CHAPTER 176: SECOND STAGE OF THE TOWER OF FATE, PROVE YOUR COMBAT ABILITIES

[You have arrived at the Second Stage.]

[Please wait for the others to complete the first stage, though.]

"Oh?" Sam muttered under his breath.

So he had been right after all.

Everyone else was forced to go through the same stage he had just endured.

That meant the challenge he faced truly was the first stage, not something unique or twisted against him alone.

It wasn’t much of a relief, but it was enough to make him nod in acknowledgment.

The vortex continued to pull him forward, space bending in every direction like liquid glass.

Sam waited as his body floated within the strange pull, unable to move but not uncomfortable either.

Two minutes passed in silence, broken only by the faint hum of the currents dragging him deeper into the tower.

And then—

Ding!

[Everyone has completed the first stage, how surprising!]

Sam raised an eyebrow.

So not a single person had failed.

Usually the tower designed its trials with the intention of culling at least one participant.

Failure was not something temporary in this place.

If someone failed too many times, or took too long to overcome the obstacles placed before them, they would be erased.

Failure meant being branded "forsaken," stripped of worth and life alike.

Death was the only outcome for those who could not prove themselves.

Yet this time, every single awakener that entered alongside him had survived the opening challenge.

That meant they were already considered a capable group, one with no obvious weak links to discard.

The thought left Sam strangely unsettled.

If no one had been eliminated yet, then the tower would only make things worse moving forward.

Fwish! Bam!

The vortex collapsed in on itself, and Sam’s feet touched solid ground.

He straightened immediately, finding himself inside a chamber that resembled the one from before.

Circle walls, faintly glowing runes, and a ceiling high enough to drown him in shadows.

Once again, he was alone.

---

[Second Stage: Prove your combat capabilities.]

[To defy fate, and be chosen as one of the "worthy," you must demonstrate that you can fight through anything and everything.]

---

Sam exhaled slowly, narrowing his eyes as he read the floating panel.

So the first stage had tested basic attributes.

This one would test battle.

He could already feel the weight pressing down on him.

[Beat the boss by yourself to complete this stage.]

The words had barely appeared before the entire chamber shuddered violently.

The runes along the walls flared like burning veins, pulsing with hostile energy.

Fwish! Fwish!

Sam turned sharply, scanning the surroundings.

He could feel it, something was being summoned.

BAM!

The floor cracked open in the middle of the chamber, stone shifting and rising.

A massive figure pushed its way into existence, clawing itself upward.

At first its form was hazy and indistinct, as though the tower had not yet decided what shape to give it.

Then the mist peeled away, and the figure settled into something familiar.

Sam’s lips parted.

"Holy..."

The creature’s body stretched upward until it stood nearly seven meters tall.

It was humanoid, though faceless, with long gray limbs marked by faint glowing lines.

In its hands, it clutched a colossal hammer, the head of the weapon as large as Sam himself.

Sam tilted his head, confused.

"Huh? A... dummy?"

It was unmistakable.

The figure looked almost exactly like the dummy from the first stage, only multiplied in size and saturated with killing intent.

A crushing aura pressed down from its body, heavier than the weight of the vortex that had carried him here.

The creature finished forming, and its first action was to roar.

A deafening bellow tore through the chamber, accompanied by a shockwave that rippled outward.

The ground trembled beneath Sam’s boots.

He steadied himself and dropped into stance, sword already in hand.

---

[The Ultimate Dummy (Boss)]

[Level: 75]

[Description: Dummies are built for training, but this one holds greater strength than any that came before. Its hatred toward those who use its kind burns deep.]

[Skills: Dummy Control, Hammer Smash, Aura Release...]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: Are they seriously giving lore to this thing? Doesn’t matter, just kill it.]

---

Sam couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh at the comment.

But [Hell-Mode Analysis] was right, all he needed to do was kill it.

This second stage tested their ability to fight alone.

[Because at the end of the day... even if you reach the last realm, you’ll be all alone. Even the tower knows it =)]

The words glowed faintly across the panel before fading away.

Sam clicked his tongue, muttering, "Maybe. But that’s why strength is the most important thing of all."

That had to be the true lesson here.

The tower was forcing every awakener to understand that there would come a time when no one else could save them.

If they weren’t strong enough to overcome that reality, then they were nothing but forsaken.

The dummy took a heavy step forward.

The ground split beneath its heel, the hammer rising into the air.

The weapon descended with the promise of annihilation.

But Sam was already moving.

"Just die," he whispered, eyes flaring with power.

His aura surged outward, mixing with his affinities and flowing into the blade of his sword.

His body blurred.

Fwish!

In an instant, he closed the distance.

The [Ultimate Dummy] hadn’t even lowered its hammer before Sam appeared directly in front of it.

His sword rose, gathering destructive energy that hummed with crimson light.

A faint message burned across his vision.

[One hit is all it takes =)]

It was the opening line of the [True Primordial Sword Technique].

Sam thought back to the months he had spent in the [Dimension of Time], repeating every movement until his body remembered it better than breathing.

Now was the moment to prove that training had been worth it.

SLASH!

The sword cut downward, carrying a force that screamed across the entire chamber.

The air tore apart in its wake, space itself fracturing.

The instant the blade connected with the dummy’s chest—

Fwish! BOOM!

The creature’s body convulsed.

A massive wound ripped through its torso, spreading like wildfire.

Then, as though its entire form had been nothing but fragile clay, the dummy split apart and collapsed.

Its colossal hammer crashed to the ground with a metallic clang, sparks scattering across the floor.

Sam stood still, breathing lightly.

Not a single scratch marked his body.

The dummy, a level seventy-five boss, was gone in one strike.

He blinked, lowering his blade.

"I guess... I win?"

Ding!

[You have somehow defeated the "Ultimate Dummy" in one strike and thus completed the second stage!]

Sam’s lips curved into a wide grin.

He didn’t waste the moment.

He raised his primordial sword, letting a dark tendril extend from it.

The shadowy appendage dug into the dummy’s remains, tearing out a glowing core.

It pulsed faintly before being devoured by the sword itself.

Fwish!

Power surged faintly through Sam’s veins, though his level remained unchanged.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

’I guess I need a lot more than this.’

How strong would his enemies have to be for him to gain levels now?

Or was it simply a matter of endless grinding?

Either way, he knew the advancement task would be the true barrier, something designed to push him to the limit.

For now, his goal remained simple.

Reach level five. See the milestone reward of his [Oblivion] affinity.

Then push forward to level ten and face whatever advancement task awaited him.

He walked forward, eyes falling on the fallen hammer.

It glowed faintly with residual energy.

---

[Ultimate Dummy Hammer]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Description: A hammer that can only be wielded by someone who proved their strength.]

[Hell-Mode Analysis: At least the loot is improving.]

---

Sam lifted the hammer with one hand, turning it over.

The weight was immense, but his strength made it manageable.

Still, he had no use for such a weapon.

He tossed it into his [Spatial Inventory] without hesitation.

That void space was beginning to fill with countless weapons and items.

Thousands of them might pile up in time.

He wondered if he would ever bother selling or trading them.

[Be patient... =)]

"Hm," Sam grunted softly.

He was already rich in the [Lower Realm], and completing missions would only add to his wealth in the [Upper Realm].

If he survived all this, then the life awaiting him afterward would be comfortable beyond measure.

[If you survive, that is. Your odds of doing so remain... minimal.]

"Of course," Sam muttered with a sigh.

A portal shimmered into existence in the center of the chamber.

Its pull beckoned him forward.

Without hesitation, Sam stepped into it. Light swallowed him whole.

Ding!

[You have completed the second stage, only one remains.]