Once he passed through the barrier, Reece found himself in a new section of the cavern, even larger and more complex than the first. The crystals here were different, their surfaces carved with intricate runes that pulsed faintly in sync with the ambient mana flow. This was a place meant to test one's mastery over mana manipulation, but it also seemed to serve another purpose—one that intrigued him.
"Looks like this version of the Crystal Abyss is more than just a test," Prima observed. "These runes… they're not just decorative...we've seen them before…. They're binding spells."
"Agreed," Reece replied, examining one of the glowing runes with interest. "I'm not sure if we've landed in the right place after walking through that crystalline wall but these are not runes meant to be even in this lower tower let alone the tutorial. It's a containment field. Something's being held here… something powerful."
He moved through the cavern cautiously, his senses on high alert. The ambient mana was thick and oppressive, and as he advanced, he began to feel an underlying pulse—a rhythm, like a heartbeat resonating through the crystal walls. It was faint, but unmistakable.
As he followed the pulse, he came upon a vast chamber at the end of the cavern. In the center of the room was a massive crystal, larger than any he had seen so far. Inside it, suspended in a translucent haze, was the faint outline of a creature—something ancient, something primordial. Its form was indistinct, shifting and blurring within the crystal, but he could sense its raw, untamed power.
"Master… that's a Primal Elemental," Prima whispered, awe in her voice. "A being made entirely of pure elemental energy. They're thought to be extinct… for trillions of years…. or at least, bound to realms far beyond this one. And shouldn't even be in this realm all together !"
Reece felt a chill run down his spine. He knew enough about Primal Elementals to understand the gravity of the situation. These beings were manifestations and combinations of the purest elements, creatures that could reshape landscapes and summon natural disasters with simple movements of theirs. If one of them had been captured and bound here, then there was something in the Tower that was even more dangerous than he'd previously imagined.
"Whoever set this up went to great lengths to keep it contained," he murmured, eyes narrowed as he examined the runes surrounding the crystal. "But why leave it here, in a tutorial zone?"
"Perhaps it's part of the test," Prima suggested. "To see if climbers can recognize and respect the forces beyond their control."
Reece smirked. "Or maybe it's here as bait, to weed out the idiots who think they can tame something like this." Little did he know that he wasn't even meant to come across this part of the Crystal Abyss let alone coming across the sealed creature.
He took a deep breath, feeling the pulse of the Primal Elemental's energy resonating with his own, yearning to fuse with him, promising him strength beyond his wildest imagination. He had simply wanted to know the elemental's situation but the sensation was intoxicating, and for a brief moment, he was tempted to try and reach out, to touch that raw power. But he knew better. There was a line between mastery and arrogance, and crossing it here would mean certain death.
With one last look at the ancient being trapped in the crystal, he turned and walked away, leaving the chamber and its secrets behind.
**************************************************
Minutes later, Reece emerged from the Crystal Abyss, stepping onto a teleportation pad that would take him to the final zone of the tutorial. He found it weird having not come across the two the group behind, that were on their knees, had mentioned, but Reece being himself, paid the thought no heed and simply moved on ignoring such small stuff.
"One more zone to go," he murmured, as the light of teleportation began to envelop him. "Let's see what they have waiting for us next."
As he vanished, the faint pulse of the Primal Elemental echoed through the cavern, a reminder of the mysteries yet to be uncovered.
As Reece's vision cleared, he found himself in a white, featureless room, identical to the one he'd been transported to at the start of the tutorial. It was a stark contrast to the other zones he'd just blitzed through—a jungle, a desert, and finally, the eerie Crystal Abyss. Here, the white walls and bright lighting felt surreal, almost sterile, as though he'd stepped out of an epic trial and into an empty waiting room.
"What kind of sick joke will it be this time?" Reece muttered, glancing around warily.
"Master…" Prima's voice sounded hesitant, as even she was surprised by their current location and possibly something more... "Just… check your system notifications. I think you'll want to see this."
Raising an eyebrow, Reece opened his system interface, specifically the notifications icon he'd long since set to silent to avoid the constant barrage of trivial updates. But as he scanned through the new messages, his expression shifted from curiosity to shock. Each notification he read only deepened his disbelief, and by the end of the list, he was practically speechless.
[Notifications:]
[Congratulations! You have completed the tutorial in record time! Achievement recorded in $%^#@$T#]
Record Time: 2 hours 51 minutes[Congratulations! You have been deemed worthy to proceed up the Tower with exceptional achievements! The 4th trial has been waived.]
[Congratulations! You are the first to form a "core" before or during the tutorial! Awarding: 10 Amber Mana Coins and 100 Gold Mana Coins.]
[Congratulations! You are the first to form a second "core" before or during the tutorial! Awarding: 1 Platinum Mana Coin and 100 Amber Mana Coins.]
[Congratulations! You are the first to encounter ^&(%$##%$$#$ Elemental and survive! Awarding: Unique Evaluation Card (usable for a free SSS and above evaluation) and 1 Gold Mysterious Gift.]
[Congratulations! You are the first to complete the tutorial and in record time! Unlocking 20 floors' worth of system functionalities, content, and information! Please click the refresh button below to update the system interface.]
…
…
…
The coins alone were worth a fortune. Mana Coins were the Tower's primary currency, and the Platinum Mana Coin was so rare that even the wealthiest clans and empires considered it an invaluable asset. Amber Mana Coins and Gold Mana Coins were significant in their own right, enough to grant someone a lifetime of comfort or serve as capital for funding expeditions up the Tower all the way till the 91st floor.
But it was the other rewards that truly caught his attention: the Unique Evaluation Card, which could grant him a free SSS-tier evaluation or higher, and early access to twenty floors' worth of Tower functions, a feature typically unavailable to climbers until much later in their journey. This reward would give him access to information, items, and training resources far beyond what any other tutorial graduate and those below the 10th floor would possess.
For a moment, Reece was tempted to run the tutorial again just for fun. "Maybe I should go back and start over? With these rewards, I could make the whole thing look like a morning jog."
"Master…" Prima's voice held a warning edge, though it was softened by amusement. "Please don't get carried away. We're not here to play with the tutorial."
"Fine, fine…" Reece replied, chuckling. "But let's be real, this is insane. Coins, special access, and an evaluation card? Plus, they've waived the final trial altogether. They're practically rolling out the red carpet."
"Clearly, the Tower has recognized you're beyond the standard," Prima noted. "It's also likely the administrators want you out of the tutorial zone as quickly as possible. They don't want you interacting with the other participants… or causing any more disruptions."
Reece smirked. "Fair point. Anyway, let's refresh the system interface. I'm curious to see what's different with this expanded access."
With a flick of his finger, he tapped the refresh button on the interface. The display shimmered briefly, and when it reappeared, it looked markedly more advanced, with additional features, sections, and details he hadn't had access to before.
[Tower System Interface]
[Notifications | Achievements | Shop]
Name: Reece Elroy
Highest Floor: 0
Race: Human (Evolving)
HP: 100%
MP: Mana Heart Core: 74%, Mana Brain Core: 98%
Class: None (Pending)
Core Ranks: Novice (both)
[Stats]
Strength: SS
Vitality: A+
Agility: S+
Intelligence: SS+
Wisdom: SSS
[Skills]
None
[Spells]
Unknown Spell
[Techniques]
Unknown Technique
[Notice! Please register your new spell and technique below! Appropriate rewards will be given!]
He skimmed through the new interface, taking in the refined layout and extra options. The "Shop" section now boasted items, weapons, and enchantments that would only be available to climbers on the 20th floor or higher. Additionally, there were details on rare materials, advanced mana stones, and even schematics for magical constructs all which he will need to purchase for his training to a stage best suited for his climb.
"Impressive," Reece mused. "The Tower even recognized my encounter with that Elemental back in the Crystal Abyss. It wasn't meant to be found, let alone survived…"
Prima sighed softly. "And yet here we are. You're clearly setting off alarms the Tower wasn't prepared for."
"Speaking of," Reece continued, "this 'register your spell and technique' feature keeps showing up. It's annoying that the Tower is still struggling to classify the techniques we created together."
He had learned early on in his regressions that the Tower's archive system offered powerful rewards for those who created original spells or techniques and willingly shared them. But he had long since realized that registering his creations was a double-edged sword.
The first time he'd done so, he'd been shocked to encounter another climber using his exact spell, awkwardly modified, but unmistakably his. At first, he thought it was a fluke, but it happened enough times throughout multiple regressions for him to recognize a pattern. The Tower wasn't just archiving; it was distributing
his work.
"I'm not giving the Tower any more of my techniques," he muttered. "No way. It's bad enough that I've seen other climbers misusing my work. I don't need the Tower handing my hard work out as 'rewards' for the masses."
Prima giggled. "I understand, Master. Besides, you've earned enough coins and perks without giving anything up. Let's see how far we can push this advantage."
"Right. First things first, let's hit the shop. I'm going to need some gear if I want to keep a low profile," Reece said, opening the "Shop" tab.
The shop interface opened, presenting him with an extensive list of items, each categorized by class, type, and level. He browsed through the options, selecting a few essentials that would help mask his identity and provide some basic protection without drawing too much attention.
Though he didn't need to undergo a class evaluation, Reece still looked through the options. He'd experimented with countless classes over his many lives—warrior, mage, assassin, healer, summoner. But over the eons, he'd learned to favor a straightforward approach: raw, unbridled power, wielded with precision and intelligence. His choice of gear reflected that preference—functional, unassuming, and versatile.
The Tower's system now had a record of his performance in the tutorial, which meant it would likely affect how other climbers and entities perceived him moving forward. He would need to tread carefully.
**************************************************
Meanwhile, in the Tutorial Control Room, the Administrator of the tutorial was still reeling from the notifications he'd received regarding Reece's performance. The Tower itself was a complex entity, one that even the gods struggled to fully understand. Yet in just under three hours, this candidate had triggered more system alerts and notifications than the Administrator had seen in his entire career, said time spanning across eons worth of time!.
The most recent notice was particularly unsettling:
[Notice:]
The Candidate has been evaluated with a 9.5-star rating. This is the highest rating recorded for a tutorial graduate.Appropriate warnings have been issued. Do not interact with the Candidate unless absolutely necessary.
The Administrator sat back, deep in thought, running through every protocol and contingency in place. Normally, his role was to observe, offering minor guidance or warnings to climbers who showed promise. But this was different.
"He's far beyond anything I've seen…" the Administrator murmured, shaking his head. "I need to alert the First and Second Administrators. They'll want to be prepared. At this rate, he'll reach their floors in no time…"