The Ascension : A New Beginning (Solo Leveling x Tower of God) [ON A HIATUS]

Chapter 4 : Secrets

"Now tell me. How did you arrive on the second floor without my permission?"

Jinwoo was in a tough spot right now.

He was now standing in front of an administrator of the tower. One wrong move and he might die.

'There's no use trying to lie. I guess my best bet would be, to tell the truth or at least part of it.'

"I am not sure myself. The last thing I remember is almost dying, and when I woke up I was already here." Jinwoo explained, omitting the part about the system.

Headon stared at Jinwoo carefully, as if trying to ascertain if he is lying or not.

'Hmm...It doesn't seem as if he is lying. But I get the feeling there is more to it than what meets the eye. Well then...'

Headon pointed the stick in his hand at Jinwoo and the orb at its end started glowing. For a few seconds, nothing happened. But then, he flinched.

'I see. So it was him...'

"I think I understand your situation now." Headon told Jinwoo, as he turned around to leave. "I am looking forward to seeing what you will bring to this tower, irregular. Oh and I almost forgot."

Headon outstretched his palm, as what appeared to be a black sphere appeared.

"Not sure how you managed without it so far, probably something he did. Regardless, take it. You might need it."

With these final words, Headon vanished as he returned to the first floor.

'What was that all about?' Jinwoo thought as he fell on his bed. The day was quite a hassle for him. So he was preparing for a good nights sleep.

'I don't necessarily need the pocket since I have the system. But I guess it'll help avoid suspicion.'

'But why do I get the feeling I am forgetting something?'

Soon he fell into a deep slumber, forgetting a particular task the system had given him.

The daily quest.

And soon enough, a message popped up.

[You have failed to complete the daily quest. You will be moved to the 'Penalty Zone' for a set duration.]

Jinwoo opened his eyes when he felt a huge vibration. Before he had time to even comprehend what was going on, he was blinded by a bright light. Seconds later when he opened them, he was in a completely different area. A layer of sand covered the ground as far as he could see.

'A desert?'

*DING*

[Penalty Quest: Survive

-Survive for the required time.

Time Required: 04:00:00

Time Remaining: 03:59:59 ]

'Penalty Quest? But... Oh.' He remembered the daily quest. He had earlier put aside doing it for later. But he had forgotten all about it.

Suddenly the sand around them started to tremble. A creature slowly rose from underneath. It towered over almost all creatures Jinwoo had seen till then.

It was a giant centipede.

"Well... F*ck."

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Jinwoo was panting loudly. After running away from the giant centipede for what felt like an eternity, he was teleported back to his room. His palms were sweaty, knees weak and arms were heavy. With a loud thud, he fell backwards onto the bed as a screen popped up in front of him.