Jacob was astounded when he stepped into the sixth level of the Tower of the Taurus because this level was a stark contrast to the previous ones. It was a vast, open space filled with stars and constellations.
Furthermore, the gravity here was almost non-existent, as Jacob felt he was floating in the vast, endless space.
At this moment, Jacob's eyes contracted when he spotted something completely unexpected. A few meters away from him was a hooded figure, its face obscured by shadow.
Jacob instantly raised his guard. He thought this trial was like the fifth level, and he needed to fight this hooded figure, but for some reason, he didn't sense any danger from this person or its power level, which was even more worrisome.
Yet an ancient ethereal voice rang before he could open the Cursed Immortality to see the challenge.
"Welcome, Trialist, who've conquered trials and faced the unknown; your journey is arduous, for you walked the path of the unknown. You've conquered Earth, yet you seek the sky.
"But the sky demands a challenge, new and bold. A test of ages, a story untold, this hurdle claimed countless souls.
"So, face this challenge with heart and might, And prove your worth with all your might. For victory awaits, beyond the fray, A triumph earned, a glorious day!"
Jacob was startled to find that this guy could speak, and his tone was cryptic. This trial was extremely strange, and he didn't know what it was about.
"Who are you?" He asked while quickly opening the cursed immortality.
_____ "Level Six: The Earth's Riddler
"Challenge: Answer the Three Riddles of Earth's Riddler in succession without failing in a single try!"
_____
'Three riddles?' Jacob was startled as he didn't expect this strange turn of events.
At this moment, the Earth's Riddler's cryptic voice echoed through the space, cold and distant, "I, a scholar lost, forgotten and alone, Seek secrets, mysteries unknown. Not worthy of your notice, I confess. But now, I turn to you to put me to the test.
"Three questions I pose, a challenge to your mind; if you quench my thirst, a treasure you'll find next. But fail, and in the earth, you'll be confined. So answer well, trialist, and leave your mark behind."
The Earth Riddler paused before speaking again, taking on a sinister tone. "If you fail, you will be trapped here forever, a prisoner of your own ignorance."
Jacob could only accept this as he was determined to overcome this challenge.
"Alright, I'll entertain you. Bring forth your riddles," He said, his voice firm.
The Earth's Riddler chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound. "Very well. Riddle one: I am born of earth, yet I fly so high. I nurture life, yet I can cause death to die. I am a gift, a curse, a force unseen. What am I?"
Jacob pondered the riddle, his mind racing. Although he looked confident, he wasn't. After all, how could he know the answers to these riddles? They could be anything.
But he still had some clues. Since this trial was about 'Earth,' the riddles were also related. But the answer could still be anything.
However, his expression suddenly changed ever so slightly when the words on cursed immortality in front of him suddenly changed, and his eyes glowed intensely.
All worries vanished in smoke as he replied confidently, "The answer is 'Nature'!"
The Earth's Riddler remained silent for a moment before he nodded. "Correct. Riddle two: A spark ignited, a flame that grew. A fragile gift, a treasure, true. It ebbs and flows, a precious art. What is it?"
Jacob glanced over cursed immortality before his teeth rose slightly. Without hesitation, he replied, "How simple—it's 'Life'!"
The Earth's Riddler seemed to tremble, a chilling sight. "Correct again. Riddle three: A quest eternal, a journey long. A precious gift, ever fleeting and strong. To cherish it, to make it count. What is it?"
Jacob was surprised because these riddles were more challenging than the others. He knew that he wouldn't have failed without the surprise Cursed Immortality brought him.
He had never expected that Cursed Immortality would give him the answers and make this most challenging trial seem simple.
He glanced over the Cursed Immortality, its pages flickering with an ethereal light. The words on the pages seemed to dance and shift as if they were alive.
"Longevity," He said, his voice filled with certainty.
The Earth's Riddler nodded, its voice filled with a strange satisfaction. "Correct. You have passed the test. Proceed to the final level."
The Earth's Riddler didn't make things difficult, and a passage appeared before him. Jacob glanced towards the Earth's Riddler before entering the passage. "This presence… I finally remember those words!" The Earth's Riddler, who was left alone, suddenly started to mutter like a madman, "A seeker of peace, a soul laid to rest, Yet here you stand, a trial to be passed. Your successor, a spark, a flame so bright, Will you guide their path or plunge them into the night? A question lingers, a mystery untold: Will you return or vanish, grown cold? Or is this your end, a final decree, To watch from afar, eternally?"
The Earth Riddler's entire body trembled as its mumbling stopped before its confused voice rang, "What was I saying? Did I forget something important…again?"
---
At this moment, Jacob stepped into the seventh and final level of the Tower of Taurus!
Jacob found himself in a vast, circular chamber adorned with intricate murals depicting the history of a bull-like creature. Each mural was a masterpiece, capturing the essence of this celestial bull.
Jacob was instantly drawn to those murals, the first massive murals recovered, a cataclysmic event that shook the heavens, and the raw power of the cosmic forces slowly shaped a neon bull. It seemed to be the story of its birth.
The next mural records a battle between the bull and a pitch-black silhouette that seemed blurry no matter how Jacob looked at it. He witnessed the courage and ferocity of the celestial bull as it fought for its survival.
The details of the battles appeared like a blur in his vision, and it only saw the bull submit to the dark silhouette at the end. This dark silhouette gave something to the bull.
Before the murals changed again, the bull appeared again, this time like a hominid. It seemed to be with a woman sitting under a tree in a beautiful garden. Jacob instantly spotted the fruit on the tree—it was the Earth Tree of Vitality! The scene suddenly changed in the next mural. The same garden was now turned into a lava lake, the Earth Tree of Vitality was now turned into charred wood, and chaos was everywhere.
The bull seemed to be holding the unknown in its hand as it roared toward heaven, and the sky was filled with nothing but countless meteorites. In the final mural, the bull appeared again, and this time, with him were eleven more blurry figures who were surrounding the dark silhouette that was in the second mural!
'What the hell?' Jacob didn't know what this was all about, but he sensed a strange power in those murals restraining even his Eyes of Judge, which seemed incomplete.
At this moment, before Jacob could pounder over it, his attention shifted towards the chamber's center.
Jacob saw something suddenly materialize at the center of the chamber. It was a hominid neon figure with a bull's head, and he looked almost identical to the bull in the murals!