[Do you want to go to the eleventh floor of the Tower of Trials?]
A system prompt popped up in front of Zach, and he allowed himself a faint smile. "So there's no restriction on entering?" he mused. "Or has the system reclaimed control over this aspect, leaving them unable to limit me?"
The system, as always, remained silent.
Zach didn't press further. This time, he decided to bring Miria along; leaving her idle went against her purpose as a combat weapon.
When Miria learned of her inclusion in this operation, her joy was palpable. She eagerly declared, "Miria will definitely not let the master down!"
Zach had already accepted Miria's mechanical nature, but her humanity-inspired enthusiasm could have fooled anyone. The advanced craftsmanship made her indistinguishable from humans in appearance and expression.
Still, Zach had confirmed her synthetic origins using his magic-enhanced vision. Beneath her flawless, lifelike skin was a network of artificial materials—a marvel of black-technology engineering far beyond human capability.
He wasn't troubled by this. Machines were often easier to predict and control than human motives.
The portal materialized before him, shimmering faintly.
Zach stepped through it without hesitation, eager to see what trials or gifts awaited him this time.
To ensure smooth entry into the Tower, he stored Miria in the system backpack as an item. Once inside, he retrieved and reactivated her.
The surrounding environment was vastly different from the previous levels' maze-like caves.
It resembled a bustling port city, though its textures were hazy and unreal, like an incomplete game rendering.
A sudden bang broke the silence as Zach fired a test shot. An electronic barrier shimmered to life, reinforcing the area's restricted boundaries.
Stacked high around him were countless multicolored containers—red, white, orange, and blue—forming an industrial labyrinth. Yet, Zach's attention was drawn to the turbulent sea ahead.
The water churned unnaturally, frothing with white foam. Something beneath the surface was causing the disturbance.
"Can you see anything?" Zach asked, noticing Miria's focused gaze on the water.
"It's too murky," Miria replied, shaking her head. "But the data suggests an anomaly."
Zach leapt into the air, ascending with effortless grace. At ten meters high, his expanded view revealed a massive dark shadow beneath the waves—a shadow too deliberate to be natural.
"Miria, back off," Zach ordered sharply.
Miria immediately retreated, positioning herself atop a container with her weapon ready, her unwavering eyes scanning for threats.
Zach ascended higher, reaching nearly 100 meters. From this vantage, the shadow's full scale became evident—it spanned the entire visible area of the churning sea.
Opening his system backpack, Zach retrieved a cluster bomb salvaged from a fighter jet. Using his advanced telekinesis, he suspended it in midair above the shadow.
"If you won't come out," Zach muttered, a mischievous grin forming, "I'll force you."
He pressed his hands downward, and the bomb dropped, plunging into the dark waters.
The explosion was immediate and ferocious. Bright flashes illuminated the depths, followed by muffled booms. Columns of water and smoke erupted skyward as the shockwaves rippled outward.
Still, the shadow remained.
As Zach prepared to launch a second bomb, an ominous sense of danger washed over him.
A deafening crash followed as a massive tentacle broke the surface, towering above Zach at over 100 meters tall. Water cascaded off the appendage, revealing enormous suction cups and sharp, spear-like extensions at its tips.
The sheer scale was absurd; a single suction cup was as wide as a small plaza.
"Master!" Miria's voice rang out as she moved swiftly across the container stacks, her eyes blazing with determination.
Flames engulfed her form as she transformed mid-sprint, shedding her petite figure for a taller, more formidable battle mode.
Closing in on the creature, Miria raised her weapon and fired a laser. The beam struck the tentacle but barely left a scorch mark.
Undeterred, Miria recalibrated. She leapt down from her perch, letting her weapon shift into its heavy-artillery form.
The cannon hummed with power as it charged.
Meanwhile, Zach prepared his own attack. With a single sweeping motion of his arm, a shimmering crescent of air pressure erupted forward, slicing cleanly through the massive tentacle.
The severed appendage froze mid-motion, then fell heavily into the sea with a thunderous splash.
Despite its immense power, the creature was no match for Zach's precision.
The calm was short-lived, as the waves churned violently once more. Miria adjusted her aim, readying herself for the next attack, while Zach floated above, his gaze fixed on the depths.
The battle had only just begun.