The Second Trial

"Tower of Babel?" Ryan silently mulled over the name. This was the first time since entering the ruins that he had heard of the ancient wizard tower buried underground.

The Book of Genesis, Chapter 11, recorded that after the flood, Noah's descendants had multiplied and spread out across many places, yet they all spoke the same language.

Later, they migrated east and planned to build a towering structure called the Tower of Babel in the land of Shinar, reaching all the way to heaven.

Offended by humanity's arrogance, God caused their languages to diverge, so they could no longer communicate freely. Barriers arose between people, and their plan failed. Humanity scattered across the earth, and the Tower of Babel was destroyed.

Ryan wasn't sure whether that wizard named Adam had taken inspiration from the Bible when choosing such a meaningful name.

"Above the clouds, the gods appear and vanish; the tower reaches heaven, challenging the divine throne. Was that what this big shot had in mind?"

Aware of how shallow his knowledge was, Ryan tried to guess what his predecessor had meant, only to reject each theory in turn. In the end, he gave up on the brain-racking speculation and returned his thoughts to the present.

Beyond the doorway, there was no sign of the cold test benches or metal nutrient pods that had given off such a strong sci-fi vibe earlier. Ryan had thought he might find some strange but cool virtual-reality pod like the ones in the anime from his previous life.

Seeing cutting-edge technology on the continent of Faerûn always gave him a peculiar feeling, but based on everything he had seen since entering the ruins, Ryan wouldn't have ruled out the possibility.

The scene before him, however, was not what he had expected. Beyond the door lay a broad platform. Its floor was paved with smooth, milky-white tiles made of an unknown material, polished to a mirror sheen. Nothing obstructed the platform; it was completely empty.

A few question marks appeared in Ryan's mind. Confused, he stood by the door and, following the Tower Spirit's instructions, opened the manual it had mentioned: Tower of Babel Virtual Martial Arena: User Guide and Precautions. The Half-elf Ranger had come over, curious, and the two of them read through it carefully.

"Virtual Martial Arena, one of the great achievements of the great Arcanist Adam.

The Virtual Martial Arena was born through a stroke of luck, combining the Archmage Adam's unparalleled mastery of the schools of enchantment, divination, and illusion with his unfathomable wisdom.

The Virtual Martial Arena extracts the memories of those who enter. Drawing on the Tower Spirit system's vast database and the trial-taker's own abilities, it extrapolates their likely development over the next three years. It then uses the database and divination magic to create a spirit image with the strength they would possess after one, two, or three years.

The trial-taker's task is to withstand the spirit image's full-force attacks for three hours.

The Virtual Martial Arena's value lies in the fact that, as it copies the martial techniques and magical knowledge stored in the trial-taker's mind, the spirit image can also replicate their thought patterns almost perfectly. Trial-takers can find their own path forward by observing it, allowing them to make twice the progress with half the effort as they build their skills.

After this great creation came into being, it provided a path to success for the Tower of Babel's students and the development of their magical careers. Many mages advanced one step at a time thanks to the arena's guidance. Let us once again pay tribute to the great Adam! A toast to wisdom!

Warning 1: The spirit image will not go easy on you just because it copies your thoughts. Think carefully before applying for a trial.

Warning 2: The Virtual Martial Arena's life-preservation function can only keep you alive. You are responsible for any consequences, including crippling injuries or severe wounds. Adjust the difficulty with care.

Warning 3: Those of Legendary level are prohibited from entering. Any damage caused by forcing your way in will be compensated tenfold!

Warning 10: Skylight is forbidden from entering! Skylight is forbidden from entering! Skylight is forbidden from entering! Not even a spirit projection!

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

Ryan read every word of the manual. Now that he had a basic understanding of this wondrous creation, he couldn't help but marvel at the might and grandeur of the ancient magical empire. He was also awestruck by the unfathomable wisdom of the wizard Adam.

On a profession's path, strewn with dangers and thorns, the importance of a light illuminating the way ahead was self-evident. The Virtual Martial Arena deserved to be called a great achievement.

Ryan was also curious about who Skylight was. The Archmage who had written the manual had clearly been seething with resentment; the words practically radiated frustration.

But the blond-haired mage gave a quiet laugh, chiding himself for sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

Whoever this person had been, time had passed and the world had changed. The ancient empire in the clouds had long since fallen apart, and those legendary figures had likely been buried beneath the dust of the ages. Only a few scattered remarks and scraps of writing remained, allowing later generations to admire their predecessors' brilliance through the written word.

"The main thing now is figuring out how to pass this test. But the second trial hasn't been announced yet. Am I supposed to enter the arena on my own?"

The mage thought it over, then handed a sealed object to the Half-elf Ranger and whispered something in his ear. With the Ranger watching him with concern, he walked toward the platform beyond the door.

As soon as the boy stepped onto the platform, the dim lights around it flared to life. The milky-white tiles beneath his feet lit up one after another, their polished surfaces shining with a brilliant yet gentle, starlike glow. Ryan could even see his reflection in the gleaming floor.

As the lights came on, a prompt sounded:

"Trial-taker detected entering the Virtual Martial Arena. Connecting to database. Loading thought model... Beep! Beep! Unable to connect to trial-taker's thought patterns. Program error! Program error!"

As Ryan listened to the mechanical voice report the error, he glanced at his chest and fell into thought.

The Spark's power might be even more wondrous than Ryan had imagined. Along with granting the boy the abilities of a Planeswalker, this brilliant flame had also given his soul an indestructible layer of protection. Ryan had already suspected as much when the Spark blocked the charm effect of the Myriad Changes Card "Castling."

"Trial-taker appears to possess divine-grade mental protection. Unable to connect to thought model. Activating backup program. Applying inheritor mode bonus.

Copying trial-taker's spirit image. Loading Virtual Weave Spell Slots. Loading mechanical mind...

Greetings, inheritor. In light of your unique circumstances, and based on an analysis of the Tower of Babel system's integrated database, your second trial is:

Defeat the highest-difficulty copy—Level 12 Special Mage. We wish you an enjoyable assessment!"

"Tower Spirit, WCNM!" When he heard what the trial entailed, even good-natured Ryan couldn't help blurting out a curse.

Ryan had never expected the Tower Spirit to be an even bigger bastard than he'd imagined.

Just look at what the manual said: succeed by lasting three hours against the spirit image. But for Ryan, the difficulty had gone through the roof. He had to defeat it—and it was a Level 12 mage!

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

As the Tower Spirit's voice faded, a spirit image glowing with a faint light appeared on the empty platform.

Ryan quickly calculated his odds of winning. Fortunately, the Tower Spirit couldn't read a Planeswalker's abilities. With the trump cards in his Traveler Space and the wonders of his Planeswalker cards, Ryan felt he might just be able to take this fight.

But, Tower Spirit, screw you!