Scott gazed at the rapidly flashing messages, his weightless body descending gradually. Who the hell are these people? He gritted his teeth, drawing conclusions from the countless novels he had read, understanding why the princes and king harbored animosity towards him. Fixating on the sponsorship offer, he clicked on the system window for more information. Simultaneously, a meandering tendril shot out from the mask, clicking [No] before the eldritch knight could react.

  Scott's gaze remained fixed on the wiggling tendril, innocently retreating into the mask amidst the flurry of new system messages. Behind his mask, he could only frown, taking deep breaths. It should have at least waited until I read through the benefits of becoming a sponsored candidate.

  Another sigh escaped Scott's lips. He despised the fact that he couldn't even muster anger, let alone frustration, towards the mask. He buried his frustrations in in the deepest recesses of his mind, redirecting his attention towards the system notifications he had ignored earlier.

  “Reach level 10 and attain unity...” Scott repeated with a smile. He vividly recalled waking up in the nameless tower as a level one champion. “I don't feel any different after leveling up. Perhaps the first significant change will happen once I reach level 10,” Scott muttered.

  “Buddy, you're finally here,” Slim's voice resonated in the ears of the masked man, prompting him to lower his head. Zara and Slim waved excitedly, the pulsating light from several beacons covering the length of their arms.

  “How come you're alone?” Slim inquired mentally, turning his head from side to side. “Where did she go?”

  “She's long gone,” Scott replied, and the skeleton instantly sported a dry smile.

  Scott furrowed his brows. “Why do you look disappointed?” He couldn't conceive any plausible reasons why the skeleton would be disappointed by Ember's departure.

  Zara erupted into laughter as an embarrassed smile flashed across the face of the necromancer. The cat girl patted the skeleton's back while facing Scott. “Welcome back. Did you learn anything useful from that woman?” Zara asked with an expectant smile.

  Scott diverted his attention from the cat girl's stats. “She gave me a few tips and this pill,” he explained, the unidentified capsule resting between his index finger and thumb.

  “Oh, what's that?” Zara asked, her curious eyes fixated on the shiny object.

  “I'm not sure. Take a closer look,” Scott suggested, gently tossing the item to the feline brawler. The pill descended gracefully, and Zara leaped to catch it. Slim approached the cat girl, eager to examine the golden pill.

  Scott, in contrast, directed his attention towards the necromancer. I can't peer through Slim's stats anymore. He must have reached level 10 already. But he doesn't appear any different, Scott pondered as he touched down on the ground.

  Slim and Zara approached the masked man, slinging their arms over his shoulders, both adorned with goofy grins.

  “Buddy, check out how many beacons we snagged,” Slim exclaimed with a smile. “Can you pull off that trick of yours?”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The skeleton gazed expectantly at the masked man, while the cat girl returned the pill to its rightful owner.

  “Sure. It's going to take some time, but I can do it,” Scott said softly.

  Zara patted the man's shoulder, a smile gracing her lips. “I trust you, Minion 01. I knew you wouldn't disappoint us.”

  Scott shook his head, turning his attention to Slim. “You leveled up, right? Congratulations.”

  “Thank you, buddy. I couldn't have done it without those guys,” Slim replied, unable to mask his excitement.

  “Do you feel any different?” Scott inquired as his fingers shifted from one beacon to another. The pulsating glow dimmed, and the blackened tendrils covered its surface.

  “You should check it out yourself,” Slim suggested before summoning his status screen.

  Scott perused the status screen, his mouth agape behind the mask. Is this what Ember was referring to? Numerous stats vanished, replaced by a slew of new ones. Is this unity? Scott mused to himself. The modifications to Slim's champion interface surpassed his expectations.

  Zara tiptoed, peering over the shoulders of the duo, her glossy eyes widening as she studied the updated status screen. “Slim, do you feel any different?” she asked, her gaze fixed on the necromancer.

  “I honestly don't know how to explain it. It's like a shackle I didn't even know existed has been removed. Watch this.” Slim snapped his fingers, and ten massive death bolts gathered above his head. Another snap, and the mana-infused attacks dissipated.

  “That's just a fraction of what I can do now. But the most frustrating thing is realizing how weak my previous and current levels are. No offense, guys, but anyone below level 10 is basically trash,” Slim admitted.

  Zara smacked the skeleton's head. "How dare you call your leader trash? I'm demoting you to Minion 04," the cat girl declared, her thoughts drifting elsewhere. Slim whimpered as Zara attempted to lock his head beneath her arms. Meanwhile, Scott drummed his fingers on his mask, his free hand hovering over the pulsating beacons.

  I'm starting to grasp why Ember emphasized the importance of reaching level 10 before completing the trial. Although he doesn't want to boast, it's doubtful that Zara and I can defeat him in his current state. His mana capacity didn't even flinch after summoning ten death bolts. I can't fathom the kinds of monsters that await us in the other trials, Scott thought.

  “Buddy, so what exactly did she tell you? Any useful tips?” Slim asked, his skull buried under Zara's arm as she fervently patted his head. The feline brawler took a break from oppressing her minion, focusing her attention on the masked man.

  “She said we should all reach level 10 before the trial ends, and we should gather as many beacons as possible,” Scott replied softly.

  Slim giggled as he straightened up, Zara clinging to his neck. “She's right. You guys will understand once you experience it too. But I can't comprehend why we need more beacons,” Slim remarked, skillfully dodging Zara's non-lethal kicks.

  “There's no need to speculate. We just have to level up while gathering the beacons. How hard could it be?” Zara said, falling to the ground as she released her grip.

  “It's good to be confident, but it could become a problem if we continue the trial with that mindset. Who knows how many powerful individuals like Ember are lurking in the shadows?” Scott cautioned, sending the golden pill to his inventory. He continued, “We have ten solid days to choose our targets and collect more beacons. Slim will act as our support, while the two of us actively hunt those who have yet to reach rank 10.”

  “Hunt, huh,” Zara said with a radiant smile. “Let's do that. Ten days should be more than enough time to reach level 10.”

  “Don’t worry, guys. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Slim reassured with a confident smile.

  Zara patted the back of the necromancer. “Do a good job and you’ll be promoted back to Minion 03.”

  “I won’t disappoint you my leader,” Slim said with a salute.

  Scott finished covering the last beacon, and his voice echoed in the mind of the duo. “The path ahead is a freaking warzone. Every step we take from now on would result in an all-out brawl. Are you guys ready?”

  Zara nodded excitedly while smashing her fists together. Slim simply smiled at the eldritch knight while raising his thumbs.

  “All right then. Let’s discuss our strategy for the remaining part of the trial,” Scott said, as the trio gathered in a hurdle.