Eldritch Assassin: Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Devouring System
Chapter 55: The Eternal Ascension Pagoda

Chapter 55: The Eternal Ascension Pagoda

Lysara sheathed her longsword, her jade inlays glinting. "The pagoda’s trials will be brutal," she said, her voice calm. "And since we can’t come to an agreement, I suggest we enter all at once. Agreed?" Her eyes flicked to the white-robed figures, then Kael, testing their reactions.

The white-robed duo nodded again, their movements synchronized, their silence unnerving.

Kael tilted his masked head, pausing for effect, then gave a curt nod. "Fine. But to each their own," he said, his tone sharp, his shoulders squared.

Lysara’s lips twitched, a flicker of amusement passing by, but she turned to the pagoda’s door, pressing three Bloodstones against the runes. The white-robed figures stepped closer, their robes swaying, while the Arveth team fell into formation with their weapons ready.

Kael lingered at the back, his Night Predator trait scanning the group. They were all a threat to him, especially the leader of the Arveth team, the girl with the fan, and the gruff dude beside her.

The white-robed figures were the real mystery—the calm they portrayed and their vague answers, made him link them to outsiders from beyond the Valoria Kingdom.

The Shadow Veil Mask, worth every cursed BP, kept his identity safe for now, but his bluff was a tightrope.

The pagoda’s door rumbled, the runes flaring as it slid open, revealing a dark mass within. Primal energy poured out, thick and cold.

Lysara led the way with her longsword drawn, her group and the white-robed figures trailed behind while Taryn’s hate-filled eyes darted to Kael, starring daggers at him.

Kael ignored Taryn’s glare, his Shadow Veil Mask hiding his smirk as he strode through the pagoda’s entrance. The air shimmered, like passing through a soap bubble, and the world twisted, separating everyone.

His boots hit soft earth, the scent of pine and damp moss flooding his senses. He blinked, finding himself in a dense forest with towering trees stretching into a misty canopy, and sunlight filtering through in thin shafts.

The pagoda, the plain, the others were gone. His Night Predator trait pinged, catching faint rustles in the undergrowth, and his silver eyes narrowed beneath the mask.

Before he could move, a sharp —ding— echoed in his head, and the translucent screen flared to life.

———

[DING!]

[System Quest Unlocked: Trial of the Eternal Ascension Pagoda]

[Quest Type: Primary]

[Location: Eternal Ascension Pagoda – 18 Floors]

[Time Limit: None]

[Objective: Conquer the 18 Floors of the Eternal Ascension Pagoda. Each floor presents a unique Trial testing one of the following: Strength, Endurance, Willpower, Heart, Wisdom, Comprehension, Karma, and more. Each level increases in difficulty and is sealed until the previous one is cleared]

[Progression Unlocks:]

> Floors 1–5: +5000 EXP, +500 BP, +1 Skill Shard.

> Floors 6–10: Offensive Skill Unlock: Silent Fangs, +1 Inventory Expansion Core (5 Slots).

> Floors 11–13: Trait Mutation Option: Predator’s Instinct or Shadow Weave, +10,000 EXP.

> Floors 14–17: Epic-grade Technique Manual (Shadow Sever Arts), +1000 BP, +2 Skill Shards.

> Floor 18: Title: "Breaker of Chains", +1 Forbidden Grade Item (hidden), +20,000 EXP, +5 Bloodstones, +5000 BP

[Bonus Objectives (Optional):]

> Clear each floor without taking -50% total damage (+50 Blood Points per floor)

> Clear Heart Demon Trial with soul intact (+1 Soul Core Shard)

[Failure Conditions:]

> Falling unconscious or giving up.

> Death.

> Losing your sense of self (in Heart or Karma Trials).

[Final Rewards Upon Completion:]

> Title: Ascendant of the Eternal Pagoda

> Defensive Skill: Cloudveil Reversal Technique

> Offensive Skill: Heavenpiercer Sword Art

> ??? – (Hidden Reward: Unlocked only by perfect run)]

———

Kael whistled, his eyes wide behind the mask. "Now that’s a haul," he muttered, the rewards making his mouth water.

Skill Shards, Forbidden Items, a title like Breaker of Chains—it was a jackpot worth dying for. "Quest accepted," he said, his voice sharp, no hesitation.

The system chimed, a new notification flashing: [First Floor: Trial of Strength. Fight powerful beasts and warriors to test raw physical and cultivation strength].

ROAR!~

A bone-rattling roar shook the trees, leaves falling. Kael spun, his Abyssal Fang Dagger drawn, its enhanced blade pulsing. Two Sabertooth Panthers, each two meters long, burst from the undergrowth, their Pre-Awakening auras equal to Lvl 16 cultivators.

Their fangs gleamed, eyes locked on him, muscles rippling under sleek fur. Kael’s smirk widened, his bloodline itching for a fight. "Dinner time," he whispered, his Eclipse Step ready for battle.

The first panther lunged, its claws slashing for his chest. Kael’s —Eclipse Step— flickered, his form blurring as he dodged, reappearing behind the beast. His dagger plunged into its flank, the blade biting deep, blood spraying.

ROOOAAARRRR!~

The panther roared, spinning wildly, but Kael rolled, avoiding its snapping jaws and claws. His —Night Predator— trait sharpened his senses, catching the second panther’s charge.

He hurled an obsidian knife, its poison sizzling as it embedded in the beast’s shoulder. The panther faltered, its movements slowing, and Kael darted in, slashing its throat—[EXP +260].

The first panther pounced, its claws raking the air. Kael dove, the attack grazing his Bloodthread Mantle, pain flaring—[HP: 95%]. His —Adaptive Regeneration— kicked in, the wound healing as he sprang up, his dagger carving through the beast’s leg.

It stumbled, roaring, and Kael’s —Eclipse Step— carried him onto its back, his blade plunging into its spine—[EXP +260]. The panther collapsed in a pool of blood, its body twitching, the forest falling silent.

Kael panted, his HP at 97%, the dagger’s —Essence Latch— restoring a sliver of stamina. "Not bad for a warm-up," he muttered, wiping blood from his blade.

His system pinged, the 520 EXP added with his previous 3,470 pushing him closer to Lvl 14. The forest rustled, and his Predator’s Instincts alerted—more threats incoming.

Three figures emerged, warriors clad in ancient armor, their auras Lvl 15 to 18, Pre-Awakening. Their swords and axes glowed faintly, their eyes hollow, like puppets of the pagoda.

The lead warrior, a burly man with an axe, charged, his weapon swinging wide.

Kael’s —Eclipse Step— flickered, dodging the blow, his dagger slashing the man’s arm. Bone crunched and the warrior staggered, but he swung again, relentless in his attack.

Kael ducked, hurling an obsidian knife into the man’s chest, poison slowing him down. He finished with a dagger thrust to the heart—[EXP +300].

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