Chapter 162: First floor
Walking towards the tower, the people around the structure weren’t particularly interested in his approach. Why would they be? He wasn’t the first or the last person to walk towards the legendary testing ground. Dozens of Platinum-rank warriors attempted entry daily, their individual stories merging into routine background activity.
Merchants continued hawking their specialized equipment. The bustling marketplace maintained its commercial rhythm regardless of who approached the tower’s entrance.
Ethan moved through the crowd with casual confidence, his enhanced perception noting the diverse array of territorial representatives present.
The Blood Dragon remained alert on his shoulder, his intelligence processing the social dynamics while remaining prepared for potential complications. SSS-rank instincts recognized that peaceful environments could shift rapidly when valuable resources were involved.
But the safe zone’s magical enforcement remained absolute. Even obvious enemies maintained civil behavior while the tower’s protection systems monitored every interaction for signs of prohibited violence.
Arriving in front of the massive structure, Ethan felt the weight of its presence pressing against his consciousness. The tower rose beyond visual limits while dark stone radiated power that made the air itself thick with contained potential.
Runic inscriptions covering the entrance archway began glowing as his approach triggered activation sequences. Ancient text flowed across stone surfaces like living language while geometric patterns created optical illusions that challenged depth perception.
[Welcome to the Sanctuary’s Tower. Would you like to enter?]
[Yes | No]
The magical interface appeared directly in his visual field, bypassing normal sensory input to communicate through consciousness itself. The tower’s systems had assessed his capabilities and determined him qualified for admission.
Ethan paused for a second, took a deep breath, and pressed yes.