I felt something wet and scratchy on my cheek, so I snapped my eyes open and leaped to my feet. The first thing I saw was a notification.

[Acquired Mental Fortitude mastery.]

"What happened?! Where am I?!"

I darted my eyes around while wiping my wet cheek with a sleeve.My gaze was fixated on the S.O. notification as I tried to wrap my head around on how I got the mastery in the first place. Since it said [Mental Fortitude], it might be related to the strength of one's mind. Add in the fact that this appeared after finishing a trial that happened inside my mind… It's safe to say that-

"Welcome back, challenger!" Tisha called out. She was sitting on the floor criss-cross style with a wide smile plastered on her beautiful red face. By her side was Solgac who had her little tongue sticking. That wet sensation I felt earlier must've come from the little dragon. Now knowing where I am, my body relaxed almost instantly.

"Oh thank god I'm back," I sighed. Solgac bolted toward me and climbed on top of my shoulders whimpering.

"Kyuu…"

"You must've been worried about me," I said to Solgac while petting her head. "How long was I out for, Tisha?"

"Hm… About thirty minutes…?" She hummed. "Like I mentioned earlier during your little mind wandering, your mind has already been steeled. The final challenge is only effective to those prone to distress and anguish."

"And you also said I completed the challenge," I noted.

"That too, yes. Which means you've completed the Tower of Strength!" She smiled. As if on cue a message appeared right before me.

[Congratulations on completing the First Stage known as the Tower of Strength!]

[You are the third person to have completed the First Stage!]

[Calculating rewards…]

[+1000 points gained for reaching the end of the First Stage!]

[+500 points gained for reaching the top five leaderboards!]

[You have received a Mystery Box! It has been sent to your Inventory!]

[You will be teleported back to Earthiens soon.]

That's a lot of points! If I were to do the calculations in my head by adding these new points on top of my current points, then-

"Excuse me challenger. I have something to give you," said Tisha as she signaled for me to come over. I was kind of miffed that I was interrupted during mental math, but I jogged over to the woman anyways.

Tisha stood up from her position. "While our time together was short, I enjoyed it. I can also sense that you'll be leaving this area soon, so I'll make this quick."

She stretched out her arm and pressed her finger firmly against my forehead. After a second later, she retracted it.

"What did you-"

My sentence was cut short when a S.O. notification appeared.

[Acquired Thought Transmission mastery!]

I stumbled backward as my eyes bulged. "T-Thought Transmission?"

"Yes. You've seen me use it on you earlier!" she said with a wink.

"Why are you giving me this mastery though? We barely know each other?" I raised an eyebrow at the woman. This kind of hospitality to a stranger is super sketchy. Either she wants something from me or she's just a nice person…

Tisha cocked her head sideways "Oh, that's right! You don't know! I don't blame you. Other than Luci, you're the first person to complete all thirty floors. Whenever that's done, and I havea special interest in them, I give the challenger the means to use the [Thought Transmission] skill. It's quite easy to use. Just project your thoughts outward as if you're speaking the words themselves and lock on the specific individual you would like to use them on. After that, the rest is smooth sailing."

Really now… I could try to use it on Tisha since she's right there, but I want to use it on someone else instead. And that person just so happens to be sitting on my shoulder.

I extended my arm and took hold of Solgac's neck, then delicately set the astounded dragon on the ground.

"Sorry Solgac, I'll make this quick since we could be transported any second now."

Since Tisha said to project my thoughts, I'll just use one simple sentence. Gotta start off slow.

While I was intensely staring at Solgac and she returned the favor, I contemplated making a sentence that was not too complex for Solgac, who is still a child.

I uttered these words mentally and breifly.There was a sudden snap in my mind, like a deadbolt locking into place. And then what came after was a high-pitched voice that said:

I gaped at the foul-mouthed child in astonishment.

"D-Did you just curse?" I blurted out vocally.

Solgac's chest puffed up as she stomped her little feet.

As Solgac said the words, I sensed a large force tugging on me from behind. When I turned around, a gray portal large enough to fit two humans spawned. My body was pulled into the portal like a game of tug-of-war, and I felt a sudden rush of air around me. I tried to fight against the pull as hard as I could.

"Oh dear… Looks like time is up," said Tisha.

"Tisha!" I shouted while gritting my teeth. Solgac pounced on my shoulder and nested inside my hoodie, looking back at the gray portal. "Do you know any information about the one who wears dark robes and an ornate mask?!"

This was a burning question I've been dying to have answered. A being that hides under a mask whom I've never heard of. A pantheon that consists of Greek gods, and seven others I've never heard of in Greek mythology… If this masked person is so powerful that their power shadows the Pillars, then they would pose a threat bigger than the Pillars! There must be some vital piece of information I can snag if I'm truly in the past!

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

That little bit of hope was snuffed out when Tisha just waved her arms while shouting:

"It was nice getting to know you, Laila!"

"B-But-"

Before I could even put my frustration into words, the invisible force that had a chokehold on me finished its job as Solgac and I were thrown into the depths of the portal. The dull, cement gray colors of the portal caused my vision to blur, and I felt my already unruly hair springing up in all directions. I had to flick strands of hair away from my eyes and spit out specks of strays that so happened to fall into my mouth. A wave of dread flooded my stomach, like when I take a step in the dark, not knowing how far down the stairs go. As I was being transported back to Earth, which I presume is the case, Solgac continued talking inside my mind like a giddy child who can't stop talking about their favorite topics. A child who also needs a wad of soap stuffed in their mouth pronto!

"…"

"Solgac!" I snapped, clutching the side of my head. "Have you always been this talkative and so…vulgar? Where and how the hell did you even learn these words? I know you're intelligent and all, but this is just weird!"

<…>

Solgac left the little nest inside my hoodie and crawled over to my right shoulder.

I heard a small puff of air inside my mind, as if Solgac had just sighed

"We met in that ruined cathedral in Tartarus. Solgac that happened literally hours ag-"

Solgac's tiny body trembled like a skeleton had overdosed on calcium. Feeling sorry for Solgac, I stroked the creature's scaly back. The trembling ceased instantly, but her eyes were dull.

Solgac paused for a moment.

Solgac said while hissing.

I wanted to laugh since Solgac sounded like a little girl with a sailor's mouth, but I repressed it.

The livid dragon raised one of her stubby white arms and drew a line across her chest.

"Okay, you made your point," I interrupted. The dragon's claws were digging into my skin as she thought of a brutal way of killing Cardinal Nicholas. Solgac noticed this and apologized quickly.

I narrowed my eyes. "… You crave violence?"

she hastily added in, averting her eyes from mine. Solgac may be foul-mouthed, but she's still cute. In her own way.

"Okay then… isn't it about time you tell me how you learned these… expressive words?"

"The Dragon what's-it-now?"

Solgac pronounced each syllable like she was reading to an idiot.

"WHAT?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Solgac, now scared, scampered back into my hoodie. "YOU TELL ME THIS NOW?!"

"No, this is the first time I've heard about a Dragon Imprint!"

"Don't hehe me little missy!"

I was ready to unleash a tirade of words on the little dragon, but the area suddenly grew brighter when a light shone behind us. Just as I whirled my whole body around, the surrounding scenery changed. I felt myself standing on solid ground. In front of me was a dark-green fabric. Looking around my immediate vicinity, I immediately knew where I was. A collection of tables was turned upside down and papers littered the floor. The floor was littered with electronic debris, from shattered glass to broken computer chips and tangled wires. A pair of headphones in front of my shoes were torn in half, with bite marks clearly visible. I was transported back to the tent Fiey had commanded. There wasn't a single soul in sight. Were they still taking on the First Stage or have they gone inside the bunker? If so, then why is there a gigantic mess here?

Solgac gasped inside my brain. For whatever reason, I can still hear her thoughts even though I'm not actively trying to use [Thought Transmission]. Curious of why that is, I headed over to my Status page.

Name: Laila

Rank:3rd

Points:4900

Strength:62 Agility:88

Durability:48 Mana:72

Masteries: Marksmanship Lvl 5 Swordsmanship Lvl 6 Mana Weapon Construction Lvl 7 Heat Resistance Lvl 4 Night Vision Lvl 5 Poison Resistance Lvl 3 Aura Blade Lvl 3 Frost Resistance Lvl 4 Dragon Tamer Lvl 1 Mental Fortitude Lvl 1 Thought Transmission Lvl 1

I gained two new masteries in a single day; [Mental Fortitude] and [Thought Transmission]. I don't know about [Mental Fortitude], but I know [Thought Transmission] will be a useful skill down the road. Other than that, my bank account is looking pretty good here! 4900 points right off the bat is a good thing to have. The point store is a feature everyone should use as much as possible since you'll be able to attain weapons, ingredients, and all sorts of potions. I really should've bought potions as soon as I gained enough points. That was a blunder on my part. I might as well do that now before some bullshit happens like before happens again…

Solgac growled. She leaped onto my shoulder and pointed her limb right in front of me. She was staring directly at my Status screen.

"Solgac? You can see my Status screen?" I asked in amazement.

"Hm? What are you talking about?" I glanced over to where my ranking was shown. Like Solgac had said, there was the number three instead of two. I rubbed my eyes to see whether I was tripping, but the number remained.

"Huh… How weird. Isaac should be number one and I right behind him. If I fell down in the rankings, then that would mean-"

My train of thought was cut short when a thunderous roar occurred outside. My instincts kicked in as my beloved rapier appeared in my hands as I ran out of the military tent.

"Woah!" I yelled as I shielded my eyes from the sun. "It's sunrise already? The sun was just setting the last time I was here!"

I looked up and was met with an expanse of bright blue skies, without a single puff of white. The air was infused with the smell of burnt steel as I noticed the ruined skyscrapers in the distance and flying beasts moving freely. On the ground were troops of monsters marching through the streets holding an array of clubs, rocks, cars, bicycles, and even swords. The barbed wire fence that surrounded the compound was destroyed as monsters come and go through the enormous holes. The gate doors had been ripped off their hinges and thrown onto a patch of grass nearby. When I turned my eyes in the bunker's direction housing the civilians, the sight made my heart drop.

The fortified building that stood here was no longer fortified. Half of the building had been demolished, and its concrete walls had been reduced to rubble. Monsters marched around inside, like an army of ants planning a picnic. I even heard faint human screams coming from within. There were still civilians inside the building and the monsters were drawn toward it.

"I don't know what happened here, but we gotta do something."

I didn't hesitate for a moment, brandishing my rapier and sprinting towards the monsters that had come to invade.