest.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Rocky was busy attuning himself to his new-found strength, when Sophia came searching for him in the swordsmanship arena.


    "Hey Rocky! Your sparring partner is finally back-" said Sophia, as she distracted Rocky from the attack that he was making.


    "Tch-" Rocky muttered under his breath, feeling frustrated that Sophia had interrupted his practise, however, he did not let it show on his face, as he calmly controlled his expression.


    "Oh? Congrattions on a sessful promotion-" Rocky said, with a fake smile on his face, as Sophia felt giddy when beingplemented by Rocky.


    "Ipleted my test from the S ranked pool. A cut above you¡­.. it was truly difficult-" Sophia said, flicking her hair, as Rocky softly pped for her, while pretending to be impressed.


    ''What a fool¡­. Telling me her promotion grade all by herself'' Rocky thought, as he smiled and extended his hand in congrattions.


    "Well done-" he said, as he shook her hand, as Sophia proudly clenched it and said "Well, I think I''m on-par or stronger than you after this promotion once again, so how about we spar?"


    Rocky tried hard from keeping his left eye from twitching when he heard thisment, however, he failed to do so, as in the end Sophia''s foolishness made him cringe.


    "Good¡­.good¡­.. good¡­.. friendly rivalry is always good-" a familiar voice said, as a third party suddenly interfered between Rocky and Sophia''s conversation.


    As Rocky and Sophia turned their heads to see who it was, they saw a nodding Principal Liam walking towards them, as Sophia subconsciously covered both her cheeks with her palms, as she feared being pped for no reason by the mad principal.


    "You¡­. Rocky boy! You have a spar to prepare for-" Liam said, out of nowhere, as Rocky was confused as to what the principal meant by instructing him to prepare for a spar?


    "What do you mean, principal?" Rocky asked, as Liampletely ignored Sophia and looked straight into Rocky''s eyes.


    "You are the most talented student I have seen enter these university walls in thest 20 years.


    If you were not a walking time-bomb and a security threat to yourself as well as those around you¡­.. I would have wanted nothing more than you participating in the Open University Tournament.


    However, because I cannot guarantee your safety at public events, I haven''t enrolled either you or the Champion Of Poseidon into the open tournament, which has apparently upset a few individuals.


    In any case, there is a student from the Shaolin Monk University who has put in a formal application for a spar against you in three weeks and I have epted it.


    That kid is a Champion Of Gods just like you, so don''t underestimate him.


    Prepare well for this spar-" Liam said, as he pulled a few strands of his hair out of his beard and then began smelling his torn hair like a weirdo.


    "Principal Liam, what about me? Have I not been challenged alongside Rocky?" Sophia asked, as Liam turned towards Sophia and scanned her from top to bottom, before letting out a deep sigh.


    "Why would anyone want to challenge you?" He said in disapproval, as he left Sophia red faced by hisments.

 Chapter 160: Challenging Zhi

    Sophia was deeply unsettled by the fact that Rocky was supposed to face a challenge from an external champion in three weeks'' time, while she had been overlooked.


    The condescending tone with which Liam looked at her as if she was not a big deal, made Sophia feel jealous to her core as that gaze kept her up at night, preventing her from a good night''s sleep.


    In her perspective, she was every bit Rocky''s equal; however, the way her peers and instructors at the university regarded her made her feel distinctly inferior.


    Under these circumstances, she believed that defeating this third champion before Rocky had the chance, could significantly boost her stature within the university and help her earn the respect that she so desperately craved from everyone around her.


    Over the following week, as Rocky had dedicated himself to mastering his newly acquired strength and honing his skills for the anticipated duel, Sophia kept herself equally busy.


    Having her sight set on uncovering the identity of this mysterious external champion, she aimed to challenge him herself, intent on proving her own worth.


    To achieve this, she utilized the vast resources at her disposal through the Olympian n, orchestrating a thorough investigation into the champion that was enrolled at Shaolin Monk University, with but a single goal in mind, which was to issue a challenge for a one on one duel before he could face Rocky.


    After a few days of investigation, her scouts reported back to her that the Champion from the Shaolin Monk University was a devout follower of the Ancient God Buddha, who himself was an inactive god whose status was in a limbo.


    He was not an active part of the tower politics for several millennia now and had not involved himself in any major conflicts for centuries.


    Apart from the selection of a new champion every few centuries, following the death of the previous one, the god Buddha had shown no signs of life in the tower, and hence in Sophia''s mind he was not a figure thatmanded her respect.


    Despite the active continuation of his religious practices and the preservation of hisbat techniques through ancient schools of thought, Sophia dismissed the new champion, Zhi Cook, as a inconsequential weakling, as in her view, Buddha was a forgotten deity with no current relevance and hence his Champion was bound to be average at best.


    And hence, after Zhi had epted her challenge, Sophia entered the Shaolin Monk University with a brazen and defiant attitude, ready to assert her dominance,pletely unaware of the kind of beast that she was going to face.


    As she crossed the threshold into the Shaolin Monk University, her nose immediately wrinkled in distaste.


    The training environment of the ancient school was a far cry from the polished, modern training facilities she was ustomed to at the university for nourishment of young talents.


    Instead of modern training halls and training dummies, around her, students dressed in loose robes moved through uneven ground, grappling and training in muddy courtyards with their equipment seemingly as ancient as the techniques they practiced.


    As Sophia observed this scene, she couldn''t help but scoff quietly to herself, as  these training methods seemed too primitive and too out of touch, whenpared to the advancedbat strategies she had mastered.


    As her guide led her through the campus grounds, her disdain only grew.


    ''How could anyone who trained in such a ce pose any real challenge?'' She wondered, as her evaluation of Zhi dropped even further, before she even met him.


    Eventually, as her guide led her into the university''s only properly tiled dual arena, she finally gazed upon Zhi Cook, her opponent for today.


    Zhi was practicing a sequence of fluid, controlled movements that seemed to embody the tranquility of a flowing river before Sophia entered, however, to Sophia he and his movements looked unremarkable and certainly unlike something that the formidable opponent she hoped to face would do.


    As she stepped forward, Zhi stopped his movements and turned to face her.


    With his face bearing a serene expression, Zhi deeply bowed, his palms pressed together in a traditional gesture.


    "Amitabha," Zhi greeted her warmly. "Wee to our humble school. It is my pleasure to face the Champion Of Poseidon today- " he said, as Sophia unsheathed her sword and pointed it towards him, in a rude disy.


    Sophia''s lips thinned into a polite, yet cold smile. "I''m not interested in making small talk, only here to fight-" she announced, not bothering to return his courteous gesture.


    Zhi blinked twice in confusion, before looking at the long bearded monk behind him, who was his master.


    "Hohohoho, we have an uncultured monkey before us-" the old monk said as he chuckled heartily.


    "Drop the courteousness brother Zhi, she doesn''t deserve it-" a small kid with snot running down his nose said, as Zhi looked towards his master for approval to be discourteous, to which his master agreed.


    Almost instantly, his whole demeanor changed from that of a monk to one of a street thug, as his serene eyes were reced by a sharpness and his taught posture was reced by a natural arrogance.


    "Okay, listen to me you piece of shit-" Zhi began, as Sophia widened her eyes in disbelief.


    "I''m only fighting you as a warm-up. It''s public knowledge that you have never beaten the Champion Of Gemini in your university and are the number two fighter around.


    The only reason I''m facing you is because I want to gauge his strength level and nothing more.


    So drop the arrogance and be humble bitch-" Zhi said, as it was Sophia''s turn to blink twice now as she waspletely dumbfounded by his words.


    "What?" Sophia said, unable toprehend Zhi''s sudden rudeness, as all the monks around her began tough at her.


    "First of all, while I haven''t beat Rocky yet, all that is in the past, ever since I''vepleted my tier promotion, I''m confident that I''m stronger than him.


    And secondly, you will pay for the impudence with which you just talked to me-" Sophia dered angrily, as Zhi Cook covered his yawn with a palm and pointed three fingers towards Sophia.


    "Three moves¡­.. just survive three moves and the victory will be yours-" he said confidently, as Sophia clutched her sword hard in annoyance.


    ---------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 161: Delusional Sophia

    Zhi made a bold im to defeat Sophia within three moves, a statement that stoked the fires of her indignation.


    ''Just who the hell do you think you are to im that you can defeat me in three moves? Not even Rocky can defeat me in three moves, so there is no way that you can-'' Sophia thought to herself as she snorted audibly and pointed her unsheathed sword towards Zhi.


    "Three? If you think I''ll stand still and let you make three moves then you are mistaken.


    I''m not here to defend, and I''ll be going all out from the start." Sophia said, as she thought that Zhi was trying to y mind games with her, forcing her to defend for three moves and establishing a tactical advantage in the fight early on, as she did not think that his opponent seriously thought that he could defeat her in only three moves.


    Zhi simply nodded to her words, his expression serene as he sped his hands behind his back. "As you wish, Champion of Poseidon. Show me your strength." He said, as he intended to face Sophia, an armed opponent without any weapons on him.


    "Really? You''re gonna start the fight in that stance and without a weapon? Are you not afraid I''ll cut you in half?" Sophia asked, feeling humiliated, as her opponent did not seem to take her seriously at all.


    "You are not worthy enough for me to pick up a weapon. But if you think you can cut me down, then please try your best. Those wounds will only serve as a reminder for me to never underestimate an opponent in the future, should I be proved wrong-" Zhi said, as Sophia wasted no more time in attacking him.


    [de of Poseidon]


    Drawing her sword, Sophia channeled her inner mana to create a sharp, piercing sword strike that seemed to have wind and water elemental nature attached to the move as it cut through the arena tiles like a jet of water that rocketed towards Zhi.


    It was a move that she had learned from the Olympian n''s secret repository and was a move that was far superior to most attacks avable at the university.


    For a warrior, the attacks that they were capable of learning greatly depended on their physical body strength and their tier.


    Technically, there was nothing stopping a tier0 warrior from learning a tier5 attack, however, they would either fall short of the required mana to cast the move, or fall short of the necessary body strength needed to withstand the casting.


    Whenever an attack was used, it ced strain on the attackers muscles and mana circuit and hence the physical condition of the fighter greatly restricted the attacks that they could cast.


    Sophia, being in excellent physical shape and possessing excellent genes and mana capacity, could cast tier2 attacks despite being a tier1 fighter, which was the source of her confidence in defeating Rocky and any other opponent she faced at the same tier.


    Havingplete faith in the superiority of her family''s attacks, she felt extremely sure that Zhi would never be able to defend against them, as in terms of attack speed and piercing power, her attacks were practically unmatched at their strength tier.


    But to her absolute surprise Zhi, with an almost imperceptible movement, sidestepped the attack, the attack slicing past him without effect, as he seemed to move at an unreal speed that Sophia could never have estimated.


    "One," he said calmly, with his eyes fixed on hers as he did not even lose sight of her momentarily through blinking.


    Sophia gritted her teeth, she could notprehend as to how he could dismiss her attack so easily?


    Her mind raced, her heart pounded, but her pride spurred her on as she charged towards him, sword poised to strike.


    [Raging Torrent sh]


    This time, her de moved in a blur, aimed to overwhelm Zhi with a series of rapid, powerful shes.


    But Zhi, with his hands still behind his back, leaned back just inches away from each strike as he moved in a smooth and unhurried fashion.


    "Two," he counted, almost as if he were bored.


    Sophia''s frustration mounted with each missed attack. Her usual calm and control began slipping as they were reced by a growing desperation.


    She couldn''t understand how her opponent could remain soposed, so untouchable, as she felt like she was fighting Rocky all over again, with mocking gazes piercing her from all directions.


    ''Am I so weak that I cannot even fight an outdated monk? Is he really that good? Or am I that shit?'' Sophia wondered, as her breathing quickened and hermand over her senses became fuzzy.


    "Why do you fight with so much anger?" Zhi questioned, his voice cutting through the din of her flurried attacks. "What are you truly fighting against?"


    His words echoed in her mind, but Sophia shook them off. This was no time for reflection; this was a time for action.


    Pulling back, she gathered all her energy.


    [Celestial Cleave]


    Her entire being focused into one decisive, powerful overhead strike, aiming to cleave Zhi in two with the force of her blow.


    It was a killing blow, an attack that was not supposed to be used in a friendly duel, as if itnded, it could actually kill Zhi, however, Sophia in her frenzy lost her sense of better judgment.


    However, not bothered by her attack at all Zhi responded by finally moving his hands from behind his back, but it was still not to attack.


    Instead, he raised one hand, palm open toward Sophia as she approached.


    [ Dharma Palm ]


    [ Monk''s Push ]


    With a deft movement that Sophia could not even track, Zhi moved at such a rapid pace that he practically teleported before her eyes, as he suddenly appeared before her, preventing her from following through with her overhead strike, intercepting her move before she could even make it.


    Touching her forehead lightly, Zhi used her own momentum against her, stopping her cold in her tracks.


    "Three," he whispered, as Sophia could feel the mana strength behind that palm that could explode her head if unleashed, however, Zhi was holding back. Gracing her with mercy.


    "Told you, I only need three," Zhi said, showing Sophia a victorious smile as Sophia stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief.


    ''Just how did he stop me and the full force of my attack with a single touch?'' She wondered, as her legs began to tremble and her pride was crushed.


    Zhi stepped back, allowing her some personal space as he said "You possess great strength, Sophia, but you let anger guide you. It clouds your judgment and leads you astray. Learn to control it, and you will be unstoppable."


    Sophia''s knees buckled, as she sank to the ground, the realization dawning on her. She had lost, not just the fight, but control over herself. Zhi hadn''t just defeated her physically; he had dismantled her mentally, forcing her to confront her own limitations and the misced foundation of her confidence.


    ''I''m not the best¡­. I''m not as strong as Rocky and I''m not even in the same realm as this bald monk'' Sophia thought, as more than the humiliation of her defeat, she felt crushed by having her own self image being destroyed, as she realized that she wasn''t as big of a deal as she thought she was.


    As Zhi turned to leave, he paused and looked back at Sophia onest time as he said "When you rise, rise not just with strength, but with wisdom. Remember, a true champion conquers not just their opponents, but themselves."


    Sophia watched him walk away, his words resonating within her, a mix of defeat and enlightenment coiling within her thoughts, maybe she did need to reflect internally and realize where exactly she fit in the pecking order in the universe.


    She still felt that she was a cut above normal people, however, after her defeat to Zhi she felt as if maybe she wasn''t as strong a champion as she thought she was.


    ''Is it my fault? Or is it because their Champion''s support them with help beyond the Champion''s brand?


    Does the old Buddha God endow his champion with some special strength that my family does not?'' She wondered, as she deluded herself into believing that maybe Rocky and Zhi were supported by their patron gods more than what Poseidon supported her with.


    In the end, she once again managed to convince herself that her defeat today wasn''t her own fault, but rather because the universe was conspiring against her, as wiping her tears, she walked out of the Shaolin Monk University as a humbled individual who had newfound respect for their ancestral ways of training.


    /// A/N - My apologies if the editing of this chapter is patchy. I don''t have ess to myptop today and had to write this chapter in a hurry.


    I will surely fix itter¡­. But my sincerest apologies for the patchy quality today. ///

 Chapter 162: All-time low.

    "MY SISTER DID WHAT?" Perseus screamed in anger as he could not believe the report he had just received.


    It seemed like Sophia had allocated considerable family resources in the past few days towards finding out who exactly Zhi Cook was, and after finding out everything there was to know about him, challenged him to a friendly duel.


    In Perseus''s mind, the challenge itself was unnecessary as he was a firm believer in keeping one''s true strength hidden and did not think that showing off what one was capable of in friendly spars was a good idea at all, however, even if he let Sophia''s nature of showing off slide, what he could not wrap his head around was how Sophia could lose to a monk?


    Zhi Cook was the Champion Of Buddha, a god who himself was passive and did not believe in fighting unless it was absolutely necessary.


    This made the techniques that he created and propagated, being centered more around defense rather than offense, whereas the techniques of Poseidon were designed to shake heaven and Earth.


    Sophia having been given explicit ess to the best family techniques at her tier should have easily been able to defeat Zhi, however, ording to the report, not only did she lose pretty badly, but she also made a mockery of family techniques which were now being mocked as useless within the Shaolin Monk University.


    "She''s a disgrace¡­. An utter disgrace¡­" Perseus said while seething in anger as he began to doubt whether Sophia was really his blood rted sister? Or someone that his father had adopted out of mercy?


    Although he did love his sister and was generally protective of her, that little soft spot that he had for her was beginning to fade fast ever since she had joined the university for nourishment of young talents and stepped foot into the tower.


    Ever since setting her foot outside floor 21, she had be a constant source of humiliation for the Olympian bloodline, aspared to other champions of her age, she was quite visibly underpetent.


    "As if being called inferior to the Champion Of Gemini wasn''t enough, she will now be mocked as being Zhi Cook''s little bitch too¡­..


    Defeated in 3 moves? How is that useless bitch even an Olympian?" Perseus wondered, as he wrote a scathing letter in anger, absolutely reprimanding Sophia for herck of proper judgment, using some harshnguage in his letter that was purposefully written to make her feel shame.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Sophia )


    Sophia began to sob uncontrobly after she received Perseus'' reprimanding letter a day after her defeat to Zhi.


    [ Sophia,


    What the hell were you thinking? I just got wind of yourtest stunt, and frankly, I''m appalled. Challenging Zhi Cook? And then losing so miserably? You''ve not only embarrassed yourself but you''ve dragged our family''s name through the mud.


    Did you forget what our techniques stand for? They''re designed to dominate, to showcase the power of the Olympian lineage, not to be unted in pointless duels that end in humiliation. What you''ve done is a disgrace to everything our family has worked for.


    Your actions have turned our revered techniques into aughing stock at the Shaolin Monk University. How do you expect to be taken seriously when you throw away our advantages so carelessly? You''ve made a mockery of our legacy.


    And to be defeated in three moves¡ªwhat a spectacr failure. You''ve proven yourself not just ipetent, but a liability. I''m beginning to question if you''re really of Olympian blood or just a monumental mistake.


    You need to seriously reconsider your approach or step aside and stop dragging us down with you. Don''t bother replying until you''ve figured out how to rectify this disgrace.


    Perseus ]


    Her confidence was already at an all-time low after facing defeat against Zhi, however, the letter from her brother made it infinitely worse.


    In her heart, the only thing that she ever really wanted was to make her family proud and for the people around her to look at her with the same reverence that the people around her father looked at him.


    However, whenever she tried to do something that would help her gain street credit, it always ended in spectacr failure as Sophia started to feel genuinely depressed and under confident in her own abilities.


    *Sob* *Sob*


    Crying inconsbly, she began cursing herself for being so useless, her brother for being so inconsiderate, and Zhi for being an asshole.


    Her base nature did not allow her to me herself for anything for too long and hence although she did feel guilty about the mess she had created at first, it slowly evolved into her ming everyone but herself for her mistakes.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly, as she was crying inconsbly in her dorm room alone, she heard someone knock on her door, prompting her to tidy up as best as she could before answering the door.


    "Yes?" She said, opening the door, as she was surprised to see Rocky standing outside, while being covered in dust and blood.


    "Rocky?" She asked, sounding surprised, as she did not expect him to show up at her dorm at all.


    "May Ie in?" Rocky said, looking at the empty room behind her, as Sophia gestured for him to enter, although she found his current body odor to be slightly repulsive.


    "Are you hurt?" She asked as a sign ofmon courtesy, however, Rocky shook his head and replied that he was not.


    "I actually just came back frompleting the floor 11 raid with Buhara and Erin, however, was summoned to Principal Liam''s office as soon as I was back-" Rocky said, as he proceeded to give Sophia a quick recap of what happened.


    Since today was a Sunday, Rocky alongside Erin and Buhara went on their weekly floor raid, which happened to be floor 11 this week.


    The quest that they received on floor 11 was to clear a kobold dungeon which the trio expertly did in under three hours, however, the dungeon was small and covered in coal, which forced Rocky to engage in a lot of soot covered close quarterbat, resulting in several gushes of hot kobold blood to ssh all over his body alongside dirty coal soot.


    While he had every intention of bathing upon his return, he was immediately summoned by Liam in his office when he was back, where Liam told him about Sophia''s challenge against Zhi and her pathetic defeat.


    Although Rocky was secretly thrilled to hear about Sophia''s humiliating defeat, he also understood the significance of this moment in breaking through her guard.


    Fully aware that Sophia would be exceptionally vulnerable after her loss, Rocky recognized a rare opportunity to prate her usually imprable defenses if he yed his cards right, and decided to head straight towards her dorm room, hoping to console her in this trying time.


    Narrating a slightly altered version of this tale, one where he portrayed himself to be extremely ''concerned'' for Sophia''s well-being after hearing about her defeat, Rocky tried his best to smooth-talk with Sophia, as he ced his hand over hers and looked straight into her eyes.


    "I can see the dried up tears on your cheeks¡­. If you want someone to talk to¡­. I''m here" Rocky said sincerely, as Sophia felt tears welling up inside her eyes when Rocky said these words.


    While her guard was usually up against Rocky, today as she was at her very rock bottom, she was looser than usual, as she allowed herself to sob with Rocky watching, giving in to the wall of tears that she was trying to hold back.


    "So Liam knows too¡­. Perfect, how perfect¡­. Did the Shaolin Monk University broadcast my loss to the entire tower in under 24 hours? So much for being monks¡­. They are not better than gossip girls" Sophia said, as she could imagine her reputation within the university taking another major hit after news of her defeat spread, as just thinking about it made her want to cry some more.


    *Sob*


    *Sob*


    "Sophia, don''t cry¡­. I for one don''t think you lost because you were inferior to him at all-" Rocky said, as he clutched her hand tight and looked deep into her eyes.


    "Huh? I was defeated in under three moves, Rocky¡­.. I was not a match against him" Sophia said, rejecting Rocky''s sweet talk as even she found his im to be utterly ridiculous.


    "No, listen to me. I''ll tell you why exactly you''re looking at this wrong-" Rocky said, persisting upon his opinion as Sophia looked towards him with hope in her eyes.


    "Do you know how even the smallest fire can burn the whole forest under the right conditions?¡­. However, that same small fire bes powerless against small amounts of water?


    It''s just a case of you having a bad matchup. You''re fire and Zhi is water¡­. ording to what I heard, he''s just the type of fighter that''s your natural enemy.


    I don''t think he''s that strong¡­. I just think you''re not suited to beat him" Rocky said, trying to cook up some absurd logic to console Sophia, however, it worked like a charm.


    With Sophia''s tendency of believing that nothing was really ever her fault, she immediately epted Rocky''s exnation as if it was the most logical thing ever and beamed brightly.


    "You''re right! I''m an offensive fighter while that monk is slippery and defensive. He''s the worst nightmare for me and I was not even aware of his fighting style.


    If I fight him again, I won''t lose so pathetically at least.


    I was just taken by surprise and had the misfortune of facing a bad opponent-" Sophia said while nodding her head, as she seemed to find the perfect excuse to write in her letter back to her brother.


    "Exactly¡­. So don''t be sad¡­. I know big losses suck, especially for us champions who always have so many eyes on us, however, we must look past it-" Rocky said, striking while the iron was hot, as he managed to slide past Sophia''s defenses and managed to enter into a heart-to-heart chat with her.


    "You know Rocky, you''re the only one who treats me kindly¡­. Look at this letter that my brother sent me after my defeat, can you believe it? My own brother calling me a disgrace?" Sophia said, as she passed Rocky the letter written by Perseus, hoping that he could ridicule the letter with some absurd logic, just as he ridiculed her defeat, making her feel better.


    Clutching the letter and reading Sophia''s emotions perfectly with his aura eyes, Rocky began to act and talk with her precisely how she wanted him to, as he told her only sweet words that she wanted to hear.


    "My gosh, I can''t believe he really questioned your Olympian blood. Is that really your real brother? Are you sure he''s not adopted?" Rocky asked, as Sophia shook her head in dismay.


    "Look at you¡­.. a younger brother trying everything you can to save your sister. Then look at him¡­.. he''s really not deserving of being called my real brother-" Sophiained, as Rocky held back his smile.


    It was exactly such seeds of discord that he wished to nt within Sophia''s mind to eventually be able to manipte her and today he seemed to have taken the first step in that direction.


    ---------


    /// A/N - A single super long chapter today instead of two, as although the wordcount is over 1900 words, I don''t see any sense in breaking it in two parts. ///

 Chapter 163: Progress

    The next couple weeks passed by in a sh for Rocky, as he only focused on three things.


    Firstly on getting used to controlling the strength of his new body.


    Secondly on manipting Sophia.


    And Thirdly on clearing floor raids alongside Buhara and Erin to build teamwork.


    Completing three sessful floor raids, on three consecutive Sunday''s, Rocky reached floor 13 of the tower and was on-track toplete the 20 floor mandate set by the university before graduation.


    But not only did he make progress on this third goal, he also made incredible progress on the first two goals as well, as ever since he visited Sophia''s room and read the letter she received from her brother, the closeness between them seemed to have increased.


    Having figured out Sophia''s personality as a whole and getting a grasp of her narcissistic tendencies, Rocky knew exactly how to push her buttons now as he made rapid progress in breaching through her defences.


    Rocky realised that while he could not seduce Sophia into loving him, since she was not the type that cared much about physical rtionship or emotional intimacy, he could manipte her into hating her family, which was why hepletely changed his approach in talking to her post the letter-incident.


    Every day, he woulde up with new ways to describe the importance of having a supportive family condusive to growth and how it was her family that was failing her and holding her back from bing the warrior that she was capable of, as he sowed the seeds of dissent and discord in her heart.


    While Sophia never really showed Rocky any positive response when he was trying to form an intimate bond with her, when he shifted his approach to bitching about her family, she immediately warmed up to him and joined him inining about how useless and unsupportive they were, while slipping important tit-bits of information within her rants that Rocky was keen to pick up on.


    While Sophia did not suspect anything and believed that she was being extremely discreet in her conversation with Rocky, not broaching subjects such as the abduction of Riva or the Olympus n''s ns for him.


    She did slip information such as the secret underground alleyways that ran underneath the Floor21 pce and how she used them to sneak out of the pce as a kid using them and was always scolded as a rebel.


    These bits of information, while seeming harmless to Sophia for sharing, were invaluable for Rocky, as he knew that it mighte in handy for the eventual raid that the True Elites were nning on floor21 soon.


    Finally, on the personal development front. Rocky managed to get a decent hold on the strength of his new body and learnt a couple good sword moves too in preperation of his uing fight with Zhi Cook.


    After Zhi defeated Sophia with ease, Rocky already realised that he was not a push-over and needed to be taken seriously, however, while he did respect the strength of his opponent, the spar itself was not one of his priorities currently as he did not care much about winning or losing it.


    Of course he did not wish to lose if possible, however, even if he did, Rocky did not feel like the bout was important enough to make him regret losing, which was why his attitude towards the fight was casual, unlike Zhi''s, for whom this spar meant everything.


    Since Buddha himself had given Zhi the goal to treat Rocky as a rival and try surpass him at every stage of his life as a climber, for Zhi their first bout was for him to get a feel for the nature and strength of his opponent, which made him feel extremely excited.


    Being a SSS rated talent himself, he had never found a worthy rival since childhood, as everyone that could keep up with him inbat were either peers elder to him by several decades or his master who only toyed with him during training.


    In such an environment, the appearance of Rocky was like a dreame true for Zhi, as he felt like he was roaring with excitement and vigor from just the thought of finally facing a worthy rival.


    **********


    ( Monday, Swordsmanship ss )


    Professor Mae suspended the Swordsmanship ss on Monday, in favor of the scheduled spar between Zhi and Rocky, as almost half of the first year university students ditched their sses and gathered in the swordsmanship training arena where the fight had been scheduled to take ce.


    Rumors about Sophia''s grim defeat at the hands of Zhi had circted throughout the university and excitement was rtively high to witness the sh between two top ss champions.


    Rocky had already established himself as being a cut above the rest of the ss after he solo''d the entire swordsmanship ss alone. However, many were hyping Zhi up as an equally worthy opponent, so anticipation was high for their bout.


    Having been instructed to wait for his opponent respectfully by Principal Liam, Rocky arrived to the swordsmanship training arena five minutes before Zhi, where he casually warmed up, preparing his body for the uing spar.


    "Crush him Rocky! Show him the might of our university!"


    "Don''t lose face for us all! We are rooting for you-"


    "One of our university''s champions has already lost to that bastard, if you lose as well then we would really have no face left to show-"


    The gathered crowd hyped him up before the fight as it was clear that he was the home favorite to win this fight.


    Sophia, Erin and Buhara had also taken seats within the stands, as Sophia visibly shuddered with shame and anger when anyone from the crowd brought up the topic of her defeat.


    She felt an urge to walk down to the arena and rece Rocky as the fighter for today, however, she knew that even if she wanted to redeem herself by forcing Zhi to ept a rematch, Principal Liam would never allow that bout to take ce and hence she refrained herself from interfering, and recused herself to be just a spectator.

 Chapter 164: Meeting Zhi

    Zhi tagged behind his master and Principal Liam as the two elders chatted happily while Liam personally led them through the university halls.


    One would expect the two to have a cultured conversation, given their stature as the principals of two of the most prestigious universities on floor zero, however, their conversation was anything but cultured.


    "I must say, Mu Ban, your beard does look amazing. It has no freckles, no frizz, it''s just so straight, shiny and sexy" Liam said, as he admired Mu Ban''s long and luscious beard.


    "The secret to my beard is Trond horse poop. I apply a pack twice a week on my full beard¡­.. it makes my beard as long and sexy as a horse''s tail" Mu Ban said as Liam nodded in keen interest.


    "As you can see, I suffer from a lot of beard entanglement¡­. Maybe I could use some horse poop myself-" Liam said, as he pointed towards his own curly and patchy beard, which Mu Ban inspected with keen interest.


    "I was once admiring a horse''s tail and that''s when it struck me¡ª A moment of pure genius if I say¡­.." Mu Ban said, while stroking his beard.


    "Horse''s tails are always covered in their poop, but they look so good. I thought the pool must be secret to their hair quality and I was absolutely right¡­. The stupid alchemists try brewing all sorts of beard oils, however, nothing beats Trond horse poop.


    It''s organic and best for the beard" Mu Ban said, as Zhi could not help but feel ufortable listening to the two esteemed elders talk about poop and beard.


    Thankfully their conversation was cut short by their arrival to the swordsmanship training arena, where Rocky was already waiting for Zhi to show up.


    Zhi immediately began sizing Rocky up upon arriving at the swordsmanship training arena as the two locked eyes and began gauging each other.


    Zhi was notably shorter than Rocky, being only 5 ''11", which made Rocky seem like a towering giant in front of him with his massive orcish frame.


    Although Rocky covered his upper torso with a loose t-shirt, Zhi could still make out the shape of his rippling muscles under the fabric as it was pretty obvious that Rocky was in tremendous physical shape, with each muscle tissue on his body seemingly pronounced and well defined.


    "What a freak of nature¡­." Zhi murmured under his breath, as just by being in Rocky''s presence he felt pressured and intimidated as if he was a mere mortal in the presence of a True Champion Of God.


    On the other hand, as Rocky observed Zhi, he did not find his opponent to be anything special.


    A bald monk covered in loose robes, Zhi looked like he was slightly malnourished, as although his muscles were well defined and visible under his skin, he looked like he weighed 50-60 kilograms maximum, which was way too lean for his height.


    He did not exude an aura of dominance at all and was pretty unnoticeable in a crowded room if one was not explicitly focusing on him.


    Unlike Rocky, Zhi did not carry himself with the maic energy of someone who was the Champion Of God and was pretty calm and mundane as the most noticeable feature about him was the bald shiny head over his head, which seemed polished and clean like a new bowling bowl.


    "Shall we?" Liam said to Mu Ban, as the two principals took a seat amongst the crowd of spectators, while Zhi made his way to the center of the swordsmanship arena where Rocky was waiting for him.


    "KICK HIS BUTT!"


    "THAT MONK LOOKS SO WEAK, SOMEONE FEED HIM SOME MEAT"


    "GET MORE PROTEIN IN YOUR DIET BUDDY-"


    Shouts like these were directed from the crowd towards Zhi as they tried to throw him off his pre-match game, in support of the home boy Rocky, however, their chants seemed to be falling on deaf ears, as Zhi did not react to them at all.


    Unbothered, he kept staring in Rocky''s eyes, as he removed a pair of nunchucks hidden inside his pants and assumed a fighting stance.


    "Amitabha, I must say that it''s an honor to fight you. I''m hoping to draw out your best¡­. Also, don''t worry, for I shall not try to kill or maim you-" Zhi said respectfully as he bowed slightly before Rocky.


    Rocky raised an eyebrow at Zhi''s words, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.


    "Don''t worry about me, monk. I''ll make sure this is a fight that you won''t forget." He said, as he unsheathed his dual swords as well and assumed his own fighting stance, with muscles coiled and ready to unleash their strength.


    Zhi bowed slightly, his nunchucks held steady. "Amitabha, I''m honored to face you here today, may we both learn a lot and grow from this encounter."


    Rocky nodded respectfully. "Absolutely. Every match is a lesson, and I''m looking forward to seeing what you''ve got."


    Zhi''s expression remained calm. "A calm mind that speaks with rity¡­. I''m already impressed Sir Rocky, for your friend Miss Sophia did not show such rity in judgment.


    She was hasty and easy to throw off her game, however, you seem like a more sensible opponent" he said, as Rocky chuckled at his words.


    "Well I''m not her, and while my friend might have made the mistake of underestimating you, I won''t do the same-" Rocky said, as he did not me Sophia for losing against Zhi and tried to save some face for her.


    "You should definitely not underestimate me, as while I am impressed by your incredible physique and mental rity, I still have the utmost confidence in my ability to win this fight-" Zhi said, as Rocky''s cocky grin only grew wider.


    While he was not really feeling fired up for this fight before meeting Zhi, the more he talked to the monk, the more he felt the urge to crush him, as by this point he was more than ready to go all out and win no matter the cost, as he really wished to humble the cocky monk.


    ¡ª---------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 165: Rocky Vs Zhi

    "Keep in mind, this is only a spar boys¡­. So there is no need to kill or maim each other¡­.


    Firstly, I won''t let you kill each other and will intervene if one of your lives is threatened. However, let''s assume that you do hurt each other permanently, identally or otherwise...


    the penalty that you will receive will be equal in severity as the pain of your opponent" Professor Mae warned, as looking at the sparks flying in the air between the two champions, she made sure to drive the point home, that permanent injuries were not allowed.


    "Yeah don''t worry Instructor Mae, I won''t kill this bald monk¡­.. just humbling him will do-" Rocky said, as Zhi grinned at his remark, Rocky''s cocky attitude ring his own ego as well.


    "Amitabha, I have no intentions of taking your life either, however, I too shall try my best to humble you-" Zhi said, as it was Rocky''s turn to sneer now.


    "Alright, since you both understand the rules of this spar, let''s begin-" Professor Mae said, as she stood between the two champions and gave the signal for the fight to begin.


    "Begin-" she said, moving out of their way, as Rocky sprung into action immediately.


    As soon as Professor Mae gave the signal, Rocky surged forward, his twin swords gleaming as heunched a barrage of fast-paced strikes at Zhi.


    [ Sword Projection ]


    [ Wind de ]


    Coupling sword projection with wind de, Rocky unleashed a barrage of sword attacks towards Zhi as he charged and closed down the gap between them every second.


    The air around the duo hummed with the intensity of Rocky''s attacks as the power behind them seemed to be strong enough to cleave boulders in half, yet Rocky was able to unleash 7-12 such strikes every second.


    Zhi, calm and collected, responded with equal speed, his nunchucks whirling in a blur of motion. Each of Rocky''s strikes were met with a swift block or parry as he managed to neutralize Rocky''s attacks all the way until their weapons finally shed against one another physically.


    *CLANG*


    *CLANG*


    *CLANG*


    .


    .


    .


    .


    *CLANG*


    The metallic sh of weapons started to ring out across the arena, as Rocky''s sword strikes were deflected by Zhi with his nunchucks, as sparks flew every time that their weapons shed.


    Rocky put considerable strength behind each sword swing, his movements powerful and precise.


    Yet, despite the ferocity of his assault, Zhi''s defense held firm as the monk''s movements were fluid, with his nunchucks spinning and snapping with pinpoint uracy.


    At this stage it seemed like both fighters were testing each other and probing for weaknesses, as they both seemed to be surprised at the amount of strength that their opponent was hiding.


    Apparently both had the same idea of not going all out in this fight, however, after crossing weapons, both realized the folly of their thoughts and began to take the fight more seriously.


    The crowd watched in hushed anticipation, the initial jeers and taunts directed towards Zhi falling silent as the sheer skill of him as a fighter became apparent.


    Matching a freak like Rocky move for move, it was clear to everyone watching that Zhi was no ordinary fighter at all and that this fight was going to be extremely interesting as Rocky seemed to have finally found his match.


    Rocky could feel the strength and speed behind Zhi''s blocks and counters as he realized that the monk was no ordinary opponent.


    ''This guy is strong,'' Rocky thought, as a spark of excitement ignited within him.


    Zhi, for his part, was equally impressed with Rocky, as his opponent seemed to be everything that he hoped for and more, as just like Rocky, he too was gradually increasing the strength behind each of his blow, however, failing miserably in pushing Rocky back nheless.


    ''He''s holding back, just like me,''  Zhi realized as his fighting spirit red even brighter.


    As the tempo of their fight increased, the two warriors began to push each other harder, their strikes bing faster and more precise. Yet, neither could gain a clear advantage as even after Rocky started using over 80% of his newfound strength, he could still not push Zhi backwards.


    "What a freak¡­." Rockymented, as Zhi chuckled and replied " I could say the same thing about you¡­.. I''m strong because I consumed a ten thousand year old ginseng, an invaluable treasure that helped my body reach the pinnacle of its potential as a mortal, however, you seem to be just naturally strong"


    Both fighters seemed to be pleased rather than horrified that their opponent was stronger than they had anticipated as their eyes turned serious.


    "Never thought I''d be forced to use this technique so early into the fight-" Zhi said, as he widened his stance and began to chant something under his breath.


    [ Twin de Hurricane ]


    Rocky used the move ''Twin de Hurricane'' to try and break through Zhi''s defenses, as he elerated his sword strikes beyond his natural limit to a freakish pace.


    However, much to Rocky''s surprise, as his moves were about to hit Zhi, the monk suddenly disappeared from in front of him as his entire form became a blur.


    Despite his keen senses, Rocky could not trace his movements at all as his opponent slipped unharmed under his offense and managed to teleport behind him.


    "ROCKY WATCHOUT-"


    Erin screamed from the crowd, as Zhi nted his counter-attack clean on Rocky''s back.


    [ Eight Nunchuck Strike ]


    *POW*


    *POW*


    *POW*


    .


    .


    .


    *POW*


    Eight powerful nunchuck strikes aimed to send Rocky''s body into temporary shocknded squarely on his back, as Rocky felt his body''s natural blood flow interrupted with his vision turning white and his brain feeling dazed.


    If not for his excellent constitution, he would most likely be stunned from this barrage, however, because of his racial enhancement, he somehow retained his consciousness and was able to evade Zhi''s match ending blow, aimed at the back of his neck.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Principal Liam )


    Liam observed the match with keen eyes as while he did not show his bias towards Rocky on his face, he was secretly extremely pissed that his university''s student was unable to wipe the floor with his opponent.


    Beneath his facade of being cordial with Zhi''s master Mu Ban, Liam was desperately waiting for Rocky to establish an advantage as he was tired of sitting calmly and wanted to cheer for his student wholeheartedly.


    However, once the match began and he observed Zhi Cook''s skill, he was forced to admit that the kid was on-par with Rocky, if not better, as in terms of pure excellence in execution, or in terms of raw strength and speed, both those kids were far beyond their peers, as the fight between them looked like a fight between two peak tier3 fighters, although they were both only tier 1.


    While nothing seemed to separate the two during the initial phase of the fight, once Zhi started to rapidly burn his mana for a big burst in strength and speed, he began overpowering Rocky as he gained control over the tempo of the battle.


    While the kids in the audience beside him could probably not sense the change in flow of mana, for Liam it was as clear as day that Zhi was using the ancient Buddhist technique that used mana to enhance one''s natural strength to a high degree, however, the technique came with its significant drawbacks as once the mana of the user ran dry, the technique would leave them with a heavy penalty.


    " It seems like your student has taken a gamble, Mu Ban, he must finish this fight now within the next two minutes as if he cannot, then it would surely be his loss-" Liam said, as Mu Ban sitting beside him stroked his beard with a satisfied smile on his face.


    "You''re right Sir Liam, if my disciple does not finish this fight in the next 120 seconds the loss will indeed be his, however, as things are, it seems that he will finish it under the next sixty-" Mu Banmented, as he drew Liam''s attention back to the fight where Rocky was being absolutely pelted by Zhi.


    Liam watched on with a grim expression on his face as Rocky was hit after attack after attack by Zhi to which he had no answers in response.


    *GASP*


    The crowd of students sitting behind him gasped collectively when one of Zhi''s attacks aimed towards Rocky''s head narrowly missed its mark, as if that attacknded, it could have knocked Rocky out cold.


    ''Come on kid, don''t make me lose face, you''re stronger than this¡­. Don''t let him boss you around'' Liam thought, as he felt increasingly frustrated at how the fight was developing, but still clung on to the hope that Rocky would somehow find a way to turn this situation around and win regardless.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Hey guys. I have an unfortunate announcement to make. I have fallen ill and am not feeling well at all, so there might not be any bonus chapters from my side for the next couple days till I feel better.


    My sincerest regrets for the inconvenience- ///

 Chapter 166: To yield or to not?

    ''Why the hell can''t I see him move?'' Rocky wondered as he felt genuine pressure while facing an opponent for the first time in his life.


    Usually when he fought an opponent, he could catch their muscle movements which helped him estimate the direction of their iing attacks.


    It was either their eyes that gave away where they were aiming, or the constriction of their muscles, or if Rocky could not see either, then it was the movement of their limbs which helped him anticipate the direction of their iing attack, however, with Zhi he could not notice either.


    The guy was unreadable, one moment he was in front of him and the other he was attacking from the side.


    It was impossible for Rocky to track his movements which made blocking his attack a near impossible task.


    *Bam*


    *Bam*


    *Bam*


    *Bam*


    Rocky kept getting hit on his bare body with nunchucks non-stop, as he felt every inch of his body hurt and bruise.


    If he did not have the constitution akin to that of an orc, Rocky would have undoubtedly broken every single bone in his body under Zhi''s relentless barrage, however, since he had a really resilient body, he managed to weather the impact.


    ''Motherfucker-'' Rocky cursed in his mind as an attack from Zhi hit his left rib with great speed and seemed to have left a crack.


    *Swoosh*


    *Swoosh*


    Swinging wildly, Rocky tried to catch Zhi off-guard, however, his wild sword swings only opened up his defenses for a counterattack, as Zhi hit a nunchuck straight to his jaw.


    *St*


    A mouthful of blood escaped Rocky''s lips when the nunchucks hit his face as for the first time in his life, Rocky felt the taste of metallic blood fill up his mouth during a spar.


    ''At this rate I won''t even survive 30 more seconds, he''ll knock me out cold ¡­'' Rocky thought as he staggered backwards and for the first time in his life thought about running away from his opponent, just to buy more time to regroup.


    ''I don''t know what''s going on, but this speed and power has to be artificial, if he was so strong naturally then I would have been pushed back from the first time we exchanged blows.


    Whatever technique he''s using to increase his speed and strength has to be artificial for sure-'' Rocky thought as although he did not understand why Zhi was so fast and so strong to the point that he could not even track his movements, however, he was convinced that nobody should be able to sustain such speed forever.


    ''I should run away-'' Rocky thought, as his brainmanded his feet to move backward, to create space between himself and his enemy, however, his ego would just not let it budge.


    ''The champion of Gemini doesn''t run away from anyone-'' Rocky''s ego said, as although he knew that he was wrong to be so egotistical, he still could not bring himself to retreat.


    ''Is standing my ground here more important than victory itself?'' he questioned himself, as he felt two more blowsnding on his back and back of his knee, as he buckled under the force.


    *Cough*


    Coughing yet another mouthful of blood and being dropped to his knees, Rocky looked absolutely pitiful and on the verge of defeat, as all he could do was put his arms up like a boxer, to protect his most critical organs from a defeating blow.


    Trying to stagger back his feet, Rockymanded his knees to get back up, however, his muscles did not respond to his will.


    Although he wished to regain his posture, his body did not feel strong enough to get back on its feet as Rocky felt the umted damage from all the hits he had received finally catching up to him.


    *POW*


    *POW*


    *POW*


    Zhi repeatedly bashed Rocky''s arms with his nunchucks, trying to break open his guard and end the fight, however, Rocky held firm and absorbed all the shocks.


    Usually an opponent''s bones would have shattered to pieces against a single one of Zhi''s blows, however, while Rocky''s skin turned red and his bones started to bruise, they did not break outright, which surprised Zhi a lot.


    ''Just how strong are his bones? Is he a half-dragon?'' Zhi wondered as he kept repeatedly hitting the same spot again and again.


    *Crack*


    Finally at the seventh hit, Rocky''s right arm-bone finally cracked with a loud sound sending waves of pain through his body, however, at this point his knees finally regained enough strength for him to stand back up as he was able to dodge the eighth hit.


    At this point, Rocky faced a near Importance choice.


    On one hand he could try to run away and dy the fight, hoping that Zhi ran out of gas, or stand his ground without any hope of fighting back.


    The rational choice was to definitely run away and Rocky understood now that if he did not run away now, he would undoubtedly lose this fight, however, he still refused to run away because deep down in his heart he felt like running away was the wrong choice.


    He was a very prideful man, who truly considered himself to be a dragon amongst men.


    His pride was not unfounded nor was it a projection of what he wanted to show himself as. But it was rather a goal that Rocky worked towards realizing someday, and he knew that if he ran away today, then the first thought in his mind whenever he faced a tough fight would be to run away and he could not ept that.


    The stakes in this fight were minimal, even if he did end up losing this fight, apart from his public image taking a dip there was no other loss. However, if he ran away, the loss would be in his own perception of himself, as while Rocky could ept being a loser, he could never ept being a coward.


    Hence, standing his ground, Rocky once again tried to use [ Twin de Hurricane ] and once again Zhi somehow slipped through it and hit Rocky hard in his guts.


    *Pah*


    Buckling down to both his knees, Rocky spat a mouthful of blood as he clutched his stomach trying to lessen the pain.


    At this moment, everyone watching the fight felt assured that it was over, that Rocky had lost, as it was evident to everyone that Rocky was not Zhi''s match.


    "I can''t believe it¡­. I can''t believe Rocky is losing so pathetically to someone of our generation."


    "Are all Champion''s of gods such freaks of nature? Are we really talented ourselves or are we frogs at the bottom of a well?"


    "Rocky is not even participating in the university tournament. If a freak like him doesn''t even make the cut for Principal Liam, then how high will the difficulty of the tournament actually be?"


    " I think this defeat is for the best, Rocky really needed to be shrunk back to size, his ego was starting to be as big as a mountain troll.


    At least now he will be more humble around the university halls-"


    "Shut-up, when has Rocky not been humble? He''s a really nice guy to talk to, don''t spread baseless rumors about him-"


    As everyone seemed convinced of Rocky''s end, and as Zhi swung the finishing blow aimed at Rocky''s neck, something unexpected happened as Rocky''s body got enveloped in a light purple aura.


    As Zhi''s attacks hit Rocky it almost bounced off harmlessly against the purple aura, as Rocky slowly staggered back to his feet.


    *Sizzle*


    *Sizzle*


    Suddenly, Rocky''s upper garment started to sizzle and burn as within seconds his upper body was bare, with his rippling muscles on full disy.


    Purple smoke seemed to be rising from his exposed back, as the source of the smoke seemed to be the giant tattoo on his back.


    "That child just received a god''s blessing¡­. How lucky¡­" Mu Ban murmured, as Liam''s frown deepened.


    On rare asions, Champion''s of gods received temporary blessings from their patron gods and the current protective aura that Rocky had around him seemed to be one such blessing.


    Although Rocky waspletely unaware about the entire process, somehow he felt his injuries rapidly healing and his body insted against all attacks as he literally turned invincible.


    Zhi kept trying to open up his defense using his most powerful attacks, however, no matter how hard he tried, all his moves only bounced off Rocky''s aura harmlessly as while Rocky could still notnd a counterattack on Zhi, thetter could not hurt him either.


    Caught in a stalemate, it became a waiting game for the duo to see when Zhi ran out of steam, which after about 20 seconds he did, as his movements suddenly turned sluggish and readable.


    *Block*


    *Block*


    *sh*


    Finally opening up his defenses, Rocky found himself capable of turning the tides as his sword shed open Zhi''s side, drawing blood from his opponent.


    "Yield Zhi¡­. It''s over" Mu Ban shouted from the stands, as for a moment reluctance shed in Zhi''s eyes as just like Rocky he did not wish to run away or yield either, however, unlike Rocky he wasn''t stubborn enough to stick with it.


    With his mana burn over, he knew that he was progressively going to only grow weaker over the next few seconds and that there was no way for him to retaliate against Rocky''s offense anymore.


    " I¡­.yield-" he said hesitantly, as Professor Mae instantly stepped between the two, calling for the end of the fight.

 Chapter 167: Grim Fate

    "I yield¡­.." Zhi said reluctantly, as Rocky instantly felt sour hearing those words.


    Rocky knew he should have lost this fight. He knew that he did not win it using his own strength and somehow that feeling of getting an undeserving win made him feel incredibly sour.


    Looking around, Rocky made eye contact with Professor Mae and Principal Liam who were both looking at him with a bit of pity in their eyes.


    ''Pity?''


    Rocky wondered as he met their gazes¨C


    ''Pity for me?'' he wondered, as this gaze full of pity hurt him more than a gaze of disappointment ever could have.


    Pity wasn''t a gaze that Rocky was really used to, so when someone looked at him like he was a charity case, it made his blood internally boil with rage.


    While the crowd of students that had gathered to watch him win cheered when he eventually did, feeling happy that Rocky had somehow pulled off a win, internally Rocky knew that it wasn''t him who won this fight, but Gemini that ensured that he did.


    Although he wasn''t sure about the source of the purple aura around him that was now beginning to fade fast. He assumed that it could only be help from the Gemini gods as nothing else really made sense.


    The aura defense wasn''t a skill that he learnt himself and since the source of its origin was his tattoo, he assumed that it was intervention by Gemini, which made Rocky feel like a cuck once again.


    "Great fight¡­. You''re as formidable as they say¡­." Zhi said with a bright smile on his face, as although he lost, he seemed more happy about how the fight turned out than Rocky, as unlike Rocky he had really given everything that he had to give to the fight and hade within inches of winning it using his own power.


    "I didn''t win¡­. This fight was clearly my loss" Rocky said, as he did not shamelessly hog credit for the win and spoke what he truly felt.


    "Well since Zhi surrendered, it''s officially your win-" Professor Mae said, as she hesitantly raised Rocky''s hand in victory.


    "I didn''t win¡­.. I just got lucky-" Rocky retorted, as he grit his teeth and nced towards the heavens, feeling frustrated at just how micromanaging the Gemini gods were, to interfere in such a small and inconsequential event in his life.


    While he had nothing but respect for them, Rocky was tired of first the system and now the Gemini Gods controlling ever aspect of his life, as he felt extremely suffocated in such a micro-managed environment.


    ''If I lose¡­. I lose¡­. Why the hell did you need to be involved in my spar?'' Rocky wondered, as he could not suppress the rage boiling inside him.


    ''Let me do something on my own for once. While I appreciate the concern and I do wish to be a capable champion for you. You cannot keep interfering in my life like this-'' Rocky raged, as while he did not say any of his feelings out loud, internally he was fuming.


    His POV of this event was very narrow, for him today''s fight was only a spar that had no real consequence in his life if he lost, however, for Shakuni this event was not small at all.


    The rivalry between Zhi and Rocky was something that Shakuni wanted to foster and grow as he could peer way into the future covered in fog, that it was this exact rivalry that would someday help Rocky be the most formidable fighter that the tower had seen.


    Had Rocky lost today''s fight, the trajectory of their rtionship would change significantly as from defending against Zhi Rocky''s mindset would be one of catching up to him, however, Shakuni wanted Rocky to establish the advantage amongst them both early on, and try to hold on to it throughout their lives.


    Today, as Zhi fell only marginally short of beating Rocky, it already made him feel fired up to improve ande back to beat Rocky in six months time.


    On the other hand, bubbling in rage, Rocky resolved to win the bout between them using his own strength, as after the fight both shook hands and promised to face each other again once they both became a tier2 fighter.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile on floor 92 )


    "A, how cute¡­." Ravan said, as he heard Rocky''s curses directed towards them.


    "That brat doesn''t realize what''s good for him. It''s like me having to raise Kartikeya all over again, but at least that was my own flesh and blood¡­.." Shakuni replied as he felt as if raising Rocky was like raising a kid, which was a thankless job.


    "Well, he will understand someday brother¡­. One day he will realize just like all the kids do that their father was right.


    He''s just a teenager, someday when he has a disciple or a kid of his own, he''ll understand us too-" Ravan said, as he tried to console his brother to not take the words currentlying out of Rocky''s heart seriously.


    "I don''t really care, Ravan, even if he doesn''t understand¡­. That''s not really my lookout.


    What I''m more worried about is making him a worthy champion and for it I''m going to do whatever I feel is necessary to put him on the right track" Shakuni admitted candidly as a deep frown spread on Ravan''s face.


    "You are being too cold here brother¡­ the boy will break when he meets his sister in such a deplorable condition. Let''s try and save her while there''s still something worth saving inside her-" Ravan pleaded, as he felt genuinely worried about the future that Rocky was going to experience in a short while.


    While everything up till now in his life had been smooth, Rocky was finally approaching the rough patch where nothing was going to go as he wanted it to go, with the first major upsetting event being his rescue of Riva.


    "We already talked about this Ravan¡­. I know you don''t want to be like the other gods, but I see no other option.


    Reaching floor 90 is not a joke and the ''Hero'' Rocky NEVER reaches it, no matter how many iterations I try to look at.


    He can only ever make it to floor 90 while being a despicable viin and this is the setback that pushes him to the dark side" Shakuni said, as Ravan let out a deep sigh.


    Ravan liked Rocky, the kid had heart and potential in his opinion.


    Heart and potential were two such important qualities for a Champion that Ravan was almost convinced that they had made the right decision by choosing Rocky to be their Champion, however, ording to his brother, just having heart and potential was not enough.


    Trillions of individuals had entered the tower throughout ancient times. However, after all these years, there were only a handful of religions and True Gods, because reaching floor 90 wasn''t something everyone could achieve.


    Even if one could surpass all odds and be a tier 8 monarch, reaching the pinnacle of climber strength, if you were not acknowledged by a God or the tower, the doors to floor 90 remained closed forever, as only 1 in 100 floor 89 climbers were ever given the right to challenge the floor 90 promotion test.


    While heartless, Ravan had to acknowledge that his brothers thinking wasn''t wrong at all.


    Reaching floor 90 was no joke and to set an individual on the path of bing a god, one needed ''madness'' mixed with potential and heart¡­.. and such ''madness'' could onlye from intense pain or a time-limited goal to achieve.


    In Rocky''s case, this goal was to save Riva, however, the chain of events that it would trigger would have him marked as a viin within the tower forever.


    "Well what can I say¡­. If it''s the only way, then it''s the only way-" Ravan said eventually, giving up as he shrugged his shoulders.


    He hoped Rocky to have a simple and fulfilling life, however, he wanted him to be a True God someday even more.


    Between the two goals if only one could be achieved then Ravan would pick thetter any day without an ounce of hesitation, as while Rocky''s mental health and reputation mattered to him, it did not nearly matter as much as his own personal goal to reach floor 101, someday.


    "This day will trigger him into working hard for the next few months¡­.


    His anger will guide him towards learning a few defensive and movement type moves alongside swordsmanship offense which will make him a moreplete fighter than what he is right now.


    It will all help him in his floor raid on floor21 eventually and his berserk phase afterwards-" Shakuni said with a clear mind, as like a puppet master, he had already perfected Rocky''s future path already.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Hey guys, quick health update¡­ so I''m feeling better now, and can mostly resume bonus chapters from tomorrow onwards. ///

 Chapter 168: Time Skip

    Rocky could not sleep properly the night after his fight with Zhi.


    While he was still pissed at the Gemini Gods, he was more pissed at himself and the way he fought.


    After fighting Zhi, Rocky realized that he was a pretty one dimensional fighter.


    He had good swordsmanship skills and natural body strength, however, that was pretty much it.


    He was like a one trick pony with no creativity, as once someone neutralized his sword skills and his strength, he had nothing else to fall back on.


    He had no moves that could help him safely retreat.


    He had no defensive maneuvers under his belt.


    He had no special movement techniques under his belt.


    He had no creative attacks under his belt that were not rted to the sword.


    He was a very iplete and wed fighter, however, because he was much stronger and skilled than his peers at the university, he never realized just how weak he really was.


    "I need to grow stronger¡­. I need to grow a lot stronger" Rocky murmured to himself as he made a mental note to improve on every aspect that hecked.


    After fighting Zhi he realized that without a foundation in defense, stamina, movement and a variety in offense, he would stagnate as a one dimensional fighter and that to be truly exceptional, he needed to have many options on the chessboard.


    ***********


    From the next day, Rocky changed his approach to training, as instead of furthering his mastery in the sword, he began sparring with Professor Mae and Professor Maven with the sole intention of perfecting his defense.


    Requesting the professors to go as hard on him as they could, Rocky took an absolute beating while facing them, however, he tried to get ustomed to their superior speed and strength and tried his best to withstand it.


    Naturally since it was his first day against them, who were both tier4 warriors with several years of experience under their belt, he could not survive even 20 whole seconds against them, however, he could instantly reflect on his mistakes after every short sparring round that they had.


    Having photographic memory, he could perfectly recall every spar that he had and where he made a mistake.


    This critical thinking helped him improve on his defensive style as he made rapid progress on analyzing his shorings and trying to improve upon them.


    Learning moves like basic [ Wind Wall ] [ Fire Barrier ] and the like, Rocky used his quadra-elemental affinity to learn basic blocking spells that could help him create temporary separation against his enemy.


    Even with the sword, he started to focus on learning maneuvers that could help him retreat tactically, while also starting on his practice of movement techniques.


    By expanding his training routine from training only his body and sword, to having a deep and profound foundation, Rocky started to improve holistically, while also focusing on climbing the tower every Sunday.


    Alongside Erin and Buhara, who were also developing rapidly on their own, the trio sessfullypleted their floor raids for floor 14-15-16-17 in the next four Sunday''s, as theypleted the ascension quest assigned to their team wlessly.


    Having extensively studied about the floors, the types of monsters that inhabited the floors and the local life, the trio found clearing these floor raids as easy as taking a stroll in the park, as not only were their individual strengths exceptional, but coupled with their knowledge of the terrain and the monster weaknesses, it became really easy for them to strategize and clear whatever quest they received.


    However, most importantly, their gelling with one another improved massively as they slowly started to work like a unit versus individually, as Rocky''s future champions party finally seemed like it wasing together nicely.


    With only five weeks of university life left before the final evaluation began, all three of them seemed dead set on making the most of their time at the university, as they wished to graduate with the best possible grades and after having made the most of the resources avable at the university for them.


    ********


    ( Meanwhile Sophia )


    Sophia entered her rebellious phase after Rocky''s fight with Zhi as she became convinced that her own family was sabotaging her growth.


    From the moment Rocky''s fight against Zhi began, oddly Sophia found herself secretly rooting for Zhi to win instead of Rocky, as she hoped that Zhi winning over Rocky would lessen the humiliation of her own defeat.


    When Rocky was on the backfoot, she secretly felt happy and gleeful as she could not wait to see him defeated and humiliated the same way she was, however, just when it looked like Rocky''s defeat was assured, it was Gemini who intervened and helped him win.


    Somehow, Gemini helping Rocky during his time of need upset Sophia so much, that she stopped responding to all letters from her family from that day onwards.


    The seeds of doubt that Rocky had nted in her mind, regarding her family not being supportive and being really toxic, finally started to bloom when she saw how supportive Gemini was for Rocky, as she became mentally convinced that all True Gods must secretly help their Champion''s a lot, however, her grandfather Poseidon did not.


    She felt as if, all three of her male family members, her grandfather, father and brother, were unfairly unhelpful when it came to her and were the sole reason behind why she did not blossom as a warrior.


    These distractions made her feel unmotivated to train hard, as her performance during sses began to visibly dip as even normal ssmates started to make her sweat during spars.


    Overall, it was a difficult downward spiral for her as she genuinely considered cutting ties with her family in favor of joining forces with Rocky, Erin and Buhara who seemed to grow closer and closer each day.


    Rocky''s kind and caring attitude towards her only made this idea of defecting even stronger, as when hepared his treatment to that of her family, Sophia felt as if Rocky was a dozen times better than them, as she slowly but surely started to fall deeper and deeper into Rocky''s trap.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Principal Liam )


    With Sophia not responding to any letters by Perseus, the 21st floor floormaster had no other choice but to dispatch spies to the university for nourishment of young talents to check on his sister.


    While he did not send assassin''s and only sent scouts and spies, for Liam there was no differentiation between the three, as for him anyone who entered the university grounds illegally became a potential threat.


    While Maven dealt with as many of these threats as he could, when they tried to infiltrate the university inrge numbers, Liam was forced to act personally, as he mobilized his army of specters to kill all invaders.


    In his unstable state of mind, the usage of his powers only made his condition worse, as his mood became even more erratic than usual and his sanity seemed to hang by a very thin thread.


    The gap between himself and insanity was now so small, that even the slightest disturbance could push him over the edge, which was why Maven employed additional security for the university and ced several professor''s on patrol duty to ensure that Liam did not need to act personally, even if a security threat did arise.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile Perseus )


    Unable to contact Sophia for the past four weeks, Perseus began to slowly lose his mind.


    He immediately began fearing the worst,  that Rocky had somehow kidnapped Sophia and was holding her hostage in exchange for his sister, however, because he did not receive a negotiation letter from Rocky either, he felt like the reality of the situation might not be as grim as he imagined it to be.


    His second and third guesses were that Sophia was either nning on defecting or had already joined hands with Rocky.


    These oues made his heart boil with rage, as he vowed to kill Sophia himself if she ever really betrayed the family.


    Finally, he also felt like his sister might just be upset and acting like a brat, which enraged him even more.


    He knew she was a spoiled princess and that after he scolded her too much, there was a possibility of her acting out, however, he hoped that she would behave more maturely, especially in such trying times when the True Elites were preparing for a floor raid against him.


    "When will this girl grow up? She''s giving me so many headaches as if I don''t already have enough of them on my te" heined, as he shook his head and sighed.


    "Send morepetent scouts to check on her¡­. Say that we''ll pay thrice the usual price of their assignment, but just get it done ¡­" hemanded his assistant, as he requested for even more scouts to be sent to the university, unaware, that his actions were about to start a chain reaction, that he could never have anticipated.

 Chapter 169: Breaking Point

    ( 3 weeks before final exams )


    *Pant*


    *Pant*


    *Pant*


    Rocky panted heavily as beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.


    *Dodge*


    *Block*


    Blocking an attack from Instructor Mae, Rocky reached the two minute milestone in his spar against her for the first time in his career.


    [ Rapid Feet ]


    [ Pressure Bomb ]


    Using thebination of  rapid feet and pressure bomb, he created a magic trap using his feet while also retreating simultaneously, forcing Instructor Mae to chase him using a longer indirect path, so that she did not step over one of his traps.


    This forced the professor to lose a few precious moments in her chase, allowing Rocky to create tangible separation between them.


    Retreating in such a way was something that he had learnt only recently as he was polishing his fighting style every single day.


    *Swoosh*


    *Swoosh*


    *Block*


    Eventually, as the professor caught up to him and began thrusting her sword once again, Rocky dodged two of her moves, while blocking the third as he used the technique [ Earth Vines ] to try to bind her feet with vines.


    Unfortunately, while he did seed in creating some vines that bound her feet, they were too weak to stop someone as strong as the professor¡­. As they snapped the second she tried to move.


    *POW*


    "It''s over¡­."


    The second his Earth Vine maneuver failed in holding the professor, Rocky lost the fight as Mae hit him hard on the head, knocking him on the floor below, while pointing a sword to his neck as she said "It''s over".


    Nheless, even she appeared out of breath from the sparring, as for the first time ever Rocky had managed tost a few seconds over two minutes in a spar against her.


    Although she was a professor, Rocky was not fighting back at all and solely focusing on defense, it took her over two minutes to beat him, which just made her realize just how much of a beast Rocky really was.


    She knew that Rocky was different from the very first day when she saw him, however, never in her wildest dreams could she have anticipated that he would someday turn into such a monster that would make her spar with him seriously on a daily basis.


    It was almost like something within him had snapped ever since he fought with Zhi, as since that day, Rocky had been almost driven with his training as he trained frantically as if trying to grow stronger desperately.


    While Mae did not want to indulge him so much while ignoring other students who also needed her¡­. The seriousness and passion with which Rocky approached his swordsmanship training, moved her heart.


    She couldn''t help but pay him more attention than the rest, as after every spar, Rocky genuinely sat down to reflect on his mistakes and rarely did he ever repeat the same mistake twice.


    He was a kind of student, which made Mae proud and happy to teach, which was why although he was demanding, Mae indulged him as much as she could.


    *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*


    Just as she finished a round of sparring with Rocky however, her teachers rm went off, as Mae''s happy expression immediately turned serious.


    ''Invaders'' she thought, as leaving Rocky on the floor to recover, she rushed towards the university gates at once, to help the patrolling professors take care of the invaders.


    "How many invaders are there? What''s the situation like?" Mae asked over the teachersmunication device as she got the reply that there were too many invaders to count and that the situation was serious.


    "Fuck, I hope we handle this mess before Liam snaps" Mae prayed, as she increased her pace of running and dashed towards the gate as fast as she could.


    *********


    ( An hourter )


    A massive fight broke out between the hired guards, professors, versus the infiltrating Olympian scouts, as while the professors took down over 42 enemy scouts, they lost one of their own faculty members in the scuffle, as Mr.Mori who was the professor of arts and philosophy was killed by the enemy.


    Mr.Mori was not abatant and wasn''t supposed to respond to a distress call, however, purely out of love and concern for Liam, he tried to pitch in for the defense effort and unfortunately got himself killed.


    While the loss of his life was indeed regrettable, what the other professors feared more than his death was the effect that his death would have on Liam, as they were convinced that the old Principal would go mad if he ever found out.


    "Maven, you must force Liam to leave today itself. Banish him to solitude for his own good, because if he finds out about the death of Mori, he will lose it" Professor Mae requested Professor Maven, who agreed with her assessment.


    "Cover the dead bodies, I''ll go handle Liam at once-" Professor Maven said, as he rushed towards Liam''s office, hoping to somehow convince his old friend to leave the university for his own good.


    Throughout the way, the only thought that ran through his mind was how he would argue with Liam to convince him to leave although he had not been a part of any major incident, however, as he reached his office and found the door to be open, Maven felt his heart sink to the bottom of his chest, as the state of his office was not good at all.


    The bookshelves were dishevelled and destroyed, his favorite chair seemed to have forcefully been smashed against the wall, as a small wooden splinter seemed to be still embedded in the wall where the chairs debris was, while there was only a small letter left on his desk.


    As Maven picked up the letter, his eyes widened in disbelief and tears streaked down his eyes.


    The letter was clearly written frantically and with great difficulty, as Maven could almost feel the pain of his old friend as he wrote it.


    "Liam¡­.No¡­" Maven murmured, as he wiped his tears and frantically began to chase after Liam, hoping to catch him before he dug out the cursed pendant and surrendered to the madness forever.

 Chapter 170: Heartbreak

    Maven rushed to the restricted warehouse within the university where Liam had buried his cursed treasure deep beneath the ground, however, he was toote to arrive it seemed, as the warehouse was already dug up and the treasure within seemed to already be missing.


    Dropping down to both his knees, Maven began to cry inconsbly, as he knew that his friend had chosen tomit suicide and that too in the most horrifying way possible.


    For years, Liam had been pushing back the corruption of the seed of death, keeping it''s negative effects under check as he tried to nurture students and ensure that they lived a long and happy life within the tower. However, today, he had finally given up.


    [  Dear Maven,


    I hope it''s you who finds this letter and no-one else. Cnlsiskdl


    I''m writing this letter in great pain and with whatever remaining sanity I can muster.


    Lately, I''ve been feeling less like my own self and am unable to recognise myself when I look in the mirror.


    It''s anzhlc.


    It''s almost like I feel like a dead man already and hence whenever I look in the mirror, I see myself as a ghost rather than someone living.


    I loved these children and I loved raising them as if they were my own flesh and blood, however,tely I can''t see any love in their eyes for me, but just fear.


    I''ve always been a crazy bastard, I know it, however, every batch before this one still loved me despite my erratic nature, however, I guess I was slowly bing unbearable, as this batch clearly does not.


    I probably should have gone on a vacation as you suggested years ago, however, I was a stubborn fool who did not listen to your advi. Ahsjxkdkal


    Advice ..


    When you gave it to me.


    As you can, see, I can''t write, I''m at my limits my friend, so I hope you forgive my bad handwriting and my bad paragraph spacing.


    I love you like a brother and am leaving the fate of the university for nourishment of young talents in your capable hands.


    If possible, take over the subject of tower survival¡­. You''re good at it and I wouldn''t entrust it to anyone else.


    Also, I''m sorry that I was peeking at the fight developing and saw Mori die.


    I knew I should have stayed in my cabin, however, I could smell the stench of death and knew something was up.


    Since I''m not longer stable, I have decided to burn the Olympian empire down with me for messing with my students as my final act.


    So I''m taking my cursed treasure andunching a raid on floor21 alone.


    Although I will most likely end up dying miserably, I will remind this tower of the consequences of messing with the mad professor Liam and the price of killing one of my men.


    Goodbye my friend.


    I hope you don''t me yourself for this.


    I know you tried your best to keep me safe.


    Your elder brother


    Liam ]


    Maven cried like a baby while gripping this letter as he read it over and over again.


    He had indeed tried his best to save Liam from this fate, however, in the end he failed.


    The stress of inviting two champions of gods into his university proved to be too much for the old him who was already battling with insanity as the repeated incursions by the Olympians finally drove him mad.


    "I loved you like a brother too¡­." Maven said with a heavy heart, as he finally allowed himself to embrace his feelings as heid down t on the ground and cried his heart out.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Perseus )


    "The prisoner Riva is here? Has father finally extracted everything he needed from her and discarded her as trash?


    Well it doesn''t matter if she''s valuable or not to me¡­. Just make sure that you guard her properly¡­.I don''t want to take any chances this time¡­. I absolutely can''t have her be kidnapped from under my nose like that fool Joe was before her" Perseus said as he emphasized the importance of guarding Riva properly.


    "Yes, my lord" his trusted henchman replied as he took it upon himself to ensure that Riva was secured properly.


    "Also, what''s the situation with the increase in training and recruitment of new troops?


    Why are we missing the weekly quota by 10-15% every week?" Perseus said sounding annoyed, as his father had given him the clear instructions of gathering a new formidable army in preparation of the True Elitesunching a floor raid on his floor soon, however, the preparation for that raid was going slower than he expected.


    "We will hit the quota this week my Lord. I will personally put more pressure on the underlings and make sure they deliver as you expect them to-" the henchman replied, as Perseus nodded in acknowledgement.


    "Don''t fail me¨C" he said, as he waved dismissively towards his henchman, who turned to take his leave.


    *ALARM*


    *ALARM*


    *ALARM*


    Suddenly, raid rms started to re throughout floor 21 as someone seemed to have challenged the floor 21''s floormaster for the control of the region.


    "What? Did the elites lose their minds andunch a raid early?" Perseus said in panic, as he felt his heart beat out of his chest at this unexpected development.


    However, as he received a report from the tower administrator as he was obliged to receive whenever a group challenged him for the authority of his floor, he was shocked to see that the originator of the floor raid was a single man.


    "What is this nonsense? A single man originated a floor raid and the tower administrator allowed his challenge?


    Just which lesser god decided to pick a fight with the Olympians?" Perseus asked in surprise, as a floor raid wasn''t something that just anyone could trigger, as a floor raid could only be triggered by a force which the tower acknowledged as capable of having a shot at actually winning the fight.


    -------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, it''s very veryte, so thankyou for being patient. ///

 Chapter 171: How to trigger a floor raid

    "What is this nonsense? A single man originated a floor raid and the tower administrator allowed his challenge? Just which lesser god decided to pick a fight with the Olympians?" Perseus asked in surprise, as a floor raid wasn''t something that just anyone could trigger.


    A floor raid could only be triggered by a force which the tower acknowledged as capable of having a shot at actually winning the fight, which was why Perseus automatically assumed that the individual triggering the floor raid had to be a lesser god, as only a lesser god could have a fair shot at taking down an entire floor by themselves.


    If there were no restrictions ced on as to who could trigger a floor raid, then anyone discontent with the status quo could potentially trigger a floor raid, which could lead to the floor master having to face a several dozen floor raids a day, potentially for perpetuity, as there was no shortage of mentally unstable climbers that were ready to throw their lives away for the chance at greatness.


    However, to prevent weak climbers from unnecessarily wasting a floor master''s time, there were certain restrictions ced on who could trigger a floor raid and who could not and any individual or party that the tower did not deem worthy enough or credible enough to trigger a floor raid, could not do so.


    The criteria to trigger one was pretty simple.


    If the tower judged the raiding party to have a sess rate of greater than 2%, it would ept the floor raid challenge as legitimate, however, if the winning probability was under 2% it would not permit the floor raid.


    When a floor raid was triggered, it wasn''t something as simple as the challenger facing just the floor master and his personal forces, as to overthrow a floor master, one needed to not only face the floor master himself, his forces, but also all the local inhabitants of a floor.


    Every tower floor was like a world of its own, with many beasts and locals being indigenously born there, or many climbers permanently settling there, calling the floor their ''home''.


    Just like hows outside the towers were subjected to monster raids, the inhabitants inside the tower were subjected to floor raids, as everytime a floor raid was triggered, every single inhabitant of the floor, whether it was an intellectual bipedal species, or a beast, were all expected toe to the aid of the floor master and fight on his behalf.


    This meant that in terms of simple numbers, the floor master''s army consisted of not just thousands of troops or hundreds of thousands of troops, but rather hundreds of millions and billions of troops, which made the task of winning a floor that much more difficult.


    This phenomenon was the biggest reason behind why most floor raids ended in failure and why rarely did floor master''s of a floor change.


    However, while the inted troop numbers looked like something extremely useful, their practical use in battle was overestimated.


    Unlike the floor master''s personal forces that could be properly organised and instructed to fight in formation, the floor master did not have any realmand over the normal inhabitants and could not force them to obey hismands.


    Just like the climbers of Earth could technically choose not to defend it and let their home be overrun by monsters, the local inhabitants could also choose not to fight in the floor raid for the floor master and let him fall if they truly wished for a regime change.


    This meant that although the floor master technically had a force numbering in the billions at his disposal, he could never really count on them for sure.


    However, for the tower to give any single individual the right tounch a floor raid, Perseus expected him/her to be a lesser god at the least, as he could not evenprehend how a single individual that wasn''t even a lesser god could take on millions of troops and still have a shot at winning.


    Most lesser gods understood how the tower power dynamics worked and were not mentally unstable like failed tier1 or tier2 climbers, as they understood that even if they won the floor raid, as long as they were challenging Olympus, their floor reign would notst more than 10 days and that they would be subjected to the most horrific death.


    This meant that the only gods that were crazy enough tounch a floor raid on an Olympian stronghold solo, were those backed by either Gemini or the Dragon God, however, Perseus seriously doubted that either of those two forces had any motive tounch a floor raid on his base randomly.


    "Someone check and tell me who is the originator of this raid. Which lesser god has lost his mind today?" Perseus said, as he demanded that someone bring him a credible intelligence report and fast.


    Immediately his scouts went to work and within ten minutes, a report was submitted to him as Perseus was shocked to see that it wasn''t a lesser god that hadunched a floor raid, but rather the mad principal Liam who had.


    Having fully gone berserk, he was wielding a massive army of over 200,000 spectres and was approaching the royal castle fast, with his approach seeming unstoppable.


    "What? Why did Liam suddenlyunch a full blown floor raid¡­. Did that geezer finally snap and lose his mind?


    The seeds of power aren''t a simple treasure. If he tries to wield over 200,000 spectres at once with his mortal body, he would die himself from the stress¡­. What is he trying to do with this suicidal attempt?" Perseus wondered, as he hurriedly began giving orders to his men to prepare to intercept Liam before he reached the pce gates.


    There were not many ways to deal with a spectral army as physical attacks were useless against them, meaning that only magical attacks could stand a chance in taking them down.

 Chapter 172: Principal Liams Charge

    ( The ins of floor21 )


    A grotesque figure stood at the centre of a nightmarish whirlwind, as he walked at a steady pace towards the centre of floor 21, the floor master''s royal pce.


    Principal Liam, barely recognizable as human, embodied an image of half-life and half-death, as he looked more like a necromancer than a principal.


    His usual curly white hair and curly white beard seemed to be gone now, as the hair seemed to just melt off his skin, leaving him as a bald mass of flesh.


    His skin, a sickly grey colour, clung tightly to his gaunt frame, and his eyes, sunken deep into their sockets, glowed with a malevolent light.


    A pendant of ck stone, which was the infamous seed of death, hung from his neck, pulsing ominously, its glow casting eerie shadows across his skeletal face.


    Around Liam, a storm of 200,000 spectres swirled with a fury unmatched, their ghostly forms a chaotic mass of howling wraiths. These spectres, bound to his will, moved with an otherworldly precision, forming a deadly tornado that ripped apart anything in its path.


    Beasts and soldiers who dared to approach Liam, or slow down his ascent were shredded to pieces, their screams swallowed by the relentless roar of the spectral vortex, that stretched for a full five mile radius around Liam.


    Charging steadily towards the royal pce, Liam''s steps were heavy and deliberate, each one leaving a scorched and deste mark on the ground below.


    His body, charged with the power of the seed of death seemed to be losing its natural vitality every second, as just like Perseus predicted, Liam was indeed on a suicidal mission, where if the Olympian forces did not kill him, the seed of death surely would, as he was sure to lose his life one way or the other in a matter of few hours.


    However, until then, his power had surpassed that of even a lesser god, as with the seed of death around his neck and his spectral army swirling around him, he was no different from a walking disaster that could destroy a floor alone.


    As Liam walked forward, thendscape around him transformed into a scene from a child''s nightmare as trees withered and crumbled, grass turned to ash, and the air itself seemed to crackle with dark energy.


    The once vibrantnd of floor 21 now turned into a wastnd of death and destruction, which in itself was a testament to Liam''s unholy power.


    As Liam advanced, his spectral armyshed out at anything that crossed their path.


    The spectres tore through the ranks of defending soldiers with savage glee, their incorporeal forms phasing through armour and flesh alike, as they gave the defending soldiers the most gruesome death that one could experience.


    Blood sprayed in gruesome arcs, painting the ground red, as limbs were severed and bodies eviscerated. The defenders'' attempts to halt the spectral onught were futile; their magic fizzled and their weapons shattered against the ethereal tide.


    In the midst of this chaos, Liam remained an unyielding force, his eyes fixed on the looming silhouette of the royal pce, as he kept murmuring the same words.


    "Don''t mess with my children ¡­.. don''t mess with my staff¡­. I won''t let it slide¡­. Death to Olympus"


    These words were the only resolve that kept Liam focused on his goal, as apart from his thirst for revenge, he had already lost all his memories and his personality as the once loving Principal was now already dead and all that was left off him was this ghastly necromancer, hellbound on revenge.


    His pendant throbbed with dark power, each pulse sending ripples of dread through the air, as the spectres only grew stronger when buffed with the aura of death, as the more beasts and soldiers they killed the stronger the spectral army became, as every single soul imed only served to increase the power of the seed of death and in turn that of the spectral army.


    Liam''s mind, though strained by the immense burden of controlling such a vast and deadly force, was singrly focused on his objective, however , while he seemed to hold together the spectral army for now, the toll on his mortal body was immense, as his flesh started to slowly melt off his body like wax, exposing his bones at certain parts.


    No matter what army of mages or magical archers Perseus sent to stop Liam, nothing seemed to work, as anything that came into contact with Liam''s ghost army was simply reduced to nothingness, as Liam walked unopposed towards the floor master''s pce, with many of the local life and Perseus''s personal army, simply refusing to take part in this fight, which seemedpletely futile at this point.


    Eventually, as the pce gates came into view for Liam, the Olympian forces began mounting their real serious defence as bolts of magical energy streaked through the sky, and arrows innumerable darkened the sky as thousands of tier4 archers and mages used their strongest spells to stop Liam''s approach.


    As the attacksnded on Liam''s spectral vortex, they created massive explosions that made the earth under Liam''s feet rumble, as for the first time, Liam lost some of his loyal dead soldiers, however, despite the powerful assault by the enemy, no attack prated deep enough to personally hit him as he still kept walking at a steady pace.


    With a grimace, Liam raised a bony hand in retaliation as the spectres around him surged forward with renewed ferocity.


    The gates, massive and imposing, groaned under the pressure before shattering into splinters, their defenders swept away like dust in a hurricane.


    Liam''s advance was unstoppable. His path, a trail of unending death and devastation, carved a direct route to the heart of the royal stronghold.


    As he breached the gates, the wails of the spectres reached a fever pitch, a symphony of despair heralding the doom that hade to the pce.


    There, in the eye of the storm, Liam moved forward, a harbinger of annihtion, ready to unleash the full wrath of his spectral army towards those who dared hurt the ones he loved.

 Chapter 173: Terror

    Perseus looked at the approaching Liam with a grim expression on his face.


    He was not prepared for this assault at all, nor did he have any idea as to why Liam suddenlyunched this suicidal attack on his floor.


    So far everything that he had tried to stop Liam had proven to be futile as he had lost close to 400,000 troops already, many of whom were specialized archers and mages, while the loss of local life in terms of local beasts and residents was innumerable.


    Liam was no different from a walking natural disaster at the moment who indiscriminately ughtered anything and everything in his path, and Perseus did not have an effective solution to try and stop him.


    Once Liam breached the pce''s outer wall, Perseus had only one option left which was to deploy his top tier 5 generals to slow down Liam''s advance.


    His orders were clear: they were to dy Liam''s approach and hold him back for as long as possible as Perseus knew that Liam was a ticking time bomb with only a limited time before the power he wielded consumed him.


    Aware of this, Perseus did not aim to defeat Liam but rather to contain him until he sumbed to the burden of using the seed of death while being a mortal.


    The unit he sent to confront Liam consisted of three of his top military generals, General Aiden, General Lyra and General Thorne.


    Each of them were peak tier5 fighters themselves andmanded an elite unit of 5000 soldiers each who were all tier4 themselves.


    Overall, they were the core troops of the floor21 defense forces and they were the kind of troops that could not be reced by fresh recruitment as they were an elite unit formed through countless years of bat experience.


    For Perseus to deploy them in such a difficult situation was a testament to his desperation as he knew that there was a very real chance that his best units could be annihted by Liam today, however, he had no other choice but to deploy them as none of his other units stood a chance against Liam.


    Of the three generals, General Aiden, was a master swordsman who led a unit full of magic swordsmen. While General Lyra was a mage leading a unit of 5000 mages.


    Finally, General Thorne was a towering pdin with a cruel reputation who  brandished a magical shield and led his unit of 5000 troops who were all shield warriors that were disciplined and fearsome.


    "Form ranks! Hold the line!" Aiden barked, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We cannot let this abomination reach the central parts of the pce."


    "Forward!" Thorne bellowed, leading his troops into the fray as his shield absorbed the first wave of spectral attacks and reflected them back with devastating force.


    The pdin army under Thorne used moves like


    [ Shield Bash ]


    [ Chain Wall ]


    [ Push back ]


    [ Magic Reflect ]


    [ Holy Wall ]


    To push back the spectral whirlwind, while the troops under Aiden and Lyraunched strong attacks, hoping to reduce the concentration of specters in the dense storm.


    [ Sword sh ]


    [ Sword Rain ]


    [ Terrain Split ]


    [ Tearing Strike ]


    [ Inferno ]


    [ Blizzard ]


    [ Ice Missile ]


    [ Amber ]


    Spells of various strengths and various types shed against Liam''s spectral whirlwind as many specters died and many gaps opened up in his assault.


    However, almost as soon as the gaps opened, they were close shut, as Liam tapped in deeper and deeper into the power of the seed of death.


    At this point, whatever little skin was left on his body melted clean off as he turned from a vibrant and healthy professor to a full-blown skeleton with hollow eyes and exposed bone.


    However, the more he transformed into a dead monster, the stronger his troops became as the specters only kept growing stronger, their speeds bing greater as despite the relentless assault by the defending forces, their pushback did not stop.


    The mages under Lyra chanted group spells to cast powerful barriers of ice and fire to slow Liam''s approach, however, Liam''s specters shattered these barriers like ss, their howling forms tearing through the powerful magic as if it were something low level.


    "Death-" Liam said, as he projected a wave of death originating from his body which immediately imed the life of over 2000 of Thorne''s strongest men, as his frontline was broken through immediately.


    Once the frontline fell, the generals'' forces were decimated brutally, as the specters tore through their flesh and bone in the most gruesome way possible.


    To try and give Thorne''s men a chance to regroup, Aiden, alongside his men, charged to rece them at the front lines as he let out a roar of fury and charged directly at Liam, hoping to cut down the source of all these problems.


    His de, glowing with a fierce aura, struck with deadly precision as he aimed directly at Liam''s head, however, while his attack was sessful innding a blow, it only formed a crack in Liam''s skull, angering Liam who sent a wave of specters Aiden''s way to engulf him, as the specters tore him apart.


    Lyra, witnessing Aiden''s fall, unleashed her most powerful spell, a zing inferno of fire and ice that engulfed Liam and his specters and while the attack slowed Liam down, it was not enough to stop him as Liam absorbed the impact and directed his specters towards her as the dead tore through yet another one of Perseus''s generals, only leaving her lifeless body behind after they imed her soul.


    Finally Thorne, thest standing general, tried to fight valiantly, his shield absorbing and reflecting attacks.


    But even his mighty defense could not hold forever as specters eventually overwhelmed him, snuffing his life out.


    Despite their brutal and ruthless efforts, the generals could not stop Liam, as the professor kept walking towards the central pce.


    However, the toll generated on Liam''s body in trying to fight them was immense as well.


    His flesh melted away, exposing bone, and his movements became morebored as the power of the seed of death became too great for his mortal form to sustain.


    As Liam approached the central pce gates, where Perseus resided his body finally gave out as the spectral vortex faltered, and the specters within dissipated as Liam copsed to his knees, his mission unfulfilled, but his vengeance nearlyplete.

 Chapter 174: Fear

    ''Fear''


    It wasn''t an emotion that Olympians admitted feeling. However, just like everyone else, they felt fear too.


    As Liam tore through his strongest generals that were as strong as him in terms of fighting capabilities like they were nothing and marched towards the central pce walls, Perseus felt fear gripping his entire body as he contemted the choice between running away and confronting Liam.


    ''There''s no way I can fight that monstrosity'' he thought, as he was on the verge of running away when Liam''s spectral storm started to slow down and dissipate, as Liam himself dropped down to both his knees looking like a thin and brittle skeleton.


    "He''s down¡­.. he''s finally down ¡­. The toll of using that power is finally forcing him to die" Perseus told himself in tion as he gripped his sword and charged out like a fearless lion, smelling the weakness in his prey.


    "Rally around me men!


    Today we kill the mad professor¡­." He said boldly, as he encouraged a few of his royal guards to charge alongside him, however, the moment a few of his guards approached the dying Liam, the professor raised his arm while being on his knees and projected a dark wave of death which instantly imed the lives of 30 odd soldiers, pausing right before Perseus, as the 30 men instantly dropped dead on the spot, even though there wasn''t a single cut on their body.


    "What the hell old man? What''s your problem? Why are you doing this?" Perseus asked, his face ashen white with fear, as he now felt unsure of whether or not he was supposed to attack Liam or not.


    "Why¡­? Why¡­. You ask" Liam said, his voice sounding raspy as he looked at Perseus with his hollow skeletal eyes.


    "Why do you keep sending scouts and assassin''s to my university? Since when was it okay to provoke the mad principal ...." Liam said as a small murderous glint returned to his hollow eyes.


    "What? You are doing all this just because I sent a few scouts to check on my sister?


    Are you out of your damn mind?" Perseus said, as he could not understand Liam''s reasoning at all.


    His father had always warned him about provoking Liam as he feared such incident, however, Perseus never estimated that repeatedly sending scouts to the university for nourishment of young talents would push Liam to take such a drastic step as he genuinely believed that nobody could be that crazy to start a war over a few scouts.


    However, it seemed as if he had made a grave mistake in estimating the bottom line of Liam, as the mad principal was a lot less patient than Perseus hoped he would be.


    [ Tidal Wave sh ]


    Using a secret Olympian move, Perseus unleashed the tidal wave sh on Liam as he directly used his strongest attack to neutralize Liam as soon as possible.


    A sword sh carrying the power of the strongest tidal wave approached Liam like a tsunami as Liam countered it with an attack of his own.


    [ Dark Decay ]


    Using all his remaining strength, Liam used the attack ''Dark Decay'' as he unleashed a move made of pure corrosive energy towards Perseus.


    Liam''s attack not only neutralized the tidal wave, but also converted the hard stone ground back to soft sand as it corroded and decayed everything it touched to grain.


    Engulfed by the attack, Perseus felt his skin rip apart and his life force draining, as for a second he wondered if it was the end for him?


    However, thankfully at thest second, the life saving treasure that was given to him by his grandfather, the True God Poseidon was triggered, as a surge of vitality covered his body and healed his wounds almost as fast as Liam''s power caused them.


    "AGHHHH"


    Screaming with pain as his skin was torn apart and then regrown, Perseus felt the worst sort of pain that could be experienced for several seconds.


    His men rallied around him, chanting healing spells and trying to protect him as Liam finally breathed his final breaths.


    Whether Perseus died or lived, Liam was never able to see the oue of his effort, as he turned to ash himself after unleashing that move and banishing the seed of death to a separate spatial portal that he had created specially for this day.


    Liam knew that he could not let this terrible weapon fall into the hands of the enemy and had decided to long banish it to the shadow realm whenever he was done using it, and hence once he used hisst bit of energy to try kill Perseus and acknowledged that he was on the doorsteps of death, he used all his remaining power to banish his treasure to the shadow realm, before epting his grim fate.


    Unfortunately for him, because of the special treasure given to him by Poseidon, Perseus did not fall to his final attack. However, he was left in a pitiful condition with dark spots covering all of his body when everything was said and done.


    Although he had failed in killing Perseus, him being alive was a worse punishment than death, as he was now going to be forced to write a letter to his father informing him of the attack and exining the circumstances behind it.


    For Perseus, who was especially instructed to not provoke Liam, having made the foolish mistake of sending repeated scouts to the university was going to see him get heavily reprimanded, as Perseus was sure to lose standing within the family because of this incident.


    Unlike Sophia, he wasn''t a Champion of Poseidon and hence was always on a tightrope.


    He did not have the leeway to be a failure as his standing within the family was solely dependent on hispetency as a floor master.


    Under such circumstances, writing a letter exining the death of three top generals, three top legions and 400,000 general troops was going to be a worse punishment for Perseus than death as the entirety of Olympus was sure to bear the shame of defeat that he had experienced today.


    ------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 175: Laughing Stalk

    The news about what happened on Floor 21 spread throughout the tower fast as the Olympian forces immediately became theughing stock of the universe.


    For centuries the Olympians had not faced any humiliating defeats, however, Liam''s attack on floor21 was nothing short of humiliating for Olympus.


    Since Liam was a mortal and not a lesser god, for him to kill close to 450,000 soldiers, including 150,000 elite soldiers. 3 tier5 generals and over 500,000 local beasts and residents came as a massive blow to the Olympians.


    Even Though the source of Liam''s power was the seed of death which was a high grade treasure. The perception of his attack was not linked to the seed but rather to the fact that the young floor master Perseus fucked around and bothered the mad principal too much without understanding the consequences that his action might bring.


    When new climbers ascended to challenge floor 21, they saw the grim destroyed state of the floor master''s pce and talked tales about how Perseus was within inches of losing his life and his reign as a floor master against a single man.


    Such stories were not good for the image of the Olympian n who liked to project themselves as invincible, as for the first time in decades, the True Gods of Olympus had to get indirectly involved in mortal affairs.


    Mobilizing their soul mancers to have a detailed chat with their lesser gods and monarchs in the tower, Zeus and Poseidon conveyed their anger regarding this incident, pushing the lesser gods to remedy this situation as fast as possible.


    For True Gods their perception of invincibility was paramount for them as the amount of people that prayed for them depended solely on the perception of their strength.


    Many of these believers did not actually pray to the True Gods because they liked them, but because they feared them and this fear went down dramatically everytime the perception of invincibility was broken.


    Perseus''s fuck up on floor21 immediately saw the Olympian gods recieving significantly less amount of prayers from that region as the floor21 inhabitants that had witnessed the ipetency of their lord and had suffered the loss of a loved one in Liam''s assault no longer felt like praying to the Olympian Gods for protection, as the Gods Of Olympus had failed them in their hour of need.


    ********


    ( Perseus''s POV )


    While Liam could not see whether Perseus lived or died after his final attack, the current Perseus, although alive, felt worse than being dead as he had hit rock bottom in life following this incident.


    His entire body was covered in ugly dark ck spots and he had a constant high fever that refused to break as he was afflicted with the curse of death that was going to take at least a month of constant healing efforts to neutralize.


    The strong fever made his body feel extremely weak, as even as a tier5 warrior he was forced to be bedridden, making him unable to show face in public after such a humiliating loss, further degrading his public image as the residents of floor21 took him for a coward.


    *Cough*


    *Cough*


    Coughing a mouthful of blood, Perseus felt truly pitiful on his bed as every cough, every slight movement of his body, made him wish he were dead, as the pain was simply unbearable.


    "Fucking Liam that crackhead¡­. Fucking Sophia that bitch. If only she replied to my letters I wouldn''t have had to send so many scouts to that cursed university" Perseus cursed as he pinned the me of all his misery on Sophia.


    *Knock*


    *Knock*


    Suddenly, as he was in the middle of his fever induced delusion filled ranting lesson, there was a knock on his room''s door as the servant announced the entry of the big lord, Perseus''s father, Escanor.


    "Lord Escanor is here to see you, young lord" the servant announced, as immediately Perseus tried to put on a brave face and sit up, however, the moment he tried to move his body, waves of excruciating pain engulfed him as he was forced toy back down and bite his tongue.


    "Perseus my son, what have they done to you?" Escanor said in a kind and concerned voice as he looked at Perseus''s body covered in ck spots.


    "It''s nothing much father, just the curse of a dying man. I''ll get over it in a month" Perseus replied, putting on a brave face as he tried not to show any weakness to his father.


    "I''m sorry father¡­. Because of me, the family must be facing so much humiliation" Perseus apologized sincerely as he acknowledged the fact that he had fucked up big time.


    "It''s okay my son, it''s not your fault¡­" Escanor said, sounding awfully calm as his words only made Perseus feel even more guilty.


    He had expected his father to be extremely angry at him, and even berate him, however, he did not expect him to be so calm.


    "It isn''t your fault that you are ipetent, it''s my fault to have thought that since you are my flesh and blood you must bepetent" Escanor continued, as his aura suddenly changed from that of a loving father to that of an unforgiving god as he gazed at Perseus with evident anger and hostility in his eyes.


    "Don''t you forget Perseus that you bing a floor master isn''t because of your own strength.


    You were CHOSEN for this post, chosen because you are my flesh and blood¡­.


    Chosen because I rmended you to this spot and not because you were Competent enough to win it in a floor raid with your own two hands" Escanor said, as he reminded Perseus that he was a product of nepotism and that he did not need to feel guilty about letting his father down, as he had never made him proud in the first ce.


    "In the end, it''s not your mistake¡­ it''s mine¡­. And I shall im full responsibility for it" Escanor said as he stood up and slowly began walking towards Perseus with a murderous glint in his eyes.

 Chapter 176: A last chance

    "F-father?" Perseus said while shivering as he did not trust his own father to spare his life under such circumstances.


    Although they were a family, ever since they were children, both Sophia and Perseus realized the fact that they were merely assets in the Olympian cause and not actual family members.


    Their mother was voiceless and only a breeding partner for their father because of her good gics, while their father''s love for them was conditional on their use to the family.


    Because Perseus showedpetence since young age and Sophia was chosen as the Champion Of Poseidon, Escanor showered the kids with a bit of his love and attention, however, this did not change his base feelings towards them.


    For him, his children were no different than an important underling or a disposable asset, as at the end of their use-case Escanor was more than willing to discard them without any attachments.


    As Perseus trembled uncontrobly, his loyal men present in the room closed their eyes as they silently prayed for him to receive a painless death.


    *AGHHH*


    *AGHHHH*


    Walking up to him, Escanor ced a finger on his forehead and began circting his own power through Perseus''s body, as the pain from this process made Perseus scream out loud.


    While everyone had expected the cold hearted Escanor to take the life of his own son, a minuteter the spots on Perseus''s body began to recede and fade off, as the treatment that the Olympian doctors could only administer to Perseus, slowly over the next month, Escanor administered in under a minute as he healed Perseus rather aggressively.


    Perseus''s skin sizzled from the sudden infusion of vitality as his mind felt on the edge of passing out, however, somewhere deep down he knew that he would die if he passed out and hence he struggled to stay conscious despite the pain.


    "Good¡­ at least you can take this much torture" Escanor said as he saw Perseus regaining his consciousness and rity of thought as he walked back to his seat and sat down from across Perseus''s bed.


    "The family elders wanted to kill you and rece you with a morepetent floor administrator from the Zeus bloodline, however, I intervened" Escanor said, as he spoke sharply and without emotion.


    "It''s me who has won floor 21, with my own two hands 300 years ago and hence it''s me who has been given the privilege to dispense punishment for the humiliation we have suffered" Escanor continued, as Perseus gulped a mouthful of saliva when his father brought up the word ''Punishment''.


    "If I''m impartial, for the humiliation that you have brought to the family, the correct punishment for you is death. As to stop a single man you have cost the death of hundreds of thousands of our loyal believers and have turned the floor into a mess" Escanor spoke with visible disgust as he seemed to be unwilling to refer to Perseus as his ''son''.


    "However, many years ago, I had made your mother a promise that I would fulfill one of her wishes for giving birth to you and Sophia, and since she used that wish today to beg me to let you off the hook, I''m going to give you onest chance to make things right" Escanor said as Perseus felt his piercing gaze ripping apart his tender skin.


    "As soon as your floor opens for another legal challenge, I expect the True Elites to expedite their schedule and try to raid you in 30 days time and I expect Rocky Yadav to be amongst those who raid this floor.


    Bring me Rocky and redeem yourself as my son.


    Fail, and I shall im your head myself-" Escanor said coldly as he gave Perseus an ultimatum.


    The Olympian Gods had signed a non aggression agreement with The Gemini Gods and The Dragon God, which prohibited all parties from using tier6 lesser gods or higher fighters in any attacks or floor defenses beneath floor40 of the tower.


    This was the sole reason behind why Perseus despite only being a tier5 warrior was given the responsibility of running a floor and why a force like the True Elites which did not have a single lesser god amongst their mix could still hope to win it.


    Without this agreement, it would have been Escanor himself who would have stayed back to fend off the raid from the true elites, however, because of the pact between the three big gods, he could not.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile back at the university )


    There was not a single student that did not shed a tear when Principal Liam''s funeral was held at the university.


    Although there was no body, the principal''s old clothes were stuffed in a casket alongside some of his pulled out beard hair, as Maven decided to bury him in spirit although his body was not avable.


    Every student knew that the principal was a bit wack and by no means normal, however, despite his erratic nature, there was no one who could deny that he cared for them all deeply and hence everyone broke down in tears when his casket was being lowered into the ground below.


    Rocky especially cried inconsbly as after his real father passed away, Liam was the closest thing to a positive male figure that he had in his life and his sudden death saddened him deeply.


    Although there were many rumors going around the university regarding the circumstances of his death, Rocky had a feeling as to which rumor was right.


    There was no doubt in his mind that Principal Liam had died because the wicked Olympians would not let him study in peace at the university and continuously sent assassin''s to heckle him.


    Liam, who could not ept such behavior being the loving teacher that he was, finally snapped and took this drastic step, which was why Rocky felt even worse than the other students as he considered himself partly responsible for the death of a beloved teacher.


    ¡ª---


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone. ///

 Chapter 177: Fallout

    ( Sophia''s POV )


    The treatment that the students gave Sophia post the death of Principal Liam went from that of indifference to that of open hostility.


    Sophia had not wished for the death of Principal Liam, however, for the majority of the students, she became one of the chief viins resulting in his death.


    Interactions with her were never pleasant for most students, however, they turned openly hostile post the death of Principal Liam as university life turned into a living hell for her.


    On one hand, Perseus had stopped responding to her letter when she did finally respond to him after months and on the other, everyone, with the sole exception of Rocky and Buhara, treated her coldly within the university, making her feel alone and on the edge.


    Gone was the charm of a Champion.


    Gone was the treatment akin to that of a princess.


    As even those who worshiped Olympian Gods and were extremely respectful of Sophia before, ignored her now.


    "Get away from me, murderous bitch"


    "Principal Liam was better than any Olympian God¡­. You better watch your back in your sleep bitch, I might just off you-"


    "There''s nothing special about you anyways¡­. And I will prove it by defeating you in the swordsmanship ss¡­. You''re not Rocky and you''re not as good as you think"


    This was how Sophia was greeted everywhere she went and sadly the new Principal Maven did nothing to stop it.


    Drowned in his own sadness, Maven only wanted toplete this semester as fast as possible, as he even preponed the final exams by two weeks.


    The only contact that she had with the outside world apart from her brother, was the safe-man of her family that she could write to any time for help, however, this time as she contacted him, asking if leaving the university and returning home was a good idea? The safe-man immediately shot that idea down.


    Informing her about the meeting between Escanor and Perseus and how his brother''s life itself was hanging by and edge, the safe-man advised her to weather the storm within the university for as long as possible and only to surface when things became calmer.


    Almost as soon as Sophia read about the encounter between her brother and father, she felt her body starting to shiver, as this was the exact fate that she had previously envisioned for herself as a child.


    Having witnessed the cruelty of her father in disposing off even the most loyal underlings who had served him for years for the most minor mistakes, Sophia had nightmares of suffering this exact fate as a kid, and it was now alling true.


    Although she wanted to go back home to escape the cruel treatment that she faced at the university, Sophia realized that going back home was no longer an option, because the second she took a step into that cursed ce, she was going to be tortured and humiliated by either her brother or her father, with her own survival not being a guarantee.


    Under such circumstances, Rocky became herst avenue to receive emotional support as she had no-one else she could turn to anymore.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile the True Elites )


    "Are you sure that a prisoner fitting the exact description of Riva is being held under the floor21 pce?" Karna asked, his voice sounding shaky as he could not believe that after all these months of waiting, they had finally found Riva.


    "Yes, guildmaster, we are 100% sure it''s Riva and no-one else¡­.. Fred had gotten himself captured as a notorious criminal within floor21 and is currently being held in the same prison as Riva.


    He is the one who has given this confirmed report of her in there, so there is no question about its authenticity" The true elites guild chief scout said, as he proudly presented the results of his investigation after months of tirelessly searching for Riva.


    "Good job Mark¡­. You and your team have worked hard¡­.. Also pass the message on to Freddy that we areing to save him alongside Riva.


    That although he sacrificed himself for the guild, we haven''t forgotten about him" Karna said, as he stood up from his desk and began pacing around his room.


    "This is it Karna¡­. That brat Perseus is in disarray. His empire is crumbling. We need tounch a floor raid before he can recover.


    It''s now or never" Neatwit said, as he reminded Karna that the current situation seemed optimal for the Elites tounch an attack on floor21, although it was two months before their expected raid time.


    "I know it''s the optimal time¡­ infact as tragic as Liam''s death is, I won''t lie that it excited me deeply, knowing that we can now capitalize on what he started and finish the damn job.


    However, there are real lives at stake here Neatwit¡­. I can''t throw the guild into a war we are not ready for" Karna said, as he reminded Neatwit that a decision as big asunching a floor raid could not be taken in haste.


    "It''s exactly because there are lives involved that I''m suggesting this Karna, I''m not a moron.


    If we attackter when they are more prepared, it''s going to cost us more lives¡­. This is genuinely our best chance" Neatwit countered, as Karna fell into deep contemtion listening to the vice guildmaster''s logic.


    His words did make sense and with the head scout having confirmed that Riva was indeed being held there, they no longer had any reason to hesitate inunching this raid.


    After thinking about it for a while, Karna eventually nodded his head as he said "Fine¡­. Write a letter to Rocky and inform him that we are going tounch a floor raid in exactly 24 days from now, as soon as the 30 day cooldown period for floor21 ends.


    Tell him to be prepared¡­"


    "What am I your secretary/ wife? Tell Amelia to write it for you¡­. Huh" Neatwit snapped back as he found jobs like writing letters beneath himself and his post.

 Chapter 178: The final stretch

    Rocky read Karna''s letter and let out a deep sigh. Ever since Liam''s death, his emotions had been in turmoil, but the letter gave him a moment of rity.


    "The finals start in 14 days and willst for 7 days. To join the floor 21 attack alongside the Elites, I need to clear floors 18, 19, and the ascension test on floor 20 alongside Erin and Buhara¡ªall within the next fourteen days.


    Plus, I need to prepare as best I can for the finals and receive the highest evaluation in it toplete the system quest I recieved at the start of the semester.


    Finally, my work with Sophia also needs to reach its conclusion. I have to use all the faith she''s built in me to my advantage," Rocky thought, as his mind cleared of useless emotions, focused on the tasks ahead within a tight timeframe.


    With the final exams being preponed and the floor raid being preponed as well, Rocky''s initial n of settling into his new fighting style and taking his time in manipting Sophia was now thrown out of the window as regretfully he did not have much time anymore toplete his goals.


    While he did learn a few new tricks and was making fast progress as a fighter in his spars with Principal Maven and Professor Mae, he was still far from perfectly settling into his new style of fighting as while he had improved his defense, and movement to some degree, his offense still solely relied on his natural strength and swordsmanship which was by no means ideal.


    He was in desperate need of a proper mentor, someone who could shape him into bing a proper fighter, however unfortunately, he was not going to meet that figure within the university, as with principal Liam dead and the semester approaching its end, his days within the university were unfortunately numbered.


    *********


    ( Within the boys dorm )


    "So let me get this straight, you want us to attempt the floor 18 raid Tuesday, floor 19 raid Thursday, and be done with the tier promotion test on Sunday?" Erin asked, as he felt a little bbergasted about attempting three floor raids within a single week, including a tier promotion test.


    "Yes¡­ it''s the only way, because we need to prepare well for the final exams too-" Rocky said, as he reminded his friends that they were really pressed for time and had no other option but to go hard now.


    "But even if weplete this, Sophia is only at floor 15. She won''t be able toe with us to the floor raid anyways" Erin said, as he pouted and pointed out a w in Rocky''s nning.


    "Don''t worry, Sophia was born on floor21 and can return to it at will. Although she can''t climb to floor 22 without clearing all the floors leading up to floor21, she can return to that floor any time she wishes to-" Rocky said, as he reminded Erin that unlike themselves, Sophia was actually a tower born girl who could return to her home anytime she wanted to.


    "But will she even help us¡­?" Erin asked, as Buhara tried to intervene in the conversation at this point, however, both Rocky and Erin ced their palms towards him, signaling him to shut-up while the elders talked.


    "She should¡­. I''ll tell her that I have confirmed reports that my sister is being held there¡­. She should definitely help us" Rocky said, as although he did not share much details he tacitly nodded his head for Erin to take the cue.


    "Alright then, if you''re confident Sir Rocky then I''m with you¡­. I will do everything I can to help save your sister" Erin said, as Rocky felt his heart warm up hearing those words.


    "Buhara will help as well¡­ whichever despicable force has captured your sister, Buhara will fight against them with you" Buhara said, as Rocky burst into a smile when he heard this.


    Although he only had two reliable friends as of now, both of them were true gems that he could count on with his eyes closed.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Sophia )


    After a hard day of declining duel challenges and facing verbal abuse from all her peers, Sophia decided to visit the only safe spot in the university, the leisure garden, where she hid herself amongst tall bushes, which had be her go-to spottely to spend some alone time.


    "I''ming in¨C" a familiar voice said, as she wasying down on the grass, as Rocky made his way through the bushes andid down beside her in the grass.


    "Hey~" Sophia said weakly, as her voice itself depicted the fatigue she was carrying, as she really wished that the semester could be over as fast as possible, so that she could return back home.


    "Hey Sophia, we are friends right?" Rocky asked, having already made up his mind to use their connection with one another to get what he wanted today.


    "Huh? Why that question all of a sudden?" Sophia asked, feeling surprised as to why Rocky suddenly brought up such a question as she gazed into his eyes which looked slightly watery.


    "Just tell me¡­ are we friends or are we not" he said, as Sophia thought about the question for a second and then looking at Rocky''s emotional mood, decided to nod her head as she said "You''re my only friend here.."


    "Okay¡­" Rocky replied emotionally, as he bit his lips and looked up towards the sky, leaving Sophia to ponder for a moment as to what was going on.


    "Is everything alright?" She asked eventually, when the awkward silence bothered her, as Rocky let out a deep sigh and pretended to contemte about asking her something difficult.


    "If I ask you for a favor¡­. Will you help me?" Rocky asked, sounding serious, as Sophia immediately got the vibes that whatever Rocky was going to ask was probably going to be something difficult for her to answer.


    However, with her connection to family strained and her life in a mess, the only friend she genuinely had was Rocky and hence although she did not wish to do him a favor, under the duress she was in, she did not wish to lose him either as she said "Sure¡­"


    Giving Rocky the chance to ask what he wished to know the most.


    "I got a letter from the True Elites Guild, they are nning a raid on your brother¡­. It seems like they have received a confirmed report that my sister is being held in the prison of floor21.


    I know that you are not your brother and if my previous interactions with you have been a sign for anything, I feel like you''re nothing like your brother and detest him as much as I do, which is why I''m candidly confiding in you today.


    I''m going to join that raid Sophia¡­. I''m going to try save my sister.


    So please tell me everything that you know about the underground prison system¡­ my friend¡­. Please do me this favor" Rocky said, in the most demanding and emotional voice, as Sophia was taken aback by his candid admission of ns.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by Patron TheBossIsBack via PayPal. Please thank him in thements for the same. ///

 Chapter 179: Manipulation Done Right

    Sophia was momentarily taken aback by Rocky''s candid admission.


    She did not expect Rocky to be so upfront about his ns to join the raid against her brother as his honesty ced Sophia in a difficult position.


    On one hand, she did not want to provide him with the details he sought, as doing so would feel like betraying her family, however, on the other hand, Rocky was her only support system at the moment and had proven to be a reliable friend, so she could not outright dismiss his demands either.


    If she denied him the knowledge about how to save his sister, their friendship would undoubtedly be jeopardized forever, shutting down herst safe haven.


    Feeling stuck between a rock and a hard ce, Sophia struggled to find a way out of this predicament without offending either side as Rocky, reading her conflicting emotions, did not give her enough time to think clearly about his request, as he pressed her for immediate answers.


    "Sophia, this is a matter of saving my sister. If it were anything else, I would never put you in a situation where you might need to betray your family. However, I''m not asking you to reveal your brother''s defensive ns or to plot against him in the raid.


    All I want to know is how to save my sister safely and that''s it," Rocky rified, emphasizing that his only goal was to save Riva and nothing else.


    "Hmmm¡­" Sophia murmured. After being pressed by Rocky for answers, she found it even more difficult to deny his request.


    Everything considered, his request seemed genuine and as his friend, she could find no valid reason to refuse him.


    In the end, she relented and decided to give Rocky what he wanted.


    "Please never tell anyone as to where you got this information from, as if my family ever finds out that I told you how to save Riva, they will have me executed immediately-" Sophia said, as she let out a deep sigh and warned Rocky against the consequences of ever implying that he got this information from Sophia.


    "First and foremost, let me assure you, that I have no hand in kidnapping your sister and know nothing about it, however, if your sister is being held in the floor21 pce prison then she must be held in one of the underground cells" Sophia said, as she tried to make it sound as if she had no involvement in Riva''s kidnapping at all.


    "The underground prison is divided into three levels, with the maximum security prisoners being held in the third underground floor" Sophia said, as she took a broken stick from a nearby bush and began drawing on the grass between herself and Rocky.


    "Suppose this square is the pce area, then if you leave about 20 meters from each corner, that will be the size of underground prison level one, reduce it by 50 meters still and it will show level two and reduce it by 50 meters still them that will be the maximum security level three" Sophia exined as her drawing helped Rocky visualize the underground prison structure beneath the pce as an inverted pyramid with the upper levels behind wide and the lower levels being narrower the deeper one went.


    "There are secret underground tunnels that run through the first floor of the prison and open up at random points throughout floor 21, which can be technically used for a safe entry into the pce and a safe exit too if you can make it to the two levels underneath and somehow save Riva" Sophia said, as she began drawing connecting tunnels from floor one and exined to Rocky how they could be used to get on the inside of the pce safely.


    "The difficult part will be to go from floor one to the lower floors, as they are extremely well guarded and are next to impossible to infiltrate" Sophia said, as she exined the difficulty that Rocky would face in any infiltration attempt to go from prison floor one to lower floors.


    "The first floor of the prison can hold close to 10,000 prisoners, andst I know it''s filled to capacity.


    As per my knowledge, there are at least 2,000 guards patrolling and monitoring this floor at any point, so if you n on sneaking to the entrance to prison level two, you will have to somehow sneak past them, or fight your way through-" Sophia said, as she drew a line from the entrance to prison level one, to where the entrance was to level two.


    "The 2,000 guards on level one will all mostly be tier3 fighters, however, when you go from prison level one to level two, the guards there will be of tier4 strength.


    The second level of the prison will hold about 2,000 prisoners and will be guarded by 500 guards and you will have to fight your way through here as it will be impossible to pass by them without being detected" Sophia said, as she shrugged her shoulders and realized the difficulty of the task that was busting out a prisoner from floor21 prison.


    "If you still somehow find your way through the swarm of guards on floor two and manage to descend to level three¡­. You will encounter three tier5 maximum security guards there, who are next to impossible to defeat" Sophia said as she shook her head from side to side, realizing that it was a suicidal mission for Rocky to even attempt busting out Riva from that prison.


    "The lowest floor only holds 25 prisoners maximum and is guarded by only three guards who have spatial teleportation skills.


    If they feel they cannot hold back any enemy, they will teleport the prisoners to another location but will not let them be busted out.


    So in addition to defeating them, you will need to prevent them from escaping using teleportation and while I don''t know the value of the other prisoners they are holding in there, I don''t think they will let the sister of the champion of Gemini walk easily.


    Even if they abandon other prisoners, they will try their best to secure Riva, so I don''t know how you will rescue her, even if you try-" Sophia said, as she exined the fullyout of the prison to Rocky as best as she could.


    As Rocky listened to her words, he also simultaneously checked her aura to see if she was lying or mixing a lie in her words with his aura eyes, however, Sophia seemed to be speaking only the truth today as her aura stayed at a consistent green color.


    "It seems like saving Riva won''t be easy" Rocky murmured as he heard about all the security measures that the Olympians had put in ce to ensure the safety of their political prisoners.


    "What about alternate routes, are all tunnels leading to the floor one underground prison the same? Or do some have better security than others?


    If it''s only me, Erin and Buhara infiltrating the ce, do you think we stand a chance?" Rocky asked, as Sophia shook her head from side to side and exined the four underground tunnels entrances that were created to reach the underground prison floor level one.


    Three of these four entrances had the other gate within the pce walls, with only one entrance being outside the pce walls, opening deep inside the woods near an unassuming oak tree.


    As a child it was this exact tunnel that Sophia often used to sneak out of the pce and it was a backdoor that was created by the pce designers to smuggle in food and essentials someday in-case there was a massive siege on the pce.


    "I hope you realize that I''m betraying my family by giving you this information Rocky¡­. It''s not something I''m supposed to do" Sophia said as she clutched her knees and drowned herself in the guilt that she was feeling for having given invaluable information to the enemy, however, Rocky felt no sympathy for Sophia.


    For her to give him this information, Rocky had yed the part of being her trusted friend for months and given her invaluable emotional support through her narcissistic phase.


    It wasn''t easy for him to make her open to him, however, he had managed to achieve it through a mixture of patience and maniption, as first he carefully alienated Sophia from her family, painting them as the enemy in her mind and then helped fan the public sentiment in the university against her, until he was the only friend she had left.


    While Sophia did not know any of this, by giving Rocky the information he wanted she had fallen into his trappletely today and Rocky did not feel even a bit apologetic for manipting her as he knew that if she was in the position to manipte him, she would do the same, if not worse.


    "I know¡­. And I appreciate it, my friend, I''ll remember this favor forever-" Rocky said nheless, as he gave Sophia''s palms a few good squeezes, to express his appreciation for her support.


    Although he had already obtained what he wanted from his rtionship with Sophia, he still needed her to believe they were best friends for a few more days as he still had one big use for her left.


    A use that would make even Shakuni blush, as not even the god of maniption himself could ever be as cold as Rocky nned to be to Sophia in the near future.

 Chapter 180: Team Work

    ( Tower Of Ascension, Floor 18 )


    Rocky, Erin and Buhara attempted to clear floor 18 of the tower of ascension as a team, as they found themselves currently engaged in a quest to clear the floor raid.


    The quest given to them was for them to capture a total of 2,000 fishes from the localke and to kill theke urchins that had been infesting and heckling local fishermen.


    To clear the quest, Rocky, Erin and Buhara went out into theke inside a small boat, with Rocky calling the shots on how to clear the quest.


    "Buhara, you need to stay inside the boat and provide us with cover in-case either me or Erin are forced to resurface because of the opponents we face.


    If not, then you will be responsible to pull the fiss that we spread out below and capture the fish.


    Erin, you need to cast an underwater breathing spell on me and yourself as the two of us will dive in to spread thes and deal with theke urchins.


    If we have to dive too deep and the visibility bes low, you will need to cast a light spell too, but I don''t expect you to fight today at all.


    Protect yourself if necessary and if everything goes to shit then rush to the surface and Buhara will cover you.


    If not, stay close to me and I will handle any enemy bothering you" Rocky instructed as both Erin and Buhara nodded at his clear instructions.


    "Buhara, if we pull heavily on any of the fiss thrice, start reeling that up fast and if we pull it six times, just cut it off-" Rocky said, as he tied a fis to his waist before helping Erin to do the same.


    [ Support spell - Underwater Breathing ]


    [ Support spell - Atmospheric Pressure Bnce ]


    [ Support spell - Enhance Aquatic Mobility ]


    Chanting three spells back to back, Erin buffed himself and Rocky up, preparing the two to jump into theke water while facing as little handicap as possible because of the change in environment.


    While most party''s discounted the role of a support type mage, Rocky found Erin and the value he brought to the group, absolutely invaluable during times like these.


    While the argument could be made that a normal mage could learn support type spells such as underwater breathing out of necessity and a party did not need to bring an additional speciality mage just for it, Rocky believed otherwise.


    While a normal mage might learn spells like underwater breathing, they could never learn auxiliary spells such as atmospheric pressure bnce and aquatic mobility, as learning such niche spells needed time and energy that most normal mages were unwilling to spare.


    While Erin was not a fighter, his expertise in his niche made him invaluable for Rocky, who appreciated the expertise he brought to the team.


    *Plop*


    *Plop*


    As Rocky and Erin dived into theke water, Rocky immediately felt his eyes sting a bit from looking into the water before adjusting soon enough.


    Since they had dived while the sun was shining high in the sky, the visibility inside theke was pretty decent, however, while the duo could see a variety of fishes, the bottom of theke was not visible through the naked eye and neither were theke urchins that were rumored to be heckling local fishermen.


    *Points Downwards*


    Pointing towards the bottom, Rocky instructed Erin to dive deep and spread the as deep and wide as possible.


    For now, since the sea urchins were not visible, Rocky decided to focus on the fishing aspect of the mission as he and Erin spread thes and pulled on it thrice to signal to Buhara to pull on it hard.


    Catching roughly 50-100 fishes per batch, the trio quickly began filling up the boat with fish, as they captured a batch every 5 minutes.


    After an hour, they managed to catch about 1000 fishes and were halfway done with their fishing task, when the firstke urchin finally made their move.


    Rising from the deeper parts of theke like a torpedo, one of them swam towards Erin with a frightening pace as Erin waved towards Rocky in panic and tried to draw his attention to the threat.


    Rocky, spotting the danger immediately unsheathed his sword and after calcting the speed of the approaching urchinunched a sword strike to intercept it in its path before he could reach Erin.


    *sh*


    Launching a sword sh under water was extremely hard for Rocky and required him to strain his muscles to the absolute limit, as it was several times more difficult for him to unleash a sword strike below water than it was for him to do the same in air.


    Nheless, his sword mastery had reached a point where he could even project a sword strike underneath water for up to 25 meters, as he shed theke urchin clean in half with his strike before he could reach Erin.


    Green blood spilled out from theke urchin''s body, dissolving quickly into theke water, as his death alerted all the otherke urchins about the presence of a predator in their midst.


    Soon, about a dozen torpedo''s began rising from theke bed, all converging towards Rocky, as Erin visibly panicked when faced with therge number of enemies.


    *Pointing upwards*


    Pointing upwards, Rocky asked Erin to bail out before him, while he himself clutched his sword with both hands and prepared to fight.


    While Rocky usually preferred fighting with the two sword style¡­ he felt like he could not generate enough power using two swords to sh underwater and hence shifted to the single sword style, putting both his hands behind a single university issued de.


    Bailing out, Erin began hastily swimming towards the surface as the only thing he had on his mind was to reach back to the safety of the boat and warn Buhara that Rocky was in danger and might need his help soon.


    *SHUA*


    *SHUA*


    *SHUA*


    Unleashing three sword projections to intercept three iingke urchins, Rocky tried to reduce the number of enemies he was going to face, however, while two of his attacks hit the enemies, the third one managed to dodge, as ten enemies still converged on his position from all sides.


    [ Single Sword Style - Sword Vortex ]


    Rocky used the defensive type move sword vortex, that aimed at minimizing one''s blind spots and tried to cover one''s body from all directions.


    Unfortunately for him, the move required for him to perform a flurry of rapid movements, movements that consumed a lot of energy when underwater, as his muscles burnt in protest when he began swinging his sword that fast underwater.


    Although Erin''s aquatic mobility spell did help him move slightly easier, the stamina consumption to execute the move was still insane as Rocky''s sword shed against the thorny spikes of theke urchin''s bodies, slicing through their ugly bodies and unleashing green blood.


    One after another, Rocky faced every singleke urchining his way bravely while also swimming towards the shore ever so slowly as he knew that he could not keep swinging his sword at this pace for too long.


    *GASPPP*


    Meanwhile, Erin having returned safely to the surface, gasped and turned towards Buhara as he sought the aid of the orc to climb back on to their boat.


    "Rocky¡­ he''s being swarmed by a group of urchins¡­ he will need your help soon" Erin said, as he pointed Buhara in the direction that Rocky was likely to emerge from, as Buhara instantly began gathering his mana to cast a spell.


    Of the ten urchins left, Rocky managed to kill four more before reaching near the surface, as once he was close to the top, he stopped swinging his sword and used the spell [ Wind Wall ] underwater, to use it as a propent to st him outside into the air.


    [ Wind Wall ]


    As soon as he used the spell, thews of physics sted him backwards and into the air, as close to sixke urchins followed him outside the water, where Buhara was waiting for them to emerge.


    [ Earthen Spikes ]


    Using the spell Earthen Spikes, Buhara sted a series of holes through the bodies of the Sea Urchins as he killed all six with ease once they were outside the water.


    *Crash*


    Crashing into the boat over the pile of fish they had caught, Rocky disced a few fishes which dropped back into theke, as he got buried amongst their catch.


    "BUHAHAHAHAHARA-" Buharaughed looking at Rocky''s pitiful state, as the Champion Of Gemini got back to his feet with his wet hair sticking to his forehead.


    "Good job Erin¡­ Buhara¡­ I think we''ve already got all the urchins there were and only need to catch the fishes now-" Rocky said as yet another fish fell back into theke as he struggled to move out of the pile.


    "Buhahahara¡­ yes we will catch the fishes puny human, however, you need to stop releasing them back into the waters" Buhara said mirthfully as he found the whole situation extremely funny.


    "Real funny Buhara¡­real funny¡­" Rocky said, as he smelled his t-shirt that now stank like fish, before tying yet another to his waist and diving back into the water.


    While the team work between the three wasn''t perfect yet, with Rocky as the leader and the trio spending more time together exploring each other''s strengths and weaknesses, they began getting a feel on how to work as a team better and better after every floor raid that they performed together.

 Chapter 181: The Plan

    ( Guildmaster Karna''s POV )


    Karna carefully read the detailed information that Rocky provided about the underground prison system of floor 21.


    He analyzed every possible strategy to break into the prison, however, despite thinking for hours, he couldn''te up with a good n.


    The underground prison system was almost impossible to prate. Freeing a prisoner from even the first level seemed unfeasible without sending a whole army.


    There were thousands of guards just on the first level, constantly patrolling the narrow corridors which made the concept of sneaking into the second level next to impossible as there was not a single thief or assassin in the world that could move past thousands of guards undetected.


    This meant that fighting through was the only way to the second level of the prison, however, the choice to fight through was also not without its own set of risks.


    To push through the first floor of the prison, Karna estimated the need to send somewhere between 15,000 to 20,000 troops.


    Even then, the fight would likely drag on for hours because the narrow corridors would negate the advantage of having more troops.


    Under such circumstances, if the main army above sent reinforcements to deal with the trouble below, the fight would be a two-way death trap, making the situation even more dangerous.


    Hence, Karna found himself in a strategic dilemma as he could not figure out how to prate the prison.


    "Hey Neatwit, take a look at this¡­. What do you think?" Karna said, as he showed Neatwit the 3D render of the underground prison that the elites had constructed based off Rocky''s Intel, as after looking at it for a while, Neatwit provided his insights into the situation.


    "I think the idea of sending thousands of troops into the underground prison is wrong, because, I don''t see how even if we sessfully storm the first floor, can those troops help us on the second floor or the third.


    Even if we do reach the third floor, there is a risk of a guard teleporting out with Riva and running away, so I don''t think sending more number of troops is a solution here" Neatwit said, as he judged the situation to be a more nuanced problem than one that could just be solved with numerical superiority.


    "I think we should free and arm the floor one prisoners themselves and start an armed rebellion.


    It''s a prison¡­I''m sure the prisoners hate their guards with a vengeance. Let''s use it to our advantage and free them, causing a riot to start so that our stronger units can slip into floor two" Neatwit suggested as he exined his rough idea on how he nned to send only a single robust unit into floor one of the prison.


    A unit that would free all the prisoners they can and use them to incite rebellion.


    It was a slightly risky n, since they were counting on the help of the prisoners to deal with the guards, however, it was a logical n since the hatred that prisoners had for their guards was almost universal.


    If suddenly given the chance to escape and fight back, the prisoners would likely leap at the opportunity, driven by their intense hatred for their captors.


    "Hmm¡­"


    Karna mulled over Neatwit''s suggestion, realizing it had potential. The key to this strategy''s sess depended on the selection of the right unit to infiltrate the first floor.


    This unit needed individuals skilled enough to navigate the treacherous environment of the prison and also capable of inciting a rebellion.


    "We need good talkers¡­. Someone who can y with the emotions of the crowd, as we simply can''t rely on the hatred of the prisoners, we need to incite a fire of rebellion inside them too.


    Perhaps we could use some of our more charismatic warriors, those who can rally the prisoners to our cause. If we can sessfully start a riot, the guards will be too upied dealing with the chaos to notice our main force slipping through to the lower levels." Karna said, as when he thought about good orators, two distinct gentlemen popped into his head.


    Neatwit nodded listening to Karna''s words as he said, "Exactly. If we y our cards right, we can turn the prison''s own poption into a weapon against itself.


    The confusion and disorder caused by a full-scale riot would be the perfect cover for our more experienced operatives to move deeper into the prison, where once inside the second level they can try to sneak into the third floor with minimal bloodshed"


    Karna felt a surge of hope. This n, though risky, could work.


    While it was highly unconventional, relying on the chaos and unpredictability of a prison uprising, it offered a glimmer of a solution where brute force alone might have failed.


    "We need to start nning immediately. Let''s gather our best strategists and put this n into motion


    This whole fight is for the sole purpose of saving Riva, so there''s no point in us winning the war if we fail to save her in the end, " Karna said, as he reminded himself and Neatwit that the primary goal of this war was to rescue Riva and not seize control of floor21 itself.


    "Also, I think the secret tunnel can be used to help a unit infiltrate inside the pce and bust open the outer wall gates for our army¡­." Neatwit pointed out, as Karna nodded immediately.


    The entrance into the prison wasn''t only useful to prate the prison, but also for infiltrating the pce, which could add ayer of surprise and unpredictability in the fight.


    "We need bombs¡­. And lots of them¡­ but I think we have a fair shot of sessfullypleting this raid.


    If the Gemini Gods are with us, we can even im the floor21 for ourselves" Neatwit said, as he dared to dream beyond just saving Riva to actually winning the administrative rights to a floor.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter 1 of 3 for the day, this is in addition to the 5 chapter privilege update that will be der. ///

 Chapter 182: Invitation

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    A couple days after clearing floor 18, the trio attempted to clear floor 19 and managed to do so without suffering any major problems.


    The quest this time was to help a group of birdmen find appropriate materials for their nesting season, as the group innovatively tackled the problem and helped procure wool, twigs and other materials to construct nests amass.


    It was a quest that required them to use wits more than brawn and was rtively easy toplete as the trio managed to pass on to floor 20 without facing any major setbacks so far.


    Returning back to floor zero, the three celebrated their clearing of floor19 inside the canteen as they excitedly talked about the next promotion test on floor 20 that they were to attempt in two days'' time.


    "Floor 21 is where the real politics and power ys of the tower starts. It''s where you officially be a climber" Erin said, as he excitedly ate his food and talked about how adventurous their future was bound to be.


    "Buhara cannot wait to help save Rocky''s sister¡­ Buhara gonna smash all the bad guys" said Buhara as he ate food using both hands, stuffing a mouthful each time he lifted an arm.


    "Floor 21 is where our journey finally begins¡­. No longer university students, we will have to face the tower on our own" Rocky said, as he felt a shiver run down his spine thinking about the challenges he was bound to face in the future.


    ording to his knowledge, the Gemini Gods were already on floor 92, which was the only reason why he had an easy life climbing up to floor 20.


    However, once he moved past floor 20, the effects of ''Vorithra Slyithen'' were bound to kick in, as random events would start to be triggered every time he would be on a floor raid.


    From floor 21 onwards, every floor was bound to be a new and challenging adventure for him and his party, with the real threat of life and death hanging in the bnce.


    Not only would he need to face unexpected challenges during his floor raids, but he would also need to face challenges from forces that were hostile to the Gemini Gods.


    While he lived inside a bubble while inside the university, the moment he would cross the floor20 threshold, he was bound toe into contact with big yers like major tower guilds, major religions and anti-god cults who would try exert their influence over him because of his status as the Champion Of Gemini.


    It was surely going to be a challenging yet exciting time where everyday was going to be the start of a new adventure.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile, Sophia )


    After months of a tense standoff with her brother, Sophia finally received a letter from him where he requested her presence at the pce on floor 21, assuring her that she would be safe and no harm woulde to her.


    Unwilling to let this chance go, Sophia epted his request and decided to meet him, as she returned to floor 21 where she was shocked to see the ruined and pitiful state the pce was in.


    As she walked into the throne room, Sophia was surprised to see her brother looking extremely pale and sleep deprived as his usual vibrant and happy lusture seemed to be missingpletely.


    "Brother¡­." She said softly, trying to see if Perseus was okay, however, Perseus did not seem to register her voice at all as he kept staring at her expressionlessly.


    "I''m about to die¡­ Sophia" Perseus eventually said, breaking the silence between the two as his words somehow moved Sophia to tears.


    "Brother no...." She said, crying a small river of tears as Perseus let out a deep sigh.


    "The reconstruction effort of the fort and the recruitment of new troops is going abysmally bad.


    The family seems to have withdrawn their support for me entirely and are almost rooting for me to fail.


    Sessfully defending my pce is no longer enough for father, who has promised to decapitate me personally if I fail to capture Rocky for him, or lose the custody of Riva to the enemy" Perseus said, sounding extremely exhausted as he projected all his problems on to Sophia to try garner her sympathy.


    " Unfortunately, I wasn''t chosen as the Champion Of Poseidon. Unfortunately, I don''t hold the same position in the family as you do.


    I''m disposable, my achievements are my onlyyer of defense as without them, I''m just one of the thousands of Olympian half-lings running around" Perseus said, as he spoke the grim truth about his existence.


    He wasn''t the son of a true god like his father.


    He was the grandson of a true god, which were innumerable within the Olympian society, making his existence not that special.


    The only thing giving his life meaning was his position as the floor master of floor21, which distinguished him from the rest of the crowd. However, if he failed to redeem himself now, he would be discarded and killed without hesitation.


    "Brother¡­. Why is our family so cruel?" Sophia said, as she began to sob out loud.


    She knew exactly how ruthless the Olympian society was and detested it deeply.


    All she wanted was love and adoration from her family like any normal child was entitled to, however, she only got love and acknowledgement from her father when she achieved something, which made her personality turn twisted and narcissistic as an adult.


    " I know the rest of our family is incredibly cruel Sophia, which is why I know that I can only trust you¡­..


    My blood sister who will never abandon me no matter how much we fight internally or talk back to one another.


    Afterall, we can only rely on each other in this crazy world" Perseus said as he gestured for Sophia toe up to him and embrace him, which Sophia did.


    For a while, Perseus pampered her and embraced her, however, soon he revealed his true intentions.


    "If I ask you a favor to save my life, will you or will you not help me sister?" Perseus asked maniptively as his tone took a sudden 180¡ã shift.


    Holding her breath, Sophia tried to pull away from Perseus, however, his brother forcibly held her head in ce as he prevented her from moving an inch.


    "Of Course you won''t betray your beloved older brother right? I''m sure you don''t want him to die¡­. Do you?" He said, sounding borderline maniacal, as tears escaped Sophia''s eyes once more.


    In the end, she had be a puppet to others'' whims once again.


    ¡ª----


    /// Bonus chapter 2 of 3 for the day. Thankyou for all your supportst month ///

 Chapter 183: Soul Oath

    "Of Course you won''t betray your beloved older brother right? I''m sure you don''t want him to die¡­. Do you?" Perseus said, sounding borderline maniacal, as tears of fear escaped Sophia''s eyes.


    She knew that her struggle to break free of Perseus''s grip was futile as if her brother really wanted to, he could easily crush her head into a pulp with his bare fists, as in terms of strength, there was noparison between Perseus who was tier5 and Sophia who was tier1.


    She waspletely at his mercy now that she was in his embrace and she could only pull away when he allowed her to.


    "Do you even realize how lucky you are to have been chosen as the Champion Of Poseidon?


    Do you even realize that I deserve that position much more than you?" Perseus said as he let out all the pent up jealousy and insecurity in his heart.


    "I''m morepetent than you, smarter than you, more mature than you, stronger than you¡­. Yet you get chosen as the Champion and not me.


    Why?


    What''s so special about you that''s missing in me? Except that you''re a woman who can be sold for a political marriage" Perseus said as he tightened his grip around Sophia''s head, giving it a painful squeeze.


    "AGHHHH-" Sophia screamed in pain, as she genuinely feared for her safety now that her brother seemed to have lost his temper.


    "There''s nothing that makes you better than me," Perseus sneered. "The only reason you''re the champion and not me is because of pure luck." With that, he shoved Sophia forcefully, sending her flying several meters through the air before she crashed heavily onto the floor below.


    "You will help me survive Sophia¡­. You must do so because I''m your brother and because I deserve to live¡­" Perseus said, now in amanding tone as he got up from his throne seat and began slowly walking towards Sophia.


    "The only way father lets me survive is if I deliver Rocky to him¡­ so you will help me deliver Rocky to him," Perseus said as he reached Sophia''s location and squatted down on the floor beside her.


    " I already know that he''s nning to join this next floor raid alongside the Elites. I already anticipate him trying to save his sister while the rest of the Elites try to take me down¡­ so I want you alongside him, luring him into the trap I set for him" Perseus said as he grabbed Sophia by the chin once more and stared ruthlessly into her eyes.


    "My survival depends on this, so I will not tolerate any fuck-ups from your side.


    You will either swear a soul-oath to lead Rocky to the trap I set for him anyhow, or I will kill you right here right now.


    I''m going to die a monthter at the hands of father anyways, however, this way I''ll at least take his precious princess, the almighty Champion Of Poseidon with me before I go¡­" Perseus said as Sophia saw pure malice in the eyes of her brother at this instance.


    She knew that he meant every wording out of his mouth because of the maniacal look in his eyes, as he seemed to be really prepared to kill Sophia and face the consequences of his actionster rather than facing the prospect of death alone.


    Sophia''s breath hitched, fear paralyzing her as Perseus''s ultimatum echoed in her ears.


    She had always known her brother''s cruelty, but this level of cold-blooded calction and willingness to sacrifice her life for his gain was a new, terrifying revtion.


    "Perseus, please..." she whispered, her voice trembling as she felt the overwhelming pressure of his grip on her chin. "There''s got to be another way." She said, begging, however, her request fell on deaf ears.


    "There is no other way," Perseus hissed, tightening his hold. "Now, swear the soul-oath, or I''ll end your miserable life right here."


    Sophia''s heart pounded in her chest. She had no choice. She knew what a soul-oath entailed¡ªa binding promise on her very essence, ensuring she could never betray it without facing dire consequences, including death. But the alternative was immediate death at the hands of her brother.


    With tears streaming down her face, she nodded slowly. "I''ll do it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Perseus''s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he released her chin. "Good," he said, standing up and stepping back. "Now, swear it¡­. Do it upon Poseidon himself."


    Sophia took a deep breath, gathering what little strength she had left as she closed her eyes and began the incantation-


    "I, Sophia, Champion of Poseidon, swear upon my soul to lead Rocky into the trap set by Perseus, my brother. By the divine powers of Poseidon that bind this oath, I pledge my loyalty to this cause. Should I falter or betray this promise, may my soul be forfeit and my life be imed by the consequences of this oath."


    A faint glow surrounded Sophia as the soul-oath took hold, binding her to the promise. She felt a searing pain in her chest, as if her very soul was being branded with the words she had just spoken.


    It was a physical manifestation of the bond, a constant reminder of the oath she could never break.


    Perseus watched with a satisfied smirk, knowing his sister was now bound to his will. "Excellent," he said, his tone dripping with malevolent glee. "Remember, Sophia, any mistake, any hint of betrayal, and your life itself will be forfeited¡­.. as for the exact trap, I''llmunicate it to you via a letter in theing days."


    Sophia nodded, her spirit crushed under the weight of the soul-oath and the fear of what was toe as she had no choice but toply and to lead Rocky into the trap that awaited him.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter 3/3 for all the support you guys have given mest month. Hope you enjoyed it.///

 Chapter 184: Return To Origin Realm

    ( Rocky''s POV, The Origin Realm )


    This time as Rocky returned to the Origin Realm ''Vorithra Slyithen'' for his second tier promotion test, he was mentally prepared to face the change in mana density.


    Almost as soon as he reached the origin realm, he felt disoriented and as if his gut were wrenching, however, this time he did not puke his guts out, as he was purposefully traveling on an empty stomach.


    ''Too strong¡­F***, the mana density of this realm is too strong'' Rocky cursed as he struggled back to his feet.


    "Back so soon?" Asked the familiar guide of the Origin Realm, as Epita, the three eyed demoness weed Rocky with a big smile on her face.


    ''Oh gosh, not her again'' Rocky thought, as he did not like the deceitful demoness one bit, however, concealing his emotions he nodded towards her in acknowledgement.


    "I''m here for the second tier promotion test-" Rocky said in a controlled tone, as he tried to put on the tough act.


    Although he was feeling dizzy from the sudden change in environment, he tried to put on a brave face in front of Epita as he felt instinctively apprehensive in showing a weak side to that demon.


    Epita sized Rocky up, ncing at the imperceivable projection of the massive purple knight warrior behind him, as she tried to ensure that Rocky still had the backing of Gemini before treating him with any ounce of respect.


    Unfortunately for her, Rocky seemed to be still heavily favored by Gemini, evident by the size of his guardian figure behind him, as Epita understood that if she tried to mess with Rocky even slightly, she would be cut down to shreds by the wrath of Gemini.


    While Rocky could not perceive the divine essence and the chaos energy yet, which made him oblivious to the protection he had. Epita was very much aware of it and hence treated Rocky with extreme care and respect.


    "Well, what''s the hurry? You''re back here after a few months. Chat with me for a while first, tell me about the outside world" Epita said, trying to strike a conversation with Rocky as she felt genuinely bored in this realm all alone and wanted to know about the events of the outside world.


    Understanding her nature better now and knowing full well that she would be grumpy if he refused her request, Rocky decided to indulge her for a bit as he saw no harm in talking to her for a while.


    "Alright, I might not be fully up-to-date on thetest events in the tower, so what I can share might not seem as engaging to someone of your stature, since it''s all news of what happens in the lower floors.


    However, I''ll tell you what I do know¡­" Rocky said, as he indulged Epita and her curiosity for a while and told her about the attack principal Liamunched on floor 21 and how the Olympian forces are in disorder over it.


    While floors below 60 held little worth for Epita, and the events Rocky shared being genuinely too low level to capture her interest,she enjoyed listening to the drama nheless as by the end of his story, her mood had brightened significantly.


    "Hahaha, so the foolish Champion Of Poseidon''s elder brother is foolish too¡­ hahaha" Epita said, chuckling out loud as she found the whole incident extremely entertaining.


    Having been a floor master herself long ago, she knew the challenges that came alongside being a floor master and found Perseus''s actions as beingughable.


    It was clear to her that the boy was too green to properly manage a floor as he did not have the far-sightedness to realize the consequences of his actions, a quality that was a must for anyone to be a good floor master.


    "Well, you have entertained me well today, Champion of Gemini. Therefore, I shall reward you ordingly." Epita said, as she pointed towards their immediate surroundings, trying to get Rocky to notice what was different about his starting point todaypared to hisst visit to the Origin Realm.


    "Look around... Do you see how you''re in the dense forest this time and not in the clearing where you startedst time?" she asked as Rocky nced around, noticing the pool where he had taken a dive to clear his first tier promotion test being not too far behind him as he nodded in understanding.


    "Yes, whenever you return to the Origin Realm, you start from where you left offst with the end goal being for you to make your way to the Origin Pce" Epita said, pointing somewhere deep into the forest as Rocky recalled the image of the massive pce that he saw the first time he entered the origin realm and nodded his head.


    That pce looked like it was a few mountain ranges away, but nothing too crazy either as Rocky felt like he could reach the pce on foot in about 20 days maximum if he hiked at a moderate pace.


    "Everytime that you return to this Origin Realm, you will have to slowly make your way towards the pce and your next test location until you finally reach the pce gates when you''re ready to attempt your floor 90 promotion test" Epita exined as she shared invaluable knowledge about the workings of the Origin Realm with Rocky.


    "While your first promotion test was easy and only needed you to take the test, from your second promotion test onwards, the promotion exam will be divided into two parts.


    Firstly, you will need to make your way to the next promotion test site which will be riddled with countless dangers.


    And then you will need to attempt the promotion test itself, which can also end your life if you can''t take it" Epita said, as she grinned evilly at the ruthless nature of the origin realm.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Priv Update 1 of 5.


    Note - I''ve decided to give all my top tier priv buyers 50% off on every chapter unlock for the month of June, because it''s my birthday month. Cheers guys!! ///

 Chapter 185: Dangers Of The Origin Realm

    "Firstly, you will need to make your way to the next promotion test site which will be a challenging task riddled with dangers


    And then you will need to attempt the promotion test itself, which can also end your life" Epita said, as Rocky felt his left eye flutter when he heard these words.


    The Origin Realm was already a nightmarishndscape with a ridiculously strong mana concentration and equally challenging tier promotion tests, however, as if that were not enough, one now also needed to make their way to the promotion test sites and could potentially be killed on their way there.


    "So for me to attempt the second tier promotion test, I first need to make my way to the test site?" Rocky asked, trying to confirm what he was supposed to do as Epita nodded her head.


    She was not obligated to exin all this to Rocky, however, since Rocky indulged her with an interesting conversation today and did not behave like a dick, she felt generous and decided to genuinely help him just this one time.


    "There will be three possible trails for you to choose between, with all three trails having different levels of difficulty, leading to different promotion test zones.


    If you choose the weakest trail, it will lead you to a promotion test zone where the best possible evaluation you can gain will be a C grade


    If you choose the moderately difficult trail, it will lead you to the promotion test zone where the best possible evaluation you can gain is an A grade.


    Finally, if you choose the trail with the highest difficulty level, it will lead you to the promotion test zone where the best possible evaluation you can gain is the SSS grade" Epita exined, as she smiled sadistically while giving Rocky the options.


    "The weakest trail is the shortest, only being about a mile and a half long, with the beasts that you might encounter along the way being only tier 2 in strength.


    The moderately difficult trail is longer, about three miles long and has sentient tier three beasts guarding it.


    Finally the highest difficulty trail is the longest, being a five mile hike¡­. And it''s guarded by sentient tier4 beasts that can easily rip the weak you to shreds" Epita said, as she presented Rocky with all the different trail options and the pitfalls of choosing them.


    "Sentient Beasts?" Rocky asked, sounding confused by the term usage, as he urged Epita to borate further on what it meant.


    Epita nodded, understanding his curiosity as she said "Sentient beasts are a unique category of creatures. Unlike regr beasts that operate purely on instinct, sentient beasts possess the potential to develop intelligenceparable to humans. They might learn to speak humannguages,municateplex ideas, and even master advanced battle techniques".


    "Take the nine-tailed fox, for example," she continued. "A nine-tailed fox might gain sentience, learning tomunicate, read texts, and perform advanced maneuvers.


    However, it might also spend its entire life driven by basic instincts, never achieving higher intelligence. These beasts aren''t born sentient like humans or dragons but have the potential to develop such capabilities as they mature."


    Rocky listened intently, processing the information. The concept of facing creatures with such unpredictable levels of intelligence added a newyer ofplexity to his journey to the actual tier two promotion site.


    The trails now seemed even more daunting, knowing that he could encounter beasts capable of performing human-like cunning and strategies.


    "So, choosing the trail with sentient beasts means I could face creatures that are not only physically powerful but also capable of strategic thinking?" Rocky asked, trying to gauge the full extent of the challenge ahead.


    "Exactly," Epita confirmed with a grim smile. "Just like how I''ve received a quest to be a guide in the origin realm for 6666 years.


    Sentient beasts from all across the tower get dragged into the origin realm too and are given simr quests.


    The ones that you might face should you choose the harder trails have been given the quest to prevent anyone from passing through.


    If they fail this quest, they die, which is why these beasts will stop at nothing to prevent you from passing through" She borated, as her words forced Rocky to suck in a deep breath.


    Each path held its own risks and rewards, and he knew that his choice would not only determine his immediate survival but also his future potential in the Origin Realm, so chickening out and choosing the weakest and safest trail wasn''t an option either.


    "Thank you for the exnation, Epita. I''ll need some time to think this over," Rocky eventually said, as he realized that he couldn''t be hasty with this choice.


    "Take your time, Champion Of Gemini, but remember, in the Origin Realm, hesitation can be just as deadly as recklessness," Epita joked, her tone yful as she teased Rocky to not think this through and follow his instincts.


    With that, she left Rocky to ponder his next move, with the trails ahead loomingrge on his mind.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile Erin and Buhara )


    Unlike Rocky who was forced to choose between dangerous life and death scenarios within the Origin Realm, The promotion tests of Erin and Buhara looked considerably different.


    Given a solo quest that tested their creativity and intelligence, Erin and Buhara felt that the floor20 promotion test was not much different to any normal floor raid at all, as they both passed their respective tests with ease.


    Erin achieved an S grade evaluation on his test, earning a significant strength boost and a selection of skills to enhance his abilities as a Support Mage.


    Meanwhile, Buhara received an A+ grade evaluation on his promotion test and was rewarded with two random skill scrolls beneficial for a Battle Mage, along with a substantial strength boost.


    Unlike Erin he did not receive a choice in what skill he wanted to pick, however, he still received two very rare and powerful AOE spells nheless.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Priv release chapter 2 of 5. Hope you enjoyed it ///

 Chapter 186: Choices

    Rocky pondered deeply over which trail to choose. While his rational mind urged him to select the easiest path to maximize his chances of survival, he knew deep down that the promotion tests in the Origin Realm would never get easier over time.


    He had nearly died during his first tier promotion test, and each subsequent test was sure to be progressively harder. This meant that if his ultimate goal was to reach the Origin Castle, he needed to tackle the most challenging paths now to build a strong foundation for facing even tougher challenges in the future.


    Although this reasoning seemed logical in his head, the reality of the situation was that he didn''t feel confident about his ability to confront sentient tier-4 beasts at all as facing these beasts was not the smartest choice for several reasons¡ª


    Firstly, sentient tier-4 beasts were not just physically stronger but also highly intelligent. They could strategize, anticipate his moves, and adapt to his fighting style, making them formidable opponents.


    Secondly, these beasts possessed a variety of unique abilities that could catch him off guard. Unlike lower-tier creatures, tier-4 beasts often had elemental powers, telepathy, or other supernatural skills that could easily overwhelm him and without prior knowledge of these abilities and how to counter them, he would be at a significant disadvantage.


    ording to what he studied in the monsters and their weakness ss at the university, tier4 beasts had evolved to learn a variety of spells and skills for hunting and survival and without having specific knowledge about the kind of opponent that he would face, it was going to be extremely dumb for him to jump on to the most difficult trail, as if there was anything more fatal than facing a tier4 beast as a tier1 warrior¡­ it was facing a tier4 beast as a tier1 warrior who was also under prepared.


    Moreover, Rocky had to seriously consider his current state of preparedness. Hecked the advanced weapons and protective gear needed to face such powerful enemies as venturing into a battle without adequate equipment would be suicidal.


    For all he knew, he couldn''t even put all his faith behind his academy issuedmon steel des, as there was a high possibility that those des broke down when facing a tier4 opponent and could fail in prating their outer tough skins.


    Up till now, neither had he procured an adequate weapon, nor did he possess any proper protective gear items that could save his life during critical times.


    Rocky also recognized that hisbat skills, while improving after spending a year at the university, were not yet at the level required to take on tier-4 beasts with any hope of sess, as the more that Rocky thought about it, the more reasons he found about not venturing into the hardest trail.


    Lastly, Rocky understood that taking on challenges beyond his current capabilities could lead to him facing severe injuries or death.


    Pushing himself too hard too soon might result in setbacks that could impede his overall progress as he needed to bnce ambition with caution, ensuring that he grew stronger methodically rather than recklessly.


    [ Strongest System Notification - An Emergency Quest Has Been Created! ]


    Just as Rocky was about to choose the moderately difficult trail as his final choice, a system notification screen popped up before him.


    [ Quest Title-  ''Choosing the hardest trail''.


    Quest Description- The Gemini Gods strongly disapprove of the decision of their champion to choose the safer path.


    Quest Completion Conditions-  Choose the most difficult trail and somehow make it to the promotion test site alive.


    Completion rewards - Immediate recovery from all injuries suffered + ????


    Failure penalty - Death ]


    Rocky almost choked when he read the quest notification, as he felt like cursing the Gemini Gods a thousand times when he saw that the failure penalty was death.


    The Gemini Gods were basically bullying him into choosing the most difficult path, as while there was a possibility of him dying if he chose the most difficult path, if he did not choose it, then death was apparently a certainty.


    ''What sort of apulsion is this? What is this my way or the highway attitude?'' Rocky cursed in his head as although every rational brain cell in his head told him that choosing the hardest trail was a dumb idea, Rocky chose it nheless.


    "I choose the hardest trail" he said, as even Epita looked visibly shocked by his decision.


    She thought that she had made the dangers of choosing the hardest trail apparent to Rocky, however, the fool has somehow still chosen the hardest trail of his own volition.


    "Do you have a serious death wish? Or do you really think you can survive the most difficult trail?" Epita asked, sounding concerned, as she tried to understand the reason behind why Rocky made that choice.


    Shaking his head and sheepishly looking towards the floor, Rocky refused to answer as eventually Epita just gave up and lead him to the start of the hardest trail.


    "Good luck¡­. If you somehow make it past the tier2 promotion test, we shall meet again" she said, as Rocky unsheathed his swords and cautiously began his journey down the hardest trail.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile On Floor 92, The Gemini Gods )


    "Are you crazy? Have youpletely lost your mind?" Shakuni screamed in anger towards Ravan, as his younger brother gave him the most innocent smile possible.


    "He only has a 0.8% survival chance if he walks down the hardest trail. 0.8!!!


    Do you want our Champion to die so early?" Shakuni asked, as he did not understand why Ravan rebelled against his arrangement of sending Rocky down the moderate path and issued that emergency quest without his approval.


    "He needs to walk down the path of the perfect warrior if he ever hopes to beat Hercules.


    What''s the use of having a champion if he''s never going to be a first rate warrior.


    I don''t understand fate and probabilities like you do brother, however, I refused to have a sub-par champion carrying my brand.


    If he dies, he dies¡­. But as long as he lives, he''s always going to chase a perfect evaluation" Ravan said, as he made his intentions clear on what sort of a champion he wanted, although Shakuni did not agree.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Privilege Chapter update 3 of 5, hope you liked it ///

 Chapter 187: Danger

    Rocky took a deep breath as he stepped onto the hardest trail, his heart pounding heavily in his chest.


    ''I''m scared'' he admitted to himself candidly, as he tried to get a grip on his nerves and stop his hands from trembling.


    Every rational part of him screamed for him to turn back, but the system notification had left him no choice.


    He nced back at Epita onest time, who watched him walk down the hardest trail with a mix of concern and resignation, before refocusing on the path ahead.


    The forest around him felt dark and foreboding, with ancient trees looming overhead, their twisted branches casting eerie shadows that danced in the faint light filtering through the dense canopy.


    Most of the trees and life forms around him were very different and foreign to the life forms he was used to, which added ayer of unfamiliarity to his surroundings, making him feel even more anxious than he already was.


    His surroundings were eerily silent, almost oppressively so, as unlike the forests of Earth, where the chatter of wildlife and insects was a constantpanion, here, it felt as if the forest itself held its breath.


    *Crunch*


    *Crunch*


    The sound of Rocky''s footsteps, while mostly muffled by the thickyer of leaves on the ground, was still audible as a faint rustle as he cautiously moved forward.


    Every few seconds he felt a strong urge to abandon caution and start sprinting down the trail as if trying to speed-run his way through this mess, however, he held back the urge and walked extremely slowly and with caution.


    Every sense in his body was on high alert, every nerve in his body taut with anxiety, as he constantly scanned his surroundings for any sign of movement, aware that danger could strike from any direction.


    The air around him felt thick with tension, and his paranoia for the safety of his life, made him perceive every shadow cast by a tree branch as a potential threat.


    Every Time he saw a tree branch shadow looking like a figure whose shape he recognised, he felt his heart undergo a scare as his grip on his swords automatically tightened.


    Every second that passed, he could feel the weight of the forest pressing down on him a little more, as it almost felt like a palpable presence that made his skin prickle with unease.


    With his excellent eyes after his racial enhancement, and his superior sense detection after his time in the snakeman chamber, Rocky was confident in his ability to detect danger before it struck, however, unbeknownst to him, a massive tier-4 pythonid hidden among the trees a few meters in front of him, with its scales perfectly camouged against the bark.


    The snake watched him with cold, calcting eyes, waiting for the perfect moment to strike as it had been drawn by the unusual disturbance in its territory.


    As Rocky continued his cautious advance, unaware of the danger lurking just a few feet away. His mind raced with thoughts of potential threats, but he failed to notice the slight shifting of leaves that betrayed the python''s presence.


    This particr snake was a ''Hypnosis Python'' a clever beast that lured its prey using hypnosis magic, before slowly wrapping its body around them and crushing them with their strong muscles.


    It was a beast that Rocky had studied about in the university, however, having failed to detect it, once Rocky came within a ten meter range of the beast, he still started to be affected by its hypnosis magic.


    Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation, as if his mind was growing fuzzy and although he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, the feeling persisted.


    ''What''s happening to me?'' he wondered, as he began hearing a soft, almost imperceptible hissing sound reach his ears as he realized with a jolt of fear that he was not alone.


    The python had begun to weave its hypnosis magic, its yellow eyes glowing with an unnatural light as it focused its power on Rocky.


    Hallucinating, Rocky saw thousands of yellow eyes all around him, as the start of the hypnosis magic had already rendered his sense of sight useless.


    Panic surged through him as he struggled to maintain his focus. His vision blurred, and he felt his limbs growing heavy, his movements growing sluggish and uncoordinated.


    The python, thinking that it had sessfully confused its prey, slithered closer, its massive body coiling around a tree trunk as it prepared to strike.


    ''It''s a hypnosis python, I''ve already been affected by the first stage of its hypnosis and my eyes have be useless.


    ording to the monster booklet, the beast itself is not powerful and is very slow and bulky with a limited range of movement.


    It hunts using its camouge and hypnosis abilities, so as long as I can dodge it''s first strike and decapitate it, I have a shot at living'' Rocky thought calmly, as he closed his eyes and tried to rely on his other senses.


    Rocky knew he had only moments to act before the hypnosis took full effect, rendering him helpless, as while it was only his vision that had been affected for now, soon his other senses would face the same consequences as he would lose his sense of hearing, smell and touch soon.


    With a supreme effort, he forced himself to concentrate, drawing on every ounce of willpower he possessed as he focused on the sensation of his swords in his hands, the familiar weight grounding him in reality.


    Summoning his strength, he shed wildly at the air, hoping to break the python''s concentration, as he unleashed a series of [ Sword sh ].


    At first, Rocky''s attacks missed their mark, however, focusing on the source of the hissing sound, Rocky soon turned towards the real direction of the python, with his shes inching closer and closer to the beast.


    The python hesitated, its grip on Rocky''s mind momentarily weakening, as sensing an opening, Rocky opened his eyes to spot the enemy and lunged forward, his des slicing through the air towards the enemy.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Privilege Update Chapter 4 Of 5, Hope you enjoy it ///

 Chapter 188: Broken Weapons

    Breaking free from the hypnosis, Rocky immediately lunged forward, his des slicing through the air with a desperate precision, as he tried the attack [ Crossde sh ] to hopefully slice the snake''s head into four pieces.


    The python, unable to react in time, became a sitting duck for Rocky to strike, as Rocky''s swords made contact with the beast''s skin.


    *Sllllshhh*


    The impact was hard, and instead of slicing cleanly through the python''s scales, his swords got nicked and damaged from trying to cut through the scales, which were harder than steel, causing the edges of the de to crumple under the force.


    *GUSHH*


    The python hissed in pain, as blood spurt from its face, its body recoiling from the blow as it received a shallow wound to its face.


    Thankfully, one of Rocky''s des has managed to prate deep enough to disable its left eye, as the beast could not open that side of its eye after suffering Rocky''s attack.


    As Rocky pulled back, his heart raced wildly as his mind spun with a whirlwind of thoughts.


    ''I desperately need a better weapon,''he realized, feeling the strain in his hands from the jarring impact.


    ''These academy-issued des aren''t going to cut it¡ªliterally. I''m not prepared for fights on this level.


    My fears of walking down this trail were not unfounded.'' He thought as he nced at his damaged des and grit his teeth hard.


    The python, having recovered from the pain of the initial strike, turned its cold, calcting gaze using its remaining good eye towards Rocky.


    *HISSSS*


    Hissing angrily, it  lunged at him with surprising speed for such arge creature, however, Rocky was ready for its counterattack.


    Sidestepping the attack with ease, Rocky ensured that the snake''s fangs snapped on nothing but empty air, as he easily evaded the danger.


    ''It''s slow,'' he thought, his mind racing.


    ''Bulky and slow, just like the university books said it would be¡­.. It relies on its hypnosis and camouge, not on directbat. I can use that to my advantage'' Rocky thought, as he felt hope that he could perhaps win this battle.


    Steadying his breath, he tightened his grip on his damaged swords, as he looked for the opportunity tond one more attack.


    ''I can do this,'' he told himself, psyching himself up as he decided that he needed to execute a rather dangerous move if he wanted to survive-


    ''I have to do this¡­'' he thought, as he knew that he could not fail here, not before having saved his sister in the least.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Rocky saw his opening. The python, bobbing its head from side to side momentarily lost sight of Rocky with him slipping into its blind spot, as with a final burst of strength, Rocky lunged forward, driving his de into the snake''s head once more.


    This time, instead of going for a one clear hit, Rocky decided to execute a more dangerous maneuver, as he repeatedly thrashed his de violently into the beast''s head, hacking at it constantly as he slowly prated deeper with every chop.


    As if he were chopping wood, Rocky kept pushing with all his might until the python''s movements ceased, as only after he was assured that the beast had died, did he finally allow his limbs a moment''s rest as he sat down over the pythons dead body, while being covered in its stinky blood from head to toe.


    Checking on the condition of his weapon, Rocky noticed the edges of his sword being chipped and bent horribly, as he realized at that moment that he had been incredibly lucky to have managed to kill the beast.


    If his swords gave out sooner, he would have been rendered weaponless to fight such a massive beast and it would have been a fight that he would lose every time he fought it.


    ''I need to find better equipment,'' he thought, wiping sweat from his brow.


    ''This trail is no joke. If I''m going to survive, I need to be better prepared. This was just the beginning, and I barely made it through.'' He thought, as he looked at the shining fangs of the snake and it''s hard scaly body and thought of a freakish idea.


    With the immediate danger over, Rocky allowed himself a moment to think clearly as the forest around him seemed to exhale as well, the oppressive silence lifting slightly.


    He knew he couldn''t stay here long, but he needed a moment to gather his strength and rece his equipment if he could, as his current swords were absolutely useless now and could not be relied upon for another fight.


    Oddly, as he kept staring at the snake''s fangs, he suddenly remembered a lesson by Principal Liam, early into the semester.


    The Principal, being a fanatic that wanted to teach his students how to survive in any situation, had taught them briefly about how to make make-shift weapons incase their real weapon ever broke down in a survival scenario, as recalling that lecture, Rocky wondered if he could create a new set of des with the snake''s fangs too?


    Reaching for the python''s fangs, Rocky''s  fingers trembled slightly as he touched the cold, hard surface of the fangs.


    The fangs were long and razor-sharp, designed to pierce through tough hides and crush bones and were definitely much better than his swords.


    ''If these could be fashioned into weapons,'' he thought, ''they might just be strong enough to survive this trail¡­..'' he hoped, as using his damaged swords, he carefully pried the fangs from the python''s mouth.


    *Crack*


    *Crack*


    Each fang came free with a sickening crack, and Rocky winced at the sound.


    Examining them closely, Rocky noted their weight and bnce as although they were crude, he realized that if bound properly to a handle, they could be transformed into a useful weapon.


    "Ha- the old man would be proud if he saw me today¡­" Rocky said, as he missed Principal Liam strongly at this moment.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - Privilege Update Chapter 5 of 5, that''s it from my side ///

 Chapter 189: Survival

    Rocky sat cross-legged beside the python''s lifeless body, his breath steadying as he calmed his racing heart.


    The oppressive silence of the forest seemed to ease, giving him a momentary reprieve as he recalled principal Liam''s lectures on how to craft a make-shift weapon.


    With his damaged swords resting beside him and the python''s massive fangs in his hands, he knew he had no time to waste as he began to mentally map out the steps to fashion makeshift weapons and armor.


    "Principal Liam always emphasized the importance of securing the de tightly to the handle" Rocky murmured to himself, remembering the old man''s patchy bearded face and stern voice. "In the wild, survival depends on your ability to adapt and use what''s avable¡­." He mumbled in a tone that mimicked Liam''s as he finalized his n to make a new sword.


    First, he needed a handle for his new weapon.


    To procure the wood for the handle, his eyes scanned the surroundings,nding on a sturdy branch not too far away.


    Getting up, Rocky approached the branch, his chipped swords still in hand as using the still sharp parts of his des, he began to chop at the branch, working meticulously to fashion it into a handle.


    Each strike of his was clean and deliberate, aiming to preserve the integrity of the wood as although he was working as a craftsman, his swordsmanship skills shone through in moments like these as he was able to turn the branch into two identical blocks of wood that could be shaped into handles.


    *Chop* *Chop*


    Sweat trickled down his brow as he continued to shape the branch.


    He knew that it needed to be sturdy enough to withstand the force ofbat yet light enough for swift maneuvers as after what felt like an eternity, Rocky finally shaped the block of wood into a rough handle that fitfortably in his grip.


    Next, he turned his attention to the python''s fangs. The long, razor-sharp teeth were naturally designed to pierce and crush, making them perfect candidates for makeshift des. Carefully, Rocky aligned one of the fangs with the handle, positioning it so that it would be secure and effective.


    To bind the fang to the handle, he needed something strong and flexible and to solve this need, his gaze fell upon the python''s body once more.


    The beast''s skin was tough and durable, perfect for crafting binding material as using his chipped swords, Rocky began to cut strips from the python''s hide, working diligently to create long, thin pieces that he could use.


    *Slice* *Slice*


    With the strips of hide in hand, Rocky started the binding process. He wrapped the hide tightly around the base of the fang and the handle, ensuring a secure and firm grip. He used as much force as he could muster, making sure that the fang wouldn''t budge duringbat.


    Finally, hammering a small wooden pin into the base of the handle to make it expand, Rocky managed to secure the de tightly against the handle as he managed to prevent it from wobbling even the slightest bit.


    "Tight and secure," he muttered, recalling Principal Liam''s advice where he said "A loose weapon is a useless weapon."


    After several minutes of intense focus, Rocky finally had a makeshift sword and while it was crude and far from perfect, it felt solid in his hands.


    *Shua*


    *Shua*


    Testing its weight and bnce, he swung it a few times and created a few sword shes and projections using it.


    Satisfied with the result, Rocky put it over his shoulder as he sheathed both of his chipped swords back into the scabbard, not discarding them in-case he needed to use it in emergencies.


    Next, Rocky turned his focus towards making make-shift Armor as after his fight with the python he realized that he needed protection as well.


    Rocky knew that the python''s scales, which had proven nearly imprable, could serve as makeshift armor as he examined the python''s body, selecting the toughest and most flexible scales for his use.


    Using his new fang des, he carefully pried the scales from the beast''s body, collecting and sorting them by size.


    *Crack* *Crack*


    He gathered the scales, arranging them in a pattern that would cover his vital organs as using more strips of python hide, Rocky began to bind the scales together, creating small patches of protective gear.


    He fashioned these patches into makeshift armor, securing them over his chest, shoulders, and thighs as he felt like a little kid trying to perform DIY projects all over again.


    The process was tedious and required constant adjustment to ensure mobility while providing protection, however, with a mixture of knowledge andmon sense, Rocky was able to create passable protective gear with what little talent and resources he had.


    As he worked, he couldn''t help but think of Principal Liam. ''He''d probablyugh at how crude this looks,'' Rocky thought with a wry smile. ''But he''d also remind me that survival isn''t about looking good; it''s about staying alive.''


    After several minutes ofbor, Rocky finally stood up, now equipped with a makeshift sword and improvised armor as he looked like aplete jungle warrior rather than a civilized human.


    Nheless, Rocky did not care about his looks, especially when the weight of the scales felt reassuring on his chest, and the fang de in his hand gave him a renewed sense of confidence.


    "Alright," he said to himself, taking a deep breath. "Time to move forward."


    With his new gear, Rocky felt better prepared to face the challenges ahead as he continued down the hardest trail.


    *************


    Rocky moved cautiously through the dense forest, every sense on high alert.


    After what happened with the python, Rocky no longer trusted only his vision and tried to maximize the sensory data from all his senses, however, no matter how carefully he looked around, he couldn''t detect the next enemy.


    The forest grew darker and more oppressive as he advanced, the canopy overhead blocking out much of the sunlight, as the deeper Rocky walked down the trail, the more anxious he became as his vision limited significantly, pushing his paranoia to an all time high as his heart pounded hard in his chest.


    Unbeknownst to him, once again while he could not detect the enemy, the enemy had already detected him, as within this dark patch of the forest, he was not alone¨C


    Hidden among the trees, a figure watched his every move, as instead of a beast, his opponent this time was a sentient nature spirit.


    The druid, cloaked in the natural colors of the forest, blended seamlessly with the surroundings. His eyes, sharp and calcting, followed Rocky''s movements with interest as he subtly changed the terrain in front of Rocky without him bing suspicious, as he led Rocky into the most viny and thorny area of the forest.


    Once he had led Rocky to the area where he felt the mostfortable fighting, the druid raised his hand, and the forest responded to his will.


    Suddenly, Rocky felt a strange shift in the atmosphere. The trees seemed to loom closer, their branches reaching out like twisted arms. The underbrush rustled unnaturally, and vines slithered across the ground with a life of their own.


    ''Huh?'' Rocky thought, feeling surprised at this sudden shift as his grip on his fang des tightened, his instincts screaming that something was wrong.


    *Snap*


    A vine shot out from the ground, wrapping around Rocky''s ankle and pulling him off bnce. He shed at it with his sword, freeing himself, but more vines surged forward, trying to ensnare him.


    *sh*


    *sh*


    Rocky struggled to free himself, realizing that the forest itself had be his enemy.


    "What the¡ª" he muttered, his eyes darting around for the source of this unnatural attack as at that moment from the shadows, the druid emerged, his presencemanding and serene.


    He was tall and lean, with long, flowing hair adorned with leaves and twigs. His eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light, and his hands moved gracefully as he chanted in an ancientnguage.


    The druid''s voice carried through the forest, a melodic and haunting sound. With each word, the trees and nts responded to hismand. Branches twisted and turned, forming barriers and traps around Rocky, while the ground beneath him seemed toe alive with crawling roots.


    ''Fucking hell¡­. A druid of all things?'' Rocky murmured, cursing his luck as he recalled how these nature spirits were notoriously hard to fight against.


    To defeat one, he needed to find the tree that their life was bound with and chop that tree down. As fighting the moving druid itself was utterly useless.


    [ Fire Wall ]


    Using a fire wall, Rocky created momentary separation between himself and the hundreds of vines moving in his direction, as the mes instantly forced the druid to back away, as thest thing it wanted was to start a forest fire.


    ''A tier4 druid, his source tree should be within a mile radius¡­. But how to find it?'' Rocky wondered as he tried to think of a creative solution to beat this enemy.

 Chapter 190: Cunning Victory

    Rocky realized he had no chance of beating the Druid head-on. The forest itself was the Druid''s weapon, and Rocky was too weak to face it directly.


    His only hope to beat him was to find the Druid''s source tree, the heart of its power and then destroy the tree, as ording to his knowledge about druids, no matter how much he hurt them, within forests where they could simply rece their damaged parts with more dried twigs and trees, the druids moving body was nearly immortal and fighting it head-on was pointless unless he had a way to incinerate the moving body to ashes, which he did not.


    Recalling his lessons back at the university, Rocky knew what to look for when searching for a druid''s source tree¡­.. he needed to basically search for old looking trees that were unusuallyrge or those that seemed unnaturally vibrant.


    "A Druid''s life tree stands out. Look for signs of unnatural flourishing, and you''ll find their heart." The voice of Professor Fae rang in his head as he recalled his lesson on druids using his perfect memory.


    However, while he did have the knowledge on how to recognise the source tree, it wasn''t like the Druid in front of him was too keen on letting him walk a single step to search for that tree, as the second that Rocky tried to get away from the Druid, it immediately used nature magic to try trap Rocky amongst a web of vines and branches.


    Rocky''s mind raced as he formted a n. He knew that he couldn''t beat the Druid in directbat, but if yed the role of being an opportunistic scum, he could use the Druid''s love for the forest against it.


    Knowing full well that the Druid would prioritize saving the forest over attacking him in case of a forest fire breaking out, Rocky decided to use [ Fire Wall ] to try to cause a fire outbreak to start, as [ Fire Wall], although a defensive spell, was the only fire spell that he knew.


    With a deep breath, Rocky cast [Fire Wall], igniting a nearby tree. mes licked up the bark, spreading rapidly as the dry leaves caught fire.


    Almost immediately, the Druid''s focus on trying to bind and trap Rocky wavered as Rocky saw the Druid''s eyes widen in rm, as it immediately began trying to control the fire.


    Seizing the opportunity, Rocky dashed through the forest, setting fires left and right.


    Each [Fire Wall] spell ignited more trees, and soon the entire forest around him erupted in chaos.


    The Druid, chasing after him got torn between putting out the fires and stopping Rocky, as while it could easily deal with Rocky alone if he was focused on fighting against it fairly, it couldn''t deal with both an escaping Rocky and a burning forest at once.


    Rocky''s heart pounded as he searched for the source tree. He darted between burning trees, his eyes scanning for anything that stood out. The Druid''s furious shouts echoed through the forest, but Rocky pressed on, knowing this was his only chance.


    Finally, he spotted it¡ªa treerger than the others, its bark glowing with an unnatural vitality that lookedpletely unlike the surrounding trees as it seemed to pulse with a faint, ethereal light.


    ''This could be it¡­'' Rocky thought, running towards it as he tightened his grip on his fang swords.


    As Rocky approached that tree, the Druid''s anger intensified, as for a moment it stopped trying to put out fires and turned all its attention towards Rocky as a sudden wave of attacks hit him.


    *sh*


    *sh*


    *Sword Projection*


    *Dodge*


    *sh*


    Slicing through all the iing flurry of vines and tree branches, Rocky tried to press onwards, as the sudden anger of the druid only confirmed his suspicion that this  had to be its life tree.


    Without hesitation, Rocky summoned all his strength and unleashed his strongest attacks on the tree''s base.


    [ Double Boulder Splitting sh ]


    The twin des bit into the bark, and with each strike, the tree shuddered.


    This attack while enough to even split apart boulders the size of a two storey apartment, were not enough to split apart the tree as while Rocky managed to slide a few inches deep into the ancient wood, he could shockingly not carve his way through the wood, forcing him to repeat the strike twice.


    The Druid''s anguished cries filled the air, but Rocky didn''t stop. He knew he had to finish this.


    With a second powerful swing, Rocky used the move [ Twin Boulder Splitting sh ] yet again, as this time his sword finally managed to cut through the tree''s base cleanly.


    The mighty tree groaned and toppled, crashing to the ground with a deafening roar.


    *CRASH*


    The forest fell silent, and the Druid copsed, its life force extinguished along with the tree as its body quickly began to rot and disintegrate.


    In the end, it was the druids own attachment to the forest which had became his chains of downfall, as if it was not so obsessed with saving its surroundings, defeating Rocky would be as easy as blinking for it, however, hispulsion to save it''s fellow trees was what got it killed.


    Breathing heavily, Rocky stepped back, his body trembling with exhaustion.


    He had done it!


    He had defeated the Druid, not with brute strength, but with cunning and determination as he felt extremely proud of this aplishment.


    ''Fu**, what the hell is this Origin Realm¡­. Why is the road to the test center so abnormally hard?


    If the road itself is so hard then how hard is the test going to be?'' Rocky wondered, as he crashed t on his back and looked at the purple sky above shining through the dense forest canopy.


    The Origin Realm ''Vorithra Slyithen'' was undoubtedly a tough ce to be in and the challenges it posed to one''s life were serious as well.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - New month and new PS and GT Targets.


    For this month, for every 300 PS there will be a bonus chapter and it will be 100 for GT. ///

 Chapter 191: A cute little creature

    As Rocky continued on the hardest trail, he felt mentally fatigued and fearful of what he might face next.


    First it was the hypnosis python and next a Druid, however, both these monsters were way out of his league to face as a tier1 fighter.


    If he was still alive, it was only because of his education within the university which prepared him exceptionally well for life as a climber, as today he felt like kissing all of his professors on their forehead''s once, as the foundation that they had given him as a climber had saved his life not once but twice today.


    As Rocky continued down the hardest trail, unsure of which sentient beast he may face next, he heard a low pitched growling sounde from ahead, as a snarling beast seemed to be approaching him.


    *GRRRR*


    From afar, Rocky saw two angry red eyes staring at him from behind a bush, as Rocky did not hesitate at all and unleashed two powerful sword shes towards that bush, as he attempted to lure out the beast.


    *Smack*


    Almost as soon as Rocky unleashed the sword strike, he saw the red eyes disappearing from behind the bushes suddenly as his attack missed its intended mark, however, he felt a sudden fast moving object hit his face instead, as he felt two distinct paws hit his cheeks.


    Momentarily dazed, Rocky looked around trying to figure out what just happened to him, as if he didn''t know any better, he would have thought that someone just pped him on both cheeks at once, as the power and intensity of the attacks felt like mild ps at best.


    "Where are your manners¡­ old man¡­. Why did you attack the little Chun?" Said a low pitched, almost childish sounding voice as Rocky nced towards the source of the sound, only to see the cutest looking bunny staring at him.


    The bunny, with its snow-white fur, slightly red eyes, andrge, ppy baby pink ears, looked like it had leaped out of a cartoon movie. Its two small and adorable front teeth added to its charm, making it irresistibly cute to look at as deceived by its appearance, Rocky felt hesitant to attack something so cute looking.


    "Huh?" Rocky said, sounding confused as he blinked twice, trying to ensure that this wasn''t a mental illusion, however, apparently the bunny was 100% real.


    It''s nose sniveled cutely as it slowly came closer to Rocky and began smelling his feet.


    Rocky felt ticklish when the cute little bunny began licking his bloody feet with its wet tongue, however, not having the heart to kick it away, Rocky just let it do what it pleased as he tried to figure out what the hell was this bunny?


    "Who are you? And why are you in this ce?" Rocky asked the adorable bunny, as Chun momentarily took a break from eating and decided to indulge Rocky.


    "I''m Chun¡­. I was born in this realm because my mother was pregnant when she was brought here.


    I''m a Transforming Ice Bunny and my mother will probably kill you once you go a bit further down this trail" Chun said in an adorable kiddy voice, as Rocky''s mind raced fast.


    ''Did he just say he is a transforming Ice Bunny?'' Rocky wondered, as he felt goosebumps running down his spine at the thought of facing a Transforming Ice Bunny.


    A member of one of the eight primordial beast races alongside the tortoise, the phoenix, the tiger and others, the transforming ice bunny was the beast with the ultimate control over ice type spells with the ability to transform between a cute bunny form, a lethal pr bear form and a final humanoid form.


    Extremely powerful and extremely dangerous, this was the type of beast that Rocky knew he had no chance of winning against, as unlike the python that was slow, or the druid that was too attached to nature, the transforming ice bunny was a race of monster with no obvious weakness.


    An apex predator in its natural habitat, they were gged as extremely dangerous opponents, as Professor Fae seemed insistent when teaching about them, that one should forget about facing these cute looking bunnies unless they were tier5 or stronger.


    "Mmmm is that snake blood on you? It''s a little muddy and mixed with your sweat so salty, but it''s still good¡­. Chun likes it" said the tiny bunny, as looking at it Rocky suddenly had a sh of inspiration.


    "Hey little guy¡­. I''ll let you lick the snake blood that''s sttered all over my body, but you have to do one teeny tiny favor for me first" Rocky said, a scamming glint igniting in his eyes as he thought of a ruthless way to survive the situation that he was in.


    Back at the academy he had learnt about how to form soul-contracts with beasts where if one of the two died, so did the other.


    The downside of having this contract was that the (human) would be forced to share a portion of their soul growth with their contracted ( beast ), making their own progress slower.


    However, on the other hand they could store the beast in their own soul space and call upon them for battle when needed.


    Had he not met Chun, he would likely have had no chance of surviving an encounter with his mother down the trail as a transforming ice bunny was not a beast that he could fight against and hope to win at his current strength.


    However, through sheer luck, he had managed to meet the curious little one, who was attracted to the scent of the blood covering his body.


    To survive, Rocky knew that he needed to  cleverly trick this cute creature into bing his soul familiar, as that was the only way he saw to survive an encounter with its mother.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target. Good Job everyone! Thank you for all the support ///

 Chapter 192: New Pet

    Rocky had never thought of getting a soul familiar before.


    The tower''s historic lore suggested that having a strong familiar greatly increased one''s chances of bing a sessful climber, which was why, no climber ever made the choice of choosing a familiar haphazardly.


    Rocky too wanted to someday choose a strong soul familiar like the nine tailed fox, or a mighty dragon, however, he had never thought about it too seriously.


    A transforming ice bunny, while not a bad species to form a soul-contract with, was not the first choice of most climbers either as except for their insanely high attack power, their defense was considerably weaker whenpared to other species.


    They were like the phoenix, however, weaker as while the phoenix held superior control over fire, one of the basic elements, the transforming ice bunny hadplete control over ice which was a modified element derived from the basic element of water.


    However, the reason behind why Rocky wanted to make a soul contract with Chun despite knowing how it wasn''t the strongest species around was because he was desperate to somehow survive the Origin Realm and return home.


    He was forced to choose the most difficult trail by the Gemini Gods despite his own reservations against making such a choice and the deeper he walked down that trail, the more obvious it became to him that he was not strong enough to make it all the way through.


    He had no doubt in his mind that had he encountered Chun''s mom before he encountered Chun, he would not have ended up with receiving two gentle bunny ps on his face and would have ended up dead instead.


    Your story source m_v lem|p-yr


    Hence, under such circumstances, his decision to con Chun into signing a soul contract with him was to save his own skin and not because he genuinely wanted the cute toothed bunny as his pet.


    "Why do you have that ugly smile on your face, human? I don''t think you''re up to anything good" Chun said, noticing the stupid grin on Rocky''s as it awaited Rocky''s conditions to let it lick his entire body.


    "Huh? My smile is not ugly¡­. It''s just not as cute as yours" Rocky said, chuckling out loud as he began tickling Chun''s head with a single finger.


    ''Ooohhhh so soft¡­''


    The moment Rocky''s finger touched Chun''s white fur, Rocky felt shivers run down his spine as the fur on Chun''s head felt incredibly soft to touch.


    ''Ohhhh, it feels so good, almost like my fingers between a cushion of velvet¡­. This little bunny¡­. Its coat is pristine,'' Rocky thought as he enjoyed the process of tickling Chun''s head and somehow Chun thoroughly enjoyed it too as it kicked its small bunny legs in satisfaction when Rocky tickled its head.


    "What are you doing, human? What type of attack is this? Why does it feel so ticklish yet good? Chun likes this¡­. Keep doing it human¡­. A little to the left¡­.


    Yes, yes, aghhh" Chun said, as it enjoyed the process of being petted and requested Rocky to not stop.


    Obliging, Rocky tickled the little beast for a good two minutes before pausing as Chun lookedpletely exhausted by the end and looked like it was ready to fall asleep from the brain massage it had just received.


    "Ohh this feels so good, but also so confusing, on one hand I want to lick the delicious snake blood from your skin.


    On the other hand I want to sleep right here for hours.


    My brain can''t choose between the two" said Chun as its little white eye-lids began to drowsily close up, as Rocky understood that this was his exact chance to scam Chun into signing a soul-contract with him.


    "If you wish for me to tickle you like this and make you fall asleep every night, you just have to ept me passing my mana through your body¡­ then we can do this everyday" Rocky said suspiciously, as Chun who was not only a young baby, but also incredibly sleepy failed to notice the trap behind Rocky''s words.


    "Everyday¡­. I don''t know if mom will leave you alive for you to do this everyday, but sure¡­ if you can be my nanny, I don''t mind" Chun said, as he did not resist Rocky''s mana when it entered his body, allowing Rocky to imprint Chun with a soul seal.


    Following the steps that he had learnt back at the university in precise detail, Rocky channeled his mana throughout Chun''s body ensuring that he covered everyst square inch of its mana pathway before concentrating it all near its heart.


    Once his mana was near Chun''s heart, Rocky imprinted the tiny bunny with his own soul imprint as he formed a master-ve contract with the little beast with him being the master and Chun being the ve.


    In such a contract, if he died, Chun would die with him, however, if Chun died he would only lose a portion of his soul strength and be temporarily incapacitated, however, would not lose his life.


    This was the most cruel form of soul-contract that existed as usually when powerful beasts entered into a contract with humans, they entered into a contract of equals where while the human could summon them in times of need, they could do the same to the human in theirs, with both parties having an option to decline in-case they did not wish to help.


    However, the young and dumb Chun did not yet understand the intricacies of forming a soul contract, which was why it was tricked by Rocky into signing the worst kind.


    ***************


    ( Meanwhile Sophia )


    Sophia was practicing alone in the swordsmanship hall, when Erin, having just returned from a sessful tier2 promotion test, came into the swordsmanship hall looking for Rocky.


    For a moment, Erin scanned the swordsmanship hall, looking for Rocky, however, when he failed to do so, his eyes were momentarily drawn towards Sophia who was lousily practicing her sword attacks.


    Erin, who now got to witness Rocky''s swordsmanship regrly in action when they were on floor raids together, could not help butpare Rocky''s clean swordsmanship to Sophia''s lousy technique, as his respect for Rocky only increased the longer he observed Sophia.


    "There''s no need to oogle, Erin, it''s creepy and I find it distracting" Sophia said after a while as she felt palpable difort from Erin staring at her while she trained.


    "Nobody''s ogling at you Sophia, I''m assessing how trash your swordsmanship ispared to Sir Rocky''s" Erin said candidly as he did not hold back with his choice of words when talking to Sophia at all.


    "Shut-up, what do you know about swordsmanship, Support Mage¡­ you''re not even a proper fighter¡­. You''re just a glorified backpack carrier for real climbers, however, you''re too weak to even perform that role properly" Sophia said snapping back at Erin as she seemed to have enough of people bossing her around like she was a nobody.


    Having just returned from her home on floor21 where she was forced to sign a soul path with her brother, Sophia was in a worse mood than usual and had no patience for Erin''s usual banter.


    Enraged, she tried to put Erin in his ce by reminding him that he was just a support mage, however, never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that feeling insulted by her words Erin would actually dare challenge her to a duel.


    "Instructor Mae¡­.. instructor Mae" Erin said, waving his hands as he tried to catch the attention of the professor who slowly walked over to him after seeing him wave.


    "What do you need from me, student? I don''t believe you''re someone I teach" Instructor Mae said as Erin nodded his head in agreement.


    "Indeed Instructor Mae, I''m not someone you teach¡­.. I''m Erin from the curses and support magic ss and I''m here today to challenge Sophia to a duel.


    If you can please authorize this fight and officiate it, I would be extremely grateful" Erin said as he politely bowed before instructor Mae.


    "What? Have you absolutely lost your mind blondie? You fighting me? You have no chance of winning¡­. And don''t think I won''t break your bones if we fight and go easy on you just because you''re an acquaintance, because I will break them" Sophia warned as she tried to discourage Erin from making this challenge, however, Erin seemed to have firmly made up his mind.


    "Let me worry about my own bones and you worry about yours¡­" Erin said coldly as he did not even spare Sophia a nce but continued to look into Instructor Mae''s eyes, waiting for her to make a decision.


    At this point, everyone else in the swordsmanship training hall also paused their training and began looking towards Erin, Instructor Mae and Sophia, as for them, this was peak drama under development.


    "The final exams are nearby¡­ so I must warn you that if you go ahead with this challenge and then be too injured to take the final evaluation test, there will be no special concessions given to you¨C" Instructor Mae warned both Erin and Sophia, as Erin still nodded his head with confidence.


    "I appreciate your concern, Instructor Mae, I really do, however, it''s precisely because the semester end is so near that I need to do this today.


    Ever since I''ve joined this university, since the very first day she''s been looking down on me as if I''m a second rate student while she''s the princess of this campus and I just can''t stand it anymore.


    Someone needs to put her in her ce someday, and I feel confident enough in beating her today if I face her.


    So please allow me to battle her¡­" Erin requested, as Instructor Mae let out a deep sigh before saying "Alright"

 Chapter 193: Erin Vs Sophia

    ( The swordsmanship training arena )


    Almost everyone willingly stopped training and vacated the swordsmanship training hall premises temporarily for Sophia and Erin to have their spar.


    While the excitement for this battle wasn''t on the level of Rocky facing Zhi, it was still a pretty exciting fight for everyone present within the training hall, as nobody had ever seen a support mage engage in a one on one spar before.


    At this point, Sophia was a mid tier1 fighter while Erin was a tier2 support mage, giving him the tier advantage over his opponent, however, Sophia with her inherent demi-god strength was a freakpared to normal tier1 fighters, putting her on even grounds with Erin, despite the tier disadvantage.


    "Don''t back down, little blond guy, put that arrogant bitch in her ce"


    "We are all with you! It''s about time someone stood up to that bully-"


    "She''s the reason behind why principal Liam is dead! If it wasn''t for the university rules, I''d have personally killed her already¡ª"


    The crowd bombarded Sophia with hatements while encouraging Erin as in their eyes this was a David versus Goliath type fight, with Erin clearly being the underdog.


    Nobody really expected Erin to win his fight against Sophia, however, it was a good chance for them to vent their anger towards Sophia, hence, while encouraging Erin they also took some shots at Sophia on the sly.


    "Alright, try not to cause permanent injury to one another. This is only a spar and not a fight to death, so don''t go after each other''s vitals¡­..


    Listen to my instructions at all times and stop immediately when I tell you to stop.


    My decision regarding the winner will be final and if you have any problems with who I choose to be the victor then you better quit this fight right now" Instructor Mae said, as she rified the rules of the spar to both fighters beforehand.


    Nodding, both Erin and Sophia acknowledged the rules as Instructor Mae asked them to take their starting spots before calling for the fight to start.


    "Begin¨C" she said, as immediately Sophia with a sharp academy issued training sword in her hand charged towards Erin, to deny him any additional time to chant a spell.


    Erin, fighting with a simple wooden staff in his hand, began chanting his first spell well before the fight ever began, as by the time Professor Mae called for the fight to begin, he was already ready with his first move.


    [ Reflective Barrier ]


    Right before Sophia came within striking distance of him, Erin cast the spell [ Reflective Barrier ] as a transparent barrier covered him from 270¡ã frontal assault, giving Sophia no choice but to hit her first strike on the barrier as she tried to sh past it.


    [ Tidal sh ]


    Using one of Olympus''s strongest and most special tier1 attacks, Sophia used tidal sh to try sh past Erin''s protective barrier, however, unfortunately for her, the second her strike hit Erin''s barrier, instead of shing past it, the strike rebounded and hit her own abdomen as she recieved a massive wound across her midsection.


    "Anghhhh"


    Sophia grunted as blood began dropping constantly from her abdomen which had received a deep cut.


    Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine Erin to have learnt such a high level defensive spell that could reflect physical attacks, as her misjudgment of Erin''s capabilities had nownded her into a world of pain and trouble.


    "Bloody hell! That small guy''s insane¡­. How did he do that?"


    "Hahaha, hurt from her own attack¡­ suits that bitch well"


    "Are support mages supposed to be so strong? Or is Sophia just too dumb and weak?"


    The crowd did not hold back their criticism of Sophia at all, as instead of sympathizing with her pain and suffering, theyughed at her and mocked her, causing Sophia to turn livid.


    "Dirty little tricks can only get you so far... coward" Sophia said, enraged as she stopped clutching her stomach and beganunching a barrage of sword strikes towards Erin from range.


    Unfortunately, Erin no longer had the [ Reflective Barrier ] move active to reflect back this barrage, as the move was a single use spell with a cooldown time of over 30 minutes.


    It was one of the two spells he had chosen as his tier2 promotion rewards with this being the first time that he himself used it in battle.


    For a moment when Sophia unleashed the [ Tidal sh ] attack from close range, Erin did fear for his life, however, the barrier he cast held strong and even managed to severely injure Sophia, which was beyond his expectations.


    When Sophia unleashed a second barrage of sword shes from range, Erin was forced to use the only other defensive spell he knew, the [ Magic Barrier ] spell as he cast small but precise barriers to intercept every single sword strikeing his way, while simultaneously preparing a curse spell to debuff Sophia.


    *Block*


    *Block*


    *Block*


    *Block*


    While forced on the backfoot, Erin did manage to block all the attacksing his way, as Sophia was forced to keep up with the strenuous barrage of attacks that only made the injury to her midsection worse, as she desperately wanted to overwhelm Erin once, even if it was briefly, to assert control over this fight.


    [ Curse Spell - Stamina Drain ]


    Sacrificing a portion of his own vitality, causing him to spit a mouthful of blood, Erin cast a curse on Sophia, draining her body of strength.


    Almost immediately, Sophia suddenly started to feel lethargic as the strain to move her body seemed to increase every second.


    The speed of her sword barrage slowed down by over 70% as she barely managed tounch a weak strike every 5 seconds.


    ''What''s happening to me¡­ why do I suddenly feel like my muscles have no strength? Why do I feel like my body is in deep sleep although I''m fully awake?'' Sophia wondered as she could not understand what was happening to her, this being the first time that she was being hit by a curse type mage''s magic.


    "Hahahaha, are you a snail? Why are you moving so slow?"


    "What is that sword sh? I learnt how to project a better sword sh in the second month of university"


    "The Champion Of Poseidon? What a joke¡­ she''s trash"


    "Go! Go! Go! Little blondie, even you can beat the weakest student of the swordsmanship ss¨C"


    The other students were relentless in their insults of Sophia, as the more Sophia struggled the harsher theirments became, making Sophia feel even more self conscious about herself and even more anxious in the fight.


    "Shut up! Shut up all of you¡­. I''m not weak! I''m not weak! I''m not a joke for you all tough at! I''M THE CHAMPION OF POSEIDON, I''M THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS" Sophia screamed in anger as the tattoo on her arm began to glow brightly, just like Rocky''s tattoo did in his fight against Zhi.


    Join us at m v le mpyr now


    Suddenly, the ground beneath Sophia''s feet began to tremble and give rise to cracks in its surface, as jets of water began to shoot out of those cracks as if responding to Sophia''s anger.


    [ Water Style- First Form, Earth Splitting sh ]


    As if possessed by some primal being, Sophia spoke in a voice that was not her own as she unleashed a tier4 strike that was way beyond her current capabilities towards Erin.


    The strike, strong enough to cut everything in its path from the swordsmanship arena to the university gate was not something that Erin could ever hope to block, as the second he saw that sword strikeing his way, Erin nked out, knowing that this was certain death for him.


    ''Will I end up dying such a meaningless death?'' Erin questioned, as he had never expected his spar with Sophia to take such an unexpected turn, however, for some odd reason, Sophia seemed to have tapped into a power that Erin wasn''t aware she possessed and managed tounch an attack far beyond her real capabilities.


    "That''s ENOUGH!" Professor Mae shouted, as she jumped in front of Erin at thest possible second and blocked Sophia''s attack by putting all her strength behind the block.


    As a tier4 fighter herself, even Mae had to struggle for real to block that move as by the end even she was forced to drop down to her knees in exhaustion as she needed to over-exert herself to ensure that Erin behind her was not hurt.


    Passing out from the strain of the attack, Sophia fell to the floor being knocked out unconscious, while the rest of the swordsmanship ss students were left stunned by the sheer magnitude of damage that Sophia''s attack had left behind.


    A 7 meters deep and almost ten meters wide ridge was the only proof left behind of the attack that she hadunched, as once again the fear of Champions'' became deeply rooted within all students.


    Although Sophia was clearly on the losing end of her spar with Erin, the second her tattoo began to glow, she somehow summoned some unknown strength hidden deep within her and turned the whole situation around.


    "I''m giving Sophia the win for this fight¡­. Although she passed out, she''s the winner.


    Someone carry her to the infirmary¡­. That girl needs immediate medical treatment, she has most likely over-exerted her mana circuit.


    Her body will probably fall apart without proper care" Professor Mae said, as some students who were loyal supporters of Olympus moved to lift Sophia and carry her to the infirmary.

 Chapter 194: Sophias Hidden Secret

    After Erin''s spar with Sophia, news of Erin''s defeat spread across the university fast along with the warning that Sophia was not to be underestimated.


    That she, just like Rocky with Gemini, had Poseidon backing her and when forced against a wall, she too could transform into an unknown variable that nobody could handle.


    This incident, along with the massive ridge that she left behind in the swordsmanship training hall, led many students to believe that Champions of Gods, no matter how seemingly weak, were not to be trifled with, as Sophia regained some of her lost prestige as a superior warrior.


    However, unlike their beliefs that Sophia was blessed by Poseidon in the middle of her spar, resulting in the sudden boost of strength she experienced, the true source of Sophia''s unnatural burst of strength was not from Poseidon, but something else entirely.


    Throughout his life, Perseus often wondered as to why Sophia was chosen as the Champion of Poseidon over him.


    He wondered as to what qualities did she possess that made her so special? However, when he could find nothing seemingly special about her, he attributed her selection to sheer dumb luck and lived his life in envy.


    However, in reality, the reason behind Sophia''s selection was far more sinister than mere luck, as she was raised not as her own person, but as a soul vessel nurturing an ancient power.


    From the start, Sophia herself was never chosen to be the Champion Of Poseidon, but was rather given the Champion''s brand, because she harbored a very old and powerful soul within her soul vessel alongside her own.


    This was a soul of an ancient warrior that was on the verge of dissipating and dying, however, was nted once again in a newborn''s body where it slowly regained its strength.


    Once Sophia reached tier4 strength, it was pre-arranged that this ancient soul was to take over her body and be the true Champion of Poseidon without anyone being any wiser, however, until then Sophia was given the luxury to live as a happy child.


    The reason behind why, despite being the Champion Of Poseidon, she was allowed to put her own life at risk and take a dagger near her heart to trick Rocky was precisely because Escanor had faith that the ancient soul within her body would never let her die so easily and that if worse came to worst, that entity would step in and heal Sophia''s body.


    Naturally, to avoid unnecessaryplications, the only person aware of the ancient soul being inside Sophia''s body was Escanor, as not even Sophia was aware that she was nothing more than a mere nurturing tool raising another soul for her family.


    In reality, Perseus was always the only son that Escanor ever acknowledged, and it was because he acknowledged him that Perseus was not turned into a sacrificialmb and Sophia was chosen in his stead.


    Today, as the anger and humiliation Sophia felt by almost facing a public defeat at the hands of Erin, aggravated her feelings to the point where she identally tapped into the power within the ancient soul and unleashed an attack far beyond her current capabilities, however, it was an event that wasn''t actually supposed to take ce.


    The soul within her was supposed to stay hidden until it recovered enough strength to forcibly take over Sophia''s body, however, it was taken by surprise today with a sliver of its true power leaking.


    Thankfully, nobody within the university who witnessed this event was knowledgeable enough to discern the real reason behind the unnatural source of Sophia''s strength, with everyone believing it to be the blessing of Poseidon.


    Because if someone did discern it, the carefully crafted n of Olympus over centuries would fall apart because of this slight slip-up which would be seriously detrimental to both the ancient soul within Sophia and Escanor who was the mastermind behind this n.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Having formed a Soul Contract with Chun, Rocky ced the little bunny over his shoulder allowing it to lick the blood from near his ears and neck as he continued down the hardest trail.


    After about fifteen minutes of walking, Rocky suddenly saw two massive red eyes ring towards him from a distance, as a massive pr bear the size of two battle tanks stacked over one another walked towards him with the most hostile expression on its face.


    "Mommy!" Little Chun said as it leaped over Rocky''s shoulder and rushed towards its mother, while Rocky was left to cower alone in the presence of the massive beast.


    "Die¡­ disgusting human!" The pr bear said, starting to create a powerful snow beam between its jaws as it prepared to kill Rocky in a single shot.


    Had Rocky not formed a soul-contract with little Chun, his chances of survival in facing this massive tank-like creature that was the size of a small dragon was next to 0.


    No matter how hard he tried, he could never really hope to beat that thing, which was why Rocky was secretly extremely d that he managed to meet and con Chun into bing his soul familiar.


    "Wait! If you kill me, your son will die too-" Rocky said, in an urgent tone, as his words caused the massive pr bear to pause mid-spell as it paused to take a look at little Chun.


    "Summon Familiar" Rocky said, chanting the spell to summon one''s soul familiar as suddenly Chun teleported from under his mother and appeared in Rocky''s hands as its mother immediately understood the disgusting trick that Rocky had yed.


    While Chun was a newborn kid who did not understand what a soul familiar was and what it meant to allow a stranger to pass their mana through one''s body, Chun''s mother was not as naive.


    She knew precisely what Rocky did to her son and it broke her heart to see him converted into a ve.


    "YOU DISGUSTING HUMAN! HOW DARE YOU CONVERT MY SON INTO A SLAVE FAMILIAR" Chun''s mother said, as she bellowed with rage, however, Rocky did not cower in her presence.


    Patting little Chun''s confused head evilly, Rocky stared at his mother undeterred as he said "Escort me to the nearest test center, or your son dies¨C"

 Chapter 195: Rocky The Scammer

    Rocky wasn''t really undeterred when facing the massive Pr Bear, however, he pretended like he was.


    The Transforming Ice Bunny was not a beast that Rocky could fight casually and especially not a mature one that was the size of a small dragon.


    Rocky would die 100/100 times trying to take on this beast and the only way he could survive this situation was if he showed no weaknesses against the Beast and yed the role of a disgusting and ruthless kidnapper, holding her son''s life as ransom.


    "I was under my mother, how did I suddenly appear in your hands? Smelly human? Also why is my mother so angry at you?" Little Chun asked innocently as he did not understand the predicament that he was currently facing and how Rocky had altered his life path forever.


    "Chun, that disgusting human has turned you into his ve! Why did you wander off into the wild alone? I told you to never wander too far off without me¡­. Now see what you have done¡­.*sob* *sob* " The mother bear said as she transformed back into the form of a cute ice bunny and began audibly sobbing.


    She was undoubtedly a fearsome beast for the rest of the world, however, being a sentient beast she loved her child dearly like any mother would and her child was her weak spot.


    When it came to little Chun, mama Chun instantly became helpless as she broke down in tears in front of Rocky when she realized that her son had been turned into a ve by a cunning human.


    Jumping off Rocky''s hands, Chun rushed over to her mother''s side to console her as he had never seen her mother cry before.


    While he did not understand the situation all too well or what it meant by him bing a ve, however, he did understand that Rocky had made his mother sad and for that he detested the man instantly.


    "You¡­. Smelly human! How dare you make my mother cry! Chun will p your cheeks for this!" Said Chun as he turned into an imperceptible shadow and pped Rocky hard across his cheeks.


    Although a newborn, Chun''s speed was beyond what Rocky could perceive already, as the transforming ice bunny was one of those species that were naturally endowed with incredible speed by birth, however, Chun.... having been born in the Origin Realm instead of the tower, was even more extraordinary in this aspect whenpared to others of his species.


    Rubbing his cheeks, Rocky epted the p with dignity as he shook his head and regained hisposure.


    Somehow, negotiating with a small, crying bunny seemed much less pressuring than negotiating with arge bear, as in her small bunny form, Rocky was able to talk with Mama Chun without any reservations.


    "I know I have tricked your son into bing my soul familiar, however, I have only done so because you would have never let me survive and walk down this path otherwise.


    Also, although the circumstances of me converting Chun into my familiar aren''t the best, I promise to treat him with love and respect in the future and never mistreat him.


    I will feed him good food and will teach him great battle techniques, so rest assured Mama Chun, your son will have a good life ahead" Rocky said, as Immediately he felt two stronger paw prints p across his face as this time the p made his whole brain rattle.


    "Shameless human! First you convert my son into your ve and now you have the audacity to console his crying mother? Just how thick skinned and shameless are you?" Mama Chun said, as Rocky adjusted his jaw that seemed to be rattled by the sudden p.


    Opening and closing his mouth a few times to make sure his jaw worked, Rocky looked towards Mama Chun once again as he said "If you don''t believe me, I can turn you into my soul familiar as well and then you can always be with your son".


    *SLAP*


    As soon as Rocky suggested turning the mother into his ve as well, Mama Chun gave him another set of tight ps as this time Rocky was knocked down on his ass from the impact as the ps rattled his brain for a few good seconds.


    "Shameless human! Everytime you open your mouth my opinion of you plummets even more.


    Were you not satisfied with just turning my son into a ve that you now wish to turn me into one too?


    I will never bow to a viin like you! Perhaps I should just kill you here, even if it kills my Chun¡­. For I''ll always be able to bear more children, but a scammer like you must be eliminated" Mama Chun said, as she expressed her anger against Rocky, however, the tears in her eyes conveyed a different story to the words she spoke.


    Rocky knew that Mama Chun was too weak to see her own son die and was never going to follow through with her words as he said "Do you really not wish to stay with the Young Chun? I mean, if you don''t trust me, then it''s all the more reason for you to not leave me alone with your son.


    I think you should definitely ept my offer-"


    Continuing to press on the shameless offer, Rocky felt determined to get a strong tier4 transforming ice bunny as his second soul pet, as having such a powerful beast as his hidden trump card could help him survive in countless difficult situations.


    Fate was a funny thing.


    Had Rocky not converted little Chun into his soul familiar, he would probably have died by now at the hands of Mama, however, because he had turned the little bunny into his familiar he was now in the unique position to scam its mother too in what was undoubtedly an opportunity of a lifetime.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the Power Stones target! Good Job everyone! ///

 Chapter 196: Second Mount

    "Think about it Mama, do you really want to leave the little cute Chun alone with an evil man like me? I mean what if I get hungry and crave some rabbit meat?" Rocky asked, as immediately he put his hands up in guard anticipating a p from Mama Chun, however, this time instead of his cheeks, he got hit in the abdomen as Rocky instantly keeled over from the impact.


    *Cough*


    Feeling winded Rocky coughed out some phlegm, before regaining hisposure as he wiped off the small tears that had formed in his eyes.


    "Boohoo, evil human, are you really nning on turning my cute little Chun into rabbit stew? Did you not just promise to take care of him? Was it all a lie?" Mama Chun asked, as she hugged her little cute baby tight against her bosom and shielded him from Rocky''s evil gaze.


    "I mean, I do n on treating him right, but in case I''m ever stuck inside a cave with no food or avable resources, as ast ditch effort to save my own life, maybe, just maybe I drink little Chun''s blood and eat his me¨C"


    Before Rocky could evenplete his sentence, Mama Chun pped him across the face, making Rocky see stars dancing under his eyes.


    The p was so hard that Rocky felt disoriented for a full two minutes after it, as he was forced to open and close his eyes several times to make sure that he could still see properly.


    "Booohooo, you''re a despicable human! Just like the kind my ancestors warned me against.


    The most despicable species! No wonder you follow Gemini, the most despicable gods.


    Scamming, Cheating, Lying, creating a Harem these are the values that your God has imbued in you, so of course your words can''t be trusted" Mama Chun said, as Rocky curled up into a ball on the floor before saying anything else.


    "Indeed, I''m a despicable viin that can''t be trusted with your son, so I propose that you join him.


    What do you say Mama Chun, will you be my soul familiar alongside your kid?" Rocky asked, as this time around Mama Chun did not react with instant anger and instead contemted his offer seriously.


    "Will you sign a contract of equals with me?" Mama Chun asked hopefully, however, Rocky was not interested in signing a contract of equals.


    "No Mama Chun, I won''t be signing a contract of equals with you, however, I will swear a soul oath to treat you both with the utmost kindness.


    If I have money, I will feed the two of you first and myselfter.


    If your life is in danger, I''ll put my own on the line to save you, if I can.


    However, signing a contract of equals is not possible for me" Rocky rified, as Mama Chun fell into deep contemtion hearing his words.


    It didn''t matter if the two signed a contract of equals or a master-ve contract if Rocky promised to treat them with love and respect, however, Mama Chun still felt that something was off about this deal.


    She knew that as a warrior, she was much strongerpared to Rocky and could kill him with a snap of her fingers, however, because of the soul-bond that Rocky had formed with her beloved son, Mama Chun felt helpless in tackling this situation.


    On one hand, she did not wish to leave little Chun alone with this despicable human as she worried about what sort of bunny it would grow up to be if left alone with that viin, however, on the other hand she did not wish to be a weak man''s ve either.


    However, as she looked at the two cute teeth hanging out of little Chun''s face and its small sniveling ck nose, Mama Chun knew instantly that she would rather live as a ve, than leave her kid alone, as in the end her maternal instincts trumped her personal pride.


    "Fine, swear the soul-oath first and then I''ll let you form a master-ve bond with me" Mama Chun said, as Rocky swore an oath upon Gemini to treat Mama and little Chun with kindness and to take care of them as best as he could.


    Almost immediately afterpleting his oath, Rocky felt an invisible binding constricting his soul as the oath took effect.


    Mama Chun, satisfied with Rocky''s words allowed him to form a soul-bond with her as well, as she reluctantly let him circte mana around her mana circuit and mark her soul with a ve brand.


    "Boohoo! My husband will be so angry when he finds out that his wife is now another man''s ve¡­. That too of a despicable and weak man.


    How will I ever show him my snow white face and my ck whiskers again?" Mama Chun said as she began crying once more in an outbreak that baffled Rocky.


    Since she seemed really emotional Rocky did not disturb her, however, the scene of little Chun climbing her back and doing somersaults over his mother while she cried her heart out, made Rocky feel likeughing out loud, as he had to try hard to suppress it.


    "Oh right, we should be on our way¡­. Mama, can you transform into a bear and carry me and Little Chun over your head?" Rocky asked once he noticed that Mama Chun had calmed down a bit, however, his question made Mama Chun burst out in tears once again.


    "I''m a mount now¡­. They have reduced me to the role of an ugly horse.." Mama Chun said, breaking out in tears once again as Rocky finally understood the fact that Mama Chun was a cry baby.


    Regardless of the reason, she was the type that would cry over the smallest things and hence he needed to be careful about not triggering her much in the future.


    Thankfully, she soon ran out of tears and transformed into a pr bear while allowing Rocky to climb over her back, with little Chun in his hands.

 Chapter 197: The Tier 2 Test Begins

    Atop Mama Chun, Rocky had a real smooth time moving down the Hardest Trail, as although there were more sentient beasts that he potentially would have faced had he been traveling alone, while he was atop Mama Chun, none of them dared cross his path as Rocky had a smooth path until the testing site.


    Having convinced Mama Chun to be his familiar was a master stroke for Rocky as while he might have slipped past Mama Chun by holding Little Chun hostage, he would still be forced to face two other sentient beasts on his road to the testing site, however, because of the massive Pr Bear protecting him, he managed to avoid those unnecessary troubles.


    ''Am I a genius? Or am I a genius?'' Rocky wondered, as he felt extremely proud of himself when he reached the testing site where Epita was already waiting for him.


    "Wow, did you just tame that transforming ice bunny mid-way through your trail?" Epita said in shock, as Mama Chun snarled in disgust towards her while Little Chun hid inside Rocky''s chest, apparently feeling scared from looking at Epita''s appearance.


    "Yep, meet my two new soul familiars" Rocky said, as Epita let out a deep sigh when she heard those words.


    "Just how insanely lucky can one man get?" She murmured softly, as she tried to discern if Rocky was really a Champion with abilities beyond herprehension? Or was he just insanely lucky?


    Perhaps it was abination of both, as one needed to be both insanely lucky and insanely skilled to pull off what Rocky did, as luck without skill only resulted in a wasted opportunity.


    "Very well, since you''ve made it here, let me escort you to the tier two promotion test-" Epita said, as she escorted Rocky into what seemed to be ancient ruins of some age-old civilization.


    "Don''t die in there human, I''m still too young to die-" Mama Chun said as she saw Rocky following Epita into the test center, as Rocky nced back towards her and gave her a reassuring smile.


    "Don''t worry, Mama, I''m too despicable to die easily" Rocky assured, as Mama Chun felt at ease listening to his words.


    If there was one thing she was convinced of, it was Rocky''s evil and despicable nature and hence she felt relieved about his promise of returning alive.


    The architecture of the testing ground for the second tier promotion test seemed interesting to Rocky, as the construction felt like it was made by some sentient species like humans, however, Rocky was not sure if his deduction was true.


    The entrance to the ruins was partially obscured by creeping vines and moss, hinting at the fact that it had been several centuries since someonest used it, as apart from Rocky, there had been not a single champion of gods that had made it to the second promotion testing site alive down the hardest trail.


    Along the entrance, massive stone pirs, intricately carved with symbols and figures, stood as silent guardians, as Rocky instantly recognised those symbols as the same one''s carved outside the tower on Earth, as Rocky deduced that perhaps the creator of this testing site was the same individual who created the tower of ascension.


    As they stepped inside, the air grew cooler and thicker with the scent of damp earth and ancient stone wasping into Rocky''s nose, making his nose feel itchy.


    The corridor was lined with simple wood torches, and Epita lit them all up with a snap of her fingers, as small flickering mes lit up the path ahead for the two.


    As Rocky followed Epita, the two descended down a series of steps that seemed to be still coarse even after centuries of creation as it seemed like this was a ce that seldom had any visitors throughout history.


    The architecture was both grand and solemn, with vaulted ceilings that arched high above, supported by columns adorned with intricate carvings.


    Faded murals depicted scenes of odd species and their sacrifices, the likes which Rocky did not understand, but with the murals being so old, the color of the murals had faded significantly with time and even the outline on some figures did not appear as clear as when it would first have been drawn.


    Finally, after descending close to 200 flights of steps, the route led the duo to a vast antechamber, its floor covered in an borate mosaic depicting a celestial map where Epita finally paused and gestured for Rocky to continue.


    "Go on and stand on the big ck dot you see at the center of the room. Once you''re there I''ll give power to the testing array" Epita said, as Rocky hesitantly walked over the celestial map and stood over the big ck spot at the center, which suspiciously looked like a ck-hole.


    "What''s this test supposed to be like? What is my end goal here?" Rocky asked after taking his position, as Epita smiled at him and said nothing.


    "Everything will be exined soon¡­" she said ominously, before adding "Just try and survive" as she powered the testing array with mana from her own body.


    Immediately the map on the floor began to glow as ifing alive as all the stars beneath began lighting up one after another as if it were an electrical circuit.


    Rocky stood nervously in the center, waiting for something to happen as eventually, the whole chamber light up and he was suddenly sucked into the ckhole that he was standing on.


    ''Son Of A Bitch¡­.'' he cursed as he felt his body suddenly experiencing free-fall, as the uncontrolled eleration in his fall made him feel the very real fear of death.


    ''I knew I should have mastered levitation¡­'' Rocky thought as he continued to fall at a rapid pace within a pitch ck surroundings, with no bottom being in sight.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - If you''re enjoying this book please spare a few minutes of your time and give it a review.


    Because the reviews help me massively to boost my book within the web novel algorithm.


    Thank-you in advance.///

 Chapter 198: Rockys calling

    Rocky felt like he kept free-falling for over five minutes, until the eleration due to gravity acting on his body no longer had an effect on him, making him feel like he had reached a constant speed.


    Once he felt like he was no longer elerating, against his constantly ck surroundings it became difficult to discern whether he was really falling or just stationary as Rocky felt like he was falling aimlessly until somehow the darkness dissipated and a white hole emerged underneath him.


    *Thud*


    With a soft thud, Rockynded in a heap full of soft feathers, as he found himself in a white space that looked a lot like the surroundings he first saw when he met Shakuni, with the only difference being that instead of this being a pure white space with nothing inside it, this white space had heaps of white feathers scattered all around.


    As Rocky held one feather in his hand and carefully inspected it, he could notice the fine silver lines within the feather that reflected light into his eyes at specific angles.


    He had no idea as to which creature this feather belonged to as he had never seen or heard anything about it before, however, just by its appearance alone, Rocky did find the feather to be pretty beautiful.


    "Arasmis don papismis " a voice said, as Rocky turned and found himself staring into the blue eyes of a Griffin like creature, but not quite a Griffin.


    The body of the creature was like a four limbed human, however, his head was like that of an eagle with massive wingsing out of his midsection and a long feathery tail on its rear.


    It walked in a hunched posture on two legs, however, it looked like it could walk on all six of its legs too if it wanted to, as the creature looked like the ancestor of four handed orcs, humans and Griffin''s all blended into one.


    "Huh?" Rocky said in confusion as he did not understand thenguage that the ancient beast spoke.


    "Hello adventurer, wee to the realm of calling" the creature said, as Rocky felt astonished at being able to understand itsnguage suddenly.


    "You speak bipedal English?" Rocky asked, as the creature looked curiously into Rocky''s eyes and smiled kindly, or atleast Rocky thought it smiled, but he wasn''t sure.


    "No my child, thenguage I speak is Hudu, it''s the most ancientnguage of the universe, one that was spoken before draconian was even created" said the creature as Rocky was convinced that this weird looking thing was indeed the ancestor of many species before they evolved.


    "The realm of calling?" Rocky asked, sounding confused as the creature slowly approached him, every step it took causing a few different feathers to float around it.


    "You seem to have a calling for the sword. You also seem to have taken a liking to it¡­.." the creature said, as Rocky felt stunned as to how it could discern Rocky''s interests so casually?


    As the creature approached, Rocky stepped away from it slowly as he felt ufortable by how it stared into his eyes, as if reading his very soul.


    "Such shallow knowledge about the sword. Such poor technique¡­.your road to understanding the dao of the sword is long" the creature said, as Rocky felt slightly offended at the implication that he had poor technique, however, he did not refute the creatures ims.


    He was the best swordsman within the university, however, the university for nourishment of young talents was not a good frame of reference to work with.


    Unless Rocky wanted to be a frog at the bottom of a well that was unaware about how vast the sky was, he could not let himself believe that his sword skills were actually top notch.


    However, although he was not delusional about his skills, hearing someone else call his technique out as poor still hurt his pride as a warrior.


    "Do you even know about the history of the sword? Young man? Forget about the history of the sword in the tower, do you even know the history of the sword amongst your own?" The creature asked as Rocky felt confused by his question?


    He knew that at first the swords that humans made were crude and made with stone.


    Then as they learnt metallurgy the sword was slowly started to be cast using iron and bronze, while the better sword casting alloys wereter invented through the centuries, however, as for the history of the sword itself, he was unsure of what it meant.


    "I don''t think I do know about the history of the sword" Rocky admitted candidly, as the creature kept staring into his eyes and walking towards him as it narrated the tale of the sword.


    "The first and most ancient weapon that your people created is the spear.


    Sharp stones were attached on top of long sticks and then used to hunt animals.


    The spear arts that the people of old possessed have been lost through the ages, however, your ancestors were one of the best spear wielding species in the old times.


    For centuries, the spear was the only weapon that humans really knew how to use, that was until they learnt how to use the bow.


    The bow was the second weapon that your kind created.


    It overcame the range limitations of the spear, by shooting further and reducing reload time, which increased kill probability and hence sess in the hunt.


    The bow and arrow''s creation is tied to a different originpared to the spear.


    Initially the bow was crafted to hunt birds and small mammals, ensuring a steady food supply for human settlements as it allowed them to effectively kill small prey that was hard to kill using the spear.


    Over time, as these hunting tools proved effective, they became popr amongmunities.


    The bow''s ability to strike from a distance made it invaluable, reducing the danger of close encounters withrger predators and hence a better substitute to the spear.


    With time, the design improved, and the bow evolved from a simple hunting tool to a sophisticated weapon of war.


    It became a symbol of precision and skill, crucial for survival in both the hunt and on the battlefield, however, soon the bow''s poprity was overshadowed by the sword, which was the weapon that wasst created by your kind and is still not perfected by them even after all these years.


    The sword''s creation has its origins in a more mundane beginning. Initially, it was not designed forbat but as a kitchen tool. Early humans living near coastal areas needed an efficient way to butcher and prepare sea creatures and so they crafted the first rudimentary swords as long, sharp knives to cut through the tough skin and flesh of fish and other marine animals.


    As these kitchen tools proved effective, they became popr among fishermen who ventured out to sea.


    The ability to swiftly dispatch and process their catch made the sword invaluable, reducing the time and effort required to prepare food.


    Over time, as the design improved and the potential forbat became evident, these tools evolved from simple kitchen knives into sophisticated weapons of war.


    It began as a short, sharp de meant for closebat, a weapon that could be wielded with one hand while the other carried a shield. The early swords were crude,cking the elegance and craftsmanship ofter generations, but they were effective in close-quarter battles.


    With time, as humans advanced in metallurgy, the sword evolved. Bronze swords gave way to iron, and eventually, steel. The forging techniques became more sophisticated, and swords that could do much more than just cut through skin of marine animals were finally produced.


    However, the sword that you humans have is still far too crude as you haven''t even understood the proper shape needed to bnce a de yet and stupidly chase durability and sharpness of the edge in your weapons instead" The creature said, as it narrated a long and interesting tale about the origin of weapons on Earth to Rocky.


    While Rocky did enjoy the story, he couldn''t help but wonder as to why the creature narrated this tale to him, as it wasn''t until the creature began exining to Rocky about his tier promotion test, that Rocky finally understood why he was narrated the history of the sword.


    "If you wish to continue down the path of the sword, it''s only fitting that you fight the finest swordsman that your home has ever produced in a historical battle.


    Your goal is to defeat him and im his dual swords as your own, as if fate wills it, you will be enlightened mid-way through your bout, or die against his fine swordsmanship.


    Either way, I wish you the best, my child, I hope you can surpass the ghost of the past, especially when the swordsmanship of the ghost himself is nothing to write home about in the wider picture of the universe" the creature said, as it jumped into the air, while Rocky felt the floor disappearing from under his feet as he fell into a freefall once again.


    "Not again¡­." Thought Rocky, as he clutched his newly crafted bone swords and mentally prepared himself to face the finest opponent that human history had to offer.


    On one hand, he felt slightly nervous about facing this guy, since he was supposed to be the best in human history, however, on the other hand Rocky also felt excited, as he wanted to see how he matched up against the very best.

 Chapter 199: Battle in the seas

    *Tumble*


    *Ssh*


    *Plop*


    When Rocky was told that he would be facing the finest swordsman in human history, he was thinking about opponents such as King Arthur, or Sir Lancelot, or such other legendary swordsmen that went down in history as one of the finest to ever hold a sword.


    However, as he found himself on-board a Spanish Merchant ship, Rocky felt confused as to who his opponent was going to be, as he did not expect to be out in the ocean.


    Somehow, during his fall from the feathery realm, his clothes changed from his Scaly Armor, to proper Spanish Sailor clothes, as he found himself in the middle of the ocean, on the deck of a merchant ship.


    The deck was a flurry of activity, with sailors bustling about, securing ropes and adjusting sails. The salty sea air mixed with the scent of tar and wood, creating an unmistakable aroma of seafaring life.


    Tall masts loomed overhead, their rigging swaying gently with the ship''s motion. The sun glinted off the polished brass fittings and cannons that lined the sides, hinting at the vessel''s readiness for conflict.


    For now, Rocky was not immediately challenged by an opponent as he had anticipated when he abruptly found himself onboard the ship.


    He had half expected the conflict tomence instantly, but for the moment, everything remained rtively calm.


    As he stood on the helm, watching the ship bash against endless waves, his attire soon got thoroughly soaked from the ship''s plunge, causing the Spanish Sailors outfit to cling to him as he observed his surroundings, trying to make sense of his new predicament.


    Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced the rhythmic sounds of the sea and ship:


    "PIRATES!"


    Rocky''s head snapped towards the source of the shout.


    A sailor stood at the bow, pointed frantically towards the horizon, as Rocky''s gaze soon followed his hand.


    There, emerging from the morning mist, a dark silhouette took shape¡ªa menacing pirate ship, its ck sails adorned with a skull and crossbones, rapidly closing the distance.


    "IT''S BLACKBEARD¡­ IT''S THE RUTHLESS BLACKBEARD FLEET" Said one sailor who recognised the pirate symbol hoisted over the approaching ship.


    While the biggest and fastest ship was the one leading from front, it wasn''t the only ship chasing the Spanish Merchant Vessel, as behind the first ship was a fleet of 4 smaller ships following closely, as it seemed to be a coordinated attack.


    "All hands on deck! Prepare for battle! All men to battle stations¡­e on nowds" The first mate shouted in Spanish, however, Rocky somehow understood every word that he spoke as if the guy spoke in Bipedal English.


    Upon his instructions, the deck immediately erupted into chaos as sailors scrambled to their positions, preparing for the imminent attack.


    Rocky''s heart pounded in his chest, as this seemed like a scene straight out of a climax of a movie, with him being on the side of the righteous merchants who were outnumbered.


    Tightening his grip on the hilt of his fang-tooth swords, Rocky readied himself for the massive showdown thatid ahead.


    "ATES, BLACKIEBEARD EYEING MOI SHIP? AHOY, THAT''S BONKERS. WHAT THE FUUK IS THE HELMSMAN DOING?" Suddenly a drunken man shouted, as the cabin door to the captain''s cabin swung open.


    The captain was a tall, burly man with a thick beard and a stern expression, his eyes zing with determination as he took in the chaotic scene. Without wasting a moment, he marched to the helm, barking orders to his crew in rapid Spanish.


    "Ain''t no pirate BITCH is going to set foot on the king''s ship. DEATH TO PIRATES" he shouted, taking control of the ship''s wheel as he tried his best to rapidly change the ship''s course and veer it away from the pursuit of the pirates behind.


    His grip was firm as he tried his best to steer the ship away from the pursuing pirates, however, the heavy merchant vessel loaded with cargo groaned under the strain, its wooden frame creaking as it cut through the choppy waters, much slower than what the drunken captain wanted it to go.


    Despite the captain''s best efforts, the biggest pirate ship of the pirate ships behind them was gaining fast on them as the lightweight and nimble ship that had pirates rowing rhythmically on the lower deck was much faster than the merchant vessel.


    The menacing pirate ship with its ck sails billowing ominously soon drew side by side with the merchant ship as the air between the two ships grew thick with tension.


    "Fire!" came themand from the pirate ship, and a thunderous roar filled the air as cannonballs hurtled towards the merchant ship.


    *KABOOM*


    *KABOOM*


    *KABOOM*


    .


    .


    .


    .


    *KABOOM*


    Over 50 cannon balls were fired all at once towards the merchant ship, with the Spanish sailors responding  in kind, their own cannons belching smoke and me.


    The helm of the merchant ship was a scene of chaos. The sturdy wooden deck shook with each impact of colliding cannonballs, splinters flying throughout as cannonballs tore through the ship''s sides.


    The polished brass fittings that once gleamed in the sunlight were now covered in soot and debris as the beauty of the vessel was all but destroyed within seconds.


    Sailors shouted orders and curses, struggling to keep their bnce as they loaded and fired the cannons.


    The smell of gunpowder mingled with the salty sea air, creating an acrid haze that stung the eyes and throat.


    Amidst the cannon fire, the pirates threw crossing lines, their grappling hookstching onto the merchant ship with deadly precision.


    As the lines tightened, the pirates began to heave and pull the two ships closer together, until they managed to lessen the gap to under three meters¡ª


    Once the gap between the two ships was significantly lessened, pirates began to swing across, their sharp swords gleaming in the harsh light of the ongoing battle.


    The sh of steel and the cries ofbat filled the air as the pirates boarded the merchant ship, eager to im their prize.


    "YEEHAW, BOOGITIE BOOGITIE BOOGITIE BOYS, LET''S GO LOOTING"


    "KNOCK KNOCK ROYAL CUNTS, DADDY''S HOME"


    "IF YOU DROP TO YOUR KNEES AND CHOP OFF YOUR DICK AS AN OFFERING TO ME, I PROMISE TO SPARE YOU-"


    "HEHEHE, I SWEAR ON MOTHER OCEAN, DON''T THESE SONS OF BITCHES LOOK SCARED"


    The pirates shouted vile insults as they boarded the merchant ship and began their assault as they tried to break the morale of the defending forcespletely.


    Rocky, standing his ground, was prepared for any pirateing his way as amongst all the scared Spanish soldiers, he was the only one standing with two swords in his hands and a big smile on his face, as unlike them he was thoroughly enjoying this situation.


    The deck, peaceful only mere moments ago, was now a bloody battlefield, as the once orderly chaos of the ship turned into a scene of utter mayhem.


    The fight for survival had truly begun.


    ************


    *sh*


    *sh*


    *sh*


    "Weak"


    "Weak"


    "Pathetically Weak"


    With every sh that Rocky made, he easily killed an opponent, as unlike him who was nearly a tier3 fighter physically, all the rest of pirates boarding the pirate ship were simple weak tier0 humans.


    Compared to his devilishly muscr body, inhuman agility and incredible strength, they were like helpless ants, as Rocky led a unteral ughter of ckbeard pirates, killing every single man that dared to swing across and board the merchant deck.


    At first, the opponents just took him as a better than average fighter and tried to take him down using superior numbers, however, soon it became apparent that no matter how many of them tried to gang up on Rocky, their numbers did not matter at all.


    "Who is that brother who is ughtering all the pirates? He''s strong!"


    "Go! Go! Go! Brother, death to pirates!"


    "Glory to the king"


    The Spanish soldiers cheered Rocky on, as seeing him fight so domineeringly boosted their morale, as they felt like they had hope to win this fight.


    *KABOOM*


    *KABOOM*


    Just as the Spanish troops felt like they had hope, they were pelted by a new round of cannon fire as the four auxiliary ships of the ckbeard fleet finally joined the main ship and started to attach crossing lines to the Spanish vessel.


    "Ararararara¡­." Said a mean looking pirate with a hideously ck beard and a mean looking scarred face, as one of the Spanish soldiers recognised him as the legendary pirate ''ckbeard''.


    "That''s him¡­. That''s ckbeard!" Shouted the Spanish soldier, as Rocky finally locked eyes with the man that was to be his opponent.


    The pirate was a towering figure, his presence exuding a mix of raw power and malevolence that sent a shiver down Rocky''s spine.


    ''He''s different¡­. He has a dense aura of mana around him¡­ definitely not a weak human'' Rocky thought, as he observed ckbeard and realized that the man was not a tier0 human like the rest.


    A surge of adrenaline coursed through his  veins as he looked at ckbeard''s confident smile, his senses sharpening as he prepared for the confrontation.


    The sheer aura of ckbeard was overwhelming, a tangible force that radiated authority and ruthlessness, as looking at him Rocky felt a strange mix of fear and exhration.


    As the wind whipped through his hair and the sound of shing swords and cannon fire faded to the background, Rocky tightened his grip on his swords.


    His smile broadened, not out of joy, but out of a fierce determination. He was ready to face the legendary pirate, to prove his mettle against one of history''s most feared figures.


    "Come-" he said, as he invited ckbeard aboard his ship, ready to face him head on.

 Chapter 200: A great fight

    ckbeard needed no crossing ropes to get from his boat to the merchant ship as he effortlessly jumped and covered the over 15 meters gap between the two ships easily.


    "You¡­.." he said, tilting his head from side to side as his almost demonic eyes scanned Rocky with keen interest.


    "You look like you have been to Central Africa. Are you a climber?" ckbeard asked, implying that Rocky had been to the tower of ascension just like him.


    In the days of the old, when the world wasn''t mapped out as well as it is today, people living on the other continents were not as aware about the Tower Of Ascension as they are in the modern day.


    Back then, reaching the tower wasn''t as easy and many humans lived their entire lives simply without ever knowing about the existence of the tower and considered the myriad monster waves that sometimes originated from the tower as nothing more than divine punishment for their sins.


    However, in thete 1500''s as more and more capable ships were started to be produced and the world was starting to be mapped out properly by brave sailors, the news about the tower also began to spread fast.


    The climbers who were revered by people in the old times as ''Demi-Gods'', began to lose their charm when the secret about them being chosen as climbers started to be exposed, however, with such secrets still not being popr knowledge, there were many seafaring men who still did not know about what a climber was.


    "So what if I have? Does that scare you?" Rocky replied arrogantly, as his words made ckbeard chuckle.


    Unsheathing his steel sword which had a wrist cover for a handle, ckbeard pointed it towards Rocky, while assuming a very natural north-paw stance.


    Minimizing his surface area exposure, ckbeard ced one arm behind his back, while he invited Rocky toe take a swing at him.


    "Come at me then¡­. Climber" ckbeard said with a menacing smile on his face as Rocky lunged at him with his dual fang-swords in hand.


    Up till now, whoever Rocky fought, he butchered easily since all of them were normal humans.


    However, ckbeard was different.


    Effortlessly blocking his dual sword swing with a single hand, ckbeard pushed Rocky off-bnce, as he forced Rocky to stagger backwards.


    Quickly regaining his bnce, Rocky stared at ckbeard in surprise as he reassessed his opponent.


    ckbeard stood still, his menacing smile never wavering, as if he found amusement in Rocky''s attempts.


    With a fierce determination, Rocky lunged again, his dual fang-swords shing through the air in a series of rapid, precise strikes.


    Each swing aimed to exploit a perceived weakness in ckbeard''s defense. However, each time, ckbeard''s sword was there to meet him, parrying with ease and precision that left Rocky astounded.


    It wasn''t that ckbeard was stronger than him, or faster. However, while Rocky maderge unnecessary movements, ckbeard somehow managed to match his attacks with slow, low powered minimal movements that seemed to be second nature to him.


    ''How is he doing this?'' Rocky thought, frustration bubbling up as he swung with all his might.


    Every attack felt like it should have hit, but ckbeard''s effortless counters and minimal movements deflected them all.


    ckbeard stepped forward, his de slicing through the air with a fluid grace that Rocky had never seen before as after a while of feeling bored from blocking Rocky''s attacks, he finally decided to switch things up and go on the offensive.


    *Block*


    Barely managing to block the attack, Rocky felt the force of it sending vibrations up his arms as the sheer power and control in ckbeard''s movements were overwhelming.


    "He''s not even trying," Rocky realized, his heart pounding. "Is this the difference between a real swordsman and me?" He wondered, as although he did not want to think too highly of his opponent, his introduction as the ''Best Swordsman'' in Earth''s history did cast an unwanted psychological pressure on Rocky''s mind.


    As if reading his thoughts, ckbeard spoke, his voice carrying over the shing of steel. "You rely too much on brute force and speed, boy. Swordsmanship is an art of precision and control."


    With a swift, almostzy swipe, ckbeard disarmed Rocky''s left sword, sending it ttering across the deck.


    *Clung*


    Rocky''s eyes widened in disbelief, but there was no time to react. ckbeard followed up with a spinning backhand strike that knocked the remaining sword from Rocky''s grip.


    Staggering back, Rocky felt a mix of fear and awe. ''How can he be so strong? How can he predict my every move?'' he wondered, as without his swords he suddenly felt like a toothless tiger.


    Noticing the weakness, ckbeard advanced, his sword now pointing directly at Rocky''s chest as the pirate captain''s eyes gleamed with a predatory satisfaction.


    "You''re out of your depth, climber." ckbeard said, as he took his time enjoying the shock in Rocky''s eyes.


    ''This won''t do, I have to try to shift the tides else I''ll die right here'' Rocky thought, as desperation fuelled his next move as he tried to tackle ckbeard, hoping to close the distance and use his strength to his advantage.


    But ckbeard sidestepped effortlessly, his kneeing up to meet Rocky''s stomach with a brutal force that knocked the wind out of him.


    Gasping for air, Rocky fell to his knees, clutching his abdomen. ckbeard towered over him, his sword resting lightly on Rocky''s shoulder, the cold steel a stark reminder of his defeat.


    "Remember this lesson, boy," ckbeard said, his voice a low growl.


    "Power alone won''t save you. You''re probably the most freakish and naturally strong human I''ve ever met, however, you''re stupid.


    All that muscle is wasted on you with that trash technique and over reliance on your natural explosive speed.


    True strengthes from mastery and understanding. Until you learn that, you''ll never be more than a child ying with swords." ckbeard said, as he lifted his sword to kill Rocky, however, before he could end Rocky''s life, Rocky retaliated with a [ Fire Wall ] spell, as despite taking burn damage himself, he forced ckbeard to jump backwards and create momentary separation.


    Rocky''s vision blurred as he struggled to stay conscious, ckbeard''s words echoing in his mind.


    This fight had shattered his understanding of swordsmanship, leaving him with a harsh realization of how far he still had to go.


    However, just because he was a weaker swordsman than he thought himself to be, Rocky wasn''t ready to give up on his life.


    If just using the sword was not enough for him to defeat his opponent then Rocky was ready to use spells, curses, numbers game, lie, deceive or basically do anything necessary to win, as he wasn''t ready to kick the bucket and die just yet.


    [ Fire Wall ]


    Using firewall to light up the barrel of gunpowder lying nearby, Rocky caused a massive explosion on the ship''s deck, as the splinters from the exploding barrel caught ckbeard on his arm, leading to the pirate captain picking up a slight injury.


    "Hahaha, a cheeky one" ckbeard said, smiling satisfyingly as he found Rocky''s struggle to provide him with boundless entertainment.


    In his eyes, Rocky was nothing more than a strong child who had no idea how to control his strength as ckbeard did not feel like his life was threatened at all when facing Rocky.


    Assuming a north-paw stance once more, ckbeard allowed Rocky to scramble on the deck trying to find his bnce as he collected both his swords and assumed a fighting stance once again.


    If he wanted to, ckbeard could have attacked Rocky while he was trying to find his swords, however, seeing as to how Rocky had some fight left in him, ckbeard allowed him the luxury to try again, as he wanted to see just how far Rocky could push him.


    With a deep breath, Rocky steadied himself and charged again, this time feinting with his right sword and aiming a powerful strike with his left.


    Unfortunately for him though, ckbeard saw through the feint immediately, effortlessly deflecting the real attack and countering with a sh that Rocky barely dodged.


    ''Fine, if my attack patterns are useless, I''ll shadow the movements of Professor Mae!'' Rocky thought, feeling a growing sense of desperation, as he recalled the attack pattern of Professor Mae during their sparring sessions and replicated her movements precisely.


    However, to his dismay every move that  he made seemed to be anticipated by ckbeard beforehand, and every strategy that he came up with seemed to be countered with minimal effort.


    Rocky tried to focus, recalling everything he had learned about swordsmanship so far from instructor Mae and began to mix his attacks with unpredictable movements, hoping to catch ckbeard off guard. Yet, with each attempt, ckbeard''s defenses held firm, his counters precise and devastating.


    It was almost like, just how his own swordsmanship was useless against ckbeard, so was Professor Mae''s, as seemingly, the swordsmanship instructor was no match for the best in the history of Earth.


    Finally as ckbeard got bored of facing Rocky''s second barrage of attacks, he  swung his sword in a wide arc, forcing  Rocky to block with both swords, however, despite how simple he made it look, the force of impact behind his attack was so devastating that it forced Rocky back several steps.


    After blocking that move, Rocky felt as if his arms were made of lead, the weight of ckbeard''s strength bearing down on him, as he could see the bloodthirst in his eyes.


    Now, as ckbeard gave Rocky all the chance in the world to prove his worth, he no longer felt merciful enough to let him live anymore, as bored of their battle, ckbeard now seemed intent to end it all.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - Another milestone reached! The 200 chapter mark! Good job guys! ///

 Chapter 201: Victory

    Rocky knew he could not beat ckbeard in a fair fight.


    ckbeard was a far superior swordsman, and there was no way that Rocky could win by actively taking him on.


    Rocky understood that to beat ckbeard his only hope was to think outside the box ande up with a creative solution to win the fight. As only by using the external environment around him could he hope to defeat ckbeard.


    Looking around, his eyesnded on the ship''s mast, towering above the deck, as an idea began to form in his head.


    While ckbeard menacingly walked towards him, a predatory glint in his eyes, Rocky quickly thought of a n to hopefully win this fight as he created a sequence of events in his head that if executed perfectly could help him achieve one moment of opening up ckbeard''s defenses.


    Looking at the mast, Rocky thought of a n where he could use the ship''s massive and heavy mast to his advantage.


    The n was risky, but it was his only shot, as with ckbeard approaching, he did not have enough time toe up with a n B or doubt the feasibility of his initial idea.


    [ Wind Wall ]


    Casting a Wind Wall, Rocky tried to slow down ckbeard''s approach as he stumbled on the rocking ship and ran away from ckbeard, towards one of the steel lines supporting the weight of the mast.


    The Ship''s Central mast, that rose to about 30 meters in height above the ship, was safely fastened to the deck using 4 main steel support lines that helped it stay intact.


    Without these support lines, the mast could easily tip over and fall, making the metal support ropes a key part of the ship''s infrastructure.


    "Running won''t save you, boy," ckbeard taunted, swinging his sword in a fluid arc, as Rocky ducked at thest possible second in a way that ckbeard''s sword shed right above him and chopped off one of the support lines to the mast.


    *SNAP*


    As the tense steel cord broke, it created a crisp snapping sound which made Rocky realize that his n had worked.


    However, not showing that snapping the cord was his intention from the start, Rocky rolled through and got away from ckbeard yet again as he strategically moved towards the next support rope.


    "This is the sea boy, you cannot run from me forever" ckbeard said, as he unleashed a sword projection towards Rocky forcing him to pause for a moment and dodge.


    As Rocky dodged, barely avoiding the deadly strike, he noticed that a whole flurry of follow-up attacks wereing his way after the first sh as he was forced to stand and block the flurry using his own sword.


    *Block*


    *Block*


    *Block*


    *Block*


    Blocking the attacks and retreating simultaneously, Rocky moved away from ckbeard and towards the second support rope, until he reached it and dodged a second attack at the very end, which shed straight through the second cord.


    *SNAP*


    As the second cord snapped, the ship''s mast finally tilted ever so slightly, causing the ship''s bnce to change as the whole merchant vessel tilted to an angle.


    "Stand still and fight like a man!" ckbeard roared, frustration creeping into his voice as not missing a beat he kept chasing Rocky with a singr focus.


    Each slice from him weakened the mast''s stability, but to him it looked like part of the ongoing battle damage as ckbeard did not suspect a thing.


    Finally, as Rocky was near the third rope securing the mast, he finally slowed down enough for ckbeard to deliberately catch up to him, as when the pirate saw that Rocky was within striking range he dangerously pounced towards him, his swords looking like a blur.


    *BLOCK*


    Rocky blocked with both swords, feeling the impact reverberate through his arms as ckbeard''s attacks hit him really hard.


    Staggering back, Rocky used the movement to subtly cut another rope as with the third rope now cut, the ship''s mast groaned ominously above them.


    "What''s the matter, climber?" ckbeard sneered. "Running out of tricks?" He asked as he continued his relentless assault on Rocky, every sword sh from him giving Rocky a sword wound on his flesh, as ckbeard gave him close to a hundred different minor cuts.


    Despite the pain and being outssed, Rocky focused all his strength on moving and defending his vitals as he slowly drew ckbeard towards the spot which was his end-game.


    Finally, as they reached the spot where Rocky wanted to lure him. Rocky cast a [Fire Wall], creating a zing barrier that forced ckbeard to step back.


    The mes provided a brief respite, allowing Rocky to assess the final weak points of thest rope and the precise angle of the masts fall, as the n he initially envisioned was finally nearing its conclusion.


    "You think this fire will stop me?" ckbeardughed, leaping through the mes with a predatory grin.


    Rocky retreated, his heart pounding as he guided ckbeard with every step, positioning him perfectly.


    With one final, desperate effort, Rocky shed thest critical rope and cast [Wind Wall] to control the mast''s copse.


    The mast creaked and began to tip, its immense weight groaning against the weakened supports as it was at that moment that ckbeard''s eyes widened as he realized what was happening, but it was already toote.


    The spot he was standing on was precisely the area where the mast was falling and he did not have the necessary speed to avoid the mastpletely.


    His only options were to either let the mast falls on his head, or to turn towards it and cut it apart, however, the problem towards cutting it apart was that, Rocky like a suicidal maniac was lunging towards him, giving him no time to deal with the mast.


    If he dealt with the mast. It was going to be Rocky that would stab him, but if he dealt with Rocky, then the heavy mast would fall on his head, injuring him severely.


    "Well yed child¡­." ckbeard said with a smile on his face as he decided to turn and deal with the mast as he tried to prevent Rocky from hitting his vitals with his free arm.


    *sh*


    Using his de to sh apart the falling mast in half, ckbeard avoided the fate of having his head bashed under it, as at that exact moment Rocky leaped in towards the pirate with all his agility and thrust his swords into his abdomen with all his strength.


    *CRASH*


    The two cleaved pieces of the mast crashed down with a thunderous roar, splintering the deck and sending debris flying, while ckbeard stood bleeding from his left arm and abdomen as he managed to block one of Rocky''s sword thrusts by using his free hand, however, the other managed to find its mark and puncture his kidney.


    ckbeard tried to recover, but Rocky was unwilling to let go. Using all his strength Rocky drove the stationary de upwards as he made a mess of ckbeard''s internal organs through sheer strength and will, exerting a force which made even his strong muscles shudder as he pushed beyond his limits.


    The pirate captain staggered, disbelief etched across his face as he saw his own insides being carved open. However, being the cold and ruthless man that he was, he recovered almost as quickly as he was stunned as he used his right hand to cleave off Rocky''s head.


    *Swoosh*


    ckbeard swung from close range, hoping to chop off Rocky''s head, however, Rocky reflexively bent his head towards his shoulder as ckbeard''s sh only managed to cleave off one of his ears and a bit of his flesh over his skull, but not enough to kill him.


    "You missed, I wont" Rocky said as he nted both his feet and ditched the left sword and gripped the right one with both his hands as he pulled it upwards with all his might.


    *Splurt*


    Bleeding profusely, Rocky felt his world spinning under him, however, ckbeard was not doing any better.


    With Rocky cleaning his body from his kidneys to his heart, ckbeard finally found his strength to becking as the internal bleeding caused his brain to undergo a shutdown.


    ckbeard''s eyes flickered, the realization of his bad condition dawning on him as he slumped, defeated.


    Rocky had done it. He had outsmarted the pirate captain, using his environment and limited skills to tip the scales in his favor.


    As the storm raged on, Rocky looked down at ckbeard, feeling a surge of relief and triumph as he stood over the pirate captain''s dead and still warm body with pure bloodlust in his eyes.


    "YAAAAAAASSSSSSS" Rocky screamed, ovee with primal joy as he felt extremely satisfied of the way he defeated the so-called best swordsman in the history of Earth by outsmarting him on the fly.


    It was by no means an easy win, however, Rocky had still managed to pull it off somehow.

 Chapter 202: Rewards

    Once Rocky defeated ckbeard, he felt his bloodlust not dying down at all as he could not calm down after that blood pumping fight that he just had.


    As if turning into a demon possessed, he looked for the next strong opponent that he could face to possibly continue feeling this rush of beating death, however, as he started to look for the next opponent, the ship and his surroundings began to fade away into small granules of dust as if they were never real matter and were just an illusion from the start.


    Soon, he returned to the fluffy feathery room where he once was, while the injuries that he suffered over his body during the fight against ckbeard began healing rapidly as if they were fake too.


    To him it felt like he had just cleared a game stage and he had been returned to the previous floor after the boss raid was over, However, this was the real world and not a game, which made the fight he experienced all the more bizarre.


    "Was it all just an illusion?" Rocky asked the Griffin-Like creature who seemed to be the controller of the feathery room, as the Griffin smiled towards Rocky when he heard that question.


    "Indeed. It was all an illusion. There''s no way I could have sent you back in time to fight a figure that''s long dead otherwise could I?" The creature said, as it pped its wings and once againnded in front of Rocky, looking deep into his eyes.


    "You did not beat this test via enlightenment¡­. This was supposed to be a test that was impossible to clear if you did not undergo sudden enlightenment, however, you beat it regardless.


    That''s impressive¡­" The creature said, as it kept menacingly walking towards Rocky, forcing him to take a step back every time the creature took a step forward.


    "I want to reward you with a perfect evaluation for thinking outside the Box and beating your opponent in a way that even I hadn''t thought would be possible. However, the goal of this test was to enrich your sword knowledge, which did not happen" The creature said, as it seemed to be facing a dilemma on how to judge Rocky for this promotion test.


    "I will give you a perfect evaluation¡­. However, I will limit the options of your reward choices to only sword type moves" The creature said, after thinking for a while, as Rocky raised his eyebrow in confusion when he heard the word ''Reward''.


    "Reward?" Rocky questioned, looking surprised as the creature pped its wings in response to Rocky''s question and from it fell five magic scrolls.


    *THUD*


    *Roll*


    "Forpleting your second tier promotion test, I will bestow you with the choice of selecting Two Sword Paths amongst these Five Ancient Sword Paths.


    Unlike the modern scrolls where the knowledge of the move will instantly be transferred to your brain upon ncing at them once, these scrolls will not automatically teach you the move it has recorded because the essence of these scrolls is not the single move but the sword path it captures.


    You will have to practice the form and derive insights from the moves yourself to master them, however, if you can master them, then your sword path will be more pure and powerful than anyone under tier5" The creature said, as it encouraged Rocky to see through the description of the scrolls and select two of the five.


    Bowing down, Rocky picked up the scrolls one after another as he read through his choices.


    1. [ Path of the Tempest de ] (Legendary Grade): - This path allows the wielder to harness the power of the wind, enabling swift and deadly strikes that are almost invisible to the naked eye. Mastering this path will grant the ability to create devastating wind shes that can cut through the toughest of defenses.


    (Notes) : Requires exceptional agility and reflexes. Perfect for those who prefer speed and precision inbat.


    2. [ Path of the Grand Sage ] (Legendary Grade): - This path was once mastered by a legendary swordsman known as the Grand Sage.


    It focuses on the integration of wisdom and swordsmanship, enabling the wielder to anticipate and counter any attack by controlling the rhythm of the battle and forcing the opponent to dance to one''s tunes.


    It has four different forms, with the ultimate form, "Sage''s Judgment," said to be unavoidable. Experience more tales at m vl-em|p-yr


    (Notes) : Requires deep understanding of the sword and patience. Suitable for those who value strategicbat.


    3.[ Path of the Titan''s Fury ] (Legendary Grade): -


    This path, left by the now extinct mythical warrior race, the ''Titans'', emphasizes one''s raw power and endurance to its limits.


    The practitioner of this sword path can deliver earth-shattering blows and withstand tremendous physical punishment as it''s great to temper one''s body.


    It consists of Seven Forms, with the final form, "Titan''s Wrath," capable of unleashing a devastating force that can topple giants.


    (Notes) : Demands immense physical strength and resilience. Ideal forbatants with a robust physique.


    4. [ Path of the Serpent''s Dance ] (Legendary Grade): - Inspired by the legendary assassin known as the Silent Serpent, this sword path focuses on agility, stealth, and precision.


    It allows the wielder to strike swiftly and vanish without a trace.


    The ultimate form of this path, the [ Serpent''s Fang ] delivers a fatal blow which can cause damage five times as powerful as one''s maximum hit.


    (Notes) : Requires exceptional agility and stealth. Best suited for those who excel in subterfuge and dexterity.


    5. [ Path of the Dragon yers ] (Legendary Grade) (Growth) : - This is an iplete path created by an ancient school of warriors who called themselves the ''Dragon yers''.


    Initially created to slice through the tough hide''s of dragons, it''s an iplete path and can be upgraded to a divine sword path if a master of the path undergoes enlightenment.


    (Warnings): Mastery requires intense training and mental fortitude. The final form demands perfect control over one''s inner strength.


    ---


    Rocky nced at the scrolls, feeling the weight of each choice. Each scroll had its own advantages and disadvantages and Rocky wasn''t sure which one to pick.


    However, as the creature watched him, awaiting his decision, Rocky knew he needed to make a choice fast.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - The choice made will be done through a popr vote, so please leave ament down below as to which two pathways do you guys want Rocky to choose.


    The most voted two choices shall win.


    You have 24 hours to vote¨C ///

 Chapter 203: Silent Rewards

    While Rocky contemted his choices for the sword path he was going to choose as his reward, two other massive upgrades were silently bestowed upon him, unbeknownst to him at the time.


    Firstly, his non-physical attributes were being enhanced in real time as his body''s nervous system, including all the nerves and the synaptic connections in his brain, received a significant upgrade.


    While the first tier promotion test had improved his physique, muscle, and bone quality, the second tier promotion test focused on enhancing attributes such as Dexterity, Intelligence, and Stamina.


    Rocky could now perform precise movements with remarkable uracy due to his enhanced nervous system.


    The improvement allowed his brain to send signals to his muscles more efficiently, enabling him to executeplex and delicate maneuvers with ease.


    Every motion, from the flick of his wrist to a full-body pivot, became more controlled and exact, giving him a crucial edge in battles where precision was paramount.


    Additionally, Rocky''s reflexes had significantly improved. The enhanced nervous system reduced the time it took for his body to react to external stimuli.


    This meant that in the heat ofbat, he could respond to attacks almost instantaneously, with dodging or countering bing incredibly fast and easy for him at speeds that would previously not have been possible.


    This newfound quickness immediately had the potential to immediately turn him into a more formidable warrior should he learn to get used to it.


    Though Rocky did not fully realize it yet, his critical thinking speed and the time taken to process information for him had also improved dramatically once hepleted his second tier promotion.


    With new synaptic connections forming in his brain, the processing time for tasks such as calcting the trajectory of objects or devisingplex strategies greatly reduced for him.


    This enhancement in his brain''s efficiency meant that Rocky could analyze situations faster and more urately, giving him a strategic advantage inbat and other high-stress scenarios.


    However, reflexes weren''t the only thing that improved with a better nervous system for Rocky, as he also experienced more nuanced secondary benefits as well.


    With improved brain processing speed, He could now observe high-speed battles between high-level fighters with greater rity.


    While before such shes would appear as a blur, his improved perception allowed him to follow the rapid movements and intricate techniques used by top-tierbatants.


    This newfound ability not only helped him in learning from watching others but also in predicting and countering their moves during a fight.


    The second silent reward that Rocky received was the upgrade in the [ Strongest System ].


    While Rocky had seemingly forgotten about it, with the system being not so active in the past few months, his current system was actually the weakest version of its potential and for every 20 levels that Rocky climbed, the system was set to undergo an upgrade.


    With Rocky clearing floor 20, the second reward that Rocky received was an upgrade in the Strongest System, as many new features were unlocked.


    ?[ Level Scanning ] :- Using this feature, Rocky could now check the floor level of any entity within a three tier difference of his own.


    This meant that as long as a climber had only climbed up till Floor 51, Rocky as a floor 21 climber could inspect their maximum climbed floor level, the value of mana concentration in their body and their profession, to assess their strength before he fought them.


    ?[Soul Energy Absorption] :- For every kill that Rocky made, he could now absorb upto 100% of the soul energy from the dead to improve his own soul strength, allowing him to grow stronger faster than the average climber that could only absorb 20-30% of the dissipating soul energy from their kill naturally.


    ?[ Item Scanning ] :- Rocky could now use the strongest system to scan and appraise the grade of items and their hidden features up till the Legendary Grade.


    ?[ System Shop ] :- Rocky could now ess the system shop, where he could buy items for sale by exchanging SP for it, which were system points.


    To earn system points, Rocky needed toplete quests issued by the system or climb a floor within the tower.


    Overall, the Strongest System underwent a massive upgrade with lots of new features added to it that Rocky was yet to explore.


    *********


    As Rocky stood there, contemting the scrolls before him, he was unknowingly bing a much more refined and deadly warrior, equipped with both the physical prowess and mental acuity to face any challenge thaty ahead.


    The choice he would make now would shape his path forward, but the silent gifts he had received were already a big cheat to set him on the path of greatness.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile The Gemini Gods )


    "He did it? He actually made it out of the hardest trail alive? But how?" Shakuni said, clutching his head in disbelief as the probability of Rocky surviving the hardest trail and then beating ckbeard was under 2%.


    "Hey, perfect evaluation too¡­. You got to give that kid some credit, thatst move he pulled off, it''s something I''d only expect from you brother" Ravan said, as he found Rocky''s critical thinking impressive under duress.


    "Well, his future has changed significantly because he managed to get a perfect evaluation in the tier two promotion test ¡­. His fate is changing in real time before my eyes" Shakuni said, sounding excited as Ravan chuckled.


    "Well, you did help him through it brother. Him meeting that little rabbit while the mother was away was no coincidence.


    You knew what his limits were and gave him the best chance of survival" Ravan said, as he knew exactly what tricks Shakuni yed to keep Rocky alive, although he was pretending to be surprised now.


    "Kekeke, of course, I can''t let a precious Champion die just like that can I?" Shakuni admitted, as Ravan shook his head.


    "Don''t over-exerted yourself brother, I know how much altering fate takes out of you¡­." Ravan reminded, as Shakuni only smiled softly listening to his brother''s concern.


    "So, how is his fate changing¡­ good or bad?" Ravan asked, as Shakuni peered deep into the fog of fate and then at the myriad possible oues that Rocky''s life could take from here on out.


    "Oh it''s ugly¡­. Everyst one of them is more despicable than the other. This boys going to be a thoroughly hated viin" Shakuni said, as Maxughed heartily listening to that response.


    -----------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 204: Rockys Choice

    ( Rocky''s POV)


    Rocky stood in the feathery room, his eyes fixed on the five scrolls before him. Each scroll represented a unique path, each with its own advantages and challenges.


    While all five paths offered attractive choices, in the end he could only choose two of the five which was why he needed to choose very wisely.


    After thinking for a while, Rocky decided to make his decision by the process of elimination, as he eliminated the scrolls least suitable for him first, so that he could focus on the ones he really wanted with a clear mind.


    First, he considered the [Path of the Tempest de].


    The ability to harness the power of the wind, to strike swiftly and almost invisibly, was incredibly appealing. However, he knew that while he had decent agility, it wasn''t his strongest suit.


    Relying on sheer speed and precision inbat wasn''t his preferred style, if he had learnt anything after fighting ckbeard it was the fact that agility wasn''t everything in swordsmanship as while ckbeard was nowhere near as fast as him nor as agile, he dominated him thoroughly through his superior understanding of the sword.


    Rocky knew that he needed something that matched his more bnced approach, and hence with a sigh, he set aside the [Path of the Tempest de].


    Next, he turned to the [Path of the Serpent''s Dance].


    The idea of striking swiftly and vanishing without a trace was intriguing, and the ultimate form, [Serpent''s Fang], offered devastating power that could undoubtedly help in a decisive one vs one fight.


    But Rocky knew that his strengthsy more in direct confrontation than stealth. He preferred to face his enemies head-on rather than from the shadows and hence this style did not align with his personality.


    If he had the confidence to win, Rocky was the kind of fighter that would walk into an enemy fort alone with the goal of ughtering everyone inside head on, rather than relying on sneaky attacks to just kill the king.


    Hence, with a reluctant nod, he set aside the [Path of the Serpent''s Dance].


    That left him with three choices: [Path of the Grand Sage], [Path of the Titan''s Fury], and [Path of the Dragon yers].


    Each of these paths resonated with him in different ways, making his decision all the more difficult.


    The [Path of the Grand Sage] offered to teach him strategicbat, allowing him to control the rhythm of battle and anticipate his opponent''s moves.


    The idea of integrating wisdom with swordsmanship appealed to his desire for a more refined and thoughtful approach to fighting as after fighting ckbeard he felt like this approach to swordsmanship was much more superior to just increasing one''s speed or explosive power.


    From reading the note at the end, he knew that mastering this path would require patience and a deep understanding of the sword to master, however, both of them were qualities he was willing to cultivate and hence this scroll became one of his favorite choices.


    The [Path of the Titan''s Fury], on the other hand, spoke to his raw power and endurance.


    Unlike the stealthy Serpent path, the ability to deliver earth-shattering blows and withstand tremendous punishment aligned perfectly with his tremendous physical strength and personality as the description of this move almost spoke to him on a psychological level.


    The seven forms of this move, culminating in the devastating "Titan''s Wrath," promised unparalleled power.


    But Rocky also understood that mastering this path demanded immense physical strength and resilience, something that he already possessed which meant that although following this path might be easier for him, it would not help cover for his existing weaknesses and only y to his natural strengths as a perfected human.


    Finally, there was the [Path of the Dragon yers].


    The idea of an iplete path with the potential for growth and transformation intrigued him.


    This path promised not just power, but the opportunity to evolve into something even greater. The warning about the intense training and mental fortitude required didn''t deter him; in fact, it only fueled his determination as Rocky was the type of guy who preferred the promise of growth rather than the promise for sess.


    The chance to upgrade this path to a divine sword path if he achieved enlightenment was a challenge he felt ready to take on, while his natural bias towards viewing dragons as strong creatures further yed into his desire to learn this technique.


    Rocky stood in silent contemtion, weighing the pros and cons of each path and while the [Path of the Titan''s Fury] was tempting, offering raw power that could easily crush his enemies, after a lot of contemtion Rocky decided that he needed to think beyond just raw strength and that he needed bnce, strategy, and the potential for growth.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he made his decision. He reached out and picked up the scrolls for the [Path of the Grand Sage] and the [Path of the Dragon yers] as he felt that the strategic wisdom of the Grand Sagebined with the evolving power of the Dragon yers would make him a formidable warrior, capable of adapting to any challenge.


    As he picked these two choices, Rocky looked at the third scroll, the [Path of the Titan''s Fury], with a pang of regret.


    He knew it would have made him incredibly powerful, but he also knew that his choice needed to be more well-rounded and since he could only choose two, he had decided to choose the paths that would make him not just a strong fighter, but a wise and adaptable one as well.


    The Griffin-like creature watched him, a hint of approval in its eyes.


    "You have made your choice, climber. I hope that the [Path of the Grand Sage] and the [Path of the Dragon yers] will serve you well.


    If you manage to master them, your sword path will be unmatched by anyone under tier 5." The creature said, as Rocky nodded listening to its wise words.


    "Yeah I intend to master them if I can" Rocky said, as the Griffin pped its wings and flew away as the floor around Rocky began to disappear and he fell into a ckhole once again.


    "Not again¡­." Rocky cursed as he felt his body plunging into the darkness once again.


    **********


    ( Back outside the Tier Two Test Center )


    "Aaaaaa¡ª"


    *Thud*


    Rockynded back outside the tier two test center, right outside the entrance of the ancient ruins that he had entered to reach the testing grounds.


    There, Epita seemed to be waiting for him with her arms folded as she seemed to be mildly surprised to see Rocky make it back out alive once more.


    "You made it alive¡­. Again?" She said, with the again sounding like a question rather than a statement, as Epita clearly looked stunned by this event.


    "Oh I''m barely alive. I swear I could have died over a dozen times in the past 24 hours" Rocky said, sounding exhausted as Epita blinked in silence looking at him.


    On one hand Epita felt extremely jealous of Rocky for somehow surviving the hardest tier two test and reaping maximum rewards that it provided as although Rocky did not realize it currently, he was building such a robust foundation as a warrior in his early days thatter on peers in the same tier would not be able topare.


    On the other hand however, Epita suspected that Shakuni was heavily interfering with fate to keep Rocky alive as in her opinion it wasn''t possible for Rocky to keeping out of these life-death situations alive without his help.


    ''So this is the Champion''s advantage'', Epita thought as she finally understood why throughout her life she felt inferior to the Champion''s Of Gods and now she finally knew why.


    Gods invested heavily in the development of their puppets and ensured that they grew up to be strong and this phenomenon disgusted Epita to no end.


    ''Why wasn''t I chosen as a Champion? What exactly did Ick that this fool has?'' She wondered as she let out a deep sigh.


    It was toote for her now to think about such things as she had already reached the realm of monarchs without the help of any gods, relying on no-one but herself, and although she felt jealous of Rocky, the probability of him ever reaching the same level of strength as herself was extremely low.


    "Well congrattions on making it out alive, I''m going to send you back now alongside your pets, but we shall meet here again if you somehow survive and reach floor 30 of the tower


    Farewell until then, Champion Of Gemini¨C" Epita said as she snapped her fingers and sent Rocky, Mama Chun and Baby Chun out of the Origin Realm ''Vorithra Slyithen'', back to the tower of ascension.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N -  Rocky has chosen the [Path of the Grand Sage] and the [Path of the Dragon yers].


    Thank you for voting and helping shape Rocky''s journey! Stay tuned for more exciting developments. ///

 Chapter 205: An Exciting Day For Baby Chun

    Rocky returned to the university for nourishment of young talents and instantly caused a stir.


    Since Mama Chun and Baby Chun were not stored in his soul space and were rather roaming in the open, their sudden appearance in the university grounds took many by surprise.


    [ Ice Breath ]


    Almost as soon as Mama Chun appeared in the university in her massive pr bear form, a few clueless students tried to attack her thinking she was a rogue monster and were turned to ice statues instantly by Mama.


    "Easy there Mama, don''t kill them" Rocky pleaded as he stored Mama Chun in his soul space, while grabbing the small and cute Baby Chun in his arms.


    "What is this ce? Where are the trees?" Baby Chun asked, as it looked extremely surprised to see an area which was not a forest.


    Having been born in the origin realm ''Vorithra Slyithen'', baby Chun had never seen the tower or the real world.


    For him, the entire universe was a forest and hence when he saw this new terrain for the first time, he felt overwhelmed with stimulus.


    "What are these smells?"


    "What is that weird looking thing that human over there is consuming?"


    "What is that white boundary over there?"


    Chun asked excitedly, as Rocky had to patt its soft fur repeatedly to calm it down.


    "This is my university, it''s a ce where humans gather to study. That white thing in the distance is called a wall. It''s made of stones¡­. sort of? and covered in paint.." Rocky replied, indulging little Chun''s curiosity as the little rabbit moved restlessly in his arms.


    "What are all these different smells??? human!!! take Chun to smell the different things around here!" Chun demanded as Rocky kept patting his head and cast a fire wall spell to thaw the poor ssmates that had been frozen in ce by Mama Chun.


    "Sorry guys¡­ I had no idea my pet would do that" Rocky apologized once his friends had thawed off from the ice, before starting to walk towards his own room.


    ********


    As Rocky walked towards his room, Baby Chun''s eyes darted around, taking in every detail of the bustling university.


    His little nose twitched furiously, trying to catch all the new scents.


    "What''s that sound?" Chun asked, his ears perking up as the distant chime of the university bell rang.


    "That''s the bell, Chun. It tells us when sses start and end," Rocky exined, smiling at Chun''s wide-eyed curiosity.


    Chun wiggled out of Rocky''s arms and hopped down to the ground, his tiny paws pattering on the paved path. He bounded over to a group of students sitting under a tree, their textbooks spread out around them as Chun sniffed one of the books, his whiskers brushing the pages.


    "Human, what is this?" Chun asked, looking up at Rocky with his big, round eyes.


    "That''s a book, Chun. Humans use it to read and learn things," Rocky said, picking up the book and showing Chun the pages.


    Chun''s nose twitched as he sniffed the paper. "It smells funny," he dered, making Rocky chuckle.


    Naturally every student that Chun passed by stopped whatever they were doing to pause and admire the insane cuteness of Chun, as they inquired to Rocky about its origins.


    However, although Rocky epted allpliments he did not permit anyone apart from himself to pet Chun as he did not let anyone else put a finger on his soft fur.


    As they continued walking, Chun spotted a fountain gushing water in the middle of the courtyard and immediately his eyes sparkled with excitement, as he bounced over to it, mesmerized by the way the water danced in the sunlight.


    "What''s this? It''s like a river, but not!" Chun eximed, dipping his tiny paws into the cool water.


    "That''s a fountain, Chun. It''s a decoration and a ce to rx," Rocky exined, as Chun sshed around the water, giggling in delight.


    Next, they passed a group of students eating lunch on the grass asing across the scent of food, Chun''s nose began to twitch again, being drawn to the various smells wafting from their food.


    "Human, what is that?" Chun asked, pointing to a sandwich one student was eating.


    "That''s a sandwich? It''s something nice to eat," Rocky said, bending down to let Chun get a closer look.


    Chun sniffed the sandwich curiously, then sneezed as the smell tickled his nose. "It smells like snake meat and wild berries," he said, making Rockyugh.


    On their way to Rocky''s room, Rocky continued to answer Chun''s questions patiently, guiding him through the various sights and sounds of the university.


    Chun''s reactions were a mixture of awe and excitement, his tiny paws and ears twitching with every new discovery as it was mostly because how cute Chun was that Rocky also took time from his usually tight schedule to y with it for a while.


    By the time they reached Rocky''s room, Chun was exhausted from all the new experiences, as it snuggled into Rocky''s arms and began to droop its eyes.


    Rocky ced Chun gently on his bed, the little rabbit curling up into a fluffy ball. "Did you have fun today, Chun?" Rocky asked, patting his soft fur.


    Chun yawned, his eyes closing sleepily. "Yes, human. Today was the best day ever," he mumbled before drifting off to sleep.


    Rocky smiled, watching Chun sleep peacefully, as Buhara watched from a distance, looking too afraid to touch the fragile rabbit, feeling afraid that he''ll break it if he did.


    "Puny Human? What is that cute creature?" Buhara asked, as immediately Rocky noticed the simrity in the pattern of speech between Buhara and Chun, as Rocky could not help but superimposed the image over Buhara''s orcish face.


    "Pfft¡­.hahaha" Rockyughed to himself thinking of a Buhara with whiskers as although the orc was nowhere as cute as Chun, he was still pretty cute with his personality.


    "It''s a transforming ice bunny Buhara. My new pet" Rocky said, as Buhara longingly looked at Chun, secretly wondering if he could get one of them too.

 Chapter 206: Rockys Return

    Once Rocky returned to his room and little Chun was sound asleep, he inquired about Erin and Sophia''s whereabouts to Buhara, whose face instantly soured at the question.


    "Well, uh, that..." Buhara stammered nervously, fidgeting with his fingers but avoiding a direct answer.


    "What happened between Erin and Sophia?" Rocky asked, now frowning, as going by Buhara''s reaction, he knew that something had gone horribly wrong between those two.


    Erin and Sophia had always been at odds, from the very first day at the university and it was no secret that Erin disliked Sophia.


    The only reason they hadn''te to blows yet was because Rocky often mediated their differences, however, with him absent and Erin just returning from the Tier 2 promotion test while Sophia was still stuck at Tier 1, Rocky could easily imagine Erin challenging Sophia to a spar.


    His fears were only further confirmed when Buhara recounted the incident that had unfolded and narrated to Rocky how the spar between Erin and Sophia ended in a horrible disaster with Erin barely surviving with his life.


    "At the end, Sophia unleashed a move so powerful that even Instructor Mae found it difficult to block?" Rocky asked, sounding surprised, as he knew firsthand as to how strong Sword Instructor Mae was and how difficult it was to force her to her knees.


    "Yes, she tore apart half of the swordsmanship training arena, forming a deep ridge with her sh.


    Onlookers im that the move was at least tier4 in strength, which is amazing if true" Buhara said, as Rocky''s frown deepened when he heard these words.


    If Sophia was capable of unleashing tier4 attacks as a tier1 warrior then her potential was truly limitless.


    The strain fromunching such an attack would usually end a fighter''s life, however, the injuries sustained by Sophia were diagnosed as ''Non-Critical'' which meant that her body had sessfully absorbed the pushback.


    "Her demi-god physique is much stronger than we assumed..." Rocky murmured to himself. Just when he thought he had figured out Sophia''s strength, she managed to stun him once again as this incident made Rocky reconsider everything he thought he knew about her.


    ''Could it be that Sophia is ying me just like I''m ying her? Can she be way more intelligent than she shows? Is her whole personality an act?'' Rocky wondered, as since he had misjudged Sophia''s strength, he now wondered if he had misjudged Sophia''s on everything else as well.


    "Buhara, where is she now?" Rocky inquired, as Buhara pointed in the direction of the infirmary and said "The infirmary¡­"


    **********


    ( Meanwhile at the infirmary )


    Although Sophia managed to evade causing permanent damage to her body, she was still in a pretty miserable state overall.


    Experience new worlds on M-VL-em|p,yr


    Every single muscle in her body felt extremely sore and channeling even the slightest amounts of mana through her mana circuit felt impossible.


    It was a miracle that she managed to avoid receiving any permanent damage, however, the road toplete recovery was at least 10 pain-filled days long for her.


    When she regained consciousness inside the infirmary, the first thing she Inquired about was the result of her match with Erin, where she felt extremely satisfied that she had emerged as the victor.


    Feeling unsure as to how she had managed to unleash such a strong attack? Sophia attributed her sess to Poseidon finally paying some attention to her and treating her like a true champion.


    ''If only grandpa paid more attention to me, I wouldn''t have to face such indignation. If he had done the same for me in my fight against that Zhi guy, I wouldn''t have lost then¡­'' Sophia thought to herself as she pinned all her past failures to Poseidon not favoring her enough.


    "Hey? Back to your favorite room so fast?" A familiar voice said, as Sophia turned to see Rocky entering the infirmary with the same flowers that he used to bring for her near the start of the semester.


    "Oh you''re back already? How did your promotion test go?" Sophia asked with a polite smile on her face, before suddenly remembering her soul oath to Perseus, as her smile immediately soured.


    "My promotion test went well, how are you feeling?" Rocky asked, as he tried to gauge Sophia''s feelings by scanning her aura.


    ''ck¡­'' Rocky observed as immediately his heart dropped, as a ck aura meant that Sophia had extremely hostile feelings towards him despite her smiling face and polite words.


    "I''m feeling well. I had a great spar with Erin, he managed to bring out the best in me.


    I hope he''s okay too? I don''t see him here?


    Is he fine?" Sophia asked, clearly faking her concern for Erin as she secretly hoped that he was dead.


    "Erin''s fine, don''t worry about him, but apparently he''s slightly shaken after suffering a loss against you" Rocky replied as he kept observing Sophia''s aura which continued to only cken further in color the longer the two conversed.


    "Rocky, can you do me a favor? Can you bring me the books I need to study from for the final exams? I can''t move anymore and I''m going to be bedridden for a while, so I''m thinking about making the most of it and studying for finals.


    I hope I can still pass out at least¡­ or all this suffering throughout the year would have been for nothing" Sophia said, as she changed the topic to their impending final exams as Rocky nodded his head and epted her request.


    "Okay, I''ll bring you all the books you need.." he said, as Sophia fake beamed with joy listening to his response.


    "Once the university is over, I''ll join you in your raid against my brother.


    I''ve thought a lot about it and I feel like I''m ready to betray the Olympian Family. They''re all selfish pieces of shit¨C" Sophia said, as she lied through her teeth when she said these words, however, acted like she meant it.


    Thankfully Rocky had the aura detection skill which showed him Sophia''s true intentions, as otherwise he might just have believed that she meant it.


    "Don''t worry about it and just get well soon¡­" Rocky said, as he took his leave from the infirmary.


    He genuinely felt worried about his future ns involving Sophia now, as today''s meeting had shown him that Sophia was not an element that he could predict easily.


    --------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 207: Written Exams

    Soon after returning from the tier2 promotion test, it was time for Rocky to focus on the university final exams as he did not have a moment to spare to check out the new sword skill scrolls that he had received or remember the fact that his Strongest System had undergone an update.


    With all his attention captured by the final exams, the only thing that Rocky focused on was getting the best grades and cing first in his ss.


    Having practically experienced how crucial the university''s teachings were for surviving as a climber within the tower, Rocky wanted to fully immerse himself in his life as a student and absorb every bit of knowledge that the professors considered important.


    Rocky knew that after this test, as he finally graduated, he would essentially be a proper climber with no regr ''base of operations'' to return to, and that the tower would be his base, with him living the life of a wanderer alongside his party members, with no sense of belonging or security.


    Alongside him, Sophia, Erin, Buhara and every other student within the university prepared equally as hard for the final exams, as everyone seemed to be wanting to do their best and try and ce first.


    While just graduating from a university like the university for nourishment of young talents was a big achievement on its own, since major climber guilds immediately adopted any graduate from such a reputed university with a hefty starting sry, there was an additional benefit for the top3 graduates, where the university gave them a hefty sum of money as a reward for excelling in the course.


    In addition to the system rewards, Rocky also wanted the university rewards that promised a hefty sum of Tower Gold to the valedictorian, as once he left the university campus, he wanted to buy a proper set of gear for himself and especially buy a pair of reliable swords, which would undoubtedly cost big money to purchase.


    Hence while he was confident in excelling in thebat courses such as practicalbat and swordsmanship, he also focused on trying to ace the theoretical subjects which were going to have written exams.


    *********


    The first written exam that Rocky had to undertake for his university finals was for the subject ''Monster Anatomy and Their Weakness''


    In this subject, the first few questions that Rocky faced were pretty straightforward, asking for the identification and ssification of various monsters.


    With his perfect memory, Rocky recalled entire pages off their ss notes and could easily answer this section of the test. However, as Rocky progressed through the exam, the questions grew more and moreplex, probing deeper into the intricacies of monster anatomy and strategic vulnerabilities.


    One of the salient questions within the test  was about the Fusion Chimera, a formidable beast known for its amalgamation of different animal parts, making it a versatile and deadly opponent.


    The question asked for a detailed analysis of the Fusion Chimera''s weaknesses and effective strategies forbating it.


    Technically, there was no right answer to this question, as their professor himself had said that there was no precise strategy to deal with a Chimera since every single Chimera was unique and different, however, since this particr Chimera was a fusion of a snake, Komodo dragon, archaic spider and giant bee, Rocky used his imagination and wrote the answer that he felt was best.


    He wrote about the necessity of targeting the Chimera''s reptilian head first, which was responsible for its deadly poison attacks and how by neutralizing this head, climbers could significantly reduce the Chimera''s lethality.


    He also noted the vulnerability of the Chimera''s mismatched joints, where the different animal parts fused together, suggesting that these points were structurally weaker and could be exploited to immobilize the beast.


    While these answers were not 100% proven, it demonstrated Rocky''s critical thinking, and that he had understood the core of the monster''s weaknesses subject, which was to identify the monster''s weakness and form an attack strategy based on it.


    Another challenging question in the test focused on the Hydra, a creature renowned for its regenerative abilities and multiple heads.


    The question required an exnation of the most effective methods to counteract the Hydra''s regenerative properties, however, nothing was taught to the students regarding how to face a Hydra as it was not a beast that was found below the floor 60 of the tower of ascension that often.


    However, drawing from both his theoretical knowledge and practical experience, Rocky borated a new and creative strategy on how to counter a hydra, as in this answer he put his strategic thinking on full disy.


    Rocky didn''t just rely on textbook answers and instead infused his responses with insights gained from personal encounters, addingyers of practical advice and innovative strategies, which distinguished his paper from the rest who were only relying on bookish knowledge.


    **********


    The second exam that Rocky had to give was for the subject of ''Power Dynamics Within The Tower'', with this exam being notoriously the hardest of them all.


    There were hundreds of important factions to remember within the tower and the rtionship of these factions amongst each other was extremely gray.


    Those that could bebeled as a clear ''Ally'' or ''Enemy'' were few, as every faction had an ally, a few dozen enemies and a few dozen factions that they shared a Gray Rtionship with.


    This made the power dynamics paper a rhetorical paper more than a theoretical paper as the absolute answers within the test were far and few, while the rest were open to interpretation.


    The most important question within the paper was regarding the four time periods within which gods could be distinguished into and the rtionship of gods from the same time period amongst each other.


    While Rocky did answer this question to the best of his abilities, he did not feel 100% confident that it would fetch him the maximum marks, as if there were one paper where Rocky felt that he might not score the maximum points in the ss, it had to be for the subject of power dynamics.


    *********


    The third and final written test that Rocky had to appear for was for the subject of Battleground Strategies and Leadership.


    The questions in this subject were designed to test not only theoretical knowledge but also the practical application of battlefield strategies.


    In this test, Rocky found himself facing a variety of scenarios, each requiring a deep understanding of troop management, terrain utilization, and the psychology of both his own forces and his enemies.


    The first set of questions focused on popr battle formations. Rocky was asked to detail the strengths and weaknesses of formations such as the phnx, the wedge, and the double envelopment.


    He had to exin under which circumstances each formation would be most effective and how to maximize their potential on different types of terrain. For instance, he described how a phnx formation is highly effective in narrow passes where its defensive strength could be fully utilized, but vulnerable on open fields where nking maneuvers couldpromise its integrity.


    One hypothetical scenario presented to Rocky was as follows: "You aremanding an army of 500 infantry and 200 archers. Your forces are positioned on a hilly terrain facing an enemy force of 800 cavalry. Develop a strategy to counter the enemy''s numerical and mobility advantage."


    Rocky''s response showcased his strategic thinking. He suggested utilizing the hilly terrain to his advantage by positioning his archers on the high ground to maximize their range and effectiveness.


    He further proposed forming a defensive line with the infantry at the base of the hills, using natural choke points to funnel the enemy cavalry into narrower fronts where their numbers would be less advantageous.


    Not only that, but he also emphasized the importance of maintaining flexibility within his ranks, ready to adapt to the enemy''s movements, giving aplete andprehensive answer to the question.


    The final part of the exam delved into the psychological aspects of leadership on the battlefield.


    Rocky was asked to describe methods of maintaining troop morale under dire conditions and strategies to exploit the morale of enemy forces.


    For this, he wrote about the importance of clearmunication, inspiring speeches, and the strategic use of reserves to bolster faltering lines at critical moments.


    He also touched on the use of misinformation and psychological warfare to demoralize enemy troops, citing historical examples where such tactics had turned the tide of battle.


    Throughout the exam, Rocky''s answers reflected not only his knowledge of battlefield tactics but also his ability to apply these strategies creatively and adaptively to various situations. His responses demonstrated a keen understanding of the intricacies of leadership and strategy, showcasing why he deserved to get marks befitting a top student at the university.


    With the written exams behind him, Rocky could now shift his focus to the final practical exams, ready to demonstrate hisbat prowess and tactical acumen in battle-rted scenarios, a field he was confident in excelling.

 Chapter 208 : Graduation

    Compared to the theoretical exams, the practical exams were a whole another ball game for Rocky.


    There was not a single student who had the guts to face Rocky in the final exams spar, as after his sessful promotion to tier2, Rocky had be a force to reckon with amongst the university students and was far clear of his peers.


    After the first couple of spars which ended within 4 seconds of swordsmanship instructor Mae calling for the start, Rocky no longer faced a single opponent, as everyone else forfeited their match when it came to facing him.


    This prompted Swordsmanship Instructor Mae to pull out Rocky from the final evaluation pool as she decided to grant him full marks in her subject.


    Not only had Rocky managed to learn whatever she wanted to teach him throughout the year, but he had also achieved a high level of control over the skills [ sword intent ] and [ swords projection ] which was enough proof ofpetence for Mae to award him full marks.


    Simrly, in the subject of practicalbat conducted by the now Principal Maven, Rocky passed all the criteria set by Professor Maven with flying colors.


    He was not only the fastest in the university toplete the 10km dash, but he was also the one with the best overall physique and body endurance, as even though he waspeting against races such as elves and beastmen, who had naturally high agility and stamina, Rocky outperformed everyone in the physical test cing number one in all test criteria.


    Apart from the physicals, Rocky also ced first in hand to handbat and practicalbat drills, as nobody within his batch came even close to scratching him during the evaluation.


    *******


    Rocky was not the only one who had an impressive disy in the final exams for the elective subjects as Erin and Buhara also performed extraordinarily well in theirs.


    Unexpectedly beating all the stereotypes surrounding Orcs being bad mages, Buhara clinched the first spot in the battle mage final evaluation, breaking the social stigma about orcs only belonging on the front lines big time.


    Not only did he demonstrate a precise control over his spells but with his quadra-elemental affinity, Buhara dominated his opponents during the finals by using triple and quadra spell casting, as he gave them no room to retaliate.


    From the guy that was underestimated and looked down on when he joined the ss on the first day, to bing the best mage of the ss by thest, Buhara hade a long way in his university journey and had created a reputation for himself along the way.


    However, while Buhara was looked at as an oddball within the mage specializing students, Erin was looked at as a freak and a genius amongst the curse and support mage specializing students, as Erin''s rise within his ss was equally as impressive as Buhara''s.


    When the year had just started Erin was only a very average student who was shy, timid and unnoticeable, however, by the end of the year he had transformed into bing a confident, bold and excellent individual.


    Even after his loss to Sophia, Erin did not feel disheartened or fearful as he continued to maintain his usual mindset of self growth and self improvement.


    In the final exams, Erin demonstrated a very proficientmand over all the major aspects of a support mage, which was buffing one''s allies, debuffing one''s opponent, setting up and dismantling traps etc.


    If not for him having alreadymitted to be a part of Rocky''s champion party, there were many major guilds in the tower who were interested in recruiting him, however, as of now, Erin was not interested in them.


    *********


    Contrary to Rocky, Erin, and Buhara, Sophia struggled significantly in the final exams.


    In the written tests, she performed averagely, having trouble memorizing all the knowledge that the professors required, and thus half-guessing her answers. Although she got enough answers right to pass, she did not score high enough to be considered among the top percentile of students.


    In the physical tests, while she had recovered enough to move, mobilizing her mana was still a struggle, preventing her from performing adequately. This prompted the professors to give her special consideration.


    Both sword instructor Mae and Principal Maven allowed Sophia to graduate from their courses, but she only received a passing grade due to her inability to showcase her abilities in the final exams.


    Some students who were Olympian sympathizers felt bad for Sophia for being unable to showcase her strength due to her injury, but Sophia herself was very happy with how things turned out.


    Having a usible reason not topete, she saved face and garnered sympathy from others without having to expose herck of strength had she actuallypeted.


    Moreover, her relief was palpable as she realized that the injury had unintentionally given her a graceful exit from a challenging situation.


    With that, the final exams of the university had concluded and now the only wait was for the results toe out two dayster which would officially be thest day of the semester.


    For students who had not yet made it to floor 21 of the tower, the degree issued would only be a provisional degree that could be upgraded to a proper degree once they reached floor21.


    Whereas the students who did reach floor 21 and hadpleted the ''Survival Training'' subject, would be eligible to get a proper degree and graduate for good from the university.


    Should Rocky and his crew have been chosen for the inter-university tournament, then after the university finals, they would be focusing on the inter-university tournament, however, before he died, Liam had ensured that neither Rocky nor Sophia took part in the inter-university tournament as he feared for their lives in such hostile public environments.


    **********


    ( The university cafeteria, Rocky, Erin, Buhara and Sophia''s POV )


    On thest day of university, after all the exams had been concluded, the four friends sat together to have onest dinner together at the university cafeteria as although no words were exchanged, everyone did feel slightly emotional about leaving this institution.


    Looking around the cafeteria, Rocky noticed the happy smiles of all the students present in the hall, as they talked  excitedly talks about their futures, however, even as they talked happily about their futures, their eyes were unmistakable sad as everyone knew that they were never going to get an environment as homely and as safe as the university for nourishment of young talents again.


    Sadly, they were thest batch to have officially studied under Principal Liam, the mad man and on theirst day at the institute, there was not a single student who did not offer a silent plea of gratitude to that man.


    entric as he may be, Liam truly loved all his students and once he died, his absence started to be sorely felt by everyone around.


    "I guess I''m sad university is ending, however, I also know that I have no room to be sad, since I have to apany you guys to take revenge on my family¨C" Sophia said, breaking the awkward silence at the table as Rocky almost choked on his food listening to those fake words.


    The atmosphere between the four was already awkward because of Erin and Sophia being face to face with each other for the first time after their spar, however, Erin tolerated her presence solely because Rocky asked him to, whereas Sophia had a st watching Erin avoid eye contact with her.


    "Buhara is going to crush the bad guys and help puny human save his sister! Buhara can''t wait to jump into his first big battle¨C" said Buhara, as he ate arge bite of his food portion, which was almost as big as Sophia''s food te.


    Sophia winced momentarily when Buhara mentioned about Rocky''s sister, however, she quickly hid that expression and pretended as if she did not hear Buhara as she engrossed herself in sipping wine.


    "Yeah, from now on we are no longer students and can be considered as proper climbers and soon we will be going to war for my sister.


    It feels like only yesterday when we were first sitting in this cafeteria and I was tasting alien food dishes for the first time with you guys, however, time has flown by quickly and we are now graduates.


    It''s been a wild year, but I wouldn''t have had it any other way even if I could re-do it all over again.


    I feel blessed to have friends like you and for me meeting you guys has been a greater blessing than studying here at this prestigious institution" Rocky said, as he expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Erin and Buhara, while speaking empty words for Sophia.


    "Haha, it''s my greatest honor to have met you Sir Rocky, I''ll follow you to the gates of hell if I have to" Said Erin, as he stared at Sophia when wording ''Gates Of Hell'' as if implying that herpany was like hell, to which Sophia snorted in response.


    Rocky and Buhara chuckled slightly looking at this banter, knowing full well that these fleeting moments of harmless jokes will nevere again.

 Chapter 209 : Merit List

    (Principal Maven''s POV)


    Enjoy stories on m_v lem|p-yr


    Principal Maven examined the final grades for all the students, his eyebrows raising in surprise as he reviewed the top three rankings.


    While he had a good idea before the final examsmenced as to who the top student might be, the second and third ce students werepletely unexpected for him.


    This year, not only were the top three students a surprise, but the overall performance of the entire batch was astonishing as well.


    This cohort had achieved the highest average marks in the university''s history which was saying something since this academic year had been anything but a smooth ride for all.


    "So tough times do create strong individuals¡­" Mavenmented to himself as he felt a wave ofplicated emotions viewing this year''s average result.


    "Liam would''ve been proud of such a result. 92% pass rate, with over 75% students scoring more than 70% marks on average and over 40% having reached the 21st floor graduating benchmark already.


    This is the best result the university has achieved in its entire history" Maven murmured to himself as he felt a bitter joy.


    He was sad that Liam wasn''t here to watch this amazing result in person and happy that the students performed so well at the same time.


    "Well, I guess it''s time to say goodbye to them then¡­..


    The university has given them all it could and now it''s time for them to leave this nest.


    I''ll increase the prize amount for the top three graduates this year as a generous gesture, because all three of them have exceeded all expectations" Maven decided, as he signed off on the final rank list and decided to post it on the results Billboard.


    ***********


    ( Rocky''s POV )


    Today, was officially thest day for all students at the university and Rocky was packed and ready to leave, alongside Erin and Buhara, as the three of them had cleaned and emptied their dorm, leaving it in a better position than how they found it.


    Since morning, the trio anxiously waited for the final results to be posted together, however, although it was past 9 am, the results had not been officially posted yet.


    "I wonder what the dy is all about? I can''t wait much more to see my rank¨C" Erinmented as he shifted excitedly from foot to foot, seeming anxious for the results.


    "Buhara thinks Buhara will take first ce! Buhara crushed all mages in the final exams" said Buhara as he began flexing his big orc muscles.


    "Well there''s no chance that anyone apart from Sir Rocky will get the first prize. I''m sure he''s going to be the valedictorian this year" Erin said immediately, as he did not let Buhara delude himself thinking he had a shot ating first.


    "Well, let''s see, I certainly do hope that I can get a decent result" Rocky said, shrugging his shoulders as he patiently waited for the results to be posted.


    [ Strongest System Notification - Congrattions Host forpleting the long-term quest. ''ce First In University Exams''. ]


    [ Strongest System Notification - Congrattions Host for clearing a system quest.


    Distributing Rewards :-


    +100,000 EXP!


    +120 SP (?)


    +Skill Scroll :- ( Speed Burst ). ]


    The moment the results were posted on the billboard, Rocky immediately got a system notification that he had ced first in the university rankings,pleting a long time quest.


    Looking at the changed looking system screen Rocky scratched his hair for a while, wondering why it had changed before suddenly realizing that his system underwent an upgrade after reaching floor20, a fact that he hadpletely forgotten about.


    On one hand, he felt extremely happy about cing first, however, on the other hand he controlled his facial expressions to not show any joy, as he did not wish to reveal the existence of the system to Erin and Buhara as he pretended like he still did not know about the final results yet, since he had not seen it in person.


    ''Finally! After all that hard work, I''m number one!'' Rocky thought to himself as he took a good look at the system rewards and noticed the reward for EXP and SP, which were both concepts that he did not understand yet.


    [ Strongest System Notification :- rifying to host!


    EXP - It''s a metric to indicate soul strength.


    ( Gaining EXP increases one''s soul strength¡­.EXP can be gained by killing sentient life or engaging in craft ).


    SP - It stands for System Points.


    ( System Points can now be exchanged freely for items or information within the system store ). ]


    Just as Rocky wondered about the use case of EXP and SP, the system sensing his confusion provided him with a rification.


    ''Oh, the system has a shop now?'' Rocky wondered, as he wished for the system shop to open, however, the second he wished for it to open, he was sted with yet another notification.


    [ Strongest System Notification:- The System Shop will officially unlock for the host once he has at least 1000 SP to spare, as the cheapest item within the system store costs at least 200 SP and cannot be purchased by the host yet.


    Pleaseplete system issued quests or climb the tower to earn more SP


    Current SP count - 120/1000 ]


    Rocky read this notification and pped his head, it seemed like he needed to wait some more to utilize this new system feature.


    "Results are out! Guys results are out!" Screamed Erin in excitement, as while Rocky was thinking to himself, Erin noticed therge crowd gathering in front of the results board and figured out that the grades must have been finally posted.


    Running excitedly towards the board, Erin rushed to check who was the top rank and just like he expected, the name ''Rocky Yadav'' shined brightly on the very top.


    "SIR ROCKY! SIR ROCKY YOU ARE NUMBER ONE!" Erin screamed in joy as nothing excited him as much as seeing Rocky top the charts.


    However, while Erin was happy about Rocky being number one, he was stunned to see who the rank 2 and 3 students were, as while he expected himself and Buhara to do well. He NEVER expected them to do so well.


    *****


    Final Merit List:-


    1. Rocky Yadav


    2. Erin


    3. Buhara


    4. Tevez Den


    .


    .


    .


    .


    89) Sophia


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 210: Departure

    The top three students were none other than Rocky, Erin and Buhara, which meant that Rocky''s Champion Party had outperformed everyone else at the university.


    "What the hell! I expected the Champion Of Gemini to top the list, it was obvious he would, however, the blonde and the orc came in second and third¡­. That''s quite an achievement"


    "I expected the Orc to do well, he was even ranked first in the mid semesters, however, I did not expect him to do SO well, because I felt like the written tests would impede him.


    Guess he''s not slow-witted afterall".


    "What does that blonde even do? How did he ce second? Did he not just lose a bout against the 89th ranked Champion Of Poseidon?"


    "No¨C, you''re wrong, he almost won his bout against the Champion Of Poseidon until she cheated and called on the power of her patron god, that guys solid"


    Heated chatter broke out amongst all students as they looked at the top three ranks.


    While almost everyone unanimously expected Rocky to take the first ce, it was Erin and Buhara who had outperformed everyone''s expectations to take the second and third rank.


    It was no secret that Buhara struggled with academics and hence although he performed well in the mage practical exams, many expected him to be in the mid 50''s in terms of overall rank, since they expected his written tests to weigh him down, however, Buhara seemed to have beaten all expectations and clinch the third spot.


    This was no coincidence as many believed it to be, as Buhara had genuinely worked hard on his weaknesses to ensure that he gave the written tests his best shot.


    Erin and Rocky were witnesses to his hard-work as Buhara did indeed burn the midnight oil to give mugging up topics his best effort before the exams.


    Simrly, Erin taking the number two spot also came as a shock, as the supportbat subjects were notoriously hard to score perfect points on.


    Even if one ced high in the supportbat ss itself, their overall grades were often not the best because of their weakness in some areas of support magic, however, Erin had none.


    Whether it was healing, buffing, debuffing, cursing, curing, shielding or any other type of support magic, Erin was proficient in them all and hence had actually managed to receive a perfect score on his practical subjects which came as a shock to many.


    On top of his good written test marks, he clinched the second spot overall, only losing out to Rocky in the end.


    Compared to them, Sophia''s rank seemed to be especially bad overall with her not even being within the top 80 students despite being the Champion Of Poseidon.


    Of course her being injured right before the finals did y a role in her getting a rank this low, however, even without it, she would have found it difficult to break into top20 as she was simply not talented enough to hack it.


    "I am number two? And Buhara is three!!! This is the best day ever¨C" Erin eximed happily as he could not contain his excitement after looking at the results.


    Rank two was already beyond his expectations, however, with Rocky being one and Buhara being three, Erin could not be happier with their collective results.


    "BUHAHAHAHARA! BUHARA NUMBER THREE, HARAHARAHARAHARA" Laughed Buhara as he began flexing his orc muscles in joy.


    Although just moments ago Buhara imed that he would clinch the top spot, he was now equally happy to be third as he seemed to havepletely forgotten about his top spot im by now.


    For him, even if he was ranked 99, he would be equally as happy, however, rank 3 seemed more than decent for the amount of hard work he had put into studying for the written exams.


    "Congrattions guys, it''s a big win for this Champion''s Party" Rocky said, as he took in Buhara and Erin for a group hug, in which he could only wrap half his hand around Buhara''s waist because of his massive frame.


    "Congrattions on cing first Rocky" said a familiar feminine voice as Rocky was having his moment of bromance, as Rocky broke away from the hug and saw a smiling Sophia extending her hand towards him.


    "Thanks, Sophia" said Rocky as he clinched it.


    "It could''ve been either one of us. But my injury prevented me from taking the top spot" Sophia imed shamelessly, however, Rocky did not retort.


    "Indeed" he said, letting Sophia live in delusions and he simply let out a soft sigh.


    "I''m packed and leaving the university now¡­ so forgive me in advance for not staying back for your valedictorian speech.


    I will meet you in three days time near the farmer''s Hut on floor 21.


    Next time we meet, it''ll be for revenge and war" Sophia said, as she did not dwell on the fact that Rocky had ced first and instead focused on their uing mission in three days time.


    "Yeah, I''ll see you there¨C" Rocky said, waving her goodbye, as Sophia did not even wait and bother to congratte Erin and Buhara who seemed to be waiting for her words.


    As if the two of them did not even exist for her, Sophia walked right past them without acknowledging their excellent performance as internally she refused to ept that she was inferior to those two.


    Leaving the university instead with her suitcase packed, Sophia left for floor21, where she nned to wait for Rocky when he eventually showed up with the True Elites Guild for the uing Floor Raid.


    "Wow, not even a word ¡­. What a bitch" said Erin, as he seemed pissed that Sophia refused to make eye contact with him, however, even more pissed that she did not even congratte Buhara who seemed to be desperate for her acknowledgement.


    "Rocky, why did Sophia leave early?" Asked Buhara innocently, as Rocky smiled and changed the topic to lighten Buhara''s mood.


    With Sophia''s aura being apletely hostile ck, Rocky knew that she was no longer an ally they could rely on and hence this was probably thest cordial conversation they would have.


    The next time they met, Rocky had a strong gut feeling that the two of them were going to be enemies.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 211: End Of University

    ( University For Nourishment Of Young Talents )


    On the final evening of the university, there was a small graduation party organized by the teachers and staff as was the custom every year.


    Rocky was invited to this party as the valedictorian and asked to give a small speech.


    At this event, students who had achieved the Floor 21 benchmark were not only eligible to receive their final graduation degrees but also had the opportunity to be recognized for their exceptional performance.


    The top three graduates, in particr, were ted to receive a mary reward, acknowledging their outstanding academic achievements.


    This celebration served as both a recognition of hard work and a motivation for future students to strive for excellence.


    The atmosphere of the party was very lively, with students dancing in joy alongside teachers.


    If one turned their heads, they could spot the lovers in the far corners of the party venue promising to keep in touch, the notorious friends ying some final pranks on one another towards the back, The  Live band ying soft mellow music for everyone to enjoy and more.


    Rocky, roaming the party in his valedictorian robes was approached and congratted by many as everyone seemingly wanted to form a personal bond with the Champion Of Gemini who looked like he was set for greatness.


    Cool, calm and unbothered, Rocky could discern the real motive behind every congrattions that he received using his aura eyes and hence he was never ttered by the useless words that people used to cozy up to him.


    For him, the only reactions that mattered were those of fear and intimidation, as amongst this pile of fake smiles and celebrations, the only genuine emotion he found was fear and jealousy, as those who considered themselves to be his enemies, found his image tonight, standing tall in the valedictorian robes as intimidating.


    Just like him, Erin and Buhara were drowned in praises as well, however, without having his discerning eye, the two took thosepliments to heart and smiled gleefully.


    Being a believer of the church of vanity, Erin replied everypliment with an equally valuablepliment, turning his conversations into a cringe fest, whereas Buhara began flexing his muscles under his graduation robes and even managed to tear the fabric slightly.


    Soon, the ceremony finally started and after a small motivational speech by Principal Maven, the students who were to receive their permanent degrees started to be called up to the stage one after another in decreasing order of merit.


    This meant that Rocky was going to be thest student to be called on the stage to receive his degree, giving him ample time to prepare the speech he was going to say in his mind.


    The students, filled with excitement and adrenaline, showcased their skills as they were called to receive their degrees.


    One student, a nimble elf, performed a wless front flip,nding gracefully to a roar of apuse from the crowd, while another student, a mischievous mage, conjured a small burst of fireworks as he walked up the stage, prompting cheers andughter from the crowd.


    Overall, the atmosphere was electric and joyous with each surprise show, making the ceremony more and more lively and memorable.


    As the ceremony progressed, it was soon time to felicitate the top three graduates.


    First, Principal Maven called Buhara to the stage as the towering orc, grinning broadly, stepped forward and received his reward of 150,000 TG.


    "BUHAHAHAHARA" Laughed Buhara receiving the reward, as he pumped his fists with the tiny degree scroll inside towards the crowd, which roared in apuse in response.


    Next, Erin was called to the stage, with him looking as red as a tomato from being basked in the apuse by the crowd.


    He epted his reward of 300,000 TG with a mboyant bow, eliciting a mix of cheers and amusedughter from his peers.


    Finally, it was Rocky''s turn to be called, and as his name was called, the entire hall erupted in apuse.


    Rocky walked up to the stage with a calm andposed demeanor as Principal Maven handed him his degree and the grand reward of 1 million TG.


    As Rocky received his degree, the crowd rose to their feet, giving Rocky a standing ovation that echoed throughout the hall which was something that hadn''t happened for any other student.


    Slowly as Rocky approached the podium, the cheers gradually subsided as everyone eagerly awaited his speech.


    Approaching the podium, Rocky looked out at the sea of faces, his expression serious as he ced his degree on the podium table and leaned in towards the crowd.


    "Thank you," he began, his voice steady and clear.


    "Tonight is a celebration of our hard work, but it is also a reminder of the harsh realities we face.


    The Tower of Ascension is not kind. It does not forgive mistakes. It is a ce of relentless challenges and brutal truths." Rocky said, pausing, as he let his words sink in.


    "We must remember that while it is important to strive for greatness, it is equally important to know our limits.


    Set your goals high, but understand when to be content with what you have achieved.


    Yes, Dreams are indeed worth pursuing, but survival is paramount." Rocky said, as he reminded everyone what Principal Liam always instructed.


    "While the tower may be able to make all of your wishese true. If you make peace with what you have, you will find what the tower has to offer useless.


    Always remember this, fellow climbers" Rocky said, stepping back from the podium as he concluded his valedictorian speech leaving a profound impact on everyone in the room.


    For a moment, the hall was silent before the apuse began again, this time more subdued, filled with respect and understanding.


    Everyone expected Rocky to talk about their future and the hopes and dreams that everyone carried like any usual valedictorian speech, however, Rocky chose to be unique.


    He left everyone with something deep to ponder on¡­. Something that was sure to save their lives if they ever found themselves bing too greedy for their own good.

 Chapter 212: Back Home

    ( Earth, months after the monster tide )


    After graduating from the university, Rocky returned to Earth alongside Erin and Buhara, just as the True Elites Guild was secretly preparing for a massive war.


    From the moment that Rocky stepped out of the tower and was greeted by the Ground Zero staff on Earth, Erin and Buhara immediately got a nce into just how big of a deal Rocky was on Earth, as the way that the officials of Earth looked and interacted with him was like he was practically a God.


    "The Lord! Lord Rocky has returned¡­. This is a celebration! Inform those working at the Ground Zero Teleportation Center¡­ the Lord is here with guests!"


    "Clear the way! I said clear the way! Get the best armored car here as soon as possible! OUR CHAMPION IS HOME!"


    It was pure pandemonium amongst the transportation corps that were responsible to move any arriving guests from the tower site to the teleportation site on ground zero when Rocky arrived, as all staff members left their work posts and gathered around Rocky to catch a glimpse of the Champion and hispanions.


    "Lord Rocky! My Lord! Please look here. This is the photo of my new born baby, please bless her¡­. I named her Roxxane after you.


    Isn''t she pretty!"


    "Lord Rocky! Lord¡­, please help my brother, he''s suffering from Leukemia and doctors say that he doesn''t have much time left. Please save his life. I beg you¨C"


    "Is that your Champion''s party members? Who are your guests, Lord? How strong are they?"


    "Move away! Please move away! Let me touch the lord''s feet for goodluck"


    "Nobody will get close to the Lord! His security is my responsibility! Fuck off¡­ I won''t let anyone touch his feet"


    The entire well established climber receiving unit  set near the exit of the tower by the climber association came undone upon Rocky''s arrival, as the arrival line got stuck and the officials left their posts in favor of gazing on the returning Champion.


    "Good God, Sir Rocky, I had no idea you were this popr on Earth¨C" Erin said, feeling bewildered at Rocky''s reception.


    "Puny human, puny human, look to your left, that human is especially pretty, I think she likes you too. Go to the back and copte with her¡­" Said Buhara as Erin gave him a tight p on his thigh and signaled for him to shut-up.


    "Fellow Earthlings, please make way¡­ I need to reach the True Elites Guild headquarters urgently¡­ please let me leave" Rocky requested politely as he gently pushed his way through the crowd and towards the nearest transportation car waiting for him.


    Usually, when returning from the tower one needed to pay a custom duty on whatever valuables they were carrying into Earth, however, with all the checkposts rendered useless, neither Rocky, nor Erin or Buhara paid a single cent in taxes as they made their way to the nearest car.


    *m*


    "Hit the gas¨C" Rocky instructed as soon as the trio was seated in the car, as the driver obliged themand from the Champion Of Gemini and drove at full speed towards the teleportation center.


    Although the car drove at a high speed of over 70 miles an hour, there were still staff members that chased Rocky''s car on foot on the outside, as they gave him a good chase for a mile before finally giving up out of fear for the climber association''s punishment.


    "What is this madness? Sir Rocky?" asked Erin as he nced at the bunch of high-level climbers chasing the car in confusion.


    The car driver, an older man with a grizzled beard and sharp eyes, nced at Erin through the rearview mirror. "It''s your first time here, isn''t it?" he said, his voice steady despite the chaos outside.


    Erin nodded. "Yes, it is, which is why their reaction seems... fanatical?" He said as the driver chuckled.


    "You have no idea, good sir.


    Lord Rocky isn''t just a climber here; he''s a living legend.


    After the miracle he performed during thest monster tide a few months ago, saving Earth from certain destruction, people started seeing him as more than just a man. To them, he''s a savior, a beacon of hope."


    Erin looked at Rocky, who remained calm andposed despite the frantic scene outside. "So, he''s the biggest star on Earth?"


    "Biggest star? That''s an understatement," the driver replied.


    "He''s revered, almost worshiped here. People believe in his  divine favor, and they treat him ordingly." The driver said, as he bowed politely to Rocky.


    Getting this reply, Erin turned silent. He did think that Rocky''s fame was cool, however, he would not want such fame for anyone, let alone his friend.


    Erin could see how such fanaticism was dangerous and how anything Rocky did could easily cause a massive social impact.


    As they approached the Teleportation Center, the car slowed down, navigating through the throngs of people gathered to catch a glimpse of Rocky.


    Security personnel, dressed in sharp uniforms, were already on high alert after being informed of Rocky''s arrival, as they  formed a barrier around him to keep the crowd at bay.


    As the car came to a halt, and Rocky stepped out, he was immediately greeted by a surge of camera shes and excited chatter.


    Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    The escort team,posed of elite guards, quickly surrounded him, guiding him towards the nearest teleportation gate with Erin and Buhara following closely behind.


    "Champion of Gemini returns home!" shouted a reporter, her voice carrying over the crowd. "Rocky, what are your ns now that you''re back?" She asked enthusiastically, however, Rocky ignored her and kept walking.


    Questions were hurled from all directions towards him, but Rocky remained silent, his focus unwavering as he moved towards the gate.


    Themon citizens, press members, and staffers tried to capture every moment, their cameras clicking incessantly as they captured Rocky, Erin and Buhara continuously.


    A young girl, no more than ten, managed to squeeze through the crowd and approach Rocky. "Sir Rocky, can I get your autograph?" she asked, her voice trembling with excitement.


    For this little one, Rocky paused, bending down to her level as he took the paper she held out and signed it with a quick flourish. "Stay strong," he said softly, handing it back to her.


    The girl beamed, clutching the autograph to her chest as Rocky continued towards the gate. The escort team efficiently cleared the path, ensuring a smooth journey despite the chaotic atmosphere.


    As they reached the teleportation gate, the head of the escort team turned to Rocky and asked "Where to sir?"


    "Country X, The Upside" Rocky replied, as the escort team head saluted Rocky and prepared the gate.


    "Please step through¨C" he said a momentter as Rocky nodded, stepping onto the tform with Erin and Buhara joining him.


    With a final nce at the crowd, Rocky gave a nod to the operator, who activated the gate as in a sh of light, he was gone, leaving behind the throngs of admirers and the echoing cheers of those who hade to see their hero.


    ''The Champion Of Gemini Returns Home'' was probably going to be the headlines of all news outlets today, however, Rocky couldn''t care less about that.


    His goal on returning to Earth was simple.


    Firstly, he wanted to buy good gear before the floor 21 raid began.


    Secondly, he wanted to discuss the final strategy with the True Elites leadership before the attack wasunched.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, Good Job everyone! ///

 Chapter 213: Meeting Karna

    ( The True Elites Guild Headquarters, The Upside )


    As Rocky walked into the True Elites Guild Headquarters alongside the towering Buhara and the pretty boy Erin, he instantly became the center of attention as unlike the first time he walked through these halls having no warriors aura, this time as he walked through the halls alongside his team, he actually managed to exude an aura of strength that made veteran climbers gaze at him with interest.


    "Buhahahahara¨C" said Buhara, flexing his muscles at a particrlyrge climber from the True Elites Guild. As the two spontaneously bursted out into a muscle disy contest, with both flexing their ripped physiques to one another.


    "Stop it Rhino, he''s a guest¨C" Said, Rhino''s team leader at the guild.


    "Show him who''s the strongest Buhara, don''t back down" said Rocky, as his reply came out as aplete 180 of what the Elite team leader said.


    This difference was mostly because Rocky was not a part of the guild and did not need to adhere to its rules, while Rhino''s team leader Jack was forced to.


    "Hooo, you''ve be spicierpared to thest time I saw you, Rocky¨C" Jack said, as Rocky winked to him in reply.


    Soon, Rocky walked over to the Guildmaster''s office, where he found Amelia sitting in the corridor outside.


    Upon gazing towards Amelia, immediately, all the attitude drained out of his body as he straightened up and cleaned his act.


    "Hello Aunt Amelia, I''m back¡­" Rocky said sweetly, as the stark contrast in his speech pattern made Erin visibly crack up.


    "Hoo¨C, look what the cat dragged in¡­" Amelia said with a big smile on her face, as she left her desk and walked over towards Rocky to give him a hug.


    Rocky warmly embraced Amelia, for whom he had a soft spot in his heart, as when he was at his lowest, it was Amelia who had given him a shelter in her house and helped him get through a tough phase of life.


    "Are these your friends?" Amelia asked after pulling away from the hug, as Rocky pointed towards Erin and Buhara and introduced them to Amelia.


    " Buhara, a battle mage. And Erin, a support mage.


    My roommates from back at the university and the first two official members of my Champion''s Party" Rocky said, as he introduced Erin and Buhara.


    "Members of your Champion''s party?" Amelia asked, raising an eyebrow as she did not expect Rocky to have chosen members for his party so soon.


    Choosing party members was a big decision since a climber''s life or death depended on the strength of his party. However, the risk was much greater for a Champion''s party who were assured to face greater risks.


    For Rocky to have chosen Erin and Buhara as his Party members, meant that those two were exceptional climbers as well, as Amelia knew just how exceptional Rocky himself was.


    "Well, I''ll keep an eye on the two of you from now on then¡­. Please take good care of Rocky" Amelia said with a soft smile, as she did not portray her usual ruthless self before Erin and Buhara and instead showed her kind side.


    Her cute smile immediately made Erin and Buhara melt, as the two men immediately blushed and began staring towards the ceiling in a reaction that Amelia found very cute.


    "Please don''t let me hold you¡­. The guildmaster is expecting you¨C" Amelia said, as she gestured for Rocky to enter Karna''s cabin.


    *******


    As Rocky entered Karna''s cabin, he was greeted by the scene of a shirtless Karna and a shirtless Neatwit working on war diagrams, while the whole office was littered with papers and war strategies.


    "Two gay men!" Said Buhara immediately after entering the Guildmaster''s office, as Karna and Neatwit synonymously replied with a curt "No!".


    Turning his head, Karna nodded and acknowledged Rocky''s entry into his office as he stood up from his seat and began collecting a pile of documents scattered on the chairs, to make room for Rocky and his friends to sit.


    "Neatwit, pass me my shirt¡­" said Karna, as Neatwit nced around him but failed to find Karna''s shirt within the messy room.


    "I can''t find it. Ask your wife to send a new one" Neatwit replied, as Karna picked up a pen and threw it at full speed towards Neatwit''s head in response.


    *Smack*


    "Please find my shirt¡­. Vice guildmaster" Karna instructed again, as Neatwit groaned, getting up from his ass, as he began searching for Karna''s shirt.


    "Here¡ª Guildmaster" Neatwit said, throwing a shirt to Karna''s face, as Karna hastily put it on before finally turning towards Rocky, with a serious expression on his face.


    "Apologies guys, The Vice Guildmaster of the True Elites Guild is an insubordinate bozo" Karna said, taking a jibe at Neatwit, to which Neatwit immediately replied with  "Apologies guys, The Guildmaster of the True Elites Guild is a lovestruck idiot who treats his underlings as if they are his girlfriend"


    Karna red at Neatwit when he made thisment and Neatwit red straight back, as the tension between the two became evident.


    ''Uh-Oh'' thought Rocky, as he understood that Neatwit had still not eased into the idea of Karna and Amelia dating, as his jealousy about this event was evident.


    "Jealous Gay Men¡­." Whispered Buhara in Rocky''s ears, however, the whisper itself was so loud that everyone in the room heard it.


    Blushing immediately, Karna and Neatwit broke their silent ring contest as Karna returned his attention to Rocky and his friends.


    "Everything is set for the uing floor raid.


    To minimize risk on our end, we have decided to share the spoils of victory with other guilds on Earth should we win, as we have decided to include 7 other major guilds to this raid to bolster our numbers" Karna began, as he started to give Rocky a brief about all the important developments that had taken ce so far.


    "So far, we have recruited about 25 million climbers in total, with a bulk of these forces scheduled to fight from the front gates.


    Regarding the main objective of this raid, which is to free Riva, the situation of the underground prison is indeed tricky, however, we have decided that vice guild master Neatwit will apany you alongside the number one raid squad of the Elites consisting of our strongest tier4 and 5 fighters for this cause" Karna said, as he gave Rocky the assurance that the strongest fighters of the guild will all be with Rocky to free Riva, as the number one objective of this raid is not to capture the floor, but to be free Riva.


    "You have to save Riva as fast as possible Rocky, because, if the floor raid above doesn''t go as nned, I''m going to call for an early retreat.


    For me, controlling floor 21 is not the priority, but the lives of my guild members is.


    If I see too many of us dying, I am going to call for a retreat, because I''d rather not control the floor rather than see my men die.


    However, I won''t be able to call for a retreat with you and Neatwit still stuck underground, so please do your best¨C" Karna said, exining the importance of Rocky''s role in this mission, as although Karna knew that Rocky wasn''t the strongest climber in the group, in fact he wasn''t that strong at all, Karna still relied on him to pull off miracles since Rocky was the champion of Gemini who had managed to kill the lich when even a tier6 god fled the battlefield.


    There was something about Rocky, that made Karna treat him as an equal, as not only did Karna take him seriously when consulting about strategy, but he also treated him as an equal when distributing mission importance.


    Of course he wasn''t delusional to the point where he only relied on Rocky to pull off miracles and did not give him the necessary tools to pull it off, as although he treated Rocky as an equal, he did rely on Neatwit more to see the mission through.


    "If everything works out, not only will we save Riva, but we will also take revenge on Olympus by capturing one of their lower floor strongholds that they have been holding for decades now¡­." Karna concluded as he passed the detailed war ns to Rocky for scrutiny.


    Taking the ns in hand, Rocky studied them with interest, with Buhara and Erin also pitching in their ideas.


    Since all three of them had studied the subject ''Battlefield Strategies and Leadership'', seeing their bookish knowledge being implemented in the real world, excited them, as they bounced off ideas with each other as to what might go right or wrong based on Karna''s n.


    Watching them deliberate amongst each other, Karna realized how important a climber''s foundational education was for their future sess, as most of his guild members, although vastly more experiencedpared to these kids, did not have the tactical acumen to scrutinize Karna''s war ns like they did.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - My birthday today! ;) ///

 Chapter 214: The merchant web

    After discussing war ns for hours, Rocky finally decided that he needed a break when the veins in his forehead began to pulsate and pain.


    "My head hurts.."  he murmured softly, before taking a scan of the room, as he realized that everyone was feeling as tired as him, if not more.


    Karna had all the buttons of his shirt undone as he sat like a gangster while nibbling on a pen cap.


    Neatwit, having never bothered to put a shirt on, was doing a headstand, as he read a paper while being inverted.


    Buhara snored on the floor while using heaps of papers as a nket.


    While Erin also looked disheveled and tired as he seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep.


    *Creek*


    With a gentle push, Amelia opened the door to the cabin, walking in with a fresh round of coffee for everyone, when looking at the state of the inhabitants inside she wondered as to what the hell was going on in there?


    "What is this? An orgy with papers?" Amelia asked, as she gave a reaction that was simr to Buhara calling Neatwit and Karna gay when he first entered the room.


    "Agh! Caffeine¨C" Rocky eximed in joy as he leapt towards one of the cups in Amelia''s tray and dowsed the coffee in one gulp.


    Almost instantly, Rocky''s excellent metabolism began absorbing the caffeine, as within seconds, Rocky felt relief from his headache and his drowsiness.


    "You''re a life-saver Amelia" Karna praised, as Neatwit got down from his headstand and kissed Amelia''s palms before taking a cup himself.


    "I love you, Karna''s fiance" Neatwit said, as Amelia rolled her eyes and chuckled at hisment.


    Amelia tried offering some coffee to Buhara and Erin, however, Erin refused politely while Buhara refused to wake up.


    "Alright, I''ll let you guys work more then¡­" Amelia said, before moving back out, however, Rocky followed her too.


    "Aunt¡­" he said, prompting Amelia to pause and look behind as she raised an eyebrow.


    "I''m tired from work and I''m looking to take a quick break.


    Do you mind telling me where I can purchase the best quality swords on Earth?


    I have lots of TG, but I don''t know where to spend it to procure premium weapons" Rocky asked, as Amelia nodded at him and gestured at him to follow her.


    Amelia was the best connected secretary on the entire and she was a walking knowledge trove when it came to matters such as procurement of items.


    Whether it was premium auctions, or ess to select ck markets, she had it all and she regrly used it to buy items for the guild.


    "I don''t usually let anyone use myputer¡­ so consider yourself lucky" Amelia said, as she walked over to her desk and started to type ferociously on the keyboard.


    Instead of surfing the inte, she instead logged into some secret server that Rocky had never seen before and after passing through a lot of security checks, she finally opened a webpage that looked like the local shopping site ''Amazon'', however, was instead a market-ce for magic artifacts and high level weapons.


    "This is the merchants web, it''s a portal that only the ''True Elites'' guild has ess to on the entire Earth as not even the Climber''s Association has ess to it.


    If you buy any item from here, it will be delivered to the guild within 30 minutes of your purchase and in extreme secrecy, however, you cannot reveal the presence of this portal to anyone.


    We use it often to bypass paying taxes, since the Climber''s Association can''t track packagesing through this service, and it helps save the guild millions of TG annually.


    So while I''m letting you use it just this once¡­ don''t fuck up" Amelia said as she moved aside to give Rocky some space to operate her PC, as once Rocky began scrolling on the website he realised that this merchants web was much more formidable than he could ever have imagined.


    Everything from High Density Mana Stones, Secret Skill Scrolls, Weapons Blueprints and more was on sale on the website, with there being some artifacts on sale that were clearly illegal to import in any rule-abiding.


    ''Chopped of Sphinx head? Live Zombies? Captured Undead?'' Rocky eximed internally, feeling shocked as to how absurd the items being sold on the site were.


    Out of every five items that Rocky saw, one was an item that the Climber''s Association would probably never let anyone bring on Earth as that item had the potential to cause massive problems, like starting an epidemic or poisoning entire river bodies.


    Some items being sold on the website were so absurd that Rocky momentarily forgot the reason behind why he was on the site, as he began scrolling through the pages aimlessly, feeling curious to gaze upon all the different stuff that people were selling.


    "Hey! No idle scrolling¡­. Buy a weapon fast and get your ass back to work¡­" Amelia scolded him from the side, as she pointed towards the search feature in the website and asked Rocky to filter out all the junk and only focus on swords.


    "Alright, alright¡­." Rocky mumbled inint, as he put ''Twin des'' in his search and applied the item grade to be (Epic) or above as a requirement.


    Immediately, 25 search results opened before him with 23 of them being Epic grade swords, and 2 of them being semi-legendary grade weapons.


    Setting the price filter from low to high, Rocky further refined his search as he began skimming through the weapons and their descriptions avable for sale.


    The cheapest pair of swords were listed on the tform around 300,000 TG, while the most expensive option was listed for a whopping 1.1 Million TG.


    "These are really expensive¡­ do you really have the money to buy such weapons or are you hoping for a loan?" Amelia asked sternly, wondering if Rocky was nning to freeload from the guild, however, Rocky shut down her concerns when he said "I have a million TG aunt Amelia, however, I need to buy both a new weapon and a new set of Armor from it".

 Chapter 215: Sword Selection

    "A million TG? That''s a lot of money! Are you sure you''re a graduate fresh from university? I''m sure there are senior climbers here who haven''t earnt that amount of money in their entire careers yet¨C" Amelia said, feeling impressed that Rocky had a million TG at his disposal.


    A key skill for a climber was the ability to make money.


    Although many ignored this aspect of being a climber, the difference between a good climber and a great climber often came down to their auxiliary abilities not rted to theirbat strength, and one of those abilities was the management of wealth.


    Having good, reliable gear made a huge difference in life and death situations and the best way to buy good gear was to purchase it via paying hefty sums of money.


    "I got it for ending my university as the valedictorian¡­. It''s my felicitation money" Rocky rified, as Amelia nodded in approval.


    Even if Rocky asked her for a loan, she would have probably agreed to it contingent on him paying a 9% p.a. interest on it, however, with him having the ability to finance his own purchases Amelia no longer found it necessary to extend a loan.


    Watching keenly instead, Amelia patiently waited for Rocky to make a choice on what sword he wished to purchase.


    For a while, Rocky only briefly read the descriptions of each item, before starting to narrow down on the item''s he felt suited him best as he deliberated between their strengths and weaknesses.


    "Want to borrow some pen and paper to write down the pros and cons?" Asked Amelia, as Rocky nodded and began to furiously take some notes, as he narrowed down the list from 25, to just 4 pairs of  swords which felt like the best option for him to buy.


    ---


    [ Crimson Reaper & Blood Fang ]


    Grade : (Epic)


    Price: 400,000 TG


    -  [ Crimson Reaper ]


    - Weight: 25 kg


    - Length: 70 cm


    - High attack power and excellent durability.


    - Inflicts bleeding damage on hit due to built-in blood runes.


    - Slightly shorter de length, less reach.


    -  [ Blood Fang ]


    - Weight: 25 kg


    - Length: 65 cm


    - Inflicts additional bleeding damage due to serrated edges.


    - Lightweight, allowing for fast strikes.


    - Has inbuilt blood runes simr to Crimson Reaper.


    ---


    [ Shadow Dancer & Night Stalker ]


    Grade : (Epic)


    Price: 550,000 TG


    -  [ Shadow Dancer ]


    - Weight: 2.0 kg


    - Length: 68 cm


    - Increases agility and speed of the wielder due to agility runes on the hilt.


    - Grants the ability to blend into shadows for short periods with shadow magic formations.


    - Average attack power.


    -  [ Night Stalker ]


    - Weight: 1.9 kg


    - Length: 65 cm


    - Grants temporary invisibility with shadow magic formations.


    - Slightly lower attack power but enhances stealth capabilities.


    ---


    [ Stormbringer & Thunderstrike ]


    Grade : (Epic)


    Price: 700,000 TG


    -  [ Stormbringer ]


    - Weight: 30 kg


    - Length: 75 cm


    - Can summon a storm for area damage due to storm runes on the de.


    - High critical hit rate.


    - Heavy and requires greater strength to wield effectively.


    -  [ Thunderstrike ]


    - Weight: 28 kg


    - Length: 72 cm


    - Releases electric shocks on hit due to thunder runes.


    - Slower swing speed due to weight but enhances damage output.


    ---


    [ Dragon''s Wrath & Phoenix Talon ]


    (Semi-Legendary)


    Price: 800,000 TG


    -  [ Dragon''s Wrath ]


    - Weight: 35 kg


    - Length: 80 cm


    - Extremely high attack power with fire damage due to embedded fire runes.


    - Increases the wielder''s resistance to fire.


    - Can release a dragon-shaped me attack with built-in fire magic formations.


    -  [ Phoenix Talon ]


    - Weight: 30 kg


    - Length: 78 cm


    - Inflicts burn damage over time due to fire runes.


    - Can heal minor wounds of the wielder with life runes.


    - Consumes a lot of stamina and mana to activate special abilities.


    ---


    Out of all the sword pairs avable on the market ce, Rocky did not choose a single homogenous sword pair, where both the des were simr in weight and dimensions and instead chose for sword pairs which were different, yet had a synergy to one another.


    The price of these weapons ranged between 400,000 to 800,000 TG, however, Rocky felt that the price of these weapons was well worth it, considering that almost every single one of them came with inbuilt runes that provided him with some form of special ability or another.


    Reviewing the four des that he had shortlisted, Rocky weighed their pros and cons seriously before eliminating them one after another to make the final choice.


    First, he rejected the Shadow Dancer & Night Stalker pair because the weight of this pair was too low for hisfort and although the des offered great stealth ability add-ons, they offered nothing in the area of increasing attack damage, which was a priority for Rocky.


    Next, he rejected the Stormbringer & Thunderstrike pair as although the ability to summon a storm and release electric shocks was enticing on paper, the AOE of these skills was notrge enough for them to be considered proper mage-level spells, whole at close range, Rocky had no need for them as he could simply dispatch his enemies at that range with sword projections.


    Then, he dismissed the Crimson Reaper & Blood Fang pair as despite their high attack power and the additional effect of bleeding damage which was a great pairing, the shorter de length and high theirbined weight made Rocky feel like it could limit his reach and agility in fast-pacedbat, which was why Rocky ultimately rejected this pairing.


    This meant that he was only left with the  Dragon''s Wrath & Phoenix Talon pair to choose from, however, Rocky was not sad to make this choice at all.


    The impressive fire damage, coupled with the special ability the ''dragon-shaped me attack'', and the ability to heal minor wounds with life runes provided the perfect bnce of power and utility.


    Although the swords were hefty and weighed a lot, the benefits they provided significantly outweighed the cons.


    With his decision made, Rocky ced an order for the des, knowing that the Dragon''s Wrath & Phoenix Talon pair would give him the edge he needed in his future battles.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 216: Geared Up

    After cing a delivery order for the swords, Rocky began searching for some cheap yet effective armor sets that he could purchase for under 200,000 TG.


    Browsing through the marketce, he came across several options, however, most of them were too expensive costing over 500,000 TG at epic rank and unaffordable to the poor him.


    Setting the price filter to be between 150,000 to 200,000 TG, Rocky hence narrowed down the search choices, as he was then left with only four final Armor set options to choose from.


    For these four sets however, he meticulously noted down the details, weighing the pros and cons of each set, as he made his choice with full sincerity even though the Armor wasn''t as valuable.


    ---


    [ Abyssal Guard Set ]


    Grade: Dark Gold


    Price: 200,000 TG


    - ( Helmet of the Abyss )


    - Weight: 5 kg


    - Provides enhanced vision in low light conditions.


    - Increases resistance to mental attacks.


    - ( Chestte of the Abyss )


    - Weight: 15 kg


    - High durability with reinforced steel tes.


    - Absorbs 10% of physical damage.


    -  ( Gauntlets of the Abyss )


    - Weight: 4 kg


    - Increases grip strength.


    - Reduces iing damage to the hands by 15%.


    -  ( Leg Guards of the Abyss )


    - Weight: 10 kg


    - Enhanced agility.


    - Reduces physical damage to legs by 12%.


    -  ( Boots of the Abyss ) Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    - Weight: 6 kg


    - Provides silent movement.


    - Reduces fall damage by 20%.


    ---


    [ Guardian''s Valor Set ]


    Grade: Dark Gold


    Price: 175,000 TG


    - ( Helm of Valor )


    - Weight: 4 kg


    - Grants immunity to mind control.


    - Slightly increases critical hit resistance.


    - ( Valor Breastte )


    - Weight: 14 kg


    - High endurance material.


    - Reduces iing physical damage by 15%.


    -  ( Valor Gauntlets )


    - Weight: 3 kg


    - Enhances physical strength.


    - Provides 10% damage reduction to arms.


    - ( Valor Greaves )


    - Weight: 8 kg


    - Increases speed.


    - Reduces iing leg damage by 10%.


    - ( Valor Boots )


    - Weight: 5 kg


    - Improves bnce.


    - Reduces stamina consumption during running.


    ---


    [ Sentinel''s Aegis Set ]


    Grade: Epic


    Price: 190,000 TG


    - ( Sentinel Helm )


    - Weight: 6 kg


    - Improves battlefield awareness.


    - Enhances resistance to head injuries.


    - ( Sentinel Chestguard )


    - Weight: 16 kg


    - Absorbs 20% of physical damage.


    - Reinforced with high-density alloys.


    - ( Sentinel Bracers )


    - Weight: 5 kg


    - Increases parry effectiveness.


    - Reduces damage to forearms by 15%.


    - ( Sentinel Leg Armor )


    - Weight: 12 kg


    - Provides increased stability.


    - Reduces damage to legs by 15%.


    -  ( Sentinel Boots )


    - Weight: 7 kg


    - Enhances traction.


    - Reduces damage from falls and impacts by 25%.


    ---


    [ Irond Defender Set ]


    Grade: Dark Gold


    Price: 160,000 TG


    - ( Irond Helm )


    - Weight: 6 kg


    - Reduces head trauma by 20%.


    - Provides enhanced protection against magic attacks.


    - ( Irond Chestte )


    - Weight: 18 kg


    - Absorbs 25% of iing physical damage.


    - High resistance to piercing attacks.


    - ( Irond Gauntlets )


    - Weight: 5 kg


    - Increases grip and reduces hand damage by 10%.


    - Provides a minor shield against elemental attacks.


    - ( Irond Leg Guards )


    - Weight: 11 kg


    - Reduces leg damage by 18%.


    - Provides enhanced resistance to freezing attacks.


    -  ( Irond Boots )


    - Weight: 8 kg


    - Reduces damage from falls.


    - Improves overall movement stability.


    ---


    After reviewing the four armor sets, Rocky considered their features carefully.


    First, he dismissed the Guardian''s Valor Set as although it offered great bnce and speed, its overall defensive capabilities were slightly lowerpared to the others.


    Next, he ruled out the Irond Defender Set as while the armor provided excellent protection against physical and elemental attacks, its high weight was a potential hindrance for his mobility in fast-paced battles.


    This left him with the Abyssal Guard Set and the Sentinel''s Aegis Set.


    The Abyssal Guard Set had great defensive properties and enhanced vision, but its slightly heavier weight made Rocky hesitate.


    On the other hand, the Sentinel''s Aegis Set, though slightly more expensive, offered better overall damage absorption and stability withoutpromising too much on mobility.


    After a moment of deliberation, Rocky decided to go with the Sentinel''s Aegis Set as the enhanced battlefield awareness and superior damage reduction made it the best choice for his needs.


    With his decision made, Rocky ced an order for the Sentinel''s Aegis Set, confident that this armor would provide the protection he needed in the challenges ahead.


    Racking up a total purchase bill of 990,000 TG, Rocky transferred that money from his system space to Amelia as he masqueraded it asing out of a storage bag.


    "Here, 990,000 TG, Aunt Amelia¨C" Rocky said, handing over the money to Amelia so that she could pay for the deliveries when they arrived a few minutester.


    "Very good¡­ paying in advance like a gentleman always should!" Amelia said approvingly as she kicked the sacks of money and rolled them behind her desk.


    "Now go back to work, you have had enough break¡­. They need you back in there" Amelia said, as she pushed Rocky back into the pit of headaches.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Perseus )


    "Sister¡­ sister¡­. Sister¡­ my dear sister!" Perseus said as he pped his hands and walked towards Sophia in a drunken stupor.


    The reconstruction efforts of the Floor21 pce were in full swing and with Sophia''s return, Perseus could not be any happier.


    Lately, due to high performance pressure, Perseus had turned to alcohol to calm his nerves as he drank heavily to cope with the pressure of potentially losing his life and everything dear to him in the uing war.


    As he walked towards Sophia in a drunken stupor, Sophia could not help but tremble involuntarily, as she already feared Perseus when he was in full senses, however, the drunken him only scared her more.


    "My beautiful sister¡­" Perseus said, running his fingers down her face as he looked into her green eyes with hatred.


    "I hope you have done your job¡­. I hope you have invited Rocky Yadav to the farmers cabin outside, so that he may lead his forces into a trap set by me" Perseus said, as he dreamt of a strategic masterstroke whereby Rocky would lead his forces through the secret tunnel leading to the underground prison, only to be walking into an ambush set by the Olympian forces.


    "Yes, brother¡­. I have done my part, Rocky doesn''t suspect a thing¡­. He will meet me at the farmer''s cabin outside.


    Regardless of whether hees alone or with an army, I can assure you that at least he will not survive your schemes" Sophia assured as Perseus nodded in satisfaction.


    "The ocean breeze touches my heart¡­. La,la¡­" Perseus sang and began to dance, as the good news from Sophia made him bubble up with joy.


    If he could capture the Champion Of Gemini and deliver him to their father. Then it would be an aplishment that could wipe out all his past misdoings, hence capturing Rocky was his sole priority in this war, regardless of whether they lost or won the floor raid.

 Chapter 217: Warning Buhara

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    After close to 34 hours of constant war nning, the final war n was finally formted with everyone in agreement that it was the best strategy to adopt.


    "Are you sure you want to take such a risk though Rocky? I do have faith in your judgment of the situation, however, if you''re wrong, it''s not the lives of my guild members that will be at stake.


    It will be only you who will die a horrible death alongside Erin and Buhara" Karna said, as he pointed towards one particr war n, where Rocky proposed taking on a huge risk.


    "I''m sure¡­. I know Sophia better than anyone and I have a strong gut feeling about this" Rocky assured, as Karna nodded his head in understanding.


    Nobody was stupid enough to bet their own lives on something impossible and hence since it was Rocky''s life that was on the line here and he was confident of making it through alive, Karna decided to trust his judgment.


    "Alright, with the war nningplete, it''s now time for us to meet the other guild masters helping us with the raid and present the final strategy.


    And after that we also need to hold an internal guild meeting with all the squad captains and exin them their detailed role in this war" Karna said, sounding exhausted as he took a big yawn right after.


    "What do you mean ''we''? I''m just a humble tier two climber¡­. All that falls under your purview.


    I''m not attending any meeting¨C" Rocky protested as Erin and Buhara seated beside him nodded in agreement.


    The trio of kids were tired after the war strategy formtion and did not want additional responsibilities.


    "I think you forget at times that you are the Champion Of Gemini, Rocky.


    It doesn''t matter what room you walk into, your voice will always be heard¡­.. especially after the previous monster raid and you killing the lich" Karna said, as he reminded Rocky of just what sort of position he held on Earth.


    Sighing, Rocky nodded as he understood that he could not escape this fate of making public appearances, however, he requested to skip the internal captain''s meeting to which Karna agreed.


    "Alright, you three kids freshen up, the next meeting is in two hours¡­.. we''ll see you then" Karna said, as he gave Rocky, Buhara and Erin permission to leave his office, contingent that Rocky at least returned back for the next meeting in two hours.


    Almost immediately after exiting Karna''s office, Buhara demanded to eat food as he felt incredibly hungry, forcing Rocky to guide him to the guild cafeteria.


    It wasn''t half bad for Rocky, as he too felt hungry and also because he wanted to take a moment to talk to Buhara in private.


    While himself and Erin already saw Sophia for the lying, backstabbing bitch that she really was, Buhara wasn''t the same.


    For Buhara, Sophia was a genuine friend and while Rocky had not burst that bubble in his head up till now¡­. With them now heading into a major war where Sophia was likely to betray them, Rocky felt that it was necessary for him to warn Buhara about Sophia and her true nature.


    He wished to do it as gently as possible to not hurt his feelings, which was why Rocky  chose to talk to him in the cafeteria, while he wasfortable eating warm food.


    "Puny human, this hamburger is a dish that is most delicious! Buhara is in love with this greasy mess!


    Also this drink¡­ the watermelon juice. It''s the most refreshing thing ever!" Buhara said as he devoured one hamburger with each bite that he took as if he were eating a chip and paired it up with a jug of fresh watermelon juice to wash the food down.


    "Haha¡­ I''m d you like it buddy" Rocky said, as he contemted about how he should broach the topic of Sophia potentially betraying them in theing war, as he found broaching the topic to Buhara to be a very challenging endeavor.


    "Well, Buhara¡­. There''s something myself and Erin would like to talk to you about" Rocky began, as Buhara took a pause from eating hamburgers and nced towards Rocky.


    "It''s about Sophia¡­." Rocky said, as Buhara''s yful eyes immediately turned serious at the mention of their friend.


    "The next war that we''re having is against her family and brother.


    So in-case she betrays us in favor of her family, please understand that it wasn''t anything personal.


    She probably had no other option" Rocky said, as finally he did not have the courage to tell Buhara that Sophia was a bitch and instead decided to present the matter as delicately as possible.


    "Oh?" Buhara said, sounding confused as he truly believed that Sophia would probably never betray them, however, in-case she did so for the sake of her family, Buhara felt like that would be reasonable too.


    "Yeah, me and Erin suspect that she''s working with her family to betray us. So, don''t trust her in this next war¡­.


    Don''t make it obvious that you don''t trust her, but just for this next war don''t believe her words either." Rocky said as Buhara nodded in understanding.


    "Aye" he said, agreeing with Rocky before focusing back on his food, as Rocky and Erin breathed a collective sigh of relief.


    This conversation had gone smoother than they initially feared, and with this forewarning, they hoped that Buhara would not be emotionally hurt when Sophia eventually did betray them.


    However, nothing could be said for certain when things came to the loving orc that Buhara was, as unlike them, rtionships were not transactional for Buhara and were rather connections to die for.


    Unfortunately, not everyone in the universe was deserving of a friend like Buhara and Sophia just happened to be one of those undeserving people.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target. Good job everyone!


    Thank you so much for all your love and support! ///

 Chapter 218: Fired Up Guild Members

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    After his lunch with Buhara, Rocky took a quick shower back at his apartment within the Upside and returned to the True Elites Guild, looking prim and proper for the meeting with the Guildmasters.


    Rocky had half expected that his presence would not be taken seriously by the various Guildmasters, just like it wasn''t during the meeting for the monster raid. However, this time things seemed to be different.


    After his performance in the monster raid, the view that the various Guildmasters held towards him seemed to have changed a lot.


    No longer was he viewed as a young brat who was out of his depth while making war ns, as this time around everyone seemed to respect him and also attach gravitas to the words that he spoke.


    When he spoke during the meeting, everyone else went silent and respected his words, which was a refreshing feeling for Rocky since he did not expect to be treated as an equal.


    Nearly 90% of the meeting with the Guildmasters was carried by Karna, who exined the final war n to all and negotiated the final demands of the various guilds to be a part of this raid, which gave Rocky a rare opportunity to observe how real world negotiations went and how a good leader managed everyone''s expectations without creating too much friction between parties.


    During the negotiations, Karna made it explicitly clear to all who were present, that the safety of his own guild was his first priority and that should things start to go wrong, he was not going to hesitate to pull off from the battlefield alongside the rest of his guild.


    With this warning made clear, Karna also agreed to split the rewards generated from this raid equally with all other guilds participating, while also agreeing to distribute future administration rights over Floor 21 equally amongst all should they win.


    The remaining 10% of the meeting was conducted by Rocky, where he discussed a potential gambit that could either make this raid a cakewalk or fail horribly.


    Initially, a few Guildmasters approved of the n but wondered who would be foolhardy enough to carry it out. However, when Rocky revealed that the fool''s gambit was going to be undertaken by none other than himself, everyone went silent.


    Nobody had expected the Champion Of Gemini to risk his life for such a dangerous n, however, nobody was against it either.


    Noone present within this room belonged to the Church Of Gemini and hence while they respected Rocky, they were not devoted enough to him to the point where he came before their own self interests.


    Since he had volunteered to take on such a dangerous mission, the others did not wish to protest his decision, however, they did ask him to reconsider his choice out ofmon courtesy.


    "I thank you for your considerations, guild masters, however, my decision to go through with this n is irond.


    It''s my sister that the Olympians have kidnapped, not yours.


    And I will not forgive them for it" Rocky said, reassuring all that his decision to go through with this dangerous gambit was final.


    **********


    After the meeting with the Guildmaster''s was concluded, Karna had to head off into the meeting with the rest of the guild as he briefed them about their roles in the uing war.


    Unlike the political atmosphere of the meeting with the Guildmaster''s, the meeting within the True Elites Guild seemed to be charged with a patriotic atmosphere, as every team leader present within the room seemed to be genuinely bubbling with rage.


    It had been almost a year now since Riva had been kidnapped and the entire guild felt her absence every single day that she was missing.


    For the True Elites, this floor raid was more than just taking their revenge on the Olympians or Saving Riva, as this was a test for the guild''s core beliefs, whereby they said ''One For All and All For One''.


    If they failed here, the guild''s morals were sure to degrade and the True Elites were sure to slowly degrade into bing just another normal guild, which is why this floor raid was an existential challenge for all guild members, and they understood it well.


    "Don''t worry guildmaster, whatevermands you give us, we will execute them to the T, even if you ask me and my team to be prepared for the ultimate sacrifice, we are prepared to die if it saves the life of our fellow guild members"


    "Don''t worry, guildmaster, even if every single Elite has to kill over a dozen Olympians for the sake of Riva, they will not fail their goal.


    They will deliver! Even if their limbs are chopped off, they will deliver. Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    There is no way we will fail this mission".


    "Don''t worry, guildmaster! The Olympians will realize their mistake when the wrath of the entire guild is expressed individually through each of our members¡­.. For we shall fight like there is no tomorrow¨C".


    The various team leaders assured Karna that no matter how big their responsibility was, they would not fail theirmands as this raid meant too much to them and their team on a personal level for them to fail here.


    Reassured by this attitude, Karna did not find any need to pump up the room with a motivational speech as everyone was already as motivated and charged about this raid as they could be.


    As Karna assigned them their roles, every single team leader swore to not fail him as their infectious enthusiasm caused even Karna''s blood to boil in revenge by the end of the meeting.


    With the roles assigned and the war supplies already prepared, Karna concluded the day with the message that they were going tounch a floor raid tomorrow, issuing a message to all guild members to rest properly tonight, for tomorrow was sure to be a long day.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target. Good Job Everyone! ///

 Chapter 219: Gearing Up For War

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    The night before the floor raid was aplicated one for Rocky, for he could not sleep despite being in thefort of his soft bed mattress.


    With his superior hearing, he could listen to the faint snores of Buhara from the other room of his house. However, unlike the Orc, sleep did not find him a night before their raid on floor 21.


    Somehow Rocky kept twisting and turning with anxiety, as his body excreted unnatural amounts of sweat, as he experienced something close to a sudden panic attack.


    Memories of the night where his sister was kidnapped kept haunting him, while the thought of what would happen with Sophia tomorrow also made his nerves act out.


    Rocky''s whole gambit tomorrow was based off the assumption that Sophia wished him harm, however, it wasn''t a certainty as of yet.


    If Sophia wished harm not only to him but also to her Olympian family, not betraying him in the end, then his n would probably fail horribly and would perhaps cost him his life and his sister her freedom.


    "Why is this so hard? Why can''t I feel assured of myself and my n?


    Is it because I''m weak?


    Is it because I can only win via deceit?" Rocky wondered as he bit the edges of his bedsheet and tore it through sheer force.


    *Summon Chun*


    Feeling too anxious, Rocky decided to summon little Chun out of his soul space, as the little rabbit was surprised to be called out suddenly into unfamiliar surroundings.


    "Why did you call for me human?¡­ What is this ce? What is this soft white structure that I''m standing over?" Chun asked in his signature style, as Rocky picked him up and hugged him close to his chest without giving it a reply.


    For a moment, Chun was taken aback by this sudden disy of affection by Rocky, however, then as it smelled the fear and anxiety on him, Chun slowly snuggled into his chest and refrained from speaking useless questions.


    Slowly, as Rocky hugged Chun, his heart rate returned to normal and sleep gradually found him as he somehow managed to drift asleep due to the calming aura that Chun brought along with him.


    By the time Rocky woke up, it was already time for him to report to the True Elites Guild alongside his friends, as he silently thanked the sleeping little Bunny on his bed, before sending it back to his soul realm.


    Without Chun, he would probably have faced significant problems getting through the previous night, however, thanks to the little bunny, Rocky somehow survived the nervous moments of self doubt and fear of mortality.


    ********


    As Rocky reached the True Elites Guild Headquarters alongside Erin and Buhara, the entire atmosphere within the guild seemed to have undergone a massive shift whenpared to yesterday.


    Everyone moving within the guild halls seemed to be fully geared up, as gearing stations seemed to have been created, with heaps of weapons and armors ced for all guild members to pick and choose from.


    "Oh, you''re finally here Rocky? You''re alreadyte¡­ but nevermind.


    Here is your package from yesterday, gear up quickly and tell your friends to do the same." Amelia instructed when she saw Rocky loitering in the guild halls without having his gear on.


    " If your friends don''t have appropriate gear, they can borrow some from the guild¡­" Amelia further added out of courtesy as Rocky signaled for Erin and Buhara to suit up, while he did the same with his newly arrived Armor and weapons.


    Opening the package that Amelia pointed towards, Rocky opened it to find his new swords in their scabbards and a full 5 piece red and gray armor set ready to be worn.


    "Red and Gray¡­. Not a bad color scheme at all-" Rocky murmured to himself as he began booting up, strapping his gear tightly, one item at a time.


    Rocky wasn''t used to wearing heavy armor and hence when he was done strapping up the Sentinel Aegis Set, he immediately felt a bit stuffy and heavy, however, he knew that this much protection was necessary for him to survive wars.


    Although heavy, the Sentinel Aegis set did not restrict his movements at all, as the Armor did not seem to restrict his joints in any form.


    "I guess I''ll get used to this¡­" Rocky epted, as he moved his focus to his new weapons.


    Strapping the heavier sword, the ''Dragon''s Wrath'' to his right, and the lighter one, the ''Phoenix''s Talon'' to his left, Rocky unsheathed them both and swung them around a bit to get used to the de''s weight and bnce.


    Since back at the university he did practice with swords weighing around 25kg, the weight of 30 and 35 kg swords did not feel excessive to him as with his superior strength he was able to swing them easily, however, it was surely above the weight that he was used to.


    Overall the des felt incredibly well made and bnced.


    The weight gave him assurance that even if he smashed the des at a wrong angle, they would not chip or break, which was a huge psychological relief.


    "Woah! Look at you Sir Rocky¡­. You look terrifying" said Erin as he came back from gearing up himself, and was shocked to see Rocky in proper full gear for the first time ever.


    At 7''2", with the build of an orc and rippling muscles, Rocky already looked like a mountain of a man in general, however, with a thick armor and shoulder pads over him, and two massive gleaming swords in hand, he truly looked the part of a mythic butcher.


    *Shhinggg*


    Sheathing his swords, Rocky nodded towards Erin, thinking that hispliment was vain, however, as he looked across the room and realized that everyone was staring at him in fear, Rocky finally understood that Erin''spliment wasn''t in vain and that he actually looked imposing in full gear.


    "BUHAHAHAHARA! Puny human looks strong today! I''m feeling an itch to fight you¡­" said Buhara when he nced towards Rocky as he too looked terrifying in full gear with his legendary staff-axe in hand.


    "Alright, enough chatter, it''s time to move out¨C" said a voice over the guild speakers, as Karna called for full guild mobilization. Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    The time for preparations and talk was over!


    The time for war had begun!

 Chapter 220: Unexpected Alliance

    ( Floor 21 )


    The True Elites were not the only guild to sense the weakened hold of the Olympians over Floor 21.


    After Liam''s attack, there were many who were waiting for the 45 days raid-free period to expire, so that they could mount a challenge of their own for the floor, which resulted in over a dozen factions gathering on floor 21, an hour before the raid-free period expired.


    "Holy hell¡­. I thought our army was massive. However, look at the size of the army beside us¡­." Erinmented, as he pointed towards a particrlyrge faction which seemed to have gathered over 30 million soldiers for this raid.


    The atmosphere on Floor21 was truly tense. With the leaders of all major factions holding an impromptu meeting, to try and solve this issue through dialogue.


    Of the 12 forces gathered, 8 were notrge enough to qualify for a floor raid and hence not a candidate for consideration, however, the four remaining ones wererge factions with genuine grievances against Olympus.


    Apart from the True Elites Guild, there was an army of Dark Elves, The Pandora Guild and followers of the Church Of Cowards, who had gathered on floor21 for the raid.


    "Please withdraw from this raid¡­. This is a personal matter for us True Elites, as one of our own is being held captive within the underground prison of floor21.


    This is a must win war for us" Karna said, bowing his head before the other leaders, as he requested for them to withdraw from this raid.


    "Impossible, just like it''s personal for you, it''s personal for us Dark Elves as well.


    Our princess was killed by Perseus five years ago.


    Experience exclusive tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    Today, he must pay the price for his crime in blood¨C" The dark elf leader said, as he seemed to be as passionate about punishing Perseus as Karna was.


    "Well, it''s a matter of personal interest for the Pandora Guild as well¡­.. Floor 21 is the first floor where a base of operations can be established.


    Real Estate here is expensive.


    There''s a lot of demands from various guilds to form a headquarters here.


    So the Pandora Guild has a lot of interest in controlling this floor¡­..


    So Sorry, we are not withdrawing as well" The leader of the Pandora Guild, a busty woman wearing tight armor said as she shamelessly denied Karna''s request to withdraw.


    "Hohoho? You kids squabble amongst each other, however, you forget who has thergest army here¡­.


    It''s us. The cowards.


    A coward never let''s go of an opportunity to capitalize on the enemy''s weakness¡­ and our sources say that the current condition of the floor 21 forces is pretty weak¨C


    So we will not withdraw either" said the leader of the cowardly forces, a man who was suited up from head to toe such that there was only a small slit in his helmet for vision, while the rest of his body was fully covered in heavy armor.


    "All three of you are shameless, I can''t believe that you won''t withdraw, however, fear not, I have faith that whatever solution the tower administrator proposes to solve this deadlock will be favorable to us" The dark elfmander said, as he expressed his faith in the tower administrator to provide the best solution for this problem.


    "Before this problem goes to the tower administrator, let me propose a solution.


    The True Elites Guild is not looking for any mary gains or the controlling rights over this floor.


    Should we win this war, we are ready to give up our share of the spoils to the faction willing to join us in this war.


    Should you wish to coborate.." Karna proposed, as his proposal caused the other three parties to pause and ponder.


    Usually, the biggest priority of any factionunching a floor raid was to control the floor after winning and then exploit it''s resources to get wealthy.


    However, with Karna offering to give up the True Elites Guild''s share of the spoils and the control rights over the floor, the other parties began to ponder if a potential alliance was a good idea?


    What Karna did not cleverly rify however, was how there were other stakeholders from Earth taking part in this raid, and how the share of the True Elites Guild was already low.


    While Karna was ready to give up their share of the spoils, it did not mean that the other guilds from Earth supporting him would also get nothing, as any party coborating with them would only get the share promised to the True Elites Guild, which was less than 25% of total asset value.


    "I ept! A coward always finds strength in numbers. I will never deny having additional 25 million men join my cause, as it will only further improve the survivability of my faction" The leader of the cowards said as he extended his hand forward for Karna to shake.


    "d to have you aboard" Karna said, shaking his hand, as with the two biggest numerical factions joining hands with one another, the other two factions felt pressured by their alliance.


    "I would have taken that deal too, however, there isn''t enough profit for me to join this raid after the Cowards already have, so I''m going to take my chances with the administrator" the leader of the Pandora Guild said, as she sighed in regret over acting toote.


    " We need the help of no faction to exact our revenge, as humans will only slow us down.


    We would rather fight alone¨C" the leader of the Dark Elves said, as amongst everyone present, he seemed to be the only one who was genuinely not interested in joining hands with Karna.


    "Very well, let''s let the tower administrator decide who gets tounch this raid amongst the three of us then" Karnamented, as the three remaining factions waited patiently for the raid-cooldown period to end, so that they could formally apply for a fresh challenge.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by Patron TheBossIsBack via PayPal, please thank him in thements for the same. ///

 Chapter 221: Obtaining the rights for a floor raid

    As the reset counter for the floor raid hit 0, lots of floor raid requests were instantly ced to the floor administrator, with Karna also sending one.


    Usually, when a floor raid opportunity opened up and multiple parties wished to participate in it, the decision of which party got to raid the floor first was left up to the tower''s floor administrator, who made the decision based on his own discretion.


    As over a dozen applications flooded in, the Floor Administrator of floor 21 immediately rejected the applications of those who did not have a real shot at winning against Perseus, and were only applying out of petty revenge.


    This left only three serious applications on his table, with the joint application of Karna alongside the leader of the cowards army being the best of the lot.


    For a while the Floor Administrator pondered as to which application to ept and which to reject, however, after thinking about it for a while, he decided to award the floor raid to the faction whose leader earnt the opportunity throughbat.


    "I will give the three of you an opportunity to earn the right to conduct this floor raid, with the faction having the strongest leader finally securing the privilege to raid" The floor administrator said, as he transported Karna, The busty leader of the Pandora Guild and The robust leader of the Dark Elves to a seperate dimensional space to participate in a private game.


    Instead of awarding the floor raid to the strongest faction. The Floor Administrator  decided to be creative with the allocation of raid privilege and decided to make the three leaderspete against each other in a private game to secure the privilege.


    Transporting them to a small martial arena which was barely 20 feet by 20 feet in area, he instructed the three leaders to fight amongst themselves, with thest man standing being dered as the victor.


    **********


    Karna, just like the two other leaders, was caught off-guard by this sudden fight proposal as he did not expect to be thrown intobat so suddenly, however, since the terms of victory had already been established, he realized that there was no point hesitating and jumped straight into battle.


    Choosing to attack the busty leader of the Pandora Guild first, since she seemed to be only a tier4 warrior, Karna went in for the decisive blow right from the start as he swung his sword in a wide arc, forcing the leader of the Pandora Guild to block.


    *SMASH*


    Although the leader of the Pandora Guild responded in time and managed to raise her spear in time for a block. The sheer force of Karna''s attack blew open her defenses and sent her flying out of the small arena.


    "The Pandora Guild has been eliminated" said the cold, indifferent voice of the floor administrator, as the second that the leader of the Pandora Guild was pushed out of the arena boundary, she was eliminated from this contest.


    "Sweet, this makes my job much easier" said the leader of the Dark Elves as he was ted at having one of his two opponents being eliminated without him having to put an effort behind it.


    Although Karna''s strength and speed impressed him, he did not feel too threatened by it either, since he too was a proper tier5 fighter.


    Nocking an arrow in his bow, he pointed towards Karna, waiting for him to assume a proper fighting stance before firing, since he did not wish to disrespect his obviously talented opponent by taking a cheap shot.


    "Bring it¨C" said Karna, clutching his sword as the second he assumed a fighting stance, the Dark Elf let go of the arrow.


    *Swoosh*


    The arrow flew in towards Karna like a bullet, the speed and strength behind the shot being unlike anything that Karna had seen before from an Earthen warrior.


    *Block*


    Barely blocking it, Karna felt his arms sting from the recoil, as he realized that the opponent he was facing now was one that was highly dangerous.


    Trying to close the distance between them, Karna moved in towards the Dark Elf leader, who had already nocked another arrow into his bow by now.


    *Swoosh*


    As Karna closed in, the Dark Elf let out yet another arrow, this oneced with a magic spell.


    Instead of blocking, Karna tried his best to dodge this arrow, as he feared the magic contained within the arrow releasing upon impact.


    Choosing to dodge here was a gamble, as he the distance was not enough for him to react in time to dodge properly, as his lousy attempt caused the arrow to graze past his belly, drawing blood, however, thankfully the magic contained within did not trigger, as the arrow moved past him and exploded into a cluster of vines behind him.


    "Good one¨C" praised the Dark Elf, as he did not think that Karna would be so bold as to not block the shot from such close range and rather choose to dodge.


    It was a gamble, however, it paid off big time for Karna as because of it he was able to close down the gap in the narrow martial arena between himself and the Dark Elf leader and convert the fight into a close-range contest where he held the upper hand.


    Although the Dark Elf Leader was by no means a pushover even in close-range contest, trying his best to fend off Karna using his bow as a weapon and his natural agility to keep up with his offence, eventually, he was out-done by the guildmaster of the Elites and sent flying out of the arena bounds just like the leader of the Pandora Guild before him.


    "The dark elf faction has been eliminated¡­. The True Elites are the victors!" Announced the floor administrator, as he transported both Karna and the leader of the Dark Elves back to floor21 and awarded the floor raid rights to the alliance of True Elites and the Cowards.

 Chapter 222: Start Of War

    [ Floor 21 will now undergo a new Floor Raid, courtesy of the True Elites Faction.


    All individuals who are not part of the True Elites Alliance or Native borns of Floor 21, will now be sent back to Floor Zero of the tower¨C ]


    A floor wide announcement was made by the floor administrator after Karna''s victory as he removed all the other armies and adventurers unaffiliated with the True Elites Guild from within Floor 21, leaving behind only the True Elites and the fighters from the Church Of Cowards behind, as they had formed an alliance with the Elites.


    "Oh you managed to secure the floor raid rights? How delightful¨C" said the leader of the cowards, as he moved forward and shook hands with Karna, congratting him for his win.


    "My name is Zane. We might as well be acquainted now since we are going to be fighting together" said Zane, as he gestured for someone to quickly bring up his faction''s pre-drawn war ns.


    "I''m sure you have final war ns of your own, guildmaster Karna, however, since we are going to be working together now. Let me show you our ns quickly as well, so that we can perhaps choose the best n of attack" said Zane as he set up a table and quickly began toy war ns on-top of it.


    Looking around, Karna gestured for Neatwit and Rocky''s unit to go ahead and start with n D, while he began to take a look at the war ns drawn by the Church Of Cowards.


    *Thump*


    *Thump*


    *Thump*


    "Eh? What? What''s going on? Why is such arge and strong portion of your army branching out?" Asked Zane as he seemed to wonder why arge portion of the Elite army, some 20,000+ soldiers began branching out all of a sudden.


    "My apologies mister Zane, however, like I said before. Our number one goal in this war is not to secure the floor master''s privilege but rather save one of our own.


    Those who have branched out are our rescue troopers.


    They have a mission of their own here, which ispletely unrted to the war" Karna exined, as listening to his exnation Zane shrugged his shoulders and let the matter be.


    Since Karna imed that those guys had no corrtion to the war, Zane did not think much of it, however, Karna''s im was not entirely true either.


    While it was true that the part of the army that had branched away from the main force were trying to save Riva first and not participate in the war initially.


    The entire Elite army''s strategic winte into the war was alsopletely dependent on that group, however, Karna conveniently left that detail out when engaging with Zane.


    "Arch-Ballistae? Long range catapults? Mythical AOE destruction scrolls?


    Entire INFERNO TOWERS?


    What the actual fuck?" Questioned Karna as he took a look at the war ns of the cowards and realized that those sons of guns had brought the entirety of the best weapons of Dwargon with them to this battlefield.


    "Hahaha. It seems like it''s your first time seeing us Cowards in action, Guildmaster Karna.


    Us Cowards never walk into a fight outgunned.


    We will whittle down the enemy forces to oblivion before we even lift a finger personally" said Zane as he took Karna''s surprise as a sign that he agreed with the coward''s n of attack.


    "ADVANCE TO SUITABLE RANGE, HOLD THE LINES AND START SETTING UP THE SIEGE WEAPONS.


    NOT A SINGLE COWARD DIES BEFORE A MILLION OF THEM DO" Commanded Zane as listening to his words, the Coward army cheered and began advancing as per their predetermined n.


    "As for you, Guildmaster Karna, I hope when the timees, your army will take the lead of the charge ahead of us¡­.


    You see, us Cowards have a slight fear of charging into enemy lines" Zane requested, as Karna happily gave his alliance partner a double thumbs up.


    Compared to the Elites''s n of breaking through the outer fort while charging in the inverted arrow formation and using earthen spells at close range to break apart the fortress, the n of the cowards to break enemy structures apart from range was a far better one.


    The equipment that they carried to this battlefield was weapons that were usually mounted in the dwarf capital of Dwargon and were weapons that were not for sale for anyone except the dwarves.


    For the coward army to have their hands on such a destructive arsenal of weapons was an unexpected boon for the Elites''s cause to win this war, and Karna was hence more than happy to take the lead and charge when the situation called for it, because the situation was already way better than he initially expected it to be.


    ''The start of this war had been great on my side Rocky, I hope it will be the same on yours as well'' Karna prayed, as he gave the orders for the Elite army to march and hold the battle lines alongside the coward army, while they set up theirrge war weapons.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Rocky and Neatwit walked side by side without speaking a word to one another, while Buhara and Erin tagged along behind the duo yfully bantering.


    "Are your friends always this cheerful? I''m not saying that it''s bad, but they might be walking into an ambush that kills them within 20 seconds.


    Can''t they be more mature and enjoy theirst moments in this universe in peace?" Neatwit asked, sounding annoyed as the four of them approached therge oak tree about 200 meters from the farmers cabin where Rocky was scheduled to meet Sophia.


    "We have full faith in Sir Rocky, Vice Guildmaster Neatwit.


    With him around we won''t die" Erin said cheerfully, as somehow Neatwit could not find a gloomy retort to thatment.


    "Alright, this is my marker here¡­. Off you three go¡­ all the best" Neatwit said, pping the butts of the three kids as he silently prayed for their sess.


    "Don''t worry, I have a good feeling about this one" Reassured Rocky, as he confidently walked towards the farmers cabin, out in the deste woods.


    ''A good feeling?'' Neatwit wondered as he climbed the old oak tree and sat down there assuming a vantage point.


    ''I hope you have more than that kid, because all our lives depend on you today'' Neatwit hoped, as he watched Rocky, Erin and Buhara slowly disappear into the small cabin ahead.

 Chapter 223: Re-Uniting with Sophia

    *Creek*


    As Rocky opened the door to the farmers cabin, he half expected there to be an ambush party already waiting for him inside, however, thankfully there was only Sophia sitting within.


    "You''re precisely on-time. Like always" Sophiaplimented, as Rocky, Erin and Buhara walked into the cabin, however, she expected more to follow.


    "What? That''s it? You only brought those two losers with you? Do you really think you will be able to get through prison security with just those two bozo''s?" Sophia questioned, as this wasn''t a part of the initial n that the two had discussed.


    Initially, the n that Sophia and Rocky had agreed upon was that Rocky would bring alongside him an elite unit of fighters capable of escorting him to the lowest levels of the prison and helping him free his sister.


    Hence, when Rocky walked into the cabin with only Erin and Buhara, Sophia was shocked to see the change in ns.


    "Calm down¡­ we have a new strategy" Rocky exined, as he switched his vision from his normal sight to his aura sight, watching Sophiapletely reek of murderous red aura mixed with the despicable shade of ck malice.


    If there were any lingering doubts in Rocky''s mind regarding Sophia''s intention to betray him before¡­. They were dispelled after he observed her aura today, as Rocky felt assured, that Sophia would double-cross him today.


    "What new strategy? We haven''t discussed anything about a new strategy¨C" Sophia said, panic seeping into her voice, as if Rocky''s new strategy involved him not following Sophia into the tunnel passage underneath, then Sophia was going to lose her life because of the soul oath that she had sworn to her brother.


    "Rx, the new strategy is the same as the old strategy but with a slight twist" Rocky exined as he gestured for Sophia to calm down.


    "Just like before, the four of us will walk into the secret tunnel passage underneath and follow you to the first level of the underground prison.


    However, instead of how we were previously going to try and force our way down the lower levels, we will now use a more nuanced approach" Rocky began, as listening to how he still intended on following her into the passage underneath, Sophia breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Instead of you rebelling with us, we are nning to use your status as the Champion Of Poseidon and the Princess of floor 21 to try and convince the guards to let us down the lower levels.


    Tell them that you apprehended the Champion Of Gemini and that it''s your brother''s orders to secure him and his allies in the lowest and most secure prison floor, the third level.


    This way, we can avoid the needless fighting of the first two floor ana directly reach the lowest level, where we can use your status as the princess and cook up yet another story of how your brother has ordered for the release of Riva as a bait in the on-going war and escape alongside my sister" Rocky suggested, as Sophia internally rolled her eyes listening to his n.


    Not only was Rocky''s new n insanely naive and hopeful, but it also grossly overestimated Sophia''s standing within Floor 21 as although she was indeed the princess, she had no real power within this floor.


    Perseus''s underlings were never going to ept an order from her no matter how hard she tried and hence Sophia secretly chuckled at the naivety of Rocky''s strategy.


    Naturally, since her intention was one of betraying Rocky and not one of actually helping him, she pretended to agree to his idea and even gave him a nod of encouragement.


    "I''m not really good at lying, however, if I put on a convincing act I think your new n does give us a better chance of sesspared to the old one¡­" Sophia said, putting a finger on her chin as she pretended to ponder about it deeply.


    "Alright, I''ll try my best for the sake of helping you save your sister," Sophia said as she began pushing aside therge table-top within the small shed, revealing the secret hole underneath.


    "No time to waste ... Let''s go¨C" Sophia said, as she nodded towards Erin to hop in first, however, Erin not having an ounce of faith in Sophia gestured for her to jump in first.


    "Ladies first, ma''am" Erin said politely, as Sophia rolled her eyes and took the first plunge.


    *Thud*


    "Come on down princess" Sophia shouted from underneath, her voice sounding distorted and funny as it echoed from within the tunnel.


    "It''s safe to follow" Erin whispered softly, going in after Sophia, with Rocky and Buhara soon following suit.


    *Thud*


    *Thud*


    Once all four of them were inside the tunnel, Erin slowly chanted an illumination spell, creating a potent source of light for them to explore the dark tunnel.


    Looking around, the first thing that Rocky noticed was that the underground tunnel was made from stone and y and was not that durable, which was perfect for his scheme.


    Had the tunnel been made from more sturdy materials, it would have been a problem for Rockyter, however, because it wasn''t, Rocky let out a sigh of relief.


    "This way¡­ the walk to the prison is kinda long" Sophia said, as she took the lead and began walking towards the first level of the prison, as her loud steps echoed several times against the tunnel walls.


    "Stay close¨C" Rocky instructed as he followed closely behind Sophia, resting his hands over his swords, ready to draw them at the first sign of danger.


    "Buhara feels nauseous in this small tunnel"ined Buhara who had to bend his head slightly at an odd angle so as to not bob against the tunnel ceiling constantly, however, with no other option, Buhara was forced to make-do with the environment he was in.


    "Oh sorry, my ancestors should have probably made this secret exit ORC size for you¡­.


    How inconsiderate of them" Sophia replied snarkily, as the closer they got to the ambush site, the more rxed Sophia became regarding the sess of her n.


    She was currently leading Rocky,  Erin and Buhara to their certain deaths however the three of them were none the wiser about it.


    Had Rocky brought in a few of the attacking army''s strongest personnel alongside with him, like they had initially nned to, then the Olympians would have scored an easy kill on the enemy''s strongest individuals, however, unfortunately, Rocky seemed to have changed that nst minute.


    ''No worries¡­ we will make do with the best we got'' Sophia thought, as she increased the pace of her steps, leading Rocky closer and closer to his supposed doom.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target! Good Job everyone! ///

 Chapter 224: Anticipation

    *Thud* *Thud* *Thud*


    As Sophia led Erin, Rocky and Buhara down the secret tunnel, the only thoughts that went on in her head were about the reactions that her friends would give when they realized that she had betrayed them.


    Sophia knew that Erin would probably look at her as if she were a nasty whore, his reaction would undoubtedly be one of disdain where he would look at her as if she were a worthless snake.


    Buhara on the other hand would probably be confused and sad.


    The betrayal would probably be too much for the emotional orc and he would be paralyzed by emotional dilemma, or at least that''s how Sophia envisioned him to react.


    This only left Rocky, and to be fair Sophia could not imagine, just how Rocky would react to her betrayal?


    Was he going to be sad?


    Shocked?


    Would he try to futilely retaliate?


    Readtest stories on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    Sophia wasn''t sure, however, it was his reaction that she was the most curious to witness, as although Sophia did not like to admit it, even to herself, due to the time that she had spent together with Rocky at the university, she had grown to like him, even if she did not wish to.


    In her eyes he was a good friend and a dependable leader and had fate not put her at odds against him, Rocky was probably the only individual from that university that Sophia would actually have chosen to be genuinely friends with.


    ''We could have been friends, Rocky¡­. However, fate did not allow for it in this life'' Sophia thought, as she threw a slightly guilt filled nce towards Rocky, before shaking that feeling off.


    There was no point in regretting her choices anymore, as she had already started a chain of events that was going to lead Rocky to his doom.


    Once they reached the end of this tunnel, he was going to be captured alive by the Olympian forces waiting in ambush for his arrival and escorted out of Floor 21.


    Once he was out of Floor21, he was scheduled to be presented straight to her father who needed Rocky to strip him off his divinity and absorb some of the strength of Gemini from his soul.


    There Rocky was going to undergo the most brutal and painful forms of torture as he was slowly stripped of his soul and his strength, until he was eventually reduced to a disheveled pile of bones on the verge of death.


    Thinking about his eventual fate, Sophia felt even more guilty. However, it was already toote for her to change her mind, since breaking her word now and alerting him about the danger ahead would lead to her own soul-oath triggering, ending her life.


    Putting her own survival in this scenario first, Sophia hence decided to not dwell on those feelings of guilt, for they were useless and instead only focus on the task at hand.


    "We are almost there¡­ The purple markings here means that we have reached near the walls of the outer pce and the area ahead of it is the tunnel''s portion within the pce" Sophia exined, as she led the group to the part of the tunnel which ran under the floor21 pce, towards the underground prison.


    ********


    ( Meanwhile Perseus )


    Perseus paced about in his room with a binocrs like device in his hands, looking extremely agitated.


    "What the hell? Why did the True Elites Guild find additional help in this war right at my doorstep?


    Why did the Church Of Cowards have to help them of all the factions around?


    And why did this particr army of cowards have to have siege weapons like Arch-Ballistae and Inferno towers?


    How can I ever hope to mount a defense against such fire-power?" Perseus mumbled to himself, as he slowly but surely lost all hopes of trying to defend his pce against his opponents.


    Had Liam not damaged the pce and wiped out his strongest army units already, Perseus would have perhaps held on to a semnce of hope that he could hold them off and keep them at bay, however, in the rag-tag condition that the pce was in and the untrained units that made up the numbers in his army, Perseus had no hope to defeat such arge and well armed enemy army.


    "Olympus is going to lose their control over floor 21 today.


    It''s time to salvage the situation and gather all the important assets that need evacuation.


    If I''m going to lose this floor to the enemies, I''ll make sure I leave nothing for them to enjoy here" Perseus mumbled to himself as he turned towards his subordinates and began shouting orders of what all needed to be evacuated and what critical infrastructure needed to be sabotaged and destroyed.


    "Destroy the celestial iron ore mines,  Destroy the white oak tree ntations, Poison all the water sources in the vicinity, Gather all the Royal Treasure inrge crates and prepare for it to be evacuated" Perseus ordered as instead of nning how to fight, he plotted his escape before the fight had officially even begun.


    "Someone update me on the situation regarding my sister and the Champion Of Gemini!


    Where is my most valued prisoner?" Perseus wondered, as he anxiously asked for the report on Rocky, the only individual that could save him from facing an utter failure in the eyes of his father.


    "Reporting to the lord,dy Sophia has still not shown up to the ambush location with the Champion Of Gemini¡­. We are still waiting for that operation to start" replied a servant, as Perseus cursed under his breath listening to his report.


    "Agh, that two TG cunt. I wonder if she has taken the opportunity to try and fuck the Champion Of Gemini down in the tunnels for ast time?


    A little remembrance for old times sake, as I cannot imagine any other reason as to why she would take so long" Perseus cursed as he anxiously waited on the results of Rocky''s capture.

 Chapter 225: So Close

    *Thud*


    *Thud*


    *Thud*


    Every step that Rocky took after they crossed the threshold for the boundary of the outer pce was measured.


    The n that Rocky had in mind, required for him to retreat past this point in times of emergency and hence every step that he took since was measured and calcted.


    ''71..72¡­73..74'' Rocky kept counting his footsteps continuously, as he knew that the maximum radius which he could cover was at about 320 steps.


    Anything more than 320 steps and the speed of a chasing tier4 warrior might prove to be sufficient to take him down and hence Rocky was apprehensive about every step that he took towards the inner prison.


    "We are here¨C" Sophia said eventually when Rocky was at 143 steps, as she stopped before arge metal door that seemed like the physical barrier between the tunnel and the inner prison.


    ''Erin¡­ do your thing'' Rockymunicated with nothing but his eyes, as he gestured for Erin to work his magic on the gates, while he distracted Sophia.


    "Umm Sophia¨C" Rocky said out loud, prompting Sophia to turn towards him, as at this point even Sophia started to have beads of nervousness form over her forehead as she felt anxious right before the final step of her n.


    "Yes Rocky?" She asked, giving him a fake smile as she tried to hide her nervousness.


    "You haven''t told me what exactly you''re going to say once we are inside.


    I mean, let''s rehearse your final game-n once so that it appears more natural" Rocky suggested, as Sophia let out an audible sigh of relief.


    "Oh¨C" she said, barely containing her smile, as she decided to indulge Rocky onest time and act convincingly for him.


    "Once we open the gates, I will tell the guards,


    Stop!


    These are defectors that I have captured and under the instructions of my brother, I shall be the one escorting them to the lowest floor of the prison, where they will be put behind the maximum security cells" Sophia said, acting like an entitled princess which was perfect for her role of passing through as an authority figure.


    However, while she was distracted with her acting, Erin carefully ced a couple of curses on the metal door,pletely unbeknownst to Sophia.


    "Alright, that speech sounds good to me¡­ what do you guys think?" Rocky asked Erin and Buhara, as Erin gave the speech from Sophia a double thumbs up, ying along perfectly, however, Buhara''s emotions started to act out at this very crucial moment.


    "Sophia¡­. You would not betray Buhara and friends right? Even if it was for family?" Buhara asked Sophia emotionally, as he seemed like he was on the verge of breaking into tears.


    Buhara''s unexpected question caused both Erin and Rocky to have their eyes widened in surprise, while Sophia visibly broke down in panic.


    "Betray you guys? M-m-me? N-n-never, never¡­. I hate my family! We are in this together" said Sophia, less than convincingly as Erin immediately stomped his foot on Buhara''s to try and ask him to calm down.


    "What stupid questions are you asking Buhara? If Sophia were to betray us she would have not told us about the presence of the secret tunnel in the first ce?


    Why do you think she is helping us rescue Riva? If she truly wanted to betray us?" Erin said, ring warningly at Buhara, who broke down in tears at this moment.


    "But the door, Erin you¡­"


    "Yes. Buhara¡­ yes, Erin will not open the door, Sophia will.


    We will soon be inside the prison, so stop crying and man up¡­. I mean, orc up, your father the chieftain will be so ashamed of you to see you cry like a child" Rocky interjected, as he prevented Buhara from leaking the fact that Erin had bewitched the door handle.


    Although Sophia did not understand as to why Erin and Rocky were defending her so vehemently, she decided to not take any more risks and end this charade as fast as possible, as she opened the door handle and gestured for Rocky, Buhara and Erin to enter the prison first.


    "Blow out the luminescent spell, and enter" Sophia instructed, as Rocky nodded towards Erin in confirmation to do as she said.


    Experience new stories on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    Removing the luminescent spell, Erin walked through the pitch ck prison door first, followed by Buhara whom Rocky had to kick by the butt to enter, with he himself following closely behind and Sophia being thest to enter.


    As soon as they entered the dark room within the underground prison and the door locked behind them, Rocky switched from his normal eyes to his aura eyes, as he saw at least 200 tier4 and about 20 tier5 fighters waiting in ambush, just 50 meters from their current location.


    Although Rocky had already spotted them, he pretended like he was none the wiser about their presence, as it seemed like their n involved Rocky and his crew walking a few more meters into the prison before they attacked, probably because they anticipated Rocky toe in with a few hundred fighters and not just a measly crew of three men.


    *Swoosh*


    Lighting up a small hand torch, Sophia illuminated the area around them, as she took the lead in walking and gestured for the rest of them to follow.


    "We are almost there¡­ the prison entrance is but fif¡­.fif¡­huh?"


    *Crash*


    Suddenly, as Sophia tried to walk, she felt strength leaving her body as her vision doubled and her grip over the hand torch weakened.


    ''No! No! I''m so close¡­. So close¡­.. the pre-determined ambush location is just a few dozen meters ahead'' Sophia thought, as she tried to brave through the wave of weakness that she was feeling, however, failed miserably, as she fell straight into Rocky''s strong arms.


    "Rocky¡­." She murmured, looking deep into his ck eyes, however, instead of a caring or loving expression, the expression that she found in his eyes at this moment was one of pure malice and ruthlessness, as looking into it, she felt genuine goosebumps run down her spine.


    "Rocky?" She said, her tone changing significantly, as she realized that something was wrong.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 226: Rockys Strategy

    "Rocky?"  Sophia murmured, sounding worried as she had never seen such a murderous look in Rocky''s eyes, ever before.


    If looks could kill then Sophia would have died a hundred deaths by now, as Rocky looked at her with nothing but pure hatred in his eyes.


    "Erin¡­. It''s time to retreat, blow up the gate behind us and trigger the signal for the Elites to blow apart the tunnel" Rocky instructed, as he ced a dagger towards the near unconscious Sophia''s throat and red fearlessly into the space ahead.


    "If either of you take a single step ahead, the first one to die will be the Champion Of Poseidon¡­..e at us if you dare" Rocky warned, as at that exact moment, Erin triggered the st spell he had previously ced on the other end of the prison entrance door, resulting in the prison door being blown apart open.


    *KABOOM*


    As soon as the prison door was sted open, Rocky, Erin and Buhara began retreating at full speed, with the countless tier4 and tier5 experts hot on their pursuit.


    [ Wind Boost ]


    Buffing the trio with a temporary 3x speed boost spell, Erin ensured that the three could run at a speed on-par with the chasing experts, even if it was only for a short duration of 10 seconds, as retreating during those ten seconds was crucial to their survival.


    Erin ran with all his might, while Buhara ran with his neck posture tilted awkwardly, and finally Rocky ran with Sophia securely ced over his shoulders.


    When they had covered a distance of about 100 meters in roughly 7 seconds, Rocky started to feel the enemies get extremely close to them, as he could feel their killing intent sharply on his back, however, he did not turn to check even for a split second.


    ''102¡­103¡­104¡­''


    Counting his steps with full focus instead, Rocky ran up till his step count reached 125, at which point he abruptly paused.


    *KABOOOM*


    *KABOOM*


    *KABOOM*


    *RUMBLE*


    *RUMBLE*.


    Suddenly, the entire tunnel structure started to copse and the entire tunnel, precisely up till the point where  Rocky was standing, got covered in dirt and rubble, burying all his pursuers beneath at least 20 feet of dirt and rubble.


    *Pant*


    *Pant*


    *Pant*


    Panting heavily, Rocky wiped off the beads of sweat from his forehead, as he awaited the elites to take action on the next phase of the n.


    *Kyaaa*


    *War noises*


    *Spells*


    Knowing full well that the chasing enemies were not dead and were just buried under rubble, Rocky did not rx for even a single second.


    Retreating swiftly, he ran towards the same farmers hut they had entered from, while the other elites, who were waiting for the tunnel to copse on the surface, beganunching fierce attacks into the rubble to kill the trapped Olympian soldiers.


    **********


    ( A couple days ago, at the True Elites Guild Headquarters )


    "Wait, wait, wait¡­. Go over your n once again, because I''m having trouble understanding your proposal¨C" Karna said, clutching his head in condusion as he could not understand what Rocky was proposing?


    "It''s very simple, guildmaster, let me break it down for you again" Rocky said, as he pointed towards the map of Floor 21.


    "This here is the farmers hut where I''m supposed to meet Sophia" Rocky began as he pointed towards a small hut on the map in the middle of an isted forest.


    "It''s about 2 kilometers away from the outer pce wall.


    And the distance between the inner prison and the outer prison wall is yet another 100 meters" Rocky said, as he pointed out everything on the map and began marking the walls and the distances with a red marker.


    "This means that the tunnel in question which runs from the inner pce all the way till this farmers hut, goes along a straight path¨C" Rocky said, drawing a straight line over the map of floor 21 as he pointed out the exact pathway where the tunnel was located.


    "If my understanding of the situation is not wrong. Sophia will betray me within the inner pce area of the tunnel, right near the exit.


    However, if I can somehow turn the situation around and escape through the tunnel.


    Then I''m 99% sure that the enemy''s best experts will try and chase me down" Rocky said, as he circled the area of the secret tunnel that ran underneath the floor 21 pce, where he expected the ambush to take ce.


    "Now my n is to turn their ambush against them.


    If I can draw them into the tunnel pathway, then my understanding is that we cance the top of the tunnel pathways with strong explosives, which if used can cause the tunnel to copse" Rocky said, as he circled the region of the tunnel which started around 200 meters away from the outer wall of the pce and stretched for about 1.8 kilometers towards the farmers hut.


    "Once we arrive on floor21, my n is to go and meet Sophia alone. While the rest of the Elitesce up the explosives along this path.


    Then at my signal, I want them to blow apart this region of the tunnel, which will sessfully trap all the pursuers within and make it easy for us to kill them.


    Once we do so, we can dig up the safe region of the tunnel, near the pce walls to re-enter the tunnel to move into the prison, however, we will now have neutralized their ambush and will have a free run inside" Rocky exined, as he presented a very risky strategy to Karna.


    "Your n is genius Rocky, however, the execution of this n is easier said than done.


    If you mess up even slightly, then this n can end up in either you being buried within the tunnel alongside your pursuitants, or them catching you before you can draw them to the right areas.


    I don''t think you can seed in executing this n" Karna said, however, Rocky strongly disagreed with this assessment.


    "Maybe I would have been unable to execute this n alone, however, with Erin by my side I have the confidence to see this n through" Rocky said confidently, as he gave Erin, who was seated beside him a big thumbs up.

 Chapter 227: Perfect Execution

    ( Present day, Within the tunnel )


    Rocky panted profusely as he ran towards the exit of the tunnel.


    At this moment he was acutely aware of every square inch of his surroundings as the rush of adrenaline coursed strongly through his body.


    Not only had he sessfully managed to lure over a few hundred tier 4 and tier 5 experts into an ambush zone, but he was now walking out of that mess alive with a prisoner over his shoulders.


    "Hahahaha¡­. We did it guys" Rocky said, grinning from ear to ear, as he congratted Erin and Buhara on this small victory.


    Everything had gone down exactly how Rocky had envisioned it to be.


    Sophia betrayed Rocky near the inner prison wall entrance where an ambush party was waiting for him to take a few final steps before they lept into action, however, Rocky never gave them the chance.


    Right before entering the inner prison, Rocky asked Erin to put two spells on the door handle while he distracted Sophia.


    The first spell was a lock explosion spell that was ced to blow apart the door from its hinges when triggered and the second was a curse spell thatpletely paralyzed the target from the neck down for 10 minutes after being triggered.


    As soon as Sophia touched the prison door knob, to open the door, the curse spell was imprinted upon her and as soon as they walked through the door and Rocky confirmed that there was indeed an ambush lying ahead for them, he signaled for Erin to trigger Sophia''s curse first.


    Although the various experts had hidden themselves well from themon eyes using several illusion type seals, they could not hide their presence from Rocky''s aura eyes which detected their killing intent from a distance.


    Hence, after paralyzing Sophia, Rocky immediately pointed a knife to her neck, so that the hidden experts observing the situation would dare not make a move against them recklessly.


    Although Rocky did not know the exact worth of Sophia within Olympus, however, considering that she was the Champion Of Poseidon, Rocky assumed that her worth must not be low as he banked on that worth for the experts to show restraint.


    His strategy thankfully paid off big-time, as the experts hesitated in making the first move with Rocky holding Sophia at knife-point, which allowed Erin to trigger the explosion spell he had set up at the prison door and to send the signal to the Elites''s waiting in ambush above, to start the 25 seconds countdown to trigger the explosives.


    The second that the inner prison door exploded open, Buhara and Erin turned and began bolting at full speed, while Rocky pulled the paralyzed Sophia over his shoulders and followed closely behind.


    At this instant, the hidden experts who had been hesitating on whether or not they should make a move, finally decided to reveal themselves, as with Sophia no longer at knife-point, they decided to close down the distance between themselves and Rocky and to capture him as they had been instructed to.


    What followed was a high speed chase as Erin buffed the trio with a temporary high speed buff spell, allowing them to lure the enemies deep into the tunnel trap, which triggered at the perfect moment, just as the three of them crossed over the st zone, causing all of their pursuers to be buried beneath thickyers of  mud and rocks, making them easy pickings for the Elite army above.


    ******


    As Rocky, Erin and Buhara emerged back outside the Farmers hut, they found a panicked Neatwit standing there clutching his head, as Neatwit could not believe his eyes when he saw the three of them walking out unharmed with a prisoner Sophia over Rocky''s shoulders.


    "You guys did it? You guys actually pulled off that crazy n?" Neatwit muttered in disbelief, as he brought out the restraining handcuffs and leg locks and restrained Sophia.


    "With this bitch in our possession, we now have a bargaining chip against Olympus if everything goes to hell.


    If they won''t release Riva, we won''t release Sophia" Neatwit said, sounding extremely spiteful and vicious as he tightened the cuffs extra-tight to make sure that Sophia had no wiggle room to move.


    "Rocky¡­. H-how did you know that I was going to betray you?" Sophia asked in disbelief as she seemed to be extremely shaken by these sudden turn of events which werepletely beyond her expectations.


    "We never trusted you¡­. You lying, scheming, conniving two bit snake" Erin said spitefully, as he ensured to emphasize on his point by spitting straight on Sophia''s face.


    *Spit*


    "I don''t me you ¡­.. you betrayed us for family¡­" Buhara said, as he still seemed to be sympathetic towards Sophia, thinking that she only betrayed them because she was siding with family.


    "For a moment, I wanted to believe that we were genuinely friends. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin


    For a moment, I even found you attractive and had a fleeting thought of us being potential lovers.


    However, the more I got to know you and the more I got to see of your ugly heart¡­. It made me realize that I could never trust you, and that you were going to betray me, your family and everyone else in the universe eventually, because the only one you truly care about is you yourself while everyone else is an insignificant ant for you.


    Youck thepassion to understand others pain and others problems, and for that reason you are blind to their sufferings.


    If only you cared about someone other than yourself, then perhaps today''s chain of events would not have ended with us having to capture you.


    s, they don''t seem to teach mercy andpassion at Olympus making you as rotten as the rest of your disgusting family" Rocky said condescendingly as he expressed his true feelings regarding Sophia for the first time ever.


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone!


    Thankyou for all your consistent support! ///

 Chapter 228: A lost cause

    "s, they don''t seem to teach mercy andpassion at Olympus, making you as rotten as the rest of your disgusting family" Rocky said condescendingly as he expressed his true feelings regarding Sophia for the first time ever.


    Listening to his harsh words, Sophia immediately felt her worldview darken, as she realized that Rocky had been faking his true feelings about her all this time.


    Everyday that he met her with a bright smile on his face¡­


    Everytime that he brought her a flower when she was injured or expressed his concern about her well being.


    Everytime that he reassured her about her own self worth when she was down low


    And


    Everytime that he pretended to be her one and only friend, Rocky was actually faking his feelings for her, and after realizing this truth, Sophia felt something inside her heart shatter.


    "You were lying to me? All this time? You never actually liked me, did you?" Sophia asked, her voice sounding hurt and broken, as even in this situation, she naturally yed the part of a ''victim''.


    "Oh my god¡­ I can''t! I can''t handle this woman, I''m sorry Sir Rocky, but you have to let me speak up today¨C" Erin said, sounding angry and agitated to the point where Rocky felt like he was ready to snap.


    Nodding, Rocky allowed Erin to say some final words to Sophia as Erin absolutelyid into her.


    "Shut your whiny mouth for once, you self centered, narcissistic bitch!


    For heaven''s sake!


    Olympus''s sake!


    Poseidon''s sake!


    Or for just the sake of general sanity, please shut your crying mouth" Erin began, as he resisted the urge to give Sophia a tight p.


    "YOU WERE ABOUT TO KILL US ALL! YOU WERE ABOUT TO UNLEASH THE WRATH OF HUNDREDS OF TIER4 AND TIER5 EXPERTS ON YOUR FRIENDS AND YOU DARE TALK ABOUT BETRAYAL?" Erin said, grabbing Sophia by her cor as he shook the woman up and down.


    "Not everything in this world is about you! Not everyone HAS TO BEHAVE HOW YOU WANT THEM TO BEHAVE.


    We did not have an agenda of betraying you before we met you.


    However, we betrayed you BECAUSE YOU DOUBLE CROSSED US FIRST.


    YOU ARE NOT THE VICTIM HERE


    Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    YOU ARE THE FOOL WHO COULD NOT PLAY HER HAND RIGHT" Erin said, as he gasped for air after speaking those words non-stop.


    Erin had enough of Sophia and her victim mentality of always ming anything wrong that happened to her, on the rest of the universe.


    It was about time that she started to realize that it wasn''t her family that was the problem, it wasn''t the rest of the universe that was conspiring to hold her down, but that she herself was the problem.


    "You are the Champion Of Poseidon, yes, congrattions for it. However, just having that tag doesn''t automatically make you a special fighter.


    Sir Rocky is special because he''s Sir Rocky first and the Champion Of Geminiter.


    However, the only good thing about you is your status, while without it you are nothing.


    The sooner that you realize that without your family''s pedigree and your status as the Champion Of Poseidon, you are nothing, the sooner you will start living your life as a sensible person, because, frankly, Sophia, you yourself really have no value, as even today, we are kidnapping you because of your status as the Champion and not because you yourself are a valuable asset for the Floor21 army.


    So stop whining, start reflecting and look at yourself to figure out ''Where did I go wrong?'' first.


    Because trust me, the problem is you!" Erin said, letting out a deep sigh, as he said everything that he had been holding close to his chest for months.


    Turning as he nced towards Neatwit and Rocky, the two of them blinked in stunned silence towards him, as they seemed to be genuinely bamboozled by his outburst.


    On the other hand, Buhara seemed to think that he had gone too far as he felt conflicted betweenforting Sophia and letting the matter be for now.


    For a moment, Erin felt like his speech would have cut-through Sophia''s thick head and prompted her to think about what a horrible person she was, however, that hope was quickly crushed when Sophia snapped back at Erin with her usual bullshit.


    "Shut up! How dare you lecture me on my mistakes, you filthy lowborn!


    I would have killed you just a few weeks ago if Professor Mae, that bitch! did not save your life.


    Talk to me with respect, you weakling. I''m not your equal, so don''t you dare talk down to me as if I''m your ve" Sophia said, snapping back at Erin, as it was at that moment that both Erin and Rocky realized that Sophia was a lost cause.


    If this outburst from Erin could not cut-through her thick skull and prompt her to self-reflect about her actions, then there was probably nothing in this universe that ever could.


    Rocky had hoped that Sophia would show some remorse for her actions after they foiled her n, however, he was probably expecting too much from the spoiled princess.


    "That''s it¡­. I''m gagging her" Neatwit said, as he brought out a gag ball from his spatial pouch and ced it around Sophia''s mouth so that she could not speak anymore.


    *Mmphhhhh*


    *Mmmpssshhh*


    Even after Neatwit gagged her, Sophia continued to violently curse Erin, Buhara and Rocky for betraying her, as she shouted at the top of her lungs and continued to cry tears of self pity.


    In her head, she was still the unfortunate princess who had been betrayed by her close confidants, however, Rocky and the others no longer gave a damn about how she felt.


    cing her above his shoulder, Neatwit proceeded to return towards the main army, while Rocky, Erin and Buhara jogged down the tunnel pathway, towards where the other Elite forces were fighting against the trapped Olympian soldiers underneath, to proceed with the next phase of their war n.

 Chapter 229: The siege weapons show

    ( Karna''s POV )


    By the time Neatwit returned to the base camp with Sophia as his restrained prisoner, Karna and the Cowards Army hadpleted setting up the long-range siege weapons.


    "You''re back? So Rocky''s n actually worked?" Karna asked, sighing in relief as he had been on edge for the past hour, feeling anxious about whether or not Rocky''s risky n would seed.


    "Yes, apparently the kid''s a genius. I''m telling you Karna, very soon he will rece you as the Earth''s strongest fighter.


    That boy is beyond fearsome" Neatwit said, as he began singing praises of Rocky and his potential.


    "Well of course, he is a genuine ''SSS'' talent. Of course he will overtake me in the long-run" Karna said, as he smiled softly at the thought of there being someone who could finally surpass him and with it take the burden of carrying all the hopes of Earth.


    "So¡­. Where do I put this little runt?" Neatwit asked, as he gestured towards Sophia who he was carrying like a sack of potato over his shoulder.


    "Language! Neatwit¡­. Although she''s a prisoner, we will treat her with respect befitting the Champion Of Poseidon" Karna said, ring slightly towards Neatwit who was left speechless by Karna''s gentlemanly attitude.


    "Since we don''t have a pig-farm here, put her in a tent and ce a couple of our best mages alongside her as guard.


    If everything goes to hell, she will be our insurance to get Riva back" Karna said, as he made a pig-joke to make Neatwit chuckle.


    "Hahaha the ssic dirty pig-barn¡­. Good one" Neatwit said, as he appreciated Karna''s humor and proceeded to carry Sophia to the nearest tent, as he asked two of the True Elites finest mages to guard her.


    ********


    Only after securely cing Sophia within a tent, did Neatwit move his attention to the army set-up, as he felt awe-struck looking at the giant Arch-Ballistae and the Inferno towers that were set up behind the army lines.


    "Damn son, those cowards really bring a lot of firepower with them to the streets for sure" hemented, as he took a moment to admire the beauty of the dwarven machinery.


    "You''re back at the perfect time¡­ the fireworks show is about to start" said Karna, as he too looked like a kid waiting for candy, as he seemed restless and excited to see the fireworks in action.


    Unfortunately, the operation of the siege weapons wasn''t under the purview of the Elites and fell under the purview of their alliance partner Zane and his cowardly forces.


    Hence, although Karna and Neatwit felt restless to see the massive siege weapons in action. All they could do was wait patiently, until the cowards started the assault.


    Thankfully, after what felt like an eternity, the assembly workers working on the weapons started to quickly dismount the structures, as it seemed like the cowards were preparing to fire their massive weapons.


    "Begin¨C" said Zane, as upon receiving his signal, the Cowards Army finally initiated their attack.


    The first to fire were the Arch Ballistae.


    A dozen or so of those machines, all fired their arrows at once with a deafening twang, as the cowards covered the entire sky in a rain of arrows, which traveled over the heads of the two armies and towards the enemy pce with incredible speed and precision.


    "Ohhhhhhh¡ª WOOOOO!!"


    Standing underneath the arrows, the True Elites cheered for the cowards, as they watched on the show with bated breaths, waiting for the hundreds of thousands of arrows in the air, to wreak devastation upon the enemy soldiers who were trembling atop their posts on the outer wall.


    "Bye, bye, outer wall forces" said Neatwit, as to him it seemed like the destruction of the enemy forces was a done deal under this sort of firepower, however, just as the arrows were about to hit, a barrier formation suddenly sprang to life, some 20 meters ahead of the outer wall.


    *SHUA*


    *CRACKLE* *CRACKLE* *CRACKLE*


    The golden barrier that had abruptly sprang to life absorbed the impact, glowing brightly with each projectile that struck its surface.


    *Cheer*


    Cheers erupted from the soldiers defending Floor 21 as they witnessed the barrier''s activation.


    Their morale soared as they believed that the barrier would protect them from the relentless assault of the enemy.


    In stark contrast, shock and frustration washed over the True Elites and the Cowards as they realized the presence of the unexpected barrier formation.


    "It''s a high-level spell," Karna muttered, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "It can withstand a lot of enemy firepower."


    Zane, however, projected unwavering confidence. "Don''t worry my men," he said, addressing his army.


    "This barrier won''t hold against our continuous barrage for long." He dered, as he seemed to have utmost confidence in his siege weapons.


    "Bring out the mes!" Zanemanded, as the cowards activated the Inferno towers.


    *FAWOOSH*


    While jumping into formation ahead of the siege weapons, the cowards had asked the Elites to leave a straight pathway wherever the inferno towers were going to be built.


    For the sole reason that when they activated the Inferno beams, the temperature of the beam was going to be too hot for normal soldiers to bear, as the second as to when the Inferno tower was activated, the Elite soldiers standing underneath, even at a distance, immediately started to feel the heat.


    The inferno tower spat dangerous mes from its mouth, directed in a concentrated stream at the barrier. The intense heat caused the air to waver and the ground beneath the mes to scorch, as witnessing the power of the mes, Karna could not help but feel a shiver run down his spine, as he imagined being sted by such heat directly.


    *Booom*


    The golden barrier around the pce still  held strong when the mes from the Inferno tower hit it, however, small cracks began to appear in its structure, a testament to the power of this siege weapon.


    "No worries¡­. We are only getting started" dered Zane, as although the inferno tower did not immediately demolish the enemy barrier like Zane hoped it would, he still did not seem to be worried, as the cowards were only getting started.


    ¡ª-----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 230: Rage

    Although the protective barrier encircling the Floor 21 Pce initially held strong against the coward army''s assault, providing a glimmer of hope to the Olympian soldiers manning the walls, this hope was short-lived.


    Although the Olympian defenders believed that they could perhaps withstand this relentless barrage of long ranged attacks by the coward armies'' siege weapons thanks to the strength of their powerful protective barrier that was set up by the underlings of Lord Escanor himself, this notion was quickly debunked as the Cowards rolled out their truly powerful siege weapons.


    Unfortunately for the Olympians, the Arch-Ballistae and the Inferno tower which were Earth-Shattering weapons by themselves were not all that the cowards had, as they also had the Catapult of Shadows, the Thunder Cannons and the Earth-Shaking Trebuchet to deploy.


    The Catapult of Shadows especially was a fearsome machine thatunched shadowy projectiles, which looked like dark orbs crashing into enemy lines, with these orbs exploding into a deadly spell upon impact.


    As Zane gave his army themand to unleash these orbs, the entire golden barrier protecting the floor21 pce began faltering visibly, its glow darkening as the barrier seemed to grow weaker and weaker with each subsequent impact.


    Then came the Thunder Cannon, a massive artillery piece that fired bolts of lightning towards the desired target.


    Under Zane''smand, the coward''s army directed these electrified sts towards a particr weak point within the defensive barrier, which ovepped with the same spot where the inferno tower was attacking, as under the dual assault of lightning and mes, the golden barrier, which was already showing signs of cracking and breaking, degraded even further as the cracks widened and the barriers integrity seemed to bepromised.


    *Crack*


    *Crack*


    *Crash*


    The Cowards Army cheered as the barrier began to show signs of serious weakening.


    The cracks forming in the outer structure becamerger andrger with every passing second as it looked like the barrier could copse any second now.


    "Prepare to fire our strongest weapon. It''s time to decimate the enemy barrier¨C" Zanemanded, as the coward''s army prepared the final weapon, the Earthshaker Trebuchet, which hurled enormous boulders coated with a highly corrosive substance towards enemy targets.


    *Swoosh*


    *Swoosh*


    Upon Zane''smand, these massive boulders were unleashed towards the weakest spot on the enemy barrier, as when these boulders struck the barrier, they clung to its surface with the corrosive substance eating away at the magical protection.


    Bit by bit, the barrier''s resilience was whittled down as with a final, concerted effort from all the siege weapons, the barrier shattered.


    *CRASHH*


    *CRACKLE*


    The sound of its breaking, reminiscent of ss shattering, echoed across the battlefield, prompting massive waves of cheers from both the True Elites and the Cowards armies.


    *Cheers*


    *Celebratory Noises*


    "Redirect the fire! Decimate both the outer and inner walls, aim to cause maximum damage" Zane screamed out loud as he kept his wits about himself and instructed his forces to focus on whittling down enemy forces now, instead of celebrating like the job was done.


    Listening to hismand, the cowardly forces redirected the fire of the Arch Ballistae and the Inferno Tower to the outer wall, aiming to im enemy lives by the thousands.


    Unfortunately for the Olympians, the second that the protective barrier broke, the massive arrows from the Arch Ballistae punched through the stone and wood of the outer wall, sending debris flying and iming the lives of the soldiers manning the defenses, whereas the mes from the Inferno Tower swept across the battlements, engulfing soldiers in fiery death and turning the wooden watchtowers that were constructed behind the outer wall to ash.


    The Catapult of Shadows and Thunder Cannon continued their assault, adding to the chaos as shadowy projectiles exploded amidst the enemy ranks, causing confusion and fear, while bolts of lightning from the Thunder Cannon struck with lethal precision, reducing soldiers to charred remains.


    The Earthshaker Trebuchet continued its assault as well,unching its corrosive boulders, now aimed at the inner wall as the corrosive substance ate through the thick stone, weakening the inner defenses with each hit.


    Within seconds, hundreds of thousands of defending Olympian soldiers lost their lives to the siege weapons of the coward''s army, while the integrity of both the outer and inner pce walls werepromised big time.


    Massive holes were created in the pce''s defenses and the pre-existing defensive lines werepletely decimated, opening up the pce for an easy assault on foot.


    "Hahaha. So this is the power of dwarven weapons¡­ it''s so cool!" Karnamented as he watched on like a kid watching his first snowfall, feelingpletely mesmerized by the sight that unfolded before him.


    It wasn''t just him that felt this mesmerized either, as the entire True Elite Army watched on the decimation of the Olympian forces in joy. Cheering loudly for their misery.


    The Elites, although far away from the pce currently, could still see the fear and desperation in the enemy ranks as the outer wall was breached, and the inner wall was decimated under relentless attacks.


    Karna and Neatwit, though only spectators at this stage, felt a sense of grim satisfaction to see the enemy forces suffer so horribly, as the enemy losing so many lives made the route for the Elites winning this war that much smoother.


    Their impromptu n that they had only formted a few minutes before the start of the war was working wlessly, and the enemy was seemingly being forced into a corner.


    The Cowards Army, under Zane''smand, was executing their role wlessly, bringing the full might of their siege weapons to bear on the floor 21 pce.


    "ELITES! PREPARE TO MARCH" Karna ordered as he observed the state of the enemy''s defenses that were crumbling horribly and realized that it would soon be the Elites turn to charge and fulfill their role in this war which capitalized on the chaos wrought by the Cowards Army''s devastating siege.


    The stage was set for the final push, and the True Elite Army stood ready, their eyes fixed on the weakening inner wall, knowing that victory was well within their grasp.


    ********


    ( Meanwhile Perseus )


    From the second that Perseus saw the massive siege weapons prepared by the coward''s army, he knew that the pce''s defenses stood no chance, which was why he ordered for the consolidation and  evacuation of all critical assets before the war ever began.


    If he wanted to, he could have asked his troops to abandon their post. To save their lives and abandon their positions in what was a useless fight, however, he did not do so.


    He let the troops believe that the barrier formation created outside the pce would hold-on against the enemy siege weapons and that they must not abandon their positions.


    This led to hundreds of thousands of soldiers dying under his watch, however, his heart did not bleed for the men dying under his watch, even slightly.


    "Information head¡­. What is the report from the underground prison? Has Rocky been captured already or not?


    I don''t wish to dally around here at the pce a second longer than what I absolutely must.


    If Rocky has been captured then I wish to retreat immediately" Perseus said, as he pressured his information head to give him news on Rocky, however, the information head had nothing but bad news to present.


    "My Lord, unfortunately, it seems like the ambush we had prepared for Rocky has failed miserably.


    Not only has he managed to kill all our top experts that we sent to capture him, but also seems to have managed to capture Sophia and hold her hostage¨C" the information head reported, as listening to his report, Perseus immediately lost his cool.


    "Captured? What do you mean captured?


    That bitch had one job! ONE JOB TO SAVE MY LIFE AND SHE FAILED THAT TOO!


    WHAT GOOD IS MY ARMY?


    WHAT GOOD IS ALL MY PLANNING, IF ALL MY UNDERLINGS ARE INCOMPETENT AND MY SISTER IS A USELESS HOE" Perseus said, losing his calm entirely as he med Sophia for the failure of his n.


    The information head shuddered in Perseus''s presence, as he had never seen Perseus as angry as he appeared today, however, he gulped and continued with the report, since he was unsure what would happen to him if he did not.


    "ording to reports, Rocky is trying to re-enter the prison grounds through level one alongside a bunch of Elite soldiers as their goal to save Riva seems to be unchanged.


    If we y our cards right, we can perhaps still capture Rocky¡­. However, with the enemy holding Sophia hostage, there will be some tough negotiations taking ce on both sides" the information head reported as Perseus unsheathed his sword in absolute fury.


    "Father always said that if you want to do something right, you have to do it yourself¡­. And he was right.


    I was a fool to trust my underlings and Sophia when I should have been doing the job myself.


    Very well¡­. Betterte than never" Perseus mumbled as he jumped out of his office window and seemed to head towards the underground prison entrance in a hurry, while the rest of the pce was being bombarded by enemy siege weapons.

 Chapter 231: Re-Entering The Prison

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    Rocky, Erin and Buhara rejoined the strongest adventurers from the True Elites after they were done killing the trapped experts of Olympus under the copsed section of the tunnel.


    Looking at the carnage left behind in the surroundings, Rocky realized quickly that it hadn''t been an easy or pretty battle as he expected it to be, and that the Elites had to actually work hard to defeat their opponents.


    "Rocky! d you''re back. We have secured the area and are ready to move into the underground prison," AceKing, the operation leader from the True Elites, said as Rocky acknowledged his words with a nod.


    "We need to excavate the section of the tunnel near the outer pce wall that should still be intact, and use it to re-enter the first floor of the prison.


    However, with the ongoing bombardment from the enemy, it''s risky. There''s a real possibility the tunnel could copse on us once we''re inside," Rocky said, expressing his concerns about the tunnel''s integrity.


    After Rocky said those words, AceKing subtly nced towards the Floor 21 pce, which was currently being pounded by massive cannonballs and evenrger Earth-Shaking boulders, whose impact was so strong that the Elites could feel the Earth vibrating beneath their feet from even a mile away.


    Looking at that sight unfold before him, AceKing understood Rocky''s worries as he turned towards him and said "So what do you propose?"


    "Well we need to adapt¡­ that''s for sure¡­" Rocky mumbled as he tried to think of a creative solution to this problem.


    ording to their initial n, there was never supposed to be a long-range siege that couldpromise the tunnel integrity, however, with the on-field situation changing, Rocky had to adapt dynamically to look for a solution.


    On one hand, the bombardment had decimated the forces near the outer wall, making it easier for Rocky and his team to excavate without having to fear a counterattack, however, on the other hand it also raised doubts about the tunnel''s safety.


    "Squad Leader, do you think that you can manage to free us from the underground tunnel in-case we are buried alive underneath it?" Rocky asked, as AceKing nodded confidently to his question.


    "Yeah. It won''t bother me much. Of-course it will restrict my movements for a while and I''ll have to be careful to not hurt those around me while trying to get us out, however, within a couple minutes I''ll be able to get myself free and in the following minutes I should be able to rescue more people" AceKing said, as Rocky felt reassured listening to those words.


    "Alright then, I think we need to risk going through the tunnel itself, because going over the outer wall while the shelling is still outgoing is not a viable solution.


    We might be ttened into a pancake for no reason and I''d rather not take such a risk" Rocky proposed as after thinking about it for a few seconds, AceKing agreed with his assessment.


    "Elites! Time to bring out the shovels" AceKing said, as he led the group towards the outer wall, where hundreds of tier4 and 5 True Elites began digging to reach the underground tunnel.


    It was a funny sight to see tier4 and tier5 fighters who had already transcended the boundaries of being a mere mortal, by bing beings akin to demi-gods, flexing their muscles while digging up dirt.


    Instead of shoveling a few square inches of dirt with each shovel. They instead dug up a few meters worth of dirt, which made it seem like they were excavating the whole surface, rather than digging for something specific.


    "Hahaha! This reminds Buhara of his home town! When us orcs gather to build a new house, the digging we do to set the foundation looks exactly like this" said Buhara as he found the optics of the excavation process performed by the Elites to be the same as what he did himself.


    Soon, the Elites managed to find the entrance of the tunnel that had not yet copsed as they threw their shovels and prepared to enter in a tight formation.


    "Alright, go! go! go!" AceKing encouraged as he pped his men on their butts as they charged into the tunnel, with himself, Rocky, Erin and Buhara being thest ones to enter.


    *THUMP*


    *FSSSS*


    Right as they entered the underground tunnel, Rocky felt a massive boulder impact shake up the underground tunnel, as the ground visibly reverberated under their feet and loose sand began slipping from the tunnel ceiling.


    Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin


    "Wooo, a close one" said Erin, as he watched the tunnel wall above him carefully and concluded that it was not going to copse anytime soon.


    "Go! Go! Go! Stride forward Elites, don''t wait for the tunnel to copse on our heads" AceKing shouted as his words prompted the Elites at the front to pick up the pace as they charged through the tunnel and soon burst out of the other side into the underground prison level one.


    "Gaaaaa¨C, For Riva!" Shouted the Elites as they charged into the prison. Entering it''s grounds with a hyped mindset as they ughtered any prison guard in sight.


    Thankfully, the tunnel did not copse until Rocky had sessfully made his way through, as his gamble to enter through the underground tunnel paid off sessfully.


    "Kyaa! No mercy! Kill the guards and break the prison locks¡­.. Let the prisoners walk free" AceKing ordered as he joined the frenzy of his men, ordering them to kill the weak tier two and three guards on the first floor of the prison and to supplement the killing with freeing the prisoners on the first floor, just like they had nned.


    "Alright boys, this is probably the only floor where we can take on the guards, so let''s fight our hearts out.


    Just like our usual team battles, we will stay together, cover each other''s backs and go wild¡­. Alright?" Rocky instructed, as Erin and Buhara nodded seriously to his instructions.


    "Perfect! Time to go wild then" Rocky said, as he finally unleashed the bloodlust that had pent-up inside him.

 Chapter 232: The wrath of prisoners

    /// READER WARNING :- This chapter will be extremely graphic. Please do not read this chapter, if insanity and gore turns you off. ///


    ¡ª-------------


    [ Fire Vortex ]


    *Burn*


    *Crackle*


    *Crackle*


    "Aghh! Aghh!! Aghhhhhhhh"


    As Buhara used the ''Fire Vortex'' spell on a prison guard, the poor man began to scream and howl in pain, as the hot mes seared his skin and made him suffer intense waves of pain.


    *sh*


    *Thud*


    Quickly ending his misery, Rocky decapitated his head from his body, as the screaming head of the prison guard hit the floor with a sloppy *thud* sound.


    Although neither Rocky, nor Erin or Buhara cheered for the death of the man, the prisoners who were watching on from their prison cells cheered on as if it was the greatest thing that they ever witnessed.


    "KYAA¡ª KEKEKEKE, JERRY IS DEAD! HAHAHA, THE BASTARD JERRY IS DEAD!" Said a prisoner as he pulled on the iron bars of his cell and watched on with his eyes wide open with joy.


    "Hahaha! Jerry you pathetic mongrel¡­. I wish I could have been the one to decapitate you¡­. I had a lot of beef to settle with you" Readtest chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    "Free me! Free me now! I promised myself I''d fuck Jerry in his ass one day¡­. Let me indulge myself before his corpse goes cold"


    *ng*


    *Bang*


    *Cheers*


    *Howls*


    The atmosphere around Rocky was one of sheer pandemonium.


    It was his own idea to free the prisoners and add them to the mix to increase the chaos, however, Rocky had never anticipated that the prisoners locked underneath the pce would be this morally depraved and scummy.


    Usually, when someone was murdered brutally such as having their heads chopped off, the natural reaction of a decent individual was to look away, as the suffering of others made them feel ufortable, however, within this prison there was not one individual who shy''d away from witnessing death.


    The hooligans and scum from across the universe that had gathered here, cheered and encouraged murder as if it brought them the greatest joy, and standing in the middle of such a toxic environment, made Rocky feel oddly at home and blissful.


    "What are you waiting for boy? Free us! Free us so that we can exact our pound of flesh¡­. We will not forget this favor that you did for us" A prisoner who seemed to be the least depraved of the bunch around him said, as he requested Rocky to break their jail locks and chains.


    "Erin¨C" Rocky said, as immediately Erin began busting the prison locks using his support magic.


    *Crank*


    *nk*


    Bursting the locks on the iron cells and bursting the locks on the cufflinks, Erin set the prisoners free upon Rocky''smand, however, he did not feel safe at all while doing so.


    With his blonde hair and pretty face, the prisoners eyed him with visible lust in their eyes, however, the only reason that they did not dare touch him was because of the intimidating presence of the armed Rocky and Buhara alongside him, who were both literal mean looking mountains.


    Instead, the free''d prisoners all rushed towards the next bunch of guards, as they lunged towards them without a care in the world about their own lives.


    "Balkan! Balkan you bastard I told you that I will bite your dick off if I ever made it out of my cell¡­.


    Look at me now! I''m out of my cell" a prisoner with hollow eyes and several scars on his body said, as looking into his hollow eyes, the prison guard named Balkan visibly trembled for his life.


    "No! Tommy¡­ Tommy! No! No! Noooo¨C" The guard named Balkan said, as while three other prisoners held him by his limbs, the madman named Tommy ripped the man''s robes and actually proceeded to do what he promised he always would.


    "Aghhhhhh¡ª"


    The howls of the prison guards were the dominant sound throughout the prison as it wasn''t just Balkan who was being tortured brutally, but rather every single prison guard who had the misfortune of being ganged up by several prisoners.


    For years the prison guards had asserted their authority over the prisoners, treating them inhumanely and considering them as filth that was less than animals.


    Not every prisoner was toxic and downright evil when they first entered the prison. However, after years of living in this toxic shit-hole, there was no longer a prisoner within that did not hate the prison guards with a passion.


    "Sir Rocky¡­. This is insanity" Erin said, shivering as he had never seen such violence and brutality in his life, as looking at the prisoners torture the prison guards he got to witness certain acts that he had not even thought were possible before today.


    "I feel like my ears are bleeding from all the profanity I''ve heard¡­. These prisoners curse more creatively yet vilely than I ever thought was possible" said Buhara as he checked his ears to ensure that it wasn''t actually bleeding.


    However, contrary to the reactions of Erin and Buhara who were turned off by this madness and feared it, Rocky embraced it wholeheartedly.


    He felt his heart silently cheer for the mad prisoners when they exacted their pound of flesh from their enemy as he secretly rooted for the prison guards to suffer as brutally as possible.


    Thankfully, judging by the reactions of Erin and Buhara, he kept these wild thoughts that he had in his head to himself, as he did not wish to risking off as a creep.


    "Guys, let''s keep moving¡­. Squad leader AceKing and the other Elites are already so deep into the prison floor¡­ we can''tg behind too much or else our safety will bepromised" Rocky said, as he urged Erin and Buhara to keep up with the speed of the Elites and not be distracted by the profanity around them.


    "Yes, please let''s keep moving" Erin pleaded, as he wished to get out of this filthy ce, as fast as possible.


    ¡ª----


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///

 Chapter 233: Perseus Arrives

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    As Rocky continued to make his way through the first floor of the prison, the scenes around him continued to get progressively more chaotic as time passed.


    The prisoners that he had free''d at first, began freeing other prisoners in a chain-reaction that saw the entire first floor of the underground prison structure turn into a vicious pit of death.


    Judging the danger, Rocky urged Buhara and Erin to stay close as he reduced the gap between his group and squad-leader AceKing to under five meters, bringing himself in the protective vicinity of the veteran tier5 warrior.


    This proved to be a very wise decision by Rocky, as with the situation within the prison deteriorating every passing second and the mob getting out of control, there were many psychotic prisoners who tried to lunge towards the Elites and Rocky to try and snatch their weapons, prompting Rocky to retaliate in self-defense.


    "ELITES! MOVE IT! THE SITUATION HERE HAS GONE MENTAL, LET''S GET TO LEVEL TWO BEFORE THESE LOONEY''S ABSOLUTELY LOSE THEIR SHIT" AceKing screamed on-top of his voice, as he instructed his men to hurry out of this floor as their job here was already done.


    Responding to hismand, the vanguard of the Elites increased their speed in moving through the prison floor, as they covered ground twice as fast as before, after AceKing urged them on.


    ************


    ( Meanwhile Perseus )


    By the time Perseus made his way to the underground prison, the scene that greeted him was one of sheer pandemonium.


    Mangled corpses of his prison guards were tied up against the prison bars, with their innards sttered everywhere.


    If not for their uniforms, the state of their faces and bodies was so unrecognizable that Perseus would never have guessed that they were his men.


    A very pungent smell of iron, blood and brain fluid attacked his nose, while the loud screams of pain and joy attacked his ear drums.


    If he did not know for a fact that this was the basement of his pce, he would have genuinely doubted if he were in hell, as the current floor level one of the underground prison, looked no different than hell.


    "Kyaa! Noble looking man! Die¡ª die and give me your weapon" said a frail and injured looking prisoner as he lunged towards Perseus bare-handed after spotting him, however, the poor man was no match for Perseus who killed him before the man''s eyes could even blink.


    "Filthy runt¡­" Perseus said, ring his killing aura, as he walked into the chaotic prison to search for Rocky.


    Goosebumps ran down the spines of every prisoner as Perseus passed from near them, as there was not one man who dared to attack him after feeling the strength of his killing aura.


    Perseus, a tier5 warrior and a descendant of a demi-god bloodline had a terrifying presence about himself whichpelled the prisoners to instinctively make way for him as he passed.


    *Tok*


    *Tok*


    *Tok*


    Perseus unhurriedly walked through the bloody corridor''s of Prison Level One alone, with nothing but a bloody sword in hand, yet there was not one prisoner that dared to attack him.


    With how poorly his life had been going the past few days, Perseus was mentally frustrated to the point where he no longer had any fucks left to give.


    Although he knew that walking through such a dangerous prison alone was probably not a good idea, especially when he was surrounded by madmen and criminals, Perseus felt so frustrated with life that he no longer hesitated before taking such decisions, as he simply did not care enough for his life anymore to hesitate in making them.


    Anyone who dared look at him the wrong way, he simply ughtered with a single swing of his de, as he carried himself across the level one of the prison with the energy of a ''End Game Boss''.


    Unfortunately for him however, by the time that he made his way across the first floor, it seemed like Rocky and the Elites had already killed the guards to the second level and descended to the second floor and had blocked the entry to the second floor after themselves.


    This made it difficult for Perseus to continue with his pursuit as he was forced to use his sword skills and carve open a path first.


    ***********


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Rocky and the Elites were simply not aware about the fact that Perseus was personally chasing them, as by the time Perseus arrived at the first floor''s entrance, they had already made their way on-to the second floor, with the few mages in their group sealing the entrance to the second floor behind them shut with the use of massive Earth boulder spells that were molten using me spells and rapidly cooled down using ice spells to create a perfect seal.


    It was primarily done by the Elites to ensure that the lunatics on floor one did not follow their group into level two, however, it inadvertently served as a blockade for Perseus as well.


    The second floor of the underground prison was much darker and being patrolled by stronger guards, which made fighting within feel like a much different atmosphere to Rocky and Crew.


    Since the prison guards on this level were either tier3 or tier4 strength guards, Rocky, Erin and Buhara had to work in perfect synergy to try and take a guard down while ensuring that they did notmit a single mistake.


    "Erin, debuff his speed. Buhara, try and see if you can bind him.


    I''ll try and restrict him to one position" Rocky instructed, as he cautiously engaged a tier3 prison guard, who was slightly slower and weaker than him in terms of physical strength, but superior in terms of technique and expertise.


    However, with Rocky being able to hold his ground and restricting his opponent to one spot, Erin was able to curse him with a debuff spell while Buhara was able to bind him using the spell [ Dark Bind ].


    Thisbo opened up the way for Rocky to go for the decisive killing strike, as he managed to take down the guard as a result.


    "Good job guys¡­ on-to-the next one" Rocky said, as he moved his focus towards his next prey, when suddenly the entire second floor of the underground prison rumbled with powerful intensity.


    "Rocky Yadav¡­. Death hase knocking for you¨C" said a powerful voice from near the entrance of the second floor, as Rocky turned to see Perseus for the first time in his life.

 Chapter 234: Perseus The Brave

    "Rocky Yadav¡­. Death hase knocking for you¨C" said a powerful voice from near the entrance of the second floor, as Rocky turned to see Perseus for the first time in his life.


    In terms of looks, Perseus did indeed look a lot like Sophia with the two having striking sibling resemnce.


    He had the same brown hair, the same sea green eyes and bronze skin shade that looked like he was always tanned.


    Upon seeing him for the first time, Rocky immediately uncovered his identity, without needing an introduction, however, what baffled Rocky was the question of why had hee here all alone? And not with his forces?


    "Errr¡­.." Rocky mumbled in confusion, as before Perseus could make a single additionalment about Rocky, it was AceKing and a bunch of other tier5 Elites, who moved past Rocky to face Perseus.


    "So I assume you''re the one who ordered the kidnapping of Riva to take ce¨C


    Good that you walked here out of your own volition.


    Because there is no chance in hell that you walk out of here alive" AceKing said, with fury evident in his voice as it was at this moment that Perseus realized that he had fucked up.


    In his rage to hunt down Rocky, he hadpletely forgotten about the fact that Rocky was not alone and that the brave warriors of the True Elites Guild were apanying him in the underground prison.


    This mistake led to an awkward scenario for Perseus where there were at least a dozen tier5 opponents ring murderously towards him, while he stood there all alone.


    "Move, mortals, make a path for me to face Rocky Yadav, or I shall cut you all down" Perseus said authoritatively trying to project his strength, however, his words did not deter the Elite warriors and instead only enraged them even more.


    Closing in the gap between their ranks so that Perseus could not even see the silhouette of Rocky, they made their intentions to protect him clear, as Perseus was forced to nervously gulp down a mouthful of saliva.


    "Is that¡­. Sophia''s brother? They look simr" Buhara asked, noticing the striking resemnce, as Rocky nodded in acknowledgement.


    "Yeah, seems so¨C" Rocky said, as he found this unexpected development to be the most funny.


    "Oh he''s definitely Sophia''s brother ¡­. Both of them seem to share the same idiot gene" Erin added, as he chuckled softly under his breath.


    "Well, I think the others have this covered, let''s keep moving forward" Rocky said, as he decided to leave AceKing and some of his men to fight Perseus, while he himself joined the rest of the Elites in making his way through the second floor.


    *************


    At the same time as Rocky, Buhara and Erin moved forward, AceKing and his immediate subordinates rushed towards Perseus who activated a weird domain spell to defend himself.


    [ Poseidon''s Lineage ]


    Calling upon the power of his Demi-god lineage, Perseus converted his killing aura into a physical stream of water which swirled around him in a defensive barrier.


    His sword, which looked the color of shiny steel before, began glowing with a faint blue hue, as it seemed like he had started to channel his sword intent.


    As AceKing and the Elites charged towards Perseus, they fanned out, attempting to encircle him, but the confined space of the prison corridor worked to Perseus''s advantage, only allowing four opponents to charge towards him at once, with the corridor forcing the rest to stay behind.


    With a swift motion, Perseus shed his sword, sending a wave of water crashing towards the four charging Elites forcing them to brace themselves against the impact.


    *Block*


    The four elites blocked the iing sword sh which had taken the shape of a torrential wave using their weapons, however, the force of the impact was so strong that although the four of them worked together in trying to block it, they were still forced backwards by a few meters.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" Perseus taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance, as AceKing leaped over the four front runners and charged towards Perseus alone.


    Lunging forward, AceKing aimed a series of precise strikes at Perseus, but each one was parried effortlessly by the Olympian who was visibly far stronger and faster than his counterpart.


    *Dodge*


    *Dodge*


    *Block*


    *Parry*


    Perseus moved with fluid grace, his sword weaving a defensive dance that kept the AceKing''s offense at bay.


    Soon, the four Elites who had initially been pushed back rejoined the assault, teaming up with their squad leader to attack Perseus, however, although the number of opponents that he was facing increased, Perseus still did not seem like he was breaking a sweat as despite their numbers and synchronized attacks, the Elites found themselves unable tond a single blow.


    Perseus''s mastery over his sword and spells was overwhelming. He flowed through the fight like water itself, dodging and countering with an ease that seemed almost supernatural.


    "You won''t leave this prison floor alive, Perseus! You picked on the Elites and now you must pay the price for it" Aceking dered sounding angry and frustrated, however, his words seemed without any merit, as let alone killing Perseus, he found it hard to even catch his silhouette.


    "You overestimate your strength, mortal." Perseus said, smirking, as he deflected yet another blow from AceKing using his wrist.


    The battle between the two groups raged on for several minutes, but it became clear that Perseus was in control.


    He hadn''t taken a single hit despite the Elites constantly switching positions amongst one another anding at him with relentless speed and power, as his confidence to win this fight grew with each passing moment.


    The Elites, though skilled and relentless, were slowly being worn down by him alone, while he himself was not even close to reaching his limits.


    "Behold weaklings¡­. This is the difference between children of gods and mortals" Perseus dered as he prepared for a big move, sending rm bells ringing in AceKing''s head, as he felt the concentration of the mana sharply change in the air surrounding him.

 Chapter 235: Descending into the third level

    After single-handedly beating back the dozen or so Elites that were trying to hold him back, Perseus decided to end this time-wasting charade by using one of his strongest attacks.


    [ Ocean''s Wrath ]


    Concentrating a lot of mana into his sword, Perseus unleashed a sword strike powerful enough to slice half of the second floor prison in half, which came off his sword and took on the form of a massive tsunami wave.


    Trying to block the attack were 12 washed up Elites that were panting and tired.


    The 12 of them had tried their hardest to beat back Perseus, however, even thebined might of them all was unfortunately not enough to beat Perseus, as the Olympian was simply too strong.


    "Get back!" AceKing said, as he tried to counter Perseus''s strike with one of his own as he used one of his strongest moves, [ Falcon sh ] in response, however,pared to Perseus, his attack was vastlycking in power, as upon collision, it was destroyed easily.


    *Kugh*


    AceKing spat a mouthful of blood as Perseus''s strike crashed into his abdomen, sending him flying backwards into his men, who were also swept away by the impact.


    *Tok*


    *Tok*


    *Tok*


    Perseus walked over the unconscious and heavily injured bodies of the Elites with suave, and as a victorious champion, as he sheathed his sword and continued on his pursuit of Rocky, who had already cleared the second floor of the prison and descended into the third level.


    "You boys tried your best¡­ be proud that you could keep a demi-god engaged for 15 whole minutes.


    However, your desire to kill me was simply outrageous¡­.. For you are not worthy enough to scratch a hair on my head" Perseus said, as he stomped on the unconscious AceKing''s head before walking away.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Almost as soon as Rocky descended into the third and most dangerous level of the prison alongside Erin, Buhara and the rest of the Elites, the first thing that he did was to shout his sister''s name on-top of his lungs.


    "RIVAA!!!! RIVAAA!!!! SISTER! I''M HERE TO SAVE YOU! I AM FINALLY HERE¨C" Rocky screamed at the top of his lungs, as tears welled up in his eyes and emotions started to get the better of him.


    Rocky hoped that his sister would scream back from within a prison cell after hearing his voice, however, although a few awkward silent seconds passed, Rocky received no response from within the prison cells.


    Instead, it was the third level prison guards, the strongest and most reputable forces of Olympus, who responded to his shouts by running towards him with armed weapons.


    [ Summon Mama Chun ]


    Since the opponents on this floor were all tier4 and tier5 warriors in strength, Rocky knew that he waspletely out of his depth to fight them, which was why he summoned his newly obtained mount, Mama Chun to assist himself, Erin and Buhara on this floor.


    *RAWWWRRRRR*


    Mama Chun roared angrily, as she manifested herself in her massive pr bear form, and started the battle with a decisive [ ice beam ] spell shooting from her mouth.


    *Crunch*


    Mercilessly freezing a tier4 opponent that was running towards her, Mama Chun proceeded to destroy his frozen body with her paws, as the poor man''s body broke into a dozen smaller pieces, killing him in the most brutal way possible.


    *Gyaaaaa*


    Meanwhile, the tier4 and tier5 Elites apanying Rocky, began engaging the rest of the prison guards in a brutal fight as a proper brawl unfolded within the third level of the underground prison system.


    In terms of size, the third floor of the underground prison system had to be the smallest, with only a couple dozen guards guarding a couple dozen cell blocks, however, in terms of troop quality, the fighters down here were top-notch.


    Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    The Elites apanying Rocky, had to fight tooth and nail against each opponent, with powerful spells and attacks being unleashed on both sides.


    "Mama Chun, just cover us while we bust open these cells¡­" Rocky said, as he urged Erin to bust open the first cell door.


    Unlike the cells on the floor above, where prisoners could be seen from the outside through barred gates, the cells on the third floor were made of solid steel with no peeping holes. This meant Rocky had to bust open each cell to check if Riva was inside or not, which made it a possibility for him to open the wrong cell door.


    [ Curse Magic : Lock Explosion ]


    Using curse magic multiple times, Erin busted the 7 locks securing the first prison gate individually, as it took him a considerable amount of mana and effort to open just a single gate.


    *Creek*


    *THUD*


    The massive prison gate fell with a heavy thud, revealing the prisoner inside who was chained and gagged to the prison wall.


    The prisoner looked to be humanoid, however, his skin was ash gray in color  instead of wheat and his pupils were ck instead of white.


    By his looks, he seemed to be no older than 18 or 19, yet his eyes seemed as fatigued as a 50 year old.


    Although his prison door was busted open, putting him in front ofplete strangers, the man did not once scream or beg for help through his gag, as he just kept looking into Rocky''s eyes as a dignified gentleman, and waited to see if Rocky would help him or not.


    "Erin, bust him out¨C" Rocky said, as although it wasn''t his intention to free any prisoner from this level who was not Riva, there was something about the intense look in this man''s eyes that made Rocky make an exception to bust him out.


    "Alright" Erin said, as he started working on the man''s restraints, unchaining him, one limb at a time.


    While Erin did this, the man still kept making unwavering eye contact with Rocky, as if trying to discern something deeper than what met themon man''s  eye.


    Something that made Rocky''s stomach turn in difort.

 Chapter 236: Kronos

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    Rocky stared into the eyes of the Gray skinned man and found himself unable to look away, as there was something about that man''s gaze that made Rocky feel as if he were looking into a mirror.


    Pain. Anguish. Determination. Respect.


    The myriad different emotions that the man disyed were the same emotions that Rocky often carried in his own eyes, yet although the man''s eyes told one story, his face remained stoic, as if even despite feeling all those emotions, the man did not allow his heart to feel any.


    Finally, as Erin removed his choker, the man momentarily gasped for air before adjusting his jaw as he looked towards Rocky.


    "You reek of divinity" the man said, as if uttering the worst form of insult, as he seemed disgusted by Rocky having an element of divinity about him.


    "I''m the Champion Of Gemini, and you are?" Rocky replied, extending his hand forward for a handshake, however, the newly freed man refused to shake it.


    "Thank-you, kind human and kind orc for freeing me" The man said, sping his palms together in a namaste sign as he profusely thanked Erin and Buhara, however, refused to greet Rocky.


    "As for you¡­. Champion Of God, I cannot thank you, for I have sworn to destroy all gods including the one you believe in.


    However, I''m thankful for your act of saving me and for it, I, Kronos, swear to pay back your kindness someday" Kronos said, as he refused to shake hands with Rocky, however, expressed his gratitude in saving him nheless.


    "Your goal is to destroy all gods? Isn''t that too delusional?" Erin muttered, as he did not think that Kronos wanting to kill all gods was a reasonable life goal, however, Kronos did not seem to think so.


    "It''s not delusional. The gods have taken everything from me. So I shall take everything from them one day" Kronos promised as he clenched his fists in determination.


    Rocky said nothing, as he kept observing Kronos and his behavior, until eventually looking away as he gave up on trying to discern the secrets behind this man.


    "I''m assuming you people here are looking for a specific prisoner.


    I know which cell holds which prisoner precisely.


    If you tell me who you are looking for, I''ll be able to help you save time" Kronos said, as he offered some much needed help to Rocky and crew.


    "You know which prison cell holds what prisoner?" Rocky asked, sounding surprised as he did not understand how a man who was tied up and locked within a closed cell could have any idea about who the other prisoners in the other cells were, however, he still chose to believe him.


    "I''m looking for my sister, Riva, she''s a human, and should have arrived here not more than 6-8 months ago¡­." Rocky said, trying to give a general description of his sister that made her easy to recognise.


    "She should be the prisoner on thest cell on the right side.


    Though I must warn you, once you open that cell in particr, the person you might find inside might not be the person you remember" Kronos said, sounding genuinely concerned, as although his facial expressions did not change there were goosebumps that arose all over his skin.


    "What do you mean, she might not be the same person that I remember? What happened to her?" Rocky asked, sounding agitated, as at that moment Kronos pressed three fingers to his heart and hung his head in shame.


    "I''d rather not reply to that question¡­" he said, before holding his head back up as he started to move out of the cell.


    "Our debt still stands¡­. Champion and I promise to pay it back the next time we meet" Kronos said, as he moved out of his cell door and began stretching his muscles.


    However, before he could make his next move, which Rocky presumed would be something that would help him safely exit this prison floor, Kronos paused and looked towards the entrance to the third floor as a wide smile spread on his face.


    "Ho? A divine brates walking down towards his own death¨C" Kronos said, as he bent over and grabbed the short dagger that the prison guard who Mama Chun previously killed was carrying, as he took an aim towards the entrance.


    "ROCKY YADAV! DEATH HAS COME KNOCKING FOR YOU ONCE AGAIN¨C" Shouted Perseus as he walked into the third floor of the underground prison system, only for a dagger toe flying towards his face the second he entered.


    *Swoosh*


    *Slit*


    *Swop*


    The dagger flew past Perseus, who veered to the left to try and dodge the sudden attack, barely saving his own life.


    However, although he managed to sessfully dodge the killing blow, the dagger still found its mark, as it drew a line of blood from his cheek before poking into the wall behind him.


    "Hahaha¡­. Turns out this is my lucky day¡­. A stinky demi-god has willinglye to me to die" Kronos said, as he cracked his knuckles and began walking towards Perseus barehanded.


    "Kronos¡­. You''re free?" Perseus muttered with audible fear in his eyes, as whoever this gray skinned individual was, seemed to inspire a genuine feeling of terror within the eyes of Perseus.


    Although Rocky did not understand what was going on, rm bells began ringing in his head at seeing Perseuse down here, as he was almost sure of his crushing defeat when AceKing and 11 other Elites had stayed back to deal with him on floor two.


    For Perseus to defeat 12 tier5 warriors alone, it meant that his strength was not to be underestimated and meant that he was certainly not an opponent that Rocky could think about taking down alone.


    "Guys, while this gray dude is dealing with Sophia''s brother, let''s quickly save Rocky''s sister" Buhara encouraged, as nodding his head in approval Rocky decided to ignore Perseus for now and instead focus on saving Riva first.


    ¡ª--------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target. Good start to the new month! ///

 Chapter 237: Reaching Riva

    Deciding to trust Kronos on which cell Riva was supposed to be held in, Rocky under the protection of mama Chun, moved through the prison aisle, where the Elites were shing dangerously against the Prison Guards.


    On several asions, the team had to pause for a moment and use all their strength to block an iing stray attack released by two high level fighters fighting amongst each other, as crossing over to reach Riva''s cell proved to be not an easy feat at all.


    Nheless, maneuvering through the sheer chaos, Rocky, Erin, Mama Chun and Buhara somehow managed to reach the alleged cell where Riva was being held, as Erin got straight to work on trying to bust that cell door open.


    At this moment, Rocky felt his heart beating out of his chest, and his senses reaching a state of peak alertness.


    His sister was right across that door and he was within inches of saving her, making him feel both anxious and excited as this weirdbination of emotions prompted him to experience an adrenaline rush unlike no other.


    At this moment, Rocky could feel everything about his surroundings clearly.


    The sh of weapons between the prison guards and the Elites, the weird fight on-going between the bare-handed Kronos and Perseus in the far corner of the aisle and the loud breathing of Mama Chun who was audibly stressed out about her life by being in such a dangerous environment.


    *nk*


    Using his expertise, Erin managed to st open the first of the four cell locks holding the sealed prison gate together, as the sound of the lock opening permeated throughout the prison aisle.


    "WHAT ARE YOU FOOLS DOING? WHY IS ROCKY YADAV BEING ALLOWED TO BUST OPEN THAT PRISON DOOR WHILE YOU FOOLS FIGHT HIS UNDERLINGS?


    GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND STOP HIM.


    POSEIDON FORBID, IF ROCKY YADAV MANAGES TO ESCAPE THIS PRISON ALONGSIDE HIS SISTER...


    THEN I''LL PERSONALLY SEND YOU ALL ON A TRIP TO HELL" Perseus shouted from down the aisle on top of his lungs, as he prompted his men to divert their focus from fighting the Elites to stopping Rocky.


    "Your opponent is me! Don''t you dare focus on the Champion Of Gemini"


    "Oh no you don''t! You don''t get to be distracted mid-fight"


    "Pfft! Where do you get the confidence to look away from me?"


    The Elites who were keeping the prison guards busy did not allow for them to divert their focus towards Rocky, as not a single prison guard was able to free themselves and face Rocky, with all of them having to already put their lives on the line facing the Elites.


    "Erin, go quicker if you can¨C" Rocky urged, as he nervously clutched onto both of his swords and looked prepared to defend against any stray shoting his way.


    "Bear! Can you create an ice wall between us and the rest of the fighters?" Buhara suggested, as listening to his suggestion Mama Chun created a thick ice wall that isted the four of them from the rest of the mess down the aisle.


    *CLANG*


    Soon, Erin was able to break open the second lock, the sound of which caused Perseus to suffer a mental breakdown.


    "You absolute buffoons! What did I tell you! I''ll kill you! I''ll kill you all¡­. Someone stop Rocky Yadav!" Perseus urged, however, unfortunately for him, nobody listened to his call.


    *CLANG*


    Soon after, Erin was able to break open the third lock as well, as at that moment, only one lock stood between Rocky freeing Riva.


    *Crunch*


    *Crash*


    Just as Erin opened the third lock, Kronos came flying through the ice wall and got smashed on-to the hard metal prison wall behind, as he seemed to have a deep gash on his chest.


    "Absolutely useless, the entire lot of you¡­. Not one of you is of any use to me¡­.. in the end, I have to do it myself" said Perseus as he shed open the ice wall and walked through it to face Rocky.


    "Your fight is with me!" Said Kronos, who seemed to have magically recovered from all his previous injuries, as at the spot where a deep gash was visible just a moment ago, there was now healed skin as he seemed to havepletely recovered from his wounds within a few seconds.


    Lunging towards Perseus, Kronos tried tond a punch on his face, however, he was too slowpared to Perseus to mount a serious challenge.


    Dodging easily, Perseus shed apart his shoulder, making Kronos lose his left limb.


    [ Light st ]


    Not even flinching from the pain of losing a limb, Kronos used his other hand to unleash the spell [ Light st ] as he sent Perseus crashing back from the ice wall that he hade through, forcing him to be pushed backwards.


    "Sorry about that guys¡­. You please carry on" Kronos said, as he picked up his chopped off limb from the floor below and ced it against his shoulders, only for it to be magically attached back in ce within a split second.


    "What the fuck?" Wondered Rocky out loud as he had never seen such ridiculous healing speed in his entire life.


    "Don''t be too shocked Champion Of Gemini, I have near infinite vitality" Kronos said with an arrogant smile on his face as he lunged towards Perseus yet again, engaging against him in what seemed to be a tiring and pointless fight for Perseus.


    "Nevermind¡­. Erin, thest lock!" Rocky said, deciding to ignore the random information drop that Kronos had just given him in favor of saving his sister first.


    Through trembling hands, Erin tried to bust open thest prison lock, as although he felt incredibly tired and fatigued due to mana deficiency, he braved through and tried to crack open onest lock.


    *CLANG*


    Finally, under Erin''s constant efforts thest lock was broken open, and the massive metal door fell face first into the prison aisle outside.


    *CRASH*


    The sound of the heavy metal door crashing alerted the entire aisle that the prison gate had been busted open, however, there was nothing that anyone could do about that.


    "SISTER I''M HERE¨C" Rocky said, jumping into the prison cell as soon as the door was busted open, as he saw a purple skinned and extremely frail looking Riva curled up on the prison floor naked.


    "Sister? Sister, are you okay? I''m here¡­. I''m here¡­. Look, it''s your Rocky" Rocky said, as he kneeled beside Riva and tried to enter his sister''s field of vision, hoping that after looking at him, she would be happy and lucid again.


    However, contrary to his expectations, no matter how hard Rocky shook her, Riva simply would not look at him, as her eyes rolled towards the back of her head and her demeanor seemed unusual.


    "More ... I need more¡­.. the pain¡­. I need more¡­. Needle¡­.needle ¡­.. give needle"  Riva spoke in a broken and raspy voice, as Rocky felt his skin crawl when he heard his sister behaving like a drug addict.


    "What is this creature¡­. What is this ugly stench in this room?" Buhara questioned, as Rocky murderously red towards his friend to shut him up.


    He was in no mood for jokes, and Buhara''s insensitivements really hurt close to home at this moment.


    "Sir Rocky, she might perhaps be poisoned¡­ should we feed her a health potion?" Asked Erin, as Rocky nodded in approval.


    Although they did not have any specific anti-venom potions, going by the basics taught to them by Principal Liam in survival ss, where he told them to substitute an anti-venom potion with a health potion in times of emergencies, Rocky decided to give Riva a health potion at this moment.


    *Pop*


    Popping open a bottle of high grade health potion, Rocky tricked the fluid down Riva''s lips, however, almost as soon as some of the fluid went down her throat Riva started to experience seizures as her whole body began trembling violently and foam started to froth out of her mouth.


    "What''s going on? What''s happening to my sister?" Rocky asked, panic setting in his voice, as at this moment he felt a genuine fear of Riva dying right there in his arms.


    "Look! There''s a letter and a few vials of some liquid ced inside this room¨C" Erin said, sporting a letter and a few vials of some medicine having been ced in the room as he quickly grabbed it and gave it to Rocky.


    Tearing the letter apart, while Riva experienced a seizure in hisp, Rocky quickly began reading the contents of the letter.


    Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    [ Dear Rocky,


    If you are reading this letter, then it probably means you have reached your sister while she is still alive.


    Good job!


    I''m really impressed by the efficiency disyed by the Champion Of Gemini.


    Don''t worry, a job performed well is always deserving of a reward.


    If you want to restore the lucidity of your sister and return herplexion from purple to normal, just give her a shot of 25ml of the blue fluid medicine I''ve ced in the room, directly into her veins.


    Don''t worry¡­..


    I am not trying to scam you¨C ]


    After reading only this part of the letter, Rocky immediately threw the letter aside for the moment, as he grabbed a syringe ced beside the letter and loaded it with one vial of medicine, which turned out to be exactly 25 ml in quantity.


    "Hang in there sister¨C" Rocky said, as he injected the shot of medicine straight into her arm, as he prayed that the fluid that he injected into Riva would somehow save her life.

 Chapter 238: Rivas pitiful state

    A couple of seconds after Rocky injected the blue medicine shot into Riva''s veins, Riva''s violent seizures started to slow down and the frothing of her mouth seemed to stoppletely.


    The area around her hand where Rocky had injected the shot at, started to regain its original wheatish lusture, which was in sharp contrast to the rest of her purple skin.


    "It''s working! Sir Rocky, I think the medicine is working!" Said Erin excitedly as it seemed like Riva was visibly getting better.


    Fortunately, the medicine did indeed work, as after a few seconds, Riva''s seizures died downpletely and her skin-tone returned to normal, with her starting to cough out the foam and breathe normally.


    *Cough* *Cough*


    Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    *Vomit*


    Violently coughing and puking out her gut fluid which seemed like a green bilish liquid, Riva finally regained some lucidity of her surroundings as she sheepishly looked around and recognised the face that she was looking at.


    "R-R-Rocky?" She asked, in a broken voice, as Rocky nodded emotionally to her words.


    "Yes, sister¡­. Rocky! Your brother¡­. I''m here" Rocky said, as Riva broke down into tears upon looking at Rocky as she threw herself on a bear-hug towards her brother.


    "Rocky¡­.. My Rocky!" Riva said emotionally, as she dug her nails into Rocky''s back, afraid that if she let him go, Rocky would disappear like an illusion.


    "I''m here¡­. It''s okay! I''m here with my friends and the Elites, we will get you out of here sister¡­ the nightmare is over" Rocky reassured, ignoring the stinging pain in his back as he kept consoling Riva.


    The emotional moment caused Buhara to shed a tear, while it caused Mama Chun to finally realize as to why Rocky decided to go to such a dangerous ce as this underground prison.


    Understanding his reasons better, Mama Chun could now respect his decision to call upon her aid in this risky ce, as she decided to help Rocky to the best of her abilities.


    "Rocky¡­. I can''t go¡ª" Riva said, after sobbing on Rocky''s shoulders for a while, as she expressed her desire to stay behind.


    "What? Sister¡­why can''t you go?" Rocky asked, sounding surprised as he did not understand why his sister refused to leave this prison.


    "I cannot live without the blue injection¡­. It''s a drug¡­. They have my body addicted to it.


    My body''s natural hormone regtion is destroyed.


    Without that drug, I suffer the worst sort of mental and physical pain.


    If I leave this prison, I''ll die¨C" Riva said, with her voice cracking at the very end, causing her to break into a heap of tears once again.


    It was at this moment, that Rocky realized for the first time ever that the person that he was talking to was no longer the same sister that he remembered from about a year ago.


    The Riva that Rocky remembered was an individual who was headstrong and impossible to crack or manipte.


    However, the Riva that he was talking to now, had suffered so much trauma that her mental capacity to be bold and fight back had beenpletely destroyed.


    "B-but sister, as we speak, the True Elites are carrying out a massive raid on the floor above.


    There will be no Olympians left in this ce to give you that medicine even if I let you stay back" Rocky muttered, as almost immediately after listening to his words, Riva started to suffer a panic attack.


    Her breathing fastened and so did her grip on Rocky''s back, as she began hyperventting and screaming.


    "I''M GOING TO DIE! MY BROTHER IS HERE TO KILL ME¡­.. I''M GOING TO DIEEEEEE... I''M GOING TO DIE THE MOST PAINFUL DEATH¡­. *SOB* *SOB*"


    In a sudden turn of events that Rocky had not foreseen, Riva began sobbing and whining like a mentally unstable person, which made Rocky''s heart palpitate within his chest.


    Hugging Riva tight, he tried to project feelings of love and protection towards her sister, however, his attempt to console her was useless.


    "Why did youe here? Did you want to kill me so bad? Life was so good when you were not around!


    I was alone.


    One blink felt like one day.


    I HAD ACCEPTED MY FATE.


    WHY DID YOU HAVE TO RUIN IT?" Riva screamed, banging her fists against Rocky''s back, as she sobbed uncontrobly.


    Neither, Erin, nor Buhara had the balls to make a singlement at this moment, however, they seemed to be as shocked about this turn of events as Rocky was.


    "What have those Olympian bastards done to my sister?" Rocky said, his voice sounding broken, hollow and filled with a confusion of emotions that even he couldn''t begin to understand.


    Noticing his friend''s broken reaction, Erin walked calmly to the wall where Rocky had discarded the two remaining blue vials and the crumpled letter after only reading the start.


    "I''ll keep these safe for now¨C" he said, storing the two medicinal vials as he had a gut feeling that they mighte in handyter on, before moving on to reading the letter.


    As Erin read the letter, a deep sense of dread settled within him when he realized that Rocky was bound to be devastated when he read the full contents of the message.


    "Ha¡­. I see now where Sophia gets all of her filth from¡­.. I guess she''s the dirty sewer you get from filtering out extremely toxic waste that is her father" Erinmented as he absolutely sted Sophia''s father foring up with a strategy this sinister.


    What the Olympians had done to Sophia was beyond inhumane. It was maniptive, disgusting and perverse to the point where Erin had to resist the urge to not tear this letter in his hand to shreds for Rocky still had to read it.


    "What is it Erin? What''s written in the rest of that letter?" Rocky asked, as Erin shook his head in dismay and passed on the paper to Rocky.


    "It''s best if you see for yourself, Sir Rocky" he said, as while still hugging Riva as she cried over her shoulders, Rocky began reading the rest of the Olympian letter.

 Chapter 239: A letter from Escanor

    [ Dear Rocky,


    If you are reading this letter, then it probably means you have reached your sister while she is still alive.


    Good job!


    I''m really impressed by the efficiency disyed by the Champion Of Gemini.


    Don''t worry, a job performed well is always deserving of a reward. So I will be generous and bestow a fitting reward for you.


    I''m sure that by this point you must be racking your brains on how to return the lucidity of your sister and restore herplexion to normal.


    Well, fret not, because if you want to restore the lucidity of your sister and return herplexion from purple to normal, just give her a shot of 25ml of the blue fluid medicine I''ve ced in the room directly into her veins.


    Don''t worry¡­..


    I am not trying to scam you¨C


    I''m way too mature to y such petty tricks, afterall, I''m not Shakuni the trickster who is known to y dirty.


    The medicine that you are about to administer to your sister, is a secret form that''s only known to me in this entire universe, and without me graciously giving you a supply of this form, your sister will never live to see another day.


    So it doesn''t matter whether you bust her out today or not. For you will have toe crawling to me tomorrow nheless.


    I have deliberately given you three vials of that medicine and not just one because I want you to take her out today and try administering another shot tomorrow, while your experts try and recreate the form I''ve given you and then fail horrendously.


    Depending on how much medicine you give them for testing, you will have to either rush to me the day after tomorrow, or the one after that, but within a week for sure you will have toe to me, because your lovely sister''s life depends on it.


    Also, rest assured that your sister has not suffered any form of physical abuse.


    We have not raped her, we have not inappropriately touched her.


    We have not even spanked her once and treated her with dignity befitting of the sister of Champion Of Gemini.


    The only thing we did to your sister was to erode her brain cells, torture her using various poisons and drugs and finally destroy her inner metabolism and her body''s capacity to produce mood regting hormones.


    In the state that she is in, she''s not even worth keeping alive, however, I know for sure that you will be too soft to put her out of her misery for once and for all, and would instead administer the shots into her body day after day, to somehow keep the memory of what she once was alive.


    Nheless, you being an emotional fool only makes it easier for me to exercise control over your life, boy, for in the end you are not better than my useless children Sophia and Perseus.


    -With hopes to see you soon,


    God Escanor ]


    Rocky read the letter and felt a wave of nausea wash over him. His vision blurred as the words burned into his mind. Each sentence seeming to pierce deeper into his soul, twisting the knife of despair and rage.


    His hands trembled, but he held onto Riva tightly, her presence the only thing keeping him grounded as he felt his mind turn numb for a second.


    Although he could still feel Riva''s frail body shivering against his, and feel her shallow and uneven breath down his shoulders, Rocky felt himself unable to look at the prison wall clearly which was only a couple meters away from him, as his vision seemed to have blurred out.


    "Erin," Rocky said, his voice barely a whisper, choked with emotion.


    "What... what have they done to her?" He questioned rhetorically, as tears flowed down his eyes as soon as he spoke these words.


    It was clear to everyone, and especially Erin that Rocky was starting to lose it, as being the good friend that he was, Erin immediately stepped forward cautiously as he attempted to reassure Rocky, that they would somehow find a way out of this mess.


    "Rocky, we need to stay calm. We can find a way to help her. There has to be a way." Erin said, his voice a mixture of concern and doubt as he tried to reassure Rocky that they would find a solution to this problem somehow, however, Rocky was no longer listening.


    The weight of the letter''s contents crushed him, dragging him down into a dark abyss of his own making.


    Images of his sister, tortured and broken, filled his mind as the thought of her suffering and the cruelty she might have endured became too much for him to bear as Rocky felt his heart cken.


    "No!" he screamed, his voice echoing off the walls. "No! This can''t be happening!"


    His aura red wildly, an uncontroble burst of power that caused the air to crackle with energy.


    Riva whimpered in his arms, and Rocky immediately tried to rein in his emotions, holding her even closer, as if his embrace could shield her from all the horrors she had endured


    If not for Riva currently being in his arms, Rocky would have undoubtedly gone wild and tried to murder everything and everyone in his path, however, for her sake he tried to hold it in.


    As he suppressed his murderous emotions, his breathing turned ragged and his eyes turned wild as he felt like he was on the edge of a precipice, only a single step away from losing himselfpletely.


    However, as he looked down at Riva, and saw her pale face and haunted eyes, Rocky immediately knew that he had to stay strong for her. Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    With a herculean effort, he forced himself to take deep breaths and to calm the storm that raged inside him as he said "You''re right, Erin¡­. We need to save her. We need to find a way."


    Erin nodded immediately to Rocky''s words, relief washing over his face as he said "We''ll find a way. We''ll figure this out together."

 Chapter 240: Winning the Floor

    ( Karna and Neatwit''sPOV )


    Unlike theplex emotions that Rocky felt in the underground prison of Floor 21, Karna and Neatwit had the time of their lives battling against the bruised and struggling forces of Olympus on the surface.


    Once the walls on both the outer and inner pce looked sufficiently destroyed and the enemy looked like they were in disarray, Karna finally gave themand for the Elite army to charge, with him personally leading the vanguard alongside Neatwit.


    Charging through the now breached outer  walls of the pce, without so much as a single arrow being shot towards them, Karna and Neatwit found themselves amidst the chaos of fallen debris and scattered enemy forces.


    Had they not been assisted by the Coward''s Army during this siege, breaking through the outer wall and entering the main pce would have been a challenging task for the Elites, given the protective barrier erected by the Olympians.


    Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    However, thanks to the Cowards'' help, they managed to prate the pce grounds with absolutely zero resistance, making the ensuing fight significantly easier for the group.


    With the remnants of the once-mighty pce now lying in ruins before them, Karna, wielding his glowing sword, cut through the disorganized Olympian soldiers who attempted a feeble defense, as he ushered the Elite army into the heart of enemy territory, unfazed.


    Once inside, Neatwit, grinning with exhration, moved with swift precision, his ck sword shing as he effortlessly sliced through the Tier 2 and Tier 3 opposition.


    The Olympian soldiers, already demoralized by the relentless siege, failed to mount a meaningful resistance against the relentless assault of the Elite forces. Unlike the Olympian soldiers, who wanted nothing more than to flee, the Elites charged with a vendetta of revenge, a clear distinction in motivation that highlighted the difference between both sides.


    "FOR RIVA! FOR JUSTICE! KILL THOSE OLYMPIAN BASTARDS!"


    "FOR REVENGE! YOU MESS WITH ONE OF US¡­. YOU MESS WITH ALL OF US, THAT''S THE CODE WE LIVE BY"


    On one hand, the Elite soldiers seemed to be hyper-excited for this fight; they charged in proper formations and fought with guts and energy and on the other hand, the defending Olympians were injured and out of proper defensive formations, making it easy for the attacking Elites to breeze through them as they moved deeper into the outer courtyard.


    As they pushed forward, the outer courtyard became a battlefield of scattered skirmishes with Neatwit and Karna making the most of it by rapidly killing anyone within their des'' reach, bing a role model for their forces to follow.


    The Elite army, inspired by their leaders'' prowess, advanced steadily through the rubble-strewn courtyard until they reached the inner courtyard, which was separated from the outer court by a once-mighty wall. However, after the relentless assault by the siege weapons, even that wall was now nothing more than a decoration piece with wide gaping holes in the middle.


    Nheless, as the Elite army moved into the inner courtyard, approaching the actual Floor Lords'' Castle, the resistance from the opposition finally grew stronger as the Olympian forces seemed to have regrouped there for ast stand.


    Although the actual wall had crumpled, under the guidance of the veteran Olympianmanders, their forces had made a make-do shield wall to hold the charge off the charge of the Elites.


    By making tier3 pdins and tanks stand shoulder to shoulder to create a human chain, the defending forces made several rows of shield walls that seemed to have the capability of slowing down the charging forces'' progress.


    "Olympians! Don''t give them an inch! Hold the wall with all your might¨C" A tier5 general from the Olympian sidemanded, as he followed up hismand with false promises of heaven after death, as he tried to brainwash his forces into thinking that even if they died in this battle, as long as they believed in the Olympian gods, they were going to be sent to heaven afterwards.


    Karna, with his eyes fixed on the line of pdins trying to to hold his army off, raised his sword and channeled his energy into a powerful arcane sh.


    The wave of energy crashed into the hundreds of tier3 pdins holding the right formation and shattered itprehensively, sending armored men flying in all directions.


    With a battle cry, he led the Elite soldiers through the breach, as for the first time in this war, the Elites finally had to get involved in a close quarter nasty battle against their opponents.


    The Olympian soldiers, though outnumbered and outmatched, fought with the desperation of those with nothing left to lose, as the tier 5 generals leading them used some powerful attacks to try and cause some serious casualties on the Elites end.


    However, with Karna and Neatwit neutralizing any and all attacksunched by the opponent and countering them with some of their own, they ensured that the death toll on the Elite side was kept restricted to a minimum, as the Elites fought a very strategic andprehensive fight where their forces suffered minimal injuries and losses.


    Finally, after what seemed a grueling advance thatsted for over an hour, the Elite forces breached the final line of Olympian defense, clearing their path to the Floor Master''s pce.


    As Karna sted open the intricately carved wooden gate to the Floor Master''s Pce, the few remaining Olympian defenders, seeing the futility of their resistance, finally began to surrender.


    "Mercy!"


    They pleaded, throwing away their weapons and putting their hands behind their necks, as Karna decided to be merciful and grant them the pardon they seeked.


    "Don''t harm anyone that surrenders, we fight with honor¨C" Karna instructed, as following his lead, the Elites spared any opponent that surrendered and begged for mercy.


    ********


    Jogging rapidly through the halls of the Floor Master''s Pce, Karna searched desperately for the Throne Room, as sitting on the Floor Master''s Throne unchallenged for over 10 minutes was the ritual to im a floor and officially end a floor raid.


    He expected Perseus to be sitting on the throne when he reached the room, however, to his shock, when he reached the heart of the pce where the Throne Room was situated, it turned out to be empty with no signs of Perseus whatsoever.


    "This makes no sense¡­. Where is he? Where is the Floor Master of this damn pce?


    Where is Perseus?" Karna asked in confusion, as he looked towards Neatwit for answers that the vice guild master also did not have.


    "Fuck! If he''s not here, that means he must be with Rocky in the underground prison" Karna concluded, as he looked towards the floor under his feet in desperation.


    "End the raid¡­. I''ll go and check on Rocky" Neatwit said, as he began sprinting out of the throne room at full speed¡­. His destination being the underground prison system underneath the Floor Master''s Pce.


    Hence began, the final phase of this war, where on one hand the Elites had indeed officially won the war and it was only a matter of time before the floor was officially imed as their territory, however, with the previous floor master missing, it remained to be seen whether or not their main objective of this war, which was to save Riva was fulfilled or not.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile, Perseus )


    Perseus felt utterly frustrated by having to face Kronos, again and again and again.


    In terms of skill or strength, Kronos was nowhere near his level.


    The kid was a tier2 fighter, and although his abilities were excellent, he was a far-cry from Perseus''s level. However, with his infinite regeneration cheat, although he was much weaker than Perseus, he did have the ability to keep him engaged, as he bought valuable time for Rocky andpany.


    "You know, Kronos, I never understood you and your gifts¡­.. the crazy regeneration ability that you have makes you nearly immortal, nearly indestructible, yet instead of using that ability for greatness, you use it to challenge the authority of Gods.


    You are a fool¨C" Perseus said, as he shed off one of Kronos''s arms for the tenth time in this battle and followed it up by chopping up one of his feet.


    "You are lucky that there is a powerful curse ced around your neck that kills anyone who chops off your head as without it, I''d have killed you a dozen times by now" Perseus said, as he violently proceeded to chop up all of Kronos''s limbs, before kicking them all away from his main body, so that he could not pop them all right back in.


    "Now sit here and behave, you little nugget until I deal with Rocky Yadav" Perseus said, as he kicked Kronos hard on his chest before moving over his limbless body towards Riva''s prison.


    "Gah¡ª fuck, that hurts" Kronos cursed as he felt his regeneration abilities kick in, as his wounds closed up and new bone started to generate in his limbs, growingrger with each passing second.


    At this current rate of regeneration, it would take him about 120 seconds to regenerate all four limbspletely, however, they were a 120 seconds too long for Rocky, who had no-one left to protect him anymore with Kronos taken out of the equation temporarily.

 Chapter 241: Fooling Perseus

    ( Perseus''s POV )


    Making his way through the third floor prison aisle, while avoiding being wrapped up in any unnecessary fights, Perseus eventually made his way to Riva''s cell.


    "Rocky Yadav, finally you cannot escape me no more¨C" Perseus said, as he peeked into Riva''s cell, however, to his absolute shock there was no-one inside!


    "What the hell? Where the hell is Rocky Yadav?" Perseus questioned, as he scanned every square inch of the prison block, but was still unable to find Rocky or his crew.


    Peeking back outside in the prison aisle, Perseus looked for them once more, before finally moving towards the spiral staircase that connected the third level of the underground prison, directly to a secret entrance to his Lord''s Castle, however, regardless of where he looked, he could not find Rocky and his friends anywhere.


    "No¡­. This is impossible¨C, this has to be a mistake. Teleportation magic is disabled within the underground prison system and if they ran away from any other direction then I would have noticed it¨C" Perseus mumbled to himself, as he just could not figure out as to where Rocky and his friends had disappeared to?


    Unbeknownst to him, it was Erin teaming up with Mama Chun, who had sessfully fooled his senses.


    Firstly, Mama Chun created an ice barrier on the entrance to Riva''s prison door, to create a clear ss like mirror and then enchanted it with illusion magic which made it seem like the prison was empty from the outside.


    Then, Erin added his own touch to this illusion by casting noise cancetion magic within the cell block, which made it seem eerily quiet to any onlooker,pletely fooling their senses by appearing empty.


    However, while the group had managed to fool Perseus for a few seconds, they knew that it was not a permanent solution, as sooner orter Perseus was going to try and enter Riva''s cell and when he did so, the presence of the ice barrier would prevent his entry, revealing the illusion.


    Hence, after Perseus passed them after peeking once, Erin pressured Rocky to escape, as they had absolutely no chance of beating Perseus if they were forced to fight him out of this narrow cell.


    "Sir Rocky, we have confused Perseus for the moment.


    I understand your pain, however, we have to move¡­. Our best chance of survival is to bust out of this cell and run towards the opposite end, climbing towards the second floor, making our way to the first floor and probably running out of the tunnel that we came from" Erin proposed, as he tried to highlight the urgency of the situation to Rocky.


    "Sister, can you walk?" Rocky asked Riva who simply replied with, "No, don''t leave me" as she dug her nails deeper into Rocky''s shoulders.


    Riva''s response, although not being what Rocky was looking for, still told him all that he needed to know, as he turned and ced Riva over her back in a piggy back and prepared to run.


    "Alright, Mama Chun and Buhara, you are our Vanguards, push anyone who tries to stop us aside, but keep running.


    Ensure that our speed doesn''t dip, no matter what.


    Erin, you and I shall run behind them. You will take my sister and continue running if the situation calls for it, while I will be our rearguard who stays back if everything turns to hell" Rocky instructed in a broken voice, that seemed nothing like his usual tone.


    "On three¡­ bust open the ice barrier illusion and start running¡­" Rocky said, as he started the count.


    "One¡­."


    "Two¡­"


    "Three!!!!"


    *Crash*


    As per Rocky''s instructions, the group burst out of Riva''s prison cell and began running like madmen in the opposite direction to Perseus, much to the frustration of the Olympian.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Neatwit )


    Not having any knowledge about the underground prison entrance that directly connected the Floor Master''s Pce to the third floor, Neatwit took the long route-in by entering through the first floor.


    When he reached the first floor, there were a lot of criminals who were fleeing out in the open outside the Floor 21 pce and there were a lot who were still fighting amongst each other rather brutally when Neatwit arrived.


    *swoosh*


    *Swoosh*


    Rather than warning them through words, Neatwit chose to chop down a few criminals with a light flick of his sword, so that no other criminal dared to block his pathter on.


    His strategy worked wlessly too, as once he red his aura and killed a couple criminals with ease, everyone else backed off, giving him a clear path to traverse, as they trembled in his presence.


    Just like Perseus, he too managed to reach the second floor of the prison with rtive ease, where he found AceKing and almost a dozen other Elite soldiers injured or knocked out cold.


    "AceKing? What happened? Where are Rocky and the others?" Neatwit asked with panic in his voice, as AceKing tried his best to muster a response.


    *Gulp*


    Gulping a mouthful of blood, AceKing replied "Below¡­. Please go fast¡­. Vice Guildmaster Perseus is chasing Rocky like a hound"


    Almost as soon as AceKing said this, Neatwit bolted towards the staircase that led towards the third floor, as he prayed within his heart that Rocky was still alive.


    ********


    ( Meanwhile Perseus )


    As soon as Perseus heard a ss like ice shatter behind him, he turned immediately and saw Rocky and crew trying to slip away from his clutches yet again, this time with the prisoner Riva being over Rocky''s shoulders.


    "What? You were right there but I failed to see it?" Perseus said in a shock, as he took out his sword and unleashed a powerful sword strike to try and stop Rocky.


    However, unfortunately for him, before the sword strike could reach Rocky, it struck his own prison guard from behind. The guard, distracted and weakened by this unexpected attack, lost his focus in the ongoing battle against the Elite Soldier, ultimately losing his life.


    Now, as Perseus resumed his chase of Rocky, it was this particr Elite Soldier who had just been freed from his previous fight who stepped in to block him, as in an extremely frustrating turn of events for Perseus, it seemed like his enemy was slipping away, yet again.


    "OH FUCK OFF NOW, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" Perseus said, losing his calm as he recklessly unleashed a tier5 attack within this small and confined prison aisle, the [ Sea King''s Wrath ].


    His attack, powerful enough to cleave an entire pce in half, caused his opponent to immediately lose his life, however, it wasn''t just him who lost his life, as at least a dozen other Elites and a dozen of his own prison guards did too, who were all unable to react to this move and block it because they were too embroiled in their own battles.


    Nheless, the attack still failed to make it''s way all the way on-to Rocky, as just when it looked like the attack was going to catch him, it was Neatwit that appeared out of nowhere to block it.


    *Shinnngggg*


    Neatwit''s ck sword started to sizzle and burn from trying to hold back Perseus''s attack, however, in the end it did manage to sessfully block it, much to the joy of Rocky behind him.


    "Perfect timing Vice Guildmaster¡­. Thank-you" Rocky said, as he continued on his journey to get Riva to safety, leaving Neatwit to deal with Perseus.


    "Oye¡­ carry me too! Don''t leave me behind here to be chopped up again from a stray st¨C" said Kronos, as it seemed like the poor guy had his regenerating upper torso once again shed in half by Perseus''s previous move, causing his regeneration process to take a massive hit.


    "Erin¡­ take him¨C" said Rocky, as Erin lifted the tiny Kronos in his arms as if carrying a baby and continued running with the rest of the group, as they made their way out of prison level three and onto the second floor.


    "Interrupted again! And again! And again! And again!


    Just when I feel like I''ll finally be alone with that kid, I''m interrupted yet again.


    It''s like fate itself is against me" Perseus muttered, as it was at that moment that his pupils dted and the reality of this situation hit him.


    "STOP TOYING WITH ME SHAKUNI¡­. FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOUR SEVEN GENERATIONS¡ª" Perseus said, cursing towards the heavens as he understood that this had to be one of the schemes of that scammer fate god, who was manipting the destiny of his followers to tilt the odds in their favor.


    "Aw¡­. Little prince got his feelings hurt?


    What now? Will the little prince start crying?


    Daddy, daddy, I''m sorry, I lost the control of floor21 pce.


    Daddy, daddy, I''m sorry, I lost my prisoners.


    Pathetic!


    You nepotism born kids rarely have any substance.


    Cut out the family name and you''re all nothing" Neatwit teased, as enraged by his bait, Perseus lunged towards him without thinking twice.


    "Ha¡ª, easy to manipte too! [ ck Death ]" Neatwit said, unleashing a powerful ck sword sh that took the form of a ck panther after being unleashed.


    *RAWWRRRR*


    The ck panther growled, as it enveloped Perseus as a whole causing a hundred cuts on his body and smashing him back against the nearby wall.


    *Smash*


    "What happened eh? Tough guy? Are you only good for bullying kids and chasing opponents weaker than you?


    What happens when you are forced to fight an actual man?


    Forgot how to swing a sword?" Neatwit taunted, as Perseus staggered back to his feet, spitting a mouthful of blood.

 Chapter 242: Perseuss breakdown

    Perseus felt his blood boiling with rage when Neatwit sent him flying backwards, however, there was not much that he could do about it.


    Having continuously fought AceKing and his underlings and then having made the frustrated decision to unleash a powerful tier5 sword strike to kill Rocky, Perseus had already expended a lot of his energy and was no longer near his peak potential.


    While Neatwit was no different, having fought through a sea of enemies in the war, he carried himself in a way that was imposing and domineering, giving Perseus the psychological impression that his opponent was fresh while he wasn''t.


    To make matters worse, just as he was recovering from Neatwit''s first attack, a Tower Administrator Announcement, threw himpletely off his game.


    "Tower Administrator Announcement : The 21st floor of the Tower Of Ascension has been sessfully captured by the coalition of ''True Elites'' guild and ''The Church Of Cowards''.


    The new Floor Master of this Floor is Climber ''Karna''.


    This floor will fall under his purview from now, and cannot be re-challenged for another 45 days".


    The floor administrator''s voice boomed throughout Floor21, as all its natural born residents were informed about the change in power.


    "What? My useless army fell so fast?" Perseus questioned, as although he had mentally prepared himself to lose this war, he had not expected it to happen so quickly.


    "All my nning is for nothing. Rocky Yadav is running away¡­. I''m stuck here fighting you¡­. My father hates me and The floor I''ve ruled for a decade is now no longer mine.


    I have failed everyone¡­..


    I am a failure" Perseus said to himself as he seemed to spiral out of control.


    For a moment, Neatwit hesitated on whether he should attack such a vulnerable and mentally unstable opponent or not, as currently, Perseus''s stance left him open for a lot of attacks. Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin


    However, before he could make a decision, Perseus suddenly dropped his sword and dropped down to his knees as he looked towards Neatwit with a question mark on his face.


    "What is the greatest mercy that you can offer me? If I surrender now, will you let me escape this floor and start anew as an anonymous individual?


    Will you im that Perseus is dead? So that I can escape my father''s relentless pursuit?" Perseus asked in a broken voice, as he seemed to have reached his breaking point mentally.


    "Hey dude? Have youpletely lost it?


    The greatest mercy that I can show you is to grant you the chance to pick your sword back up and get back to your feet.


    That''s it.


    You are not some innocent protector of the masses who can be pardoned for all his previous crimes.


    You are directly involved in the kidnapping of MY guild member.


    You are the reason why a dozen of my guild''s strongest warriors died just before my eyes, right here in this prison alley, mere moments ago¡­..


    And you are the reason behind why hundreds of my soldiers had to be sacrificed to take over this pce.


    Surrendering is no longer an option after youmit murder.


    The only mercy you can hope to find now is in hell" Neatwit said, as he gave Perseus a harsh reminder on who he really was.


    Perseus didn''t deserve mercy; his past actions made it impossible for Neatwit to pardon him.


    Perhaps, if Perseus had been facing Karna instead of Neatwit, then there was a slight chance that the soft hearted guildmaster might have shown him some leniency. However, Neatwit was not so soft-hearted.


    Rational and cold-blooded, Neatwit firmly believed in returning kindness tenfold and enmity a hundredfold. This unwavering principle left no room in his mind for pardoning a criminal like Perseus.


    "I see¡­. So in the end, this is what the true nature of the world is" Perseus said, sounding disappointed as he picked up his sword once more and faced Neatwit with an attitude that was nothing like his usual arrogance.


    Fighting like an already dead man with nothing to lose, Perseus decided to give thisst fight everything he had, and ept his fate of soon bing a dead man.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Rocky )


    Carrying Riva over his back, Rocky managed to safely exit the prison, thanks to Neatwit''s timely intervention.


    Not dallying around, he started to make his way towards the Elites base camp, hoping to find a warm bed for his sister so that she could finally have a safe and warm night''s sleep.


    As he reached the Elites base-camp, there seemed to be a festive atmosphere all around him, with the soldiers staying back at the boot-camp celebrating the guilds victory in capturing the floor after hearing the floor administrator''s announcement.


    Many, after seeing Riva cheered even louder and tried toe up to her to have a chat, however, Rocky blocked them all off and insisted that his sister needed some rest before she could interact with others.


    Apparently, everyone seemed to be excited about Riva''s safe return and their guilds victory over the evil Olympians, however, if there was one person who was not happy about this situation at all, it was Rocky.


    The letter left behind by Escanor made it impossible for Rocky to celebrate alongside the rest of the Elites to the point where their celebrations sickened him.


    Once he ced Riva over a soft mattress and covered her with a bedsheet, Rocky began to pray that the apothecary experts within the guild would be able to replicate the Olympian medicinal form, because if not¡­ then this whole victory would be for nothing.


    With Riva, now addicted to drugs and a shadow of her former confident self, to Rocky this victory felt like an event which came 6 months toote, as when his sister was suffering the most¡­. When she needed him the most, when she still resisted the enemy with all her might¡­. Rocky was probably busy eating good food and living a decent life within the university for nourishment of young talents.


    A fact that made Rocky''s skin crawl and his stomach roll over, as he felt like he had failed his sister, although he had sessfully rescued her today.

 Chapter 243: Yet another twist

    ( Perseus''s POV )


    Perseus fought against Neatwit with the passion of a dead-man, who had already given up on life.


    As their des collided, Perseus did not seem to be fighting particrly hard, however had notpletely given up either, as he seemed to be waiting for Neatwit tounch a big attack to die in one clean sh.


    *Shing*


    *Shinggg*


    de shed against de, metal shed against metal and Neatwit seemed to be gaining an upper hand with every subsequent exchange, making it harder and harder for Perseus to counter, as he seemed to be getting progressively closer and closer to a win.


    However, at that moment, something unexpected happened inside the third floor of the prison, as using the exit stairs that connected the third floor of the prison directly to the basement of the Floor Master''s Pce, two hooded men suddenly entered the area.


    [ Wind Palm ]


    [ Dark Mist ]


    Neatwit got to see only a glimpse of the two men''s faces, which seemed to be covered in some heinous red tattoo lines, before their moves hit him, forcing him backwards.


    *Shhhh*


    Neatwit dragged his feet across the floor, trying to reduce the length of his pushback, as he tried to figure out what exactly was going on.


    While the wind palm pushed him back, the Dark Mist move seemed to have been cast to block his vision, as he could see nothing within the confined prison aisle after the Dark Mist had been cast, forcing him to fight on pure instinct.


    *sh*


    *sh*


    shing across the aisle, Neatwit took a shot in the dark hoping to hit his enemy, however, he got an eerie feeling that his enemy had long left the vicinity, having sessfully escaped from his grasp.


    "Motherfu¡ª" Neatwit cursed, as once the dark mist cleared and his vision within the aisle returned, he got the dreaded confirmation that the two hooded men and Perseus were indeed no longer present within the third floor, having mounted a sessful escape.


    *********


    "Who are you guys¡­. I don''t think I have ever met you before? Do you work for me or for my father?" Perseus asked the two hooded men who had just saved his life with a serious expression on his face.


    "Who we are is not important, neither is the identity of the man that sent us¡­. What is important is that we not fail our mission and sessfully evacuate you anddy Sophia out of this fallen floor" the two men replied in unison, as based on their speech pattern Perseus determined that they had to be agents working for his father.


    "The two of you are just puppets, correct?


    Hello, Uncle Cassius¡­.. but I''m afraid I''m not willing toe with you¨C" Perseus said, as he paused his steps mid-way through their escape, as he refused to apany his uncle who was most likely going to present him to his dad after bailing him out of here.


    His uncle Cassius was a tier6 god just like his father and was the demi-god son of Poseidon who was a puppet master by profession.


    He converted live individuals to his stringless puppets by establishing dominance over their souls and controlled a massive puppet army that was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield at the current date, even above Floor 60.


    Had the two hooded individuals not replied to him in unison, Perseus would have not figured out that they were puppets being operated by his uncle, however, because they did, Perseus refused to apany them any longer.


    "Kekeke¡­. You are indeed the smart one in this family, Perseus. You figured out my identity so easily.


    However, s your achievements don''t match your potential.


    You are a failure who has failed every mission that was assigned to him.


    I''m sure your father must be extremely disappointed in you¨C" Cassius replied through the puppets, as he controlled them to nk Perseus from the left and right.


    "Well¡­. You can tell my father to go fuck himself for all I care¡­. Because there is no way in hell I''m returning to him as a failure.


    He will burn me alive or consume my soul and I will rather die like a coward taking my own life than return to him a failure" Perseus muttered, as he unsheathed his sword and tried to plunge it into his own abdomen.


    [ Muscr Paralysis ]


    Cassius, using the spell ''Muscr Paralysis'' prevented Perseus frommitting suicide as the poor kid was left frozen in time mid-action.


    "Your father is a true genius¡­.. he already precisely predicted all these turn of events.


    Of you failing all his expectations.


    Of Sophia being captured by the enemy


    Of Riva being set free


    And of Rocky walking out of this Floor on his own two feet.


    He also predicted that you would try to end your life and that I shall stop you.


    And it''s all going exactly as he nned it to be.


    Sorry half- nephew, but you will not take the easy way out¡­. You will answer to the full Olympian council for the disgrace you have brought to the family and you will face the proper punishment for your crimes" Cassius said, as he knocked Perseus unconscious with a chop on his neck before cing him over one of the hooded men''s shoulders.


    The expression that Perseus had on his face was one of pure terror.


    Of all possible oues, if there was one oue that he feared the most, it had to be him being answerable to the entire Olympian Council for his failures, as at that summit not only was he going to be humiliated, but was also going to be pped with the most inhumane and unthinkable punishment that would haunt his soul for 7 rebirths after this one.


    "Alright, one down¡­. One more to save¨C" Cassius said to himself, as he began making his way towards Sophia, who was currently being transported from the True Elites base camp to the Floor Master''s pce alongside an entire entourage of troops and Rocky. Explore hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin

 Chapter 244: Irritated Sophia

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    Rocky''s mental state was beyond disturbed when the order to shift the bootcamp from the outer periphery of floor21 to the broken pce was issued by Karna.


    Had Rocky not have spent considerable time within the Snakeman Ancestral Chambers, he would perhaps have had a mental breakdown, snapping on everyone around him like a neurotic bitch, however, thankfully, because of the mental abuse that he had already endured previously, he was able to maintain his calm even in this extremely fucked up situation.


    "Thank-you for cing my sister''s tent on a moving base and not disturbing her sleep.


    She''s really tired and I want her to get the best rest that she can" Rocky said politely as he thanked the massive trebuchet operators from the Church Of Cowards who had decided to leave behind one of their weapons in the open in favor of transportation the entire tent that Riva was sleeping in intact.


    "You embarrass us with your gratitude, Champion Of Gemini.


    Any Church Of Coward follower will dlyy down their life for you, although our number one rule is to live for as long as we can" the Trebuchet operator replied with utmost honesty as his colleagues nodded and smiled behind him.


    Although Rocky said nothing, this reverence by the Coward''s felt excessive and unnecessary to him, as he did not like being treated like the great god Gemini''s emissary, when he had no real skills to back that position up.


    ''The Champion Of Gemini can''t even save his sister¡­. Much less your faith.


    I''m not deserving of your worship'' Rocky thought internally, as in his depressed state he felt more critical of himself than usual.


    Alongside him, walked Erin, Buhara and Mama Chun, however, the three of them noticing his disturbed state of mind gave Rocky absolute peace and calm, as nobody engaged with him in pointless conversation.


    "Hey¡­.hey¡­.. Erin!.... Erin.... ERIN" Buhara said, whispering softly at first, however, after noticing that the blonde guy wasn''t responding to his whispers, shouted his name outloud to get his attention.


    "What?" Erin asked, sounding confused as Buhara leaned in and began whispering in his ears.


    "Erin¡­. Do you think they are feeding Sophia any food? Buhara thinks she must be thirsty or hungry¡­.. Do you think we should bring her more food?" Buhara whispered, as he wondered if they should show Sophia some care since the war was finally over.


    "Buhara¡­." Erin said, his eyebrows twitching as he could not understand how to properly deal with this kind guy who was also equal parts annoying and dumb.


    "Sure¡­ go ahead and check in on her. Make sure to take nutritious supplies" Erin replied sarcastically, however, to his dismay Buhara took it literally.


    "Alright, I''ll be right back¨C" he said, moving away from the rest of the pack as he started to run towards the supply guy who carried the canteen.


    As Erin turned his head, he saw a frowning Rocky staring at him, which forced him to hang his head down in shame.


    He had only replied to Buhara sarcastically, however, the moron took it literally.


    "How could I be so dumb? Ipletely forgot that Buhara doesn''t understand sarcasm" Erin muttered under his breath, feeling disappointed in his poor sense of judgment as he apologized to Rocky using hand gestures.


    ********


    ( Buhara''s POV )


    Discover more content at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    After securing a canteenrge enough to feed 5 Sophia''s¡­. Buhara made his way towards the guards who were escorting Sophia in her chains.


    "Sophia!!!! Sophia!!!! I have brought food and water for you¨C" Buhara said, sounding excited, as Sophia scowled at him in response.


    Sophia, still feeling betrayed by Rocky, Erin and Buhara wanted to have no form of contact with the three in the future as in her head she had already painted them as the ultimate viins, which made Buhara''s approach towards her that much more annoying.


    "Guard brethren, please allow me to feed the prisoner¡­. She must be famished by now¨C" Buhara requested, however, the Elite guards who were under strict instructions to not unchain or ungag Sophia denied Buhara the permission to do so.


    "I''m afraid Orc brother I cannot allow you to do so¡­.. the vice guild master has told me to not ungag or uncuff the bitch, so I cannot allow you to feed her even if it''s the morally right thing to do.


    The bitch will only be un-gagged now when the guild master or vice guild mastermands us to do so" The guard replied, as Buhara visibly sulked at this response.


    ncing behind him, Buhara noticed how they were already near the periphery of the broken outer pce wall and decided to wait until they met with Neatwit or Karna to feed Sophia.


    "I understand human brethren, this Orc shall wait patiently then¡­" Buhara said as he started to walk beside Sophia''s entourage, giving Sophia the most harmless smiles and thumbs ups, which irritated her to no end.


    "Mmmmfhh¡­..mmmfhhhhhahhhh" Sophia cursed under her gag, however, without coherent words forming out of her mouth, Buhara was unable to understand what she was saying.


    "It''s okay Sophia¡­. Please have patience for 5 more minutes, we are crossing the outer pce wall and shall meet with the senior leadership of Elites soon¡­. You won''t die in a few minutes time so have patience" Buhara replied kindly, however, his response only infuriated Sophia even more as she began cursing with even more vigor.


    "I don''t want water, I want your blood you foolish, brainless, good for nothing orc¡­. Only your blood will satisfy my thirst for vengeance.


    If possible add Rocky''s blood and Erin''s balls to the drink to make it a cocktail.


    For that''s the only drink I am willing to ept from your hands" Sophia muttered, however, unfortunately due to the gag ced on her it came out only as ''mmfghhh mghshggg'' sound in the end.


    ¡ª-------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the Power Stone target. Good job everyone!


    Thank you for all your consistent support. ///

 Chapter 245: Loss

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    As the True Elites group crossed the broken outer wall of the pce and entered the inner area, Rocky suddenly felt like he was hit with a dejavu.


    The scenes of the once chaotic battlefield around him forced a memory that was hidden deep within his brain to re-surface, as his heart began to beat louder and louder.


    The setting reminded him precisely of the future that he saw within the Snakeman Ancestral Chamber, only the circumstances surrounding it seemed to be slightly different from what he had seen back then.


    Instead of him charging in here alongside Erin, Buhara and Sophia, like the vision showed him¡­ Rocky charged in here with only Erin and Buhara, with Sophia having  be his captive.


    In his vision, Riva was being held captive here on a wooden archers base, however, as he looked towards the spot where the Archer base was supposed to be standing erect, he could only see it''s ashes remain as the Archer Tower was seemingly burnt down by the Coward armies inferno beam.


    "Strange¡­" Rocky murmured, as on one hand he knew for sure that he had managed to change the predestined future through his own actions, however, on the other hand, he still felt uneasy for some inexplicable reason.


    "Erin, I''ll be right back¨C" Rocky said, as he first rushed into the tent where Riva was sleeping to ensure that his sister was still inside and had not been abducted without his knowledge.


    Without understanding where his uneasiness wasing from, Rocky decided to check-in on both his sister and Sophia for peace of mind, as something deep within his gut seemed to be warning him of impending danger.


    However, thankfully, as Rocky reached Riva''s tent, his sister was still inside, sleeping soundly which brought some relief to Rocky''s heart.


    "So Riva is here¡­. What about Sophia?" Rocky questioned as he silently left Riva''s tent and bolted towards the area where Sophia was being held captive.


    After reading Escanor''s letter, Rocky''s mind had been thrown in shambles, however, if there was any silver lining to his misery, it was the fact that he believed in the bargain power of Sophia. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    With him holding Sophia captive, Rocky hoped to trade Sophia for his sister''s drug form, as he genuinely believed that Olympus would be ready to pay an arm and a leg for their Champion.


    This made Sophia an important strategic asset for him, who Rocky could not afford to lose under any circumstance.


    However, much to Rocky''s absolut dismay, when he reached the part of the entourage where Sophia was supposed to be held captive by two of the True Elites''s most reliable tier4 mages, he only found three unconscious men instead, with the kidnapper having seemingly knocked out both the guards and Buhara who had made his way towards Sophia not too long ago.


    "Fuck¨C" Rocky cursed, as at that particr moment. He felt a ckhole open inside his gut, while his heart threatened to explode.


    Panic took over Rocky, as after the emotional day that he had experienced, having his only silver lining being stolen from him felt extremely gutting, however, thankfully, as he looked around in a hurry, in the distant corner of his eye he did spot Sophia, who was being carried over the shoulder of a hooded man, while still in bounds.


    "STOP!" Rocky shouted, chasing right after the kidnapped at top speed, as at that moment, Rocky ran faster than he had ever ran before, with him shattering his physical limitations due to the surge of adrenaline in his body.


    The hooded man, who seemed to be headed towards an archer tower tform nearby, nced behind when Rocky shouted and increased the speed of his escape once he realized that he was being followed.


    "STOP RIGHT THERE YOU FUCKER¡­. OR I''LL SHRED YOU TO PIECES" Rocky cursed, as themotion of him cursing out loud and chasing someone like a rabid dog, drew the attention of the other Elites towards this mess, as more and more people soon got a grasp of what was going on.


    "THE HOSTAGE HAS BEEN STOLEN¡­. EVERYONE HELP ROCKY!


    THE HOODED MAN IS TRYING TO ESCAPE WITH THE HOSTAGE"


    "All men immediately drop whatever you are doing and assist the Champion Of Gemini¡­. The hooded man must not be allowed to escape"


    Cries of help arose from amongst the Elite management, as hundreds of soldiers rallied behind Rocky in support to stop the hooded man.


    **********


    After quickly reaching what seemed to be thest standing Archer tower in the area, the hooded man quickly jumped on to the tform and began to quickly draw some runes on its base.


    Although Rocky did not understand what the man was doing, he could feel the concentration of mana in the air around him change, as whatever the hooded man was doing was drawing in tonnes of mana from the nearby surroundings into his inscriptions.


    "I cannot let him escape¡­. Even if it''s thest thing I do, I will not let those Olympian bastards walk away with thest bargaining chip we have¨C" Rocky said with passion, as he paused his run and started to chant a spell of his own.


    [ Spatial Lock ]


    Chanting the spell ''Spatial Lock'' Rocky tried to seal the space around the hooded man to prevent all teleportation spells, as he assumed that the hooded man would try and escape out of this mess by teleportating away, just like he did in his vision.


    Rocky did so to try and ensure that the hooded man was forced to stay back and fight against the horde of Elites charging towards him, however, it turned out that Rocky had made the wrong assumption.


    The spell that the hooded man tried to cast was not a teleportation spell, but was instead a nt spell called [ Invasive Bean Stalk ]


    Once the spell triggered into effect, the Archer tower that he was standing on turned into the root of the tree, with wild vines and branches shooting out in all directions.


    Within a couple seconds time, the tree grew by several hundred meters in height, bringing the hooded man and Sophia well out of the reach of the Elites below, who were left with no means to chase after the hooded man and Sophia.


    "No! No! No!" Rocky muttered, panic evident in his voice as he jumped onto the fast growing tree stalk and nted both his swords into its trunk.


    *Stab*


    *Stab*


    nting his sword within and using it as climbing support Rocky climbed up the tree like a desperate fool, however, his speed of ascent was unfortunately too slow.


    Unfortunately, by the time that he reached the top, the enemy had already escaped by activating a teleportation spell, which Rocky was unable to block off since he had previously used the move to restrict spatial teleportation within the area around the tree''s base.


    Had Rocky been slightly more patient and not instinctive, he would have chosen the right area to restrict the enemy in, however, by trusting his instincts too much, he unfortunately made the wrong decision this time around.


    "No! No! No! N¨C" Rocky mumbled, his heart beating out of his chest as for a second he forgot even how to breathe properly.


    Sophia was gone!


    Stolen from right under his nose and alongside her, the opportunity to bargain with Escanor on level terms was also lost forever.


    "This can''t be happening¡­.. why is this happening?


    I did everything right¡­. I did everything right.


    I saved Riva, I did not fall for Sophia''s schemes¡­. I somehow made it out of the underground prison alive.


    But despite doing everything right, why is it that I still lost everything that matters?


    Why am Iing out of this war a loser when everyone else is a winner?" Rocky questioned, as he felt genuinely depressed and anxious at this moment.


    The Elites had won the control over Floor 21, the different alliance partners of the Elites and the Church Of Cowards would get their share of the spoils from it, however, Rocky won nothing.


    His sister was broken by the enemy and he had lost the only way to bargain for her good health, which meant that he was most likely going to be forced to walk into a forced discussion with Escanor empty handed.


    A discussion where Escanor could get away with asking any price because he knew Rocky was going to pay it.


    "This can''t be happening¡­.. I just want to save my sister¡­.." Rocky mumbled, tears forming in his eyes as heid t on his back on the giant beanstalk nt, with no idea on what his future held for him.


    *********


    End Of Volume 2 :- Birth Of A Viin.


    *********


    /// A/N - That''s it from my side guys for volume two. Thank you for all your support so far, and I hope to see you in volume three where Rocky goes deeper down the rabbit hole of what''s right and wrong, turning towards the dark side for the sake of his family. ///

 Chapter 246: Bad News

    ( The floor 21 throne room )


    The aftermath of the True Elites''s raid on floor 21 was not all sunshine and rainbows.


    The Church of Coward''s after finding out that their controlling share of the resources on floor 21 was a mere 25% felt cheated by the Elites, as Zain and Karna had a very heated verbal spat.


    Zain expected the profit split to be 50-50, between the church of cowards and the Elites, however, he was unaware that the Elites had already signed previous agreements with other guilds of Earth, which had diluted their share in the raid.


    Feeling betrayed, tensions arose between the two sides, which were only resolved  when Karna proposed to hand over the controlling rights of the floor over to the cowards, appointing Zain as the next floor master as the two sides finally reached an eptablepromise.


    "Once the 45 days cool down period ends, I will appoint you as the next Floor Master¡­.


    It was not my intention to betray you and I''m sorry that you feel this way¨C" Karna said wholeheartedly, as Zain epted his apology.


    "I feel your sincerity guildmaster, so I ept your apology.


    I understand that things sure looked dire for you before the raid and I realize that it''s partly my own fault to not verify how much % stake you held in this venture before signing an agreement with you.


    However that doesn''t mean that you did not have the chance to disclose it prior to us signing the deal.


    You knew all the facts beforehand but still chose to scam us, and that will make me hesitant to trust you in good faith going forward" Zain said candidly, as while he epted Karna''s apology and prevented feelings of resentment to grow between the two sides, he also made it clear that trust between the two sides had taken a hit because of the trick that the Elites tried to pull.


    "Guild Master¡­. Rocky insists on meeting you, now!" A member of the True Elites Guild whispered into Karna''s ears, prompting him to end his meeting with Zain.


    "Once again, my deepest apologies for the dishonesty on my part.


    But you will have to excuse me for now, as I must go and check on my guild member that we waged this war to rescue¨C" Karna said, as he took his leave from Zain and headed straight towards Riva''s tent.


    ***********


    ( Karna''s POV, enroute to Riva''s tent )


    "What happened? Why do you have that long face on you?" Karna asked his information head, who walked alongside him enroute to Riva''s tent.


    Up till now, Karna had not been made aware about Perseus or Sophia''s fate and it was only now that he received all the news rted to the aftermath of their win from his information head.


    "I''m afraid the news is not good guild master.


    Out of AceKing''s squad of 50 tier 5 warriors.


    We have 12 who are confirmed dead, 7 who are critically injured and 12 more who have serious injuries.


    AceKing himself has suffered several broken bones, several sword cuts and has a crack in his skull.


    While it looks like he will survive, it will be several weeks to several months before he is fully fit again" The information head reported, as Karna took in a deep breath when he heard this news.


    "Prepare for a proper ceremony for those who have died.


    Find more chapters on mvl


    We will give them a proper burial befitting of their contributions.


    Spare no cost in tending the injured¨C" Karna said, as he digested the sad news with an iron heart.


    "The worst part is that Perseus, the man responsible for these killings and injuries as well as the alleged main perpetrator behind kidnapping Riva is now missing¨C


    We have no idea as to where he might have run off to or who helped him escape from Floor 21, but ording to reports from Vice Guildmaster who wasst battling him, two unidentified hooded men helped Perseus escape our justice" The information head reported as Karna pinched his nose in frustration.


    "So we failed to kill Perseus?" Karna asked, before cursing out-loud some of the most profane curses that his information head had ever heard him speak.


    "I''m afraid so¡­. Both the brother and sister have been rescued and evacuated it seems" the information head said, as Karna''s anger got even more amplified after receiving this piece of news.


    "What do you mean, both brother and sister?


    We had already secured Sophia hadn''t we?" Karna asked in shock, as his information head hung his neck in shame.


    "I''m afraid we have also lost the sister, guild master¡­. Sophia was also rescued by some unknown hooded man who managed to kidnap her from the middle of our entourage and escape without us being able to do anything about it¡ª"


    Karna felt his head spin when he heard this report.


    Rocky had risked his life to kidnap Sophia and had entrusted her to the guild as a bargaining chip, yet the guild had failed him rather pathetically by being unable to secure the hostage for even a few hours.


    "Do you have any more bad news for me? Because if you do justy it on me all at once¨C" Karna said, sounding extremely frustrated as his information head pursed his lips.


    On one hand he did have more bad news to present to Karna, however, on the other hand he did not have the heart to say it.


    "I''m sorry guild master¡­. I feel like Rocky is the only person who should tell you the rest¡­" the information head reported, as Karna brushed his shoulders past the man and began sprinting towards where Rocky and Riva were camping near the outer wall.


    ''As long as we have managed to save Riva, all this is still worth it.


    The spirit of the guild is intact and although we won''t make much mary gains from this war, we would send a strong message across the universe that the True Elites Guild is not to be trifled with¨C'' Karna thought, as he reached the area outside Riva''s tent, where Rocky seemed to be waiting for him with red furious eyes.

 Chapter 247: No Mercy

    Rocky stood waiting for Karna to show up and all the while there were a thousand different thoughts that ran through his head, with not one being remotely positive.


    At this moment, everything in his surroundings irked Rocky.


    The chatter of the Elites irked him.


    The sound of footsteps irked him.


    Even the thought of Buhara irked him, as he felt like his friend had failed to secure Sophia or alert the others about a kidnapper trying to steal her, when it mattered the most.


    Rocky was in a bad state of mind, and his fury was visible through his red eyes, which sent goosebumps down Karna''s spine as he stared into them.


    "What''s wrong Rocky? Is Riva okay?" Karna asked cautiously, however, even his question irked Rocky who grit his teeth loudly in response.


    *Crunch*


    "Is Riva okay? Hahahaha¡ª"


    Laughing hysterically, Rocky made a mockery of Karna''s concern, garnering attention from all the other Elite soldiers standing nearby.


    "Is she not okay? Does she need medics?" Karna asked, still confused about why Rocky wasughing so hysterically, as he had no idea about Riva''s situation as of yet.


    "No guildmaster Karna, my sister is NOT okay, she is NOT okay, because the fucking Olympians have her hooked on some neurotic drug that turns her into a mental patient on the verge of losing her life whenever she doesn''t get a shot of the drug, every 24 hours.


    Currently we only have 2 vials of that drug that saves her fromplete mental breakdown, giving us less than 48 hours to think of a way to get out of this mess, or else I''ll have to surrender myself to the Olympians, to try and gain more medicine for my sister to survive.


    SO NO guild master, my sister is NOT okay, BECAUSE WE WERE TOO FUCKING LATE TO SAVE HER.


    I WAS A TIER 0 WEAKLING when she was kidnapped¡­. But you weren''t!


    YOU¡­.. HAD THE STRENGTH TO SAVE HER IN TIME.


    You could have saved her from this fate if you rescued her within a month of her being kidnapped. Experience tales at mvl


    But the number one guild on Earth would not mobilize their resources to save one member when the fate of the whole Earth was unknown¡­..


    One for all, all for one my foot.


    This raid was for nothing.


    FOR NOTHING¡­.." Rocky screamed on top of his lungs as he seemed to have absolutely lost his demeanor at this moment.


    It waspletely unlike him to me others for a problem, however, today, after witnessing his sister in such a pitiful condition and then watching Sophia being kidnapped right before his eyes, Rocky finally lost his calm for once, as he could not handle the stress anymore.


    "What?" Karna said, sounding shocked as this was not the type of report he expected to hear when he came to meet Rocky.


    This entire war was to save Riva, however, if she was hooked to a neurotic drug that only the Olympians could supply then this raid was for nothing.


    Even if they had saved her, if she was going to die without her medicine, then they had saved nothing, making this entire raid an astounding failure where they had achieved nothing, but had lost the lives of hundreds of guild members.


    "I''m sorry, guild master, crying and whining is unlike me.


    And I do know that you tried your best to save my sister, but I don''t know who else to me?


    The Olympian bastards are evil.


    They are EVIL.


    I know they are the real problem here, however, I don''t have anywhere else to vent and the pain in my chest is just too much to bear.


    My sister is not okay¡­..


    She is not okay at all¡­." Rocky said, clutching his chest as he appeared to be in intense pain which might have originated from being too emotional, however, had taken a real physical form after the intensity became too high.


    "Give me the medicine¡­ I''m sure our apothecary can duplicate it¨C" Karna said in response to Rocky''s rant as Erin walked up to him and handed him a small 2 ml sample from a bottle.


    "Here¨C"


    "Please save my sister, Guild Master. Please don''t make me stand face to face with the man who did this to my sister and beg forced to beg him to spare her life¨C" Rocky pleaded with both his hands pped into a namaste, as Karna felt his heart sink watching the Champion Of Gemini pleading him in such a pitiful way.


    "Don''t worry¡­. I''ll do my best" Karna said, rushing off to find his best apothecary as he genuinely prayed that the Elites would be able to replicate this form somehow, as if they failed, then this war would genuinely be for nothing.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile, Cassius, A.K.A the hooded man )


    Cassius returned to floor 65 with both Sophia and Perseus over his shoulders as he handed over the two kids to his half-brother Escanor.


    "Here¡­ I deliver to you, your ipetent kids¡­. Just as promised" Cassius said, as Sophia squirmed in fear looking at her father''s visage, while Perseus, who was still out cold, snored on the floor, drooling.


    "As expected¡­. In the end I could only trust you brother.


    My kids are utter disappointments" Escanor said coldly, as he turned to look Sophia in the eye, with the most evil smile on his face.


    "Well, with this our past debt has been settled, so you can''t call on me for help again for free brother.


    Also, a word of advice from my end¡­..


    Have some mercy on them and kill them in private.


    If you present them to the council, the hounds will skim them alive" Cassius said, before leaving the room as Escanor snorted at his advice.


    "Mercy?..... Mercy is for the weak¡­.. and there is no ce for weakness in Olympus.


    These trash deserve no mercy¡­." Escanor said, as his words made Sophia tremble in fear, as she wet herself most shamefully, causing the air within the room to smell like ammonia.


    --------


    /// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 248: Broken Riva

    ( The next day, Back On Earth )


    The next day, Rocky returned to Earth with Riva and took her to his new apartment in the ''upside''.


    Determined to maintain a stress-free and happy environment for Riva, Rocky made sure no one disturbed them while they were inside as he intended to spend the entire day alone with his sister, aiming to understand the extent of her psychological condition.


    Guiding Riva into the living room, Rocky showed her the beautiful space bathed in the soft, warm light filtering through therge windows as he tried to remind her of how much she had wanted a new apartment with ample sunlight when they lived in their old one.


    Their old apartment, thoughrge and spacious, was still covered by otherrge apartments on three sides, making the natural illumination only look so-so, and hence Riva always wanted to move out to an even better apartment after Rocky graduated, as while she had the money to do so, she wanted to wait till Rocky was done with his schooling to make the change.


    "What do you think, eh big sister? Your brother has managed to buy a new apartment and it even has lots of natural sunlight!" Rocky said excitedly, opening the curtains for Riva, however, as soon as sunlight fell over Riva''s skin, she squinted and curled up into a ball, seemingly disturbed by the bright light.


    "No¡­. No sunlight, please¨C it burns¡­. It burns badly, " Riva said, in a feeble voice as Rocky instantly closed the blinds, turning the living room into a dark environment.


    "I''m sorry brother, I haven''t seen the sun in over a year and now my skin can''t take it so suddenly.


    I-I don''t know what''s happening to me¨C" Riva said, as she started to shiver, prompting Rocky to instantly change the topic to ease her nerves.


    "Oh yeah, don''t worry sister, I''m also not a fan of the sun¡­.. as a believer of Gemini and Vampire God Ravan, I think it''s best if we keep the blinds closed" Rocky said, trying to crack a joke, however, Riva clutched her head and started to writhe in pain at the mention of the word ''Gemini''.


    "Gemini¡­.. they tortured me for information on Gemini¡­.. an alternate world¡­.. A champion¡­. I was supposed to be the champion... a dormant system¡­..


    Max Rajput¡­.. soulmancer... aghhhhh, aghhhhhh, it hurts! It hurts! " Riva said, writing on the sofa while clutching her head, as Rocky feltpletely dumbfounded watching her sister struggle so much.


    With this interaction on one hand he realized that the Olympian bastards had indeed tortured Riva for information on Gemini, and on the other hand he realized that Riva knew that she was supposed to be the Champion Of Gemini.


    While her mental condition was definitely nowhere near normal with even random words seemingly triggering her trauma in a big way, Rocky did not doubt the meaning of the wordsing out of her mouth, as he believed that despite the mental torture, Riva''s words still held meaning and were not ramblings of a madman.


    "It''s okay sister¡­. Nobody''s around, it''s just us¡­. You are safe here¡­ it''s okay!" Rocky said, as while he could not understand theplete context behind Riva''s words, he did understand it partially enough for them to make some sense.


    In his first meeting with Shakuni, the True God had told him that he was not supposed to be the chosen champion and that Riva was supposed to be the one, however, due to unexpected circumstances arising, the Gemini Gods had to choose him to inherit the system and be their Champion.


    "Look sister, over that table¡­. It''s a picture of us alongside mom and dad¡­. It''s your favorite picture, one where I''m smiling with broken teeth¨C" Rocky said, as he pointed towards a picture frame near the living room sofa, which looked the same as the picture frame from their old house that was destroyed in the fire of Riva''s kidnapping explosion.


    Upon his insistence, Riva let go of her head and started to look around the room, as she seemed to forget about her pain momentarily, getting lost in memories of the past instead.


    Currently, the room was filled with cozy furniture and familiar trinkets from her and Rocky''s past,  which was a result of conscious effort on Rocky''s part as he tried to provide Riva with some semnce of normalcy and familiarity.


    From the side, Rocky watched her as she sat on the sofa, her eyes darting around the room, taking in the environment with a mixture of fear and confusion as while she seemed to be happy to see the familiar objects she seemed to be to afraid to touch them, as she seemed to fear that this illusion of warmth would crumple if she dared to touch it.


    "Hey, Riva," Rocky said softly, forcing a smile, as he drew her attention.


    "I''m going to make us something to eat. How does that sound?" he asked, rehearsing the dialogue twice in his head before speaking it out-loud to ensure that there was nothing triggering inside the sentence that could aggregate Riva''s trauma.


    Nodding slightly, Riva gave Rocky her approval to cook her some food, though her eyes didn''t quite meet his.


    She seemed lost in a world of her own and the vibrant and strong sister that Rocky once knew now seemed to have been  reced by a fragile, haunted figure, and although Rocky''s heart ached seeing her this way, he masked his emotions, knowing that he needed to be strong for her.


    Getting up, Rocky headed towards the kitchen as he busied himself preparing a simple meal.


    For cooking, he chose a dish he remembered Riva loved¡ªpasta with a light cream sauce and started to prepare it as best as he could, chopping the ingredients nicely with his now increased dexterity as a warrior.


    As he cooked, his mind raced with thoughts of the past year, the endless searches, and the sleepless nights filled with worry when he tried to discern Riva''s whereabouts after she was initially kidnapped.


    He had always been the younger sibling, relying on Riva''s strength and wisdom, and now the roles were reversed in the most painful way.


    Just a year ago, thest conversation that the two had was Riva scolding him for sneaking out during new years as she seemed to worry about him, and now the roles had been reversed with Rocky having to think twice before just saying a sentence, as Riva''s mental state was as fragile as a thin sheet of ss.


    When the meal was ready, he carried the tes to the living room. "Here we go, Riva. Your favorite," he said, cing the te in front of her.


    Riva looked at the food, a flicker of recognition crossing her face as she took in a wasp of the delicious scent.


    "When did you learn how to cook so well?" She asked, sounding normal as she picked up the fork with trembling hands and took a small bite.


    For a moment, Rocky hoped that after eating his meal prepared with hard work and love, Riva would smile as usual, however, much to his dismay, as soon as she took the first bite, almost immediately, her face contorted with difort.


    She tried to swallow, but her body rebelled against her as tears welled up in her eyes as she gagged and rushed to the bathroom.


    Rocky followed quickly, finding her hunched over the sink, vomiting the little food she had tried to eat as he rubbed her back gently, feeling utterly helpless. "It''s okay, Riva. It''s okay," he whispered, trying to soothe her.


    Apparently, the drugs that the Olympians gave her, not only destroyed her body''s hormonal bnce, but also destroyed her capacity to digest food, leaving Riva in a hopeless situation where she could no longer enjoy even the simplest joys of life, making the medical syringe form of the Olympians her only source of sustenance.


    *Sob*


    *Sob*


    After she finished puking her guts out, Riva instantly sank to the floor, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed out loud.


    Feeling his gut wrench, Rocky knelt beside her, his own eyes moistening. "Riva, talk to me. How are you feeling? What can I do to help?"


    She looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and despair. "I''m broken, Rocky. I can''t... I can''t even eat without feeling sick. Everything hurts. My mind...


    it''s all a mess. I don''t know who I am anymore."


    Rocky pulled her into a gentle hug, his own tears falling freely now. "You''re my sister, Riva. You''re strong and brave. We''ll get through this together, I promise.


    I''m here for you, always." he consoled, however, the more he understood about Riva''s condition, the more his heart burned with agitated fury, as he had never expected to see the strong woman that he loved so much to be reduced to such a pitiful state.

 Chapter 249: Failed recreation attempt

    ( Meanwhile, Karna )


    At the same time as Rocky tried to assess just how bad Riva''s condition was, Karna paced around the hall of the True Elites''s Apothecary store, waiting for the guild''s best potion makers and alchemists to reach a verdict on the drug.


    "Pacing around the hall won''t make the time go by any faster. So just calm down and take a seat¡ª" Amelia told Karna as she tried to calm her fiance down.


    On one hand, the entirety of Earth was celebrating Riva''s return and the True Elites''s victory of floor21, as there was no bigger matter of national pride for the than seeing the coalition of Earthly guilds lead by the True Elites, sessfully capturing a floor within the Tower Of Ascension.


    The tower only had a 101 floors in total, with floor between 20 and 80 being the only ones that could be farmed for resources, and hence being a Floor Master within the tower, no matter which floor was a matter of immense pride and joy, however, the atmosphere within the True Elites Guild was not joyous at all.


    Tension was visible on the faces of Karna, Neatwit and all the other major guild executives, who all seemed to be crowding the apothecary store, seemingly waiting on some verdict.


    The guilds leadership had all denied the offer to address a press-filled crowd, while Riva was also taken away by Rocky into istion.


    While themon guild members did not understand what the precise situation was, they did understand that the atmosphere inside the guild was tense and hence nobody seemed to be in a festive mood, despite the big win.


    "Stop it Karna¡­. Stop pacing around the room, my eyes feel tired just by looking at you¨C" Ameliained, as listening to her words, Karna decided to sit down beside her, seemingpletely dejected.


    "Thank you¡ª" she said, rubbing her hands over Karna''s thighs as she tried to console his anxiety.


    "And you¡­.. what happened to you? Why are you staring holes into the ceiling with your mouth wide open?


    Waiting for a fly to drop in?" Amelia said, reprimanding Neatwit, as the vice guildmaster''s zoned out face seemed to scare many onlooking guild members who had never seen him look so lost.


    "I had him, Amelia¡­. But I was too weak¡­" Neatwit said, his eyes still gazing at the ceiling, as he desperately tried to prevent the water forming over his pupils to overflow into a tear.


    "He had surrendered to me and was demanding that I let him go.


    But at that moment I could have ended his life if I wasn''t so weak.


    I instead encouraged him to pick up his weapons and continue fighting me like a man to the end, because I thought I would beat him fair and square, and I would have too but then those hooded men came and kidnapped him and there was nothing that I could do about it.


    I failed to kill him, Amelia .


    I had him!


    But I hesitated¨C" Neatwit said, as listening to his words Amelia could feel his pain.


    Amelia knew Neatwit and his personality very well and although he appeared very hard and strong on the surface, internally he was a very soft guy who had a main characterplex whichpelled him to take his failures extremely seriously.


    Whether it was actually his fault or not, if he felt like he had made a mistake, he took it to heart and did not let go of that emotion until he resolved it somehow.


    Regardless of whether or not it was actually his fault that Perseus was still alive, Amelia knew that Neatwit was going to keep ming himself for it, until he actually killed that guy with his own hands.


    "Ohe on! You could never have known that those hooded men were going toe in randomly and kidnap Perseus. You''re being too hard on yourself¡­. And even if you did kill him, it would change absolutely nothing.


    It isn''t like Cassius was going to give us the form to keep Riva sane in exchange for his son''s dead corpse.


    So chill out¨C" Amelia said, trying to ensure that Neatwit did not take this mistake to heart, but her words were for naught, as Neatwit continued to stare at the ceiling with tears not streaking down his cheeks.


    "Karna, that guy is your best friend¡­. Do you have absolutely nothing that you wanna say to him?" Amelia said, prompting Karna to try and console him, however, the guild master just shook his head and refused to utter a single word.


    "Amelia, just let him be¡­" Karna said, as he joined Neatwit in staring at the ceiling, much to Amelia''splete dismay.


    ***********


    For a good two hours, the trio sat outside the apothecary office in absolute silence, until the door to the mainb opened and the chief alchemist walked out alongside the chief potion maker.


    "Jake, Feynor, what''s the conclusion?" Karna said hopefully, as the two men shook their heads in dismay.


    "The blue serum is made of 26 ingredients minimum, but it could be more and we are not sure.


    Of the 26 ingredients, we could only identify 6, of which water and glucose are two, so let alone finding out what the serum is made of, we can''t even recognise 20 of the molecules made in its construction¡­." Jake said, as Karna felt his stomach sink when he heard these words.


    "Also replicating this serum seems impossible to do for someone at the mortal level as we have found traces of divine essence within it.


    So only gods can make this form even if we somehow obtain it.


    So with our current capabilities even if we had the form and the list of ingredients and how to brew this serum, we would still be unable to do it, because we are simply not skilled enough" Feynor added, as Karna drew all the conclusions that he needed to from this one interaction.


    They were fucked¡­ and they were fucked big time.

 Chapter 250: The Last Avenue Of Hope

    Karna despised delivering bad news, but as the leader of the True Elites Guild, at times he had no choice but to do it himself.


    "Rocky, the apothecary at the guild have tried their best, but it seems like recreating the blue form is impossible for us.


    We cannot identify most of the ingredients present within the form and it seems like it can only be brewed by a tier6 or higher apothecary as it requires divine essence as a binding agent.


    I''m afraid, we can''t replicate the form in a short while, as even if we try and find a tier6 apothecary willing to help us, it will take time for him to decode the form and learn how to make it from scratch" Karna said, as he delivered the sad news to Rocky that the form could not be replicated.


    To Karna''s surprise, Rocky did not act shocked or sad at all, as if he had already anticipated this oue long ago.


    "It''s okay, Guild Master, I already knew that the form can''t be replicated.


    It would have been nothing short of a miracle if the apothecary could replicate it, however, convey my thanks to them anyways" Rocky said, as he very calmly assessed the situation.


    "What now? Rocky? What''s next for you now that we could not replicate the form?" Karna asked, sounding concerned as Rocky let out a deep sigh.


    "Now I will go to the temple of Gemini, here on Earth and pray and either Gemini will save me, or else I will surrender myself to the enemy, ase what may, I will not let Riva die or suffer" Rocky replied, as Karna grimly nodded.


    "If I, or the guild, can do anything for you¡­. Anything at all, please don''t hesitate to tell us" Karna said, offering emotional support as Rocky shook his hand with a kind smile.


    "Thank you Guild Master" He said, however, although the wordsing out of his mouth sounded kind, his eyes reflected an entirely different story altogether.


    While he appeared calm andposed on the outside, internally, Rocky had be numb and hollow.


    It was as if, all the faith that he had in the kind nature of humanity, was burning down like a field of crops, leaving him burnt and hollow emotionally.


    After seeing Riva suffer, Rocky had a strong urge within him to burn the whole universe down.


    This rage within him was like an inferno that consumed every ounce of his being. Yet, without the medicine that Riva needed for sustenance, Rocky knew he could do nothing about this rage, as he could not dare to punish the perpetrators who had inflicted so much harm on her.


    This helplessness preventing him to act, gnawed at him, it was a constant reminder of his inability to protect the one person he cherished most in the world and it hurt to the point where he had be emotionally numb.


    This situation, where he needed to beg the torturers of his sister for her medicine, turned him hollow internally. He did not know how to express the internal anger that he felt, an anger that was as vast and unyielding as the tower of ascension itself and hence he turned himself off emotionally to somehow deal with the pain.


    Currently, he desperately needed an outlet for his pent up rage, yet unfortunately, he had none.


    Every avenue of action seemed blocked and every potential path seemed fraught with insurmountable obstacles, causing him to feel like he was adrift in a sea of hopelessness.


    "The Gemini Gods are myst hope. Although the system has been unnaturally silent since I''ve needed it the most. I am hoping that the Gemini Gods won''t be the same.


    Although they are not responding to my prayers when I''m praying from my room, I hope that when I visit their temple, the Gemini Gods will grace me with an audience" Rocky muttered, as he piled hisst bit of hope on the Gemini God, hoping that those divine beings would help him, when no-one else did.


    *********


    ( The temple of Gemini, Country X )


    Rocky informed Pope Cole of his intention to visit the temple of Gemini, a day before his visit.


    Pope Cole, who was overjoyed with his visit ensured that the temple was close tomon visitors during the hours when Rocky was to visit, and even came personally to the temple''s door-steps to recieve him.


    "I have long dreamt of this day, when the Champion Of Gemini graces our temple with his footsteps.


    Thank you foring here today, Rocky, your arrival has filled this old man''s heart with warmth" Pope Cole said, as he weed Rocky to the temple alongside the Church''s highest ranked bishops.


    "There''s no need for thank-you Pope Cole, Ie here today as a desperate man who needs the support of god, and not as a haughty champion" Rocky replied, as he made it clear that he had only came here as a believer and not as a celebrity.


    His words however, fell on deaf ears, as although he was the Champion Of Gemini, this was the first time that he was formally making a visit to the temple and hence it was a big day for the religious order of Gemini on Earth.


    Every important clergy was present to wee him at the temple, and they seemed to have prepared a lot of rituals for him to perform today, to correctly worship the idols of the Gemini Gods as per the historic practises.


    As Rocky entered the temple, the first thing that he noticed was the striking beauty of the two massive statues built within the altar room.


    One of them was a dual-swordsman with angelic wings, while the other was a vampire from whose mouth originated a fountain of blood.


    Together, they looked like the most imposing duo, as although the statues were merely a replica, in the presence of these mighty figures, Rocky truly felt humbled and small.

 Chapter 251: Praying To Gemini

    "Sir Rocky, do you wish for me to show you the correct method to worship the Gemini Gods?" Pope Cole asked, as he saw Rocky and felt like he did not know proper Church etiquettes.


    "Yes please, since I''m here to make a request, I might as well do it the right way" Rocky said, as although he had never been to church before, he decided to learn the proper etiquette to worship the Gemini Gods today.


    "Follow me¡­." Pope Cole said, as he led Rocky to the base of the statue of the Gemini Gods, where a ceremonial sword was kept on a stand which looked like thep of a woman.


    "This figure¡­. It looks like the woman who is tattooed on my back" Rocky said, as he studied the figure made on the base of the statue of the Gemini Gods and found it to have astonishing resemnce to the tattoo on his back.


    "She is called the ''Queen''. She is said to be the strongest servant of the Gemini Gods.


    Every Gemini statue throughout the universe will always be found with the figure of the ''Queen'' on the base" Pope Cole exined as he gave Rocky some lore about the Gemini Gods that he was unaware about.


    "So what is the proper method to worship them?" Rocky asked, as Pope Cole took his right hand and stuck out the thumb.


    "For the faint hearted, we provide them with the Blood Apple fruit to perform this ritual, however, traditionally it''s supposed to be done with our own flesh and blood¡­." Pope Cole said as he proceeded to press his thumb against the sharp edge of the de, drawing a small stream of blood.


    "The sword is the symbol of the Great God Shakuni.


    It is his preferred choice of weapon and it''s said that not even the sword saint himself can beat Shakuni in a battle.


    Blood is the symbol of the Great God Ravan, and by bleeding for him, we show him our devotion" Pope Cole exined, as he took his bleeding thumb and rubbed his blood over the feet of the statue of the God Ravan.


    ''Isn''t this slightly sadist?'' Rocky wondered internally, as he found this ritual to be slightly barbaric, however, proceeded to do it anyway.


    Cutting his thumb over the sword he sttered his blood over Ravans feet, mimicking the action that Pope Cole did before him.


    "Proceed to pray to the Lord for his blessings. May he fulfill all your wishes" Pope Cole said, folding his hands into a ''Namaste'' as he closed his eyes and began praying to the Gemini Gods himself.


    Explore more at mvl


    Following suit, Rocky too folded his hands in a namaste sign and began piously praying to the Gemini Gods.


    ''O great god Gemini, you have already helped me so much in life and I''m very grateful for everything that you have done for me.


    I know it''s shameless of me to ask for more help, however, I am extremely desperate.


    My sister is not well ¡­. And without getting the blue medicine from Olympus, my sister will experience intense pain and seizures and may even lose her life.


    If the Gemini Gods help me, I will not be forced to beg the torturers of my sister for her medicine, however, if you don''t help me, I''ll be forced to¡­.


    As your Champion, I beg of you to help me just this once, and I am prepared to pay any price for the same'' Rocky thought as he piously prayed to the Gemini Gods for help.


    **********


    ( Meanwhile Ravan and Shakuni, Floor 92 )


    ''I am prepared to pay any price for the same¡­.''


    Ravan and Shakuni heard Rocky''s prayer loud and clear on floor92.


    They had already been tracking Rocky''s life and were aware about the circumstances surrounding Riva, however, they had deliberately decided to not offer any help, as they wanted to break down Rocky to his psychological lowest.


    Today, Rocky hade before them begging for help as ast resort, and helping him here was going to leave asting impression on his mind.


    An impression that would undeniably breed loyalty in Rocky''s heart in the future and would help Shakuni guide Rocky on the right path.


    "What are you nning to do now, brother? The boy is clearly desperate for your response¨C" Ravan asked, as he looked towards his brother for guidance on what to do next.


    Since Shakuni could peer into fate and future, Ravan usually let his brother make the big decisions on the life of mortals, since his brother was better equipped and more knowledgeable regarding the same.


    "We will answer his prayers and issue weekly quests for him that he mustplete if he wants to gain next week''s supplies of medicines.


    For him to keep his sister alive, Rocky will now be forced to work to the bone and work with his morals put to a side, as we will force him to be the warrior that he needs to be by controlling the one thing that he is most desperate for" Shakuni said, as Ravan shook his head in disappointment.


    "Sometimes I feel you are too cruel brother, if you want you can cure Riva of her ailment right this moment, but you won''t.


    And I don''t know if it''s right or wrong, but I do have faith that it''s for the best" Ravan said, as he shrugged his shoulders in nonchnce.


    Ravan knew that Shakuni could cure Riva if he wished to, however, instead of giving a permanent cure, he wanted to control Rocky through the supply of Riva''s medicine, forcing him to perform increasingly difficult jobs that would see him tear through the tower at an unprecedented speed.


    "Cruel or not, I will do whatever it takes to push us to floor 101, and I see no wrong in pursuing the method that I see best suited for it," Shakuni said, as he presented his final verdict to his brother.

 Chapter 252: Answering Prayers

    Rocky prayed wholeheartedly to Gemini for a few minutes, until his hopes of getting a reply finally started to waver.


    ''Please help me Lord¡­.. I beg of you¡­.'' Rocky thought, reaching his most desperate low, when suddenly the atmospheric pressure around him started to shift and he suddenly found himself dropping to his knees against his will.


    *Thud*


    While he was the first to drop to his knees, he wasn''t the only one who did, as all the clergy within the church and Pope Cole, dropped to their knees too, with an indescribable force seemingly enveloping them all.


    "What terrifying force is this? I can''t move a single muscle on my body nor can I get back on my feet¡­. Is this an indication that the Lord is about to descend to Earth?" Pope Cole wondered, as being a tier 5 warrior himself, he had never experienced such a terrifying force ever before in his life.


    "Arise¡ª" An old and ancient voice said as suddenly all the pressure enveloping those present in the room vanished, allowing the believers of Gemini to get back to their feet.


    "Lord Gemini?" Pope Cole said, his voice trembling with excitement as although he could not see the physical body of the Lord, he felt the immense power behind the voice that hadmanded them to arise, a force that he presumed could only belong to one of the Gemini Gods.


    "Only Shakuni, my child. Ravan has not made the trip downwards with me," Shakuni said, as the lips and eyelids of the Shakuni statue in the altar room moved as if it were alive.


    "Lord Shakuni has inhabited the statue?" Pope Cole wondered, his eyes widening with surprise as a surge of emotions overwhelmed him, drowning him in a sea of feelings unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life before this moment.


    For Cole, to say that he was a devout believer of Gemini was an understatement, as for him, the Gemini Gods were literally his one and only love, being even more important than his identity as a human.


    In his entire life, Pope Cole had never thought that there woulde a day when he would be in the actual presence of one of the Gemini Gods and hence this moment was extremely special for him.


    sping his hands together, Pope Cole trembled uncontrobly. "Lord Shakuni! We are unworthy of your divine presence!" he eximed, his voice cracking with emotion.


    The other clergymen, equally ovee with emotions, began to chant praises and hymns, their voices rising in a cacophony of fervent worship. Some prostrated themselves on the floor, while the others reached out towards the statue, desperate for any sign of divine favor.


    Tears streamed down their faces, their bodies shaking with the intensity of their devotion.


    "This is the most joyous day of my existence!" one clergyman cried out, falling to the ground in a state of euphoric hysteria, as he voiced out the feeling that everyone else felt at this moment.


    The overall atmosphere was electric, charged with the raw power of their unyielding faith and the miraculous manifestation before them.


    Rocky, however, remainedposed, as although his heart pounded with gratitude, he maintained a stoic expression on his face since the God Shakuni had not granted him his wish just yet.


    He bowed his head respectfully, his thoughts a mix of humility and resolve as he said "Thank you for answering my prayers, Lord Shakuni, your presence honors me¨C"


    Rocky chose his words carefully, hoping to not offend the great god by his usual loud and brash attitude as while he was undeniably honored and awed by the divine presence, he couldn''t muster the same wild enthusiasm as those around him, as he did not feel as strongly about the Gemini Gods as the clergy around him did.


    "I have heard your prayers, Rocky and I do feel outraged by the horrible fate that your sister is facing, however, there is not much that I can do about it.


    For us True Gods, to meddle in the affair of mortals is not too easy and while I can produce the blue medicine that you require for your sister''s treatment, I cannot do it without paying a price" Shakuni said, as his choice of words made it seem like he had the most pure intentions, when he did not in reality.


    "Please My Lord, The price for the medicine is not an issue. Please just help my sister, no matter what it takes" Rocky begged, as he sped his hands and voluntarily prostrated himself before Shakuni''s statue, begging for help.


    "Fret not, my child, I will try my best to help Riva, however, you must also do your best to support me as much as you can.


    I will bear 80% of the bacsh for meddling in the affairs of mortals, however, you must propagate my name as much as possible in theing weeks, since prayers from believers is the biggest source of divine essence for us True Gods, which is one of the key ingredients in making your sister''s medicine" Shakuni said, as he manipted Rocky into thinking that he was taking a big loss by deciding to help him.


    Continue your adventure with mvl


    "Propagate your name? How do I do that?" Rocky asked, as Shakuni did not reply, but only smiled evilly.


    [ Strongest System Notification :- You have received a new chain- quest! ]


    [ Quest Notification :- Complete weekly tasks given by Lord Shakuni to gain a weekly dose of your sister''s medicine.


    Quest Description :- You as the Champion Of Gemini, represent the honor of the gods within the tower of ascension.


    To gain honor for the Gemini Gods, speed-run your way through the Tower Of Ascension, clearing one floor every week up till floor 40.


    Rewards :-


    +7 days worth of Riva''s medicine every week.


    +A path to potential permanent cure when youplete the chain quest ]


    ¡ª------


    /// A/N - My apologies for not updating the book yesterday guys, but I''ve injured my left wrist and am struggling to write currently. ///

 Chapter 253: Resolve

    "Propagate your name? How do I do that?" Rocky asked, sounding confused as a system notification bar opened before him.


    For a moment Rocky felt confused, however, as he read the entire quest notification, a bead of sweat began rolling down his forehead.


    Apparently, he was being given a chain quest by the great god Shakuni that required him to speed run through the tower, going from Floor 21 all the way up to floor 40 in just about 20 weeks, clearing one floor every single week.


    In theory this wasn''t impossible, however, in practise it was nearly impossible as the skills of climbers did not progress so rapidly that they could speed-run through the tower bypleting a floor run every week.


    There was a reason behind why a climber took time to consolidate their gains after every floor raid, as speed-running through the tower was simply not possible.


    Rocky had still not gotten the opportunity to learn the swordsmanship rewards that he had received for clearing floor 20 and he estimated that it would take him a few months to a few years to properly master those sword styles.


    It was through improvements like these, where a climber improved their skills and gained practicalbat experience, that they slowly ascended through the tower, with an average climber taking a time of approximately 7 to 9 years to go from floor 21 to floor 40, however, God Shakuni expected him to do it in just 20 weeks.


    "My Lord¡­ this task that you have given me¡­ it''s doable right?" Rocky asked with a shaky voice, as he wasn''t sure if God Shakuni had just given him a death quest or not, since due to the forces of ''Vorithra Sylithen'' interfering with his advancement, the difficulty of his progression through the tower was going to be many times more difficultpared to others.


    "Indeed it''s difficult but very much possible. However, it will depend greatly on the gains that you obtain on Floor 26 and the willingness of your Champion''s party to support you.


    If it were me, I''d add that boy Kronos to your group, because I feel that he brings immense value to the team" Shakuni said in his statue form, as he seemed to struggle when he uttered these words, as if he wasn''t supposed to reveal this knowledge to Rocky but did anyways.


    In reality, he did suffer a significant bacsh for revealing this information to Rocky, with his real body on Floor92 taking severe injuries for the same, however, Shakuni did not care.


    He was willing to go to any lengths to see Rocky bing a True God and himself and Max reaching Floor101 and for that dream, he was ready to ept any bacsh.


    "Alright¡­. If that is your will then I ept the mission that you have given me.


    I''ll try my best to live up-to your expectations, Great God Shakuni, and I appreciate you helping me at your own expense.


    I-I will forever remember this favor." Rocky said as he sped his hands and bowed in genuine gratitude.


    In his darkest hour, when he saw no other option but to approach his sworn enemy for mercy, it was Shakuni who had helped him and hence Rocky swore to forever be loyal to him no matter the circumstance.


    [ System Notification :- You have received +7 Riva''s medicinal potions in your inventory. ]


    As Rocky bowed to Shakuni in gratitude, he received a notification granting him 7 days worth of supplies for Riva, giving him a headstart on the quest. Discover hidden stories at mvl


    "Once again¡­. Thank you for your favor Lord, I will never forget it¡­" Rocky said, bowing deeper as Shakuni nodded satisfactorily before departing from Earth.


    "I bless you all¨C" Shakuni said, before withdrawing his divine consciousness, as he left everyone present within the Church with a +50% all stat buff for theing week.


    "Oh my god I can''t believe it! Lord Shakuni blessed me! He blessed me!"


    "I can feel the lord''s strength coursing through my veins ¡­.. this is the greatest day of my life¨C"


    "Thank you, thank you my boy for giving me the chance to witness the grandeur of God Shakuni, even if it was just for a fleeting moment.


    I have no more regrets in my life, I can now die in peace.


    I have no regrets" Pope Cole said, as he, just like all the other clergy, went into absolute meltdown once Shakuni left.


    Although Rocky did not feel as emotional about the great god''s departure as the others did, he did feel genuine gratitude towards Shakuni, as he was under the impression that Shakuni was making a big sacrifice for his sake, when it wasn''t really the case.


    Shakuni, was a very clever and selfish god who put his own interests first, however, being a master maniptor he was able to mask it behind the facade of kindness very well and Rocky had fallen straight into that trap.


    However, with his sister''s medicinal supplies for theing week secured and with him gaining a method to consistently earn a supply, Rocky finally had some rity regarding his immediate future as he understood exactly what he needed to do now, and only needed to n on how to execute it well.


    With Shakuni answering his prayers, he was no longer uncertain about his future or scared about what could be, as although he had not received an easy way out of this mess, he could at least see the light on the other end of the tunnel now, and had a finish line to work towards.


    ''20 weeks¡­.. in 20 weeks time I will cure my sister''s condition permanently.


    I know it will be difficult, but I will make my way to floor40 and in 20 weeks time, I will return Riva to her usual vibrant self that does not need to rely on drugs to keep herself stable.


    It''s the least I can do for her as her brother¡­'' Rocky thought, as he resolved to save Riva at any cost necessary.

 Chapter 254: Heartless Escanor

    ( Perseus''s POV )


    When Perseus finally woke up from his slumber after being knocked out cold, two days had already passed.


    "So you have finally awoken¡­.. brother" A voice entered his ears, as his hatred towards that voice was what jolted him awake.


    *CLANG*


    As he regained his senses and looked around, he realized he was inside a dungeon cell, bound by chains on all limbs.


    Memories of the war against the Elites then shed through his mind, as a cold sweat formed on his forehead.


    "We are¡­." He began to speak, hoping that it was the Elites that had captured him, however, Sophia cut off his hope before he could evenplete his sentence.


    "Yes, We are being held captive by father¨C" she said, as Perseus started to feel weak at his knees, as his entire body began to tremble.


    "You have messed up big-time brother. Father is extremely mad at you.


    I don''t know whether you being knocked out cold when he first saw you is the reason behind why you are still alive or is it the reason behind why you will be tortured even more than usual" Sophia said, as she seemed to have epted her fate in the past two days while Perseus was still out cold.


    As Perseus tilted his head, he saw Sophia being pitifully tied inside the same prison cell as him, with all four of her limbs also being chained together.


    For a moment, his anger towards his sister red as per his usual habit, however, as he noticed her swollen lips and bruised face, somehow his brotherly instincts took over and his anger towards her deted.


    "Did they hit you?" He asked, sounding concerned as although he was scared for his own life, he tried to mask it as best as he could.


    "Why do you care if they hit me or not?" Sophia snapped back, as after the betrayal that Rocky gave her, she no longer trusted anyone.


    "I don''t care. I''m just asking because if they are going to do the same to me, I can be mentally prepared for it¨C" Perseus replied, as Sophia turned silent listening to his reply for a while.


    "Yes¡­. Father hit me. I think he is also hitting mother. I have never seen such a pathetic man in my life ever before.


    He is hurting mom!


    She is his wife, but he is ming her for our failures" Sophia replied, as her voice began to crack and tears started rolling down her cheeks.


    "What? Father is hitting mother?" Perseus asked, sounding surprised as even he had never expected his father to act this way.


    Ever since they were small, Perseus had always known that their father was not emotionally attached to them.


    Although they were his children, he did not love them like other parents did, and instead, saw them as toys he was raising for his own entertainment.


    However, despite being emotionally detached to his family, he was a ss act who treated their mother with utmost respect and care.


    He bought her whatever she wished for and ensured she led a good and healthy life, which was why his abusive behavior now came as such a shock to Perseus.


    Stay connected through mvl


    "How bad are mother''s injuries?" Perseus asked Sophia, when suddenly the heavy metal prison door of the prison opened and their father walked inside the cell.


    *Creek*


    As Perseus looked into the eyes of his godly father, he could feel his control over his dder slipping as he almost peed himself.


    However, using all his remaining willpower, he ensured that the leakage was not more than a couple drops, as he red right back into his father''s eyes.


    "So¡­. It seems that the sleeping beauty has finally awakened¡ª" Escanor said, smiling brightly as he seemed to be extremely happy that Perseus had finally awakened.


    "Since when have you fallen as low as to hit women father? Using fists on your own daughter and wife? That''s low¡­." Perseus said, as he stood up for his mother and Sophia against his father.


    In response to this taunt, Perseus expected Escanor to beat the snot out of him, as he braced for impact, however, to his shock Escanor simply chuckled at thement.


    "You are right... It was undignified of me to hit your mother. However, I felt extremely nauseous when I looked at her face and couldn''t help myself.


    You see, boy, it''s not your failure that irks me, but rather the thought of how you, despite being my flesh and blood, are so ipetent that does.


    At your age, I had single handedly won Floor21 for Olympus without the help of any army.


    Yet you lost it. And lost it quite spectacrly too.


    Initially, I was okay with your failure, however, then I began to think about it some more... and the more I thought about it, the more I felt like perhaps it''s not me who is at fault here, but it is your mother who is.


    She must be the one you get your imperfections and tendencies for failure from, because I''m simply perfect.


    However, her imperfection¡­.. those sadden me quite a lot." Escanor said, as Perseus felt goosebumps run down his spine listening to his father''s narcissistic words.


    "But worry not¡­. For I have removed all her imperfections.


    You see, I loved your mother a lot¡­. She was the most gorgeous mortal I had ever came across and I had a soft corner for her in my heart.


    Lately, I found that soft corner hardening whenever I nced at her face and hence I decided that instead of letting that soft corner inside me die.


    It''s better that I cherish the memory of her perfection forever instead" Escanor said, as he pped his palms twice, to signal to his servants to bring in the object.


    *p*


    *p*


    Upon his signal, his underlings brought in a covered steel te to the prison cell, however, before they even revealed what was inside, both Perseus and Sophia already got a premonition as to what it could be.


    "NOOOO¡ª" Sophia shrieked, while Perseus felt his eyes drop open, as he kept deluding himself that nobody could be this heartless of a monster.


    However, as the servant revealed the decapitated head of their mother within, Perseus felt his worst fearse true, as it was today that he realized just how heartless of a bastard their father really was.

 Chapter 255: Monster

    Presented with the decapitated head of his own mother, Perseus felt an overwhelming surge of despair and fury rise within him as the intense emotions caused his legs to give out from beneath him.


    His mind refused to ept the grisly sight before him, causing him to struggle while breathing as his chest tightened with every passing second.


    Sophia, on the other hand, let out an anguished wail that echoed through the prison, as tears streamed down her bruised face, mixing with the dirt and blood that marred her once beautiful features.


    "Mother¡­ no¡­ this can''t be real¡­" Perseus muttered, his voice barely a whisper, as his body shook uncontrobly.


    He reached out with trembling hands towards the severed head, his fingertips brushing against the cold, lifeless skin, as for a moment he hoped that this was all an illusion, a psychological trick by their father to torture them, however, as his fingers actually touched his mother''s life less skin, it was only then that the reality of her death hit him like a tidal wave, causing him to recoil in horror.


    Meanwhile, Sophia continued to sob uncontrobly, her cries of grief filling the dank, oppressive air of the prison, much to the annoyance of Escanor who stared into her eyes with obvious frustration.


    "Shut up¡­. It''s not so bad. Why must you whine and cry over the life of a worthless mortal?" Escanor asked, as his question made Sophia lose her calm, causing her to snap-back. Enjoy exclusive chapters from mvl


    "Why? Why would you do this?!" she screamed at Escanor, her voice cracking with the weight of her sorrow. "She was your wife! She loved you! How could you?"


    Escanor stood there, an inscrutable smile on his face, as he watched his children break down before him.


    His eyes gleamed with a cold, detached amusement, as if he were observing a particrly interesting piece of theater.


    "Your mother was a wed woman," he said calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Her imperfections were a stain upon our family¡­.. So I did what was necessary to cleanse us of that taint."


    Perseus''s rage red at his father''s callous words, as he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. "You''re a monster," he spat, his voice trembling with barely suppressed fury. "How can you speak of love when you''ve just murdered the woman who bore your children? How can you justify this as necessary?"


    Escanor''s smile widened, as he took a step closer to Perseus, his presence looming over him like a dark shadow. "Love is an illusion, boy," he said, his tone almost mocking. "It''s a weakness that blinds us to the truth. Your mother''s death was not an act of hatred, but a liberation from her own frailty. In death, she is perfect and unchanging."


    He paused, his smile fading into a stern, menacing re. "Now that you have failed me, your fate will be no better than hers, boy, rest assured that I will give you an equally cruel, if not worse death for I would rather live with the memory of your perfection than ept your defeat and weakness.


    You were once a son I could be proud of ¡­. There was a time when I thought you had potential, when I saw strength in you that mirrored my own. Buttely, you have shown signs of weakness, signs of failure. You are no longer the son I believed in." Escanor said, as he seemed genuinely disappointed that Perseus did not be the man that he hoped that he would be.


    Turning his gaze to Sophia, Escanor''s expression hardened even more. "As for you, Sophia, I never truly epted you as my child. Your very existence was a mistake. I tolerated you because you were useful, but now, you are nothing but a burden."


    Without warning, Escanor''s handshed out, pping Sophia across the face with such force that her head snapped to the side. Her sobs intensified, as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Escanor, seemingly incensed by her crying, raised his fist and punched her hard in the face, sending her sprawling to the ground.


    Perseus, filled with a mix of rage and helplessness, struggled against his chains, screaming at his father. "Stop it! Leave her alone! She''s your daughter!"


    Escanor looked down at Sophia, whoy on the ground, trembling and whimpering. "You disgust me," he spat. "Your weakness, your tears¡­ They are pathetic. You are not worthy of my name, of my blood."


    Turning back to Perseus, Escanor''s eyes were filled with cold, ruthless determination.


    "You will learn, both of you, that failure is not tolerated in this family. You will either rise to meet my expectations, or you will be broken. I have no use for weaklings." he said, as he stormed outside of the prison cell, leaving his two kids to drown in the pit of their own despair.


    "Two days¡­. The family meeting is in two days and I will present both of you to the Olympian House in two days and it will be the elders who will decide your fate.


    Consider yourselves lucky that you share my blood which prevents me from killing you out-right like your mother, because without it, the two of you would be long dead" Escanor said, his voice receding as he seemed to be walking down the corridor, but even while leaving, he gave his kids something to fear about, as he knew that the two of them were not going to enjoy a nice fate at the next family meeting where everyone was as ruthless as Escanor, if not more.


    "Why¡­.. Why did I have to be born in this cursed family?


    I do not want demi-god powers, I do not want to be the Champion Of Poseidon, all I want to be is loved and happy, like every other kid is¡­.." Sophia muttered once Escanor was gone, as she seemed to hate everything about herself at this moment, slowly losing her will to live entirely.

 Chapter 256: Kronoss Backstory

    ( Kronos''s POV )


    Kronos had no idea as to why he was hanging out alongside an Orc and a polite spoken human on Earth, however, after the raid on floor 21, he was sweeped alongside them and forced to visit the blue.


    Since he was an orphan and had no real ns to do anything else, he epted being washed alongside the tide and apanied Buhara and Erin to Earth, however, he felt restless doing nothing on Earth as with Rocky busy, the other two did nothing much except hanging around at the True Elites Guild Headquarters.


    "So tell me more about Rocky, why do you both trust him despite him being a Champion Of A God?" Kronos asked Erin and Buhara, as they three sat aimlessly under a tree in the garden of the True Elites Headquarters.


    "Rocky? He was our room-mate and team-mate back at the academy, so our trust in one another was built over time.


    Although he was the Champion Of Gemini and everyone wanted to get close to him, Rocky never associated with others or tried to take advantage of his status.


    He''s very humble, very focused and a good friend who genuinely hopes for your sess¡­..


    That''s pretty much why I trust him" Erin replied, as he talked about Rocky in an almost reverent way, as for him being friends with Rocky was a matter of great pride.


    "And what about you, orc?" Kronos asked, turning towards Buhara, who seemed to be in deep contemtion over this question.


    "Buhara thinks Rocky is a strong human, he could be a good Orc Chieftain.


    From the first time I shook his hand, I noticed how strong his grip was and felt respect.


    Although his hands are tiny, he can easily lift a heavy battle ax¨C


    Also, Buhara wants to be mage, but Rocky did not make fun of him.


    Everyone else looked at Buhara like Buhara is dumb.


    But not Rocky.


    Rocky supported Buhara and Buhara won''t forget that support forever" Buhara said, as although 70% of his reasoning was that Rocky was ''Strong'', it was the other 30% that touched Kronos''s heart.


    "Yeah, that human is different¡­. He''s not evil like the Gods whiches as a shock to me since he shares a connection with an evil God¡­." Kronos said, as he seemed to be fascinated with Rocky''s personality for some reason.


    "Why do you think that the gods are evil? What''s your deal?" Erin asked, as he had noticed the animosity that Kronos held towards the gods, however, had no idea why he hated them so passionately.


    "Well, I hate them because for centuries my kind has been subjugated by the gods. We are a race who have naturally strong vitality.


    Our kind used to live for a thousand years peacefully and had high regeneration abilities, however, then came an evil God who devised a method to harvest our souls to increase his own strength.


    He locked down our from the outside world, preventing all spatial teleportation and locking down everyone''s entry into the Tower Of Ascension.


    But then, that evil God was killed by an Olympian God, but instead of liberating us he too subjugated us for years, using us as breeding rats.


    This cycle continued and over the years there have been 17 total gods who subjugated my kind over the centuries, until my kind became their natural breeding capabilities due to fertility rate falling.


    For some reason, our elders decided to feed all newborn babies a potion which made them impotent for life and this process continued until everyone became impotent, effectively cutting off our bloodline¡ª" Kronos said, as he looked down towards his own donger in regret.


    "Finally, a major coup urred and somehow, I was the one who killed thest  god who was subjugating us and inherited his powers.


    Which is the reason behind why I''m nearly immortal myself, for within me is the stored vitality of hundreds of thousands of souls, which whenbined with my race''s naturally high regeneration abilities, makes me a lethal fighting machine.


    Overall, only 17 men of my kind survived the coup and of them 12 are already dead.


    Since all of us are impotent the future of our race is over, but the 5 of us that live have resolved to spend our remaining life-span fighting against the gods, eliminating them all.


    Because, it doesn''t matter which god, all of them are evil.


    Enjoy new chapters from §Þ??


    Followers of Buddha, Followers of Olympus, Followers of the Dragon God, Followers of Gemini¡­.. There is no major faction whose believer god has not exploited us and while the True Gods have not exploited us directly, I don''t believe that they were oblivious to the acts of their followers.


    So for me, all gods are evil and I want to kill them all, turning them extinct just like my race is going to be" Kronos said, as he shared a very sad backstory without changing his facial expressions at all.


    Erin and Buhara could not have imagined in their wildest dreams that the backstory of Kronos would be so pitiful, however, with how emotionlessly he narrated it, it did not seem like he was too scarred about it.


    It only seemed like an event in his past that he was already emotionally over, however, they still expressed their sympathies over it nheless.


    "Well that sounds horrible, but I now understand why you want to kill all the gods¡­.. it''s quite justified I''d say.


    However, there will always be new gods who are born, because someone or the other will always reach the tier6 realm, so it''s not like you can really kill all the gods¡­." Erin said, as Kronos scratched his head and shrugged his shoulders.


    He knew his dream was unrealistic, however, for now killing all gods was his only goal and although it was impossible, he was dead-set on achieving it.


    "It doesn''t matter if my goal is impossible to achieve¡­. My current vitality allows me to live for hundreds of thousands of years and for as long as I live, I will keep hunting evil gods¡­" Kronos said as he made his ambitions clear for Erin and Buhara to understand.

 Chapter 257: A new team member

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    After returning from the church, Rocky went straight to the True Elites Guild to hand over this week''s medicine for Riva to Amelia.


    Since Riva was currently in a very vulnerable state, Rocky only trusted Amelia to take care of her in his absence and since he was going to be forced to go-out and participate in floor raids often from now on, Rocky understood that this was going to be a frequent urrence.


    "Don''t worry Rocky, of course I''ll take care of Riva when you are not around. She is a part of this guild and hence like family to me.


    Trust me when I say that I won''t let anything bad happen to her¨C" Amelia reassured Rocky, much to his relief and gratitude.


    Next, Rocky returned to his apartment tofort Riva and inform her about his absence from home for the next few days.


    Internally, Rocky felt extremely anxious to have this conversation, as he was not sure how Riva would react to it, however, when he sat down beside her and exined the situation to her, she was surprisingly very supportive of it.


    "God Shakuni has been very merciful and understanding of our situation¡­. Riva. He has promised to cure your condition, but it will need me to run some errands for him.


    They are nothing dangerous, but it will force me to only visit home once a week¡­ So you will be on your own more" Rocky exined, as Riva nodded her head supportively.


    "If it''s not dangerous and there is a way to cure me of this¡­.. this horrendous disease then please help me brother. Experience new tales on §Þ??


    You are the only one I can rely on" Riva said with a hopeful smile on her face as she seemed to haveplete faith in Rocky to help here out of this mess.


    "Don''t worry about me at home. I''m adjusting well to this new environment. It''s pretty nicepared to my prison and at least here I can sleep on afortable bed and take a dump with dignity.


    If I need anything, I can always call Amelia, so I think I''ll be okay, brother" Riva said, as her words made Rocky sigh in relief.


    "Alright then, take care of yourself, I''ll be back as soon as I can¨C" Rocky said, as he hugged Riva for a warm goodbye and resolved to do whatever it took to cure her.


    *********


    Rocky''s final stop on Earth was the True Elites Guild, where he exined the entire situation to Erin and Buhara about how the God Shakuni had given him a mission to climb one floor every week, from here up-till floor 40, to get weekly supplies for her sister.


    Rocky half-expected Erin to feel nervous about this information, however, he was rtively unfazed by it.


    Speed-running through the tower was dangerous and they were taught explicitly in the academy to not try something this insane, however, despite knowing the dangers, both Erin and Buhara seemed to be on-board with the idea.


    "Sir Rocky, I knew the dangers of joining the Champion''s Party when I joined your crew, so there is no way I will chicken out now.


    As you know, I''m from the Church Of Vanity and for us, fame is a big-deal.


    While just being inside your Champion''s party is sure to make me famous throughout the cosmos, I think speed-running the tower with you is bound to make me even more famous.


    So I just want to thank you for the opportunity" Erin said, as Rocky was quite shocked to hear his perspective.


    "Buhara wille too¡­ the two of you alone will die. But strong Buhara can protect you¨C" Buhara said, as he seemed to be worried that without him Rocky and Erin could die and he did not want such a fate for his friends.


    "Well, I''m in too¨C" said Kronos, as although Rocky had not yet officially invited him to the group, somehow Kronos seemed to be wanting in on the team, despite knowing the dangers.


    "Are you sure?" Rocky asked, as he remembered God Shakuni''s advice to recruit him into his party.


    If Kronos had not volunteered, Rocky nned on persuading him anyways, however, him wanting in of his own volition was always better.


    "Yeah, my end-goal is to kill as many gods as I can and for that to happen, I need to grow much stronger myself.


    Since you guys are nning to speed-run the tower, I see it as a fast ticket to getting more powerful, so I want in" Kronos said, shrugging his shoulders as he thought that he had made a solid pitch.


    ncing towards Erin and Buhara, Rocky tried to make sure that those two did not have a problem with Kronos joining the team, and since both of them agreed to letting him join, Rocky too extended his hand and weed Kronos to the group.


    "Wee to the team then¡­" Rocky said, as Kronos shook his hand firmly.


    "Just know that someday I n to kill all-gods, including the one who you serve¡­..I hope that won''t be an issue" Kronos said, looking squarely into Rocky''s eyes as Rocky snorted in response.


    "If you can really kill a True God then good-luck trying.


    From the two gods I serve, one literally controls the fate of billions of mortals like you and the other is the God Of War.


    And I wish you the best of luck in trying to kill either" Rocky said sarcastically, as he dismissed Kronos''s ambitions as absurd.


    "But what if someday I do wish to go against the Gemini Gods?" Kronos asked, gripping Rocky''s hand harder, as at this moment even Rocky turned serious.


    "Alright, if someday you are strong enough to take them on¡­then I promise to note in your way or oppose you" Rocky said, as with this promise he sealed their alliance forever.


    ¡ª---


    /// A/N - My sincerest apologies for the chapter beingter than usual today.


    My wrist pain was worse than usual today ///

 Chapter 258: Floor 22

    Since Rocky had helped capture Floor 21 in an official floor raid, the Tower Of Ascension likened it to him clearing the floor, allowing him and his team to proceed to Floor 22, as all of them had contributed fairly to the previous war.


    As per Principal Liam''s teachings, Rocky arrived on floor 22 with full pre-preparations to ensure that he and his team had maximum chances of survival.


    Stocked up on weapons, potions, utilities and rations, Rocky ensured that the team had everything necessary to clear the Floor-Raid, before setting foot on floor 22.


    [ "Do you wish to take this floor test as a team or as individuals?" ]


    The floor administrator asked the group when they arrived on the floor, as Rocky replied "Team" to convey their decision.


    [ "Do you wish to take part in a dungeon clearing mission or in a administrator assigned mission?" ]


    The floor administrator asked, as he gave the same two options to Rocky and crew as he gave to any other group attempting a floor test.


    [ "We will take on the dungeon clearing mission" ] Rocky replied as per his discussion with Erin and Buhara before they started this raid.


    There were 3 dungeons on floor 22 and the trio had studied about all three of those dungeons in depth within the academy. Find more to read at §Þ??


    They knew all the monsters found within these dungeons, their weaknesses and had purchased the dungeon maps in advance which would help them navigate its treacherous paths easily.


    Hence, having prepared everything in advance, Rocky replied confidently, as the Floor Administrator tasked his group on clearing the dungeon ''Labyrinth of Whispers''.


    The Labyrinth of Whispers was renowned for its intricate mazes and the eerie creatures that inhabited it, known as ''Whisperlings''.


    These creatures were neither undead nor powerful beasts but were entities formed from the collective fears and secrets of climbers who had failed in thebyrinth.


    They thrived on psychological maniption, using illusions and mental attacks to disorient their prey and had no major weaknesses except a physical core which was hard to reach.


    Thebyrinth itself was divided into three main sections, each guarded by a powerful boss.


    To reach the final chamber andplete the dungeon, the team had to defeat each boss and navigate the treacherous paths connecting them.


    The very first boss roomy at the end of a series of winding corridors filled with minor Whisperlings and it was easy to get lost in thebyrinth of corridors itself without a map, however, Rocky and crew did not face this issue since they already had theyout of the dungeon mapped out.


    Thanks to their pre-preparation, the team made smooth progress through the initial passages with their prior knowledge and strategies helping them easily dispatch the minor whisperlings and avoiding traps.


    After a couple hours of careful navigation, they arrived at the entrance to the first boss room which was their first big challenge within this dungeon.


    The first boss was known as ''The Whispering Shade''


    This creature was a massive, shadowy entity that could split into multiple smaller shades to confuse and overwhelm its opponents.


    It fed on fear and doubt, bing stronger the more its enemies sumbed to these emotions. However, it had a crucial weakness: light-based attacks which could disrupt its form and force it to revert to its true, vulnerable state.


    Like a true leader, before entering the boss room, Rocky turned to his team and began issuing instructions on how they were going to tackle the boss fight.


    "Alright, listen up. The Whispering Shade is tricky, but we can handle it.


    Erin, you will focus on casting light-based spells to disrupt its form, if we are to defeat the monster we need to expose its core which is only possible through exposing it to bright light which only you can cast.


    Buhara, you''ll provide heavy firepower and keep the smaller shades at bay, in-case that bastard splits into smaller parts, you will make sure that none reach Erin.


    Kronos, you will be the Vanguard, leading from the front with me behind you. Use your regenerative abilities to draw its attacks and clear a path for me so that I can close in and deal the killing blow.


    Let''s keep our heads about ourselves and work together, this boss fight should not be too hard for us¨C." Rocky said, as heid out the fight n.


    Listening to his n, Erin nodded, his mage staff already glowing with preparation. "Got it, Sir Rocky. I''ll make sure to keep the light constant."


    Buhara grinned, his hands crackling with arcane energy. "Buhara will st those shades to bits."


    Kronos simply hefted his sword and nodded, ready to face the challenge.


    ******


    As the crew entered the boss room, the atmosphere instantly became oppressive as the door closed behind them.


    The room was dark, the only lighting from the eerie, glowing runes on the walls as in the center stood The Whispering Shade, its form shifting and indistinct, with whispers emanating from it like a dark chant.


    "Now!" Rocky shouted as Erin immediately cast a powerful light spell, bathing the room in a bright glow.


    The Whispering Shade let out a screech as its form wavered, revealing a core of swirling darkness.


    "Attack the core!" Rockymanded, charging forward with his dual swords as Kronos charged ahead of him.


    *SCREECH*


    The massive shade broke away from its massive form under the threat, disintegrating into hundreds of thousands of small ghost-like shades which swirled towards Erin whose staff was the source of light.


    "Come!" Buhara said as he unleashed a barrage of explosive spells, each st lighting up the room and causing the smaller shades to disintegrate.


    The Whispering Shade recoiled from the light, its form constantly shifting to avoid the attacks, yet Erin kept the light spells going, forcing the creature to remain in its vulnerable state.


    Kronos took several hits from the smaller shades, but his regenerative abilities quickly healed the wounds, allowing him to keep fighting without pause, as he carved open a path for Rocky, leading him closer and closer to the creature''s main core.


    "Keep it up!" Rocky encouraged from behind him, as he could see victory being within his grasp.


    [ Fire sh ]


    Using one of his sword abilities, Rocky unleashed a powerful Fire-sh on the creature''s core, as he ended the battle with one decisive strike.


    As the echoes of the battle faded, the room was left in an eerie silence, allowing Rocky to take a deep breath and sheathe his swords.


    "Well done, everyone. One down, two to go. Let''s keep moving," he said, as he seemed to be in a hurry to end this dungeon raid, continuing the momentum while itsted.


    "You guys are pretty efficient together. I''ve never seen a strategy that worked before¨C" Kronosmented, as although he had been a part of many wars before, he had never seen a n that went down exactly how the leader nned it to be.


    "Haha, wee to our team¡ª" Erin said, grinning from ear to ear as he too was happy that their strategy worked out well.


    However, unfortunately for them, While the dungeon run so far had been smooth, starting from the corridorsing next, ''Vorithra Sylithen'' was about to kick in, plunging them into uncharted territory.

 Chapter 259: Unexpected Turn Of Events

    As the team stepped out of the first boss room, their breaths still heavy from the fight with The Whispering Shade, they consulted their dungeon map once more, to study the path from here to the next boss room.


    As they studied the path ahead, it seemed pretty straightforward overall with there being minimal turns and monster fights until the next boss room.


    "Let''s keep our momentum going, at this pace we can reach the next boss room in under an hour, " Rocky said, taking the lead as Erin, Buhara, and Kronos followed closely, their eyes scanning the dark corridors illuminated only by Erin''s staff.


    The group moved cautiously, navigating the winding corridors with the confidence born of thorough preparation. However, after several minutes, as they reached a turning point where the map indicated a clear path straight ahead. Instead, they faced a solid wall, a dead end that shouldn''t have been there.


    "This... shouldn''t be," Erin muttered, studying the map they had pre-prepared and followed up till now with a furrowed brow.


    "ording to this, the path continues straight ahead¨C" he said, sounding confused as for a moment he wondered if he was reading the map in the wrong orientation as he tried flipping it a few times.


    "Maybe we missed a turn?" Kronos suggested, though his uncertainty was clear by the tone of his voice.


    "No, we''ve followed the map exactly." Rocky said, shaking his head, as he nced back to look at the corridor they had juste from, only to be surprised that the corridor they had just walked through had disappeared.


    Continue reading on §Þ??


    "It''s gone¡­." Rocky said, looking backwards, as his words prompted the rest of his crew to turn, only to see that the path they had juste from had vanished, and was now reced by another solid wall, trapping them in a room with no visible exits.


    "This doesn''t make sense," Kronos said, his voice low but tense.


    "We did not see any mechanisms or traps that could do this," he added, reminding everyone that it was highly unlikely that they had fallen into a trap.


    Rocky clenched his fists, his mind racing, as he thought of the possible reasons that could have led them towards making a mistake.


    "Everyone, stay calm. We need to figure out what''s going on. Thisbyrinth is known for psychological tricks. Maybe this is just one of them." He suggested, however, deep down in his heart he knew that it was unlikely that this was some mere psychological trick.


    However, to verify his theory, he instructed Buhara to shoot at the wall behind them, to see if it were real or an illusion, however, when Buhara did, his attack hit the solid wall and created a crater within it, showing that the wall waspletely solid and not even a thin structure.


    "It''s like thebyrinth itself is... shifting around us, it''syout changing in real time¨C" Erin suggested, as although from within the room the group could not really feel the movement of the entirebyrinth, it was the only theory that made sense in Erin''s mind that could have lead to theyout changing suddenly.


    But before they could discuss further, the air around them shimmered and dark, shadowy forms began to materialize.


    Soon, the room filled with the low, eerie whispers that gave thebyrinth its name.


    "Monsters!" Buhara growled, readying his spells. "They''re spawning right in front of us¨C" he warned as everyone immediately got into battle positions.


    "We can take them down, they are the same half-lings we have been fighting all through the dungeon¨C" Rocky said, as he led the charge against the monsters from the front.


    The fight was intense but straightforward. The team had faced these types of creatures before and knew their weaknesses.


    Erin''s light spells cut through the shadows, Buhara''s explosive attacks kept them at bay, while Kronos'' regenerative abilities allowed him to hold the front line.


    Rocky darted through the fray, his dual swords striking down the Whisperlings one by one.


    However, no matter how many they defeated, more kept appearing as the room seemed to pulse with an endless supply of enemies, each one emerging from the darkness to rece thest.


    "This is pointless," Erin shouted, frustration seeping into his voice when even after 20 minutes of non-stop fighting the number of enemies did not reduce at all, however their stamina and mana reserves did.


    "We can''t keep this up forever!" Heined further, as he urged Rocky to find some immediate solution.


    What Rocky did not know however, was that this was the phenomenon of ''Vorithra Sylithen'' that was creating unexpected problems for him.


    Compared to normal people, Champion''s had a harder time ascending the tower byw and hence whenever a Champion''s party attempted a floor test, they were bound to be thrown into scenarios where the chances of the entire team surviving were minimal.


    It was not that Erin had read the map wrong or that the team had taken a careless wrong turn on their way here.


    It was just that the ''Vorithra Sylithen'' disruption factor plunged them into this chaos¡­. A chaos where death of one member was the only way the room''s exit was ever programmed to open.


    To make matters worse, just when Rocky desperately looked for solutions to get out of this ce, scanning every nook and cranny of the room to find any traces of a release mechanism, the room suddenly started to shrink in size.


    *GRRR*


    Slowly but surely, the walls started to close in from all sides, making the area avable to the group to fight against the monsters, smaller and smaller with each passing second.


    "We need to hurry. If the room bes too small and the monsters keep spawning then we won''t be able to take so many on" Buhara said, panic now evident in his voice, as for the first time in this dungeon run, he genuinely felt the fear of losing his life.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 260: Unconventional Triumph

    "We need to hurry. If the room bes too small and the monsters keep spawning then we won''t be able to take so many on," Buhara said, panic evident in his voice, as for the first time in this dungeon run, he genuinely felt the fear of losing his life.


    Rocky''s mind raced. He realized that this was no ordinarybyrinth.


    The walls closing in, the endless waves of monsters attacking them, it all felt like a death trap with no escape.


    The situation was dire, and Rocky understood that he needed a n ¨C and that too fast.


    Looking around, the only notable feature of the room that stood out to him was the area of the wall that Buhara had attacked earlier which now looked like a small creator, as in the entire room, it was the only part which stood out from the rest.


    ''Just how deep can the wall be? If we keep attacking the same area constantly, just how deep can it really be?'' Rocky wondered, as for a second he hoped that if they attacked the same wall constantly it would perhaps break, however,ter his thoughts evolved to a secondary n.


    "Everyone, listen up!" Rocky called out, his voice loud andmanding as he came up with a risky solution.


    "We are going to focus our attacks on the wall Buhara hit earlier. We will carve out a space inside it, just enough for us to fit  and once we are inside, Erin, you cast a barrier to block the monsters.


    Once the walls all close in, all the monsters will be dead, whereas we''ll be safe inside the cave we carve" Rocky suggested, as he provided an unconventional solution to their predicament.


    His n was to keep hammering the same area in the wall until either one of two things happened.


    1)If the wall is not deep enough then it would crumple leading to an exit.


    2)If the wall is deep enough, it will amodate the group in a tight space, which can be sealed offter by Erin using a barrier spell.


    In situation number two, Rocky hoped that once the walls all fully close in, the monsters would all be crushed to death and the room would recedeter, however, even if the room did not go back to its original size, the group could then continue digging their path deeper into the wall until it eventually broke, as Rocky refused to believe that it was infinitely deep.


    "Alright, Kronos, you have infinite regeneration, so you will have to pick up the ck for the group temporarily.


    No matter what happens, don''t let a single monster hit Erin or disturb us.


    Erin, you keep the illumination up and start preparing to cast your strongest defensive barrier spell.


    Meanwhile Buhara¡ª, you and I will carve out the crater.


    Let''s go!" Rocky ordered, as Kronos charged into the fray, taking the brunt of the attacks.


    Kronos fought with relentless energy, his regenerative abilities allowing him to withstand the onught of monsters.


    He swung his weapon with brutal efficiency, keeping the creatures at bay while Erin unleashed light spells to support him, each attack creating a brief respite in the relentless assault.


    Meanwhile, Rocky and Buhara focused theirbined strength on the wall.


    Buhara used powerful AOE spells, each hit deepening the crater, while Rocky alternated between striking the wall and retreating as he did not wish to be caught in one of Buhara''s attack.


    "Keep going, we''re making progress!" Rocky shouted, as the room kept shrinking, as the situation grew more and more dire with each passing moment.


    *Kaboom*


    *Boom*


    *sh*


    *sh*


    Buhara''s blows were like thunder, shaking the very foundation of the wall, while Rocky''s precise strikes targeted weak points, elerating the process.


    Despite the dire situation, the team moved like a well-oiled machine, each member ying their part perfectly.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the crater was deep enough to fit the entire team, as the room had now shrunk to a very small size akin to a small bathroom.


    "Everyone, inside now!" Rocky ordered, as Buhara, the massive nine-foot-tall orc, squeezed into the cramped space first, folding his bulk as much as possible, with Kronos, Erin and Rocky followingter.


    "Erin, now!" Rockymanded, as once everyone was inside, Erin immediately cast the barrier spell sealing the entrance of the crater.


    *Swoosh*


    The barrier shimmered, holding back the monsters that now threw themselves against it with renewed ferocity, while the room continued to shrink, the walls pressing closer with each passing second.


    Inside the small space, the team huddled together, their breaths shallow, as soon the wallspacted to a point where the monsters started to squeeze against each other and die.


    *St*


    *St*


    The sounds of monsters being crushed against Erin''s barrier and the walls closing in filled the air, as despite the intense pressure, Erin''s barrier held firm, keeping the team safe.


    Seconds passed, feeling like hours, as the room continued to shrink.


    The monsters'' attacks on the barrier grew weaker, their numbers dwindling as they were crushed by the relentless closing walls, until finally, with a final, bone-crunching sound, the room had shrunk to its limit.


    The walls stopped, then slowly began to retract, with the barrier holding until the very end, protecting the team from the crushing forces.


    As the walls moved back, revealing a new pathway, Erin let the barrier dissipate, clearly exhausted but triumphant.


    "We survived!" Kronos said, sounding clearly surprised as the method they had chosen to survive the room was really unconventional and not something 99/100 adventurer groups could think of.


    "Haha, it''s all thanks to Erin¨C" Rocky said, passing all the credit to his team member who had indeed performed extraordinarily under duress.


    Little did anyone know however, that they were not supposed toe out of this challenge alive.


    The room was programmed to shrink until its limits, crushing everything within or until one team member died.


    What Rocky thought of was a loophole in the system and not the right way to pass this stage, however, for now, the team had somehow passed this stage without any member dying.

 Chapter 261: The second Boss Room

    For a while after the group escaped the room of death, the dungeon returned to some semnce of normalcy.


    No longer did it randomly throw them into death traps, nor did it infinitely try and spawn monsters to kill them.


    However, with their previous map rendered useless, the group was now forced to stumble their way through the dungeon without having fixed directions as they tried to look for the second boss room.


    "Buhara does not like this dungeon," Buhara grumbled, his heavy footsteps echoing in the corridor.


    "Buhara thinks we are lost." Buharained, as everytime the group came at a cross-section, they turned based on instinct and not based on a n, which resulted in them walking for hours without finding the boss room.


    Kronos chuckled, pping Buhara on the back. "Don''t worry, big guy. It''s just like finding a woman''s G spot using our fingers¨C we''re wandering around in the dark now, but we will find our way eventually."


    "Buhara does not finger women, that seems unhygienic" the Orc replied, shaking his head in confusion.


    "Buhara uses his donger, after wiping the piss¨C" Buhara said, as his words caused Rocky to almost wheeze withughter.


    Rocky missed the logic of how his fingers were unsanitary but his urine dripping donger was not, but he did not bring it up and just pped Buhara on the back instead.


    "Makes sense, big guy¨C" Rocky said, as he calmed Buhara down andforted him to carry on for a few more hours.


    Unfortunately, however, even after a couple hours had passed, the group did not seem to find the second boss room as they kept walking in what seemed to be circles.


    Erin, walking beside Rocky, kept his eyes down. "Sir Rocky, do you think we''ll find the right path soon?" He asked, his voice timid, as based on his nature he did not wish to project dissent, however, he was getting tired from the constant walking.


    Rocky, however remained stoic, his gaze fixed ahead, as he said "We will. Stay alert and follow closely."


    And somehow, his words did prove to be correct, as soon they found a cross-road from where they had turned left previously, and since it led them nowhere, the group decided to turn right this time, leading them to unchartered territory.


    As they continued, Buhara seemed to step on a pressure te in the very next corridor, causing a series of clicks to echo through the hall before spears shot out from within.


    *Shua*


    *Shua*


    *Shua*


    "Get down! It''s a trap" Rocky ordered, as he unsheathed his sword and tried to block a couple spears, however, with over a dozen spears being shot overall, there were many that passed by him towards the others.


    It was at this moment, that Kronos moved swiftly, shielding the group with his body as the spears pierced him instead of Erin and Buhara, piercing three massive holes in his torso.


    "Oh hell¨C" Kronos cursed, falling to his knees, as he winced in pain from being pierced thrice.


    Had he been a normal man, these injuries would have killed him, however, with his immortality it was nothing too serious.


    "Buhara will help," Buhara said, as he began pulling the spears out one by one.


    From the side, Rocky nodded in appreciation, as although he was unaware about Kronos''s character before this dungeon run, as time passed he seemed to get to know the man better and better.


    His act of selflessly getting himself pierced for the sake of his team''s safety was undoubtedly a noble deed and Rocky appreciated his attitude.


    "You look like a skewer¨C" Rocky joked, as although he meant topliment the guy, he could onlye up with sarcasm.


    "Just call me a living dartboard." Kronos said, groaning theatrically as Buhara removed the spears embedded in his body.


    Erin, concerned, asked, "Are you alright, Kronos?"


    "Only hurts when I breathe," Kronos replied with a grin, his wounds healing rapidly thanks to his regenerative abilities.


    "Buhara thinks Kronos should avoid sharp objects," Buhara said, shaking his head as he tossed thest spear aside.


    The group''sughter lightened the tense atmosphere as they continued their journey.


    Thankfully, only a few minutester, they stumbled upon arge, ornate door ¨C which ording to their studies was unmistakably the entrance to the second boss room.


    "Finally," Rocky said, examining the door, as he sat down on the wall beside it trying to catch his breath.


    "Listen up. We rest here till we are back in our prime condition to fight" Rocky said, as he finally allowed the group some much needed rest after what was hours of walking non-stop.


    " Based on our knowledge, the monster inside should be a Phantasmal Wraith. It uses illusions and shadows to attack but it''s nothing we can''t handle.


    Once we go inside, Erin, you will focus on keeping us buffed and providing light.


    Buhara, use your spells from a distance to support and disrupt its attacks.


    Kronos and I will handle the frontline.


    However , while this strategy should work for the wraith, we can''t be sure that it will be the creature within.


    This dungeon has surprised us once and we will be fools if we continue to rely on our past knowledge, so be prepared for anything" Rocky said, as he instructed the group to be on the lookout for any challenge and remain flexible to take-up new roles.


    "Understood, Sir Rocky," Erin said, nodding.


    "Buhara is ready," the Orc added, flexing his muscles.


    "Let''s do this." Kronos said, grinning, as with his response, Rocky received the acknowledgement of his entire team.


    Once everyone had recovered, Rocky pushed open the door cautiously.


    *Prrrrr*


    Inside, the room was vast and dimly lit, with eerie, glowing runes on the walls, just as how the dungeon guide had described the second boss room to be.


    As they stepped in, the Phantasmal Wraith appeared, just as Rocky had predicted, giving the team the assurance that the previous n was perfect.


    "Stick to the n," Rocky ordered, as the team sprung into action.


    The Wraith, was the first to attack with its form shifting and creating multiple illusions.


    To counter it, Erin cast a light spell, flooding the room with illumination to weaken the shadows, which he followed up with a series of buff spells, enhancing the team''s speed, strength, and resilience.


    "Buhara disrupts!" Buhara shouted,unching powerful arcane sts from a distance to destabilize the Wraith''s form. The creature howled, its illusions flickering under thebined assault.


    Kronos charged forward, his regenerative abilities allowing him to take risks, while Rocky moved with precision, his dual swords slicing through the illusions to strike the true Wraith.


    The Wraith''s shadowy tendrilsshed out, but Erin''s light kept them at bay, and Buhara''s spells forced the creature to maintain its physical form. Kronos took several hits, but his body healed almost instantly, allowing him to press the attack.


    Rocky identified the Wraith''s core, a swirling mass of darkness at its center. "Focus on the core!" he shouted.


    Buhara channeled his energy into a powerful spell, sending a concentrated beam of arcane energy at the core. The Wraith shrieked, its form unraveling as the beam connected.


    With the Wraith momentarily destabilized, Rocky and Kronos delivered a series of coordinated strikes. Rocky''s des pierced the core, while Kronos''s sword shattered itpletely.


    The Wraith let out a final, haunting wail before dissipating into nothingness, the room returning to silence, revealing the existence of a new-pathway.

 Chapter 262: Foiled Plans

    ( Meanwhile, Sophia and Perseus )


    Thest two days felt like two years for the brother and sister duo, while they were stuck inside the Olympian Dungeon.


    Having witnessed the true cruelty that their father was capable of, their time in istion was not bearable at all.


    On one hand they lived in constant fear, knowing that they would soon be dragged out of this prison and presented to the Olympian council¡­. A future which scared the duo to their core.


    However, on the other hand, after witnessing the decapitated head of their own mother being brought up-to them, apart from the fear, they also felt some genuine anger towards their father, however, they had nowhere to vent those feelings.


    Suspended in the air by heavy chains, unable to move or speak, Sophia and Perseus were left to the mercy of their own minds.


    The mix of anger and fear that they felt towards their own fate and their own inability to avenge their mother made every moment an exercise in torment.


    Isted alone, their minds raced with thoughts of vengeance, terror, and despair, as it yed out countless scenarios of what awaited them, however, the inability to act on their emotions only heightened their anxiety, as rather than actually experiencing their worst nightmare, it was the psychological build-up towards it that terrified and exhausted them more.


    Every creak of the dungeon, every distant footstep, set their hearts pounding with the dread that someone wasing to drag them to their fate of being presented to the mocking Olympian Council, however, nobody did.


    Their heart-rates went up and came back down, however, time did not seem to pass, as no matter how long they waited, in the end nobody came to get them.


    The istion and helplessness made it impossible to tell how long they had been there, as their minds spiraled into overdrive, imagining horrors both real and unreal, until finally someone came to drag them out of their cells.


    "Come! Come you rutts! Judgment day hase for your trash¨C" An Olympian soldier said, as he dragged both Sophia and Perseus d in chains out of their cell, leading them through the cold prison aisles to an unknown destination.


    **********


    Escanor was not happy at all that Rocky had not showed up on his door-step in the past two days.


    As per his n, he wanted to walk into the Olympian Council meeting saying that although his son had lost the floor, he through his solo genius had managed to salvage the situation and turn Rocky Yadav the champion of Gemini into his personal ve, however, for some reason that future did not seem to have manifest.


    Experience new stories on NovelBin.C?m


    His air-tight n of having Rocky Yadav crawl back to him for his sister¡¯s medicine seemed to have failed, as even after 72 hours having passed of him presumably running out of medicine to give his sister, he had still not shown up to beg for help.


    "Did I miscalcte?" Escanor wondered, stroking his chin as he felt quite sure that the True Elites Guild should not have the capability of replicating his form that easily.


    Even if they secured help from a master alchemist, it was impossible for even a master to decode the form to make the medicine without spending 6 months into research and even then some of the herbs needed to make it were only avable on Olympus controlled territories and not avable formon masses to purchase, making duplication of the form impossible.


    "Could it be that they have found an alternative medicine?" Escanor wondered for a moment, before quickly rejecting that theory as well, as he knew that the poison that he had been feeding Riva had no other substitute medicine to it.


    He had systematically destroyed all the chemical regtors in her body and without the blue medicine of the exact dosage needed to have her body function normally, she would die even if she was given the same blue medicine in a slightly wrong dose range.


    Such effects were impossible to recreate and hence the theory that an alternative medicine existed, was rejected by Escanor.


    "Has he abandoned her then?" Escanor wondered, as he could imagine a future where instead of letting his sister suffer, Rocky took a de to her neck to end it all, however, judging by his character, Escanor did not think that Rocky had the balls to make that move.


    In his evaluation of the boy, Escanor judged him to be a family man and an emotional fool, who was willing to go to any depths to save his sister.


    Because if he were not one, he would never take the risk of personally entering the underground prison structure where his sister was held hostage and never risk his own life to save her.


    Him going above and beyond his means to save his sister was the undeniable proof that he cared too much for her to let her die, and hence Escanor rejected this theory too, leaving him with only one possible exnation for Rocky not having shown up.


    "Shakuni¡­.." Escanor murmured with visible hatred in his voice, as he could feel the vision of the True God fall on his tiny body when he uttered his name.


    For a moment, his body got covered in sweat as he could not withstand the great god¡¯s aura, before returning back to normal as Shakuni was forced to avert his gaze due to thews of the tower.


    Of all the gods inside the tower, Escanor hated Shakuni the most.


    In his opinion, without that cunning fate maniptor, Olympus would already be the only dominating power within the tower, as without his guidance, Escanor did not take his brother the war god Ravan too seriously on his own.


    "So you foil my schemes once again¡­." Escanor said, letting out a deep sigh as he epted the fate of his scheme being foiled by Shakuni, as he geared up for the uing Olympian Council meeting, without having anything to show for his ipetence.

 Chapter 263: The Olympian Council

    ( The Olympian Council )


    Perseus and Sophia were dragged by their chains into the Olympian Council room, a grand hall meant to embody the essence of familial safety and security.


    When the concept of the Olympian council was first introduced, it was created to ensure that the bloodlines of the three True Gods did not fight amongst each other and that the familiarity between them remained constant through periodic contact.


    In a way, this council was the backbone of all Olympian operations, as with the True Gods aloof from the business of the lower floors, it was this Olympian Council headed by the tier8 monarchs, which truly controlled the operations of Olympus on floor 80 and under.


    However, while the Olympian Council was supposed to embody the essence of familial safety and security and was supposed to be a ce where the bloodline of the three gods came together to share their sess and failures, as Perseus and Sophia were hauled inside, the reality was a stark contrast to this ideal as the council room was an arena of extreme cruelty, where not a single person offered them even a glimmer of sympathy.


    *m*


    Dragged by their chains and forced on their knees, Perseus and Sophia were forced to kneel before the entire room.


    As Sophia slowly looked up, the first thing she saw was the image of the five monarchs sitting side by side on the far end of the room.


    Since the True Gods, such as Zeus and Poseidon, could not descend to attend mortal affairs, the current council was headed by tyrant monarchs like Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Ares, the executioner.


    As Sophia looked at them, she immediately felt goosebumps running all over her body, as the monarchs were beings whose mere presence could extinguish the lives of tens of thousands of mortals without effort.


    Their auras radiated an overwhelming power that caused the very air to hum with tension, and no mortal could gaze upon them for long without feeling light headed.


    Currently, the five gods leading the Olympian council were :-


    Athena, Ares, Dionysus, Artemis and Apollo.


    However, even amongst them five, it was Athena the wise and Ares the executioner, who were the most important voices in the room.


    Athena, the gray haired goddess, sat in the center seat with an air of serene authority, her gaze sharp and unyielding, reflecting the wisdom and strategic brilliance she was revered for.


    While Ares the red haired menace, exuding an aura of raw strength and unrelenting ferocity, which embodied the spirit of a true warrior.


    Their presence alonemanded respect and instilled a deep-seated fear in all who stood before them.


    Beside these monarchs were the elders of the Olympian world, the Tier 7 strongmen who upheld the council¡¯s decrees.


    Figures such as Hephaestus, the master of fire and forge, and Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, sat in this section with solemn dignity. Theirbined presence added ayer of gravitas and severity to the proceedings.


    Beside them, stood the tier6 gods, the true work-houses of the Olympian world, who were the gods to whom important missions were entrusted to.


    It was in this section that Escanor stood, enduring the jeers and taunts directed at his bloodline.


    Faces twisted in derision and voicesced with contempt tried to get under his skin to elicit a reaction, yet he bore the humiliation with a straight face, his resolve unshaken by the scorn of his peers as he did not give them the satisfaction of showing a weak front.


    Finally, Beyond the Tier 6 area for the gods, the mortals gathered, including the halflings and the most dedicated supporters of the Olympian cause.


    It was in this section that themon cousins, half-cousins, and step-cousins of Sophia and Perseus were all present, their collective gaze heavy with judgment, as they looked at their brother and sister who were standing proudly beside them until thest Olympian Council meeting, but were now chained in disgrace.


    The overall atmosphere was oppressive, filled with a mix of reverence and dread, and most definitely devoid of anypassion or kindness, as to Sophia and Perseus it felt like a council full of people gathered to mock them, rather than a council full of family members.


    As Sophia and Perseus stood chained before the council, they could feel the oppressive weight of their judgmental eyes fall on their shoulders.


    The grand hall, with its intricate carvings and majestic columns, seemed like a cavern of despair to them, with every inch of the room echoing with an unspokenmand for submission.


    Read new chapters at NovelBin.C?m


    With the brutal hierarchy of Olympus on full disy, where power was absolute, and failure was met with unrelenting punishment, Perseus already knew that begging for mercy was pointless, and hence he had already decided to go out with his honor intact, as if he was sure to die in the most gruesome way possible, he wanted to at least make his final moments worth remembering.


    "Silence¡­."


    A voice soon boomed across the room, as once everyone had arrived Athena spoke with absolute authority, her powerful voice reverberating throughout the room, cutting over all the internal chatter.


    "Since everyone has arrived, we will now convene this bi-annual council meeting¡­." Athena said, as the mortals immediately bowed in respect towards the great goddess, showing their reverence for her words.


    "The first topic of discussion is the loss of Olympian control over floor21. .


    As you must all know, we have recently lost the rights to manage floor 21 and it has now fallen into enemy hands, with the factions loyal to the Gemini Gods now managing it¡­.." Athena said in an emotionless voice, as listening to her words nobody could estimate the extent of anger that she hid behind them.


    "Floor21 is the first floor that is possible to control in the tower of ascension and although there are no valuable resources on thatnd, controlling it sends a message to all climbers that the faction holding it is one of the strongest within the tower.


    The loss of reputation from having lost is immense, and the floor master responsible for this defeat and his guardian, must take responsibility for the loss of face for the family¡­." Athena said, as the entire room erupted with calls for blood.

 Chapter 264: Sophias Sentence

    "Floor 21 is the first floor in the Tower of Ascension that can be controlled, and while itcks valuable resources, holding it signals to all climbers that the faction in control is among the strongest within the tower.


    The loss of reputation from losing control is immense, and the floor master responsible for this defeat, along with his guardian, must take responsibility for the family''s loss of face," Athena dered, as her words started a ruckus within the council hall.


    The bloodline of Escanor was flying too high as ofte.


    His first son was the Floor Master of Floor21 and his daughter was the Champion Of Poseidon.


    Alongside his own status as one of the brightest prospects of the younger generation, the overall status of the House of Escanor was envy worthy within the Olympian Council and many wished for their downfall.


    Now that they had finally fallen from grace, everyone was keen to extract their pound of flesh and this bloodlust was abundantly visible on the faces of every council member present.


    "Firstly, we shall be judging the Champion Of Poseidon" Athena began, "In terms of severity, her crime is the lightest. She is simply not wise enough to carry herself with grace befitting of a Champion.


    She iscent in her brother''s defeat and is alleged to be a Gemini sympathizer.


    So the council asks this to her¡­.. Do you agree to your charges?"


    Sophia''s chains were pulled hard when Athena began addressing her, forcing her to fall t on her belly as she heard the charges being brought against her like a dog.


    "You disgrace the bloodline of Poseidon!"


    "You don''t deserve to bear the mark of a True God, you''re a disgrace¨C"


    "Kill her! The girl is a disgrace to Olympus, nothing good cane from keeping her around"


    "It''s not the girls fault that she is dumb, it''s Escanor''s fault for not raising her right¨C"


    Once she was sentenced, the crowd began throwing boos and jeers towards her, as Sophia felt like she was being stabbed by a thousand needles.


    For a highly prideful and narcissistic individual such as herself, being humiliated in public was worse than suffering physical abuse, and the psychological scar that she suffered from this was intense.


    "I-I plead guilty¡­." Sophia said, her voice sounding meek and broken, as she agreed to all the charges that were brought against her without showing any resistance.


    "Very well, since you have pleaded guilty and are willing to own up to your mistakes, the council has decided to impart mercy upon you and not take your life.


    Monarch Ares has taken personal interest in you and is willing to take responsibility for your re-education.


    So from now on, you are entrusted to God Ares, until he sees your re-education to beplete and allows you to rejoin the council.


    And until that day, your sentence is to be exiled in disgrace from the Olympian Council" Athena said, as exasperated sighs could be heard throughout the room.


    Everyone was hoping for a harsher punishment, however, Sophia seemed to have gotten away with nothing more than a p on the wrist.


    Naturally, since she was the Champion of Poseidon, she was never going to face a punishment as cruel as death, however, the wide majority of Olympians present within the Council room still hoped that she got a harsher punishment like imprisonment or worse for her crimes.


    "I thank the goddess for her mercy" Sophia said, as she was dragged away from the council room, with her future now entrusted to monarch Ares.


    "Next, we will judge God Escanor, the guardian and the supervisor of his two kids.


    Giving respect to his stature, we have not bound God Escanor in chains.


    However, for the sake of this council, he will have to present himself in the center of the room" Athena said, as Escanor leapt off his position in the stands andnded in the center of the room, with his usualposure about him.


    "God Escanor... floor 21 was a territory that you yourself had won for Olympus while you were a mortal.


    As a reward for your achievement, you were given the right to appoint the next floor master and you chose your own bloodline for the job.


    Now that it has been lost by your bloodline, you must take responsibility for the loss of face that we have suffered, since if you are rewarded for sess you must be punished for failure"  Athena said, as this time around the boos and jeers were much louder than before.


    Most who hated house Escanor, hated Escanor himself more than his kids and hence when it was his turn to be judged the hatreding from the crowd was the loudest.


    "You''re a disgrace to Olympus, Escanor"


    "Look at him standing there with his head held high. He''s clearly not remorseful"


    "Escanor is in this over his head¡­. He does not understand that he has nothing to be prideful about"


    "Escanor needs to be humbled. He thinks he is better than the rest of us, when he is not"


    Almost everyone wanted their pound of flesh from Escanor, however, the man himself seemed unbothered.


    Standing at the center of the room with his head held high, Escanor smiled smugly even when being judged for his crimes, as he did not let his confidence waver even for a brief moment.


    "For the crime ofcency,ck of better judgment, failure of raising proper children and failing the trust of this council, how do you plead Escanor?" Athena asked, her usual emotionless eyes wavering slightly as she seemed to have a personal connection with the man being judged.


    "I plead not guilty¡­" Escanor said, as his words caused yet another storm to raise within the room.


    The evidence against him was damning, yet the man still had the balls to deny it, which was simply outrageous for many to even fathom.


    By not pleading guilty, Escanor risked a harsher punishment if convicted, however, he seemed to have a n to escape such a grim fate.

 Chapter 265: Self-defense

    "I plead not guilty¡­"


    Escanor''s words caused quite the stir within the council room, as the charges against him were quite damning and not really refutable.


    The rule within the Olympian family was simple, an admission of guilt meant that the sentence being given would be less severe.


    However, if one refused to acknowledge their wrongdoings and wereter found guilty of used crimes, they were bound to receive the harshest possible punishment.


    "Are you sure you want to plead innocent, God Escanor? I rmend that you reconsider your decision" Athena said, as many council members felt ufortable by her choice of words.


    Usually no one was given a chance to rescind their statements, however, since Monarch Athena was the one personally giving Escanor another chance, there was not much that anyone could say about it.


    "Yes, I''m quite sure, Monarch Athena, I thank you for your kind wishes, however, I stand by my plea¨C" Escanor said, as his words forced Athena to carry on with the verdict.


    "Very well, since you im innocence, let me borate the charges against you.


    Is it not true that you were the one who appointed your son to be the Floor Master of Floor 21? Asking that your family be rewarded this privilege since you were the one who won it?


    Is it not true that it is your son, who is your direct subordinate, who lost the floor now to the enemy?


    If you are praised in your sess Escanor, you must also be held responsible in your defeat.


    I find these charges to be straightforward and self exnatory, so I wonder how you dare plead innocence?" Athena said, as almost everyone within the room agreed with her words.


    The crime that Escanor was guilty of was quite simple and self exnatory and there was no room to refute it.


    Yet, it seemed that like a stubborn fool, Escanor tried to avoid being punished by trying to say that he was not guilty and no it was going to see him being sentenced more heavily.


    "Hehe¡­. Escanor that fool, always trying to behave like a smart ass¡­. I''m so happy that he''s being punished today, he certainly deserves it."


    "Escanor can''t escape this predicament. He dug his own hole deeper by iming to be innocent. Now he shall suffer the consequences"


    "Escanor is vain and foolish, just because he ascended to god-hood so early in life has made him overconfident"


    Perseus, bound in chains behind his father, noticed how everyone was openly hostile against him.


    Just like their cousins were hostile against him and Sophia, those in Escanor''s generation seemed to harbour a strong dislike for him.


    ''This is not a family¡­.. these peopleughing at my father can''t be my rtives.


    This is a gathering of crabs, who have no other intention except pulling others down'' Perseus thought to himself, as although he despised his old man, he could not enjoy him being mocked because the people mocking him were equally repulsive for him.


    However, even in the face of all this criticism, Escanor himself seemed unbothered, as with a confident smile on his face he began exining his end of the situation.


    "My son is not the one who has failed Olympus, but it is rather my uncle''s who have.


    Before the mad-dog Liam attacked floor 21, no enemy could have dared to put sights on it, because the defensive preparations I had in-ce for the floor were iron-d.


    My son had been ruling that floor without any problems for a decade now, however, it was Liam''s attack that rocked the boat.


    As everyone present here knows, Principal Liam was the inheritor of the seed of death, a monarch level artefact that even lets him im the lives of gods.


    It is not Liam that we feared but the artefact in his possession that we did.


    And faced against such power, it''s my son''s own brilliance that he managed to hold-out¡­" Escanor said, as he began his speech with an unexpected angle to the story.


    "Our treaty with the Gemini Gods and the Dragon King, prevents us from deploying tier6 gods on floors below floor40.


    Which is the sole reason behind why floor 21 was administered by my son, a simple tier5 mortal.


    And NO mortal, irrespective of if it''s my son or anyone else present in this room has the ability to oppose the inheritor of the seed of death and this is a fact.


    With that artefact, Liam''s power was akin to a peak tier6 God or even a tier7 strongman and faced with such power, is it not unreasonable to expect that hees off unscratched?" Escanor said, as suddenly the momentum started to shift in his direction.


    "If we truly expect our kids to hold off against gods then what? Should we send them into the arena of the gods on behalf of us to battle?


    Should we expect them to hunt enemy god''s?


    If the answer is no, then it must be acknowledged that my son did a good job not falling to Liam during his attack and neutralising that threat, no matter the cost¨C" Escanor said, as Athena nodded in agreement to his words.


    "That is true. Your son did do a good job until that point, but it is not the event we are discussing today ...." Athena said, as the smile on Escanor''s face widened.


    "Yes, my son did do a good job until that point, however, it was the aftermath that bothered me as well.


    The pce was in shambles, the core forces were dead and the forces at his disposal were no longer enough to thwart any new attacks.


    Hence, I personally lent him a helping hand, creating a powerful protective barrier around the pce, so that he could hold out longer in the war.


    However, it was always a temporary solution and the more rational solution was always asking for reinforcements, which I also did but was denied.


    Uncle Xerxes, Uncle Dominic and Uncle Ratius all denied me troops or support and it was because of thisck of support from my kin during our hour of need that Olympus had to face this humiliating defeat..." Escanor said with a venomous tongue as his words caused the entire council to erupt into chaos.

 Chapter 266: Escanor the lucky

    "It was Uncle Xerxes, Uncle Dominic and Uncle Ratius all denied me troops or support when I specifically requested them for it and it is because of thisck of support from our own kin during our hour of need that Olympus had to face this humiliating defeat..." Escanor said with passion, as he passed on the me to his rtives.


    "This is sphemous! Anyone in my position would have denied you help. You requested my entire contingent.


    I rule Aqua, nephew, I cannot just randomly lend you my troops" Ratius said, as the entire hall burst intomotion.


    From how Escanor phrased his defense, it seemed like he was the innocent party in all of this mess and it was rather his uncle''s who were to me for Olympus''s defeat.


    "Stop spouting nonsense, Escanor, if you requested Monarch Ares for help and he denied it. Would you now hold him ountable for your defeat?"


    "I don''t think he''s spouting nonsense, I think Escanor is right to me his uncles.


    After the attack by the mad-dog Liam, Escanor did not have the strength to defend against another floor raid by himself.


    He needed help, it''s only reasonable that it should have been provided"


    "Huh! Escanor is trying to weave a web of lies. If he needed help, he should havee to the council, not to his kin, I had men to spare, I would have dly given him some if he wanted ...."


    Escanor''s words caused the entire council to fall into disarray.


    While there were those who hated Escanor, the ones who hated Xerxes, Ratius and Dominic were also not less in number and hence when the me was shifted to them, there were a few who jumped ships and joined Escanor in condemning them.


    "Silence!" Athena said, demanding that order be restored to the council as she pondered deeper about Escanor''s words.


    "Monarch Athena, I request that you ask Uncle Xerxes and Uncle Dominic as to why they denied me aid, because the official reason that they gave me was extremely petty.


    They refused to help me, not because they could not, but because they were angry that they did not get a piece of Floor 21.


    Out of sheer pettiness and spite, they refused to help me in my hour of need and that is the true reason behind our defeat" Escanor said, as all eyes turned towards Athena, who summoned Ratius, Dominic and Xerxes to the center of the Council room for questioning.


    Athena looked sternly at the three men standing before her. "Xerxes, Dominic, Ratius," she began, her voice resonating through the hall, "Is it true that you denied Escanor aid out of pettiness and spite? Did you refuse him help because you did not get a piece of Floor 21?"


    The three men exchanged nces, a mixture of frustration and defiance in their eyes, as it was Xerxes who stepped forward first. "Monarch Athena, it''s true that we had grievances regarding the distribution of Floor 21. We felt our contributions in capturing it were overlooked when rewards were being distributed previously.


    However, to say that our refusal to help Escanor was purely out of pettiness is an oversimplification. We had our reasons."


    "And what were those reasons?" Athena pressed, her gaze turning sterner as she could smell the bullshit.


    "We were already stretched thin with our own defenses andmitments. Lending troops to Escanor would have weakened our positions significantly. It wasn''t just about pettiness; it was about ensuring the safety and stability of our own realms." Dominic replied, as murmurs spread throughout the hall listening to his response.


    "Just how difficult were the situations on yours that you could not even spare a few thousand troops to aid Escanor? If the situation was indeed so dire, why hasn''t it been reported to the council already?" Athena asked, as she left the three men no room for lying.


    The hall fell silent as Athena''s questions hung in the air. The three men exchanged uneasy nces, struggling to find a response.


    Ratius sighed, unable to meet Athena''s gaze. "Monarch Athena, the situations on ours were... manageable, but perhaps we prioritized our own security  more than we should have."


    "So, you admit that there were troops you could have spared? Do you realize that your failure to do so may have contributed to our defeat?" Athena said, clenching her fist as the anger was now evident in her voice.


    Faced with her wrath, Xerxes, Dominic and Ratius all lowered their heads, avoiding her piercing stare.


    Athena continued, "Should I make an independent audit of the situation on yours to get to the bottom of why you could not spare even a few thousand troops? How did you not feel that you have a defensivemitment towards Olympus as a whole? Defending Floor 21 was a collective duty, not just Escanor''s alone."


    Faced with Athena''s relentless questioning, the three men had no response, as they could only stand there in silence, with their heads hanging in shame as the murmurs around them grew louder.


    Observing things unfold this way,Escanor''s eyes gleamed with a mixture of satisfaction and glee as he watched his uncles stand defenseless, unable to absolve themselves of the crimes that Escanor was pinning on them.


    By this point the council had heard enough to know where the faulty, and Athena''sst words echoed the sentiment that personal vendettas should never havepromised their collective strength.


    In such a situation, it seemed like Escanor was going to walk out scot-free, while his three uncle''s were going to take the fall for him instead, being sentenced heavily for the defeat of floor21 which was never really their fault.


    "Very well, I have heard enough and I have reached a verdict regarding Escanor''s ''Not Guilty'' plea.


    After examining the proofs¡­.. I indeed find Escanor to be ''Not Guilty''.


    And determine that he had no role in the loss of floor21.


    However, instead I find Ratius, Dominic and Xerxes to me for the defeat and I hereby punish them by stripping them of their reign as masters.


    The three of them will not longer rule overs on behalf of Olympus and will be instead reced by younger gods waiting for a chance to prove themselves¨C" Athena said, as with that she concluded Escanor''s sentencing.

 Chapter 267: The last stand

    "Lastly, this council has to judge former Floor Master Perseus, for his failures in losing floor 21.


    In light of the new evidence that was presented during Escanor''s sentencing, this council understands that holding out might not have been possible for you without reinforcements.


    However, it still doesn''t change the fact that ''we'' put our faith behind you and you failed to uphold it" Athena said, as finally she turned her attention to Perseus who was the main focus of this whole event.


    "Do you have any message for this council? Would you like to present your perspective on this matter like your father did?" Athena asked, as she tried to show her mostpassionate side to Perseus.


    "Yes¡­. I have something I would like to say to this council¨C" Perseus said, his tone ominous as he slowly raised his eyes to meet those of everyone in the hall.


    Perseus knew that if only he bided his time, if only he apologized here and took the loss on his chin, he could perhaps make aeback someday.


    After his father''s testimony it was unlikely that he was going to be punished with death, however, judging by the mood, he was still going to be sentenced somehow.


    There was nothing that he could say that would allow him to move out of this hall scot-free, however, he could make the situation infinitely worse for himself if he chose to speak what he really felt.


    For a moment he was caught in an internal peril, because he did not understand which path was the coward''s way out and which path was the right one.


    On one hand, he had the urge to live¡­. He did not wish to throw his life away and hence he wanted to bow down his head and apologize for his shorings which would ensure that he was only punished lightly.


    By doing so, he wished to live another day and slowly get stronger to get revenge on his cruel father for the murder of his mother.


    On the other hand, he felt quite fed up.


    On the other hand he wanted to call out the truth of this council as he saw it and tell everyone just how rotten the Olympian household really was.


    It was a risky choice, since it would most certainly see him being killed, however, Perseus did not care.


    Faced by this indecision, he wondered if taking the death route now was courageous or was living another day tougher, as revenge against his father was not going toe easy.


    In the end, letting out a deep sigh, Perseus decided that he did not care for his life anymore and that he had nothing worth living for except his revenge.


    He had no loved ones, no-one he really cared for and nothing to strive towards.


    His life was empty and meaningless and hence he decided to end it here, but decided to go out with a bang.


    "Yes¡­. I have something I would like to say to this council¨C" Perseus repeated, his gaze firmer as he stared directly into the Monarch Athena''s eyes.


    "I want to say, how EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL HERE, FROM THE MONARCHS SITTING ON THE FAR CORNER OF THE ROOM, TO THE MORTALS STANDING BEHIND ME ARE ALL... RAT PIECES OF SHIT" Perseus said audaciously, as instantly a ruckus erupted.


    "Hey kid, have you lost your mind? How dare you insult the MONARCHS? Do you have no desire to live?"


    "Kill him! He doesn''t deserve a chance to speak¨C"


    Someone said, as before the ruckus went out of control, it was Perseus who cut through the chatter by shouting at the top of his throat.


    "SHUT UPPPP- EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Perseus screamed, garnering the attention back to himself, as at this moment he looked no different from a rabid dog.


    "This is no family¡­.. Everyone present in this room here is at each other''s throats all the fucking time.


    Everyone here is no different from crabs.


    You cheer for others downfall and feel miserable at their sess.


    THIS IS NOT WHAT FAMILY LOOKS LIKE" Perseus said, as his passionate screams turned the entire hall silent.


    "A true family sticks together through thick and thin and supports each other through weakness and through grace.


    However, here, despite being rted by blood, none of us have any good feelings for one another, as let alone support each other, we actively hunt each other at every chance that we get.


    Just a few days ago my father BEHEADED my mother, because he was disappointed in myself and Sophia and how we turned out as his kids.


    That man is a monster. A monster¡­. And today as I sat behind him during his sentencing, I prayed with all my heart that he be punished.


    I PRAYED FOR THE FALL OF MY OWN FATHER" Perseus said, as a tear started to streak down his eyes.


    "Fuck Olympus¡­. Fuck all of  you¡­. And Fuck my failures.


    I don''t care what happens to me here today, because I don''t want to continue living with this cursed blood running through my veins.


    The universe thinks it''s a matter of pride to be born into the Olympian bloodline, but I think it''s a disgrace.


    I''d much rather be amon man and happy than being a floor master and miserable.


    So kill me if you want¡­. For I don''t care" Perseus said, closing his eyes as he spread his arms wide.


    Almost immediately, with a flick of Athena''s finger Perseus was reduced to dust as the Monarch showed him no mercy.


    "Pathetic weakling¡ª" Athena said, her voice cold as she did not seem to be affected by Perseus''s speech at all.


    In her head, Perseus was a weakling who did not appreciate the worth of his bloodline.


    Of course living in Olympus was never going to be easy, of course it was going to be fiercelypetitive.


    The ideals he chased were for themon man and not for the rulers of the universe.


    In Athena''s perspective, if Perseus wanted to marry, have kids and live an idol life, then he was never fit to be an Olympian in the first ce as the bloodline of Zeus and Poseidon was not for those whocked ambition, but was rather for those who wanted to bring the universe under their own feet.

 Chapter 268: The Final Boss

    ( Rocky''s POV )


    At the same time as Sophia and Perseus received their sentencing at the Olympian Council, Rocky and his team somehow made their way to the end of the Floor22 dungeon.


    Staring across the massive boss room gate, Rocky concluded that it had to be the third and final boss room, holding the most dangerous creature that they had fought yet.


    "Alright guys, this is it¡­. This is ourst stop, if we conquer the monster inside we will be done with our floor leveling for the week¡­." Rocky said, as he tried his best to give the team a pep talk to try and elevate their morale.


    Having now spent close to three days within this enclosed dungeon, barely resting at all, the group was now approaching its psychological limit.


    However, if they were to get out of here alive, they needed to hold themselves together and be at their fighting best as thest monster was not going to be an easy enemy. Chapter Explore:


    "Thest monster that we are going to face should be the ''Dark Phoenix''.


    ording to adventurers who have previously fought it, the monster in the third and final boss room of this dungeon is a massive bird made of darkness that has a hard imprable darkness core, which is nearly impossible to break.


    The beast does not have any ''Fire'' type abilities and its name ''Dark Phoenix'' is just a name given by climbers based on its bird-like appearance, while its real species name is unknown.


    The moment we go inside the Boss room, the dark phoenix should start attacking us by swooping down on us¡­. So especially beware against that first attack, since it is notorious for killing many.


    Once we get past the first attack, my n is that we get into a tight back-to-back formation and provide the bird with no openings to exploit.


    Regardless of what angle the bird attacks us from, our strategy should remain the same, which is to defend first and to try andnd a clean strike on its core, whenever we get a chance to do so.


    Since this boss monster has no underlings supporting it in melee battle, as long as we hold strong defensively and don''t get picked off individually, we are assured to win the fight sooner orter¡­..


    Although its core is said to be indestructible, there are multiple reports confirming that after taking lots of heavy hits, the core does slowly start to crack like a nut until it''s destroyed, so it''s not as if the difficulty of defeating this opponent is a actually near impossible" Rocky said, as he shared his perspective on what he thought the best approach to this fight was.


    "I think the n Sir Rocky suggested is perfect for this boss raid¡­. I am ready to y my part in it" Erin said, as he gave his vote of confidence to Rocky.


    "Well¡­ I don''t really know anything about battle ns, and Rocky seems like a responsible leader, so it''s a ''go'' from me too" Kronos said, as he held up a double thumbs up sign.


    "Buhara is always ready to follow Rocky into a fight ¡­.. let''s end this now!" Said Buhara as he smashed his fist into his palm, showing his eagerness to end this dungeon run.


    "Alright guys¡­. Remember, the bird lunges at us as soon as we enter, so stay alert" Rocky said as he pushed open the dungeon door and dashed into it.


    ********


    *SCREECH*


    Almost as soon as Rocky ran into the boss room, he heard a loud screeching sound that echoed multiple times across the room as a massive shadowy figure swooped down to grab him in its talons.


    *Roll*


    Rolling over, Rocky avoided the attack as he got back to his feet, however, to his absolute surprise, as he got up once more in the near pitch-dark room, he found himself staring at another set of talons right in front of him.


    ''Shit¨C'' thought Rocky as he felt the second birds talons trying to close in around his body, however, he vehemently fought them off using all his strength.


    "Gyaahh¨C" Rocky screamed as he used the strength of his entire body to prevent the talons from closing in around him, as after a split second the bird opened them once again and flew past Rocky, as it could no longer stay in the same spot without losing altitude.


    *Thud*


    *Thud*


    A momentter, it was Kronos and Buhara who stood shoulder to shoulder against him, as Erin illuminated the entire room revealing the presence of not just one, but two enemy birds floating in the space above them.


    "What the fuck? Why are there two birds instead of only one?" Said Erin as he felt bbergasted at the sight of two enemies, however, there was nothing that they could do about it.


    ''Vorithra Sylithen'' had set in, altering the dungeon conditions once again, as it provided the group with an unexpected challenge for theirst fight.


    "Alright guys, stay calm¡­. Our n stays the same.


    These birds do not possess formidable attacking capabilities and if we hold our defenses strong, we can still win this.


    Don''t worry and stick to the n.


    We will get through this together¡­. I promise" Rocky said, as he tried to make sure that the team remained calm in the face of this unexpected challenge.


    *SCREECH*


    As the birds swooped down once again, this time they attacked Buhara and Kronos, however, Buhara countered his attacker using a fireball spell, while Kronos unleashed a sword projection that forced his attacker to alter its flight path.


    Unfortunately, both their attacks missed their mark, as while it sessfully helped them defend, they did notnd a scratch on the enemy either, which was crucial if they wanted to win this fight.


    As per Rocky''s original n, if the group faced only one bird at a time they could have easily did the job of both attacking and defending, however, faced with two enemies at once they were stretched to their limits just trying to not get hurt.


    ''This raid is going to be tough¡­.'' Rocky thought, as he grit his teeth and prepared to attack the bird who was nowing for him.

 Chapter 269: Clearing the dungeon

    Rocky stood shoulder to shoulder with his team, the room echoing with the ear-piercing screeches of the two Dark Phoenixes circling above them.


    They had only expected to fight one opponent, however, now as they suddenly faced two of them, the team struggled to create openings.


    "Guys," Rocky eventually called out, his voice steady andmanding despite the chaos around them. "Let''s focus on killing one bird first and take out the second er. Let''s coordinate our attack and defense to ensure that we can take out at least one of them first, so that this fight bes easier¡­.. because going after both doesn''t seem to be possible."


    The team nodded in unison, Rocky''s words making perfect sense to all as they realized that attacking both birds at once was next to impossible.


    "Erin, you focus on protecting yourself and buff us with everything you''ve got," Rocky instructed, ncing at the blonde mage.


    "On it, Sir Rocky," Erin replied, a light spell emanating from his hands as he cast a protective barrier around himself, followed by an enhancement spell that boosted the group''s speed and strength.


    "Buhara, focus your magic on the second bird. Keep it busy and away from us," Rocky instructed as Buhara began banging his chest, epting the challenge.


    "Buhara will handle it," the orc replied, raising his battle ax- staff, as he  summoned a torrent of mes that danced across the room toward the second phoenix.


    "Kronos, take the Vanguard, this may hurt¡­" Rocky said, as Kronos nodded grimly.


    With their n set, Rocky and Kronos turned their attention to the first Dark Phoenix, which was now swooping down towards them with its talons outstretched.


    Chapter Your:


    "Kronos, let''s go!" Rocky shouted, as he charged behind Kronos with both his swords drawn.


    The massive bird lunged at Kronos, its shadowy form barely visible in the dim light.


    As it attacked, the phoenix aimed its razor-sharp talons directly at Kronos''s upper body, shing across his shoulder and side, leaving deep gashes. Blood oozed from the wounds, but Kronos weathered through the pain and created an opening for Rocky to exploit.


    "Strike it when I draw it in!" Kronos yelled, his voice firm as he absorbed the bird''s attack.


    Then, at the same time as the bird attacked him with his talons, Rocky went for its exposed core, shing at it with his most powerful attacks, the [ Fire sh ]


    *SCREECH*


    The phoenix screeched in pain as Rocky''s des found their mark, slicing a shallow cut across its dark core.


    "Kronos¡­ now¨C" Rocky said, as just as the bird was distracted by him and lowered its guard against Kronos, it got hit by Kronos who drove his sword into the bird''s core.


    *SCREECH*


    The bird writhed, shadows billowing from the wound, but despite the deep gash, it still flew away alive¡­. Showing that the wound was not enough to bring it down.


    "Keep at it!" Rocky urged, pressing the attack as he unleashed lots of sword projection strikes aimed at the bird''s core to weaken its defenses further.


    Meanwhile, Buhara faced the second Dark Phoenix alone with unyielding resolve.


    He conjured a storm of fire and wind, keeping the beast at bay as it tried to close the distance.


    His spells red brightly, lighting up the room and creating a barrier of heat that forced the bird to veer off course.


    "You won''t get past Buhara!" he roared, casting a powerful bolt of lightning that crackled through the air, momentarily stunning the creature.


    More or less, he kept attacking with everything that he had to ensure that the second bird did not get an opportunity to interfere in Rocky and Kronos''s battle.


    At the same time, Erin focused intently on maintaining the protective spells, his mind racing as he monitored the team''s health and energy levels.


    He could feel the strain of constant casting, but he pushed through, knowing how crucial his support was to their survival.


    "Stay strong, everyone," Erin murmured, his hands glowing with magic as he reinforced the buffs, his determination shining through the fatigue.


    The first Dark Phoenix, now severely wounded, made a desperate attempt to retreat, but Rocky and Kronos were relentless. With a final coordinated effort, they unleashed their most powerful attacks.


    "Together!" Rocky shouted, charging forward onest time, as he plunged both of his swords into the bird''s core.


    *Crack*


    A resonating crack filled the room as the core shattered.


    *SCREECH*


    The bird let out a deafening screech before disintegrating into shadows, leaving only one enemy remaining.


    "One down, one to go," Kronos said, breathing heavily but grinning at their sess.


    "Let''s finish this," Rocky replied, turning his focus to the second Dark Phoenix, who was now weakened and distracted by Buhara''s relentless assault.


    With renewed confidence, the team regrouped andunched their attack on the second bird.


    [ Fire Vortex ]


    Buhara unleashed a massive firestorm, drawing the bird''s attention, giving Rocky and Kronos the opening they needed to attack its core.


    Rocky darted in, his swords slicing through the air with lethal precision, while Kronos followed closely, his healing ability keeping him in the fight despite the damage he received from fighting the first bird.


    *Prrriiiii*


    As the second bird swooped in towards Rocky, trying to rip his head off with its talons, Rocky rolled underneath its attack and got up just in time to attack its exposed back, his sword projection hitting the bird''s core.


    "Kronos now!" Rocky said, as almost immediately after his attack found it''s mark, sending shockwaves through the bird''s body, Kronos doubled it up with a sword stab of his own, as although he was cut up badly by the birds talons in the process, he still yed his part in dealing more damage than he received.


    "Buhara, now!" Rocky signaled for the final blow as Buhara channeled all his remaining energy into a devastating lightning storm, the room crackling with energy as he unleashed the spell directly at the bird''s core.


    *Kaboom*


    The lightning struck true, shattering the bird''s core and sending the creature crashing to the ground in a flurry of shadows.


    *Thud*


    "We did it," Rocky said, relief washing over him as the room finally fell silent, the oppressive darkness lifting to reveal the path ahead.

 Chapter 270: Rewards

    The final echoes of the battle faded as Rocky and his team stood amidst the ruins of the Dark Phoenixes.


    Their victory had been hard-won, with each member pushing their limits to defeat the unexpected dual threat.


    However, with victory now secured, they panted and caught their breaths as the oppressive darkness in the room slowly lifted, revealing a hidden passage behind where the phoenixes had fallen.


    "What is this? Another challenge or the path towards the exit?" Kronos inquired, as Rocky looked at Erin''s face for confirmation before replying.


    "Neither ¡­.. it should be the path leading to the treasure room before the exit, but we can''t be sure" Rocky said, as Erin nodded in acknowledgement.


    With cautious steps, the team moved forward, the air around them shifting from the chaos of battle to an aura of mystery and anticipation.


    As they approached the end of the passage, a faint glow illuminated the path ahead, revealing a grand entrance adorned with intricate runes and symbols.


    "Thank the Gemini Gods! Looks like we''ve found the treasure room and there is no unexpected trap" Erin observed, his voice tinged with a mix of exhaustion and excitement as the team exchanged nces, a shared sense of aplishment evident in their eyes.


    Stepping through the ornate doorway, they were greeted by a breathtaking sight.


    A vast treasure room sprawled before them, filled with glistening treasures, piles of gold coins, and artifacts exuding potent magic. It was a trove befitting their triumph, a reward for their courage and skill.


    Rocky paused at the threshold, taking in the magnitude of their victory. "We''ve earned this," he said, his voice steady and filled with pride. "Let''s see what we''ve got."


    Following Rocky''s lead, the team moved deeper into the room, their eyes drawn to the wealth and magical items disyed prominently.


    The first item that caught the team''s eye was a massive chest overflowing with coins, the gleam of over 500,000 Tower Gold Coins (TG), reflected in the light.


    "Wohoo we are rich! What are we going to do with so much money?" Kronos asked excitedly as he had never seen such wealth ever in his life before.


    "This is 5 times the normal reward¡­.. usually one only gets 100-150 thousand gold coins for clearing this dungeon¡­.. I wonder why we got more" Erin said, as for him something did not add up in this dungeon run.


    Not only did they face unexpected difficulties but they were now being given additional rewards too, in what seemed like apletely different dungeon run than what most climbers experienced.


    "Let''s divide the coins equally¡­. I think it''s best if we each get to decide how to spend them rather than making a collective decision" Rocky said, as he distributed the coins equally amongst all team members.


    Next, the team discovered an array of powerful artifacts, with the first item being the:-


    [Robes of Shadows] (Epic): This robe enhances stealth and provides resistance against light-based attacks, it''s dark fabric flowing like liquid night.


    Nearbyy the:-


    [Amulet of Darkness] (Rare): This essory increases the wearer''s control over dark magic, its surface etched with mystical runes.


    And


    [Orb of Illusions] (Epic): A magical orb capable of creatingplex illusions to deceive and mislead enemies.


    In another corner, they found a collection of mana stones, glistening with energy.


    High-grade stones pulsed with energy, ideal for replenishing reserves during battles, while medium-grade stones were versatile for both trade and personal use.


    Beside themy scrolls of knowledge: a [Skill Scroll] (Rare) containing a rarebat technique, its parchment inscribed with intricate diagrams, and a [Spell Scroll] (Epic) with an advanced spell, its magic aura palpable even before it was unfurled.


    Gathered around the treasures, the team turned to Rocky for guidance.


    "We will distribute the loot as you suggest, Sir Rocky" Erin said, as Rocky nodded and began distributing the items as he saw fit.


    Carefully assessing each member''s strengths and needs, Rocky distributed the rewards with thought and consideration.


    Erin received the [Spell Scroll] (Epic), [ Orb Of Illusions ] a share of the high-grade mana stones which were best for his profession as a support mage.


    Buhara was given a share of the high-grade mana stones to bolster his formidable magic, his grin wide as he epted the resources, while Kronos took the [Skill Scroll] (Rare) and the [Amulet of Darkness] (Rare), knowing their potential to enhance his abilities inbat.


    For himself, Rocky chose the [Robes of Shadows] (Epic), recognizing it''s strategic value for future encounters.


    He exined that any unimed items could be liquidated for additional gold, ensuring fair distribution among the team.


    "Anything we don''t take will be converted to gold for all of us," he said, ensuring everyone benefited from their find.


    As the team began admiring their new gear and began contemting how this would increase their strength as a warrior, Rocky interrupted the pleasant atmosphere for a moment.


    "Guys¡­. While we have proven ourselves victorious today and have gained new items¡­. We have to keep this intensity up every single week.


    This is just one dungeon, and we have toplete 19 more before our challenge is done.


    Are you guys sure you want to follow me for 19 more weeks of this madness?" Rocky asked, as if it were up to him, he would not follow a team who was on such a suicidal mission.


    However, contrary to his expectations his team held strong and waved off his worries as unfounded.


    "Of course we will follow you Sir Rocky, we will follow you till eternity, 19 weeks is a short time" Erin said.


    "I mean if we can do it once we can do it twice and also 19 times" Kronos said, shrugging his shoulders.


    "Buhara is not afraid of a challenge¨C" said Buhara, as the team expressed their willingness to stick with Rocky through this hell, even after experiencing their very dangerous first dungeon run.


    "Thanks guys, you are really the best" Rocky said, as he truly felt warm in his heart.

 Chapter 271: Salvation

    After getting the treasures, the team found their way out of the dungeon and almost immediately after they exited the dungeon the floor administrator dered their mission to beplete and gave them an ''A'' grade evaluation for the sessful dungeon run.


    [ Strongest System Notification :- Congrattions host for clearing floor 22 of the tower of ascension.


    You have received +7 shots of Riva''s medicine.


    You have (10) days now to clear floor 23 for the chain quest to continue ]


    After the floor administrator graded their dungeon run to be a sess, the strongest system sent Rocky a notification informing him that he had received the next batch of medicines and that he had 10 days now to clear floor 23, since he had managed to clear floor 22 in just 4 days time.


    "Alright guys, I''m going to head back to Earth, you guys can eithere with me and I''ll arrange amodations for you at the guild HQ, or we can all just meet on Earth in 2 days time.


    Up to you¡­" Rocky said, as the team members contemted their choices for a moment.


    "Buhara has not been home in a long while, Buhara thinks he will visit home once¨C" said Buhara as he seemed to be feeling slightly homesick after spending 4 days in the dark dungeon.


    "I think I will follow Sir Rocky to Earth, the True Elites Guild mage practice arena suits me well ¡­." Erin said as he decided to follow Rocky home.


    "Well, I have money now, so I''ll try and buy some new gear for myself and try new foods.


    My freedom is kind of newly found, so I think I''ll enjoy it for a while" said Kronos as he did not seem to be willing to return to Earth.


    "Alright then, see you guys in two days time¡­" Rocky said, as he parted ways with Kronos and Buhara, while himself and Erin headed home.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Sophia )


    After her sentencing at the Olympian Council, Sophia was entrusted to Monarch Ares for re-education.


    Having been betrayed by her family, her friends and pretty much everyone that she ever met in her life, Sophia had no real expectations from Ares either as she mentally prepared herself for being tortured and betrayed before their rtionship even began.


    However, to her absolute surprise, Ares turned out to be nothing like what she expected.


    Right after the council meeting ended, he came over to meet her personally, and showed great interest in her.


    "You know kid¡­. What is the true reason you were chosen as the Champion Of Poseidon, when there are clearly so many morepetent warriors than you?" Ares asked her, as Sophia not daring to utter a word only kept hanging her head down in shame.


    "Ehhh¡­. So you''re the quiet kind eh? Not bad¡­. I like the quiet kind of girls the most" Ares said, chuckling out loud as he ced his hand over Sophia''s chin, lifting it slightly so that she would meet his eyes.


    "The true reason for you being chosen as the champion of Poseidon is because you have the soul of an ancient warrior developing within you.


    Your father is sneaky, he ced a soul inside your nascent soul vessel right after you were born and has allowed that soul to grow alongside you as it slowly recovers its strength" Ares said, as his words shocked Sophia to her core.


    For her entire life, Sophia thought that she was special because Poseidon chose her as his champion, however, it turned out that she was only a vessel for the soul of a greater warrior to recoup.


    "N-no you''re lying¡­." Sophia murmured, not willing to ept this fate, however, Ares simply chuckled at her reaction.


    "Why would I lie to you? I''m a monarch and you''re an ant. What will I get from manipting you?" Ares asked, as Sophia fell silent when faced with this question.


    A god like Ares could gain nothing from manipting a tier2 warrior like Sophia and hence he had no reason to lie to her either.


    "So you''re saying that my eventual fate is to lose control of my own body to a foreign entity?" Sophia asked, a tear streaking down her face as she felt like a camel who was finally on herst straw.


    She had approached her limit and could not take any more abuse, however, life seemed to love abusing her again and again every passing day.


    "Well, if you had not met me, then your fate would indeed have been to turn into an obedient doll who had no control over her own body.


    Around the time that you would have reached tier4 strength, thetent soul inside you would have made an attempt to take over your body and you would have lost that fight since thetent soul inside you is quite powerful.


    However, that''s not necessarily how things may turn out any longer" Ares said, as he smiled kindly towards Sophia.


    "You see¡­. I know for sure that it''s your father who has nted this soul inside you and as things stand¡­ I hate that guy.


    He''s Athena''s pet and he thinks he''s better than everyone around, so I''m nning to shrink him down to size.


    I want to foil his n so badly that I''ll help you deal with thetent soul inside you just to mess with him, however, the process will be difficult" Ares said, as he offered Sophia salvation just to mess with her father.


    "Why should I trust you? Nobody has ever been truthful to me! What if you''re lying?" Sophia asked with a teary eye, as Ares simply scoffed at her words.


    "You don''t have to trust me¡­. You can choose to be a doll if you want.


    However, if you want thattent soul''s power to be yours.


    If you want her techniques, experience and strength to be your own.


    If you want to be a phoenix that rises from her ashes¡­..


    Then give me a chance.


    In return, I''ll only ask for you to kill Cassius in the most brutal way possible!" Ares said as he extended his hand for Sophia to shake.

 Chapter 272: Change

    "You don''t have to trust me. You can choose to remain a doll if that''s what you want.


    But if you desire to im thetent power of that soul as your own...


    If you want her techniques, experience, and strength to be part of you...


    If you wish to rise like a phoenix from her ashes...


    Then give me a chance.


    In return, all I ask is that you kill Cassius in the most brutal way possible," Ares said, extending his hand for Sophia to shake.


    For a moment, Sophia stared nkly at that hand, unsure of what to do.


    She had been betrayed way too many times in her life and did not wish to take another leap of faith in anyone.


    Whether it was her brother, her father, Rocky or Poseidon himself, none of them were reliable in her time of need and hence Sophia did not expect Ares to be any different.


    However, in retrospect as she thought about her soul''s condition, she did feel like her father was definitely cruel enough to nt another soul within her vessel to someday take-over her body.


    Since the man was despicable enough to kill her mother and present her head to her on a te, Sophia believed that he was despicable enough to do anything and hence she did trust the story that Ares was presenting her with.


    ''I don''t trust him¡­. But I don''t wish to die as a doll either. If there is a soul of an ancient warrior dwelling within me then I want that power to be mine rather than my body bing hers'' Sophia thought, as the expression in her eyes hardened as her tears disappeared.


    For way too long she had been mocked as a weakling.


    For way too long she had been seen as someone who did not deserve to be the Champion Of Poseidon, however, if she could absorb the ancient warriors techniques and experiences, then she would undoubtedly be an unparalleled genius that could step on the face of all her haters.


    ''Father¡­.. Rocky¡­.. Zain¡­. Erin¡­. I will kill you all! I will be the strongest and I will trample your pride just like how you trampled mine¡­..'' Sophia thought, clenching her fists tight as she looked back into Ares''s eyes.


    "I ept, Monarch Ares¡­.. I ept your offer to resolve the issues in my soul and be strong enough to kill my father.


    I promise that once I am strong enough¡­. I will kill him in the most brutal way possible and I will do it for myself and because he deserves it¡­.. but also for you who gave me a new life" Sophia said, as Ares smiled heartily at thisment.


    In his eyes, Sophia was no different from a pawn who he wished to use for his petty revenge, however, he weed this submissive attitude of her where she willingly obeyed all hismands, as after years of experience, Ares knew that a willing servant was better than a fearful one.


    "Very well then¡­. Your re-education begins now! Follow Keeth here to the mana room to learn the [ Soul Absorption ] technique.


    It will be painful¡­. It will be difficult¡­. However once you master it and devour the soul developing within you¡­. You will be an unparalleled warrior within your tier" Ares said, as his servant Keeth escorted Sophia to the mana room.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile back on Earth )


    *Ding Dong*


    Riva sheepishly opened the door once the doorbell rang, as she was still apprehensive of visitors.


    Anyone that she had no prior bond with made her feel ufortable, and she could feel trulyfortable with only Rocky around.


    Hence when she opened the door and saw that it was Rocky standing behind it, she immediately jumped into his arms, tears streaking down her face.


    "Rocky, you''re back!" She said, joy evident in her voice as she hugged Rocky tight.


    At that moment, Rocky''s eyes widened in surprise, as Riva''s grip strength was not that of a feeble mortal.


    While Riva did not realize it herself, the strength with which she hugged Rocky made it impossible for Rocky to take a breath, as for a good two minutes Rocky was forced to hold his breath until Riva eventually released him.


    ''The tier4 strength still remains in her body¡­.. she just seems to have forgotten how to harness it'' Rocky thought, as he smiled warmly at his sister.


    "I''m back home¡­" Rocky announced, walking into the house as Riva hurriedly began inspecting him.


    "How did your dungeon run go? Are you hurt? Are your team members okay?" Riva asked, frantically searching Rocky''s body for any signs of injury and only calming down once she realized that Rocky was fine and his body was intact.


    Compared to just a few days ago where she rarely moved from the couch, Riva now seemed to be stronger and much more energetic, as it seemed that being removed from the toxic prison environment had helped her mental state slightly.


    Since she had no mental stimtion while being within the prison, Riva found it difficult to pass time and preferedying down without doing anything, however, back on Earth she had a lot of activities to do.


    She could indulge herself in art¡­. Watch TV, or do a myriad of different things to stimte her brain in her free time and over the past few days that was exactly what she had been doing.


    Letting her intrusive thoughts win, and doing whatever it was that she wanted, Riva was making recovery, however, the fundamental problems still remained.


    The apartment waspletely dark without even an ounce of sunlight within and even the LED lights had been covered with a cloth to reduce their intensity.


    The food that Rocky had left for her seemed to be untouched and starting to rot, as it seemed that Riva had not eaten a single bite in the past few days.


    Overall, while she was better than the first time that Rocky met her within the prison, she was still a far-cry from her strong and vibrant self as the road to normalcy was still long.

 Chapter 273: System Shop

    After having his first dungeon run, Rocky got a better feel for the risks and unpredictability that ''Vorithra Sylithen'' brought.


    His dungeon run was supposed to be simple since he already knew theyout of the dungeon and the weaknesses of the monsters within, however, there was unexpected danger on every turn and the threat of one of his team members losing their life was constant.


    Although his team was fortunate enough to navigate through all dangers this time, Rocky knew that they were not going to be this lucky everytime and that they needed to increase their strength significantly if they wanted to survive.


    The only constraint that hindered him now however was time.


    He did not have the necessary time needed to learn new skills, practice them and gradually improve as he waspelled to take part in a floor raid every other week.


    ''The Gemini Gods won''t give me a mission if it was impossible¡­.. there must be a way to significantly increase my strength in a short period of time that I''m missing'' Rocky thought, as slowly his thoughts wandered towards the strongest system.


    There were 2 major changes that happened once hepleted his tier2 ascension.


    The first was that he received new sword techniques as a clearance reward and the second was that his Strongest System upgraded to stage2, unlocking the system shop feature.


    Since after promotion, Rocky immediately found himself embroiled in the Floor raid against Perseus, he did not have the opportunity to properly explore the upgraded system features, however, now that he had the opportunity, he quickly opened the bar.


    "Open System Shop¨C" hemanded, as a panel opened before his eyes.


    ¡ª---------


    [ System Shop ]


    ( Unknown Skill Scroll ) - 25 SP.


    ( Basic Skill Mastery Potion ) - 20 SP


    ( Emergency Health Potion ) - 2 SP


    ( Emergency Antidote ) - 2 SP


    ( Tier 4 Lightning Talisman ) - 2 SP


    ( WEEKLY SPECIAL¨C )


    ( Teleportation Talisman ) - 1 SP


    Current SP bnce - 30 SP


    ( Note- Pleaseplete more system missions to gain more SP )


    Current ongoing missions :-


    ( Chain Quest ) [ Reach Floor 40 ] - +30 SP per floor cleared.


    ¡ª----------


    Rocky took a look at the system shop and immediately felt his eyes sparkle.


    Having cleared one floor, he was awarded with 30 system points, which allowed him to buy a few different items from the store.


    (Basic Skill Mastery Potion) - taking this potion helps the host immediately grasp any skill of their choosing up till the basic stage of mastery. This reduces the learning curve significantly and can be considered to be a priceless treasure.


    As Rocky read the description for the basic skill mastery potion on sale, he immediately felt as if it was an option that was tailor-made for his desperate situation.


    "This is exactly what I needed¡­." Rocky muttered as he hurriedly purchased one potion and then proceeded to bring out the skill scrolls that he had received as a reward for his tier promotion.


    [ Path Of The Grand Sage ]


    [ Path Of The Dragon yers ]


    Currently, Rocky had two path choices that he could learn, however, since he did not expect to fight a dragon anytime soon, Rocky decided to learn the path of the Grand Sage first.


    Gulping a mouthful of the potion, Rocky opened the scroll of the ''Path Of The Grand Sage'' as he entered a trance like state of enlightened learning.


    Over the next few minutes Rocky understood every nuance of the path of the grand sage and the essence it contained.


    The path of the grand sage was a fighting style which relied on a user''s high intellect and fast reflexes to counter an opponent''s attack.


    It was not a single attack move, but rather a school of thought on how to fight and usually mastering it''s basics should take a warrior anywhere between 2-10 years.


    However, with the help of the system potion, Rocky grasped the essence of the path of the grand sage within minutes as he felt like a new dimension had unlocked to his swordsmanship.


    Countless new movebinations flooded his mind as he understood a new style of footwork that he had never used before.


    He understood how to lure an opponent close to him, only for them to make a mistake to blow open their guard.


    He understood how one could repeatedly attack a single area, making the opponent habituated to their attacks before suddenly switching it up for a lethal strike.


    He understood how to fake his true strength, appearing to be weaker than he really was, only to surprise his opponent at the critical moment.


    More or less, the path of the grand sage was a path of counterattack and trickery and Rocky absorbed all the core principles of it to find his swordsmanship evolving by a whole new dimension.


    Although no shy moves were added to his arsenal, with his new knowledge, Rocky felt confident in beating opponents much stronger than himself, which gave him the assurance he needed to head into the next floor.


    "Praise the Gemini Gods¡­. They really left a way for me to improve in such a short time¨C" Rocky said out loud as he offered a silent prayer of thanks to Shakuni and Ravan for all their help.


    After buying the potion for 20 SP, Rocky noticed that he still had 10 SP left, and hence he purchased 2 lightning talisman and 1 teleportation talisman, just for emergency, while saving 5 SP for unforeseen events.


    Since he could receive 30 SP for every floor cleared, Rocky was not too worried about his source of ie and felt that as long as he could keep clearing the floors, the Gemini Gods would surely ce suitable items within the system shop that would help him improve in a short time.


    "So this is what the cheat of being a Champion Of Gods feels like¡­." Rocky murmured to himself as for the first time ever he felt ''special'' for being a Champion Of a god, as he knew that a normal individual would never be able to experience the same benefits that he did.

 Chapter 274: A childhood dream

    ( Meanwhile Kronos )


    Having 100,000 TG at his disposal, Kronos felt like he had be a wealthy tycoon.


    After surviving the great massacre of his race, Kronos entered the tower as a dirt poor immigrant who had no money.


    To survive he had to perform odd jobs on floor zero to barely earn a living worth sustaining himself.


    Although 100,000 TG was not an astronomical sum that could help one purchase high quality treasures, for someone of Kronos¡¯s background, who had struggled to earn even a couple TG a month, it was a huge sum. Explore more adventures at NovelBin.C?m


    While the rich squandered 20-30 TG on one meal, there were ces within the underdeveloped regions of floor zero where even one TG could buy a meal pass for a month.


    Naturally, the rich never entered these impoverished areas nor did they know about its existence, however, that did not mean it did not exist.


    After the dungeon raid ended, Kronos specifically entered this impoverished region of floor zero, to look for one cksmith shop in particr that had a sword that had caught his eye years ago.


    Back then, the sword had a price tag of 25,000 TG¡­. A sum which felt too astronomical for Kronos to ever be able to purchase, however, now that he had the money, it was the first item that he came looking for.


    *********


    The slums of Floor Zero were a sight to behold, unchanged despite the passing years.


    The narrow, winding alleys filled with makeshift homes built from discarded materials and the streets crowded with vendors peddling their wares, reminded Kronos of the first time that he entered the tower and how he was forced to these impoverished regions to look for a job.


    As Kronos navigated through these familiar streets, the memories of his early days in the tower came flooding back.


    At the time, he was a clueless kid with no social skills who would have probably died if it weren¡¯t for his strong vitality which helped him survive on the streets of the slums even without any formidable backing.


    As he walked past the joint where he used to live, each corner, each dpidated building hence, served as a proof of how far he hade, as instead of moving through the streets with his head hung low as he used to, he now navigated them with his chest swollen in pride.


    Finally, as he arrived at his destination: the old cksmith shop, he recognised it by its old wooden sign which was unchanged through the years and now barely legible as the ck ink used to write it had faded through the years from the natural elements.


    The shop looked exactly as he remembered it, a small, nondescript building tucked away in a narrow alley.


    Entering the shop, the familiar smell of metal and smoke greeted him. The cksmith, a grizzled old man with muscles that defied his age, looked up from his work. His eyes narrowed as he saw Kronos.


    "Don¡¯t touch anything if you don¡¯t have the money to pay for it," the cksmith growled, not recognizing the young man who once admired the pieces within his shop from afar.


    Ignoring the cksmith¡¯s warning, Kronos walked straight to the back of the shop where he remembered the sword to be, and much to his joy, the sword was still there after all these years, albeit covered in ayer of dust.


    *PHEWWW*


    Taking the sword in hand, Kronos gently blew off the dust, to reveal the beautiful de underneath.


    The sword was as magnificent as he remembered. Its name, engraved in an elegant script on the de, which read "Bloodbane."


    Bloodbane was no ordinary weapon. Its de was forged from a rare metal that glinted with an almost sinister gleam.


    The hilt was wrapped in ck leather, which was worn over the years but still sturdy.


    What made this sword extraordinary, however, was its unique functionality: it absorbed the wielder¡¯s vitality and converted it into powerful attacks.


    The more vitality that was poured into the sword, the stronger the attack output it generated, which for an ordinary person meant that they could use it to generate a few powerful strikes before copsing from exhaustion, however, for Kronos it was not the same.


    For Kronos, whose near-infinite vitality made him a formidable force, Bloodbane was a match made in heaven, as it was the ultimate cheat weapon, capable of unleashing his full potential.


    "That sword¡¯s been here for years. No one can afford it, and even if they could, it¡¯s more trouble than it¡¯s worth for most folks." The old cksmith said, looking over from his counter as he felt disappointed that the weapon that the customer had chosen to inspect was such a tricky one.


    Although the grade of the sword was [ Semi-Legendary ] it was useless for practicalbat as it was a weapon fit for cannon fodders willing to throw away their lives and not for true warriors that were elites in their field.


    "I¡¯ll take it." Kronos said, turning towards the cksmith with his expression calm and confident.


    The cksmith raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "You got 25,000 TG to pay for that?"


    Without a word, Kronos reached into his pouch and pulled out the exact sum, cing it on the counter. The old man¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he counted the money, realizing that this young man wasn¡¯t bluffing.


    Kronos picked up Bloodbane, feeling the weight of the sword in his hands as it somehow just felt right, as if it were an extension of his own body, as he could sense the power within it, waiting to be unleashed.


    "This sword is worth a thousand times this price on the open market if it ever came up for auction," the old cksmith muttered, rubbing his face.


    "I know¡­.. it¡¯s worth at least 25 million gold coins for its grade, maybe even more to the right buyer¡­. But I¡¯m not nning to resell it" Kronos said, as the old cksmith chuckled at his words.


    "I never sold this weapon at the auction house despite knowing it¡¯s worth because it¡¯s a weapon crafted by myte father.


    He told me to sell this for 25,000 coins and only to someone from this neighborhood and today I¡¯ve fulfilled that promise" The old cksmith said, as Kronos never knew that this piece had such a story attached behind it.


    He had always found it odd that a weapon of such quality was eating dust inside the shabby cksmith shop, however, he had never wondered about the story behind it.


    Nheless, as he left the shop, Kronos couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of triumph for having purchased it today as it was one of his childhood dreams.


    As a dirt poor immigrant, he had dreamt of buying it one day and now that he had the money for it, he finally did.


    He hade a long way from the dirt-poor immigrant who had nothing and buying bloodbane was proof that he was on the right path.


    "Where did those guys ask me to meet them again? Earth right¡­. Guess I have a couple more days before I need to go there" Kronos muttered to himself as he decided to visit all the old and tasty food shops that he remembered, before making his way to Earth to reunite with Rocky and team.

 Chapter 275: The Orc Village

    ( Buhara¡¯s POV )


    Kronos was not the only one who had unfinished business in other parts of the universe, as Buhara also had unfinishedmitments of his own.


    As he returned to his Orc Vige for the first time in over a year, Buhara was pretty excited to meet his friends and family who had all seen him off to the university with pride and gusto.


    "Oye! Duhara, look¡ª Buhara is back! That weakling is home!" Guhara told Duhara, as Buhara¡¯s two childhood friends who were working in the fields just outside the Orc Vige, spotted their friends return before anyone else.


    "GUHARA! DUHARA!" Buhara greeted, as his two friends dropped their plowing tools and charged towards their returning friend.


    "BRING IT¨C" said Buhara, his facial expressions confident as he nted his feet and prepared for the traditional Orc greeting.


    "Urararararara¨C" shouted Duhara and Guhara at once as they ran at their top speed towards Buhara with the intention of shoulder tackling him to the ground.


    The closer the duo approached, the more momentum they gained until theyunched themselves in the air, with the intention to tackle Buhara to the floor.


    *Thud*


    *Thud*


    Unfortunately, to the extreme surprise of Duhara and Guhara, the two of them could not tackle Buhara to the ground as when they tried tackling him, Buhara did not budge an inch and instead stood firm.


    "On the chief¡¯s beard¡­.. Buhara is strong now"


    "On the chief¡¯s weapon¡­.. Buhara can no longer be called puny Buhara"


    Duhara and Guhara noted, as Buharaughed out loud.


    "HAHAHAHA¡ª Call me Mighty Buhara now!" Buhara demanded, as his two friends began worshiping him immediately.


    "We hail Mighty Buhara"


    "We support mighty Buhara as the next vige chief"


    The duo said, as Buhara wrapped his hands around their shoulders and started to merrily walk towards the vige.


    Buhara¡¯s home vige was called Goruk-Tor, a small but bustling Orc settlement nestled in a valley surrounded by jagged mountains.


    The vige was a collection of sturdy, stone huts with thatched roofs, built to withstand the harsh weather and asional raids from neighboring tribes.


    At first nce, the most impressive feature of the vige seemed to be the central bonfire, where the vigers gathered for meals and celebrations, however, the real speciality of Goruk-Tor were the series of cksmith forges located in the vige which made it a popr destination for crafting weapons.


    The air of Goruk-Tor was always filled with the sounds of nging metal from the cksmith¡¯s forge, the rhythmic thud of hammers against anvils, and the chatter of Orcs going about their daily lives.


    Life in Goruk-Tor was simple but harsh. The average Orc in the vige spent their days working in the fields or hunting in the dense forests that surrounded the valley.


    Strength was valued above all in the Orc society, and every Orc, young or old, was expected to contribute to the vige¡¯s survival.


    Children were trained to hunt from an early age, learning the ways ofbat and the lore of their ancestors.


    Yet, despite the rough lifestyle, there was a strong sense ofmunity among the Orcs.


    They worked, fought, and celebrated together, with the vige elders leading rituals and recounting tales of legendary Orc warriors. The bonds of family and friendship were unbreakable, and even in times of hardship, the Orcs of Goruk-Tor stood together, resilient and proud.


    Hence when Buhara, son of the vige chief and one of the darlings of the vige returned to Goruk-Tor after a year, the excitement amongst the vigers was palpable.


    "Look at him now!" shouted an older Orc woman, her eyes wide with amazement. "Buhara¡¯s grown so big! Did they feed you nothing but dragon meat at that university?" She inquired, as she looked genuinely amazed to see Buhara¡¯s rippling muscles.


    Another Orc, a burly cksmith with arms like tree trunks, chuckled as he pointed at Buhara¡¯s broad shoulders. "If Buhara keeps growing like this, we¡¯ll need to widen the doorframes of his father¡¯s hut! The chief¡¯s son won¡¯t fit through anymore!"


    "Or maybe," a cheeky young female Orc piped up, grinning mischievously, "he¡¯s gotten so strong to carry his future wife over the threshold! Eh, Buhara? When¡¯s the wedding, sister Sohara misses you dearly~"


    Thisment drew heartyughs from the crowd, with a few of the younger Orcs elbowing each other and winking at Buhara. "Better get started on making some little warriors of your own, Buhara!" another called out, earning a yful smack from his neighbor.


    Listening to all thesements, Buhara felt his face flush with embarrassment, as he could onlyugh along with the rest of them.


    "Let me meet my father first before I seek out Sohara!" he bellowed, as he made his way back to his hut.


    Naturally, the lighthearted banter continued as the vigers swarmed around Buhara, eager to wee him back with all the warmth and humor that made Goruk-Tor a true home and they only paused when the vige chief rushed out of his hut to greet his returning son.


    "Chief¨C"


    Your journey continues at NovelBin.C?m


    "Chief!"


    "Chief¨C"


    The vigers immediately bowed in respect at the sight of Buhara¡¯s father who was the strongest warrior in Goruk-Tor.


    His red skin was covered in scars throughout, which were proof of the sacrifices he had made for the wellbeing of the vige and the countless life and death battles that he had fought and won.


    The respect that Buhara¡¯s fathermanded was not because of fear but rather love, as there was not a single viger in Goruk-Tor who would not die to keep the Vige Chief safe.


    "Chief¨C" Buhara said, bowing his head as his father embraced him warmly.


    "You¡¯re a climber now Buhara. You don¡¯t have to call me chief anymore" His father reminded as he hugged his son tighter.


    Although he did not show it often, he was the one who had probably missed Buhara the most over the past year and was the one who was the happiest at his unexpected return today.

 Chapter 276: Fatherly Advise

    Only after entering his father''s hut, did Buhara find some peace and quiet as he kept eagerly looking around for any signs of his mother.


    "Your mother is not here Buhara¡­. She''s challenging floor 35 as we speak.


    I don''t think you shall be able to meet her unless you n on staying a few days" Chief Ohara, Buhara''s father said, as he calmed Buhara down.


    "Oh¨C" Buhara said, sounding slightly disappointed as he was quite excited to meet his mother.


    "Don''t be too sad! You can still spend time with your old man¡­.. ain''t I enough?" Chief OHara said, as Buhara began chuckling out loud.


    "Of course you are enough, old man. I''m not sad¡­." Buhara lied quite obviously, however, Ohara did not press him on it.


    "So, are you here to finalize your engagement with Sohara?" Chief Ohara asked, as Buhara''s cheeks flushed at the question.


    Buhara and Sohara were childhood sweethearts and Buhara quite liked her.


    When he was chosen as a climber by the tower of ascension, their rtionship grewplicated, as Sohara did not want him to leave, however, Buhara wished to.


    However, their separation had made Buhara realize that she was the only one he truly loved and if it were up to him, he really wanted to marry her.


    "No¡­. I don''t think Buhara will be able to marry Sohara anymore, father. I don''t think Buhara will be able to marry anyone" said Buhara with a sad voice, as his father immediately raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    "What happened? Did a rival orc cut your donger off? Are you not longer the master of the battle axe? No longer an impaled?" Chief Ohara asked, as Buhara immediately denied those allegations.


    "Buhara''s orc-hood is fine and fabulous, however, Buhara has joined the party of a Champion.


    Buhara''s friend is the Champion Of Gemini, and as a member of his party, Buhara does not expect to live a long life" said Buhara, as listening to his words, Chief Ohara felt enlightened.


    His boy had definitely matured over the past year and had grown wise.


    If it were the Buhara of the past, he would not have seen past his own self and his own needs, however, this new Buhara did.


    This new Buhara understood the consequences of his actions and had understood the importance of sacrifice.


    "Joining a Champion''s party is most admirable.


    A life of adventure is what all orcs seek¡­. And you being friends with the Champion Of Gemini does bring a lot of prestige to this family¨C" Chief Ohara epted, as he did not admonish Buhara over his decision and supported him wholeheartedly.


    "Follow your heart my boy. While I appreciate you thinking about others¡­. You should not decide what''s best for others.


    Tell Sohara what you feel about her and what other ongoingmitments you have and let her decide if she wants to be with you or not.


    That way, whatever her decision is¡­. She won''t regret it for life" Ohara advised as he patted his son on his back.


    Buhara took a moment to process his father''s advice, his gaze dropping to the ground as he mulled over the words. His heart felt a strange mixture of relief and confusion¡ªrelief that his father supported his decision, yet confusion about how to handle the situation with Sohara.


    After a brief silence, Buhara nodded slowly. "You''re right, Father," he said, his voice steadier now. "Buhara should be honest with Sohara. She deserves that much."


    Chief Ohara smiled warmly at his son, pleased to see Buhara''s maturity. "She does, my boy. And whatever happens, you''ll know that you made the right choice by being truthful."


    Buhara absorbed his father''s wisdom for a moment longer before shifting the topic. His expression grew more serious as he asked, "And how are the vige affairs, Father? How is Uncle Juhara doing?"


    At the mention of Juhara, Chief Ohara''s demeanor subtly shifted. A hint of difort flickered across his face, and he hesitated before answering, "Ah, Buhara¡­ your uncle Juhara¡­ he''s¡­ well, he''s no longer with us."


    Buhara''s heart skipped a beat, shock and disbelief overwhelming him. "What? Uncle Juhara is dead? How¡­ How did this happen?"


    Chief Ohara sighed deeply, the weight of the story pressing on his shoulders. "It''s a grim tale, my son. You see, Goruk Tor has been having trouble with our neighbors. There''s been frequent fighting over the control of the nearbyke¡ªan essential resource for both our vige and theirs."


    Buhara listened intently, his mind racing with questions as his father continued.


    "The nearby vige had a differentke under their control which was once a lifeline for their vige," Chief Ohara exined, "but recently, it''s been poisoned. Arge, mighty snake, a creature of terrible power, has taken residence in the waters and has driven the neighboring orc vige residents to desperation.


    With their own water source tainted, they''ve begun pushing into our territory, trying to take theke that sustains us."


    Buhara''s brow furrowed as he processed this troubling news. "And Uncle Juhara¡­ he died in one of these border shes?"


    Chief Ohara nodded solemnly. "Yes, he did. The tensions have been rising, and despite our best efforts to defend ournd, the conflicts have grown more violent. Juhara¡­ he was leading a group of our warriors when they were ambushed. It was a fierce battle, but¡­ they were outnumbered."


    The room fell into a heavy silence, both father and son grappling with the loss and the grim reality of their vige''s situation. "The bad blood between our n and the neighboring orcs has only worsened since," Chief Ohara added, his voice tinged with sorrow. "And with every passing day, it feels like we''re inching closer to an all-out war."


    Buhara clenched his fists, anger and sadness swirling within him. "This is terrible news¡­ What can be done, Father? Is there no way to resolve this?"


    Chief Ohara shook his head slowly, the lines of worry etched deeply into his face. "We''re doing what we can, Buhara, but the situation is dire. The snake in theke has made things difficult for everyone, and until it''s dealt with, I fear the shes will only continue."


    Buhara nodded, his mind already made as he decided to solve the problem of the nearby snake before he left for Earth.

 Chapter 277: Buhara V Snake

    Early next morning, Buhara left the vige of Goruk-Tor alone to travel to the neighboring vige whose water source had been contaminated.


    As per his research, the snake that was poisoning the nearby viges waters was a tier3 beast that wasn''t that powerful if it were fighting onnd, however, since it was within water and most orcs could not fight well within water, the snake proved to be a bigger challenge than it really was.


    In his heart, Buhara only had the best intentions for both his vige and that of his neighbors, however, as he was on his way to the neighboring vige, he spotted a dozen or so orcs from the neighboring vige making their way towards Goruk-Tor, with weapons in hand.


    "The patrolling sentinels of the Goruk-Tor vige change shifts during dawn. If we attack then, we can take them by surprise¡­."


    "If we can injure or kill Chief Ohara, then the vige will fall. He is the only respectable fighter amongst their ranks"


    "We must take over the Goruk-Tor''s water supply¡­. My grandmother has not had water to drink for the past 2 days"


    The group of 12 orcs discussed their intentions to attack Goruk-Tor, and Buhara having overheard their conversation, could no longer stay quiet in good conscience.


    "You puny orcs darey your eyes upon Goruk-Tor! Buhara will make you pay!" Dered Buhara, as his sudden arrival made the enemy orc group panic.


    For a moment they drew their arms and prepared to fight off any ambush, before realizing that their opponent was only a single orc.


    "Aren''t you Buhara? The chief''s son who was chosen to be a climber? What are you doing here?" asked one of the enemy Orcs, as just like back on Earth, once an Orc was chosen to be a climber they were given a higher status than themoners, since they helped fend off the monster wave that erupted every four years.


    It was a taboo to kill climbers, which was why once an orc was chosen as a climber they were no longer officially considered a part of any particr n.


    "Buhara was on his way to your vige to challenge the mighty snake in your waters.


    Buhara is a battle mage and has the confidence to best the snake.


    However, he has nowe across you lot who are nning to kill Buhara''s father" said Buhara, as his words caused the enemy Orcs to panic.


    Fundamentally, Orcs were a kind-hearted race.


    Although they fought a lot internally, they mostly fought without malice or bad intentions, as even today, although the Orcs nned on killing Chief Ohara, their intention behind it was to only secure the water source of Goruk-Tor vige for their own.


    "You will kill the snake for us? Is that even possible?" one of the enemy Orcs inquired, as Buhara nodded his head and brought out his staff-ax weapon.


    "Buhara is a part of the Champion Of Gemini''s party! He is now a mighty orc, Buhara can kill any snake!" imed Buhara, as his words impressed the opposing group of Orcs.


    "If Buhara can help us kill the snake, then our vige will be indebted to Buhara¡­.." said one of the enemy Orcs, as his group nodded at his words.


    Soon a consensus was reached that instead of attacking Goruk-Tor vige, the group of Orcs would instead escort Buhara to theirs, so that Buhara could fight against the snake.


    *********


    Once the group reached the Tramak-Tor vige, they quickly escorted Buhara to their contaminatedke, where the poisonous snake had made its new home.


    As Buhara approached the edge of the contaminatedke, the air grew thick with the stench of decay. The water, once a pristine source of life for the Tramak-Tor vige, was now a murky, toxic green, bubbling ominously as if theke itself was alive.


    The vigers, who had gathered around in hopes of witnessing the demise of the snake, whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and anticipation.


    "Buhara will end this," he dered, gripping his staff-ax tightly. His voice was firm, exuding the confidence of a battle mage who had faced countless dangers alongside the Champion of Gemini. Despite the daunting task ahead, he felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, knowing that both viges depended on his sess.


    With a deep breath, Buhara began chanting an incantation. The ground beneath his feet rumbled softly, resonating with the power he summoned. A faint, protective glow enveloped his body, a shield against the unknown dangers lurking beneath the water''s surface. As the incantation ended, Buhara took a step forward and waded into the water, the once-clearke now a vile sludge that clung to his legs.


    The moment his foot touched the water, theke came alive with movement. Ripples surged outward, and a low, menacing hiss echoed across the surface. The snake had sensed his presence. Buhara could see the faint silhouette of the creature slithering just beneath the surface, its scales shimmering with a sickly green hue that matched the water it had tainted.


    "Show yourself, beast!" Buhara bellowed, raising his staff-ax high above his head. The weapon began to glow with a fiery aura, crackling with the energy of both magic and raw orcish strength.


    In response, the snake surged out of the water, its massive body coiling and uncoiling as it rose to its full height. The creature was enormous, easily spanning the width of theke, with eyes that gleamed like twin emeralds filled with malice. Its fangs, dripping with venom, glistened in the dull light, promising a swift and painful death to anyone who dared challenge it.


    The battle began with a sh. The snake struck first, darting forward with blinding speed, its jaws snapping toward Buhara. But Buhara was ready. With a swift motion, he swung his staff-ax, meeting the snake''s attack head-on. The two forces collided with a deafening crash, sending shockwaves through the water and knocking the nearest orcs off their feet.


    Buhara grunted as the force of the blow sent him skidding backward, his feet digging into the sludge to steady himself. The snake recoiled, hissing in fury, before diving back into the water. It circled Buhara with predatory grace, its eyes never leaving him, searching for an opening.


    "Come at Buhara, snake! Buhara will crush you!" he roared, his muscles tensing in anticipation. He knew he had to keep the battle on the surface, where he had the advantage. If the snake dragged him into the depths, it would be over.


    The snake lunged again, this time from the side, attempting to coil around Buhara and squeeze the life out of him. But Buhara was quicker. He spun on his heel, bringing his staff-ax down in a powerful arc. The weapon struck the snake''s side, slicing through its scales and drawing a spurt of dark blood.


    The beast screamed in pain, its body thrashing wildly, creating waves that threatened to pull Buhara under. But he stood firm, channeling his magic through his weapon. mes erupted from the de, searing the snake''s wound and forcing it to release its grip.


    Realizing that brute strength alone wouldn''t defeat the beast, Buhara decided to use a different tactic. He began chanting once more, this time summoning the power of the earth. The ground beneath theke trembled, and suddenly, thick roots burst through the water, wrapping themselves around the snake''s body.


    The creature struggled against the magical bindings, hissing and snapping its jaws in desperation.


    "Buhara will not let you escape!" he shouted, tightening his grip on the staff-ax. With the snake immobilized, he charged forward, his weapon zing with fiery energy. He aimed for the creature''s head, intending to deliver a decisive blow.


    But the snake, sensing its imminent demise, let out a final, desperate hiss. It unleashed a torrent of venom from its fangs, aiming directly at Buhara. The venom sshed across his protective barrier, sizzling as it tried to eat through the magic.


    Undeterred, Buhara roared and brought his staff-ax down with all his might. The weapon cleaved through the snake''s skull, splitting it in two. The beast''s body convulsed violently before it finally went still, its lifeless form sinking beneath the water.


    Panting heavily, Buhara stood over the corpse, his chest heaving with exertion. Theke, once again still, began to clear as the snake''s influence faded. The vigers, who had watched the battle with bated breath, erupted into cheers, their voices filled with relief and gratitude.


    "Buhara has done it!" one of the orcs shouted, and soon the rest joined in, chanting Buhara''s name.


    "Buhara... has kept his promise," he muttered to himself, a small smile ying on his lips as he walked out of the water, victorious.

 Chapter 278: Marriage Proposal

    Buhara''s victory came as a great relief to the citizens of Tramak-Tor.


    They had never really seen a Battle-Mage in action before and never knew that an Orc could fight with methods beside their raw physical strength and power.


    Since Orcs were born with excellent natural strength, most Orcs spent their entire lives polishing just that one natural talent.


    The goal was to grow stronger and to develop one''s muscles to be one''s greatest strength, however, this approach naturally had its limitations.


    Not everyone could keep getting stronger without hitting their gic strength ceiling sooner orter, and with every other Orc around being also solely focused on strength, one lost the advantage of being powerful in battle, since everyone else was powerful too.


    Being less dexterous and less intelligent than other species like humans, elves, demons and vampires, the orcs never truly explored the route of bing mages, which was why Buhara was a trailzer within hismunity.


    His performance of taking down the venomous snake today through abination of magic and raw strength was witnessed by a majority of the residents of Tramak-Tor, and amongst them were small orc children who felt inspired from this event.


    "Mother, mother! I want to be like that orc there when I grow up! He''s so strong and so amazing! So much better than dad¨C"


    "Mmmphh, I know son¡­.. I wish he was your dad¡­. Just look at those wide shoulders that he possesses~ I bet he can wrestle me with them all night~"


    "Huh? Mom, why are you drooling?"


    Buhara''s performance impressed the kids and made thedies wet in their privates.


    Many singledies from the vige of Tramak-Tor tried to unt their busty figure at the Victorious Hero, trying to catch his attention, however, Buhara was not the kind to easily waver.


    Soaking in the view without any shame, he checked out every pair of breasts that were put forward on disy for him, however, did not give recognition to any.


    Like a true stud, he yed hard to get, as after defeating the snake, he went up to meet the vige chief of Tramak-Tor and ignored all the distractions.


    "You¡­ Buhara, son of Chief Ohara, you are our vige''s savior" Chief Chinwik said, as he expressed his gratitude towards Buhara for defeating the snake.


    "Please, let us host a grand banquet tonight in your honor, but first please excuse us, for we need to draw some water from thatke¨C" Chief Chinwik said, as Buhara stopped him dead in his tracks.


    "Chief Chinwik, although Buhara epts your gratitude, I am afraid Buhara can''t let you draw water from thatke yet.


    As although the snake is dead, the water within is still poisonous¨C


    Before using it, you must cleanse the water, for which you need to call upon either a pdin or a healer" Buhara said, as only then did Chief Chinwik realize that although Buhara had defeated the snake, the contamination that it had already caused was not going to disappear overnight.


    "B-But my vigers need water today. We haven''t had anything to drink in days¨C" Chief Chinwikined, as he helplessly pointed towards his own parched throat.


    "You can borrow the water from Toruk-Torke for today, but you must detoxify your ownke by tomorrow.


    Pay a healer if your vige doesn''t have one, or send a climber belonging to your vige to the tower to buy a few vials of detoxification potion from the alchemy shop¡­." Buhara suggested wisely, as Chief Chinwik immediately epted his proposal.


    "If it''s like this, then we won''t need to fight the neighboring vige for their water!" Chief Chinwik said in joy, as the vigers all cheered in unison behind him.


    Just like that, Buhara solved the water crisis for Tramak-Tor vige and also solved the border tensions that the Goruk-Tor vige was having with them.


    As he returned to Goruk-Tor, recounting his tale of valor to his father Chief Ohara, his father began crying tears of pride and joy at how sensible and mature his son had be.


    Overnight, Buhara became the hero of not only Tramak-Tor vige but also of Goruk-Tor vige, with people of both viges holding him in high regard.


    Naturally, one of the benefits of being hailed as the hero was that women from both viges started to throw themselves at Buhara, however, the only woman that Buhara had eyes for was his childhood crush Sohara, who he finally decided to seek out today.


    *********


    At the same evening, as Sohara was washing clothes outside her hut, Buhara shyly approached her, with a procession of giggling teenagers following him from a distance.


    From the blush on Sohara''s face, it was evident that she had heard about Buhara''s approach before actually seeing him, however, she pretended to be engrossed in her work and did not look-up to face Buhara up-till he called for her.


    "Hey, Sohara, I''m back¡­" said Buhara, rubbing his nose, as only then did Sohara look up.


    "Oh? If it isn''t Buhara the hero¡­." Said Sohara, her tone being one of sarcasm mixed with awe.


    "Buhara is no hero¡­. But Buhara is an Orc eligible for marriage" said Buhara, as he did not waste time beating around the bush and cut straight to the chase.


    Loud Giggles could be heard in the background, as naughty kids found this entire situation to be very funny, however, both Buhara and Sohara did not pay them any attention.


    "Oh? I''m sure many girls in the vige will be dying to marry the Hero Buhara¡­. Why tell this to me?" Asked Sohara, as she stood up and faced Buhara face to face.


    In no way was Sohara the most beautiful orc in the vige, nor was she the strongest. However, it was her unique temperament which had charmed Buhara since he was a child and now that he was of age, he still hadn''t been as attracted to another woman as he had been to Sohara.


    "Yes, there are many who wish to marry Buhara, however, Buhara only wishes to marry you.


    In this past year, Buhara has missed you a lot and if you will take me as your mate, Buhara will like to miss you for life" said Buhara, as he officially proposed Sohara for marriage.

 Chapter 279: A night to remember

    "Yes, there are many orcs who wish to marry Buhara, however, Buhara only wishes to marry you.


    In this past year, Buhara has missed you a lot when he was alone and if you will take me as your mate, Buhara will miss you a lot whenever he is alone for the rest of his life" said Buhara, as he officially proposed to Sohara for marriage.


    It was the most sweet and heartfelt message, as taking up on his father''s advice Buhara let Sohara decide on whether she wanted to marry him or not.


    Buhara really liked Sohara and wanted to start a family with her should she be willing, however, whether Sohara wished for the same or not, he did not know.


    Looking into his eyes, Sohara tried to stay strong, however, eventually she teared up as she could not keep up her tough front anymore.


    *m*


    Hugging Buhara wildly, she began sobbing in his chest, as the teenage kids looking from the background began whistling and cheering wildly.


    "He has done it! Big brother Buhara will lose his V card tonight!"


    "Hohoho, Sohara is not a bad catch, but brother Buhara could have done better"


    "Shut-up, look how cute they look together¡­ it''s perfect"


    The kids squabbled amongst themselves, while Buhara gently stroked Sohara''s head with joy.


    He knew that her embrace meant she had epted his marriage proposal, and that  realization filled him with immeasurable joy.


    "I missed you too, Buhara you puny dummy" said Sohara eventually, as it seemed like she had really suffered a lot in the past year when Buhara was not around.


    Growing up together, the two had been inseparable since childhood, until Buhara was suddenly chosen to be a climber and was tested to be talented enough to enroll into the university for nourishment of young talents.


    It was a matter of great pride for the vige, and Sohara who could not be happier for Buhara. However, his departure still saddened her, as she missed him dearly.


    She was afraid that being away from their simple vige would change Buhara, or that he would find a better and more talented orc wife who was a climber like him, however, Buhara had invalidated all her fears upon his return, and had even gathered the courage to propose to her.


    Although Sohara knew that she would only meet Buhara sparingly all her life, with her having to raise their future children alone. She did not mind it.


    She epted Buhara as a climber and did not wish to impede on his duties as one.


    Instead, she was happy with however much time they could now spend together, as with her being his official wife, she could finally monopolize as much of his time as he could spare.


    "So¡­ when do you wish to get the chief''s blessing for our union?" Buhara asked, scratching his chin, as his face had turned flush red just from having hugged her for this long.


    Thankfully, the loincloth he wore was tight enough to suppress the early signs of his erection, as he would be terribly embarrassed otherwise.


    "Right now! I don''t wish to wait any longer. It''s still only the evening. If we can get his blessings now, then perhaps tonight we can sleep together" Sohara said, as Buhara''s face blushed a shade redder listening to her words.


    ''Easy little Buhara¡­. Easy¡­'' Buhara begged his little friend, who got super excited from listening to Sohara''s words.


    "Alright ~" Buhara said sheepishly, as he gently walked behind Sohara, while covering his man-parts without being too obvious about it, lest she notice his boner.


    Unfortunately however, walking behind Sohara did not help either as his eyes kept wandering towards the luscious sway of her hips as he could not help but wonder about how that rear would look once disrobed tonight.


    Unfortunately, this only made him even more excited, forcing him to cover hisher regions more tantly, which made his condition obvious to any onlooker.


    "Look! Look! Big Brother Buhara has a boner¡­. He can''t wait to mate with Sohara tonight¨C" the naughty children said, as both Sohara and Buhara blushed a deep shade of red when they heard these words.


    Thankfully, both of them managed to pretend as if they never heard them and behave decently in front of the chief who blessed their union with an open heart.


    Marriage was a simple process in orc society with the husband and wife only needing to seek the chief''s approval, which once given made their bond official.


    Hence having received his father''s permission to marry, Buhara took Sohara straight to his bedroom once his father left, locking the door from within as he could no longer contain the heat in his pants.


    Sohara, feeling the same way, reciprocated Buhara''s enthusiasm and reached out to him eagerly, her hands trembling with anticipation. The room was filled with an electric tension as the two stood facing each other, their breathsing in short, excited gasps.


    Buhara, despite his usual bravado, found himself nervous, his heart pounding in his chest. But when he looked into Sohara''s eyes, he found the reassurance he needed. Her gaze was soft, filled with love and longing, and it melted away thest of his doubts.


    He took a step closer, and then another, until there was no more space between them. Hisrge hands cupped her face gently, and for a moment, they just stood there, savoring the closeness that they had both craved for so long.


    Finally, as if moved by an unspoken agreement, they leaned in, their lips meeting in a tender kiss. It was sweet and unhurried, a promise of what was toe, and when they finally pulled apart, both were left breathless and smiling.


    Sohara giggled softly, her cheeks flushed, "I have waited for this night since I was fourteen¡­." She said, admitting that she had thought about being naughty with Buhara before, which only caused Buhara to be even more aroused.


    "Me since¡­.. well¡­.. Buhara doesn''t remember since when. But since Buhara became a man," Buhara reciprocated, as he dropped his robes, revealing his exposed manhood to Sohara.


    *Gasp*


    Gasping, Sohara felt shocked to look at the huge size of Buhara''s manhood, as she touched it very coyly.


    "Looks like tonight will be a long night¡­." She said, blushing hard, as Buhara nodded his head with a gleeful smile.


    Tonight was indeed going to be long, and surely a night to remember for both the young lovers.

 Chapter 280: Band Back Together

    (Back on Earth, the next day)


    While preparing for his next floor raid, Rocky made a surprising discovery during his time at home with Riva.


    Since Baby Chun had developed a deep fondness for Earth and its food, Rocky decided one day to let the little beast out of his soul space while Riva was present in the house, and although Rocky was initially afraid of how Riva would react looking at the energetic little bunny, to his pleasant surprise, Riva immediately took a liking to the tiny creature.


    "Master? Who is this thin human? Why does she keep looking at me in such a creepy way?" Baby Chun asked Rocky upon seeing Riva for the first time. However, it wasn''t long before the two became close friends.


    Baby Chun''s infectious energy and curiosity drew Riva out of her shell, encouraging her to be more active as she yed with him. The little beast wanted to smell everything, taste everything, and was irresistibly cute and cuddly.


    For Riva, spending time with Baby Chun was a therapeutic experience. Thanks to Chun, she smiled and giggled for the first time since her release from imprisonment.


    Overjoyed, Rocky allowed both Baby Chun and Mama Chun to roam freely around the house in their bunny forms, adding two unexpected family members to the Yadav household.


    Mama Chun, who had already been present in the underground prison cell when Rocky rescued Riva, was familiar with her condition and felt sympathy for her. She promised Rocky that she would look after Riva when he wasn''t around, which came as a great relief for Rocky.


    Though this meant that Rocky now had to embark on dangerous floor runs without his trusted mount, he felt mentally at ease, knowing that Riva would no longer be alone in the house.


    With Baby Chun to y with and Mama Chun to ensure her safety, Rocky could face the challenges ahead with greater peace of mind.


    ********


    A few days passed quickly, and soon the day to reunite with the team came.


    As Rocky made his way to the True Elites Guild Headquarters, the first one to meet him there was Erin who had returned to Earth alongside him after theirst raid.


    "Good morning Sir Rocky! Are you ready for another run?" Erin asked, as Rocky greeted him back and squeezed his shoulders to disy his readiness to hunt.


    "I have learnt a new spell¡­. I can now dispel poisonous fog when needed.


    I think it will prove useful in critical situations" Erin said, as he reported to Rocky about his improvements in the past few days.


    "Most impressive, Erin, I too have learnt new sword skills" Rocky said, as Erin smiled and gave him a double thumbs up.


    Just as the two were about to discuss more about their improvements, Kronos arrived at the gathering venue, with a shiny new sword in hand.


    "Yo boys¡­ check this out! A semi legendary grade weapon! Isn''t it cool?" Kronos asked, proudly swinging the sword which gleamed brightly under the room''s LED lights.


    Although the leather grip on his sword seemed to have degraded a bit, the de itself was immacte and breathtaking and both Erin and Rocky immediately congratted Kronos for obtaining such a fine piece.


    "This sword must have cost millions! How did you manage to afford it, Sir Kronos?" Erin asked, as Kronos chuckled out loud at this question.


    "I grew up poor Erin¡­. I know cheap ces that most people don''t" Kronos said, as he swung his new de around some more, trying to look cool.


    It was clear that he was obsessed with his new toy and overjoyed to have it, with how lovingly he kept gazing at it again and again.


    Finally, thest to arrive was Buhara, who seemed to be a little wobbly at the knees by how he walked.


    "Oh look! Buhara is here¨C" Rocky said, raising his hand for a high five, which Buhara gave him with a big grin on his face.


    "Oye, Orc, why are you walking so funny today?" Kronos asked, pointing at Buhara''s legs, as Buhara immediately blushed at the question.


    "Puny humans and whatever species you are¡­." Buhara replied, pointing towards Kronos, as he gazed towards the ceiling in pride.


    "Buhara is happy to announce that he is officially married now.


    Yesterday Buhara married his childhood crush Sohara and then made love to her all night!


    Yess¡­.. Buhara is a real man now" said Buhara flexing his upper body muscles, as everyone beamed in joy at this joyous piece of news.


    "Ayeee! Congrattions my man!" Said Rocky, as he gave Buhara a warm congrattory hug.


    "You always missed her during university¡­. I''m happy you ended up together" said Erin as he gave Buhara a gentle hug, still seeming afraid that Buhara would crush him if he went in for an actual one.


    "Congrattions Orc! But if you did all the banging yesterday then why are your legs weak?


    It should be the girl who feels weak in the knees, unless you have let your rear seal be prated instead of doing the pration" Kronos teased, as Rocky and Erin burst outughing at the joke.


    "Of-Course not! Buhara is a prideful orc!" Said Buhara in protest, as he began stomping his feet and flexing his quads to show that he had very strong feet.


    The merry atmospherested for a few more minutes as the group shared details of their activities over the past few days, until it was time to enter the tower once again.


    The moment Rocky began talking about strategy and the challenges that the team might face on floor23 everyone immediately turned serious as they knew that their life/death depended on it.


    Over the past week, everyone except Buhara hade to the realization that they needed to grow significantly stronger if they hoped to survive the weekly floor raids, and had begun working towards that goal.


    As everyone acknowledged, that as challenging as Floor 22 had been, Floor 23 was sure to be even tougher.

 Chapter 281: Floor 23

    ( Floor 23 of the Tower Of Ascension )


    Floor 23 of the Tower of Ascension was ruled by the dragons. It was a distinct and formidablendscape, reminiscent of Earth''s Grand Canyon, where vast chasms and deep gorges dominated the terrain, leaving only narrow, treacherous paths for those daring enough to walk.


    It was the perfect world for winged creatures who could navigate it with ease, however, a nightmare fornd walkers who often needed to take long detours to reach their destination.


    As such, there were no dungeons on this floor and the floor clear quests given by the administrator usually involved tasks such as transporting valuable goods or finding specific herbs.


    However, this quest was usually easier said than done, as the littlend area that was walkable was littered with powerful monsters, while the threat of aerial attacks was constant.


    All in all, ascending beyond this floor was not easy at all and it was sure to be even harder for Rocky and crew, given that ''Vorithra Sylithen'' would surely mess with them.


    As the team arrived on the floor. The first thing they did was to look towards the skies, where massive wyverns, dragons and other majestic beasts roamed.


    *Roarrrr*


    A distant dragon roar caused Erin to shudder in his boots, as he did not feel ready at all to potentially face such a formidable beast, should they attract the ire of one.


    Thankfully, the Dragon''s living here were only tier3 to tier4 in strength, as thisnd could only support dragons at that strength and did not have valuable enough resources to push them beyond.


    [ Adventurer party of four¡­What is your intention in visiting this floor? Are you here to adventure or are you here to seek ascension? ]


    A deep voice soon rang in the team''s ears, as the floor administrator seemed to have detected their presence.


    "We are here to seek ascension, honorable administrator¨C" Rocky replied, as he made sure to address the floor administrator with proper respect.


    [ Very well¡­. Will you be taking part in this ascension evaluation as a team or as individuals? ] The administrator asked, as Rocky replied this time as well.


    "As a team"


    [ Very well¡­..You will be given 72 hours to transport the package that I am entrusting you from your current location to the vige chief of Mordok.


    Inside the package are perishable items that will start to degrade after 72 hours.


    Your mission will be consideredpleted with perfect grades if you can reach your destination within 72 hours, and a failure if you reach it after 84, after which the items inside be useless ] The administrator said, as a sealed box suddenly appeared in Rocky''s hands.


    [ Inside this box is something alive. So it cannot be stored within storage rings.


    You must carry it in person and shall potentially face the danger of wyverns attacking you constantly for its contents.


    Good luck adventurers! I hope you seed! ] The floor administrator said, as he started the 72 hours countdown.


    Immediately after the Floor Administrator''s presence receded, Rocky ced the sealed wooden box on the floor and began rubbing dirt and mud over it, as he tried to mask the scent of the box as best as he could.


    Although Rocky had no idea as for what was inside the box, since the Floor Administrator mentioned that it had the potential to attract the ire of wyverns, Rocky decided to cover it in mud, so that its natural scent got masked.


    Once he was satisfied with the results, Rocky instructed Buhara to ce the box in his backpack since he was physically carrying one. While Erin transferred some of the contents of Buhara''s backpack to his storage ring, to make sure that they were not forced to leave some food supplies behind.


    "Erin¡­. Locate Mordok vige on this floor''s map and draw the best path towards it with a line¡­.


    we better start getting a move on since this is a time constraint quest" Rocky instructed, as Erin pulled out a map of the floor from his storage ring and began plotting the shortest and safest path towards their destination, which moved through several shadynd bridges and trekking paths which saw them having to travel several kilometers to cover a few hundred meters in discement.


    After about 15 minutes, Erin came up with a route that he felt was the best and presented it to Rocky, who proposed a few small changes to it and finalized their route.


    "If we walk non-stop, it should take us about 1.5 days to reach our destination. However, this is not including breaks, potential time wasted on fights or the possibility of having to take a detour.


    If we lose time for any reason, this mission may prove to be difficult toplete and hence we will take as little rest as possible during the first few hours of this journey just to get a little ahead of the schedule and have some breathing room" Rocky instructed, as everyone nodded in agreement to his words.


    "Rocky, I think the rest of us should be fine, but we may have to carry Buhara on our backs mid-way through the journey since our Orc friend may still be feeling a little wobbly in his legs" Kronos teased, as Buhara instantly protested his remarks.


    "Buhara is NOT feeling weak in his legs! Buhara is the strongest and fittest orc in Goruk-Tor.


    You insult Buhara by suggesting that he will need to be carried.


    Buhara can carry two of you on his back, with no problems" said Buhara, as he began marching ahead of the group with his arms crossed, as if to prove his point that he did not need any assistance.


    Chuckling, the group followed behind him, with Rocky and Kronos constantly monitoring the skies for any signs of potential threat.


    Everytime that the two of them saw any beasts flying above their heads, they clutched their swords anticipating an attack, however, at least for the first couple of hours of their journey, they suffered no attacks.

 Chapter 282: Centipede attack

    The team encountered the first signs of danger when they approached a narrownd bridge, a perilous crossing with steep, seemingly bottomless drops on both sides.


    Thisnd bridge saved the team roughly 40 minutes of traveling and hence was a must for them to cross, despite the terrain being dangerous.


    With the bridge being only wide enough for them to walk in a single file, it forced everyone to be especially careful with their footing, as below them, the jagged rocks and swirling mists promised certain death to any who fell.


    As usual, Rocky led the way, his eyes scanning the path ahead, while Kronos and the others followed closely.


    They moved silently, their senses heightened by the treacherous surroundings, as the wind whistled through the canyon, carrying with it the asional distant roar of dragons, a constant reminder of the dangers that lurked on this floor.


    As they neared the midpoint of the bridge, Kronos paused, narrowing his eyes at a strange disturbance near the earth just ahead, as he could swear that he saw the ground ahead shift subtly, as although it was almost imperceptible, it was somehow enough to catch his attention.


    ''Hmm¡­.''


    With his eyes trained on that exact spot, he kept moving without alerting anyone in case it was a false call, however, just as they crossed the narrownd bridge and Erin took one step over the edge, Kronos spotted movement at that exact spot once again.


    "Something''s not right," Kronos muttered, tightening his grip on his sword. "There''s movement up ahead."


    Rocky halted the group with a raised hand, his gaze following Kronos''s. "Be ready," he instructed calmly, his toneced with caution. "Kronos, draw it out."


    Without hesitation, Kronos projected a powerful sword strike into the ground ahead, as the energy from his attack mmed into the earth, causing it to crack open. For a moment, there was silence, and then the ground erupted in a shower of dirt and rocks.


    *SCREECH*


    A monstrous creature burst forth from beneath the earth, revealing itself to be a hideous, million-legged centipede.


    Its body was armored with hard, ck scales, gleaming with a sinister sheen, while its countless legs scuttled menacingly, allowing it to move with terrifying speed.


    The centipede''s head was crowned with razor-sharp mandibles, snapping viciously as it lunged towards the group.


    "Scatter!" Rockymanded as he leapt back, his swords drawn and ready.


    The team sprang into action. Kronos moved to the side, drawing the creature''s attention with another sword projection that struck its armored side, causing a metallic ng to echo through the canyon.


    The centipede hissed, its legs scrabbling on the rocky surface as it adjusted its course to attack him.


    "Erin, buffs now!" Rocky shouted, as he darted in to sh at the centipede''s legs, trying to slow it down.


    Erin wasted no time, casting enhancement spells on Rocky and Kronos, increasing their speed and strength, while also cursing the centipede to weaken its defenses. "You''re buffed! Buhara, get ready with the spell!"


    Buhara nodded, already chanting, his hands glowing with the energy of the spell he was preparing. "Buhara will squash this bug!"


    The centipede''s segmented body twisted with unnatural flexibility as it lunged at Kronos, but he was ready. With a powerful swing, he sent another projection slicing through the air, striking the centipede''s side and forcing it to recoil. It''s hard scales absorbed most of the impact, but Kronos''s attack left a visible crack.


    "Holy shit my new sword is AWESOME! I''m legit not even using 15% of my strength behind these attacks and I''m still damaging this beast¡­. If I go all out, I can probably kill it in one blow" Kronos said, as instead of killing the beast with one blow as he should have, he seemed to be testing the waters with his new powers.


    Taking advantage of the opening, Rocky closed in from the side, his dual swords shing as he struck at the creature''s legs.


    *Hissss*


    The centipede hissed in pain, losing its bnce for a moment as several of its legs were severed. But it quickly regained its footing, its body undting as it coiled around to face Rocky, mandibles snapping.


    "Now, Buhara!" Rocky yelled, as he dodged an attack from the centipede, leaving the crack in its Armor exposed to Buhara who went for the killing blow.


    [ Fire Vortex ]


    Buhara cast the spell Fire Vortex, and the sheer force of the spell was so strong that it sent the creature reeling backward, while also simultaneously enveloping its entire body in mes.


    *SCREECH*


    The creature hissed in pain, allowing Rocky to lunge forward, his swords stabbing into the crack in the centipede''s scales, as with a powerful twist, he drove his des deeper, piercing through to the creature''s core.


    *PRIIII*


    The centipede let out a final, ear-piercing screech as it convulsed, its body thrashing wildly. Then, with a shudder, it copsed onto the ground, its million legs twitching before finally going still.


    As the creature died, the team breathed a collective sigh of relief, taking a moment to catch their breath.


    "That was too close," Erin muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "Everyone okay?"


    Before anyone could respond, Kronos''s eyes darted to the sky, noticing several dark shapes circling above them. His face hardened as he recognized the threat that they were facing.


    "We''re not done yet¡­. Look, Wyverns." Kronos said, as apparently, centipedes were the wyverns'' favorite food and the team killing one while making all this noise had attracted a lot of them to their current location.


    Rocky followed Kronos''s gaze, his expression grim. "How many?"


    "Three, maybe four," Kronos replied, his grip tightening on his sword, as sure enough, within a few seconds three wyverns swooped down from the sky, their leathery wings beating the air as they let out shrill screeches.


    Wyverns, though smaller than the dragons that ruled this floor, were still formidable predators, with sharp talons and corrosive breath, however, as a team Rocky andpany could still easily take on four or five of them at once.


    "Erin, stay close! Buhara, prepare to counter their dive attacks¡­. If they only want the centipede and are not after us, just let them take its dead body, but if they attack us, show no mercy!" Rocky ordered, his voice steady despite the urgency of the situation, as he prepared the team to face this new threat.

 Chapter 283: Kronoss Strength

    Rocky hoped that all that the wyverns were after was the dead body of the centipede, however, he was wrong.


    Once the wyverns came close to them, they somehow went absolutely crazy and started to attack Buhara without wasting any time, diving towards him with terrifying speed.


    "Agh shit¡­.. protect Buhara ¨C" Rocky instructed as immediately Rocky and Kronos moved in tandem, their swords shing as they deflected the wyverns'' talons mid-dive, forcing the creatures to veer off their attack paths. The impact sent sparks flying as steel met scale, the sheer force of the wyverns'' attacks shaking the ground beneath them.


    Though slower, Erin quickly followed up by casting a protective barrier around the group, its shimmering energy enveloping them in a dome of light. "This should buy us some time!" Erin called out, focusing on maintaining the barrier as the wyverns circled above, seeking a way in.


    Buhara, not one to sit idle, summoned a wall of me that rose high around the barrier, its intense heat and roaring mes creating a deterrent for the wyverns.


    The flying creatures, startled by the sudden burst of fire, shrieked and pulled back, circling warily just outside the reach of the mes.


    For a brief moment, the team found themselves in an insted bubble of protection, giving them the precious time they needed to regroup and think of an exit strategy.


    Quick to think on his feet, Rocky''s gaze immediately shifted to Kronos, who stood with his ck sword still in hand, the de gleaming ominously in the flickering light.


    Rocky could see the confidence in Kronos''s stance, the subtle shift of his grip, and the almost imperceptible excitement that Kronos was trying to contain, as instead of looking afraid, Kronos seemed to be stalking the wyverns like a predator.


    "Kronos," Rocky began, his voice drawing Kronos''s attention back to the tem, "how confident are you that you can take down a wyvern with a single strike? You''ve been testing that new sword, and it''s time to see what it can really do."


    Kronos''s eyes flicked to his sword, a smirk spreading across his face as he considered the question. The de had already proven its worth against the centipede, leaving him impressed with its raw power. Now, the prospect of facing these airborne predators stirred a thrill within him as he looked back at Rocky, his smile widening.


    "Confident enough," Kronos replied, his voice carrying a note of eagerness. "This sword is something else. I''m ready to take the lead."


    Rocky nodded, his own confidence bolstered by Kronos''s resolve. "Good. Here''s the n: Erin and I will focus on keeping Buhara safe and distracting the wyverns as best as we can.


    While Kronos, you take the lead¡ªunleash those sword projections and bring them down one by one.


    Make every strike count."


    Kronos''s eyes gleamed with anticipation. "One blow each. Got it."


    As the team braced themselves, Erin reinforced the protective barrier with a wave of his hand, ensuring they had a few more moments to prepare.


    Outside, the wyverns continued to circle, their frustration growing as they sought a way through the mes and barrier. Their predatory instincts told them that something was inside that dome worth attacking, and they did not seem willing to  give up easily.


    "Get ready to drop the barrier," Rocky instructed, his voice low but firm, as he moved beside Buhara, his swords at the ready to protect him and the backpack containing the parcel from any attacks.


    Finally, he nced at Kronos, who was now focused, his sword raised and ready, as Rocky issued onest instruction for him.


    "Kronos, as soon as it''s down, start taking them out." Rocky said, as Kronos only replied with a confident smile, his pupils widening as he entered a state of deep concentration.


    He could feel the power of his new sword humming in his grip, a connection between weapon and wielder that he hadn''t experienced before. It was as if the sword itself was eager to be unleashed.


    "Now!" Rocky shouted as he spotted a good opportunity for Kronos to strike a wyvern, as immediately upon his instruction Erin dropped the barrier, and Buhara dispersed the mes that had kept the wyverns at bay.


    The suddenck of resistance caused the wyverns to surge forward in a frenzy, their talons outstretched as they dived toward the team.But before the first wyvern could even get close, Kronos acted.


    With a swift, fluid motion, he swung his sword, and a powerful projection of energy shot through the air. The attack was precise and devastating, mming into the lead wyvern with the force of a thunderbolt, as the creature didn''t even have time to screech before it was torn apart, its body plummeting lifelessly into the chasm below.


    The other wyverns hesitated for a fraction of a second, stunned by the sudden death of theirrade, but Kronos didn''t give them a chance to recover.


    Another swing meant another lethal projection, and just like that a second wyvern fell, its wings crumpling as it spiraled downward, dead before it hit the rocks below.


    The remaining wyverns, sensing the deadly threat Kronos posed, tried to evade, but their attempts were futile.


    Kronos was relentless, his sword moving with a speed and precision that belied his earlier casual confidence. Each swing of his de sent another projection slicing through the air, and each time, a wyvern fell, unable to withstand the sheer power of his attacks.


    Within seconds, the sky was clear. The once-mighty predators nowid in ruins, their bodies scattered across the rocky canyon or lost to the abyss below.


    As Kronos lowered his sword, breathing steadily despite the intense exertion. He turned to the group, a satisfied smile ying on his lips. "All clear," he said simply, as if it had been no challenge at all.


    His new sword which could convert vitality into power coupled with his near infinite vitality pool was a deadlybination, as creatures that even Rocky would have a hard time defeating, could now be one shot by Kronos alone.

 Chapter 284: More Trouble

    After defeating the wyverns, the group resumed their quest to deliver the package. They had been fortunate enough to encounter minimal trouble on their journey so far, but this good fortune didn''t lead to anycency within the group as they knew well that at any moment, their luck could take a turn for the worse.


    Remaining fully aware of this possibility, they made the most of every moment where danger didn''t loom over them.


    Pressing on with determined steps, they aimed to cover as much ground as possible while the sun still shone brightly as they knew that in a few hours, night would fall, bringing with it a new set of challenges.


    As they continued, the terrain proved no less treacherous than what they had just crossed. Over the next twelve hours, the team faced a relentless series of challenges that tested their physical endurance and mental resilience.


    Their path led them across dangerous structures: rickety bridges that swayed with every step and narrow walkways nked by deep chasms on both sides, where a single misstep could spell disaster.


    Crossing these structures required extra caution, and the team moved carefully, their senses heightened to the dangers around them.


    Yet, despite the risks, they knew they couldn''t afford to slow down as time was as much an enemy for them on this floor as the monsters that they faced.


    Eventually, their journey brought them to a region where they had to climb steep cliffs and navigate narrow ledges. This was a dangerous area, where the rocky surfaces often crumbled beneath their feet.


    Here, every crossing was a gamble, but with Rocky leading the way, the team managed to traverse each obstacle, although they had a few close calls.


    Along the way, they also encountered more wyverns and centipedes from time to time¡ªthough not in the overwhelming numbers that they had faced earlier.


    The wyverns, while still dangerous, were swiftly dealt with by Kronos''s precise sword projections, while the centipedes, despite having their armored bodies and menacing mandibles, stood little chance against Rocky''s dual swords and Buhara''s devastating spells.


    These battles, though frequent, were short-lived as thanks to the team''s effective coordination and the enhanced power Kronos brought to the table, they didn''t run into much trouble.


    However, as night fell and the fatigue set in, the constant threats and treacherous terrain began to take a toll on them, both physically and mentally.


    Each fight left them more weary, with the umted fatigue weighing heavily on their shoulders.


    Erin, who had worked tirelessly to maintain protective spells and buffs throughout the day, felt the exhaustion most keenly. His magic was a constant lifeline, keeping the group''s strength up and their wounds at bay, but there was no one to support him.


    Despite these challenges, the group pushed forward, their determination unwavering as the thought of whaty ahead¡ªpossibly a dragon, far more powerful than anything they had faced so far¡ªkept them on edge, driving them to make the most of every peaceful moment.


    As the hours passed and the night grew darker, thendscape around them began to change.


    The wide chasms and towering cliffs gave way to more open, but still dangerous, terrain and the ground beneath them became more stable. However, with this stability came a new danger as the monster that they dreaded facing the most finally made its first appearance.


    *ROARRRR*


    A terrifying green dragon who was flying in the night sky looking for prey, seemed to have taken an interest in the group.


    It roared loudly when it spotted its prey, with his powerful roar sending a shiver down the spines of the team.


    Its massive wings beat the air with a sound like rolling thunder, creating gusts of wind that swept across the open terrain forcing the team to halt, as their eyes scanned the dark skies, searching for the source of the ominous noise.


    "There it is," Kronos whispered, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of the green dragon''s silhouette against the darkened sky.


    The dragon circled above them, its massive form blotting out the stars as it flew lower, clearly observing the four adventurers.


    Rocky''s grip tightened on his swords as he stepped forward, his gaze never leaving the beast.


    "Stay focused. We don''t know what it''s nning... also Erin start preparing your strongest defensive spell, I feel like it can attack us at any point" Rocky instructed, as he anticipated the dragons next move before it ever made one.


    Erin, responding to Rocky''s instructions, immediately began to weave a defensive spell, his hands moving in practiced motions as the rest of the team formed a protective stance around him, ready for whatever the dragon might unleash.


    Then, without a warning, just as Rocky had expected, the dragon stopped circling and hovered in ce, high above them. Its chest swelling as it took in a deep breath, and a momentter, a stream of bright green fire shot downwards, aimed directly at the group.


    [Dragon''s Breath]


    *Sizzle*


    The mes roared as they descended, their heat palpable even from a distance.


    "Erin, now!" Rockymanded, his voice steady despite the impending danger, as immediately Erin released the energy he had gathered.


    Soon, a shimmering barrier of green light erupted around the group just as the dragon''s breath reached them, protecting them against the dragon''s mes.


    *SPLASH*


    The mes collided with the barrier, sshing against it like a wave against a cliff.


    The ground around them sizzled and ckened from the intense heat, but the barrier held strong.


    Seconds passed, however the dragon''s breath attack continued, testing the strength of Erin''s magic, as soon sweat started to bead on his forehead.


    Despite his fatigue, Erin continued to pour more of his energy into maintaining the barrier, with the strain on his body evident from his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes.


    However, through sheer will, Erin managed to pull through the attack until the mes ceased, and the dragon pulled back, seemingly surprised that its attack had been thwarted.

 Chapter 285: Rockys New Strength

    The dragon''s roar had barely faded from the air when Erin, exhausted from his earlier efforts to shield the team, leaned heavily on his staff, with his breathing in short ragged gasps.


    "I need¡­ a moment," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, as Rocky nodded, allowing him a brief respite, though the urgency of their situation was clear to everyone.


    The team had been journeying for 18 hours straight now and had been through countless battles, which had pushed Erin to his limits.


    This shield was all that he had left in him, and having blocked the dragon''s attacks once, Erin no longer had the strength to continue.


    He was feeling dizzy and disoriented, and needed at least a few more minutes to catch his breath before he could even get back to his feet, effectively taking him out of the next battle equation.


    With the night growing darker, and the dragon above circling with predatory intent, Rocky''s mind raced as he analyzed every movement of the beast, every beat of its wings and every sh of its ws.


    He had this gnawing feeling inside him ever since he had mastered the basics of the grand sage style, where he started to look at living creatures differently than before.


    Micro-ws inside them, ws in their attack pattern, in their movements, became evident to him now, however, he was still not experienced enough to turn that knowledge into a reliable pir of his strength.


    It was like he could feel the rhythm of the battle, the flow of the dragon''s attacks and predict them before they happened, however, he still hadn''t figured out how to make the most of the knowledge he was able to see now.


    Nheless, with the time clock of the mission ticking, and the threat on their lives being evident, Rocky came up with a n to defeat the Green Dragon¡­.. A n where the team functioned without the help of Erin who needed a break.


    "Buhara, create a wall of fire along the dragon''s left wing," Rocky instructed, his voice calm and steady. "Kronos, I need you to strike at its right wing but hold back¡ªjust enough to draw its attention without ovemitting" Rocky instructed, as the team moved into action, following Rocky''s precise orders.


    Buhara summoned a wall of me that erupted on the dragon''s left side. The beast roared in anger, veering away from the fire.


    At the same time, Kronos unleashed a powerful but measured sword projection, aiming for the dragon''s right wing. The strike hit its mark, but with just enough force to cause the dragon to falter without inflicting significant damage.


    The dragon, now agitated and confused, began tosh out with wild, uncoordinated strikes, as it poured down dragon''s breath all across thend where the team were standing, however, with Rocky constantly aiming sword projections towards its mouth, it was forced to dodge and could not attack the area where the team was standing precisely.


    Rocky observed its movements closely, his mind working through the chaos to identify a pattern, a weakness, and he saw it in the way the dragon flinched whenever it had to turn sharply away from the fire or when its wing was struck¡ªits right wing was slightly weaker, less responsive, likely from an old injury or an inherent w, which made the beast always prefer dodging an attack towards the right, as it pped it left wing harder to make a turn.


    ''There!'' Rocky thought, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the slight hesitation in the dragon''s movement. ''It''s weaker on its right side¡­ I can use it to predict how it will dodge, which will help me create an opening.'' Rocky thought, as he issued a fresh set of instructions.


    "Buhara, keep that wall of me strong,"


    "Kronos, hit the right wing again, but this time, aim lower. We need to cripple it." Rocky instructed, as Kronos, feeling frustrated from the slow progress, decided to ignore Rocky''smands.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got this," he reassured the team, his voice filled with confidence.


    "I''ll pour enough vitality into this next strike to slice that dragon in half, there is no need to do this measured dance¨C." Kronos said, as he raised his sword high, and began channeling an immense amount of his vitality into the de.


    The air around him crackled with the sheer force of the energy he was gathering. The sword glowed with a blinding light as Kronos prepared to unleash his attack.


    But as the sword projection formed, Kronos pushed too far. The energy within the de surged beyond his control, and instead of releasing a devastating strike, the force backfired.


    *Bzzzz*


    Kronos''s body convulsed as the overwhelming power coursed through him, and with a final, futile attempt to maintain control, he copsed, the sword falling from his grip as he lost consciousness.


    "Kronos!" Erin shouted, rushing to his side as Buhara and Rocky held their ground.


    Unfortunately, there was no time to tend to Kronos now as the dragon, sensing a moment of weakness, turned its attention back to the group, preparing to unleash another fiery onught.


    "Oh shit!" Buhara cursed, as he felt scared for his life, however, despite the clear danger, Rocky''s mind remained clear and focused.


    He could see the dragon''s intent in the way it coiled its body, preparing to strike, and somehow he could see a path to countering it sessfully.


    "Erin, stay with Kronos. Buhara, cover me," Rocky ordered, his voice firm, leaving no room for hesitation as he moved swiftly, with his dual swords gleaming under the moonlight as he advanced toward the dragon.


    The Grand Sage style was all about precision, about knowing when and where to strike to turn an enemy''s strength into a weakness and right now Rocky could feel the rhythm of the battle, the ebb and flow of the dragon''s attacks, and he timed his movements perfectly to them.


    As the dragon lunged, its maw opened wide to unleash a torrent of fire, but Rocky was faster. He moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior, sidestepping the mes and positioning himself directly under the dragon''s vulnerable right wing as in a single, fluid motion, he brought both swords down in a precise, cross-shaped strike, severing the wing at its joint.


    Not only did Rocky purposefully aim a little bit off, knowing that the dragon would try and veer to the right to dodge. He even timed it perfectly so that when the dragon did try to dodge, it ended up hitting it at the perfect spot where it''s wing joined its body, as Rocky sliced it clean off.


    *ROAARRRRR*


    The dragon''s roar of pain echoed across the battlefield as it crashed to the ground, its massive body thrashing wildly. But Rocky was relentless. He pressed the attack, dodging the dragon''s desperate swipes and shes as he continued to exploit the weakness he had found.


    *SHUA*


    *SHUA*


    *SHUA*


    Each strike that he unleashed was calcted, each movement intentional, until finally, with a final, powerful blow to the dragon''s neck, he ended its life.


    It wasn''t that he had suddenly grown a lot faster or stronger to be able to perform such a domineering battle against a tier4 dragon, however, it was just that his swordsmanship had began to flow much smoother as he understood the basics of the Grand Sage Style.


    Instead of creating openings, he now exploited them with smooth attacks that all linked with one another and although he had no ''Special'' powerful blow to rely on like Kronos, his style of fighting gave a whole new edge to him that he did not possess on floor22.


    With the decapitated dragon head in his hands, Rocky stood over the fallen dragon''s bldg, his second sword dripping with its blood as his chest heaved from the exertion.


    The battle was over and the night was silent once more, save for the crackling of Buhara''s mes and thebored breathing of his teammates. Erin, having ensured that Kronos was stable, looked up at Rocky with a mixture of awe and relief.


    "You did it, Sir Rocky," Erin murmured, his voice filled with admiration as Rocky simply nodded, his gaze still fixed on the dragon''s lifeless form.


    The Grand Sage style had proven itself, but more importantly, it had shown Rocky the value of patience and of waiting for the perfect moment to strike¡­. It was like a new dimension had opened for him, as Rocky understood the importance of having a good fighting style for the first time ever.


    "Let''s rest for a while¡­.. both you and Kronos need some rest and pushing on in this state will only create more problems for us.


    Eat your food, drink your potions and sleep if you want to¡­. We resume our journey in 45 minutes" Rocky said, as he instructed the team to recuperate quickly so that they could be on their way once again.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 286: Limits

    It took Kronos a whole 20 minutes to regain his consciousness, as for 20 minutes after trying to unleash too powerful a sword strike, he had cked outpletely.


    When he woke up, he saw Rocky and Buhara cooking some meat over a campfire, while Erin was chugging a bottle of stamina potion.


    Beside Erin were 2-3 more empty bottles, which ranged from health potion, mana potion and refreshment potion.


    "Agh¡­." Kronos groaned in pain, as he felt sore all over his body when he tried to move.


    His condition was not good at all, which was odd considering the fact that he usually recovered very fast from any sort of injury and never really experienced muscle soreness.


    "Good morning sleeping beauty, there are 25 minutes left until our break ends. Better Freshen up" Rocky said, as Erin ced a bottle of refreshment potion beside Kronos for him to drink.


    Seating up, Kronos felt his head be attacked by a severe case of vertigo, as his head felt as heavy as lead.


    "What happened?" He asked, as Erin simply pointed towards the carcass of the dead dragon, and then towards the meat that Rocky and Buhara were cooking.


    "Dragon meat?" Rocky offered, passing him a smoking skewer, as Kronos grabbed it with saliva dripping from his mouth.


    For five minutes, he only focused on eating and drinking the recovery potion, as after having some food he felt considerably better with his vertigo fading as well.


    "Better?" Rocky asked, as Kronos nodded, his face flushed red from the embarrassment of his previous failure.


    He had boldly dered that he could slice the dragon in half with ease, only to end up being unconscious and a burden to the team.


    "So what happened?" Rocky asked, as it was important for Kronos to introspect from this experience.


    If he did not understand what caused him to be knocked out unconscious then it would render his newfound ability useless, as Kronos needed to understand just how far he could push his strength.


    Scratching his head, Kronos thought about Rocky''s question for a while before letting out a deep sigh.


    "I think although I have infinite vitality, there is a limit to how much vitality I can pour into the sword at once.


    I think the amount of vitality I can pour into it, is the sum of how much damage my body can take from one hit.


    So assuming that I''m reduced to dust from an attack from my head to toe¡­. That''s the amount of vitality I can channel into the sword at once.


    Because I tried to push beyond that barrier and pour a crazy amount of vitality into the sword for a big attack, I think my body could not handle the bacsh and I was knocked out cold¨C" Kronos said, as after introspection he understood just what his limit was.


    "So theoretically, as your body continues to grow stronger, you will be able to channel higher amounts of vitality into your sword, correct?" Rocky asked, as Kronos nodded earnestly.


    Although the sword did not allow him to put a crazy amount of vitality into it at once, an amount that would be enough to even kill gods, the sword did still allow him to push to his body''s limits which would grow over time.


    It was still an overpowered weapon in his hands, however, instead of being an end-level weapon, it was more of a growth type weapon whose strength was equivalent to Kronos''s inherent power.


    The stronger Kronos got, the stroger his sword attacks could get, however, the limit for now was an attack approximately near tier4 in strength.


    "Take it easy, Sir Kronos¡­. We are a team. No-one expects you to kill every monster by yourself. Leave some fun for the rest of us" Erin said, trying to cheer Kronos up, as he pped him on his back.


    Smiling, Kronos epted his shorings and grew from this experience, as although he did not express his gratitude towards the team, he felt it deeply in his heart.


    Soon, the 45 minute break was over and although the team was not fully rested, they recovered enough to be on the road once again, as leaving the dragon carcass behind they started to move towards their destination once again.


    With roughly 30 hours worth of journey still left, and them not having encountered the most dangerous parts of the journey where they would be facing a den of dragons, the worst was yet toe, however, with the spirit of camaraderie strong amongst the group, they did not fear failure.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Sophia )


    At the same time as Rocky and his team were facing tough challenges within the tower, Sophia was facing tough challenges of her own under the tutge of Ares.


    Having started to learn about forbidden Soul Arts, she was strengthening her soul to potentially battle the soul of the ancient warrior residing within her.


    Unfortunately, the process of strengthening her soul was neither pretty, nor simple, as it required tonnes of sacrifices from living beings and acts of extreme cruelty to bemitted.


    Not only did Ares starve her for days and force her to eat questionable drugs, but he then also encouraged her to butcher tonnes of innocent lives in ritualistic chambers, as he strengthened her soul in the most inhumane way possible.


    Slowly but surely, he was changing Sophia and her personality, as beaten and broken, Sophia clung onto Ares and his advice as if it were the Gospel.


    If Ares asked her to kill, she killed and enjoyed the process of killing and if he told her to not eat, she did not touch a grain of food.


    Turning into his pet, Sophia slowly lost bits of her original personality, as she started to grow more powerful, yet cruel with every passing day.


    If a Soulmancer were to walk into the same room as Sophia someday, they would probably be repulsed by the ugly stench of her soul, however, that was the price she was paying for a fast gain in power.

 Chapter 287: Danger

    Rocky knew that the most dangerous part of their journey was the region called ''Dragon Valley''.


    It was an area which was a hotspot for wyverns and dragons, since smaller prey was abundant in this valley.


    The area had be a hotspot for predators, because it was the spot where centipedesid their eggs and their hatchlings were born.


    However, bypassing this valley was not possible for Rocky, since going around it meant spending 30 hours more in their journey, which was otherwise a two hour walk.


    Rocky knew that if they sessfully crossed this valley. Their mission would be as good asplete, as the remaining part was not as dangerous and not that long either, however, crossing the Dragon Valley itself was going to be their toughest challenge yet.


    Even from afar, one could see how dozens of dragons circled over the valley eyeing their prey, and how with every swoop they came out with either a wyvern carcass in their grasp, or an adult centipede, as they flew away with the prey to eat at their own leisure.


    Below the dragons flew the wyverns, very close to the surface as they mainly hunted the centipede hatchlings and other smaller prey that the dragons were not interested in, while simultaneously dodging any lunges from the dragons above.


    It was like a den of predators and prey, and the team was supposed to walk through this madness somehow.


    *ROARR*


    As one of the ck dragon''s in the sky roared domineeringly, Erin trembled in his tracks and looked questionably towards Rocky.


    "Sir Rocky¡­. Are we sure we want to walk through there? That doesn''t seem like a very smart decision. If we start running we can perhaps cover the 30 hour walk around in just 17-19 hours? We can still make it on time if we do" Erin said, as the initial n that he had drafted did not take the team through Dragon Valley, however, the only change that Rocky proposed was that the team go through it.


    "No¡­. We have to go through it. The other route is not reliable and even if we run, the margin of error it leaves is too close forfort.


    I know the path ahead looks terrifying, however, it''s an insted walkway for most parts, where the aerial beasts can''t attack us since we haverge rock''s just over our heads.


    There are openings, but as long as we cover each other''s tracks we can make our way through.


    And although it''s a den of monsters, I don''t think many of them have the motive to attack us¨C" Rocky said, as he stuck firm to his decision of walking through the deadly valley, much to the dismay of Erin, who bit his lip, clearly still uneasy, but he nodded, trusting Rocky''s judgment.


    Buhara, who had been silently observing the valley, let out a low grunt. "Buhara thinks we should move now before the dragons finish their hunt and start looking for more prey."


    Rocky nced at the sky, where the dragons were circlingzily, their wings casting massive shadows over the valley. He knew Buhara was right¡ªthe sooner they moved, the better their chances of crossing undetected.


    "Let''s go," Rocky ordered, his voice calm and steady as he led the way.


    The entrance to Dragon Valley was marked by a narrow pass between two jagged cliffs, with the rocks on either side towering above them like silent sentinels; as they entered the insted walkway Rocky had mentioned, Erin let out a small sigh of relief, as he noticed how the rocky overhang provided some measure of safety from the creatures above and how it made detecting them difficult.


    "Stay close," Rocky whispered, his voice barely audible over the distant roars and screeches echoing through the valley as he instructed the team to be on their toes here and not linger around.


    For a while, the team moved in tense silence, with the only sound being that of  their cautious footsteps and the asional shift of rocks underfoot. Then, as they reached the first opening in the rocks above, the situation changed abruptly.


    A sudden gust of wind swept through the pass, carrying with it the unmistakable stench of dragon breath, as the group froze, their eyes instinctively drawn upward to where a massive green dragon hovered, its wings ppingzily as it sniffed the air.


    "Don''t move," Rocky hissed, his hand slowly moving to the hilt of his sword, as he prepared to attack in case the dragon found them out.


    The dragon''s eyes narrowed, its gaze sweeping over the valley floor, searching for the source of the unfamiliar scent.


    The moment seemed to stretch into eternity as the team waited, hearts pounding, for the dragon to make its decision.


    Finally, with a snort of disinterest, the dragon turned away, flying off in search of more substantial prey, as Rocky let out a breath he hadn''t realized he was holding, and the group quickly moved forward, taking advantage of the dragon''s departure.


    They navigated several more openings in the walkway, each time facing the tense possibility of detection, but luck was on their side, and the dragons above remained focused on their hunts.


    For the first thirty minutes or so, all seemed to work out in their favor, with the team making decent progress, until everything took a turn for the worse when a wyvern seemed to pick up the scent of the package that they were carrying.


    Just like before when the group of wyverns seemed to undergo a frenzy, this time as well the wyverns that did pick up the scent of the package seemed to have lost their minds as they stuck their beaks inside the narrow walkway that Rocky and team were walking on,pletely disregarding their own personal safety, as they became easy prey for the dragons flying overhead.


    *SCREECH*


    One after another, a dozen wyverns poked their heads into the narrow walkway, with Rocky being forced to defend against a few, and almost as soon as they did so, blood sttered all across the hallways, as a dragon bit them off in half, in what seemed like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

 Chapter 288: Pandemonium

    "Sir Rocky! I told you this is NOT a good idea¡­." Erin screamed in panic, as he could feel his heart beat out of his chest.


    "Move! Move! Move! Keep moving, there''s no guarantee how much damage these columns can take. This walkway might just copse on our heads at this rate¨C" Rocky instructed, as he chopped off the head of a wyvern whose neck was stuck in the passageway and started to jog ahead, with the team following him closely.


    For some odd reason, despite dozens of wyverns losing their life, more and more of them kept poking their heads into the passageway as if desperate to try and destroy the package in Buhara''s backpack, making them all easy prey for the Dragon''s above.


    "Why are they doing this knowing full well that they will lose their lives?


    Even when they face the threat of facing a dragon attack themselves, why do they still try to attack us?" Kronos asked, unable to figure out why the wyverns relentlessly attacked the team, and what exactly was the package that they were carrying for the wyverns to behave this way.


    *mes*


    "DUCK!" Rocky screamed, falling t on his belly, as Erin, Buhara and Kronos followed suit.


    A massive Dragon''s Breath shot across the passage they were running in, as seemingly a ck dragon was trying to deter a red dragon from eating a wyvern corpse that it was interested in.


    *Sizzle*


    Rocky felt searing pain over his back, as he suffered from first degree burns, with the rest of the team not faring much better.


    Thankfully the Armor that he was wearing helped him from suffering more severe burn damage, however, not everyone was as lucky.


    Kronos suffered from severe second burns, the robe over his back being burnt to a crisp, while Erin looked like he was nearly dead.


    The backpack Buhara had on his back seemed to have saved him from suffering direct damage, however, with the straps of the backpack catching on fire, Buhara had no choice but to abandon the bag, and take out the package inside to be carried by hand.


    *SCREECH*


    The wyverns went insane once Buhara pulled out the package from the backpack after snuffing out the mes, as for some inexplicable reason, the wyverns in the vicinity all turned into savages after Buhara pulled out the package into the open.


    *SCREECH*


    The wyverns, which usually cowered or fled in the presence of the dragons, suddenly turned into wild beasts.


    Their eyes glowing with a savage intensity as they lunged towards the nearest dragon, abandoning their usual prey of centipedes and hatchlings.


    Six, ten, and then dozens of them swarmed a ck dragon that had just been victorious in its hunt, as the ck dragon roared in confusion and rage as the wyverns tore into its flesh with a madness that defied all reason.


    *ROARRR*


    The dragon, caught off guard, thrashed wildly, trying to shake off the relentless attackers, its massive ws shing through the air, but the wyverns were undeterred. They clung to its wings, biting and wing with a fury that bordered on suicidal.


    *St*


    Blood spattered on the rocky ground below as the once-dominant predator was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and ferocity of its attackers, however, it wasn''t the only one.


    Above, the scene was replicated again and again, as dragons that had circled the skieszily moments before now found themselves besieged by swarms of wyverns, their shrieks filling the valley with an ear-splitting cacophony.


    Within moments, the air in dragon valley turned thick with the scent of blood and the heat of dragon fire as the battle between wyverns and dragons escted.


    Dragons that had once ruled the skies were now locked in desperatebat, trying to fend off the relentless waves of wyverns that attacked with no regard for their own lives.


    On the ground, Rocky and his team could only watch in horrified awe. The walkway they were on trembled with the force of the battle above, loose stones tumbling down as the sheer chaos of the fight threatened to bring the cliffs down around them.


    "What in the name of the gods...?" Rocky gasped, his voice barely audible over the din of battle as Buhara, holding the package close, nced back at the others, his usually calm face twisted in concern. "Buhara does not like this. Whatever is in this package... it is driving them mad."


    "Keep moving!" Rocky barked, urgency sharpening his tone. "We have to get out of here before they turn on us again!"


    But even as he spoke, the air around them grew thick with the sense of impending doom. The wyverns'' numbers continued to swell, more of them abandoning their usual roles as scavengers and turning into feral predators, attacking not just the dragons but each other, biting and wing in a blind rage that knew no bounds.


    The valley, which had been a deadly yet predictable ecosystem, was now a scene of utter chaos with dragons roaring and breathing fire in every direction, their immense power turning the skies into a hellish inferno.


    Yet, even their might was not enough to stop the wyverns, which seemed to multiply with every passing second, driven by a singr, inexplicable desire to reach the package.


    Erin, barely able to keep pace with the others, looked back at the scene in terror.


    "Sir Rocky, we need to¡ª" he began, but before he could finish, a massive shadow fell over them.


    A wounded dragon, with its wings torn and bleeding from the relentless wyvern assault, crashed down onto the path ahead, its body smashing into the rocky ground with earth-shattering force.


    *CRASH*


    The impact sent a shockwave through the valley, dislodging boulders and shaking the very foundations of the cliffs around them, as the dragon, still alive but barely, let out a final, pitiful roar before sumbing to its injuries.


    Unfortunately, even in death, the Dragon found no peace as the wyverns descended upon its body like vultures, tearing into the flesh with an insatiable hunger that bordered on insanity.


    "Run!" Rocky shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Now!"


    With no time to spare, the team bolted, dodging the falling debris and the carnage around them. Every step was a struggle against the pandemonium that had consumed Dragon Valley, but there was no other choice. The package in Buhara''s hands had turned the valley into a war zone, and if they didn''t escape soon, they would be swallowed by it.


    As they ran, the true scale of the chaos became apparent. The once orderly hierarchy of predator and prey had dissolved into pure anarchy, the wyverns attacking anything that moved, regardless of size or threat. Dragons, wyverns, centipedes¡ªeverything was caught in the storm of violence that had erupted, and in the midst of it all, Rocky''s team fought to survive.

 Chapter 289: The package

    ''What the fuck is going on here?'' Rocky wondered, as he had never before seen a scene so brutal in his life ever before.


    Running desperately, the team leapt over a 6 feet gap in the walkway created because a falling dragon corpse destroyed it, as for the few seconds that he was in the open, Rocky genuinely feared that a wyvern or a dragon would swoop in out of nowhere and eat him alive.


    *Thud*


    Thankfully, nobody ate him as hended safely on the other side, and thankfully nobody ate his team members either, as they all made it to the other side safely.


    "We must keep running¡­. If we run like hell, we will most likely cross this entire valley in the next 20-30 minutes and that''s our only shot at living.


    Although I don''t know what has caused these wyverns to go bat-shit crazy, I don''t think that we can afford to wait and find out¨C" Rocky said, as he kept running ahead at full speed, only ncing behind periodically to make a head count to ensure that his team was behind him.


    Immediately behind him was Kronos, who seemed to have recoveredpletely from the burn damage they received just moments ago due to his strong vitality and was in arguably the best shape of the group.


    Behind him was Erin who looked like he was half-dead and ready to drop to his knees at any moment. However, professor Maven''s lectures seemed to being in a clutch, as thanks to him focusing on his physical fitness during university, Erin somehow managed to keep up with the team although clearly struggling as he did it.


    Finally, Buhara ran at the absolute back at an awkward angle as the passage they were moving in was only 7.5 feet tall, forcing Buhara to bend over so as to not hit his head.


    With his backpack gone, he was now carrying the wooden package by hand, and since Rocky expressed no interest in opening the package, Buhara did not even so much as take a peek inside it, until he felt the package suddenly shudder in his hands.


    *SCREECH*


    For some inexplicable reason, the package shuddering in his hand, coincided precisely with another wave of wyverns losing their minds, as the carnage around the team only intensified at that moment, with wyverns who were half-step into the grave, with their wings bitten and their necks bleeding also trying to hunt their nearest dragon enemy.


    "Sir Rocky¡­.. I think this package is alive¡­. Whatever it is that we are carrying just moved within the box¨C" Buhara shouted, as when Rocky heard these words, he stopped his running and turned to face Buhara.


    *Thud*


    Unfortunately, Rocky stopping abruptly caused Kronos to bump into him, knocking both men off their feet, however, ignoring this impact Rocky quickly got back to his feet, as he made a snap call to open the package and see what was inside.


    "Toss it over¨C" Rocky instructed, as Buhara immediately tossed the package over, allowing Rocky to take a look inside.


    "It''s an egg¨C" Erin said, as soon as Rocky opened the package, as he felt perplexed as to why the team was transporting an egg that looked suspiciously like a dragon''s egg.


    [ System Inspect ]


    Rocky thought in his mind, using one more of the system''s newly unlocked features after it upgraded to level2, as the strongest system recognised the egg as an [ Abyssal Dragon Egg ] that was on the verge of hatching.


    "Ohhh¡­. This makes so much sense now¨C" Kronos said, as while the rest of the group seemed clueless as to why wyverns were losing their minds over an Abyssal Dragon Egg, while the dragon''s themselves seemed to be least bothered, Kronos seemed to have an idea as to what was going on.


    "Abyssal dragons are not like the other dragons we know¡ª as unlike the ck, red, green, yellow, or golden dragon ns that dominate the universe and are led by the Dragon God, the Abyssal Dragons are a rare and ancient species, often referred to as ''beast kings.'' as unlike traditional dragons, an abyssal dragonmands loyalty from all manner of creatures, especially wyverns and aren''t just another dragon¡ªthey are the natural leaders of beasts." Kronos exined, as he started to speak lore of the Abyssal Dragons as said on his home.


    Rocky frowned, starting to piece things together. "So the wyverns¡­ they''re trying to protect the egg?"


    Kronos nodded. "Exactly. The wyverns can sense that their king is close to hatching. Their instincts are driving them mad because they know this egg shouldn''t be in the hands of humans.


    Abyssal dragons and wyverns share a symbiotic rtionship¡ª as once hatched, the wyverns protect the young abyssal dragon until it matures, protecting it from the wrath of other dragons and in return, the powerful mature Abyssal Dragon safeguards the wyvern flock for life.


    But right now, they''re desperate because this egg is not in a safe nest¡ªit''s being carried by us, and they don''t understand why."


    Erin looked even more perplexed. "But why aren''t the dragons reacting the same way?"


    "The traditional dragons have no loyalty to the abyssal dragons," Kronos exined. "In fact, they view them aspetitors, but they don''t care enough to intervene unless directly threatened. The wyverns, on the other hand, are bound by a deep, ancient loyalty and shall do anything to protect this egg."


    A sudden realization dawned on Rocky, his face hardening as he asked Kronos a difficult question


    "If the egg is about to hatch¡­ and we''re supposed to deliver it¡ª Does that not mean¡­." Rocky said, notpleting his question, as Kronos understood the meaning behind what Rocky was trying to convey.


    "Yes, whoever wants this egg delivered has no good intentions. Abyssal dragons are often targeted in dark rituals, particrly as they''re about to hatch as sacrificing a newborn abyssal dragon can grant immense power and vitality to whoever performs the ritual.


    I suspect that we might be delivering this egg straight into the hands of someone who intends to kill it the moment it''s born." Kronos confirmed, as Rocky finally understood the whole picture.

 Chapter 290: The True Villain

    "Sir Rocky, are we really going to deliver a dragon egg just for it to be sacrificed?" Asked Erin, as he did not seem to feel that good about the whole quest knowing that the package that they were delivering was a living breathing egg, on the cusp of being born.


    "Judging by the cracks on the egg, the process of it hatching has already begun, in the next 20-35 hours the egg should hatch fully. Which coincides with the deadline for our quest toplete.


    There is no doubt in my mind that whoever wants this egg, wants it before it is hatched as should the Newborn live to see a day, the sacrificial ritual won''t work as effectively¨C" Kronos said, as all eyes turned to Rocky at this moment.


    Of-course nobody wanted to deliver a newborn baby to a killer, however, in this instance Rocky had no choice.


    Although Erin did have 4 return tokens to floor zero on him, which would have allowed the team to escape with the egg instantly, doing so would mean giving up on the quest, which would in turn cause Rocky to get no medicine for Riva for the week.


    "No¡­. We can''t quit the quest¡­ no matter how much I hate doing this, we mustplete it, because failing the quest means that my sister gets no medicine¨C" Rocky said, as he made his intentions to see this quest to the end abundantly clear.


    "Maybe we can try and save the egg after delivering it to the enemy andpleting the quest, but that''s after.


    First weplete it anyhow" Rocky said, as he looked at his friends with a desperate expression in his eyes, which showed just how helpless he felt in this situation.


    His sister had just started to get better and Rocky feared that without the medicine she could rpse at any given moment.


    If it wasn''t for her, Rocky would have ended this quest here right this moment, however, since it was not his life on the line but Riva''s, Rocky decided to go through with the cruel act of delivering the egg, to whoever wanted it.


    "It''s settled then boys, the team leader has spoken¨C" Kronos said, as he started to jog ahead of Rocky, with Buhara following closely behind with a big sigh.


    For a moment Erin looked at the egg box in Rocky''s hand and grit his teeth, but in the end even he understood Rocky''s plight and started to run.


    This left Rocky in the rear all by himself, as he too begrudgingly closed the lid on the box, held it close to his chest and began running, hoping to cross the Dragon Valley passage alive through all the chaos that was enfolding in the surroundings.


    ********


    ( Meanwhile on floor 92 )


    "Oh brother, what are you nning¡­. If that dragon egg is ughtered in the end, it will scar Rocky and his team forever" Ravan said, as he nced over to his brother who was smiling by himself in a corner.


    "Of-course he will be scarred, I have no doubt about it. However, even this is for his own good brother.


    Perhaps in the future he will find his morality to be more gray than it is right now" Shakuni replied, as Ravan shook his head in disappointment.


    It was days like these where Ravan could not understand whether the system they had designed was really working for Rocky''s benefit, or was it working for his brother?


    Was it really the strongest system for the Champion Of Gemini, or was it his brother who was the Viin With The Strongest System?


    "I don''t approve of this brother. I don''t think having morals is bad.


    Rocky''s personality is already very different to the innocent kid that you met over a year ago, and I think he''s growing just fine.


    You don''t have to make him cruel¨C" Ravan pleaded, however, Shakuni wasn''t one to listen.


    Having already made his mind, Shakuni had already nned a future for Rocky that had a 90% likely probability to unfold.


    Of-course, there was always a chance that things did not go the way he nned them to, however, in the end he could only manipte the odds and could not manipte certainties.


    "It is a cruel world we live in brother and we are already toote.


    I don''t derive pleasure from Rocky''s suffering, however, the only hope that we have to equal Zeus is if Rocky rises through the tower like a rocket and I have created just the perfect environment for it to happen.


    If I could not peer into the future like you, I would probably have the same set of ideals as you, but guess what?


    I can look into the future and I can see exactly what''s best for us and what isn''t.


    A cruel, desperate Rocky outperforms a calm, confident Rocky 9/10 times brother and it''s moments like these that precisely why we need to push him.


    If not for the life of his sister being on the line, Rocky would have quit this quest here without hesitation.


    However, it is because we have a hanging gun over his head that he must push like there''s no tomorrow.


    I''ve seen every future there is to see brother, so just trust me when I say, this is for our best" Shakuni said, as this argument of his concluded the discussion between himself and Ravan.


    Zeus was already on floor 98 and only a couple steps away from reaching floor 101, whereas they were stuck on floor 92 and had a long way to catch-up to him.


    With Zeus''s champion now being on floor 89 and on the cusp of bing a True God soon, the time that Ravan and Shakuni had to catch up was reducing with every passing day.


    This was one of the main reasons behind why Shakuni was acting with such urgency, as he desperately wished to stop Zeus from reaching floor 100 at any cost possible.

 Chapter 291: Reaching Safety

    ( 30 minutester, Dragon Valley )


    30 minutester, Rocky and team were nearly at the end of Dragon Valley, and by now the situation between the wyverns and the dragons had taken a turn for the worst.


    Thankfully for Rocky and team, they were too busy fighting amongst each other to spare any attention to Rocky and the parcel, however, unfortunately for them, once the Dragons overcame their initial shock of wyverns attacking them with a suicidal mentality, the tide of the battle changed significantly once again, this time in the favor of the dragons.


    With the apex predators of thisnd also banding together and absolutely mauling the wyverns alive, the wyverns'' numbers soon began to dwindle as they were picked apart and hunted by the dragons rather brutally.


    Within half an hour, close to 70% of the dragons present in Dragon Valley had lost their lives and the remaining 30% seemed to be fighting a losing battle.


    Corpses were strewn all across thend and the fury of the dragons was evident.


    Every other second there was either a dragon roaring, or a dragon breathing fire, as the sound and light effects were a constant apaniment for Rocky and team as they made their way across the valley.


    Finally, as they reached the entrance to the fated tunnel which would lead them out of Dragon Valley and towards a safe zone, the team momentarily believed that the worst was now behind them. However, to their absolute horror, from within the tunnel emerged a new batch of wyverns who flew straight towards the team, with the sole intention of stealing the package.


    [ Thunder Talisman ]


    Without hesitating even slightly, Rocky immediately crushed the Thunder Talisman he had purchased from the system space when he saw the dozen or so wyverns emerging from within the tunnel, as within a split second a massive bolt of lightning rained down from the sky towards their current location, splitting into 9 smaller thunderbolts at thest second, as it incinerated 9 of the 12 emerging wyverns to dust.


    1..2¡­.3¡­.


    Three secondster, a thunderous boom echoed through Dragon Valley, its intensity surpassing even the fiercest dragon''s roar.


    *KABOOM*


    "Agh I''m blind¡­. I''m blind"ined Buhara who was blinded by the descending thunderbolt, however, thankfully for him, the three wyverns that were left alive were not faring much better either, with those beasts having turned blind as well.


    "Kronos, Erin, Now!" Rocky instructed, however, both his friends had turned blind too, and Rocky was actually the only one who still retained his vision.


    "Sir Rocky, count me out, I''m blind too"


    "Give me a minute¨C"


    Erin and Kronos said, as Rocky dropped the package and rushed past them both drawing his swords, as he faced the blind wyverns alone.


    By the time his team regained their vision, Rocky stood victorious over the corpses of his fallen prey, as he panted with the exhaustion of a tired warrior.


    "Erin¡­. Pick, the, box up and let''s go¨C" Rocky instructed, gasping for air before every word, as Erin picked up the dropped package and followed Rocky into the tunnel which was the road to their safety.


    At this point, the team had been running at their top speed for nearly 30 minutes, and had been traveling almost non-stop for over a day, fighting countless battles in between.


    The physical exhaustion that they were experiencing at this moment was already superhuman, and it was only adrenaline that was keeping them moving.


    Rocky''s exhaustion was clear in hisbored breaths, while Erin, Kronos, and Buhara had already surpassed their breaking points. They were so worn out that they could no longer even muster the energy to pant; as instead, they moved forward with open mouths, drooling from sheer fatigue.


    Dragon Valley, a trail that typically took two hours to traverse at a fast walking pace, had been covered by the team in just under 45 minutes by running as if their lives depended on it. But as they finally entered the tunnel, with the immediate threat to their lives momentarily behind them, the adrenaline that had driven them forward for so long began to fade.


    All at once, the full weight of their exertion hit them, making it impossible to ignore the overwhelming fatigue that now washed over them.


    "Sir Rocky, I have checked our surroundings, and we are safe within this tunnel. Please, I beg of you, let''s rest because I can''t move my legs anymore," Erin pleaded, his voice trembling with fatigue as he slumped against the cold, stone wall of the tunnel.


    Rocky turned to look at Erin, Kronos, and Buhara, and the sight of his team, barely able to stand, struck him harder than any battle they had faced in Dragon Valley.


    They had pushed themselves beyond their limits, and it was showing as Kronos, who was usually so stoic andposed, was leaning heavily on his new sword, his breaths ragged, while Buhara, who was always brimming with energy, now sat on the ground, his chest heaving with everybored breath.


    Even Rocky could feel the weariness in his own bones, the weight of the battles they had fought pressing down on him, as after contemting for a while, he decided to give in to Erin''s request as he said "Alright, we rest here. But only for a short while."


    The relief was palpable in everyone''s eyes as Rocky said these words, as they all sank to the ground immediately, their backs rubbing against the rough tunnel walls, causing everyone to wince, as they recalled the burning pain from the dragon breath they suffered before.


    Rocky remained standing for a moment longer, scanning their surroundings onest time for any signs of danger, and only when he found none did he allow himself to rx.


    The tunnel they were in right now was dark and silent, a stark contrast to the chaos outside in Dragon Valley, and for now, they were safe. But Rocky knew they couldn''t stay here for long, since  the dragons and wyverns were still out there, and there was no telling when the next threat would emerge.


    As he sat on the floor,  for the first time in hours, Rocky felt the tension in his muscles beginning to ease, as the sound of his team''s heavy breathing filled the tunnel, a reminder of just how close they hade to the brink.

 Chapter 292: Recovery

    A few seconds after the team stopped to take a rest, Rocky couldn''t help but notice the rhythmic, deep rumbling sounds that soon filled the air.


    *Buhararararrrr*


    ncing over, he saw that Buhara, the enormous orc, had already sumbed to exhaustion. The snoring noises escaping from his mouth were almostical, given his usually intimidating presence, and it involuntarily brought a rare chuckle to Rocky''s lips.


    Buhara had been pushing himself hard, and the moment he found a brief respite, his body wasted no time in shutting down, dragging him into the depths of sleep.


    Rocky shook his head slightly, a small smile lingering as he observed Buhara''s peaceful, yet slightly ridiculous, expression. It was a stark contrast to the usual ferocity the orc exhibited in battle.


    *Clock*


    The soft click of a bottle cap echoed faintly in the dark tunnel as Rocky uncorked a bottle of refreshment potion.


    This potion wasn''t a perfect grade refreshment potion, like the one that the system gave him forpleting tasks, but rather an advanced grade potion, that was still very effective but notpletely void of side effects.


    As he brought it to his lips, taking a small, cautious sip, Rocky immediately felt the effects spreading through his body like a cool, refreshing wave. The fatigue that had weighed heavily on his muscles and bones began to dissipate, as if being washed away by a gentle tide.


    As he continued to drink, Rocky noticed an odd sensation building within him. The potion worked its magic, revitalizing his energy levels, but in a rather peculiar way. His mind, which had been clouded with weariness and sluggishness, became sharp and alert.


    However, his body, though feeling lighter, still carried the dull ache of sore muscles, as though the exhaustion had settled deeper into his bones.


    It was an unusual feeling, a bizarre mix of being both tired and energized at once and it reminded Rocky of the disorienting sensation one felt as they woke up after an intense, dreamless sleep.


    It was as if he had been deprived of rest for days and had finally copsed into a deep, uninterrupted slumber, only to wake up hourster with his mind clear, but his body still heavy and sluggish.


    The potion was effective, no doubt, but it created a curious paradox within him¡ªone that left him feeling oddly detached from his own physical state.


    Rocky sighed, cing the now half-empty bottle by his side as he took a moment to stretch, feeling the pull of his muscles as they resisted movement.


    The sensation was strangelyforting in its own way¡ªa reminder that despite the wear and tear, he was still very much alive and capable of pushing forward as with a final nce at Buhara, who was still blissfully unaware of the world around him, Rocky settled back against the rough stone wall, allowing his mind to wander, even as his body yearned for more rest.


    ''The system reward I recieved, the lightning talisman. How dangerous would things be, if I did not have it on me?'' Rocky wondered, as somehow deep down he already knew the answer to that question.


    Without that lightning talisman, his team was already too deadbeat to give the wyverns a proper fight and the chance of them suffering a tragedy was very high.


    The lightning talisman had undoubtedly saved their life, and Rocky could not help but feel that the system rewards given to him had been purposefully curated by Gemini Gods, just so that he could use them in critical scenarios.


    ''Thank-you for always looking out for me'', Rocky thought, as he offered a silent prayer to Gemini Gods, as for the first time in his life, he offered a prayer of thanks to the Gemini Gods without wanting anything in return.


    It was almost like he was bing a believer as time passed, with his previous reservation''s about their intentions slowly melting away.


    Opening the map of the floor, Rocky studied the path they were yet to cover and noticed that the remaining journey was rtively safe once they exited the tunnel.


    The palm tree jungle area began just a few hundred meters after the tunnel ended and since it was a low visibility zone for flying predators they usually did not prefer hunting there.


    ording to the map, the worst that the team could encounter in that area was sand monsters and centipedes, which were not a big threat for the team considering Kronos''s new abilities.


    "A 6 hour journey left¡­. I think we can make it, we have over 18 to spare" Rocky muttered to himself, before immediately realizing that he was underestimating ''Vorithra Sylithen''.


    The path ahead was supposed to be safe, however, with Vorithra Sylithen activating at random moments creating random phenomenon one could never be too sure.


    "How much time do you need Erin to fully recover?" Rocky asked, as once he realized that Vorithra Sylithen could still ruin their delivery schedule, he felt the urge to get a move on.


    "Me? 5 more minutes Sir Rocky, but I think Buhara will probably need more as he has not consumed his potions yet.


    We must wake him up and let him drink all the necessary potions before we continue¨C" Erin said, as Rocky nodded and got up back to his feet.


    "Yo, Buhara, time to go¨C" Rocky said, gently kicking the big orc near his toe to try and wake him up, however, Buhara instantly frowned with his eyes closed and turned away from Rocky.


    "Sohara no¡­ I can''t go one more round ¡­. I''m tired! I''m tired!" Buhara said, as at that moment Rocky immediately burst outughing hard.


    It looked like Buhara could not satisfy his wife on his wedding night and that his wife was a deviant who wanted to suck Buhara''s balls dry.


    ''No wonder poor guy couldn''t walk¡­'' Rocky recalled, as he had a good heartyugh for a few minutes before kicking Buhara harder to jolt him awake.


    "Drink your potions, we are moving¨C" Rocky instructed, as Buhara groggily responded by opening a bottle of stamina potion first.

 Chapter 293: Vorithra Sylithen Strikes Again

    Once Buhara consumed all the potions he needed, the team got back on the trail once more, slowly walking towards the tunnel''s exit as they stretched their sore muscles.


    Nobody uttered a single word, as everyone was too tired to make idle talk and needed to conserve their energy for any fights that may pop-up ahead.


    With the package in hand, Rocky led the group from the front, his pace quick as he did not dare walk too slow.


    Thankfully, the team faced no major threats within the tunnel itself and were able to exit it safely after 20 minutes of walking, after which they came across the palm tree jungle.


    This was undoubtedly the most weird jungle that Rocky had encountered, as the sand under their feet was loose at the surface being nothing but desert sand, while the sand underneath the topyer was red and moist, adequate to support nt life.


    However, this weird mixture of sands made it nearly impossible for the group to walk without making noise as no matter how carefully they ced their foot, they ended up making some small amount of noise as their feet dug into the sand.


    This unfortunately attracted the attention of underground centipedes, who constantly popped up in and around them, trying to ambush the group, however, Kronos thankfully made short work of them without facing much difficulty.


    **********


    ( Four hourster )


    Four hourster, Rocky felt extremely nervous as the team neared the end of their journey.


    The Palm Desert was about to end and the local vige which was their destination was now only 5 kilometers away.


    The team had surprisingly faced no unexpected problems which was odd considering ''Vorithra Sylithen'' should have triggered by now, however, somehow it did not.


    There were no unexpected problems in their journey and with the team being so close to the destination, Rocky could not help but hope that maybe, just maybe, they could make it out of this floor without the cursed phenomenon triggering some unexpected problems for them.


    Unfortunately however, the tower seemingly having heard his plea, triggered Vorithra Sylithen right that moment, as Buhara identally tripped over a palm tree root, snapping it identally.


    Now, ideally, with the movement of the centipedes and the constant small-scale fighting that took ce in this palm forest, roots of palm trees should have snapped repeatedly over the years and Buhara having done it should have been nothing special, but unfortunately for the group, right as Buhara got back to his feet, the ground beneath them began to tremble.


    The tremors were mild at first, but quickly grew into violent shakes that nearly knocked the entire team off their feet as a low rumbling noise, like the groan of a giant waking from a long slumber, reverberated through the palm forest.


    "What''s happening?" Erin asked, his voice barely audible over the growing noise as he looked around nervously.


    Rocky''s eyes widened as he felt the ground beneath them shift, realizing with a sinking feeling that this was no ordinary tremor.


    He quickly nced around, trying to discern the source of the disturbance. But as the rumbling intensified, the truth became apparent in a way none of them could have imagined.


    The entire palm forest seemed to lift and sway as if it were part of a giant beast. The towering palm trees, which moments ago seemed rooted in the ground, began to shift, tilting at unnatural angles as something huge began to rise.


    Then, with a sound that echoed like a thousand drums being struck at once, a massive form shot towards the sky, discing tons of sand and stone as it ascended, knocking the team to their bellies as they ascended alongside it.


    "What the fuck? Are we on-top of an ancient golem?" Kronos asked, feeling ridiculous at how such a situation could even ur, however, unfortunately it did ur and it precisely ured only because it was a Champion''s party passing along.


    The ancient creature was sorge that its head towered near the clouds, making it the size of a small mountain, while the palms that grew from its massive, stony body swayed like hair in the wind, its form being so huge that it did not even notice Rocky, Buhara and the thousand different other creatures living on its body.


    "It''s¡­ It''s a mountain golem," Kronos muttered, barely able to find his voice. "A giant golem¡­ The entire forest is part of it" he conveyed, however, everyone else could already make sense of it.


    Rocky''s heart sank as the reality of their situation hit him. The forest wasn''t a natural formation¡ªit was merely an extension of this ancient being, which had been lying dormant for centuries, hidden from all who traveled through this floor and thanks to their rotten luck, the snapping of the palm root had been enough to rouse the golem from its long slumber.


    *KROOOOONNNN*


    The massive creature let out a low, guttural groan as it shook off the remnants of its long sleep and began taking a step in the opposite direction to where the team needed to go.


    "Everyone, hold on!" Rocky shouted, digging his hands into a nearby palm tree for stability as the golem began to move.


    With each step it took, thendscape shifted, and the team found themselves being carried further away from their destination.


    Rocky quickly assessed their situation. They were now riding on the back of a walking mountain, and with each step, they were losing precious time on their mission. They had to get off this creature, and fast, or their quest would be doomed.


    "We need to get off this thing," Rocky said, his mind racing to find a solution. "If we stay here any longer, we''ll be too far from our destination toplete the mission."


    Buhara, still reeling from the shock of what he had inadvertently unleashed, nodded grimly. "But how? If we jump from this height, we''ll be crushed by the fall."


    Kronos, always the practical one, quickly scanned the area, noting the changing terrain as the golem continued its lumbering journey. "There might be a way," he said, pointing to a cluster of palm trees that seemed to be growing near the edge of the golem''s back. "If we can get to those trees and use them to climb down, we might be able to safely get off,"


    However, even by the time the team had this small discussion, they were already a quarter of the way back to the tunnel. Having lost nearly 1 hour of traveling time, as with every few seconds that they wasted more, they were only getting further and further away from their destination.

 Chapter 294: A big fall

    "There might be a way," Kronos said, pointing to a cluster of palm trees that seemed to be growing near the edge of the golem''s back.


    "If we can get to those trees and use them to climb down, we might be able to safely get off," he suggested, however, as Rocky assessed the speed of the walking golem and how carefully the team would have to follow through with Kronos''s n to deboard safely, he realized that it would be already toote toplete the mission, if they followed his n.


    "No we will be too slow if we deboard the golem that way¡­, I have another idea, but it may end up going horribly¡­." Rocky said, as he recalled that he had one teleportation talisman that he had purchased from the system, however, there was no guarantee on how that teleportation talisman worked.


    ording to the item''s description it teleported the user 200 meters randomly from their current location, however, there was no saying as to where it would end up teleporting them.


    Depending on their luck the team could either be teleported safely to the ground, or suffer a terrible fall from a considerable height, however, it was a gamble that Rocky was willing to take, considering how they had little time to waste.


    "Everyone cling on-to me!" Rocky instructed, as through wobbly steps the entire team clung on-to Rocky tight, as he activated the teleportation talisman.


    *Crush*


    Crushing the talisman token, Rocky immediately felt a sudden surge of energy around him as the teleportation talisman activated.


    In an instant, the world around them blurred, and before they knew it, the team were no longer on the golem''s back.


    Instead, they found themselves high up in the sky, surrounded by nothing but open air, as the team''s collective breath got caught in their throats as they realized that they were free-falling, plummeting towards the ground at a terrifying speed.


    "W-We''re falling!" Erin''s voice cracked with panic as he clung to Rocky, eyes wide with fear.


    Buhara''s face turned pale, his usual bravado nowhere to be seen, as he said "This is the end for Buhara¡­. It was such a short life¨C!"


    Of all the team members, he was the only one who seemed to have outright given up on surviving and had simply epted his fate.


    Kronos gritted his teeth, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword, but there was nothing he could do in this situation. The ground was rushing up to meet them, and they had mere seconds to act.


    Rocky, however, remained calm. His mind raced as he calcted the best course of action for their survival.


    They had only 15 seconds before impact, but that was enough time for him to issue emergency instructions.


    "Listen up!" Rocky shouted over the rush of wind.


    "Buhara, I need you to cast a dozen fireball spells towards the ground, one after the other! Full power! Kronos, unleash your most powerful sword strike to help slow us down! Erin, get ready to cast a protective barrier just before we hit the ground!" Rocky said, as he came up with the best n that he could, off-top of his head to help them survive.


    It wasn''t perfect, but the team did not have time to argue or hesitate with him, as Buhara, still shaking, nodded and began chanting under his breath, summoning his magic.


    mes gathered in his hands, and with a determined grunt, he started hurling fireballs towards the earth below, one after the other.


    *BOOM*


    *BOOM*


    *BOOM*


    The sts of fire struck the ground with explosive force, creating shockwaves that pushed back against their fall, slightly reducing their speed.


    Kronos, also timing his move perfectly, unsheathed his sword and swung it downward with all his might, as a powerful energy wave shot from the de, mming into the ground and creating a massive crater, further slowing their descent.


    "Now, Erin!" Rocky yelled, holding everyone tightly as the ground loomed ever closer as Erin with his hands trembling  channeled his magic, and at thest possible moment, cast a protective barrier around them, just as they were about to hit the ground.


    *CRASH*


    The barrier cushioned their fall, absorbing much of the impact but not all of it as the team crashed into the earth with a bone-rattling thud, the protective barrier shattering upon impact.


    The force of thending sent shockwaves of pain through their bodies, and the world seemed to spin around them.


    Rocky especially felt the ground beneath him give way as they skidded to a halt, his arms still wrapped around his team, as apart from the fall damage, he also took some additional frictional damage too.


    For a moment, everything was silent. Then, the groans of pain began.


    Rocky slowly pushed himself up, wincing as he realized he had a broken arm.


    Buhara, who was lying nearby, clutched his leg, which was bent at an unnatural angle, while Kronos struggled to sit up, clearly in pain, but not worried at all as he knew he would heal rather quickly.


    The one who was in the worst shape was undoubtedly Erin, who remained gasping for breath, cradling his ribs, as he seemed to have suffered severe injuries in his spine and ribcage.


    However, despite the pain and the injuries they had sustained, they were alive, which in itself was a cause for celebration.


    Rocky took a deep breath, forcing himself to his feet despite the searing pain in his arm. "We made it," he said, his voice hoarse but steady. "Everyone''s alive. That''s what matters."


    Buhara grunted in agreement, though his face was contorted with pain. "Buhara¡­ is d¡­ to be alive."


    Kronos nodded, though he winced as he tried to move. "We''re not out of the woods yet. But¡­ we did it."


    Erin, still clutching his ribs, managed an iprehensible mumble, which sounded something close to a curse


    Rocky looked around at his team, battered but alive, and allowed himself a moment of relief. They had survived¡­.. barely, but survived.


    "Rest up for a minute¡ª" he said, as he himself turned towards the sky and bent down on his knees to pray.


    For the second time in this mission, he felt like it was the Gemini Gods who had intervened to save his life and hence for the second time around Rocky prayed to them faithfully, thanking them for their grace.


    Their destination was only an hour and a few minutes away, and despite their battered conditions, after resting briefly, Rocky did believe that they would be able to make it alive and in-time to receive the best grades.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!