BXBX NOVEL Chapter 97: Trials and Cooperation
But what bothered Enzo was that this advancement wasn\'t as significant as the last.
Although two more leaves had been lit up, granting him two new abilities—Plant Purification and Spiritual Healing—it hadn\'t notably enhanced his combat capabilities.
Enzo\'s current combat methods remained rather limited.
After leaving the Shadow Wolves\' lair, Enzo and Freya headed towards the location of the tall tower.
When Freya could clearly see the enormous tower, she suddenly stopped, her expression grim. She turned to Enzo and said, "You go ahead. I need to recover from my injuries."
As she spoke, Freya glared at Enzo with anger.
If not for Enzo, her injuries would have healed long ago.
Enzo felt awkward at this moment. Although the two were not exactly friends, they were not enemies either.
Moreover, the supernatural information Freya had provided had been a great help to him.
Because of this, Enzo spoke up, "I can help you."
Freya outright refused, "I don\'t need your help."
However, Enzo didn\'t give Freya a chance to refuse. He pressed her to the ground and lifted her clothing to examine the wounds, feeling even more embarrassed.
Fortunately, they were not serious issues.
Enzo slowly infused his own energy into the wounds, the vibrant life force immediately taking effect. The injuries began to heal rapidly, and Freya\'s condition improved swiftly.
But Enzo, focused on healing, didn\'t notice Freya\'s expression.
Her expression were shyness and a hint of restlessness.
Nearly half a day passed before Freya\'s injuries were completely healed.
At that moment, her strength returned.
Enzo, exhausted, felt a tremendous force pressing down on him. His expression changed instantly as he looked at Freya.
Freya giggled, teasing Enzo just as he had done to her before.
Face to face, their distance no more than a hand\'s breadth apart.
Freya chuckled and said, "So, Enzo, are you scared now?"
Enzo remained silent.
Damn it!
He had let his guard down.
However, Enzo wasn\'t overly concerned. He didn\'t sense any hostility from Freya.
But in the next moment, his lips were blocked by Freya.
Freya\'s soft tongue reached directly into his mouth, like a lively fish swimming back and forth, but Enzo was experienced and Freya quickly lost the battle, panting and pushing Enzo away.
Freya taunted, "You seem quite experienced?"
Enzo chuckled in response, "Want to try something different?"
Freya\'s face flushed slightly as she retorted, "Enzo, you\'re just a rude guy!"
Seeing Freya getting visibly upset, Enzo reached out and changed the subject, "Freya, let\'s cooperate."
"Cooperate?" Freya laughed as if she heard a joke, but seeing Enzo\'s serious expression made her own demeanor serious. She asked, "Are you sure it\'s cooperation? Or are you suggesting it because you fear my current strength and worry I might retaliate, so you propose cooperation on purpose?"
Enzo replied seriously, "I need help."
"And one more thing," Enzo paused, turning to look towards a distant tower, his back to Freya, "When I talk about cooperation, it\'s not me helping you gain control of the tower. It\'s you helping me gain control of the tower. Of course, I\'ll assist you in becoming the priest of the Golden Lion Tribe as well."
Freya chuckled in exasperation at Enzo\'s words.
She didn\'t hold back in her mockery, "Enzo, you\'re simply unreasonable! Even if you have talent, you\'re too weak right now. It\'s impossible for you to pass the final trial on your own!"
Enzo turned back calmly and said, "Freya, care to make a bet? Next, whoever can first pass the fourth level of the trial will become the primary focus of our cooperation."
Freya laughed and asked, "Enzo, do you even know what the fourth level trial entails?"
Enzo shook his head.
Only by passing the preceding trial could one know the content of the next trial.
Since he hadn\'t passed even the first trial, he naturally had no idea about the subsequent trials.
A meaningful smile played on Freya\'s face as she carefully observed Enzo. She didn\'t understand where his confidence stemmed from, but she admired his self-assurance. So instead of refusing, she said, "Alright! I accept this bet! But remember, according to the tower\'s rules, I can\'t disclose the content of the fourth trial to you. Hurry up and pass the third level so you can find out what a bloody trial really means!"
"And also, stay alive until then."
"Dangers come not only from the trials themselves but from the others participating in them."
With that said, Freya headed towards the entrance of the tower, and Enzo quickly followed.
Before long, they arrived at the entrance hall of the tower, only to be stopped by someone.
The man had black markings on his face that extended from the left side of his face down to his neck, continuing towards his chest. These markings seemed not to be drawn with black plant juice .
These markings were living organisms!
Enzo\'s spirit faltered just from a glance at them.
At that moment, the man blocking their path spoke up, "Freya, I\'m surprised to see you recovered. But to think you\'ve taken such a weakling as your companion, it\'s a disgrace to the Golden Lion Tribe!"
"And..."
The man looked at Enzo, a cruel smile playing on his lips, "you, little worm, just dared to look me in the eye. You\'re asking for trouble!"
With those words, the man with the markings reached out to grab Enzo\'s neck.
Enzo felt a choking sensation instantly.
This man\'s presence was even more formidable than Freya\'s!
In a critical moment, Freya intervened, blocking the man\'s attack. She taunted, "Zona, you\'re becoming more cowardly. Resorting to poison and bullying the weak. With your kind of cowardice, do you really think you deserve to be a priest of the Golden Lion Tribe?"
"What did you say, Freya?!"
The patterned man Zona was extremely angry.
But Freya didn\'t flinch. She continued coldly, "If you want to fight, I\'m willing to oblige. But are you ready to face the consequences?"
Zona\'s expression changed, he glanced at Enzo, then chose to leave.
Enzo watched Zona leave without fear in his eyes. He turned to Freya and asked, "So, that person is your competitor?"
Freya nodded, cautioning him, "Zona seems to have noticed your talent. Be careful from now on, especially within the High Tower Space."
Outside the High Tower Space, Zona wouldn\'t be able to find Enzo.
Enzo didn\'t dwell on the warning too much.
He pushed through the crowd towards the Spirit of the High Tower. To his slight surprise, the trial affairs were handled by a puppet of the Spirit of the High Tower, speaking in a mechanical tone, "What do you require?"
Enzo replied directly, "I\'ll undertake first trial."
The puppet responded, "Submit a Shadow Wolves\' claw, or a Ghost-Faced Spider\'s fang, or a Gurgle Beast\'s crystal, to commence the first trial."
Enzo handed over a Shadow Wolves\' claw.
In the next instant, he felt himself transported to a strange and unfamiliar space.
He felt his own strength diminish significantly, reduced by several times, and before him were two familiar Level 3 Shadow Wolves.
This caused Enzo to pause briefly, a smile creeping onto his lips as he muttered to himself, "Looks like this trial isn\'t all that difficult."
During the trial, although his physical strength was suppressed, his mental fortitude remained unchanged.
Leveraging his mental perception, Enzo could easily anticipate the movements of the Shadow Wolves. Despite his weakened state, through persistence, he managed to eliminate the Shadow Wolves one by one, each crumbling into shards as if made of glass, and disappearing.
Simultaneously, the voice of the High Tower Spirit puppet rang out, "Trial passed!"
Enzo also learned about the content of the second trial — crafting any type of supernatural Potion. This trial made him furrow his brow.
After all, he had no knowledge of Potion-making.
But fortunately, as long as he passed any one trial, he could freely leave the High Tower Space. So Enzo remained composed and chose to continue with the trials.
The entry fee for the second level remained the same three items.
After submitting a wolf claw and entering the trial area, Enzo directly mixed his own life energy with water, giving it a name — Healing Potion.
He successfully passed this trial as well.
Then, the third trial surprisingly tested mental strength.
In this aspect, Enzo naturally faced no difficulty.
However, when he saw the content of the fourth trial, Enzo\'s face turned serious. He finally understood why Freya and others were stuck at this level.
Because the challenge of this trial wasn\'t just combat.
It required leading a team to withstand a beast tide and ensure that at least half of the team members survived.
At first glance, this didn\'t seem insurmountable. But the disparity in strength was too great. The beast tide consisted of thousands of fierce beasts, including supernatural ones, while the team consisted of ordinary tribe warriors.
Leading such a team to withstand a beast tide seemed impossible by any measure.
Using Life Link?
Enzo entertained the thought briefly in his mind but ultimately abandoned it.
Life Link could share damage, but against such a terrifying beast tide, it would likely be ineffective.
Unable to think of a solution for now, Enzo decided not to force the issue .
He chose to exit the trial grounds.
However, discussions began to buzz in the hall of the High Tower.