Chapter 290: The Predator of the Slumbering Wasteland

Zich stood on the black wasteland, his gaze locked firmly on the slumbering altar in the distance as the surrounding awakened magical beasts silently turned toward it.

Boom!

The ground around the altar suddenly exploded, and a pitch-black arm reached out from underground. That arm was several meters thick, its surface covered in rock-like black scales, and five sharp claws slowly gripped the ground.

Immediately after, a second arm appeared, then shoulders. Finally, an enormous demonic creature over a dozen meters tall slowly stood up from behind the altar. It did not have a complete body. A great amount of black bone and flesh seemed forcibly spliced together by some kind of power, and its red eyes hovered in the center of its chest.

His gaze narrowed slightly.

[Wasteland Slumberer]

[Level: ???]

[Status: Not fully awakened.]

[Special Rule: Every time it absorbs the life force of one wasteland magical beast, its awakening level increases.]

Visible energy was still continuously flowing from the altar into the creature. Based on this, Zich inferred that as long as its awakening remained incomplete, destroying the altar might sever that connection and forcibly terminate the awakening process.

Looking at the final line, he suddenly frowned.

The hidden rule was drawing every awakened magical beast toward the Wasteland Slumberer, turning them into sources of life force that could accelerate its awakening.

"However..." Zich gripped the Frostgrave Scythe. "There’s still time to destroy the altar before its awakening is completed."

He raised his hand.

"Clear a path to the altar and destroy it. Intercept anything that gets in the way."

Boom!

Iron charged out first. Tiamant spread her bone wings and shot into the sky, with the four skeleton soldiers following right behind. The Silverback Ape Grunt grabbed a massive chunk of black rock and hurled it straight ahead.

Boom!

The stone pillar blocking the path exploded in an instant.

The Earth Vein Ancient Turtle was also completely enraged, and its enormous body began madly charging toward the altar.

The Wasteland Slumberer finally turned its body.

Its scarlet eyes landed on the ancient turtle.

Whoosh!

It vanished on the spot, leaving behind nothing but an afterimage.

Zich’s pupils suddenly contracted.

"Iron!"

Iron quickly raised his sword.

Boom!

A black figure crashed down from midair, and the terrifying impact force sent Iron flying back dozens of meters. The bone greatsword collided with black claws, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Iron regained his footing and swung his sword again without hesitation.

"Tiamant, left flank."

The massive bone dragon immediately changed direction. Its pitch-black chains poured down from the sky, wrapping around the Wasteland Slumberer’s arm before Tiamant dived and raked her claws across its body.

Boom!

The Wasteland Slumberer let out a low roar, and for the first time, visible wounds appeared on its body.

"Now." Zich’s figure flickered.

[Shadow Blink!]

His body appeared closer to the altar.

Less than three hundred meters remained. A smile appeared on his face as he prepared to use Shadow Blink again to cross the final stretch.

But at that moment, a silver light flashed past from the side.

Boom!

A silver magic beam slammed into the ground directly in front of him, forcing him to stop right in his tracks.

"Another guardian?" A look of pure shock crossed his face as he glanced toward the source of the attack.

...

Outside the trial tower, the rankings on the huge black ranking stone tablet remained unchanged.

[First Place: Zich Grave, Fourth Floor.]

[Second Place: Austin Locke, Third Floor.]

[Third Place: Nadia Voss, Third Floor.]

[Fourth Place: Helen Magnus, Third Floor.]

[Fifth Place: Jayden, Second Floor.]

Discussions in the plaza rose one after another as everyone waited for the rankings to change.

"What exactly is he doing in there?"

"The Fourth Floor doesn’t seem so simple. It’s been this long, and his ranking hasn’t changed at all."

In the Locke family area, one of the observers looked up at the ranking stone, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Looks like he’s finally encountered a trial that’s truly troublesome."

A new change suddenly appeared on the ranking board.

[Second Place: Helen Magnus, Fourth Floor.]

Upon seeing this, the entire plaza instantly fell silent.

"Helen also entered the Fourth Floor!"

"That fast?"

The expressions of the Locke family members immediately turned ugly.

Meanwhile, in the Voss family area, an observer quietly watched the rankings. He was not surprised. With Helen’s strength, the first three floors should not have taken her much time in the first place.

More importantly...

"Nadia is almost there too."

Almost as soon as his words fell, the rankings changed again.

[Second Place: Nadia Voss, Fourth Floor.]

[Third Place: Helen Magnus, Fourth Floor.]

The plaza completely erupted. Three top young geniuses had entered the Fourth Floor within a short interval.

And first place was still Zich.

"It looks like the real competition has only just begun," someone could not help but say.

...

Fourth Floor.

Looking at the silver light that had suddenly appeared before him, Zich’s eyes gradually turned serious.

A special magical beast had revealed itself between him and the altar. Its entire body was covered in silver-white scales, a single curved horn grew from its forehead, and the aura it gave off was even more terrifying than that of a Level 30 magical beast.

[Altar Guardian.]

[Level: 30.]

[Special Ability: Spatial Defense.]

His grip on the scythe slowly tightened.

"So this is the final defense."

The Wasteland Slumberer had still not fully awakened. The Altar Guardian was blocking the path ahead, and behind him, large numbers of magical beasts were already approaching the Wasteland Slumberer.

If he kept dragging this out, they would reach it and become life force for its awakening.

After taking a deep breath, Zich made a decision. "Then I’ll deal with them all together."

Through the contracts, he transmitted an order for the already-present Iron, Tiamant, Slimy, Blood Leech, the Silverback Ape Grunt, and the four Undead Skeleton Soldiers to regroup around him.

Taking one step forward, he raised the Frostgrave Scythe.

"All units... Attack!"

Rumble!

The entire Slumbering Wasteland shook as a fierce confrontation began.

---

While all this was going on, inside the region surrounding Myriad Beast Mountain,

Gavin Locke had just received some information.