<h4>Chapter 232: The Tower of Legends</h4>


    In the Ascendance Academy of Midgard,bat instructors held the same prestige as professors of other departments. Arrichion’s presence there was both strange and remarkable. He had only returned to Midgard a few years earlier, after being gravely wounded in battle on Molgrath. The healers who saved him had prescribed ten years of rehabilitation before he could rejoin the frontlines. Restless and unwilling to waste time, he had epted a post at the Academy. Though his cultivation was suppressed by Midgard’s thin energy, his skill remained unmatched.


    When Eleanor appeared in his school, a cadet choosing Mixed Martial Arts as her major in her very first term, Arrichion’s interest was piqued. Few had done so in centuries. He had no idea of her Mind Reaver bloodline, her uncanny ability to grasp and retain knowledge instantly... but when he saw how quickly she absorbed every lesson, he pushed her further. By the time their first session ended, she had received more than just a wee: she had been given private tutoring by one of history’s deadliest fighters.


    He even sent her away with a stack of books, each a cornerstone of strategy andbat. "On Anatomical Vulnerabilities: A Treatise on Every Species" by Graham Valerius. "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. "Kic Principles: Force Redirection for Non-Humanoid Physiologies" by Grommash. "History of the Peloponnesian War" by Thucydides. "The Conquest of Gaul" by Julius Caesar. "Strategy: A History" by Lawrence Freedman. And "Lycanthropic Warfare" by Kaelen Volsung.


    By the time Eleanor returned to the reception, it was already lunchtime, and others were gone. She was told Ophelia and Kiara had finished their enrolment and left for the shadow school. Her stomach growled, so she headed for the dining hall.


    A crowd of cadets had gathered before the doors of the dining hall, which were still closed. Amidst the chatter, Eleanor spotted familiar faces... Ophelia, Kiara, and Maira, gossiping at a side.


    Before she could join them, Ophelia saw and waved her over. "Ma’am! What happened in thebat department? We heard from the receptionist that you enrolled in Mixed Martial Arts and went to visit the school. Then you never came back. We waited, but you vanished. Where were you?"


    Eleanor’s lips curved faintly. "I was the only cadet in three years to join Mixed Martial Arts in the primary term. The instructor for this term was Arrichion of Phigalia. He... gave me a long private lesson."


    Ophelia tilted her head, puzzled. Before she could respond, Joshua Cordillera’s voice cut in from behind. He had overheard, and his eyes were wide with excitement. "No way! Arrichion of Phigalia? The ancient warrior? He must be over two thousand years old by now!"


    "Who is this Arrichion of Phigalia?" Ophelia asked, blinking at Joshua’s reaction.


    Eleanor turned her gaze toward her. "Official records say he was a champion of Mixed Martial Arts in the ancient Olympic Games. In truth, he was a war hero of Greece... his fame came not just from arenas, but from countless real battles. He was a legend in both war and sport. And his race..." She paused, letting the suspense hang. "...he’s a vampire."


    Ophelia, Kiara, Joshua, and Maira all stared at her in shock. Their mouths moved, but no words came. Eleanor decided to press their disbelief further.


    "Do you know who the head of thebat department is?" she asked.


    <fnaa96> Original content can be found at find?novel</fnaa96>


    "Who?"


    "I don’t know."


    "No."


    "Who?"


    The four answered in unison, their confusion palpable.


    Eleanor’s expression ttened into its usual deadpan. "Supreme Grandmaster Scáthach."


    Joshua’s brows shot up. "The Witch of Dún Scáith?"


    Eleanor gave a single, steady nod. "Yes."


    Joshua nearly shouted, "No way!" and the others joined him, exmations bursting from their lips. "Unbelievable! Impossible!"


    "I saw her name in the booklet thebat department gave me," Eleanor exined calmly. "Later, I asked the receptionist to confirm."


    The group fell into stunned silence. Around them, cadets continued to gossip about rankings and courses, oblivious to the fact that the most terrifying legends of myth were now their professors.


    ***


    After lunch, as Eleanor stepped out of the dining hall and prepared to head toward the Department of Mental Arts to enrol in one of her optional courses, a figure suddenly blocked her path.


    A tall and muscr boy, proud and sharp-eyed, raised a hand to stop her. His aura crackled faintly, like distant thunder. "I am Raijin Stormrider of the dragon race. You must be Eleanor Raynor, am I correct?"


    Eleanor met his gaze with polite calm. "Hello. I am Eleanor. How may I help you?"


    She had seen his type before... arrogant, spoiled, convinced the world owed them respect. In her short life she had already met too many proud young masters to count. There was no profit in provoking them with words. Only action ever shut them up.


    Raijin’s lip curled. "You scored higher than me in the Initiation Ceremony. Just by looking at you, anyone can see you’re weaker. I demand you step down voluntarily and yield your third-ce ranking to me." His tone dripped disdain, his confidence absolute.


    Eleanor’s expression did not flicker. Her voice was t, almost bored. "And if I don’t?"


    "Then you will duel me," Raijin dered. "But not in some trivial spar. We will settle it in the Tower of Legends. Do you dare?"


    That gave Eleanor pause. She hadn’t expected him to use the Tower for a duel. She had already read about it in her guidebook... a hundred floors of escting challenges meant to draw out a cadet’s full potential. In all the academy’s history, no one had passed the nieth floor. Students normally attempted the Tower at the end of a term, after months of training.


    But Raijin wanted to use it now, as a stage for pride.


    Eleanor studied his smug face, then nodded. "Fine. The Tower it is. But we adjust the rules. You said if you win, I give you my position as third. What happens if I win? I want all the points you earned in the trial."


    Raijin let out a sharpugh. "Hah! You can have those measly points. As if you’ll ever win! Remember who I am... I am a dragon. A dragon!"


    Their voices had drawn attention. By now, a crowd of cadets had gathered, murmuring in excitement. A duel in the Tower of Legends was unheard of this early in the term.


    When the terms were set, Raijin strode toward the Combat Department with arrogant confidence, Eleanor walking calmly beside him. The spectators followed, buzzing with anticipation.


    At the reception desk, the woman in white robes looked up from her work, startled by the noise of so many cadets pressing into the lobby. Before she could ask, Raijin spoke loudly, puffing his chest.


    "We will be challenging the Tower of Legends," he announced. "This will be a duel between us. The terms are set... when I win, this lowly wolf will surrender her third-ce ranking to me. Please arrange it immediately."


    Eleanor added, her tone even, "And if I win, I im all of his points."


    The receptionist blinked, utterly taken aback. Her gaze flicked between the arrogant dragon and the quiet werewolf. She raised a finger toward Raijin and asked Eleanor. "You... you’repeting against him?"


    Eleanor simply nodded.


    The receptionist’s expression hardened into professionalism. "Very well. Challenging the Tower requires one hundred points, and the duel contract an additional five. Each of you must provide one hundred and five points."


    Without hesitation, both Eleanor and Raijin extended their wrists. Their devices chimed as the scanner passed over them. The receptionist confirmed the deduction with swift keystrokes, then rose from her desk.


    "Follow me to the Tower chamber."


    She led them down a long, silent corridor on the ground floor. A line of ck doors stood at the far end, five in total, each marked only by a glowing number. The crowd of cadets tried to follow, but the receptionist stopped them with a raised hand.


    "You cannot enter. If you wish to watch their progress, wait in the lobby. The screen will update their status in real time."


    Disappointed murmurs rippled through the group, but soon the cadets settled into chairs, buzzing with anticipation. It was the first duel of their batch; no one wanted to miss a moment.


    Meanwhile, at the end of the corridor, the receptionist gestured to the doors. "Each chamber contains a capsule. The process is identical to your Initiation Ceremony. Enter, and you will be transported to the base of the Tower."


    Raijin stepped forward first, pushing into the nearest room with the impatience of a predator tasting victory in advance. The door shut behind him with a hiss.


    Eleanor waited until thest door at the end of the line, then entered calmly. Inside stood the same capsule... smooth, metallic, almost coffin-like. She opened the lid,y down within, and felt it seal over her.


    The world dropped away. A violent pull tugged at her soul, dragging her through darkness.


    Then her feet found solid ground. She stood before a massive door, its surface etched with an ancient aura that seemed alive.


    Before she could fully take in her surroundings, a woman’s voice resonated within her mind... gentle, yet absolute.


    "Wee to the Tower of Legends. The Tower contains one hundred levels, each presenting challenges of increasing difficulty. You may fight your way upward or quit when you deem it beyond you. Death within the Tower will not im you... you will be returned to your space capsule. At any time, you may speak aloud that you quit, and you will be removed. Challenger will have ten minutes to pass each level or the Challenger will automatically fail."


    The voice paused, then continued, crisp as an oath:


    "Conquer twenty-five levels, and you shall be awarded one hundred points. Conquer fifty, and you shall gain one thousand. At seventy-five, ten thousand. At the hundredth floor, one million points, and your name will be etched forever on the Academy’s Board of Legends. No hints will be given. No guidance offered. If you wish to continue, step through the door."


    For a moment, Eleanor simply stood there in the stillness, weighing the enormity of it. Then, without hesitation, she pushed the door open. The world beyond struck her senses all at once.


    The sharp tang of salt filled her nose. A roaring ocean stretched before her, its waves crashing in violent rhythm. Behind her loomed cliffs of sheer stone, cutting off any retreat. Before her stretched only sand, sea, and storm.


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