Leon found himself standing inside a massive chamber that looked almost identical to the one where he had fought the [God of Magic’s Disciple].
The architecture was the sa, with tall stone pillars carved with ancient runes stretching toward a ceiling that seed impossibly high.
The walls were engraved with patterns that glowed faintly with dormant mana.
For a brief mont, his thoughts drifted to Emilia.
He hoped she had exited safely and that nothing unexpected had happened after the gate closed.
However, worrying about her now would accomplish nothing.
The rules of a [Secret Realm] were absolute. If only one person was allowed to enter, then there was no way to change that.
He exhaled slowly and focused on his surroundings.
"A [Secret Realm] that no one had ever completed." He muttered those words under his breath, trying to understand the reason.
He knew he was far stronger than the vast majority of players at his current level.
His talents, his experience from his past life, and his constant battles against higher level enemies had placed him far above normal standards.
But there were still powerhouses in the [Lower Domain].
And yet, none of them had completed this place?
He considered the circumstances.
This particular [Secret Realm] was not widely known.
It was hidden behind layers of requirents.
Many powerful players may have simply never discovered it before advancing to the [Higher Domain].
Once soone ascended, they could not return to the [Lower Domain].
That alone ant that countless potential challengers had lost their chance without even realizing it, including him.
Even so, Leon felt uneasy.
The chamber was enormous, stretching hundreds of ters ahead of him.
However, what imdiately caught his attention was a single pedestal positioned at the far end of the room.
It stood alone, illuminated by a faint purple glow. On top of the pedestal rested a book.
The aura surrounding it was heavy and ominous, radiating waves of mana that rippled through the air.
’A [Skill Book]?’ he thought, ’That has to be the reward.’
[Secret Realms] varied greatly in structure.
So could be extrely long, taking weeks to complete, but with a dium difficulty.
While on the other hand, so like the ones Leon was in were extrely small but were impossiblty difficult.
Still, he doubted it could be completely unreasonable within the [Lower Domain]. There had to be a thod to clear it.
He began walking toward the pedestal.
Vision Enhancent!
The ability activated instantly, sharpening his perception.
The runes on the walls beca clearer. The subtle fluctuations of mana in the air were easier to detect.
He expected an ambush at any mont.
Yet as he advanced step by step, nothing happened.
A full minute passed. He was already halfway across the chamber.
Leon did not relax his guard. If every player who entered this place had died, then sothing was waiting.
The silence itself was suspicious. And eventually, he reached the pedestal.
The book was right in front of him. He stared at it.
"That cann’t be right," he murmured.
Appraisal!
A panel appeared before his eyes.
[Forbidden Spell Book (???): Will allow the user to learn a "Forbidden Spell".]
Leon’s expression froze. [Forbidden Spells] were not ordinary abilities.
They did not have ranks. Their power was so extre that they existed outside the normal system of classification.
The [God of Magic] and his true servants each possessed at least one [Forbidden Spell].
Those spells were capable of annihilating cities, altering landscapes, and overwhelming armies with a single cast.
And as one might expect, if there were [Forbidden Spells], then naturally there were also [Forbidden Skills], though such opportunities were almost nonexistent.
The panel did not specify which [Forbidden Spell] the book contained.
It might be random. It might adapt to the user, similar to the [Affinity Skill Book].
Leon’s heart beat slightly faster.
If he could learn a spell of that caliber, his power would rise to a completely different level.
He extended his hand toward the book. The air around it felt dense, as though resisting him.
His fingers were inches away from touching the cover when a voice echoed through the chamber.
"Not worthy."
Leon’s eyes snapped upward.
A transparent figure floated above the pedestal, its form flickering like distorted light.
He did not hesitate.
Darkness Barrier!
The spell ford around him in an instant. The very next second, the book exploded.
BOOM!
A violent shockwave erupted outward, slamming into Leon and hurling him backward dozens of ters.
The darkness barrier shattered under the impact, cracks spreading across its surface before it dissolved completely.
He crashed against the stone floor but managed to roll to his feet imdiately.
If he had not reacted in ti, he would have died on the spot.
As the smoke cleared, Leon stared at the figure hovering near the pedestal.
And as he saw it... he understood why no one had completed this [Secret Realm].
"I did not expect soone else to discover this place," the figure said, its voice calm and amused. "But I suppose it was inevitable."
The being stood at least three ters tall. Its body was semi transparent, yet its presence was heavier than anything Leon had encountered so far in this life.
Appraisal!
---
[Trace of God of Magic, ??? (Realm Boss)]
[Level: ???]
[Combat Power: 250,000]
[Details: A trace of the actual "God of Magic" placed here to protect the "Forbidden Spell Book".]
---
Leon could not help but let out a low groan.
Two hundred fifty thousand combat power. That was nearly double his own.
And it was not just any enemy. It was a trace of the [God of Magic].
aning that though it was an incredibly weaker version... it was still sothing the [God of Magic] himself placed here.
’Basically... I’m technically fighting a God.’
This was the first ti in this life that he had confronted sothing directly connected to divine authority, aside from the statues in the [Divine Hall] during the first assessnt.
"No one ever manages to entertain ," the trace said with a faint smile. "I hope you will be different."
A staff materialized in its hand, ford entirely of condensed mana.
Oppressive Aura!
The chamber trembled. A crushing wave of presence filled the room instantly.
It pressed against Leon from every direction, suffocating and heavy.
Anyone else would have fallen to their knees, unable to breathe, unable to think clearly.
Emilia would have also struggled under this pressure.
Most players would have been paralyzed by fear. But Leon stood firm.
The passive ability from his [Celestial] title activated automatically.
Unshaken!
The fear that attempted to invade his mind was erased before it could take root.
Blood Beam!
He did not waste ti.
A crimson ray erupted from his staff, powered by his S-Level [Blood Monarch] sub talent and his newly doubled Spirit.
The beam tore across the chamber toward the floating figure.
"Unaffected?" the trace tilted its head slightly, intrigued. "Interesting."
Stone Barrier!
The stone floor rose instantly, forming a thick wall that intercepted the [Blood Beam] and absorbed it completely.
Leon’s eyes narrowed.
That spell had been powerful enough to tear through high level bosses.
And it had been blocked so casually.
This was the [God of Magic]. When it ca to spells, no one surpassed him.
Even Emilia, with her extraordinary Spirit multiplier, would likely struggle against this being.
In fact, there might not be a single entity in all of [Eternal Ascension] capable of rivaling the [God of Magic] in pure magical mastery.
By all logic, this was a losing battle.
Or at least it would be, if Leon did not possess sothing beyond logic.
He tightened his grip on his weapon.
’[Celestial’s Might] is my only chance.’
If he could not defeat this trace, this pale imitation of the true god, then he would never be able to stand against the real one.
"Determined?" the trace asked with a grin. "Very well. Show what you can do. If you amuse , the [Forbidden Spell Book] is yours."
Leon did not respond. He simply focused.
His Spirit surged. His mana circulated at maximum efficiency.
This was not just another boss. This was a test placed by a god. And Leon intended to pass it.
...
A/N
We’re finally getting to the first intense encounters, thanks for supporting the book, more to co!
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