Villain With The Strongest System

( That same night )

With baby Crystal sleeping soundly in Riva's room alongside, Riva, Mama and Baby Chun, Rocky found himself alone in his own room for the night.

Although he was absolutely exhausted from his near non-stop action packed journey through floor 23, and wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and rest his brain, somehow sleep eluded him, as he worried about what was about to come next on floor 24.

"Vladimir Stanev….." Rocky muttered, as he felt his sleep evaporating when he thought of that name.

Back at the university, Rocky had found a message left behind by a senior that had warned him about the phenomenon of 'Vorithra Sylithen' and the grim fate that all Champion's faced while ascending through the tower, and the author of that message was none other than Vladimir Stanev, the infamous Floor Master of Floor 24.

According to the popular consensus across the tower, Vladimir Stanev was liked by no-one, especially not by his underlings, however, despite being hated by all, that man had somehow clung on-to the control of floor 24 for over two decades now despite winning it by trickery.

He was an extremely cautious man who seemed to be able to plot two steps ahead of his competitors, and had never fallen for a scheme in his life.

Both the university's librarian and Principal Liam, had a very mixed review of Vladimir Stanev, however, based on the book he left behind and his warning for future Champions, Rocky had a different image of Vladimir than others, as he saw him as a man that was worthy to seek counsel from.

Sighing deeply, Rocky turned in his bed, as he thought about whether or not he would even have the opportunity to meet Vladimir, as if it were not for the strict time limit that he had to adhere to while clearing each floor, Rocky really wanted to spend some time with Vladimir and learn about his life experiences.

Something within Rocky's gut told him that Vladimir was the perfect mentor for him if he could ever find one in the tower, as the way Vladimir was distrustful of the True Gods and the way that he lived his life being overly cautious, was something that appealed to Rocky on a deeper level.

**********

( Meanwhile Escanor )

After the Olympian council meeting, Escanor found himself being increasingly isolated by other Poseidon family members.

Nobody seemed to appreciate his glib tongue and how he framed his own uncles for a crime they never really committed and hence he saw his support waning throughout the family spectrum.

However, Escanor did not care about the fact that his support was waning, as he was inching closer to finding a very powerful lost artifact that had previously slipped through his fingers narrowly.

This object was none other than the Seed of Death—a tool so feared that even Monarchs of the Tower hesitated to confront its wielder.

It was last used by Principal Liam in a bold and unexpected attack on Floor 21, which had been under his control at the time.

Escanor had been obsessed with retrieving the artifact ever since that incident, as he strongly believed that if a mortal like Liam could wield something so potent then in his own hands, the seed would undoubtedly become even more terrifying.

The Seed of Death was rumored to contain the essence of primordial decay, a force capable of rotting the very fabric of existence. It had the potential to bring gods to their knees, reduce armies to ash, and that kind of power was exactly what Escanor needed now.

With his influence diminishing and his family turning their backs on him, Escanor knew that without a powerful deterrence, someone with enough ambition and resentment would eventually rise against him.

The political landscape in the Olympian court was brutal and unforgiving, a slight misstep, a moment of weakness, and his enemies would seize the opportunity to strip him of everything, and he could not afford to let that happen.

As he paced within his private chambers, Escanor's thoughts centered on the Seed of Death.

He recalled the legends surrounding it—how it had once been in the possession of a great necromancer, who used it to raise entire worlds of the dead.

It was said that the necromancer had hidden the seed in a vault beyond the reaches of the known universe after being defeated in a climactic battle against the true gods themselves, and that since then, the Seed had disappeared into myth and legend, reappearing only sporadically throughout history in the hands of a select few who were strong enough, or perhaps foolish enough, to seek it out.

The last known user of the seed was none other than Liam, who just like all the other wielders throughout history, had sent the seed to an unknown location, just before his death, preventing it from falling into enemy hands.

Escanor had called upon many divination experts and many prophetic seers to try and divine the location of where Liam sent the seed to, with his persistence finally paying off when a fragment of information reached him from a dying prophet, who had seen the seeds location in his last dream, moments before passing into the afterlife.

According to the prophet, the Seed was hidden in the desolate corners of the universe, in a forsaken realm known as the Tomb of Eternity.

This realm was a place long abandoned by the gods and shunned by even the most daring of treasure hunters and Escanor knew the journey to this realm would be perilous.

The Tomb of Eternity was not just a physical destination; it was a spiritual and mental trial, a place where even gods could be consumed by the endless void.

But Escanor was not deterred. The prospect of possessing the Seed outweighed any fear or hesitation.

He could see it now—his family forced to bow before him, the Olympian council scrambling to earn his favor, and the entire hierarchy of the tower realigning itself in fear of the power he would hold.

A cold smile crept onto his lips as he turned toward the vast starry sky visible through his chamber's window. His path was clear.

"The Seed of Death will be mine," he murmured to himself. "And when I hold its power, they will all remember why the name Escanor is not to be trifled with."

—--------

/// A/N - LET'S GO GUYS! CHAPTER 300!

We hit another benchmark! Thankyou for all your support! ///