Karl and Celeste stepped onto the third floor, aptly named the Insect Forest.

True to its name, the floor was a sprawling, dense forest filled with towering trees that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky.

The atmosphere was thick with an eerie stillness, a stark contrast to the Living Forest they had encountered during the Novice Trial.

This place felt... different.

More sinister.

More dangerous.

The air was heavy with an unspoken tension, as though the forest itself was alive and watching them.

A notification suddenly appeared before them, glowing ominously in the dim light of the forest.

[Due to your previous difficulty selection, this floor has also been placed in "Nightmare" difficulty.]

Karl let out a low, thoughtful hum.

He understood that tackling floors on higher difficulties often came with greater rewards, but he also knew better than to push his luck too far.

The Reaper's warning about the World of Spirits still lingered in the back of his mind, a constant reminder that death could come swiftly if he wasn't careful.

Still, they were here now, and there was no turning back.

They had to push forward.

With a deep breath, Karl extended his arm and summoned his spirits.

One by one, they materialized around him, their forms glowing faintly in the dim light of the forest.

[Frenzied Rabbit, Sovereign Wolf, Shadow Assassin Lizard, Infested Skeleton, Ghoul Zombie, Demonized Bear]

Karl felt confident that this lineup would be enough for now.

He was particularly curious to see what the Shadow Assassin Lizard, Infested Skeleton, and Ghoul Zombie could do.

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each spirit was crucial for developing effective strategies.

After all, knowledge was power, and in a place like the Tower of Trials, power was everything.

Just as Karl took his first step forward, his Smartwatch suddenly beeped, its screen lighting up with a bright glow.

He glanced over his shoulder and noticed that Celeste's watch was doing the same.

Before either of them could react, a holographic figure materialized above the watch, its form flickering slightly as it began to speak.

[If you receive this message, it means you have reached Floor 3.]

The figure's voice was calm but carried an air of authority.

Karl and Celeste exchanged a quick glance, their curiosity piqued.

[As an academy, we wish for all of our students to succeed.]

[Thus, it would be foolish to withhold critical information from you.]

Karl frowned.

There was so much he didn't know about the Tower of Trials.

Even in high school, the subject had been shrouded in mystery.

No one ever spoke about it in detail, and any information he had managed to find online was vague at best.

He had always wondered why that was.

Was it because the higher institutions wanted to keep it secret?

Or was there something, or someone, more powerful ensuring that the tower's secrets remained hidden?

The holographic figure continued, raising a single finger as it spoke.

[First, you need to understand that not all floors involve simply moving from point A to point B and defeating the floor boss.]

Karl's eyes narrowed.

What did that mean? Was there more to the tower than just battling monsters and clearing floors?

[The Tower of Trials is called such because it involves much more than simple combat.]

[Concepts like "Achievements,", "Checkpoints", "Custom Trials", "Dimensional Floor Invasions," "Authorities," and more will come into play.]

[Be prepared.]

"What...?" Karl muttered under his breath.

These were terms he had never heard before, and yet the figure spoke of them as if they were common knowledge.

It was unsettling, to say the least.

[You have been credited 250 Credits for completing the second floor.]

With that, the holographic figure vanished, and the Smartwatch screen dimmed, leaving Karl and Celeste in silence once more.

Celeste was the first to speak, her voice low and thoughtful.

"Even my father refused to tell me anything about the Tower of Trials," she said.

"I think there's something preventing people from talking about it."

Karl scratched his chin, his mind racing.

"It's strange," he said, "You'd think there'd be at least some information about these things online.

But it's like every single awakener who's climbed the tower has stayed completely silent.

That doesn't make sense."

Celeste nodded in agreement, "Either the Awakener Government is doing an impossibly good job of keeping it all under wraps, or..."

"Or there's something bigger at play," Karl finished her thought.

The idea sent a chill down his spine.

What kind of power could silence an entire population of awakeners?

"For now," Celeste said, breaking the silence, "our main goal should be reaching the Awakened City.

It's probably where all the Beginner Awakeners like us are headed.

We need to get there as quickly as possible."

Karl agreed, they had one month to complete the Tower's Tutorial, and yet they had cleared the second floor in just a few hours.

That discrepancy was troubling.

There had to be something on the higher floors that made progress slower, something they weren't prepared for yet.

But before they could worry about that, they needed to focus on the task at hand: the Third Floor.

As if on cue, a new notification appeared before them, its text glowing brightly in the dim forest.

[Objective: Kill the Mantis Lords before the End of the Timer]

[Time Remaining: 59:59 minutes.]

"Oh, shit," Karl muttered under his breath.

This was a timed trial.

'So that's why the first trial of the Entrance Examination involved time,' Karl realized, 'They're testing how quickly we can kill monsters.

Speed is going to be crucial if we want to climb the tower.'

The forest around them seemed to grow darker, the shadows deepening as though the tower itself was amplifying the tension.

Karl could feel an ominous aura emanating from the trees, a silent warning that danger was near.

[Failing doesn't mean death, you will simply be kicked out of the floor and have to wait a day before re-taking it.]

This was a relief for both of them.

If they encountered the boss and realized they weren't strong enough, they could theoretically hide until the timer ran out.

But neither Karl nor Celeste had any intention of doing that.

They were here to push their limits, not to play it safe.

With their spirits in tow, they began moving forward, their senses on high alert.

The Sovereign Wolf and Shadow Assassin Lizard took the lead, their keen senses and speed making them ideal scouts.

The forest was eerily quiet, the only sounds being the rustling of leaves and the occasional creak of branches.

It was unsettling.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty.

Still, there were no signs of any monsters.

"How is this possible?" Celeste murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, "It's called the Insect Forest. Where are all the insects?"

Karl frowned, it didn't make sense.

Was it because of the type of trial they were in?

Since this was part of the Tower's Tutorial, maybe the tower had only placed the boss as the main obstacle.

This would make sense if the goal was to prepare awakeners for what they could expect on higher floors.

"Well," Karl said with a sigh, "the boss is probably at the end of the forest, we should just head there as quickly as possible."

Celeste nodded, and they picked up their pace, their spirits following closely behind.

The Sovereign Wolf and Shadow Assassin Lizard continued to scout ahead, their movements swift and precise.

After another twenty minutes, Karl suddenly felt a shift in the air.

His instincts screamed at him to be cautious.

"WATCH OUT!" he shouted, just as a sharp, lance-like projectile shot out from the trees, aimed directly at the Shadow Assassin Lizard.

The spirit reacted instantly.

With a swift, fluid motion, it drew its dagger and deflected the projectile with impressive precision.

The attack had come out of nowhere, and yet the Shadow Assassin Lizard had handled it with ease.

And then, from behind one of the trees, it appeared.

[Mantis Lord - Level 22 (Boss Monster)]

The boss was here.

The Mantis Lord was a towering figure, its body a blend of insectoid and humanoid features.

Its scythe-like arms glinted in the dim light, and its eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence.

This was no mindless monster, it was a predator, and it was hunting.

Karl's heart raced as he took in the sight of the boss.

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