Chapter 24 - Second Stage

Wang Zi stepped into the next chamber, the air heavy with a strange energy.

"Hmm." Wang Zi narrowed his eyes. "Slight sting in my head. Mental interreference maybe?"

The room was dimly lit, the glow of faintly etched runes covering the walls and floors. A large stone pedestal stood in the center, holding the first puzzle - a series of rotating disks with strange symbols.

"Let's see what you've got for me," Wang Zi muttered, striding forward confidently.

As Wang Zi touched the pedestal, the disks illuminated, their symbols rearranging themselves. The challenge began.

Puzzle 1: The Disk Cipher

The objective was clear: align the disks so that the runes formed a continuous path from the outer edge to the center. However, the disks rotated independently, with each movement causing others to shift.

Wang Zi narrowed his eyes, he tracked the intricate connections. The disks glowed faintly, a subtle attempt to distract him. He chuckled.

"Just this...?" he said aloud, spinning the disks swiftly.

With perfect memory and enhanced comprehension, he quickly calculated the sequence of movements needed to solve it.

Within moments, the runes connected with a satisfying CLICK, and the pedestal lit up.

As soon as the puzzle was solved, Wang Zi felt a strange sensation, a whisper at the edge of his mind, faint and elusive.

"You're not strong enough... You don't belong here..." the voice murmured, growing louder with each repetition.

"Really? Trying to shake my mental defenses? The Rinnegan doesn't just look pretty, you know." Wang Zi laughed softly. 

The voice faltered, receding into the background as he approached the second puzzle.

Puzzle 2: The Mana Lock

This puzzle presented a grid of glowing tiles, each inscribed with elemental symbols: fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning. The goal was to activate the tiles in a specific order to unlock the door to the next area.

However, every wrong step caused the entire grid to reset, and a burst of energy jolted the player's mind, adding to the mental interference.

"This test feels like it was made just for me. Controlling different elemental mana might be hard for some, but for me... Getting these eyes really was the best choice."

Wang Zi felt the flow of mana within the symbols as he analyzed the grid's patterns, his mind piecing together the sequence.

"Fire first... then wind... water, lightning, and earth," he murmured, stepping across the tiles with precision.

As he touched the final tile, the grid pulsed brightly, unlocking the a door.

The mental interference surged again, this time accompanied by vivid, disorienting images, a battlefield, his classmates struggling, a mocking voice laughing at him.

"You'll fail them all. Just give up."

"Nice try." Wang Zi smirked. His voice was steady, his steps confident as he moved to the final puzzle.

Puzzle 3: The Shifting Maze

The last challenge was a maze etched into a massive stone tablet. Tiny glowing pieces represented Wang Zi's starting point and his destination. As he traced the path with his finger, the maze shifted constantly, closing off routes and creating new ones.

"Alright, this is more like it," Wang Zi said, a grin spreading across his face.

His [Ultra-Mind] talent kicked into gear, analyzing each shift in real-time. His enhanced memory allowed him to predict the maze's pattern, finding the most efficient route even as it changed.

Halfway through, the mental interference escalated to its peak. The whispers turned into shouts, images of failure and defeat bombarding his mind.

"Who do you think you are? You're nothing but a fraud!"

Ignoring the interference entirely, he traced the final path in a smooth, confident motion. The maze flashed brightly, the last piece sliding into place with a satisfying click.

Back in the plaza, the audience watched in stunned silence as Wang Zi breezed through the puzzles displayed on his screen.

"He's already done with the second puzzle?"

"That's insane. It's supposed to take much longer than that!"

"Is he even human? Look at how calm he is!"

In the observation room, the silhouettes leaned forward.

"His mental resilience is extraordinary," one voice murmured.

"It's not just his problem-solving. He's completely unfazed by the interference," another added.

As the final door opened, Wang Zi stepped through without hesitation, the mental interference fading to nothing. He glanced back at the chamber, smirking.

"Better luck next time," he said, brushing imaginary dust off his hands.

With that, he moved forward, ready for the next beast this stage would throw at him.

And he didn't have to wait long. Shortly after the last puzzle was completed, the next pathway showed up, and so did its protector...

"Is that a turtle?" Wang Zi was surprised.

"Do they want to test firepower now? It doesn't look like that thing wants to move, and that shell looks kind of annoying." He thought.

The chamber beyond was larger than the others, its high ceiling adorned with glowing runes. At the far end, blocking the entrance to the next stage, sat the beast: a massive turtle, dark red in color with a shell covered in jagged spikes. Its shell gleaming, looking more like forged metal than a natural carapace.

Wang Zi's gaze locked onto the beast.

The turtle didn't roar or charge - it didn't even acknowledge him at first.

It simply lay there, its massive bulk completely blocking the doorway, its head tucked slightly as though it were preparing for a nap.

"...Really?" Wang Zi blinked.

The turtle opened one eye lazily, its amber iris glinting faintly as it stared at him for a moment.

"Snort!", it closed its eye again and shifted slightly, settling deeper into its comfortable spot. The sound of its breathing, deep and rumbling, filled the chamber.

Wang Zi tilted his head, his expression a mix of confusion and amusement. "So, you're the guardian of this stage, huh?" he said aloud, as if expecting the turtle to respond.

"You're supposed to stop me from getting to the next room, but... you're just gonna sleep?"

The turtle didn't so much as twitch.

Wang Zi sighed.

He took a cautious step forward, observing the turtle closely. Its shell gleamed ominously, and the spikes looked sharp enough to shred through steel. He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"That shell looks like it could shrug off quite the damage... And I'm guessing you're not as harmless as you're pretending to be."

He circled slightly to the side, testing if he could slip past the creature.

Nope. The turtle's massive body covered the exit.

Wang Zi stopped in his tracks and sighed. "Yeah, didn't think so. Guess I'll have to deal with you the hard way."

Wang Zi stood there, stunned at the absurdity of the situation.

"You've got to be kidding me. A lazy turtle...?"

Wang Zi stood motionless, staring at the massive turtle blocking the doorway. Its snores rumbled softly through the cavern, unbothered by his presence.

After a moment of contemplation, he willed the Multiversal Manifestation System to appear in his mind.

"How many points do I have now?" he asked, his voice steady.

The familiar prompt appeared before him, the numbers glowing brightly:

System Points: 108,224,918

Wang Zi's eyes widened slightly. "Over 100 million?!" he muttered, surprised.

"Guess Mitsuri made more of an impression than I thought." He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "The audience must really "love" the Love Hashira."

Outside in the plaza, the audience watched him standing still, his gaze fixed on the turtle.

Speculation rippled through the crowd.

"What's he doing?"

"He's probably deciding on what to summon next!"

"Yeah, he must have more drawings in that book of his."

The younger audience members joked loudly.

"Bet it's another little girl. What's she gonna do against that tank of a turtle?"

"Seriously, an artist has no offensive power. He's stuck here for sure!"

Wang Zi was still staring at the turtle, considering what to do next.

"System," he said in his mind. "Is 108 million points enough to fully unlock the Rinnegan?"

The system responded in its usual monotone:

"No, Host."

Wang Zi frowned. "How much more do I need?"

The system didn't elaborate, staying silent as always.

"Tch," Wang Zi muttered, shaking his head. "Figures."

His eyes drifted to the turtle again. He instinctively considered using the Asura Path, picturing a barrage of missiles reducing the creature to dust. But as tempting as it was, he shook his head.

"No," he muttered to himself. "Using the Rinnegan openly is too risky. It's not time to reveal that card yet. I already fucked up using it once, but I can pass it off as a mana absorbing ability with a long cooldown." Wang Zi continued to stare at the turtle.

The audience might have thought he was agonizing over his next move, but in truth, Wang Zi had already made up his mind.

"Prepare for another manifestation," he ordered silently.

The system complied without question, its ever-present efficiency bringing up his options.

"To me, this competition doesn't matter much," he thought, his gaze flickering.

"Whatever academy I end up in won't change the fact that all my power comes from myself and the system. The best they can offer me is information, maybe better training spots but that's about it...

As long as I can kill beasts or whatever works under the Silent Ones and keep absorbing mana and souls to strengthen the Rinnegan, I'm good. For the rest... I don't believe I can't get what I need out of the virtual brain."

"As for the system quest... Without knowing the actual rewards there's no need to fret too much about it. I'll get more SP this round and just kill the last beast myself. I don't believe the rest of the competitors can get through the puzzles as easy as me, the system-enhanced talents are no joke."

His decision was clear.

"Let's give them another show," Wang Zi muttered, his smirk growing wider.

"Let's see how they react to another Hashira."

Wang Zi's eyes hardened, and he was about to make a move.

Back in the plaza, the audience grew restless, watching Wang Zi seemingly frozen in place.

"What's he doing? Did he run out of ideas?"

The younger generation chuckled, throwing jabs at his apparent hesitation.

"He's stuck for sure. Artists don't have any real offensive power!"

"He's lucky Mitsuri Kanroji worked the first time, but this? No way."

In the chamber, Wang Zi suppressed a chuckle, his mind already racing ahead. He didn't even glance at the turtle.

"Alright," he thought to himself, his smile faint but deliberate. "Want to compare power huh? I got just the man for the job."

Wang Zi's smirk widened as he made his decision. "System," he commanded in his mind,

"Manifest Gyomei Himejima."

The system processed his request silently, following his order with the same mechanical efficiency as always.

In a matter of moments, the glow of summoning energy filled the chamber. Wang Zi crossed his arms, anticipation clear in his expression.

In the next instant, a towering figure materialized before him, his frame massive and imposing. Gyomei Himejima, the strongest of the Hashira, stood with his iconic prayer beads in hand and his enormous spiked flail and axe resting at his side.

His eyes, blind but unyielding, glinted with an otherworldly calm as he tilted his head upward, as though taking in his surroundings through sheer presence.

The plaza outside exploded into chaos as the audience saw the colossal figure standing before Wang Zi.

"No way! It's Gyomei!"

"The strongest Hashira? He summoned him too?!"

"His size alone could crush that turtle!"

The younger generation, familiar with Demon Slayer, was losing their minds.

"CHAT!" Feifei screamed, jumping up and down in her chair.

"HE SUMMONED GYOMEI! The blind giant with the prayer beads!"

In his private room, Alexander stared at the screen in stunned silence. His golden tea cup slipped once again, spilling a onto the carpet.

"It's him..." Alexander murmured, his voice barely audible.

Suddenly, he shot up from his chair, his hand slamming against the armrest as his eyes narrowed.

The abrupt movement startled Ray, who raised an eyebrow at his nephew's uncharacteristic outburst.

"Alexander, what's gotten into you?" Ray asked, his tone sharp but curious.

Alexander didn't take his eyes off the screen, his mind racing.

"That's Gyomei Himejima - the strongest Hashira. If Wang Zi can summon him... If this Hashira can break that turtle, we have to get in contact with Wang Zi. No matter what."

Ray crossed his arms, his expression unreadable as he followed his nephew's gaze to the screen. "You're saying this one is even stronger than the last, stronger than Rengoku?"

"By far," Alexander replied. "If Rengoku was impressive, Gyomei is... something else entirely."

Alexander suddenly remembered something though.

"We haven't seen him fight... It was only said that he was the strongest Hashira, but the anime hasn't shown him fighting yet. I think only the manga has this."

Ray Nedeir suddenly paused. 

"Alexander... You know what this means right? If this Gyomei character can actually fight, then its undeniable that his fatty has a connecting to the author of Demon Slayer, or perhaps he knows how to contact him." Ray Neder stared at the hulking figure as he slowly spoke.

"Yes uncle. Leave it to me, I know what to do."

"Hmm."

Back in the labyrinth, Gyomei stood motionless for a moment, his blind eyes gazing blankly into the air. His massive presence filled the room, the very atmosphere seeming to grow heavier under the weight of his sheer power.

Wang Zi stepped forward, his expression relaxed but confident. "Gyomei," he said, his voice steady,

"I've got a tough one for you. That turtle shell, it needs smashing."

Gyomei tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment, the beads in his hand clicking softly as he murmured a prayer.

Without another word, he hoisted his enormous spiked flail and axe, the sheer weight of his weapon causing a faint tremor in the ground as he moved.

The turtle, sensing the shift in energy, cracked one amber eye open. For the first time, it lifted its head, its spiked shell rattling as it shifted its massive frame.

A rumble emanated from its chest as it acknowledged Gyomei's presence.

Wang Zi smirked. "Finally, it's awake. Let's see how long it lasts."

The stage was set. Gyomei Himejima, the strongest Hashira, stood ready to face the turtle as the audience held their breath in anticipation.