The Call of the Castle

Noah sat cross-legged on the bedrock plateau, his body cocooned in the intricate weave of his energy field. His scouting drone had flashed a warning earlier—a massive black castle had appeared in the wasteland, radiating an aura so old and powerful it made the hair on his arms rise.

He wanted to rush forward, to investigate it himself. The temptation was immense. But experience told him otherwise.

The natives entering the castle were unpredictable. If he went there personally, Mythical-level entities might be deployed by the factions; one strike from them, and Noah would be nothing more than dust.

"System," Noah said, voice calm but eyes sharp. "Tell me… is that castle safe?"

A simple reply came from the system but it was enough to shut him up.

[1 sextillion coins needed]

Noah ground his teeth. The cost was astronomical, absurd even, but it was enough to confirm his suspicions: the castle was dangerous. Extremely dangerous.

For the next hundred days, he decided, he would stay put. First, he had to become at least as powerful as a mythical being. To reach that level, he would need roughly 1,500 times his current power amplification.

After calculating the benefits of law comprehension, Noah realized he would have to reach level 78 to rival a typical mythical-level entity.

To reach that level he would need enlightenment pills, thousands of them.

"Creation," he whispered.

Instantly, a new skill stone manifested in his hand: an upgraded version of his mana regeneration. Previously, it restored his mana every hundred minutes.

Now, it would do so every twenty-five minutes, regenerating four percent per minute. The cost was tremendous,500 sextillion mana points, but it was sustainable. Noah wanted to create one that might regenerate it in 10 minutes, but the mana needed for it was immense.

Two days later, Noah achieved a milestone. He comprehended 1% of the Law of Creation and ascended to level 72. His power doubled almost instantly, tangible and overwhelming.

[Name: Noah Aldric

Level: 72

Talent: Creation (Unranked)

Mana: 1.12 Septillion

Combat Power: 1.296 Quintillion Stars

EXP: 50 Quintillion / 70 Trillion

Coins: 20 Quintillion

Law Comprehension: Law of Creation (1%)]

A small smile touched his lips. The upgrade meant he could now create Enlightenment Pills at will, his mana replenished fast enough to sustain a continuous cycle. His path to comprehension had begun in earnest.

The Castle of the Angel Race pulsed with an eerie light in it's place. The black stone shimmered like a living shadow, reflecting the twilight sky with impossible depth. Its towering silhouette stretched across the horizon, a hundred floors of perfect darkness.

Then, without warning, a voice rang out. This voice was not from the system. Not anything the natives recognized. It seemed to emanate from the castle itself, deep within the stone:

"Those who ascend the hundred floors of this Castle shall receive a reward, which can let someone breakthrough beyond the World Level. Only those under 500 years of age may claim this treasure. Proceed if you dare, and demonstrate the worth of your ambition."

The voice echoed across the castle like a command, an irresistible summons. No one doubted its sincerity; the energy of the castle alone made its words credible.

Among those who heard it, their hearts raced. The World Level was a tier above mythical, and only the ancestor of every powerful native races were at this level.

The ones who came here immediately passed this news to their respective clans.

Within hours, the first wave of challengers began to gather. Kael, still clutching the energy herb he had claimed on the first floor, stared at the announcement in awe.

"This… this is real," he whispered. The castle's aura made his blood pulse with anticipation. He had expected ancient treasures, maybe even minor artifacts, but this promise exceeded his wildest hopes.

Elara, now on the second floor, felt her fragment of ancient armor vibrate in response to the castle's proclamation. "The reward… it's real," she murmured. Her mind raced. "If this is true, our clan could rise faster than we ever imagined."

Across the realm, prodigies under 500 years old responded in droves. Youths from minor clans, wandering adventurers,all who could sense the castle's power surged toward it. They moved like a river, unstoppable and driven by desire.

Ancient beings from the native civilizations had begun to stir from their long, meditative cultivation sessions. For countless years, they had remained trapped at the World Level, unable to break through to the higher domains of the Realm of Infinity. Millennia had passed, yet their progress had stalled. The frustration had grown unbearable. For all their knowledge, all their power, and all their understanding of the universe, they remained confined to a boundary that no one could penetrate.

But now, after eons of study and reflection, a solution had finally presented itself. The answer was as tantalizing as it was dangerous. They needed the treasure—and they needed it at all costs.

At the summoning of this revelation, the entire ancestral council awoke. From their secluded sanctums scattered across the forgotten corners of the world, they connected through the silent threads of spiritual resonance. One by one, they called forth the current patriarch, the one living mortal among them entrusted with executing their orders.

The patriarch arrived in the grand hall of the ancients, his presence commanding yet understated. The air thickened as the elders' gaze fell upon him, each eye gleaming with the weight of countless centuries.

"Gather all the prodigies under five hundred years," the eldest instructed. His voice resonated like thunder across the hall. "It is time for them to prove their worth. Show us why we have invested so much in their training and nurture. This is the moment we reclaim what was lost to us."

The patriarch bowed deeply, acknowledging the command. Within moments, messengers on swift wind steeds were dispatched to every powerful clan across the lands. Their orders were clear: send the young, the gifted, the prodigies—the ones with potential to surpass even their predecessors.

As the days passed, the castle began to fill with energy unlike any it had known for centuries. Young cultivators arrived from every corner of the known realms. Some were warriors of unmatched physical prowess, others were scholars of profound arcane understanding. Many were both, their potential shimmering like sunlight on water.

The trials set by the ancients were merciless. The prodigies faced challenges that would break ordinary mortals in an instant. Each trial was designed not merely to test skill, but to uncover the hidden reserves of potential each participant carried within their soul. Many fell, their bodies and spirits unable to endure the relentless pressure. Yet the worthy ones pressed on, ascending step by step, gaining insights and power that would have been unimaginable just months prior.

Among these prodigies was Noah. In thirty days, he had shattered expectations. Where others struggled for hours, he broke through to the seventy-fifth level with an ease that surprised even the patriarchs observing him. His secret lay in his voracious consumption of enlightenment pills. Four or five every hour, each one amplifying his spiritual senses, refining his energy flow, and accelerating his comprehension of the higher laws of the universe.

He did not keep this advantage to himself. Generals, top fighters, and those closest to him received supplies as well. He strengthened his forces not out of generosity, but necessity. Only with capable allies by his side could the challenges of the tower be overcome. Every pill, every bit of knowledge shared, multiplied their combined potential.

Meanwhile, outside the castle, the world began to feel the tremors of the ancients' awakening. The wind carried whispers of extraordinary happenings. Mountains shivered under invisible pressures, and rivers seemed to bend slightly in their courses as if acknowledging the stirrings of power that now radiated from the heart of civilization.

It was here, at the foot of the castle, that another story began to unfold. A young man approached, his gait calm but resolute, stepping across the cold stones leading to the grand entrance. His name was Romero, and his arrival did not go unnoticed.

A voice, dripping with mockery, rang out. "Romero, I didn't expect a rat like you would dare to come here." The speaker leaned casually against a pillar, a smirk playing on his lips. His aura was strong, yet tinged with arrogance. Clearly, he had not yet realized the depth of the prodigy standing before him.

Romero's response was measured, almost indifferent. "It is the order of the ancestors. I can do nothing but follow it." He sighed, his eyes reflecting neither fear nor anger, but the weight of obligation and inevitability.

The mocker's smirk faltered slightly. He paused, sensing the quiet authority that radiated from Romero. He, too, was bound by the ancestors' command. No matter how much he had prepared, no matter how much pride he bore, he could not defy the summoning. Reluctantly, he straightened and fell silent, understanding that today, like all others in the castle's shadow, the will of the ancients would take precedence.

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