“His mental strength is very high.”

“Um...”

The members of the Tower of Wisdom were beings who lived in the past. They disappeared into history. If they interacted with the present then various problems would occur. First of all, they had to be objective beings and couldn’t be bound by worldly concepts, such as the homeland and blood. This was why the Tower of Wisdom isolated itself. The Tower of Wisdom must preserve perfect independence in order to achieve their sublime goal of maintaining the peace of the world. Thus, they never exposed themselves to people of the world.

The sheer size of the Tower of Wisdom that Grid witnessed at the entrance was only an illusion. It was natural. How could such a large tower be a secret?

The problem was that Grid recognized the size of the tower as ‘large.’ The illusion that Grid witnessed was embedded in his mind. A dragon’s heart that acted as the tower’s energy source and the great magician’s magic arrays materialized the idea, so that the scale of the tower that Grid felt was tens of thousands of times larger than its actual size. It was only normal for Grid to feel fear after he realized the scale of the ‘endless dark plains’ and the ‘infinitely rising staircase’ becoming a reality.

However, Grid wasn’t afraid. He ran silently rather than shrinking back, even when he saw the endless plains in front of him. He seemed to be convinced that he could reach the end of the plains. His strong spirit slowly shattered the tower’s welcome. Rather than expanding the size of the plains and the stairs, they were scaled down to what they actually were.

This was the secret that allowed him to break through the space that he could’ve wandered in forever in just one hour, not five hours.

“It is the first time since Biban that the first floor has been broken through in such a way.”

The illusion magic that covered the Tower of Wisdom used a dragon’s heart as a resource. It was normal for Grid to not notice it since it had absolute power. However, if Grid’s wisdom was excellent then he would’ve doubted the scale of the tower. The question ‘the Tower of Wisdom can’t be so huge?’ would shrink the scale of the tower he experienced. Yet Grid believed in the size of the tower that he saw and encountered the endless plains. It was the first time since Biban that there had been such a dumb visitor.

“Yes, everyone else easily broke through the first floor without any trouble. Even Kraugel, the former Pioneer.”

“It is a bit disappointing. Still, thanks to it, I was able to see both the ‘body’ and the ‘heart,’ saving time. Skip the second floor and go directly to the third floor.”

“Yes.”

The woman nodded and activated the communicator.

“Congratulations on passing the first and second tests. Go to the third floor immediately. I will confirm your skill.”

***

“Congratulations on passing the first and second tests. Go to the third floor immediately. I will confirm your skill.”

The woman’s voice was so clear it was like she was next to Grid. Her voice repeatedly echoed in Grid’s head once he reached the second floor and stopped. It was only one part.

Congratulations on passing the first and second tests. Congratulations on passing the first and second tests. Congratulations on passing the first and second tests...

“...Heh.”

Grid felt dazed for a while before sweeping back his hair. His head slightly cocked and there was a big smile on his face that was reminiscent of Lauel in his chuuni state.

“I must’ve proven my skills properly without my knowledge.”

There was only one thing Grid had done. It was breaking through the first floor. Yet the guide announced that Grid had already passed the second test. It was a good situation that Grid misunderstood. He got the illusion that his skills were so good that he made the second test meaningless. In fact, due to the lack of wisdom, his ‘heart’ was proven in the first test so the necessity of the second test disappeared... it wasn’t a big misunderstanding since he had proven himself capable.

“It was worth going to the East Continent. Huhut.”

He didn’t express it but Grid had actually been rather tense. Beings who fought dragons. The Tower of Wisdom was filled with powerful people like Biban, who was an absolute being to Grid. Therefore, he thought it was a very special place and he thought the difficulty of the tests would be quite high. Now it was worth doing. Well, it wasn’t to become a member of the tower. He just needed to prove his qualifications as the Pioneer. It would be better to relax.

Grid reached the third floor and looked around at the surrounding landscape. It was amazing. The first floor was a huge space that was difficult to measure while the second and third floors were very ordinary. The area was only 50 square meters and the ceiling was high, making it feel like the attic of a castle.

‘Are the second and third floors divided into several compartments?’

In Grid’s field of view, the notification windows were being updated sequentially.

[The use of skills and magic is once again possible.]

[All your items, such as equipment and consumables, are prohibited.]

[Your stats are adjusted to prepare for accidents.]

[Strength, stamina, agility, and intelligence have been lowered to 300 points each.]

[The golden ratio effect of strength and agility will be removed.]

‘Indeed...’

Shortly after confirming the golden ratio of strength and agility, Grid had a strange suspicion. Why was the golden ratio of these stats unknown? Stats changed in real time due to various factors but it was easy to match the ratio of strength and agility to 1:1, especially in low level sections. Out of two billion users, there must've been tens of millions of users who achieved a 1:1 ratio of strength and agility. Yet there were no rumors, let alone information about the golden ratio?

Grid guessed there were two reasons for this. First, the golden ratio of the stats depended on the level interval. For example, even if the stats ratio was the same, the golden ratio wouldn’t occur in the level 200 section. It would only occur in the level 300 or 400 section.

Second, the golden ratio of the stats was affected by the numerical value of the stats. The golden ratio wouldn’t occur below 1000 points. It would only occur when it was above 2000 or even 3000 points. It was hard to understand why the golden ratio wasn’t known unless there was such a variable. Now it seemed the golden ratio was affected by the number of the stats. It was as expected.

‘This means that when the stats become higher, I’ll have to find a new golden ratio... well, it will work out somehow.’

It was a waste of energy to worry about the future ahead of time when he didn’t know when it was coming. Grid emerged from his thoughts and looked at the shelves that appeared in front of him. There were dozens of weapons laid out on the shelves, including swords, knives, spears, bows and arrows, blunt weapons, nunchucks, etc.

The guide’s voice was heard. “Please choose the weapons you want to use.”

‘I don’t know.’

After a moment of contemplation, Grid picked up a sword, a spear, and a bow and some arrows. The guide didn’t question him. It was because the tower was full of masters who handled dozens of weapons perfectly. Grid’s three types of weapons weren’t unusual or great.

“The third test will begin.”

The ceiling opened with a signal from the guide and a man dropped down from the opening and landed before Grid. It was a middle-aged man with a beard that went down to his chest. He had straight eyebrows, clear eyes, modest attire and an upright posture. The overall impression was of a famous scholar. He wasn’t holding any weapons. “Pioneer Grid, it is nice to see you. It is the first time I’ve seen you but you don’t seem like a stranger at all.”

“...?”

Not a stranger? What magic had he been using to observe Grid?

‘They’ve already figured out about the insane dragon iron?’

Would the insane dragon iron reclamation quest be for naught? What if Greed was reclaimed?

“For the past few months, I’ve heard your name every time I’ve gone to the toilet.”

“Huh? The toilet?”

The man introduced himself to the baffled Grid. “There was a good reason for it. Hmm, let’s start the test. My name is Abellio. I am the seventh seat of the tower who painted the world with a brush.”

“...?”

Drawing the world with a brush? Grid inferred Abellio’s job. Abellio spread out drawing paper, pulled out a brush and placed paint on it.

‘A painter!’

There was no distinction between classes. Grid had grasped the power of a painter from Picasso and nervously raised his wooden sword. Abellio drew a dot on the paper and stroked his beard with a laugh. “I don’t want to hurt you so please relax. It is your prerogative to attack and I will only stop it. So rest assured and focus.”

It was an extremely friendly tone. Certainly, the members of the tower respected Pioneer Grid. Grid nodded and relaxed his tension.

“Then I will start.”

Slow. Grid’s perception exceeded the speed of his body because his stats were nearly 10 times lower. There was the feeling of shackles all over his body. Grid wanted to get away from this frustration quickly. “Link!”

It went from Pagma’s Sword Dance, Great Swordsman Pagma’s Sword Dance, and then Grid’s Sword Dance. As the sword dances progressed, Link also changed. Link was no longer bound by the concept of speed. No matter Grid’s agility, it unconditionally fired 20 energy blades per second.

Grid, who ran slowly, suddenly accelerated and Abellio caught sight of his swinging sword.

“It is okay.”

Abellio moved his brush. He covered the paper with paint and exactly 20 lines were drawn. At the same time, the 20 lines protruded from the drawing paper and blocked all of Grid’s 20 energy blades. Grid’s eyes widened. It was the ability to place intent into a painting and materialize it. It was amazing that an artist’s ability had unlimited possibilities, reminiscent of Aura Master Hurent.

Abellio was also astonished. Grid didn’t notice it but Abellio’s head had moved around a centimeter. It was intended to avoid the wind blades caused by Grid’s attack.

‘It isn’t just at a good level. It is very good. There was a reason Biban was happy every time he talked about this person.’

Abellio responded after reading with his eyes that Grid swung the sword exactly 20 times in one second. Then he realized that he didn’t have a proper understanding of Grid. The fact that he could’ve been cut on the cheeks by the wind blades made him alert. Grid used Drop after that. He had no intention of missing out on the gap that had been dug using Link.

Abellio hastily drew a ‘line’ on the paper to block Drop.

“......!”

No matter how much lower Grid’s agility had become, Abellio still shouldn’t have been able to respond? The flustered Grid couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if his sword dances didn’t contain Braham’s magic. In other words, if Wind Cutter hadn’t occurred due to Link then Abellio wouldn’t have become serious and his reaction to Drop would’ve been somewhat delayed. Then his hair could’ve been cut.

However, Abellio was wary after Wind Cutter. He appreciated Grid and did his best. “This is also a good attack.”

The ‘good’ rating was the best assessment Abellio could make. It was virtually impossible to praise a young junior who had been a legend for less than 20 years.

“Wave!”

“Not bad.”

“Kill!”

“It is okay.”

“Pinnacle!”

“Good.”

“Flower!”

“This is disappointing.”

“Transcended Link Flower!”

“...Hum?”

“Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle!”

“Fairly good...!”

Abellio’s eyes widened as he stood comfortably painting on the paper and evaluating Grid. For the first time, he couldn’t hide his agitation. He was threatened by the beautiful backdrop created by countless petals and reflexively painted the world. The paint filling the buckets were thrown into the air and covered up the landscape created by Grid.

[Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle has been extinguished.]

‘What?’

The four fusion sword dance that was linked to Transcended Link Flower was neutralized without having any effect? Grid was astonished while Abellio gave a new assessment, “Great...”

It was praise. Abellio himself never imagined that he would make such an assessment. He gazed at Grid with anticipation but Grid wasn’t satisfied. Paint was thrown and his one of his ultimate attacks erased, but it was only great?

‘Are you kidding me?!’

Grid used Open Potential. He wanted to hit Abellio who treated him as a child just once. However...

“This isn’t good.”

Abellio gave his first negative rating. Then he painted a tsunami on the paper and it swept toward Grid.

“Ah...!”

The ability to make a painting real was a scam but the speed of his painting was too fast to handle. Grid couldn’t feel the delay that occurred when Hurent shaped his aura. Grid was swept away by the sudden tsunami and was overwhelmed with helplessness.

Of course, if his stats hadn’t dropped then Abellio wouldn’t have been able to paint at such a leisurely pace. Still, this was a test under the condition where his stats had fallen. The purpose of the test was to prove that he could do something in this state so he was frustrated because he couldn’t do anything.

It didn’t mean he was going to give up. In the midst of being swept away from the tsunami, Grid used Spear Shot and threw a spear toward Abellio. Then he attempted to use 300,000 Army Stealth Sword to make Abellio look away from his paper. However, Abellio kept using the brush without looking away from the paper. Dozens of cords were drawn and tied up Grid’s body.

”Damn!” The trapped Grid was cursing when Abellio’s deep voice was heard.

“There are so many physical and mental pressures on the body that your body and heart are being eaten away... correction is needed in order for you to develop... hmm, it won’t be easy.”

“......!”

Grid had a gut feeling. This was clearly a clue to raising his level.

Then the guide’s voice was heard. “Congratulations on passing the third test. Pioneer Grid, the Tower of Wisdom welcomes your visit.”