Beta Testing the Apocalypse 084 (Patreon)

Though he doubted there would be anything too dangerous, Leon had Hayato and Goku hang back as he and Latia entered the Tenth Floor, the former making use of his phantom form and the latter invisible.

'Well, this is foreboding...' thought Leon, finding himself in a vast chamber reminiscent of the Eighth Floor, but instead of multiple paths, there was a massive set of stone doors, virtually identical to those allowing entry into the Tower. There was also a colossal stone stele preceding it, bearing the inscription:

Carved in stone, the passage of time,

Each step forward, a rhythm, a rhyme.

Leave behind the shadows, embrace the light,

For within these trials, your true self takes flight.

In the crucible of challenges, confront your past,

Let echoes of resilience forever cast.

The stone remembers, but it does not bind,

Forge a destiny anew, with the strength you find.

May courage be your guide, as you venture through,

Past's chains shattered, future renewed.

Embrace the unknown, let your spirit soar,

On this sacred ground, your rebirth implore.

'I hate rhymes and riddles...' thought Leon, staring at the stele and then looking around for several minutes before approaching the doors to see what would happen.

[Warning. You are about to enter The Trial of First Ascension. Challengers may only attempt this Trial once and must do so independently. Familiars may enter, but the difficulty of the Trial will increase exponentially.]

[The current Challenger, [Leon Asheford], is recognized as a prospective Tower Administrator. As you do not possess a standard Level or Grade, at least ten other Challengers must undergo the Trial to open passage to the next Floor. Would you like to move to the Waiting Area?]

'Mmm...I guess that makes sense. Considering I'm not factored into Party Size and Contribution Rankings for Bosses...'

"Take me and my companion to the Waiting Area," said Leon, prompting his view to change nigh-instantaneously. What awaited him and Latia at their destination was a darkened room with a massive circular sofa that could easily seat more than a hundred people. More notably, there was a large, nearly 20m-diameter holographic sphere floating above the seating area, presumably functioning as a display.

"Is this it...?" Leon asked aloud, stepping onto the cushions of the seating area to see over them. To his surprise, there was an entire arcade on the level above, and on the far side of the massive space, nearly 100m away, four passages emitted yellow light. Two were marked by pastel pink and blue pictograms depicting a female and male figure seated atop a toilet, while the remaining passages had a bed and what looked like a plate with a bone-in-ham symbol next to a rounded baguette.

'It has bathrooms, a place to sleep, and a place to eat...does that mean people who complete the challenge are stuck here until a certain number have gathered...?'

"Whoa...it's so pretty..." said Latia, flying over to a pinball machine that, as she touched it, transformed from a space-themed game to one that had a Latias and Latios on the backbox art and Pokemon adorning the playfield.

Though she was initially startled, Latia got excited when she saw herself on the backbox, exclaiming, "Leon! Leon! Hurry and come take a look! It's Latia and Mateo~!"

Making his way over after pulling his faux body from Storage, Leon asked, "Do you want me to teach you how to play...?"

"Yes! Teach me~!" exclaimed Latia, transforming into her human form so that Leon could position himself behind her and walk her through how to launch the pinball and work the levers. It wasn't a difficult game to learn, but unlike a normal pinball machine, everything moved about 2-3x faster than normal, almost as if the flow of time was accelerated. And that was just the beginning. As the game progressed and your score increased, the speed of the ball increased exponentially...

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As she had never played arcade games before, Leon left Latia to develop her new addiction while he checked out both bathrooms, the residential area, and the canteen-like eating area. The bathrooms were spacious and had several different types of toilets, including one with a bidet. As for the rest area, there were a total of twenty-six futuristic-looking doors lining a long, slightly curved corridor comprised almost entirely of metal painted matte white with blue arrows and stripes. Visually, it reminded Leon of the interior of a spaceship, and to gain access to the rooms, you had to place your hand on a biometric scanner, leading to a spacious suite with a large, futuristic-looking bed and, most notably, a display port with exceptionally thick glass that provided a view of what looked like outer space.

Though he was tempted to phase through the window and see if there was actual space outside, Leon decided it wasn't worth the risk since, for one reason or another, even his console-based teleportation was limited in the residential/rest area. Thus, rather than taking a look 'outside,' Leon looked around the room itself, finding a small bookshelf that was already populated by several familiar manga series and a futuristic bathroom with a large shower that released warm, pressurized water directly from holes in the ceiling, walls, and even the floor, to suit the needs of a multitude of species. Leon was the type who preferred to soak in a tub, but when she invariably came looking for him, he and Latia had a lot of fun playing with the various settings, which included steam and cold vapor baths...

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"So, we need at least ten people to clear the Trial, and there's a chance those who do will be stuck there until we reach the required number to advance...?" asked Mordred, summarizing what Leon had told her.

"That's right. And everyone will have to undertake it alone," replied Leon, simply relaxing with Mordred lying next to him as he was somewhat burnt out after the gratuitous amounts of sex he had the week prior.

"Mmm...that shouldn't be too big an issue," contended Mordred. "We have twelve people at Green Grade among the Frontier Expedition Squads and several highly capable Yellows. I can't say for certain until we've actually sent someone into it, but I believe we'll be able to clear the Floor without issue..."

Tracing her right index finger along Leon's chest, Mordred's expression became playfully mischievous as she added, "And then you'll finally have a physical body..."

Though he adopted a smile of his own, Leon reminded, "Even when I do, I don't plan on having kids any time soon..."

Narrowing her eyes, Mordred was tempted to argue that Leon 'needed' to have children but ultimately decided against it. She still remembered their previous conversation on the matter. So, since she still had no intention of getting pregnant and giving birth to his heir, she promptly changed topics, asking, "When do you want us to stage our attempt? Everyone got plenty of rest on the Eighth Floor, so we can be ready as early as noon tomorrow if you give the order."

"Most of the people at the Grand Banquet had already cleared the Tenth Floor, so we should do so sooner rather than later," replied Leon. "Were it not that we ranked 77th in the Progression Rankings, we could have easily made it into the Top 20..."

"Mmm...it's best not to brood over what could have been and just focus on doing things as you see fit..." muttered Mordred, closing her eyes and snuggling closer to Leon. There were still countless things she felt Leon could improve on, but as he was doing well for someone with absolutely no previous experience governing a nation, she didn't feel they needed to rush things. The worst thing that could happen at this point was someone close to Leon perishing and him blaming himself, so even if she wanted to race up to the top of the Tower and have her wish granted, Mordred didn't mind taking things slow so long as they never stopped trying to climb...

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Since he decided he would rather play it safe than regret rushing into things, Leon delayed the conquest of the Tenth Floor until Tatsumaki and Fubuki could clear the Eighth Floor's survival challenge. That afforded the members of the Frontier Expedition thirty days to prepare, and to ensure they had the highest odds of success, Leon decided to publicize that the ten individuals who gathered the most crystal fragments within the period would not only receive the usual monetary reward but have their Grades increased to Green. This came with the requirement that they participate in The Trial of First Ascension, but as Yellow was the highest Grade those outside the Crimson Valkyries could attain without a valid reason, even some people outside the Frontier Expedition Squads became motivated to participate...

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"Motivating Tower Explorers with the promise of a Grade increase was a wise decision. Did you come up with it on your own...?" asked Yamato, sitting at his usual spot at the Knickknack Shack's second-floor bar with Leon and Wil.

"I'd be lying if I said I did," replied Leon, shrugging and taking a sip from his rounded brandy glass. He preferred the taste of whiskey, but getting out of his comfort zone now and then made him appreciate the things he truly enjoyed more.

"Was it Rosanna...?" asked Wil, raising his right brow slightly.

"No, but I consulted her and several others before I made the decision," replied Leon. "As for who originally came up with it, it was Grandmaster Hayato by way of his Grandaughter, Miu. Mordred doesn't like the idea of the Ryukamesennin School gaining power, but I trust both Grandmasters Hayato and Roshi. Yamcha might try something in the future, but with how much time and money he spends at brothels, I doubt it..."

"I'm personally more concerned with Izaya Orihara's growing influence..." muttered Yamato, furrowing his brows as he was still salty regarding what happened on the Fourth Floor.

"It's fine," assured Leon. "I have no doubts he'll eventually try something, but his options are limited as long as our contract is in effect. Besides, we both have people keeping tabs on him. And if everything goes as planned, I already have someone in mind to replace him..."

"Preferably someone who isn't a sociopath..." remarked Yamato, his tone joking but the look in his eyes expressing severity. Izaya had recruited a few people with backgrounds in Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals to begin producing simple drugs alongside actual medicine. Yamato 'really' wanted to crack down on his operation, but as the medicines they produced were effective and much cheaper than those acquired through the Knickknack Shack's services, the citizens of his burgeoning nation would protest if he did so without the proper pretense.

"Let's talk about something more positive," said Leon, shifting his gaze to Wil and smiling as he mused, "I heard through the grapevine that Yuela is pregnant. Congratulations, man."

Blinking in surprise, Yamato asked, "Is that true? I've been so busy these days, I haven't had much time to entertain rumors..."

"It's true," admitted Wil, a broad smile adorning his face as he revealed, "She's around two months pregnant, and, according to the Doctors, the baby is exceptionally healthy. We believe it has something to do with the Mana-rich atmosphere of Purgatoria."

"Speaking of children..." said Yamato, his gaze focused on Leon as he asked, "Have you decided on a Queen yet? You threw me under the bus by mandating that I produce an heir within ten years, so you should have given it at least some thought. I still feel it's too early, but I can't deny the merit of having our children grow up together and become friends..."

"Mmm...now that you mention it...that's not the worst idea..." conceded Leon, placing his right elbow on the bartop and bringing his hand to his mouth to grasp his chin. In his previous life, he had given up on having kids entirely since it felt like the world was going to shit, a sentiment that was all but confirmed by his current circumstances. Things were far more optimistic in Purgatoria, but while Leon actively supported others having kids, he felt children would be too great a distraction for him. After all, his objective was to reach the top of the Tower, not settle outside it...

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