HPDBC Chapter 443: First Floor of Ascension Tower—12
Chapter 443: First Floor of Ascension Tower—12
Leon stood ready for the final layer, his holy armor gleaming with concentrated divine energy and his Epic rank sword humming with barely contained power.
However, it would not be a lie to say he was feeling genuinely anxious—this was his first time fighting something definitively above Archon rank.
I’ve never faced an Ethereal-ranked opponent before. This is completely unknown territory.
Throughout his entire journey since awakening his SSS-rank class, he’d faced countless opponents at his own level or slightly above. He’d even managed to defeat enemies technically stronger than himself through superior technique, tactics, and his overwhelming arsenal of abilities.
But this was different. This was a full major rank higher—an entirely separate tier of existence.
He also had a persistent, nagging feeling that even if he somehow managed to level up through all the remaining Archon levels to reach Level 90—which represented the absolute limit of Archon rank—he still didn’t think he would naturally break through to Ethereal on his own.
It wasn’t just pessimism. It was a deep instinct telling him that something more was required.
The barrier between Archon and Ethereal must be fundamentally different from previous rank transitions.
From the detailed autobiography he’d purchased from the cosmic shop and read thoroughly during one of his training sessions—the memoirs of that self-proclaimed "man of culture" Lin Fan—it had explicitly stated that reaching Ethereal rank meant breaking through your mortal shell entirely.
A fundamental transformation that went far beyond simple power accumulation or stat increases.
The text had described it as shedding your mortal limitations and taking the first true step toward transcendence. Not just becoming stronger, but becoming something qualitatively different.
It’s not just about numbers or levels. It’s an existential change in the very nature of your being.
His Epic rank sword was buzzing with full intensity against his palm, the blade vibrating continuously as if it understood exactly what he was thinking and feeling. Yet rather than showing any apprehension or concern, the weapon radiated pure, almost eager excitement.
The sword seemed to be telling him enthusiastically that it couldn’t wait to cut down an Ethereal-ranked being—as if this was the challenge it had been forged for.
The sword has more confidence than I do right now. Or maybe it’s just battle-hungry regardless of the odds.
But Leon didn’t think this confrontation would be simple or easy at all, despite his weapon’s enthusiasm.
Still, these anxious thoughts and worried considerations wouldn’t change anything about his current situation. The creature had already appeared in front of him, fully materialized and clearly aware of his presence. The trial had begun whether he felt ready or not.
There was absolutely no point in overthinking the circumstances now—he just had to give it everything he possessed and see what happened.
A slender humanoid figure stood motionless at the opposite end of the arena, dressed in elaborate dark ceremonial robes that seemed to actively absorb the ambient light around them. The fabric itself appeared to be woven from shadow, and it was embroidered with intricate glowing purple runes that pulsed with rhythmic energy like a slow heartbeat.
Its face was completely hidden beneath a deep hood that cast impenetrable darkness, revealing only two pale, glowing red eyes floating in what appeared to be an endless void where a face should logically be.
The eyes themselves were unsettling—not because they glowed, but because they moved and blinked with disturbingly human-like awareness.
Leon studied the figure carefully with all his enhanced perception abilities active, analyzing every visible detail.
If not for the slight grayish undertone visible on the small patches of exposed skin—which I only notice because I’m actively focusing my attention—and those prominently glowing runes covering the robes, I would have completely mistaken this thing for a human based purely on body structure and proportions.
The creature’s build was remarkably human. Not bulky or monstrous like the orcs, not twisted and corrupted like the demons. Just... eerily normal in silhouette.
But the aura it gave off was unmistakable and overwhelming. This was obviously, definitely not human at all.
The energy radiating from it felt ancient, vast, and fundamentally wrong in a way Leon’s instincts immediately recognized as dangerous.
Unlike every single previous trial opponent he’d faced through nine layers, this creature didn’t immediately attack or assume any kind of aggressive combat stance.
Instead, it simply stood there in complete stillness, looking directly at him from across the distance with those penetrating, glowing red eyes. The gaze was analytical and measuring, carrying a weight of intelligence and calculation that none of the previous trial monsters had displayed.
Almost... thoughtful. Evaluating him like a scholar examining an interesting specimen.
Leon couldn’t tell at all what thoughts were running through the creature’s mind, but he remained absolutely on guard. Every muscle in his body was tensed and ready to react, his mana circulating at maximum efficiency, his holy armor reinforced to its strongest defensive configuration.
This hesitation and observation are highly unusual. Every other trial monster attacked immediately without any strategy, tactics, or attempt at communication. They were essentially mindless combat programs.
But this one is different. This one is thinking.
Leon was about to take the initiative himself and launch a preemptive first strike to seize the momentum of battle.
However, the voice that suddenly emanated from the hooded figure made him pause mid-motion, his attack preparation halting.
"Interesting."
The single word was spoken calmly, without any trace of hostility or aggression in the tone. The voice itself had a strange, difficult-to-define quality—melodious and smooth on the surface, but with an underlying discordant note that made Leon’s combat instincts scream warnings.
It was a voice that sounded almost friendly, which somehow made it more disturbing.
Leon looked at the glowing figure even more carefully, reassessing. It gave him the distinct, uncomfortable feeling of something that had perhaps once been genuinely human but had since become something fundamentally different through unknown processes. Something was deeply, profoundly off about its entire existence.
Also, the specific energy signature radiating from this creature made a sharp tingling sensation run persistently down Leon’s spine—not pain exactly, but a visceral warning his body was trying to communicate.
I’ve heard of something vaguely similar to this type of energy before. In my world, there is an ancient text that Loriel mentioned once when discussing forbidden cultivation paths.
But this gives such a concentrated and abrupt feeling compared to those vague historical descriptions. This is the real thing, not just stories.
His heart was beating rapidly, adrenaline pumping through his system just from standing this far away from the source. Despite the fact that he logically assessed his own power level as superior based on raw stats and abilities, his body was reacting with deep instinctive fear.
That contradiction doesn’t make rational sense. My power should be equal or superior, so why does every survival instinct I possess scream danger?
The hooded creature spoke again, and this time its tone was almost conversational—like two people having a casual discussion rather than enemies about to fight to the death.
"After so very long, someone has actually managed to reach the tenth level again. Quite remarkable, truly."
There was a pause, and Leon could have sworn he detected something like weariness in that inhuman voice.
"Defeating you seems... inevitable given our respective capabilities and the vast gulf between our power tiers. But truthfully, I find myself not particularly wanting to engage in this pointless combat."
The hooded figure shifted slightly, its posture relaxing marginally. The purple runes covering its ceremonial robes flared brighter for a moment, pulsing with increased intensity.
"I am not like those mindless half baked puppets from before. This is like a job for me; that’s what you humans call it."
"You must have confidence to end the challenge when you have taken a knowing step in here, whether I would call it stupidity or barely, I don’t know, but it’s impossible for you to defeat me as you are now human."
It’s... sentient? Actually self-aware and capable of genuine independent thought? The previous one, which copied Seraphine and others, seems an ability, not an actual sentient; this one was first.
"I have absolutely no desire to engage in pointless things," the creature continued with an insidious, overwhelming aura that suddenly burst forth from the hooded figure like a dam breaking.
The pressure was immediate, crushing, and far beyond anything Leon had experienced before. He felt it pressing down on him from all directions despite standing quite far away from the actual source. His holy armor flared defensively with brilliant light, struggling visibly to deflect and neutralize the malevolent energy trying to seep through.
This power... It’s on a completely different fundamental level. This is what a true Ethereal feels like.
Leon could tell—with painful, crystal clarity—that his realistic chance of defeating this being in direct combat was extraordinarily, almost impossibly slim.
Less than one percent probability of victory. Maybe even significantly lower than that if he was being completely honest with himself.
His heart pounded intensely, racing as he’d just finished a sprint, as every survival instinct he possessed screamed urgently at him to withdraw immediately while he still could.
What if something accidental happens that terrifies him?