Chapter 280: Miko.

Chapter 280: Miko.

BOOM!

An explosion tore through the red landscape, then another, then another.

Kael moved through the horde like a force of nature, each strike sending beasts flying as explosions ripped through the battlefield around him. The monsters here were considerably stronger than the ones from the first wave, but still nowhere near enough to pose any real threat.

One after another, they fell.

Blood splattered across the crimson earth as Kael tore through the beasts, until eventually, the final one collapsed.

The battlefield fell silent.

A notification appeared before Kael.

[Congratulations! You have completed the minimum requirement for this trial.]

[From this point onward, you may choose to continue the trial or forfeit at any time.]

[Would you like to proceed?]

[Yes] / [No]

Kael didn’t even need to think about it.

"Of course."

He selected Yes.

He had already survived fifty waves, which was the minimum requirement to clear the floor. The difficulty of each successive wave had been increasing steadily, and the monsters were now considerably stronger than the ones he had fought at the beginning.

But Kael still hadn’t reached his limit.

Besides, even if he eventually became exhausted, the Blood Store had an option to restore his body to peak condition.

The price was only fifty thousand Blood Crystals.

Considering how many Blood Crystals he had accumulated, that was practically nothing.

Another notification appeared.

[Are you sure you wish to proceed?]

[Warning: The danger level may increase significantly from this point onward.]

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"So what?"

He selected Yes again.

He could still choose to forfeit whenever he wanted. If the situation became dangerous enough to threaten his life, there was no reason for him to stubbornly continue.

The notification disappeared.𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

For a moment, everything became quiet.

Kael opened the Blood Store again.

By now, his Inventory was already packed with merchandise.

He had purchased almost half of everything available in the store.

Kael smiled as he looked through the items.

"Halfway there."

He couldn’t help but feel a little curious.

"I wonder how many more waves I’ll need to clear before I can buy everything."

He closed the store.

Thirty seconds passed, and the timer hit zero. Kael immediately braced himself for the next wave.

But to his surprise, nothing happened. He waited, and still nothing came, no horde appeared on the horizon, nothing at all. His brows furrowed as he looked around in confusion.

"Is the floor glitching?"

His expression gradually turned more serious. "Or..."

His eyes widened as a familiar possibility entered his mind. This was exactly what had happened when the monk invaded his floor.

Was the same thing about to happen again? Was someone attempting to invade this floor, too?

Kael’s expression darkened.

He had absolutely no intention of dealing with another ridiculous situation like that, so he immediately willed himself to forfeit the trial and leave the floor.

Nothing happened.

Just then, a notification appeared.

[ERROR]

[Access Denied.]

Kael’s eyes narrowed. Before he could react, another notification appeared.

[ADMINISTRATOR AUTHORITY HAS BEEN USED]

[FLOOR LOCKDOWN HAS BEEN INITIATED.]

Kael stared at the message.

"What?"

Administrator authority?

Just then, a strange pressure descended upon the entire floor, overwhelming and absolute. Even the air itself seemed to grow heavy as an invisible force slammed down on Kael’s body, his feet sinking slightly into the ground.

Kael gritted his teeth and released his own power, forcefully resisting the pressure as he turned toward its source.

Then he heard a woman’s voice.

"You..." The voice was cold and furious. "How dare you cheat on my floor?"

The pressure intensified.

Kael’s expression changed.

His body trembled under the crushing force, and for a brief moment, he genuinely felt as though his life was being squeezed out of him.

Who the hell was this woman?

Kael forced himself to remain standing and looked toward the direction of the voice.

A figure slowly emerged in the distance.

It was a woman.

She was incredibly beautiful, with bright pink hair and fox-like ears sitting atop her head. She wore a tight black leather outfit that followed the contours of her body, while seven large fox-like tails swayed behind her.

Kael’s eyes widened slightly.

"Beastkin?"

The word came to mind immediately. He’d only ever encountered creatures like this in fantasy stories and online games, he’d never expected to meet one, yet here she was, standing directly in front of him.

His surprise quickly faded, though. The pressure radiating off her was far more pressing, immense and suffocating, and he knew that if it continued, he might actually die.

And judging from what she’d just said, she seemed to believe he’d cheated his way through the trial. Kael needed to clear up the misunderstanding before things got worse.

"Cheating?" He stared at her. "What do you mean by that?"

The woman’s eyes narrowed.

"Don’t play dumb with me."

"What do you mean, play dumb?"

Kael’s voice remained calm despite the pressure crushing down on him.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. You suddenly appear and accuse me of something I didn’t do."

As he spoke, Kael’s mind had already reached into his Inventory, his attention landing on a particular item.

The Admin Tower Invasion Card.

If this woman really was some kind of administrator, then using administrator authority against administrator authority might be his best option if things went south.

His fingers mentally hovered over the card.

But before Kael could make a decision, the woman’s expression shifted slightly.

"Is that so?"

The pressure suddenly vanished, and Kael’s body relaxed, though the aura she still radiated made it clear she wasn’t letting him off the hook just yet.

She studied him for several seconds before finally speaking.

"My apologies for coming at you so violently."

Her tone had become noticeably calmer.

"My name is Miko. I am the administrator of this floor."

She looked Kael up and down.

"What’s your name, challenger?"

"Kael."

"Alright, Kael."

Miko folded her arms.

"If you say you aren’t a cheater, then explain something to me."

Her gaze became sharp again.

"How were you able to purchase almost half of the Blood Store after completing only fifty waves? How exactly did you obtain enough Blood Crystals to do that?"

Her voice carried a clear warning.

"Your answer better be truthful."