Legacy of the Dark Sage

"Group number 19, entry pass: Tower level 3."

"Group number 20, entry pass: Tower level 2."

"Group number 21, entry pass: Tower level 3."

"Group number 22, entry pass: Tower level..."

With each mechanical voice announcing the results of the clan representatives' entry pass level, a wave of anticipation and excitement swept through the room. The successful formation of a group of three marked the beginning of a thrilling treasure hunt.

This year, 117 clans participated, with some having more than three representatives. These clans managed to form two or three groups each, giving them more opportunities to hunt for treasures and putting their clan at an advantage against clans that could only form one group.

Some clans that did not have enough members to form a second group teamed up with another clan they were on good terms with, similar to what Leif and Ladon did. Others who did not want to team up with others in fear of raising disputes on the treasures they would find only sent one group and left the remaining representatives on the platform outside the tower.

Meanwhile, not all clans were in a hurry to enter. Among them were the Adamas, Blade Dancer Clan, and Glacio Clan. Since they had enough members to form two groups each, they quietly stayed on one side and watched the proceedings.

In front of the tower's entrance were ten array formations. These arrays were the designated areas where a group would be assessed. Thus far, many groups were still waiting for their turn outside each array.

"The highest entry pass is at tower level 3," the leader representative of Blade Dancer Clan spoke out loud.

Some nodded their heads while the rest frowned at this development.

"Thus far, the highest recorded tower level was six. Why is this year's level so low?"

"The higher the level, the better the treasures are up for grabs. However, the danger would also increase," the Glacio Clan's leader representative said. "That time when the tower gave an entry pass to the sixth level, most representatives were High Sovereigns. From this, we can say that the tower judges the overall strength of each participant. However..."

He paused and narrowed his eyes before continuing, "... we can also glean something from this."

The Blade Dancer Clan's leader representative nodded his head in agreement, "Yes. When the tower allowed a clan to enter the sixth level, apart from the participants having more High Sovereigns, the number of members each clan had was more than five.

This year's condition doesn't restrict mage levels, but the fact that a group that only had peak Sovereigns at most can still receive an entry pass to the third level means their overall strength is good."

"This means this year's hunt will have fierce competition," the Adamas Clan's leader representative chimed with an amused smile.

The raspy-voiced, red-eyed member of the Adamas Clan looked in the direction of the Dragon Clan's representatives and smiled mischievously.

"Pick the same floor as them, Yule. I want to be on the same floor as them," he told their leader representative, a young man with shoulder-length dark blue hair, red eyes, and wearing a dark blue robe.

Yule rarely speaks. This was why the raspy-voiced, red-eyed young man acted like he was the one in charge.

The woman with blue hair and light blue eyes, and similarly dressed like Yule, frowned at the latter and said, "Stop acting like a beast in heat, Issar. The tower decides which floor we go to based on our overall strength. Yule doesn't get to choose!"

"You f*cking b*tch," Issar snarled at the latter. "You wanna have a go, huh? I'll let you see what a f*cking beast in heat is."

"Stop."

Issar and Skadi felt a chill envelop their whole body the moment Yule spoke up.

The leader representatives of the Adamas and the Blade Dancer Clans narrowed their eyes as they looked at Yule. Everyone felt the pressure coming from the latter, and they were inwardly shocked.

When The Emperor's clan attacked the Dragon Clan a few months ago, a few younger generations from clans supporting the former also went to provide assistance. In truth, they were sent there by their Elders to gain real battle experience and gauge the strength of the Dragon Clan's younger generation.

All leader representatives of the three clans participated in that battle. Thus, the Adamas and the Blade Dancer leader representatives, Demir and Quan, respectively, saw Yule in action.

However, the pressure Yule had back then was different from now. Not to mention, he unconsciously released it just by saying one word.

Demir and Quan did not expect Yule to improve so much in just a few months.

Issar and Skadi immediately fell silent. They no longer said anything as Yule gestured for their second group to go.

Demir and Quan did the same.

The remaining clans on the platform were surprised the moment these three clans were given their entry pass.

Their second group received entry passes to the third level, while Demir's and Quan's groups received the fourth level. What shocked them even more was when Yule's group received the entry pass to the fifth level.

Thus far, they have been the only ones to receive such a high assessment from the tower. And this was when the conditions of entering were limited and most of the representatives were only peak Sovereigns.

Meanwhile, Cove, Irving, and Maren only managed to receive the entry pass to the second level, like most of the group.

When Kyran and his group's turn arrived, Thorn said, "I'm giving Lady Anahia a face while we are here. But once we get inside the tower... watch your back."

Kyran ignored Thorn, which only infuriated the latter.

In fact, he was not really ignoring Thorn. He was just deep in thought and not paying much attention to Thorn's bullsh*t.

Besides, Kyran was worried the tower's assessment might expose him or something.

Contrary to others' belief that the tower was checking the overall strength of a group to determine which floor to send them to, Kyran was convinced that they were looking at their potential instead.

He thought this after what Leif said about a time when the highest entry pass was on the sixth floor. Back then, the condition did not restrict a clan's level or number of members per group. There were a lot of High Sovereigns and yet the highest level was only at the sixth.

This time, a group had already been granted entry passes to the fifth level, and all of them were only peak Sovereigns. Kyran did not think that the difficulty from the fifth level to the sixth was that huge to have such a difference, which was why he believed that the tower looked at the group's potential rather than their overall strength.

After all, the potential of High Sovereigns would have already been established compared to peak Sovereigns who had yet to realize it.

Considering this, Kyran was concerned about how the tower would assess their group. Though he was accompanied by two High Sovereigns, and their potential was already greatly reduced, Kyran's identity as the possessor of two Ancient magic could not be ignored. He might be disguised at the moment, but he had an inkling that the tower could easily see through it and give a proper assessment.

Finally, Ladon and his group were given their assessment. The result shocked everyone on the platform further.

"Group number 146, entry pass: Tower level 7."

Kyran kept an indifferent expression, but inwardly, he was sweating buckets.

Err...

Actually, that was Shaiha, which inadvertently affected Kyran's mood.

[This is not good... although most clans have already entered the tower, there are still a few witnesses on the platform. The fact that the tower granted the Young Mistress's group access to the seventh level spoke volumes!]

'Calm down,' Kyran told her in exasperation. 'She is with two High Sovereigns from the Dragon Clan. Of course, their assessment will be high.'

[You say that, yet you're also worried! Wasn't it you who believed the tower looks at a group's potential rather than their overall strength? True, the Dragon Clan is powerful, and their potential is there. But compared to the Young Mistress's potential...]

'Are you here to make me feel better or worse? If it is the latter, can you keep your thoughts to yourself?'

As soon as Kyran said this, he inwardly groaned because Shaiha's thoughts would still be exposed to him.

[I will do my best to conceal your magic cores...]

Shaiha said after a tense silence.

[... but I can't promise that the tower will not be able to detect them.]

'Don't do anything,' Kyran pleaded. 'If you try to conceal them, the tower will detect your abilities and will likely add that up to my potential.'

[...yes, you're quite right.]

In the end, Kyran could not think of any countermeasure as he, Leif, and Ias stepped into the array formation.

"Group number 152, entry pass: Tower level..."

There was an obvious pause from the mechanical voice before it finally said, "...7."