First Legendary Dragon: Starting With The Limitless System - Chapter 164

Chapter 164: Fighting in the Tower
Stepping forward, he passed through the glowing corridor, feeling a subtle shift in the atmosphere as the doors closed gently behind him.

The Tower’s interior was spacious yet strangely different, the walls faintly illuminated by embedded runes, and the floor beneath his feet solid and polished to perfection.

‘Hmm, a separate space for each challenger? Are they using Space Magic or Illusion and Dream magic for this?’ he wondered while looking around.

Before him, a semi-transparent figure slowly manifested. It took the shape of a young student roughly his own age, holding a slender sword and calmly watching Orion’s approach. The figure was an Echo—a near-perfect replica of a once-legendary student, albeit weaker than the real deal.

Orion calmly drew Realm Guardian, adjusting its weight to increase until he felt comfortable holding it. The average weight of a longsword felt too light to him, as if he were holding a twig.

He took a defensive stance. His gaze sharpened as the Echo assumed a familiar stance, elegant yet direct, radiating confidence and poise.

[Master! Are you ready? o(≧∇≦o)]

Orion’s eyes narrowed slightly, smiling faintly as he readied himself. ‘Absolutely. Let’s see how legendary these prodigies truly were.’

Saying so, he calmed his breathing and his eyes sharpened with focus as he stood facing the semi-transparent Echo. Around him, the gentle illumination of runes lining the arena’s walls cast soft, changing patterns of light and shadow across the polished marble floor.

The faint hum of ambient mana filled the otherwise silent chamber, heightening his senses and creating an almost palpable tension in the atmosphere.

The Echo stood still, eerily lifelike with a disciplined stance. The spectral figure gripped a slender sword with an elegant yet clearly functional design, patiently waiting for Orion to attack first.

Orion adjusted his grip on Realm Guardian, feeling the satisfying weight of the obsidian blade, heavy enough to offer resistance yet comfortable enough to wield fluidly.

‘Alright, let’s test the waters first,’ Orion thought calmly, his eyes locked onto his spectral opponent. He stepped forward lightly, sword raised in a casual guard stance.

The Echo reacted instantly, dashing forward with remarkable speed—yet clearly restrained by the limitations of a Tier-1 fighter. Clearly, it couldn’t fight to its fullest potential due to Orion’s limited tier.

It swung its blade precisely, aiming for Orion’s right side with a clean arc. Orion easily intercepted the blow, his heavier sword effortlessly parrying the strike aside. The Echo didn’t pause, flowing immediately into a second attack—a swift thrust aimed directly at Orion’s heart.

Orion pivoted smoothly, deflecting the blow once again with minimal effort. He remained deliberately passive, watching and observing carefully rather than immediately retaliating.

‘He has good reflexes and a solid fighting style. But… it’s too weak?’ Orion noted while analyzing.

Lumi chimed in cheerfully, appearing in his peripheral vision as a faint, sparkling window.

[Master, this Echo is way too basic! Seems like they don’t have their peak combat power at the lower floors. Even Fiora could beat it blindfolded! ヽ(⌐■_■)ノ♪♬]

He smiled faintly, subtly adjusting his grip and stance, experimenting slightly. ‘Yes, it seems to be a simple test of combat basics. Still, let’s not underestimate any opponent, even if it’s weak.’

The Echo pressed onward, displaying straightforward yet precise attacks—a textbook demonstration of basic swordsmanship.

Orion deliberately engaged minimally, absorbing each movement, each feint and thrust, learning its limited patterns and styles, all while lightly parrying or sidestepping effortlessly.

After several exchanges, Orion concluded his observations, satisfied. With a simple shift of his sword’s trajectory and a flick of his wrist, Orion decisively struck the Echo’s blade aside, following instantly with a slash of Realm Guardian against the Echo’s chest.

The figure dissipated immediately, vanishing in a soft, luminescent flash. Orion calmly straightened, smiling slightly at the ease of the first victory.

‘Well, that certainly felt… basic,’ he murmured softly to himself as the space suddenly shifted and the tower teleported him to the next floor.

He opened his eyes and looked around. ‘Spatial Magic, huh? This place is really something.’

[These Echoes are underwhelming, Master. I thought they would be better than this. (ง •̀_•́)ง]

He shook his head while looking at the slowly forming Echo in front of him. ‘The creator of this place probably set it up like this. Otherwise, the new students would never be able to cross the first floor haha.’

Smiling lightly, he tightened the grip on his sword and calmly looked at the second floor’s Echo.

[Hehe, then I don’t think any of these Echoes will be able to handle you due to your physique alone. Show them who’s the boss! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ ]

He softly chuckled and steadied himself for the battle ahead on the second floor, adjusting his grip on Realm Guardian as the mana around him gradually settled into place.

This second Echo appeared slightly older, a bit taller, and more solidly built. The spectral figure stood proudly upright, holding a robust longsword with firm confidence, radiating an aura of strength and battle-honed focus.

Though semi-transparent, the Echo’s presence was clear and imposing—subtly different from the first one. This was undoubtedly a stronger opponent, albeit still confined within Tier-1 limits.

The Echo abruptly charged forward, its movements precise yet aggressive. Orion calmly observed, his senses clearly tracking each strike and motion.

Swiftly, the Echo’s blade swung downward in a powerful overhead strike, a textbook maneuver aimed at overpowering a weaker opponent.

Orion barely exerted any effort, casually lifting his heavier obsidian sword to block the attack. The forceful strike echoed sharply through the chamber, but Orion’s blade did not waver, utterly stable beneath the Echo’s assault.

Unfazed, the Echo swiftly transitioned, pivoting into a horizontal slash aiming for Orion’s side. Again, Orion calmly deflected it, shifting his feet lightly to maintain balance.

His movements were minimal yet perfectly precise, conserving energy while effortlessly controlling the flow of combat.

‘It feels like I’m bullying the weaker students,’ Orion mused internally, somewhat amused by the ease of the exchange.

His heightened physique was clearly superior—each time their swords clashed, Orion could easily repel the Echo’s strikes through pure physical advantage alone.

Lumi’s voice cheerfully echoed in his mind, providing playful commentary as always:

[Master, if you keep going like this, these poor Echoes might develop a trauma! (≧▽≦)☆]

Orion chuckled quietly, effortlessly parrying another swift thrust. ‘Haha, Lumi, I doubt these mana-generated Echoes have feelings. But you’re right—this isn’t challenging at all.’

Deciding he had seen enough, Orion swiftly stepped forward, smoothly dodging another strike and slicing his blade against the Echo’s neck. The Echo dissipated instantly, vanishing silently into shimmering mana fragments.

‘Hmm, I think there’s another reason these Echoes seem so weak,’ he said thoughtfully while feeling the space surrounding him blur.

[What’s that, Master?]

‘My Tier. These Echoes can’t exert their full strength because of it. I’ve only fought two warriors so far, but they weren’t even at the peak of the first level of their physique. I’m sure if they were at a higher level, they’d have a lot more means to fight against me.’

[Hehe, isn’t this just nice then? We finna reach the peak! (๑>؂<๑)۶]

Before he could reply, he was teleported seamlessly upward once more. Each subsequent floor offered new opponents with distinct styles: some wielding twin daggers and attacking rapidly, others heavily armored with large shields, focusing on defense and counterattacks.