Unlike with the intergalactic travel between Earth and the training planet, this journey was far stranger. The two men shot up into the sky at the speed of light, and then they exceeded it. The universe flashed by, and soon all they could see was an endless line of light in the sky. Then a wall rapidly came into view, made out of coruscating light and ineffable energies. A hole opened in the wall, and they shot through, into a world of wonder. They traveled through a tunnel of light, with a full view of the Multiverse extending around them.
Billions of gargantuan orbs of energy floated in the darkness of the void, slowly rotating. Strange creatures dwelt in the darkness of the inbetween, some of which were of such size that Sam had to turn his gaze away, lest he go insane. The speed of their journey continued to increase, until they eventually broke through into a world of utter darkness. Then light exploded around them, depositing them on the ground.
They stood upon a pillar of marble the size of a city, surrounded by hundreds more. Veined with streaks of red energy, it looked like it was painted in blood. A faint hint of danger carried in the air, a premonition that any violence out here in the waiting area would be met with death. Such a thing was necessary in the midst of such a large congregation of arrogant powerhouses.
On their pillar, millions of other E Rankers stood, gazing towards what was before them. Streams of them strode forwards on bridges of light that extended between the pillars, all of which led towards the shape that dominated the realm.
A tower so large that Sam’s vision was unable to completely encompass it speared into the sky from the very center of the dimension. It was made out of golden rock and energy, and so much power emanated from it that Sam found himself taking a step back. Cosmic energy wreathed its form, and at the very top, there was what looked like a statue made out of nebulas. Eyes of starlight gazed down on the assembled E Rankers, judging them like they were the worst of criminals.
Every few seconds, a figure appeared in space next to a point on the tower. Depending on where they were, there was a display in the sky around them. Most of the figures appeared around the first five floors, and the aura that they generated simply looked like a nebulous nova of light. Tiny gusts of Dao energy could be felt coming from the displays, before the figures vanished into the firmament.
A minute later a figure emerged next to what looked to be the twenty-fifth floor, and a star was born into being. A globe of incandescent light surrounded the figure, and a wave of Dao energy cascaded over Sam and the other watchers. Sam caught a glimpse of a severe featured woman scowling down at the watchers, a look of arrogant coldness on her face. They locked eyes, but before either could do anything, the woman vanished.
“So this is the Tower of Transcendence,” the Overlord said. “It’s even more impressive than I imagined.”
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“It is certainly imposing…”
“We will make it all the way to the top,” the Overlord stated, as if it was fact. There were a few loud laughs from the surrounding crowd, which were ignored.
They followed the crowd as it slowly meandered towards the nearest bridge. Sam took the time to scan those around him. All of them were at the first level of E Rank, but their power varied wildly. Using his Dao Senses, he found that not a single person within range had anything higher than a first layer Dao Seed. Even then, many of the Daos seemed hastily constructed and weak. For example, there was a man a few hundred feet away with a Dao Seed of Gardening. While it was a Dao Seed, it was one that would be hard to use in combat, which is what the Tower tested.
By far the most powerful Dao other than his own was that of the Overlord, which was a special circumstance, given the man’s Dao Heritage. He would always get more out of the path of Supremacy than anyone else would.
They eventually reached the bridge of light, and set foot on it, following the tide of people. Everything led towards the tower’s base, where even now millions rushed in through massive archways, seeking their destiny.
The bridge was miles long, but everyone there were E Rankers, and they rushed forwards, clearing the distance in mere minutes. Sam and the Overlord soon stood before the yawning archway nearest to them, pressed forwards by the morass. Both men grinned and sped up, rushing towards the tower along with everyone else.
The archway seemed to expand the closer they got, until it grew to be the size of a mountain. There was some sort of spatial magic enveloping the entire tower, and its size was likely far larger than even its monumental exterior, as it would have to be to contain so many E Rankers.
As they drew near, a shimmering veil of rainbow light could be seen behind the archway, beckoning to all who drew near. Sam took a deep breath, and charged forwards, leaping into the portal. There was a flash of light, and he found himself standing in another place, completely alone.
Thunder rumbled as purple lightning flashed across storm filled skies, sending torrents of rain down upon a titanic savannah. Extending for as far as the eye could see, the landscape was sparse, but still beautiful. Trees the size of skyscrapers dotted the landscape, and swaying grass concealed untold legions of predators and prey. As Sam stood there, a message appeared in his vision.
Welcome to the Tower of Transcendence, challenger.
In the tower, you will be tested to the very edges of your potential, and perhaps beyond. You will not make it to the top, but you can certainly try. If you find yourself too weak to progress, then you may leave upon ascending to the next floor by willing it to the System. Anyone leaving before the fifth floor will find their essence earned taken as a reward for their weakness. Do not disappoint yourself, but most importantly, do not disappoint the Multiverse.
Sam closed the message. He had a tower to climb, and limits to shatter. There had never been anyone like him before in the history of the Multiverse. He would be first to reach the top of this tower. Although his journey was just beginning in the grand scheme of things, his life as a mortal had come to an end. What better way to celebrate his ascension by making history?