Chereads / Re: Rise of the Strongest Hero in the Apocalypse / Chapter 4 - Chapter 4- Getting the System and Entering the Trial Floor

Chapter 4 - Chapter 4- Getting the System and Entering the Trial Floor

As Reed and Zora stepped into the tower, the transition was nothing short of surreal. In an instant, they found themselves transported to an entirely different dimension, a stark contrast to the outside world. The tower's interior was a stark, pristine white, stretching endlessly in all directions. It was as if they had entered an otherworldly realm, shrouded in an eerie sense of tranquility.

Amidst the vast expanse of white, countless new heroes, much like Reed and Zora, roamed about the floor named 'Awakeners.' This was the starting point for all newcomers, the place where they would receive their system, the gateway to acquiring unique skills and the ability to harness magic.

Every hero-to-be had to approach what appeared to be a futuristic altar. It was sleek, with an air of mystery, and many referred to it as such despite its advanced technology. At the altar, they needed to provide a sample of their DNA, a crucial step in their journey to unlocking their full potential.

Throughout the vast chamber, heroes young and old could be seen carrying out this ritual. Some opted to provide a saliva sample, while others plucked a hair and carefully placed it on the altar's designated spot. It was a symbolic act, the beginning of their transformation within the tower.

Together, Reed and Zora began their quest to locate an altar that wasn't swarming with other new heroes. Inside the tower, time seemed to stretch differently, and the urgency of the outside world no longer held them in its grip. 

Reed was also relieved since his dream had become a reality, and there was no longer a need to rush.

As they waited for the last of the crowd to complete this process, Reed and Zora stood side by side, their anticipation building. 

While some of the heroes formed parties and guilds, others belonged to specialized organizations, such as the Hero Assassination group, which trained and groomed youngsters for the demanding life of a hero. This diverse mix of individuals shared a common goal: to embrace the immense potential the tower had to offer.

In a fleeting moment, Zora turned toward Reed, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly, and selected a strand of her hair. She gingerly placed it on the altar's surface, a tangible symbol of her commitment. The altar reacted swiftly, a radiant glow enveloping Zora's form, and a screen materialized before her.

"What did you get?" Reed's voice held a tinge of excitement as he inquired, eager to share in their newfound abilities.

In the realm of heroes, privacy was paramount. The stats and abilities of one hero were shrouded in secrecy unless voluntarily revealed. Reed understood the unspoken rule but saw no harm in seeking information from his companion.

Zora pondered for a moment, contemplating the choice before her. "If you want to see, I don't mind sharing," she finally replied. 

"If you want to show me, then I want to see. I am not forcing you to," Reed reassured Zora, a glimmer of camaraderie threading their budding alliance.

Zora contemplated for a moment, then decided, 'It's okay. What's the need to hide the stats from anyone anyway?'

With a quick gesture, Zora toggled her stats to be visible to Reed. The text appeared on the screen in sharp, digital clarity:

Name- Zora Stellar.

Hero Name- Battle Princess.

Level- 1

HP- 10 (+10 increase with every level up.)

STRENGTH- 10

AGILITY- 10

MP- No mana detected.

Skills- Tap Slash (Locked)

Reed's eyes widened with genuine enthusiasm as he absorbed the information. "Oh, you got a skill!" he exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement at her progress.

Zora nodded, her disappointment thinly veiled. "Yes, but it's locked," she sighed, her gaze fixed on the skill's locked status. Her aspirations to unlock the skill rested in her journey within the tower.

Reed encouraged her to read the skill's description and its unlocking requirements, knowing that this information remained confidential.

"It says I need to kill someone to unlock it," Zora explained.

"Oh, that's easy. Your skill will be unlocked as soon as you clear the trial floor. What does the skill do?"

Zora hesitated for a moment, eyeing Reed skeptically. "Why am I telling you everything? Go get your system first. Then we can exchange information."

"Oh, well. Don't freak out when you see my overpowered skills," Reed responded with an air of confidence.

With that said, Reed walked to the altar and raised his sword, and Zora's curiosity grew. She was about to ask Reed about his intentions when he took a surprising and somewhat reckless step. Reed cut his finger and used his blood to insert his DNA, obtaining his system.

"Why would you do that?! You could have used your spit or hair!" Zora exclaimed, her worry for his well-being apparent. "If you injure yourself here, how will you fight the monsters on the trial floor?!"

Reed remained silent, a strange mix of shock and realization settling in. Unable to understand the situation, 

Reed remained unresponsive, and as Zora probed for answers, he seemed to be in a state of shock. This sudden transformation left her bewildered.

"D-Did you get your system?" she asked, genuine concern now etched on her face, her earlier annoyance forgotten.

Reed eventually regained his composure and, without a word, activated the toggle to reveal his own stats, presenting them to Zora. The information that emerged left both of them in awe:

"This is..."

Name- Reed Ross

Hero Name- Reed (Changeable)

Level- 1

HP- 10 (+10 increase with every level up.)

STRENGTH- 10

AGILITY- 10

MP- No mana detected.

Skills- No Skills.

Zora couldn't hide her surprise as she read Reed's stats. "You... didn't get any skills...?" she muttered, a trace of disbelief in her voice. The situation seemed almost unheard of, leaving her to wonder how her companion could be without a skill.

"Heh!"

A taunting smirk suddenly reached Reed, who stood frozen in shock. His head swiveled towards the source of the voice, drawing both his and Zora's attention. Three figures stood before them, a boy and two girls. One of the girls wore a mask that concealed her face.

The boy couldn't resist a scoff, and he wasted no time in mocking Reed's predicament. "You didn't get any skills? That's hilarious," he taunted, his voice filled with derision. "Everyone here gets at least one skill when they start their journey as a hero. And if you haven't got one, that means you are skillless."

Reed remained speechless, still grappling with the shock of his missing skills. The boy, however, had no intention of letting up, and he continued his disparaging remarks, his laughter ringing through the air. "You should drop your dream to become a hero. You are not a hero, but a Zero with no skills!"

"Hey!" Zora attempted to defend his pride, but the damage had been done.

The girl accompanying the boy intervened, delivering a swift smack to the back of his head. "What do you think you are doing? Picking unnecessary fights!"

The boy, on the receiving end of the smacks, was unrelenting in his jests. "But this is hilarious—!"

The boy, clearly the troublemaker, was smacked once more, and he couldn't contain his irritation. "Stop smacking me!" he protested loudly.

"That's what you get for behaving like this," the girl retorted, her tone firm and unyielding. She seemed to take her role as his guardian seriously. "I promised your mother that I will look out for you. And don't act like you've got an extraordinary skill. It's a common skill."

The boy, clearly feeling the need to save face, boasted about his possession of magic, but the girl merely rolled her eyes and turned to Reed and Zora. She offered a genuine apology for the boy's inappropriate behavior before promptly seizing him by the ear and dragging him away.

As they departed, Reed and Zora were left in a moment of awkward silence, still processing the unexpected twist that had occurred.

"Umm…" Zora struggled to find the right words to cheer Reed up, her voice carrying a gentle and reassuring tone. "It's not that rare to not get skills. You can always get skills later. This is just the beginning, not the end."

Reed nodded, appreciating Zora's support. "You are right, let's go."

"..."

Together, they stepped into the trial floor, entering yet another dimension. The trial floor was organized into different sections, each allocated for different groups of heroes. Parties, guilds, and organizations found themselves together in separate chambers, their division marked by invisible walls.

Within the chambers, everyone could see each other and their assigned monsters. The type and number of monsters varied depending on the composition of the heroes present. 

In their chamber, Reed, Zora, the boy, the two girls from earlier, and twenty others were gathered, forming a diverse group of new heroes ready to tackle the trials that awaited them. 

As Reed and Zora entered the trial floor, they observed several chambers teeming with heroes battling various monsters. 

In the Chamber of Shadows, a group of five heroes faced off against elusive shadowy creatures, formless entities that proved challenging to pin down. 

Meanwhile, in the Chamber of Fire, six heroes found themselves in a room filled with raging fire elementals, humanoid figures made of blazing flames. 

In the Chamber of Ice, four heroes contended with icy golems, towering creatures composed entirely of ice. 

The Chamber of Spiders hosted eight heroes engaged in a fierce battle against a horde of giant spiders, while the Chamber of Serpents saw three heroes confronting serpentine creatures with gleaming scales.

Among the heroes gathered in the trial floor, there was a notable and massive group comprising various parties and organizations. This group had chosen to tackle the most formidable challenges, facing off against the fiercest of monsters. 

Their chamber, known as the Chamber of Titans, housed a multitude of heroes who had come together in an epic display of strength and unity. The monsters they battled were the most imposing and fearsome, resembling colossal creatures with incredible powers. The heroes in the Chamber of Titans demonstrated exceptional teamwork and courage as they stood up to these formidable adversaries.

The Chamber of Behemoths was home to a fierce battle involving seven groups, as they fought against gargantuan, lumbering beasts with impenetrable hides.

In each chamber, heroes fought valiantly, facing their own set of challenges and monsters.

An air of anticipation swirled among Reed, Zora, and their fellow heroes as they waited with bated breath. The name of their chamber remained shrouded in mystery, and the looming question of what kind of monster they would face weighed heavily on their minds. The heroes exchanged whispered speculations and nervous glances, each contemplating the challenges that lay ahead in this mysterious trial floor.

As time passed, the chamber's designation was unveiled, and it bore the ominous title of the "Chamber of Golem." Gasps and murmurs rippled through the group, for the word "Golem" carried with it a sense of foreboding. Whispers of tales recounting Golems as formidable adversaries circulated among the heroes, and the gravity of their situation became apparent.

The ground beneath their feet trembled, and with an earth-shaking roar, a colossal Golem materialized before them. Its stony visage exuded an aura of unparalleled power, and the heroes couldn't help but feel dwarfed in comparison. The magnitude of the creature was undeniable, and a palpable sense of dread washed over the assembled heroes.

The towering Golem, an imposing figure hewn from stone and earth, exuded an aura of immense power. Its massive form stretched up to fifteen feet in height, its rugged stone skin etched with symbols and runes that pulsed with an eerie, arcane energy. Carved from ancient bedrock, the Golem appeared nigh indestructible. Its eyes, fiery orbs of crimson light, glowed malevolently, and a low, ominous rumble emanated from within its rocky core.

Level 1 

HP- 1000

Within the chamber, the tension was palpable, and a hero couldn't contain their exclamation: "Holy shit! It's a boss-type monster!" Their words hung heavy in the air, echoing the collective realization that they were pitted against a formidable adversary of legendary status.

Another hero, whose caution had gone unheeded earlier, couldn't resist the urge to utter an "I told you so" to their companion. "See? I told you that we should wait for a new chamber to spawn, but you didn't listen. Since there were twenty-five of us, the spawn of a boss-type monster was inevitable." The regret in their voice was unmistakable, as they comprehended the immense challenge that lay before them.

The heroes stood united yet daunted, their fates intertwined as they faced the monumental task of conquering the colossal Golem in the Chamber of Golem. The trial floor had unveiled its merciless test, and it was now up to these valiant heroes to stand together and overcome the odds, forging their own legend in the ever-evolving world shaped by the enigmatic towers.

The chamber bristled with anticipation as the heroes clutched their weapons, each one poised for the impending battle. Their collective breaths hung heavy in the air, mingling with a sense of uncertainty and the adrenaline of the unknown. The heroes stood at the ready, their faces etched with a mixture of determination and anxiety.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, Zora couldn't help but notice Reed's intense gaze fixed upon the colossal Golem. She observed him holding his sword in an unorthodox and seemingly impractical manner, a deviation from the poised stances of their comrades. Concern etched across her features, she leaned closer to him, her voice a hushed whisper that only he could hear.

"Hey, you are holding the sword the wrong way," Zora quietly admonished Reed, her words carrying a sense of urgency.

Reed met her gaze, his eyes reflecting a mixture of determination and an underlying acknowledgment of his unconventional stance. "I... am aware," he replied with a sense of conviction. 

It was a response that hinted at a hidden purpose, a unique approach that he had chosen to adopt for this daunting confrontation.