SS Awakening: My Monster Merging System!

"There’s still time to change your goal." Nadia looked at Zich. "Reaching the twenty fifth floor would already be enough for every top power to reevaluate your value. At your current level, there’s no need to force yourself to challenge the thirtieth floor."

"Why should I change it?"

Zich’s gaze remained fixed on the top of the stone monument.

"When I said thirty floors, I didn’t mean entering the thirtieth floor."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"I meant clearing it."

A subtle change appeared in Nadia’s eyes.

Helen, however, seemed to have expected that answer from the beginning, and a smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

"I want the reward for being the first to clear the thirtieth floor too. Of course, I’m not doing it because of competition. I just want to spite my old man."

Helen continued with a mischievous smile on her face. "Earlier, we had a bet, and he has been so cocky about it. I want to see his face when I surpass him."

Boom!

At that moment, a muffled explosion suddenly erupted from within the Heaven Reaching Trial Tower, causing the entire central square to tremble slightly.

The dark golden patterns covering the tower illuminated one layer after another. It resembled an ancient colossal beast that had slumbered for countless years finally opening its eyes. The space surrounding the tower began to distort as energy fluctuations so dense that they almost became tangible spread in every direction.

Immediately afterward, an ancient and icy voice echoed through everyone’s minds at the same time.

[This year’s Heaven Reaching Trial Tower is about to open.]

[Number of challengers: 360.]

[Trial duration: Ten days.]

[All challengers will enter independent trial spaces. Receiving external assistance through any means is forbidden.]

[The content of each floor is not fixed. Completion ratings will be calculated based on task completion, time taken, combat performance, and hidden conditions.]

[Final ranking priorities: Floors cleared, overall rating, total time taken.]

[Challengers may voluntarily activate their trial tokens to leave. When encountering fatal danger, the trial token will also attempt to forcibly teleport the challenger out of the tower.]

[Warning: The trial token’s protection is not absolute.]

[Entering the Heaven Reaching Trial Tower signifies that challengers voluntarily accept all consequences.]

After the final announcement ended, the entire square fell completely silent.

Naturally, none of those who had obtained entry qualifications would withdraw at this point. However, after hearing that the protection was not absolute, the expressions of many challengers still became considerably more solemn.

Crack!

The seamless black wall beneath the Heaven Reaching Trial Tower suddenly split open, and three hundred and sixty pitch black doorways, each wide enough for only a single person to pass through, appeared simultaneously.

The silver trial token hanging from Zich’s waist also lit up at that moment.

[Identity verification complete.]

[Challenger: Zich Grave.]

[Level: 29.]

[Profession: Spirit Summoner.]

[Please enter the Heaven Reaching Trial Tower within ten minutes.]

"Everyone will be separated once we enter," Nadia said. "We’ll only be able to judge how the others are doing through the changes in the rankings after each floor is completed."

After hearing this Zich walked directly toward one of the pitch black doorways.

As he passed through the area occupied by the Locke family, the blond young man looked over once again, the provocation in his eyes completely undisguised.

This time, Zich finally turned his head and glanced at him.

"Don’t get eliminated within the first few floors. Otherwise, you might not even get the chance to prove that what I said earlier was wrong."

The blond young man’s expression instantly darkened.

Zich had already withdrawn his gaze and stepped directly into the pitch black doorway.

Buzz!

Dense spatial energy instantly enveloped his body, and every sound around him rapidly disappeared. When the brief sensation of weightlessness ended, a wave of icy air carrying the stench of decay struck him head on.

When he opened his eyes again, a deserted town shrouded in dense black mist appeared before him.

The buildings on both sides of the street had long since decayed. Broken doors and windows swayed continuously in the cold wind, while beastlike growls occasionally echoed from the distance. Twelve soldiers wearing damaged armour lay scattered across the middle of the street. Almost every one of them was injured, and five had completely lost the ability to walk on their own.

Just then a system notification appeared before him.

[First Floor Trial: The Remnants’ Journey Home.]

[Mission Objective: Escort twelve surviving soldiers through the eight kilometre long Black Mist Town and reach the teleportation gate at the opposite end.]

[Time Remaining: 02:59:59.]

[The final rating will decrease for every soldier who dies.]

[If all soldiers die, the trial will immediately end in failure.]

[Hint: The black mist contains large numbers of corrupted lifeforms. They will prioritize attacking the injured.]

A middle aged soldier whose breastplate had been torn open forced himself upright and spoke weakly.

"Young man, the teleportation gate is too far from here. Some of us can no longer walk. Take those who can still move and leave. Otherwise, once the monsters in the black mist gather, all of us will die here."

Zich did not answer. Instead, he quickly examined the injuries of all twelve soldiers.

Five of them were completely unable to walk, while another four had also suffered severe damage to their mobility. If they relied on their own legs, forget three hours. The monsters within the black mist would probably surround them before they even left this street.

However, the Heaven Reaching Trial Tower only required him to deliver these soldiers to the teleportation gate.

It had never stated that they had to walk there themselves.

Zich raised his head and looked toward the decaying buildings on both sides of the road, a smile slowly appearing at the corner of his lips.

"Slimy."

..

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