I proceeded through the fourth to seventh trials.
The fourth was simple—two goblin archers and a goblin warrior wielding a sword. (+78 Essence)
The fifth presented a team of two goblin warriors armed with swords and spears, backed by an archer. (+84 Essence)
The sixth was trickier—a goblin scout riding a direwolf with two archers hidden in the bushes. (+98 Essence)
The seventh was a pair of goblin scouts, each riding direwolves. (+100 Essence)
Each goblin warrior yielded 15 Essence, while goblin scouts gave 10, and direwolves added 15 more—making each mounted pair worth 25 Essence.
With that, I had 424 Essence. Predation truly was a broken skill.
The eighth ordeal would pit me against a Goblin Champion—a brute wielding a jagged weapon that glinted in the faint green haze. Facing it with just my short sword would be troublesome, so I opened the Trial Shop once more.
I scrolled to Weapons, but this time, I noticed a new option:
> [Pawn]
This allows you to sell items of similar categories or sell back purchased gear.
[Item Sold: Used Polished Short Sword] — 7 Essence gained.
Even with the "Polished" tag, it was worth the same as a Crude Short Sword. Figures.
Now I had 431 Essence.
Browsing through the list, I settled on an Enchanted Long Sword, which granted +1 Strength and +1 Agility for 180 Essence, leaving me with 251 Essence.
Next, I spent 50 Essence to reach Level 2, then 100 more to reach Level 3, leaving me with 101 Essence. The next level required 200 Essence, but I gained 2 stat points from leveling up.
I placed one in Constitution and one in Stamina, raising my overall physical stats.
HP: 60
MP: 0
Stats
Strength: 6 (+2)
Agility: 5 (+2)
Stamina: 8
Constitution: 6
Vitality: 5 (+1)
Mind: 5
With this setup, I should be able to face the Goblin Champion.
[Proceed to the 8th Ordeal or Enter the 0th Floor]
"Proceed," I thought.
The champion began to materialize before me.
The moment its form solidified, it let out a guttural roar and charged. Its speed was unlike anything I'd encountered since my Ascent began.
I barely evaded the first strike—if not for the agility boost from my sword, I'd have been finished.
I quickly created distance. The goblin eyed me cautiously, dragging its weapon as it advanced. I targeted its left leg and activated Restriction.
[The target is beyond your rank. Restriction will only last 30 seconds. Proceed?]
Yes.
The goblin froze, glaring down at its stiffened leg. It smacked it once, snarled, then switched its weapon to the opposite hand and limped toward me. Persistent thing.
As it came within range, it swung horizontally. I ducked under the blade and lunged, thrusting my sword deep into its abdomen, angling upward toward its chest. I twisted and dragged the blade sideways, but before I could pull back, it swiped at me with its free hand. I slipped away—just barely—my sword still buried in its gut.
It roared again, wrenching the blade deeper into itself as the Restriction timer ended. Now on both legs again, it advanced—slower, but more menacing.
They say nothing's more dangerous than a wounded beast. They were right.
I silently cursed myself for pawning my short sword.
Then, a prompt flashed before my eyes:
[+50 Essence]
The Goblin Champion collapsed with a heavy thud. I exhaled, shoulders sagging in relief.
Predation, I thought.
A thread of darkness crept from my shadow, latching onto the corpse. It sank slowly, devoured whole by the void.
[Goblin Champion Devoured]
[+50 Essence]
My total Essence rose to 201. Enough to level up—but I hesitated. Strength wasn't everything. Against the champion, I'd realized I needed something more—skills.
I summoned the Trial Shop again.
This time, I selected:
[Cards]
[Skills][Classes]
I pressed [Skills]