[10th floor, lobby.]
Before challenging every tenth floor, the tower provided a Lobby for one to rest in, and collect their thoughts.
Each lobby was special in its own right, and the higher the floor the more luxurious the lobby.
The Tenth floor’s lobby was just a large white room. The only thing other than white here was a corridor that led to the Tenth floor. The beginning of the Corridor was dark and one couldn’t see the end no matter what.
It was desolate as of yet, the only one who had stepped foot here had already crossed the tenth floor. Daniel was blitzing through the tower.
No one except him had reached the tenth floor…Until now.
A red light shone in the middle of the floor, and a beauty stepped out of it.
The woman possesses a captivating beauty that goes beyond mere physical features. With her fiery red hair that cascades like waves of flame and piercing red eyes that seem to hold a passionate fire. Her appearance is both striking and mesmerizing, drawing people in with an irresistible allure. Surely, She possessed significant influence in the world outside the tower. Her very figure seemed to resemble a goddess of fire!
…she had a vulgar tongue as well, quite contrary to her beauty.
“Fuck, That bastard Daniel already crossed this floor.”
She cursed, She was hoping to meet him here…but alas, She arrived too late. She couldn’t compete with his speed and experience.
“Ah Fuck, I wonder what place I’m at!”
She cursed again, truly…All men would fall in love with her only if she kept her mouth shut.
The woman was Yelena Flare, Kyle Flare’s older and tamer sister. She was the vice president of Shield’s Student Council and also the one who was ranked first among the Second years of Shield.
Due to her mastery over fire and her striking appearance, she had earned the nickname Pele among the general populace.
(A/N: Pele is a goddess of fire.)
She had a fierce personality but was gentle to her friends and the ones she liked or cared about…although her mouth was her only flaw.
She was much better than her spoiled younger brother, who had gone into depression after having lost miserably to Alexander.
“Fuck it, I’ll just advance then.”
Her initial plan to meet Daniel here was unsuccessful, so there was no point in staying here. She steadily made her way towards the corridor.
She had climbed the tower once before and made it to the 17th floor. She had entered again this year with determination to reach the thirtieth floor. She had long since given up on surpassing Daniel.
If even Daniel couldn’t do it…What could she do?
He was a kind of an idol to her…So it made sense she didn’t dare think she could surpass him.
Just as she entered the dark corridor, the entrance to the tenth floor a red light shone in the empty lobby. She turned around, curious as to who it was.
‘It should be the damn treasurer…’
She predicted it would be Alan…but she was wrong.
“Eh?”
Instead of Alan, Elijah had stepped into the lobby. She looked at him with curiosity.
She wondered how the guy who lost to Alan in one hit reached here before him.
“Umm…Hi?”
Elijah greeted her, nervous.
“…”
‘Pussy.’
His nervous greeting had already garnered a bad image in Yelena’s mind.
“Umm…What is this place?”
He asked, Clearly the innocent and pure Elijah was confused. Well…it was his first time challenging the tower so it made sense. Yelena let out a sigh.
“It’s the lobby before the tenth-floor trial.”
Elijah’s nervousness disappeared. He was only nervous because he thought this was a trial.
“May I ask who you are?”
Asked Elijah, oblivious to her identity.
“…”
Yelena was left speechless…How could this guy, who is in Shield, not know her?
She was the vice-president of the Student Council, the second year rank number one!
“You seriously don’t know me?”
She asked, clearly dumbfounded.
“Nope.”
However, Elijah was serious. He had no clue who she was!
“…Forget about it.”
She ignored him and turned towards the corridor once again. But Elijah’s voice stopped her again.
“Is that the entrance to the Tenth floor?”
He asked. Yelena simply nodded and Elijah grew ecstatic.
“Thank you!”
He said, before disappearing into the dark corridor, using his flames as a boost.
“..!”
Yelena couldn’t even feel the fire magic getting ready! It had all happened in an instant!
She was left shocked, Elijah had disappeared in a second even though he was behind her, and the amount of mana he used was just too shocking…
“Thes first years…their fucking crazy…”
First, there was Alan…then this orange-haired dude.
“…”
Slowly…she was losing the confidence she had in her strength. The first years this time were absolute monsters! They could compete even with the third year!
*Gulp*
She gulped. She calmed herself down and was about to enter the 10th floor…when another light appeared in the 10th-floor lobby.
This time…it was Alan.
“Oh finally…someone I kn-”
She was cut off by Alan disappearing into the trial using teleportation.
“…”
Alan disappeared the moment he got here and left her in dismay.
Another light shone, and this time it was Henry.
“Yo.”
She didn’t answer back and disappeared into the tenth floor, not wanting to lose her ranking.
“..?”
A confused Henry was left in the lobby of the tenth floor.
*********
[Elijah POV.]
[You have entered the tenth floor, the tower watches your trial with great interest.]
Elijah continued walking in the dark corridor. After a while, the darkness faded away and he was present in a blank world, a blank canvas.
“..?”
Elijah questioned what the trial was about.
[The Trial of Faith.]
The notification popped up and confused him even more…Faith?
What Faith should he prove here? He wasn’t religious…?
Elijah observed the floor but found nothing but white everywhere.
“What am I supposed to do here?”
He questioned, normally the names of the trials provided a sort of clue or something but he didn’t know what he had to do here … .His mind was blank.
Was he supposed to pray for something here?
[What is the extent of your faith?]
“..!”
Elijah was startled by the metallic voice that echoed throughout the floor.
A notification popped up, and he read it over and over. Trying to get an idea of what was happening here on this floor.
[What is the extent of your faith?]
The voice was heard again, It was an archaic but metallic voice. It was…Odd.
“What do you mean by that?”
He asked, half-heartedly expecting an answer.
[What are your ideals?]
It asked a question.
[What do you want to become?]
Again.
[What is your belief in yourself?]
And Again.
[How much faith do you have in yourself?]
And Again.
It asked.
Elijah wondered about it. He thought about it after a while.
[What is the extent of your faith?]
The voice was heard again…But Elijah couldn’t find a suitable answer.
Faith…in himself?
What he wanted to be?
What was it?
A hero, A legendary awakened whose name would go down in history?
A lovable son?
What was it? What did he wish to be?
The blank world started to change, from the center… to Elijah.
A wave of green invaded the world, and an endless plain of grass appeared.
[What do you want to become?]
The tower asked him. The blank canvas to change into an endless, beautiful, peaceful world. A world filled with grass, flowers, a blue sky, and a bright sun.
“Someone who is kind.”
Elijah muttered. The tower asked him again.
[What do you wish to become?]
The voice had changed, it was now a gentle and soothing voice, like the voice of a moth which was able to comfort her crying child…It was like such a gentle voice.
“I want to…become a hero…someone who others look up to with hope…and someone who can change them to do good. Who can…Inspire them I guess.”
He answered. Although he may have sounded reluctant…It was his ambition. He was serious about it.
[A story that has been written countless times…Yet failed to meet its desired happy ending.]
The voice of the tower echoed, The gentle voice was gone, and the metallic voice was back. Dark clouds appeared in the sky, and the flowers wilted.
The grass died, and the sun disappeared. The gentle and peaceful world was gone.
[Time and time again…the hero fell to the villain. The last bastion of hope fell miserably to the Villain…not once, not twice…But many times. How confident are you can change that?]
Elijah wondered what was going on. .
“What are you talking about?”
Elijah asked the Tower, hoping to get an answer. He looked around the floor and was terrified.
The grass disappeared and the ground was littered with blood and corpses.
The sky was dyed red with blood, and all traces of peace disappeared…Only despair was left.
Elijah was familiar with this sight…this had appeared in his dreams multiple times!
“…”
The corpse of the angel with an uncountable number of wings, and orange hair seeping out of the Helmet appeared in front of once again…impaled by the same weapon. A Black, demonic spear.
Corpses of dragons, angels, dwarves, elves, and other races were like a sea.
A deafening roar shook the realm, as Elijah caught a glimpse of the silhouette of a large black dragon in the skies, covered by the gray, depressing clouds.
The Tower answered his question and took him out of his shocked state.
[???????? ??????????.]
Updated from 𝑖𝘳.𝒸ℴ𝑚