In a world as treacherous as the Tower of Trials, trust was a luxury few could afford. Most Rankers relied on high-level Skills like [Lie Detection] or ironclad magical 'Contracts' before they would even consider turning their backs to a stranger. These precautions were vital to ensure that a partnership didn't end with a knife in the ribs or a looted inventory.
Leonhart, however, was cut from a different cloth. He possessed a keen, almost animalistic instinct that transcended the need for formal agreements. He could sense the genuineness of a person's intentions simply by reading the resonance of their energy, much like a beast knows the difference between a predator and a friend. It was this raw intuition that led him to trust me and offer his consent without a single demand for a contract.
Naturally, the 'Stigma' I had engraved into his soul using [Brand of Tribulation] gave me the power to force him into absolute obedience, but I had no intention of using it that way. I wasn't a tyrant or a dictator, even if Melchior was currently giving me a highly suspicious side-eye from within the ring.
After I treated the minor scrapes Leonhart had sustained during his tavern duel, we began our trek to the far east. The injuries from the fight were superficial compared to the deeper, older 'injury' on his side that I'd pointed out earlier, a spiritual wound that had nothing to do with the duel. Along the way, I handed him a set of 'Traditional Parka' gear that matched his frame, ensuring he was protected from the biting chill of the 2nd Floor.
Eventually, we arrived at an expansive, desolate field of ice. There was nothing in sight but white horizons and frozen air.
"Huh? Where are we, Hyung?" Leonhart asked, squinting against the snow. Melchior remained uncharacteristically quiet, likely sensing the shift in the ambient mana.
"This place used to be a holy site for a tribe that's long gone," I replied in a steady tone of a history professor.
"[Activating 2-Star Barrier, 'Configuration of Illusion'!]"
"[Activating 'Moon Imprint' Lvl 1!]"
"[Notice: Your 'Barrier' Skills have been greatly enhanced!]"
I traced a series of glowing runes in the air with my fingertips. With the [Moon Imprint] active, the runes surged with an amplified brilliance. I struck the center of the air-drawn array, and a massive magic circle erupted across the ground, expanding until it encompassed the entire field.
Now that I had officially selected the [Rune Interpreter] class, these Class-related skills were finally at my disposal. In the Tower, Skills usually fall into three categories. General skills have both 'Ranks' and 'Levels'. Class-related Skills usually only have 'Levels' because their 'Rank' is tied directly to the rank of the user's Class. 'Exclusive Skills', on the other hand, possess neither, as they are unique to the individual.
However, the [Barrier] Class was the sole exception to the rule. Instead of 'Levels', its Skills are measured in 'Stars'. While most Skills require 'Skill-scrolls' or repetitive mastery to upgrade, [Barrier] Skills only require one thing: the knowledge of 'Runic Languages'. For a player like me, who had spent 104 lives memorizing every obscure text and runic formula in the VR days, I was already a master.
As the [Configuration of Illusion] took hold, the empty field began to ripple like a disturbed pond. The illusionary seals that had hidden this place for centuries shattered, laying the reality bare.
We stepped through the barrier, and suddenly, we weren't standing on an empty field anymore. Before us stood a colossal, ancient monument, a temple constructed of weathered stone with three towering obsidian pillars at its heart.
"[Congratulations! You are the first to locate this hidden site!]"
"[Welcome to the Hidden Region,'Moonlit Temple'!]"
"[Notice: The Moonlit Temple was constructed by the 'Skylark Tribe' to worship the 'Moon Goddess {Selene}'. After the Tribe's downfall, their temple was sealed from the world by the Skylark's High Priestess.]"
The air here felt different, heavy with the scent of old incense and a cold, 'Lunar Divinity' that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.