Ruler's Awakening: Inheritor of the SSS-Rank Dimensional Talent-Chapter 170: Lilith City

***

Three Months Later

[CONGRATULATIONS!]

[You’ve successfully completed the 24th boss challenge of the Dark Pillar!]

[The next floor of the Dark Pillar Tower has been unlocked.]

[Floor Access Privilege]

[Do you want to proceed to the second floor?]

[Yes] [No]

The struggle over the past six months finally paid off. Hundreds of labyrinth monsters defeated, 15 floor bosses conquered, and countless tense moments faced—most of which they’d never expected.

Arthur’s presence had been more than enough to guide Squad 13. They never imagined they’d become the first squad in Sky Sword 10th’s history to reach the 25th floor—or Lilith City.

Arthur let out a relieved smile. After being stuck here for a whole year, he’d finally set foot on the 25th floor. A quarter of the journey was now behind him on the path to earning the title of Dark Ruler at the 100th floor.

Sara approached him with a smile, showing him the floor teleportation panel that had appeared after they defeated the 24th-floor boss. She wanted to confirm if they were moving on to the next floor.

"We’re heading straight up," Arthur said, and Sara nodded.

She turned back to the others. Karen and Mona agreed without hesitation. With the decision made, Sara tapped the teleport confirmation menu, followed by Arthur, Karen, and Mona.

A bright blue light enveloped their bodies, glowing so intensely it was almost blinding. The system connected them to the lightstone on the 25th floor, and their bodies began to break apart into tiny particles, floating skyward.

Outside the boss room, the other squads waiting at the entrance were left stunned. Squad 13 had wrapped up the floor boss in under half an hour. They’d expected it, though—Arthur’s abilities were a huge boost to the team’s overall strength.

Mona disappeared first, her form dissolving into shimmering particles and fading away into the air. Karen followed, then Sara.

Arthur was the last to leave, his eyes closing as he felt the strange sensation of his body breaking apart, like being swept by a cool breeze and the gentle waves of the sea.

’Finally, I’ve made it to Lilith City.’

’Andrew, I’ve kept my promise to you. Our contract is officially done!’

As the tingling sensation faded, Arthur opened his eyes—and was shocked. The lightstone was no longer near the Dark Pillar gate. Instead, it stood in the center of a bustling city.

The lively sounds of a massive city filled the air. Arthur took in the medieval European-style architecture lining the streets. Most buildings were about five stories tall, standing around 59–65 feet.

With their size and grandeur, Arthur couldn’t help but feel like he was in a sprawling metropolis. He had to admit—Lilith City was far better than the one on the 10th floor.

Sara was the most excited, taking in the sights of the city with pure joy. She even suggested to Mona that they take a quick stroll before heading to Sky Sword’s 25th-floor branch headquarters.

The city’s beauty, the variety of items, and the selection of food and clothing made this place a dream destination for adventurers from the lower floors—floors 1 through 24.

Although the squad could’ve stopped at the 10th-floor city, the place had recently been reduced to a barren wasteland after Arthur’s Dark Azazel magic attack. The closest cities offering supplies and items were back on the 4th and 15th floors.

Sara asked Arthur if she could explore the city’s main street for a bit. Arthur gave her a nod—he couldn’t deny them the chance to enjoy this well-earned break. Sara jumped with excitement like a little kid, pulling Mona and Karen along.

Karen politely declined. She planned to visit a blacksmith’s shop to upgrade her sword. In the end, Sara took Mona and Miki with her.

Thalenia, however, decided to stay behind. She still hadn’t mastered fully disguising herself as human, unlike Miki, who didn’t mind the situation at all.

Karen headed south, where the blacksmith shops and item vendors were located. The shops competed fiercely, some sitting side by side, others directly across from one another. From their shouts to attract customers, it was clear the competition was intense.

The wide streets of the southern district bustled with mages—some walking alone, others in groups, likely preparing for raids or general missions.

"I didn’t expect more people to visit the item district than the food and clothing district," Karen remarked.

"Looks like they’re gearing up for something—maybe a raid or something else," Arthur replied.

Karen stopped in front of a blacksmith shop packed with people. Adventurers were buying magic weapons tailored to complement their talents. Some were even commissioning custom-made gear.

Arthur glanced at Karen, noticing her narrowing her eyes as she stared straight ahead.

"What’s wrong?" he asked.

"It’s way too crowded here—I can’t even get inside," Karen replied.

"Want to try another shop?" Arthur suggested. She nodded.

The two left the crowded store, searching for a less chaotic place. After walking a bit, they finally found a shop that Karen liked.

Inside, Arthur inspected the swords, spears, and shields on display. The blacksmith seemed highly skilled—every piece had magical energy that aligned perfectly with specific elemental attributes. Experience more content on novelbuddy

’He’s good—his work is attuned to basic elemental magic,’ Arthur thought.

Karen approached the reception desk and pulled out her red-bladed fire sword. She didn’t plan to melt it down—she just wanted to enhance its STR and AGI attributes.

"That’s easy. Take your pick," the burly, bald blacksmith replied.

In front of Karen were six gems, neatly arranged by color. The red gems boosted weapon attributes, especially STR.

Three red gems sat before her, each a different shade. The brighter the red, the smaller the boost. The darker the red, the stronger the enhancement—but also the pricier.

Karen picked the maroon gem. She didn’t mind spending more money for a significant STR boost if it gave her an edge in battle.

"Do the same for the blue gem," Karen instructed.

"Got it. Just give me a moment," the blacksmith said.

While they waited, a group of adventurers dressed in black and red barged into the shop, shoving items aside and making a mess. Karen and Arthur were taken aback.

’Night Liberators. Typical troublemakers.’

"Get out here, Nir! I know you’re in there!" one of them shouted.

Nir, the shop owner, stepped out hesitantly. Despite his muscular build, he was no match for their magic.

The leader of the Night Liberators wasted no time getting to the point—they were here to collect overdue protection fees for the past two months. Nir hadn’t been able to pay due to slow business.

"I-I’ll pay next month," Nir pleaded.

"You said that last month, but here we are!" the leader snapped, stepping forward and aiming a hand at Nir’s head. A magic circle glowed in his palm, threatening Nir with death.

"Or maybe I should just kill you and take everything!"

"Please, no—"

BANG!

A beam of red light shot from the magic circle, piercing Nir’s head and killing him instantly. His body hit the floor, a gaping, charred hole in his skull.

Karen grabbed her sword, and Arthur pulled her away. "Let’s go," he said, trying to avoid further trouble.

Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at ƒrēenovelkiss.com Only.

"Wait!" the leader barked. Arthur stopped and turned.

"What do you want?"

"You saw what happened. I can’t let you walk away."

The man unleashed another red laser spell, aiming directly at Arthur. With lightning reflexes, Arthur turned his head, eyes sharp as daggers.

"You really want to die today, huh?"