Tower of Illusions.
He Xi looked at the somewhat empty hall before him.
Only a few students stood scattered in front of the leaderboard.
Compared to the bustling scene from his last visit, when it had been nearly impossible even to move, only a few low voices remained in the hall now.
Occasionally, a student passed before the light screen, their footsteps echoing through the empty hall and making it feel all the more desolate.
On such a bright weekend morning, He Xi had crossed half the city to come to the academy, originally intending to make several more attempts during Alser's Steps' week-long opening window.
Not only had he yet to reach the town beyond the second tier, but even for the first tier's Red Fang War Camp, he had only explored the southern route once by "skipping class." He still knew little about the other routes and many of the mechanics.
Since Cyril had gone to Valkenheim with Mentor Meli, he probably would not be able to take part in any challenges for a while.
Of course, that guy was not especially interested in Alser's Steps to begin with. According to Cyril, the best years of life ought to be squandered entirely in lush, humid rainforests, with all remaining time reserved for his precious insect garden.
Finding temporary teammates would not be a problem for He Xi, and he was not particularly picky about their strength.
As for his wager with Flora, He Xi did not intend to seek out Lidona himself.
For one thing, he instinctively felt that he should avoid letting Lidona learn about his relationship with Flora.
He truly had not expected that this decisive senior student could have such a reserved side to her.
For another, if he approached her himself and then genuinely