“Congratulations. You have cleared Floor 13 of the Trial Tower.”
“As a breakthrough reward, a ‘Random Skill To (A )’ has been sent to your inventory.”
“As a breakthrough reward, you have gained ‘90,000 points.'”
“As a breakthrough reward, you have gained ‘4,000 SP.'”
“As an additional breakthrough reward, you have gained ‘5,000 SP.'”
“Please proceed to the waiting room.”
Even the system ssage acknowledged Cell Neir’s death…..
Soon, a portal appeared next to Cell Neir’s lifeless body.
“Finally, it’s over.”
Technically, I had only used up one out of the remaining 14 days, but it still felt like a significant amount of ti.
And rightly so…..
“The Vampire Lord was too weak.”
Cell Neir, who had appeared as the final enemy on the 13th floor, was much weaker than I had anticipated.
It would have been better if he had at least fled the city or tried to escape.
I might have even pursued him using the mini-map.
But he didn’t do any of that. Instead, he appeared in a flashy manner and t his demise in a pitiful way, which was expected.
Of course, separate from the sowhat trivial aspects, the 13th floor had a considerable positive impact on my growth.
The proficiency I had built up in necromancy by slaughtering the vampires and the significantly improved attributes were evidence of that.
“If absorbing even Cell Neir’s authority increases my necromancy rank…”
Though I couldn’t absorb his skills, I had engraved a skill onto the Blood Demon Sword using its Blood Feast ability…
And I didn’t just gain that one skill.
I gained two skills through achievents.
“The Torture Technique (D-) was obtained from the strange achievent ‘Torturer’s Start.’
“Skill – Torture Technique (D-)”
“Proficiency – None”
“Description – Gain experience in torture, enabling more efficient thods of torture.”
“Effect – When targeting an incapacitated opponent, it becos easier to instill fear, increasing torture efficiency by 10%.”
Pain Increase (D-) was obtained by achieving the achievent ‘The Beginning of Madness.’
“Skill – Pain Increase (D-)”
“Proficiency – None”
“Description – Can amplify the pain experienced by the target.”
“Effect – Inflicting damage on the opponent doubles the pain experienced by them.”
Strangely, I achieved consecutive achievents and ended up acquiring these skills,
though the contents of the skills were not particularly well-suited for combat.
“The Torture Technique makes it easier to torture incapacitated opponents, while Pain Increase is a skill that amplifies the pain felt by the target.”
I sighed.
I had no idea how I had achieved these kinds of achievents.
“I never acquired skills like Torture Technique or Pain Increase in the first place.”
When I considered my options, Pain Increase, as sinister as it was, seed relatively better.
Doubling soone else’s pain might actually disrupt their focus in combat.
Of course, those accustod to pain might not be bothered, but it was better than nothing.
However, these two skills were just extras, and the main point lay elsewhere.
It was…..
“Blood Feast’s unique slot(1/3) ”
“”
“”
““
It was the result of the growth achieved by the Blood Demon Sword.
As far as I was concerned, it was quite satisfying, considering it brought the most useful part of Cell Neir’s blood manipulation.
The ability to enhance blood to boost durability and authority was not that different from resisting abilities of a similar type.
“Of course, even with this kind of ability, considering that my Blood Dominion was taken away, there must be limits to enhancing blood too…”
What mattered was that the concept of cost didn’t exist for the Blood Demon sword.
The Torture Technique makes it easier to torture incapacitated opponents, while Pain Increase is a skill that amplifies the pain felt by the target.
Blood Fortify requires no mana and has no cooldown, allowing it to be activated at any ti up to its limit.
“Activating of the True Blood Demon Sword.”
I stood there and coldly activated the Blood Fortify using Cell Neir’s cold blood.
I could imdiately discern the benefits of the Blood Fortify skill, which didn’t deviate significantly from what I had imagined.
“Deactivating of the True Blood Demon Sword.”
After discontinuing the use of Blood Fortify, I shifted my gaze towards Cell Neir’s emblem.
The emblem, created through necromancy, emitted smoke-like patterns that enticed like a whirlpool.
“Absorbing the Spirit of the Vampire Lord Cell Neir.”
“Proficiency increases by 17%.”
As I absorbed the spirit of Cell Neir, a sense of slight disappointnt washed over .
‘I still haven’t fully filled the proficiency’
Despite the impressive display of blood magic, my proficiency didn’t increase as much as I had hoped, considering the powerful effect it demonstrated.
Surprisingly, I had gained even less proficiency compared to the replica, encountered on the 12th floor, leaving feeling sowhat disappointed.
However, that disappointnt was short-lived.
“Comncing judgnt for ability extraction by absorbing a Spirit stronger than the user.”
Despite not feeling substantially stronger than , the ability extraction was triggered.
I furrowed my brows, glaring at the system ssage, and found myself lost in contemplation.
“I have no idea where the criteria for determining ‘unbearable foes’ or ‘strong opponents’ lie.”
It didn’t seem like the judgnt was solely based on pure combat abilities.
Perhaps it could be related to attributes like stats, skills, or abilities.
Those who received the judgnt of being ‘unbearable foes’ or ‘strong opponents’ seed to possess more skills and abilities than .
Or it might be entirely focused on abilities and powers.
“Judgnt successful.”
At least, it wasn’t determined solely based on combat abilities.
“Confird the existence of authority in ‘Lord of Blood’ Cell Neir’s command.”
“Extracting authority from the command.”
And then…
“Ability ‘Faith Harvest (C )’ is engraved on the soul of the user, Han Sungyeun.”
Subsequently, a rather vague ability called ‘Faith Harvest ‘was absorbed by .
‘Faith Harvest?’ I pondered what this ability was all about, but the thought didn’t linger for long.
“Ability ‘ Faith Harvest’ is strongly activated.”
“Harvesting faith in you from the surroundings.”
Just like resolving my curiosity, the ability ‘Faith Harvest’ activated on its own.
“Ability ‘Divine Power’ is strongly activated.”
“······!?”
Just like two interconnected chanisms, my heart started to pound in sync with the activation of divine power.
“Actual results and Legends based on believers’ faith are calculated.”
An unfamiliar ssage appeared, and my heart was engulfed by the power of divinity.
‘What is this…?’
Before I could fully grasp the situation, more ssages erged.
“Legend is completed.”
“Legend is accumulated with divine power.”
“From now on, Challenger Han Sungyeun’s divine attacks are imbued with the effect.”
“From now on, Challenger Han Sungyeun’s divine attacks are imbued with the effect.”
After reading through the ssages, I was left speechless.
»————- ★ ————-«
Divine power.
I had initially regarded this ability I gained on the 11th floor as sothing I might use at a later ti.
However, as I ascended the floors, divine power seed to be inducing peculiar changes within .
I was bewildered about how the unknown absorption ability, divine extraction, had been triggered before.
This ti, the situation was even more advanced than that.
The abilities of Faith Harvest and Divine Power were triggered simultaneously, resulting in Legend Accumulation.
The acquired effects were roughly as follows:
“Ability ‘Divine Power’ is activated.”
Previously, circulating divine power within my body rely made my body emit a radiant glow.
However, now when I touched upon the sensation that stirred within my body, a new effect erged.
“Legend is activated.”
“Divine attacks gain the effect.”
“Divine attacks gain the effect.”
“This is truly unbelievable.”
I laughed hollowly while observing the divine light coursing through my entire body.
I now seed to understand the function of the ‘Legend Accumulation’ obtained on the 13th floor’s waiting room.
It involved generating new abilities within an existing ability, forming a ‘Legend through a connection with Divine Harvest.
Of course, activating the ‘Legend’ within an ability consud the established divine power in my heart.
The divine power I had never properly depleted before was rapidly draining.
“Legend is deactivated.”
I then deactivated the newly acquired ‘Legend’ to halt the expenditure of divine power.
“Well, it wouldn’t make sense if it had no cost at all.”
However, even with a cost being incurred, I found the concept of this ‘Legend to be rather absurd.
It was reasonable to think that way.
After all, unique abilities seed to erge from actual experiences……
as if that’s why they were no different from innate powers.
Preventing the revival of the vampire lord Cell Neir and killing him resulted in the effect,
and along with that, slaughtering the vampires within the city led to the effect.
But that was truly strange.
’11th-floor clerics I saw before didn’t have these abilities.’
The clerics I encountered on the 11th floor didn’t possess such capabilities.
At most, they seed to have recovery and attack-type abilities,
and those seed to be special abilities only available to fully-fledged apostles.
Cell Neir was no different.
As the leader of the vampire worshippers of the God of Battle, he indeed had powers…..
but they never crossed the line of such excessive radicalism.
If Cell Neir had abilities nested within abilities like Legends, the course of the fight would have been different.
However, the battle went in my favor from start to finish, and there were no changes in the situation.
‘What in the world is my divine power……?’
Why is it different in direction from other divine powers…?”
Of course, pondering didn’t guarantee finding answers, but the doubt was natural.
However, I was only caught in those thoughts for a mont.
“The God of Battle recognizes your existence.”
Without a mont to ponder, the sudden system ssage drew my half-lidded eyes.
The ssage that the God of Battle recognized held a significant implication.
‘There is a god on the 13th floor…..’
Just like there was the God Of Proof on the 11th floor.
On this 13th-floor stage, there was the God of Battle.
It wasn’t as if there were no premonitions about the God of Battle.
I could deduce from the vampire’s chatter about the God of Battle and upon examining Cell Neir inside the Fla Dragon Sanctuary that he possessed abilities.
So, I wasn’t surprised.
“The God of Battle realizes that his prospective apostle, who had been recreated, has died.”
I knew that the God wouldn’t harbor ill intentions towards , nor could he harm .
The Tower had a will to protect , and the God wouldn’t dare to directly oppose the Tower.
Of course, if the God of Battle consud divine power favorably like the God of Proof did, the story might have been different.
“The God of Battle recognizes the divine power you possess and harbors animosity towards you.”
Unlike the Proof God, the God of Battle didn’t hold favor towards , instead, he harbored animosity.
“The God of Battle claims that the Tower has gone too far in raising a re human subject.
The God of Battle feels displeased that a re mortal has embraced divinity.”
Through this animosity, I realized that what the Proof God told on the 11th floor was true.
“Do not trust the gods. They will now see you as an enemy.”
“The God of Battle rembers challenger Han Sungyeun.”
The God of Battle was hostile towards .
“……..”
However, unlike when I faced the Proof God, I wasn’t afraid of the God.
Maybe it was because I had experienced divine power firsthand, or maybe it was due to the indirect warning I had received.
Despite the stern warning from the God of Battle, I felt a similar conviction that I wouldn’t be intimidated.
“I don’t like this.”
Instead of feeling fear from the God’s ssage, I felt anger… and that anger soon transford into a new desire, stimulating .
“Crossing the line by embracing divinity?”
The God of Battle was antagonizing , claiming that rely embracing divinity crossed a line that the Tower had established.
“Bullshit.”
I refused to tremble and submit to this irrational antagonism.
The Tower had granted boundless potential through the Trial of the Tower.
So, there was no room for capitulation.
“I need to grow further. To the point where the gods can’t treat lightly.”
I stared at the system ssage and felt it in my gut.
Now, I realized I couldn’t stop climbing the Tower.
[To be continued.]
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