Chapter 252: Second Floor, Cleared!

They were so wildly different that Uhtred had simply grown to never bother checking them at all, since they told him nothing in particular beyond a vague increase in his proficiency.

He couldn’t even compare them against one another, as they all seemed to follow their own independent leveling speeds. They didn’t even indicate how inherently powerful a spell actually was either.

A clear example was the Unified Elemental Strike, which sat at the exact same Level 8 as a simple Fire Arrow spell he cared nothing about — a random spell he had created on the fly during a fight against a beast back on Earth.

Of course, the argument could be made that there was some sort of logic to it. Perhaps there was some multiversal standard where each of these spells was compared against other versions out there in the multiverse...

But now that Zara had pointed it out, the likelihood of it simply being an inconsistency actually made far more sense.

It was unlike the System to have uncorrelated standards.

Even White Raven had finally recognized how bizarre it was. The Norse woman frowned deeply, turning her head toward the Heavenly Demon at the head of the table.

All four of them did the same. They noticed the Heavenly Demon had gone completely quiet after Zara raised her observation. His eyes were distant, his mind clearly working through calculations, until Uhtred tapped his knuckles against the dinner table to break the silence.

The Heavenly Demon snapped back to attention, his eyes refocusing on the four of them.

"Skill Levels, you said?" He looked directly toward Zara.

She nodded.

"Without a doubt, that is a new limitation in the process of actualizing itself," the Heavenly Demon said solemnly. "I have told you that Levels only came into being at the end of the sixth era. And even then, there was no such thing as ’Skill Levels.’ This is the beginning of a new limitation... and a major one at that."

His direct confirmation brought a heavy silence over the entire table.

"What the hell is causing these... Limitations?" Uhtred asked after a tense pause. "Isn’t the System supposed to be absolute and unchangeable?"

"Absolute, yes, without a doubt," the Heavenly Demon replied. "But unchangeable...? Now, why would you assume that? The System changes continuously. It evolves—"

"—Toward what, exactly?" Zara cut in.

"...Who knows?" The Heavenly Demon replied after a short beat. "Some say ultimate perfection. Some say complete standardization. But the only thing that is certain is that the System is driving every integrated universe in the multiverse toward ever-increasing strength... more power... Perhaps these limitations serve to force that progression forward?"

Uhtred scrunched his brows in deep skepticism, then shook his head.

"I don’t see how..."

He wanted to argue against the logic of that statement. To him, artificially limiting every being in the multiverse just for the sake of streamlining the path to power directly contradicted the very goal the Heavenly Demon had just described.

However, the Heavenly Demon couldn’t be bothered to entertain a debate.

"You can argue all you want, but it isn’t going to change reality. Perhaps, just as you suggested, that is the true purpose of this Tower — maybe you can do something to halt the progression... but I severely doubt it. Six major eras have come and gone. Entities far more powerful than you could ever fathom have attempted the exact same thing and failed," the Heavenly Demon said, his voice flat. "...It is an inevitable outcome."

"If you want my advice, I would say you should simply climb the Tower like everyone else. Be entertaining. Amass a shit-ton of wealth from audience gifts and donations. Then quit while you still can, return to your world after clearing five or six floors, and grind like hell so you’ll be strong enough to survive the Grand War when your era inevitably comes to an end."

His words were cold and cynical, but there was a grim, pragmatic logic to them.

"What? Now that you can’t tag along with us, you don’t want us to keep climbing?" Uhtred asked, half-playfully and half in defiance. He was hardly the type to give up so easily.

The Heavenly Demon cracked a slow, dangerous smile.

"I truly do not care what happens to any of you from here on out. But yes — I would much rather you quit than aid some other trapped consciousness like me on the higher Floors."

Uhtred snorted at that. At the end of the day, the Heavenly Demon was only playing his role of revealing this hidden scenario information to them. What they made of it, and how they proceeded depended on them entirely.

For a second there, I almost forgot this guy is a Heavenly Demon who literally just killed me a few minutes ago...

He stared at the Heavenly Demon, who seemed to read Uhtred’s internal thoughts directly off his face.

The Heavenly Demon’s dangerous smile widened.

"Is there anything else you wish to know? Or will you allow me to finish my tale...? It is called the ’Heavenly Demon’s Tale of Er-Alith,’ after all."

Uhtred and the others nodded, allowing the Heavenly Demon to continue.

They all sat back and listened attentively as the Heavenly Demon delved into the more personal details of the world of Er-Alith during the sixth era.

He detailed his violent rise as the Heavenly Demon, his grand war against the Righteous sects, his absolute dominance through his Esoteric Magic, and his eventual, inevitable downfall as the System limits on Esoteric magic tightened toward the close of the era.

By the time the Heavenly Demon’s tale reached its conclusion, several lingering questions had been answered — yet even larger, more daunting mysteries had taken their place.

However, neither Uhtred nor any of the other ascenders bothered to press the Heavenly Demon for further answers.

The truths they sought would only be uncovered on the floors above.

Thus, the Second Floor was officially completed, with only four members of the human champion team unlocking the sub-scenario and acquiring the vital insight needed for the challenges ahead.

As for the remaining six, they remained completely blind to the hidden reality of the Tower.

The entire team reunited shortly after, materializing inside a new waiting room situated between the Second and Third Floors.

Uhtred, along with Zara, White Raven, and Perfection, were the last to arrive. And before they even fully materialized, King Alexei’s boisterous voice could already be heard.

"Oh? They’re finally here. This King was already beginning to wonder whether you guys had perished so easily..."