The Second Trial

"Tower of Babel?" Ryan silently chewed on the name. Since entering the ruins, this was the first time he had heard the name of this ancient mage tower sealed deep underground.

Genesis Chapter 11 of the Bible records that after the Great Flood, Noah's descendants multiplied. Though they lived in different places, they all spoke the same language.

Later, they migrated eastward, planning to build a great tower in the land of Shinar that would reach the heavens, known as the Tower of Babel.

Angered by humanity's hubris, God confounded their languages so they could no longer communicate freely. Estrangement grew between people, the plan failed, and humanity scattered to the ends of the earth, leaving the Tower of Babel to be destroyed.

Ryan was unsure if the mage Adam had referenced the Bible when choosing such a profound name.

Above the clouds, gods emerge; the tower reaches the heavens to knock upon the seat of divinity. Is that what this big shot was thinking?

Ryan, considering himself shallow, guessed at the predecessor's intent in his mind before overturning each hypothesis. Finally, he gave up on the brain-racking thoughts and pulled his focus back to reality.

After walking through the gate, there were no cold experimental tables or metal nutrient pods with a strong sense of sci-fi, as Ryan had expected. He had thought there might be strange but cool settings like the virtual reality connection pods from the anime of his past life.

Although seeing high-tech "black technology" in the Faerûn continent always gave one a subtle feeling, based on what Ryan had seen and heard since entering the ruins, he didn't think it was impossible.

However, the scene that met his eyes exceeded Ryan's expectations. Behind the gate was an open platform. The floor, paved with milky-white, polished tiles of an unknown material, was as reflective as a mirror. The platform was completely unobstructed and empty.

Question marks appeared in Ryan's mind. He stood by the door in confusion and, following the Tower Spirit's instructions, opened the "Tower of Babel Virtual Martial Arena User Manual and Precautions." Together with the half-elf ranger who had curiously crowded over, he began to read it carefully.

"Virtual Martial Arena, one of the great creations of the Archmage Adam.

The Virtual Martial Arena was born from the fortuitous combination of Archmage Adam's peak attainments in Enchantment, Divination, and Illusion magic, along with his bottomless, abyss-like wisdom.

The Virtual Martial Arena extracts the memories of the trial-taker. Based on the vast database within the Tower Spirit system and the trial-taker's own strength, it projects their development prospects three years into the future. Simultaneously, it uses the database and Divination magic to create a spiritual phantom with the strength the trial-taker would possess in one, two, or three years.

The trial-taker's task is to hold out for three hours against the full-force attacks of this phantom.

The significance of the Virtual Martial Arena lies in the fact that the spiritual phantom it creates, while extracting the martial arts data and magical knowledge from the trial-taker's mind, can also simulate the trial-taker's thought patterns almost perfectly. Trial-takers can find their own path and direction from it, achieving twice the result with half the effort while accumulating their own strength.

After this great creation came into being, it provided a direct path to the heavens for the training of Tower of Babel students and the path of the mage. The advancement of numerous mages benefited from the guidance of the Martial Arena. Let us once again pay tribute to the great Lord Adam! Hail to wisdom!

Warning 1: The phantom will not show mercy due to copied thought patterns; please consider carefully before applying for a trial.

Warning 2: The Virtual Martial Arena's life-support function can only save your life. You are responsible for consequences such as disability or severe injury; please adjust the difficulty accordingly.

Warning 3: Legendary-level individuals are restricted from entering. Any damage caused by forced entry will be compensated tenfold!

Warning 10: Skylight is forbidden from entering! Skylight is forbidden from entering! Skylight is forbidden from entering! Astral projections are also not allowed!

----This manual was written by Arcane Radiance, Legendary Archmage, Dunblinton."

Ryan read the manual from start to finish without missing a word. He gained a certain understanding of this miraculous creation and couldn't help but marvel at the power and majesty of the ancient magical empire, while simultaneously being captivated by the bottomless wisdom of the mage Adam.

On a career path filled with obstacles and thorns, the importance of a lamp to illuminate the way forward is self-evident. This Virtual Martial Arena was truly worthy of being called a great creation.

At the same time, Ryan was very curious about who this Skylight mentioned in the final warning was. The deep resentment of the Archmage who wrote the manual seemed to leap off the page; the lines were practically screaming with frustration.

However, the blonde mage chuckled inwardly, mocking himself for being a busybody.

No matter who that person was, as time flowed and the world changed, the ancient empire in the clouds had already fallen apart. These legendary figures had likely all been buried in the dust of time, leaving only fragments and sporadic written records for later generations to admire their peerless elegance through ink and paper.

"The immediate priority is how to pass this test. But the content of the second trial hasn't been released yet. Do I need to enter the arena myself first?"

The mage pondered silently, handed a sealed item to the half-elf ranger, and gave some instructions in her ear. Then, under her concerned and worried gaze, he walked toward the platform behind the gate.

As the youth's feet stepped onto the platform, the dim lights around the platform suddenly lit up. The milky-white tiles on the ground illuminated one by one, emitting a light as brilliant yet soft as starlight. Ryan could even see his own reflection on the mirror-like floor.

As the lights came on, a prompt sounded:

"Trial-taker detected entering the Virtual Martial Arena. Connecting to database, accessing thought model... Beep! Beep! Unable to access trial-taker's thought pattern. Program error! Program error!"

Ryan listened to the mechanical error message and looked at his chest, lost in thought.

The power of the Spark was perhaps even more miraculous than Ryan had imagined. While granting the youth the abilities of a Planeswalker, this brilliant flame also provided his soul with an indestructible layer of protection. Ryan had suspected as much back when the charm effect of the "Switcheroo" Myriad Changes Card was blocked by the Spark.

"Trial-taker suspected of possessing god-level mental protection; unable to access thought model. Backup program initiated. Inheritor mode bonus active.

Copying trial-taker phantom. Loading virtual Weave spell slots. Loading mechanical mind..."

"Respected Inheritor, greetings. Considering your special circumstances, the Tower of Babel system's comprehensive database analysis has determined your second trial content to be:

Defeat the highest-difficulty copied phantom—a Level 12 special mage replica. Have a pleasant assessment!"

"Tower Spirit, go to hell!" Upon hearing the content of the trial, even the good-natured Ryan was so angry he cursed out loud.

Ryan hadn't expected the Tower Spirit to be even more of a jerk than he had imagined.

Look at what the manual said: holding out for three hours against the phantom counted as success. But for Ryan, the difficulty of the trial went straight to the sky—he had to defeat the phantom, and it was a Level 12 mage at that!

But at this point, complaining and cursing wouldn't solve anything.

As the Tower Spirit's voice faded, a phantom glowing with a faint fluorescence appeared on the empty platform.

Ryan quickly estimated his win rate in his heart. Fortunately, the Tower Spirit could not read the abilities of a Planeswalker. Relying on the trump cards in his Traveler Space and the magic of his Planeswalker cards, Ryan felt that this battle might be worth a try.

Still, Tower Spirit, you bastard!