The tower did not rush him.
That more than anything else unsettled Kael.
After the global announcement, after the system gave the rewards shock and after the ranking boards rewrote themselves there was no immediate follow up. Just silence.
Kael stood inside the exit chamber of the fifth floor the black stone walls gave off some sounds faintly with stabilized mana. The air felt thicker than usual as if the tower itself were watching him more closely than before.
"I didn't expect the global announcement, but will people really care about rank changes of a mere 5th floor, this changes the aftermath" Kael folding his arms "When you cross the line the system didn't expect hahaha, that's a cringy line"
A translucent panel shined into existence before his eyes, layered far deeper than any previous interface.
Not one window but several.
He exhaled slowly and selected the first.
First he reviewed the Title called FIRST CUTTER which Kael got it while defeating the floor 4 hidden boss and triggered it while one shoting the floor 5 boss.
[Title: First Cutter
Type: Hidden
Effect:
1. Increases the effectiveness of cutting type skills by 5%.
2. Slight priority in conceptual conflict resolution.
Kael titles his head slightly.
"So its not about damage, its about authority"
"But still I have to uncover how to use this title effectively bases on the conceptions and the authorities"
Seeing this title it actually makes sense.
Delimited edge wasn't a weapon skill in the conventional sense, its the combination of both line and eraser. It didn't rely on strength or mana output, it relied on definition, on deciding where something ended.
The title reinforced that idea.
"I'm not just cutting flesh anymore, I'm cutting rules".
He moved on the next title which he acquired through the floor 5 Global Announcement Reward.
[Hidden Title: One Second Executor (Dormant)]
Activation Condition: Maintain top global fastest clear record across three boss floor (2/3)
Floor 5 : 2 seconds - Rank 1
Floor 4: 56 Mins - Sole Executor Rank 1]
Kael let out a low chuckle.
"Wow floor 4 is considered as boss 4 because I killed the High one time Unique boss and it never ever appear once again and that's why it has written has sole executor rank 1, even if someone manages to break the record of floor 5, but floor 4 rank is always be mine, that's reassuring"
"So the tower wants consistency in my performance not just a fluke"
He didn't dislike that.
If anything it sharpened his focus.
Kael picked up the new item dropped by the floor 5 boss.
[Floor 5 Boss: Grashkul Warden Core
A crystalized authority fragment extracted from the defeated Warden class entity]
Kael stared at the pulsing core suspended in the interface.
But something happened.
[Authority Record absorbs the Grashkuls Warden Core]
[More Blueprints and Records have been released]
[It advises the Architect Chosen to absorb all the blueprints and record before entering floor 50]
[Conceptual and authority bases skills increased by 10%]
Kael's mind just went blank, he just stared at the system interface and thinking what just happened, the item got absorbed in the architect records and boosted the authority based skills.
"And there is something in floor 50, I have to research on whats on floor 50".
By the wayyyyy
"I cant sell the core damm it, it got just absorbed into the records, I need to make money too, players lives matters you damm tower"
Tower: 😑
Just lets get moved on sighhh
[Reward: Architect Residue x1
A trace remnant of an architect tier existence. Compatible with Delimiter class entity]
"...So it really does all trace back to the Architect, I really need to find out who is this Architect and his existence".
The tower wasn't random, it never was.
Kael picked up the token.
[Concept Reinforcement Token x1
Enhance an existing skill or talent that interacts with the abstract rules]
Kael thought I have another called Weapon enhancement module, but I will keep it for crucial uses.
Kael didn't hesitate.
He selected the Delimited Edge, the token dissolved instantly.
[Delimited Edge- Reinforced]
[Boundary stability Increased
Cutting technique ability increased
Conceptual severance delay reduced
Mana cost reduced by 12%]
"Good" Kael flexing his fingers "Now the line will be faster, stronger, sharper"
He closed the reward interface, other reward was high grade magic crystals and Kael stood till for a moment.
There was one more thing.
Kael opened his status.
Name: Kael
Class: Delimiter
Level: 15
Talents : Line Drawer F- ( 75% ), Eraser F- ( 66% )
Skills: Tap F- ( 98% ), Delimited Edge E+ ( 25% ), Minor Control (Passive) F.
Kael studied the list,
He saw the proficiency of his talents and skills have been increased, and his tap skill is close to break through to just F, well it does not matter, eventually it will rise.
"I'm definitely not a swordsman and definitely not a mage either"
A swordsman trained technique.
A mage shaped magic and energy.
A assassin relied on positioning and lethality.
And I don't even compare it other classes.
But him?
"I define where things stop like a boundary" Kael concluded "And once defines it obeys".
That realization settled heavily in his chest.
This looks like a borrowed power but it was not, it was a role to be played.
The exit gate pulsed.
Kael stepped forward.
[Floor 6 Entry Confirmed]
[Environment Type: Ruined Urban Zone]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
[Primary Objective: Unknown]
[Secondary Objective: Available]
The world shifted.
Kael emerged onto the cracked asphalt.
Towering skeletal buildings leaned at unnatural angles, their upper floors torn open as if something massive had clawed through them long ago. Broken signs flickered with ghostly light displaying unreadable glyphs instead of words.
The sky was overcast frozen in a permanent twilight.
"This place feels like it was lived in and then abandoned very quickly" Kael said quietly.
A new interface opened.
Yes its the main missions.
from floor 6 onward tower gives player gives missions like main, side or sometimes hidden. It doesn't matter if its cleared or not, but if its cleared tower generously gives the rewards to the players who clears it.
[Main Mission: Floor 6
Objective: Reach the central Signal Spire.
Reward: Experience, Random Equipment drop.]
Before Kael could move, another window stacked itself on top.
Then another.
Then another.
[Side Quests Unlocked]
[Side Quest: Lost Signal
A residual Broadcast repeats endlessly from the the within the city ruins, trace its origin.
Reward: Skill Experience Boost]
[Side Quest: Fractured Survivors
Neutral entities remain trapped within sealed structures. Free at least three
Reward: Reputation Modifier, Random Consumables]
[Hidden Quests Unlocked]
Yess there is Hidden quest in floor 6 but its very tricky.
[Hidden Side Quest: Echo of Authority
Condition: Detect with perception or authority based skills]
Kael smiled faintly.
"So this floor is designed to reward exploration and not with the brute force".
He took a step forward.
The sound of claws scraping concrete echoed from an alley to his left.
Three figures emerged.
Humanoid silhouettes wrapped in tattered urban camouflage their bodies partially phased flickering like corrupted data.
[Enemy Identified]
[Type: Echo Stalker
Rank: Common
Trait: Partial Intangibility.]
"This enemy is very annoying as said by the players in the forum, they are designed to punish direct attacks"
The Echo Stalkers jumped.
Their claws passed through air distorting space slightly as they moved.
Kael raised his hand and drew the line and didn't activate Delimited edge, lets use that sparingly.
The echo stalkers couldn't pass the boundary they jumped back.
Kael drew another line and used it as weapon and decided why not use it like swordsmanship technique so that he make his foundation and basics strong.
Kael jumped forward and slashed the monster and a simple thin line drawn across the echo monsters body.
The leas Echo Stalker stopped and froze.
Its upper body phased forward, but its lower body did not.
"So even partial existence still counts as existence" Kael observed.
He erased the line, the monster collapsed, its form failing.
The remaining two hesitated.
Kael stepped forward.
"These monsters has consciousness and are learning, yes that's good but learning doesn't save you"
Kael ran forward and chased them and using the line as weapon he had a battle with them and completely finished them off.
[Enemies Defeated]
[EXP Gained]
Kael just checked by using tap was there a hidden boss in floor 6 like in the floor 4 where it mentioned floor progression: 95%. but that message nowhere to be seen, so there's no hidden boss in floor 6.
The Lost signal was easy to trace.
A collapsed subway station beneath the city.
Kael descended carefully following the repeating distortion in the air.
Inside a crackled terminal flickered weakly.
He tapped it.
"This?????"
"This signal isn't a distress call, this is a bait"
A hidden echo stalker lurked behind the terminal.
The monster jumped and slashed at Kael damaging his lower back body.
[Echo monster dealt 100 damage]
[Lost 100 HP]
Damm it, this was so sudden, It hurts.
Kael drank the HP potion to ease pain.
Kael drew the line once again and slashed the monster and the monster died.
[Defeated Echo Stalker]
[EXP Gained]
[Side Quest Completed: Lost signal]
[Reward: Skill Experience Boost
can be used 3 times for 1 hour each]
Kael straightened.
"Good, lets see how far this city goes".
As Kael moved deeper defeating more echo stalkers on the way.
More interfaces flickered at the edge of his vision.
Hidden paths.
Locked doors.
Authority Checked zones.
This floor wasn't testing his strength.
It was testing whether he understood his role.
And Kael did.
He wasn't here to overpower the tower, he was here to draw lines it could no longer cross and ultimately break the tower and unravel the mysteries of this universe.
The mission was only beginning.
But,
Deep inside in the core of the city, sitting on the throne, an old rugged man opened his eyes.