Zane walked across the vast weaponry hall, running his hands along the rows of metallic shelves. One by one, he tried pulling the weapons free.

Not a single one budged.

Hours passed, and frustration filled the air. One student after another gave up, sighing in defeat before heading toward the door leading to the fifth floor. Eventually, all fifteen of them gathered at the door, determined to move on.

The moment one of them touched it, the entire door flared with multicolored sigils.

Boom!

The student was blasted across the hall.

Shock rippled through the group. They tried everything—hammering the door with skills, slamming their strongest attacks against it—but nothing worked.

At last, everyone realized it was impossible to force their way through.

Some even whispered about retreating. But when they noticed Zane still lingering in the hall, calm and composed, they hesitated. Against their better judgment, they chose to wait.

Zane sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes. He wasn't in a rush—he was waiting.

Hours later, a crisp chime echoed in his mind.

Ding!

[Completed reading all books!]

[Successfully transcribed all texts into English!]

"Good," Zane murmured. "Now, help me with the rest. I can't even pull off a single weapon in here."

[Scanning initiated…]

An overwhelming aura surged from his body, flooding the hall with pressure. Three seconds later, it faded away.

[Scan complete.]

[You can now read the Atlantis Scriptures.]

Zane rose to his feet and turned to the nearest wall. His lips curled into a smile—English subtitles now hovered above the strange symbols carved into the surface.

He began pacing along the hall, reading scripture after scripture, piecing the truth together.

"So that's it…" he muttered. "To reach the next floor, I must draw one of these weapons. And to draw one, I need to decipher the code inscribed on each of them."

He stopped before a crimson saber resting on its shelf. The plaque beside it shimmered with translated words.

Zephyr Dragon Blade!

To claim me, feed me your greatest ego.

Zane's gaze hardened. He placed his hand on the curved hilt and whispered, "My greatest ego is to find my father… and kill him."

The saber trembled. Sigils blazed to life across its surface, and in one smooth motion, Zane pulled it free.

Rumble!

The moment he raised it high, a vision tore into his mind—a colossal red dragon erupting from molten lava, its roar shaking the heavens. Then, just as quickly, he was back in reality.

"He… he actually did it!" a student shouted in disbelief.

All eyes locked onto Zane.

They surged forward with questions.

"How did you do it?" David demanded.

"We'll pay you if you tell us the secret!" another cried.

Soran stepped out from the crowd, smiling smoothly. "My friend, we'll all be in the same batch after this tournament. Why don't you lend us a hand this time?"

Zane's eyes swept over them. A moment ago, every one of them wanted me dead. Now they're crawling at my feet. Truly, their colors change faster than a chameleon's.

He was about to brush them off with a lie when a childish voice echoed in his mind.

I want to eat it, the sword spirit whispered.

Zane's grip tightened. "No… not this one," he muttered under his breath.

But before he could stop it, the sword strapped to his back unsheathed itself and shot into the air.

Whoosh!

The blade in his hand didn't even have time to resist—neither did Zane. In an instant, his own sword lunged forward and devoured the crimson saber whole.

A loud burp echoed in his head, followed by a childish voice.

"So tasty. I want to eat more!"

The sword floated happily in the air, gazing hungrily at the countless weapons scattered across the hall.

A strange, giddy chuckle reverberated in Zane's mind. Then a powerful suction force burst out of the sword.

Zane's eyes widened. "Wait—no, don't overeat, Sword-baby! You'll get indigestion!"

His plea went ignored. The blade split open into hundreds of gaping mouths, vibrating with a strange resonance. The energy it released synchronized with every weapon in the room.

One by one, weapons trembled, lifted off their shelves, and floated into the air.

Over five hundred thousand blades, sabers, spears, and axes spun in a terrifying storm.

The fifteen students froze, their hearts dropping. Some even shut their eyes, convinced this was the end—that Zane was about to slaughter them with an army of weapons.

But instead of attacking, all the weapons surged into the air and were sucked into Zane's sword in the blink of an eye.

Gulp. Crunch. Devour.

And just like that, the entire hall fell silent.

Zane ignored the horrified gazes drilling into him and calmly walked toward the sealed door. He raised his sword and tapped the tip against it.

Click—

The sigils across the door flared in a dazzling chain reaction before sliding open.

Without a word, Zane stepped through.

The fifteen students from the Glimmerveil Household stood frozen in awe. It was only when Soran snapped out of it and shouted, "Quickly, to the door!" that they bolted forward. One after another, they rushed inside.

The group pressed onward, scouring treasures floor after floor until finally, they arrived at the highest level.

The final hall.

Zane knew what he sought was here. But if the Glimmerveil students laid eyes on it too, he would have no choice but to fight.

The hall stretched vast and wide, littered with countless treasures. Beast core stones glimmered in piles, ranging from one to two stars, scattered across the floor like candy waiting to be snatched.

The noble students wasted no time, darting around like hungry wolves, scooping up cores and valuables at lightning speed.

Zane, however, ignored them all. His gaze skimmed across the hall, sharp and focused, until it landed on his target.

There. Hidden in plain sight—inside the belly of a stuffed animal—lay the fragment of the prototype weapon.

Zane moved swiftly, snatching the toy into his hand.

But before he could pull it away, a firm grip tugged at the other end.

Strella.

Her eyes blazed as she shouted, "I picked it first! Let it go!"

The cry echoed across the hall, instantly drawing every student's attention to them.

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