Chapter 165: New Enemy, Fifth Floor

Arriving at floor 5, Ethan muttered “Finally.”

The beasts in front of him were actually of a different species. After four floors of identical firefly encounters, the tower had finally introduced variety to its challenges.

A sleek, muscular panther crouched in the arena’s center, its midnight-black fur rippling with contained energy. The creature radiated Mid-Platinum rank power that made the air itself thick with barely restrained violence.

<Hostile Entity: Void Stalker Panther>

<Rank: Mid-Platinum>

<Super-Sonic Talent: B- >

Ethan smiled happily as he read the talent’s name. “Super-sonic. B- Rank.”

The panther in front of him was going to boost his Speed talent to C rank. The evolutionary advancement would transform his already impressive velocity into something even more terrifying.

“Perfect specimen for advancement,” he said with genuine appreciation. “Mid-Platinum rank with exactly the talent I need most.”

As soon as the challenge timer reached zero, the panther moved.

It was rapid!

Ethan’s eyes barely caught its initial movement as the creature became a blur of motion that defied visual tracking. Super-sonic capability meant a velocity that challenged the limits of perception itself.

But his own Speed talent activated in response, D-grade enhancement allowing him to see the panther more clearly now. Enhanced reflexes transformed impossible movement into merely extremely fast motion.

The creature circled him with grace, testing his defensive capabilities while maintaining momentum that would make striking back incredibly difficult. Its intelligence was obvious—this wasn’t mindless aggression but calculated hunting.

Ethan didn’t waste time trying to match its speed directly. Instead, he immediately used his other talents to limit the space the panther could utilize.

“Less space, less use of speed,” he reasoned while activating multiple enhancement abilities.

Fire walls erupted in a circle around their combat zone, C+ grade Flame Mastery creating barriers of superheated plasma that would incinerate anything attempting passage. The thermal walls stretched fifteen meters high while maintaining perfect stability.

Crystal formations erupted like additional walls, D grade crystal manipulation creating maze-like obstacles that forced the panther into predictable movement routes. Sharp edges and narrow passages eliminated its ability to maintain maximum velocity.

The arena transformed from an open combat space into a confined hunting ground where speed advantages became liabilities rather than assets. Environmental control trumped individual enhancement when properly applied.

Ethan made a conscious decision regarding his approach. “I’ll handle this alone. Rambo isn’t needed—I need to get stronger myself, too. Can’t rely on my companion forever.”

The Blood Dragon chirped with understanding, settling onto a crystal outcropping to observe rather than participate. SSS-rank intelligence recognized the wisdom in independent capability development.

The panther’s frustration became obvious as its movement options diminished. Super-sonic speed meant nothing when forced into narrow corridors filled with razor-sharp crystal edges and superheated barriers.

SNARL! HISS! PROWL!

It attempted to leap over the fire walls, but Ethan’s Wind talent created atmospheric pressure that slammed the creature back toward the crystal maze.

CRASH! SCRAPE! REBOUND!

The panther struck crystal formations with bone-jarring impacts, its enhanced durability preventing serious injury but eliminating the graceful mobility that defined its hunting style.

Water streams erupted from hidden positions, pressurized liquid creating additional obstacles while steam generation from fire-water interaction reduced visibility for the creature’s enhanced senses.

“With so many hazards along the arena, this panther will have difficulty using his speed talent,” Ethan noted with satisfaction as he manoeuvred through his own obstacle course with perfect knowledge of safe passages.

The panther found itself trapped within a constantly shifting maze where every advantage had been neutralised through Ethan’s use of his diverse talents.

Its desperation grew obvious as speed proved useless against comprehensive environmental control. Super-sonic movement required space and clear sight lines—neither available within Ethan’s constructed killzone.

The Noon Sword blazed with fire and solar energy as he positioned for final engagement.

Ethan’s incredible agility carried him through crystal passages the panther couldn’t navigate, while fire immunity made fire barriers irrelevant to his movement.

ROAR! CHARGE! DESPERATION!

The creature abandoned stealth for direct assault, its Mid-Platinum strength creating shockwaves as it smashed through crystal barriers with raw force.

But the obstacles had served their purpose—channelling the panther into optimal striking range while eliminating its primary advantage entirely.

SLASH! DISCHARGE! VICTORY!

Solar energy mixed with fire and wind erupted as the Noon Sword connected with exposed flesh, the powerful sword proving decisive against mid-platinum constitution weakened by repeated crystal impacts.

THUD! STILLNESS! TRIUMPH!

The Void Stalker Panther collapsed among the cooling remains of Ethan’s environmental constructs, its Super-sonic talent ready for consumption while Mid-Platinum enhancement promised substantial attributes.

[You have completed the Fifth Floor.]

[Record broken.]

[…]

Reading through the notifications that had become normal to see, Ethan smiled before walking towards the panther to extract its core.

Slash!

With one slash of his sword, the chest cavity split cleanly, revealing a decently large core inside. The Mid-Platinum essence blazed with contained power that made the surrounding air shimmer with energy.

Ethan grabbed the core and consumed it immediately, feeling the familiar surge of enhancement flowing through his body.

<+10 Agility>

The core’s power integrated smoothly with his enhanced constitution, adding another layer of speed capability to his already impressive velocity. But the real prize lay in the creature’s body itself.

Ethan then devoured the panther’s remains.

<You have devoured Mid-Platinum ferocious beast, Void Stalker Panther>

<Your talent Speed(D) has evolved to Super Sonic (C)>

<+15 Agility>

<You have gained the transformation…>

The evolutionary advancement from D grade Speed to C grade Super Sonic represented a qualitative breakthrough that transcended normal limitations. His movement capabilities had evolved beyond simple enhanced agility into something approaching teleportation through physical space.

C grade Super Sonic meant he could now break sound barriers casually while maintaining perfect control over direction and momentum. His enhanced reflexes would allow navigation through obstacles at velocities that made the environment appear frozen in time.

“Super Sonic at C grade,” Ethan said with deep satisfaction. “Combined with equipment bonuses, my speed now approaches whole new levels.”

The new transformation provided additional versatility for situations requiring stealth or specialized movement capabilities. Mid-Platinum Void Stalker form would grant access to enhanced senses and predatory instincts.

[Reward: Light Boots (Tier 6)]

[Light Boots]

[Tier: 6]

[Details: Featherweight construction that reduces fall damage by 90%. When equipped: +60 Agility. Contains accumulated energy that can be activated to boost speed immensely once per day before requiring 24 hours to recharge.]

The boots materialized through dimensional transport, their construction appearing almost ethereal despite obvious durability. The footwear had no weight; it seemed to be crafted from air itself, while runic inscriptions promised enhancement beyond normal equipment.

“Sixty agility points plus daily speed burst,” Ethan observed as he secured the boots. “My total agility enhancement is now 90 points from equipment alone.”

His base agility had climbed substantially through core consumption and talent evolution, but the equipment bonuses pushed his total capabilities into territory that challenged physical laws. Combined movement speed would approach instantaneous travel across reasonable distances.

“Fall damage reduction becomes relevant at these velocity levels,” he continued with appreciation. “High-speed combat creates impact scenarios that could challenge even enhanced durability.”

Rambo chirped with obvious approval from his perch, the Blood Dragon’s ancient intelligence recognizing the significance of comprehensive capability enhancement. Speed, defense, and burst potential all improved through single equipment acquisition.

“Five floors completed with record-breaking performance,” Ethan announced with growing confidence. “Solo victory proves individual growth beyond partnership dependence.”

His decision to fight alone had validated the importance of independent capability development. While Rambo’s contributions were invaluable, relying solely on partnership advantages would limit his personal evolution.

He had to improve his own strength, and for that he also needed to have some time fighting alone.

As for later floors, he was most definitely going to fight with Rambo by his side. He would be foolish not to get the help of the blood dragon with the SSS-Rank talent.

“Ready for floor six,” he said with anticipation. “Time to discover what challenges await at higher difficulty levels.”

The tower’s testing had provided exactly what he’d hoped, advancement materials that pushed multiple capabilities simultaneously while proving his readiness for reaching higher floors.

[Floor 6 Challenge Available]

—-

<Human: Ethan Brandon>

<Rank: Mid-Platinum>

<Talents: Flame Mastery (C), Water(D-), Crystal Manipulation (D), Super Sonic (C), Wind(D), Protective Shield (F+), Accuracy Enhancement (F+), Regeneration (D+), Dagger Wield (F-), Mental Enhancement (F)>

<Transformations: Stalker Panther(Mid-Plat) ,FireFly(Low-Plat),Dark Wraith(High-Gold), Apex Mane(Mid-Gold), Crystal Butterfly(Low-Gold), …>

<Level 9>

<Health Points: 5250> <Mana Points:5600>

<Strength: 515 (+60)> <Agility: 616(+110)>

<Intelligence: 560 (+60)> <Vitality: 525(+40)>

<Free Attributes: 23>

<Skills: Basic Footwork (Apprentice- 15%), Swordsmanship (Apprentice – 2%), Mana control (Apprentice – 9%)>

—-

Staring at his own status before entering the next floor made him smile. His attributes had reached impressive heights through the tower’s advancement opportunities, with equipment bonuses pushing his capabilities well beyond normal Mid-Platinum rankers.

His skills were all improving, although these skills weren’t high rank, they were decent enough for the current challenges. The mastery progression had accelerated significantly during his tower ascent.

“Basic Footwork at fifteen percent Apprentice mastery,” he noted with satisfaction. “Swordsmanship finally reached Apprentice mastery, and Mana Control approaches ten percent mastery.”

In this world, skills were divided into both ranks and mastery levels. The ranking determined the fundamental power ceiling while mastery indicated how efficiently someone could utilize that potential.

His skills, whilst approaching higher mastery levels, had relatively low ranks compared to what existed in the broader realm. For example, his footwork was only at the Basic rank, whilst there were two ranks above that classification.

After Basic came the Mid rank, and after Mid came Advanced. Those three were the current ranks he knew about, though he suspected even higher classifications existed.

“Higher floors could offer technique scrolls or direct knowledge transfer…hopefully I can start getting some of those.”

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