Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Tower of Trials Floor 3: Gaze Insight
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A child who should have been playing in the park had ended up gripping a weapon because, even in her young heart, there was something she desperately wanted to protect.
The pathetic adults hadn't stopped her—not because they didn't want to, but because the war was so dire they needed even a child's fern-like hands, and they respected her resolve.
Even if her determination was tinged with childish stubbornness, she had already steeled herself for death.
She fought bravely, dying as a warrior shoulder-to-shoulder with the adults. She had no regrets about that fact.
But if there was one lingering regret after death, it was about the future she'd lost. "If only I'd had a little more time..."
What kind of adult would I have grown into?
The Tower of Trials Floor 3 was a desolate urban wasteland. A place filled with shattered and collapsed buildings. It was a battlefield where superpowered beings had clashed, leaving traces of destruction everywhere.
Melted asphalt from fires, frozen and cracked outer walls, scorch marks from lightning strikes.
To those unfamiliar with the novel concept of modern superpowered fiction, it looked like the aftermath of a massive magical battle. And it wasn't far off.
At its center.
In a playground covered with sand, there came the creaking sound of swings. Screeech, screeech.
A blonde girl was swinging back and forth. But on closer inspection, it wasn't ordinary. It was a makeshift swing: a chain sickle wrapped and fixed around a protruding steel beam from the building rubble.
As the outsider stepped into the area, the girl leaped from the pseudo-swing and retrieved her chain sickle.
Clank!
She began spinning it lightly to build momentum. A blade wind whipped up within a 5-meter radius.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
Amid the noise like swarming bees, the girl addressed her visitor.
"Nice to meet you, big brother. You made it all the way to Floor 3 of this tower—impressive. But this is as far as you go. I'm Jenny of the Chain Sickle."
"Heh."
"?"
...
Whish whish whish whish whish whish!
"Puppy dodge, possible."
"...!"
"Handstand, possible."
"...!!!"
Luna was having a blast. Floor 3 was her favorite. The dodging felt so satisfying, like it had a great rhythm.
She'd tried it countless times, not just shaving clear times but messing around too. Self-imposed challenges like clearing without using her hands, or in just her panties.
Her perfected antics were so mesmerizing people wondered, "What the heck is that?" Selvia sat on the rubble cheering her on, occasionally making requests.
"With your eyes closed too?!"
"Possible."
"Whoa!!"
"No, seriously, how did you do that with your eyes actually closed...?!"
Luna played for another three minutes or so before using her fifth strategy to defeat Jenny of the Chain Sickle. She had ten ways prepared to beat her.
As Luna stretched with a satisfied sigh, Envers asked,
"What's... the reason for all those varied attempts?"
"Fun."
"...You're one of a kind."
Luna widened her eyes at Envers and stuck out her tongue. As if you're one to talk.
The trio had a reason for dawdling on Floor 3 instead of following the guide's strategy. They'd hit a wall uncovering Jenny's true nature.
(Around this point, the mad wizard was wailing, biting a handkerchief: "Please, just talk to the crazy kids!")
The only clue was time.
"Her dying words were always the same...?"
"Yeah."
"Indeed. 'If only I'd had a little more time...' before she met her end. That's why we did the three-hour rotation battle. No results, though."
"Ugh, why make something like this? Headache."
Selvia clawed at her hair. Unlike Floor 2, where the difficulty was high but tasks clear, Floor 3 was maddening because they didn't know what to do.
She was seriously considering skipping to the next floor.
Envers crossed his arms, pondered silently, then suggested,
"How about training?"
"What're you talking about?"
"She asked for time. So give her time—two days, three days. But don't waste it; train."
More time than requested. Envers declared a brute-force body grind.
"...You're joking, right?"
"Dead serious. The path of no-mind has no end."
"...Fine, you do you, Envers. Luna won't go for something that simple-minded, right?"
"Will."
Luna's routine was playing in the Tower of Trials anyway. Dodging Jenny's patterns on all fours sounded thrilling.
Selvia rubbed her face dryly.
"...Ugh, fine. I'll step out and rest. You two handle it and let me know."
"See you later!"
"Bye."
Selvia exited Floor 3 to the outside. Seeing the academy after the ruined city felt nostalgic. She took a deep breath, planning to head to the dorms for a break.
She also thought to ask Niore about the Floor 3 mystery if she was around, though she seemed busy lately.
Outside time flowed 10 times faster than inside. A one-hour nap would let her check the results of Luna and Envers' reckless training meta—
"Wait. Time difference of 10 times..."
Wait, this didn't mean grind it out inside...?
"It meant wait outside?!"
Selvia's flash of insight hit the answer. The proper strategy: subdue Jenny of the Chain Sickle, spare her life, exit the tower, wait an interval, then re-enter.
The wait time came from Jenny's dialogue: something about her birthday in 20 hours.
For dialogue-haters, a diary in a nearby ruined building had the same info.
So waiting outside meant just 2 hours...!
Selvia rushed back to the magic circle with this grind-ender genius idea, but
"...!!"
It was already too late.
※ SYSTEM_INFO -----------
※ ---------------------------
Tower of Trials Floor 3 interior: 5 hours elapsed.
In a clearing far from Jenny's perception range, Envers was meticulously refining the beggar-taught forms one by one. Beside him, Luna awkwardly mimicked, creaking along.
"Like a raptoreagle kicking off the sky!"
"Like this."
"Like a waterfowl snatching a fish!"
"Like this."
Whish, whoosh—!
Pok, pok.
Unlike Envers' sharp wind-cutting sounds, Luna's movements produced feeble noises. Odd, considering she seemed to remember the forms perfectly.
If it was lack of body control, that made sense—but then how did she perform that dodging dance evading every attack?
Envers couldn't figure it with his limited knowledge. But Master might...
He vowed to ask the beggar about this phenomenon on Floor 8 with Luna. Master would see through her peculiar talent instantly.
"Fun."
"...Glad to hear it."
Regardless of progress, Luna seemed intrigued by martial arts.
After imparting all he knew and finishing stretches, Envers lay beside Luna on a relatively flat asphalt chunk for rest.
He thought deeply, then said,
"Teach me."
"What?"
"That dance. How did you dodge attacks with eyes closed? Repetition explains the rest, but not that."
"Feel gaze."
Envers propped up and looked down at her. She lay languid like a sunbathing cat, eyes closed.
"What does 'feel gaze' mean?"
"You're looking. At my face."
"...!!"
"Now nape. Chest. Urgently arm. Face again."
Envers paled in shock. No squint visible, no mana detection, no movement cues.
Gaze Insight.
An astonishing skill. Envers knelt and bowed flat instantly. Reading gazes without sight had immense utility.
"...Teach me!"
"For free?"
"Name your price; I'll fetch it."
"Buy food."
Simple contract sealed. Envers would cover her meals on request. Lucky she wasn't a big eater.
Thus, the Gaze Insight crash course began.
With eyes closed in lotus position, Envers sat as Luna circled him slowly, lecturing.
"Everyone has it. Sense of being watched."
"...Really?"
"Especially contempt. Killing intent. Bad stuff."
"......"
He recalled: in the Redburn family, vying with bastards, feeling stinging gazes without seeing. Contempt and hatred.
If an extension of that, it clicked. Envers nodded. Luna smiled, satisfied he got it.
The sensation of being watched. Once known, just repeat training. Human senses sharpen with repetition.
"Repeat practice. Sharpen sense."
"...Tell me what to do."
"I'll look. Guess."
"Guess where you're looking? I'll try, but..."
Envers focused. Eyes closed, other senses sharpened.
Swish. Swish.
Luna circling.
Body scent? Grape-like.
No, focus. Envers cleared his mind for the 'gaze,' whipping stray thoughts.
Luna thought: Feedback must be precise. Guessing builds bad habits. Stare where he least expects for real training.
Stare... Luna fired her gaze.
"......"
"Feel it?"
"...Head? My head?"
"Crotch."
"???"
Stray thoughts crashed in. Envers gritted teeth, refocused. Training now...!
He trained gaze-sensing plus mind-clearing meditation.
"Leg, my leg?"
"Left? Right?"
"...Right?"
"Dummy."
Accuracy rose steadily.
"...Left ear?"
"Yes. Next."
Envers' mana impairment from childhood accident hadn't damaged his martial aptitude. Talented body bloomed senses fast.
"Nape... carotid."
"Good. Break."
Rest, awaken senses, repeat. Tedious for some, but not them. 15 hours post-entry.
"Left... pinky."
"Last one."
Envers squeezed eyes shut, answered.
"......Crotch."
"Good job."
Pat pat.
Luna stroked his head in praise. Tension released; he flopped forward. Backward would've been social suicide if wrong...
"Thaanks..."
"V."
Done. Boiling achievement buzzed through him. Stronger now.
Gaze-reading would help multifacetedly. No confidence in Luna-level 'dance,' but half would dodge even rapier thrusts.
Gaze Insight acquired!
Tower of Trials Floor 3 interior: 25 hours elapsed.
Luna and Envers alternated blindfolds for light sparring. Open-eyed one slashed/stabbed with fingers as blades. Blind one read gaze, dodged.
Pok.
"Ack! Cheat! You looked at my cheek, not side...!!"
"You did it earlier. Cheat."
"That was unavoidable; gaze had to—agh!"
"Talky."
Training for real combat use. During blindfold swap, Envers spotted something odd.
"...?"
"What?"
"Jenny... she looks bigger?"
Jenny's silhouette afar had grown—a head taller. Not illusion.
Five hours later, they witnessed Phase 2.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!
"Now I won't lose to you, hero. Jenny of the Chain Sickle has awakened...!!"
"As expected, investing enough time was key."
The massive, vicious chain sickle tore space. Envers and Luna exchanged glances, then charged the storm wordlessly.
"Loser who can't last 10 minutes buys food!"
"Prep wallet."
Screeeeech—!!
[Omitted.]
Victory to Luna at 17 minutes endured.
Tower of Trials Floor 4 was a breeze.
The Whip Witch summoned shadow beasts by lashing the ground, but enemy tower mage Selvia incinerated the adds, plummeting difficulty.
Luna's trials enabled precise DPS calcs. About '30 Luna Kicks' to near-death, then Envers reflected attacks for the achievement.
The mad wizard's solo strat: Whip also reverse-summons shadows. Parry all attacks to clear beasts. Each reflect shaved a tattoo stroke on her face. Her body cast no shadow oddly.
From clues: "Aha, Whip Witch is a shadow beast born from the whip!" Succeed reflects equal to strokes, she reverts to shadow, clear...
But gimmick died to DPS math and AoE.
The fallen princess who had to spawn shadow beasts from her own shadow was quietly buried.
......
Rainy plains. A man with katana at his waist gazes skyward.
Katana named Ghost Hundred: cursed—once drawn, must taste blood to resheathe. Called a demon sword.
Floor 5 was a wall.
Unlike prior floors' clever ideas, gimmicks, stories, exploits: vast empty plains. Just the enemy.
Pure skill required. His iaijutsu swift and fierce. Can't cope? Die. Many students broke here, quitting climbs or stacking numbers.
Sacrificing to advance.
But achievement challengers denied even that. Clash arms, defeat him.
And the party faces 'Jay of the Iaijutsu'—.