Subscriber of the Gods Chapter 371 - The Trial of the Tower (2)

-Ha, that’s good confidence! Alright, fine. You said three times, right? Then you have only one chance left. Go ahead and try. I’ll be watching with both eyes wide open!

The First Guardian looked at Ethan as he took his stance.

Ethan showed no hesitation whatsoever.

He would break the barrier with this attack.

He looked as if he didn’t even think about the possibility of failure.

The First Guardian focused all his attention on Ethan’s movements.

Ethan had already attacked the shield twice.

Seeing him step forward so confidently, he must have realized that the barrier couldn’t be broken by force alone.

Dispersion of force.

He needed to accurately disperse the force to impact the entire barrier with a single swing.

That’s how it could be broken.

But even realizing this was a problem.

Knowing and doing are completely different issues.

The absolute barrier is basically spherical in shape, making it difficult to impact the entire thing at once.

So, applying multiple attacks to impact the entire barrier? Then the chance would immediately disappear, and there’s a possibility of being eliminated.

Therefore, the force had to be transmitted accurately with a single attack.

It wasn’t something possible without practice.

-I don’t mind if it’s not limited to just three times

“For a hero, bravado is also important. If I fail, it’s bluster; if I succeed, it’s momentum, isn’t it?”

Ethan grinned and took his stance.

Then he swung his sword without hesitation.

Swoosh!

With the two previous attempts, Ethan had figured out the mechanism of this barrier.

To break this barrier, the force needed to be dispersed throughout.

He had to spread the force that could be applied in a single strike like a spider web, delivering an equal impact to all parts.

It was only possible if one could control mana and the sword’s power to the extreme.

‘Whatever weapon you have, you should be able to handle it perfectly.’

That was the First Guardian’s condition for a hero.

Ethan agreed with that opinion.

The first step in becoming stronger starts with perfectly handling one’s weapon.

In other words, you should be able to use it as you want, when you want.

Just like now.

Shaaak-

Crack-!

In an instant, Ethan swung two swords.

As the Frost Sword and Thunder Sword precisely struck the barrier, cracks began to form based on where Ethan had attacked.

The barrier that hadn’t budged until now was shattered with a single strike.

Crack-

Crackcrackcrackcrack-!

With a thunderous sound, the split barrier began to disappear into particles.

The First Guardian inside looked at the shattering barrier and then at Ethan.

He should be happy, but Ethan was putting his swords away with a rather nonchalant expression.

The First Guardian admired his bold attitude.

-Didn’t you… think you would fail?

“I did.” 

Ethan answered without hesitation.

-Then how?

How could he show not even a hint of hesitation?

“Well.”

Ethan, leaving the first gate behind and ascending to the second, turned to look at the First Guardian.

“Because it’s not my time to die yet.”

***

-Congratulations on clearing the 1st gate!

-You have received the reward for clearing the 1st gate!

A small pill appeared in Ethan’s hand.

-You have obtained the Pill of Strength.

“What an ironic reward. To think you’d give a pill that increases strength as a reward for a trial that can’t be overcome with mere strength. If it can’t be broken with strength alone, are you suggesting we should consider whether our strength is lacking rather than finding another method?”

Ethan chuckled.

“I suppose someone with truly overwhelming strength could break it using only force, ignoring all the rules. That’s one way to do it.”

The second floor, past the first gate, was a beautiful place.

It was reminiscent of the splendid corridors of the Holy Empire’s imperial palace he had visited not long ago, but the overall tone was more subdued.

While the imperial palace corridors had a warm feeling, this place felt infinitely cold.

‘It’s probably because everything is silver.’

The imperial palace was full of warm, flickering lights, so even the same silver color felt less cold due to the yellow light.

But there was nothing here. No warm light, no luxurious carpets on the floor.

As Ethan looked around and moved towards the center of the second floor, a curtain suddenly came down from the wall.

Rustle-

The massive corridor was instantly blocked by curtains, turning into a room.

-It’s been a while since someone cleared the 1st gate. Nice to meet you, I am the Second Guardian in charge of the Second gate.

A gray soul.

The Second Guardian of the Second gate greeted Ethan.

The Second Guardian was wearing a beautiful and bright robe. It looked like a princess’s ceremonial dress.

‘She might have been a princess.’

-The task for the Second gate is also very simple.

The Second Guardian said.

-A hero’s talent should reach the heavens, but the range of that talent should also be versatile. Not only handling weapons but also magic should be at an excellent level.”

Whoosh-

A familiar sound was heard. It was the sound of magic circles being drawn and activated.

As the Second Guardian snapped her fingers, numerous magic circles were activated on the spot.

It was an incredible sight.

‘There must be 100 of them.’

Activating 100 spells simultaneously.

The Second Guardian must have been a magician of considerable skill in her lifetime.

‘At this level, it wouldn’t be strange to be called an archmage.’

-The trial of the Second gate is to solve all these 100 spells.

The Second Guardian pointed to the 100 spells spread out behind her.

-And while you had plenty of time in the 1st gate, that’s not the case for the Second gate.

Snap-

As she snapped her fingers, a clock appeared with a ticking sound.

-Time limit.

And as the Second Guardian snapped her fingers once more, mana began to drain from Ethan’s body.

-70% mana restriction.

This wasn’t made to be passed.

Ethan looked at the 100 spells. These weren’t ordinary spells. Each one was of such a high level that it would be difficult even to read without profound knowledge of magic. They were high-circle spells that would be challenging to comprehend without magical expertise.

On top of that, time kept ticking away.

Unlike the 1st gate with unlimited time, the 2nd gate had a time limit of 1 hour.

It was an utterly unreasonable level.

After explaining the trial, the Second Guardian observed Ethan’s expression.

Many hero candidates who arrived here would make a big fuss after hearing about the trial.

Some would get angry, saying it was an impossible level.

The trial of breaking the absolute defense in the 1st gate could be accomplished through various methods, not necessarily magic.

A swordsman could use a sword, a magician could use magic.

Everyone could find a way to break it using their specialty.

But the 2nd gate was different.

Without knowledge of magic, it would be absolutely impossible to clear.

That’s why there were often hero candidates who complained that it wasn’t fair.

But the trials of this tower are entirely determined by the guardian of the gate, the Second Guardian.

The Second Guardian of the 2nd gate was a magician.

As a magician who handled thousands of spells, she was called a Magic King in her lifetime, just as Ethan had guessed.

In fact, from her perspective as a Magic King, this trial could be considered to have significantly lowered standards.

The Second Guardian looked at Ethan, who showed no particular reaction. Two swords at his waist and a sturdy physique. He looked like a typical swordsman from any angle.

That meant he was bound to face considerable difficulties in this 2nd gate.

No, beyond difficulties, it could be considered certain death.

After all, there aren’t many in the world who have mastered both sword and magic.

The Second Guardian anticipated Ethan’s reaction. Would he show a desperate expression? Or a confident one?

But there was no reaction that met the Second Guardian’s expectations.

-……

The Second Guardian’s expression slightly hardened as she looked at Ethan’s face. Ethan didn’t look happy, desperate, or indignant.

He just had a calm expression.

“Hmm…”

Has he completely given up? Or did he not understand properly?

Either way, it wasn’t the reaction the Second Guardian had expected.

“You have quite high standards for heroes.”

The Second Guardian nodded at Ethan’s words.

-This is the Hero’s Tower. A hero should perform miraculous feats in any situation. If you want to be called a hero, that’s how it should be.

A coldness flashed in her eyes for a moment.

-Those who only talk big and call themselves heroes cannot become heroes. Words are just words. Without the power to act, it becomes deception.

“Did something happen to you?”

When Ethan asked, the Second Guardian shifted her cold gaze directly to him.

-Time continues to flow even as I speak. Do you still want to hear?

“Yes, I don’t mind.”

-…What a strange hero candidate has come. Well, it doesn’t matter. You’re the one who will suffer the loss.

Saying that, the Second Guardian began to speak as if talking to herself.

-It’s not a particularly special story. It’s a story you can find anywhere. A story of a loser who couldn’t protect what was precious. A story of a hero who had everyone’s trust but failed.

A beautiful kingdom.

The princess of that kingdom believed in the hero.

But the hero betrayed that trust, and when he returned, everything was already ruined.

‘So that’s why. The high standards for heroes.’

Through the Second Guardian’s story, Ethan could guess why the difficulty of the 2nd gate was so high.

Tick tock-

But as soon as the story ended, there were only 30 minutes left.

Half the time remaining. But he hadn’t solved any magic while listening to the story.

-This is the Hero’s Tower. I appreciate you listening to my story, but you only have two choices. Become a hero and go out to the world, or fail miserably and die here. Half the time has already passed.

Ethan looked at the Second Guardian as if it was fine.

“It’s alright. I asked to hear your story because the time wasn’t that pressing.”

-…What?

The Second Guardian looked bewildered.

“As it happens, I have some knowledge of magic. And while listening to your story, I figured out how to break it.”

Ethan said.

Click-

The 100 spells spread out.

These 100 magic circles weren’t something that could be solved simply. Each magic circle was intricately woven with high-circle magic.

If that’s the case, you just need to weave them together one more time.

-Impossible…

The Second Guardian was shocked. Until now, the hero candidates who came here tried to solve the problem by simply undoing the magic.

Among them, there were those with exceptional magical knowledge, so there weren’t many who struggled with undoing the magic itself.

But the problem was the amount of magic and the tight time limit.

Even if they could undo each spell, they would fail due to the quantity and time constraints.

Therefore, to break through this 2nd gate, it was important to come up with a way to deal with a lot of magic in a short time.

For example.

Like what Ethan is showing now, a method of weaving the spells together and undoing them as a whole.

“So I have plenty of time left.”

Ethan began to break down the magic.