Chapter 499: Entering the Tower of Souls, Separated
The moment the entrance opened, an invisible force swept over them. Their souls rattled under the pressure. Even Leon could feel it this time.
It wasn’t enough to harm them, but it was strong enough to make it clear that this place was not meant for ordinary players.
"D-Do we really go in?" Emilia asked, her expression was perplexed, and there was clear concern in her eyes, "I have a bad feeling."
"It seems to be the only way forward," Violet said. Her usual calm voice was different. There was nervousness in it, "It’s a risk we have to take."
Celeste, however, was affected more than either of them. Her entire body was trembling.
The pressure was terrifying to her, not simply because of how powerful it was, but because she knew exactly what it could do.
For a phoenix-raced player, the soul was the most important thing.
Celeste had already seen members of her own race killed through attacks that targeted their souls, destroying the immortality that normally protected them.
The thought of entering a place where every monster could attack the soul was naturally terrifying.
Pyra seemed to sense her fear. The small phoenix emerged from Celeste’s chest and flew around her, trying to comfort her.
Leon watched her for a moment before walking over.
"If you want, you can stay here." He placed a hand on Celeste’s shoulder, "There is no need to feel pressured. I’ll make sure to bring you some items that can help you get stronger."
Celeste looked at him. Her body was still trembling, but she slowly shook her head.
"I-I w-want to face it!"
Leon didn’t try to argue with her. He understood that this was something Celeste wanted to overcome herself.
"Alright, then." Leon nodded, "If anything bad happens, stay behind us."
Celeste took a deep breath and nodded. And just like that, the group entered the Tower of Souls one by one.
Leon stepped through the entrance first, followed by Emilia, Violet, and Celeste.
Fwoosh!
Darkness swallowed them. For several seconds, Leon could see nothing.
He continued walking forward, his hand already resting near his sword as he prepared for whatever might be waiting inside.
Then, after a short while, the darkness disappeared, and Leon emerged into a completely different place.
’Seems similar to the Tower of Time as of now.’
Every tower seemed to have a being that ruled it entirely.
The Tower of Time had the Time Overseer. The Tower of Souls had the Lord of Souls.
Leon slowly looked around the chamber.
The floor and walls were made from smooth blue and white marble, with faint lines running through the material like veins.
The chamber was circular, and five separate halls opened from its edges, each leading into complete darkness.
The strange part was the feeling coming from the room itself. The walls seemed to pulse slowly, almost like the chamber was a gigantic heart, making the entire place feel strangely alive.
Leon remained still for a moment as he absorbed the scenery. Then he realized something.
’Wait.’
Where were Violet, Celeste, and Emilia?
Leon turned around. Nobody was there. He looked toward the entrance through which he had entered, but it had disappeared.
He quickly checked the other parts of the chamber. Nothing. The three girls were nowhere to be seen.
Even though they had all entered through the same entrance, they had apparently been separated the moment they entered the tower.
Leon didn’t have much time to worry about it, however.
Ding!
[After so many years, new challengers have appeared, each of them with souls brimming with energy.]
[Very good.]
A holographic figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the chamber.
It was completely covered in darkness. The only visible features were two blue flames that served as its eyes.
The figure slowly opened its mouth. A chill immediately traveled down Leon’s spine.
[In the Tower of Souls, only those with a strong soul will survive, as every monster inside has the power to attack it.]
Leon narrowed his eyes. Every monster was capable of attacking the soul.
[Each of you have been separated for now, but upon climbing the steps of the tower, you may meet again... if you survive.]
[Clear the "Tutorial" to prove yourself worthy, and then... we will see.]
’Damn it.’ Leon hadn’t expected them to be separated.
His expression became serious. The separation was dangerous.
If one of the girls encountered something capable of destroying her soul, Leon wouldn’t be there to help. That was what worried him the most.
[In front of each of you are five halls. Select one of them to move to the next chamber and face the monsters you’ll have to defeat.]
The holographic figure disappeared. Leon was left alone in the chamber.
He stared at the five halls. Each one looked exactly the same. There was no indication of which one was safer, stronger, or more dangerous.
Leon thought for a moment before lifting his staff.
If he couldn’t determine which hall was the correct one, there was no reason not to use his usual method.
Fwoosh!
Several undead skeletons emerged from the ground.
Leon pointed toward the five halls, "Each of you take a—"
He didn’t get to finish as the skeletons suddenly began to shake and their bones started to erode.
Cracks spread across their bodies before the skeletons completely crumbled into dust.
Leon stared at what remained with a dark expression.
[Any being without a soul will immediately die from the pressure, do not attempt that again.]
’Damn.’
Leon looked at the remains of his skeletons. So even his undead couldn’t survive here.
That meant he couldn’t simply send his summons into the five halls and determine which one was safe.
Pets such as Pyra and Alphox were different, however.
They possessed souls, and considering that they were high-rank pets, their souls were likely strong enough to survive the pressure.
Unfortunately, Leon didn’t have Pyra with him, and sending Alphox into the unknown wasn’t smart.
That meant whichever hall he selected would truly be random.
Ding!
[You have three minutes to decide, players. Once the timer is over, the pressure of the chamber you are currently in will build up to slowly shatter your soul.]
Leon frowned. The Lord of Souls was extremely cruel.
He didn’t seem to care about anything except testing the strength of the players who entered his tower.
’So that’s how those ten souls I defeated in the God-Rank assessment died.’
If Leon remembered correctly, each of them had entered the Tower of Souls to challenge it, but faild at some point.
Leon could probably kill himself and trigger [Life Vessel], allowing him to reach the Altar of Life and potentially communicate with those souls.
But doing something like that now would be foolish.
He didn’t know what awaited him deeper inside the tower, and wasting [Life Vessel] simply to investigate the ten souls would be an unnecessary risk.
After around a minute of considering his options, Leon finally sighed.
There was no point in wasting more time. He chose one of the five halls and stepped into it.
The moment he crossed the entrance, the way behind him closed.
Leon glanced backward for a moment before continuing forward.
After walking through the darkness for a short time, Leon emerged into another chamber similar to the one he had just left.
However, this room was different: there was something standing in the middle.
Leon immediately stopped. A creature resembling a lich stood there, its thin body covered in dark robes that seemed to move despite there being no wind.
Its exposed bones were a pale blue, while two faint blue flames burned inside its empty eye sockets.
A crooked staff rested in its hand, covered with glowing soul markings.
Eye of Truth!
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[Lich of Souls]
[Level: 100]
[Talent: Soul Pulse (C-Level)]
[Combat Power: 12,300,000]
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