With a crisp clap of her hands, Enna activated the massive portal. Without hesitation, all the players dashed in!
Unlike the single-path trial last time, this one branched into countless routes—like a colossal tree rooted in the galaxy, each shimmering branch and blossom formed of starlight and color.
The rules were simple: this round featured only minor stars, far smaller in scale compared to the previous trial—naturally so, since they were to be challenged solo. Each star could be occupied by only one player. Once claimed, it would be sealed off, and others would have to search elsewhere.
Everyone ran like mad. Which stars were suitable, what colors of pigment they yielded—all had been pre-calculated. The moment they saw their target, they locked on. First come, first served.
Helier ran with all his might. His agility stat wasn’t high, nor was his burst speed impressive, but his exceptional stamina allowed him to maintain full sprint, barely keeping up with the frontrunners.
He’d set his sights on a small, water-blue star. No strategy involved—he just thought it looked beautiful. No way was he letting anyone else snatch it!
Luckily, the frontrunners all veered elsewhere. In the end, he managed to secure his target.
As he stepped through the exit of the portal, the landscape before him unfurled in all its magnificence.
Mist hugged the earth. A vast, tranquil river mirrored the sky above. Ancient trees towered into the heavens, massive stone pillars pierced the clouds, all woven together into a majestic staircase in hues of ochre and brown, leading upward to the sky.
“Whoa...!”
Stunned by the breathtaking view, Helier couldn’t help but let out a gasp. Man, he’d picked the perfect one!
The system chuckled. Probably only Helier was here for the scenery. But hey—if he was having fun, so be it.
“No other players here, much easier for you. I’ve marked all the Devourbeasts for you,” the system said, tapping away. Multiple lines of light appeared, each labeled with a number. “The numbers match their level. Take your pick.”
Helier squinted. Two level-1s, three level-2s, and one level-3. Six lines in total, reaching toward various points high above. Black mists gnawed at the sky where the beasts lurked, most dense at the end of the stairs—thousands of meters up, at the peak of this star.
Thick clouds swirled there, a heavy, oppressive darkness.
But Helier was unfazed. Fear? What’s that?
He grabbed his star card and dashed along the shortest marked path.
A level-2 Devourbeast came into view.
Without a second thought, he hurled his card forward!
“Timnar, go!”
With a burst of light, his spirit beast let out a sharp cry and charged—wind howling in its wake as it smashed into the beast.
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Poof—gone. The black mist dissipated. Loot clattered to the ground. Helier hadn’t even gotten a good look at the enemy.
One-shot kill. Level-5 spirit beast versus level-2—absolutely crushed.
Even more absurd, Timnar auto-locked onto another target, dashed off, and took down a level-1 before vanishing. That trial? Clearly nerfed.
Of course, the energy cost was intense—200 Soulcolor per summon. And to protect the star’s integrity, the card couldn’t be used again until fully recharged.
“Two hundred... I’ve only got sixty-four Soulcolor left. Gonna take at least three full cycles to recharge,” Helier muttered, thinking aloud. He decided to restore half for now.
He crouched down and gathered the loot: over 400 Twilight Dust, Samal Monkey Meat, Copper Tree Bark... and two chunks of Starlight Pigment.
He closed his eyes to sense them. Success—two different pigments with distinct color and attributes flowed into his body.
Starlight Acquired: Light Blue — swift as flowing water — Escape
Technique Learned: Acceleration — Boosts Agility by 10 for 3 seconds.
Starlight Acquired: Ochre — soft, stable — Absorb
Technique Learned: Energy Drain — Boosts Recovery by 10 for 5 minutes.
The notification window popped up.
Helier grinned. These new skills? Super useful!
“Looks like you’ve found some direction at last. Not bad,” the system offered a flat-toned compliment.
Each technique reflected Helier’s current state of mind—as if the system sensed what kind of image he wanted to paint and gave him the matching brushstroke.
Hearing the praise, Helier’s lips curved into a confident smile. Damn right he was good.
To test his new abilities, he climbed every tree and rock pillar, scouring the star for materials. When his backpack filled, he’d do a test run—see which pigments fit the new techniques best. He even gave Healing Bloom a few tries, seeing if there was any potential upgrade.
Less than three hours later, he’d explored nearly the whole place. Materials were scarce—it was a small star, after all.
But he did notice something strange.
The higher he climbed, the more vibrant the colors. Insects and animals clustered at the top. Meanwhile, trees near the river below were increasingly yellow and withered.
Definitely not normal.
The issue had to lie with that “tranquil” river.
Still, he’d made progress with the two techniques:
Acceleration: Pigment — Silver Pinecone (grey-blue)
→ Boosts Agility and Defense by 10 for 1 second.
Energy Drain: Pigment — Greenbone Vine (green-brown)
→ Boosts Recovery by 10 for 5 minutes, restores 1 stamina per minute.
No upgrades for Healing Bloom yet—couldn’t find a good replacement for White Lantern Mushrooms.
Once he locked in the effects, Helier went looking for a level-2 Devourbeast to try them out. A big black sheep, of all things.
He activated Acceleration, dashed in, and opened with a solid punch.
“Baaah!” The beast shook its head, pissed, and charged with its sturdy horns.
Helier popped Acceleration again, tanked the hit with boosted defense, and countered with a paint-breaking fist.
When he could dodge, he did. If not, he blocked with skills. If injured, he healed. Low on Soulcolor? Let Energy Drain handle it. A perfect combat cycle.
Half an hour of hard-fought battle, and he wore the beast down to its death.
Helier laughed. That was a good fight—absolutely exhilarating!
The system, meanwhile, was lowkey horrified. This strategy? Totally scummy. Honestly suspected that sheep died of frustration.
But what could it do? Helier’s constitution and techniques synergized in a disgustingly efficient way. This was exactly what an over-leveled boss fight should look like.
“I’m guessing... you’ve fallen in love with combat,” the system said coolly.
“Yup!”
“And I bet... you’re starting to think you’re a combat genius.”
“Exactly!” Hands on hips, Helier beamed with confidence. Why not? He was a genius.
“So... you gonna take care of the rest of the Devourbeasts next?”
“Yeah, clear out the level-1s and level-2s first. Then I’ll rest, repay my card debt, and let Timnar go smash that level-3.”
Silence. The system was speechless.
So you are planning to cheese the level-3 with a summon, huh? Still... gotta admit, the kid had solid planning.
Helier followed through. In less than two hours, he wiped out every Devourbeast on this star.
At last, he climbed past twisting tree limbs, walked the final stretch of the grand staircase, and reached a vast stone platform a hundred meters wide.
It was time to face this star’s trial.