Eldritch Assassin: Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Devouring System
Chapter 68: Third Floor

Chapter 68: Third Floor

Each step Kael took felt like dragging a mountain, but he didn’t stop. He crossed the threshold. Behind him, the chamber sealed.

His’s HP surged back to 100%, his Lvl 19 frame humming with raw power as he stepped onto the third floor of the Eternal Ascension Pagoda.

The stone chamber faded, replaced by a misty canyon, rough cliffs rising into a swirling gray sky, the air thick with primal energy that tugged at his Essence Core.

His Abyssal Fang Dagger gleamed, its blade still warm from the second floor’s brutal trial, the Essence Latch kept on feeding him steady pulses of stamina.

***

Meanwhile,

Back at the pagoda’s entrance, the air was heavy with the groans and complains of the injured. Cedric, Taryn, and Mei-Lin huddled a few meters from the jade door, their wounds bandaged but their pride battered.

Cedric’s frost-burned hands trembled as he clutched his broken staff, his Lvl 18 aura dim. Mei-Lin sat cross-legged, her shattered fan-blade discarded, her Lvl 22 wind qi flickering faintly. Taryn leaned against the wall, her Lvl 26 frame bruised, her daggers lost, her scowl deep as she stared at the pagoda’s glowing runes.

The first floor had crushed them, its tailored trials—fair but unforgiving—spitting them out after the second or fourth phase. The second floor’s golden glow had just flared, only to dim moments later, and now the third floor’s runes flickered, a sign someone had advanced.

Cedric’s eyes widened, his voice hoarse. "Third floor already? Who’s leading?" He glanced at Mei-Lin, then Taryn, his fingers twitching. "Lady Lysara’s got the edge, right? Her sword arts are unmatched."

Mei-Lin’s lips pursed, her gaze fixed on the pagoda’s runes. "Maybe," she said, her voice soft but sharp. "But those white-robed ones... they’re not normal. They’re suspiciously mysterious. They’re definitely hiding something." Her broken arm rested in a sling, but her eyes burned with curiosity. "Could be one of them."

Taryn snorted, her arms crossed, her face twisting with disdain. "Lady Lysara’s the only one with the guts to be ahead. Those creepy white-robes might be tough, but they’re too sneaky to take point." Her scowl deepened, her voice dripping with venom. "And don’t even think about that masked idiot. Arrogant fool, Pfft. He’s a weakling, probably stuck in the first floor’s first phase, crying for his mama."

Mei-Lin’s brow furrowed, her tone hesitant. "The masked figure’s aura was... strange. It was hidden, but not weak. He might’ve—"

"Spare me the nonsense!" Taryn snapped, her laugh sharp and mocking. "That arrogant prick? He’s all talk, strutting like some prominent young master. Bet he’s already out, licking his wounds somewhere." She jabbed a thumb at the pagoda, her smirk smug. "No way he’s past the first floor. Second floor’ll chew him up and spit him out."

As if on cue and agreeing with her statement, the pagoda’s second floor runes flared gold, pulsing brightly, a sign someone had entered.

Cedric’s jaw dropped, his voice a whisper. "Someone’s still climbing..." But before he could finish, a deafening boom echoed, the runes dimming almost instantly. A figure shot out of the jade door, crashing into the ground, armor clanking, blood spraying.

Taryn’s eyes lit up in joy, her laugh bursting out, sharp and triumphant. "Ha! Told you! Mask-boy’s done for! Didn’t even last a minute on the second floor!" She doubled over, clutching her side, her cackle echoing across the plain. "What’d I say? Weakling couldn’t hack it!"

The dust settled, and the figure’s form came into view. Taryn’s laugh choked off, her face freezing, then twisting into a sickly grimace. It wasn’t Kael but Voren, the Lvl 35 Primal Adept knight, lay sprawled, his warhammer dented, his primal shield cracked, blood oozing from a gash on his forehead.

His massive frame heaved, his aura flickering, his health near critical. "Damn... second floor trial... too much..." he groaned, his voice a low rumble, his grin gone, replaced by a pained scowl.

Taryn’s jaw dropped, her cheeks flushing red, her smugness evaporating. Cedric stifled a snort, his frost-burned hand covering his mouth, while Mei-Lin’s lips twitched, her eyes glinting with amusement.

Taryn’s fists clenched, her voice a strangled hiss. "That’s... that’s not possible..." She kicked a rock, her face burning, her embarrassment plain as she avoided their gazes. "Shut up! Both of you!" she snapped, though neither had spoken, her bravado crumbling like dry leaves.

Cedric coughed, his voice low but teasing. "Guess Voren hit a wall. But someone’s still up there. Lady Lysara? The white-robes?" He glanced at Mei-Lin, then Taryn, his tone probing. "Or... maybe the Masked-boy?"

Taryn’s head whipped around, her eyes blazing. "Don’t you dare mention him!" she snarled, her finger jabbing at Cedric. "He’s not up there! No way that masked fool’s leading!" But her voice cracked, her confidence shaken. Voren’s ejection was a slap to her pride. She turned back to the pagoda, her scowl deepening, her hands twitching as if itching for her lost daggers.

Mei-Lin’s gaze lingered on the third floor’s flickering runes, her voice calm but firm. "Someone’s pushing hard. The Masked-boy... he’s not what he seems." She adjusted her sling, her eyes narrowing. "We underestimated him. Maybe we all did."

Taryn huffed, her face still red, but she said nothing, her silence louder than her earlier taunts. The pagoda’s runes pulsed, the third floor’s glow steadying, a sign the trial was in full swing.

Inside, Kael stood in the misty canyon, his Predator’s Instincts flaring as shadows moved in the fog—His system pinged—[Trial of Adaptation: Face multiple enemies at the same level (Lvl 21 Primal Warrior) without primal energy—only weapons, but in shifting terrain and fatigue-accumulating conditions].

His smirk widened, his dagger ready. "Shifting terrain, huh? Let’s see how difficult this one is," he muttered.

Back outside, the injured fellows watched the pagoda, their guesses hanging in the air. Cedric leaned back, his voice a whisper. "Whoever’s leading... they’re a monster." Mei-Lin nodded, her gaze fixed on the pagoda, while Taryn’s scowl deepened, her embarrassment feeling like a bitter pill.