Ting~
[Skeleton King
Rank: Ancient
Level: 380
HP: 10,000,000/10,000,000
State: Abiding, Murderous]
'It's an ancient rank yet its level is only in the 300s. I thought ancient ranks are on the levels of 400~500 but it seems that ranks and levels are different categories. Its health is the same as the Flame Mingo but since it can revive seven times, its health is at the very least 70 million.'
The skeleton slashed his rusty sword at Xerel vertically which he dodged easily by moving a few steps sideways.
'I should at least learn how to dodge if I get to face enemies stronger than me without depending on the invulnerability too much. Since it will disappear in a few hours, at very least in this way, I can learn safely.'
With the help of Heavenly Footwork, Xerel was able to evade the sword strikes coming at him with precision. As he stared at the Skeleton King's joints, he could see after image of probable prediction on where they will attack.
He got used to the attacks of the Skeleton King and with a hundred percent evasion rate, Xerel started a counterattack.
He summoned Rafiery and slashed the bones of the Skeleton King nonstop and he crumbled it to chunks in less than a second.
"My attacks are faster than I thought."
The skeleton's health had fallen by zero leaving only chunks of bones and the crown in the ground.
No window panels appeared in his view but Xerel wasn't dismayed. He watched as the crown on the ground started levitating in the air as one of the gems crumble to dust and broken bones reformed back to the Skeleton King.
The first skeleton King was 10 feet in height but now, it became shorter by 9 feet. Its speed was visibly faster and its attack pattern had changed.
'It seems like it becomes stronger as it dies. Well, this will be good training for me.'
Xerel dodged the incoming attacks with his footwork but he would sometimes get hit by an attack. He didn't stop getting hit but as time goes on, he was able to dodge all the attacks and mastered the Skeleton's pattern as he went to counterattack with his own.
He used the heavenly footwork and the sword pattern of the Skeleton thus improving his sword techniques and just like the last time, the skeleton King was killed in mere seconds.
************
This went on for 15 minutes, Xerel would learn how to dodge for a minute and a half and then kill the skeleton King in 1~5 seconds. And as it revived, it became shorter, stronger, and faster which put up quite a challenge for Xerel.
Finally, he managed to defeat it at its last life and a window panel averted his view.
Ting~
[YOU HAVE KILLED THE SKELETON KING!]
[+129,190,789 EXP]
[LEVEL UP]
[LEVEL UP]
[LEVEL UP]
.
.
.
.
[YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE 2ND TRIAL!]
[2ND TRIAL RESULTS
Duration of 1st death- 0:01:03
Duration of 2nd death- 0:01:07
Duration of 3rd death- 0:01:12
Duration of 4th death- 0:01:32
Duration of 5th death- 0:01:58
Duration of 6th death- 0:02:12
Duration of 7th death- 0:02:47
Time- 0:11:45]
[2ND TRIAL REWARDS
+3 Elemental scroll
+1 Runestone]
"It's a bummer that I didn't even place the speed record but it's fine. I'll just make it up to the next trial. Let's see what's the Runestone is first."
Ting~
[Fallen Chamber
Rank- Bronze Ancient
Type- Bind (Active)
Summon an altar that nullified skills and locks the target inside the altar for 50 seconds. Force leaving the altar will weaken the target by 5% and stacks every second of the Target's escape (90% Full Stack).
Mana Cost: 500
Cooldown: 1 hour]
[Do you wish to learn the skill? Y/N]
"This is my first ancient rank skill, and I would've accepted a damage type skill, this is still pretty good considering that it's binding. I could use this trap fast monsters or just strong monsters in general. Yes."
Ting~
[Fallen Chamber-(Active): Summon an altar that nullified skills and locks the target inside the altar for 50 seconds. Force leaving the altar will weaken the target by 5% and stacks every second of the Target's escape (90% Full Stack).
Mana Cost: 500
Cooldown: 1 hour]
"Let's check how many levels we got from the skeleton."
Ting~
[Player: Xerel
Level: 237 (12%) (+65 (48%))
Class: None
+Title: One in a million (3 more titles)
Race: Human
State: Happy, Excited
HP: 5032/5050
MP: 1060/1060
STR: 1542
AGI: 1122
INT: 116
DEF: 105
Status Points: 0 (+650) ]
"I'm finally level 300! My strength and agility are already satisfying. For now, let's focus on improving my intelligence and defense. My skills cost a huge amount of Mana and my invulnerability effect is gonna come to an end in a few hours. I have to survive longer."
'Distribute 300 in intelligence and 350 in defense.'
Ting~
[Player: Xerel
Level: 237 (12%) (+65 (48%))
Class: None
+Title: One in a million (3 more titles)
Race: Human
State: Happy, Excited
HP: 5032/5050
MP: 1060/1060 (+3000)
STR: 1542
AGI: 1122
INT: 116 (+300)
DEF: 105 (+350)
Status Points: 650 (-650) ]
"My mana should be enough. I only have 25 minutes left if I want to surpass the current speed record so let's not train for now. I just need to finish the remaining 8 trials as fast as I can- No, I have to do it the Dream way!"
The next trials went on as ordered. The 3rd trial was a temple run, a void would be chasing Xerel from behind and if he went nearer the void, a vacuum would suck him inside and he'd fail the trial. But although the void's speed was impressive, its sole purpose of sucking and slowing the Challenger didn't work as Xerel was protected by the invulnerability causing any slow or debuff to be nullified. Added with his speed, Xerel was an unstoppable force, he'd be blocked by obstacles in his way like a sudden monster ambush or deadly traps but everything didn't work. Other than time, nothing could slow Xerel down as he kept on running faster and faster, if there was a wall that blacked all pathways, Xerel would simply break through it as the barrier would pulverize the wall with ease. Xerel ended up topping the speed record.
The 4th trial was the easiest. There would be a giant eye observing a flat land and if it detects movements, it would turn the thing into a stone statue with its laser beam. Xerel had to pass through the other side of the land where a door could be found. The Challenger was only able to move in a single second as it was the time it took for the giant eye to blink. Xerel simply dashed in full speed but inspire by the eye detecting him and getting blasted by a Lazer, the beam wasn't able to penetrate through Xerel's barrier. He easily arrived at the door not even wasting 3 seconds. Xerel ended up placing first on the trial record.
The 5th trial was more straightforward. Xerel had to dodge raining knives while chasing flying wisps that can only be destroyed using raw power. Which of course ended quickly, Xerel didn't need to doge any of the knives since the barrier served as an umbrella for him and all he had to focus on was destroying the wisps by using [Blink]. He topped the trial record.
The 6th trial was complicated. There would flying boxes in the air which would fly past Xerel and he had to destroy these boxes in a pattern. If there was a blue box, Xerel had to kick it. Red box, he had to punch it with his right arm, Yellow box, he had to punch with his left arm. Green box, he had to hit with his elbow, Purple box, he had to destroy with his knee and black box which he had to avoid. It was a very hard trial and Xerel needed to be versatile but Xerel was optimistic and see the trial as good training for his body and even though he'd miss some boxes, most of the boxes had been destroyed perfectly. He placed 3rd in the trial record.
The 7th trial was similar to the 3rd trial and the 1st trial except that he wasn't chased and the obstacles in front of him were a lot harder. There would wall that would open in less than a second and close for a minute and a long pit where Xerel had to cross in the sides where there were broken walls to be used as a foothold. And as he went deeper in the trial, it would become dark until it would be pitch black and his only choice was to move forward. Well of course it ended quicker than expected. The walls that could flatten anything that passes the middle became a mold of dough for Xerel as the barrier would bend and crumble the walls and as for the long pit, Xerel simply teleported through it or simply run to the steep wall if it was still in cooldown. He ranked 1 on the trial record.
The 8th trial was combat-focused. The terrain would be a thick foggy mist that couldn't be blown away with the wind and a phantom assassin would start slashing the Challenger until it was dead. The challenger wouldn't be able to find the phantom inside the mist even if one had very sharp senses or could see through walls. Fortunately, the phantom assassin had invested all of its power to its strength and speed so its health was quite minuscule. Xerel would simply stand open while wearing the Terra-thorn Carapace as the assassin would die from its attack due to its reflective property. Xerel earned 20 levels as a result, was rewarded with equipment, and topped 2nd in the trial record.
The 9th trial was made to frustrate challengers. They had to kill 5 giant slimes at the same time since if only 4 or below was killed, the slimes' number would double and they had to kill the slimes at the same time if they fail, the slime would increase and become smaller and harder for them to kill. But fortunately, once the slimes had doubled up to 100 times, it would die. On Xerel's part, it ended as expected. I. In an instant, the slimes had died by a single Slash of Rafiery. He earned 21 levels, a Runestone, and ranked 2nd in the trial record.
The 10th trial was a monster subjugation. He was transported into a giant Roman Colosseum where 5 doors contain a giant monster each ranking in the Ancient level. The Challenger was able to choose to fight multiple enemies at once or just fight a single one but the catch was, that if the Challenger choose to fight one, the 4 other monsters would become stronger. From Ancient to Ancient 3- Ancient 2- Ancient 1- then the next rank was Arch. The monsters inside were a giant ape, a giant serpent, a Drake, a 6 headed giant direwolf, and a giant demonic ogre.
It would end quickly if Xerel choose to fight 5 monsters at once but he didn't. He chose to fight 1 monster at a time as knew that when their levels increase, so does the experience they give. Despite their health reaching tens of millions, with the help of [Weak Point], Xerel was able to kill each monster in under a minute. He was able to top 3rd in the ranking and earned 68 levels.
As a result, Xerel finished the 10 trials in under 34 minutes and 47 seconds.
Ting~
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 40 MINUTES AND 7 SECONDS. ADDITIONAL REWARDS HAVE BEEN GIVEN FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT!]
[DO YOU WISH TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THE RANKING? Y/N]
"Yes."
Ting~
[WORLD TREE CHALLENGER RANKING
Trials- 1~10
1ST: Lerex- (0:34:47)
2ND: Bardock- (0:40:07)
3RD: Ezreel- (0:56:29)
.
.
.]
Ting~
[10TH TRIAL REWARDS
+3 Elemental Scrolls
+1 Super Potion
+1 Runestone (Additional Reward)]
Ting~
[FOR RANKING 1ST IN THE FIRST 10 TRIALS, YOU HAVE BEEN REWARDED]
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE RING OF SOL]
****************
As a result of the entire 10 trials, these were his rewards: 24 Elemental scrolls, 7 runestones, 7 items, 30 consumables, 8 tome of knowledge, and a whopping 109 levels!
"Whew! Not only did I surpass the speed record I'm now level 411. Ancient monsters will probably give me lesser experience but it's fine, I'll just have to feed on Arch monsters now. Let's my rewards!"
Xerel opened his inventory as he checked on the pile of items on the item slots which he didn't bother to check since he was focused on his speedrun. As he was about to check the 1st item,
Estophel appeared in front of him with a warm smile.
Ting~
[Estophel
Rank: Mythical
Level: 600
HP: ??/??
State: Curious, Awe, Suspicious]
'Why is he curious and suspicious? Could it be about the invulnerability?'
"I congratulate you challenger as you have ranked first in the world tree's ranking. As promised, I'll give you a tip for the next 10 trials but first, can I ask a question?"
"What is it?"
"As I've watched you compete for the trial, I was surprised as much of the damage inflicted to you seemed to not work? Do humans usually have arguably high defense?"
'Wait? He can't see this white transparent orb that's encasing me? That's weird but good news for me. I can't lie to him since Dryads can tell if I'm lying or not, I'm also bad at lying so I'll tell him the truth.'
"Not all humans have high defense, there are some powerful humans I know that have a defense comparable to an immovable fortress."
"Oh, I see!"
'Well, I'm sort of telling the truth since there is a hunter nicknamed "Immovable Fortress" who's ranked 7th in the Earth rankings and 28th in Mega-Earth rankings.'
[Estophel
State: Curious, Awe]
Xerel sighed as Estophel's suspicious feeling disappeared. Estophel stared at Xerel with sympathetic eyes.
"Before I tell you the tip, I have to warn you. The next trials are far harder than the previous trials. I can feel that you already improved a lot and you could go home to your world as the strongest being that could rule everything. In this place that we are currently in is a checkpoint, which means you can leave and re-enter whenever you wish. The start of the 11th trial and up are hellish trials as you have to finish everything without failing since if you fail after reaching a certain number of trials, you will have to return to the checkpoint and redo every trial. Many promising challengers have died trying. Losing another one like you breaks my heart."
Estophel was genuinely concerned for Xerel. He looked at him like a doting mother to a child who wish to see the world with his own eyes. Xerel felt touched by his words but he was already set to his goals.
'I've already set my goal in stone and there's no turning back anymore.'
"You're right, for now, I choose to leave."