The Last Human Returns.
Chapter 18 - 2nd Floor and Stampede.

Ethan's gaze did not focus for a moment. As soon as he regains his sight, Ethan sees a different scene from the piled up corpses of monsters. Ethan now stands in the middle of an Arena similar to the Colosseum in Rome Italy, except, the size of this Arena is larger.

[You are given five minutes to get ready for–]

"No, please start the exam straight away."

As if understanding what Ethan is saying, the system's message changes halfway.

[Starting the 1st Floor Test: Defeat all enemies and become a Conqueror.]

As soon as the message ended, an Orc emerged from the gate on the other side. Orcs are not the same as Orcs that Ethan defeated before. The orc had a muscular body and was two meters tall.

Ethan didn't delay any longer. He drew his sword and immediately accelerated early. Ethan wants to test how strong he is now.

The Orc who could not keep up with Ethan's speed was shocked making him unable to react with Ethan's sword slash towards his neck.

The splash!

Ethan's sword beautifully cut the Orc's neck. Orcs died in just one slash.

[You finished the first round.]

[Second round will start on–]

"No. Let's continue."

[The second round starts immediately.]

Just like before, Ethan was without rest and with the sword still drenched in blood, choosing to directly start the test.

This time, not the Orcs. However, two Fire Wolfs. The monster that approached the spirit with its body covered in flames.

Just like before. Ethan took the first step. Ethan aims to kill one of them quickly in order to dodge an unfortunate one-on-two situation.

"!!" The wolf was surprised by the sword blade that appeared before his eyes. However, with his high Dexterity status, he could dodge very thinly.

Ethan expected it. With a specific calculation, Ethan stops when the wolf is about to dodge. Therefore, Ethan can attack the wolf that is still in the unprepared.

Jem!

Ethan's sword pierced right into the wolf's forehead and destroyed his brain.

"Awao!" The wolf companion was angry. He tries to attack Ethan secretly.

"If you want to attack from behind. Do it quietly."

Ethan with a small smile pulled the sword from the wolf's forehead and lowered his head to avoid another wolf attack. Not only dodging, Ethan even attacked back. The wolf in the air could not keep its stomach. Ethan neatly pierced the stomach and crushed the stomach.

[You finished the second round.]

[Third round will start on–]

Ethan pulls the sword from the wolf's stomach. Blood gushed against his body. However, Ethan did not care at all and chose to continue the exam.

"Next."

[Third round starts soon.]

In the third round, the enemy was, a creature with a kangaroo-like body and a face similar to that of a beaver. However, his strength was only slightly weaker than the Black Knight on the 1st Floor.

Nevertheless, Ethan sheathes his sword back and takes the boxing horses.

"Hey! You crazy? Fight Moochelo with boxing!?" Alice hysterically sees Ethan's irrational actions.

Ethan was not at all daunted and only smiled faintly. "Watch carefully. This is how martial art should be."

"What are you–" Alice stopped her words.

Moochelo at incredible speed, lunged towards Ethan after the mutual staring contest ended. Moochelo floated a fist with his long arms filled with strength.

"Hey! Watch out!" Alice shouted in worry. However, his worries were in vain.

Ethan didn't even move from his spot and Moochelo's fist didn't reach his face. That was because Moochelo did not expect Ethan to not move at all.

Taking advantage of a moment of confusion from Moochelo, Ethan smiled triumphantly. He widened his fists and with a palm, Ethan struck him right at Moochelo's [Mana Heart].

"!?" Moochelo widened his eyes.

The overwhelming pain he felt as his entire inner energy spread out like ripples. That's not the end. Ethan, with his fingertips covered in mana, attacks Moochelo's 12 magic circuit points, leaving him powerless to prevent the escape of Mana in his body.

Then, Ethan touches Moochelo's forehead and injects a bit of mana into it.

Brucks.

Moochelo collapses losing his life without even knowing what happened to him.

Alice stunned. He was lucky to be in the ring. Otherwise, his current stupid face would have been seen by Ethan and become the material for his taunting.

"What kind of terrifying Martial– is that?" Alice muttered in horror.

Alice was amazed that Ethan could win against Moochelo with his bare hands. What surprised him was, the martial arts that Ethan used. It was a monstrous martial science that was eyeing one's Mana Heart.

[You finished the third round.]

[Fourth round will be done on–]

"Next." Ethan, unaware of Alice's feelings, continues the test.

Ethan continued forward without meeting any significant obstacles. He had a bit of difficulty against a three-digit enemy in the 15-18 round. However, he managed to get through it without having to take out his trump card.

On the 19th Floor, an enemy with level 190 appeared. The enemy Ethan faces is a lion with a sword tail.

Sword of Fanta Ethan resisted all attacks from the sword that was on the lion's tail. However, after going through many battles, the lifespan of the Sword of Fanta was not long. The cracks had already started to appear on his blade.

Ethan gritted his teeth. He did not believe it would be hampered in round nineteen.

"Man! You better give up! Impossible to win!" Alice shouted in worry.

However, Ethan, who constantly dodged and resisted the lion's attack, only grinned broadly at Alice's words.

"Have you ever seen me hit by an attack?"

Hearing that, Alice fell silent. Ethan has never been attacked. Even though he was cornered, he had at least managed to avoid fatal injuries.

Noticing something strange, Alice widened her eyes. "You! You crazy man!"

Ethan grinned. A pitch-black energy covered his legs. Then, with a single jolt, Ethan disappeared instantly from the sight of the sword lion.

Ethan appeared a split second later behind the sword lion. He moved his black aura from his feet towards his sword. It was an aura full of tenderness and calmness. Very quiet to scary.

"Puncture suffering!" Shouting a strange-sounding style name, Ethan thrust his sword into the hole where the dirt came out.

"!?" The sword lion widened its eyes in pain.

Ethan did not let the sword lion breathe. He injected more aura into his sword until the black aura engulfed almost the entire back of the sword lion.

"Roaar!" The tail of the sword was directed carelessly.

But it's too late. When Ethan's sword has reached it, it is, the end. The light in the eyes of the sword lion began to fade. He collapses when his back body disappears swallowed by Ethan's sword aura leaving his front body remaining.

Alice could not speak. Putting aside the name of the strange technique, the devouring power– does not, the power to remove something belonging to Ethan is outrageous. Nemea, the Mythological Monster that made Gods even run away, was wiped out in just a split second.

[You finished the nineteenth round.]

[The twentieth round will be done at 9:58.]

Ethan for the first time did not immediately advance to the next round. He threw himself over the puddle of black blood on the Arena floor. Ethan doesn't care about his dirty clothes.

"Hey. Is that your attribute?" alice asked, curious.

"Have you ever seen an attribute like this?" Ethan asks back instead of answering.

"Of course not. If one possessed such power, they would either become absolute rulers in the Tower or become corpses due to being the target of another great power that was afraid of such power."

Hearing that, Ethan felt that even the Gods who were considered mighty still did the same thing as the humans they considered inferior. It was so disgusting and unclean.

"Then, that's not my attribute."

"... You're really playing with me." Alice sounded unhappy. However, he did not ask more.

Ethan just shuts down to cool the mana and mana circuits while recharging his mana. Ethan never realized it. However, the sky looks very beautiful inside the Tower which has no pollution.

"Humans really better not exist, yeah."

Ethan hates to think about it. However, the more intelligent the creatures are, the more they will harm other creatures. This is very sad to be said by someone who is a resourceful being.

***

Ethan's been in the tower for two weeks. This leaves Erica and Nina traumatized by the Orcs, waiting for Ethan's return.

"Law. At least Brother gave me some news. However, he had completely disappeared without any news!" Nina looks very frustrated when she thinks about Ethan.

Erica is not much better. He even reduced his portion of food over the past week.

"... Should I go after Brother?"

"That's a great idea. At least if Brother is injured, we will be able to give you help–"

"Erica, Nina! Emergency news!" Hu Tao shouted loudly as he entered the Austin Residence.

Hearing that, Erica and Nina's expressions darkened. They got up and ran towards Hu Tao.

"What's wrong? Is Brother seriously injured again!?"

"Say! Where is Brother now!?"

Erica and Nina sent out a storm of questions as soon as they saw Hu Tao. Hu Tao's expression became confused as to how he should deliver news that did not match the twins' expectations.

"No, not that thing. It's about the Tower!"

When he realizes that the news is unrelated to Ethan, Erica and Nina are a little disappointed. However, they still listened to Hu Tao seriously.

"Is there something with the Tower?"

"Monsters started coming out from inside the Tower just like when the Gate Collapse was one month ago!"

"What?"

"wait. You're serious!?"

Erica and Nina were shocked by the unexpected news. There's only been a one-month gap since Gate Collapse. They did not expect another incident that was no less worrying to break out.

"What about the others? Did they know about this?" Erica tried to stay calm.

"Oh. Big Brother Jun and Big Brother Li Mei gathered them all inside the main hall of Guild Base."

"If so, let's go to the Main Hall."

Hu Tao tilted his head looking around. "wait. Has the Guild Master not returned yet?"

Erica paused for a moment and replied in a bitter tone. "really. We will make a decision without Brother present. So, let's go right away."'