Previously on SSS Ranked Awakening: All My Skills Are at Level 100...
Velrith attempted to bribe Leon with increasingly valuable items and even a soul-binding contract, but Leon consistently refused every offer. Though Velrith was enraged and frustrated by Leon's refusals, the Tower's rules prevented him from directly harming Leon.
The negotiation had concluded entirely. Velrith's sole desire was to witness the eventual suffering of this arrogant insect.
His fangs emerged fully, jettisoning all pretense of civility and politeness. The overseer’s sneer became genuinely murderous, promising future violence as explicit threats were openly issued.
"You have transgressed your limits immensely, you wretched human from a lower world! Just wait patiently—sooner or later, I shall uncover your cherished secret! You cannot hide from me eternally behind these restrictive tower regulations!"
His voice dropped to a menacing growl, saturated with malice.
"After I ascertain precisely what renders you so special and unique, I will meticulously and agonizingly kill you using the most excruciating methods known to me. This will extend to everyone you hold dear. Your family, your lovers, your friends—all annihilated."
His smile twisted into something truly vicious.
"Your entire damned world will be reduced to cinders. Every single living entity upon it will shriek before meeting their demise. And I shall ensure you witness every moment before I finally dispatch you."
Then, as if an internal switch was flipped, his fangs completely retracted, and his expression reverted to one of pleasantness and friendliness—as though those horrific pronouncements had never been uttered.
"Now then. This represents your absolute final opportunity, human. Sign this magnanimous contract to spare yourself and your miserable world from the unavoidable future repercussions of your audacity."
The administrator was certain that threat would be effective, at the very least. He preferred not to resort to such extremes, but matters had escalated to this point. It mattered little if the human was a reincarnation of some formidable being; at this moment, he was but an ant before him.
Those particular words instilled genuine fear in Leon. Yes, he was petrified hearing such detailed, explicit threats from a being of such overwhelming might, a being who unequivocally meant every syllable.
He could genuinely enact all of that once the Tower’s rules ceased to shield him. He could dismantle everything Leon strove to construct and protect.
However, surmounting fear, far eclipsing terror, Leon felt an all-consuming, burning rage.
How DARE he menace his life! Threaten the individuals precious to him!
Vivid recollections surged through his mind—Seraphine’s radiant smile, the unwavering trust of the awakened humans placed entirely in his hands, Ira’s fierce and devoted affection, Archon Vrya’s resolute commitment to her people’s salvation, the profound reliance of everyone depending on him for security and safety.
Leon apprehended rationally that reaching the fiftieth floor and establishing connections with innumerable other worlds populated by potent entities would be exceptionally challenging and perilous.
Yet, in that precise instant, confronting this presumptuous creature, he forged an unshakeable, ironclad resolution.
I will eliminate this worm. Sooner or later, he meets his end by my hand. The duration is irrelevant.
Instead of cowering before the threats as Velrith evidently anticipated, Leon felt his resolve solidify into a diamond-hard determination, impervious to any force.
For the very first time across both his lifetimes, his yearning for power ignited with an intensity never before experienced—fueled not merely by aspiration or the instinct for survival, but by pure loathing and the overwhelming imperative to safeguard what held true significance.
The overseer’s menaces struck ears that remained utterly impervious to intimidation.
Leon responded not with fear or subservience, but with a cold, absolute resolve and palpable hatred directed at the entity he was destined to annihilate.
Unconsciously, without even registering the action, he activated Leximancy—his spatial ability, an innate power he had neglected to refine, a subtle force that imbued his uttered words with reality-altering potency.
"Commence the trial, you worm."
Those five words impacted the trial overseer as if struck by a physical blow to his auditory senses.
THIS INSECT, HOW DARE HE!!!
For a fleeting moment, Velrith actually faltered mid-inhale—not due to any external constraint, but because he perceived a peculiar, utterly unforeseen tremor ripple directly through his very soul.
Was that... an assault? Did this insect just attack my soul with mere words?
It yielded no tangible effect, yet he sensed its resonance upon his soul.
The tower’s regulations still fully precluded retaliation, as the event had not been registered or classified as a direct aggression by the Tower. But to impact the soul—even minutely—of a being of such vastly superior cultivation through mere spoken words?
Could it be a legendary artifact? Some soul-bound treasure? Or... something else entirely? Another secret this human conceals?
His fervent resolve to unravel this human’s secrets escalated exponentially, bordering on obsession.
And the sheer audacity of this lowly insect referring to ME—Velrith Moonscar of the Purple Moon Clan—as a worm...
Velrith, in that very instant, harbored an unshakeable resolve: even if Leon had finalized the contract and divulged all information, he would have utterly annihilated the human world and brutally extinguished every single individual remotely connected to him. This fury stemmed purely from the profound disrespect and egregious insult he had suffered.
'No one dares to call me a worm. NO ONE!' not even the Clan Head himself!!
However, the stringent rules of the tower compelled him to proceed with the trial's explanation as dictated by protocol.
Through clenched teeth, concealed by a facade of a smile, Velrith initiated the explanation. His voice, deliberately monotonous, hastened to adhere to the rules as swiftly as possible.
Leon absorbed the words with a heart as cold and devoid of emotion as stone. His mind, however, was already leaping ahead, consumed by intensive contemplation on how to achieve dramatic increases in strength at the earliest opportunity. He pondered what kind of absolutely brutal training regimen he ought to implement upon his return to the outside world.
'I require power. True power. Enough to ultimately crush beings like this one.'
The trial's structure was presented as both straightforward and simple:
He was tasked with vanquishing opponents who would manifest and assault him in successive waves. The rewards bestowed would directly correspond to the number of stages he successfully conquered.
The option to surrender and withdraw from the trial mid-course was available, but only after successfully completing the initial stage. Prior to reaching this critical milestone, the outcome was binary: complete triumph or eternal demise—no intermediary outcomes, no possibility of escape.
Upon concluding the mandatory explanation, as per the tower's requirements, Velrith inquired, his voice dripping with barely contained animosity:
"Are you prepared to commence, worm?"
He intentionally echoed Leon’s own insult, his tone a chilling promise of future torment.
Leon merely offered a cold nod, his countenance sculpted from unyielding ice.
His hand moved with ingrained expertise, and his sword materialized instantly within his grasp—the blade shimmering with an almost palpable holy power, restrained yet eager to be unleashed.
Immediately following this affirmation—
FLASH!
A potent azure luminescence bloomed at the far end of the expansive arena, approximately one hundred and fifty meters distant. This light rapidly coalesced, forming the distinct silhouette of a diminutive bipedal entity.
In mere seconds, it fully materialized into a tangible form.
A creature with verdant skin stood there, notably shorter than Leon—perhaps reaching only to his chest at most. In one clawed hand, it clutched a crudely fashioned iron sword, the weapon appearing primitive yet undeniably functional.
A goblin.
Leon identified it instantly upon the first glance, drawing upon his extensive knowledge of monster types and classifications.
Yet, he absolutely refused to lower his guard, despite its comparatively small stature and seemingly feeble appearance.
'Size is irrelevant. Cultivation rank is the ultimate determinant.'
He promptly consulted its status via his system:
[Trial Goblin - Ascendant Rank]
'The exact same rank as me. And no other pertinent information is accessible.'
Leon fluidly assumed a ready combat posture, his muscles coiled like tightly wound springs, poised to erupt into action.
His holy energy reserves churned with formidable power within him, prepared to surge forth the instant he willed it.
The goblin’s crimson, luminous eyes fixed upon Leon with predatory intensity, and it emitted a piercing, ear-splitting shriek.
SCREEE!
It then charged forward with astonishing, explosive velocity, traversing the distance far more rapidly than its diminutive legs should logically permit.
