[CH598+ Continued] Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster's Power

My Crimson Soul sword levels up and burns hot in my hands, ready for war after digesting that jagged piece of originator stone. However, it slowly fades back to black as it feels my calm heartbeat and senses no worthy opponents nearby.

There's no additional information shown on my status about it, other than the hundreds of percent increases in stat buffs and the [Lv. 0] turning to [Lv. 1]. I'm certain I'll find out more once it's in the mood to fight again...

I walk forward into the massive silver portal at the back of the room, and the same warm and cold teleportation magic envelops me and Ember, bringing us into what feels like an identical room.

My foot hits the hard black ground, and I look around to see the same high ceilings and smooth walls.

I can still feel the outside world with perfect clarity and see the battle between the demons and my army beginning; however, after stepping through this portal, I feel tens of kilometers above the ground. My vantage point of the world has risen, as this portal has brought me higher in the tower.

At the back of the room, I see the outline of another door, and a massive silver statue sits in front of it. Instead of a demon, it seems this second trial has a three-headed serpent guarding the closed door.

Its body coils into a large base, and its three necks stretch upward over seven kilometers, even higher than the nine-armed demon below us.

Ember walks out by my side, and we both look at the shimmering silver text floating between our gaze and the six eyes that shine with a silver glint, frozen in time and looking down at us.

[All Conditions In Completing Trial 1 Met.]

[Would You Like To Start The Second Trial?]

[YES] [NO]

I take a deep breath, walk forward, and press [YES] as I feel more than ready to take on whatever it has to throw at me next.

[Enter the trial area.]

The message rings in my inner ear, and a nearly identical silver testing circle lights up in front of the silver serpent.

Both of us walk forward without a word, and once we stand in its center, more text appears.

[Trial 2: Mind]

[Calculating Necessary Difficulty...]

[Difficulty Calculated: Trial 2: Round 1 of 3 Shall Commence.]

[Round 1 of 3 Title: Isolation]

[Objective: Endure.]

The far left head of the serpent moves, baring its fangs and long tongue while moving down to eye level. The entire statue glows with a faint silver light, but I can't sense it at all... just like the silver blades in the last round, this energy is undetectable to me. Even when making contact with it, I could only quantify the pure force it exerted, not its full potential.

With this knowledge, I want to be ready for anything, so I point my blade forward and activate my greater form, even preparing to activate my astral form if needed.

Ember grows into his dragon form as well, but he's not nearly as on edge as I am.

Before I can ask why, the serpent's head halts, and its eyes flash silver, blinding me entirely. My audio, visual, and even physical senses are completely overwhelmed before I can even think to try to stay conscious.

All 33,921,800 links of loyalty looking through my eyes lose vision of what I'm seeing, and I lose my view of the outside world.

The silver light fades as fast as it came, but when the darkness returns, my senses do not.