CHAPTER 67: GIANT CENTIPEDE

Hearing the name Derek wanted to register under, the old man frowned. "What kind of ridiculous name is that?!"

"Why? Are there any rules saying which names are allowed and which aren’t?" Derek asked casually.

"No... but still.... whatever. If that’s the name you want to register under, then so be it."

The old man muttered under his breath as he typed the name into the console. Then he pointed toward a panel beside the door. "Go place your palm over there."

"Sure thing."

Derek walked up to the wall and pressed his palm against the glowing panel.

Ding!

[Challenger: Demonbane]

[Floors Cleared: 00]

"You may enter now," the old man said indifferently.

Derek glanced back at Meridith once before stepping through the shimmering gate that resembled a swirling portal of light.

The moment he emerged on the other side, he found himself standing on the peak of a mountain. To his left stretched a vast cliff that dropped into an endless sea of clouds, while to his right lay a dense forest blanketed in mist.

He took a few steps toward the cliff’s edge and looked around, awe flashing in his eyes.

’What a beautiful place,’ he thought. But just as he was admiring the breathtaking view, a powerful presence suddenly surged behind him.

Derek turned instantly and saw a young man standing there, his face covered with a mask. He wore maroon robes trimmed with black, and his long silver hair was neatly tied behind his head. In his hand gleamed a long sword that shimmered faintly under the sunlight.

Sensing the man’s aura, Derek summoned his own weapon with a flick of his wrist. His sword materialized from the storage ring in a flash of light.

’He’s strong,’ Derek thought grimly.

Before he could even strategize, the masked man dashed forward and swung his sword, leaving Derek barely a heartbeat to react.

Whoosh!

The man’s blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle. Derek barely managed to duck at the last moment, bending backward as the sword brushed past his face, missing him by a hair’s breadth.

The masked man swiftly twisted his wrist, redirecting the strike in a smooth arc, but Derek leaped forward, narrowly escaping the follow-up slash.

In an instant, the man lunged again. This time, Derek swung his sword in a backward arc to meet the attack.

Clang!

The two blades collided, releasing a metallic echo that rang across the mountain peak. The force of the impact sent a tremor through Derek’s right arm, the one holding his sword.

"A D-Class fighter, huh?" Derek muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing. "So the tower’s throwing tough opponents right from the first floor. At least he’s not using aura... or maybe he can’t."

Without another word, they clashed again.

Their swords flashed like lightning as they exchanged blows, sparks scattering with every strike. The opponent was one level higher in the cultivation realm, but with his experience and skills honed through countless life-and-death battles, Derek wasn’t losing ground — though he wasn’t having an easy time either. Sweat rolled down his temple as their duel stretched on, neither side yielding an inch.

Minutes passed. Ten. Then fifteen.

And finally, Derek saw his chance.

As the masked man swung horizontally, Derek stepped in instead of backing up. Abandoning his blade for a split second, he drove his elbow hard into the man’s chin.

Crack!

The masked man staggered, his balance breaking.

That instant was all Derek needed. With a swift motion, he thrust his sword forward, straight through the man’s chest.

Ding!

[Floors Cleared: 01]

The man’s body wavered, his form disintegrating into motes of light that scattered into the air like fading dust. A shimmering rift appeared before Derek, swirling with blue energy.

’Let’s see what the second floor has in store for me,’ he thought, stepping into it without hesitation.’

Meanwhile, outside the gate, Meridith stood quietly before the tower.

When the display beside the name "Demonbane" flickered and the floor count changed from 1 to 2 after just sixteen minutes, she couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at her lips.

Back inside the tower, Derek emerged on the other side once again.

This time, he found himself standing in a barren wasteland. The air was thick and dry, and a hot wind swept across the endless stretch of sand. Not a single sound could be heard — no birds, no beasts, just the eerie silence of a dead land.

He turned in a slow circle, scanning the empty horizon. There was nothing, not even a shadow in sight.

’What am I supposed to do on this floor?’ he wondered.

He didn’t have to wait long for an answer.

The ground beneath his feet suddenly began to tremble. He leaped back quickly. At first, it was faint, like a distant rumble, but within moments, the sand started to churn violently. A spot a few meters ahead began to bulge and swell, as if something enormous was forcing its way to the surface.

Then... boom!

The sand exploded outward, forming a massive whirl as grains poured off a rising figure. Derek shielded his eyes, his heart pounding as the creature’s form became clear.

A monstrous centipede burst forth from the earth, its body gleaming with crimson armor-like plates that reflected the dim blue light of the sky. Dozens of sharp legs clattered against the ground, moving in a synchronized, horrifying rhythm. Its upper body, however, was far more terrifying, twisted into the form of a magic beast with multiple muscular arms, each ending in clawed hands dripping with black fluid.

A grotesque feline-like head sat atop its shoulders, adorned with long, curved antennae and glowing scarlet eyes that burned with hunger. The creature opened its maw, revealing rows of serrated fangs and a deep, guttural hiss that echoed through the wasteland.

Derek tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes narrowing.

"So that’s the challenge for this floor?" he muttered under his breath. "Why does it feel like the tower is in a bad mood today?!"