Jian kept his stance loose but ready. His eyes flicked between the three figures before him. The assassin—he had already fought her. The mage radiated raw power. The armored warrior… a walking fortress.
This wasn't a fight he could approach recklessly.
"Trial?" Jian asked, voice calm. "You people keep testing me. Who exactly are you?"
The armored man chuckled. "We are the ones who decide who belongs at the top of the Tower."
Jian's expression didn't change, but his grip on his sword tightened.
"The Tower decides that," he replied.
The mage smiled, her silver robes shimmering as she lifted her staff. "The Tower moves as we move. And today, we move against you."
Jian sighed. "Why is it never a conversation?"
The assassin smirked. "Wouldn't be much of a test, then."
Jian exhaled, shifting his weight. Three opponents. Unfamiliar abilities. Unknown terrain.
He would have to end this fast.
Then—
The warrior moved first.
A blur of black steel, faster than any giant in armor had the right to be. His warhammer came down with explosive force, the sheer pressure splitting the ground where Jian had stood.
Jian had already moved.
He flickered to the side, sword flashing as he struck at the warrior's flank—only for the hammer's shaft to twist unnaturally, blocking the blow.
Jian's mind raced. Not just brute strength. Skill.
Then—
The mage whispered.
A ripple in the air.
Jian's instincts screamed—he moved—
Too late.
A pulse of gravity slammed into him like a collapsing mountain. His feet sank into the earth as his body weighed down tenfold. His breath hitched—he forced his blade up, trying to move—
The assassin struck.
Silent. Perfect.
A dagger toward his throat.
Jian shifted—barely—twisting his body at the last second. The dagger cut into his shoulder instead of his neck. Pain.
The warrior was already moving again.
Jian made a choice.
He let himself fall.
Instead of fighting the gravity field, he dropped entirely—**low, under the assassin's next strike—**and slammed his palm into the ground.
Infinite Creation: Reversal.
A shockwave tore through the field, shattering the mage's spell in an instant.
Gravity returned to normal.
Jian moved.
The assassin barely dodged as his blade lashed out. He twisted around the warrior's second swing, his speed surging back to full force.
The battlefield reset.
But now, Jian had something he didn't before.
Information.
---
Observation. Adaptation. Execution.
The warrior's hammer could shift mid-swing—meaning some kind of enhancement. Likely self-adjusting inertia to keep his movements fluid despite the weapon's mass.
The mage could alter local gravity, but her casting time was precise—if he could disrupt it, she'd be forced to reset her spell.
The assassin was deadly in close range, but she relied on exploiting openings. As long as Jian controlled the pace, she'd struggle.
Conclusion: Separate them. Eliminate the mage first.
---
Jian's footwork shifted.
Instead of dodging away, he charged forward—straight at the mage.
She reacted instantly, staff glowing—but he was faster.
Jian feinted left—then flickered right, vanishing from her vision in a blur. Shadow Step.
He reappeared inside her guard.
Her eyes widened.
His blade drove forward.
At the last moment, the warrior's hammer slammed down, deflecting the strike—
But that was exactly what Jian wanted.
The impact knocked the mage off balance.
Jian twisted mid-air—his heel lashed out. A direct hit to the mage's ribs.
She crashed backward, tumbling across the ground.
One down.
The assassin lunged.
Jian ducked, flipping his sword into a reverse grip, catching her blade on the flat of his own. The warrior followed—hammer swinging horizontally.
Jian pivoted.
The assassin barely had time to react—before Jian sidestepped, putting her directly in the hammer's path.
Her eyes widened—she twisted just in time to avoid a direct hit, but the shockwave sent her flying.
The battlefield was shifting.
And Jian was in control now.
---
The mage rose to her feet, coughing. Her silver robes were torn, her magic flaring back up. "Not bad," she muttered. "But let's see how you handle this."
She raised her staff—
And the Spire answered.
The ancient ruins lit up, the carvings flaring with forgotten power.
Jian's eyes narrowed.
The trial wasn't over.
The battlefield itself was about to awaken.
---
End of Chapter 41.