Return Of The Strongest Player

[Level 21: Necromantic Beast.]

Arthur steadied his breathing as the particles that emerged from Skofnung faded. Sword Spirit dissipated, relieving most of the pressure on his mana circuits. However, in order to return to his peak condition, Arthur would need to rest.

Rest would be the death of him.

[49,675. Arthur Solace: Level 20]

[49,676. Jenny Vieira: Level 20]

[1,007,417. Harry Cavil: Level 19]

No matter how much he scrolled, Arthur wasn't able to locate Dino and Randy's rankings. However, most of the challengers were stuck on the 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd level. A few hundred to a few thousand had achieved victory on the 21st floor.

On the other hand, several tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, had achieved victory on the 20th level.

'The previous me couldn't even have imagined such a scenario,' Arthur mused, cracking an exhausted smile. Due to his continuous battle, his muscles had begun aching, while his lumbar spine was beginning to bend.

'Now, here I am, aiming to compete with the Divine Rankers from day one.'

The risk of developing spondylitis was increasing as the battle continued. A trip to the healing mage was necessary once he conquered the first floor. Since the first floor couldn't be "failed," many skimped on it.

However, it was truly one of the most important floors in Heaven's Spire.

A few minutes passed, and Arthur's train of thought concluded. The necromantic beast finally stepped onto the arena, its menacing fangs causing a dreadful atmosphere to descend upon the battlefield.

The beast looked similar to a hippogriff. It had the front half of an eagle, with the hind half of a horse. Its entire body was shrouded in what could only be described as the "Aura of Death." The beast was dead.

Yet, it was alive.

One could describe it as a state of limbo, but that was not precise. In reality, the beast was truly dead, and its body was simply a host for the Aura of Death.

'Judgment Regeneration will not be effective on such an immense death aura…' Arthur mused, stroking his chin. Since it wasn't possible to reduce the power of his foe, he could simply increase his own.

Locking eyes with the beast, Arthur cracked a smile.

Since other Divine Rankers were able to defeat the necromantic beast, why couldn't he? Not only was he armed with knowledge of the future, his preparations hadn't been utilized at all, yet. Although he was conversing his strength, what good would it do if it simply resulted in his untimely death?

Power was meant to be used, not withheld.

Arthur rushed forward, initiating the battle by awakening Skofnung. His movements were rapid, and would appear as a blur to regular people. With a determined, unwavering, piercing gaze that was locked on the necromantic beast, Arthur unleashed his attacks.

Firstly, a crimson aura surrounded the area. Arthur's field of mana encompassed the necromantic beast, hindering its senses and slowing its movements.

"I've had enough trouble from you guys since the second trial," said Arthur, each word laced with pure hatred that emerged from his soul. Everything around him was a stepping stone, leading to his eventual goal.

Clenching his teeth, Arthur activated the Sword Spirit without fearing the consequences.

'It's now or never.'

Although the 22nd level would obviously be the most difficult, Arthur couldn't risk his life simply reaching that point. He might be making the same mistake the Divine Rankers did, but frankly, he did not care.

Although he might be treading upon the same path, their ambitions differed.

He would never end up like them.

No matter how powerful the Divine Rankers seemed, they were simply cowards hiding behind a veil of invincibility, masking their true selves under what they call "authority." They were nothing but people who arrived first.

Given enough time and resources, one could potentially surpass those behemoths, just like Arthur did. However, their suppression was powerful, and the Tower Administration supported that.

That made proper growth for talented individuals incredibly scarce.

'Somehow, I managed to reach the pinnacle in this life. Unlike what many believe, it is not impossible to achieve excellence.'

With those thoughts in mind, Arthur hacked away at the necromantic beast, who roared and growled. A powerful death aura corroded Arthur's mind, but the crimson-eyed man dispelled all curses with simply a thought.

With Sword Spirit, Skofnung's Awakening, [Ethereal Glide], and finally, the counterfeit item that Arthur refined himself.

The counterfeit items progressively reduced in value, but during the initial floors, their worth was shocking. Even the most useless gemstones containing mana could offer a massive boost if one could afford it.

In Arthur's breast pocket, a tiny, iridescent stone emanated a faint light. The light flickered, providing ample mana to Arthur's mana circuits as reinforcement against the pressure of Sword Spirit.

It also continuously refilled Arthur's mana reserve, allowing him to prolong battles.

It was his free ticket to avoid all consequences from overusing his abilities. While attacking, Arthur also maintained a continuous flow of life aura in order to heal his wounds, if he received any.

The constant stream of incoming and outgoing mana made it impossible for the necromantic beast to touch a single hair on Arthur's body. However, the crimson-eyed man dealt several grievous wounds, driving it into a corner.

A few minutes passed, and the necromantic beast let out unsteady breaths.

After instilling several potentially fatal wounds on the necromantic beast's body, it was finally time to join the Divine Rankers on their pedestals. After killing the necromantic beast, he would be labeled a prodigy.

The necromantic beast released a wave of death aura, causing Arthur's skin to tingle and scream in protest. However, the crimson-eyed man ignored the rips on his skin and the tearing of his flesh.

Soon enough, the flesh would regenerate.

As he slowly approached the necromantic beast, his presence seemed akin to a devil. With a deformed body that seemed to continuously be healing, he raised Skofnung with a devilish expression.

"Die once again."

Slash!