As soon as we stepped through the gate, a translucent screen materialized in front of me, glowing faintly. It floated in mid-air, listing every detail about me—my name, stats, abilities, and even the secrets I thought were buried deep within me.
I froze, my heart pounding. It was like someone had peeled back my very existence and put it on display. But as I glanced around, relief washed over me. No one else could see what was written on my screen, and when I tried to look at Seok-Hyun's, it was completely blank.
"Convenient," I muttered under my breath.
The bottom of the screen caught my eye—a "Skill Tab." My fingers twitched, and with a thought, it expanded, showing a list of abilities I had acquired. Most were magics I'd learned through sweat and struggle (during my fight against Seok-Hyun), but one stood out among the rest:
The All-Seeing Eye:
A gift from a god, Kailus. Grants the ability to instantly analyze anything.
I scowled at the description. Of course, even his so-called gift came with a bitter taste.
Before I could delve deeper into the skill, movement beside me drew my attention. Seok-Hyun's screen vanished, and his body began to rise. Slowly, effortlessly, he floated into the air, his white hair catching the faint light as if it were glowing.
In each of his hands, an orb formed—one a brilliant blue, pulsating like a frozen flame, and the other a searing red, crackling with energy. The power radiating from him made the air around us hum, and I could feel the sheer force pressing against my skin.
He hovered there, calm and composed, like he was testing his strength. His piercing blue eyes met mine briefly, but his expression was unreadable—neither triumphant nor boastful.
"Show-off," I muttered, though a part of me couldn't help but admire the sheer control he exuded.
The screen before me flickered as if responding to his display, and a new message appeared:
"The Tower recognizes your presence. Test your strength, or be consumed."
The words lingered for a moment before fading. Around us, the air shifted, the once serene surroundings morphing into something darker, more ominous. The ground trembled, and the faint sound of whispers filled the air, growing louder with each passing second.
Seok-Hyun descended slowly, his orbs fading, though the energy around him didn't dissipate. "Looks like the tower's welcoming us," he said with a faint smile, his voice calm but carrying an edge of anticipation.
I clenched my fists, my All-Seeing Eye activating instinctively. The world around me sharpened, every detail coming into focus, every threat laid bare.
"Let's see who breaks first," I whispered, stepping forward as the world of the tower began to unfold before us.
The monsters closed in, their distorted and repulsive forms twisting and snarling with every step. Some had limbs too long for their bodies, others had eyes that bulged unnaturally, glowing with primal hunger. They were a chaotic mess of teeth, claws, and sheer brutality. And they were coming for us.
I glanced at my screen again. I remember seeing my mana was at a pitiful 100 a laughable number given the arsenal of magic I supposedly mastered.
Each and every one of my magic cost as much as 40-10000 mana to use.
A swordswoman with magic? Sure, but not much of either at level 1.
I didn't have time to ponder about or lament. I kicked a rock toward the nearest monster, a hulking beast with rough and uneven horns and a snarl that reeked of rot. The rock hit its head with a dull thunk, and it stumbled. Just enough of a distraction.
Grabbing a stick lying nearby, I sprinted toward the creature. The stick was brittle, uneven, and hardly inspiring, but it would have to do.
"Sharpen, durability", I whispered and my mana went down to 15 but that should be enough. The stick will last, it should.
The monster lunged at me with claws as thick as daggers. I ducked low, letting its momentum carry it past me, and swung the stick with all my might. It cracked against its skull with an audible snap, sending the creature crumpling to the ground.
The horde didn't hesitate. They surged forward, an unstoppable tide of snarling fury. But I didn't stop either.
The next monster, a grotesque wolf-like thing with too many legs leaped at me. I sidestepped and rammed the stick into its open maw, snapping its jaw shut with a sickening crunch. With a twist, I yanked the stick free and spun to face the next one.
My movements became automatic, fluid. A claw swiped at me, but I twisted out of its reach, jamming the stick into the creature's throat and kicking it backward into two others. Another monster came from behind a skeletal thing with jagged bones for arms but I ducked low and shattered its legs with a sweep of the stick.
The stick splintered with each blow, but I didn't care. I drove the jagged (rough, uneven edge) end into the eye of a charging beast, then ripped it free in one smooth motion. Blood and ichor (golden liquid) sprayed everywhere, painting the ground in dark, sticky puddles.
One by one, they fell. I moved like a storm through the horde, weaving between attacks and striking with precision. The stick became an extension of my will, a weapon more effective than it had any right to be.
A towering monster, easily twice my size, roared and charged. I didn't flinch. Flinch once and you die.. I waited until it was nearly upon me, then leaped into the air, using its own arm as leverage to vault over its head. As I landed, I drove the stick down with all my strength, piercing the base of its skull. The beast collapsed instantly.
The horde began to thin, their snarls turning into whimpers as they realized their mistake. But I have no intention to stop. I couldn't. My body moved on its own, fueled by adrenaline and something darker an unrelenting fury.
By the time the last monster fell, the ground was littered with bodies. The stick in my hand was nothing more than a splintered shard, drenched in blood and viscera. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my limbs ached, but I stood tall.
I looked around at the carnage, the silence deafening after the chaos. Seok-Hyun hadn't moved, standing off to the side with an unreadable expression.
"Not bad," he finally said, his voice calm, almost amused.
I tossed the stick aside, my hands trembling not from fear, but from the sheer exhaustion of what I'd done. "Not bad? I just massacred an entire horde with a stick."
He shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You're full of surprises, Lira."
I wiped the blood from my face, my gaze hard and unyielding. "Let's keep moving. I'm not done yet."