Tower Spirit let out a cold chuckle, its voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Thor, you’ve got some nerve!”
Mike, feeling a bit helpless, shrugged and put on his best teddy bear expression. “I’m just trying to clear the levels. What else could I do?”
Clear the levels? The Tower Spirit chuckled again, this time with a hint of mockery. If it was just about clearing the levels, why did you create a piece like Mars?
“I can’t help you with this,” the Tower Spirit said quickly, not giving Mike a chance to respond. “It’s not that I don’t want to; it’s that I don’t have the ability to, understand?”
Hearing this, Mike actually felt a wave of relief. If the Tower Spirit didn’t have the ability, then aside from Apollo, no one else did either! As long as Mike, the Tower Spirit, and Apollo kept quiet about this, Mike would be safe!
Just as Mike was thinking this, the Tower Spirit’s voice, now tinged with a sinister edge, echoed in his ears.
“Thor, you wouldn’t want Ares to find out about what happened today, would you?” Mike: ???
This plot… why does it feel so familiar?
Oh no! The tables have turned!
Mike, trying to maintain his composure, scolded the Tower Spirit righteously, “What kind of nonsense are you watching all day? Can’t you be a little more wholesome, like me?”
Despite the Tower Spirit’s veiled threat, Mike wasn’t afraid. The reason was simple: Ares probably already knew.
From what Mike understood about Supreme Beings, anything related to them would likely be sensed by them. Besides, Ares wasn’t the type to hold a grudge against Mike over something like this.
The piece Mike was most concerned about wasn’t Ares-it was Nine Shadow. Unlike Ares, everyone knew that Shadow Nine was notoriously petty.
“Since I can’t take these pieces with me, can you at least keep them safe for me?” Mike made a reasonable request. However, leaving empty-handed didn’t sit right with him.
After the Tower Spirit agreed to safeguard the pieces, Mike spoke up again, “I cleared the levels, killed the boss, and didn’t get a single reward. That doesn’t seem fair, does it?”
The Tower Spirit nodded, acknowledging Mike’s point. Mike looked around, but there wasn’t much in the Cloud Peak that he could take. Finally, his eyes landed on the control platform.
“How about I take this platform with me? That’s not too much to ask, right?”
Tower Spirit: …
The Tower Spirit tried to explain to Mike that the pieces created by the platform, even those with combat power in the billions, wouldn’t be as strong in the real world. They might not even be as powerful as Joseph.
But despite how weak they were, Mike insisted on taking something from this level.
Mike, full of conviction, said, “I came here empty-handed, and if I leave empty-handed, what was the point of clearing the levels?”
In the end, after some back-and-forth negotiation, Mike managed to walk away with three control platforms.
“Make sure you keep those pieces safe!” Mike reminded the Tower Spirit repeatedly before placing his hand on the Truth Core crystal to finalize his conquest.
“Congratulations, participant Thor, on successfully reclaiming the 35th, 36th, and 37th floors of the Tower of Truth!”
As soon as Mike completed the conquest, the black mist that had shrouded these floors dissipated rapidly, and the skies cleared, restoring peace to the area. The set of pieces Mike had left behind was quietly sealed away in a corner.
Until… a butterfly landed on them.
The butterfly gazed at the pieces, and time seemed to stand still.
Whoosh-
With a flap of its wings, the entire set of pieces vanished.
The butterfly looked into the void, locking eyes with Ares.
Apollo spoke up, “Like this?”
A white dove appeared on Ares’ shoulder, calm and docile, not daring to show any aggression. Ares, with his broad heart, nodded in satisfaction.
“Returning them to their rightful owner-this is good.”
Earlier, Ares had sent a message to Apollo, instructing him to hold onto the pieces after Thor’s conquest. Once Thor left, Apollo was to return each piece to its original owner.
Apollo didn’t understand why Ares wanted to do this, nor did he see the point. But he owed Ares his life, and if Ares asked for a favor, Apollo would oblige. That was all there was to it. The butterfly flapped its wings again and left the 35th floor.
“Boring.”
Supreme Abyssal.
Two elderly figures were frantically fleeing along a cliffside, evading the pursuit of demon creatures.
“Shadow Nine, can you still keep up?” Calderon shouted as he ran, glancing back at Shadow Nine, who was in a sorry state.
Shadow Nine’s arms had turned completely crimson, and his blade strikes were far less sharp than before, their power greatly diminished. Fortunately, his legs were still fine, so his speed
wasn’t affected.
“Shut up!” Shadow Nine finally caught up to Calderon, narrowly escaping the latest wave of attacks. Several 1,000-level demon creatures had lost sight of their targets and began releasing their soul energy, searching the area.
Hiding in a cave, Calderon and Shadow Nine finally had a moment to catch their breath.
“Shadow Nine, something’s not right with you…” Calderon frowned as he looked at the worsening Blood Shadow condition on Shadow Nine. The old trickster had never been one to tell the truth. He had claimed that the full transformation into Blood Shadow would take ten years, but now it seemed like ten days might be pushing it!
“Cough, cough…”
Curled up in the corner, Shadow Nine coughed violently, the crimson hue on his arms
spreading further. Things were looking grim.
“That unlucky bastard must have shown up,” Shadow Nine muttered, his voice weak. His current condition was largely Afterskin’s fault.
Calderon, not in the mood for sympathy, retorted, “Even if he did, it’s probably because your disciple sent him.”
With a cold snort, Calderon sighed heavily. “I really don’t understand what’s going on with
you and your disciple.”
“I… I’m thinking…” Shadow Nine chuckled weakly, his voice barely above a whisper. “What
do you think Thor is up to right now?”
“How the hell would I know…” Calderon started to reply, but then he felt something odd in his pocket. It seemed like something had appeared there!
Reaching into his pocket, Calderon pulled out two chess pieces from beside his Mystic Market tablet-one labeled Nine Shadow, the other ECA.
Calderon’s face darkened, and he muttered coldly, “Thor seems to be making sculptures.”
With that, he tossed the Nine Shadow piece to Shadow Nine. Calderon was clearly displeased with Thor’s antics. Why was ECA’s combat power lower than Nine Shadow’s? It wasn’t fair!
Moments later, Shadow Nine stood up again, the crimson hue receding from his arms, his face now cold and resolute.
“Let’s go,” Shadow Nine said icily. “I can still wield my blade.”
A flash of lightning, and Mike returned to his private space.
“I’m back!” Mike, triumphant and in high spirits, called out, “Fool, bring me my gold!”
“Are you out of your mind again?” Fool Master glanced at Thor, frowning. “Did you run into
Ares today? Did he ‘teach you a lesson’?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Ares is such a nice guy; why would he teach me a lesson?” Mike rolled his eyes, dismissing the idea. “Stop trying to stir up trouble. I’m not falling for it!”
“Hmph.” Fool Master snorted, clearly unimpressed. “You’re giving yourself away.” Knowing Thor as well as she did, Fool Master could tell that his long-winded response was a
sign of guilt.
Raising an eyebrow, she smirked mischievously. “So, tell me, what did you do to piss off Ares
this time?”
“Look at how you’re phrasing it…” Mike squinted, testing the waters. “If I tell you, will you pay me?”
“Of course!” Fool Master replied confidently. “I’ll pay you in Truth Gold Coins!”
At the mention of Truth Gold Coins, Mike felt a wave of bad luck wash over him.
“I’m in a good mood today,” Fool Master said, pointing to the mountain of gold behind her.
“It’s only 3 billion coins-no big deal.”
Mike fell silent once again.
After his last disastrous experience, Mike had come to terms with his situation. Sure, he had lost 3 billion gold coins, but he still had 3 billion copper coins!
he approached the mountain of gold, Mike tried to console himself. But when he watched
the gold turn into copper before his eyes, he realized he had been wrong.
“No-”
It was still a pain he couldn’t bear!
When all the gold had been converted, Mike left his private space without looking back,
leaving behind the place that had caused him so much heartache.
After Thor left, Fool Master returned to her Forging Furnace and rummaged through the
ashes, pulling out a small figure.
Looking at the chess piece labeled **Idiot**, Fool Master was stunned.
Of all the names, why did it have to be Idiot?
Core City of Truth.
Mike’s figure appeared in Wolf’s Den, a lively place where the drinks and food were free, and
the people were always interesting. After ordering two bottles of fine wine, Mike sat in a corner, waiting for someone to show up.
Wolf’s Den was buzzing with conversation, with people discussing all sorts of topics. Some
were talking about Thor’s recent conquests, while others were envious of the poor soul who had been roasted by Maxen…
Suddenly, a young boy wearing a Mystic Market uniform burst into Wolf’s Den, shouting at
the top of his lungs.
“Extra! Extra! Major changes in the First Abyss!”
“Breaking news! Supreme Being Ares has drawn his sword in the First Abyss!”
“Free information! Don’t miss out!”
Mike: ?!
Ares drew his sword again? Why hadn’t he heard about this, while rumors were flying all over
Wolf’s Den?
Since the information was free, Mike casually grabbed a report and began reading. There were
pictures to back it up!
In the images, the entire First Abyss had turned into a sea of gold-gold everywhere!
“Wow-”
The moment Mike saw the pictures, he couldn’t tear his eyes away. If he weren’t so broke, Mike would have rushed to the First Abyss to have some fun!
Technically, the First Abyss should belong to Mike! Back when Calderon had nearly killed the
Archdemon, Mike had been paid to say a few good words on the Archdemon’s behalf. But if Mike wanted to claim the First Abyss, he’d have to rely on his own abilities.
Looking at the golden First Abyss, Mike was satisfied. But he was even more curious about
one thing: how had the First Abyss turned into this?
Mike still had two other abysses! If he could figure out how to create a Golden Abyss, he’d be
rich!
After carefully reviewing the report, Mike finally noticed a small detail. “…A swordsman who wished to remain anonymous told **Mystic Market** that when the
First Abyss transformed into the Golden Abyss, **Maxen Stoneheart** happened to be
present…”
Maxen Stoneheart?!
That name ignited a spark of hope in Mike! As long as Maxen was involved, there was nothing
to fear!
“Speak of the devil!”
Mike looked toward the entrance of Wolf’s Den, and sure enough, Maxen had just arrived. He
looked a bit tipsy, his face full of joy.
“Stone! Over here!” Mike called out, waving a Lord Merits Card in the air. “Bring out the most expensive bottle of wine-I’m paying in cash!”
If you want someone to do you a favor, you’ve got to show some sincerity!
“Hey, you’re here too!” Maxen grinned as he stumbled over. As soon as the wine hit the table,
The downed it in one gulp.
“Ah, that’s the stuff!”
Drinking with Thor was always a good time! Maxen felt a sense of satisfaction he couldn’t
quite describe.
“Now that we’ve had a drink and exchanged pleasantries,” Mike said with a smile, pointing to
the report about the **Golden Abyss**, “what’s the deal with this?”
“Oh, that? Simple!” Maxen glanced at the picture and waved it off casually. “My Second
Godfather just came up with a new skill called Golden Abyss.”
“Great name!” Mike gave Ares a thumbs-up. The name alone sounded like it was worth a
fortune! “Maxen, show me how it works,” Mike said seriously. “I’ll help you fine-tune it, make sure you’ve got it down perfectly.”
“No can do.” Maxen shook his head like a rattle drum. “My Second Godfather specifically told
me not to share it.”
“Come on, don’t be so formal!” Mike said, counting on his fingers. “Your Second Godfather is
my second bro. We’re practically family-how can I be an outsider?”
Hearing the words not to share, Thor immediately realized the gravity of the situation, his
voice rising a few notches.
Maxen took a slow sip of his drink, then sighed deeply.
“I’d love to help you,” he said.
Mike’s expression froze, his throat tightening as a sense of foreboding washed over him.
“But…” Maxen’s smile grew increasingly wild, almost maniacal, as if he had been holding
something back for far too long. “That move is too powerful-I didn’t learn it!” Thor wanted to steal the skill? Use his **SSS-tier talent Eye of Truth Replication**? Maxen: Please! I didn’t even learn it!
