Driven by a renewed sense of purpose, Joe continued to practice the Aura technique until his entire body shook from exhaustion. The concentration needed to maintain a lower flow of energy demanded a far higher level of control than expected. Unfortunately, this meant he could only unleash half of his Soul's potential without damaging his body, but at least he had succeeded.

The total amount of time he could hold an Aura was a little over an hour before his energy reserves ran out. After that, he needed to let his energy recover naturally over time. Fortunately, this is where the fountain's waters came into use. In addition to healing, it also rejuvenated the Soul, helping to increase his energy's natural energy regen rate. As a result, his training speed increased dramatically, allowing him to move on to the next step after another day.

The next step was to use his Aura to execute the body enhancement technique. According to the orb, Aura by itself had limited applications. It merely represented the unlocking of the Soul's potential by releasing one's Spiritual energy. True power came from executing techniques or arts using Aura as the catalyst. The Body Enhancement technique was merely the most rudimentary use of Aura but also the easiest to learn. Instead of infusing the energy into his skill sigil, he needed to direct the energy and permeate it into his muscles, tendons, and bones. Doing so would allow his body to exceed its natural limits and achieve super-human strength.

Joe jumped straight in after a brief rest. He closed his eyes and radiated his Aura. The violent, inconsistent flickering from before was gone, replaced with a gentle glow that flowed smoothly around his body. His technique wasn't perfect but was more than enough to execute the next step. He then manipulated his Aura, willing it into his skin. At first, the energy resisted, refusing to budge until it eventually relented and flooded into his body, causing a fiery sensation to invigorate his cells, leaving him feeling lighter, stronger, and more energized than ever before.

Joe looked around, impatient to try the new technique and see its impact in the real world. He rushed to the wall, almost tripping over his feet in his haste. Taking a stance in front of a stone tile, he closed his eyes and slowly circulated his Aura, using the captured feeling from earlier. Joe focused on the wall in front of him as his muscles went taut with energized power. With a swift movement, he placed a foot forward and punched out with his right hand. His fist slammed against the stone surface, releasing a light thud that echoed through the room. Joe took a step back and gawked at his hand with a bewildered expression.

Such an attack should have shattered his bones, but instead, his hand felt fine. Even with his higher Vitality, he wasn't at a point where he could smash his fist against stone without injuring himself. A light smile appeared in the corner of Joe's mouth once he looked at the stone wall. His fist had left a small indent in the stone surface, causing the wall to crack slightly. Joe had never been a fighter, and his ability to punch or perform any martial arts was close to non-existent. Yet, even with a poor technique, he had been able to unleash a fatal attack with only his fist. Joe couldn't wait to see what a full-powered strike could do. He pushed harder, sending as much energy as his damaged Soul would allow into his Aura, and as soon as he reached his limit, he swung his fist with all his might.

This time the speed of his strike was such that his fist would have been only a blur to an average human. It slammed into the stone wall with a force of a hammer, crushing the stone and leaving an indent several inches thick. Joe stood there like a statue, his eyes as round as saucers. It took everything he had to stop himself from laughing like a maniac. He jumped into the air in celebration, reaching the height of a small house.

For the rest of the day, Joe practiced getting used to his new ability, using the waters from the fountain whenever his reserves ran low. He had tried everything he could think of, from handstands to sprints, even wall jumps. He quickly discovered that Aura increased every aspect of his physical stats, from Strength, Vitality, to Agility.

Running while maintaining an Aura had been the most jarring but exhilarating experience. The first time he tried sprinting, he tripped over from the sheer burst of acceleration, slamming into the wall headfirst, leaving him with a slight concussion. It was like learning to ride a bike for the first time, except with rocket boosters strapped to the back. The biggest challenge was learning to change directions or stop while moving at high speeds. The inertia created by the high velocity placed tremendous pressure on his joints, almost causing him to break his ankles whenever he attempted a maneuver.

Eventually, Joe got the hang of it. The trick was to use higher bursts of Aura to kick off, stop, or change direction while maintaining a lower intensity in between. He bolted from one end of the room to the other until he had to stop due to repeated muscle tears. Prolonged use of Aura had left him sore and worn out, his feet red and swollen from the intense strain placed on his muscles. Not even the fountain water's healing properties could keep up with the accumulated damage. Joe tapped his chin in thought. It looked like he wouldn't be able to use Aura for more than a few hours with his current stats. However, it was unlikely to be an issue due to his limited Spiritual energy reserves. The added stats had given his Spirit attribute a boost, but he could still only fight for an hour at most due to his damaged Soul.

The next day, Joe felt renewed and ready to go. After a week of training, it was finally time to attempt the first hall. He walked to the wooden door, grabbed the iron handle, and pulled. The door was heavy, requiring a surprising amount of strength to budge. Joe gritted his teeth and flared a small amount of Aura until, eventually, the door began to creak open, sending plumes of dust falling from the gaps as the door shifted outwards.

There was little chance an average human would have been able to move the door without first mastering Spirit Aura, leaving Joe to suspect that this floor was different in design from the others. It was almost as if this place was training the participants, compared to sending them into a meat grinder. Joe hefted his chipped sword and shield, took one final breath to calm his nerves, then stepped through, wondering what challenges lay ahead.

The door led into a vast stone hall that eclipsed any building Joe had visited on Earth. The hall was rectangular in design, its ceiling rose 20 feet in height, and its length was approximately the size of three large football pitches. The second he entered, Joe stopped and stood in awe, marveling at the height and magnitude of the place. It was as though he had entered a dwelling made for giants. The hall lacked any windows, with the only light coming from various torches placed on top of vast stone pillars covering both sides of the aisle. The whole place was made from a dark gray stone, giving it an eerie feeling, as though he'd arrived in an RPG dungeon. Just how had such a place been constructed? The amount of material alone would have been enough to build a small city, and there was no evidence of any modern machinery. It again reminded Joe just how mighty the Heavens must be.

In front of him was a raised platform that covered the entirety of the hall. On top of the platform's surface was an intricate web of carvings that created a beautiful mosaic of patterns. The carvings contained similar sigils to what Joe had seen when transported to the Empyrean Tower, yet at the same time, they were different. The sigils all connected in a complex multi-layered pattern, creating an invisible synergy that appeared to hint at a greater truth.

"Another trap?" Joe asked with a slight shudder.

The quest had mentioned five halls in total, though he wondered what precisely the quest notification had meant by temperance. Would he be pitted against legions of enemies, or would he face a different challenge? So far, each floor had been simple, fight and survive. Since the heavens were preparing them for its holy war, there was no reason to expect this floor to be different.

However, a quick scan showed the hall was empty. There was an unnatural silence in the air. Only the sound of fire flickering from the pillars broke the silence. Joe searched for any signs of enemies or another way across, preferring not to step on a platform that could potentially vaporize him instantly. However, the more he searched, the more hopeless it looked. The walls were smooth, lacking any outcrop to climb on, and the only other viable alternative was the pillars stacked along the side of the hall. Joe inspected their surface and saw no apparent sigils or patterns, suggesting they were safe. He briefly considered climbing and leaping across from one pillar to the other but soon discarded the idea. The pillars' width was too wide to gain a solid grip, and the distance between each was over 20 feet. Not even with his enhanced Agility would he be able to make such a jump. Joe's shoulders slumped in resignation. It looked like he had no choice but to do things the hard way.

With sword and shield ready, Joe climbed onto the platform and prepared for the worst. He had suspected something would happen the moment he entered the formation. However, even after a full minute, nothing but dull silence met him. Joe breathed a sigh of relief and began to edge forward while watching his surroundings like a hawk. The platform's surface had a smooth glossy finish similar to marble, and the carvings meshed together seamlessly as if created by a master artist. He wondered if breaking the lines would disrupt whatever trap or effect this formation produced, similar to cutting a wire of a bomb. But on second thought, he decided not to risk fate by causing the place to explode.

It wasn't until he had shuffled a few feet that he began to feel a slight change in the air. It was minuscule, almost indiscernible. Yet with every step, the pressure surrounding him increased. His sword became a little heavier, and the weight on his shoulders increased. After a few more steps, it suddenly felt like his whole body had gained twenty pounds. Just what kind of place was this? Joe continued moving forward, testing just how high the pressure could rise. As he suspected, the further he traveled, the greater the force became. To be sure, Joe moved back to the entrance and felt the pressure decrease.

After a few more tests, it was evident that the entire platform was a kind of artificial gravity array. Joe couldn't help but marvel at the ingenuity. Who would have believed that such a thing was possible from a couple of patterns carved in stone? He could only imagine how such a discovery would transform Earth. From ships with artificial gravity to flying cars. The applications were endless. Joe wanted to take time to study the design, but the shape was far too big and complex to infer anything. All Joe could do was burn a couple of recurring sigils into his memory before continuing forward.

Joe progressed onwards, picking up his speed once he knew the formation was safe. At first, the effect was almost indiscernible. Joe had a strength stat of 42, allowing him to casually walk through the hall as though he was enjoying a stroll. Soon, however, gravity began to increase by double digits. Ten percent, then twenty percent. Joe could feel his actions become heavier with every step forward. At the halfway point, gravity had increased to 4x normal gravity. Well beyond the capabilities of an average human.

Though the weight was excessive for an average human, to Joe, his weight was now reminiscent of when he first arrived in the Tower. He could imagine most participants would find themselves stuck unless they had a strength-enhancing skill or had perfected the Body Enhancement technique. However, Joe still felt fine. Without blinking, he pushed on, entering sections where gravity rose to 5x, 6x, and 7x. Soon Joe reached the last stretch of tiles. Only a few feet stood between him and the end of the platform, but gravity had now increased to 10x, reaching the limit of what he could handle based on his current stats.

The pressure strained Joe's whole body, causing his skin to droop down, giving him the look of an eighty-year-old man. It was a struggle to keep his eyes open and his sword and shield now dragged along the floor, screeching as the metal grated against the stone as beads of sweat poured down his forehead. Each step had become a complete workout, causing several bones to pop and his muscles to groan from the strain. Having reached his limit, Joe activated his Aura, giving his body the boost needed to bear the weight. Quickly, the pressure subsided to a large degree, allowing him to stand up straight and bound his way across the rest of the platform.

Finally, Joe stepped off the last tile, causing the pressure to disappear entirely. The disorientation from the sudden change almost caused him to collapse, forcing him to take a moment to steady himself and recover his breath. He couldn't help but smirk. He had done it. The experience would have been impossible for a fresh recruit, but it had been a walk in the park for him. If anything, it made for a perfect training tool. For once, he felt his early struggles hadn't been in vain. Joe stared ahead and set off towards the exit leading to the next hall.

It took about five minutes of traveling through another corridor until Joe came across another small room identical to where he had arrived. The room even had another Angelic fountain sitting in a small alcove, except this time, there was no shimmering orb promising another free technique. Joe couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. Those who selected the Black floors were provided with training halls to enhance their abilities and recovery rooms to rest. In contrast, those who chose the Blue gate got thrown into meat grinders, where only the strongest would survive. Joe felt incensed at the injustice. Were normal humans merely cannon fodder for the Heavens to throw away while investing only in the elites? Joe shook his head before heading over to the fountain to recover his stamina. Ultimately, this world was turning out to be one where might made right. If he wanted to change anything, he would first need strength. After taking a few mouthfuls of water, Joe turned his head towards the wooden door leading to the second hall and marched over. It was time to take on the second challenge.