Chapter 62: Inheritance trial and the beast tide Ethan had already asked the panda about the trial. Master Po showed him the tower. It looked like the battle tower Ethan had seen in the city, but this tower had nine floors, each radiating a heavy, oppressive aura. The panda spoke. "The first floor has ten Level 1 King beasts." "The second floor has twenty Level 2 King beasts." "The third floor has thirty Level 3 King beasts." "...and the ninth floor has ninety Level 9 King beasts." "You are a Level 1 King. All you have to do is conquer the second floor to become a disciple in name—meaning you won’t have the right to meet my master, but you can receive his gifts. If you can conquer the fourth floor, you’ll become an Outer Disciple. When you reach the Star Realm, you’ll be permitted to meet my master and train there." He paused, his black eyes fixing on Ethan. "If you can conquer the seventh floor, then my master will take you as his personal disciple. After you become a Planetary cultivator, you can go to my master for further cultivation." "And you can’t use any force weapon, either," Master Po added, glancing at the Shadow Sword on Ethan’s waist. Ethan nodded. That was quite straightforward. So this Galactic Lord wanted to take a disciple based on sheer combat ability. That was fair. Anyone who could, without external force weapons, defeat monsters naturally stronger than humans—which were even seven levels higher—would indeed be a monster worthy of such attention. Then he asked, "What about the eighth and ninth floors?" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦 The panda looked at him solemnly. "If you can conquer Level 8, I will recognize you as my master." He paused, then continued in a heavy voice. "As for Level 9—there are no records of someone at Level 1 King defeating those monsters. These are not the normal beasts you see on your planet. These are void beasts. They are born at Star Realm. Their genes are ten times more powerful than those of humans. Even the peak races have only three or four times stronger genes than yours. So you can imagine the power of these monsters. Passing Level 1 is impossible for most people." "You said they are born at Star Realm," Ethan said. "Then why does this tower have King Realm beasts?" Master Po replied, "These beasts are not real. They are versions made from their structure. A Level 1 King here is ten times stronger than the Level 1 human Kings on this planet." Ethan nodded in understanding. "If that’s the case, your master must have very few personal disciples." The panda said, "Not really. The universe is vast. There are countless special people born as monsters. As a Galactic Lord, my master searches for such beings—not random ordinary people. Yes, becoming a King under twenty is impressive, but that’s only the qualification for being permitted to attempt the trial." Ethan nodded again. But ten times stronger genes or not...these were just ants in front of him. He needed those treasures now—the inheritance—and if the panda would recognize him as master upon conquering Level 8, even better. Having a powerful AI would make everything more convenient for his future plans. "Okay. Let’s begin." He placed the Shadow Sword gently on the ground, then started walking toward the tower. The panda had a flicker of anticipation in its eyes. If Ethan could conquer the fourth floor, it could finally leave this monotonous existence and return to see its master. Meanwhile, in the city... The ten Supercities were all built along the sea to monitor it. Even before the Apocalypse, the ocean was a mystery for humanity. After the apocalypse, it became a complete enigma. They knew nothing. They had only seen those beasts twenty years ago. When they tried sending submarines, drones, and robots to investigate, nothing ever returned. Dragon and Leon were standing atop the barrier wall, watching the sea. Different types of sea monsters crawled out of the surf—giant lobsters, monstrous squid, armored serpents. At the same time, land beasts were charging toward the city gates. Flying monsters filled the sky. This same situation was unfolding in every Supercity. The tiers of the beasts weren’t high—most were at the Grandmaster level or below—but the sheer number was terrifying. Hundreds of thousands of monsters were converging on each city. Humanity simply didn’t have that many martial artists. They had warriors, but warriors couldn’t do anything against a beast tide of this scale. Only Masters and above could contribute meaningfully. Dragon spoke, his voice solemn. "All martial artists below King Level 5 should take action." His order was transmitted to every city. Martial artists below Level 5 King—Grandmasters, Masters—all began to deploy. The defense mechanisms were activated. Laser cannons began to charge. As for why higher-level martial artists weren’t participating—it was simple: they were conserving energy. This was only the first wave. No one knew how many waves would come. Even the Emperors might have to step in. Dragon also ordered the military generals to locate the leader of this tide. Only by defeating it could the onslaught be stopped. Soon, a massive battle broke out. Martial artists clashed with monsters in a brutal melee. Fighter jets streaked overhead, intercepting the flying beasts. In shelters, civilians huddled together. In the Hunt State’s bunker, everyone who was not a martial artist was present. Rose and her family were also there. Everyone was watching the situation on the projection screens. Zara asked timidly, "Where is Big Brother Ethan?" Rose’s heart skipped a beat. Ethan had gone to the Alliance Hall and hadn’t returned yet. Elina was almost in tears. Jack hugged her shoulders gently. "Don’t worry. Ethan is smart. He’ll know what to do." Meanwhile, Alexander and the other martial artists had already deployed to the city wall. The situation was in chaos. Martial artists were fighting with everything they had. Charles had just arrived that day. He had been busy elsewhere, and the beast tide erupted the moment he returned. Maybe he really was unlucky. The Kings were the most efficient at killing monsters. Each of their attacks slaughtered dozens at a time—but the numbers weren’t decreasing. Their stamina and force energy were gradually depleting. Dragon sighed heavily. If this continued, the higher-ups would have to step in. The tide was endless. The most frustrating part was that they still couldn’t find the leader. Dragon thought grimly, Is this his doing? What does he want? Another war? Has he become confident enough to try now? Two hours passed. Inside the secret realm... Master Po watched the scene unfolding in the tower through his artificial eyes. "What the heck is going on in there? Did someone tamper with this damn tower? Why do the monsters look like chickens in front of this guy?" Ethan was already on Level 6. He was clearly enjoying himself. He didn’t pulverize the beasts immediately, choosing instead to fight them at a relaxed pace. That relaxed expression was the most nerve-wracking thing for Master Po. The beasts didn’t look like anything found on Earth. They were cosmic predators—creatures with obsidian carapaces, glowing gills along their armored throats, and claws like black scythes. Every movement radiated lethal intent, like a living weapon. Master Po felt his artificial saliva drying up. Damn...what a monster. How did this low-level planet produce someone like this? Ethan concentrated a portion of his mental power on his clones. Sigh... Looks like I’ll need to step in. The situation outside is dire. Each of Ethan’s clones had around 36 million base attributes—the equivalent of a normal Level 2 Emperor. He dispatched his ten clones, one to each Supercity. Another hour passed. The beast tide still hadn’t slowed. Martial artists above Level 5 had already deployed to the battlefield. The high-ranking defenders began to sweat. Leon’s expression was grave. Is humanity truly this fragile? These are only low-level monsters... Just when Dragon was about to issue the order for the Emperors to join the fight— A blinding flash of light streaked across the sky. A single figure hovered above the battlefield. Clad head to toe in radiant, seamless armor, he looked like a being descended from legend. All eyes turned toward him. Charles felt his heart seize in his chest. That armor... That’s them. On every screen, the cameras zoomed in. That figure was radiating light—that was why he looked so eye-catching. He stood in the air in a relaxed manner, hands behind his back. Three hundred floating knives materialized, forming a perfect orbit around the figure. Each blade gleamed with a deadly silver brilliance. The battlefield fell into a momentary hush. Then the armored figure lifted a single hand—like a commander giving an order. The knives moved. They streaked through the horde with impossible speed, slicing through monsters faster than the eye could follow. Grandmaster beasts split apart like wet paper. The same scene played out over all ten Supercities. In every sky, an armored figure reigned, blades dancing in perfect unity. For five minutes, the monsters were shredded like weeds. The situation came under control. Then the armored figure’s calm voice echoed: "Leave this to me. Go rest. You have done well." Something about that voice struck every defender as if they had heard an order from the Dragon himself. They unconsciously started retreating. In the bunkers, people wept. "He took control of the situation in minutes...like it was nothing. Who is he?" someone whispered. Dragon was watching the scene, surprise in his eyes. "Who is this man?" Leon slowly exhaled. "They belong to a mysterious organization. They first appeared a few days ago near Base City Five. One of them even saved the city from a Level 9 King monster that attacked. We were looking for them but couldn’t find them." "All that happened in just a few days?" Dragon asked, quite surprised. In the secret realm, Master Po felt a bead of artificial sweat roll down his plush cheek. Ethan had stepped onto Level 8. His eyes were calm. His stride steady. "Will I really...have to call him Master?" Master Po thought silently. How is that possible? Cosmic energy just resurfaced fifty years ago on this planet. How could such a monster appear in such a short time? [Ethan wants support from everyone. He needs resources to become a planetery realm powerhouse,I on his behalf, thank you everyone in advance😶]