Chapter 478: Testing The Supreme Technique
[Quest: Tower of Ascension - Floor 2]
[Difficulty: Insane]
[Task: By liberating the unworthy illusions from their suffering and setting foot on the second floor, you have proven that you are worthy to serve MSAP-8. However, if you desire to challenge the Almighty for the spot reserved at the very pinnacle, you must first triumph over the Guardians it has subjugated over time.]
[Killed Guardians: 0/100]
[Reward: 10,000 Skill Points, you are granted an entrance to Floor 3 of the Tower of Ascension]
Michael blinked slowly, then read the requirements to complete the quest several times over.
"You can’t be serious." He muttered dejectedly.
Killing a hundred Guardians?
Until now, he and the squad had faced only two, and both times had pushed them over the edge. They had barely managed to emerge victorious, even suffering casualties among them.
Now they had to kill a hundred?
"And this is categorized as Insane?" Michael laughed out loud. "I can only imagine how much worse it’s going to get from now on."
’What are you mumbling about, brat?’ Devil remarked through their telepathic connection. To any outsider, Michael must have looked mad, talking to himself while staring into empty space.
"Nothing important." He answered calmly, his eyes properly surveying the surroundings.
Without a doubt, the second floor was much vaster than the first one.
Rather than golden hills and fields, Michael and the Lords were capable of perceiving multiple biomes, all bearing different appearances.
"This is going to take a while." He heaved a sigh.
Remembering Ember, Michael’s eyes abruptly locked onto the marvelous fox.
One detail that had almost gone over his head when he read the quest’s task was that, apparently, they were already deemed worthy...
Meaning she could theoretically choose to stop here and evolve into a Guardian.
Taking into account that she was an illusion, who either wished to become a Guardian or challenge the Iskra Titan, there was a real possibility that she would decide her path ended here, effectively turning against them since she would be serving her creator from now on.
The other Lords lacked a system. Missing the details he had, they could only wonder why he was staring so intently at the fox.
Meeting his gaze, Ember inspected the human she had grown surprisingly fond of over the short period of time they had been together.
Her maw opened wide.
"You are certainly a clever human. You seem to have fully grasped how illusions work." Ember’s acknowledgment echoed through the area, confusing the Lords even further.
She paused deliberately, debating her options.
Then the corners of her lips curved upwards.
"Be at ease." Her tone was reassuring. "After that technique you showed me on the previous floor, there is no way I would be satisfied with the current power I possess."
Ember had made her choice. She would either kill the Titan or perish trying.
Michael’s breathing eased. Things would have become vastly more complicated if they could no longer rely on Ember.
Her form morphed into a stunningly colossal motorcycle, one that looked larger than a tank.
"Hop on." The exhaust pipes trembled.
Even if the Lords were capable of flying without restriction, moving like this was bound to be faster.
The three Supreme Lords of the Golden Vanguard, along with Noctis, looked at the fox with bewilderment. The four had never ridden upon her.
Noticing how the others acted nonchalantly, they didn’t ask questions and quietly boarded the motorcycle.
"The purpose of this trial is straightforward. We have to kill the Guardians scattered throughout. If my senses do not deceive me, there are a hundred of them." Ember explained their task. Sparing Michael from the trouble.
Understandably, those who had experienced the battle with the second Guardian paled slightly at the news but quickly got their bearings under control.
"Fortunately, we don’t seem to be under time constraints. Also, unlike the first floor, nobody is charging toward us." Nicole’s suggestion echoed behind Michael. "It would be wiser to stealthily get rid of the isolated foes before they realize we are here."
Everybody nodded, finding the plan appropriate. Even the strongest Lords were unwilling to face so many enemies at the same time. Aware that it could only lead to their premature deaths.
Besides taking the role of a vehicle, Ember was able to tap into her inner nature as an illusion to roughly pinpoint the nearest foes to them.
Her senses fixed on the top of a towering golden mountain not too far away.
Following her guidance, Michael steered the handlebars to the side, altering their course.
Accelerating, they ascended the large mass of ground at a staggering speed.
Eventually, the exhaust pipe relaxed, greatly easing the pace with which they were climbing, until they finally came to a stop.
"It’s up there." Ember exclaimed, assuming her fox form. "Going any higher would instantly alert the Guardian. Everybody needs to prepare accordingly."
The Lords exchanged glances, ready to initiate battle.
Yet before they did, Michael spoke.
"Actually, I have a request. From what we know, we are isolated from the other enemies... Since they will not know what is happening here, I would like to use this chance to further test my newly evolved technique."
When Michael had initiated the God of War technique, he didn’t have the necessary time to become familiar with it. Instead, he simply lashed out with every limb of the war deity, aiming to inflict maximum devastation.
Thankfully the plan had worked at the time, but if he were to face a single enemy rather than an army, it was questionable whether he would be able to adapt fast enough to use the God of War effectively.
Now, with the absence of greater threats, he believed it was the perfect time to master the technique.
The squad was momentarily conflicted. On one hand, letting Michael use God of War wasn’t necessary. They were confident that, with the element of surprise on their side, they could slay the Guardian before it even knew what hit it.
But on the other side, they were eager to see the inspiring war deity once more.
In that moment, Devil slipped from Michael’s grip and assumed his true form, his singular black pupil shining in delight.
"Is that even a question?! Use it right away!"
In the end, nobody was against the idea, so Michael did.
[God of War activated!]
