Chapter 69: Way To The Top
[From the beginning until now, a total of 69,007 people have challenged the Heaven Stage. But only three made it through. By choosing to proceed, all life-saving support will be disabled; failing here will cost you your life.]
Darian read that, surprised. Everyone had gone all-out in the five previous floors without a care, because they knew they'd be saved from death. But this new stage was a real, deadly test.
[The supreme technique of the God Chromaraic—a path created to bring out the maximum potential of your race. With it, climbing to the heavens becomes easier. But there's not just one route to the top. So choosing to back off and forge your own path is not a bad decision.]
Darian fell deep into thought. The Array had clearly been built to train members of the Chromaraic race, so its final reward was the legacy of that god.
But he was human... or almost. The fact that the Spiritual Guardians couldn't enter the Array proved that, by becoming a High Human, he'd lost whatever was left of his Chromaraic bloodline.
From what it said, this legacy was highly specific to that race. Even if he won, there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to use it at all.
[You have five minutes to decide. At the entrance to the next stage, you'll find two buttons. One confirms your will to transcend your limits. The other will teleport you out of the Array. Upon exiting, you'll receive all your rewards and a bonus for completing the Earth Stage. Choose wisely.]
Darian let out a long breath. Quitting felt like a generous offer—but the real intent behind the Array was too obvious.
People are naturally curious and competitive. The more the Array talked in that tone of "incredible opportunity," the more it stoked the desire to go on. Those words, far from being a warning, were a disguised invitation. And that was even more true for proud geniuses who'd made it this far. Not trying would feel like humiliation.
But Darian wasn't a fool. He knew his limits. He'd already achieved more than anyone in the Empire could ever dream of—so why risk it all for something he might not even be able to use?
He walked to the end of the arena. In the earlier floors, the path to the next level had always been in the same place: the center of the wall on the opposite side.