While moving up to the next platform, True Void voiced a question he had mulled over.
"Void Halfling, have you come up with the answer as to why we started at the 51st platform?"
Without pausing to contemplate True Void's question, Kyran answered immediately, "I can only guess it has something to do with my training results."
True Void sighed, "I thought so too. I mean your first training you even encountered a Sovereign for crying out loud. But I find the tower's treatment on your training strange."
Kyran did not reply to this. He felt the same way, to be honest. Even the level of difficulty on his previous two training was off. The first one had a Z-level difficulty, while the second one was probably around S-level if he included the test. It was very different from how Gustaff described his experience.
From Gustaff's experience, the level of difficulty of his training during the first stretch was more of an adjustment period. It was not that easy, but not complicated where he would not be able to pass. Only when he had adjusted to the training that the difficulty increase.
In Kyran's experience, the arrangement of his training was more with his necessity than the level of difficulty. He had a biased view of his magic when he first entered, which made him reliant on his Draconic magic. Thus, the tower gave him training wherein he learned the real essence of Void magic. It goes without saying that his training had a high-level difficulty in order to achieve this result.
After learning about the essence of Void magic, the tower gave him the knowledge training as his second. It enabled Kyran to absorb as much knowledge and integrate it into what he knew now about Void magic.
As for this special place, while it was Kyran's decision to enter, if he had to recall how that happened, the overlapping voices had asked him whether he wanted to use the platinum key as soon as it was presented to him. They had not even completed giving the spoils he got from the training.
It was as if they were deliberately directing him to choose the special place as his next stop.
This sudden realization made Kyran frown slightly. He did not like the idea of others manipulating his moves, especially his decisions.
'Just what is this tower? Why is the arrangement of my training different?' He wondered, recalling Loar's experience was pretty much the same as Gustaff. Their training was different, but the arrangement was the same; according to difficulty.
Another thing that came to Kyran's mind was Nolan's status in the tower.
Nolan was one of the few who had conquered it, and he might have influenced the arrangement of his training.
The idea sounded absurd even to Kyran, but for some reason, he had a feeling that he might be onto something.
Taking a deep breath, Kyran decided to keep note of this for the time being. Regardless of what kind of training arrangement he got or who was trying to manipulate it behind the scenes was not that important. He did not like being manipulated, but at the moment, he did not mind continuing with this arrangement.
The faster he could grow, the better.
Finally, Kyran and True Void appeared on the next platform.
With the light still upon them, Kyran began to survey the surroundings through his magic sense. He closed his eyes, and an illusory image of the whole platform formed in his mind's eye.
Very different from Loar's platform, this one was bigger and had more structures. Its radius was about 500 kilometers, and structures such as small and tall buildings, roads, even small sentry towers were visible.
The structures of the buildings gave Kyran a very familiar feeling.
At the center of the platform stood a small four-level tower. A red triangular flag, with a symbol of several swords in a circular formation, their sword tip facing outward looking like a flower, draped loosely on the side of the wall.
The instant Kyran saw the swords, his eyes immediately snapped open, and his expression turned grim. He knew that symbol. No wonder the structures around him looked familiar. It resembled a small town in the Human plane.
'The symbol of the Aureole faction,' he thought, his heart began to race nervously. He tapped into True Void at once and said, 'True Void, I need a mask now.'
True Void complied without asking any questions because he already sensed Kyran's apprehension. After being together for more than a year during the second training, they already formed a tacit understanding. Apart from this, True Void was a spirit birthed from a powerful magic weapon. All his accumulated battle experiences made it easier for him to adjust to the mood of his master. Though Kyran was not yet his master, they had been together for a long time, and True Void had begun to understand Kyran's moods.
Disengaging some of the shape-shifting plates on the outer part of the arm bracer, True Void willed them to fly into Kyran's face, instantly forming into a dark blue and purple mask that covered half of his face.
It was then that the light around them faded, and Kyran retracted his magic sense.
A beam of light descended on the tower, followed by a powerful gust of wind sweeping outward, causing the dirt on the floor to scatter. At once, the visibility in the surrounding turned hazy from all the dirt.
Because Kyran and True Void were pretty much near the outer part of the platform, the force of the wind had already lessened by the time it reached them. Even the dirt did not affect them much.
When the wind dissipated and the dirt cleared, a voice reverberated in the whole platform.
"I don't like beating around the bush," the voice started.
Kyran's brow furrowed after hearing the voice.
The voice belonged to a woman. Though he was not entirely surprised because the Aureole was known to be an all-woman faction, the reason for Kyran's reaction was more with how the voice sounded youthful. As if it belonged to a young lady.
Of course, the woman's essence might have retained the age it was left here, and the original one might be older now, but the fact that the woman managed to get to this place at such a young age was not a feat anyone could have done.
"You have reached this far, meaning you are capable," the woman continued. "The rules of this platform are simple. You can use any type of magic or weapon. Approach the center of the platform in half an hour and take down the tower. If you succeed, consider yourself the winner. If you fail, then I will have your head."
[Arrogant! Simply arrogant! Who does she think she is?]
True Void ranted in Kyran's head. While imitating the way the woman spoke, he continued.
['I will have your head'—]
Then he paused dramatically before continuing.
[—she said. Oh, the nerve! Void Halfling! Don't beat around the bush. Obliterate that tower right now!]
The previous tension Kyran had felt was instantly defused by True Void's ranting. He could not help but chuckle and shake his head at him before muttering, 'Thanks.'
True Void instantly frowned at Kyran's response.
[What do you mean 'thanks'? That's not how you're supposed to answer! Say, yes!]
Kyran only chuckled. After his tension had been diffused, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
To be honest, he did not expect that his emotion would be rattled like this just by encountering something or someone from the Human plane. He was mentally prepared for it, after all, though he was told the Royal Family would not be able to enter the tower, that did not mean others outside the Royal Family would not be able to.
Gustaff was a good example of this. Now there was another one who also happened to have a connection to the Aureole faction.
Though the Aureole faction was not in league with the Royal Family, that did not mean they did not have any prejudice against the previous Void Master. This was why Kyran felt apprehensive just now.
After calming his nerves, Kyran opened his eyes and once again spread out his magic sense before replying, "Your rule is unreasonable."
The woman frowned. Reigning in her annoyance, she said, "I am the platform master. If you can't abide by the rules—."
"No, not that," Kyran cut her off midsentence.
"Then what?"
"I don't need half an hour," Kyran replied, his eyes glowed reddish-purple as he roused his magic and suddenly disappeared. In an instant, he reappeared twenty meters in front of the tower.
"I only need a few seconds."
He raised his right hand, and a small purple orb appeared above the tower.
"Such an—."
Before the woman could even form her words, the small orb above the tower expanded at an astonishing speed, instantly destroying the tower as it bore down on it.
SIZZLE!
An audible gasp from the woman was heard before the whole tower disappeared inside the huge purple orb.
Kyran closed his fist, and the size of the purple orb instantly shrunk, leaving only a clean round crater where the tower had stood.
"Impossible!"
The woman exclaimed as she appeared, hovering above where the tower had been. Her green eyes looked at Kyran in disbelief.
As Kyran expected, the woman looked young, probably around the same age as him.
The woman had a pretty face with long braided brown hair. She wore red full-body armor, and several golden swords with glowing red runes on their blades circled vertically behind her. Their formation looked precisely like the symbol of the Aureole faction.
"The tower's gone. It means I win."
Kyran said with a slight smile.