Chapter 8 – The Tower That Shouldn’t Be

The winds shifted.

Kael stood still, high on a rocky overlook. His eyes narrowed as the air grew heavy and silent—unnaturally so. His beast companion growled lowly, its hackles raised.

Then came the quake.

A deep tremor surged from the distant earth. Trees far away bent unnaturally, and a rift split through the land like a wound reopening. Then, without warning, golden-black light exploded from the crevice and pierced into the clouds.

A structure rose from the earth, ancient and otherworldly, as if torn from a dream or a long-buried nightmare. A towering pagoda—its surface as dark as the void, yet lined with threads of radiant gold—broke the sky with its height. Runic patterns flowed across its walls like molten veins, and strange, whispering winds curled around its crown.

Silence returned.

The light faded, but the pressure didn't. Even from far away, Kael felt his heartbeat quicken, as if something sacred—or cursed—had awakened.

Already, cultivators across the valleys below had begun to move. Flying beasts soared through the skies, carriages raced across rivers, talismans lit up like fireflies in the night. Word spread faster than wildfire: something ancient had emerged.

But no one knew what it was.

No one knew what it held.

And no one dared to claim it.

Not yet.

Kael waited. He listened. Then, without a word, he turned toward the looming tower and began to walk.

---

By the time he arrived at the base, dozens of figures had already gathered—disciples from distant sects, mercenaries with gleaming weapons, lone wanderers cloaked in secrets. But no one dared to enter.

The tower didn't speak.

It didn't beckon.

It simply waited.

Kael stepped forward, the crowd parting slightly as he passed. His presence, though unannounced, made some uneasy. Perhaps it was the coldness in his eyes. Or perhaps it was the strange beast walking quietly beside him.

As he approached the gate, the air thickened. His beast halted, unwilling to go further. Kael gave it a glance, then stepped across the threshold.

Golden light surged around him.

And everything changed.

---

A strange darkness consumed him, not blinding—but veiling. A formless, ancient power surrounded him. Then a voice echoed—not in his ears, but deep within his mind.

"Welcome, challenger. State your name."

He paused.

He would not give his true name.

"…Umbra," he said.

A pulse of light acknowledged his answer.

"Name accepted. You may proceed."

"Know this: You now stand within the Forgotten Trial Grounds—an inheritance tower from the ancient era. You may face up to 1,000 levels. For each level passed, you shall be rewarded. But know the path ahead is cruel. Each level grants you only three chances to succeed. Fail three times, and you will be cast out."

"You will face avatars of cultivators who once shook the heavens—heroes and horrors from the past. In the beginning, they will match your cultivation. But should you rise, their numbers will increase… their strength will exceed yours… and you will learn what true despair tastes like."

"Do you still choose to proceed?"

Kael smiled faintly. "Yes."

The world spun—and the trial began.

---

He found himself standing in a vast chamber paved with obsidian and ringed by braziers burning blue flame. From across the arena, a figure stepped forward—young, armored, and wielding a long black spear.

There was no life in his eyes. No malice. He was a weapon shaped by time—a memory given form.

Kael didn't hesitate. The Phantom Dagger Arts flowed from his stance, his daggers silent as smoke. He darted forward, shadows dancing at his feet.

The spear lunged.

He weaved beneath it and sliced toward the warrior's throat, only for his blade to meet a burst of essence. The avatar had blocked him with pure pressure.

Kael's footwork shifted. He used the Ghost Vein Curve, feinting one way, then twisting behind the warrior's back—his dagger slid just below the ribs and pierced true.

The avatar vanished into mist.

Golden light swirled upward from the floor, and in its center floated a sealed wooden box and a metallic scroll.

Kael stepped forward and claimed them.

Inside the box was a refinement pill—perfect for body strengthening. The scroll contained a Yellow Rank footwork technique—lesser than his Shadow Steps, but still valuable.

Then the floor beneath him glowed again.

"You may ascend."