415: Entering the tenth floor 415: Entering the tenth floor Max and Princess Lenavira arrived at the entrance of the Tower of Truth, and the moment they stepped into view, the already thunderous crowd surged with noise.
The massive plaza before the towerâusually calm and orderlyâwas packed to the brim with beings from every race imaginable.
Elves stood in clusters, graceful and silent, their sharp eyes watching Max with quiet hope.
Demons gathered in loud, arrogant groups, laughing and jeering, their mocking tones echoing through the air.
Humans were scattered throughout, some curious, some skeptical, all drawn in by the storm that surrounded this moment.
The buzz of voices instantly turned toward the approaching pair as Max walked beside the elven princess, calm and unfazed amidst the roaring crowd.
âLook!
Max is here!â someone shouted, and heads snapped in his direction.
âHe actually dared to show up?â another scoffed.
âI guess he has a death wish.â âHeâs just a level 4 Adept,â a demon sneered.
âKorbin is going to tear him apart.â âYeah,â another voice agreed, full of disdain.
âToo weak.
He shouldâve stayed in the elf lands where itâs peaceful.â Their words werenât whispered.
They were loud, biting, and meant to shake him.
But Max didnât flinch.
He walked forward with steady steps, his gaze fixed on the colossal tower ahead, ignoring the noise, the doubt, the laughter.
Around him, the chaos built higher.
Speculation flew from all directionsâsome ridiculed him, some questioned his motives, and only a small few believed in his chances.
Most of the gathered crowd couldnât see beyond ranks, levels, and visible power.
To them, Korbin was a monsterâa demon prodigy whose strength was already well-known and feared.
And Max?
Just another human, foolish enough to step into the fire.
But none of that mattered to him.
Not the noise.
Not the judgment.
Only the battle ahead.
Soon, Max and Princess Lenavira stepped into the first floor of the Tower of Truth, leaving behind the deafening roar of the crowd outside.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the atmosphere shiftedâsilent, heavy, and ancient, as if the tower itself acknowledged their presence.
The towering stone walls shimmered faintly with inscriptions that glowed ever so softly, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Max took a few steps forward, his boots echoing across the smooth marble floor, when a strange sensation surged through him.
It was subtle at first, like a ripple in still water, but quickly grew clearerâhe felt it, not just around him, but within him.
A strange awareness, as though the tower had just opened itself to him.
His eyes narrowed, and he turned sharply to Lenavira.
âI⊠I feel like I can go directly to any floor in the tower,â he said, surprise evident in his voice.
âLike⊠I just know I can.â Lenavira smiled softly, unsurprised.
âThatâs what happens when you gain access to the tenth floor,â she said, her tone calm and knowing.
âSome say the tower is alive.
Others believe it possesses a form of intelligenceâancient and quiet, but always watching.
Whatever the truth is, once youâve reached a floorâletâs say the fifthâyou gain permanent access to it.
Just a thought, and youâll be transported there, along with any floor below it.
Itâs like teleportation, but it only works inside the tower.â Max nodded and looked around, his senses attuned to the invisible network that now connected him to every level of this place.
The idea that the tower knew where he could go⊠that it responded to his progress⊠unsettled him slightly, but also fascinated him.
âMAX!â a loud voice rang out just as Max was preparing to ascend, and he turned to see a familiar group of figures weaving through the crowd on the first floor.
It was none other than his friendsâfellow humans from the Valora Continentâled by Crown Prince Aelric himself.
There was a look of fierce determination and camaraderie in their eyes as they approached.
Aelric was the first to reach him, extending a fist with a confident smile.
âAll the best, Max,â he said, locking fists with him.
âMake it count.â âYeah, go show them the humans from Valora shouldnât be messed with!â Jack added with his usual cocky grin, clapping Max on the shoulder.
Amelia stepped forward beside Revenna, her tone more casual but her eyes glowing with excitement.
âMe and Revenna arenât far behind,â she said proudly.
âIâm on the eighth floor, and she just made it to the ninth.
Everyone else is catching up fastâtheyâre all on the sixth and seventh floors.
Weâll catch up to you eventually.â Revenna, calm and composed as ever, gave a nod.
âIâll defeat you when I reach the tenth floor,â she said matter-of-factly.
Max laughed, a genuine, hearty laugh that warmed the groupâs spirits.
âThank you all for your well wishes,â he said, nodding gratefully.
He turned to Amelia and Revenna.
âIâll be waiting for you both at the tenth floor.
But I wonât wait too long, so hurry up,â he added with a teasing grin.
Amelia returned his smile and added cheekily, âOh, by the way⊠Alice is already on the tenth floor.
Just so you know.â Maxâs eyes widened slightly.
âShe is?â he asked, surprisedâbut quickly calmed down, remembering the strength of her phoenix bloodline.
It made sense.
âAnd you know what else she said?â Amelia continued, narrowing her eyes mischievously.
Max took a small step back, suddenly wary.
âWhat?â âShe said sheâs going to take revenge⊠for what you did to her back in the dungeon where you two first met,â Amelia said with mock drama in her voice, clearly enjoying the moment.
Max smiled bitterly, rubbing the back of his neck.
âDamn⊠that was a mutual deal, though.â âShe doesnât think so,â Amelia replied with a smirk.
Max could only shake his head, half-amused and half-worried.
âAnyway,â he said, his voice firm now as he looked over his friends one last time, âIâm heading up.
I expect all of you to make it to the tenth floor soon.
Show them that the geniuses of the Valora Continent arenât ones to be underestimated.â âDonât worry about us,â Aelric said with a confident smile.
âJust focus on your fight.â Max nodded and turned to Princess Lenavira, who stood silently beside him.
âLetâs go then,â he said.
She gave a simple nod before vanishing from her spot in a blink, her body dissolving into a trail of shimmering light.
Max took one last look at his friends, then closed his eyes and focused on the tenth floor.
The tower responded to his will immediatelyâand in the very next moment, his figure disappeared in a flash of red and silver, leaving behind only the charged silence of anticipation.
CREATORSâ THOUGHTS ShinGotLost I mistakenly and accidentally publish this chapter nowâŠ
So after resetâŠ
there will be only three chaps