Chapter 1345: It’s Not That Simple (Part 2)

“Oh, so that’s how our show ends?” Karso puffed out his cheeks, dissatisfied.

Norax nodded deeply as Adam disappeared behind the gate with a bright flash.

“I’m afraid so. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long for his return.”

Then, his gaze shifted to the new guest who had joined them just a few minutes ago by special invitation.

“What do you say, Nollura?”

She gulped. A few minutes ago, she had been training by absorbing energy from the crystals provided to her by the Black Cut members, as she was a newcomer to their ranks.

Her eight spider blades on her back had disappeared after her recent evolution, but now there were four blade-shaped crystals along each of her wrists. Her eyes had become sharper, her hair darker, and her aura more powerful, not to mention the significant changes in her abilities.

However, she understood that she was at the bottom of the hierarchy at the Black Cut and she needed to do everything in her power to earn the attention of their leader, Norax.

Now, she sat with them at the same table and watched as Adam entered the Silver Beacon, the Ancient Artifact, one of the few in their world.

“I’m not sure what exactly you want to hear from me… I don’t know much about the Ancient Artifacts.”

In response, Norax took a sip of wine and pointed to the top of the Silver Beacon.

At the same moment, a bright light came out of the top of the Silver Beacon, resembling a white star.

“What you see now, the white code, means that Adam has met the host of the Silver Beacon.”

“The host…?” Nollura muttered.

Norax nodded.

“She will guide Adam further and also give him a choice that will determine what he can achieve in this amazing place.”

After a few moments, Nollura looked at the Silver Beacon.

“White Code… What other colors are there?”

Norax waved his hand. “Well, actually quite a few, but not all of them are important, especially to us. Let’s say, if we see a red light, things are bad.”

“Why?”

“It means Adam is in mortal danger. The black light will mean he is dead. The crystal white light, whose brilliance is incomparable to what we see now, will mean that Adam has passed the Silver Beacon’s trial.”

For a moment, Nollura’s eyes widened as her face paled.

“W-Wait… Does Adam know about this? Does he know he could die there?”

Norax shook his head.

“Nah, I decided not to tell him. It would only distract him from the task at hand, and the Silver Beacon might not let him in if he knew about it. She’s a bitch, you know? She’s difficult to deal with.”

“And… What now?” Nollura asked. “What light should we look for next?”

Norax’s smirk widened.

“Well, it all depends on what Adam chooses. Although knowing him… There can only be one answer to that question.”

Just a few minutes later, the white light at the top went out, as the crystal shone again, only this time with a different light.

“Yeah, that’s what I was waiting for.” Norax grinned widely, realizing that Adam’s chances of survival were now significantly lower.

That was good news for him.

The higher the risk, the greater the reward.

…

Silence.

Adam was silent for a moment, staring intently at the girl in front of him, who looked no older than 12. However, her deep eyes showed that she was definitely not a child.

Her outfit, her calm aura, and her cold voice were more typical of an office worker than a cheerful child.

“Who are you?”

She bowed slightly, introducing herself.

“My name is Mona. I am the host of the White Spire. I’m sure you’ve already heard about it from the guard at the gate.”

Adam nodded weakly.

Then, he slowly looked up at the elevator disappearing into the void. Above them, there were no clouds, no stars, no ceiling, just white nothingness.

“White Spire… Is that it?” He pointed to the elevator.

Mona shook her head.

“No. This is the way there, and it’s up to you where you end up and what happens in the end. But I must warn you — if you’re not careful, you could die at any level.”

Mona expected shock or indignation on Adam’s face. As a host, she had met all the contenders, and she understood that Adam should not have known about the risk of death, otherwise, the Silver Beacon would not have let him through the barrier.

But Adam just shrugged.

“That’s understandable. If death weren’t an option, there would be no point in me coming here.”

“Why?” Mona asked sincerely, tilting her head. “You don’t seem like someone ready to die. Although… if you came here just to commit suicide, that would be a unique case and an excellent choice.”

Adam smiled bitterly.

‘Hah, she’s definitely not a child. A little more and she’ll start advertising this place to me like some manager.’

“Nah, I’m not going to die, either now or in the near future. I came here to get something special, and great rewards cannot be obtained without risk, am I not right?”

Mona blinked several times.

“Sure, it was silly of me to ask about that.”

“You…” Adam looked around. “Do you also obey the Silver Beacon, your mistress?”

“Indeed. Just like all the creatures in this place.”

For some reason, Mona pointed her hand at the emptiness around them, but not up where the elevator had taken them.

“So, you’re a host of this place? Are you going to set up trials for me?”

“Something like that.” Mona nodded as she stepped forward. “My task is quite simple — I will give you a choice, and it is up to you to decide.”

Without hesitation, she spread her arms as several crystals of different colors appeared between her palms.

However… Adam immediately saw something familiar in them.

White, green, blue, purple, yellow, red, and black.

These weren’t just colors, they were the Threat Levels, the system by which the Citadel determined the strength of a monster.

“Is that all?” Adam asked, sensing that Mona was hiding something.

“Not quite.”

Then, with a tremor in space, another crystal appeared in front of the seven — an amber one.

“Judging by the fire in your eyes, you already understand what this means. The higher the threat level, the more difficult the challenge and the greater the reward, but the risk of death also increases significantly,” Mona explained.

‘Desire of Beyond? If I have to go beyond my limits, how can I choose anything else?’

Adam grinned, pointing to the amber crystal.

“This one!”