novelraw Chapter 430: First Hurdle in the Tower—3
Chapter 430: First Hurdle in the Tower—3
I absolutely cannot reveal my deepest secrets about my SSS-class and cosmic system grade to anyone, especially not someone like this obviously untrustworthy individual.
The moment Leon clearly rejected the offer—
SNARL!
Velrith’s fangs bared fully for just a millisecond, his carefully maintained civilized mask slipping completely.
CRUSH!
An absolutely insurmountable, overwhelming, heavy pressure descended on Leon like a physical mountain crushing down from all directions simultaneously.
Leon’s heart dropped sickeningly into his stomach.
I’m going to die! Right here, right now!
The pressure was so catastrophically intense he could barely draw breath into his lungs, his vision tunneling dangerously, consciousness threatening to scatter.
But in the very next second—
RELEASE!
The pressure vanished completely and instantly as if it had never existed at all.
Velrith was smiling pleasantly again, his expression perfectly composed and friendly.
"My sincere apologies, human. I lost control of my aura for a brief moment there. No harm intended whatsoever, of course. These things happen occasionally."
But Leon had learned something absolutely critical from that terrifying exchange.
He can’t actually harm me directly. The Tower’s rules prevent it completely.
That realization made him considerably more relaxed internally, though he remained outwardly cautious.
If he could actually harm me without restriction, I’d be dead already or being tortured for information right now. The Tower protects challengers from administrators.
Over the next several minutes, Velrith produced various other spectacular items from his spatial storage with increasing desperation.
Legendary weapons that radiated absolutely terrifying, destructive power—swords that seemed to cut through space itself, spears that hummed with condensed lightning.
Armor sets that appeared to be made of pure condensed starlight, shimmering with protective enchantments.
Mysterious treasures that pulsed with ancient primordial energies, Leon couldn’t even begin to identify or understand.
Each item was demonstrably no lesser in objective value than the initial elixir—some were arguably even significantly more valuable depending on specific needs.
And Leon refused every single offer without hesitation, his answer consistent.
"I decline."
"Not interested."
"No."
After the first rejection, Velrith maintained a perfectly calm exterior—serene and composed as a still mountain lake.
But Leon could read the absolute truth in his eyes despite the false smile. Inside, the overseer desperately wanted to torture him brutally for the information he sought, growing progressively more frustrated and enraged with each successive refusal.
The trial overseer was genuinely fuming internally with barely controlled rage.
No matter what this human’s background or special circumstances might be, right now he’s just a measly insect—barely Ascendant rank! Nothing!
And despite my clear seniority, my obvious power, and these incredibly generous offers, the arrogant bastard keeps rejecting me again and again!
Unacceptable! Intolerable!
Finally, after all the individual item offers had been systematically rejected, Velrith made his absolute final offer with complete apparent seriousness.
A golden parchment materialized from thin air, floating majestically in the space between them. An elaborate contract written in flowing divine script that seemed to shift and reorganize itself slightly as Leon examined it.
The details were extensive, comprehensive, and incredibly generous:
SOUL-BINDING CONTRACT OF MUTUAL BENEFIT
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Article I - Guidance and Support
Velrith Moonscar shall personally guide the Contractee (designated: Paragon) through all challenges up to Floor 100 of the Ascension Tower.
Provide strategic advice, tactical recommendations, and reveal all hidden bosses, secret treasures, and optimal challenge approaches.
Article II - Protection Services
Use all available administrative authority to protect the Contractee’s home world from invasions by connected worlds
Provide early warning and direct intervention against external threats when possible, within tower rules
Maintain protection for the full duration of the Contractee’s tower climbing journey
Article III - Resource Provision
Grant access to restricted administrator treasure vaults (Floors 1-50)
Provide monthly cultivation resources scaled to the current Level
Share advanced techniques from Velrith’s personal collection
Article IV - Post-Contract Obligations After contract expiration, Velrith shall:
Never directly or indirectly harm the Contractee or anyone/anything connected to them
Never reveal the Contractee’s secrets, identity, abilities, or existence to any party
Never take action hostile to the Contractee’s interests
Article V - Consideration In exchange for the above services, the Contractee shall:
Truthfully explain the method of concealing status information from higher-level beings
Reveal how a lower-world individual obtained a higher-grade cosmic system
Share any relevant techniques, items, or methods enabling these effects
ENFORCEMENT: Bound by Laws of Heaven and enforced by the Tower. Violation results in immediate soul destruction. No loopholes exist.
DURATION: Until Contractee reaches Floor 100, withdraws permanently, or dies outside tower trials.
Leon read the entire contract carefully multiple times, examining every single clause with his enhanced intelligence, analyzing each word for hidden meanings.
There are genuinely no loopholes. The contract is absolutely ironclad. The Tower itself enforces it with soul destruction as a penalty. And the offer is... incredibly, almost unbelievably enticing.
For a long moment—several full minutes—Leon genuinely considered accepting this proposal.
The benefits are enormous. Complete guidance through one hundred floors. Protection for my world. Resources and techniques. And absolute guarantees he can’t harm me afterward.
All for just explaining my status concealment method and system grade origin.
Meanwhile, Velrith was thinking with absolute unshakeable confidence.
Despite this offer putting an absolutely enormous hole in my accumulated resources and requiring me to sacrifice treasures I’ve collected over centuries, the secret alone—the method to completely hide one’s status information from even vastly higher-level beings—would make me a fortune one hundred times this investment.
Possibly even a thousand times. Such a technique could revolutionize assassination, espionage, and infiltration. Every major power would pay anything for it.
He was completely confident this human couldn’t possibly reject this extraordinarily generous offer.
Who would? Even if I were in his exact position, I would accept this offer without hesitation. No hidden strings, complete protection, full support for reaching a level where one can be independent.
He knew his earlier theatrical display of disdain, condescension, and applying that brief pressure had put the human significantly on edge and defensive.
So this contract offer was completely, genuinely sincere—he honestly wanted what was truly best for both of them. A mutually beneficial arrangement.
We both win. I get the secret. He gets support to reach heights he could never achieve alone. Perfect.
Leon’s mouth finally opened after his long contemplation, his eyes gleaming with what Velrith interpreted as excitement and acceptance.
Velrith leaned forward slightly in eager anticipation, ready to finalize the contract.
"I refuse."
The words were clear, firm, and absolutely final.
The overseer’s entire body trembled violently with pure, unrestrained rage.
His eyes became completely bloodshot, pupils dilating into narrow slits.
THIS WAS MY FULL SINCERITY! EVERYTHING I HAVE OF VALUE! CENTURIES OF ACCUMULATED WEALTH!
Multiple revival treasures are worth kingdoms! Rank 6 affinity potions that clans war over! Even the Rank 6 Poison Affinity Awakening Potion I was planning to trade for the Celestial Flame Seed!
That poison affinity potion specifically didn’t suit his lightning-based fighting style at all, and his clan would genuinely look down on any member using poison-based techniques—it was considered dishonorable.
Even his own clan head didn’t know Velrith possessed such an incredibly valuable item. He’d been secretly saving it for years to trade for something he desperately wanted for his cultivation breakthrough.
And this... this INSECT rejected everything! Rejected an offer that would make any rational person weep with joy!
Velrith was enraged beyond all measure, beyond anything he’d felt in decades.
He knew intellectually he couldn’t harm this human directly due to tower rules protecting active challengers. And from the human’s noticeably more relaxed posture compared to earlier, it was obvious Leon had also realized that protective fact.
Which somehow infuriated Velrith even more.
He knows he’s safe. He’s mocking me with his refusals!