Sam was deposited in the midst of a vast jungle, with trees taller than skyscrapers stretching up into the clouds above. A faint green hue surrounded the trees, and seemed to shine through the air itself. Small gaps in the tree cover allowed him to see the weak light of the sun shining through. Notifications waited for him, but the first was not the standard type.
You have entered the first of the competition sections. On the 25th floor, you will have the opportunity to compete against your peers in a variety of scenarios. Outside factions may gift challengers with great boons at the end of the floor to help them on their journey beyond. Time will be frozen upon entering and exiting the floor, relative to when a challenger arrives, in order to preserve the order of climbers. However, this instance will only remain open until 100,000 climbers have reached the floor.
Sam raised an eyebrow at the latter part of the message. He hadn’t really thought about his position before, but he was likely among the top few climbers in terms of progress, or perhaps even the fastest. Not that it really mattered, given that he had already reaped the rewards of Challenge Mode, but it was still a nice thought on the behalf of the System.
With that out of the way, he read the next, more familiar notification.
You have entered Floor 1 of the Jade Jungles(Challenge Mode)
Your objective is to kill a total of 1000 Elite Monkey Warriors(Any type).
Completion: 0/1000
Rewards: Title Upgrade
Sam closed the notification, and pulled up his stat sheet. He had grown much in the last few floors, and he wished to know where he stood in preparation for the competition.
Sam Atlas
Human: E Rank
Enlightened Tier
E Rank
Class: Lesser Dao Paragon
Level 151
(171 stat points unspent)
Strength
2535
2.09x
Constitution
2176
2.04x
Resilience
2197
2.04x
Dexterity
2108
2.09x
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Intelligence
2210
2.04x
Wisdom
2262
2.04x
* Health 48968/48968
* Mana 49717/49717
* Stamina 57043/57043
* Karma: 54
* Road to Zenith
Stage 2
* Dao
Dao Echo of Inspiration
Dao Seed of the Avenger(Second Step)
* Skills
1x Rare, 2x Epic, 5x Legendary, 6x Mythical, 2x Ancient, 1x Primal, 1x Unique
* Titles
1x Legendary, 3x Mythical, 3x Ancient, 1x Transcendent
* Temporary Titles
1x Epic, 1x Legendary, 1x Mythical
* Dao Heritage
Dao Incarnation of Existence(Second Step)
* Party
None
* Skill Branches
* Lightning Neurons (Level 2)
Iron Body(Level 2)
Iron Bones (Level 2)
Muscle Density Enhancement(Level 1)
Basic Weapon Knowledge: Blunt(Level 1)
Dao Resonance(Level 1)
Karmic Cycle(Level 1)
Lucky(Level 1)
Increased Blood Flow (Level 1)
* Weapon Style
Flowing Water Style
* Weapon Mastery: Brotherhood Stage 6
* Elemental Affinities
Earth: 15% Mastery
* Elemental Boons
Elemental Infusion: Stoneskin
* Quests
The Sacred Bond: Impossible
Engines of the End Times: S
* Professions
Smith: Novice Stage 5
Dao Smith: Novice Stage 1
Sam was satisfied with his current stat spread, and he was happy with how many free stat points he had waiting for him. He already knew that he likely was far beyond most, even the others in Challenge Mode.
Sam closed his sheet, and headed deeper into the jungle, searching for the monkeys promised by the floor objective. The Jungle was oddly silent, as there were no other inhabitants save for the monkeys. Assuming that this was an actual functioning ecosystem, and not simply a construction of the System that had been made as soon as he stepped foot on the floor, the monkeys likely relied on their E Rank status to not have to deal with food and water. Otherwise, they would have resorted to cannibalism long ago.
Sam found his first target a few minutes later. The monster looked like a cross between a bodybuilder and a gorilla. Covered in corded muscle, it wielded a massive club made from what looked like a gnarled branch. Pieces of obsidian were pressed into the end of the club, creating a devastating looking macuahuitl, a type of Aztec club. Sam didn’t want to be hit by that, no matter how durable his body was.
The monster prowled along the ground on three limbs, holding its club in its free hand. Sam rushed in, his hammer held above his head, seeking to catch the monster unawares. The monkey turned, a look of surprise on its bestial face, that rapidly turned to rage. It struck out with its club, the weapon hissing through the air. Sam parried the blow with his hammer, knocking it to the side. He then sent a spear of energy from his palm towards the monkey. It hooted in rage, but then fell silent as it was blasted apart into chunks of bloody flesh.
Sam’s projectile skill had grown significantly since its birth, and now as more than capable of destroying E Ranked flesh with ease.As Sam watched the monster die, he knew that this section would be different. The presence of the weapons meant that the monkeys were at least marginally sapient, which would make this floor more of a challenge than before.
Leaving the carcass behind, he marched off, not noticing the beady eyes peering at him from the undergrowth. A moment later, the monkey crouching there loped off, eager to report its findings.
Sam found himself frowning as he traversed the floor, unable to find any more monsters. The first had been the only one that he noticed in almost fifteen minutes of wandering. With his E Rank stats, he should have been able to find them by now. Usually, the concentration of monsters was evenly distributed. The only difference in this case was the sapience of the monkeys. Sam was beginning to suspect that they were purposely avoiding him, trying to find out his strengths.
“I know you’re out there!” He called out, not sure if they understood what he was saying. In any case, it hardly mattered. There was no response.
Sam sighed, and continued on his way, his hammer dragging low behind him. As he ran, he tried to project an image of weakness, as if his defeat of the monster earlier was nothing but luck. If his instincts were right, he would be ambushed sooner rather than later.