Chapter 83: The Infernal Trials

[Congrats on your impending advancement, Expert Loki!]

I silently acknowledged the rainbow-shaded stone that Iselle tossed to me.

[With this, you can graduate to 2-star. From here, you'll climb the entire way to 7-star! Squash the Pinnacle and prevail! Woohoo!]

"I don't know if I can come to 7-star."

[Haha, who will push to 7-star if not Loki!]

"If that were the case, Seris would have already been a 7-star."

I put forth efforts this way and that, but I couldn't elevate her to the level of a 7-star hero.

[Ace, let's start the promotion!]

*Creak.*

The door of the fusion place opened.

I held the advancement stone in one hand and walked slowly inside.

Inside the amalgamation center, with a violet magic circle drawn, another door opened.

I entered the second door.

The Advancement Hall had a structure almost identical to the Fusion Place. However, the magic circle was red, and in the center of the room, there was a small special altar large enough to place a stone. I put the Advancement Stone on the altar.

A faint red light emanated from the Advancement Stone.

*Bang!*

The door of the Fusion Place closed loudly.

The door of the Advancement Hall closed immediately afterward.

Promotion.

The fact that the Expert couldn't see makes it one of the area.

When a hero and the materials were placed into the Advancement Hall, the hero would emerge in an advanced state at some point. The Expert couldn't see what happened inside.

A red light burst out from the entire magic circle.

Like the light the spatial crack usually emits, but somehow it felt more attached to the skin.

It was like sinking into deep water.

The red light enveloped my whole body.

When I opened my eyes again.

Honey.

A tight and humble room made of wood.

A middle-aged woman sat on a rocking chair, cradling a baby.

"Good boy, good boy."

Who are you?

No response.

This woman seemed to be in a similar state as the NPCs on the tenth floor.

But, she was a bit different.

*Tong.*

I reached out to touch the woman, but my hand recoiled immediately halfway.

Can't even touch her.

I scanned the room.

It was a space under 10 square meters. The furniture was old and worn.

The woman with dark hair and bruised eyes gently touched the baby and said, "You will become an amazing person."

Her touch was filled with love.

I instinctively grasped the baby's identity.

Han Israt.

It's not me.

I have no family or anything of that sort.

The person who should have been here instead of me was in there.

I recalled my most memorable visit to the lounge.

Han Israt from the Haim Promontory.

Iselle called me that name.

I looked out at the window in the corner of the room.

Beyond the window, an unknown haze loomed.

"Good boy, good boy."

I have the time to waste on something like this.

Conveniently, there was a door on the right wall leading outside. I grabbed the door handle. This time, it didn't recoil. I opened the door and hurried outside.

As I emerged, it was the square of the lounge.

However, this square was bare, devoid of any decorations.

It wasn't Anytng's lounge. I couldn't determine what this place was.

The sky had no lights on.

I walked slowly through the empty lounge.

There was only one door in the square ahead of me. There was no residence, warehouse, or training center.

I looked behind me, and the door I had emerged from had vanished.

I looked forward, and the nameplate on the door read "The Crack of Existence."

*Squeak.*

The door opened with an unpleasant sound, and something sprayed out with light.

Two pairs of wings shimmering with stardust.

That black dress and that uniquely charming face.

Is this Iselle?

No, she's different.

This little one was about the size of a fist. Iselle isn't this small.

The fairy fluttered around me and laughed. Then, with her tiny finger, she pointed to the inside of the spatial crack.

"You think that I should go in?"

*Nod.*

Dubious, but staying here won't change anything.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the spatial crack.

In the center of the round room, there was only one mirror.

Is this?

*Bang!*

The door leading back to the square closed. The fairy continued to zip around me. Black light began to seep out of the mirror.

The completely black light enveloped me with almost no resistance.

And then, I found myself standing alone in a dark space.

*Dudung!*

The Astral Prison is now open!

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

Immediately, a crushing pressure enveloped my whole body.

*Ugh!*

I dropped to one knee.

It felt like someone was pressing me down from above with a mechanical press.

My vision blurred. I couldn't breathe. If I let my guard down even a bit, I felt like my whole body would crumple and become a handful of minced meat.

"Han() feels fear! All attributes diminished by 30%."

I gripped the hilt of the sword and desperately persisted. My body trembled, and blood flowed from my clenched teeth.

Going on like this, I'll faint.

I need to follow through with something.

So seemingly out of the blue, I cut my left palm with the sword. Blood trickled from the edge of the blade.

Then, I could feel the sensation of breaking through something.

*Han() has entered an Excited state!*

*Han() is no longer under fear.*

*Hoo... Haah...*

I slowly breathed in and breathed out.

Regaining control of my body.

I stood up.

And she stood before me.

[SSSH Lv.999]

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