The staircase ended without fanfare. No glowing arch. No vast gate. Just a wide platform surrounded by a massive ring of stone towers. Each tower bore a single banner, but none were alike. Some were tattered. Others pristine. All of them carried names—not of floors, but of people.
Leon stepped out into the open with his team behind him. The air was thinner here, but rich with pressure. Not gravity. Presence.
Kael looked around, eyebrows narrowing. "This isn't just a test floor."
"It's a battlefield," Roselia said. "But one where the fights are already written."
She wasn't wrong.
A moment later, the Tower's system spoke:
[Welcome to Floor 621 – The Ring of Provings]
Zone Type: Duel Challenge Domain
Objective: Earn Three Recognitions to Proceed
Challenge Format: 1-on-1, Sovereign Claimant Tier
Restrictions: No assistance. No retries. No death allowed—unless agreed.
Additional Rule: You may only challenge those who have already claimed a seat.
