Ray stared at her for a long moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You just told me who you are. Aren't you afraid I could be a spy?"

At his terrifying words, Lia didn't even flinch. Her gaze was steady, unwavering. She had already weighed this possibility, and the conclusion she came to was what allowed her to trust him.

"If you were a spy," she replied softly, "you wouldn't have helped me and the others cross the Corridor of Traps and win a thousand trial points."

Her reasoning was sound, impossible to deny.

She follows what she preaches, not trusting others blindly, Ray thought, feeling genuinely impressed with her.

By the time their conversation ended, Ray's stamina had recovered to the max. He could finally challenge the next trial.

Lia came along as he stepped onto the metal walkway and crossed the portal shimmering at its end.

It was impossible to predict if they would end up in the same trial. In the tower, the trials one faced in a sector might not be the same as the trials another encountered to clear that very sector. Nonetheless, even if the chances were slim, there was still the possibility that they might land in the same trial together, as they were both heading to the tower's fourth sector.

It should be mentioned that Lia hadn't been sitting around doing nothing while Ray was completing his trials. She had also advanced from the second sector to the fourth in less than a week. However, she was a peak Bronze ranker—an entire major realm and several minor realms above Ray. The trials she faced to reach this point were naturally far easier than the one Ray had endured in the third sector. One had even been cleared with Ray's help.

Light and space bent around them, and in the next instant, they were spat out into a vast hall.

As their eyes adjusted, they felt a flicker of relief to find themselves dropped into the very same trial.

"Looks like lady luck has smiled on us," Ray said.

"Yeah," Lia agreed with a faint smile.

The walls were white, smooth as marble yet without seam, and the towering ceiling arched high overhead like the dome of a cathedral. The floor was polished black stone, smooth as heck, reflecting their images so clearly it felt as though they were standing on a mirror. At the center of the vast hall floated a massive crimson crystal, suspended in midair. It glowed faintly and pulsed like a heart.

Three colossal corridors connected to the hall, each wide enough for a giant to stride through. Their yawning darkness made them seem less like pathways and more like the gaping throats of monstrous beasts, waiting to disgorge horrors.

The most eye catching thing was that besides the two of them, four more figures were already there.

Two were elves. One female. One male.

The male introduced himself as Faelar, tall and lean with hair like spun silver and eyes the color of new leaves. His companion, Seliane, wore a robe embroidered with starlight patterns, her beauty refined yet edged with aloofness. Both hailed from the same world as Lia, and she returned their greetings with faint warmth. They were commoners from a tribe different than the moon worshippers. She was royalty. They didn't recognize her despite being from the same world.

When Ray say the three of them together, he couldn't help but think elves were blessed. Three elves, and all three looked like a painting come alive.

The third one was a human with dark brown hair and a steady gaze. His name was Marcus, and across his back were strapped two longswords in a cross-shape. He revealed he was from Earth, a fact that instantly stirred Ray's attention.

"I am also from Earth."

"Nice to meet you, fellow noble," they shook hands strongly.

The last one was a Reptilia with a body covered in emerald bronze scales.

The Reptilia said nothing at all. He didn't even attempt to introduce himself.

He simply stood there, arms folded, eyes sharp, tail twitching faintly behind him.

It wasn't that he was hostile. It was more like he simply couldn't be bothere to socialise in such a gathering.

He gave off the impression of someone who didn't like wasting breath on strangers, someone who saw no reason to get chummy with people he might never see again.

Ray studied the group in silence.

They seemed normal enough, at least on the surface. But there was no telling if one of them was a devil's pawn hiding behind a false smile.

How good it would have been if I had Nameless's Eye Technique, he thought bitterly. That peerless technique can unveil the truth of any man with a single glance. If I possessed the Sage's Eyes, I wouldn't need to worry about being betrayed.

As he brooded, Arthis's voice rang out, rolling across the vast hall like thunder.

"Welcome to the tower's fourth sector—the bridge between worlds. From its name, I believe you may have already inferred that completing this trial is the key to gaining entry into other worlds chosen by the tower. Worlds where you may witness sights you have never seen before and get resources that doesn't exist in the worlds you came from. It is the kind of opportunity worth killing for. But make no mistake, such an opportunity comes with dangers as great as the rewards."

"What's the trial about?" Marcus asked impatiently.

Arthis chuckled faintly, then continued,

"It's simple. Before you floats the Hearthstone. Monsters will emerge from the tunnels connected to this hall once the trial begins. They will seek to destroy it. Should the Hearthstone shatter, you will all fail. But if you can protect it until the end, you will pass the trial and be rewarded generously."

Snap!

The sound of fingers snapping reverberated across the hall.

"The trial begins now. Good luck."

****

Author here!

Yes, everything have been a setup for something greater. Soon Ray will enter another world, but it's also the prelude to something greater. Look forward to it!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.