In the Tower of Truth, on the seventh level.
A Frigid Cliff.
“Whew—” The biting cold wind, sharp as a knife, whipped across the face, bringing waves of pain.
Just before Mike entered the seventh level, several figures shrouded in black robes stood at the summit of the Frigid Cliff, facing each other.
“We shouldn’t be meeting like this; it’s too dangerous,” one of them spoke, their voice clearly altered to sound like a chorus of dozens, including men, women, the elderly, and children, creating a cacophony.
Everyone present was at least a Battle Chief, and under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t bother with such a low-level floor.
Moreover, the Tower of Truth was guarded by [Apollo]. Attempting any mischief under his watch was akin to seeking death!
The strongest among them slowly began, “That one has been in seclusion since yesterday.”
This statement provided a layer of security for everyone present. It was well-known that once Supreme Being [Apollo] began his seclusion, he would not emerge to intervene. It could last from as short as seven days to as long as five years!
There had been instances where an Ultimate Battle Lord faced life-threatening dangers, and [Apollo], being in seclusion, did not intervene.
Similarly, information concerning Supreme Being [Apollo] was supposed to be highly confidential, accessible only to a very select few. Clearly, the one who had spoken earlier held a high position among humans.
Upon hearing this news, another voice emerged, unable to suppress its trembling, betraying a deep-seated fear, “Is he… attempting to breach the final level again?”
Supreme Being Apollo, since his rise to fame, had always resided in the Tower of Truth. His so-called seclusions were solely for one purpose: [To conquer the Tower of Truth].
“Yes.”
After receiving confirmation, one person hastily said, “I choose to withdraw from this operation!”
“It’s too dangerous, I’m not interested either.”
“Farewell.”
Several figures vanished from the spot, leaving no trace behind, as if they had never been there. They were all like rats that shunned the light, high-ranking members of various demon cults.
Since Thor’s emergence, their room to maneuver had dwindled, with the fourth demon cult being wiped out entirely, its leader’s fate unknown.
They were acutely aware that on the path of Thor’s rise, there was no room for negotiation or compromise between humans and the demon race. The conflict would only escalate, with the intensity of the war increasing, possibly even leading to the fall of Battle Lord-level beings!
And those who would be hit first were the traitorous scum of the demon cults.
Many from the demon cults had already fled to the Abyssal Plane, never to return to Earth. Those who remained had their own missions and purposes, or perhaps they harbored a hope that they would not be discovered.
Four figures remained on the Frigid Cliff. Besides the organizer, there were two Battle Lords and one Battle Chief.
“Now that he is in seclusion, we can talk a bit more.”
“Make it quick, I only have three minutes.”
“Are you the leader of the first demon cult? Are you short on people? I have experience as a leader, I’m optimistic, hardworking, and most importantly, I’ve always been lucky, favored by the goddess of fortune.”
The three spoke in turn, and the person in the middle, who had convened the meeting, spoke again, “Who I am is irrelevant to you. You only need to know that I have Thor’s weakness, and I can stop him on the seventh level!”
The three showed interest immediately.
“State your plan. If feasible, my master is willing to invest some resources.”
The host spoke again, “You all know that Thor once killed a giant serpent in the mines in 0.01 seconds, demonstrating his tremendous burst capability.”
“Continue.”
“I need each of the three demon gods you worship to contribute a bit of their essence to create a monster that will replace the boss of the seventh level. If the plan succeeds, Thor will have no chance of clearing the level!”
To lend credibility, the host conjured the relevant data in his palm and distributed it among the three. All being powerful beings, they grasped the key points from a quick glance at the data.
“A two-phase boss, interesting.”
“In the first phase, it ignores physical damage and only takes magical damage…”
“After being defeated, it enters the second phase, ignoring magical damage and only taking physical damage.”
The group nodded in approval, satisfied with the information.
“Thor, even if he has practiced melee combat, cannot possibly solo the boss in such a short time.”
“And the second phase also includes high health regeneration capabilities, indeed ensuring a good chance of stopping Thor.” freēwebnovel.com
“Indeed, even at level 200, I wouldn’t confidently claim victory against this boss!”
“Are you really not recruiting leaders for the first demon cult? What about the other two? I have extensive experience in restructuring bankrupt organizations, skilled in leading demon cults to resurgence.”
What was initially a normal conspiratorial discussion became bizarre due to the constant interjections of a certain Battle Chief.
The three Battle Lords unanimously ignored this oddball and continued discussing their plan against Thor.
“I have another question.”
A shadowy Battle Lord spoke, “The boss is indeed powerful, but what if a strong fighter is sent to directly eliminate it?”
A few days ago, a General Minotaur had infiltrated the first level. Due to severe injuries, its strength had plummeted, and the humans didn’t take it seriously, treating it as a mere experience boost for Thor.
In fact, Thor did indeed kill the Minotaur easily, even gaining substantial rewards.
But this time, the situation was entirely different!
The monster they planned to create using the essence of demon gods would only appear to be level 60 on paper, but its actual combat strength would be close to a Battle Chief!
Under such circumstances, humanity would undoubtedly deploy a strong fighter to clear the path for Thor.
If that happened, their carefully laid plans would fail, and they might even waste the essence of the demon gods for nothing.
“That’s the most ingenious part of the entire plan,” the host slowly explained. “By leveraging the rules of truth on the seventh level, we create a level 60 boss. It will inherently possess the perk [Truth Suppression]:
Any being above level 60 cannot inflict damage on it! It’s precisely because of this perk that I need to gather the essence of many demon gods; otherwise, my master alone would suffice.”
With this revelation, even the previously talkative Battle Chief was somewhat shocked.
“Rules of truth… can they really be exploited to this extent?”
“Could this person be a subordinate of that legendary figure?”
These thoughts dared not be voiced aloud by the Battle Lords. If anyone understood the rules of truth best, it would undoubtedly be the human Supreme Being [Apollo]!
A demon cult leader, precisely aware of [Apollo]’s seclusion schedule and so familiar with the rules of truth, was hard not to speculate about.
The four figures laughed as they reached a consensus.
“The first demon god, contribute three strands of essence.”
“The third demon god, we can contribute two strands, but the method of creating monsters must be shared with us!”
“The sixth demon god, one strand of essence, a pair of Battle Lord-level demonic eyes, same conditions.”
“The fourth demon god…”
As the Battle Chief mentioned the fourth demon god, the other three looked at him, their expressions subtly changing.
Terenas Bloodscribe, he had survived?
Rumor had it that to kill him, even the oldest and most powerful Shadow Nine from the Guardian Shadow had taken action, and he had survived?
Currently known as Michael, Terenas Bloodscribe was indifferent to the others’ gazes and continued speaking to himself, “Let me see how much stock I have left. The fourth demon god, twelve strands of essence, I’m all in!”
His eyes sparkled with excitement, “I’ve always been lucky, I bet this time I can stop Thor!”
A total of eighteen strands of demon god essence and a pair of Battle Lord-level demonic eyes, far exceeding the host’s expectations, truly a pleasant surprise.
With this, the final boss’s strength could be significantly enhanced, perhaps even gaining a third form.
“With this, we have a 100% chance of stopping Thor!”
“Thor, you won’t clear tonight!”
As the wind howled, the four figures vanished from the spot.
Below the Frigid Cliff, in a cave, a terrifying monster was growing in the shadows, rapidly gaining strength…
In the frigid village, a flash of white light appeared, and Mike materialized on the snowy ground. The place was bustling as if he had entered a market.
“Why is it so lively today?”
The seventh level of the Tower of Truth wasn’t a solo instance and wasn’t particularly difficult. Those who had passed levels 3, 4, 5, and 6 were unlikely to be stuck here.
Even if they were, spending some money to get carried, sacrificing Exploration Rate for a low score, they could still advance.
The real challenges in the Tower of Truth were in the solo instances. That’s where many were halted.
Among the newly awakened batch of students, aside from Thor, virtually no one had cleared the first six levels. The seventh level, being a transitional phase, should have been sparsely populated.
As Mike pondered, a voice called out nearby, “The latest prophecy, the latest prophecy!”
“A boss created by a demon god is hidden beneath the Frigid Cliff!”
Mike seemed to understand something.
“These guys haven’t given up yet?”
“Why can’t they just stay home and die quietly instead of coming out to be slaughtered?”
Mike was infuriated yet almost couldn’t wait, “Let’s see what these guys plan to give away this time.”