Chapter 99 99: Bronze Ranking List

"What exactly is this Bronze Ranking List?"

Evan inquired with a quizzical look, indicating his ignorance about the ranking list. He couldn't recall hearing anything about it before, and wondered if it was a new addition to the clan's hierarchy.

Keldor cleared his throat before answering Evan's question, "It is a new system of hierarchy proposed by the council of elders and approved by both the clan's Patriarch and Grand Patriarch. It has been recently implemented," he explained, his voice oozing with authority and confidence, leaving no room for doubt.

Keldor then turned to the curious onlookers and explained the origins of the new rule, shedding light on its significance.

Earning a spot on the Bronze Ranking List of the Imperial Frost Clan should be considered a significant achievement as it significant that one had earned the clan's unwavering attention, support, and a plethora of benefits. These included access to invaluable resources, recognition and respect within the clan, and the coveted opportunity to receive a soul pocket opening pill each month.

Those who made the list would become part of an elite group, with the clan's resources and backing at their disposal. With such an advantage, they would've a much greater chance of ascending the clan's hierarchy and even the empire's. It was a stepping stone to even greater heights, a pathway to glory that only the most talented and hardworking individuals of the youngest generation of the Imperial Frost Clan could hope to achieve.

Upon hearing this, the participants' spirits lifted, and Keldor watched with a sly smile, knowing that he had successfully bluffed them into thinking the Monster Tower was less of a challenge than it really was.

With a sense of triumph, he announced, "Let the Trial of Indomitable Will begin!"

Keldor's brawny arms bulged as he pried open the colossal, obsidian gates of the towering Monster Tower.

The participants of the cutthroat inheritance war filed inside, unwavering determination etched on their faces. Evan followed suit, stepping into the tower through the imposing gates.

As he set foot inside, a bone-chilling voice echoed in his ears.

"Welcome to the first floor of the Monster Tower, where your mettle will be tested against Fearsome Extraterrestrial Monsters for a grueling three hours."

"Complete the trial, and you shall be rewarded with a Dragon's Breath Pill. Fail, and you will be forced to pay the ultimate price - your life."

The voice that rang out in Evan's ears had a haunting quality to it, both feminine and inhuman at the same time. Most people would be spooked if they suddenly heard such a voice, but not Evan. He remained calm and collected, knowing the speaker all too well. It was the spirit of the Monster Tower, which was a Sentient Weapon with its own consciousness and intelligence. A Sentient Weapon was a powerful and rare item that had developed spiritual awareness, and the Monster Tower was one of the most feared and respected examples of this breed in the Black Eye Galaxy.

[The trial begins!]

In an instant, Evan found himself in a narrow, claustrophobic tunnel, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The walls on his left and right were lined with flickering torches that cast eerie shadows around him, their flames flickering like ghostly tongues in the darkness.

Despite the presence of the torches, darkness seemed to linger in the corners of the tunnel, ready to engulf Evan at any moment.

Evan knew he couldn't afford to stay still, not with the "Fearsome Extraterrestrial Monsters" lurking in the shadows.

Evan cautiously navigated the labyrinthine network of tunnels, his senses sharpened to their maximum. Every fiber of his being was prepared for what was to come. He knew from his memory of the game that the second "Fearsome Exterrestrial Monsters" were mentioned, nothing good was supposed to happen.

As he turned a sharp corner, his eyes fell upon the worst sight imaginable - a repulsive Wormface.

The moment Evan laid eyes on it, he froze in place, enveloped in a sudden stillness. He could feel the weight of its disgusting gaze bearing down on him, and for a brief moment, it seemed as if time had come to a standstill. The only sound that could be heard was his own labored breathing and the frenzied thumping of his heart, echoing through the tunnels like a deafening drumbeat.

The Wormface was an abominable creatures, its elongated bodies writhing and twisting like serpents. Its rough, scaly skin had a sickly gray-green hue and was covered in jagged ridges that ran along its backs like a spine of spiky mountains. Its large, glowing eyes were like molten gold, shimmering with an eerie intelligence that sent chills down the spine of anyone who dared look into it. Rows of razor-sharp teeth filled its gaping maws, adding to its already monstrous appearance.

Merely catching a glimpse of the grotesque Wormface was enough to strike terror into the heart of even the bravest of individuals. Yet, despite the overwhelming fear that gripped him at the sight of this abomination, Evan managed to maintain an eerie calm, his silence betraying none of the panic that he felt inside. His heart raced with adrenaline, but he refused to let it control him, instead keeping his emotions in check and his focus razor-sharp. It was as though he was cut from a different cloth than the rest of humanity, possessing a unique strength and courage that few others could match.

As he gazed at the Wormface,, Evan remembered that it was a highly skilled burrowers, capable of moving quickly and silently through the earth. This made it a formidable opponent that could strike unexpectedly from below. Its preferred method of attack was to leap out of the ground and use its razor-sharp teeth to tear apart its prey. In his previous life, Evan had an unpleasant encounter with this type of monster. The memories of that experience were still fresh in his mind, and he could vividly recall how it had caught him off guard before tearing his in-game avatar limb by limb before devouring him whole. It was quite an eerie sensation, and he certainly hadn't expected to encounter it in this labyrinthine network of tunnels.

"Huh?"

He had only blinked once but the monster was nowhere to be seen.