Chapter 331: Ethan is in trouble Five Days Later. [Master: Ethan Hunt Tier: 27 Physique: 4th Dimension (132M Gray Seals) Spirit: 4th Dimension (132M Gray Seal) Talent: Infinite Comprehension System Ability: Creation of All Things] Ethan’s power had surged to an extraordinary level over the past five days. Everyone from the origin dimension had also completed their training. "Shall we begin?" The young man with the system spoke, his eyes scanning those around him. His name was Aren Celestus. "Yes," came the unified response. "We propose a competition to challenge the tower. The reward: all the remaining time of the losers, transferred to the winner." Aren’s voice rang with confidence. The others nodded, no objections raised. "Request granted." The guardian’s voice echoed as the challenge was accepted. In an instant, a tower with 36 floors appeared before them, standing ominously against the horizon. It was a replica of the main tower, the true location of which remained unknown. Everyone settled into position, waiting for the competition to unfold. The first floor glowed faintly, signaling that no one had yet ascended to the second floor. Ethan’s eyes flicked open. He stood within a boundless realm, its vastness seemingly without limit. No matter how far his 4th-dimensional senses reached, he found no boundary. "System, what exactly am I up against here?" Ethan asked, curiosity bubbling within him. [I don’t know, master. All I know is that no one remembers what happens here once they leave.] "That’s... mysterious," Ethan murmured, his interest piqued. "Well, we’ll find out soon enough." Boom! The air cracked with a violent force, and before him stood a figure, clad in a sleek, advanced battle suit. [Name: Rey Amon (Soul Imprint) Tier: 27 Combat Power: 100 Dimensions] Ethan’s appraisal talent activated instantly. "100 dimensions?" he mused. "So, the difficulty seems uniform across the board." He briefly wondered if the tower scaled its challenges to match the individual’s power level. But that didn’t seem fair to those who had worked tirelessly to surpass their peers. In order to form at least a Grade One Fourth Axis from this tower, one needed at least 100 times the strength of a typical Tier 27 individual. "I’m not wasting time on this," Ethan muttered to himself, already focused on floors above 30. According to the system, the strongest being in the entire creation had only reached the 30th floor. "Kid, you’re only 15 years old?" Rey Amon’s voice carried a faint air of amusement. Ethan said nothing, his gaze unwavering. In this life, he was indeed 15, but if one accounted for his previous life, he was older than this. "You should leave. You’re not worthy to form an axis here," Rey said, his tone was dismissive. Ethan’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Who are you?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮 "I am the first guardian of this tower, Rey Amon," the figure replied coolly. "Yeah, I know that. But you’re just a soul remnant, aren’t you?" Ethan’s voice grew more pointed. "Are you still alive? Are you here in the real world?" Rey’s eyes narrowed. "Hmph. Kid, you aren’t worthy to know my origin." Ethan didn’t flinch. "There are 13 others. Are there more guardians, or are you dividing yourself up to face all of us?" Rey’s lips curled into a mocking smile. "Enough questions. Now, die." [Master, if you die here, your origin source will be badly affected, and you won’t be able to form the Fourth Axis with out healing properly. If you feel like dying, you may quit at any level.] Ethan’s expression turned serious. He nodded to Yumiko and snapped his fingers. In an instant, Rey Amon shattered into cosmic particles. There was a slight smile on his face. Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Is that guy a masochist or something?" He felt a sudden, eerie unease from that look. Without hesitation, he entered the second floor. On the other hand, all of them had already reached the third or fourth floors. None had taken the time to ask questions like he had. A floating ranking system in the outside displayed their progress, showing their current positions within the tower as the competition continued. "Huh? That cocky brat just made it to the second floor?" The guardian from the Origin family who had warned Ethan snorted. "I told him to train more before challenging this place." Their candidates had already reached the fourth floor. Among the origin families, anyone who could form their Fourth Axis from the 15th floor or above was considered a genius. Those who could ascend past the 20th floor were seen as the top contenders, given special nurturing. Each origin family boasted at least one member in each dimensional realm, though most of them were in the third and fourth dimensions. The higher-tiered individuals were relegated to elder status. "Shall we place our bets?" The guardian from the Xaeron origin family proposed, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Alright. Ten source crystals each. How does that sound?" Ozyrath family’s guardian chuckled, eager for the stakes. "Ten source crystals? Are you serious? That’s almost half of my wealth," the guardian of the Xyndrael Origin Family laughed aloud. They all made their bets, but none of them believed that the two outsiders could win. In their minds, it was an impossible feat. Inside the tower, Ethan turned his attention to the second guardian. His power read: 10,000 dimensions. "Yumiko, we’re in deep trouble. If this is the power scale for each floor..." Ethan trailed off, his voice tight with frustration. "I’m nowhere near ready to face what’s in the top." [Yes, master. The strongest being had at least 100 million dark brown seals of power when he challenged this tower.] "Wait, how many colored seals are there?" Ethan asked. [Normal Fourth Dimension = 1 Decillion 3rd Dimension 1 gray seal = 10 fourth-dimensiona 1 light brown seal = 10 billion gray seals 1 dark brown seal = 100 billion light brown seals 1 red seal = 1 trillion dark brown seals 1 purple seal = 10 trillion red seals 1 black seal = 100 trillion purple seals 1 golden seal = 1 quadrillion black seals.] "Damn it! I’ll need 70 days to reach that power... but if I want to challenge the 36th floor, it’ll take me at least 120 days. I should’ve listened to their advice," Ethan cursed under his breath. His arrogance had blinded him. He thought he had already reached the peak of Tier 3 power, but this tower showed him how far he truly had to go. "Hey, guardian, if I quit now, can I challenge again within the six-month limit?" Ethan asked, his voice filled with frustration. "Pathetic. There is no remedy for regret," the guardian sneered, misunderstanding Ethan’s intention, he though this candidate was afraid of him. Yumiko, too, felt ashamed. If she had guided Ethan more carefully, he wouldn’t be facing such difficulties now. Ethan sighed deeply. "We’ll deal with it when the time comes. But for disrespecting me... you will perish." Another snap of his fingers, and the second guardian dissolved into nothingness. Ethan’s ascent continued, the weight of his decision weighing heavily on him. His current power level would take him only to the 19th floor. The floors above were far beyond his capabilities. However, if he pushed himself, he could reach five more floors, which would make him a tremendous genius by any origin family’s standards. But Ethan wasn’t satisfied with that. He had planned to ascend to the 19th floor and battle the guardian there for five days to gain more power. But even that wouldn’t be nearly enough. His mind raced. He had to figure out how to close this overwhelming gap. As he cleared each level with a snap of his fingers, his thoughts remained consumed by the challenge ahead. "Damn it, I have no idea what to do. Hey, Yumiko, you were an origin being, right? Don’t you have some sort of heaven-defying technique or another protocol to help me?" Ethan asked, frustration evident in his tone. [Master, you have 30 seconds left from the "Tyrant of the 4th Dimension."] Ethan’s eyes lit up. Thirty seconds was a long time for someone like him. This could change tge entire game but he couldn’t afford to waste a moment at any floor. But even then, the time limit was too short.