"Why not start the next stage immediately?"
As soon as the idea settled in his mind, Louis did not leave the waiting room.
Instead, he raised his head slightly and said calmly:
"System, I want to clear the next stage immediately."
The reply came at once.
[ You have used up your attempt for this week. Do you wish to use a Stage Cooldown Card? ]
Louis did not hesitate for even a second.
"Yes."
[ Please place your hand on the interface and wait while the system transfers you to the next stage world. ]
A shining interface appeared in front of him, like a glowing glass surface.
Louis stretched out his hand and placed it on it firmly.
Only a few seconds passed before the system's voice echoed again, this time in a more formal tone:
[ The world "Ninja: Part One" has been selected as your next stage mission. ]
[ Note: Due to the length of the main story in the Ninja world, this world has been divided into three parts across different stages. ]
" Heeh, is it Naruto this time?"
In the next moment, Louis felt a light pulling sensation.
The scene around him faded, and he found himself in a completely different waiting room.
It was slightly larger and more crowded, with several players preparing to challenge this stage as well.
Louis ignored them and focused on the system interface as it continued displaying information:
[ Main Stage 4: Ninja World. ]
[ Part One: Chunin Exam. ]
[ Ninja World: The world is full of ninja villages, powerful battles, and big dreams. There are five main ninja villages: the Leaf, Sand, Mist, Stone, and Cloud, and many smaller villages that also train ninjas. All ninjas use chakra, a special energy inside the body, to perform amazing techniques like running on walls, creating fire, or controlling water. Some families are born with special bloodlines called Bloodline Limits, which give them unique powers that others cannot copy. To grow stronger and prove themselves, young ninjas take part in the Chunin Exams, a dangerous test that shows who is smart, brave, and strong enough to become a leader. This world is about friendship, hard work, and never giving up, no matter how difficult the path becomes.]
[ Main Mission: Achieve the highest possible result in the Chunin Exam. ]
[ You will be given one year to prepare for the exam. ]
[ You may choose the village you belong to and select one bloodline as the source of your power and talent in this world. ]
[ You may choose one skill to master in this world. ]
[ Note: This skill and bloodline cannot be changed in later parts of this stage. ]
Louis narrowed his eyes slightly as he read.
"So… a sequential world," he murmured thoughtfully.
"Heh, it seems the system is trying every kind of stage on me."
He already knew about this type of world.
A "sequential world" is one where the system divides major missions into parts spread across different stages.
This system also applies to other famous worlds like One Piece, Marvel, and others...
Louis smiled faintly.
"This is really interesting. There's no clear final evaluation here… I won't get a true judgment until I finish all parts."
Then he sighed.
"And that also means there's no extra cooldown card for this stage. Who knows which stage the next parts will appear in."
Before he could think further, someone suddenly appeared in front of him, as if coming out of nowhere.
"Hello, my friend," the man said with a friendly tone on the surface.
"You're new to this kind of stage, right? I'm forming a group here. How about an alliance?"
Louis lifted his head and looked at him.
His appearance was unremarkable. He wore a mask that completely hid his face.
However, from his body language, tone of voice, and the emblem clearly drawn on his mask, Louis had no doubt.
He was one of those arrogant noble family members.
"You?" Louis asked, feeling like he had seen that symbol somewhere before.
The young man chuckled lightly and said:
"My title in this world is 'The Raging Tiger.' If we cooperate well, you'll have the honor of learning this young master's true identity and becoming a recognized friend of mine."
" Exactly as expected from a "young master.""
" He was willing to be friends with people like us."
" Obviously, he was a veteran player. Clearing stages like this was nothing more than a glass of water to him."
Some nearby players quickly started flattering him, clearly seeing him as an experienced player for whom stages like this were trivial.
"I'm on the 33 stage of the tower," said the player calling himself the Raging Tiger, puffing out his chest and looking down at Louis.
"I wonder… what stage is our friend here on?"
Louis answered simply:
"I'm only on stage 4."
A short silence followed, then mockery spread among the surrounding players.
"Huh? Stage 4 only?"
"I'm on stage 19."
"I'm on stage 21."
"And this guy? Stage 4?"
Clear looks of ridicule appeared on their faces.
But Louis remained calm and said:
"So what? No matter what stage you're on, everyone starts from zero in each stage, right?"
He knew very well that stage assignments are "random" in the first 49 stages of the tower.
A stage 49 player could face the same world and mission as a stage 1 player.
The Raging Tiger nodded.
"You're right. But experience is different. The more stages you clear, the more experience you gain."
Louis smiled lightly and said:
"Heeh… I see. In that case, I apologize. I don't want to be the reason you get a low evaluation due to my lack of experience. I'll try to clear the stage on my own."
The Raging Tiger frowned slightly, then said coldly:
"Hmph… do whatever you want. Just don't get in our way."
He turned around and headed toward the entrance of the next stage, waving his hand.
"Let's go, everyone. Let's get the best evaluation in this stage."
Cheers and more flattery followed him.
Louis watched the group for a moment, then shook his head with disdain.
Amateurs.
Without saying another word, he calmly walked toward the stage entrance, a faint smile still on his face.