As the glow of leveling up enveloped Owen's body,
Owen felt as if he were wrapped in sunlight, his whole body filled with a sense of comfort.
The surrounding elements were drawn to him, quickly converging into his body, forming a gentle stream that flowed through his limbs and bones, strengthening his physique.
His already resilient body, thanks to training with Obsidify, now had an almost crystalline, translucent quality, with impurities being expelled.
At the same time, his mind power surged like a tide, growing rapidly.
If his mind power had previously been ethereal and formless, it now felt like a delicate, transparent veil.
Though still somewhat intangible, it was now visible!
With this qualitative change in mind power, Owen's perception of his surroundings became sharper, and his affinity for the mana in the air increased.
So, this is silver-tier level 1?
Indeed, it is several times stronger than bronze-tier level 9!
At this tier, he had finally stepped into the realm where most of his peer prodigies resided.
Feeling the abundant energy and mana within him, Owen realized that if he were to face Madelyn again, he wouldn't need to rely on footwork, technique, or his knowledge of her to win by surprise.
He could now confront her head-on and achieve victory with absolute strength!
He then glanced at Starlit, his passive skill, noting that its experience bar was already halfway full. It wouldn't be long before it reached level 2.
Once this passive skill leveled up, his combat power would increase even further!
Benedict and the others around Owen noticed the glow of leveling up emanating from him.
"He broke through in less than half an hour. This speed is unbelievably fast!"
They each showed expressions of amazement.
However, recalling how many zombies Owen had killed along the way, they felt a sense of relief.
Such a breakthrough speed would be incredibly shocking for anyone else.
But for Owen, it seemed almost trivial.
Following Owen on his journey, they had witnessed many miracles and seen countless incredible feats.
It seemed like nothing was impossible for him.
"The gap between bronze-tier level 9 and silver-tier level 1 is huge. Master Owen's current strength must be even more unfathomable…"
Benedict studied Owen, who was gradually recovering from his leveling-up state, and a trace of apprehension flashed in his eyes.
He sensed a slight feeling of danger from Owen, something he hadn't felt before!
Previously, although Owen's combat power was astonishing, his tier was too low. Benedict, being a gold-tier mage, saw a vast gap between them.
However, with Owen's breakthrough, the tier gap narrowed. Even facing Owen, Benedict no longer felt confident in his absolute victory.
And he was now a gold-tier level 5 mage!
"Let's go, move forward!"
After stabilizing his newly elevated tier, Owen smiled at Benedict and the others, then proceeded deeper along the narrow passageway.
Although he had completed his task of leveling up,
he had yet to obtain the Order of Thunder's [Order].
To get this [Order], he needed to enter the second floor of Pharaoh's Tower and defeat the boss guarding it.
Upon arriving here, Owen faintly felt the elements within him boiling. He was one step closer to the Order of Thunder!
Benedict and the others exchanged glances and quickly followed.
Although the first floor of Pharaoh's Tower was more perilous, Owen seemed significantly more confident after his breakthrough.
Tap, tap, tap~
The passageway was dim and silent, the only sound being their footsteps on the yellow brick floor.
Their progress didn't last long before Owen, leading the way, suddenly squinted his eyes.
Ahead, the path opened up, and a dim blue light shone through, making him slightly uncomfortable.
He found himself looking at a lavishly decorated, spacious palace.
The palace had few furnishings.
The four walls depicted bloody, cruel methods of mummy creation, etched in red sand.
Wandering around these murals were specters, moving like mindless zombies.
They looked gruesome; some were missing limbs, others were twisted together, heads biting each other, and some were human-animal hybrids emitting strange hisses.
It felt like stepping into a living hell.
Benedict and the others saw this and their expressions grew serious.
Compared to the zombies outside the pyramid, these specters were all bronze-tier level 8 or higher, with many being silver-tier.
They roamed every corner of this wide hall, exuding a terrifying aura that caused slight distortions in one's mind power.
Owen squinted, feeling the restless mana within him. The Judgment Light Sword reformed in his hands.
With his mana greatly increased, the Judgment Light Sword had grown nearly twice its previous size, shining brighter, as if each blade was a piece of pure white moonstone, exuding a more sacred aura!
Owen waved his hand, and the light swords before him shot towards the stronger specters with a whoosh!
As Owen made his move, the specters sensed his presence and immediately howled, rushing toward him. Their semi-floating bodies stirred up cold, chilling winds within the hall.
However, as soon as these specters approached, they were effortlessly pierced by the light swords, turning into black smoke and dissipating.
Though these ghosts were higher-level and stronger, capable of affecting a mage's mind power,
Owen's strength had undergone a dramatic transformation.
He dealt with them swiftly, finding it even easier than handling the mummies earlier, moving step by step towards the second floor with an air of leisurely stroll.
Benedict and the others watched the specters wail and then turn to ash, their expressions stupefied.
It felt like they were being carried through the dungeon by a powerful player, with nothing to do but follow.
With Owen clearing the way, no specter could pose a threat to them.
Initially, they had planned to take over when Owen got tired.
But as they progressed, Owen showed no signs of fatigue; instead, he looked increasingly exhilarated.
As they neared the entrance to the second floor,
they were surrounded by silver-tier specters.
At the silver-tier level, eliminating them was no easy task, and Benedict and the others grew serious.
Owen also noticed this.
The specters exhibited a strong aversion to the holy power contained within the Judgment Light Sword.
As the Judgment Light Sword flew past, it only left scratches on the specters, making them even more frenzied. Their blood-red eyes gleamed with madness and killing intent.
Dark flames leapt from their bodies, creating heat waves that distorted the air and minds, making it feel like they had entered a wailing hell, disconnected from their surroundings.
Most of the Wolf Guard around Owen were affected, their eyes glazed over, and they appeared drowsy.
Benedict, being a gold-tier mage with remarkable mind power, was unaffected.
Seeing many wolf guard nearly turned into mindless puppets by the fluctuating influence, he became anxious.
At this moment, Owen felt a stir in his heart, and a smile appeared on his lips.
Finally, after vanquishing numerous specters, Starlit had leveled up to level 2!
Owen formed a sword with his fingers and pointed towards the void in front of him.
Instantly, numerous Judgment Light Swords flew out densely, connecting end to end, forming a gigantic light sword.
With the enhancement of Starlit, the Judgment Light Sword's attack speed was faster!
Its power was also more terrifying!
Whoosh!
The giant light sword shot out, instantly dispersing the incoming invisible waves. The entire hall seemed to be enveloped in light, a blinding white expanse.
Benedict squinted, finding the sword's brilliance too dazzling to look at directly.
The other Wolf Guard, affected by the specters, awoke at that moment to see a world bathed in extreme white.
The blue specters evaporated almost instantly under the light's radiance.
The white light persisted for several breaths before dissipating.
As the light faded, Benedict and the others were shocked to discover that all the ghosts in the hall had been wiped out!
Then they saw Owen step by step ascending to the second floor of Pharaoh's Tower!
The Order of Thunder was now within reach!