Chapter 40 – The Hall of Rivals
The staircase to the sixth floor shimmered with silver light.
Azrael took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The world around him blurred.
When his vision returned...
He found himself standing inside a massive circular hall.
The ceiling was so high that it disappeared into darkness.
Hundreds of stone platforms floated in the air.
Upon each platform stood a warrior.
Some wielded swords.
Others carried spears, bows, staffs, or enormous axes.
They were all different races.
Angels.
Dragons.
Demons.
Titans.
Spiritfolk.
Machine Lifeforms.
Each radiated the aura of a genius.
The System appeared.
Floor Six
Hall of Rivals
Objective:
Defeat three opponents.
Rules:
Opponents will possess the same cultivation realm as the challenger.
Victory requires skill, not overwhelming power.
Between battles, all injuries and energy will be restored.
Azrael smiled.
"Finally..."
"A straightforward trial."
One of the stone platforms descended.
A tall elf stepped forward with a long spear.
His emerald eyes were calm.
He gave Azrael a respectful bow.
"I am Eryndor."
"Champion of the Emerald World."
"Please."
Azrael returned the bow.
"A fair duel."
The battle began.
Eryndor’s spear moved like flowing water.
Every thrust carried incredible precision.
Azrael didn’t rush.
After his battle with the Nameless Sword Saint, his swordsmanship had become noticeably calmer.
Instead of clashing head-on...
He redirected the spear’s momentum.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
The elf smiled.
"Excellent."
He spun the spear overhead before launching dozens of thrusts in an instant.
Azrael activated Origin Perception.
The world slowed.
He could see every movement.
Every opening.
Every shift in Eryndor’s stance.
Clang!
Astraeus slipped between the spear’s path.
Azrael stopped his blade at the elf’s neck.
Silence.
Eryndor laughed.
"I’ve lost."
He dissolved into green light.
Opponent One Defeated
Evaluation:
Excellent
The second platform descended.
This time...
A towering dragonkin woman landed with a gigantic greatsword resting on her shoulder.
She grinned.
"So you’re the one everyone’s talking about."
"My name is Karessa."
"No need to hold back."
The ground exploded beneath her feet.
She charged.
Unlike Eryndor...
She relied on overwhelming strength.
Each swing shattered the arena floor.
Azrael narrowly avoided a massive downward slash.
The shockwave split the platform in two.
Marcus, watching from outside, whistled.
"I’d surrender."
Ryan nodded.
"Immediately."
Karessa laughed.
"Dodge all you want!"
She slammed her sword into the ground.
Hundreds of stone spikes erupted toward Azrael.
He spread his Eclipse Wings.
For the first time since entering the Tower...
He took to the air.
His silver-black wings beat once.
He disappeared.
Karessa looked upward.
Too late.
Azrael descended behind her.
Origin Step.
A single clean strike.
Karessa froze.
Then smiled.
"That was beautiful."
She faded into crimson light.
Opponent Two Defeated
Reward:
Origin Step Mastery Increased
Outside...
Students began whispering.
"He’s using his wings far better."
"His movements changed."
"The Sword Saint really transformed him."
Even Valeria watched quietly.
Her competitive spirit burned brighter than ever.
The final platform descended.
The atmosphere immediately became heavier.
A young man wearing a black academy uniform appeared.
He looked no older than Azrael.
Short black hair.
Golden eyes.
No wings.
No halo.
No visible weapon.
The System hesitated before displaying his information.
Final Opponent
Name:
Unknown
Title:
Former Academy Rank One
Azrael frowned.
"Former?"
The young man smiled.
"I graduated a long time ago."
He extended his hand.
A sword of pure light materialized.
"I’m Cain."
"I’ve been waiting for someone interesting."
The duel began instantly.
Clang!
Their swords collided.
Azrael’s eyes widened.
Cain’s swordsmanship...
Was even more refined than Eryndor’s.
He fought without hesitation.
Every movement flowed naturally into the next.
Minutes passed.
Neither gained the advantage.
Outside...
Professors nodded with approval.
"This is the best duel so far."
"They’re evenly matched."
Headmaster Orion smiled.
"Not for long."
Inside the arena...
Azrael remembered the Nameless Sword Saint’s final lesson.
Forget every technique.
Forget every victory.
Simply understand.
He closed his eyes for a split second.
When they opened again...
His sword no longer chased Cain’s blade.
Instead...
It anticipated it.
Cain smiled.
"So you’ve reached this stage."
Their swords met one final time.
Instead of forcing the clash...
Azrael gently redirected the attack.
Cain lost his balance for a fraction of a second.
That was enough.
Astraeus stopped inches from Cain’s chest.
Silence.
Then...
Cain burst into laughter.
"Wonderful!"
"It’s been centuries since I’ve been defeated."
He looked directly at Azrael.
"When you enter the Academy..."
"Find my descendants."
"They still owe me money."
Azrael blinked.
"...What?"
Cain laughed even harder before dissolving into light.
Outside the Tower, the professors couldn’t help but laugh as well.
"Even after becoming a trial guardian..."
"...he’s still thinking about debt."
Floor Six Cleared
Evaluation:
Perfect
Special Reward:
Sword Intent Advanced
Current Stage:
Intermediate
A warm current flowed through Azrael.
His understanding of the sword deepened once again.
Astraeus’ voice echoed proudly.
"You’re finally beginning to wield me properly."
Meanwhile...
Seraphina had reached Floor Eight.
She stood before an enormous valley where hundreds of magical beasts fought one another.
The land itself was dying.
The System appeared.
Floor Eight
Restore Harmony.
Instead of immediately intervening...
Seraphina watched.
She noticed something unusual.
The beasts weren’t naturally hostile.
A dark crystal buried beneath the valley was corrupting their minds.
"So that’s the source."
She didn’t waste time healing every beast individually.
Instead...
She flew directly toward the crystal.
Her Genesis Wings unfolded brilliantly.
Golden feathers drifted across the valley.
"Genesis Domain."
A forest of radiant trees erupted around the crystal.
Roots wrapped around it.
Flowers bloomed.
The corruption fought back.
Dark tendrils lashed out.
Seraphina refused to retreat.
With one final surge of Genesis energy...
The crystal shattered.
The dark aura disappeared.
The beasts gradually calmed.
One by one...
They bowed toward her before returning peacefully to the forest.
Floor Eight Cleared
Evaluation:
Perfect
Reward:
Genesis Aura Advanced
Outside...
Headmaster Orion looked at both twins’ screens.
One mastered conflict through understanding.
The other ended conflict by removing its cause.
Different paths.
Different powers.
Yet equally extraordinary.
At that moment, every remaining participant received the same notification.
Trial Tower Announcement
Participants Remaining:
3,812
↓
1,024
Final Phase Beginning.
The entire Trial Tower trembled.
Far above the visible floors...
A new section of the Tower awakened.
One that had remained dormant for thousands of years.
The ancient voice of the Tower echoed through every floor.
"The true examination... begins now."
The students who remained instinctively looked upward.
They all felt it.
From this point onward...
Only the true monsters among the younger generation would continue climbing.