The world shifted again.
I found myself standing in a clearing surrounded by endless green — grass swaying under a wind that didn't exist, and light that came from nowhere. It was quiet… too quiet.
Then, with a faint shimmer, a creature materialized a few meters ahead.
A goblin.
Short, green-skinned, its limbs wiry and trembling with energy. No weapon, no armor — just yellow teeth and hungry eyes.
Common Goblin.
Its physical stats couldn't be higher than 4 across the board, with no mana. Only shaman-type goblins and champions possessed mana.
Weaker than me, but still dangerous if I got careless.
I decided to test my new ability.
"Restriction," I thought.
[Focus on area or think of the ability you wish to restrict]
I pictured its eyes clouding over — its world going dark.
[Restriction placed]
[Target stripped of Sight for 1:00]
The goblin froze, shrieking and clawing at its face. That was my chance.
I sprinted forward and slammed my foot into its knee — a sharp crack echoed. The goblin crumpled, and before it could recover, I stomped down again. And again.
When the system chime rang, I was panting.
[+10 Essence]
I stepped back. The goblin lay still, its body bruised and broken.
It was ugly. Brutal. But it worked.
"Barbaric," I muttered under my breath, "but efficient. A wild goblin loose in a city would do worse to an unarmed human."
The corpse would vanish on its own soon — five minutes at most — but a thought nagged at me.
Predation.
I focused on it.
My shadow stretched unnaturally long, sliding forward like a pool of ink. It touched the corpse, and the body began to sink, as if swallowed by darkness. A faint tug pulled at my chest — not painful, just cold — before the goblin disappeared completely.
[Goblin Corpse Devoured]
[+10 Essence]
Predation granted Essence equal to the kill itself. Double the total for one enemy.
That was beyond rare — bordering on absurd. Even the most expensive Essence-boosting artifacts barely offered a 1.5× multiplier, and this one was free.
I grinned faintly. "Guess I'm the discount version of broken."
But power meant nothing if I couldn't kill monsters. Before the next trial, I needed a weapon.
"Store," I commanded.
The interface bloomed before me — green and white hues along edges.
[Trial Shop]
[Weapons] [Cards] [Potions] [Miscellaneous]
The Trial Shop could only be accessed during the Ordeal of Ascent, offering unique gear, relics, and classes at heavily discounted prices — a fleeting boon for those daring enough to climb.
I tapped Weapons and scrolled through the list.
Crude Dagger — 5 Essence
Crude Short Sword — 7 Essence
Crude Long Sword — 10 Essence
Polished Short Sword — 20 Essence
Normally, I'd have gone for the crude dagger, but thanks to Predation, I had 20 Essence to spare.
The Polished Short Sword shimmered as I selected it. A brief glow — then it materialized in front of me, weightless for an instant before solid steel settled in my palm. Balanced. Sharp. Deadly enough.
"Let's see if you were worth the price," I muttered.
A prompt appeared immediately:
[Proceed to the 2nd Ordeal or Enter the 0th Floor?]
"Proceed."
The air shimmered again. Two goblins appeared this time — both armed with crude clubs.
Restricting their vision wouldn't be worth the mana. I'd need to pick them apart strategically.
[Can't restrict two targets at once — select one]
The left goblin rushed faster. I locked onto its arms.
[Can't restrict both arms — select one]
I chose the left — the one holding the club.
[Left Arm restricted — Disabled for 1:00]
The club fell from its grip. I dashed in, slashing its chest open in a single, clean motion. The creature staggered. I grabbed it by the neck and hurled it into the brush — where a faint rustle caught my attention.
A third goblin — an archer — was hiding in the foliage.
If I hadn't noticed, it would've fired the moment I dropped my guard. Exactly as the guides had warned.
The second goblin swung wildly; I sidestepped and brought the sword down in a vertical arc that split the skull straight through to the neck to the shoulder blade.
[+10 Essence]
An arrow whistled past my ear. I dropped to the ground just in time, rolling to the side.
The archer was already reloading.
"Restriction."
[Target: Goblin Archer — Sight removed for 1:00]
The archer screeched and dropped its crossbow, clawing at its eyes. I approached silently, and when I was close enough, it swung a dagger wildly — but I was already moving.
One clean thrust through its temple.
[+12 Essence]
I turned toward the thicket. The first goblin was still there, barely breathing. A bolt jutted from its shoulder.
I stepped close and ended it swiftly.
[+10 Essence]
"Predation."
Darkness rippled under my feet.
Three shadows spread outward and joined, connecting to each corpse.
[Goblin Corpses Devoured]
[+32 Essence]
The shadows withdrew, leaving only silence. The air around me felt colder now — not dangerous, but hungry.
Another prompt blinked into existence:
[Proceed to the 3rd Ordeal or Enter the 0th Floor?]
I tightened my grip on the sword.
"Bring it on."