BXBX NOVEL Chapter 78 - 78
Chapter 78: Chapter 78
"You can do it, Noboru," Yumeko yelled.
"Noboru-Kun, do this and then we can celebrate together alone," Emiko stated, which earned Noboru jealous looks from the competitors.
Layla, hearing this, became mad and jealous. "Noboru-Kun win this, and then we go exploring alone."
This started a war between Layla and Emiko, with Noboru becoming the center of attention of every angry adventurer who was mad that Noboru not only had the daughter of the Baron of QuakeTown, the most beautiful noble and unmarried woman in all of Terravale, wanting him, but also a beautiful woman like Layla fighting for him.
Sky and Fire General Kai also offered words of encouragement and confidence to Noboru. They all sat in the stands cheering. Everyone quieted down as soon as the proctor of the Tournament entered.
The proctor of the tournament, a stern man with eyes as hard as bedrock, began to explain the qualifier, his voice echoing through the assembly of adventurers. "This year\'s qualifier is unlike any you have faced before," he announced, capturing the immediate attention of all present. "You will be tested in the Dungeon of the Seven Eternities, a place where even the legendary hero who ended the great war met his end."
Murmurs and gasps filled the air as the reality of the challenge sank in. Noboru, undeterred, listened intently, his gaze fixed on the proctor.
"That place is a death sentence," said an adventurer, terrified. The proctor, however, ignored this and continued his explanation.
"The hero\'s journey through this dungeon was his final and most grueling. It is said that the very perception of time within its walls is altered, stretched into infinity. Each floor is a battle that feels like an eternity, and to complete this trial, you must survive not one, but seven such eternities."
A collective shudder ran through the crowd as they all remembered the stories of how the hero\'s end came. The mere thought of enduring an endless onslaught that made even the great hero of old fall was enough to break the spirit of many.
"To emerge victorious, you must demonstrate not only your combat prowess but also your ability to sustain life—finding or creating food, securing safe rest, and enduring the relentless tide of monsters that will seek your end," the proctor continued, his voice unwavering.
One of the adventurers, Rock, a man whose strength was renowned among his peers, stepped forward, his brow furrowed in disbelief. "Are you saying we are to fight indefinitely, with no respite? How can anyone survive such a trial?"
The proctor\'s gaze met Rock\'s, unflinching. "Indeed. The dungeon will push you to your limits and beyond. Remember, upon registering for this tournament, you all signed a waiver acknowledging the risk of death. Only the strongest, the most resilient, and the most resourceful will stand a chance. You didn\'t think getting the rank of a Noble and earning fame would be easy, did you? If it was, the title would mean nothing."
Rock stayed silent, almost as if he was humbled by the proctor. But another adventurer, a big bald one, stepped up; this was Turk. "Isn\'t this a conflict of interest? It is well known that only adventurers of Platinum and beyond have a chance to survive this."
"Like I said, if you think you are worthy of earning a place in the tournament, then you should survive a dungeon that only a mere platinum can beat," the proctor said sarcastically.
Noboru thought back to the ranking the adventurers of this world used:
Bronze I, II, III
Silver I, II, III
Gold I, II, III
Platinum
Emerald
Diamond
Champions
Bronze to Gold ranks were considered achievable by normal humans, with Bronze 1 being the weakest and Gold being the strongest a regular human could achieve. Platinum is considered achievable by those who possess spirits, and the more power of the spirit you can use and the more control you have of the spirits, the higher the rank you have. For example, Yumeko using her wind spirit mode or Red Sky. Noboru was an exception; the level of power he displayed in the test was on the level of an Emerald ranked Adventurer.
Another adventurer, Kane, known for being a platinum rank from BlockWork Town and his unyielding resolve, clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. "Then let it be a test of our wills. I did not come here to shy away from the impossible."
The proctor nodded, acknowledging Kane\'s spirit. "Very well. Once six have completed this ordeal, the qualifier will end. For those who survive but do not finish among the first six, you may exit the dungeon through the entrance. Let this be a testament to your strength and courage."
Noboru, taking in the gravity of the situation, felt a surge of determination. He understood that this was not just a physical battle but a mental one. The true enemy was not the horde of monsters but the despair and hopelessness that such an endless fight could breed.
"Those who even after this wish to participate follow me to the Dungeon Of Seven Eternities entrance once you arrive there you cannot quit or it will be seen as mocking the Duke Of The North," said the proctor as Noboru watched many quit.
"Oh hell no," one adventurer said.
"I\'m not risking my life for a title. I will just find a commoner woman to be with rather than build a harem after getting a noble rank," said another, and one by one, many left. However, quite a few adventurers, most platinum rank or higher, remained. Noboru, just by a glance, counted how many were there instantly. 25 adventurers were there, including Hiroto. Noboru, however, noticed that the adventurer who was jealous of him and tried to jump him with his henchmen had left running.
"Hmph. Coward," Noboru said with resentment and disgust. He felt disgust that the man talked big, acted even bigger, but ran away at the slight sign of death.
As the adventurers began to prepare themselves, Noboru took a moment to center himself. He knew the challenge ahead was daunting, but he also knew his strength, both of body and of spirit. With a final glance towards the stands where his friends watched, filled with a mixture of worry and faith, Noboru stepped forward, ready to face the eternity that awaited him in the Dungeon of Seven Eternities.
"I need to do this to complete this world\'s story to return home," Noboru said to himself as he walked to the entrance of the exam. \'It\'s not just that; it\'s so Yumeko, Layla, Sky, Emiko, Maria, and all the others I have met can have a future,\' Noboru thought as he realized he cared more for these people than he should. He had a flashback to his grandfather\'s advice when doing these combat trials or, as Noboru
called them, story trials.
Flashback
Haruki sat on his chair sipping tea as a little Noboru sat in front of him, looking at him. He had just finished reading up on the monsters common in the 11th dimension Draconia world. Noboru knew not all of these aren\'t common across the 11-dimensional dimensions, but he still liked to read his grandfather\'s notes and journal on the monsters he encountered and the stories he lived through in that dimension. It was fun, like reading a fantasy isekai novel. I mean, that\'s what dimensium and omni energy allowed: reincarnating into higher dimensions and doing combat trials, which were basically events that forced you to complete the story while your body adapted to being higher dimensional. Most times you would be reborn as a baby and forced to live the story in the shoes of the main character but with your omni energy, which made you stronger than the main character could have ever been.
There were exceptions from what his grandfather told him. Prison realms were forbidden techniques that sacrificed a part of its user\'s omni energy as an offering to the boundless beings or one of them to trap the target in a specifically tailored Prison realm. The realm would work like a combat trial but is specifically tailored towards keeping the target in it by making the realm a construct, a structure equivalent to the target\'s max current potential. For example, if the target was 8th dimensional but had the potential to be 12 dimensional, it would be a 12 dimensional construct that had 9th, 10th, and 11th dimensional constructs in them. The user would be forced to evolve and transcend dimensions, completing multiple stories in said constructs until he had reached the power equivalent to the max potential he had when entering. In this case, until the target had transcended to being 12th dimensional.
"Noboru, combat trials are hard on the person, not because of the being you will face, but because in the end, you will have to leave your friends you have made," Haruki said as Noboru tilted his head, confused, which Haruki found absolutely adorable. "What I mean is, the deepest agony doesn\'t stem from physical wounds but from witnessing those with whom you\'ve shared cherished moments transform into mere memories," Haruki said, only to see Noboru still confused. \'Such innocence. I wish you will keep this forever, my dear grandson, but I know this world, no, not just this world, but the countless worlds, dimensions, realms, and other undefined places you will go to will break that. Hell, my son Hiroshi and daughter-in-law Amaya are doing that as we speak,\' Haruki thought with anger.
"Don\'t worry, Noboru. In due time, you will understand, even though I pray you don\'t. But don\'t worry, even if you are clever, there are some concepts only adults or those who experience such things can understand," Haruki explained.
"Grandpa, I don\'t understand," Noboru said.
"What I mean is, it\'s better in these trials that you keep to yourself and not open your heart. That\'s how I completed as much because you won\'t be open to heartbreak or betrayal, but you also don\'t have to leave them," Haruki said as Noboru put on a defiant look.
"But grandpa, if the people of the kingdom won\'t be friends with me, then maybe those in the world I visit will," Noboru said with a look that showed he was hurt by the kingdom\'s actions. Haruki cursed the kingdom he formerly ruled because of them; Noboru couldn\'t have any bonds in this world and sought to make bonds in other worlds, dimensions, realms and other undefined places.
Flashback end.
\'I tried to live by listening to your advice, grandpa, not make bonds, but it\'s hard, really hard. These people, these bonds I made, I didn\'t intend to, but these people here really have a way of growing on you, making you feel welcomed, which nobody apart from you, Ayame, Celestia, and the rest of the Dragon Kingdom I built made me feel. But that was ripped from me; hopefully, this isn\'t ripped away from me," Noboru thought as he arrived at the Dungeon of Seven Eternities.
"Well then, those 26 of you who are waiting outside of the dungeon. You have decided to go through with the challenge. Leaving the dungeon or any part of the tournament will result in imprisonment and a hefty fine as it will be seen as you mocking the duke. But anyways, the gates will now open. Good luck; you will need it," the proctor said.
"Let\'s do this," Noboru said as took a deep breath to calm his nerves. His nerves solely relied on one energy source: Omni Energy, which is the root of all energy sources, and with his Omni Energy technique negation, he never had to worry. But now, he\'s using aura, earth aura specifically, for the first time to not raise questions; that was nerve-wracking.
"I\'m coming for the title," Noboru shouted as he dashed towards the dungeon as soon as it opened.