30: Chapter 3: Eight Levels Conquered! Big Problem on Level 9?
PS: First day of the official launch, let's celebrate! A small update of 50,000 words. If we count 200 words per chapter, that's roughly 24-25 chapters updated!
Only got the full attendance bonus, so I'll grind to the death! Grind one down, count one!
...-...-...-...
After resting for twenty minutes, Lin Feng felt his condition had recovered considerably.
He chugged his third bottle of advanced mana potion, pulling his mana back above 300 points.
At that moment, the light gate at the center of the training ground opened on schedule.
"Fourth floor, here I come."
Lin Feng gripped the tree demon scepter tightly and strode into the light gate.
...
The fourth floor was a lava cavern.
A wave of heat hit him, the air thick with the smell of sulfur.
The ground was cracked black rock, with dark red magma flowing through the fissures.
At the center of the cavern stood a three-meter-tall lava giant, its body composed of burning rock.
[Lava Giant Guardian (Lord Rank)]
[Rank: 1]
[HP: 130,000]
[attack power: 38-480]
[Defense: 35]
[Skills: Lava Eruption, Fire Resistance]
"130,000 HP..." Lin Feng frowned slightly.
This HP value was right on his one-shot kill threshold.
If the Fusion skill didn't crit, he might not be able to kill it instantly.
"Let's give it a try."
Without hesitation, Lin Feng brought his hands together.
The Lava Giant spotted the intruder, opened its maw, and spewed a pillar of magma fire.
But Lin Feng's spellcasting was faster.
Two seconds of channeling, Fusion complete.
"Radiance: Destruction Impact—fourth shot!"
A golden-red beam of light collided with the magma pillar in mid-air!
BOOM!!!!!!!!!
The shockwave from the explosion swept through the entire cavern.
Magma splattered, rocks shattered.
[Radiance: Destruction Impact damage dealt: 13,500 (Skill Fusion Critical Hit)]
The light faded.
The Lava Giant crumbled into a pile of burning rocks.
[Lava Giant Guardian slain, experience points +]
[Acquired: Lava Core (A-Rank Material) ×1]
[Acquired: flame amulet (Purple Equipment) ×1]
"Another drop." Lin Feng smiled.
He picked up the loot.
[flame amulet (Purple)]
[Effect: Fire Attribute Resistance +4%, Fire Attribute Skill Damage +20%]
[Level Requirement: Level 1]
[Lava Core (A-Rank Enchantment Material)]
[Use: Weapon Enchantment]
[Effect: Enchants a melee weapon, adding the 'Lava Burn' effect (attacks cause continuous fire damage)]
"Not bad."
Lin Feng stored the items and looked at the stone pillar at the cavern's center.
[Fourth Floor Trial Cleared]
[Evaluation: SSS-Rank]
[Enter the Hidden Trial? Yes/No]
"No."
Lin Feng couldn't be bothered to check the detailed evaluation anymore.
The light gate opened once more.
...
The fifth floor was a frozen snow mountain.
The icy wind cut to the bone, snowflakes swirled.
The guardian was a Frost Direwolf with 135,000 HP.
Lin Feng took it out with another Fusion skill.
Dropped a [Frost Cloak (Purple)] and a [Frost Core (A-Rank Material)].
SSS-Rank evaluation, Hidden Trial invitation, declined.
...
The sixth floor was a Thunder Gorge.
Lightning crackled across the sky. The guardian was a mage controlling lightning.
HP: 140,000.
Lin Feng used the same move.
Fusion skill, instant kill.
Dropped [Thunder Staff (Purple)] and [Lightning Essence (A-Rank Material)].
SSS-Rank evaluation, Hidden Trial, declined.
...
The seventh floor was a Dark Swamp.
Mud everywhere, poisonous miasma filled the air.
The guardian was a giant serpent hiding in the swamp, HP 145,000.
Lin Feng almost got dragged into the swamp but managed to release the Fusion skill in time.
Instant kill.
Dropped [Venomfang Dagger (Purple)] and [Virulent Essence (A-Rank Material)].
SSS-Rank evaluation, Hidden Trial, declined.
...
The eighth floor was a Hall of Holy Light.
This was the floor Lin Feng found most comfortable—everywhere was thick with dense light element.
The guardian was a Light Angel with 150,000 HP.
Lin Feng's Radiance Sun Crown Physique thrived here; the power of his Fusion skill even increased somewhat.
Instant kill.
Dropped [Angel Feather (Purple)] and [Holy Light Essence (S-Rank Material)].
"S-Rank!" Lin Feng's eyes lit up.
This was the second S-Rank material after the frost essence.
[Holy Light Essence (S-Rank Material)]
[Use: Light Attribute Equipment/Skill Core]
[Effect: Contains pure Holy Light power]
[Description: The condensed essence of a Light Angel, provides immense bonuses to light attribute classes]
"Good stuff, saving it for later use."
Lin Feng happily stored it away.
At this point, he glanced at his Storage Pouch.
It was already filled with various purple equipment and A-Rank Materials.
Shadow Pierce, silverwing longbow, Guardian's Greatshield, flame amulet, Frost Cloak, Thunder Staff, Venomfang Dagger, Angel Feather...
Eight pieces of purple equipment. Any one of them could be sold for hundreds of thousands of points.
There were even more enchantment Materials: General's Battle Soul, silverwing enchantment essence, earth enchantment essence, Lava Core, Frost Core, Lightning Essence, Virulent Essence.
Plus the S-Rank Holy Light Essence and frost essence.
"Struck it rich, struck it rich..." Lin Feng couldn't stop grinning.
Now there was only the final floor—the ninth.
Lin Feng looked at the stone pillar at the center of the Hall of Holy Light.
[Eighth Floor Trial Cleared]
[Evaluation: SSS-Rank (Perfect Clear)]
[Total Floors Cleared: 8]
[Historical Best Record: 8 floors (Tied)]
[Hint: You have tied the historical best record]
[Next Floor: Ninth Floor (Final Floor)]
[Portal will open in 1 hour]
[Please make final preparations]
"The historical best record is eight floors?" Lin Feng was momentarily stunned.
So, the previous seventeen people at most only reached the eighth floor?
And judging by the hint, it was a 'tied' record.
Several people probably reached the eighth floor but all stopped there.
"The ninth floor... has no one passed it, or did those who pass all die?" A chill ran down Lin Feng's spine.
His previously relaxed mindset instantly tensed up.
Thinking carefully, this journey had indeed been too smooth.
From the fourth to the eighth floor, five guardians, he had solved them all with the same move.
Although each floor's guardian had improved attributes, HP increasing from 130,000 to 150,000.
But before his Fusion skill starting at 130,000 damage, they were all instant kills.
"Too smooth, smooth to the point of being abnormal."
Lin Feng sat down and began to review.
"From the first to the third floor, I could still feel pressure, needed to think about tactics."
"But starting from the fourth floor... it was like hitting a training dummy."
He glanced at his mana.
Although he kept drinking potions to replenish it, the Mental Energy consumption from casting the Fusion skill eight times in a row was real.
His head felt a bit swollen now, his temples throbbing.
"And these guardians..."
Lin Feng frowned in thought.
Fourth floor Lava Giant, attack method: fire breath.
Fifth floor Frost Direwolf, attack methods: pounce and ice spikes.
Sixth floor Thunder Mage, attack method: summoning lightning.
Seventh floor Swamp Serpent, attack methods: constriction and venom.
Eighth floor Light Angel, attack method: Holy Light Judgment.
They seemed varied, but actually had a common point—
None of them used any 'special mechanics'.
No damage immunity shields, no invincibility states, no summoning minions, no Clone illusions.
They were simply stationary, damage-dealing type bosses.
"This doesn't match the difficulty of an S-Rank Dungeon." Lin Feng muttered to himself.
He had learned in textbooks that bosses in high-difficulty Dungeons often had complex mechanics.
Like phase transitions, environmental interactions, skill combinations, and so on.
How could the guardians of the Ancient Trial Tower, an S-Rank Dungeon that had remained uncleared for three years, be so simple?
"Unless..."
Lin Feng's eyes sharpened.
"The first eight floors were just a warm-up."
"The real test is on the ninth floor."
This thought sent a chill through his whole body.
If that was truly the case, then the difficulty of the ninth floor would likely increase exponentially.
"Can't be careless."
Lin Feng took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He opened his Storage Pouch and began organizing his equipment and items.
Of the eight purple equipment pieces, he picked out a few that might be useful.
[Guardian's Greatshield] — +3 Physique, high defense, could save his life at a critical moment.
[Angel Feather] — Light attribute bonus, compatible with his Physique.
[Gale Ring] — +25 Agility and 2% movement speed, could run if he couldn't win.
The unusable ones were stored away for now.
The enchantment Materials weren't immediately useful, but Lin Feng had an idea.
He took out the [General's Battle Soul] and the [Guardian's Greatshield].
"Let's see if I can enchant on the spot."
Bringing the material close to the equipment, he activated his Talent.
[Detected fusible objects: Guardian's Greatshield (Purple) + General's Battle Soul (A-Rank Material)]
[Equipment Enchantment Fusion]
[mana Cost: 80 points]
The two items floated up, fusing within the light.
Ten seconds later, the greatshield's surface gained a layer of blood-red patterns, and a general's phantom image appeared at the shield's center.
[Acquired: war soul greatshield (Purple)]
[Defense: 180 (↑30)]
[Effect 1: Physique +4 (↑1)]
[Effect 2: Block Success Rate +15% (↑10%)]
[Effect 3: When attacked, 3% chance to summon a 'Black Armored General Phantom' to assist in battle (Lasts 10 seconds)]
[Effect 4: All Attributes +1]
[Level Requirement: Level 1]
[Description: A greatshield fused with a battle soul, possessing the will to protect]
"Success!" Lin Feng's eyes lit up.
Defense rose from 150 to 180, Physique bonus from +3 to +4, plus All Attributes +1 and the summon phantom effect.
This shield could now be called a Divine Artifact!
"Again."
Lin Feng took out the [Angel Feather] and the [Holy Light Essence].
Both were light attribute, high compatibility.
[Detected fusible objects: Angel Feather (Purple) + Holy Light Essence (S-Rank Material)]
[mana Cost: 120 points]
The Fusion process took longer, the light more dazzling.
Finally, the Angel Feather transformed into a pure white cloak, golden Holy Light patterns flowing on its surface.
[Acquired: holy light wing cloak (Purple)]
[Defense: 5]
[Effect 1: spirit +5 (↑?)]
[Effect 2: Light Attribute Skill Damage +40% (↑20%)]
[Effect 3: mana Recovery Speed +10%]
[Effect 4: Can briefly unfold wings of light, gaining flight ability (Lasts 3 seconds, Cooldown 10 minutes)]
[Level Requirement: Level 1]
[Description: The perfect Fusion of Holy Light and an Angel Feather, containing divine power]
"Flight ability?!" Lin Feng was stunned.
This was a god-tier survival skill!
If he couldn't win, he could fly away. Who could chase him?
He eagerly put on the cloak.
The pure white cloak hung down to his ankles, golden light shimmering on its surface, incredibly stylish.
His spirit attribute directly rose to 375 points!
His mana became 375 points!
"Too strong..."
Feeling the surging magic power within him, Lin Feng's confidence returned.
Next, he also put on the [Gale Ring].
Agility rose to 58 points, movement speed noticeably increased.
Finally, he checked his potions.
Three advanced mana potions left, two Advanced Health Potions left.
He also had quite a few items like blazing light stones and Water Curtains.
"That should be enough."
Lin Feng stood up, stretching his limbs.
Looking at the slowly rotating light gate ahead, his gaze turned resolute.
"Ninth floor..."
"Whatever tricks you have, I'll face them."
The youth gripped the war soul greatshield, the holy light wing cloak gently swaying behind him.
One hour later.
The light gate stabilized and opened.
Lin Feng took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The final battle was about to begin.