BXBX NOVEL Chapter 92: The Busy High Tower
"This feels awful!"
Enzo spat out a few coarse breaths, grumbling and complaining.
He hadn't expected the passage through High Tower to be so unbearable, feeling like being shoved into a rolling drum and then spun rapidly, completely losing his sense of direction.
After a moment, Enzo regained his composure.
He looked around.
In sight was a pile of scattered rocks, some marked with peculiar scratches, seeming like some form of signage. Further away, below the slope where he stood, was a lush forest from which occasional terrifying roars of beasts echoed, scattering the birds in the forest.
Even farther was the towering High Tower disappearing into the clouds.
Behind him lay an expanse of mountains stretching endlessly into the distance.
It was only now that Enzo realized the enormity of High Tower Space. Judging by the area he could see, it was much larger than the jungle.
"Regardless, I must head to the High Tower Hall first."
Enzo quickly made up his mind.
After traveling for more than half a day, Enzo arrived at the High Tower Hall, but to his surprise, the place was teeming with people everywhere around High Tower, let alone inside the hall itself.
What was going on?
Could it be that everyone from within High Tower Space had gathered here?
At that moment, Enzo heard someone call out, "Mr. Enzo!"
Enzo looked over and saw Richard, who had been with Douglas last time. He walked over and asked, "Richard, where are Christina and the others?"
Richard replied, "Mr. Enzo, please follow me."
Guided by Richard, Enzo walked to a slightly flat area amidst the ruins. Here, a simple shelter had been constructed using tree trunks, with some branches and leaves turning into a roof.
It was a makeshift shelter.
Christina and a few others were inside, while the previously purchased slaves numbered only around forty to fifty, guarding the perimeter with fearful expressions on their faces.
Enzo stepped into the shelter and saw the injured Fierro and Roman.
Perplexed, he asked, "What happened?"
Christina sighed and said, "There are outsiders in High Tower Space. Fierro and Roman got into a conflict with them and were injured by those outsiders."
Enzo frowned and continued, "Isn't it against the rules to fight each other?"
Hearing this, a bitter smile appeared on Christina's lips as she replied, "That's what the rules say, but whether they are enforced is another matter. Besides, although fighting is prohibited, how to punish it is the real issue. During your absence, conflicts have arisen among many people. Regular folks involved in conflicts are executed, but those with supernatural abilities receive only verbal warnings."
"Unbelievable."
Enzo's expression darkened.
Treating different people with the same rules but different handling methods.
This is basically telling everyone blatantly that as long as you have enough power, you can avoid punishment, and even ignore all the rules of High Tower Space.
Enzo felt an urgent need.
He was determined to obtain those soul seeds and would not allow anyone else to take them.
He asked again, "Christina, who are these outsiders?"
Christina shook her head with a bitter smile, saying, "I'm not sure, but these outsiders seem to know a lot about High Tower Space. They are incredibly powerful. Also, as soon as they arrived in this area, they chose to participate in the trials. Ninety percent of them passed, and now there's a leaderboard for the trials within the High Tower Hall."
"According to High Tower Soul, those ranked at the top receive special treatment."
Christina's revelations weighed heavily on Enzo's mind.
He pressed further, "Who were the outsiders who injured Fierro and Roman?"
Looking at Enzo, Christina shook her head and said, "Enzo, this matter is internal to the Flame Association."
Enzo understood what Christina meant. She clearly didn't want him involved. However, he was already involved, and regardless, he had promised Douglas. Enzo was not willing to tarnish his own reputation. Often, a good reputation could bring unexpected rewards.
In this context, Christina and the others were all talented individuals.
He wanted to seize this opportunity to absorb Christina and her group into the Crimson Star Tribe.
So, after Enzo pressed her again, Christina could only reveal the truth, saying, "Roman and Fierro were injured by someone named Zona, just because they got in his way. He claims to be a candidate priest of the Golden Lion Tribe, incredibly powerful, and the first person to pass the trials."
The Golden Lion Tribe was much stronger than the Gold Oak Tribe.
When Christina learned of Zona's origins, she felt like the sky was falling. Such a person could easily annihilate them with a flick of a finger.
Therefore, Christina was reluctant to disclose the information to Enzo.
She continued, "Mr. Enzo, thank you for your help. But it's the Golden Lion Tribe... incredibly powerful..."
Enzo didn't pay much attention to Christina's further words.
Upon hearing the name Golden Lion Tribe, he felt a sense of familiarity. After all, he had encountered another candidate priest of the Golden Lion Tribe, Freya, before, causing her considerable trouble.
Enzo wasn't afraid of the Golden Lion Tribe.
However, Christina had a point; he was currently somewhat weak.
Despite stepping into the supernatural realm just six months ago, even with his strong talent, he couldn't match the accumulated experience of others. Any conflict now would likely be disadvantageous for him.
Enzo remained calm about the situation.
After using life energy to heal Roman and Fierro's injuries, he bid farewell to Christina and headed towards the High Tower Hall. Passing through the crowded people, he once again met High Tower Soul. He also saw the trial leaderboard Christina mentioned. Besides Zona's name, Enzo spotted Freya's.
[Freya, Trial 3 Completed, Ranked 6th]
"She's here too?"
Enzo thought to himself as he walked towards High Tower Soul.
As soon as he entered, he felt the surroundings quiet down. Everyone else in the hall disappeared, leaving only the solidified form of High Tower Soul—not just an illusion anymore, but a figure resembling an old man with a beer belly and a big beard.
Upon seeing Enzo, High Tower Soul greeted him warmly, "Respected sir, you have arrived."
High Tower Soul continued with a murmur, "Those bothersome pests always come asking various questions. Due to High Tower's rules, I must answer some questions that can reveal information. Of course, this doesn't trouble me. What others see is merely my puppet avatar, but what you see is the real me."
Enzo was somewhat surprised by High Tower Soul's words.
It seemed he was being treated specially.
Was it because he awakened High Tower Soul, or was it due to Bookstaver's influence?
Either way, it was a good thing.
So, Enzo went straight to the point and asked, "Mr. High Tower Soul, can you tell me about the trials?"
High Tower Soul smiled, "Of course I can. However, I can only disclose the content of the first layer of the trials. Only after you pass the first layer will you be informed of the trials on the next layer. Before the trials begin, you will have sufficient time to prepare. Of course, you will also need to obtain some sort of organization of monsters as a ticket."
"Your first trial is combat."
"In the trial, your strength will be reduced to Level 1, and you will face two Level 3 supernatural creatures."
The details of the trial astonished Enzo.
In the hierarchy of supernatural powers, each level difference was vastly significant.
His ability to triumph against stronger opponents several times was largely due to the totem he controlled, the Tree of Life from the Seven Great Origins Creations. Otherwise, facing such a power gap would only lead to death.
However, Enzo felt relieved that the trial was not impossible to pass.
He took a deep breath and decided not to rush into the trial. Since he had ample time to prepare, it was necessary to learn more about High Tower Space during this period.
Enzo continued to ask a few more questions.
Besides inquiries about High Tower Space itself, High Tower Soul provided some answers, albeit not very detailed. For Enzo, who lacked knowledge in the supernatural, it was still a significant gain.
After answering the last question, High Tower Soul spoke up, "Respected Mr. Enzo, would you like teleportation services? I can send you directly to the wilderness to hunt monsters and obtain your ticket, saving you the time of travel."
Enzo agreed to the offer.
A milky white light shone from his body, and his figure vanished from the High Tower Hall.
Unbeknownst to Enzo, after he left, the smile faded from High Tower Soul's face. He muttered to himself, "Bookstaver, is this the person you have chosen? As the Wisdom of the Barren Mountain area, you have once again misjudged. That fellow is weak in strength and lacks knowledge. He's not a suitable master."
High Tower Soul's voice echoed in the hall, unheard by anyone.
As he waved his hand to dispel the specially arranged barrier, numerous figures appeared in the High Tower Hall. They were engaged in continuous discussions, mostly on how to pass the trials and leave.
Meanwhile, Enzo found himself transported to the wilderness.
There, he stood frozen in place.
Not far ahead, he saw someone—a familiar adversary.