Genius Noble With System
Chapter 153: Second Task

Chapter 153: Second Task

"Hmm, it was good. If you have enough time, understanding laws isn’t difficult," Apollo nodded, recalling the profound experience he had within the Temple of Laws. It was worth every point he had spent.

He had already decided to return with enough points to stay inside longer, allowing him to deepen his understanding of the laws. After reaching the domain level, every bit of progression in the laws was painstakingly slow, even for him.

It might take a year or two for him to reach the peak in a single domain, not to mention he had four domains to master. So, it was too slow for him. But if others heard his words, they would die of horror. Even for most saints, it takes decades or even hundreds of years to reach the peak of their domain, yet for him, it’s just a year or two. How could they survive such a staggering difference?

"Come now, let’s go to the place where you’re staying," Sol said, leading Apollo to the area where most of the trialists resided.

They took a portal and arrived at a location filled with countless small mountains and valleys scattered throughout the landscape. The atmosphere was thick with heavenly and spiritual energy, several times more abundant than before. Apollo could already feel the improvement in the cultivation speed of both his warrior and mage paths.

As they walked through the landscape of small mountains and valleys, Apollo couldn’t help but appreciate the tranquil beauty of the surroundings.

Sol turned to Apollo with a knowing smile. "This is where most of us stay. Each mountain or valley can be claimed by a trialist, and it becomes their personal space to train, meditate, and cultivate in peace. The spiritual energy here will aid in your cultivation, and the isolation will help you focus."

"But this place is only free for a week for trialists, and after a week they had to pay Sky points for it. There are also better places, and the higher you go, the better the conditions are, but naturally, the expense of points will also increase."

Apollo still nodded, taking in the sight. "It’s a good place to settle, train, and plan my next moves, even if later it costs some points."

Now, they can only select the smallest mountain at the bottom; Apollo also selected one such mountain. Sol left him alone after that as he had to consolidate his new strength.

His breakthrough in two domains required some time to adjust, so he spent twelve hours resting and stabilizing his state of body and mind.

Afterwards, Apollo felt ready to head to the Trial District to complete some tasks and earn more Sky points. As he arrived at the Trial District by travelling through a portal, he noticed that his ranking on the trialist list had dropped significantly, now sitting at the ninety-ninth place—teetering on the edge of being pushed out of the top one hundred.

He didn’t mind that, as it was just the beginning. And then, he quickly came to the trial place, where everyone could get their next trials and learn about the tasks. But the only problem is that the task or trials are random; it can be easy or hard; it depends on luck.

The tasks are somewhat random but are dependent on the level of the Sky Mark. Since Apollo currently has a One Star Sky Mark, the tasks he receives will fall within the range of a One Star level. These tasks can vary in difficulty but will always be within a specific level of challenge. Similarly, if someone is already a Two Star Sky Mark warrior, the tasks they receive will be of Two Star calibre.

After learning the conditions required to upgrade a One Star Sky Mark to a Two Star Sky Mark, Apollo was surprised to discover that the top three on the leaderboard were already Two Star Sky Mark warriors. To achieve this upgrade, they needed to complete ten tasks, and in just over two days, those top three individuals had already done it.

He didn’t think more about that, as he was now also going to try his second task. And he was looking forward to it.

To receive his task, Apollo just needed to stand on the special platform that was surrounded by some unique statues of warriors from all different races, which would teleport the trialists to their trial place.

There were ten such platforms scattered around, each with a small line of people waiting their turn. The lines moved quickly, and it wasn’t long before Apollo’s turn arrived, as there were only about ten people ahead of him.

He quickly positioned himself at the centre of the platform. The moment he stood there, the eyes of the statues surrounding the platform glowed with a mysterious blue light. Instantly, he was enveloped in a strange aura, and the world around him began to spin. A moment later, he disappeared from the platform in a burst of blue lightning.

Apollo, on the other hand, felt a brief sensation of weightlessness as the world around him shifted. The blue lightning that enveloped him during the teleportation crackled with energy, and within moments, he found himself standing in an entirely different environment.

The transition was disorienting, but Apollo quickly regained his composure, his senses sharpening as he took in his surroundings.

He was now in what appeared to be a dense, ancient forest. The trees were enormous, their trunks thick and covered in moss, with branches that stretched high into the sky.

The air was thick with the scent of earth and foliage, and the sound of distant creatures echoed through the trees. The atmosphere was both serene and foreboding, a reminder that this place was not to be taken lightly.

Apollo quickly assessed his situation, recalling the randomness of the tasks assigned to trialists. The forest could either be a simple trial of endurance and navigation or something far more dangerous, as he still didn’t know the full magnitude of one-star Sky Mark tasks. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

His thoughts turned to the potential dangers that might lurk within this forest. The fact that the trial’s difficulty was random meant that anything could happen, and he needed to be prepared for the unexpected.

But just as he was thinking of what to do, the same voice that appeared during his first trial appeared in his mind.

[Task is being created....]

[Task- Hunt ten Blood monsters]

[Time limit- 3 days]

He immediately understood the task, as it was a clear task to hunt blood monsters. Although he didn’t know what kind of monsters they were, soon he would be able to figure that out.

Apollo leapt sixty or seventy meters into the air, landing silently atop a large tree. From this vantage point, he began to survey the vast forest below, his keen eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of movement or hidden dangers.

Apollo’s sharp gaze swept across the dense canopy, searching for any indication of the blood monsters mentioned in his task. The forest stretched out in all directions, a sea of green with patches of shadowy undergrowth that could easily conceal any number of threats.

The wind rustled the leaves, carrying with it the faint sounds of distant creatures, but nothing immediately caught his attention, except the eerie aura in the air.

As he carefully looked, he felt the aura of some beasts, but he could not be sure as this forest seemed to have weird energy in it that seemed to interfere with his spiritual sense as he was only able to use one-third of his spiritual power.

Since he had found something, Apollo decided to follow the directions, mindful of the task’s time limit. Though he knew that only after failing three tasks would someone be eliminated, it wasn’t clear whether "elimination" meant being transported back to the Eastern Continent or something more permanent. The uncertainty added an extra layer of urgency to his mission.

Deciding to investigate, he moved with the grace of a shadow, leaping from tree to tree. His movements were swift and precise, each jump calculated to minimize noise and disturbance. At the time, he seemed to have fully adjusted to this weird forest like an experienced hunter moving towards his prey.

Within minutes, Apollo reached a small clearing where the air seemed heavier and tinged with a faint bloody scent. He landed silently on a branch and peered down. Below, the ground was stained red, and the vegetation seemed to wither and rot as if the very life force of the area had been drained away.

In the centre of the clearing, a creature crouched over what appeared to be a lifeless animal, its form twisted with strange, writhing tentacles.

The creature was unlike anything Apollo had seen before. It seemed to be a bizarre amalgamation of liquid, but no, on closer inspection, it was something even more unsettling—a life form entirely made of blood, shifting and changing shape, as if it had no fixed physical form.