As a result, Apollo was considered the main attraction of the gathering. Despite the intense competition even after these days, he had managed to hold his position within the nineties of the trialist rankings, making him second only to the organiser of the small gathering.
The organiser of this gathering finally appeared, a tall, muscular man with an air of authority stepped forward. His eyes were fixed on Apollo, assessing him with a piercing gaze. "You must be Apollo Fletcher," he said, his voice steady and commanding. "I’ve heard quite a bit about you. Welco."
Apollo nodded in acknowledgent, his expression calm but his mind alert. "Thank you for inviting us. I’m also here to learn and see how we can help each other in this place."
The man smiled, a hint of approval in his eyes. "That’s the right attitude. My na is Kaleb. We’ve all been trying to figure out the best way to survive and thrive in this tower. Maybe we can share what we’ve learned so far and improve."
As they settled into the discussion, Sol continued to observe the interactions, his curiosity piqued by the various trialists gathered here. Pussy King, on the other hand, found a comfortable spot nearby and lazily stretched out, though its sharp eyes missed nothing.
He carefully observed everyone and their strength. The strongest here was Kaleb without a doubt; he was one step above everyone here. He was actually a saint, although a new one. He felt a little bit of leaked energy, as it seed he hadn’t fully controlled his newfound strength.
But a new saint is still an overlord in any region of the eastern continent, not to ntion a saint under a hundred years old, which ans there is still a lot of room for growth.
It seems all those in the top hundred rankings aren’t bad. If he fought against him, it might be an interesting battle.
As for the rest, most of the trialists were third-rank limit-breakers or third-rank in various paths. A few had reached the fourth rank, though they were significantly fewer in number compared to those in the third rank.
Among the trialists present, Apollo could sense four who had reached the fourth rank in their respective paths. Three were n, and one was a woman. These four stood out among the fourth-rank warriors and were likely on par with his master, except for the female grandmaster.
She appeared to be at the peak of the fourth rank, just a step away from reaching the fifth rank, the level of a saint. Her presence was particularly formidable, exuding a power that made her a force to be reckoned with in this gathering.
He also noticed and rembered her because her na, Alyona, was sothing he was familiar with, as Old Man Aragon told him that his master had a crush on soone with the sa na; maybe it was a coincidence, but still, he rembered her.
The eting continued, with trialists exchanging information and experiences, each contributing their insights on the challenges they had faced so far. The atmosphere, while collaborative, was tinged with a subtle undercurrent of rivalry, as everyone knew that only the strongest would ultimately rise to the top.
Apollo listened intently, absorbing the information while contributing his own experiences when relevant. The discussions ranged from the mysterious origins of the Sky Tower to the various tasks and trials they had encountered. Strategies for resource gathering, battling powerful creatures, and navigating the ever-changing landscape were all debated.
There were so important matters and news to which he listened carefully. As the night wore on, the group began to disperse. Kaleb finally said sothing and stopped Apollo and the four other grandmasters level strong.
"I have sothing to discuss with you guys," Kaleb said, gathering the five of them together.
"So now you’re telling us the real reason for this gathering," one of the grandmasters remarked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Yeah, I was wondering the sa thing. Otherwise, why go to so much trouble to entertain all of us?" Another grandmaster added, glancing at Kaleb with a knowing smile.
The atmosphere grew more focused as the grandmasters, who had been sowhat relaxed, now turned their full attention to Kaleb, eager to hear what he had to say.
Kaleb t their gazes without flinching, a slight smile playing on his lips. "You’re right. While the exchange of information was valuable, that wasn’t the primary reason I called you here."
The atmosphere now grew more intense as the grandmasters, who had been sowhat relaxed, focused their full attention on Kaleb.
Kaleb took a mont to ensure he had their full attention before continuing.
"I stopped you because I was lucky enough to receive a special trial," Kaleb began, his tone serious. "It’s a group trial where I can lead a team of trialists to complete the task."
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in before continuing. "That’s why I wanted to select strong mbers for it. The tasks can be dangerous—as many have already started to die or fail even in their ordinary tasks."
"Not to ntion that it’s a group trial, which ans it will be extra dangerous, so only finding strong mbers is the best choice."
The grandmasters, including Apollo, exchanged glances, each of them fully grasping the significance of what Kaleb had just said. Special trials should be rare, and the fact that it was a group trial made it even more unique—and dangerous.
A murmur of agreent spread through the group. It was no secret now that the Sky Tower was rciless, and only the fittest could hope to survive its trials as its difficulty continued to rise.
"Extra danger ans extra rewards," one of the grandmasters comnted, his voice laced with a mix of excitent and caution.
"Exactly," Kaleb agreed, his eyes scanning the group.
Apollo remained silent, his mind racing as he considered the implications. He knew the risks, but he also understood that this trial could offer rewards beyond anything they had encountered so far.
"Count in." One grandmaster said, followed by others, and quickly other two grandmasters also agreed to join, leaving Apollo and Alyona, who still hadn’t said anything.
After remaining silent for so ti, Alyona also nodded and agreed, leaving only Apollo. They all looked at Apollo, waiting for his decision.
Truthfully, whether it was Kaleb or the other Grandmasters, they were all very interested in Apollo. Despite their youthful appearances, which their strength helped maintain, they couldn’t hide the fact that they’d nearly lived a century. In contrast, Apollo exuded a genuine youthfulness, making them curious about the mysteries surrounding him.
Apollo didn’t imdiately agree to join. Instead, he asked, "Exactly how many people can you take for this trial?"
"Ah." Kaleb was a bit surprised by the question but quickly responded, "Ten people. A total of ten can participate in this task."
"Ten, then I want an extra place for soone. If you agree to this, then I will join," Apollo finally stated, laying out his condition.
In fact, the condition wasn’t much, but he wanted to bring the Pussy King with him. The cat had many abilities and ans that could be of great help.
The terrifying danger Apollo faced in the previous task had made him more cautious about future trials. Given that this was a special group trial, who knew what they would be facing?
Kaleb raised an eyebrow, considering the condition. It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but he hadn’t anticipated that Apollo would want to bring soone along. "Who do you have in mind?" Kaleb asked, curious.
Apollo hesitated for a mont before answering, "The cat lying over there." The ntion of the cat caused a few puzzled looks from the other Grandmasters, but Apollo continued, "Don’t just look at the cat; it is already a beast commander and knows ans that could be of great help."
He told them truthfully, as it cannot be hidden when gone, but for strength, he just gave them rough estimates. The cat is so hidden that only it knows how strong it is.
All of them were surprised, but they were also the people who had seen many weird things, so they quickly accepted that the cute white cat was strong. Kaleb thought it over and then nodded. "Alright, if that’s what you want, then it’s a deal. We’ll bring the cat along."
Although bringing the cat would change so of his plans, it wasn’t too much of an issue—still manageable for him.
With that settled, they decided to leave the next day. Everyone went back to their places to prepare for the task, each with different thoughts about the upcoming trial.
When Apollo and his companions returned, he inford the Pussy King about the special trial and his intention to join it. The Pussy King, though initially annoyed, eventually agreed.
Sol, knowing his strength was lacking, chose not to get involved. Instead, he returned to his place to train vigorously.
The night passed quickly, and the next day arrived with Apollo and the Pussy King ready to join the fun.
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