Return Of The Strongest Player

Just like that, a month passed.

Arthur still hadn't stepped into the tower, which his comrades found unsettling. It was quite unusual for a player to refrain from challenging the first floor in the first month, as youngsters were often hot-blooded.

The youngsters of the tower were brave and courageous, often seeking battles and displaying their strength. They were novelty-seeking idiots who only thought using their lower half. Their hormones were raging.

However, Arthur was calm and composed.

Unlike the youngsters, the crimson-eyed man was someone with innate wisdom and incredible experience. He could not be wooed by such incomprehensible urges and worthless fame that came along with it.

Fame should be derived from skill and one's ability to manipulate. It shouldn't originate from one's raw power and strength. 

A person without sufficient wisdom–even if they possessed unparalleled strength–was no more than a hungry boar. It craved the taste of battle and loved showing off its power, yet it did not possess sufficient intelligence.

A boar couldn't advance on the path of a true player.

However, once the preparations were complete, it was finally time. 

Randy had already reached the third floor, while Harry had conquered the fourth, alongside Dino. Jenny, being the first to begin her journey, had already reached the seventh floor, an accurate display of her tremendous power.

Randy's speed was expected, but the others were quite rapid, considering they were unbeknownst to what the floors contained. Jenny's rise was discussed by many veterans, but it couldn't be compared to that of Lucas and Aditya.

The two had shot to the ninth floor in only a month, shattering all expectations and increasing the influence of their respective clans. The Devas and the Paragon Of Vengeance were known to develop unparalleled prodigies.

Jessica and Eve Hollton were still unknown.

Arthur strapped Skofnung at his waist before slipping into loose robes. Armor would only restrict his movement, and unless it were magic armor, there was no use. An armor that couldn't conduct mana was virtually useless.

Arthur traversed across the streets of the Outer District, eventually arriving before a massive tower that pierced the clouds above. The weather was sunny with pearly, white clouds that were akin to cotton candy.

The atmosphere of the area was pleasant, aside from a few tense players praying before they entered the first floor. Beads of sweat fell from their foreheads, and immense anxiety could be seen in their eyes.

Climbing the tower was a hobby for some, and a necessity for others. 

Those who wished to bring their planet prosperity often entered the tower solely for the purpose of amassing riches. Those players would then leave once they had gathered a fortune, abandoning their lives in the tower.

Arthur approached a counter near the skyscraper, glancing at the Guardian that managed it. "First floor, please."

When entering a new floor, one had to register. However, once they had cleared it, it wasn't difficult to switch between floors freely. The Guardian nodded at Arthur's words, flicking his wrist as he willed a few particles to condense.

A humming sound emerged from a tear in space, and before long, a portal formed. Arthur thanked the Guardian, entering the portal with determined eyes.

*

The scenery changed in an instant. 

The world spun several times before gradually coming to a halt. As Arthur's vision was restored, he saw a plain battlefield. It was akin to an arena, with empty bleachers on each side, and a commentary box in the distance.

Arthur scrutinized the area, discovering several peculiar features. The soil was placed upon a certain metal that the crimson-eyed man couldn't probe. The bleachers were also constructed using an unknown material.

As he felt the wind dance at his fingertips, Arthur realized that the mana density of the first floor was incredibly low.

Suddenly, a system window manifested before his eyes.

[New Message.]

[Sender: Tower Administration.]

[Welcome to the first floor. The first floor consists of several levels with beasts that increase in power as one progresses. The player simply has to defeat the beast, moving on to the next level, which involves a stronger beast. The rankings will be displayed on another system window.]

[Receiver: Arthur Solace.]

[New Message.]

[Sender: Tower Administration.]

[Good luck!]

[Receiver: Arthur Solace.]

Arthur turned to face the ranking leaderboard, which was a translucent, blue window that levitated a few feet above his head to the left of his body. The window could be manipulated using Arthur's fingers, and consisted of the rankings of billions, perhaps trillions of participants.

Arthur revealed a faint smile, scrolling through the names.

[1. Zeus: Level 22]

[2. Odin: Level 22]

[3. Sun Wukong: Level 22]

[4. Indra: Level 22]

[5. Varuna: Level 22]

Many of the famous Divine Rankers were stuck on the same floor, unable to progress further than Level 21. As Arthur scrolled, he realized that hundreds, perhaps thousands of players were stuck on the 22nd Level.

He scrunched his eyebrows, unable to discern the reason. He hadn't paid mind to the rankings much during his former life, since his own were so pathetic. However, if he wanted to exploit the tower, the best way was to achieve a high ranking.

But why was there such a distinct barrier?

[Begin the Challenge?]

A screen hovered before Arthur's eyes, which he hesitated before pressing. 

Ding!

The sky darkened, and a massive gate on the opposite side of the arena was lifted, revealing a massive blob of light. As the blob of light neared, Arthur was able to discern a few features of the beast.

[Level 1: Light Beast]

'A light affinity beast,' thought Arthur, unsheathing Skofnung while revealing a faint smile. The initial levels were incredibly easy for someone with his power, serving only as warm-ups for almost all players.

Only the weakest of the bunch had problems with such beasts. 

The Light Affinity was quite powerful when paired with an appropriate beast, but what could one expect from a Level 1 Beast on the first floor?

'It'll be a breeze.'