In a matter of mere seconds, Asher swiftly retreated to the lobby, narrowly evading a ferocious attack from the bear. As he sprawled out on the floor, he made a conscious effort to soothe the rapid drumming of his heart.
"Phew," he gasped, collecting his thoughts. "Is this a sign? Two encounters in a row with this big guy. If this isn't a foretelling of a boss battle, then I don't know what is..."
You've completed the second trial! The following features can now be used: Store Page, Community Page.
You have earned '200 points' for clearing the second floor.
As Asher gazed at the system notification, he was genuinely surprised by the feature that had been unlocked after successfully completing the second trial. While he had anticipated accessing the Store page, as he had been informed about it earlier, he had not expected to find himself on a community page.
"Community?" he pondered aloud, his curiosity piqued. "Is this akin to a chat room or perhaps a forum of some sort?"
You have entered the 'Hard' Difficulty Community Page.
Please provide a username for the community chat:_
"A username... I've got the perfect one!"
Are you sure you want to use the username "NecroMerchant"? (YES/NO)
"Yes."
As Asher confirmed the prompt, a series of text appeared before him, displaying the ongoing conversation between various individuals.
BananaBard - What's happening here? Is there anyone else around?
ZigZagZephyr - How the heck should I know? One moment, I'm watching TV, and the next, a hologram pops up in front of me, and here I am, barely surviving after a showdown with a freaking bear!
JellyBean - Are you dumb, don't tell me you think it's just happening to you? We've all faced the same enemy and made it through the second trial. That's why we can access this community feature.
ZigZagZephyr - Did you just call me stupid, you jerk? You asking for trouble right now?
SilentWatcher - ....
CucumberConnoisseur - You guys need to chill out. Approach this calmly and with awareness.
Sword&Syllable - Can you elaborate, Connoisseur?
CucumberConnoisseur - Absolutely. If you go to the store page and search using the keyword "?," you'll find a single item for sale: a question voucher.
Sword&Syllable - A question voucher?
CucumberConnoisseur - Yes, as the name suggests, this voucher allows you to ask a single question to the Tower of Awakening. I've already used mine to ask 'it' why we're here.
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SilentWatcher - ....
BananaBard - Well, what did it say?
ZigZagZephyr - Yeah, spit it out already!
CucumberConnoisseur - ...The response they gave was as follows: "You've been summoned into the 'Trial of Awakening' as a chance to confront your impending doom. This trial is humanity's last opportunity to protect itself, an opportunity extended out of pity for your feeble existence."
As Asher absorbed this information, it was far from a casual revelation. The single sentence that struck him the most was, "confront your impending doom." There was only one possible interpretation...
Sword&Syllable - This... what's happening on Earth right now...
SilentWatcher - ...
ZigZagZephyr - What are you talking about? How does this have anything to do with Earth?
JellyBean - You're seriously clueless...
ZigZagZephyr - I swear, if I ever figure out who you are...
BananaBard - Alright, everyone, let's take a step back. It's clear from that statement that something significant is happening on Earth. It could either mean that Earth is on the brink of a global crisis, or it's already in one.
"It's just as he mentioned," Asher added with a solemn tone. "The response we received from the question voucher leaves no room for interpretation other than the impending doom of Earth. It seems we, the chosen challengers summoned for this trial, have been specifically selected to awaken powers and confront whatever threat is endangering our lives and our homes."
CucumberConnoiseur - Now that you're aware of the existence of the question voucher, I would kindly request that you share the question you intend to ask and the response you receive from the system. Even if the question seems mundane, this information could prove to be valuable for all of us.
"He's right," Asher concurred. "I should definitely explore the question voucher. But before that, let me take a closer look at this Inspection skill I acquired after completing the second trial."
https://i.imgur.com/7qkyilQ.png [https://i.imgur.com/7qkyilQ.png]
"It's no surprise that I could access information about that Savage Woodland Bear. This could prove to be quite valuable in the future. Considering it's a skill I acquired randomly, it's not too shabby."
"Now, it's time to explore that store."
https://i.imgur.com/cI7bzXk.png [https://i.imgur.com/cI7bzXk.png]
Asher's emotions surged as he gazed upon the store page, feeling overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite array of choices. It was as if he had stepped into a realm of limitless possibilities, where countless build options and synergies danced before his eyes. The store offered a treasure trove of items, from skill books spanning all rarities and classes to equipment and consumables, each possessing unique and unexpected utilities. The sheer magnitude of options left him in awe, his mind racing with the potential paths he could now tread on his journey of growth and exploration.
However, he refrained from making any immediate purchases and opted to leave the tantalizing array of items untouched for the time being. His initial acquisition would be the coveted question voucher, a recommendation he had received from one of the individuals in the chat.
"Just search with the keyword '?.'" He mumbled to himself as he typed, "Let's see... ah, there it is! Only 5 points? Well, ain't that a steal! I can practically buy these like candy and ask a gazillion questions, right? Wait, hold on... uses...1? Ah, figures! I guess it's one question per voucher. They had to rain on my Q&A parade, didn't they?"
You have purchased a 'Question Voucher' for 5 points.
https://i.imgur.com/epSxzq7.png [https://i.imgur.com/epSxzq7.png]
"Hmm... I believe I'll hold onto the voucher until others have used theirs. This way, I can gather more information about this place while reserving my question for when it truly becomes necessary."
"Alright, enough with the formalities. Time to snag some gear that'll help me wipe the floor on the next level. What's the plan? First up, my animate guardian needs a real weapon; that bow and arrow won't cut it for long. As for me, forget about personal stuff for now; what I really crave is a monster magnet to keep those bastards off my back and have them fixated on my summon. Let's see what's in the arsenal... Bingo! This oughta do the trick!"
You've purchased 'https://i.imgur.com/bqyCi61.png [https://i.imgur.com/bqyCi61.png]' Skill Book for 100 Points!
"Alright, I've dropped 105 points out of my initial 300. I still have a solid 195 to deck out my guardian with some real gear. Time to see what's up for grabs..."