"Of course, as long as you can obtain the proper qualifications, you can certainly receive the reward."
As he spoke, the Triangle swayed slightly, his words tinged with apology: "I'm sorry, I'm just a guide. I can't be of much help."
Alka nodded.
He pulled out the map and blinked.
He casually touched the golden light.
As expected, the golden light's treasure information expanded.
[Treasure Information: The Trial of Gods, constructed by enterprising individuals ten thousand years ago, only this single Trial Tower remains after the War of Gods.
The Trial targets intelligent beings of stages 2-4. Climb upwards and break through to obtain this hard-earned reward.
To claim the reward, please go through formal channels; otherwise, you won't receive it even if you pass.
Legitimate channels require the Trialist's Seal. The following entities are exempt from the Trialist's Seal: reporters with major influence, descendants of gods... apostles of gods... saints... dream kings, possessors of the Dream King's Seal... (Perfect)
Looking at the long list of entities listed below the treasure information, various entities can be exempted from the Trial Seal.
These entities can be collectively referred to as those with backgrounds.
He should be able to identify these identities.
Among them, Alka holds the identities of a descendant of gods, apostle of gods, and a dream king.
Among the apostles of gods, Julia and Pororo should also fall into this category.
As for this knowledge, it all comes from Mirmi's fragmented memories.
In his memories, the category of apostles of gods can be roughly considered as those favored by the gods.
Those favored by the gods are rare, but not in an exaggerated way. It's simply a matter of remembering you in the gods' presence.
Being remembered was a blessing in itself.
The Trial Tower could detect this state.
And his most important identity was that of the Dream King, roughly equivalent to the leader of a faction.
He should be able to craft the Dream King's Seal and give it to Sofia and the others, allowing them to also fulfill the requirements of the Exempted.
Then the question arose: what exactly was the Dream King's Seal?
Although he was the Dream King, he had no idea what it was.
Putting the map away, he pondered in front of everyone, beginning to ruminate.
He quickly found the production process for this item from Mirmi's fragmented memories.
It was incredibly simple.
After regaining consciousness, he looked at the triangle and nodded.
"I see. If you don't mind, would you let us take on this trial?"
"Of course, of course." The triangle's voice was a little excited.
He couldn't wait to float to the base of the stone tower.
There was a clear teleportation array there, flanked by two stone platforms, approximately one meter high.
"This Trial Tower has nine floors. The lowest entry level is Stage Two, while the highest requires Stage Four.
The Trial is a solo experience, and it's not life-threatening. If you receive fatal damage, you'll be teleported out. Alternatively, if you surrender when you're overwhelmed, you'll be automatically teleported out.
I recommend avoiding fatal damage before being teleported out. This place is dilapidated and no longer has the healing team it once had.
Aside from fatal damage, which will be spared, any injuries incurred before that will remain. If your team lacks healing, it's best to surrender decisively when you're overwhelmed."
The Triangle spoke eloquently, briefly explaining the precautions of the Trial Tower.
"Only one person can enter at a time. Each session is divided into a challenge and a trial. The trial can be started every 30 days, and the challenge can only be performed once in a lifetime.
There used to be rewards for challenging, but now, it doesn't matter."
After hearing his explanation, everyone nodded. "We need to discuss this."
"Of course, no problem. Go ahead."
Alka turned and looked at the crowd.
"I can grant you official status, which means you can start challenges and earn rewards."
As expected, Alka came here; he must have figured out how to obtain official status.
They weren't surprised at all.
"So, to be on the safe side, we need to try this out first and test the waters," Jason said.
Alka nodded; that was exactly what he meant.
"Who goes first?"
"I'll go first," Alka said.
Among them, he had the strongest ability to survive, especially after becoming a descendant of a god.
No matter if this trial was flawed, he could tell.
And judging by the treasure information, this place was indeed a place for trials, with many traces of past visitors.
Judging from its fame, many who have undergone trials here are still alive.
After saying this, he turned and approached the triangular form.
"Let me show you how to open it."
The triangular form immediately shook its body and floated to the central rune array platform.
"All you have to do is stand on it."
Under the gaze of the crowd, Alka stood on the teleportation platform.
As he stepped onto it, the entire platform rotated slightly, emitting a blue light, and the two stone platforms beside it flickered slightly.
The left stone platform glowed yellow, while the right stone platform glowed red, and grooves appeared on their surfaces.
"To begin the trial, place your left hand on the yellow stone platform on the left. To challenge, place your right hand on the red stone platform.
The challenge will be much more difficult," the triangular form reminded him.
"What's this groove?" Alka asked curiously, looking at the groove on the stone platform.
"A certificate, a proper certificate."
Alka nodded, and without further questioning, he gently raised his left hand and placed it on the stone platform on his left.
"Descendant of God, welcome."
With that voice, Alka vanished from the spot.
The triangle just floated there, a bit stunned.
"So... descendants of God are exempt from the certificate?"
"Don't you know about this?" Jason asked curiously, standing nearby, listening to the inverted triangle's words.
This shouldn't be a guide.
How could he not even know something like this?
"Um... before the War of Gods, I was just a backup guide, never activated. I was a brand new construct.
I was accidentally activated over 20,000 years ago. By then, this place was already a ruin, and only the most basic information is recorded in my body."
Triangle's voice was a little awkward as he explained.
Jason nodded at this, not asking any further questions.
He looked at Alka as he disappeared from the stage.
Xia Dai asked, "Can't we see what's happening inside Alka?"
"No, the privacy of the trial-takers must be protected. This tower has a strong shielding effect, blocking most perception and information snooping."
"Even gods can't easily spy on the information inside." At this point, the pride in Triangle's voice was clearly audible.
Everyone nodded. This sounded quite reasonable. After all, various powers and methods would undoubtedly be used during the trial.
If such tactics were to become public, they would be easily targeted.
Privacy is indeed important.
The fact that this place has become a trial ground where so many forces are willing to come proves that they had done a good job in this area before the God War.
"How long will the trial last?" Julia asked. If it lasted for several days and nights, they couldn't just stand here and do nothing.
"According to records, a normal trial doesn't last more than four hours."
"So short?" Simon said with some surprise. It was much shorter than he had expected.
"Some time-related spell?" Julia speculated.
"This mermaid lady is right. The stone tower utilizes Vastva's spatial expansion technology and Time Master Sarafibert's time adjustment technology."
Triangle happily explained.
Julia glanced at her own transformed legs. Technology from ten thousand years ago? It was so easily seen through.
But considering he'd discovered Alka's recently acquired divine status the moment they met, it didn't seem all that surprising.
But I hadn't expected to hear Vastva here either.
Lucelia asked curiously, "Vastva? I've heard of that name. What was it like ten thousand years ago?"
"The city-state of Vastva? Records say it was a small city-state in a remote area, supposedly built in an alien dimension. It favored peace and avoided conflict, and was a city of scholars.
They're best known for their spatial technology and its application. It's said the Four Gods and the Aspirants have a close relationship.
This also makes Vastva relatively familiar to us. Many important Vastva figures undergo trials here."
Triangle flipped through the information records within its body and answered everyone's questions.
This was pretty much what everyone knew.
It seems Vastva was indeed just a very small, remote force before the War of Gods.
Even a remote force could be so powerful. Everyone couldn't imagine the sheer splendor of those great powers before the ten thousand years of the God War.
What kind of prosperity had the world held before the God War?
…
A distinctly strange feeling made Alka feel dizzy.
As the dizziness faded, he felt his feet touch the ground.
The teleportation wasn't pleasant; it felt like his body was being pulled and squeezed.
He surveyed his surroundings.
"Your strength is detected to be incompatible with your current level. Do you want to jump directly to the 4th level? You can also start from the 1st level to familiarize yourself with the Trial Tower's mechanics."
A calm, emotionless voice echoed from within the space. Like the Triangle, it spoke in an incomprehensible language, yet Alka could still understand its meaning.
Alka thought for a moment, then said without further hesitation, "Let's start from the first level."
"The Trial Tower will scan your information throughout the entire process. All scanned information will be kept strictly confidential under the Contract with the God of Secrets.
No information will be leaked without your permission.
Do you agree?"
Although he didn't know if the Contract with the God of Secrets could remain secret in this day and age, he had no choice. "Agreed."
"Please state your name, or choose a codename."
"...Wanderer."
"New Trialist's identity has been recorded—Wanderer.
Identity: Descendant of the Gods, Dream King, Stone Mother Saint.
Soul scan... Trial construction complete.
Body scan... Trial construction complete.
Your unique trial is complete. Please say 'Start' to begin."
Honestly, this sudden change made Alka feel like he had entered a future world.
It felt completely out of place in this world.
He was somewhat curious about what the world was like before the God War, ten thousand years ago.
He collected his thoughts and spoke.
"Begin."
"Trial begins..."
Space expansion...
Time solidification..."
"I hope you can break through yourself and strive for progress."
The voice echoed and faded.
The stone wall before him began to transform, transforming into a sturdy, tall gate.
Bizarre sculptures painted on the gate culminated in a scene of surrounding mountains.
The stone pillars on either side of the door frame ignited with flames.
Alka walked over and placed his hands on the gate.
It was so heavy.
The weight of this stone door was beyond his imagination.
After a few tries, he realized he could push it open, but he'd have to exert a lot of force.
Using both hands, Alka exerted all his strength, his legs pressing against the ground, trying to push the stone door open.
With the immense force pressing forward, he pushed forward.
The stone door slowly opened inward, revealing a gap wide enough for a person to pass through.
Only then did Alka release his hands.
He gasped for breath.
"Even opening the door is considered part of the trial?"
The force I just exerted was practically reaching my limit.
Clearly, this stone door was custom-made.
Alka grew increasingly interested in this trial.
As Alka walked in, the stone door slowly closed behind him.
A vast arena appeared before him, roughly the size of a football field.
The sky suddenly became overcast, thunder rumbled, and heavy rain suddenly fell.
The downpour instantly drenched Alka.
The entire arena was enveloped in the downpour.
A figure appeared in front of them.
A humanoid figure clad in a pure black cloak.
It vanished into the darkness and swiftly approached Alka.
The pouring rain, the dim surroundings, and the occasional rumble of thunder all served as a disguise for the enemy. Alka frowned, and a card made of a thin mirror appeared in his hand.
Magic power was infused into it.
A rune appeared on the mirror, and Alka threw it out.
The card slashed through the rain and exploded in the air.
With the explosion, a figure was thrown out.
He landed heavily on the ground, his shield shattered.
The moment he hit the ground, he freed his hands, and a vertical beam of cold light appeared in his hands. He swung them rapidly toward Alka.
The cold light flashed, piercing the rain.
Several daggers were thrown, a discordant glow visible on their surfaces.
They seemed to be coated with an unknown toxin.
The daggers moved with incredible speed, encrusted with some kind of spell, and swiftly cut through the air.
A mirror appeared in front of Alka, sucking in all the daggers.
Another mirror appeared behind the enemy.
The daggers he had thrown flew out of the mirror behind him and struck him.
Faced with the sudden attack from behind, he slammed the ground and used his hands and feet to lift himself up.
Though he dodged most of the daggers, two still pierced his back and thighs.
He instantly collapsed to the ground, looking in Alka's direction, then suddenly drew his dagger and slashed at his own neck.
A large amount of blood gushed out.
However, the gushing blood did not immediately spill onto the ground. Instead, it floated in the air, and the falling raindrops passed through the blood.
Not a single drop of blood was stained.
A faint red tinge of blood.
The instant the blood gushed out, it transformed into bullet after bullet, hurtling towards Alka.
The bullets were incredibly fast and powerful.
The mirror used to block and absorb the attacks was instantly shattered.
Has he been discovered?
So obvious?
The defensive Mirror of Transmission, formed by the mirror surface combined with the power of dreams, can only pass through physical attacks.
Such as daggers and arrows.
Magic energy attacks can only be blocked by its own hardness, not deflected.
But before the blood bullets could reach him, Alka had already dodged to the side.
And as if they could track him, the blood bullets turned a corner and continued to pursue Alka.
The enemy lying on the ground, clutching the wound on his neck, stared intently at Alka through the rain.
"Is it so difficult?"
As Alka spoke, several cards appeared in his hands and he threw them.
Two cards arced and collided with the blood bombs, exploding.
The erupting flames collided with the blood, burning and emitting a burning smell.
But it also blocked the attack.
The remaining blood eggs suddenly fell, no longer attacking Alka.
Seeing this, Alka looked towards the figure lying on the ground in the twilight.
The man had closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground. The blood from his neck, mixed with the rain, had dyed the surroundings red.
His body dimmed and then dissipated.
The thunder faded, and the heavy rain stopped.
The once dim arena became bright.
"Successfully broken through the first floor."
Hearing this, Alka stood there, thinking.
According to what he had just heard when he entered,
With his strength, he should have reached the fourth floor.
And his current strength was at the third stage, with 14 spirals.
The most basic trial standard is the second stage.
According to reasonable logic, floors 1-3 all fall within the second stage trial range.
Then the enemy just now most likely only had four spirals.
Tsk... is this the strength that a four-spiral can display?
Alka was a little confused.
He asked directly, "What was the strength of the enemy I just faced?"
"Four spirals."
Indeed.
The strength displayed by the enemy just now was completely beyond the standard of a four-spiral.
He was completely equipped to the highest standards.
If I had encountered this enemy during the fourth spiral, even if I had the treasure then, there's a good chance...
It seems this trial won't be easy to complete, Alka thought, frowning.
Another loud rumble echoed in his ears.
The arena had vanished, returning to the same stone chamber he'd just entered.
The same door appeared before him again.
This time, however, a number similar to the number 2 appeared on top of the door, indicating the entrance to the second floor.
Alka stepped forward and once again exerted immense force to push the stone door open.
As he pushed the door open, a surge of power swept through him, as if sweeping away all his fatigue.
His entire body felt like a brand new person.
His condition had been completely restored.
Not bad.
He approached each floor with the utmost perfection.