Kael, the Monstrous Talent
10th on the Void Ranking!
Einar stood tall and composed, though a trace of exhaustion flickered in his eyes—proof of the immense energy he had expended in the Void Tower. Yet even so, his achievement was enough to leave everyone in awe. Tenth place!
Einar's name now gleamed on the Void Ranking in pale silver, shimmering faintly under the tower's glow.
"Silver… Einar reached the ninth floor!" Solmer gasped. The silver hue meant he had conquered the ninth layer—a feat so rare that even across millennia and the three continents, few could match it. Tenth place was no fluke.
"Incredible… The ninth floor puts him on par with legendary figures. Even some Archmages had similar aptitudes. No wonder the Sacred Temple always said Einar had the potential to become an Archmage!" The crowd buzzed with shock and admiration.
"He's likely the highest-ranked challenger in recent years. Terrifying… absolutely terrifying."
The onlookers stared at Einar with a mix of reverence and dread. Such monstrous talent—enough to contend for Archmagehood—was unimaginable. The mere thought of what an Archmage represented sent chills down their spines, deepening their awe.
Having secured his place, Einar exhaled deeply. Memories of the grueling battles flashed through his mind, leaving him solemn. Drenched in sweat, his robes clung to him as if he'd been pulled from water, his face slightly pale.
Yet instead of leaving, Einar swept his gaze across the crowd, then turned to the Void Ranking. He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, as if waiting silently for something—or someone.
"Why hasn't Einar left? Why is he sitting there?"
"Is he… waiting for Kael? Kael still hasn't come out!"
"Very likely! Come to think of it, Kael's been inside for a long time too!"
The crowd suddenly remembered—Kael was still in the Void Tower. Their eyes lit up with anticipation. Could he possibly match Einar's terrifying achievement?
"Einar's too much of a monster. I doubt that guy can surpass him," Sha Sha huffed.
This time, even Solmer didn't argue. Einar's performance defied all norms—10th place meant standing among true freaks of nature, all with Archmage potential. Einar had earned his place in that pantheon.
In the distance, the five Half-Step Legends also wore uneasy expressions.
"Truly remarkable. Are all the young ones these days so terrifying? Tenth on the Void Ranking... The future may indeed belong to their generation." The elderly man named Ross sighed softly, his expression complex. Having cultivated magic for decades, he had reached the Half-Step Legend realm but exhausted his potential—progressing further seemed impossible. Yet Einar was different. He had a real chance at becoming an Archmage.
"Hmph, don't be so sure!" The cold-faced middle-aged man, Karl, smirked darkly, as if scheming something. Among the Half-Step Legends present, Karl was the most cunning.
The others also wore varied expressions, their thoughts inscrutable.
Inside the Void Tower
Drenched in sweat, Kael had now breached the eighth floor of the Void Tower.
"The Void Tower lives up to its reputation. This is an immense trial for me—each floor's difficulty multiplies exponentially. Even the eighth is this formidable..."Before him stood three early eleventh-tier assassins, masters of stealth and lethal strikes, their movements elusive and deadly.
Kael dodged their relentless assaults, the Crimson Moon Rune flashing once more as he unleashed spells in tandem with the Wings of the Wind God, systematically dismantling his foes.
The divine wings' speed amplified his combat prowess, rendering the assassins' agility useless—none could close the gap. Freed from direct threats, Kael focused solely on his magic.
"Storm of Thunderclouds!"
The eleventh-tier spell erupted, finally obliterating the three assassins. As the staircase to the ninth floor materialized, Kael exhaled in relief.
"Finally, the ninth floor. I wonder how far Einar made it... With his talent, he couldn't have done poorly." Kael never underestimated opponents, least of all Einar, the Sacred Temple's Holy Son.
Even if Kael had defeated him once, it didn't prove Einar's inferiority.
Talent alone meant little. History brimmed with examples of those who lacked innate genius yet ascended through sheer perseverance, step by step, to become peerless powerhouses.
Kael's eyes grew increasingly resolute. This time, he didn't rush into the ninth floor. Instead, he took a moment to rest, adjusting his condition until his energy, focus, and spirit all reached their peak before stepping forward.
Upon entering the eighth floor, dozens of figures abruptly materialized—all of them white-robed mages, identical to the one he had faced earlier.
Yet there was a crucial difference: these mages radiated terrifying auras, far more formidable than before—almost on par with genuine eleventh-tier powerhouses.
"Damn it… Are these all equivalent to eleventh-tier experts?" A trace of shock flickered in Kael's eyes. If true, this was beyond brutal.
"Storm of Thunderclouds!"
Using the Wings of the Wind God to shield himself, Kael kept his distance while unleashing the tempestuous spell. Under the relentless pressure of over a dozen mages, he felt his latent potential being forcibly drawn out. The storm's wind and lightning energies erupted violently, bolts of electricity flashing like blades—instantly obliterating two of the phantoms.
"It's working! These mages aren't true eleventh-tier… just infinitely close. There's hope!" Kael's eyes brightened as he gauged their strength. Darting between spells, he methodically suppressed the remaining mages.
Though none had fully reached eleventh-tier, their numbers alone made them deadly. A single misstep, and Kael would be swarmed under their combined assault.
After what felt like an eternity…
Kael finally vanquished the last phantom. Catching his breath, he ascended to the tenth floor.
Outside the Void Tower
The crowd's expressions gradually shifted.
Kael had now spent even longer inside than Einar.
"He's been in there this long… and still hasn't emerged? Einar reached the ninth floor. Does that mean Kael went even higher?" someone muttered, disbelief coloring their tone.
"That… can't be possible, right?" Others sounded equally uncertain. If Einar had conquered the ninth floor, and Kael surpassed him… then what did that make Kael?
Subconsciously, they refused to accept this conclusion.
Sha Sha had fallen completely silent. The facts were undeniable—Kael had remained inside far longer than anyone anticipated. Regardless of the final outcome, one thing was certain: her most admired senior sister, Solmer, would unquestionably rank below Kael on the Void Ranking!
Solmer sighed softly. **"It seems I underestimated him after all. He truly possesses the potential to rival Einar... His victory over Einar was no fluke."**
Within the Illusory Realm
This time, Kael faced white-robed mages far stronger than before—their power now fully at the eleventh-tier. Though their numbers had dwindled to five, and their strength was only equivalent to newly ascended eleventh-tier experts, the pressure they exerted was incomparable.
Gritting his teeth, Kael endured the relentless assault.
"I won't retreat. If Orlando, the Elven King, and that 'Blazing Flame' could do it—so can I!" His gaze hardened with determination as he unleashed a barrage of spells against the mages.
An immeasurable amount of time passed...
Then—
BOOM!
The tenth floor's illusory space shattered at last!