Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent

Aside from the [Tower of Destiny], there were two other towers in Universal Descent that were far more dangerous.

Unlike most locations in the game, they weren’t just areas to be explored or zones to be conquered, they were trials meant to break even the strongest of players.

And those towers were known as the [Main Towers].

The title wasn’t just for show.

These were considered the peak challenges of the entire game.

The kind that only a handful of players would even dare to approach, much less enter.

Based on what he knew, and the instincts he’d honed through hundreds of battles, he had ranked the towers like this:

[3. Tower of Destiny: A tower that players could enter fairly early in the game. Though it allowed ascension from lower levels, it would still take reaching level 1,000 just to clear the tenth floor.]

[2. Tower of Wrath: ???]

[1. Tower of Nightmares: ???]

Alex didn’t know much about the latter two, the only one he had concrete information about was the [Tower of Destiny].

The rest were a mystery.

Their mechanics were unknown, their rules unclear.

But one thing was certain, they didn’t follow the same structure.

The [Tower of Destiny] had a classic “climb the floors” system.

Each floor got more difficult the higher you went.

But the others? Alex didn’t think they’d be that simple.

No, he had a feeling they played by a different set of rules entirely.

And that meant he needed to be cautious.

Regardless, he had already made his decision.

After opening his [World Map], he scanned the terrain for the nearest Main Tower.

Thankfully, one of them wasn’t far.

In fact, it was shockingly close to [Angel City].

The [Tower of Wrath]. That alone made the decision for him.

If he wanted to gather the two remaining Tokens he needed, [Token of Wrath] and [Token of Nightmares], he’d have to start somewhere.

And going for the closest one first made the most sense.

He had no time to waste.

Fwish! Fwish!

With four wings spread wide, two draconic, two angelic, Alex launched himself into the air, soaring high, the wind howling past him as he accelerated through the skies.

Based on the distance shown on his map, it would take less than a full day to reach his destination.

That gave him time, time to think, to plan, or just rest his mind.

Hours passed in calm silence.

Eventually, Alex glanced to his side and decided to break it.

“So, Astolf,” he said, his voice steady even in the rushing wind.

The Undead King answered, “Hm?”

“Alphox left us behind,” Alex continued, “Not that I blame him. He did what he needed to do.

But I figured you might want to return to the Undead Lands too, maybe to stabilize things there, or just reclaim your territory.”

He smirked slightly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to kill Lich before he gets any ideas.”

Astolf let out a quiet grunt of amusement.

The corners of his undead face lifted slightly, barely forming a grin.

“It is fine, human,” he said, “I wish to participate in the [Chosen Games] as well, even if it means death.”

Alex gave a small nod of respect.

“So be it.”

He wasn’t going to argue.

If Astolf wanted to stand with him in the battles ahead, then he would be welcome.

As for the Hatred Demon sealed inside of him, it said nothing.

Which, in Alex’s opinion, was ideal.

The less it spoke, the better.

Still, even if it was quiet now, he hadn’t forgotten it.

He would find a way to purge it completely, no matter what.

More hours passed.

Rain began to fall from the heavens above, thick droplets pounding against his armor and wings.

Thunder echoed through the skies like distant war drums, and lightning split the sky again and again.

But Alex didn’t slow down.

He didn’t even blink.

ZAP! ZAP!

Bolts of lightning shot down around him, but his wings shifted and twisted, weaving through the chaos with inhuman precision.

He moved like a shadow through the storm, effortlessly avoiding every strike.

The system chirped in his mind.

“We’re getting close,” he muttered, reopening his [World Map] to confirm his position.

The closer he got, the more resistance he encountered.

Dozens of flying monsters began to appear in the distance, as if the tower itself had summoned them to guard its entrance.

Thunder Birds, storm serpents, and other sky predators rushed toward him, screeching in unison.

But none of them lasted more than a few seconds.

Alex raised a hand, and with a single movement, cut through them all.

Blood rained down through the skies, but he didn’t stop.

His wings flapped once more, propelling him forward as he casually stored away a few useful materials, [Thunder Bird Wings], [Thunder Bird Meat], before they fell too far.

The others fled immediately after.

Even monsters knew when they were outmatched.

But the attacks didn’t stop.

Soon, a massive tornado surged toward him, spinning furiously across the clouds.

Instead of dodging, Alex simply phased through it.

The vortex of wind and debris didn’t even scratch him.

He passed through it like a ghost.

Another thirty minutes passed, and every kind of obstacle tried to slow him down.

They all failed. And then, finally… he saw it.

Fwish! Ding!

[You have discovered the “Tower of Wrath”]

Alex’s eyes widened as he hovered in the air, stunned by the sight in front of him.

“…Holy shit.”

There, looming in the distance, was the tower.

It was colossal.

A structure so tall that its peak disappeared into the clouds above, clouds so thick and dark they felt like they had swallowed the sky itself.

What stood out even more was the strange phenomenon surrounding the tower.

Despite the storm, despite the clouds that filled the skies, the area immediately around the tower was clear, perfectly circular, like something had forced the storm to stay out.

Within that circle, the sky was crimson.

Not just red, but glowing, almost bleeding light.

It painted the landscape below in shades of blood and fire, making the entire tower seem like it was burning from within.

“I feel in my element,” the Hatred Demon’s voice echoed from within Alex’s mind, a tone of longing and amusement in its words.

“I wish I had found this tower before.”

“But you didn’t,” Alex muttered, wings still flapping as he closed the distance, “Too bad.”

Still, he couldn’t deny it.

There was something about the atmosphere here, something that reminded him of the Hatred Demon itself.

Not the name, necessarily, but the feeling.

This tower didn’t just radiate power, it radiated fury.

Wrath so intense it felt tangible. This was no normal challenge.

Fwish! Boom!

As Alex descended toward the ground, he felt the pressure intensify.

The aura of the tower hit him like a wall, dense, heavy, oppressive.

Even with all his strength, he could feel it weighing on him slightly.

He landed with a dull thud, his boots crushing the cracked earth beneath.

Standing at the base, he finally looked up properly.

The tower was impossibly large.

Its structure was carved from black stone, layered with cracks that pulsed with red light.

Above him, the sky churned, and he could see the clouds circling the crimson sky like a vortex around the tower’s center.

But Alex didn’t stare for long.

His attention snapped forward, to the door.

The entrance to the [Tower of Wrath] stood tall and ancient, nearly fifty meters in height.

Its surface was covered in engravings, weathered by time but still visible.

At its center was a series of three circles etched into the stone, one at the top, and two on each side.

They weren’t glowing yet. Just symbols.

Strange ones Alex didn’t understand.

He stepped forward.

Ding!

[Challenger detected…]

The moment those words echoed in his mind, the area lit up.

The three symbols surrounding the door began to glow in deep crimson light, pulsing slowly.

The door itself shimmered, and then, glowing letters began to appear, forming a message across its surface.

[Enter the “Tower of Wrath” if you dare, and you will participate in the “Wrath Trials.” Do note that you are not allowed to leave once you enter.]

[Success rate until now: 0.00000000000001%]

Alex stared at the text for a moment.

“…I don’t care,” he muttered.

This tower was supposed to be the second hardest challenge in the game, and that meant one thing, it was the perfect place to prove that nothing could stand in his way.

Not anymore. Besides… if he struggled here, what hope would he have in the [Tower of Nightmares]?

No. He would push through. As always.

With determination flaring in his gaze, Alex stepped forward.