'Although she used a language I don't speak, I understood her. It's just like in Torvin's memories. The Tower makes it possible for seekers to understand one another by rendering the language obsolete. The Tower is truly next level,' Ray thought. "I feel I'll never stop being amazed by the things possible here.'

Lucy and Mabo looked at Ray. His choice regarding this matter would be their choice.

"Okay," Ray replied to the arrogant, silver-haired elf. He could understand the reason for her arrogance. And he had the strength to sort out her perception right away if he liked, to show her humans weren't to be looked down upon, but he wasn't a petty man who would trouble others over mere pride.

"What are we supposed to do here?" a cat woman muttered the question lingering in everyone's heart. As she spoke, her furred ears twitched uneasily as her tail swished.

Ray was as silent and in the dark as the others. His first trial had been completely different from the one Torvin had faced in his lifetime. This place also seemed unfamiliar.

A deep voice suddenly rang out, echoing as though it came from the very walls themselves.

"Welcome, seekers, to the Corridor of Death. The main trial of this sector is simple. Reach the other end of the corridor, and you pass. The reward for passing is one thousand Enlightenment Points," Arthis explained.

"What?" Lucy exclaimed in shock.

"Are we hearing things?" Mabo was just as stunned.

Arthis continued in his jovial tone. "Yes, you heard me right. You will receive one thousand Enlightenment Points if you cross the corridor you are in."

"It's actually ten times more than the reward we earned from clearing the first trial!" Lucy and Mabo's faces lit with joy.

Ray's mouth twitched at their excitement.

'The harder the trial, the greater the reward. This trial is going to be ten times harder than the last. They're from Dragon's Gaze and don't know that? Did they enter the Tower without receiving proper guidance from their elders? Considering they snuck out last time and nearly lost their lives to prove their worth, the possibility of that being the case seems high.'

He kept his thoughts to himself.

"You said reaching the other end of the corridor is the main trial. Does that mean we can face more than one trial here in this sector of the Tower's first floor?" Ray asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Nice catch. There is another trial you can face in this sector. But you must meet hidden conditions to trigger it." Arthis's voice died down after that reply.

The group led by the elven woman joined Ray's, and they started crossing the Corridor of Death together.

"Why does this place have a horrifying name?" Lucy wondered.

Soon it was revealed why.

A sharp flash of white cut through the air. Ray, who was being extra vigilant, picked it up despite the dimness of his surroundings.

"Duck!" Ray crouched, pulling Lucy and Mabo down with him.

Shhkk!

A dart sliced through the air where his head had been a second earlier. It would have struck the cat-woman behind him if he hadn't warned them.

The dart missed everyone it was supposed to hit.

The second it touched the ground, it burst with a sharp hiss, releasing a cloud of thick purple mist. The mist spread like an uncontrollable miasma.

The walls fizzled and corroded like wax under acid wherever it touched. The ground melted into black pits, and the spreading cloud surged toward them like a living entity.

"It's extremely toxic and corrosive. Don't get near it!"

Not only Lucy and Mabo, but even the elven woman's group quickly stepped away.

Only Ray remained calm.

With a twist of his wrist, a powerful azure wind swept out, forcing the purple mist back.

Ray's expression darkened. This was the first trap they had encountered, and it was already strong enough to send shivers down their backs.

"Whoever designed this corridor wasn't kidding around. No wonder it's called the Corridor of Death." He decided to be even more careful. It would be a pity to lose his life in this place.

"Thanks, you saved our lives again," Mabo and Lucy said, their gratitude surging to another level.

The cat-woman added, "If your warning hadn't come in time, I would have lost my life. I'll never forget this favor."

Others followed her example. Only the elven woman stayed silent.

Ray accepted their thanks quietly before saying, "Let's continue."

He straightened and headed farther down the corridor. The others followed after him.

Minutes later, he suddenly stopped.

"Why have you stopped?" the elven woman asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

"We're in danger," Ray's sixth sense was tingling. "Get ready to respond appropriately."

Most of the crowd took his words seriously. The elven woman only rolled her eyes.

"I see nothing but an empty corridor. What danger are you talking about? And why are you acting like a seer who can foresee danger?"

"Because I am one?"

"Bull—"

Before she could finish, hundreds of white lights flashed in the corridor. Arrowheads.

Dozens. Hundreds. A storm of steel filled the passage wall to wall, threatening to pierce their flesh.

Dodging was no longer an option.

Everyone braced themselves to defend as best they could.

"This many? What a ridiculous trial. It's more like a death sentence." A tense expression finally crossed the elf woman's beautiful face.

A moment later, sighs of relief and chuckles filled the air as Ray made their panic look like a joke.

Ray narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth. "Burn."

A wave of fire burst out, roaring through the narrow passageway. It swept forward like a dragon's breath, incinerating the storm of arrows into drifting ash before they could come close.

"It's still not over yet, so don't relax," Ray warned.

His sixth sense had never failed him, and right now it was screaming madly to leave this place.

'My sixth sense hasn't stopped tingling… goosebumps cover my entire body. Another attack is coming. Strong enough to wipe out the whole group. And it's coming from all sides,' Ray thought.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.