The first trial was 10,000 skeletal soldiers of the same level as me.
Next, 10,000 skeletal soldiers with the 'Void' hidden attribute appeared.
'This is related to my species value.'
This couldn't be a coincidence.
There was definitely a deep connection between the 'species value' I saw when I entered and the trials.
Then, what will the next trial be?
'Giants, Druids, Celestials.'
Perhaps the first trial was a regular one involving 'Corpse Crows.'
Since the confrontation with corpses is related to Corpse Crows.
So, there are three left.
Giants (10), Druids (10), Celestials (20).
If the difficulty increases according to the numbers attached to the species values, then Giants and Druids can be considered on the same level as Void.
With some strategy, it should be possible to overcome them.
Although the difficulty increases exponentially, it's not entirely impossible.
'The problem is the Celestials.'
Celestials alone are worth 20 points.
What exactly are Celestials?
Aren't they related to the divine and demonic races of the heavens and the netherworld?
However, I don't think the species values of the divine and demonic races are higher than those of Giants.
Giants are a great race that once protected the goddess.
According to mythology, some Giants had combat power on par with deities.
'My thoughts might be completely off.'
So, 'Celestials' could be something entirely different from what I expect.
I should even consider the possibility that they have no relation to the heavens or the netherworld.
'Anyway, I'll know when I face the trial.'
The trials continuously add the characteristics of the species.
By the time I reach the Celestials' trial, I should have a clearer picture.
Then, I'll have a better understanding of what 'Celestials' are.
But to do that, I need to overcome the two preceding trials first.
Giants, Druids.
'Void added a light attribute to the skeletal soldiers. Giants' anti-magic resistance increases their magic resistance, and Druids will likely add something related to spirits.'
Carefully.
Before stepping into the next trial, I think.
I also imagine how to deal with the skeletal soldiers with added abilities.
I recheck my own changed abilities.
I need to calculate and move, considering everything.
After finishing my preparations, I challenged the next trial.
Stepping through the newly created warp, the landscape before me wasn't much different from what I had seen before.
Barren land.
Cliffs scattered everywhere.
And.
โ...โ
10,000 skeletal soldiers.
But my frown didn't ease as I looked at them.
โ...This is the worst, damn it.โ
The skeletal soldiers were large.
As large as Giants.
They weren't just given Giants' anti-magic resistance; they were made into Giants.
...It seems I'm in trouble.
*
โ...โ
Isaac was staring blankly at the tower.
An event beyond comprehension.
An enigma that defied thought was right before his eyes.
And it wasn't just Isaac.
Monsters from Kramdel gathered one by one around the tower.
The light waves emitted by the Tower of Mystery grew stronger, making this phenomenon visible across all of Kramdel.
The Tower of Mystery is a place that every being in Kramdel visits at least once.
However, the tower had never shown such a phenomenon before.
Numerous monsters gathered out of curiosity and began to focus on the tower's changes.
โThe ring of light...โ
โWho is undergoing the tower's trial?โ
โHow great must they be?โ
At the top of the tower.
At the endless summit of the tower, a circular golden ring appeared.
The ring of light, which started as one, soon became two.
The two rings of light emitted even more light, mesmerizing the monsters.
โ...This is the final trial of the tower, which only the Transcendent can undertake.โ
At that moment,
A monster approached leisurely and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
With each step, a path was created.
A phenomenon similar to the parting of the Red Sea occurred near the Tower of Mystery.
A fantastical creature, Qiongqi, with the appearance of a cow but the spines of a porcupine.
It had a tiger-like face, hook-shaped claws, and wings on its forelimbs, a fearsome existence.
Even other monsters were afraid of Qiongqi, who was looking at the tower with a tense expression.
โTranscendent? Like Mythical or Fantastical?โ
โWhat is that?โ
But the monsters, ignorant of the Transcendent, all tilted their heads.
The concept of Transcendent was unfamiliar to them.
โA being that transcends the standards of species. In Kramdel, only the White King has ever undertaken this trial.โ
โ...!!!โ
โSo, someone is undergoing the trial that the White King once did?โ
โSuch a being is inside the tower now?โ
Everyone was shocked and shifted their gaze back to the tower.
But they couldn't believe it.
Who is the White King?
The god of the north.
The guardian and absolute ruler of Kramdel.
No human, not even the rulers of the abyss or the celestials, could set foot in the north as long as the White King existed.
No mythical or fantastical creature could stand before the White King.
Does this mean that someone of the same caliber as the White King is inside the tower now?
Gulp!
โThat can't be...โ
โIf it's true, it's a big deal.โ
Everyone watching the tower was tense.
Kramdel is called the paradise of monsters because of the White King. No one could cause trouble in front of the White King.
But a being of the same caliber as the White King is inside the tower, undertaking the trial.
What if that being comes out of the tower?
The peace of Kramdel might be shattered.
Even if not, it's easy to infer that the delicate balance of Kramdel would be disrupted.
โThe White King created three rings in the Mythical trial.โ
Qiongqi looked at the top of the tower.
The circular golden rings surrounding the tower indicate the 'completion of the Mythical trial.'
But even the White King only created three rings before leaving the tower.
Since no one has opened the Mythical Gate in the Tower of Mystery since then, this phenomenon is unfamiliar to the monsters here.
โTwo.โ
And now, the rings surrounding the Tower of Mystery are two.
The completion of the Mythical trial hasn't reached the White King's level yet.
But even two rings are a shocking result. It proves that the being has overcome two stages of the trial that only the Transcendent can undertake.
Now, as the monsters coming out of the tower one by one are seen, it will be clear who among them has undertaken the Mythical trial.
โThree, three!โ
โThe rings have increased to three!โ
...But it's not over yet.
โThree rings?โ
Qiongqi's eyes widened. Indeed, the rings had increased to three.
This means the three-stage trial, on par with the White King, has been overcome.
It's impossible. An event that shouldn't happen, that shouldn't even be possible, has occurred.
Swoosh!
At that moment,
โH-Holy heavens!โ
โMedusa's eyes...!โ
โHuff!โ
A giant eye of Medusa appeared in the sky, clearly visible.
The fact that it was not hidden means Medusa has gathered all her 'eyes' here.
In other words, she, who had not shown herself for years, has taken an unprecedented interest.
She couldn't help but be interested when the rings increased to three.
One of the four monsters known as the closest to the White King.
One of the actual rulers of Kramdel, showing such interest in something is unprecedented!
โWhat is happening inside the tower?โ
โWho is it?โ
โDefinitely the strongest, the most terrible being.โ
โA being so fearsome that it transcends all species, no doubt.โ
โHmm. It must be an overwhelmingly terrifying monster.โ
All the monsters speculated and chattered about the being undertaking the tower's trial.
But they can't even imagine.
What kind of monstrous being is undertaking the trial in that tower.
How fearsome and how powerful must it be to draw such interest from Medusa and Qiongqi...
*
Boom!
Rumble!
Bang! Bang! Boom!
โ...โ
I watched the skeletal soldiers, as tall as 10 meters, collapse like dominoes.
When they swung their hands and shot arrows of light, it was an impossible situation to handle.
But at some point, the giant skeletal soldiers began to fall one by one.
The first skeletal soldier to fall triggered a chain reaction, and they tumbled and shattered like dominoes.
โAh. Level.โ
Only then did I realize.
The level of those giants was also '4'.
The stats to support their oversized bodies were far too low.
No matter how much they had grown in size and possessed opposing attributes, their level was still 4.
Level 4 has its limits, no matter how strong.
Even if you max out strength, stamina, and magic, you can't exceed 40.
It was far from enough to maintain and move the giant bodies.
There was no strength to withstand and support the falling giants.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom!
โ...โ
I watched the scene in a daze.
It was absurd, but no matter how I thought about it, it was still absurd.
โ...I'm lucky.โ
Unlike the first two trials, the third trial was free. It felt like a bonus stage.
Then, will the fourth and fifth trials be the same?
Anyway, the characteristics of the Giants will be fully maintained.
With a level of 4, their bodies would be too heavy to handle.
After all, the designer of the trials probably didn't expect someone like me to challenge them.
I didn't expect it either.
โIs it too easy, so there's no reward?โ
Honestly, I was a bit worried.
I didn't do anything.
A trial is a process where the challenger pushes their limits and breaks through them.
Since there was nothing to push against and nothing to break, it's normal not to receive the trial's reward.
ใYou have cleared the 'Species Barrier (3)' trial.ใ
ใAs a reward, you can obtain the Transcendent Mythical Mystery 'Ancestral Giant.'ใ
ใDo you want to obtain it?ใ
ใIf you do not obtain it, you will move on to a higher trial.ใ