Mimou

Chapter 126 : Curiosity

Added 2024-11-12 19:25:16 +0000 UTC

If one looked closely at the monsters below Sora, they would quickly notice that most of them were variations of Evil Spirits and other monsters, specializing in Mental attacks.

Using [Blink] to appear in their midst, Sora activated [Psychic Hold] and felt his mental power dominate the area. Like a child asking a parent for permission, he sensed [Devouring Will] requesting to devour the enemies' mental power.

'I came here exactly for that reason. Although… it feels strange to have my skills ask for permission,' he thought, approving the skill’s request.

As [Devouring Will] activated, he absorbed the mental power of his enemies, faced with the choice to either expand his mental power capacity or fuel his mental attacks.

Choosing to alternate between both options, Sora felt an incredible surge as his mental power capacity expanded. The larger his reserves grew, the broader his [Psychic Hold] stretched, covering an ever-expanding area.

'This is… insane,' he thought, feeling the rush of power. 'With each enemy I consume, I reach even farther, devouring even more.'

The more energy [Devouring Will] absorbed, the wider his [Psychic Hold] range became, pressing down on even more monsters and draining their mental power in turn.

‘This is a perfect combo,’ he realized, surprised. ‘There's no army I can't annihilate with this.’

In a matter of minutes, his range had increase a hundredfold, covering most of the battlefield, before eventually stopping. Most monsters lay lifeless around him, drained completely of their mental energy, leaving a quiet, empty field.

'So this is the way to increase my Mental Power capacity. The quality of my mental power grows with the passive refinement of my brain. And to fill such a huge tank, I’ll need [Mind Forge],' he thought, impressed by the synergy between his skills. Not wanting to waste half of the energy he would devour in the future just to fuel his skills, he decided to rely on [Mind Forge] to build up his reserves.

Sora alternated between testing and refining his abilities, and over the next three years, he devoted himself to training his familiars, helping them evolve, and pushing his own power to new heights.

Unable to unlock a fourth Supreme Skill, he focused instead on mastering and enhancing each of his existing Supreme Skills, and on transforming his fighting style.

Over the years, Sora, Netsu, and Hiyoko had become inseparable companions, bonded by countless days of training, shared rests and discussions, and moments of laughter. They’d often relieve the monotony of their routines by finding ways to entertain each other, from games to quiet times spent by the lake, simply enjoying each other’s presence. Their connection deepened as they had become a family.

Years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the notification in front of him, he turned to his familiars and said, "It’s time to leave this world. Remember this day, Netsu, Hiyoko. From now on, no one is allowed to take our lives… unless we allow them to."

Hiyoko, with her surprising new appearance, giggled and agreed with her master’s words. Netsu, who had also transformed, nodded solemnly. They understood the weight behind his words—words that would sound arrogant if taken out of context, yet for them, meant something entirely different.

[The tenth trial 'Alternate Dimension' is over.
You have already received your reward.]
[Ascension Points spent in the trial : 4,382,300]

'Oh boy, I really spent most of these points creating beasts in this world,' he thought, eyeing the total expenditure for his world customization. 'But it was worth it!'

After a while, he checked the ranking.
[Floor 1: Rank 1/4320]
[Floor 2: Rank 122/3456]
[Floor 3: Rank 6/2592]
[Floor 4: Rank 1/400 (Group Rank)]
[Floor 5: Rank 3/1500]
[Floor 6: Rank 52/1125]
[Floor 7: Rank 1/843]
[Floor 8: Rank 42/562]
[Floor 9: Rank 3/422]
[Floor 10: None]

With no one failing the trial, Sora had no worries about the [Challenge Room], and, not needing any rest, he stepped straight onto the 11th floor with his familiars close behind.

Both Netsu and Hiyoko transformed, shrinking into tiny birds just a few inches tall, sitting comfortably on his shoulders, all traces of their previous fierce appearances gone.

The 11th trial focused on testing raw combat power. For the first time, Sora took an unprecedented step. Confirming his decision, he glanced at the notification.

[You have chosen Maximum difficulty]

He stared at the group of level 175 monsters, each 37 levels above him. Still, he welcomed the challenge, confident that the level gap wasn’t a barrier.

A day later, he and his familiars emerged victorious.

[You have survived 20 rounds in the 11th floor trial, Solo mode, Maximum difficulty.]

[Total points accumulated in the trial: 18,330,790 points.]

Ignoring the impressive point tally, he thought back to the trial. These were the strongest monsters he’d ever faced, yet he had reached such a level of mastery over his skills that their life force and levels had barely made a difference.

[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]

[Remaining candidates in the 1st floor trial: 2]

With both Sora and Hiyoko reaching level 145, the gap with Netsu was closing. Netsu had been stuck at level 155 for a while now, but Sora sensed that as soon as he surpassed his familiar’s level, Netsu’s growth would resume.

After a while, he saw his final ranking, and could choose his rewards.

[Floor 11: Rank 1/316]

[The eleventh trial is over. Players ranked below 250 are eliminated. Please leave the tower after collecting your reward. Congratulations to all who remain. Please select your reward.]

[You chose Maximum difficulty. Reward x5.]

[Reward Option 1: +10 Talent Level]
[Reward Option 2: +10 Growth Factor]
[Reward Option 3: +10 Soul Pearls]

[You have chosen the +10 Talent Level reward!]

A few minutes later, with Hiyoko and Netsu perched on his shoulders, he headed to the 12th floor. The scene that greeted him looked much like the 9th floor, with over 60 players gathered on the opposite side in the [Challenge Room], ready to confront those who’d advanced through the 11th floor trial.

The last time he was here, he’d wanted the fights to end quickly, feeling impatient. But now, he enjoyed every second of it. His perspective on the other players, the Ascension Tower, and the very challenges it presented had transformed completely.

He felt like a new person, driven by a curiosity and hunger for knowledge that he hadn’t felt before. With his new goal clear, it was the only thing he thought about beside his mission to tourment Rachel.

Being surrounded by players wielding Supreme and Innate Skills in the Tower was an incredible chance, one he couldn’t overlook. Observing each battle, each skill, he focused on the duels. His mind and heart were fully immersed, as he studied every fight and skill.

Receiving a challenge, Sora used his last token to ignore it, preferring to observe the other duels unfolding around him.

Noticing Kara also ignoring her challenge, he turned his attention to Emily, who accepted a match and stepped into the Arena. Sora studied her closely, analyzing every strand of mana, blood vessel movement, and muscle reaction. Despite her higher level, he could almost see through her and her opponent entirely, working hard to dissect their techniques.

However, as Emily quickly won her fight , Sora felt a pang of disappointment; the battle hadn’t revealed as much as he’d hoped. His gaze moved to the next challenger, and he couldn’t help but smirk as he recognized Kim Dong.

'This guy is like a cockroach. Every time I think he’s out, he pops back up,' he thought, amused. Though he had a fondness for this tenacious guild leader, he couldn’t quite pinpoint the powerful ability Kim possessed, despite the hints he’d sensed in past encounters.

As Kim’s luck finally ran out, Sora sighed when he lost to a level 160 Spirit Race player. The overall levels of the tower participants had soared, with level 160 now considered average. Even Kim Dong had reached level 168, but it wasn’t enough this time.

Watching Kim leave the tower didn’t faze Sora; he understood that this place only rewarded those willing to step over others to reach the top.

Once the last duel ended, Sora was free to exit the [Challenge Room]. Heading to the 12th floor, he found himself in a spacious waiting area. As he looked around, he noticed all the remaining qualified players appearing nearby, as they awaited the next notification.

[Welcome to the 12th floor of the Ascension Tower.]

[Trial: [Team Elimination Battle] – Create your own squad and hold your position on the battlefield.]

[Players are to form squads of 5 players. They will fight 5 times, against 9 other squads each time.]

[Mechanics:

Each battle will end when only one squad remains on the battlefield.
Each enemy elimination grants 5 points to the player and 1 point to their teammates.
A player’s elimination deducts 5 points from the player and 1 point from each team member.
Each member of the winning squad earns an additional 15 points.
Each member of the second-place squad earns an additional 10 points.
Each member of the third-place squad earns an additional 5 points.
After all battles, the 100 players with the fewest points will be eliminated, without a chance for a challenge.
Each player has one life on the battlefield.
Leaving the battlefield consumes a player's life, removing them from the current battle.]