The System Awakens: Rise of the Champion - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Clearing The 2nd Trial

Damian had no idea what had transpired in the world during the 35 days since the class selection.

He had spent the time resting, training, cultivating, and growing stronger.

In these 35 days, Damian’s strength had increased significantly.

He had managed to open all 20 meridians, and in the process, due to the prolonged expansion of unstable Qi inside his dantian, his talent, [Boundless Refinement], adapted his body to the changes.

Both his Meridians and Dantian expanded significantly, naturally enhancing his already high Qi absorption efficiency.

After successfully opening all the meridians, he proceeded to cultivate further, managing to form nine foundation seeds, which elevated him to the Supreme Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

This also transformed Damian into a Supreme Path Cultivator.

Remarkably, he achieved all of this in just 30 days, a feat that would be considered absurd even by the standards of prodigies of the higher-level realms.

Damian wasn’t merely cultivating to reach the peak stage of each level and moving forward.

Instead, he repeated the entire process from the beginning each time he reached the peak, starting over again and again until he could no longer sustain it.

That’s how he was able to form 9 Foundation seeds that represent his Foundation Establishment Realm.

Even forming one foundation seed would be enough to be considered a Peak stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, but forming nine foundation seeds made him a Supreme Stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator.

This kind of repeated cultivation cycle would normally take months, even years.

However, with his unique ability, [Extraction], Damian completed it all in just one month.

Cultivation wasn’t the only thing he focused on.

Damian also trained extensively in all the techniques he obtained when he selected his class.

He leveled up several of his skills, gained proficiency in using his abilities, and learned how to utilize his awakened talents to their full potential to further enhance his strength.

In summary, Damian had grown ridiculously strong, especially for someone originating from a low-tier world in the vast universe, and a human at that.

If only the people climbing the tower or the awakened beings from the higher realms knew that a monster had been born, rapidly ascending in power…

Damian glanced at the remaining natural energy-rich water in the well.

He pointed both hands at the pond and activated his unique innate ability.

[Extraction: Unique innate ability activated]

The water level in the pond began to drop rapidly, and the energy within the water was extracted, flowing into his hands and directed straight into his Mana Core.

[You Mana Increased: +25]

________________________________

[Awakener: Damian Ignatius]

[level: 45]

[Class: True Magic Swordsman]

[Qi Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Realm(Supreme)]

[Magic Cultivation: 2nd Circle(Perfected)]

{Flame – 2nd Ring(Perfected)

Wind – 1st Ring(Perfected)

Earth – 1st Ring(Perfected)

Water – 1st Ring(Perfected)}

[Titles: Regressor, Solo Hunter]

[Achievements: First Killer Titles, First Dungeon Clearer]

[Talents: Elementalist, Martial Lord, Rumination clarity, World Tree’s Blessing, Boundless Refinement]

[Abilities: Extraction(Unique), Warrior’s Will(Inherited), Eyes Of Clarity(Innate)]

[Strength: 84 ║ Agility: 94 ║ Vitality: 92 ║

Stamina: 94 ║ Perception: 94 ║ Mana: 185 ║

Qi: 16 ║]

{Stat Points: 27}

[Spells: Fireball, Flame Spear]

[Skills: Swordsmanship(High), Archery(Basic), Axe-Wielding(Basic), Spearmanship(High), Spellcasting, Multicasting]

[Techniques: Serpentine Dual Flow, Wind Dance, Soundless Lotus Cuts, The Sacred Mantras(Five Chapters), The Thousand Armor Impale]

[Cultivation Method: The Path Of The Sacred Arts]

________________________________

“System shop,” Damian said, and another system prompt appeared before him, displaying several options:

—–

[Remaining Gold: 10,000]

[1. Resources]

[2. System Market]

[3. Public Market]

[4. Chat]

[5. Public Auction]

—–

He selected [System Market], and numerous items appeared in front of him.

Scrolling through the list, he stopped and clicked on an attire set in his preferred color.

A set of robes resembling those worn by awakeners from the world of Murim materialized in front of him.

The set included innerwear, an over-robe, a belt, shoes, and even a pair of metal bracelets that completely covered both his forearms.

Satisfied, Damian shifted his gaze back to the system prompt floating nearby, seemingly abandoned.

[Do you wish to take on the trial of the 2nd floor of the Tower of Evolution?]

“Yes,” Damian said with a firm nod.

A new prompt immediately appeared.

[Choose the level of difficulty for the trial of the second floor.]

“Of course, I choose [Hell] difficulty,” Damian declared.

As soon as he made his decision, his vision blurred momentarily.

When his surroundings became clear again, he found himself standing in an entirely foreign environment.

[You have entered the Second Floor of the Tower of Evolution]

[Second Trial: Prove your ferocity by killing five higher-level monsters within the given time limit. Upon failure, you will restart the Second Trial immediately without time for rest or rejuvenation.]

[Monsters Killed: 0/5]

[Time Limit: 00:00:20]

As soon as the notification appeared, the countdown began in the next second.

[Remaining Time: 00:00:19]

Damian spotted five monsters resembling lions, except they stood at an intimidating 20 feet in height.

Their large white fangs extended outward by at least a foot and a half, and their massive frames moved with a menacing elegance as they advanced.

Each step they took was accompanied by a guttural growl, exuding a sense of imminent danger.

He raised an eyebrow as the system displayed their information.

—–

[Name: Red-Striped Mutated Lions]

[Level: 100]

—–

“Level 100? Isn’t this a little excessive for just the second trial of the Tower?” Damian thought, a trace of disbelief flashing through his mind.

He now fully understood why the [Hell] difficulty was often labeled as impossible to clear.

Class selection begins when an awakener reaches level 20.

After obtaining a class, awakeners can start climbing the Tower, meaning most participants attempting the second trial are likely around level 25.

With difficulty levels offered as Normal, Hard, Nightmare, and Hell, the challenges seem tailored to the awakener’s progression.

“But how could a level 30 or 35 awakener, even after gaining some levels in the first trial, possibly take on level 100 monsters and kill them within just 20 seconds?”

Damian couldn’t help but recall the horrors of the first Hell-mode trial, where he was forced to battle against nearly 60 Forest Vipers, each at least 40 levels higher than him, as well as the Viper King, whose level reached the 80s.

Some might think leveling up outside the Tower before starting the trials could solve the difficulty problem.

But that was a flawed assumption.

The system wasn’t so easily fooled.

If an awakener gained too many levels before entering, the system would simply adjust the trial’s difficulty to match the awakener’s level.

There was no escaping the challenge.

“How does anyone survive this difficulty?” Damian muttered under his breath, his sharp gaze fixed on the advancing lions.

“No wonder so few manage to clear the Hell-mode trials.”

There was another harsh reality tied to the Hell difficulty.

If an awakener didn’t choose Hell difficulty during the first trial, the system would strip them of the option in subsequent trials.

It might not seem significant at first, but the system’s rewards were always based on the effort expended.

Naturally, clearing more difficult trials meant receiving greater rewards.

Damian clenched his fists.

[Remaining Time: 00:00:17]

[You are facing a non-humanoid being. Your physical attributes will increase by 20%.]

[When fighting against beings 15 levels higher, your physical attributes will increase by an additional 20%.]

[Eyes of Clarity: Innate ability activated.]

[Warrior’s Will: Inherited ability activated.]

[All effects of your abilities and physical attributes will increase by 15%.]

Damian’s vision became tinted in a blue hue, and his body throbbed with energy, followed by a surge of warmth.

His skin turned red, and his muscles seemed to expand slightly, growing a few centimeters larger in an instant.

Gripping his swords, [The Eclipse Sword] and [Monster Slayer], Damian began invoking two techniques from [The Sacred Mantras]:

[Walking the Sacred Path: Movement technique activated.]

[Your movement speed will increase by 30%.]

[Dance of the Sacred Sword: Sword technique activated.]

[The sharpness and power of your sword attacks will increase by 30%.]

Both double-edged swords in his hands became shrouded in a thick light-blue aura as the Sword Qi radiating from them amplified their power.

[Remaining Time: 00:00:14]

With a small leap, Damian’s figure blurred and disappeared, leaving behind a faint spark of energy.

He reappeared before one of the [Red-Striped Mutated Lions] and, without hesitation, slashed at its front legs.

A ray of Sword Qi shot from his blade, cleanly severing the lion’s legs.

[Remaining Time: 00:00:13]

Deprived of the support of its legs, the lion collapsed to the ground, roaring in pain.

Its movements were completely compromised.

Wasting no time, Damian moved in a blur once more, leaving another spark of energy as he reappeared before a second lion.

With a swift strike, he slashed at its leg, slicing it cleanly along with a chunk of flesh.

The remaining lions, enraged by the incapacitation of their comrades, roared and lunged at Damian from three sides.

[Remaining Time: 00:00:11]

Damian’s figure blurred again as he leapt onto the back of another lion.

Using all his strength, amplified by his class’s boost, his inherited ability and gravity’s acceleration, he swung his swords downward in a devastating arc at it’s neck.

With a single clean motion, he decapitated the beast instantly.

[Experience gained.]

[Remaining Time: 00:00:09]

Accelerating to his full speed, Damian slashed both swords vertically in arcs of light that pierced through the lion’s thick hide and shattered its skull.

Twin rays of Sword Qi shot out from the back of its head as the beast’s breathing stopped.

[You have leveled up.]

[Remaining Time: 00:00:07]

Without losing momentum, Damian repeated the motion with another lion.

This time, he slashed his swords upward from beneath its belly, sending Sword Qi rays cutting through its vital organs.

The precise strike pierced its heart, ending the lion’s life.

[Experience gained.]

[Remaining Time: 00:00:04]

Damian then leapt into the air, pointing his hand toward the incapacitated beasts from earlier.

In an instant, three dozen flame magic circles appeared in the sky.

Each one unleashed a blazing [Fireball] that rained down upon the lions.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

A series of explosions erupted, sending waves of searing heat through the battlefield.

The mutated lions let out their final roars before succumbing to the devastating blasts.

[Experience gained.]

[Experience gained.]

[Experience gained.]

[Monsters Killed: 5/5]

[Remaining Time: 00:00:02]

[Congratulations, you have completed the 2nd trial of the Tower of Evolution.]

[You have proved your ferocity.]

[Your rewards have been transferred to the system storage.]

[Rewards:

+15 Free Stat Points

+15,000 Gold

+1 Epiphany Card]