Chapter 395: Chapter 396 : Protection Zone

The moment Alex stepped past the massive gates of the Tower of Ascension, reality itself seemed to stutter.

The air warped.

Space folded inward.

And then—

Countless translucent windows exploded into existence before his eyes.

Notifications layered over one another, flooding his vision in rapid succession.

Warnings.

Greetings.

Mocking messages.

Excited reactions from higher beings.

System confirmations.

Unknown entities reacting to his return.

They stacked endlessly, overlapping like a broken interface gone mad.

Alex didn’t even blink.

He walked forward calmly, hands in his pockets, completely ignoring the chaos screaming for his attention.

’Still as noisy as ever,’ he thought flatly.

Then—

One window forcibly pushed itself to the very front.

It was different.

Clear.

Centered.

Impossible to ignore.

{ Do you wish to take on the trial on the Second Floor? }

[ Yes / No ]

Alex stopped walking.

He stared at the window for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly behind the mask.

’Hah… already trying to drag me back into trials.’

He considered it.

Just for a moment.

Then his lips curved beneath the mask.

“I’d love to,” he said casually, “but I don’t have time for that right now.”

His gaze sharpened.

“Gotta reach Hephaetaestus before he changes his mind about giving me the weapon he promised.”

Without hesitation, Alex raised his hand and pressed—

No.

The window shattered into particles of light.

For half a second, everything went silent.

Then—

Another window materialized immediately.

{ The candidate has been restricted due to lower rank. }

{ Access is limited. }

{ The candidate currently has access only to the First Floor. }

{ To gain access to other floors, the candidate must: }

{ Clear other floors. }

{ Complete Tower-designated tasks. }

{ Or increase Rank. }

{ Do you still wish to continue? }

[ Yes / No ]

Alex let out a slow sigh.

“So I can’t even explore freely unless I clear the other floors. Interesting,” he muttered.

He tilted his head slightly.

A faint chuckle escaped him.

“Annoying… but fine.”

He pressed—

Yes.

The window vanished.

Immediately, another one appeared, its text glowing brighter than the rest.

{ Teleporting candidate to First Floor Protection Zone. }

Before Alex could say another word—

His body dissolved.

Not violently.

Not painfully.

He broke apart into countless motes of silver and violet light, scattering into the air like glowing ash.

The world folded inward.

Darkness swallowed everything.

Then—

Light returned.

Alex’s form reassembled smoothly, particles stitching together into flesh and bone.

The moment his boots touched solid ground—

He froze.

Completely.

For the first time since entering the Tower…

He was genuinely stunned.

In front of him stretched a city unlike anything he had ever seen.

Endless skyscrapers of black crystal and silver steel pierced the sky, their surfaces etched with glowing runes and shifting symbols.

The city bustled with life.

Crowds moved everywhere.

Humans.

Beastkin.

Demons.

Angelic figures.

Mechanical beings.

Races he had never seen before.

Some wore advanced armor humming with technology he had never encountered.

Others were dressed in flowing robes, spiritual rings floating behind their backs, exuding an unmistakable cultivator aura straight out of the cultivation novels he had once read.

Alex slowly exhaled.

“So they’re candidates too,” he murmured. “Just like me.”

His eyes swept across the streets.

Many of them radiated terrifying strength.

Dense.

Refined.

Oppressive.

Some presences made even Alex pause for half a heartbeat.

’Wow… now this is something.’

Shops lined the streets endlessly.

Stalls selling artifacts pulsing with divine energy.

Skill crystals sealed in special glass.

Bloodline extracts.

Cultivation manuals.

Esoteric arts.

Forbidden techniques.

Alex’s gaze moved from stall to stall, genuinely impressed.

“Looks like the Tower really doesn’t hold back on candidate growth—if they can afford it, that is.”

Then—

He noticed it.

A massive board hovered in the sky at the center of the city.

Impossible to miss.

Its surface glowed with golden light, names and numbers shifting constantly.

The First Floor Ranking Board.

Alex smirked faintly.

’Surely I’m still on top.’

He looked up.

And then—

His mouth slowly fell open.

{ Rank 1 : The unworthy Queen

Kills : 150,445

Rank 2 : Ruler of Darkness

Kills : 148,995

Rank 3 : Lucifer Morningstar

Kills : 147,880

Rank 4 : Samara

Kills : 50,475

…

}

Alex rubbed his eyes.

Once.

Twice.

The board didn’t change.

“What the hell…”

His voice was flat, but his interest spiked sharply.

“Someone actually broke it.”

A low chuckle escaped him.

“Now I’m definitely interested.”

He lifted his head slightly.

“I really want to meet whoever those two are.”

Just as the thought crossed his mind—

A voice spoke beside him.

Casual.

Amused.

“Looks like you’re enjoying yourself.”

Alex didn’t turn.

Didn’t tense.

Didn’t react.

Instead, he smiled.

Above him, the sky rippled.

A figure materialized lazily in midair.

A wolf.

Tall.

Dressed in a sleek blazer and neatly pressed shirt, glasses perched calmly on his snout.

He lounged in the air as if gravity were optional, adjusting his spectacles with one clawed hand.

The moment everyone’s gaze landed on him—

The entire city stiffened.

Conversations died instantly.

Faces paled.

“Is that… a manager?”

“What the hell is a Tower Manager doing here?”

“Is someone about to get punished?”

“Or is he assigning a personal quest…?”

Fear spread like wildfire.

Raon, the wolf-like Tower Manager, descended slowly, materializing beside Alex.

Alex finally turned his head.

His smile widened.

“What took you so long?”

Raon chuckled softly.

“Straight to business as always, Mr. Lucifer.”

Alex’s smile widened as he spoke.

“I knew you’d come,” he said calmly. “I take it everyone who arrived before me is with you?”

Raon didn’t answer.

Instead, he turned and gestured lazily.

“Come with me.”

A portal tore open in the air beside him, swirling with controlled spatial energy.

Raon stepped through first.

Alex followed without hesitation.

The world twisted.

Space folded inward.

And then—

Alex found himself standing inside a familiar place.

The same office-like room he remembered from before.

Smooth dark walls.

Soft ambient lighting.

A large single table positioned at the center.

One chair behind it.

On the sofa beside the table—

Zara.

Erwin.

Azreal.

A smile spread across Zara’s face, mirrored by Azreal.

“What took you so long?” they said.

Alex simply smiled in return.

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