Chapter 87: New Rules for the Tower of Trials! Ascend to Confront Divinity

Boom! The massive fireball surged forward, accelerating as it crashed directly into the giant octopus's body.

Seeing the creature attempt to resist, Zach was already upon it in the blink of an eye, his foot raised high.

How high, you ask?

His calf was almost level with the creature's face.

With a sudden drop, Zach's foot struck the octopus's lips, forcing its flesh to stretch outward and cover the entire gaping mouth of the abyss.

Rumble! The force was undeniable.

The next moment, it became painfully obvious that the octopus's body was rapidly expanding.

It wasn't a natural transformation; it was a forced stretching of its form, as if the creature were being pulled to the edge of its physical limits.

What could this be? The answer was clear as Zach watched the creature's body stretch to near-transparency, flames flickering beneath its skin in explosive bursts.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The octopus's eyes and the gaps between its tightly shut mouth erupted with fire, flames shooting out in varying lengths.

The creature's agony was unmistakable, its eight tentacles thrashing wildly in response.

The sound of destruction continued.

A large portion of the heavy container was torn apart as if it were a mere sheet of metal.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Slap! Slap! Pat…

Seconds later, the immense pressure became too much for the octopus to endure. Its head exploded, splattering thick, dark ink and chunks of flesh like torrential rain. No one could escape the chaos.

The eight tentacles, now severed into pieces of different lengths, scattered across the battlefield.

However, this time, there would be no miraculous regeneration.

The creature was completely dead. Utterly, undeniably dead.

Zach knew for certain because a system notification appeared before him.

[Successfully killed the giant deep-sea octopus! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the customs clearance package, killing point +1000!]

"Did you increase the difficulty on purpose?" Zach mused aloud. He wondered whether the Tower of Trials had teleported him to another dimension, using monsters to wear him down.

But he knew better than to be fooled. Each challenge only made him stronger.

[Extracting...]

[Extraction successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the skill Tentacle Whip, strength attribute +200, defense attribute +150, speed attribute +20!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the skill Tentacle Whip, which automatically upgrades to SSS-level infinite summoning tentacles!]

Seeing the word "infinite" sent a thrill through Zach. Since his experience in the Underworld, the system seemed to have shed the limitations of earlier SSS-level skills. Where once certain abilities had caps or cooldowns, now they could be upgraded instantly and used without restriction.

Although the Chuangshi God had granted humans the potential for SSS-level talents, these abilities had always come with limitations—cooldowns, resource costs, durations, and quantity limits. It was as though the system wanted to make humans stronger, but not too strong.

"Maybe it's because they're afraid of losing control... like me?" Zach chuckled to himself, contemplating the odd nature of the system's rules.

But then again, he couldn't deny it—if the Chuangshi God truly feared what he could become, perhaps that was why the rules kept changing, always trying to box him in.

Zach wouldn't let himself be controlled, though. Not again.

"Not for me. Not this time."

With a thought, Zach began summoning his spoils. He wasn't about to waste the chance to wield such power.

[Calling...]

[Successful summoning! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a giant deep-sea octopus!]

A dark, imposing figure materialized in front of him, massive and awe-inspiring. Zach's grin widened as he imagined how this new ally would serve him in the future. Killing a god didn't seem quite so impossible anymore.

For now, he sent the octopus into the Shadow World, out of sight.

Zach floated down to join Miria.

The wind blew fiercely.

With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the lingering mist that still hung in the air, clearing the area.

"How are you holding up? Are you okay?" Zach asked, his tone soft with concern.

"Thank you, Master. I'm fine," Miria responded with a shake of her head, her expression apologetic. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you more."

"It's alright. You'll have plenty of chances ahead," Zach reassured her, patting her head gently.

For a moment, Zach felt odd, touching her head in this way—she was like an older sister, after all. But to his relief, Miria didn't seem to mind, even enjoying the gesture.

"Yes! I'll work even harder!" Miria's spirit flared with renewed determination.

She raised her hand and placed it on the heavy cannon, which responded by shifting into its first form—Black Devil side.

Just then, a system prompt appeared in front of Zach.

[Do you want to advance to a higher level of the Tower of Trials?]

Zach didn't hesitate. "Of course." He would never be able to rest until every floor was conquered.

The portal shimmered into existence before them.

"Ready?" Zach asked, glancing at Miria for confirmation.

"Yes! Ready!" Miria affirmed with a firm nod.

The two of them stepped into the portal together, leaving the battlefield behind. They arrived on the twelfth floor of the Tower of Trials, where the environment was strikingly different.

The surroundings were dark, cloaked in a heavy mist of gray and black, resembling poisonous fog. Visibility was minimal—without his magic pupils, Zach could barely see more than six meters ahead.

The ground beneath them was blue-gray, sparse with short yellowish plants—possibly moss.

"Is this still a tower?" Zach muttered with a wry laugh.

Since the tenth floor, every level had felt more like its own world than just another floor.

Just as he was about to activate his magic pupils to survey his surroundings, a system notification appeared:

[About the Tower of Trials, there is a new announcement. Do you want to check it?]

New announcement?

Zach couldn't help but wonder. "Are you going to tell me about technical difficulties or trap me here forever?" he guessed, his tone casual.

But curiosity got the better of him, and he opened the announcement.

[New rewards in the Tower of Trials: Upon reaching the top, you will have the chance to meet with God and make a wish. Money, power, strength...]

"Meet God? Is that who's up there?" Zach murmured, looking upward.

He wasn't sure what would happen if he reached the top and confronted the god, but he couldn't deny that the thought intrigued him.

After a moment's thought, Zach shrugged. "Whatever happens, if they want to try and get rid of me, they'd better be ready for a fight."

He turned off the system prompt and prepared himself.

With his magic pupils activated, Zach's vision was flooded with a kaleidoscope of colors, each representing monsters and undead. The world around him was now fully revealed, the true extent of his surroundings laid bare.