One moment, Nathan was eating in the guard barracks; the next he stood in the same mysterious space where he had once chosen his class. This time, instead of the multitude of options he had previously faced, only a single system prompt awaited him.

Congratulations, Nathan Andrews

You have beaten the Assassin’s Trial

You have been awarded the general skill: Identify

Please choose an uncommon weapon

Nathan took a moment to admire the array of exotic weapons before him—throwing stars, a dagger welded to brass knuckles—but his mind was already made up. "Give me a spear."

When Nathan opened his eyes, he found himself back in the clearing, his position unchanged. Grinning, he activated his new skill, Identify, targeting himself. As letters formed before his eyes, his grin grew into a full-blown laugh.

Nathan Andrews [Human] – Spearman [5]

"One step closer to the top. Show me my status."

Name: Nathan Andrews

Title: None

Class: Spearman – Swiftness [5]

Stats

Con: 16

Per: 14

Reg: 10

Ref: 15

General Skills [1/5]

Identify – Scan a target to gain information about their race, class, and level. Target may be aware of the attempt.

Class Skills

Art of the Spear – The spear is more than just a weapon in your hands. When wielding a spear, your movements become more refined, your mind quicker, and your strikes more precise.

Swift Footwork – Positioning is the essence of combat. When wielding a spear, your steps are faster without losing precision.

Perks

Lone Wolf – The user can no longer form or join any parties, clans, or organizations. Stats are reduced by 50% if not alone in combat. Upon death, the user's soul is erased from all timelines.

After completing the trial, Nathan decided to spend a few days lounging in the clearing. The trial's energy kept wild animals at bay, and his shoulder still hadn’t fully healed.

While his constitution was now more robust than it had been on Earth, his regeneration remained that of a regular human. The only reason his shoulder would even heal completely was due to the magic of the tower, which had restructured his body to prevent lasting injuries. Still, as always, it would take time.

Given the speed with which he'd achieved his objectives so far, he could afford a week of relaxation in the safest place he’d found yet.

His next destination was the Trial of the Third Eye, but that wouldn’t disappear until it was completed, which in the last timeline hadn’t happened until over a year after the tower appeared.

He quickly found a small stream for water and continued gathering nuts and berries from the plants surrounding the trial.

Whenever he slept here, he woke up fully rested, his nightmares giving him a rare reprieve. It took a few days for him to get used to the ethereal atmosphere of the clearing, but on the third day, he felt comfortable enough to light a cigarette.

Leaning against a statue, he admired the surrounding forest’s beauty and reflected on his experiences so far.

"I’ve been thrust into one dangerous situation after another since I entered the tower. There’s pressure to keep climbing fast, to stick to the plan, but I need to take time to relax once in a while. It helps keep me grounded; otherwise, I’ll go mad before I’m halfway up the tower."

Satisfied with his reflections and renewed with vigour, Nathan set out only after a full week had passed.

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He also used this time to familiarize himself with his new spear, which was significantly longer and heavier than the one he’d acquired in the village. He left his old weapon stabbed into the dirt of the clearing, perhaps for someone else to find in the future.

With a smile on his face and energy in every step, Nathan left the clearing of the Assassin's Trial behind him.

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Nathan was now lying prone atop a hill, hidden by a bit of shrubbery. His spear was laid out beside him as he observed the valley below. There, a cluster of about a dozen huts made of wood and dirt was bustling with activity, tiny figures scurrying between the structures.

Initially, Nathan had planned to avoid further fighting on this floor. Reaching level six on the first floor would take a long time, and he judged it wasn’t worth the effort.

But now, he had come across this goblin village. Even with his enhanced perception, he couldn’t get an exact count of the inhabitants, but there seemed to be around thirty currently in the settlement. He also suspected a shaman lived among them, making a direct assault too risky.

Nathan spent a few more hours memorizing the goblins' movements, ensuring he missed nothing important, before making his decision.

He would spend the next few days picking off any patrols leaving the village, thinning their numbers before they realized what was happening.

Once they were sufficiently weakened, he would take out the shaman. Ordinary goblins posed little threat to him now, especially since he could retreat faster than they could pursue.

Keeping low, Nathan crawled backward until he was out of the goblins' sight, finally standing up on the other side of the hill.

He had noted the patrol routes and estimated that nearly half of the goblins were perpetually outside the village, hunting animals and ambushing travellers.

With a focused mindset, Nathan set out, gliding over the rocky terrain as he stalked his first group of goblins. They had about an hour's lead on him, but it was only a matter of time before he caught up.

As Nathan moved at his fastest speed, the terrain blurred around him—grass and light shrubbery giving way to rocks and gravel. The hills grew steeper, and the goblins’ footsteps became harder to follow. He had to stop multiple times, even backtracking once to stay on their trail.

Finally, he spotted them. It seemed they had joined up with another group, now numbering eight. Their equipment was far superior to the goblins he had hunted in the forest weeks ago, a mix of stone and iron weapons, with some wearing armour crudely modified to fit their wiry frames.

One goblin, in particular, caught his eye—a specimen standing at least a head taller than the others, its build similar to Nathan's own: slim but muscular, favouring dexterity over strength. This giant among goblins carried an axe, undoubtedly of dwarven design.

Almost a hobgoblin, Nathan thought. I can handle him, but if there are multiple fully evolved hobs in the village, that could be a problem.

Wasting no time, Nathan fired off a quick Identify toward the leader as he launched himself forward with all his might.

Goblin – Axeman [4]

By the time his brain registered the words, his spear had already pierced his first victim's throat. He withdrew it smoothly, leaving the goblin to collapse lifelessly. The rest of the group wasted no time grieving, immediately springing into action.

Two goblins began circling around Nathan, while another charged him head-on.

Nathan advanced again, ducking under a clumsy sword strike—too heavy for the goblin to wield with any grace—and his spear claimed another life.

Even while fighting, he kept part of his focus on the Axeman, who had been observing until now but chose this moment to attack.

The goblin leader hurled himself at Nathan with a roar, his heavy axe crashing against the haft of Nathan’s spear. The impact bent Nathan’s knees slightly and sent tingles through his hands.

He attempted to counter with the blunt end of his spear but had to abort as a projectile hurtled toward him. Spinning, Nathan deflected it with a quick swipe of his weapon.

In that same moment, he heard fast footsteps behind him.

He let his already unbalanced body drop to the ground, dodging a dagger swipe, and took another life as he fell. Before he even hit the ground, Nathan rolled to his left, snatching up the fallen dagger and hearing the heavy thud of the Axeman’s strike where he had just lain.

Trusting his instincts, Nathan threw the dagger as he rose, earning a pained shout in response.

Three dead, one wounded, two archers, and the big one accounted for. One still missing.

Taking advantage of the Axeman's brief pause to dislodge its axe from the ground, Nathan sprinted toward the archers, weaving in jagged lines but still having to dodge one arrow that grazed his arm. The archers stood too close together—a fatal mistake. Nathan bowled one over, driving his spear through the other’s torso with precise force.

He kept hold of the first archer’s head, performing a roll and hearing the crunch of a broken neck just as he regained his feet.

He ducked again, dodging another swing of the leader’s axe, and delivered a stab to the goblin’s shoulder.

The Axeman dropped his weapon, roaring in pain and rage, and threw a wild punch. Nathan blocked it with his spear, the sound of breaking bones following.

With the goblins broken hand falling limp, Nathan ended its misery, driving his spear into his foes unguarded eye.

Nathan didn’t waste time. He quickly finished off the two wounded goblins, then found a trail of footprints leading away from the fight. He set off in pursuit, staying vigilant.

Only one goblin missing, but this one is crafty. It fled when I killed the first two, knowing this patrol couldn’t beat me. I have to be careful.

Despite the adrenaline stretching his perception of time, the fight had lasted only a few minutes, so the fleeing goblin couldn’t have gone far.

Nathan followed its tracks, not at his top speed but cautiously, staying alert. His caution was rewarded when he spotted a concealed trap—a poisoned stake hidden by brush. He managed to avoid it just in time.

As he paused to inspect the trap, a stone came hurtling toward him, Nathan barely ducking out of the way. Slingshot, then, he concluded as he resumed his pursuit.

Minutes passed before he finally caught sight of the goblin, which used the terrain to its advantage, staying hidden behind boulders and scaling the rocky landscape. Its small size allowed it to stay ahead.

All the while, the goblin periodically launched projectiles at Nathan, several of which came dangerously close.

But Nathan remained focused, and when he finally spotted the goblin, he hurled his spear with perfect form. The weapon flew like a lightning bolt, covering the distance in an instant and burying itself completely in the goblin’s chest. The force of the throw sent the goblin's body flying backward, smashing against a boulder, where it lay broken.

Slowing down to catch his breath, Nathan clenched his fists, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face. "Eight down, about fifty to go."