They all failed?

Liam kicked the dead body of the perverted beast with a frown on his face. The damned bear was dead but he was no closer to breaking through to the Transcendent rank. Was producing a nether field simply not enough? Perhaps he had underestimated the difficulty of the rank?

As he pondered the implications, a golden glow shrouded him, indicating that he was out of time and was currently being teleported.

It did not matter. He hadn't taken the next step on this floor but he was surely going to take it on the next floor or the floor after. Liam could feel it in his blood. He was close.

The darkness faded and he was once again in what seemed to be a lush forest. Liam looked around, only to find Luna. The fox instantly pounced on him. He let out a wry chuckle and peeled her off of him.

The other legendary beasts were standing on the side in a line, all looking at the little fox in awe and admiration. It almost seemed that a silent understanding had been reached among the group to take the little fox as the leader of the gang.

The lazy fox was definitely not a role model. All she did was eat and sleep but she became strong nevertheless. If the other beasts follow in her footsteps then they might be legendary only for namesake.

Liam felt a headache in coming. However, this was a problem for the future. Right now he had more pressing matters. The beasts were fine but what about the human beings and the elf?

He waited for a few seconds but still no one appeared around him.

"Master, they failed?" Luna asked as she ran around here and there to check.

Could they all have really failed?

Liam did not expect them to climb that high considering what their levels were but he also did not expect them to fall so fast. However, the Spire was brutal. On top of that, their luck was also a factor.

If they really did fail, then it wouldn't be too shocking either. It just meant that he needed to pour more resources into nurturing the guild members, perhaps open up the inner circle to see if there were more talented people in the common pool.

Liam absent-mindedly gazed at the forest around him when he remembered something. In the information packet regarding the Spire, it was mentioned that on some floors the group might not be teleported together.

Could that have happened? They might all be on this floor, simply split apart from each other which could also be a sort of test for survival by the Spire.

The Spire was known for its unpredictable and often cruel challenges, and it wouldn't be surprising if it had separated them to test their individual capabilities and survival skills in an unfamiliar environment.

Just as Liam was mulling over this, suddenly a huge explosion boomed in the distance. A plume of fire and smoke rose up in the sky and the birds and the smaller beasts in the region scattered in a frenzy.

Liam looked up. What were the chances that this event was random?

Zero.

It was either related to the floor or perhaps someone was sending him a signal. "Come on. Let's go." Liam's figure immediately blurred as he raced towards the source of the explosion, with Luna and the other legendary beasts swiftly following.

As they approached, the forest became denser, and the air grew thick with the smell of smoke and burnt foliage. The explosion had clearly caused significant damage. a l l n o v e l ne xt.com

Breaking through the last line of trees, they came upon a scene of destruction. Trees were uprooted, the ground was scorched, and at the center of it all was a crater, still smoldering.

Near the edge of the crater, Liam spotted Eldrin fighting against something huge and vicious. The thing burrowed inside before he could take a good look leaving the elf panting and heaving.magic

Several huge holes were scattered on the ground and the entire area trembled and quaked. Liam was not that adept with the earth element but he could still sense that something was running wild under the ground.

The elf was also not in a good condition. Eldrin's entire body was covered with numerous wounds and he was bleeding left and right. His terrified eyes darted around here and there and he gripped a sword that crackled and sizzled, a sword that was conjured out of pure lightning.

Liam could sense the powerful aura of the sword and his eyes lit up. The elf was quite skilled.

But clearly the opponent was even more vicious. The next second, loud rumbles echoed and all of a sudden, the ground burst open revealing a giant metallic head. It was a huge metallic centipede of sorts and it possessed an incredible strength and agility.

The centipede's body shimmered with a metallic sheen, its segments moving with fluid, mechanical precision. Each segment was lined with sharp, bladelike protrusions, and its eyes glowed with an eerie red light. It was a fearsome sight, one that would strike terror in the heart of any warrior.

Eldrin, despite his injuries, moved at a fast pace trying to avoid the damn thing's circle of reach but he was struggling given the extent of his wounds.

Hmmm. Liam gauged the situation and proceeded to blur once again arriving right in between the elf and the metallic creature.

"You are late, my lord." Eldrin grinned.

Liam rolled his eyes only to see that the elf had already fainted. He signaled Luna to pick up the elf's body and attend to him.

Meanwhile, his attention shifted to the metallic creature in front of him. This was a perfect target for him to try and finally reach the next stage.

Liam churned his nether core that was already a quarter depleted. He had three more tries left until his core was fully dry. Technically, two more tries because he needed some nether to operate his undead army.

"Let's do this." He focused and immediately nether energy began to swirl around him, forming a dark, swirling vortex that emanated an aura of death and decay.

The centipede, sensing a powerful threat, reared up, its metallic body clanking and echoing in the still air of the forest. However, it did not retreat. It charged forward to clash against the deathly aura.