"[Time Remaining: 43 days 21 hours 38 minutes 14 seconds]"
There was still a significant window before the 4th Floor officially opened, and while humanity was busy panicking, I spent those remaining weeks alternating between deep rest and grueling training sessions. The subspace became our private colosseum. Sparring with Wilong, Leo, and Melchior was the perfect way to polish my movements. Since we didn't obtain any EXP from friendly sparring, we didn't level up, but it was an incredible farming experience for my [Gap] Stat.
"[Congratulations! You have successfully dodged a Graze attack!]"
"[Congratulations! You have successfully dodged a Fatal attack!]"
"[Congratulations! You have successfully dodged a Graze attack!]"
"[Congratulations! You have successfully dodged a Graze attack!]"
The system notifications blurred past my vision, each one representing a narrow escape from a lethal strike.
"[You have earned +0.01 Rift Points]"
"[You have earned +1 Rift Points]"
"[You have earned +0.01 Rift Points]"
"[You have earned +0.01 Rift Points]"
"[Current Gap stat : 57.03/100 Rift Points]"
The Rift Points were filling up rapidly as I danced between Wilong's heavy spear lunges and Leo's aggressive teenager-fueled energy. By the time the countdown finally hit zero, I felt my instincts were sharper than ever.
"[Time Remaining: 0 days 0 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds]"
"[Notice: The 4th Floor of the 'Tower of Trials' has officially opened!]"
- "[Welcome to the 4th Floor, 'Flooded Catacombs']"
- "[Difficulty Level: S-Rank]"
- "[Clear Conditions: Obtain the 'Divine Artifact' from any of the Sea Kings. Obtaining even one 'Divine Artifact' by any Ranker will be enough to fulfill the Clear Condition. However, the rewards will belong to the Party or Ranker that managed to fulfill the condition.]"
- "[Rewards: +40,000 Coins, 'Contract with the Higher Beings' and the Right to own the 'Divine Artifact' obtained]"
- "[Failure: ????]"
"[Time Remaining: 23 days 24 hours 59 minutes 57 seconds]"
The Clear Conditions and the generous Rewards were a blatant trap. The Tower was essentially dangling a golden carrot to make Rankers turn against each other for the limited artifacts. It was the same cutthroat logic from the VR days, only now the difficulty had spiked to S-Rank. From this floor onwards, the 'Tower of Trials' had officially entered Hard mode.
A shimmering portal emerged in the center of a damp, abandoned alleyway. Unlike the main gates, these random portals only allowed entry to those possessing the Tower's energy. I brought out the team, Wilong, Leo, and Melchior, to explore these depths. Melchior had assumed his teenage form, appearing roughly the same age and height as Leo. I wanted to register an official 'Party', but we were still lacking members since the system required a minimum of six.
"Ready to go for a swim, Hyung?" Leo asked, his eyes practically glowing with battle-lust.
"Keep your guards up," I replied. "This isn't a training session anymore."
We stepped inside the 'Portal' and were instantly plunged into a world of heavy, silent blue.
"[You have arrived at the Zone 'Ruined Sunken Ship'!]"
"[Warning: Be aware of the 'Sea Creatures' inhabiting these Zones.]"
"[Activating the 1-Star Barrier, 'Aegis of Still Waters'!]"
"[Activating 'Aqua Breathing' Lvl 1!]"
Using my [Barrier] Skill, I carved out a pocket of breathable space, allowing us to move comfortably through the pressurized water. We began to sail through the depths, riding the steady currents while navigating past the massive, rotting skeletons of ships scattered across the seabed.
Suddenly, something blurred through the water at an impossible speed, slamming into the [Barrier] with a dull thud. It was a spear made from bones, its tip vibrating against the energy wall.
"[Activating 'Lantern of the Lost Soul' Lvl ???]"
Leo didn't waste a second. He manifested a medium-sized lantern that pulsed with a ghostly green hue, illuminating the murky darkness around us. The light revealed several scaled figures circling us with predatory grace.
"[Notice: You have encountered the 'Naga Warriors'!]"
"Finally! I've been itching for a real fight!" Wilong laughed. He pulled the 'Green Dragon's Bone' from his [Inventory], the spear humming as he shifted into a low battle stance.